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The scene opens at Boot Hill Cemetery; Marshall Santos kneels on one knee beside a plain stone marker and ponders a few thoughts.
"Around Dodge City and in the western territories, there is just one way to handle all the killers and the spoilers, and that is with a US Marshall and the smell of gun smoke. This is Mannysmoke, the transcribed story of the violence that moved west with young America and the story of a man who moved with it. I am that man, Danny "Matt Dillion" Santos, United States Marshall. Out here, I remind myself of how violence always ends, buried here in the rim of a nation on the edge of the wild frontier. Some were slaughtered aimlessly, the rest I killed. I'm a lawman and a US Marshall. Law comes hard to the frontier and men like these did not want it. And there are more men alive today who will come to Dodge City that do not want it. They are the drifters and the lawless, they have to be dealt with. I am the first man they look for and the last one they want to meet. It is a chancy job, and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely."
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Ray Santos had one more day to go on this three-day cattle drive. He usually served as point man or trail boss during the drives and it was arduous work. You always had to ride out in front of the herd and constantly watch your back. In addition, he chose this drive to break in one of his rough trotting horses, you know one that bucks you at every milepost. Unbroken the horses are relentless and can go wild again. While you are trying to break them of the bad habit, the rider generally suffers a great deal of pain and discomfort.
Cattle drives are rough, you try to push the cattle hard and ride twenty-five miles a day. You aim for fifteen miles in the early morning hours and settle for ten in the afternoon. In the morning, you ride high in the saddle catching each surge of the stirrup with the crotch of your boot. Slowly you coordinate these movements with the strength of your thighs and little by little, you work up into the arc of your saddle.
Ray laughed to himself; he could always tell a real cowboy right off by the way they rode their own horse. Experienced trail riders sat smooth in the saddle and worked the reins at the same time that they worked their legs in perfect harmony with the pace of the horse. A good skilled rider also knew how to lean into every turn as you crossed ravines, narrow slopes and valleys. He usually hired on a great crew and this time had proved no exception. The only problem were all the green horses they used on this trip.
With a new inexperienced horse, you had to take special precautions. First off, you keep their cleft end down, then you keep their noses even to keep them from wanting to buck you off and finally you keep your own mind centered on seat so that you don't fall out of the saddle. Even his cousin Mick would call this a successful drive. They lost only ten head of cattle and no horses or dogs.
He turned in the saddle and looked back at the procession. They made cutouts of black over the line of the eastern horizon. After a fragment of time, the riders disappeared over the ridge leaving only the sounds of the wind blowing up through the rise and the tall grass. This beauty, this essence was what he loved about this country. The sky was purple now, soon it would be dark.
Tomorrow, he would be back at his ranch, he had land to purchase.
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One week later
Cassie Layne Jessup looked up at the noonday sun. She did not remember an autumn ever this warm in Kentucky. She finished weeding an herb and vegetable garden beside the house. The ranch left to her by Jessup was not in bad shape. She used some of the money he left her to repair the barn. If she could make it through the winter without hiring on too many hands, she would be in good shape for the spring planting season. If she stayed in Kansas that is; she already received two offers for her ranch through the town's general storekeeper, Ross Mahler. He was also a lawyer and presented her with the bids.
The problem was the high bids. The prices were way over the $3 an acre most land sold for in these parts. Even that deputy, Jesse "Chester Goode" Blue balked at the prices when she visited him at the jailhouse. He was such a sweet man. If a woman worked real hard with him and got him to give up those galooses (suspenders), put him in some nice clothes, got him a hair cut and a decent shave then he might be good husband material. His shy demeanor and awkward ways were surely put-ons to attract women; no man acted that odd naturally.
She looked out over her property. This land was beautiful; the trees were lovely shades of rust and orange. She could see her part of the stream from here. A cool refreshing body of water. No one was within 3 miles of here, it was hot, why not cool off a little? She walked towards the stream removing her sunbonnet. When she reached the water's edge, she removed her skirt, blouse and petticoat. Casting one last look around, she waded into the stream. The water felt good; she walked to the deepest water and started to swim for the better part of an hour.
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She was floating on her back when she heard a horse neigh and a dog's high yelp. She scanned her eyes towards the bank and saw a large mixed breed hound dog yelping and running back and forth.
Then she saw a large brown horse and its rider. She started to get up, but he yelled out, "Do not move Miss. This dog can smell snakes a mile away and she hounded her way here for the last half mile. I know to follow her because she is a valuable dog and my best companion and I do not want her getting into any fights she cannot handle. Miss, she is always right, I would bet a years worth of my ranch hand wages that there are some snakes in that water with you. If you move sudden or step on one, you'll be a goner."
Cassie did not know if she was more embarrassed or angry. What did this fool expect her to do, stay in here until the snakes slinked away after sunning themselves in the water and on the banks? "What should I do then?" she yelled to the rider.
"The dog, she usually scares them over to the other side of the river if you can wait a while. My dog is resilient. Misty is my little girl isn't she, she is daddy's girl?"
Cassie sighed loudly. Were all the men in this territory addle brained? This man was cooing to his hound dog and expecting her to just float along and wait. Finally, she said, "I do not care, I am swimming over there."
He yelled back, "No ma'am you are not, I will come in and get you, I've at least got boots on." And before she could utter a word of protest, he strode into the water, picked her up and carried her back to dry land. He yanked a blanket off the horse and said here put this on so you don't look so naked."
Cassie looked down at herself, she looked more than naked, the way her undergarments clung to her skin, she looked wanton. She threw the blanket over her shoulders haphazardly, why worry, this fool had seen her already and gathered her clothing. Then she nodded thank you and walked towards the ranch house.
Ray stared after the willful creature. First, his dog dragged him five miles out of his way; he had just been polite in underestimating Misty's sniffing skills. Then he had practically saved this woman's life and she had not even thanked him. Finally, he thought he was in love. Granted this was the first woman he had seen in over two weeks but still.
He watched the woman walk towards the Jessup ranch. Was this the same prim little woman he saw arrive in Dodge City two weeks ago? He paid Jesse Blue two dollars to tip his hat when he took the little lady out to the ranch and that day with the sun in his eyes he mistook the woman for much older in years and a lot less shapely.
He called Misty and clicked his boots on his horse to indicate the command to walk on. It was nice to be back on his regular gelding cutting horse again. Nothing beat the good ride of a crossbred Appaloosa. As he neared the ranch house and the Jessup widow, he called out to her. Without looking back, she removed his blanket and threw it on the ground behind her. She kept walking. Unfortunately with the way the sun lit up her body, Ray didn't need to squint today to make out her form. He inhaled sharply; even the horse neighed a little bit. He was astounded yet also intrigued by her rudeness. Women usually threw themselves at his person. Maybe she was addled in the head like the deputy Marshall or maybe she was suffering from snakebite.
He rode his horse up to the door and tied the gelding's reins to the railing. Ray inhaled and knocked on the door. She answered with some type of open robe on and asked him what he wanted. He began to wonder if she was a working girl or wanted to be. Whatever could explain her shameless and rude behavior, maybe it was her deep grief over Jessup's death, or maybe it was snakebite. Ray opened the door and walked into the house.
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Ray woke up suddenly; he had been asleep on the stream bank after stopping to soak in some of the Indian Summer sunshine. He must have been dreaming but he was awake now. His dog Misty was yipping and the woman he had just dreamt about was standing in the stream screaming at the top of her lungs. She pointed to a snake in the water. He yelled back to her that it was just a black garter snack, harmless. The woman was terrified, so he walked into the water, grabbed the snake and threw it to the opposite bank. No sense in risking Misty, he was pretty sure the snake was harmless.
All of a sudden, he looked back at her and saw that he, Ray Santos was standing there inches away from Miss Cassie; the only thing, which stood between them both, were his worn jeans and his fringed leather chaps. He reached for her brusquely and pulled her to him. She put her right hand on his chest feeling his heart beat beneath his pulsating chest muscles. She looked up into his eyes and parted her lips in anticipation. He bent down and touched his lips to hers. As she boldly opened her mouth he followed likewise and the kiss deepened. Slowly they walked back to the stream bank and nestled down to continue this interlude. Cassie growing quite bold started to unbuckle Ray's chaps. The flared leather leggings were of a solid material in the front covering his pelvis, hips and legs. They laced and buckled together at the back with a belt like series of loops. The material was wet and her hands were shaking. Ray reached back to help her. He was not trying to be forward but the wet sodden material was uncomfortable and very tight all of a sudden.
They removed the chaps together and he began unbuttoning her camisole. He bent down and nuzzled her exposed breasts and she moved against him aggressively. He started to undo her diaphanous pantaloons and Cassie panted out the words, "Wait."
Ray sat back and looked at her.
She sat up and said, "Um, I think we should stop, we have not even been properly introduced and I am sure you think me quite wanton. I'm not very experienced in these things, I've never been with a man before."
Ray buttoned up his denim shirt. "I am so sorry. You are right of course, but you were married?"
"I was married but only in the legal sense, the marriage was not consummated. I am Cassie Jessup by the way, but you seem to know my name already. I assume that you are one of the infamous Santos cousins."
He laughed, "Yes, my name is Ray. Would you like to go back to your house and change and then we could talk?"
They walked back to the house and indeed they did talk for hours, she cooked him dinner and he agreed to come back tomorrow and teach her to ride. He also promised to send over several of his ranch hands at no cost. Ray got up to leave and Cassie followed him to the railing. She stood up on her toes and locked her arms around his neck and they began to kiss again quite passionately. Finally, he broke from the embrace and said, "I will be back tomorrow."
She stepped back from him and smiled, "Yes, tomorrow," she said. Cassie watched him ride away. She needed this man badly. It was great that he was attractive but what she needed to do was get pregnant and soon. A clause in her late husband's will stipulated that a child must be born from the marriage in order for her to claim his entire inheritance. Jessup was very wealthy and owned several ranches in other states. Cassie wanted it all.
The only problem was her continued virginal status. That old idiot had died on her right before she jumped him that night. He had seen her without clothing and promptly had a seizure of some kind clutching at his heart and keeling over dead. She seemed to have the worst luck! How was a girl supposed to lose her virginity and keep her land in this godforsaken town?
Due to lost travel time, even if she had relations tomorrow it would still be cutting it close. This man would do though; he even seemed to have some ulterior motives, which meant she could trust him.
Today, he had proven he would live if he saw her naked so, tomorrow when he came back over to teach her to ride, she would just make sure the lessons were extensive. It was very convenient that he was so striking and muscular at least she would not have to resort to that deputy Marshall as she had begun to fear. If she had to marry this man and bear him children, she could live with also having to lay with him several times a day. Yes, she could easily imagine that possibility.
Ray mounted his horse and clicked the reins for the horse to walk on. Today had proved downright interesting. It was the first time in his life where reality had turned out much better than his dreams. This unknowing little lady was playing poker with a pair of twos to his full house. It was good that she was attractive but he had been willing to try and stomach the Jessup widow even if she was hideous.
Her ranch land was too valuable to let pass out of his hands again. He tried to obtain the land the "decent way" as Marshall Danny Santos, his high-minded cousin, always stressed. Ray placed two separate high end bids on the ranch but that stupid mercantile, Ross Mahler, had shook his head no and said, "She won't sell, yet." Tomorrow, when he came back to teach her how to ride a horse, well he would insure that there was a supplementary lesson.
Cassie Jessup was willing; she proved that this afternoon. Earlier today, he chose not to press on because the timing had to be right and he needed to get her with child to seal the bargain. Better to have days and weeks of pleasure together even if she proved barren. Yes, weeks and days with this woman was preferable to one quick afternoon adventure. Cassie was beautiful and sexual. She aroused in him the stirrings he saw in horses before they mated. His main objective was obtaining her land in anyway possible. He couldn't get the picture of her standing there in the stream and then laying beneath him out of his mind. She was an attractive beguiling woman; he needed to be careful not to care for her too much. After a few years, he would have the land free and clear. If a beautiful wife came along as part of the bargain, that was all the better. Ray Santos would have the Jessup ranch and he would have Cassie Jessup and the sooner the better. He smiled wickedly, whistled for Misty and told his horse, Keith, to take them home.
Miss Michelle Bauer's Lesson for the Day
"Being a cowboy becomes a way of life after you've done it for a while. It gets in your blood and your appreciation of the simple things takes hold. You learn to welcome the loneliness, the quiet, the tranquility and beauty of the land." (the character/actor formerly known as) Ray Santos
The Myth: The term cowboy has uncertain origins. During the revolutionary war, British soldiers fighting in the countryside often were called cowboys. The source of the term as used today is still uncertain (although hundreds of theories exist). It is certain though that by the middle of the 1850s, cowboys were defined as those wild young men who went west with dreams of seeking their fortunes but most often ended up herding cattle and horses. When someone came up with the idea of herding cattle across the plains of the west; so too came the need for men to ride, to herd, to cowboy and the romance began.
The golden age of the cowboy was actually a short expanse of time, 1866 to 1886. During this time, over 40,000 men of all ages traveled to the great west. Many of the men were Civil War soldiers who felt uncomfortable returning to their old way of life. Others were thrill seekers who read about the "limitless" possibilities out west. Still more were immigrants seeking a better way of life and the freedom of the Wild West, as portrayed in dime novels.
The first cowboys who arrived in the 1850s and early 1860s saw the vivid sights that make up our legends today, certainly some of those bandied around during election time by various "Patriots." These early cowboys saw the Wild West in all of its glory; the wild horses, buffalo, feral elk, and moose in their right and natural habitat. They saw uncultivated sagebrush and tumbleweed, unscathed mountains, natural streams, high willow grass and gently sloping valleys and plains. Therefore, their letters home to loved ones reported the romance of the land and the legends started and somehow no one ever had the heart to correct those beautiful stories and tales of a land that astounded you. If you try very hard, you can still see this land and imagine what it once must have been like in the states of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas; heck if you try you can imagine seeing it all over the still Wild West.
End of Episode 2B
