The Box

Chapter 3

The Box

The next morning, Will and his father sat at a table in the dining room of the boarding house. He noticed that the table linens were the same ones as what he saw in Sally's store. Mounds and mounds of pancakes, bacon, and eggs were stacked in front of him. The elderly woman that ran the place came in a coffee pot and a glass of milk. Will's father was eagerly devouring the pancakes by the mouthful. Will just looked out the window into the street.

He already longed for home. He understood that they no longer had a home in Wisconsin. It was just that Toole City was not home. Even, father had said so. He had called it, a "stopping off" place. It would only be temporary until they had money saved to buy supplies, buy cattle, and build a new home.

Will did not know how much money they would need or how long it would take to save it up. He just knew he was ready to move on.

Will's father wiped his face with a napkin and swallowed a last drop of coffee. He raised himself up from the table.

Will looked up at his father and did his best to muster a smile, but just nodded and got up from his own chair

"I'll be back before dark, and if you'd like, we can talk about our cabin and what it'll look like." The older man said to Will.

That instantly brought a smile to Will's face. He wrapped his arms around his father's waist as tight as he could. Then he ran up the steep rickety stairs to the room that they shared.

***

Will's father ascended the stairs behind him, but paused in the doorway when he saw Will next to the dresser. He had his box open. He stood still watching, seeing Will had the locket in his hand and was striving hard to find some memory of his mother. Will was too young to remember much about his mother. Therefore, he had given his son something to ease the pain of her absence. He had placed a tiny picture of her in the locket the day after they had left Wisconsin. Will's fist clenched the locket for miles as he fought off the sobs of sorrow. Later that day he had gingerly placed the locket in the bottom of the box. Like then, he now lovingly closed the lid, patted the top, and pushed the box against the wall.

"Wait," his father said. "I have something else for your box. I know I can trust you to keep it safe. And besides, it'll be yours too." He reached into his vest pocket, and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.

Will walked across the room, and took it from him. He unfolded it. It was very difficult to read, and he was not that good of a reader, anyway. He could definitely pick out the large bold letters across the top. They said "LAND TITLE." He felt the excitement rise in his mind.

"Father, is this for our land?"

"Yes, indeed it is! Put it in your box for safekeeping, and I'll tell you what we're going to do."

Safekeeping, Will thought. The purpose of the box had just taken a completely new meaning. He walked back over to the dresser, lifted the lid on the box, and took out the wooden tray. He carefully refolded the paper and placed it next to the locket. Then he put the tray back in its place. He shut the lid but left his hand on the top as if to seal it further shut. He did not see the light returning in his father's eyes, as he watching and smiled through the whole process.

"What Father? What are we going to do now? You said you'd tell me" Will turned and said excitedly.

"And I will! The land is new land so it's never been used for farming or cattle grazing. It's all sagebrush. The government was selling it, to encourage more westward movement. See Will, it's my dream to raise hay, and cattle there. We'll drill a well for water. I hear there's a creek nearby for fishing and trapping." Will's eyes grew wide as his father continued telling him about the land.

"Can we leave now? Can we get there, right away?"

"No not yet"

"Why do we have to stay here?" His face scrunched up in confusion.

"Well, that's what I'm trying to explain to you, Son. We'll be staying in Toole City for a while, before we can start working the land." Will nodded, but still did not fully understand.

"The money from the house wasn't enough. We own the land. Except now, we need to buy cattle, horses, supplies, everything else. So, I will be working in the mine until we have enough... Then" He sighed, "we'll get our second chance. "

"I'll work too!" He stuck out his chest in pride.

His Father chuckled. "Ho ho... oh no you don't. You'll go to school."

William frowned and buried his head in his chest. Then just as quick, he looked back up, "I don't like school"

"I never liked it either" Will's father replied with a smile. "But you've got to learn everything you can, if you're going to run a ranch someday."

"I will run a ranch someday!" Will answered boldly.

***

Will grabbed a schoolbook from the dresser and bounded down the stairs out onto the boardwalk. He broke into a run, as he saw Sally walk out of the store a few blocks down the street.

The morning was still crisp and cool, but the sky began to sparkle as the sun slowly rose above the mountaintops. He heard the noise of clopping horse's hooves and the squeak of wagon springs. The little western town was coming to life.

He smiled as he saw Hermit Jack wearily pulling himself out from under the wooden boardwalk.

The little dog grunted as he stretched his legs and sniffed the air, and began his morning rounds.

Around the corner, and down the alley, Jack eagerly trotted. He stopped at a small wooden door and looked up at the closed door. He half growled, half barked and made the unmistakable noise, which he assumed all young black and white border collies made when it was bacon time.

As always, the bacon request was successful. The door opened and a tall thin man with a long apron stood in the doorway. His broad smile was evident even under the handlebar moustache. He held a large meat cleaver an a big juicy strip of fresh bacon. As he clicked his tongue, Jack let out a bark of thanks and leapt for the bacon. The thin man chuckled to himself and shook his head at the dog, then ambled back inside.

Jack trotted next to the bakery for a crisp golden brown slice on newly baked bread. At the local restaurant, he got what was left of a delicious soup bone. The bone actually had most of the meat still attached. At each stop, he left behind a smiling and chuckling human. They were all satisfied that they'd done their duty for the little collie named Jack, who jumped back up on the boardwalk in front of the General store. A metal pie plate full of cold fresh water now rested there.

He waited to see what the children would do. Some days they would just pet him. Sometimes they go behind the store and throw sticks for him to chase. Other times they would walk around to the various shops and talk to the shopkeepers. He would always tag along. Because when the shopkeepers saw him, they would give him things to eat.

However, still other days the children seem to ignore him, and walk off down the street and turn toward the hill. On the top of the hill was a big building with a bell. All the children in town walked to that building every morning at the same time. The bell would ring, and they would all disappear inside. The town would become quiet and he would become sad.

Jack lay down at the children's feet, waiting to see which day this would be.

Will scratched his ears and offered him the promised bacon.

Sally stood with her hands on her hips and shaking her head. "He really is a bacon bandit, he goes all over town begging for it, then comes back here and you've got even more for him"

Will shrugged and wiped a greasy hand on his pants as he stood up. Then both started walking toward the hill, talking to one another gleefully.

Jack crawled underneath the boardwalk laid his head on his front paws and looked out into the dirt streets of his town.