A Day In The LIfe ( edited)

The sunrays dance with the dust particles as it shoots through the crack in the shutters cascading light throughout the dark room. The living alarm clock in the chicken coup welcomes the coming of day with his normal tune. As I awoke, I stretched , forcing blood to my sleep stiffened body . Sitting up and putting my feet on the cold wooden floor I found my jeans laying across the back of the chair next to my bed and put them on. Stamping my feet into my boots I stood and stretch again dreading today’s activities. I walked across the chilly room to the stove in hope that there were enough embers to start a fire and make coffee, lucky for me there were. I stirred them up and soon had a nice fire going and started a pot .I stood there letting the warmth help to loosen up my muscles for the days work deep in thought.

A loud knock on the door startled me and I instantly grabbed my rifle that I kept close at hand . I didn’t hear any horses and in this country a man that wasn’t on his toes, was dead . I walked over and looked through the window to see who it was . A funny lookin guy in store bought clothes was standin there. He was kind of short with a well trimmed mustache and a bald head. Looked more like a dude than a man of these parts, didn’t look like a threat but you never know.
“What you want “ I hollered still half asleep.

“ Mr. Maps? My name is Frank Guttery, I am a writer from Pennsylvania, may I speak to you?” calmly asked this stranger at my door. I opened the door a mite.
“What about?”
“May I come in and speak with you?”
Seeing that he had no type of gun, I opened the door and offered him a cup of coffee. I moved the skins off the table and invited him to sit down.

“ Mr. Maps, I am writing a book on the history of this area and the people I was told that you could help me, being here longer than most. I will pay ten dollars for your story if I can use it.”

I scratched my jaw a bit took a sip of my coffee, it was good and strong. I gave it some thought. I sure could use that money. That was more than I’d seen in a year.
“ What do you need exactly” I asked looking at him over my cup.” and you can call me Henry”

Looking more at ease “ I want to hear all about you , when you got here ,what your life is like ,what you do , .” He smiled.” just who you are”
Well I was struck dumb, nobody had wanted to know about me before. “Why do people want to know about me” I asked “ I ain’t nobody.”

“ Well “ he started “ people back east are curious about what it is really like out here, who the people are and what it takes to live here, they sit in their houses with all their comforts and just dream of the West, your family did more than that they came out here.”
I just looked at him” OK if it puts ten dollars in my pocket I’d be happy to help!” I smiled
He took out a note book and a pencil and placed them on the table.
”You hungry I asked I haven’t eaten yet and was about to cook up something’ when you dropped by”

He was happy to join me and talked as I went to collect eggs. I sliced off a dozen or so pieces of bacon into the pan and broke the dozen eggs to fry. I had a plate of Bear claws left over and put them on the table. To be so small, probably 150 lbs soaking wet ,that little feller ate as much as I did, and I can put down some grub. I cleared the table again and we began.

“ Where do you want me to start “ I asked.
“The beginning has always been a good place .” he snickered


In The Beginning



"Let me introduce myself. I’m Henry Montgomery Maps, it is March 25, 1849. My folks moved me here when I was just a pup, that was some 20 years ago. Don’t rightly know where we came from. My pa said it was a good place to raise a family. A few years later according to Ma, he was out hunting and a bear done ate him. Three years later Ma caught the fever and died, I buried her under that tree out back where she used to sit and think of Pa, I was ten then and a man. I had to be with Pa gone and all." I

After getting a cup of coffee and stiring the embers I continued " I done pretty good for myself, I hunted with pas old rifle and raised a small vegetable garden raised chickens and got milk from Judith our cow. I fought Indians a few times and made friends with some of them . An old brave took me under his wing and showed me how to hunt with a bow, track, trap and skin as well as other things like fighting that pa didn‘t. A family built a place a few miles up the valley by the name of Seivers I started tradin’ what I had with old man Seivers for seeds, his wife and daughter came to check on me from time to time. They kind of took me in as one of their own seeing they had no boys."

I looked into my cup for the rest of the story, but it wasn't there so I kind of winged it "I ain’t what you’d call a good looking man, between the sun, wind ,rain and the snow my skin looks like a saddle that’s been left out to long. I’m ‘bout 275 pounds mostly in my legs and arms and around 6 foot, I got that from pa. I managed a few scars here and there from fighting with Indians and still have a few pieces of an arrow head in my leg, but I get around all right. Mary, old man Seivers daughter is good with doctoring, her pa taught her. Ain’t never found a horse I couldn’t ride nor a animal I couldn’t track . I have no schooling to speak of, although Mrs. Seivers did teach me my letters and how to read some. Said “ A man has to be able to make his mark and not only with his back and hands” I reckin’ she’s right. I've got myself this little farm just south of town and don’t bother anyone.
He looked up "What about the town, how did that come about?"

"One day a group of wagons came down the trail" I said remembering back "Almost over night a town just popped up out of the dust. Someone said that a trapper had found gold somewhere. I never looked, ain’t got that much time or money to go off traipsing around looking for color. It wasn’t much of a town , a few tents a general store and of course a saloon. I don’t go to town much but I had heard that they got them a sheriff. He has came out a few times to say howdy . Nice feller, name Is Tom, he’s offered me a job once or twice lookin for this or that, helping him track down one feller or ‘nother. I tracked this one feller clean over the mountains until Tom got a bullet in the fellers horse and set him afoot. We carried out the hangin’ right there. This here feller had stole a horse from the stables. Have you ever seen a hangin ? "
"No He replied almost with guilt
"It is a sight i wish on no man."

My Embarrassing Life

After another cup of the strong coffeeI started again."Want to hear something funny? The other day, me and Mr. Seivers was sittin havin’ coffee on his porch and he looked me in the eye
“When you goin’ to git hitched boy”

“Never really thought about it“ I said “ besides ain‘t no woman in her right mind goin to git herself hitched to the likes of me no how“

He just smiled “You don’t know that, I seen plenty of them looking you over at the dance, even Mary has taken notice.”

I learned to dance thanks to Mrs. Seivers, in private, at their house. I must have stepped on her feet more than I did my own for a while. So I had been down to the town square on occasion to the church social and had danced with Mary as well as a few other girls there.
Mary Seivers is a good looker alright with that red hair and that sweet voice but she was like a sister to me. I know’d her forever. I saw the way she had started to look at me a little while back and it had made me nervous. Sure we went riding together down to the crick a few times and she had brought over a few pies and such but I had no clue. I think Mr. Seivers was tryin’ to marry her off. And I said as much
‘Mr. Seivers, Mary is like a sister to me, I couldn’t marry her, Besides that, like I said, ain’t no woman in her right mind would want me.’

He smiled “You better not say that to Mary, She might not like being called not in her right mind. “ He grinned’ “MARY COME OUT HERE “

Mary came out on the porch in a tight fitting dress that showed all of what God give her, Man she was a sight! I jumped up and took my hat off.

” Pa you need something“ she asked

“Mary” her pa started “ Henry here thinks that you wouldn’t want to marry him, is that true? “ he asked her putting her on the spot. “

"Of course I would if he had the nerve to ask me himself.” She said not missing a beat.
Now I‘ve been scuffling with a lion, hunted by Indians, nearly starved to death one dry season, but I had never been as scared as I was right then. She smiled that smile that made rocks melt, knowing how uncomfortable I was. And was I ever!

“Well boy, there you go ,ask her” he pa laughed behind me.
I just kind of stood there like my feet were nailed down and I had a mouth full of molasses not sayin g a word. She laughed , turned on her hills and ran into the house.
“Boy,BOY!? ” came a questioning voice from behind me “You all right?”

“ Yes sir “ I slowly got out. Now why I did that i don't know it wasn’t like I hadn’t really thought about it, of course I had. She was a catch, the type to ride the river with. She could ride as well as any man and could shoot just as good and cook, man could she cook, why not marry her?

“Mr. Seivers?” I started
He held up his hand “ Yes you may have her hand if you wish, it would make me and her ma very happy.”
“Excuse me then” I got my nerve up, stormed into the house where she was sitting in the den dropped to one knee and blurted out “ We’re goin to git hitched!”

Of course I hadn’t meant to put it like I said it, some how it sounded better in my head. She stood up put her hand on her hips and gave me what for.

“Henry Maps“ she screamed “who do you think you are telling me a thing like that, I’ll have you know I make my own decisions and will not be told what to do by you or any other man but Pa. Her face was red as all git out I knew I had done messed up. She stood there seething and all I could do was sit there on one knee and stare.
“ Will you marry me?” it was a voice I had no control of, it just came out.

“I will have to think about it!” she said with a grin on her pretty face.

I was shocked ,not five minutes ago she said she would if I asked her ,now she had to THINK about it. I started to open my mouth and take it back when she fell beside me and pulled me close, “I thought about it YES I will marry you “ her whole body glowed with excitment

The smell of her hair was like heaven. We stood up, that is when I noticed everyone. I had forgot that her and her ma was hosting a quilting bee, most of the women from town was sitting around looking at us in amazement with big smiles on their faces….

“So congratulations Henry “ the writer laughed “ when is the wedding?”

“Don’t rightly know you’ll have to ask her.” I replied smiling.


THE BREAK


The morning was half over and it was around 8 am. We took a break from my stories cause I had some chores to do. He followed me around telling me about life back east and about his schooling and some of the stories he had written. I milked the cow, fed the horses and chickens, brought water up from the well, tighten the skins I had stretching, sharpened a few axe heads that I had neglected and brought more wood in for the stove. He talked the entire time.
Taking a look at the sky “I need to get to town I said got to go to work.”

“I didn’t know you had a job?” he said looking puzzled. “Well not a real job like you just something I help Tom with on occasion”
“Mind if I tag along”
“Why sure I could use the company” We walked over the barn and we saddled up our horses and headed into town. The closer I got, the quieter I got. I really didn’t like my job, and few people knew what I did but it paid and I could use the money for supplies.
We pulled up in back of the sheriffs office and tied our horses. Tom met us outside.

“Henry glad to see ya, Mr. Guttery glad to see you found our man. Has he been helpful? “

“Yes I did and you were right he is a big help. Nice fellow to boot.” Frank replied putting his hand on my shoulder showing the friendship that had started.

“Henry you ready?” Tom said placing his attention on met he strain in his face showing.
“Yea, guess so, nice crowd you got today.” I responded as I walked past him into the office followed by him and the writer.

Looking out in the street it was the first time Frank had noticed the large crowd. People with buggies and on horse back. Children being carried on their fathers shoulders ,picnic baskets being carried by their wives. Every one headed towards the opposite side of town.

“What gives “ he asked Tom who was shuffling through some flyers on his desk. Tom didn’t reply. He looked at me sitting in a chair propped up against the wall deep in thought. The clock on the wall struck eleven and a lady appeared at the front door with a covered plate.

“Sheriff here you go just as ordered. Want me to get the reverend” she asked as she set the plate on the desk.

“Yea Susan if you don’t mind” Tom said quietly as he picked up the plate and headed for the cells in back.

“ Warren your food is here as you requested, the reverend will be along shortly.”

“Henry ,What is going on “ Frank asked again

“Warren was caught with stolen cattle on his ranch east of town.” I mumbled.

“ So he’s a cattle rustler right” came the reply. I lifted my hat and looked at him with a cold blinkless stare.
“Frank, I have known that man since the day he came to town, know his wife and children. Helped him raise his barn and build his house. Had dinner out at his place a number of times He is a God fear man. Just not real big on people don’t think he knows a handful of people in this town. But he was giving a fair trial and sentenced. I know he didn’t rustle them critters so does a bunch of people but the law is the law. Those people out there are here for a hangin!”

“I’m sorry Henry I didn’t know.” the little man looked all done with, he must have aged 10 years in that few seconds. Silence overwhelmed the room . A call from the back broke the stillness.

“Henry, is that you out there” came a peaceful voice

“Yea its me Warren” I got up and walked to the back

“You know I didn’t do it” he said looking older than the last time I had seen him.

“I know, and I’ll find out who it was and deal with them myself.” I stated.

“Take care of Amanda and the kids for me, tell them I was innocent.” he pleaded.

“I will. Don’t worry about it they will know the truth. I swear.”

“Henry,” he stared at me with tears,” Make it quick, don’t let me suffer.”

“ I won’t my friend I won’t.” with that I turned and left feeling more than heavy hearted. I was met by the curious look in the writers eyes.

" What did he mean by that” he questioned me as I fell into the chair once more hanging my head in my hands.

Looking up tears streaming down my face I choked out “ Do you want to know what my job is?," I pulled the burlap sack with eye holes cut into it out of the old desk next to me and threw it in his direction……. "I’m the towns Hangman!”

to be continued....