The Trail West Ch. 02

"I'm making it my business. This fella didn't do anything that Cindy didn't want him to do. She's just using him to make you jealous and you fell for it. If you gotta be mad, be mad at her. Y'all step away now," William ordered. He looked at the three young men, who didn't make a move to leave.

"There's one other thing for you to think about," William told him. "I don't think the three of you can lick the two of us." He stared at the three until they started to drift away. Burrows could feel the tension drain out of the big man who had helped him.

"Thanks mister, I think I could have handled them but it would have been a close thing," Burrows spoke to William for the first time as he shook his hand. "Names Johnny Burrows and I take it your William."

"William Kelly and you can thank my girl. It was her idea for me to come out here," William said. "Why don't you let Cindy and Jenkins work things out between them and join me and Molly at our table?"

"Sounds like the smart thing to do, William. Lead on," Burrows replied.

William and Burrows went back inside and joined Molly at the table. Molly looked back and forth at the two for a few seconds and couldn't contain herself anymore.

"So what happened Will? Y'all don't look like you've been in a scuffle."

"Molly this is Johnny Burrows," William said ignoring her question, "Johnny this is my girl Molly Riley; she's the one who sent me out to stop the fight."

"Pleased to meet you Miss Riley and thank you," Burrows said.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Burrows, you're welcome," Molly replied.

"Mr. Burrows is my father, call me Johnny please. Why did you send William here out to help me anyway?

Molly explained that she saw what Cindy was trying to do and didn't think it was fair that Johnny should have to pay for her little game. "Someone should paddle that girl's behind." Molly smiled and then continued, "I don't think Jenkins's man enough to do it. She's got him wrapped around her finger."

The three new friends spent the rest of the evening together; William even let Johnny dance with Molly a couple of times. At the end of the evening Burrows thanked them again and left at first light the next day.

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"That's why I remember your Pa and Ma after all this time. They stepped up and helped a stranger and kept me from gettin a beatin," Burrows finished his story. "I wrote to them a few times but there's no post office in the mountains and when I got to a town I was too busy drinkin and whore'n around to think about it."

Hobart was smiling at his friend and Josh was grinning from ear to ear. He was as proud as could be of his folks.

"I'd like to say that if I'd known what that little gal was up to I would 'a walked away. But thinkin about it, I probably wouldn't have. She was very pretty with long red hair, she smelled real good, and I liked holding her when we danced," Burrows volunteered. "I wonder if she ended up with that Jenkins. He didn't seem like the right man to control that filly."

Josh started laughing out loud and both men looked at him, puzzled by his outburst. "No, Jenkins didn't end up with her and you're right he couldn't handle her. But her next beau could and did. My Uncle Simon married Cindy when I was about two." Josh told them.

The three men had enjoyed the story and it brought them closer. Josh felt a touch of home talking to Burrows and wished he could stay around and talk some more. But he needed to get back to the camp because he had to get ready for tomorrow.

"It's been a pleasure to meet you Mr. Burr...I mean Johnny. I'd like to stay and talk some more but I got things that need doing. Thanks for sharing that story. I hope to meet up with you again one day," Josh said as he rose to leave.

"If you're writin to your folks Josh, in the next letter tell them that Johnny Burrows said hello, will ya?" He paused for a few seconds remembering the tall young man that had come to his defense all those years ago. "Tell ya what, if Clint here don't mind I'll ride out with you for the first day and we can talk some more on the trail."

Josh looked at Mr. Hobart and saw him nod. "I'd like that Johnny but it'll be an awful long round trip for you."

"That first day, you'll be lucky to get in ten miles; you gotta shake things out and get organized. I'll ride with you and camp that first night and come back to town the next day. We can talk as we ride and at camp that night", Burrows offered.

The next morning before daylight Burrows rode into the camp. He met up with Josh, helped him get the remuda on the trail, and started talking. Johnny must get lonely up in the mountains and miss talkin to people, Josh thought because Burrows didn't stop the whole day. He would answer a question for Josh and then take off again. Josh didn't get in more than a few dozen words all day.

The only time that Burrows didn't talk was at supper. Afterwards Burrows started again. Josh didn't mind because he was learning about the wild country he was passing through and the even wilder country he was headed for. He heard about the quick changes in the weather that were possible, he learned about the wild animals he might run into, he learned about some of the different Indian tribes, but most of all he was reminded to constantly stay alert and pay attention to his surroundings. Inattention could kill you.

About an hour after supper, Josh excused himself to take an apple or two to Diablo and continue the process of getting the big horse to trust people again. Hobart had a portable corral that could be carried under the wagons; it kept the riding stock safer than out on the open range.

As Josh got to the corral Diablo trotted over to meet him stopping just short of the fence; a real improvement from the horse's actions the previous day. Josh laid a piece of apple on the top rail and stepped back. Diablo stretched out his neck and took the apple, watching Josh as he did. Josh talked to him in a soft soothing voice and held out his hand with another piece of apple, offering it to Diablo. Slowly the horse took the apple from Josh's hand; this time Diablo didn't step back and stayed close to the man with the good tasting treats.

Josh gave Diablo the rest of the apple and swung around to return to camp; Burrows stepped out of the shadows and surprised him. "I didn't hear you come up behind me Johnny," Josh said.

"I can be quieter than a snake when need be. It's a skill you should learn boy," Burrows replied with a sneaky little grin. "You sure got a way with horses."

"Yeah I guess I do. Back home there's a man named Reece that lived in the next valley; his wife is a Cheyenne Indian. He learned about horses from her and she taught me too as I worked with him a few summers after I got my growth. Mr.& Mrs. Reece taught me a lot," Josh explained.

At daylight, Josh was up to say good bye to Johnny Burrows and got a surprise. Burrows had decided to ride with the wagon train for another day. When asked about it by Hobart, Johnny said that the train would only make about 25 miles in the two days and he could ride back to Fort Smith in one day. He didn't admit it but Burrows had enjoyed spending the day teaching Josh. The youngster reminded him of Josh's father and of his own youth; besides he just plain liked the young man.

Josh reported to Hobart and got another surprise; he had the day off. "You'll be working plenty of 18 hours days on this trip so I thought you and Johnny could spend the day together. Who knows, you might learn something," Hobart told him.

Josh's lessons, being taught by the mountain man, continued as Burrows and Josh rode out from camp. Josh had been hunting since he was old enough to hold a rifle and thought he could move pretty quietly. But where Josh might make a little noise, Burrows made none. He taught Josh how to move like the wind over the ground and sharpened his skills in tracking. When they rejoined the wagon train Josh felt like he had been in school all day; a school that would help him survive his journey.

The next morning it was time for Burrows to head back to Fort Smith. If he hadn't made a deal and given his word to the other wagon master, Johnny would have continued on to Santa Fe. It was nice to see and talk to his old friend Clint Hobart and he liked teaching Josh.

Burrows felt good teaching Josh a lot of the things that he had learned in 20 years living in the wild. The boy reminded him of what his own son would have been like if the child and his mother hadn't been killed in a raid on their camp better than 15 years before. His wife had been a full blooded Comanche and the raiders were white men; someday maybe I'll tell the boy and Hobart that story; after it quits hurting so much, but not now.

When Josh stepped over to say good bye, Burrows handed him a large knife in a leather belt sheath saying, "That little pig sticker you're carrying won't do no good out here. This here Bowie knife is more what you need, son."

Josh was surprised at the gift but more surprised at the emotional bond that he and Johnny Burrows had developed. He reminds me of my Pa, Josh thought; and treats me almost like his son. Josh had an idea and quickly wrote something on a page from his journal.

"Thanks Johnny," Josh said. "When you get back to Fort Smith would you send this over the telegraph to my folks? I told them I'd send telegrams along the way and follow up with a letter whenever I could. I just plain forgot before we left, I'd be obliged if you could help me out."

Burrows nodded his head as he took the message from the youngster and waved off the money Josh tried to give him for the cost of the telegram. He maybe didn't get along or understand people very good but he understood what Josh was doing. The boy was giving him a chance to reconnect with his past and people from it.

As the wagon train got started west Josh and Johnny Burrows road a couple of miles east back down the trail toward Fort Smith. They dismounted said their good byes and hugged, embarrassed by their emotions as men usually are. They both knew they had made a friend for life but would probably never meet again.

"If you ever get up Oregon way look me up boy," Burrows said in parting.

After a last good bye, Josh mounted Sunny, waved one more time to Burrows and turned the big buckskin's head down the trail west.

To Be Continued...