ELLIOT JOHANSON STORY CHAPTER 11 Tom Foolery

 

 

A salesman came along and convinced Mayfield that he needed a steam engine to do much of the work done with horses.

 

He said it can even drive a well digging machine.  Several of the big ranch owners were invited to come to the big city for some demonstrations.

 

Afterwards El and Sid was convinced they should buy the basic unit and add the accessories as needed.  Most of the farmer’s tasks were done in a fourth of the time and that included the break downs.  It was strange replacing some of the farmers with mechanics but that was the way it was.

 

Clara got a letter from Clarisse and Missy saying they were coming for a visit and bringing a girl friend for El.  They described the woman as being tall and well built. She is also chaste and prudish.  When she gets married it will be the first time a man has seen her unclad since she was born.

 

El asked, “When will she arrive?”

 

Clara said, “Soon I suspect and they may all be on the same train.  The letter doesn’t say, but I imagine they are on their way here right now.  Charlie was sick a couple of days and the mail is running behind.”

 

El said, “I’m going up to the lake cabin and won’t be back until they are gone.  My life has been so peaceful since the girls have been away but with their return I know what is in store for me.  I can tell there is something about that letter that I should take as a warning. They have plans to make my life a misery.”

 

“How long are you going to be gone?” Clara asked, and El said, “Until someone comes and tells me they have all left.”

 

Clara asked, “Are you going to take Buck and a pack horse?”

 

He said, “No I don’t want to have to care for animals while I’m there.”

 

She said, “I’ll get some vittles for you what do you want?”

 

He said, “Same as usual, fat back for eating and frying and maybe a bit of cornmeal for the fish fry.”

 

She said, “There’s bedding in the cabin if someone hasn’t stolen it.”

 

He said, “Just throw together a few things that I will need, not too much for I don’t want to overload myself.  It will take me two days to hike there unless I’ve slowed down.”

 

She said, “I still think you should take one of our pack mules.”

 

He said, “No, if I had a mule I would probably want to ride after I got tired and I need the exercise.  Don’t bother me except in an emergency or the girls have gone.”

 

The day went well and I ate a light meal for the next day would be more of a climb than today.  When I awoke the next morning my neck was stiff and sore from laying on a rock.  If I had brought a horse I would have used my saddle to lay my head on.  In the afternoon I arrived and the fishing was on.

 

Two weeks later one of the wranglers showed up leading Buck and told him, the girls had gone and I have been sent to fetch him.  El was given a note which said, “There was some business that needed to be taken care of so return.”

 

El said, “Good for I’m getting tired of eating fish twice a day.”

 

It was only going to take five hours to return by horse where it took two days to climb up to the grade.

 

When he arrived home he said, “I’m going down to the river and take a bath for I smell of fish.”

 

Clara said, “Well be careful.”  He wondered why she would say that.

 

He stripped down and proceeded to bathe when a group of girls returned from the toilet place and they saw him first.  Clarisse proceeded to throw mud at him and mess him up.

 

El said, “That wrangler is fired.  He told me that there was some business I needed to take care of.”

 

Clarisse said, “We’re the business so take care of us.”  

 

She said, “We need to wash up so you can leave now.”

 

He said, “Why should I leave there is plenty of water.”

 

She said, “You just want to see us naked.”

 

He said, “No, why should I want to see some ole skinny gals when there are real women around?”

 

“Fat ones?” she replied?

 

El said, “You can leave your drawers on if you are ashamed of what you look like.”

Missy spoke up and said, “We’ll turn around so you can come out and get dressed then you can leave.”

 

He said, “Okay, turn around.”

 

As he got out they turned back around and Missy said; “Are you gone, ooh no you are still here”

 

He said, “That was a dirty thing to do.  I think I will just stand here and dry out and you can avert your gaze or enjoy the view.”

 

He said, “Is that the prudish girl you wrote about? If she is so prudish why is she staring at me?”

 

Clarisse said, “Now be careful, you know we will get even with you so don’t do anything you don’t want payback for.”

 

He took his clothes and headed to the house but said, “I might come back and take your clothes.”

 

Laruen asked, “Do you think he might do that?”

 

Missy said, “Who cares we’ll get even somehow.”

 

After getting dressed El found the young wrangler and said, “Why didn’t you tell me it was the girls that sent you and they were still here?”

 

They said I shouldn’t tell you because it was to be a surprise.

 

El said, “And you believed them.  It was a surprise alright.”

 

All the rest of the day he tried to avoid them but at dinner they were whispering and giggling.  El said, “Don’t you think it’s time for you ladies to grow up.”

 

Clarisse said, “Growing up is all we have been doing while we were away and now we‘re going to have some fun.”

 

He said, “I don’t mind you having fun but please, no more naked stuff.”

 

That night the teasing didn’t stop until late in the evening.  

 

El went to bed and he could hear the girls planning to pull a trick on him and the new girl Lauren was in on it.

 

He thought, “I have to think of some way to get even for this.”

 

Around two o’clock, the new girl tip toed into El’s room and slipped into his bed.

 

He had over heard what they were going to do and was awake and waiting for this to happen.  He put his arms around her and became quite personal.

This wasn’t exactly the way they had planned it.  She managed to finally settle him down and she dozed off to sleep.  The next morning the other girls came running in and started yelling, “We caught you in bed with our friend.” 

It was Old Manny not El

Just when they thought they had embarrassed El the rest of the household were wakened and came in the bedroom.  

El also walked in and pulled the covers back revealing Lauren in bed with Manny, the old man who mucked out the stables.

 

Clara said, “This girl you brought home with you ... she has no decency at all.”

 

Mayfield said, “Way to go Manny.”  Everyone had something to say but had trouble being heard over the screaming all three girls were doing.

 

Lauren covered her self up with the covers and continued to scream while Manny just lay there grinning.

 

As everybody left the room Manny said, “Do I have to go also?”

 

Lauren started kicking him out of bed which only added to the grossness of the situation.

 

An hour later the girls were packed and yelling for someone to get the buggy and take them to the railroad station.

 

Sid had one of the hands hook up the team for him and he drove them to the train and then got their luggage handled for them.

 

The girls usually were sad to leave Sid for he was one of their favorites but today they didn’t even say goodbye.

 

That afternoon El said to Sid, “That is the craziest thing I have ever been involved in. The girls have one more year in school and I hope they grow up in that time for I have had enough of their tomfoolery.  

 

It isn’t funny to me anymore.  It was okay when we were kids but enough is in this case more than enough.  It’s too bad they were able to talk that girl into doing such a crazy thing for she seems to be sane.”

 

Sid said, “The last thing he heard her say to them was “if you tell anyone about this I’ll get even if it takes me the rest of my life.”

 

El said, “I tried to avoid them for I know how they are but it didn’t work out.”

 

To be Continued