Cherokee Read Free

claiming almost nine thousand acres of our deeded land, and that was a considerable amount of grazing. But what was more worrisome, once that sort of action got started in an area it could spread like wildfire, and we’d spend half our time in court and hell only knows how much on lawyers just trying to hold on to what was ours. And the fact was that there was plenty of room for argument. Most land holdings in Matagorda County and other parts of the old Nueces Strip went back to Spanish land grants and grants from the Republic of Texas, and even some from when it first became a state. Such disputes were becoming common, and I wanted to put out our own little prairie fire before it got a good start and spread. Norris was mainly handling the matter, but it was important that I be on hand if some necessary decisions had to be made.
    I finished my whiskey and got up. “Howard, I don’t want to talk about this no more right now. You think on it overnight and we’ll have a talk again tomorrow.”
    He said in a strong voice, “Justa, I know you think this is just the whim of a sick ol’ man. That ain’t the case. This is something that is mighty important to me. It’s important to you and your brothers too. Ain’t nobody in this family ever failed to pay off a debt. I ain’t going to be the first one.”
    â€œSomething I don’t quite understand, Howard. You appear to be talking about some money you borrowed some twenty-five or thirty years ago. Is that right?”
    â€œMaybe even a little longer than that.”
    â€œHoward, who the hell did you know had that kind of money that many years ago? Hell, you could have bought nearly all of Texas for that sum in them days.”
    He fiddled with his glass and then drank the last of his whiskey. He said, clearing his throat first, “Wasn’t exactly twenty-five thousand. Was less. I’m kind of roughing in the interest.”
    â€œHow much less was it? Still must have been a power of money. Interest is four percent right now, and I don’t reckon it was anywhere near that high back then.”
    He looked uncomfortable. “Damnit, Justa, if I’d been lookin’ for an argument I’d of sent for Norris! Now why don’t you go on and do like I tell you and not jaw me to death about it!”
    I gave him a long look. “Who you trying to bully, old man? Now exactly how much was this original loan that you’ve ‘roughed’ in interest to bring it up to twenty-five thousand dollars?”
    He looked at me defiantly for a moment, and then he said, “Five hunnert dollars.”
    I laughed a little. “Now that is roughing in a little interest,” I said. “Five hundred to twenty-five thousand. How come you didn’t pay this back twenty years ago when five hundred dollars wasn’t more than a night of poker to you? And you and I both know you can’t turn five hundred into twenty-five thousand in thirty years no matter how hard you try. Just exactly what kind of loan was this?”
    He got slowly up out of his rocking chair, and then started shuffling the few steps toward his bedroom. At his door he turned and give me a hard look. “Wasn’t no loan a’tall. I stole the money from the man. Now put an interest figure on that!”
    I just stood there in amazement. Before I could speak he’d shut his door and disappeared from my view. “Hell!” I said. The idea of our daddy, Howard, stealing anything was just not a possibility I could reckon with. As far as I knew Howard had never owed anybody anything for any longer than it took to pay them back, and as for stealing, I’d known him to spend two days of his own time returning strayed cattle to his bitterest enemy. I could not conjure up a situation in which Howard would steal, and not only steal but let the crime go unredeemed for so long. Obviously he’d been a young man at the time, and he might