Headstall

Hey, Doc. I think the letters will become a moot point if August goes ahead and tells Albert his plans. I'm sure there will be sparks though. Whether there is a full blown explosion remains to be seen. August turns twenty in a week, so he is certainly of age to own Barnswallow. We don't know Gran yet, but it would seem to me she is at least as smart as Albert. She has kept this under wraps for the four years the homestead has stood vacant, waiting for August to be ready. They don't see each other often, but they have stayed in pretty regular contact, so probably knew August was ready to stand up to his father. Hopefully, she's right. August may have good intentions not to accept financial help, but would he be able to hold to that? My guess is Gran is a force to be reckoned with. So yeah, he should take the frigging stake. I like the way you think, Doc. Dismemberment? Could be fitting. But... will this writer take the easy way out? Hmmm... maybe. I was the middle brother. My older brother escaped any responsibility growing up, and my younger brother was spoiled as the baby... until my sister came along and knocked him from his perch. Like you, I did the yard work, the dishes, the laundry, cleaned and waxed the floors every week, and looked after my mother when she had severe emotional problems. It was a tough life for a kid, so I understand you. It is hard not to be bitter, but the truth is I was the only one able to hold things together. My stepfather was useless in that regard. When my mother got pregnant with my sister(I was sixteen at the time) she came back to us, all her 'nerve' issues disappearing. I don't begrudge anything or anyone either, but it wasn't an easy time. My older brother is still selfish, but my younger did step up when my mother got sick in her elder years. It was what it was. I don't understand why the oldest son or child gets precedence over siblings though. I treated my four equally, and they will all inherit equally. Albert's ideas are antiquated now, but still we see it. Thanks, my friend. You always get me thinking. Cheers! G

Good tidings to all the folks in the looney bin.

I miss him being around every day.

You certainly are.

Lol. I think you mean creepy Cooleys. It's been pointed out to me those names are too similar. 'Ease on down, ease on down the road' makes me think of that movie The Wiz. Remember that one with Michael Jackson and Dianna Ross? That song was a hit. Yeah, you could be right about a showdown, and I suspect it could be a dangerous one for Fletcher. Still, what can Albert do? I doubt he would tie him up, and that's likely what it would take for a man who is taking ownership of himself. Once that is in a person's head it is a hard thing to back away from. Hurt his horse? Well... they had no trouble hurting those sheep, did they? Would I let them do that? Thank you, my dear friend. Happy you are onboard for this little journey.

That's an easy one to answer. Fletcher picks up the mail at the post office, and letters get sent from there, taken to the train station at regular times. Some post offices were actually right at the train stations in some towns. Others were in banks or Mercantiles. There is no mail delivery, so everyone has to do that. It was a good system. There is also the telegraph where contact is more immediate. Of course, stagecoaches would deliver to towns that weren't close to a train, and take any new mail back with them. It was a well functioning network.

It's a heck of a comment for this chapter.

Yeah, I wouldn't hold my breath either. That confrontation shows(to me) a man who is getting ready to flex his wings. That's a hard thing to contemplate under such a domineering father as Albert is. I see a young man who is taking ownership of himself. Is there hope for Rob? Who knows... except me... but one talk won't do it. I think you're right about the jealousy, but even more right about using August as a deflection for his own shortcomings. He might have more to lose than Albert if/when August takes flight. It would not occur to Albert to 'treat August nicer'. He is king and the boys need to do what he says. Still, he is a father, and it remains to be seen what his reaction will be to his youngest wanting to break away. He sees August as a commodity, his good looks something to take advantage of, not much different from a fine horse or prize bull. You ask a good question about if August was the first born. Albert has strong feelings about firstborns, and we can only wonder why. Is he a second born who proved something, or a firstborn who inherited. With the conundrum that Albert is, I wouldn't be surprised if he was a second born son. Does he actually identify with August, and is resentful of that? If so, the man needs therapy. Yeah, when did the hate start for Albert from the Faulkers. We learn more over time, but we all see what Albert is like. Being so successful, he is likely a smooth talker, so it's a good bet they were fooled at first. If their daughter and Albert were in love, what could they do? Sure, he is controlling, but many men were back then. He might have seemed a good choice. No reason for withholding the names, other than I prefer a slow reveal over info dumps. August is a mess of feelings and confusion and uncertainty. He is having trouble understanding Fletcher's motives, since he is conditioned to 'not trust a Crawley'. I would suspect the doubt is killing him, and that new strength he found with Rob is wavering somewhat. As he said to his horse in the last chapter, he doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground... but we can at least see he does want to e honest. It is just a matter of whether he can be. In his mind, his decision is made... he's leaving for a place far away, so what effect will that have on what he says? Seems I've put these two fellas in a bit of a mess. Thank you, my dear friend. I always look forward to your takes on a chapter.

I doubt it too, centex. I believe Rob was taken aback by August fighting back, and maybe he even felt a little shame. He wasn't used to being talked to like that, not from his 'little' brother, but no one changes after just one confrontation... especially not if they are an asshole like Rob. We don't know how Albert will react to news of Harriet's offer to her grandson. I'm sure he would hate the fact she is giving August Barnswallow. Yes, he would lose his workhorse, but Albert is an incredibly wealthy man. He can hire a handyman. You are more right that he doesn't want Harriet to 'win' his son away. That would irk him. As far as Fletcher and August, they have always been enemies, so it would take some courage for August to answer that question. There would be no going back from it, if he chooses to be honest. Some habits are really hard to break. Thanks for the support, friend. It's like good food to this old writer. Cheers! Gary

That's if August tells him the truth about who he was looking at. He would be a fool not to take his gran up on her offer... he needs to get away from his father. That man is scary. As far as Rob, I'm not so sure he cares about his brother. He seems too bent on pleasing his pa. Who knows, though. People can and do change, though I wouldn't hold my breath. Maybe he will think about how he treats August, and that would be a good sign. Thanks, my friend. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Cheers! Gary

Lol. I used to winder about that too. Good job of explaining it, dad. We used to walk three and a half miles to school when I was a kid. It never seemed that bad, but it was a whole group of us. My seven cousins lived right across the road, and the one-room schoolhouse had seven rows, each one a grade.

I find this fascinating, Sherye. Thanks very much for this comment. It is so validating for you to say it is still common that people treat their kinfolk the way August is treated. I have experience with domineering fathers who felt like they were entitled to act however they wanted. I'm sure they exist still all over the world. In some countries women are treated like second class citizens... or worse, and children are expected to follow whatever path their parents set them on. Sorry you weren't treated as well as you should have been. The south has always felt unique to me... in their customs and adherence to certain ideals, and you have just backed that up. I would love to hear you and your family and friends talking in Old West speak. That would be my happy place.

Thanks very much, Albert. I appreciate the support and the very kind words. It's a very different kind of tension from the first part with Rob to the second part with Fletcher, that's for sure. What will August do? Will he close back up again, or stick his neck out? I agree there is chemistry happening in this chapter... frontier drama? Definitely. Cheers, my friend.

Yes, it is, dugh. It's one thing to face it yourself, and quite another to open up. That feeling of vulnerability is a powerful one. You're right too that Fletcher is an anomaly... asking that question is really pushing the envelope, but I do admire his courage. There appears to be a dance going on here, and neither one is sure of the steps. Will some feet get stepped on? We... shall... see.

Absolutely, Sherye! That's what he should do, but will he? He's spent a lot of years pretending... and hiding, so he will need to find the courage to take that next step. At any rate, living with his father is not an option if he wants to find peace. He never will with Albert interfering in his life. Thank you, sweet lady. Cheers!

You're exactly right, Chris. Rob patterns himself after Albert, and of course he would since he inherits everything, and he has the same scruples. Yes, August has a plan... but will he escape? Hmmmm.... Thanks, buddy!

So true, my friend. The contrast is unbelievable, but to those folk, 11 miles really wasn't considered much of a distance. By horse it would take roughly an hour and a half if you mixed it up, walking, loping and trotting. The average horse walks 4 mph, so that would be less than three hours if you only walked. I rode two competitive pace trail rides(and won them both), and they were 26/28 miles. I can't remember my times, but it was roughly five hours... maybe five and a half for the longer one. Glad you were encouraged by his conversation with his brother. he showed just how ready he is to get away from the family and strike out on his own. That decision to leave can't have been an easy one to make, given he has his father to deal with. Yes, a lot of that needed saying to Rob, but I wouldn't hold my breath on Rob changing his ways. Appreciate this very much, Kris, and pleased you are engaged with the story. Cheers! G

Hi, Neal! Glad to know you look forward to a new western. Yeah, August and Fletcher need to communicate honestly, and August can't hold himself back. I won't tell you where the story's going, but I do like romance. And yeah, there are all kinds of things that could interfere with a good outcome. Guess we'll just need to be patient. As far as letters, folks have to pick up and send letters through the post office. Many of them were situated at train stations or close by. Mail was collected and sent by train, and sorted from town to town along the train route. Any not on the train route had to rely on stagecoaches and riders. There was quite a network. Hope that makes it clear, my friend. Thank you for this. Cheers! Gary

Hey, Patrick! August has an option, one his grandmother held open for him, waiting for the time he was ready and old enough to make a break from his father. I think her timing was pretty good... but is Fletcher going to change that? Rob is a chip off the old block, and he knows where his bread is buttered. You're right that he will always do his father's bidding. I had two awesome grandmothers too, though one could be cold at times. It was her upbringing I believe, but she was always warm to me. Four great grannies? That is amazing! We don't know yet how the meeting with Fletcher will turn out. Will things progress, or get stalled? Will August lose his nerve? We shall see.... Thanks, buddy, got sharing your thoughts so far. I appreciate it. Cheers! G

It was a temptation I fought hard against, dugh. It would have been satisfying to see Rob on his ass, maybe with a bloody nose. Not that I would sever advocate for violence. August doesn't trust any change in Rob would stick, and he knows him best. Yup, Barnswallow is his for the taking. He doesn't seemed scared of the idea, but he has no money... so no stock or seed or help. Still, back then plenty of folks started with nothing or very little. They hunted and foraged until they could get on their feet. Yeah, I'm sure Albert won't like the idea at all, but August sounds determined. Hopefully things will work out for him... and Albert doesn't stand in his way. Fletcher's question has him wanting to run again, but I believe we are seeing him change before our eyes. Will he speak the truth like he said he would? Time... and another chapter or two or three... will tell. Thanks, bro.

Grasshopper on a Fishhook “Well, well, well, looky here, looky here,” Rob crowed, looking smug as a cat wearing feathers. “Reckon I found your secret hideaway, little brother. Knew you had one somewhere, what with you disappearing all the damn time.” Disappearing? “What the fuck you doing here, Rob?” August clenched his fists as he stared the man down. Rob’s gleeful expression changed like the sun being covered by clouds. “Whoa, son. What the fuck’s got you riled?”

Rainy Sunday here.

I used to be an avid runner and biker. I can't begin to tell you how many times it was my therapy. Chase has another tool in his toolkit. I am such a sap. I just reread this and did some crying myself. Is it weird to sat there can be beauty in pain... at least for us readers? Chase is trying his best, and that awkward meeting was the last thing he needed. Hank's reaction was beyond the pale in my opinion, but it does raise some very serious questions. Is he actually dealing with their breakup in a healthy way? We shall see. Kevin? What is he about? I think the best news is Chase now has a home, and he doesn't have to go through that ordeal of finding a place and living alone. Thanks for this, Patrick. I love being back to this story. Cheers!

Irvine's sounds like my dream store! As far as horse stories, I have a million of them. The one that comes to mind first was getting swept downstream in early spring in a storm flooded river on my young gelding. I still have periodic nightmares. I was with a friend and we were anxious to get back to riding in the Grand Valley in Pickering, Ontario after a rough winter. It was a few miles from our boarding barn. I had no intentions of crossing the river. I was just standing on its edge shocked at how different it looked when my gelding leapt in on his own, following the path we always took in summer. We were completely submerged and I was swept off the saddle when he was flipped over by the current, only finding the surface after thinking I never would. I couldn't tell up from down. When I saw daylight I was along a very tall bank quite a ways from our leap off point, where the river had a sharp bend. It had eroded that bank. I clawed at the dirt and grabbed roots and rock until I managed to get a good grip and clear the water. I really shouldn't have survived, and my friend watched in horror as the whole thing happened. He told me once I found solid enough ground that my gelding made it across once we had flipped over. He righted himself and got to the opposite bank. So there I was with bleeding, ripped fingers (badly injured) and wearing a soaked and very heavy leather jacket, and my horse was on the other side. Long story short, my friend climbed up to a railway trestle and started crawling across because I was in too rough shape to do it. Meanwhile, I was on his horse, a smart old gelding who was huge. My gelding was calling , very upset, and Beau, my friend's horse decided he was going to cross too. It was the last thing I expected, but he leapt in and I was back in the river. Fortunately, though we got swept, he didn't flip over and I hung around his neck with my arms and legs. He leapt and thrashed, and he was powerful enough that he finally reached footing. My friend, way up high, watched in horror again. He made it across the trestle and we left the valley by what was the long way. I shivered for hours but we made it back to the barn and the owners put me in a warm bath after I fell to the ground. It took a week to get skin back on my fingers, but I was fine, and so were the horses. *shudders at reliving it*