Chapter 3

It was a perfect day, yet Chester Denton seemed to be irritable. He would get cranky without reason or warning. “Now” thought Bart, “What’s his problem?”

“Boys, I have been tellin you for days now,” barked their Pa, annoyed over a wagon wheel, which was nothing.

“What’s up pa?” chimed in Colt, wondering why pa was so grumpy.

“There is a bucket of grease inside the barn door – use it. The wheel on the front left of the wagon, needs greasing. It is dry and squeaky. Next the damn thing will be fallin off.”

“I’ll getter done pa,” said Bart, and headed for the barn.

******

Another cattle drive passed not far from the Denton homestead, headed towards Ogallala. There is no mistaking a cattle drive. The dirt, whopping and hollowing gives it away every time.

Sitting on the stoop of their home, Chester puffed away on a cigar watching the trail dust rise several feet in the air, made by a weary herd of cattle.

“Ogallala is going to be rowdy the next couple of days,” said Chester. “These drovers have been herding cattle for weeks or maybe even a month. They’re set to raise a little hell, in town.”

“It’s not like that any longer,” piped in Colt. Who sat on a rope swing, their pa made for the stoop.

“You don’t know that,” replied their pa.

“That’s what Abe, from Fort Kilmer, told me when they were here.”

“Eh, what does a saddle tramp scouting for the army, know about cattle anyway? It’s a cattle town,” pa replied.

“In the morning, at first light, I am riding into Ogallala.  We need a steer for stud service, and the pickins should be just right.” Chester continued tapping his cigar on a stoop rail.

”I’ll go too,” said Hatti. I need sugar and a couple of sacks of flour. The boys can come with me, and drive the wagon.”

At first light, Chester rode horseback on a trail going to town. Hatti and the boys took the only road leading in that direction.  Hatti sat in the middle between her two strapping sons. Colt drove the wagon and Bart pushed close to his ma, putting his arm around her back.

The town was not rowdy in the least, but crowded more than usual and very noisy. The sound of cattle, and the aroma from herds of steers, filled the air with a smell, never to be mistaken for perfume.

Hatti and Bart went to the general store for supplies and Colt, walked around town looking for coffee. He trotted along the raised wooden sidewalks and stopped at a bench to sit and scan the buildings for some joint serving coffee.

He adjusted his crotch trying to flatten the bulge between his legs. As long as “pecker Pete” stayed sleeping, he looked normal. Gaping at the cowboys straddling their mounts, didn’t go so well. He wanted a taste of cowboy cock in the worse way.

His throat did a double swaller, when he spotted Abe, crossing the dirt street and heading straight for him.

“Well, I’ll be, - you got your ass to town. Push over, I’ll share the bench,” said Abe, slapping him gently on the back.

“Yeah, my pa is getting a bull and bother Bart is fetching supplies with ma at the general store.”

“So what are you ‘bout doin?” asked Abe.

‘Nothing, sitting and lookin for a spot to get some coffee.”

“Dang dog it, and here I thought you were looking for me,” Abe replied smirking.

“Naw, I didn’t expect nothin. Although you are the wildness critter with bones that are best put together.”

“Shore wild alright. Scared you seeing my bones stripped down naked. Replied Abe, remembering when Colt ran away after seeing his underwear drop to the ground.

“Are you still out at the fort?” asked Colt.

“Not any more. I left that job. It was stupid being an errand boy for little pay and handling the dirty work for the Colonel. I got a job at the livery stable, in town. I like it better.”

“And got a girlfriend, I suppose.”

“Wrong again. You should know that,” Abe said looking at Colt.

“I should? How you figure?”

“Your eyes say what you’re thinking. They give you away every time,” he added.

There were a few minutes of silence before Colt could answer with words that sounded grown up. He got an instant erection and there was no way to hide it.

“You’re in a powerful state seeing me,” said Abe, noticing Colt bulge and getting bigger.

“I’m not good at some words. I am better at doin than talkin. Don’t you see how talkin gets to me? “  Colt pushed down on his pulsating pecker.

“There is no missin that. C’mon,” mumbled Abe standing up.

“Where are we going?”

“You said you wanted coffee,  I’m buying.”

Surprisingly enough, they were next door to a snack joint that sold coffee. It was poorly marked with a dinky sign barely noticeable.

There were half dozen tables with cattlemen munching down on lord knows what. They sat at a bar that served as a customer counter.

“How about eggs! Suggested Abe.

“I ate earlier, just coffee, but you go ahead.”

They drank coffee and talked. This wasn’t unusual, seeing cowpokes together, in a town of seedy looking cattlemen and cowboys.

“We’re friends,” aren’t we kid?” asked Abe.

“I think we are, but I gotta tell you that tomorrow, I turn eighteen, so drop the kid crap. Please, I’m a man,” mumbled Colt, sounding a bit wounded.

“Dang blasted, I guess you are. I am twenty-six, or maybe twenty-five or twenty-seven. Don’t know for sure. I only know what my ma told me before she died. I was raised by my grandmother. She never talked about ma.” Abe confessed.

“I could use a partner for prospecting gold,”  continued Abe. “Why, they say the gold in Colorado is making prospectors rich. The gold just jumps from the river into the pan.

Move on from that family farm and come with me to Colorado, As partners we can lay out under the stars, and do nasty things. Just you and me. what do you say?”

“Naw, I couldn’t go to Colorado. Pa is not getting any younger and he needs Bart and me on the farm.”

“Are you choosing horse shit over gold? Asked Abe, a bit sarcastic.

“I’m choosing family” Colt replied.

“Shore ‘nuff, that’s a good answer.  “We’ll find a way to hang out. I’m only six miles to the farm, we’re meant to lie together, mighty sure of that!” 

******

To be continued……