Aunt Rebecca the Brave

 by Sophie T.  

     “Mitchell Carter, where in the world do you think you’re going?”

Aunt Rebecca’s high-pitched voice stopped Mitch in his tracks. All morning long, he had been wanting to avoid Aunt Rebecca’s critical remarks and clucking tongue. The first day she arrived, it was Andi who got scolded the most. The next day, it had been Chad, and Mitch assumed it was his turn. But he really had to get to work on the ranch.

“You stop right there young man!” she exclaimed, bursting into the living room. “You forgot to push your chair in, and shouldn’t you wait for the rest of your family to finish eating?”

His feet felt restless to fly outside where Chad was waiting for him. If he didn’t hurry, he wouldn’t only get “it” from Aunt Rebecca.

“How rude! You know a gentlemen should never leave the table without permission” She sighed, and looked far off into space. “If only I could teach you and Chad to be a gentlemen like Justin. You really should take after Justin’s example, and find some more meaningful work than that rough stuff out there. You trample around in the hot sun with the filthy beasts. Wouldn’t you find it more . . . more . . .” She looked around the room as if searching for the word, but when she found it she clasped her wrinkled hands together and continued. “Appropriate to work at a newspaper office, or become a doctor or a professor?”

Mitch’s jaw muscles twitched, a chuckle caught in his throat, and almost escaped. Mitch knew Aunt Rebecca was just jabbering, but he thought about Chad walking stiffly around in whatever professors wore and a book tucked under his arm.

     When Mitch glanced out the window, his heart sank. The boys were already riding off to meet Chad at a certain part of the ranch where the grass was mysteriously disappearing. Mitch checked his watch. Seven-thirty-five. Chad would be mad at him for sure.

Aunt Rebecca took his arm, and led him back in the dining room. No use trying to catch up with the boys now, best to go along with Aunt Rebecca. Mitch stood around in the kitchen for ten minutes. He clenched his fists to keep from crying out. “I need to get to work!” but he knew that would only make her scold longer.

Finally she stopped.

Jumping at the chance to get free, he tipped his hat to his sisters and hurried outside. Am I gonna get it! Mitch gulped.

     The barn was dark and musty. Mitch’s heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t expecting to see a shadow of a man looming in the aisle, his back turned. A large man, even taller than Chad. A few stalls down, his body filled the walkway.

Mitch squinted at his turned back. All of the cowhands were supposed to be working, even Sid. The only one home was . . . Mitch could easily tell this giant wasn’t their roly-poly cook. Mitch’s stomach churned. He quickly sidestepped out of the barn. Something wasn’t right. Mitch pressed his ear to barn wall, waiting.

     He kept an eye on his watch. No matter how late it was, something told Mitch not to go inside and get Chase. Sure wish Chad were here right now! What would he do?  

Before he could finish his thought, a gust of wind whooshed by, and out galloped Chase! With the man on him. They were headed for the meadow, and didn’t even notice Mitch. He scowled, he had taken Chase!

In no time at all, Mitch was on Patches, and following him. Mitch kept his distance, and kept out of sight. He wanted to see what the man was really up to.

     Instead of going in the direction of the road, the man headed up toward the hills, where pine forests and streams scattered around the mountains. He rode for a while, unconscious that anyone was following him.

Where was he going? The only people that lived up here was the Hollisters and Loony Lou. Mitch wanted to catch him as a horse thief, but first he wanted to see where he was headed.

     The trees cleared, making it easier for the man to spot him. Mitch dismounted and tied Patches to a bush. He continued to track the man on foot and caught his breath as the Hollister cabin came into view. Mitch ducked behind some shrubbery several yards away, and crouched low. He peeked over the branches chewed off by sheep.

The sunrise glared from behind the man on Chase, making it impossible to see him correctly. Another silhouette of a horse and rider emerged from the stable and joined the first.

Mitch held his breath and listened. He could faintly hear voices, but they only mixed in with the baaing of sheep. A sharp nip on his rear end made Mitch yelp and crash forward into the bushes. Twigs cracked, and stabbed his face. When he fell, his foot had swung out and hit something soft, and a white ball whizzed out of the corner of his eye.

He looked up. Both men’s heads turned. Oh great! Mitch jumped up brushing himself off. It was one of those pesky Hollister sheep that bit him. Mitch knew it was. Mr. Hollister, and the man dismounted, and started toward him.

What do I do now?  He jammed his hands in his pockets.  “Howdy! Uh, Mr. Hollister!” He tried cheerily, tipping his hat. Mr. Hollister was squinting at him, as if trying to comprehend who he was.

     “Wh-?” the other man started.

Mr. Hollister suddenly grinned. “Well if it isn’t Mister Carter himself!” He taunted. The other man gulped.

     “Y-you mean he’s Carter?”                                                                                                                 

     “Not the Carter, the other Carter” Mr. Hollister said lazily.

Mitch’s stomach churned with worry and confusion. What would Chad do? Well he wouldn’t be afraid of them that’s for certain.

     Mr. Hollister stepped right up to his face. Mitch smelled tobacco. “The little brother,” He jeered emphasizing the word little.

     “Well the other Carter’s going to find out sooner or later, and by then I’ll be outa here Hollister. You think you can handle him?” The two men talked as if he wasn’t there. As if he was just a child.

Mitch took a deep breath, and with a stern loud voice said. “Excuse me sir, but is that my horse over there?” He pointed toward Chase.

The man looked at him coldly. “What if it is?”

What did that man think he was doing? Mitch cleared his throat. “And I would like to ask you exactly what are you doing with it?”

Mr. Hollister grabbed Mitch by the shoulders. “Don’t tell a soul” he growled between clenched teeth.

     “What do you think you’r edo’in?” The other man exclaimed. “He’s Carter’s brother! We gotta keep em’ here Hollister, the plan’s all messed up, now that he’s here.”

     “It’ll still work” Mr. Hollister replied, still scowling at Mitch. His hairy hands clamped around Mitch’s arm.

     “What’s the matter with you, Hollister? Wha-what’s going on?” Mitch exclaimed, and tried to pull away.

The man caught his other arm. “You’ll find out” He grinned, beads of sweat glistened on his face. Mr. Hollister dragged him to the stable.

     The sound of hoof beats kept Mitch from answering. Mitch turned just to see Andi riding up on Taffy. She had a cheery smile on her face, and a fishing pole rested across Taffy’s back. Her smile vanished.

“Andi!! What are you doing--”

They shoved him inside before he could finish. Standing by the window was the oldest Hollister boy Tom, with a rifle under his arm.

     “Sit down and be comfortable. Tom’s here to make sure you mind your P’s and Q’s” Mr. Hollister spat a wad of tobacco onto the floor and left.

     What is all this? Mitch wondered in bewilderment. While Tom was staring lazily out the window, Mitch snuck up behind him and, with one swift move, had the rifle.

     “Hey! Give that back!” Tom lunged for it. Mitch held it high.

     “First, you tell me what’s going on here.”

     “Then will you give it?” Mitch secretly put the gun on safety and pointed it at Tom. He would never really shoot a boy.

Tom gulped. “Pa kinda wan’s some of your land again, and has been sending some sheep out there to claim it. Says, you don’t give him enough.”

     “Is that why the grass was disappearing? And the tore up fence?”

Tom shrugged.

     “And Pa is paying Mr. Jed Hatton to help us.”

Mitch snorted. “And what can your father pay?” Jed Hatton. Jed Hatton. Mitch turned the word over in his mind. Ah yes! It had been in the newspaper Justin was reading aloud at breakfast. The headlines read, Escaped Convict out of Oakland jail.

     “Gimme my gun.”

     “Uh-uh, you stay right where you are boy, and don’t make a sound.” Mitch grabbed a lasso from the wall and tied Tom up. No one could stop him now. He dashed out of the stable to find all of the Circle C hands were tied up, along with Chad, who appeared to be giving Mr. Hollister’s a series of dirty looks. His mouth was gagged, and Mitch knew he really wanted to talk. He wanted to yell and shout at Mr. Hollister for claiming his land.

Mr. Hollister saw him, and immediately pointed a pistol at Chad’s head.

Mitch swallowed hard, he didn’t know Mr. Hollister would go that far.

Jed pointed pistols at the cowhands. “Stay right where you are Carter. Now desperate times call for desperate measures, and my family really needs that land. I’m asking you Mitch because I know your brother’s too stubborn. Now if you don’t gimme that land, yer brother’s gonna have a hole in his head that you can see through.”

     “Mr. Hollister you’re disobeying the law!” Mitch shouted. Mitch saw something moving through the trees which distracted him from Mr. Hollister. It was a carriage moving along the road. Mitch hoped they would see them, and fish them out of this predicament.

     “What’ll it be?” Mitch ignored him, and watched as the rider got out and peered through the trees. Mitch crossed his fingers.

It was Aunt Rebecca. Who was probably going to town. She peered through the trees, and gasped.

Mitch looked around trying to find something to tell her to go get help, but she seemed to realize what was wrong, and got back in the carriage, and rode away.

     “See that carriage Mr. Hollister? That person will go back and get Justin, and the law on you. So I would advise you to drop your weapon’s and scurry on outa here, and if you shoot Chad, you’ll be in a lot worse trouble” Mitch wanted to smile. Mr. Hollister hesitated, then let go of Chad’s arm.

     “He’s right Jed, we don’t want no more trouble” Jed nodded, and ran for his horse.

     “I’m outa here!” Mr. Hollister mounted his horse, and they rode away. Chad looked at him and grunted.

Mitch smiled, and motioned to Andi. “Ladies first, then I’ll untie you.”

Chad did the best he could to yell at him with his mouth gagged. For once Chad couldn’t speak, and Mitch and Andi were kind of enjoying it.

 * * *

     Chad and the boys were untied and had ridden home. Now the whole family was relaxing on the porch.

     “Whew! You did it little brother!” Chad slapped him on the back.

     “No, all the thanks goes to Aunt Rebecca, if she hadn’t made me late I wouldn’t have seen Jed. We were stuck, and she went to get help.”

Chad and Mitch looked at each other, then at Aunt Rebecca. She looked up from her embroidery and smiled.