'A quick look'...

As promised not too long ago.... here is a sampling for you from
the new book which is about 70% complete. This is the rough
draft....it has not been corrected for ...well anything...so please
remember that as you take a quick read. This has been and continues
to be one of the biggest projects I've ever attempted...and I hope
to have it completed in the next few months... so stay tuned.
The name of the book will remain 'under wraps' until it's
ready to be released; that from the publisher. So...
please have your friends drop into the site here and look around
as well.  At the end... you may leave a comment if you like;
good, bad or ugly.. kind of like the song from the sixties
remember? Have a great week... and stay safe.   SS

            

The wind had been fierce all night.  Travis was awake

 most of it as the wind challenged a couple of the

seasoned and loose shutters which smacked against

cracked shingles.   The house must have been magnificent

 when grand dad had first built it…a castle if you will in

 the middle of nowhere it seemed, surrounded by desert,

 rocks, cactus and a few spruce trees. The small stream

 which came from the nearby foothills was most of the

time only a trickle, not even recognizable as such in

summer. It was home though and it was good just

to be home. 

Soon after dawn had arrived Travis and Caleb, after

 woofing down a quick breakfast, headed out the

 front door to the barn less than thirty yards away.

They quickly noticed one piece of roofing lying nearby,

 a result no doubt of the tearing wind from the night before.

 “We’ll have to get that back up later” said Travis.  “I’ll

send you up to do the job…I hate being off the

ground….. even if it is only twenty feet.”

Caleb laughed out loud.  “Yeah, go ahead and sacrifice

the little brother, he won’t mind.” They both laughed

gingerly as Caleb gave a quick poke to his brother’s left

 shoulder.  Travis had fallen from the back porch

several years earlier resulting in just scrapes and bruises,

but the experience left him a bit shy of anything

 involving height.  It had taken him some time and patience

 by his father to get him to mount a horse….but

if you can’t ride a horse on a ranch, you’re pretty

 much useless, so Travis took the challenge and finally

 relinquished his fears. Just as Caleb unlatched the

 barn door, Travis’ right hand came up with

the ‘stop what you’re doing gesture’.  “What?” said

 Caleb “What is it?”

“I hear a wagon coming up the road” replied Travis.

 “It’s just coming up the gully now… can’t you hear it?”

 Caleb turned his head to the left, leaning in the direction

 Travis indicated.  “Nothin” said Caleb. 

“Well somebody’s comin” said Travis.  “Go get the

Winchester just in case.”   The Winchester .44 repeating

 rifle with 16 bullets in it was tucked just behind the front

 door, always ready for a quick defense if someone looked

threatening or worse. Caleb had the gun in his hand and

 Travis had bounded up the two steps just as the covered

 buckboard rounded the corner of the barn and headed

 for the house.  The Appaloosa horse pulling the wagon

 was pretty rough looking, almost like it had mange, it

appeared tired and worn with tuffs of hair missing from

it’s front right quarter. The wagon it pulled was a buckboard

much like the one on the ranch but slightly longer with

a strange looking cover.. not like a covered wagon, but

 more of a tent cover with a peak in the middle with

 sides pulled down and nailed to the wagon’s sides.

As Caleb lowered the rifle in the direction of the

 oncoming stranger…a yell came out;

“Hold on their partner I’m a friendly”, the driver had

one hand on the reins, the other raised in a ‘I surrender gesture.’

The driver pulled the rig another ten feet and stopped sideways

to the front porch, giving the Dawson brothers full view of it.

The side of the wagon read ‘William Bailey’s Traveling Hardware and

Sundries, and was done in faded red barn paint on a tattered sign

that looked like it had survived at least a dozen Indian attacks.

Hung on the side of the wagon were at least a dozen burlap bags with

wares  poking their way out of the not quite secured openings.

As the large man jumped from the wagon to the ground, the wagon
squeaking loudly as if giving a sigh of relief from the weight. 

The big man had on grey wide striped pants, a yellowed long sleeve shirt

missing two top buttons, and a dark brown business coat

                                                                       

                                                                                               

tailed at the back and sporting a gold chain that looped from a left

side watch pocket. His hat, a black derby with blue band held one

distinctive crow’s feather swooping towards the back.

“William Bailey at your service” the short, pudgy man blurted, as he

tipped his hat in their direction, almost looking for a donation.

                                                                                                                       

“If Bill Bailey doesn’t have it…you don’t need it” followed by a belly

laugh that had Travis and Caleb in a quandary as to what they were witnessing.

 Caleb lowered the rifle, feeling a more secure now that the stranger had

identified himself. Even without the Winchester, Caleb thought it wouldn’t

be hard to take this fella down… he looked overweight and pretty soft.

Bailey walked up to the pair, extended his hand and said “Haven’t been out

to this part of Arizona before but thought I’d scout it out and maybe

make it part of my route... try to see most of my customers about twice a

year.” 

“What do you got in that wagon?” inquired Caleb. 

“Well, what do you need young man? I have a little of everything but if

you’re in the market for a young woman…ha…that’s one thing I don’t have…it’s bad luck travelin’ around these parts with a woman.”  He laughed again,

striking the side of his black and grey striped pants, sending a wisp of dust

into the air.  “Sure is dry already out here” quipped Bailey. “Is it always this

dry this early?”

“Afraid it’s going to be a long summer” replied Travis.  “Let me find my father

and you can do your sales talkin’ to him…Caleb and I have work to do.”

“Suit yourself” replied Bailey.  “I’ve no schedule to keep… it’s early in the

day and I  just want to head towards Tucson by mid day if I can.”

Bailey returned to the rear of his wagon, pulled up and tied the canvass

that was pulled over the back, revealing the contents which he hoped would

soon be inspected by the boy’s father.  But were they boys thought Bailey?

The older Travis looked at least twenty five, slim in build, wiry and looking

the part of someone who could easily take care of himself.  The younger one

Caleb appeared the younger, a little heavier, long auburn hair streaming to

his shoulders but neatly kept. Each wore a cowboy hat that showed evidence

of many months being out in the elements.  Bailey presumed that Travis was the

 ‘boss’ of the two, just by the demeanor and positioning of the two as he had

approached the property. 

“My Pa will be out directly to talk with you” barked Travis as he motioned for

Caleb to head back to their duties in the barn.  Bailey gave a wave of his hand

as he started to pull items from the back of the buckboard.

“Travis…I’d really like to take a gander at what that guy’s got” said Caleb.

“Probably just a bunch of high price junk” returned Travis as he handed

  a hammer to Caleb. “Let’s get that ladder up and that shingle put back on

the roof….we don’t need Pa giving us directions for something we know needs

being done…and when we finish that you can go replace that board on the

porch that you’ve been putting off.”

Caleb grabbed the tool and made his way to the barn wall where the ladder

was secured, covered with dirt and debris, evidence that it had been some time

before it had been used.

“What can I help you with today?” came the question from Richard Dawson

who had made his way to the back of the wagon. Bailey turned around quickly

and responded with “No no good man… it’s what can I help YOU with today

kind sir?” as he extended his hand to shake the senior Dawson’s right hand.

“William Bailey is the name, and if you are in need of almost anything in

hardware or other sundries… I probably have it stowed in the back of this

traveling crate of mine.”

“Can’t say I’ve seen a rig like this before” said Richard, “Of your creation?”

“Well actually” said Bailey, “a Shoshone chief up in Utah gave it to me

many years ago in trade for a few cases of pretty good fire water!”

Bailey broke out again in a hardy laugh, watching for Richards’ reaction

which was indeed a good chuckle as well.  “I could use some six penny nails

and maybe a new rat tail file if you’ve got one hidden in there somewhere.”

Bailey replied, “Can do sir, can do… just give me a few minutes to sort things

out and we’ll do some business together.”

And so it was William Bailey had made his first stop ever south of Tucson

on the Four Aces ranch.  As Bailey bid the Dawsons goodbye, he gave a

yell at the old Appaloosa and they were on their way back from which they

came.  Looking back over his shoulder as they made their way out

Bailey gave a shout, “Should be back this way before winter God willing,

nice meetin’ you fellas… and take care now.”  Within a minute he was

gone, and Travis looked at Caleb and Richard and uttered, “did you ever

see such a character as that?  How has he survived being by himself out

there  sellin’ pots and pans and stuff?”

Richard replied, “Son, some people have more than just a good way

with folks… some have pure pure luck, I’m thinkin’ that’s one of those

fellas right there… I doubt we’ll ever see him again.”

And with that the Dawsons went back to work. Richard headed back

into the house and Travis gave Caleb a gentle push saying “get back to

work youngin’, you’ve got things to do.”  Three steps in front of Travis,

Caleb gave a quick kick backward sending the prairie dirt flying.

“Someday big brother, I’m going to box your ears for good.” 

Father Richard cracked a smile as he watched the pair.  How these

two ever got anything done was a small miracle in itself. His wife,

God rest her soul, would be so pleased to see these young men and

what they have become. Richard looked skyward and said softly,

“Wish you could be here to see them in the flesh love, they remind

me of you so much every day.”  Richard headed into the house, but

not before yelling out, “Caleb… are you going to fix this porch board

today or not?”   Richard shook his head side to side thinking,

I’m going to have to watch that young one…he might need a little

more direction than his brother. Richard stepped over the fractured

porch step and headed in to resume the morning routine at his

desk.  Richard thought about their just departed visitor Bailey.

He sure was an interesting and colorful fellow…probably it was those attributes and his friendly spirit that kept him alive this long.