Decisions to make

The sun was just beginning to set when the cattle drive arrived at the Red River Valley.

Three thousand herd were in the drive and they only had two months to get them to Kansas.  John MacDaniels, had three children and they were with him on this, his last drive.  He had a tough decision to make and was using this drive and how they handled themselves to help make his decision.  Who would he leave the ranch when it was his time.

Rose was John's youngest and at sixteen she was turning out to be a lot like her sister. Good with the horse and good with the animals.  She would eventually be ready to handle this once she learned how to manage the drive.  But she would eventually be ready.  He had to think about this as he pondered his decision.

John, Jr, or just simply Junior was just not cut out for this, this traveling.  He saw going on the drive to tend to the cattle, because he was good at it.  But there was more than just tending to them, you needed to be able to organize the herd and the men and maintain it. His son was just not good at that piece of it.  John wasn't at first, but then by his second drive at sixteen, he had the feel of it and was running his third cattle drive with his father.

Eloise, Elly as John called her, who was born first, and almost as hard headed as her mother, God rest her soul. But she had her moments when you could reason with her. Elly learned to ride and handle the rope by eight and this would be her fourth drive.

He didn't want this life for his daughters but Elly was so determined that this was the life she wanted.  She was able to handle the herd and the men John had picked respected her.

That part, the respect of the men, was not easy for Elly

John rode his horse amongst the herd and thought on his decision as the sun was setting.

He looked at each of his children and wondered if it would set alright with them if he split it equally or if he should do what's right and split it between two or really just to one.  "There was a logical choice, but the feelings of siblings is sometimes harder to deal with than your herd," he thought.

He looked at Rose, who was with the younger men of the drive.  He would have to have Elly to talk with the men, and he would talk to Rose.  That was the only thing that really worried John, it wasn't the rustlers or Indians.  He could handle himself in a fight.  It was the breakdown of the chain of command within the men.  And nothing would do that quicker than a high spirited woman in a group of men that are...anxious if you will.

He scanned the horizon and found Junior.  He was bent over showing the swing riders something on one of the critters.  Junior was good at explaining what was wrong with a bull.  And he was needed as a sick cow could get the entire heard sick in a day or two.

He turned to see Elly as she waved at him, no doubt she was already scanning the drive.

Rose was now on her horse and riding up to her sister.  Elly was giving her instructions of some kind.  John clucked at his horse to pick up his pace.  He halted as he saw his daughters dismount from their horses to bring them to the river.

For John it was like seeing a painting, this image that was before him.  It was also nature's way of telling him what he needed to do.