Soul of a Gunslinger

by Jim Cox

  “I’ll do my sleeping sitting up tonight. I need to keep the fire going and make sure the horses outside are handling the weather.” She nodded and was soon sound asleep.

  Lefty was on his fifth cup, trying the stay awake. It was an hour or so past midnight when he stepped outside to get firewood and was confronted with blowing, thick snow, coming down at an unbelievable rate.

  “Hurry and get up, Suzan! There’s a blizzard outside, and we’ve got to get away from here or we ain’t gonna make it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Lefty was freezing and knew Suzan was suffering more than him. She didn’t have much fat left to insulate her body or use to generate body heat because she’d lost it all when she went without food for so long. We’re in serious trouble, and if I don’t find some protection against this blizzard before long, we’ll be dead within a couple of hours, he thought. But how am I going to find a place to hole-up in this weather; I can’t see ten feet ahead because of this blowing, sideways snow. Lefty tied the reins around the saddle horn because his fingers wouldn’t bend to hold the lines any longer. He was aware of their uphill climb but had no idea of their whereabouts, and more-or-less let Star lead their direction.

  It had been less than an hour since they’d left the tent and the blizzard had gotten worse. The sideways snow was thicker, the wind was stronger, and the temperature had fallen substantially. Lefty guessed it was now thirty to forty degrees below zero. They rode on. They weren’t making much progress, but there was nothing else to do. Hopefully, if they made it until morning, the temperature would warm up a bit.

  Lefty’s mind was on his trip through the New Mexico desert, wondering which was worse, the scorching one-hundred-thirty-degree heat or the forty degrees below zero temperature they were in when Star stopped. Sandy’s tethered line was drawn tight because Suzan had fallen from her saddle and was lying on the ground. When Lefty kneeled down over her, her eyes were closed, and she didn’t respond to him in any way, but she was still breathing. Assuming her unconsciousness was because of her low body temperature, and she was in the process of freezing to death, Lefty picked her up in his arms, re-mounted Star, and held her tightly against his body for what little warmth he might have.

  Seeing Suzan in a state of dying and knowing her fate was in his hands, he somehow mustered up some willpower to find a solution to their problem. What it might be, he had no idea, but he was going to try.

  Time passed slowly, and as it did, Star stopped again. Lefty looked back and saw Gray lying on the ground. He laid Suzan on the snow and went back to the dying horse. After taking the necessary items from Gray’s pack-rack and tying it onto Sandy’s empty saddle, Lefty drew his pistol and ended Gray’s life. And then with Suzan in his arms, he remounted and rode on with Star leading the way.

  The weather didn’t let up, and it seemed to Lefty the horses were getting slower and a might stove-up. He noticed his own body didn’t seem cold any longer and objects were becoming blurry; he was becoming drowsy; it was hard to stay awake. Am I showing signs of freezing and ready to fall into unconsciousness like Suzan? Lefty thought. He started wiggling his fingers and feet to get his blood circulating better, knowing it would mean sure death if he became unconscious.

  When the motion of Star’s walking stopped, Lefty’s eyes opened. He didn’t know if he had been sleeping or was unconscious, but he did know he had been out of it for some time because it was now daytime and the last he could remember, it was dark. Knowing that Star had stopped for some reason, he looked around. Suzan was still unconscious and pulled against his body, the snow was still coming down strong from the low hanging, black clouds, the wind was as strong as ever, and the temperature hadn’t warmed a bit. Looking around through the blowing snow more closely, Lefty saw a rock shelf extending out from a huge rock formation. He rode closer for a better look. The rock shelf extended out from the main rock about eight feet and was nearly twenty feet wide. It was void of snow because it was downwind. Lefty smiled. This place might save our lives.

  Lefty quickly carried Suzan under the overhang and laid her down. After going for firewood, he started a fire and pulled Suzan close to it. All four horses were brought in, and their pack-racks and saddles were removed. Then he took both warm saddle blankets and placed them under Suzan. In order to keep the wind out and the heat in the overhang, he set out to hang the canvas over the front of the shelf which was a mite over six-feet high. First, he rolled the canvas along the overhead’s top edge, placing large rocks on it to keep it from falling down or blowing away, and then he went to the floor of the overhang and laid rocks on the canvas at the foot of the opening. The enclosure was fairly tight and kept the wind out. For the next thirty minutes, he carried in firewood. Then he started a fire and put on coffee water.

  After the fire was blazing, he went to Suzan, removed the bearskin, her coat, boots, and hat. Lefty thought he needed to get her clothes off too, so the heat could get to her freezing body. He was hesitant at first because of modesty but decided to take off Shorty’s pants and shirt for her own good. He did leave Shorty’s underwear on her.

  Lefty felt of her hands and feet. They were freezing. After turning Suzan face-down on the saddle blankets, he reached under her underwear top and felt of her bare back; it was as cold as her feet. I’ve got to get her warmed up, he thought. She won’t survive long in this condition. Lefty fetched one of his wool shirts, cut off the sleeves, and hung them over the fire to get hot. When the cloths were hot, he placed them under her shirt and gently rubbed them all over her back. When the cut-off sleeves cooled, he heated them again and repeated the procedure.

  Lefty didn’t think her body was warming fast enough, so he hung the bearskin on stakes over her body which caught the heat from the fire and created an oven-like environment for her to lie in. Then he proceeded to rub her back with the heated cloths again, but at this point, he also included her legs and arms. The constant rubbing had been going on for over an hour when Lefty bent down to check on her breathing. Suzan had her eyes open looking at him.

  “You’re awake,” he said with a tone of relief. “I thought I had lost you.” Suzan didn’t respond to his comment in any way. Her staring eyes simply stayed fixed on him with a solemn expression. Lefty turned to the fire which was only a few feet away and poured her a cup of coffee. “Here, Suzan, drink this; it’ll help get you warm.” But she didn’t respond. She just kept staring at him. Lefty set the cup down, put his arm under her back, and raised her to a sitting position. Then he retrieved the cup and brought it up to her lips; she wouldn’t drink. Lefty set the cup down, drew Suzan tightly into his arms, and lay her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes, he started rubbing her back. “Everything will be all right now, Suzan,” he whispered. “You’re safe from the freezing weather, and your body will be thawed-out before long. I’ll keep rubbing your back until the circulation warms you up.” This went on for several minutes before Lefty raised her head, and brought the cup to her mouth again. This time she drank. In fact, she drank the whole cup and nodded for Lefty to get her more.

  When he handed the second cup to her, she eased away from him and brought herself to a cross-legged sitting position on the saddle blankets. “What happened to me? I don’t remember a thing since we left the tent.”

  “I’ll explain later. Right now, I want to know how you’re feeling and if your face or any part of your body feels numb?”

  “I’m still cold, but otherwise I’m feeling much better,” she answered.

  Lefty smiled and said, “As soon as you’re up-to-it, I’ll cook some vittles for you to eat. You need to get some strength back into your body.

  “I’m ready to eat anytime, but first I want to get my clothes back on,” she said with a puzzled look on her face.

  “I’ll hold your clothes over the fire to get them warm before you put them on; it’ll help warm you some.” She nodded.

  Lefty cooked the last of their food; slivers of bear meat and a can of hominy. Whi
le they were eating, Suzan said, “I want to thank you for saving my life, Lefty. This is the second time you’ve come to my rescue. I owe my life to you.”

  “Thank you, Suzan. I’m glad I was around to help. You’re a mighty fine woman, and it’s been a pleasure being with you.”

  Suzan took a couple more drinks and then fixed her eyes on Lefty. He felt her stare and asked, “How come you’re staring at me, Suzan?”

  “Did you take advantage of me while I was unconscious?” she asked soberly.

  “What do you mean by that?” he asked

  “When I woke, I had nothing on but Shorty’s underwear and you were rubbing my bare legs, arms, and back. Did you touch or look at my breast or other parts of my body?”

  Lefty was taken-back. He wasn’t used to young women being so explicit, but then, Suzan wasn’t the normal young woman. She was a forward-thinking woman who said what was on her mind. Lefty cleared his throat. “No, Suzan. You were completely covered when I rubbed you with the cloth, and I didn’t take advantage of the situation. I thought it was necessary to get you warmed up and your blood circulating.”

  She took another drink and asked with a funny looking smile, “Were you tempted…did you want to take a look, Lefty? Maybe a fast peek?”

  He smiled. “That’s another story, Suzan. You’re a mighty pretty woman, and I am a man.”

  She smiled.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The morning passed, and the outside conditions hadn’t changed; a strong wind with the same cold temperature; the snow had let up a little. Inside the hangover shelter, the temperature had warmed up considerably. The horses’ body heat helped some, but mainly the heat came from the large fire Lefty kept burning. It wasn’t warm enough to remove coats, but it was tolerable if you didn’t wander away from the fire very far.

  Even though it was time for their noon meal, Lefty didn’t mention it. He knew there was nothing in their food bags to eat. We ate the last can of hominy and all of the bear meat that Suzan had cooked at the cabin this morning. I’ve got to find something. Suzan has to eat to get her energy back. Maybe, I can track a rabbit down or even kill some kind of larger animal if I get lucky. Lefty thought on the matter and knew the likelihood of him finding an animal in this kind of weather was almost impossible. Then a thought came, Gray’s body ain’t far from here. I can get us several days of meat from his dead body if the wolves ain’t got to him first. Lefty started to stand when another thought came, I’d better not tell Suzan it’s horse meat or she may not eat it.

  Lefty stood and went to the saddles. When he picked one up and threw it on Star, Suzan asked, “What are you doing? You’re not going out in this blizzard, are you?”

  “I’ve got to find us something to eat. I cooked the last of our food this morning.”

  “Why don’t you wait? Maybe, the weather will get better by tomorrow,” she said.

  “I can’t take the chance, Suzan. We need food, and the weather might not let up for days. We wouldn’t last that long.”

  “Will you be gone long? I’d never make it without you, Lefty. You’re the only thing I can count on,” she said as her eyes started tearing up.

  “Don’t worry, honey…I mean Suzan. I won’t be gone long; maybe an hour or two. I’m looking for an elk.”

  She nodded, wiped her eyes, and then asked, “Why did you call me honey? Do you have affections for me?”

  “It was a slip of the tongue, I guess,” he said with a red face. Lefty hurried with the saddle and then stuffed two food bags in the saddlebags and placed the handle of the ax in the rifle boot. Why in the world did I call her honey, Lefty thought. She don’t give a hoot for an ugly cuss like me; her being educated and accustomed to living like a Queen all of her life.

  The cold wind nearly took his breath when he left the overhang and started down the mountain. The snow had mostly covered last night’s trail, but there was an occasional indentation identifying their travel. The trail wasn’t always visible, but after a few minutes of searching, it was found.

  Lefty had been on the trail for nearly an hour when Star stopped with pointed ears. Then he became jittery, and his eyes flared. When Lefty took a close look through the snow, he saw wolves clamoring about on top of Gray’s body; there were six of them. He tried to ride closer, but Star wouldn’t take another step forward. Lefty stepped out of the saddle, tied Star firmly to a large tree branch, and started toward the wolves with his pistol drawn. Normally, he wouldn’t challenge a pack of wolves, but he needed the meat; there was no choice. When he got within fifty feet of the carcass, three bloodied nose wolves started running toward him. His shots sounded as one. Now there were only three wolves in the pack, and they had run off several yards into the trees.

  Lefty filled his gun chambers, and all the while kept a pealed eye for the remaining wolves. He went to the carcass to check out its condition. It was ripped apart quite a bit on the exposed side, but the underneath side hadn’t been touched. Lefty went back to Star, and even though it was a struggle, he finally got him within rope range of the carcass. After tying his rope around Gray’s legs and to Star’s saddle horn, he pulled the body over, exposing the untouched part of the carcass.

  Lefty knew the body would be frozen through-and-through, so he fetched the ax and food bags and headed for the horse carcass. He had to chop through the skin and meat with his ax, like chopping down a tree, and after cutting the complete hind leg off and removing the skin and hoof, he placed the leg in a food bag and tied it behind the saddle with the rope. He hadn’t ridden far on his way back when he turned and saw the wolves atop the carcass tearing at the meat. Lefty was cold and tired when he got back three hours later. Suzan was in tears.

  The weather stayed the same for the next three days, and the inside of the overhang shelter stayed fairly warm and safe. Suzan bragged on the elk meat, saying it had a sweet taste to it. She was gaining her strength back and was even helping with the chores which pleased Lefty. What he wasn’t pleased with was the lack of food for the horses. They hadn’t eaten for five days which was critical. Lefty decided he’d have to start digging through the snow for grass in the next day or two.

  On the fourth morning in the overhang, they woke to a bright sun with only a slight breeze. It wasn’t warm enough to thaw the snow, but the temperature had warmed up considerably. Smiles wouldn’t leave Suzan’s or Lefty’s faces as they hurried about doing morning chores; Lefty going after firewood and Suzan making coffee and roasting elk meat on branches over the fire.

  While they were on their second cup, Suzan asked, “When are we leaving?”

  Lefty was a little surprised and asked, “Are you up to it, Suzan? We have two, maybe three days of travel before we get to Sutter’s Fort. Are you sure you’ve gained enough strength to make it?”

  “I’ll make it… I have to. If we stay here much longer the horses won’t survive. We’ve got to find a patch of grass for them.” He nodded and was taken back with her insight.

  The horses were gaunt, and their strides were a mite short as they started off through the crunching snow. As usual, Star carried Lefty with Sandy tethered behind carrying Suzan. Tethered behind them, carrying the packs were Abe and the robber’s horse. Stops were made quite often because of the horses’ physical condition, but they seemed to handle the stress better than expected as they climbed the last portion of the final mountain and descended down its slope.

  It was late afternoon as they neared the valley leading to Sutter’s Fort when a cliff appeared across the valley in the far distance with what appeared to be a field of grass at its base. Lefty pulled up. “Is that a field of grass,” Suzan asked.

  “It sure looks like it,” he answered.

  “Why wouldn’t it be covered with snow like the rest of the area?”

  “Because the snow was blown past the cliff a-ways by the strong wind before it was dumped on the ground; at least that’s what I think happened.”

  By sunset that evening, the horses were hob
bled in thick mountain grass beside the cliff, and Suzan and Lefty were in a tepee he had built. Coffee water was heating, and meat strips were roasting. They were tired and hungry, but they were happy as they leaned back listening to the stream ramble while their meal cooked. They’d be in Sutter’s Fort in two days, and the travel would be easy, riding down the valley.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Lefty stopped at the livery which was the first business he came to when he and Suzan rode into Sutter’s Fort in late afternoon. The town seemed to be the same as when he and Shorty rode through it several weeks back. The main street was a muddy, snow mess covered with manure; the hitch rails were full, the stores seemed busy, especially the saloons and cafes, and the boardwalk benches even had a few bundled-up men sitting on them in the cold.

  Lefty entered the livery and found the liveryman sitting next to the stove in his lean-back chair with his hat pulled down like he was when he and Shorty came through the first time. “Howdy,” Lefty said. “Do you remember me? My partner and me boarded our horses with you a few weeks back.”

  The old man dropped his chair, pulled his hat up, and took a good look. “I remember you. Your partner was a short man wearin’ funny looking britches.” Lefty smiled. “What can I do for ‘ya?” the old timer asked.

  “I’d like to board our four horses with ‘ya for a couple of days if you’ve got the space.”

  “I’ve got the space,” the old timer said, “and the price is the same as the last time you were here; six-bits for the lot of ‘em if you want ‘em fed, and you pay me now.”