copyright February/2011
Please consider reading the Trilogy of "The Trail West, Winterborn, and The Gathering to better understand how those characters and events flow into this story.
Reading Parts 1 & 2, will set the stage for this continuation of the story.
Constructive comments and emails are very welcome and much appreciated.
If you like or even dislike the story please send me an email with your critique.
Thank you for taking the time to read my tale and commenting. I hope you enjoy the story.
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Johnny Burrows pulled his horse to a stop in front of the Fountain City Livery Stable. Made good time we did, he said to himself; just 48 days from Portland to Fountain. Dismounting he patted William's neck and said, "Good job, old son. You brought me a long way." He stepped over to his pack horse Buck and repeated, "Good job, big fellar."
The stable master came out to join Johnny. "Stayin long Mister?"
"Don't rightly know yet," he replied. "I'd like these two pampered for a day or two anyways. Give em a bath, brush and curry em, and feed em a good mash please."
The stable man said, "Be $3 for the first day and $1 a day after that."
Nodding his head Johnny flipped a $10 gold piece to the man. "That'll take care of a couple of days, I'll be back with more ifin it's needed. Show me the stalls you'll put em in." He followed the man into the big barn and unsaddled the two horses, storing his gear in one of the stalls. "Mister these two are about the only friends I got. Take good care of em," he said looking the man in the eyes." It was both a request and a warning.
As he walked down the main street toward the town proper, Johnny planned on where he would start looking for Josh. There are three places that you can find all the information about the people and the town, Johnny thought. Rumors and facts are found at the general store/post office, the barber shop, and the saloon. I don't need any supplies and don't have anything to mail; I don't want a haircut or shave; so I guess I'll go to the saloon.
Johnny walked into the saloon and smiled. It's like comin back home again, he thought. I've spent more hours than I can remember in a lot worse places than this. He walked to the bar and ordered a whiskey.
As the bartender served his drink, Johnny said, "Name's Johnny Burrows. Lookin for a fellar that may live around here. Can you help me?"
"I'm Sam. Why do you want to find this man?" The bartender asked.
"He's an old friend. Haven't seen him in nigh on to 14 years," Johnny replied.
Sam nodded and asked, "Who are you looking for Mister?"
"Fellar named Josh Kelly. He's supposed to have a ranch outside of town. Got a partner named McCall."
With a smile Sam said, "Josh and Red own the Chico Basin Cattle Company. They got another partner named Jerry Barnes." He smiled again and said, "Course their wives are the real bosses."
Johnny returned the smile. "Where might I find this ranch?"
"I can give you directions but Josh and Red usually stop in for a beer about this time every Saturday. Should be here anytime, if they follow habit."
Johnny's back was to the swinging doors but he saw them swing open in the mirror behind the bar. Two young men came through the doors and stepped to either side of the opening. He saw them look around the big room carefully before they started toward the bar.
As Josh and Red got to the bar, Johnny kept his head down until the youngsters ordered a drink.
"Reckon you'll serve anyone in here if you'll serve these shave tails," he said in a loud serious voice.
Josh and Red turned toward the rude man. Red started to respond to the man and his insult but Josh stopped him. Turning to his companion Josh asked, "I ever tell you about that old horse thief that thought he was a mountain man and tried to teach me how to track and such?"
Johnny smiled, stood up from leaning on the bar and faced Josh.
Still talking to Red Josh continued, "This is that old bag of bones I was telling you about."
"Josh," Johnny said. The two friends looked at each other for a few seconds. Josh stepped over, shook hands with Johnny and put his other hand on his shoulder.
When they finished greeting each other, Red stepped over and offered his hand. "You'd be the famous Mountain Man, Johnny Burrows," he said. "Read about you. I'm Red McCall, Josh's partner."
"Clint Hobart told me about you and the other one, Jerry Barnes was it, when he wrote to me. Say's you and Josh was as close as brothers, he did. Guess that makes you my friend too. Johnny smiled at Red while shaking his hand. "Now what's this about y'all reading about me?"
"Piece in the paper, written by a lady over to Portland, says you're the last of the real by God Mountain Men," Red replied. "Never thought I'd meet someone famous like you," he teased.
Johnny looked puzzled and Josh said, "Seems you met a lady name of Margaret Anne Dempsey and told her your life story. She wrote a long article about you and it got printed in the Portland paper."
Nodding, Johnny said, "Maggie's a friend and she got her uncle to print that story. But how did you hear about it way over here?"
Red answered, "Seems some of the editors of other papers liked the story so much that they got permission to reprint it." Seeing the surprise on Johnny's face he added, "Half the newspapers in the west have run that article. Including our own Fountain Daily News." As an aside Red remarked, "Don't know why it's called the daily news; it don't come out but once a week."
Johnny shook his head. "Never meant for that story to make such a fuss. I just tried to help a young lady with a lot of grit."
He explained Maggie's desire to do stories about more important things than the society page type stories. "She reminded me of another youngster that had a lot goin against him but that wasn't willing to sit back and take it," Johnny said pointing to Josh as he spoke.
Red saw the look that passed between Josh and the mountain man. "Sam give us three of your best before these two get to blubbering," he ordered.
