Cherry Springs

Chapter 4

 After fixing the fence, Duke had time to enjoy the morning. The rain had passed, leaving the ranch and the mountains behind it glistening with dew. He drew a deep breath, inhaling the tangy aroma of the woods and the rich scent of hay. He loved the work and the land, and his role as protector of the cattle and the ranch.

"Rhubarb, it's a lovely morning, but the work won't get done by itself. Let's get cracking."

Rhubarb sniffed sympathetically and wagged her tail in pleasure at being with her companion and master. It was all a good dog needed.

Duke had left his horse and his dog outside the pasture. It was time to check on the calves in the birthing area. This was a separate enclosure from the main herd where he had moved the pregnant mothers in May, anticipating their calving time. Now it was calving season, and there were new calves every morning. He needed to ensure there were no complications, either with the birthing process or the health of the newborn calves. He lost a few every year to wolves, and one last year to a rattlesnake. He felt sad for the loss; unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do about it.

His face brightened as he saw a newborn, bawling and looking for her mother's teat for comfort. They both looked okay. The mother was guarding her baby more closely than usual, as if disturbed sometime in the night. Perhaps that would have been when the calf was born, maybe the scent of a wolf had disturbed her.

He needed to get close to make sure the calf was alive and well, not requiring any further care.

"I don't want to disturb you, girl!"

The mother mooed long and low, standing protectively close to her new calf.

Footsteps behind him made him turn around. Morris Weebly, the farm owner and his boss, was walking towards him, arms akimbo. He wore ranch clothes but not working clothes, with a clean white shirt and a woolen vest complementing his Stetson hat.

He tilted the broad hat in greeting.

In his usual gravelly-twang voice, he greeted, "Mornin' Duke. I've just come from the other pasture where the main herd is. Looks like a few of Belle's cows got mixed in there, broke in, and are grazing among ours. You'll have to drive them off yourself and mend the fence."

Not again! How could that be? He had just fixed the fence by the young cows and shooed them back inside. There must have been more broken fence on the other side.

"Well, you know without a ranch hand, things are tougher on her side, but she needs to find someone right smart. Or else she should be paying me for double the work! Boy, that woman gets my gander."

"I will have to go have a chat with Belle."

Duke tipped his hat at his boss and got on his horse, Rhubarb ready alongside him as they rode from the pasture, careful not to startle the mother cows or their new calves.

Duke passed the various grazing pastures, his mind on the day's chores. The young bulls would need feeding later. The promise of the future for the main herd, with only the best selected to survive. The breeding bulls, muscular and large, with shiny coats.

He passed under the gate of Weebly's ranch, locking it behind him, and down the dusty road, around the forest patch bend and its draping pine trees, until he reached the Belle ranch house. He dismounted at the wooden hitching post by the road and approached the red oak door.

Two young girls answered the door, one half a head taller than the other. "Hi Sally, Jill."

Belle's two young daughters smiled.

"Hi Mister Duke!" they said in unison.

"Woah! You're growing so fast! How old are you now?" He gave an exaggerated puzzled expression.