LettingFuck Her:>Ep4
| downloaded the picture to my computer and then pasted it to an e-mail with a note to the police of my former
hometown stating that | was alive and well and had left town of my own free will. If | had used a local paper it
would have given a clue as to where | was. This way | could be anywhere. | sent the e-mail to Jake and told him
to go to one of the local coffee shops that offered free inteaccess. | figured my work e-mail would still be
active and gave him my password. That way he could forward my original e-mail and picture to the police and it
wouldn't leave any tracks to traceor him. This way | hoped the police wouldn't liston sF. B. I. list or
national list as a missing person. | didn't think they would spend to many resources looking for a runaway
husband. I slept soundly that night.
| was up at five the next morning and showered and dressed in tto walk with Sam to the main house.
Breakfast was eggs, sausage, hash browns and toast. And there was plenty for all. After we had eaten Bill told
Sam to takeand putto work replacing fence posts in the hilly section.
| followed Sam out to the barn and he pointed out a horse and saddle | would need. Sam kept a close eye on me
as | put the saddle on the big brown mare. My days of being on my uncle's ranch paid off as Sam seemed
satisfied with the job | did. We then took two mules and put on saddle packs that we could load fence posts and
a post hole digger on. Bill cout to the barn carrying a Winchester model 94 in a saddle scabbard. He told me
that this was mainly in case we ran across a cow that had to be put down. It didn't happen often but it was best
to be prepared. Sam and | mounted up and leading a mule each we headed out. We followed the creek up into
the hills.
As we rode Sam and | talked and got to know one another. | told him about how | cto be in Montana. | really
didn't think he was going to ratout. He toldabout his own experience. He had married right out of high
school and caught his ex-wife in bed with another man. In a fit of rage had nearly beat the guy to death. He had
served five years in prison and when he got out Bill was the only one who would hire him. That was how he had
cto be here for the last thirty years. He went on to tellthat he thought the world of Bill and Colleen.
They were the salt of the earth.
In the rising morning sun the mountains in the background were breathtaking. It was the beginning of April and
the snow had melted away in the lower elevations but there was still son the peaks. Once we hit the tree
line the trail began to rise. It took another half hour until we cto the fence that marked the property
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtboundaries. Sam pointed out that not all the posts had to be replaced, just those that had rotted or were close to
it. That was about every third one. He stayed withwhile | got the first two in to make sure | was doing it right.
Sam said if | worked until about four I should get back in tto take care of the horse and mules and make it to
dinner at six. His final words were to tellto follow the stream back down and | wouldn't get lost.
Sam headed back and | was left alone with my work. There something calming and soothing about being in this
beautiful hilly forested country. | worked my way down the line pulling out old posts and putting in new ones. |
took a break at noon and pulled the pork chop sandwiches that Colleen had handedthis morning from my
saddle bag. The were left over from last nights meal and were just as delicious today. As | quietly ate | watched
as a blue jay passed through the trees. A woodpecker made a brief stop and hammered at a tree in search of a
meal. Then a white tail deer cinto the opening on the other side of the fence. She edged forward until she
caught my scent. She snorted and bounded back in the trees waving her tail in the air like a flag. | finished my
sandwiches and went back to work.
| had set the alarm on my watch and it beeped at four that afternoon. | saw that | had set all but a couple of the
posts the mules had carried up. Leading the mules | headed back along the fence line until | found the stream
and headed downhill. A short ways before | would leave the trees was a natural pool that the stream flowed into
and out of. | stopped and took in the view. The upper stream dropped over a ten foot high ledge to waterfall into
the clear waters below. | knew this had to be most beautiful and serene spot on the ranch.
| arrived back at the barn in tto unsaddle the animals and get them fed. Sam cin to bed down his horse
while | was in there and when | told him I set all but two of the posts he seemed to be surprised and impressed.
We had just enough tto wash up and change to make supper on time. We ate steaks that night.
Bill was visibly impressed when Sam told him of the progress | had made that day. | was bushed and made little
contribution to the conversation at the table. As soon as dinner was over | excused myself and went directly to
bed. I slept hard. Fuck, was | sore when | woke up. My hands hurt from working the post hole digger. So did my
arms, shoulders and legs. | had thought | was in pretty good shape as | worked out four or five times a week but
there is a big difference from a two hour workout and a full day of setting fence posts. When I limped into the
kitchen and winced as | sat down | got a couple chuckles from Bill and Sam. Even Colleen tried to hide her grin. |
was starving, though, and put away the food. "Ready, for another day of fencing," Bill asked as we rose from the
table.
| groaned. "Yes sir," | said hoping | sounded more optimistic than | felt.
Bill laughed atagain. "I think you can give it a rest today. I'd like you to ride the rounds with Sam."
| nodded appreciatively. The first job of the day was to muck out the stalls and put in fresh hay. We put the
horses and mules into the pasture and filled their feeder. Only then did we load up in the pick up and ride the
range. Basically we were checking to make sure that there were no cows down or calves who had become
separated from their mothers. The tour Sam tookon was much more extensive than the one | had gone on
with Bill on my first day on the ranch. Sam seemed to know instinctively where the cattle would be and roughly
how many would be there. | guess after thirty years it cnaturally.
We got to the far end of the ranch and Sam stopped the truck and looked around. Something up on one of the
hills seemed to catch his attention and he pulled out his binoculars. He handed them toand pointed to where
| should look. It took a minute but finally | picked out two calves and they appeared to be alone.
"Where are their mother's," | asked. Sam pointed over at two cows near the tree line.
I" ' :
That's them there. Their calves must
have wandered Ri Yedrestng
& 0 5
of Reno késstd ing. We're going
hp H n
tohave to bring them down." The
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the latest chapter there!
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We gonna hike up there? Lag(edh
The conteny is @n i selbst
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmReali'the latest chapter there!
I" py |
Nah, it's too far. We'll go back and
[1
load up a couple horses." The
pickups were equipped with two way
radios and Sam called Bill and told
him what we had seen and that we
were on our way fo-geneBinES.
7
When Wal got back to the barn Bil
had already saddled two horses and
loaded them into a trailer. All we had
to do was hook up and go. Sam got
us pretty close to the tree line below
where the calves were and we
unloaded the horses and rode up into
2 ' o
the hills. Sam's thirty years here
showed itself again. He knew this
country like the back of his hand. Half
an hour later we were easing up
behind the calves and slowly began
to push them back down the hills.