The Smartest Horse in Texas (The Traherns #2)

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A man should never have to ride bareback on a bony horse. At
least not very far. It ‘bout cuts him in two.

I wouldn’t have been riding this way, except some sneak thief
stole my mount, saddle and all, and took off, leaving me this bag of bones. I’m
a big man and at least the “bones” had long enough legs that my feet didn’t
trail in the dirt, but I did have to watch out when we passed rocks and thorn
bushes. That was about all the good I could say about him.

The horse stolen from me, named Hero, was a heap better. I would
a been right put out, except I stole Hero in the first place, during the war,
and it didn’t seem quite right to make a fuss over a horse that wasn’t mine.
But Hero was a powerful stallion and more horse than most men ever get a chance
to ride, and I missed him. I aimed to get him back.

When the war was over, I rode Hero back to my old home. My ma
and pa were still alive and I spent a year there, helping them rebuild and get
some crops in. The next spring, I left to make my own way. Their farm could
only sustain two people at the most. I rode south through Ft. Smith and down
the Butterfield Trail, headed toward El Paso. I figured to find me a place in
Texas and build a ranch.

According to my cousin, Trey, there were thousands of longhorn
cows running through the Texas brush, breeding like jackrabbits, just waiting
for a rope to be dropped on them. He’d put together a herd and brought it up to
Independence, Missouri, just after the war broke out. A man with a loop and a
running iron could soon have himself a large herd. A few trips north would give
a poor man a big stake in a short time.

I’d swapped my tattered Rebel uniform for some clothes at a
small Cherokee Indian village. They were delighted with the brass buttons and
the colonel's three stars on the collar. I couldn’t be shut of that uniform
fast enough, and was happy they wanted it. Many of their tribe had fought with
the Confederates, and they were facing an uncertain future.

Of course they wanted Hero, but he and I had gone through the
last weeks of the war together. No one got him. At least, he wasn’t for sale.

The pants I’d traded for looked like they’d last a spell, made
of heavy cord cloth. I now had a buckskin shirt, and, the best trade of the
lot, a sturdy pair of high-topped moccasins which one of the women had made for
me there on the spot. Riding boots were made for riding, and I needed to be
able to rest my feet now and then. Unlike many horsemen, I liked to walk, but
just not in boots.

They thought my red underwear and my worn out army blanket would
be perfect, woven into a blanket. I got one of their heavy blankets in exchange
for them. I had brought in a fat buck I’d shot, and we all shared the meat. As
I left, they offered me some pemmican, and I happily accepted, storing the
dried meat in my saddlebags.

I had just crossed a dry stretch of prairie when my fortunes
reversed.

Finding a tiny stream that barely had a trickle flowing, I had
dismounted to get a drink. I’d loosened my cinch so Hero could rest while I
gathered an armload of rocks to dam up the creek and give him a good drink. It
had been done before, so I just had to round up the rocks and put them back in
their places.

That there thief must have been lying in the brushy rocks all
along, for Hero didn’t even raise his head until the gent stood up and demanded
I hand him over.

I had my arms full of rocks and my gun in its holster, tied
down. He had a gun in his hand. He swung aboard and took off and I stood there
watching to see if my loose cinch would spin the saddle on him. It didn’t. I
could have tried to shoot him off of Hero, but I valued that horse too much.

Also, being a stallion, he just might be too much horse for a
thief.

I put my rocks in the stream, waited a minute, then got a good
drink and looked around for something to carry water in. I didn’t have any
illusions about trying to cross that desert stretch up ahead without a way to
carry water and my empty canteen had gone north with that thief. He hadn’t even
taken the time to fill it, making me wonder if he had any bullets in his gun.
Well, he now had my Henry rifle and extra ammo in the saddlebags.

A soft nicker alerted me.

It had come from behind a large rocky outcrop, and I walked
carefully around to the other side. There lay this thin white horse, half-dead.
I ran back and filled my hat with water and carried it up to him. I washed out
his mouth and got him to drink a few swallows. Then some more.

I refilled my hat, then helped him drink, cupping the water into
his mouth.

So this was how that gent had got here. He probably thought his
horse was dead and looked upon my arrival as an early Christmas. If he’d have
known he was stealing a horse from a Trahern, he might have reconsidered first.

Our family had no quit in them. Men or women, once we set our
minds on a thing, we didn’t stop, even if it took years. My cousin, Trey, was
as likely as not hunting me down right now. I needed to have Hero to give back
to him. Trey wouldn’t take it kindly if I lost his horse.

The thief’s outfit was also there, an empty tin canteen and an
old Sharps rifle with no bullets. The horse had a bridle, but no saddle.

I took that white horse to water and watched as he got himself a
drink and then another one. Then he flopped down on the dirt with a groan and
rested.

I checked his feet. He had one shoe off and another just
hanging, so I worked it off with my knife. Then I got another drink and filled
the canteen left by the thief. I screwed down the cap and put it to soak in the
stream, so the wet cloth covering would keep the water inside cool.

Then I took me a drink a little upstream, then another, and
finally got that horse up and gave him one more deep drink before we started
out.

That thief had been mighty dumb, for he had taken Hero just as
I’d completed a long waterless trek, and he hadn’t bothered to let him get a
drink. He also wasn’t riding with any water, because I’d run out before I
reached the stream. I hoped I would find him before Hero was killed. I’d taken
a liking to that stallion, ever since I had lifted him from Trey, who was
fighting on the Union side.

I’d always ridden carefully and my mounts were always in good
shape. I think the white horse must have appreciated the rest and the water,
for he started out at a fast trot, and it nigh bounced the insides out of me.
He had the roughest trot I’d every tried to sit, and with no stirrups, I
couldn’t hold myself away from his boney withers unless I held myself back with
my hands or pulled my knees high.

I settled him down into a fast walk and decided he must have
some Walker in him, because his gait smoothed out and he walked faster than his
trot.

I scooted myself back a mite towards his rump and let him go,
following Hero’s trail, which was headed north. Not the direction I had been
traveling, but I was determined to get Hero back.

Towards evening, the white started slowing down. I slid off and
walked a bit to let him rest. I’d been walking now and then, and my feet were
so sore from my high-heeled boots, I could hardly stand. I made an early dry
camp in a stand of cacti. I drank from the canteen and gave the white a sip of
water from a stem of cactus. It didn’t work all that well, but it did have some
water in it. I slept for a few hours while the sand was warm. It got cold, but
the moon came out, lighting up the trail and I led that horse out and we walked
a good many miles before the sun came up.

Later that morning we were taking another rest when a group of
five riders descended upon us, rifles at the ready and looking for bear.

“That’s his horse,” one of the men cried out, spurring his horse
to plunge down the slope to where I stood.

I lifted my hands, for they looked to be ready to shoot on
sight, and I didn’t want any bullets flying my way.

One youngster shook out a rope and that I really didn’t want to
see, although there were no trees nearby.
So I was going to get hung as a horse thief after all, for a
horse I hadn’t stolen.

Well, I’d give it a good talk
.
“Before you gents get all worked up, why don’t you take the
time to check out some facts.”

The youngster glared at me. “We don’t listen to no lyin’
murderin’—”

Murder was it? So he had been more than a horse thief.
“Even if I told you my
horse was stolen from me by the man who almost rode this one to death.”

“How come you’re alive, then?” he said with a sneer, making his
loop.

“Cause I don’t think he had any bullets in his gun when he
grabbed my horse. I didn’t realize it until he rode away. I had dismounted at
that small stream back up the trail aways, and he snuck out of the bushes and
took off on my horse. He’s a sorrel stallion with three white stockings and
half a star. My name’s on the saddle. It’s a Texas double-rigged. I intend to
get my outfit back—so if you folks have cause to want part of his hide,
you can stand in line.”

I started to put my hands down, then saw they weren’t accepting
me yet. One of them dismounted and took my pistol and the old Sharps rifle.
“This is Joe’s rifle, James. Got his name carved into the stock.”

“What’s your name?” the oldest man demanded. He looked to be the
one in charge, so I spoke to him.

“Matthew Trahern.”

“Trahern? I’ve heard of you. Out of Ohio.”

“Not me. But I’ve plenty of kin, so it could easily be a brother
or cousin. I’ve come up from Arkansas. What did the man do, who took my horse?”

“Killed my brother. That’s his horse you’ve got.”

“Well, if you hang me, you’re not going to get justice. I can
prove where I was the last week or so. When did this happen?”

“Two days ago.”

“Well, six days ago I was at Fort Smith. Having dinner with
Major Grannon and his wife.”

“His knees are bad, Uncle Jim,” the youngster said, pointing to
the white horse.

“He’s been ridden to the ground,” I said. “But he’s got a stout
heart, even if his back is all bone.”

“His name’s Jack,” one man said.

“He got some Tennessee Walker in him, I think,” I said to him.
“Even with sore feet, he sure can cover the ground.”

“Put that rope away,” the older man told the youngster. “I’m
James Cummings. You come with us while we get this straightened out.”

The youngster scowled, but coiled up the rope, letting me
breathe easier.

“Any of you men read sign?” I asked.

“I do,” Cummings said.

“Then lookee here. See that track? That’s my horse. His back
shoe has a notch in it. He’s big, purt near eighteen hands. You can see how far
apart the tracks are. You’ll be able to spot him right off. I need my horse and
gear so I can find work, so I’m following that trail.”

The kid spoke again. “What if we don’t believe—”

“Quiet.” Cummings cut the youngster off. “We’ll follow it. It’s
mighty fresh.”

“I’ve been gaining on him. He doesn’t know how to ride this
country and save his horse.”
Neither did they, for their horses were all lathered and
breathing hard. Horses were cheap compared to most things, but a good horse had
a value that couldn’t be figured in money.

I gave Jack another drink out of my canteen and I think that
sealed my case for Cummings.

He nodded and relaxed, then waited for me to jump on and we rode
off, following the track of the killer. I traveled as fast as possible, for I
could see Hero was getting in a bad way, staggering from lack of water.