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| Oklahoma Territory Town 1894 |
Twist of Fate
Skilly, you old doggie, come on in here and tell me how you been.”
Ted straightened, hardly aware of his reflexes. “David Hawkins. Is that you behind that shaving cream and silly sheet?” He took a step toward Hawkins, and then remembered Marty.
“This is a friend from the cattle drive, Pop. He and I … well…”
“Don’t worry, son. You go visit. I’ll be at the livery when I finish with the bank.” Marty watched as Ted laughed -- really laughed for the first time since being home. He saw someone new; a man called Skilly.
Dave Hawkins flopped back into the barber’s chair. “How the Hell are you, and what you been up to?”
“I just got in yesterday. I stayed in Topeka helping the trail boss close out the sale documents.” Ted sat facing Dave. “How about you; found work?”
Hawkins shook his head side to side. “Going east, cowboy. No more roping, wrangling or ranching, no, sir; about to join the machine age. It’s a whole new world back there, Skilly. You ought to come with me.”
The barber pulled the cape off Hawkins and looked at Skillman. Ted had not intended to get a haircut, but looking in the mirror, it seemed like a good idea. “I don’t think I’ll be going with you, Dave, but the adventure has a certain appeal.”
“You staying with the cattle business?”
“Depends on my step-dad. He’s planning to farm. Whether he gets out of the cattle business completely, is another question.”
“What are you going to do?”
The barber, unofficial oracle of local news, chimed in. “They’re looking for a new sheriff down in Holliday.”
“Now there’s an idea, Skilly. Sheriff Skillman; has a nice ring. You’re a shoe-in after our cattle drive.”
Ted was silent. Catching a couple of not-so-smart cattle thieves was one thing. Keeping peace in a town against everything from barroom fights to robbery was different. Still…
On the way to the livery stables Ted thought about Dave heading east into the “mechanical age”. Might take more training and a bigger stake than old Dave has in mind. Ted was so deep in thought he nearly walked into Marty coming from the livery.
“You look a sight better than the cowboy I met the last night.”
Ted joined Marty returning to the wagon which was nearly loaded —mostly fence posts.
Inside, as Marty and Mattie Tarbutton finished up their buying, Ted approached the store counter. “Put a nickel’s worth of those taffy twists on the tab, Bill.” Ted stuffed the taffy into his pocket.
The ride back to the ranch was filled with gossip about the day. It wasn’t until the end of supper that Ted passed out the taffy, and then announced he would be riding over to Holliday tomorrow.
No one said a word; couldn’t if they wanted to. Their mouths were stuck in taffy.
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