23/06/2019
Buck Mathews was a cowboy and a good one when I met him. We were riding herd on the Bar B herd, deep in the mountain of Montana. Buck was a happy, contented man and a fun partner to work with. For some reason, we were drawn to become friends and confidante’s alone together in a small cabin with only the herd for company, we shared stories.
I had been raised on a ranch in the valley and was working to develop my own herd and become a rancher like my father.
Buck, on the other hand, confided to me a story so amazing that I’ll never forget. Buck was born Kirk Mathews in Chicago of slum parents. He’d been living independently since the age of fourteen as he tried to keep up his school and survive. Fortunately Big Jake O’rielly, the head of the local underworld activities in his neighborhood offered him a job sufficient to survive. Then, as the years passed, Big Jake’s trust in Kirk had grown and he was given more responsibility in the underworld organization.
On graduation from high school, Kirk had begun working full time for big Jake. His pay had increased to the point that he could have his own apartment. It was then that he’d met Rita. Rita was beautiful and shy and just a year younger than Kirk.
Rita, like Tom, came from a very similar background where she survived in a dysfunctional family and had made her own way since her early teens. Then, on graduation from high school, she’d forund a job at a chain restaurant insure her subsistence. Although she had an interest in men, she carefully selected the men she might have a relationship to insure that they were men who had a bright future away from the slum life, She had developed a unique persona. . . shy and demure to he casual eye u confident and with a strong resolve to make a good life.
Even as Kirk had succeeded to a responsible position on Big Jake's underworld, he was able to afford a nice apartment and tailored clothes a year out of high school. It was as he entered the restaurant that Rita noticed Kirk. She’d seen him before in school but he was older than her and they’d never talked. Still, he was looking dapper in his suit and tie. . .a success obviously. At that point she developed an interest. Using every skill in her knowledge or women’s wiles, Rita was soon known to Kirk.
Kirk was also interested in a woman. . . a woman not of the nature of the slum and perhaps shy and demure. He’d avoided the women he met daily in his underworld travels as they were simply whores, prostitutes, addicts or boozers. As he talked to Rita that first time, he realized that she had much in common with himself.
Soon, Kirk and Rita had dated and shortly they had developed a strong relationship. By summer, they were in love. It was a first for both of them as Rita insisted that they remain celebrate until they were married. The marriage had been simple. . . before a Justice of The Peace..
It was as the two virgins came together on their wedding night that they first felt heir love in full. It’d been an awkward first time as they fumbled and familiarized themselves with each other on their wedding night.
For a year, they were together as they planned for a family and built their meager estate and were happy. Rita was brought into the community of Big Jake’s mob for some social events where Kirk was proud to show her of as his. . . ..
It was when Kirk had brought Rita around his work site that Big Jake had taken notice and began sending her flowers and candy and making ovations towards a relationship. Still Kirk had been confident that Rita was his alone. They were in love and she was his.
Then came the surprise. Rita came to him and said simply, “Big Jake has offered me a thousand dollars a week if I’d be with him and I’ve accepted.” before continuing, “We are still married and I can come back to you with a bunch of money so we can be rich. He never keeps a girl longer than a year or two.”
Kirk felt the pain like nothing before and found himself with little alternative. Seething with anger he accepted the situation with outward calm and brgan seeking revenge. Slowly a plan had developed and he set about carrying it out. Months passed as his plan slowly came together. Each day he saw his wife, Rita, at his boss’s side and the hurt cut deeper.
It was March 25th when Kirk set out on his usual run to pick up bags of illicit money for deposit into various accounts. As he went to various pickup points along with his guard who was there to insure Kirk’s returning with the money, he carefully did exactly as expected. It was when the guard took a swig of coffee from his thermos that all changed. He’d drunk enough tranquilizer to keep him out for hours.
As the guard began to fade, Kirk drove the big Packard north into the country where he found a back country area and dumped the sleeping guard an hour later. Then, he reversed course and drove south at maximum speed and kept the pace until he’d entered St. Louis and found a disreputable car dealer who was willing to trade the big Packard for an old pickup truck.
From St. Louis, he again reversed course and drove westerly and southerly into Oklahoma and Texas. It was as he entered Texas that his organized plan ended and he was left wondering what he might do to hole up. Suddenly, he turned northward again as he sough a safe place to hide out. By the time he’d reached Montana, he’d grown tired of dodging and sought only a place to hide.
As his hitchhiker friend directed him to the B-B ranch, high in the mountains, Kirk had decided to seek employment along with his hitchhiker friend, , , any kind of work just so it kept him well hidden from any pursuers, Then, as his friend had been quickly hired on, Kirk was only hired at a minimum wage, barely enough to subsist on.
As Kirk moved into the bunkhouse, he learned that the cook was his boss. He would arise at 400 AM and start the cookhouse breakfast preparations; then, wash he dishes and break out the supplies for dinner. Only after sundown was his work really over though much of his evening was filled with free time. It was hard work but so was every other job he’d seen on the ranch.
By June, Kirk had become inured to the hard work and felt a special part of the ranch crew. It was that June evening as Kirk watched from the corral fence and the cow hands rode to break horses to the saddle. As he watched, he decided that he’d like to try as well. As he approached the foreman with his proposal, the foreman thought that seeing a greenhorn thrown from the saddle might provide a few laugh for his crew and assented to his request.
So it was that Kirk was seated on the meanest and orneriest critter in the lot and loosed to allow to buck and throw Kirk to the ground. Only the animal didn’t do as expected. Instead, with Kirk hanging on firmly in the saddle the horse raced straight for the corral gate and crashed it with ease, then raced for the distant mountains. Suddenly, the prank had gotten serious. The greenhorn was is danger of serious injury. The crew, now concerned saddled up and fanned out to search for the body and the horse.
It was several hours later that Kirk returned astride the same animal but now the animal was subdued and responded to the rein. Kirk sat slumped over in the saddle. Paralyzed with fear and barely able to sit he entered the corral and several of the hands who had returned with him carried him to his bed.
It was after another days work that he approached the corral and requested his horse to continue his efforts to train the animal. When the foreman objected that he might get hurt, Kirk said, “I’m gonna train that horse. Get him out here,” Kirk said. The result was as expected and when the horse was loosed he again made for he corral gate and was gone. Again, two hours later, He and the horse returned only this time, the exhausted horse was goaded to continue carrying him. Then, weak and barely able, he got a bag of oats and fed the fatigued animal. Soon, he was currying his mane and seeing to his comfort.
After that night, Kirk had tamed the beast for riding and continued to learn to ride just as the horse learned to accept a rider. By July, Charger was his animal.
Soon, the foreman of the operation recognized the makings of a cowboy in Kirk and simply renamed him Buck as suited a cowboy. It was the beginning of the life he would grow to love.
From that time forward, Buck was a dedicated cowboy. Then, with winter, the cowhands were either discharged or worked at reduced pay and Buck began the final act of his revenge. He drove south and back to Arkansas and obtained a cheep motel where he proceeded to return the money he had taken and returned it to the owners by Fedex. Then, having relieved himself of this responsibility, he returned to the ranch where he resumed cowboying.
For 50 years, Buck had ridden the ranges of Montana and tended cattle for a living. He was revered among cowboys as the years passed and had performed with the best of them. Now, age had crept up on him and he was only able to do simple tasks like herding.
It was the end of summer when I r
returned to college and never saw Buck again.
.