Chapter Twenty-Four

 

Winter came early and the snow came unannounced. It was hard to track the horses but somewhere along Christmas time Wes caught up to the wild herd. Wes didn't realize all his training of Lucky was going to pay off, but he was like a good sheep dog, he mustered those horses about, making it easier to keep them in line.

For a while he just kept up with them, but he cracked his whip and began to herd with them, directing them in a different direction. It was hard work, especially in the snow, and the forest of trees, but he kept at it. There must have been a hundred, to a hundred and fifty horses in that herd. He got very little sleep trying to keep them from running off. He spent some time making a make-shift fence of barbed wire around them at night to keep them pinned in.

The old Indian he'd traded with caught up to him again and offered to help him.

The Indian spoke English and Wes was surprised.

"Why didn't you tell me you spoke English?" Wes asked Black Feather as they camped that night.

"You did not ask." Black Feather snorted.

"I guess you are right. I didn't." Wes smiled.

"What you do with these horses?" Little Feather asked him.

"I'm going to take them down to the valley, sell some and breed some and raise them."

"You take all of them, alone, by yourself?"

"Unless you want to help me. I would give you twenty-five head if you help me get them down there."

"Twenty-five horses."

"I mean, I figure it might help your people."

The old Indian looked at him and then smiled. "You take them to my village, then I help you get the rest to your valley."

"It's a deal." Wes smiled. He reached out his hand to him to shake. The old Indian smiled back.

"It's a deal!"

Wes slept better that night, and the next day they headed for Black Feather's camp. It was miles to the west, but Wes didn't mind. With help he could get these horses down. He hadn't thought the herd would be so big, but it would be a great start he figured. And Indians were good with horses.

It was nearly a week getting to the campsite and they were greeted by his entire tribe. When the others found out about the bargain Black Feather had struck with Wes, they were excited and pleased. They offered him food, and a dry place to lay his head.

"It is good. We have a hard time getting through the forest and rough terrains in winter on foot. This will make it easier on the entire tribe. I would like to know if I could make more bargains with you."

Wes smiled, "Name your bargain?"

"If we trade corn, and fish and hides, would you trade horses every year?'

"How many?" Wes asked.

"Ten horses a year."

"Done." Wes smiled and shook on it.

"You are a good trader, my friend." Black Feather told him.

"It will benefit us both."

"Agreed."

They stayed a couple of nights and when they got ready to leave two young braves came up to them. After talking to Black Feather, they wanted to go and help get the horses down from the thick forest and hill country.

Knowing the Indians knew the best routes and the dangers, Wes was agreeable to the extra help.

"It is good my friend. But why you trust the Indian so much?" Black Feather asked.

Wes sat back against his saddle now and looked at Black Feather. "I've been a drifter for years, Black Feather and I have met many people, many different people. By being friendly I have learned to get along with most of them. Unless a man robs, kills, or lies, I see no reason to be unfriendly to anyone." Wes told him.

"It is good. Perhaps my people could learn a lot from you." Black Feather smiled.

"The time of wars is almost past. A lot of blood was shed on both sides. Then the big war came when the white man fought his own people. And killed way too many of them. I like to think we learned something from that war. Your tribe is small, but you couldn't exist if it were big. Like before. They'd have you on a reservation. But as long as there is peace, things are good."

"Yes, many died on both sides. They always do."

"The civil war was a blood bath, like many of your wars against other tribes."

Black Feather nodded his expression sad and thoughtful.

"Are you married, Black Feather."

"No more, she died of the white man's disease, smallpox."

"I'm sorry. Do you have children?"

"Yes, these are my sons, Blue Dog, and White Fox." He told him proudly.

Wes nodded at them with a smile. "Do they speak English?"

"Some, not as much as I. But I try to teach them. It is important that we learn from the white man and maybe the white man can learn from us." Black Feather said quietly.

"That's true. I've done a lot of traveling, but my knowledge of the hill country is not as good as yours. I don't usually stay in one place long."

"We cannot take up the white man's religion, nor discard our beliefs, but we can be friends and not make war any longer. Tell me, does my white brother have a family?"

Wes smiled at the 'white brother' comment. "I have. I have a sort of father, and a girl I want to marry."

"That is good, for man should not be alone."

"Yeah, I'm beginning to believe that." Wes smiled.

"How long you think it will take to get down this rough terrain?" Wes asked.

"With this many horses, four, five, maybe six weeks. But we will not lose them my friend, that is what is important."

"Yes, you're right again."

That night Wes slept peacefully. He was glad to have the help and to have made friends with these people. He felt good about his future now.

For the next two weeks they pushed the horses slowly through the thick forest of trees. The stallion that led them gave them some trouble but oddly enough Blue Dog seemed to know exactly how to handle him and Wes paid close attention how he did it. Sometimes the boy worked on foot to get the reaction he wanted from the horse. But the kid knew horses better than anyone Wes ever saw. Lucky seemed to follow his lead too and helped Blue Dog.

That evening at the campfire Wes told Black Feather, "Anytime they want a job working with the horses, let me know. I've never seen anyone better than your boys. Also, I'd be coming back this way or to other areas to round up mustangs, and if you and they want to help, I can promise to keep your tribe in horses for years to come."

"That's good my brother. The Indian has taken naturally to the horse. For many years, our ancestors had no horse and dogs were used to transport our camp from one place to another. When the Spanish came with their magnificent horses, the Indian quickly learned to master them."

"Well, I've sure seen it in action these past few days."

"I might send them down to you at times to help out, if you can send word to me that you need them." Black Feather encouraged.

"For their part in this I will give them both five horses."

"You are generous."

Wes stared into Black Feather's withered face, "Money is not everything, friendship is worth much more."

"You are a wise one for your age."

Wes sighed, "I've been on my own a long time, and I learned to value the good people I've come to know."

Black Feather smiled and nodded.

But the next day when Blue Dog was working with the Stallion to try to calm him, Wes dove down on him and the others turned to see. There was a bear trap and in trying to save him, Wes was caught on the arm with it.

Black Feather raced to his side and both the boys and their father pulled the trap off Wes' arm. Wes was bleeding badly, and Black Feather ran to get what he needed to stop the bleeding.

Wes was almost out of it by his return.

"You are very brave my friend, you took the brunt of the blades for my son, and I am thankful." The boys crowded around. Black Feather let Blue Dog bandage his arm after he doctored it with some home-made concoction.

"Wish we had whiskey for you."

"Look in my saddle bag, there is a bottle," Wes told him.

Black Feather sent White Fox to get it.

He gave it to Wes, and he took a big swig of it.

"More my friend you need to sleep."

"I'm not much of a drinker. I carry it for medicine." Wes told him.

"If you and your boys want some, go ahead."

"No, firewater and Indians do not mix well. I learned this the hard way, many years ago." Black Feather laughed.

But Wes couldn’t hold his eyes open and soon fell asleep.

The next day his arm was stiff and sore, but he could move it and handle things. He gave the whip to one of the boys as he had trouble using it. He needed to let his arm heal first.

Blue Dog and White Fox shared it and had fun using it. While one used the whip, the other tried to teach Lucky different things about herding the animals. It was mainly to scare the horses enough to stay together and not wander off.

Several places they had to clear so the horses could pass easily. It was a tiring job getting them down the through the thick forest, finding good places to camp for the night. But on their journey, Wes learned many things about safety and making good tracks with the horses.

He enjoyed their conversations in the evenings too. Even Blue Dog and White Fox began to join in the conversation and Wes was happy to help them with their English.

Black Feather taught him how to forage in the forest for food, even in the snow. He taught him about herbs and medicines the Indians used. Wes taught the boys about using the barbed wire to fence the horses in at night. They had never worked with it, and Wes taught them to be very careful not to hurt themselves.

"Men have tangled themselves with it, and really hurt themselves."

"Only the white man's sickness bothers us now." Black Feather told him.

"Yes, we have no cures for some of them yet." Wes explained.

Halfway down they ran into some white men bent on stealing the horses. But Blue Dog and White Fox had hid so they didn't know they were there, and they got the drop on them.

Wes wasn't sure what to do with them, but he thought maybe intimidation might work best. "You boys steal from people you don't know. I could let Blue Dog and White Fox come up with a punishment."

"Look, we won't mess with you again, if you let us go." One of the men said.

"You are thieves, are you both liars too?" Black Feather asked.

"Honest. We won't bother you again." The tall one said.

"What do you think, Black Feather?" Wes asked him.

"I think they speak with forked tongues. A man that steals does not stop stealing until he is properly punished for his deed."

"I think we should tie them to the trees with the barbed wire, standing up. Let them sleep that way. If they can. For a thief must be restrained from their own sins."

"What the hell would you know about sin?" the shorter man yelled belligerently.

"Since I learned English, I also read the bible. It has great wisdoms." Black Feather smiled.

Blue Dog and White Fox tied them to the trees. They did not feed them but let them fuss and cuss half the evening.

Black Feather walked up to the short man, "We will go to sleep now, but you will not, for the barbed wire will cut you and hurt you. You must think of your sin and ask forgiveness from the Great White Father in the heavens."

"What kind of people are you?" The tall one asked.

Blue Dog walked up to him, "One that knows right from wrong." And he walked away with a smile.

White Fox walked over to them and smiled. "Our father taught us that."

Wes knew he could have shot them, or let them walk away, but this was better. Maybe they'd gain some respect and learn from this. He hoped so.

The next day as they got up, fixed breakfast, and got their gear ready, Wes walked over to them. "I'm gonna turn you lose now. I hope you learned something and thought about what you were trying to do. I wouldn't advise trying it again."

He cut them loose.

They stared, then got their gear and left.

Black Feather looked at Wes, "Had they been tied up longer, they might have learned, but they will remember this and at least be more careful next time they try something like this."

"I hope so," Wes shook his head.

As they got closer to leaving the forested area, the weather began to let up and the snow began to melt.

It had to be March. Wes figured from the weather.

"I'd like you fellas to ride with me to the ranch, so you will know where it is, and come visit."

Black Feather smiled, "We would like that."

"Good."

It was nearly a hundred miles to the ranch, but it was flatter land, and they didn't have to fight trees and steep hill terrain now.

As they got closer to the ranch and Tooley, they ran into some people and Wes nodded and smiled as they stared at the Indians with him.

They passed Frank Campbell's ranch and he spotted them. He rode out to see what was going on.

"Looks like you got a herd of mustangs." Frank smiled.

"Yes, I did." Wes nodded.

"Who are they?" Frank asked staring at the Indians.

"This is Black Feather, Blue Dog, and White Fox, they helped me get this herd through the thick mass of trees and rough terrain."

Frank nodded at them.

'That's quite a herd you got there."

"Yeah, I sure needed their help." Wes chuckled.

"Seen Kate lately?" Frank asked, waiting for an answer.

"No, but I'm sure I will, why?" Wes asked curiously.

"Just wondered. I haven't seen her or that Dickens fella all winter."

"Well, that's understandable."

"What do you mean?" Franks' frown was showing.

"I asked Dickens to build a bigger corral, so he's been busy, and I doubt Kate would get out much in the winter."

"I'd like to know something." Frank asked folding his lips in a decided frown.

"What's that?"

"You got a claim on that gal?"

Wes smiled, "If you are referring to Kate, then I'll tell you. Not yet, but I sure intend to try." Wes smiled.

Frank opened his mouth to say something, then shut it. But before he rode away, he just had to open his mouth again. "She's got a lot to learn about being a lady." He blurted.

"That's alright, I like her just like she is."

Frank stared after him a long time then rode slowly back to his ranch.

Black Feather was quiet a moment then asked, "He make trouble for you and your woman?"

"He tried." Wes smiled again, because now he knew Kate hadn't been seeing him. His heart swelled with pride.

About ten o'clock that night, the ranch was in sight.

Wes smiled, there was still a light on, someone was up. He couldn't wait to see them both again. It had been a long hard winter.