One Eye Open Page 6

of you…not like that.”

  “You don’t want us?”

  “No, its not like that at all, of course I got needs as a man, its just we been too busy just trying to live another day for me to think on this stuff too much.”

  “So you do want to make love to us. Make love to me Jasper.”

  “Right here?”

  “Yes, the Antelope won’t mind.”

  Afterwards he began to think maybe he had spoken too quick about not loving either one of them. They got me so upside down I can’t think straight. He huffed and puffed under the weight of the second time carrying a whole Antelope.

  It was almost midnight by the time he and Jade got the both of the Antelope boned, and sliced into this strips for curing. Sondra insisted on cooking their supper while they worked even though she seemed to move around the room with great effort. The work had to be done if they were too survive.

  “There’s an old smoker in the barn we can use to cure the meat, but we’ll have to use the stove tomorrow too, and it will be too hot in the house for Sondra.” Sondra had gone to lay down again, and she didn’t eat.

  Jade sat down on the floor, leaned against the wall, and stretched her shoulders, “ I’m so tired I can hardly move.”

  “I’m worried about her Jasper, she says every bone in her body hurts.”

  “I know, I’m worried to, but we got no antibiotics. There’s a willow tree down by the creek, I will go and cut willow bark the first thing in the morning.”

  “Will it cure anything?”

  “No, but if its boiled to a strong tea, it will help with the pain.”

  “I’m going to bed Jasper.”

  Jasper laid down on the floor on his sleeping matt as Jade got up, and stumbled toward the bedroom.

  She shook him awake at first light, “Sondra is worse. She is burning up with fever; her face feels like a hot stove.”

  “I’ll go get the bark.” He said and headed toward the door. He was back thirty minutes later with a good deal of willow bark he had shredded off the youngest limbs.

  He boiled the bark on the stove, and Jade had to practically force her to drink it. They helped her outside before they stoked the stove with wood to help cure the meat. As he worked with the meat Jade sat beside her, and fanned her face. Along toward sundown Jade came to where he was at the smoker. She stood beside him and stared at the hills across the valley, “She died, she just laid there and died. Why Jasper?” Jasper saw her shoulders shaking, and knew she was crying. He put his arm around her.

  “I just don’t know. I think she just gave up, more than anything else, but who can blame her?”

  “Its going to be so lonely without her here.”

  “Yes, we need to bury her; we’ll dig a grave down by that tree in the field. She had a liking for that tree. I’ll go get it done.”

  “I’ll help you dig.”

  “No, you go and fix her up the best you can for the burying. That won’t help her, but it will help you.”

  The two made it through an exceptional hard winter, and when spring came, and while it was still cold Jasper hunted Antelope, Deer, and of all things, wild pig, which had spread up from Texas like a horde. The pigs, being fast and prolific breeders were welcome meat on the table; they trapped Grouse, and clipped their wings. They made coops for the birds, and the birds became tame as they fed them off the field that produced wild wheat.

  Along toward the end of June they were sitting in the living room drinking the willow bark tea, which they had become accustomed too.

  “Listen, I hear something.” Jasper said.

  He swallowed the last of the tea, and picked up the rifle to walk to the window, “Horses coming, I count three. Get the other rifle Jade, and put your pistol in your back pocket.”

  The three horsemen stopped a hundred yards from the house, “Hello the house, are you in there Jasper?”

  He opened the door a crack, “Who wants to know?”

  “Its Rick Perkins Jasper, I just want to talk!”

  “What about Perkins?”

  “About the constitution of the United States! Can we just talk? I don’t wish you any harm!”

  “How do I know that?”

  “You don’t! If you don’t want to talk, we’ll just ride on back to Noble!”

  “You ride on up by yourself, and leave your men there, and I’ll talk. If you try anything I’ll kill you.”

  Perkins handed his rifle to one of the men, and started his horse forward. When he was twenty feet away Jasper called out, “That’s close enough Perkins, I can hear you from there, what is it you want?”

  “As I said, I want to talk about the constitution; I don’t want to have to yell across that much space though. Can you come out on the porch at least? I let you go, that ought to count for something.”

  “If you hadn’t taken us we wouldn’t have had to be let go.”

  “That’s true, and I owe you an apology, I’m giving it now.”

  Jasper opened the door wider, “Jasper, don’t go.”

  “I think it’ll be all right honey, you just hold that rifle on Perkins, if he tries anything at all, kill him.”

  “I might just kill him anyway.”

  “No Jade, do as I say for once will you?”

  He walked out on the porch, and Perkins moved his horse forward again until the horse’s nose was even with the porch.

  “I know your woman has a gun on me, this is on the up and up Jasper.”

  “Ok, start talking.”

  “You remember the stuff you said about the constitution?”

  “Yes, I remember.”

  “Well…I thought long and hard about it, and I saw where you were right about it, so I put the whole thing into action, not a word removed, not even a comma.”

  We have a peaceful little town, with no one afraid. Of course we have law, but the constitution is the law. We’ve had to execute some outlaws, so I’m not saying its been smooth sailing, if I did I would be lying to you, But it works Jasper. We have a police force, and a judge. I got rid of the murdering riff raff, and most of the deputies are family men. When we have to have a trial, we pick twelve men. I want you to come to Noble to help me.”

  “You don’t need me Perkins. You have what you need.”

  “Why is that?”

  “You just needed to realize that the constitution is a whole document that was created for a young nation, or an old nation, and we are a young nation again now. God gave the framers of the constitution wisdom that we don’t have. That document will give people hope for a good crop, or a good store, or a good lumber mill. You have what you need. I’m tired, and jaded from the fight to survive, and I need to stay here with my wife, but I’m glad you came Perkins, I needed to hear this. I’m tired of having to sleep with one eye open.”

  “You sure you won’t come? We would love to have you.”

  “Yes, I’m sure, but thank you anyway.”

  “Ok Jasper, if you need anything, get word to me.”

  “We need some potato seeds if you get any.”

  “We got some; I’ll send someone out with a sack of them. Goodbye Jasper and good luck.”

  “Goodbye Perkins.”

  Over the next year word filtered in by people who stopped at the farm, towns across America had begun to have peace, and prosper. They came to be known as constitution towns.

  The end