Jake was quiet the next day as he and Py set about the task of righting the timbers that comprised the main corral, repairing Cooksin's playground. Joanne took coffee and toast out to Pete almost as soon as the sun arose in the morning sky, finding him sprawled flat on his back in the dirt, covered completely by the single blanket that had kept him company throughout the night. "Dad, are you okay?"she asked as she nudged him awake. Pete sat up quickly and looked around for his animal. Seeing the bull lying upright on the ground in the distance, he relaxed. "Thanks, honey," he said, taking the mug of hot coffee. "Why don't you come in for awhile,"Joanne said, but Pete was stubborn in his vigil. "I'm gonna try to run him back toward the house,"he said. "I'll just drink this coffee down then get right after it."
"How was your trip to Denver?"Py asked Jake, as the two of them the posts that formed the basis for the corral. They had started the day unusually early, knowing that Pete wouldn't relax until his bull was back behind a fence. Jake replied that the trip had gone well, but he didn't elaborate, choosing instead to concentrate his efforts on the repairs. Occasionally he glanced up in Pete's direction, half expecting to see the big Charolais rumbling into the yard, but at first all he could see was Pete, sitting out in the neighbor's summer fallow. Then after awhile he noticed that Pete was up and walking a wide arc around Cooksin, working his way around behind him so he could coax him back toward the confinement. "Man, that animal sure tore things up around here,"Py said with a sense of genuine wonder. "I hope he don't get no more ideas to go wild. He must've set us back a week with just what he did yesterday."
"Are you guys gonna be ready when he gets that bull back into the yard?" Joanne hollered out the question from where she stood in the yard. Jake gave her a nagged look and hollered back "We might if you'd get your butt over here and pick up this fence!" Joanne looked nervously toward the dust cloud rising in the east, knowing that somewhere within it her father was herding destruction on a massive scale -and he was herding it her way. "I don't want that bull coming up here by the yard, now. Are you going to be ready?"
Py looked at Jake. "I don't think so, do you?”
Jake stopped his spade work and straightened up, taking a good look toward the field where the drama was being played out. He was surprised at the amount of dust in the air, so thick that he caught only glimpses of the combatants. "Damn I wonder if Pete's havin' any trouble?" And at just that moment the huge Charolais emerged from the cloud, coming toward the house on a dead run with Pete right behind him, yelling "Whoa! Whoa!"
"Oh shit!"Jake said. “Don’t run him, Pete!" he yelled, not realizing that Pete had already lost control of the situation and now was just trying to head the animal off so he didn't once again steamroller the yard.
Joanne's eyes got big when she saw rumbling toward her and she began to bounce with undirected excitement, knowing she must do something to stop the beast but having no idea what. She began flapping her arms, half-committed to warning him off and half to flight. "No! No! Go away! Go away!" she scolded.
Pete saw Joanne, motioning wildly and standing directly in Cooksin's path. "Go in the house! Go in the house!" he yelled out to her. "Get outta there."
The bull’s hooves beat like a drum as they pounded against the hard-packed dirt of the road into Parker Ranch, beating hollow and loud. was in his prime, running wild with his head held high, feinting one way and another as he entered the yard at a gait.
Jake and Py were surprised by the speed with which he approached. They watched in horror as the bull mowed down a string of rose bushes and a trellis before thundering into the yard. Seeing the chunks of sod that flew up behind him as he veered across the lawn, Joanne gave up her post and ran into the house, slamming the door shut behind her as passed near the front step.
"Get around north of him Py!" Jake yelled, but they had no time to strategize before was rumbling up upon them.
The bull headed straight for Py, ironically blocking the animal's path back into the pen from which he escaped. For a moment it looked to Jake that Py might be in trouble, as the animal bore down on him, but suddenly Pete emerged from the other side of the house, screaming like an Apache as he came to Py's rescue.
Cooksin turned sharply to his left, more or less in Jake's direction. Thinking fast, he blocked the animal's path in a way that directed him back toward the open corral. For a moment the confused Charolais seemed to be headed back into confinement, but then he took a sharp left turn and tried to pass between Jake and the barn.
Jake tried to move close enough to the wall to cut off the retreat, but he wasn't fast enough. Instead of cutting him off, he found himself running alongside the bull, parallel to the barn. Then, suddenly, did something so unexpected that he surprised even himself. When he reached the open barn door, he veered right and went inside.
"He went into the barn!" Py yelled, as if the likelihood of such a thing happening was beyond comprehension.
"Close the door, Jake!" Pete hollered, running up on the scene, drenched in sweat and out of breath. "Close the door!"
Cooksin trotted into the barn and then came to a dead stop as he realized where he was. He looked left and right, seemingly alarmed to find walls in all directions. He spun in his tracks but only in time to see Jake pull shut the huge sliding wooden door, sending the interior into darkness.
"He went into the barn!" repeated Py, still amazed at having witnessed such a bizarre, and unfortunate, behavior on the part of the bull. "Did you get him?" yelled Joanne from across the yard, standing safely on the porch of the house. "We got him!" yelled Pete, happy as a schoolboy, greatly relieved at having to run no more and having his prized possession back in custody.
Jake stepped cautiously back from the barn door, an uncertain expression on his face. He was looking at the wall of the barn, his doubts about the efficacy of the construction - its suitability to the task of restraining a one ton delinquent - written all over his face. "What's wrong?"Pete asked, as he reached the front of the building. Py came running up too, red-cheeked and flush with excitement. "I can't believe he run right into the barn!" he said. Jake continued to slowly step back, away from the structure, looking worried. "You don't think he'll tear it up in there, do you?" Pete asked, wondering now himself. "You don't think…” Before he could get the question out there came a huge snapping, splintering sound -the sound of major timbers being shattered.
"Oh no…” Jake said.
Pete looked up to the heavens. "Don't tell me, Lord. He ain't gonna tear down my barn, is he?"
Py seemed to be in the pull of his own curiosity as he moved quickly to see around the corner of the barn. There stood Cooksin, comfortable as he pleased out in the middle of the corral from which he had originally come. There was a large section of the wall missing from the north side of the barn. "He's over here!" yelled Py.
Jake and Pete came running, joined by Joanne, who now seemed confident that the beast was finally re-incarcerated. The four of them stood looking at the huge baby, standing nonchalantly, casting regardant looks as he chewed on loose hay from a feeder provided just for him.
"So this is how you're gonna get ahead, huh Pete?" Jake said wearily.
"Well, at least he broke back into the jail he got out off," Py said, cheerily.
"Come on," Pete said. "Let's get a fence back up around him."
END OF CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Copyright © Rick Alan Rice (RAR), 1992-2010 Cowboy Town is the sole property of its author, Rick Alan Rice (RAR). This work may not be reproduced or re-distributed in any way without the expressed written permission of the author.