1823, Boston, USA. Mr Freeth-Cartwright was waiting for his daughter to come off the large cruise liner that had just arrived from London, England. Mr Freeth-Cartwright was a well respected man in both England and Boston. He shares ownership of two different ranches with his brother. His daughter Penelope Freeth-Cartwright had lived her whole life with her mother in England, while only seeing her father about once a year for Christmas. Over the past few months her mother had become sick and she passed away earlier in the month. Penelope was forced out of the house and soon arranged to come and live with her father at the ranch.
Finally, she reached the top of the ramp. She had a beautiful blue dress on. She had long blond hair that she had tied up in a traditional hairstyle. She walked gracefully down the wooden ramp from the cruise liner.
Mr Freeth-Cartwright welcomed her at the bottom of the ramp.
“Welcome to America my dear” welcomed Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“Thank you father” replied Penelope. She looked around. It was nothing like she had imagined. The air was warm and filled with dust. The floor was bone dry dust. The floors around all the wooden buildings were wooden planks.
Mr Freeth-Cartwright led her through the dock town. Literally every man they passed, old and young turned their heads to look at her and watch her walk by. Mr Freeth-Cartwright lead her to a stage coach. They climbed into it and headed off. During the journey they were sat in silence. Penelope looked out onto the waste-land outside. She could just see some desert shrub rolling across the horizon.
It wasn’t until dusk when they finally arrived at the ranch. She stepped out of the stage coach onto the rock-hard dust floor. She looked around her at her new home. On the right of her was a fenced off area containing three horses. To her left of her was a bigger fenced off area stuffed to the brim with cattle. Behind on the left was a giant water tower. Then straight in front of her was a large wooden cabin, big enough to contain over twenty people.
“Welcome to Grand Prairie ranch” welcomed Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“This is it?” asked Penelope in disbelief.
“What do you mean, this is it, this is the biggest ranch in a diameter of 1000miles” replied Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“I’m sorry father, I am just so used to our house in London, England” commented Penelope.
Suddenly she spotted ten objects on the horizon heading their way. As they got closer Penelope could make out what they were. Ten horses with ten men on them. With-in minutes they were right in front of Penelope and her father. One by one they stopped and jumped off their horses. The ages of them ranged from a young man about nineteen to an about fifty year old. The eldest handed his horse over to the youngest and walked over to them, while the rest lead the horses into the fenced off area.
“How do you do, sir? Have a nice journey I presume?” Asked the man.
“A very pleasant journey, thank you Mr Smith. Penelope this is the head ranger at the ranch, Mr Smith. Mr Smith this is my daughter Penelope” Introduced Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Penelope. Your father has given us the honour of hearing thousands of stories about you” said Mr Smith kissing her hand.
“Thank you Mr Smith, it is good to meet you” replied Penelope.
“A charmer indeed Mr Freeth-Cartwright” commented Mr Smith as the youngest ranger approached.
“Miss Penelope, this is my son, Sam Smith, our newest ranger” introduced Mr Smith.
“Hello” said Sam briefly.
“Good Evening” replied Penelope.
“Come, I bet you are tired from your long journey” commented Mr Freeth-Cartwright to Penelope.
He led her inside the wooden building and to one of the back rooms. It had a small wooden wardrobe and a green hammock with white insect nets around it. It had a small hole in the wall looking out on to an open plain. She walked in with her brown cases in each hand. She placed them on the floor and looked around at the ill furnished room.
In the middle of the night, she woke to a noise coming from outside the wooden building. She looked out of the hole in the wall and saw Sam on a horse galloping around the plain. She sat watching him from inside the wooden building.
The next morning, everybody at the ranch was working except Penelope. Mr Freeth-Cartwright was in his office like room filling stuff out for the tax man when Penelope walked in.
“How are you? Did you sleep well?” asked Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“I slept very well, thank you father” replied Penelope.
“Good good” said Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“Father, I want to help at the ranch” mentioned Penelope.
“My dear do you really think that is a good idea?” asked Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“What else am I to do with my time?” asked Penelope in response.
“That is up to you to decide but a young woman can not possible do a grown man’s job” replied Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“Why? Have you ever tried it?” asked Penelope.
“No” replied Mr Freeth-Cartwright briefly.
“Well then, how do you know?” asked Penelope determined to get what she wants.
“Because... I just know” replied Mr Freeth-Cartwright slowly weakening.
“Please Father” begged Penelope.
“Fine. One chance” replied Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“Thank you father” Cried Penelope as she hugged her father, she then asked, “So what do you want me to do?”
“First you need to learn how to ride” commented Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
He led her out to the front and into the fenced off area where all the horses are kept.
“Pick one and it shall be yours” said Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
Penelope looked around at all the different horses. She spotted the one she wanted. It was a white stallion.
“I like this one” said Penelope pointing at the white stallion. It already had a saddle on it ready.
“Then it is yours” replied Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“What is it called?” asked Penelope.
“We haven’t got round to naming this one yet so you can give it a name” replied Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
Penelope thought for a moment and then said, “I’m going to call it white lightening” proclaimed Penelope.
“Well, up you get” commented Mr Freeth-Cartwright holding White Lightening where he was. At the same time Sam walked into the area to get to his horse.
“Here and now?” asked Penelope.
“You wanted to do it” remarked Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
Sam was watching from where he was standing with his horse.
“Anyway. I have work to do. I shall be back in about half an hour. I expect to see you on the horse” Mentioned Mr Freeth-Cartwright walking off.
When he was out of sight, she put her left foot in the foot hole and tried to get up, without success, she just fell back down on to the floor. Sam had jumped onto his horse and had started smiling at her failed attempt trying not to laugh. She tried again, putting her left foot in the foot hole and tried to get up, again without success, again she just fell back down on the floor.
Sam came over on his horse and asked, “Need some help?”
“I can do it on my own thanks” replied Penelope sourly as she put her right foot in the foot hole and jumped up. She managed to get up but she noticed she was the wrong way around. Sam let out a short chuckle. She quickly jumped back down.
“A little bit of advice. Try getting on the other side” advised Sam.
“Thanks for the advice but I can cope just fine without” replied Penelope sourly.
“Right I shall leave you to it” said Sam as he galloped off on his horse.
When he was on the other side of the pen she walked around the other side of the horse. She put her right foot in the foot hole and jumped up. She swung her leg over the horse and put the foot in the other foot hole.
“How do I get you to move?” asked Penelope to white lightening.
She looked over to Sam who was sat on his horse, he lifted the leas up and suddenly whipped it down, and slightly whipped the horse. The horse started galloping about. Penelope copied. White lightening jolted forward and then started galloping Penelope has no idea how to stop it and Sam soon realised. He galloped over to her side and grabbed white lightening leash and pulled it back towards Penelope. White lightening came to a complete halt.
“You might want to consider learning how to stop him before you start him going. You pulled back on his leash to stop him” mentioned Sam.
“I knew that. I just wanted to get used to him” replied Penelope sourly.
Sam held the leash in front of her. She grabbed hold of it. Sam lifted it up and whipped it down, sending White lightening jumping forward.
Penelope straight away pulled back on the leash. White lightening went on his behind legs and Penelope fell off backwards and thumped onto the floor hard.
Sam galloped over and jumped off his horse and asked “Are you ok?”
“I’m fine” replied Penelope staggering up. She walked out of the fenced off area and into the wooden building.
Later that night, when the sun had gone down, Penelope was sat on her hammock when there was a knock at the door. She stayed quiet. The door opened and in walked Sam.
“I never said come in” moaned Penelope.
“You never said go away either” responded Sam.
“Well I’m saying it now. Go away” said Penelope quietly.
“I came to apologise” replied Sam.
“Well maybe I don’t want your apology” spitted out Penelope.
“Well, I want to give it to you whether you except it or not” replied Sam as he walked next to her.
“I’ll except your apology if you leave right now” said Penelope.
“Very well” replied Sam as he walked towards to the door. He looked towards her, she was looking out of the hole in the wall. He walked out of the door.
Late that night Penelope snuck out to the horses to practice so she didn’t embarrass herself yet again. When she had finished she was satisfied she had practiced enough for one day.
The next morning, everybody was at work but Penelope. Sam was changing the straw in the horse pen. Mr Freeth-Cartwright came out to him and asked, “Good morning Mr Sam, Are you having a spot of difficulty there?”
“Yes sir, there is a lot more to get rid of than usual sir” replied Sam continuing his duties.
“Has Penelope been up here?”
“No. I believe she is still in bed” replied Sam.
Mr Freeth-Cartwright was about to walk out when Penelope walked in.
“Penelope, good morning” said Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“Good morning Father” replied Penelope.
“Will you help Mr Sam change the straw?” asked Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“Of course Father” replied Penelope not happy.
Mr Freeth-Cartwright walked to a spade and passed it to Penelope. She took it off him. She walked up to the main area straw and started shovelling straw from the stable to wheelbarrow. Together they shovelled out all of the straw within the hour, they did it in complete silence. When they had to start putting in the new straw they put down the spade and picked up a fork. Penelope pushed her fork into one of the bails of straw at the very top of the stack and tried to lift it up. She failed. Sam spotted her and came up to her, “Do you need some help?”
“No, I’m fine” replied Penelope sourly.
Sam just stepped back away from her.
Penelope tried again and tired to move it towards her, it fell straight off the pile and on top of her. Knocking her down. Sam pushed his fork into it from the side and lifted it off her and to where it’s supposed to be.
“I’ll get them down, you can move them to where they need to be” said Sam.
Penelope starred at him with anger in her eyes. She did what he said and within the next hour they had moved all they need to move.
That evening everybody was sat around the fire, going around clockwise it went, Mr Smith, Penelope, Mr Freeth-Cartwright, Sam, and then the other rangers.
“Now, the time of the year is here for us. The herd needs to moved to the shipping yard. There we can sell them probably for more than last year. We are going to need 100 percent effort from everyone if we are going to succeed in this. We leave a week tomorrow. I believe your team is ready Mr Smith” announced Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“Of course, you and I and the eight blokes.” Replied Mr Smith.
“I thought you said I could join you this year?” asked Sam.
“I am very sorry lad, but not this year, maybe next year. Now we don’t have Miss Elecart we have no one to care for the other horses while we are gone.” Replied Mr Smith.
“What about Miss Penelope?” asked Sam.
“Even though she offered to help out around the place, she is far too new to be the only person here” replied Mr Smith.
“I’m sorry my old boy” said Mr Freeth-Cartwright as he stood up patting Sam on the back and then walked towards the house. Mr Smith also stood up as well as all the rangers apart from Sam. Penelope just sat there looking at the fire. She then slowly got up and headed towards the house. She stopped at the front door and looked back at the camp fire where Sam had stood up and had started kicking the dust on the floor about with frustration.
A week later it was the time for all the rangers to head off. Penelope and Sam were stood with their fathers. Mr Freeth-Cartwright gave his daughter a hug and kissed her on the forehead. He then climbed on his horse as the other rangers did the same. Both Penelope and Sam stepped back as they galloped off leading the herd of cattle. When they were out of sight. Sam turned to Penelope and said, “I know we got off on the wrong foot, but if we are going to be running this ranch we’re going to need to work together not separately. So can we start from fresh.”
“Ok. For the sake of my father’s ranch I will work with you.” Replied Penelope. She turned to go inside when Sam grabbed her arm and shouted “look”
She turned to where he was pointing. On the horizon was another person on a horse.
“That will be Ernest from your uncles ranch, so as you are the only heir to both of the ranch’s you can talk to him” said Sam started to go inside.
“Stay right where you are. I know nothing of another ranch, so I’m going to need your help” replied Penelope.
The person on the horse reached them. He jumped down off his horse. He looked no older than twenty years of age. He had a face that looked like it had been carved by angels and lush black hair. You could see his muscularly stomach through his top. He walked to Penelope and said, “I am here to see Mr Freeth-Cartwright. I am Ernest Carhipe, I am one of the rangers at Grand Dessert ranch.”
“I am afraid Mr Freeth-Cartwright is not here” replied Penelope.
“And may I know the name of the beauty that stands in front of me?” asked Ernest kissing Penelope’s hand.
“I am Penelope Freeth-Cartwright. The one and only daughter of Mr Freeth-Cartwright. And I am very sorry but my father has only just left to deliver the cattle” replied Penelope.
“That is actually what I needed to talk to him about. His brother sends him this letter.” Said Ernest giving Penelope a letter from out of his pocket.
Penelope gave it straight to Sam.
“You will make more sense of it then me” said Penelope to Sam.
“If you are the daughter then why is it that a ranger would know more that yourself?” asked Ernest.
“I only a week and half ago arrived here for the first time from London, England. So I therefore know little of proceedings” replied Penelope.
“Miss Penelope, I think you should read this.” said Sam giving her the letter back.
The letter read-
My dear brother, I have just had news of a terrible accordance in the antipadies. I suggest you take a new route along the side of the canyon. There at this very moment a gang of thugs killing rangers passing there with their cattle, and stealing what cattle survive the terrible attack
“We need to get this letter to them” said Penelope as she rushed to the horses.
Sam looked blankly at her.
“Well, are you coming?” asked Penelope.
Sam rushed over and got out his horse and Penelope got out hers. They both got up on to their horses, and trotted over to Ernest.
“Are you joining us?” asked Penelope to him.
“Of course” replied Ernest jumping back on to his horse smiling at Penelope. Penelope plainly just smiled back. They galloped off into the distance. They galloped for miles and when the sun finally set.
“This is where we will catch them if we keep going through the night” shouted Ernest to the others.
“Are you mad we won’t be able to see where we are going?” asked Penelope.
“You want to help your father do you not?” asked Ernest in response.
“Of course” replied Penelope.
“Then this is what we have to do, even if we are only trotting they would have stopped for the night” said Ernest.
“As soon as the visibility has gone we trot” shouted Sam.
They did exactly that. When the dark fell they started trotting. Through the night they found no one. When the sun rose, each one of them was extremely tired.
“We need to keep going” shouted Ernest.
“It is going to kill us but ok.” Replied Penelope.
At noon, Penelope spotted a group of cattle.
“Look there is some cattle, that might be them” shouted Penelope.
As they got closer they could see a group of people obviously stopped to have dinner. Among them she could see her father.
They sat pretty much in a circle, they were talking.
“So what do you think of my daughter?” asked Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“A beautiful young lady just like you had said, Mr Freeth-Cartwright. A charmer.” Replied Mr Smith.
“I hope she can cope out here, she is the only heir to both me and my brother so she will end up the owner of both ranches, when both of us kick the bucket.” Commented Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
One of the other ranchers spotted Penelope, Sam and Ernest on the horizon. He stood up and said, “Is that you daughter with Sam over there?”
Mr Freeth-Cartwright looked over and saw Penelope, Sam and Ernest heading over. He and Mr Smith rushed over.
“You are supposed to looking after the ranch.” Said Mr Freeth-Cartwright as Penelope, Sam and Ernest all jumped off their horses. Penelope walked up to him and said, “You received a message from your brother, father. We thought it was important that you received it.”
She got out the letter and handed it to him. He read the letter and passed it on to Mr Smith.
“Sir, what shall we do? If we don’t go this way we won’t get the cattle there in time” commented Mr Smith.
“We have to continue, if we don’t we’ll lose everything” replied Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“But, father, what if it is true and they are camped there and still are there. They could kill you.” Said Penelope.
“It may be a chance we have to take, Penelope, if we don’t get these cattle to the boat in time we won’t have anything to live for anyway” replied Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“Then I’m coming with you” said Penelope.
“No, the last thing I want to see is you getting hurt. You and Sam are to go back to the ranch immediately” replied Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
“But...” started Penelope when Mr Freeth-Cartwright interrupted “Penelope, no. Go back to the ranch immediately. We will join you back at the ranch when we have delivered the cattle. Now go”
“Father...” started Penelope again when he shouted back, “Go”
“No. You have never been around for the whole of my life. Every year I would have to listen to all my friends brag about what they did with their fathers while I had to say, I only saw mine at Christmas, and that was only for two days. Mother always had to say, he’s doing what he needs to do to feed us. When I came here I hoped we could make up for all of that time, but no, instead you going to leave me and go on a trail that could kill you” Shouted Penelope.
“Penelope, stop it.” Shouted Mr Freeth-Cartwright slapping her around the face.
Tears came up in Penelope’s eyes as she placed the palm of her hand on her bright red cheek. She turned around and slowly walked to her horse.
“Penelope” said Mr Freeth-Cartwright not believing he’d just hit her. She just ignored him and got on to her horse.
“Sam, are you coming?” asked Penelope nearly crying.
Sam walked to his horse and climbed on it.
“Penelope. Be careful on your way back” said Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
Ernest walked over and said, “I will escort her back to the ranch, sir and see she gets there safely.”
“Penelope, please say something” begged Mr Freeth-Cartwright walking to Penelope.
Penelope just looked away from him practically crying and then started her horse going. Sam slowly followed just to be followed by Ernest.
“Penelope” repeated Mr Freeth-Cartwright.
Mr Smith came over to him, and said “She’ll come round”
Mr Freeth-Cartwright didn’t reply.
The next day, Penelope, Ernest and Sam arrived back at the ranch. They put their horses away, and feed all the horses remaining at the ranch. They did all of it in silence. Once they had done Sam started “Miss Penelope, I’m sure your father...” started Sam when Penelope interrupted “I do not want to talk about it”
“Penelope, would you feel better if I were to catch up with your father and protect him at all costs?” asked Ernest.
“A little” replied Penelope quietly.
“Then for you, I will go and catch up with your father, and risk life and limb to make sure he gets back to the ranch safely” mentioned Ernest as he took Penelope’s hands.
“Thank you” thanked Penelope kissing him on the cheek. Straight away he kissed her on the lips.
“You’re welcome” replied Ernest as he walked to his horse.
Penelope and Sam watched as he galloped off. Both of them stood there even after they could no longer see Ernest.
“Miss Penelope...” started Sam when Penelope interrupted “I’ll see you in the morning Sam, and you can just call me Penelope”
Penelope headed inside, followed a few minutes later by Sam.
(Continued...)

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 25.04.2011

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