A Long Lonely Road (7 page)

In all this time Molly had just lazed around the barn and now was wondering where the truck seat was, why was she having to walk?

Life’s rough in the new world, Suck it up buttercup!

I had taken both an Idaho and a US atlas from Bill and planned to use them a great deal. My plan such as it was. Was to simply head South and East and avoid any larger cities and towns.

I figure a small farm and ranch community might be more likely to pull together and form safe refuge for the area folks. And I sure hope I’m right.

I didn’t plan to be seen if at all possible until I wanted to be seen. I had already seen more then enough of the way things were shaping up. And frankly I was tired of having to kill people. Even really bad people who

needed killing.

I hoped to make at least 20 miles a day if at all possible but have no idea what I will actually do. This trip was uncharted territory for me. So I will just ride from can see to can’t see and when I get there I’ll be there.

It’s easy to have this attitude because there is no choice. Yes I could have kept the old Chevy and filled every thing that would hold gas and made better time.

Like maybe right into a roadblock or an ambush which besides ruining my entire day would most likely ruin my chances of making it home. Meaning we do it my way.

It’s funny when I think about anything it’s “WE” meaning Molly and me. I guess now it’s Molly, Buck and me. OH and the red mules.. Damn, we have a family!

After crossing thru the pass Bill showed me on the map he said to just follow the Southern slope as I’d be in open country which made riding easier as long as nobody saw me.

And not being seen was high on my list until I needed supplies which I hoped wouldn’t be for another 2 weeks. Time would tell and I planned to be looking for supper on the hoof so to speak. Meaning rabbits and such were fair game

I won’t shoot a deer until I have to because I will have to dry most of it and that will use up a couple of days. Which from the way my ass feels might be very welcome.

It was beautiful country I was riding thru and I wished I had somebody to share it with besides Molly but she was it and better then being alone.

Late in the afternoon we came up on a creek that had to be spring fed it was so small but the water was icy cold and it was a welcome place to stop. The day had drifted by with me just letting my mind drift.

But I was tired as hell and my butt was killing me so here we were staying. Besides it wasn’t long until dark and I needed to extra time to do the unpacking and getting the Mules settled down for the night.

Our pace had been slow and steady and Mules are great foragers so they had chomped every bush or clump we passed.

After unpacking them and watering them I tied them to the rope line I ran between two trees and brushed them down looking for rub marks on their backs and checked their feet.

These were some wonderful animals and well trained and gentle. So unlike the tales you hear about them. I put a small bait of grain in their nose bags and started on my camp chores.

I was so tired I was tempted to just crawl into my bed roll but that wouldn’t cut it so I as the saying goes Cowboy’d up and built a small fire to heat some canned beans and tossed in some of the sausage jerky which I was surprised to see was still holding it’s on.

I really wanted some coffee but had to think about it but decided if I made some tonight and saved part of it I could heat it while getting ready for the day! Good idea!! Amazing how you can find an excuse to justify what you wanna do !

My bed roll was laid out with a ground cloth under and over it, the fire was dying down and so was I. But I needed to watch the stars a bit because it amazed me that some folks refused to even think there had to be other life out there because their holy book didn’t say so

It also never mentioned the Dinosaurs but we know they were here before us. I never understood narrow minded people. God made it all, the heavens and the earth and us. Why would he stop there?.

These thoughts were so deep I never finished them I guess because the sun is up! And the Mules are stomping around wanting water. Damn ! I looked at my wrist at the band of white skin and just laughed out loud!

First things first, Fire, heat coffee, water mules and tie them out to graze a bit. Then I fixed breakfast for Molly and me. I had a can of potatoes and chopped them up in the skillet and crumbled sausage jerky over them.

After it was hot I added a small can of diced tomatoes with some kind of peppers in it.

Toss in a couple of Biscuits’ from the ladies back at the ranch and I had a feast for us.

I didn’t share the cup of coffee with Molly. I’m so bad.

After cleaning up the dishes and putting out the fire I repacked the panniers and brought the mules in one at a time, brushed them and loaded them.

When Buck was saddled and camp cleaned, trash buried and another drink for all of us we were off day two in this phase our great adventure.

I kept an eye on Molly because she wasn’t a pup anymore but she seemed to be moving better then usual, maybe fresh air and exercise was good for her too.

According to my map we would be crossing some roads today, no big ones just county roads and such but every road was possibly a trouble spot and would need watching.

Around midday we did hit a forest service road that was going in our direction so I took it. Easier on the mules and we would make some time since it winded down the mountain taking the easy route.

We crossed several streams where the animals could water and rest a bit. So far so good! It was hard to believe the world had ended or at least in a sense. Because it was a beautiful day and was just so peaceful up here in the high country.

Another day was coming to an end so I looked for a camp site which wasn’t all that hard to find in this kind of country. This was hunting country and there were spots where hunters in times past had set up camp.

I stopped at the next place where a stream ran close to the road. I moved us off the road a ways just because. And following what was to become a normal routine for a long time We set up camp.

I was just as tired as the evening before so once the chores were done I ate some jerky, shared with Molly and rolled into the bedroll and went out like a light.

I  did hear Molly grumble in the night and a mule stomped around a bit but nothing more.

Another day another dawn, funny how that works. I was slow getting ready to move out. I was feeling the effects of doing more then I was used to and admit it John, yer not a kid no more.

But get going we did and once in the saddle everything felt good so I guess my ass is getting used to it.

When I was young me and a few friends talked about riding the Continental Divide from the Canadian Border to the Mexican Border. Never happened as those things never do.

And now here I was, old as dirt with gray hair what there is of it and a beard doing just about what was planned all those many years ago. Except now I was doing it armed to the teeth and watching everything like a hawk.

Long about late afternoon I heard a sound I never thought to hear. A chain saw! Now this was interesting. It was off a goodly distance but still ahead of me so I needed to stay alert.

I debated riding on a ways but needed to find a spot for the night, which I did and simply followed what was now routine. Stock cared for, food heated, bed. Life is actually pretty simple if you throw away the watches and time clocks. Slow down and smell the coffee.

Come day light I got moving, chewed jerky in the saddle with Molly ranging out ahead as was now her custom. I think she’s getting into this stuff. Seems to be doing better by the day.

After almost an hour easing along the Forest Service road I finely heard the  sound of an ax in the distance. It’s amazing how clear sounds are up here with no traffic noise.

As I got closer to the sound I slowed even more and finely stopped in the shadows of some tall Fir trees. Nothing sounded out of place to my ears just the slow steady axe thunking into what I figured was firewood.

Well now what was I gonna do? I could ride around the area but it was pretty steep here and it would add an extra day of two just to do so. I decided to do as Bill said and loose the mules.

After that was done I started on down the road until I smelled smoke and food cooking which was smelling really good I might add! I started Buck moving again and shortly I could see smoke drifting thru the pines.

I was just about to step down off Buck when Molly growled, looking at her I saw her tail flagging and her hackles up, She was looking off the side of the road but I couldn’t see a thing.

Then I heard a voice. It said “ Well now, I ain’t seen a set of Tiger Stripes in must be Nye on to 45 years. I sat frozen in the saddle thinking what a green horn fool I was. The voice chuckled and continued, Yep he said, musta be 45 years ago, and them ol boys weren’t riding no beautiful Mule!

Finely I said  “Well if your not gonna shoot me can I un freeze“?

He said “ Well ya know, I don’t think anybody riding cross country on a mule is looking for trouble so why not just step down and we can chat a bit.

I was more then happy to do so since if need be I could at least make a go at my 45. Better then not trying at all.

Out from some brush that now looked more like it was placed there not grown there stepped a man about my age wearing woodland BDU’s carrying an AR.

We looked each other over a bit and he finely stepped closer and put out his hand. And said “ Names Harvey, Harv for short. He had a firm hand shake not one of them dead fish types.

To avoid the usual comment I told him I was Long Walker, he nodded and said “yer lucky coz ifn my daddy’s name was Walker I’da been named Johnny!” Well I had no choice , I just flat busted out laughing while he smiled at me. Then said, “got ya didn’t I?” I had to admit it was so.

He was a tall skinny ol boy with the hills of West Virginia in his voice. Long hair worn down on his shoulders and bush hat. He saw me look at the scars on his neck and left hand.

I knew what it was coz I’d seen it before, long ago. He nodded and said. Up in the Ia drang in 65. I just nodded at him, what was there to say?

I asked him about his comment on the Tiger Stripes. He said a while after he returned from the hospital his unit was pulling security at a fire base and they were told some friendly’s were moving thru about dark.

He said the people made radio contact and popped smoke, after being given the ok they filed out of the jungle.

In his words “ Well sir, them was the wildest bunch I ever did see, they was all wearin them stripes and even their faces were painted in stripes. It took us a moment to see that it was 8 Americans and about 30 little people who turned out to be hmong fighters.

“They was all carryin them AK’s even the Americans who turned out to be Marine Force Recon types. Them boys had been out in Indian country so long they even squatted like the Hmong.”

He said the unit was kept away from the other troops and after loading up on food and patching up some who were wounded they just up and walked right out disappeared like smoke in a breeze.

They were later told it was a hunter killer team who did just what their name implied, they hunted down the enemy and killed them. I just nodded at him and said yea I seen em too. Which I had, up close and personal.

Harv said come on I’ll take ya down to our place. I asked about him leaving his post but he smiled and said hell there was two of his boys out there learning to do the job.

I told him they was doing a good job since Molly never noticed them, he smiled with pride and said yea they’s gooduns. I enjoyed his dialect because I served with ol boys from his neck of the woods. It brought back memories of good men and hard times but lots of laughs too.

We walked on down the road with Molly in the lead and Buck and his buds following along with the occasional pause to rip parts of some bush to eat. I love mules for this reason. They will eat damn near anything. Easy keepers.

Walking into his ….I guess FOB ( forward operations base) is the only words to describe it , was a flash back to the land of bad things. Except there was pine and fir trees not jungle growth.

I started to think maybe Harv had spent a little too much time out in Indian country himself. He sure as hell hadn’t forgotten any lessons that were learned the hard way.

The place was shaped like a triangle with a solid earth covered log bunker at each point to allow good fire support to any other point.

There looked to be about 20 people I could see and I knew there was a bunch I didn’t see. He walked me thru the tangle foot barbed wire in the usual zig zag pattern that slows attackers down a bunch.

His tangle foot was laid out perfect, and he really did it using two layers, one too low to crawl under and the top one a bit to high to crawl over. Anybody trying was a deader.

After we were inside the walls it was laid out with the living areas built as a series of  snug above ground earth bermed bunkers would be my name for them but they were also nice living areas.