Rocky Raccoon

He spent two months with the tribe, riding with the braves, putting his new Winchester to good use as they hunted for meat to dry for the upcoming winter. He stayed with Long Horse, and Swallow, Long Horse's wife, adopted him, and if he gave the tribe something, he always gave her a little extra. If he brought out pans and butcher knives, hers was always just a little better and and more durable. He gave her two bolts of cloth in the bright colors they favored, and soon she and her close relatives had clothes just a little finer than the rest of the tribe. It didn't take long before unmarried young women started sharing their meals, doing the Indian version of flirting. He was always kind but never expressed interest, and soon they backed off.

He and Long Horse took long rides, and soon Rocky found the exact spot he wanted. A small plain that backed up into a few canyons covered with timber, with two good creeks and three beaver ponds. If he ran livestock, they could winter in the canyons, avoiding the winds and much of the snow. Deer, Elk, and Bear were plentiful, and he often heard the howls of wolves at night. He was on the right side of the treaty line, and four days from the village.

Long Horse and his elders deliberated, bringing in representatives from the other close villages, and struck a deal. Rocky could have the land he chose, for a a hundred pounds of flour, fifty pounds of sugar, thirty pounds of coffee, and six bolts of cloth a year. As a bonus, Rocky promised that if he brought in cattle, they could have one or two a year, if they needed it.

He gave them his word, and rode back to the nearest town two weeks away, checking in to the local rail office to look up the proper sections of land. He found what he needed, wrote a letter to Mr. Horton, and soon became the proud owner of one of the biggest spreads in the territory. The railroad warned him he was pretty close to Indian territory, and he gave them a promise in writing he would honor the treaty.

The agent was surprised when he paid with a draft on the local bank. Rocky had transferred two thirds of his savings into it, holding the rest with Wells Fargo, as an emergency fund. The next day, he hit the livery stables, finding two wagons and purchasing them, along with two teams of four horses to pull them. The he hit both local emporiums, buying tools, hardware, everything he thought he could use to build with. Half of the larger wagon he filled with foodstuffs and cloth, barrels of rice and beans, kegs of salt and a big bag of peppercorns. He also bought a hundred pounds of coffee beans, and two small casks of tea.

Rocky had thought all of his purchases over before he spent the first dime, hoping he hadn't missed anything. The shopkeepers were happy for his business, even if they thought some of his purchases were downright odd. He scored points by asking the wives for their advice, adding things he never even considered, like a sack of dried apples and a pound of cinnamon, and the proper amount of baking powder for his flour. One, who raised chickens, sent three dozen eggs, and gave him the promise of eight hens and two roosters from spring hatchings.

Finally, he looked over the weapons for sale, before buying two twelve gauge coach guns and a case of of mixed shells, from bird shot to 00 buck, enough for any type of game he wanted to hunt. The last thing he did was send a telegram to Mr. Horton, asking him if he would contact O'Shea and give him directions to his new homestead. He was going to need all the help he could get.

He returned to the land he had chosen, set up the large tent he'd bought, shelter until he could get something more permanent up, and took a wagon to his Indian friends. They were delighted with the things he'd brought. Swallow was particularly impressed with the sets of needles and the amount of thread he had brought to her. Long Horse was beyond words when Rocky gave him one of the shotguns, with a mixed bag of shells, enough to last the winter. Rocky knew it would come in handy when food got low.

She and the other wives had been busy, and presented him with a full buckskin outfit, almost white, with very intricate bead work. He was also given a winter cloak, made from the hide of a grizzly, something he knew was very valuable. It moved him to know they thought that much of him.

He formally announced he was adopting Swallow and Long Horse as parents, and let it be known he would always watch out for them. Swallow tried not to cry as he addressed her as 'mother' in her language, while Long Horse just looked solemn, but everyone could see the pride in his eyes. They had no children, both sons had fallen in battle, and without children to look after them they knew their old age would be bleak. Now, they had no worry.

.....................

Rocky worked from daylight to dark, but knew there was no way he would be ready for the harsh Dakota winter. He was just about to look for winter lodgings when he saw a wagon approaching. Getting out his spyglass, he grinned. It was O'Shea, and half a dozen of his old track crew. They jumped down off the wagon, pounding his back and grinning.

"I got your message, and figured you would need a little help. Me mates were at loose ends, so I talked them into coming along. Can you use them?"

"Every manjack among ye," he said, slipping into his brogue. "I got a ranch to build. The first order of business will be a barn and a bunkhouse, along with enough wood to last us through the winter. We got four months before the snow flies, so we'd best get to it."

They gathered round his table, looking at his plans. One man grinned and pointed. "Ye need the barn there, son. Build it into the side of yon hill, and everything inside will be a lot warmer in the cold months. You can position the hayloft so you can load it from the high side, it'll save you a lot of time."

They decided to build the barn first. If it got bad before they were done with the other buildings, they could overwinter in it. After all, except for his mare and draft horses, he had no other animals.

O'Shea, once he knew what Rocky wanted, disappeared for a couple of weeks, reappearing with another load of workers, and things progressed well into the fall. The barn was complete, the loft filled with enough hay to last his animals the winter, and he'd hauled in enough grain to feed them every couple of days, to keep their strength up.

They built the bunkhouse next, capable of holding a dozen men with ease. It was snug, a long, narrow structure with a fireplace at each end, built for comfort. There were a few tables scattered about, and Rocky picked up every book, newspaper and magazine he could on his trips to town, to keep them occupied during the bitter cold, when they went outside only when necessary, to fetch more wood or see to the livestock. There were also checkers and chess sets, as well as decks of cards, although when they gambled it was for small amounts, sometimes just for matchsticks or chores.

Rocky was smart enough to lay in extras, things like rock candy, dried fruits for pies and cakes, anything he could think of to make their life more bearable. He had bought several barrels of tobacco, and gave each man a box of cigars at Christmas, along with two bottles of liquor. They stayed happily drunk for three days.

Only O'Shea and three others stayed, the rest opting to winter in town. Those staying had free room and board, and most were older, intent on saving their money for their own spreads.

They had built Rocky's house last, a four room cabin, constructed with an eye for expansion. Rocky had hopes of finding a woman and filling it with children, once he was established.

When spring broke, they harnessed up the wagons and rolled into town. As O'Shea had predicted, the old crew had scattered, only one remaining in town. He was happy to see Rocky and the crew, and had four more men with him, all hoping to get hired on.

Rocky sent them back with O'Shea and the resupplied wagons, but stayed in town for a couple of days to buy some more horses if he could find them. There wasn't a lot to choose from, so he traveled south for a week, ending up at a small ranch.

The owners were from Texas, and hated the Dakota winters, so they were going back. He managed to buy several good mounts, and on a whim, bought the small ranch, including the small herd of cattle. He had looked over the place, liked it, especially the small river that ran through the back. It would be a great place to grow potatoes. They rode into the nearest town to register the new deed, and he shopped some, piling his purchases on a dozen packhorses. There was an Army base outside town, and he stopped by, listening as the commanding officer expressed his fears that an Indian war was coming. Rocky kept his own counsel, but did manage to sell the small herd he had bought, because he wasn't sure he wanted cattle just yet. He gave a good price, earning a lot of goodwill. It was always good to have friends in the military.

He also picked up a magazine, a matchmaking service, one that matched suitable men and women up for matrimony. He would look it over when he got home. Rocky remembered Vivian and another widow he had met while employed by the railroad, another woman who missed the companionship of a man. They saw each other for several months, getting intimate after the first. She wasn't looking for another husband just yet, hers had left her pretty well off, but she was missing a bed mate.

No promises were made, and when he left the railroad, she gave him a sendoff that left him weak in the knees. Rocky had to admit to himself he was lonely, and wanted a wife, someone who would stand with him, helping as he built a good life.

........................

Rocky sat on the ridge, looking down on his home. It had taken almost two years of hard work, but the buildings were all complete, corrals done, the fields he wanted tilled and full of crops. O'Shea was in charge of the crops, and his beloved potatoes were going to be a bumper crop. Rocky had already told him he would get twenty per cent of the profits, as a thank you for all his hard work.

There were fields of corn and grain, almost ready to harvest for winter feed, and he was going to have part of the wheat ground for flour. Some of it would be sent to Long Horse, along with the other supplies he had promised in return for the land. One of his hands was Welsh, and he explained the virtues of a root cellar to Rocky, so they built two, a large on in the side of a hill, and a smaller one at the back of the barn, for the dead of winter. The only access was inside the barn, and could be hidden hidden behind bales of hay. "That way, should the savages cause trouble, you'll have access to food without risk."

He and the Welshman had been digging for three days, working until they had a chamber eight feet wide, six high, and ten deep. They were going to line it with shelves when they were done, to maximize the amount they could store.

Barney stopped digging suddenly, picking up a small rock and holding it to the lantern. Rocky thought he looked a little pale, and asked if he needed to go outside for a minute.

"Yes I do," he said. "Where are the others?"

Rocky thought it was odd he asked. "O'Shea has most of them in the fields, harvesting the potatoes. Tex and Shorty are off to the East, checking to see if the hay will be ready soon. Why?"

"Come along, Rocky. You need to see this."

They went outside, blinking in the sun. Barney led him around the barn, completely out of sight, and handed him the rock. It looked like an ordinary quartz to Rocky, until he noticed the yellow seams. "Is that..."

"It is indeed, boyo. High grade gold. I've never seen anything quite as good, and I was in California for awhile. You are literally sitting on a gold mine. Congratulations."

Rocky looked down at the rock, thinking. He could mine it, and if it played out, be set for life. Then he envisioned what it would mean when the discovery came to light. Prospectors would overrun the area. The treaty would be ignored, and a war would break out. The Indians would lose, of course, winding up in broken remnants of a once proud people, herded on to a reservation somewhere far away. He could imagine Long Horse falling, and a dirty, starving Swallow living on handouts until she died of hunger or exposure.

"You can't tell anybody, Robert. Not one soul, you hear me? If you do, this place is done, and I'm not just talking about the ranch. Miners would descend on the Black Hills like a plague, devouring everything that would stand in the way. You think Yellow Rose would like that?"

Yellow Rose was a Sioux maiden that Robert was desperate to make his own. He realized the truth of Rocky's words, when inspiration hit him.

"I'll make you a deal, Rocky old son. If you let me mine a little in the root cellar, I'll give you two thirds, and lie about where it came from. That way, I can get up enough to give her old man the bride price he wants, and have enough left over to start me own spread."

Rocky thought it was a great idea, but had questions. "I agree, but when you show up with this grade of gold, the assayer will immediately want to know where it comes from. We'd be back to square one."

Robert grinned. "Just so. But, say I was to quit in a couple of months, maybe go to Colorado, find me a likely stream, stake a claim, do a little panning, and sink a couple of sample shafts. Who'd be the wiser if I took our gold a little at a time and turned it in? I could work the claim until the snow flew, then tell everyone I was sick of mining, and come back to work for you. Who knows, I might actually find gold. Would that work?"

Rocky grinned. "I believe it would. Let me shake your hand, and wish you well in the gold fields."

They shook to seal the deal. Rocky told the others Robert would be working by himself for a while, as he had other duties. They gave Robert shit for getting out of working the spread, but he countered and told them he could always use another man good with a pickax. Remembering their times laying track, they all declined.

Robert followed the vein for a couple of weeks, as it twisted, amazed when he realized he was under the house. Rocky, knowing it may come in handy some day, had a trapdoor hidden under a rug. If he ever needed to get out fast without exposing himself, he was covered. Shortly after, Robert got Rocky alone and told him he thought they should stop for awhile.

"The vein actually splits up four ways, and every one shows a lot of good ore. Best time to stop, for now, so I can get to Colorado on time." He handed Rocky a paper, the estimated value of the gold he'd mined, and his eyes got big at the number.

"Really?"

"Aye, lad, and it can only rise if we mine farther. If we do though, word will get out. You can't keep a secret like this forever. You seem to be pretty comfortable, moneywise, so if it were me, I'd not touch it until I needed it. I'm off for the goldfields tomorrow. Look for word of your account at Wells Fargo to grow, starting in about a month."

The crew wished him good luck, giving him a sendoff that ended with aching heads. Rocky took advantage of him leaving, getting him to drive one of the wagons to town for him, filled with potatoes. He drove another, with cabbage, carrots, onions, and more potatoes.

Of course, the wagon Robert drove had the gold, hidden under false floorboards. He also had a passenger. He and Yellow Rose had married in a traditional Sioux ceremony, the elders blessing the union because they felt it would tie the white eyes to them even closer, a good thing in unsettled times. They were a little disappointed they would be leaving so soon, but were assured they would be back before winter.

Rocky had gifted her with a brand new set of pots and pans, a sewing kit, cloth, blankets, and anything else Swallow told him a new bride needed. Rocky learned to put his sleeping roll as far away as he could, so the newlyweds could have a little privacy. Even then, they got pretty loud at times. It made Rocky long for a wife even more.

Three weeks later he got a letter, holding papers that named him half owner of the Subterfuge Mining Company.

He made a very nice profit off the produce he offered, and sent telegrams to Mr. Horton and the nearest Army base, asking if they would be interested. He got replies back in less than a day. Mr. Horton gave him an order from the railroad company he was working with, to be delivered as soon as possible, and the Army wanted to know how many hundred weight he could deliver. Judging by the yield on the first few acres, Rocky made a deal for ten tons of potatoes, half a ton of cabbages, half a ton of onions, and three tons of pumpkins, as they became available. He contracted with the railroad to haul them, and a group of teamsters to deliver them to the railhead.

He figured it out per acre, and found he was making more off produce than he could off cattle, so he intended to expand his acreage and not concern himself with cattle right now. He did have about a hundred head, that he used to feed his men and his tribe, and the herd grew because they were breeding faster than they could eat them. Potentially, with his land, he had the capability of handling five thousand head, without overgrazing.

It was a bone of contention between him and his resident cattleman, a laid back Texan by the name of Zane Buzby, that went by "Tex". He was constantly on Rocky to let him go South and purchase a herd.

"Cattle are cheap right now, especially in Mexico. I could get you a herd of yearlings, heavy on heifers, for practically nothing. Two thousand would be a good number, but it would take three separate drives to get them all up here. It could make you rich, Rocky, think about it."

He promised him faithfully he would, wondering why if he loved Texas so much he was up here. Rocky thought perhaps he was not so welcome in his home state these days. Tex was only five one, small among the burly ex-miners and tracklayers, but he soon showed them he was a hell of a scrapper. He was also the best horseman Rocky had ever seen, and Rocky put him in charge off all livestock.

They got a demonstration of how good he was with guns on a trip to town. Tex was of the opinion that if you didn't have at least one gun on you at all times you were naked. He carried five pistols, two big .44's in holsters in front of his saddle, and three .36 Colts, two in twin holsters and one in his waistband.

It seems his past had caught up with him. He and Rocky walked out of a saloon, to find three men, all armed, facing them in the street. Tex started, then relaxed, speaking to Rocky in German. There were many German enclaves in Texas, and he'd picked it up when he courted a local.

"These men mean me harm, Rocky. Best step aside and let me handle it."

Of course, Rocky had no intention of deserting his friend, and told him so. Tex sighed, and told him to take the one on the left. The leader spoke up.

"Looks like we've finally run you to ground, Zane. You ready to pay the piper?"

"I killed your brother because he was a horse thief. I caught him dead to rights, told him I was takin' him in, and he objected. He went for his pistol and I had no choice. If it means anything, I gave him a chance, and was looking him in the eye when I shot him. I hear that you don't usually give a man an even break, and here you are, three to one. At least one of you, probably two, are going to die right here in the street. You willin' to bet you ain't one of them?"

"You ain't got a chance! We'll shoot you and your partner to doll rags before either of you clear leather, asshole. We'll..."

Those were his last words. As Darby had taught Rocky, when it comes down to it, make war, not war talk. He drew, catching them all flatfooted, and had the loudmouth down before the other two could respond. Then the sound of shots filled the air. Tex had his man down before he cleared leather, but the third had his pistol out and got two shots off before his head exploded. He went down with four shots in him, two from Rocky and two from Tex.