Drivers Training by EM

Word Count 3,923

#1 in Teaching Sons Series

The new Lancer family sat around the breakfast table in the kitchen.  Scott reached for the coffee pot and offered a refill to his brother and father. Murdoch waved him off, but Johnny held up his cup and nodded, thanks. 

“What would you like us to do today, sir?”

“Scott, I want you to ride out with Cipriano to check the south herd.  We need a good look at the water out there as well as the grass. While you’re there, get a rough count of the cattle. Cipriano will show you what to do. We haven’t looked at that herd much since Pardee, and they might be scattered to kingdom come. Don’t spend a lot of time trying to round them up. Just get me a count as close as you can and then we’ll send a crew out to round them up and fix the fences as needed.”

“Yes, sir, I can get that taken care of. I better get going. I hear the men getting ready.”

“Have a good day, son.”

“See you later Johnny.”

“Bye Scott”

“Johnny. Since Dr. Jenkins doesn’t think you’re ready to do much work yet, I want you to go into town and pick up supplies. Cedro will have the buckboard ready for you in a bit.  Go out and get your barn chores done and then come back by and pick up the list. Cedro knows what to do with the supplies.  I don’t want you lifting anything yet.”

Johnny hesitated a moment and before he could acknowledge his orders for the day, Murdoch asked him sharply,  “Problem?”

”No, no that’ll be fine. I’ll be back in a while to get the list.”

Johnny went out into the front room. Got his hat and strapped on his gun belt before heading out the front door to the barn.

With the last pitchfork of soiled straw Johnny grimaced  as his shoulder spasmed.  ’It’s not the worst I’ve ever had but the one you’ve have now it always seems the worst,’ he thought.

He pushed the loaded wheelbarrow to the manure pile and dumped it before leaning it up against the side of the barn.

‘Shucks only one bale of straw. I guess I need to go up into the loft and toss down a couple,’ he thought to himself.

Slowly, climbing the stairs, he took hold of the hay hooks that were hanging on the wall and tumbled one bale, and then a second bale through the floor opening.

Going back down the stairs, he cut open the bales and started filling the stalls with straw. At this point, he was tempted to lay in one of them and take a little rest, but he knew his father was waiting for him. With a sigh and a little bit of dread fluttering in his stomach, he went back out and saw that the buckboard was ready for him.

He stopped by the pump, and washed his face and hands in the bowl. He pumped out fresh water and rinsed the bowl and hung the towel out to dry.

Through the doors into his father‘s domain, he asked,  “Is the list ready?”

Murdoch jotted a couple more things down and handed it to him. Johnny looked at it, squinted, and tipped his head a little. “What’s this?”  he said pointing at it.

Murdoch looked over to see what he was pointing out and said, “That’s iodized salt. Those are red salt blocks. We need six bags of oats too.  Also go to the lumber yard and pick up the boards I ordered.  We need them to fix the corral.”

“Got it,” Johnny acknowledged.

“While you’re there, stop by Mr. Randolph’s office and give this envelope to him. He’s expecting it, and the go pickup the mail.”

“Okay, anything else?”

“No, that should do it. Just take it easy and slow on your way back. That’s going to be a heavy load.”

Johnny turned the envelope around a couple times and hesitated

Murdoch looked up, surprised to see his son still standing there and gave him a shooing motion with his hand. “You better get going.  I want you back here by three o’clock. I thought we’d ride out and check the windmill pasture. It’s not far and no one‘s been out there in months to check it.”

”Sure.” Johnny acknowledged and turned and walked out the doors

Johnny carefully maneuvered the buckboard through the arch figuring his father wouldn’t appreciate it if he took out his monument to the Lancer name.

As they climbed the hill, the two sturdy bay geldings leaned into their harness to pull the unloaded wagon up the hill

By the time Johnny got into town, he was feeling pretty good. ‘That was easy,’ he thought to himself as he brought the buckboard to a stop in front of the feed store.  His first time driving a buckboard with a two horse team went pretty well. Only one time did he get it into a major rut because his attention was taken by a small herd of deer, but other than some rocking, the wagon righted itself and they were able to continue on their way.

“Give me about an hour Mister Lancer.”

“Mister Lancer is my father, call me, Johnny.”

“Oh course Mister Lancer, I mean Johnny.” The rotund store owner, replied

Shrugging, Johnny replied “I’ll be back.”

He barely got two feet down the boardwalk when he bumped into Doc Jenkins.

“What are you doing in town Doc?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Doc replied, hiding a smile, and then added, “I come to Morro Coyo on Wednesdays unless I have an emergency somewhere else.”

“Murdoch sent me to get supplies, and they’ll be ready in about an hour.”

“Why don’t you join me at the café?  I left before breakfast”

“I could eat,” Johnny responded.

After settling at a table with a fresh cup of coffee, Sam considered the best way of asking Johnny how he was doing without getting his back up. He’d already experienced the young man’s lack of patience to everyone asking him how he was feeling. He decided to try a different tact.

“I guess picking up supplies has got to be better than working on the ranch books.”

Johnny took a sip of coffee and grinned. “You can say that again Doc. Maybe you could tell my old man that giving me writers cramp will set back my recovery.”

Sam laughed and shook his head, “No way am I getting in the middle of that one”

“Well it was worth a try”

A smiling older lady who Johnny assumed was the owner of the café, brought out a platter of ham steaks, and a boy of about eleven followed with a platter of fluffy, scrambled eggs, followed by an even younger girl who brought a basket of biscuits and a crock of jam.

She smiled at Johnny and said warmly.  “Oh Chico, es tan bueno tenerste de vuelta. Te recuerdo corriendo de un lado a otro frente a mi cafe, dandole un sis to a tu pobre mama.” (Oh Boy, it’s so good to have you back. I remember you running up and down in front of my cafe giving your poor mama a fright.)

“You knew me then?” Johnny replied in Spanish even though he knew she already said she did.

“Si, Si.  Eras un nino adorable.”

Sam chuckled as he watched the famed and feared gunfighter son of his oldest friend blush and fiddle with his fork.

Deciding to save this young man from further embarrassment, he prodded, “Dig in. You need to add a few pounds.”  Johnny didn’t need to be told twice and was grateful for the Doc’s intervention.

Leaving the cafe, Sam reminded Johnny to take it easy and see him next week for a check up.

“Sure hope I can start working soon Doc.”

“I hope so as well.  Just follow my instructions and you have a good chance of being

ready next week.”  Tipping his hat, the doctor went on his rounds and Johnny headed over to get the mail and take care of the errand Murdoch sent him on.

“You better take it slow on the way home Johnny,” advised the proprietor of the feed and seed. “Those salt blocks weigh 50 pounds each so you’ve got close to 500 pounds of salt in the back of that wagon. I wedged those feed sacks up against them to try to keep them from shifting but if I was you I’d stop in a few miles and double check them.”

“Thanks Mister Harrison. Murdoch will be in to settle up in a couple of weeks.”

Johnny drove the team slowly out of town to his next stop at the mill.  Moving to the right as a another team passed him going the other way.  He breathed a sigh of relief when the two wagons passed each other without incident

‘I think I’m getting the hang of this,’ he thought to himself. After his last stop at rhe mill, he let the horses move along at their own pace and found his mind wandering as he watched the scenery go by.

After he had gone about eight miles, he realized he should stop and check the load. Setting the brake and tying off the reins he climbed into the back. One of the sacks of oats had shifted so he put it back where he thought it should go.

Settling back into the driver seat, he untied the reins and released the brake, giving the horses a little chirp to get them started again.

Before long, he was at the overlook looking down at the house. Giving the horses a little encouragement, he said,  “Come on boys let’s go home.”

The horses picked up their pace a little bit, knowing they were heading back to the barn where they’d get  water and food after a nice rub down, chewing their bits and

tossing their heads in anticipation, they started trotting down the road

As the road was getting steeper, Johnny held back on the lines a little bit and soothed, “easy easy.”   As they got to the steepest place, Johnny started to apply the brake and pulled back farther on the lines, but he wasn’t feeling any resistance from the brake, and the wagon started to go faster. He tried to get the team to stop, but the wagon started pushing the team down the hill.

The two sturdy geldings were getting bumped by the traces which caused them to speed up even more and before Johnny  knew it his world turned black.

*********

‘Birds! How can they be so loud?’ With that thought, Johnny shook his head and felt his stomach lurch. Biting the inside of his cheek, he brought his stomach under control, though he quickly realized he better hold still.

Lying back in the grass, he waited for the world to stop spinning, trying to take slow deep breaths to settle his stomach, and to figure out what the hell happened. He put his arm across his eyes as he realized the bright sun filtering through the oak leaves were starting to give him a headache.

Finally, his stomach settled,  and he opened one eye and realized that in addition to the sun and the oak trees and the birds, he could hear the sound of a wheel turning.

Now, with both eyes open, he realized that the wheel was a wagon wheel, and the wagon was on its side. All the supplies were thrown all around him, including some of the boards that had landed on him.

He tried to sit up, which was his first clue that his ribs were good and sore. Sitting slowly, he pressed his fingers into his side and was relieved that nothing felt broken just sore.

Carefully he shifted to his side, pushing the boards off him until they were no longer pinning him down.  Panting, he realized that was all the work he could do right now, so he laid back again. His mouth was dry, and he could barely swallow.  He looked around and hoped that with a little luck the canteen would be within reach. ‘Shucks, I can see it, but I can’t reach it.’  Grabbing hold of a shovel. He rolled to his side and hissed as the pain in his ribs reminded him that he had to take it slow.  Using the shovel, he managed to hook the strap on the canteen and drag it to him.

He sat up carefully and drank greedily. Pushing the stopper back on the canteen he looked around to see what his next move should be.

The horses were gone.  ‘Probably back at the barn.’  He mused.

Another wave of nausea hit him as he groaned and laid back down.  ‘Someone will be up here eventually.’ He thought as he closed his eyes and waited for his stomach to settle and his head to quit pounding.

Before long, he heard his father and their segundo Cipriano call out.  He raised a hand and tried to sit up.

“Take it easy Johnny.  Is anything broken?”  Murdoch sounded worried.

“No, I don’t think so.  Just my head and stomach can’t seem to agree with each other.”

“Senior, I’ll go back and get the buckboard. Should I send someone for the doctor,” Cipriano asked.

Johnny started to shake his head no, but stopped as his head reminded him that wasn’t a good idea.  “No I don’t need a doctor.  I’ll be alright by the time you get back with the buckboard.”

He could sense Cipriano and his father having a silent conversation and then Murdoch replied, “Let’s get him home and then we can see if he needs Sam.”

With that the Segundo left and Murdoch reached a hand out to Johnny’s forehead.  “I don’t got a fever,” Johnny said shortly. “Sorry, I ain’t at my best right now.”

“It’s all right son.  We’ll get you home and send some hands back to get this mess cleaned up.”

The warmth of Murdoch calling him son for the first time was tempered by the feeling of censor that manpower and time would need to be wasted cleaning up the mess he’d made of a simple chore.

Deciding it was better to keep his mouth shut, Johnny laid back in the grass while Murdoch watched him anxiously.

Murdoch wanted to ask Johnny how this happened but he knew he’d have to wait until his son was feeling better.  All he could do now was settle down in the grass and keep an eye on his son while cataloging all the supplies strewn on the hillside and the shattered wagon thankful his son wasn’t more badly hurt.

At the sound of a buckboard rattling up the hill, Johnny squinted at Murdoch and said, “I’m real sorry about all this.”

“I’m just glad you’re not badly hurt” Murdoch replied. “ We can talk about what happened later once we get you home and this all cleaned up.”

Joni swallowed uncomfortably as he tried to gauge his father‘s mood and could only assume that he was counting up the cost of the wagon, the manpower to put everything right not to mention more time before Johnny could pull his full weight.

Before either could say anything else, Cipriano drove up, and between him and Murdoch, they helped Johnny into the back of the buckboard. 

Trying to find a comfortable spot in the thick straw, Johnny was almost dreading going home. He was going to have to explain what happened and he knew Murdoch wasn’t going to be happy about it.  He hadn’t been home long, but he already felt this pull that he couldn’t explain or understand. One minute he was loath to disappoint the old man and the next he felt this urge to defy him.  It was too much to sort out today.

A couple hours after Johnny was settled onto the couch, Murdoch stopped by to check on him.

“How are you feeling son?”

‘Son. That feels good,’ Johnny thought to himself.  While his natural inclination was to say he was fine, he was trying to be honest with his new found family. He compromised. “Better.  I’ll probably be good and sore tomorrow, but I think I could get up.  Walking around might help actually.”

Murdoch tipped his head and replied, “How about if you give it another hour and then go take a hot soak.  That should help a lot with the soreness.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”  Johnny realized that sounded like a really good idea.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Murdoch asked.

Johnny bit his lip and muttered, “You ain’t gonna like it.”

With sudden insight, Murdoch thought this is the kid I would’ve had to deal with if I had gotten to raise him.  “Just tell me.”

“We’ll, everything was going okay until we started down that hill.  The load started to shift I guess.”

“Those salt blocks, feed and boards would have made it close to seven hundred pounds, but the wagon and team should have been able to handle it.”

“I know… I couldn’t handle it,” Johnny confessed quietly.

Murdoch sat back and crossed his arms, “Go on”

Johnny licked his lips and wished he had something to drink as he mouth went dry.  Clearing his throat, he continued, “See, it’s like this.” He realized he was stalling and decided to spit it out and get it over with. “I ain’t never drove a team before.  Only one horse.”

“What?  Why didn’t you tell me?”

Johnny looked down and was worrying the binding on the lap blanket.  “I figured it couldn’t be that hard, but I lost control going down the hill.  I couldn’t get it slowed down enough and the horses got scared.  They weren’t hurt were they?”

“No, nothing serious.  Buck has a scrape on his off hind leg.  The trace must have rubbed him, but he is sound and should heal faster than you.”

Johnny took a chance to look quickly at his father and then once again ducked his head. “I’m sorry for losing the wagon and for the time it will take the men to collect the supplies.  I’ll pay for the wagon.”

“That’s not necessary,” Murdoch said while shaking his head.  “That was an old wagon and probably was close to being used for parts.”

Johnny felt a ray of hope that this disaster wasn’t as bad as he feared, when Murdoch placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, “Get some rest son.  You’ll probably be pretty sore tomorrow, but you should be right as rain in a day or two.”

Leaning back into the pillows, Johnny watched his father walk away before closing his eyes and he drifted off to sleep.

*******

Three days later, Johnny was up and around and doing light chores.  He enviously watched the vaqueros mount up to go out to the range.  His new brother was out with Ramon working on surveying in preparation for fencing. He couldn’t wait to be healed so he could join them.

As Johnny finished spreading straw in the last stall, he heard Murdoch call for him.  “Johnny, I’ve got something for you to do.”

Johnny stopped by the wash bowl and rinsed off his hands, rubbing them on his jeans to dry.  “What do you want me to do?” He looked at his father as he sat on the buckboard.

“Hop on” Murdoch instructed.

Johnny started to get up, when Murdoch scooted over, “No, this side son.  You’re driving.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea after last time,” Johnny said licking his lips.

“No time like the present and just like falling off a horse, you’ve got to get back on.”

With a sigh, Johnny climbed aboard and Murdoch handed him the reins.  After about thirty minutes of circling and backing the wagon in the yard, Murdoch asked a couple of hands to load the wagon with 10 sacks of feed.  Murdoch instructed Johnny to head up the hill.

By the time they reached the top, Johnny’s hands were clammy.  Rubbing his left hand on his jeans, he hoped his father didn’t see how nervous he was.  He took a deep breath to try to relax as he didn’t want to make the team nervous.

“Relax Johnny.  Everyone needs to learn sometime.  I’m right here and I’ll help you with this.”

Flashing a smile at his father, and feeling more confident, “Before you start down any hill with a load, you need to slow the horses way down. See saw the reins to get them collected and using their hindquarters to slow the load.”  Taking the reins, Murdoch showed Johnny what he meant. 

Johnny took over and Murdoch praised him. “See how they are sitting down a bit over their hind legs? Apply the brake slowly to help them hold the wagon back.” Johnny was hesitant after the disaster the week before. “A little more pressure on the brake Johnny.”Johnny followed Murdoch’s instructions on how to handle a heavy load down the long hill to the hacienda.

Johnny breathed a sigh of relief when they leveled out and flashed his father a smile.  “Thanks Murdoch.  That was harder than I thought it would be, but now that you showed me how to do it, I think I won’t have any trouble next time.”

“Good,” Murdoch replied, getting off the wagon as they reached the yard.  “Now turn around and do it again.”

“Without you?” Johnny frowned.

“I have faith in you son.”

Murdoch couldn’t help himself a short while later, as he stood there and watched his son slowly working his way down the hill as he’d taught him.  ‘Taught him.’ Murdoch thought.  ’I finally got to teach my son something!’

As Johnny arrived back in the yard without mishap, he felt light hearted as he realized not only his accomplishment, but that for the first time he could remember, his father taught him something!  Maybe he could learn some more from his old man.  He turned the team around to try it one more time.

Later that evening, after dinner, the Lancer men were sitting by the fire.  Scott took a sip of a very fine brandy. “I hear you had some training on getting a heavy buckboard down the hill, Johnny.”

“Sure did Scott. I could show you sometime if ya want.”

“I’d like that Johnny, I’ve driven teams before, but never with a heavy load down a steep hill like that.  That okay with you sir?”

Murdoch took a sip of his drink and nodded.  “Johnny’s an expert now.  He can show you.”

Johnny gave his father a nod and shy smile at the vote of confidence. 

Murdoch couldn’t help but feel they had come a long way in a short time.  A smashed wagon was a small price to pay.

End

December 18, 2024

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