If You Get Tired Learn To Rest Not To Quit
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“I’ll do it,” Sam said. “Just let me know what to do.”
Dan nodded. He took a seat and pulled out his notebook. “Okay, let’s get started with your story. I’ve heard you talk about the ranch before but tell me again how things are now?”
Sam leaned back in his chair. It was strange to be sitting there telling someone else about his life. His words came easily enough since he knew Dan already had a good idea of where he wanted to go. Still, he wasn’t sure why he was doing this. Maybe because Dan needed him—maybe that was all.
“We’re selling off most of our livestock now, trying to raise more money for repairs. The roof on the bunkhouse is leaking badly and we can barely afford to patch the barn.”
He glanced up at Dan who seemed interested in hearing about everything. So Sam continued talking while he sketched pictures of each place he described. As they talked, Sam noticed that Dan would often glance over at his sketchpad or ask questions about something Sam drew. By the time they finished, Dan had several pages filled with drawings as well as notes.
The next day brought more visitors. After breakfast, Tom walked into the house carrying two letters from his sister. Both were handwritten and looked like they’d been written by their mother. One was addressed to Dan and another was addressed to Sam.
When Sam opened his letter, he read: Dear Sam, I’m so proud of you! We will miss you dearly. But you must go on without us. I have no doubt God has great plans for you. Take care of yourself, son. Love always, Mama. Signed, Your Loving Mother.
Sam felt tears fill his eyes and he couldn’t say anything. All he could think was that if he hadn’t run away she wouldn’t have gotten sick and died. If he hadn’t run away, maybe her cancer might not have spread as fast and she might still be alive.
As Sam sat reading, Dan stopped writing. He put down his pen and stared at Sam for a moment. Then he turned to face the front door and bowed his head. A few minutes later he went outside and stood looking toward the hills. Sam watched him for a while until he finally returned inside.
“Did something happen?” Sam asked when he saw Dan staring at nothing.
“No, just thinking. Let me finish this letter and then I need some fresh air.”
After lunch, Dan left for town. Sam helped him pack and then drove him to the train station. They hugged briefly before Dan boarded the train. Once they got home, Sam went upstairs to change clothes.
A knock sounded on the front door. Sam opened the door expecting to see Dan. Instead, it was Mr. Quillen standing on the other side. He handed Sam an envelope.
“Thank you,” Sam said. “Come in.”
Mr. Quillen entered and closed the door behind him. For a moment neither one spoke. Finally, Sam asked, “What brings you here today? Did Dan leave a message?”
“Actually, I got word that Dan is coming back. Apparently, he ran across some people in Texas who know about your family’s situation and thought we should contact them. Do you mind if I wait until Dan gets here to tell him?”
Sam hesitated. Since Dan didn’t know Mr. Quillen was waiting for him, he probably did want to surprise him. On the other hand, he didn’t want anyone else to know about Dan yet. That meant telling Dan himself. “That’s okay, I guess.”
“Good. Thank you, Sam.”
They spent a quiet afternoon together, which made Sam feel better than he expected. After supper, Sam went upstairs to change his clothes. While he was putting on his shirt, the phone rang. Sam answered it. “Hello,” he said.
“Sam!”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Where are you? Is Dan there?”
“In Texas, actually. What’s wrong? Are you all right?”
“Well, I’m glad you called. I don’t know exactly where I am. I met this man—”
“Who?”
“His name is Frank Quillen. He knows about my family and wants to help.”
“Oh.” Sam waited a minute. “Are you staying with him?”
“No, he gave me directions and I rode ahead to find him. We’re almost in Texas.”
“How far is it from San Antonio?”
“It shouldn’t take too long to reach Houston.”
“You’re going to Houston?”
“Yes, I hope to meet up with Dan soon.”
Sam wanted to argue but knew it wasn’t worth getting upset about. “Okay, good luck, then.”
“Thanks. See you soon.”
Dan’s voice faded out, leaving Sam alone again. He hung up and went downstairs. His heart pounded hard as he headed toward the dining room. As he reached the doorway, he heard someone shout, “Wait!”
He stopped in the middle of the hallway.
Dan stood facing the table with his hands clenched tightly. At first, Sam couldn’t make sense of what he was saying because Dan kept talking over himself. Then he realized he had started shouting.
“I can’t believe you would do this. How dare you bring him here after you lied to me!”
“Lied…?” Sam stepped closer to the table.
Dan threw open his arms and shouted, “You lied! You told me you haven’t married anymore—that you were single and free to marry any woman you chose. And then you come here and get married again. The very same week. Don’t pretend you didn’t lie to me! I never imagined you would try such a thing.”
Sam moved closer and grabbed Dan by his shoulders. “Don’t yell at me like that. It makes me angry. Now listen, I’ve been honest with you since we met. Why haven’t you been honest with me?”
With a sob, Dan shook his head. “Because I love you, Sam. I can’t live without you. But I’ll die if I lose you now.”
Sam held him close. “If I lose you, I’ll die too.”
When they pulled apart, Dan stared at him through wet eyes. “You mean it?”
“Of course I do. Just promise not to go running off next time.”
Dan grinned. “Deal. Come on, let’s sit down and have some coffee.”
***
The next day, Sam went outside and took a short ride around the ranch. When he returned to the house, he found Dan sitting on the porch steps, writing a letter.
“Do you need help?”
“No, just give me another few minutes.”
Sam watched Dan write. In the past two months, Dan had written more letters than he wrote in his entire life before. Most of them were addressed to Dan’s wife. Sam wondered how she felt about having her husband so much in demand.
If Sam hadn’t known better, he’d think Dan had a lot of women chasing him. But he could only imagine how she must feel. She might even be relieved that Dan finally decided to move on.
A couple hours later, Dan finished the letter and folded it neatly. He stuck it into an envelope. “Ready?” he asked.
“Sure.”
After locking the front door, they left the ranch and rode toward the main road. They followed it for a mile or so when Dan pointed to a sign on the side of the road. “What does it say?”
“Rancho La Puerta.”
“Sounds Spanish.”
“It’s in Mexico. My father owned this place.”
“Why did your parents own it?”
“My mother was Mexican. Her family lived there until she came to America.”
“And you grew up here?”
“Not really. I went to school in Dallas. That’s why I learned Spanish. I worked for my dad while I was growing up.”
“Did you ever visit Mexico?”
“Once, but that was enough.”
As they continued riding, Sam tried to imagine Dan as a boy. Was he happy? Did he play games with other children? Or did he work alongside his father and learn ranching skills? He’d always thought of Dan as strong and confident; maybe that was part of being a rancher’s son.
But what kind of childhood had Dan experienced? Maybe he was still trying to forget something bad that happened to him when he was young.
They turned onto a dirt road. The landscape changed from wide-open grasslands to hilly terrain dotted with trees. After riding a mile, the road opened up to show a valley covered with green hills and a stream flowing through it.
“That looks beautiful,” Sam said. “Like one of those places where people go to vacation.”
“We used to take our guests there sometimes.”
“Where is everyone now?”
“Most are working the ranch today. Some of us will be going to town tonight for dinner. We usually eat out once a week.”
“Have you eaten lunch yet?”
“Yes, in town. What about you?”
“I had breakfast with Dan.”
“Then why don’t we join them in town?”
At the end of the street, Dan stopped and dismounted. “Come on, I want to show you something.”
He led the horse behind the house. Sam followed him. When they reached the barn, Dan took a saddle bag from the tack room and handed it to Sam. “Take these things inside and put them away. Then I’ll meet you upstairs.”
Sam looked at Dan’s face and saw determination. Whatever this was about, he knew it wasn’t good news. He nodded and took the bag. “Be right back.”
While putting everything away, Sam thought about their conversation earlier. For all Dan had done to protect himself over the years, he never seemed satisfied. His actions didn’t make sense unless he was hiding something. And that bothered Sam. So far, every time he thought Dan had made peace with the past, he discovered otherwise.
By the time he got downstairs again, Dan had already saddled their horses. “Let’s get going,” he said.
On the way home, Dan told Sam about his life before coming to San Miguel. “Some days I wish I could change the past, but then I remember who I am now and what I’ve been through and realize I wouldn’t trade it for anything. You know, if I’d stayed in Texas, I probably would have married some woman and settled down and had kids.”
“How many kids did you have?”
“Three sons. Two died young.”
“Were they sick?”
“One drowned in a creek near here. The other died of diphtheria.”
“Diphtheria?”
“The same disease that killed my mother.”
“You never mentioned this before.”
“Maybe because I didn’t think anyone cared anymore.”
“Dan…”
“Sorry, I’m just remembering.”
They rode for another hour after leaving the ranch. At last, they passed a small wooden gate and entered the city limits. They rode around town until they found a restaurant named El Ranchito. It reminded Sam of the restaurants in Texas, except smaller ones.
Inside, Dan ordered coffee for both of them. As they waited for the waitress to bring it, Sam stared at Dan. Something was bothering him too. Why did Dan look troubled? “Are you sure you’re okay?” Sam finally asked.
“Sure.”
But Sam couldn’t believe it. Not after Dan’s reaction to seeing the church. “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”
“No, not really.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“All right… yes, I’m feeling a little strange.”
“Why do I feel like we should talk about it later?”
“Because I’m not ready yet.”
“Well, I am.”
“You can wait. I need a few minutes by myself.”
After taking a sip of coffee, Dan leaned against the wall beside the door. He appeared exhausted, but Sam suspected his emotions were much more intense than he let on. A sudden urge overcame Sam to hug him, but instead, he sat next to him and held his hand. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing important. Just something personal.”
“If you tell me, I won’t judge you.”
“It’s nothing you’d understand. Trust me, it’s best left alone.”
“Okay.”
“Now, stop asking questions.”
“Can we talk about something else?” Sam asked.
“Fine.”
A short while later, the waitress brought their food. She also gave them two menus.
“Here’s your coffee.” The waitress placed the mug on the table between them. “And here are the menus. Can I get you anything else?”
“No thanks.”
She smiled and walked away.
Dan watched her leave. “I wonder how long she has worked here,” he mumbled. “Do you suppose she likes working here?”
“Who knows? Maybe she doesn’t even like coffee.”
“Stop talking.”
When the waitress returned, Dan asked for the check and paid the bill. “Ready?” he said.
Sam nodded and helped Dan gather up their belongings. They mounted the horses and headed toward the train station. But halfway there, Dan stopped the horses.
“We’ll go back home first,” he said.
“Is something wrong?”
“Just take the reins when I say so. Don’t touch the brake or else.”
“All right.”
“Wait.”
With no explanation, Dan removed his gun belt and threw it onto the ground. Sam noticed he hadn’t worn it since arriving in San Miguel. While removing his coat, he pulled out the revolver from beneath it and tossed it as well. When he finished, he took off his hat and handed it to Sam.
“Take care of it.”
“Where are you going?”
“Back inside.”
“Oh! Wait!” Sam hurried to catch up. “Did you forget something?”
“Yes.”
“Like what?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Come on, tell me. Please.”
“Please don’t ask again.”
Sam looked puzzled, but he knew better than to press any further. Instead, he followed Dan into the house. He saw the pistol lying on top of the mantelpiece. For a moment, he hesitated to pick it up. Then he lifted it and carried it outside with Dan.
Outside, Dan pointed across the street to where a horse stood tied to a fence post. “See that?”
“Yes.”
“Go get the saddle.”
“Uh—what saddle?”
“The one I used to ride. Take it upstairs.”
“Umm… why?”
“Get moving!” Dan yelled.
Sighing, Sam saddled the horse. After putting it in the barn, he went to the house. Dan had already gone back inside. Sam paused at the door, wondering if he should follow. What could be happening inside the house now? His curiosity grew stronger. Finally, he decided to enter.
He walked down the hall and opened the front door. It wasn’t locked; someone must have forgotten to lock it earlier. “Hello?” Sam called. “Anyone here?”
There was no answer. In fact, he didn’t hear anyone. No sound at all except for the wind blowing through the open window above the porch. Sam stepped outside and closed the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, he gazed around the area. There was no one near the house. Did Dan think he was crazy?
Turning, he walked quickly back to the house. He heard Dan shout from inside, “I told you to hurry up.”
“Sorry. I forgot my rifle.”
“Don’t worry about it. Get the other things I asked for.”
“Right. Sorry.” Sam ran up the stairs and gathered up everything Dan asked for: his hat, coat, holster, and gun. By the time he came downstairs, Dan had put on his coat and holster and buckled the belt around his waist.
“Are we ready then?”
“Yes.”
They rode the rest of the way to town without saying another word. As they approached the train station, Sam noticed a crowd gathering nearby. Curious, he dismounted and joined them.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Someone got shot.”
“Shot?”
“In the chest,” the man answered. “Looks like he might die.”
“Why would someone shoot him?”
“Somebody tried to rob this man. Took his money and gun.”
“Sounds like a good reason to shoot.”
“But did you see who fired the shots? Didn’t anybody try to stop the robber?”
“A man tried, but the robber hit him before he could fire.”
“How bad is the victim?”
“Not sure yet.” A doctor appeared. “Can you look at the bullet wound?”
“Sure. Where does it hurt?”
“It appears to be in the heart.”
“Then he won’t survive.”
“I’m sorry to tell you, sir. But the wound is pretty serious.”
“So am I. We’re just not equipped to handle such an injury in our little community.”
“No. Not even close.”
“Well, let me examine him.”
“Okay.” The doctor knelt beside the wounded man. “Tell me how long ago the shooting occurred?”
“About thirty minutes.”
“Any chance he might live?”
“None whatsoever.”
“Do you want to move him to the hospital?”
“Yes, please.”
“Let me help.”
Together, the two men carried the injured man to the train platform. They placed him on a bench and covered him with a blanket. One by one, the bystanders watched as the train pulled away. Only the railroad workers remained. They waited until the train disappeared over the hill, out of sight.
The End