by Lindabrit
Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program
"Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and
have been used without permission. No
copyright infringement is intended by the author. The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.
Part One
Pepe Velez had decided that he didn't like Nick Barkley one little bit. From
the first moment he saw him, the skinny fifteen year old Mexican kid had been
awed by his new boss. He didn't know why exactly, maybe it was because Senor
Nick was clothed from head to foot in black, black Stetson, black leather
jacket, black pants, black leather gloves and boots. Also, he was a tall man,
over six feet and powerfully built with dark hair and hard hazel eyes. His face
was handsome but seemed stern and forbidding in repose and Pepe had come to the
conclusion that Senor Nick never smiled. His heavy frown could literally make
Pepe quake in his boots and his voice, which was deep and gravelly, seemed so
cold and forbidding to Pepe that it made him tremble. He found himself behaving
nervously and being more than usually clumsy whenever he was in Nick's
frightening presence and from the first occasion when he had heard his new
employer's strong voice upraised in anger, Pepe's terror of Nick Barkley had
been complete.
His other new boss, Senor Heath, the younger brother of Senor Nick, was less
scary but truth to tell, Pepe didn't like him much either. He was quieter and
less forbidding than Senor Nick, but his blue eyes were glacially cold and like
his elder brother, he never seemed to smile. Senor Heath didn't bellow in a
voice loud enough to wake the dead as Senor Nick did, but his orders were
rapped out in a clipped, curt tone that left Pepe in no doubt that he expected
to be obeyed instantly and would know how to deal with anybody who didn't jump
to it fast enough to suit him.
Pepe's shrewd appraising gaze observed the two Barkley brothers closely over
the early days of the trail drive and his opinion didn't alter, except perhaps
to deepen and intensify, he thought both the rich gringo bosses were just like
many other such men he had worked for in the past, stern, hard, ruthless
bosses, intent upon extracting every ounce of work they could from their men,
while not caring a damn about the welfare of those same men.
Pepe's discerning gaze silently noted that Senor Nick seemed to be in a
permanently bad mood and most of his men stayed as far away from him as they
could manage. Like Senor Nick, Senor Heath's mood was equally grim and Pepe
noted that even when the two brothers conferred with one another, they
maintained their unsmiling, rigidly controlled demeanour. Pepe decided that the
two brothers probably didn't like each other very much and doubtless this made
it hard for them to work together.
Pepe was working as a wrangler on this trip, the Barkley brothers had purchased
a large number of horses in Modesto and needed help to drive them back up to
their ranch. They had brought some of their own men with them and nearly all of
them had fallen victim to a fever-like illness that was virulent in and around
Modesto at that time. Even the foreman Dave McCall had succumbed to it and
though he was quick to recover, the Barkleys had left him in Modesto to oversee
the medical treatment of the rest of the men.
They had obtained the temporary crew that they needed to supplement the
depleted ranks of their own men in driving the herd of horses back to the
Barkley ranch from a local businessman in Modesto. Mateo Garros was a man with
whom the Barkleys did business every summer, when he provided the cheap and
plentiful labour the Barkleys needed to harvest their abundant fruit crops. He
had smilingly assured the harassed brothers that he could just as easily lay his
hands on wranglers to assist them in their present difficulty and he had been
as good as his word, producing half a dozen for inspection the next morning.
Nick and Heath had scanned the new help with little enthusiasm, disapproving of
the great age of two of the horsemen and the extreme youth of the other four in
equal measure. At length and with extreme reluctance, the brothers had accepted
all six of the men produced for them by Mateo Garros. Beggars could not be
choosers and the Barkleys needed the large herd of horses they had bought
driven up to the ranch as quickly as possible.
For the last two years, they had been the envied possessors of a lucrative Army
contract for the supply of broken and well trained horses, they had established
a reputation for reliability and for high quality animals and it was a
reputation that both brothers prized highly. This year, the breaking and
training of their horses had been proceeding as normal when disaster had
struck. A mysterious ailment had begun to make their horses sick and the
contagion had spread with frightening speed to engulf the entire herd. Hence
the desperate trip to Modesto to purchase replacements and the need for urgent
haste in getting them back to Stockton, to be broken and trained in time to fulfill
the contract.
A smiling Senor Garros accepted a fat initial fee from the Barkleys for finding
the motley crew of wranglers and assured the rancher brothers that he would
himself rendezvous with them up at the Barkley ranch to ensure that all his workers
had performed satisfactorily and to receive the rest of his fee. He told Nick
and Heath that they could pay him the wranglers wages and he would ensure it
was distributed fairly amongst the crew. As this was the usual arrangement in
regard to the annual contingent of fruit pickers, Nick and Heath made no demur
and the same morning, the drive back to the ranch had begun.
Pepe was a good rider, he had been in the saddle almost since he had learned to
walk and he was both confident and competent around horses, be they broken or
unbroken. His mount was an aging paint horse called Smokey and Pepe had ridden
him all his life. Smokey had been a good horse in his day but now he was of
advanced years and slow to react, which made it harder for Pepe to do his work
well. Pepe nursed his old friend along as much he could, resting him whenever
he got a chance, using a remuda horse instead of Smokey now and again. He knew
in his heart that Smokey was nearing the end of his working life, but Pepe
could not afford a replacement mount and so he tried his utmost to keep his old
horse going.
On the afternoon of the second day of the drive, Pepe had become aware that
Smokey was lame and had swung himself out of his battered saddle to check the
paint's feet. Sure enough he found a large, sharp stone embedded in the tender
frog of Smokey's left front hoof. He was trying to gingerly pry the stone loose
without further damaging the frog, when he became aware of Senor Nick's scary
presence beside him. He had been so intent upon his horse's predicament that he
had not noticed the rancher's approach, or seen him dismount and come over to
see what the problem was.
As soon as Pepe realized Senor Nick was there he jumped near out of his skin
and his knife nicked Smokey, causing the little paint to whinny sharply,
jerking his hoof away from his young master's inept ministrations.
Nick Barkley frowned, "have a care there Boy! What is it, a stone?"
Pepe nodded dumbly, his stomach turning to water at the stern question and the
forbidding glare from his employer's hard hazel eyes. To the boy's surprise,
Nick moved him gently aside and himself bent over the paint's foreleg, expertly
grasping and turning the hoof so he could carefully inspect the damage for
himself. The rancher talked to the little horse in a deep soothing tone that
astonished young Pepe with it's gentleness. Smokey stood still and quiet while
Nick carefully teased out the stone and checked the frog of the hoof. He patted
the little horse's neck as he set the hoof down again, still talking to him and
Pepe watched wonderingly as Smokey's sensitive ears twitched responsively and
the paint nickered in relief.
Nick turned to Pepe, "hitch him to the back of the wagon, he'll be fine
with a little rest, take one of the remuda horses for the rest of the
day."
With a effort, Pepe found his voice, "si Senor, gracias Senor!"
Nick glanced at the old paint, "he's a grand old boy, but he ain't gonna
last much longer you know Kid."
Pepe's sorrowful brown eyes welled with tears, "I know Senor, but he is my
friend and I do not want to part with him and...and I can never buy another
horse so..." his voice trailed miserably away.
To the boy's amazement the man who he feared laid a gentle hand on his
shoulder, saying kindly, "I understand, try not to worry, you work hard
for me on this trip and maybe I'll give you a fresh mount from the remuda to
keep, so this little fella can have an honourable retirement."
The rancher turned away, remounting his big Appaloosa and spurring the powerful
horse forward to rejoin his men. Pepe watched him go with wondering eyes and a
heart suddenly alive with hope and gladness.
Part Two
Pepe tied Smokey's reins to the back of the supply wagon and took a remuda
horse to get on with his work. He had completely lost his irrational fear of
Nick Barkley now, no man who could talk to an injured horse as gently as Nick
had could be quite such an ogre as Pepe had believed him to be. His fear
forgotten, Pepe set about his work with renewed confidence and shed his awkward
clumsiness too. Watching him covertly, Nick noticed the boy's unexpected skill
and wondered what had produced the change in him, never dreaming that he was
responsible for it himself.
Pepe had reason to revise another of his opinions later in the day and in
rather dramatic circumstances. The big Appaloosa Nick was riding was
incongruously called Tiny and though he was a fast powerful horse, Pepe had
noticed that he was sometimes not very sure-footed. Just as Pepe was preventing
a group of half-wild horses from breaking away from the main herd, he saw the
big horse stumble badly, pitching Nick Barkley to the ground in a bone- jarring
fall.
Pepe could see at once that his boss was in very imminent danger as the main
herd was fast approaching him and he had clearly hurt himself and could not
scramble to his feet in order to avoid the on- rush of thundering hooves. Pepe
had already turned his horse and was spurring him forward, knowing even as he
did so, that he was too far away to stop his boss from being trampled.
There came a flash of colour as the galloping figure of Heath Barkley astride
his powerful sorrel stallion Charger, thundered headlong into the melee of
horses. Heath brought Charger to a dead halt and held the snorting, plunging
horse steady with an iron hand as the swiftly moving horses streamed past him
on both sides. Pepe could see what he was doing, he and Charger were literally
standing over the supine form of Nick Barkley, protecting him from the herd of
horses with their own bodies. In another minute the herd was past and Heath
moved Charger carefully aside, to reveal the still figure of his brother lying
in the dust.
Pepe had reached them now and he came out of the saddle and stood beside Heath
who was crouched over his brother, pressing his head to Nick's chest and
grunting with satisfaction as he heard the steady heartbeat.
Heath glanced up at the skinny Mexican kid beside him and gave him a warm and
friendly smile, "Don't look so worried, Pepe, my big brother's too damn
stubborn to die!"
Several things surprised Pepe, the first being that Senor Heath knew his name.
They had barely exchanged a word since the drive began, although now he came to
think of it, he had seen the blond rancher giving orders many times in the last
few days and always he had called the man to whom he gave an order by name. The
amiable and infectious smile had startled the boy too. He had thought Senor
Heath was perpetually serious, now it seemed he was not. Most surprising of all
to Pepe was the very obvious affection between the two brothers.
Pepe watched as Heath gently examined his brother, running his hands over
Nick's arms and legs, gingerly probing for broken bones. He pushed open one of
Nick's eyes and scrutinized the pupil, giving another small grunt of
satisfaction as he turned to Pepe and said, "he's out cold but I don't
think he's in any danger, he has a mighty hard head, I think it might be made
of wood."
Pepe felt his own mouth stretching into a responsive grin. How had he ever
feared either of these men?
"Shall I fetch the wagon Senor Heath?"
"Do that Kid, much obliged."
Pepe sped away on his mission, returning quickly with the supply wagon and he
assisted Heath in lifting Nick's unconscious body into the back. They made
their patient as comfortable as possible and Heath ordered the driver to
proceed as gently as he could. He grinned at Pepe again, indicating the large
bump on Nick's forehead and the beginnings of what looked suspiciously like a
black eye.
"Boy howdy, he is going to be in one almighty temper when he wakes
up!"
Pepe laughed, he knew now that Nick Barkley's temper was not a thing he need
fear, not if he did his work well and with a will anyway. He ventured a mild
jest in Heath's direction, "I used to shake in my boots when Senor Nick
yelled, but now I think maybe his bark is worse than his bite?"
Heath laughed and nodded, "the time to watch out for my brother is if gets
mad but he's real quiet with it, then you run for cover y'hear?"
Pepe nodded, "si, I will remember that Senor Heath!"
A groan from the unconscious Nick brought Heath's attention firmly back to his
brother and he pressed the stirring man gently back on his makeshift pillow.
"Easy Nick, that big clumsy Appaloosa with the two left feet has done his
best to break your neck...again!"
"Nothing wrong with...with him," Nick defended his horse weakly.
"Nothing except him being bent on setting one of his big feet in every
pot-hole between here and home," countered Heath with a conspiratorial
wink at Pepe.
"Well there are enough pot-holes on this god-forsaken trail to catch out
any horse," growled Nick defensively.
"Yeah," riposted Heath, "especially a clod-hopper like
Tiny!"
Pepe was betrayed into an outright laugh and Nick focused the bruised and
blackened eye on him, "what you laughing at Kid?"
"Nothing Senor Nick," said Pepe hastily, "I'd better get back to
work."
The boy scrambled hurriedly from the wagon and resumed his duties, hazing the
horses with his fellow wranglers.
That evening, the weary men made camp and soon supper was being prepared and
eaten. Heath called Pepe to him and placed a steaming plate of stew and a spoon
in his hand, "take this to my brother Pepe, he wants to talk to you."
Pepe carried the food over to Nick who was lying ensconced near the warmth of
the campfire, propped up as comfortably as he could be.
"Some supper for you Senor Nick," said the boy diffidently.
"Thank you Pepe, I'm good and hungry now," grinned Nick, taking the
plate and beginning to eat with relish. He waved to an adjacent rock, "sit
down Kid, I want to talk to you when I've eaten."
Pepe sat obediently beside his boss, slightly apprehensive as he couldn't
imagine what Nick wanted to say to him. He didn't have to wait long to find
out, Nick polished off his meal in double quick time and laid the tin plate and
spoon aside.
"That feels a mite better," smiled the rancher, his shrewd hazel eyes
noting Pepe's slight nervousness. Kid, I want to thank you for this afternoon,
you did good!"
Pepe wrinkled his brow, "Senor? I...I don't understand, for what do you
thank me?"
Nick's smile was gentle, "for riding to my rescue that's what for."
Pepe shook his head, "but Senor Nick, it was not I who saved you, it was
your brother."
"I know that Pepe, but Heath tells me that you were on your way and
quickly too, he said you were only seconds behind him, well faster than any of
the other men, my brother was pretty impressed with you young man!"
Pepe had found little to smile about in his young life and even less to be
proud about, but at Nick's words, his young heart swelled with pride and
pleasure and a grin stretched his thin face.
"Gracias Senor Nick, muchas gracias!"
Nick smiled kindly at the scrawny lad, "did I see you riding that fast
little grey horse yesterday?"
"From the remuda? Si Senor, he is a fine animal that one."
"You like him?"
"But of course, who could fail to like him, he is a beauty!"
Nick's hazel eyes sparkled with enjoyment, he was a generous man and he liked
to encourage promising youngsters, he knew he was about to fill young Pepe's
cup to overflowing. "Well I'm glad
you like him because he's yours! Take good care of him now."
"M...mine?" stammered Pepe, eyes as round as saucers.
"Yours," confirmed Nick laughing, "now get along with you before
I change my mind."
Pepe managed to utter an incoherent thanks then fled from Nick's august
presence, but he came humbly to Heath a few moments later asking diffidently if
Heath was sure it was all right for him to take ownership of the grey horse.
"Yes of course it is, Nick wants you to have him and your old paint is
past his best you know."
"Si, I know this, but...but it was you who saved Senor Nick, not me, I do
not deserve so fine a reward."
Heath's hand on the youngster's shoulder was as gentle as his voice, "sure
you deserve him, you were prepared to risk your life to help my brother today,
if I had lost Nick, if he had been killed, it would have felt like losing a
part of my own soul, I'll always be grateful to you Pepe."
Pepe's grubby cheeks were wet with tears, "gracias Senor Heath, muchas
gracias, to you and to Senor Nick."
Heath ruffled his hair and sent the boy off to cut his new mount out from the
remuda. Pepe went with a heart bursting with gratitude and he took the grey to
tie him down for the night beside Smokey. He buried his face in his old paint's
neck and sobbed for very joy, assuring his beloved horse somewhat disjointedly
that he would never forget him and that he would see to it that a comfortable
retirement came Smokey's way.
Part Three
Pepe was as proud as punch all next day trying the paces of his new grey horse,
whom he had named Cloud. He had tied Smokey to the back of the supply wagon and
the little paint horse was ambling along in the wagon's wake, his lameness had
all but vanished now. Pepe was finding it hard to concentrate, so pleased was
he with his new mount, but a roar of anger from Nick Barkley, clearly fully
recovered from his mishap of the previous day, snapped Pepe back into full
alertness again.
Both Nick and Heath were beginning to relax a little, the difficult drive was
almost over and they now had the horses they needed to be ready to fulfill
their contract in a few months time. There was a lot of hard work ahead,
breaking and training the horses, but both brothers relished that, for horses
were their life. Their shared enthusiasm for horses had been an important
factor in their relationship, in the days when they first got to know one
another. The passion for horses had taught them a great deal about each other and
had helped them to bond as brothers.
As they drew nearer to the Barkley ranch, Nick clapped Heath on the shoulder,
"know what I think? I think our bad luck has finally burned itself out and
it's going to be plain sailing from here on in!"
Heath smiled slightly, "well I'm not superstitious, but let's not tempt
providence yet awhile huh Nick?"
His elder brother laughed and spurred Tiny ahead, "I'm telling you Boy,
plain sailing, plain sailing all the way!"
The big herd of horses was getting pretty restless, they were good and thirsty
but there was water up ahead, not far away now and the responsive noses of the
lead horses could already scent it. The men were finding it difficult to hold
them to a steady pace and gradually the pace of the herd was increasing.
Heath called, "let them run Boys, the water will stop them, best let them
run."
Pepe heard the order and eased off the pressure on the grey's reins, he was
happy and excited and failed to notice the snake directly in Cloud's path. With
a shrill cry of fright, Cloud reared high and Pepe, caught unawares toppled to
the ground, directly in the path of the on-coming herd of wild horses. As he
crashed to earth, the thought raced through Pepe's mind that he was as
unfortunate as Nick Barkley had been the previous day. But, thought Pepe with a
sigh of despair, there would be no heroic brother coming to his rescue. As the
trampling hooves engulfed him, Pepe wondered what death would be like, it was
his last conscious thought before blackness surrounded and drowned him in
oblivion.
If death was velvet darkness and oblivion, then this was assuredly not death,
for there was no oblivion here, instead there was pain, nerve-scraping,
piercing, stabbing pain that tormented every inch of Pepe's head. Nor was it dark,
before the tortured boy's eyes, even though they were shut, there glared a
brilliant golden light that shrieked into Pepe's mind. For long agonizing
minutes the poor boy wished most fervently that death would come to claim him,
anything would be better than this universe of stabbing pains and blinding
light.
Pepe was aware that he was whimpering like a wounded animal but he could do no
other, he was in a living hell and he wanted nothing more than for it to cease.
Just when he thought he couldn't bear another single second of his agony he
heard a deep soothing voice speak his name. At the same time, his thrashing
limbs and quivering torso were firmly held and he felt himself lifted into a
warm, comforting embrace, his wounded head cradled against a broad shoulder. He
knew that voice, it was his boss, his hero, Nick Barkley's voice. Nick, who had
nearly lost his life when the thundering hooves of two hundred wild horses had
been about to trample him.
Nick had not been trampled, his quick-witted brother Heath had waded into the
maelstrom of plunging horses and held his powerful stallion steady in the right
place to shield his big brother from harm. Remembrance flooded Pepe's senses,
he had fallen! His new grey horse Cloud had shied at a snake and thrown Pepe.
Another snake twisted in his belly now, a snake of fear, had his new horse
perished in the stampede of the mustangs toward them? Hot tears streamed down
Pepe's face, he had only had the young horse one day, life was so cruel
sometimes.
Nick Barkley gently rubbed the boy's bony back, "easy Pepe, don't cry Kid.
I know you feel lousy and it hurts but you'll feel better soon."
Pepe gulped down his sobs, not wanting his hero to see his weakness, "what
happened to...to Cloud?" Pepe's voice was a whisper and he so dreaded the
answer.
"Cloud? Oh is that what you called your new mount? Nothing happened to
him, right after he got done pitching you into the path of the herd, he
skedaddled out of the way, that's horses all over!"
Pepe opened his eyes, wincing as the sunlight stabbed sharply into his senses,
"he's all right Senor Nick?"
"Sure he is," said that deep reassuring voice, "look over
yonder, he's tied with old Smokey there."
Pepe struggled to focus, yes! There was Cloud, grazing contentedly beside Smokey,
Pepe's tears flowed anew, tears of gladness this time.
Nick smiled, "you've had a bad bump on the head and you need to rest, so
you and I are camping here today while Heath and the team get those horses on
home. I figured Smokey's lame leg could use the rest too, so he's staying with
us."
The rancher held a canteen to the weak youngster's mouth and coaxed a little
water into him. "Remember what happened do you Pepe?"
"Si, it was a snake and Cloud threw me," the boy broke off as sudden
realization came to him, "you saved me...d...didn't you Senor Nick, you
saved me, just like Senor Heath saved you?"
"Don't you worry about that now," said Nick, you need to get some
sleep, that'll get rid of your headache.
An urgent, claw-like hand clutched Nick's shirt-front and Pepe said fervently,
"gracias, muchas gracias Senor Nick, you saved my life..." then his
stomach lurched uncontrollably and he vomited copiously all over Nick Barkley.
Part Four
Pepe was appalled by his involuntary nausea and blushed scarlet with shame. He
didn't dare to look Nick in the face and miserably awaited an explosion of
Barkley wrath. Nick was not in the least angry, his only reaction to the sudden
sickness was a slight sigh, a wry smile and a roll of the eyes heavenwards, then
he set about cleaning up the mess. Pepe muttered an incoherent apology for
throwing up and Nick quieted him saying gently, "don't you fret kiddo, you
have a monster concussion, bound to make you sick, you'll feel a whole lot
better after you sleep for a while."
He bedded Pepe down in a fresh blanket and wiped the boy's clammy face with his
bandanna. The injured boy lay back exhausted, Nick had soaked the cloth in cold
water, which felt good and in a few minutes Pepe was asleep again.
When Pepe next opened his eyes, the slanting sunlight had almost died away and
the gloom of early dusk was gathering. He sighed with relief, the soft light no
longer hurt his eyes and the vicious pain in his head had subsided into a dull
ache. Best of all, he no longer felt sick and he sat up gingerly, looking
around for Nick. For a moment he couldn't see his boss and a stab of fear
twisted his guts, had Senor Nick gone away, leaving him to recover and follow
on as best he could? A second later Pepe rejected that idea, he had started
this trip somewhat afraid of Nick Barkley and he had decided that he disliked
him, but he knew better now.
Nick Barkley was not the kind of man to leave a mere boy alone and hurt, he
might have a hot temper and a loud voice and be capable of staying in a bad
mood for days on end but that was only half the story. He was also
compassionate and kind, why else give an impoverished temporary hand a valuable
horse as a gift? He was a man who loved his family and was loved by them,
hadn't his brother saved him from the trampling of the herd of horses? He was a
man of courage, for he had saved Pepe in his turn, rescuing him from the
stampeding, water-crazed horses with skill and daring.
Pepe lay back down, wherever Nick had gone, he would soon return, Pepe knew
this with certainty and for the first time in his short but troubled life he
felt safe and protected, as though his many burdens had been lifted from his
thin shoulders, if only for a time. It was but a temporary respite, Pepe knew
that, but for today, while he lay at peace beside the bright camp-fire he was
content to rest and let the strongest, bravest and kindest man he had ever met
take care of him.
Pepe heard a sound and sat up startled, relaxing again as he saw that it was
Nick returning to the camp with a pot of water, which he set on the fire.
"Easy Pepe," said that deep reassuring voice, "you look like
you've seen a ghost! Did you think I'd left you and gone back to the
herd?"
"No," said Pepe simply, "I knew you would not do so Senor Nick."
"Well if you're sick on me again Boy I just might!"
Pepe started to apologize, saw that Nick was grinning at him and shyly grinned
back. Nick brought the boy a tin cup full of water and Pepe sat up slowly
taking the cup in both hands. Nick supported the boy's thin frame with a strong
arm and Pepe leaned against his strength gratefully.
"Now you sip that slowly but drink every drop you hear me? Don't gulp it
or you'll be sick again, but you need the liquid in you."
Pepe obediently sipped at the refreshing water and slowly drained the whole
cupful.
"That's a good boy," said Nick approvingly, "now lay down again
and take it easy, I'm rustling us up a little supper and if you hold onto that
water you just had, I may feed you in a while."
Pepe did as he was told and lay back down but turned onto his side so he could
prop himself with one hand and watch what Nick was doing. Summoning up the
courage, Pepe decided to converse with his hero.
"You can cook Senor Nick?"
"Sure, well good enough so I don't starve out on the trail anyways, you
sound surprised."
"I am, I mean you are rich and can have people do these things for
you."
"Well, in this part of the world a man ought to be able to take care of
himself, I never expect any man who works for me to do something I wouldn't do
for myself. A man who gets lazy and let's other people look after him will
start to lose his edge and that's the beginning of the end out here."
The rancher looked narrowly at the thin Mexican boy, "I'd guess that
you've been looking after yourself for a good long while Pepe, am I
right?"
The boy's dark eyes were shadowed with sorrow, "si, my father was a fine
vaquero and he taught me to ride but...but he died in a bandit raid when I was
seven, that was eight years ago, since then, I have done my best to help my
mother and sisters."
"How many sisters have you got?"
Pepe sighed, "five."
"Five!"
Pepe grinned at the horrified sympathy in his boss's voice, "si Senor and
all of them are younger than me!"
Nick grinned, "I take my hat off to you Kid, I just have one younger
sister and it takes me and my three brothers all our time keeping an eye on
her."
Pepe smiled and said shyly, "I...I wish I too had a brother, a brother
like Senor Heath, I have...well I have seen for myself how you and he watch out
for one another. I would dearly love to have someone watching out for me
too."
Nick's hazel eyes were warm with recollection, "yes, you're absolutely
right Pepe, there's no better feeling, I'm fortunate enough to have three
brothers and I can't imagine life without their support." Nick stirred the
stew he was cooking and then sat down again, with his back to a rock.
"Take this past summer, pretty near everything that could go wrong on our
ranch has gone wrong, it's been one disaster after another, but at least I've
had Heath beside me to help me fight my way through it."
Pepe nodded wisely, "I understand that now, I mean I have seen it for
myself. When...when I first started to work for you, I...well I thought that
you and Senor Heath didn't like each other very much."
Nick was genuinely surprised, "oh yeah, why was that Kid?"
Pepe made haste to explain, "neither of you smiled and you both seemed so
serious all the time and you didn't say much to each other. I soon learned my
mistake, I know how fine a thing it can be to have a brother, a brother such as
you or Senor Heath."
Nick felt a wave of compassion for this poverty-stricken and brave boy,
valiantly trying to support his mother and sisters. He smiled at Pepe,
"you know Pepe, once you stopped being so nervous around me, I noticed
what a fine young horseman you are, was it your father who taught you to ride
so well?"
"Si," nodded Pepe, his thin face animated and bright, "my father
was a good vaquero and he taught me all he knew."
"I thought so," said Nick, "well, you're younger than I
generally hire, but in your case, I'm going to make an exception." He
smiled at the bewildered boy.
"As of today Pepe, you're officially one of the Barkley hands, how does
that sound?"
The boy fairly gaped, "m..me," he stammered, hardly able to believe
his ears.
Nick grinned at him, "yes you," he confirmed.
"Gracias, Senor Nick, muchas gracias, I...I would be honoured to work for
you...only..." his voice trailed miserably away.
Nick was prepared for this, "if it's your family that you're thinking
about, don't you worry about a thing, I'm going to take care of that."
Pepe's dark eyes spilled tears, "to be free to keep what I earn, it will
be so wonderful...I cannot tell you how wonderful!"
Nick's frown was puzzled, "free to keep what you earn? I don't understand
Pepe."
Pepe flushed scarlet, "well Senor Garros he..." The boy broke off in
embarrassed confusion.
"Mateo Garros, he's the man my family hires its fruit pickers and the crew
for this drive from, what about him Boy?"
Pepe's voice was diffident, "If Senor Garros is a friend of yours I...I do
not wish to offend you Senor Nick."
"Well, I wouldn't call him a friend exactly, but we've done business
together for a good few years, I've never heard anything bad about him."
There was an uncomfortable silence which Nick broke, smiling at his young
friend, "don't be afraid Pepe, say what you need to say."
Pepe screwed up his courage and met Nick's clear gaze bravely, "it is just
that each of us has to pay a fee to Senor Garros out of our pay and...it
doesn't leave very much over."
Nick stirred the stew and nodded, "nothing unusual about that, the agent
always takes a small commission, how much does Mateo charge? Ten percent?
Fifteen?"
Pepe shook his head, "no Senor Nick, much more than that...but I do not
want to speak ill of a man for whom you have respect."
Nick's curiosity was thoroughly aroused, he spooned stew into two dishes and
handed one to Pepe. "Here you are Kid, get some hot food into you and then
I want you to tell me everything you know about Mateo Garros."
Heath Barkley sighed with relief as he slid wearily from Charger's back in the
compound outside the Barkley barn. He stroked the tired horse's neck, "I reckon
we're both pretty glad to be home huh Boy?"
Charger whinnied in response and Heath pulled his ears before handing him over
to the waiting Ciego.
"He deserves a little pampering Ciego, take good care of him for me will
you?"
"Of course Senor Heath," smiled the stable-hand.
Heath turned to find his mother at his elbow and he smiled into her eyes.
Victoria kissed his lean cheek, "you look like you could use a little
pampering yourself Sweetheart."
"It's been kind of a rough trip," acknowledged Heath.
Victoria glanced around, "would I be right in thinking Nick isn't with
you, or does the fact that I can't hear him just mean that he's lost his voice
yelling at everybody?"
Heath grinned, "well he's certainly done his share of yelling this trip,
with reason, just about anything that could go wrong has, but we've made it
back with the horses at last. You're right though, he's not here."
Heath put his mother in the picture about the illness contracted by the Barkley
hands, the hiring of the scratch trail crew from Mateo Garros and Nick's
accident with the clumsy Appaloosa.
Victoria's voice was calm but her pale face betrayed her anxiety, "are you
sure Nick's all right?"
"He's fine," Heath assured her and told Victoria about the similar
accident to Pepe Velez and that Nick was spending an extra night on the trail
with the boy before bringing him home.
"Has Mateo Garros arrived here yet Mother?"
"No not yet Dear, perhaps he'll be on the afternoon train. Are you ready
for some lunch now?"
"No, I want to take a fresh horse and check that everything is all right
in the north pasture. I'll be in a little later."
"Very well Darling."
Mateo Garros arrived at the Barkley ranch in Jarrod Barkley's company, having
bumped into the lawyer in Stockton. He told Jarrod he had come to distribute
the pay to the trail crew and accepted both a ride out to the ranch in Jarrod's
buggy and the hospitality of the Barkley family overnight. Both Jarrod and
Heath expressed their thanks to him for his assistance in putting together the
trail crew at such short notice and the Mexican nodded graciously.
"It is always a pleasure to help my distinguished friends the Barkleys in
any way I can."
Victoria presided over a dinner in honour of their visitor and it was agreed
between Mateo Garros and the Barkley men, that the financial business should be
postponed until Nick was present next day.
Accordingly, when Nick Barkley and Pepe Velez rode into the Barkley compound
the next morning, there was a considerable reception committee awaiting them.
Not only were Jarrod and Heath Barkley and Mateo Garros there, the other five
vaqueros were also there, eager to be paid off by Garros so that they could
begin their homeward journey again.
Heath was feeling pleasantly relaxed, it had been a difficult summer,
culminating in this exceptionally tortuous trail drive back to the ranch with
the replacement horses. Heath's heart had almost stopped when he saw the big
Appaloosa stumble and Nick disappeared under the thundering hooves of the herd of
wild horses and he had raced to his brother's aid.
Heath counted himself fortunate that Nick had escaped with nothing worse than a
lump on his head. For a moment, as he had held Charger steady, with an iron
grip on the reins, he had feared that Nick had died and the old loneliness that
was once his normal state of being had welled up in him again. The last few
years, working with Nick had given Heath a friend and a companion as well as a
brother, he knew with certainty, that he never wanted to experience that kind
of loneliness again, so it was with a welcoming grin on his face that Heath saw
Nick and young Pepe ride into the compound.
The grin was effectively wiped from Heath's face as his elder brother Nick came
swiftly out of the saddle and without the slightest hesitation threw a terrific
punch at Mateo Garros, which sent the Mexican flying backwards to land heavily
on his back. Garros wheezed painfully as all the air was driven from his body.
He lay winded, gingerly feeling his jaw, where a bruise was rapidly swelling.
Surprise had held both Heath and Jarrod Barkley still for long seconds, but as
Nick advanced purposefully on the floored Mexican, his brothers jerked
themselves into action and made a grab for him. Heath placed himself firmly in
Nick's path, shaking his head as Nick tried to push him out of the way.
"One punch is enough Nick, simmer down."
"Nick, I think you'd better explain yourself," ordered Jarrod
crisply.
"I'd be glad to," growled Nick, his hard hazel gaze never leaving
Mateo Garros.
Garros came hesitantly to his feet, his face was grey and he was panting
slightly as he recovered from the mighty blow that had felled him. He sketched
a grimace of his old and confident smile and spoke in a bewildered but pacific
tone.
"If there has been a misunderstanding, I'm sure we can arrange things
satisfactorily..."
"You bet we can, you miserable thieving bandit!" The anger was taut
in Nick's deep gravelly voice.
Garros backed away from the rage he saw and heard in Nick, his eyes flickered
in the direction of Pepe and he gave the boy a long hard stare.
"Senor Barkley, if you have been told any lies about me, I'm sure we can
straighten them out."
"What I've been told about you is the truth," grated Nick, "and
understand me, your days of doing business with my family are over, I want you
off my ranch and out of these people's lives, get out of my sight, or I'm
likely to finish what I just started!"
Garros heard the determination in Nick's voice and he feared another blow from
Nick's mighty fist, but he wasn't about to abandon his fee lightly, he
protested in a blustering voice.
"This is outrageous, I provided you with the services of these men and our
agreement was that I should receive their pay and..."
The cool, quiet tones of Heath Barkley's voice stopped Garros in mid-protest.
"Senor Garros, I think you heard my brother, the Barkley family wants no
further dealings with you, I suggest you get out of here before we throw you
out."
Mateo Garros turned wounded eyes on Heath, "your brother has not even told
you what he has against me!"
"He doesn't have to," said Heath at once, "my brother will tell
me in due course, for now, you're no longer welcome here."
Heath had not even raised his voice, but Garros recognized the implacable note
in the blond rancher's quiet tones. He turned a beseeching gaze on Counselor
Barkley but Jarrod's expression was glacial and his voice similarly arctic.
"Please come with me Senor Garros and I'll arrange for you to be taken
into Stockton for the train."
Garros shot a look of pure hatred in Pepe Velez's direction, "I will be
even with you, you little gutter-rat!"
Heath stepped aside instinctively as Nick lunged past him to seize Garros by
the shirt-front with two iron hands.
"I don't think you heard me Garros, you're done with these people, if any
one of them so much as stubs a toe, I'm going to hold you responsible and if I
have to come after you, you'll regret it!"
Jarrod's cold voice intervened, "Senor Garros, I suggest you accept my
offer of transport into Stockton, if you choose to remain here, I don't
guarantee your safety."
Mateo Garros stood irresolute for a moment, then his shoulders slumped in
defeat. His hate-filled gaze swept the faces of the trail crew, "be warned
amigos, none of you will ever work for me again!"
Garros walked away in Jarrod's wake, leaving the two rancher brothers and Pepe
alone with the other five vaqueros.
Nick raised his voice slightly, "you men can ignore that threat, the
Barkleys will be doing our own hiring and firing in Modesto in future and as
far as my brother and I are concerned, each of you can have a regular job here
if you want it."
Heath's blue eyes widened slightly, for Nick had had plenty to say about the
smattering of ageing men and youths at the start of the drive. It was true
though, all six had proved to be competent and hard workers.
Nick smiled at the anxious Pepe.
"Don't look so worried, everything's going to be all right. Take old
Smokey round in back of the barn and you'll see where we keep our retired
animals. Turn him loose with them if you like."
The boy smiled shyly back, "Gracias Senor Nick, I will do that."
Pepe dismounted from Cloud's back and hitched him to the rail outside the barn.
He led his old paint pony away around the side of the barn to the sunlit meadow
where a number of old Barkley horses, dwelt in pampered retirement, including
Nick's beloved Coco and Heath's black Modoc mare Gal.
Nick spoke to the five remaining men, "you'll each be paid the full fee
for your work, no need to turn seventy-five percent of it over to that leech
Garros all right men?"
There was a ragged cheer from the men and Nick grinned, "see my top-hand
Clem Hanks about jobs here if you want to stay and he'll pay you off too."
The two brothers walked companionably into the barn and Nick handed his horse
over to Ciego.
"Seventy-five percent?" Heath could hardly credit the figure.
Nick's face was still wrathful, "I tell you Heath, when young Pepe told
me, I was so mad I could have torn Garros limb from limb if he'd been
there!"
"Lucky for him he wasn't," remarked Heath dryly.
Nick's hazel gaze searched Heath's face, "you didn't mind my offering the
vaqueros work?"
Heath suppressed a grin, imagining Nick's probable reaction if Heath had been
the one to make such an offer.
"No, I don't mind, they're all good men and we need the extra help, at
least until we get the horses fully trained." The blond rancher's face
grew thoughtful, "you know Nick, I might have a word with one of them, he
could be our agent for next season's hire of fruit pickers."
"Good idea Boy!" Nick slapped Heath on the back, "once word gets
out that we'll pay fairly, there should be plenty of takers."
When Jarrod had seen the crest-fallen Garros off the ranch, he sought his
brothers for a full explanation of the situation. When he heard how much of the
workers pay Garros had clawed from them, his expressive eyes snapped with angry
fire.
"Leave it to me Gentlemen," said Jarrod crisply, "I'll spread
the word in the right circles and put Mateo Garros out of business for
good."
Later that day, Nick led Pepe to a small cottage, one of a few, beside the
Barkley bunk-house. It was a humble dwelling, just an attic sleeping space,
reached by a ladder from the living room, with a kitchen area off to the right
and one modest bedroom behind it. Pepe compared it with the hovel his mother
and sisters dwelt in now and thought it was palatial by comparison.
"I want you to take a wagon down to Modesto and fetch your family, I'll
send a man along to ride shotgun in case Garros gets any ideas."
Pepe smiled at his hero through his tears, "Senor Nick, how can I ever
thank..."
"Easy, quit thanking me, I've heard enough of that, just go get your
family and bring them back here all right?"
"Si Senor Nick, I will do so at once."
"I'm sorry the place isn't bigger," said Nick.
"It is fine," Pepe assured him. "The girls can sleep in the
attic and my mother in the bedroom. I can sleep on the floor before the
fire."
Nick shook his head, "you keep forgetting that you're a young man now and
a Barkley hand to boot. You sleep in the bunk-house with the rest of the
men."
Pepe's heart swelled with pride, he was a Barkley hand, he was a man!
As Pepe and one of the other hands set off for Modesto in a serviceable wagon,
Pepe recalled his conversation of the previous night out on the trail, when he
had told Nick all about the usurious Mateo Garros. Nick had made a remark and
it had stuck in the boy's mind.
Nick had said, "just goes to show, my father was right. He always said
that it was important to look beyond the skin-deep. A man might appear to be a
decent upstanding sort, but inside, he could be rotten to the core. My father
said, don't judge by appearances, learn what a man is before you trust
him."
Blissfully happy as he headed for his family, to bring them to a new and better
life, Pepe reflected that what Nick had said was very true. His first
impression of Nick had been less than favourable, he had thought both Heath and
Nick to be stern, humourless, cold men, who didn't much like each other or
their work. How wrong he had been, beneath the skin-deep, the two Barkley
brothers were warm-hearted, good men, with a deep affection for each other and
a passion for their work.
Pepe uttered a silent prayer of thanks to a merciful God who had caused his
path to cross that of Nick Barkley and he asked his saviour to one day give him
a chance to repay the master of the Barkley ranch for his kindness. I shall
always look beneath the skin-deep, learn what is in a man's heart, so help me
God, vowed Pepe Velez.