The Adventures of Tumbleweed Jack

Jack and his horse Blake galloped across the lonely carpet of tumbleweeds from which he would later acquire his nickname. Parson’s Ranch lied just below the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range where rumors of soil endowed with gold pulled at Jack’s attention.  As he rode, Jack dreamt about the riches that he was sure awaited him. 

It was noon by the time Jack had reached the isolated Parson’s Ranch.  It’s finely crafted half iron half brick fences seemed oddly out of place with its rugged foothill surroundings. 

As Jack neared a freshly painted, deep red ranch house he felt strangely underdressed as a man wearing a white shirt and tie waived to him from the front porch.

“Hello there,” shouted the grinning man.  “Are you the new hay boy?”

Hay boy? thought Jack.  “I guess you could say that.”  The title didn’t sit too well with him.  What would his father think?

“Welcome,” exclaimed the elderly man.  My name’s David Parson and this here’s my ranch.”

Jack took a quick glance around the rich man’s ranch then looked back down at Parson.

“This is quite a ranch you have here Mr. Parson,” Jack said.”

“It’s the fruit of hard work hay boy.”

Ignoring Parson’s pleasant tone, Jack replied defensively, “My name is Jack Donnegan.”  He paused, slightly embarrassed.  “My horse’s name is Blake.”

“Well Jack Donnegan, Blake, it’s nice to meet both of you.”  Parson gave another friendly smile.  “No harm intended.”     At that moment Jack heard a woman’s voice calling from inside the house.   She sounded as though she were in pain.

“Daddy,” she yelled, her voice cracking.  Parson’s smile began to melt though he tried not to let it show.

“You can start unloading the hay over there,” said Parson ignoring the girl.

“Daddy,” she yelled again.  “Daddy!”

“What’s all that about,” asked Jack, nodding at the house.  Parson’s eyes began to tear.  “That’s Jenny, my daughter.  I don’t know what to do with her.”

“Well maybe we should go see what’s wrong with her.”  Jack swung his leg off of Blake and ran to the house.  As he entered the front door he saw a young brown-haired girl on the verge of birthing a baby.

“Great Jesus,” shouted Jack as he ran over to the girl.  “Are you okay?”  The girl was breathing heavily and had broken into a severe sweat. “I’m fine,” she insisted.  “But I think it’s ready to come out!”

Back on his father’s farm Jack had seen several animals give birth but this was the first time he had ever seen a human being born.  But before he knew it Jack had helped bring his first baby girl into the world.