Waco untied the rope and dragged the ornery mule away, leaving only the one who had a death grip on Becky’s thigh. Becky’s face was pale, and she was gritting her teeth to avoid crying out. Kirby drew his Colt and slammed it down against the mule’s head. When he keeled over, his teeth still sunk in Becky’s leg, she was dragged off her horse on top of the troublesome mule. Only then was she able to free her leg.
“Waco,” Becky gritted, “let me have your gun. I’m going to kill this son-of-a-bitch, if I never do anything else.”
“I don’t think so,” said Waco. “We already lost a day trying to rescue him, doctoring his leg. Lonnie’s the trail boss. Let’s wait and see what he has to say.”
Furious, Becky bit her tongue. One of the other drag riders had ridden ahead of the herd, informing Lonnie of the problem. He rode back just in time to see the mule, again on his feet, kicking and rearing on the lead rope. Waco held the other mule’s lead rope. Becky lay on her back in the grass, her Levi’s down around her ankles. Mindy, Laura, and April hovered around, unsure as to what they should do. So fierce had been the mule’s grip on Becky’s thigh, it oozed blood where the animal’s teeth had sunk in. All around the wound, the skin was fast turning a bluish purple.
“Kirby,” said Lonnie, “you and Waco get a fire going. Get a pot of water on to boil.”
The herd had been headed, and the rest of the riders had ridden back to see what had caused the delay. There was no doubt in anybody’s mind what had happened, for the teeth marks on Becky’s thigh spoke for themselves. The mule stood there calmly, watching their activities with interest.
“My God,” said Dallas, “we should have left the ungrateful little varmint stuck up there in the rocks for the buzzards.”
There were murmurs of agreement from the other riders. Becky hadn’t spoken a word.
“Well, by God,” Lonnie said, “this is my wife, naked from the waist down, and all you hombres are gathered around like it’s a freak show.”
“Sorry,” said Waco, “but we knew her before you did, and we were concerned.”
“I appreciate that concern,” Becky said, speaking for the first time. “All of you remain where you are.”
None of the riders moved away, and when Lonnie’s eyes met Becky’s, they were full of defiance and determination. When the water began boiling, Mindy removed the kettle from the fire and brought it to the wagon. Kirby Lowe had taken the medicine kit from beneath the wagon seat.
“Will you see to her, or do you want me to?” Mindy asked.
“Do what needs doing,” said Lonnie. “Just be sure to use plenty of whiskey after you clean the wound.”
Lonnie turned away, still unwilling to meet Becky’s eyes.
“What do you aim to do with this uncivilized varmint?” Dallas asked, his eyes on the troublesome mule.
“What we should already have done with him,” said Lonnie. He drew his Colt and shot the mule through the head.
“No!” April cried.
Mindy and Laura said nothing, their faces pale with shock. Becky’s eyes were closed, but tears leaked out under the lids.
“That’s two hundred dollars shot to hell,” said Dallas.
“I wouldn’t care if it was two thousand dollars,” Lonnie gritted. “Rope this varmint and drag him away for the buzzards and coyotes.”
Dallas roped the dead mule, mounted his horse, and dragged the carcass away.
Mindy had cleaned Becky’s wound with hot water, and when she doused it with some of the whiskey, Becky cried out
“Should I bandage it?” Mindy asked.
“No,” said Lonnie, “we can’t. It’s an animal bite, and it’ll have to heal from the inside out. We can’t have those Levi’s next to the wound, either. Take them off her.”
“No,” Becky cried, “I can’t ride in my shirttail.”
“You’re going in the wagon with Mindy until that wound heals,” said Lonnie. “Mindy, you’ll have the wagon for a while.”
“I don’t mind,” Mindy said.
Waco had already tied the surviving mule behind the wagon again. Gus Wilder had unsaddled Becky’s horse, finding a place for her saddle in the rear of the wagon.
“I’ll turn your horse in with the remuda, Becky,” said Gus. “He’ll like that better than trailing the wagon beside a mule.”
“Part of it was that mule’s fault,” said Becky. “He was kicking and biting my horse, while the other mule had his teeth sunk in my leg.”
“We’ll leave the varmint tied to the wagon,” Lonnie said. “If he takes to raising too much hell, we’ll let the buzzards and coyotes have him, too.”
With Dallas helping, Lonnie hoisted Becky up to the wagon seat, careful to keep her weight off the injured leg. Mindy took a blanket from the wagon, covering Becky from the waist down. The riders mounted up, prepared to return to the herd. Lonnie lingered, for in Becky’s eyes there was no hostility. Only pain.
“Lonnie,” she said, “I’m sorry … about the mule.”
“Don’t be,” said Lonnie. “Just make yourself as comfortable as you can. We’ll need to make as many miles as we can so there’ll be graze for the horses and cattle.”
He rode away, again taking his place ahead of the herd. April rode on one side of the wagon, while Laura rode on the other.
“I thought Lonnie was going to raise hell when we took your Levi’s down with everybody looking on,” said Mindy. “I think he was ashamed of himself when Waco spoke up.”
“He’s having to learn what Waco and most of the others already know,” Becky said. “We’re an outfit, and when we reach Utah Territory, we’ll be like family, because there won’t be anybody else. When Lonnie came along, I was within a few days of losing the old place my Pa homesteaded. Sandy, Benjamin, Elliot, and Justin had already had to go, since I couldn’t pay them. Gus and Waco would have been next. Seeing them go hurt me nearly as much as burying what was left of Ma and Pa.”
“If that wound’s hurting you,” said Mindy, “there’s laudanum in the medicine kit.”
“I can stand it,” Becky said. “We may need the laudanum farther on.”
Despite the delay, the drive traveled a considerable distance before bedding down the herd for the night. Mindy tried to help Becky off the wagon box, but was unable to do it alone. Kirby Lowe, who had been riding drag, came to help. But as he and Mindy lifted Becky down, a puff of wind caught the blanket, flinging it to the ground.
“I’ll get it,” said Laura, dismounting.
“When you do,” Becky said, “spread it under that pine beside the river. There I can sit with my back to the tree. I’m sorry I’m so useless and can’t help with the cooking.”
They eased Becky down on the blanket, her back against a pine. When the riders had unsaddled their horses and unhitched the team from the wagon, Lonnie knelt beside Becky.
“I reckon I don’t have to ask how you’re feeling,” he said.
“I feel like I’ve been bitten by a mule,” said Becky, attempting to smile.
“Some of us will be checking on you during the night,” Lonnie said. “That wound’s bad enough to develop infection. If there’s fever, you’ll have to take some whiskey.”
He got to his feet, preparing to go, when she spoke.
“Lonnie?”
He knelt beside her, taking both her hands in his. Tears crept down her cheeks, and when she spoke, it was no more than a whisper.
“Thank you for caring. It means a lot.”
“I care more than you’ll ever know,” he said. “I reckon it takes something like this to remind me. I swear I’ll try to do better.”
“You’re doing well,” said Becky. “I’m sorry we were so … cold to you, when you and the others came to rescue us from April’s snake. It wasn’t the fault of any of you.”
“You don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that,” Lonnie said. “Now I’d like for you to talk to Mindy, Laura, and April. We weren’t watching you, and I think Dallas, Dirk, and Kirby felt a
s foolish as I did, looking at the four of you jaybird naked.”
“I’ll talk to them,” said Becky. “As I’ve already told Mindy, when we reach Utah, we’ll be far away from our families. We’ll be more like a family than an outfit, because there’ll be nobody else for us to turn to.”
Suddenly she laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Lonnie asked.
“I’ll never forget the expressions on your faces,” said Becky, “when you, Dallas, Dirk, and Kirby saw the four of us there on the riverbank without a stitch. It was worth it all, just to see what you hombres would do.”
“It was an experience,” Lonnie admitted. “By the time we reach the Green River range, we won’t have any secrets left.”
“I know I won’t,” said Becky. “My God, it’s the middle of the summer, and I just can’t stand this wool blanket Mindy’s draped over me. Take it away. The one I’m sitting on is itchy enough.”
“You need a longer shirttail,” Lonnie said, removing the blanket.
“The hell with it,” said Becky. “If it gets any hotter, I’ll take off the shirt.”
Mindy, Laura, and April prepared the supper, and after cleaning up, they took time to see how Becky was feeling.
“You’re somewhat indecent,” Mindy said. “Where’s your other blanket?”
“It was so hot, I couldn’t stand it over me another minute,” said Becky. “I had Lonnie take it away.”
“My God, he’s changed,” Laura said. “I expected him, Dallas, Kirby, and Dirk to have a mad on from now until we reach Utah.”
“He’s not the only one that’s changed,” said Becky. “He’s asked me to talk to all of you, to assure you that they weren’t watching us in the river. They wouldn’t have seen us, if April hadn’t screamed about the snake.”
“What snake?” April asked innocently.
“The damn snake that caused you to yell your head off, getting the four of them near enough to see us all standing there naked,” said Mindy.
“So there wasn’t a snake,” Becky said.
“Oh, there may be one in there somewhere,” said April. “I thought there was.”
“So you embarrassed the hell out of all of us for nothing,” Mindy said.
“Not for nothing,” said April. “I just wanted to see if I could make Dirk jealous, to see if he wouldn’t pay more attention to me.”
“I wonder what he’d say if he knew that,” Becky said. “You don’t make a man jealous by bringing him face-to-face with four naked females. It didn’t bother you, having him see Mindy, Laura, and me?”
“I … I didn’t think of it like that,” said April. “Ma died when I was young, and Pa went on a permanent drunk. I’ve had nobody to talk to, nobody to tell me how to be a woman. You won’t tell on me, will you?”
“I think I can speak for all of us,” Becky said. “We won’t tell. I’ve already told Lonnie it was worth the experience, just seeing the look on their faces when they saw us standing there on the riverbank. All I regret is that you screamed before I had a chance to wash my hair. When this leg heals, before winter comes, I’m going to have a real bath.”
“You remember what Lonnie said about that,” said Mindy. “You won’t get another bath until it rains.”
“Oh, I think I can change his mind about that,” Becky said. “Next time, we’ll take the four of them with us. That snake trick won’t work a second time, April.”
Despite the delay, the loss of a mule, and Becky’s injury, the outfit was encouraged. Lonnie sat down beside Becky and they ate supper together.
“How far do you think we’ve come?” Becky asked.
“Not nearly far enough,” said Lonnie. “From the scale on the map, we’re still a good two hundred and fifty miles south of New Mexico Territory. We’ll be traveling all the way across New Mexico, and from what I know of it, it’s mostly mountainous. There will be times when we’ll have to go far out of our way to get the wagon through.”
“I’m still glad we brought the wagon,” Becky said.
“So am I,” said Lonnie. “We can lay over near Santa Fe long enough to replenish the supplies we’ll use getting there. I think we’ll need some more laudanum and maybe another two gallons of whiskey.”
When the riders on the first watch had mounted, they rode by to see how Becky was feeling. Remembering what she had told Lonnie, Becky was especially kind to Kirby Lowe and Dirk McNelly. When the cleaning up was done following supper, Mindy, Laura, and April came to sit with Becky for a while. The strange events of the day had brought them closer together than ever.
“I told Lonnie I didn’t need any laudanum,” Becky said, “but I’ve changed my mind. My leg’s hurting something terrible.”
“I’ll get it,” said Mindy.
Becky drank some of the laudanum, and her three companions remained with her until she slept. Then they moved quietly away. When it was time for the second watch to begin, Lonnie went to see about Becky. Her face was cool to the touch, and he sighed in relief.
The night passed quietly. At dawn, Lonnie again went to check on Becky, finding her awake.
“You didn’t have any fever at midnight,” said Lonnie.
“I don’t have any now,” Becky said. “I changed my mind about the laudanum and Mindy got it for me. We’ll surely need to get some more in Santa Fe.”
When Mindy, Laura, and April had prepared breakfast and served the outfit, they took Becky’s breakfast to her. When the meal was over, they were ready to move out. Lonnie, with Mindy’s help, lifted Becky to the wagon seat. Becky groaned.
“That leg’s got to be sore,” said Mindy.
“Oh, God,” Becky said, “I never dreamed I was hurt so bad until you put me in the wagon. This leg’s so sore, I’ll be lucky if I can walk on it by the time we reach Utah.”
Along the Pecos. July 31, 1853
“Head ’em up, move ’em out,” Lonnie shouted.
He and Wovoka rode ahead of the herd. Laura and April rode beside the wagon. Mindy did her best to avoid jolting Becky around, but the terrain was such that there was little she could do. Becky gritted her teeth and kept her silence.
“I can tell we’re getting closer to the mountains,” said Laura. “The air’s different.”
The herd moved on, the cowboys increasing the gait, and the day’s drive was the best they’d had since leaving San Antonio. Again they lifted Becky from the wagon, placing her on a blanket under a tree. As supper was being prepared, there were slivers of golden lightning far to the west.
“We may be in for a storm sometime tonight,” said Waco.
“If that’s the case,” Lonnie said, “we’ll all be on watch until the danger of it is past. After the best day we’ve had so far, I’d hate to see this herd scattered from here to yonder.”
“We need to make room in the wagon for Becky before the storm gets here,” said Mindy. “She’s in no shape to ride watch, and there’s no use in her sitting on the ground in a storm. The lightning may be really bad.”
“Make a place for her behind the wagon seat,” Lonnie said. “Laura, you and April can help. Move things from the front back as far as you can.”
Becky said nothing, but she felt like a burden.
The distant storm came closer, until the rumble of thunder could be heard. Lightning galloped across the horizon, and already the longhorns were on their feet, bawling their unease. Picking up on their fear, some of the horses nickered.
“Waco,” said Lonnie, “you and Gus get over there among the horses and calm them if you can. The rest of us will do our best to hold the herd.”
“We’ve made room in the wagon for Becky,” Mindy said. “If one of you will help me get her in there, April, Laura, and me will help you hold the herd.”
“I’ll help you with her,” said Dallas.
Lonnie said nothing, but he looked upon Mindy with approval. While a stampede could be dangerous and lightning fatal, they needed every rider they could get in the face of the coming storm.
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“I feel so damn useless,” Becky said as Dallas and Mindy lifted her into the wagon.
“Don’t,” said Dallas. “We all know you’d be in the saddle if you were able.”
The first big drops of rain were pelting the wagon canvas as Mindy saddled her horse. Laura and April were already with the restless herd. Gus and Waco seemed to have calmed the horses, but the longhorns were on their feet, tails to the wind, bawling their unease. All the riders began circling the herd, and some of those who remembered the words were singing some of the old songs. The lightning became almost constant, its golden hues lending a mystical touch to the rugged terrain. Thunder rumbled, each peal colliding with the next, in a virtual drumroll of sound. The earth shook, and as one the herd began to run, heading east. But the riders had been prepared for that, since the storm was coming from the west. Lonnie and Dallas were ahead of the herd, shouting and shooting, but it seemed to have little effect. Mindy, Laura, and April galloped along until they were well ahead of the stampeding cattle. Lonnie and Dallas were still in the path of the stampede. Finally they gave up and rode for their lives. Dallas made it, but fifteen yards behind him, Lonnie’s horse stumbled, throwing him. There was no time to help him to safety. Mindy leaped from the saddle, doubling her lariat as she ran. April and Laura, although not quite sure what she was about to do, grabbed their lariats and followed her. When one of the lead steers was close enough. Mindy swung the doubled lariat as hard as she could, belting the animal across its tender muzzle. Laura and April had followed Mindy’s lead, and having been stung by the lariats, three of the lead steers reared, bawling. Those behind slammed into the leaders, and the leaders lit out across the thundering front that was the rest of the stampeding herd. Some of the herd followed the frightened lead steers as they turned back the way they had come. The cowboys began to bunch the confused herd. It seemed a virtual miracle that the stampede had turned when it had, for within a few more feet, the thundering herd would have trampled Lonnie Kilgore. The three women sank down on the muddy ground, their lariats still in hand, as the rain poured down on them. Kirby and and Dirk were running, using the frequent flashes of lightning to guide them. They had seen the riderless horses galloping away from the stampede, and they expected the worst. They leaped from their saddles, but Lonnie was there first. He sat in the mud, with his arms around the three women, nobody saying anything. Not until much later would he be able to talk about the stampede that, if not for three valiant women, would have taken his life. But Dallas, out of reach of Lonnie, had seen the daring rescue. When the cattle and horses had been bunched, he wasted no time in telling the rest of the outfit how three women, armed only with doubled lariats, had turned a stampede and saved Lonnie’s life. He told Becky first, and she was waiting when Mindy returned to the wagon. There was no need for words. Becky threw her arms around Mindy and wept.
The Green River Trail Page 16
