by Mike Kearby
Losing ground, Delshay drifted slightly behind Free. The Apache brave carried the four-foot bow in his right hand and before they reached the trail, Delshay pushed the bow in between Free’s feet.
Free tumbled and fell to his knees. Delshay sidestepped him and pushed hard on Free’s left shoulder as he raced by. Free crumpled and rolled across the rocky ground of the canyon floor. As his body came to a stop, the snap of wood cracked loudly and a stabbing pain burned across his back. Free rose and saw a long sliver of wood embedded in his shoulder. He struggled to his feet, reached back and with a piercing scream jerked the broken point from his flesh. Maddened, he slammed the splintered bow to the ground and then rushed furiously after Delshay.
Free hurried up the tortuous Apache trail and winced in pain with each footfall. Delshay was already a third of the way up the canyon and moving quickly. Free glanced to both sides as he ran, looking for a shorter path to the canyon rim. To his right, he noticed a worn animal trail and without hesitation bounded onto the track. The path was laden with scrub that grabbed at his legs as he tried to move forward. Determined, he swung at the vegetation with the four arrows he carried and in minutes began to gain ground. Delshay continued to move confidently up the winding path to the rim of the canyon and his waiting steed.
Fifty feet ahead and on a dead run, Delshay stopped and loaded an arrow into his bow. He turned and pulled back on the bowstring determined to kill or wound his opponent.
Free watched Delshay string an arrow and dropped forward. He flattened against the ground as the arrow whooshed by and pierced the ground beside him. He waited for several more seconds, pushed himself up and began once more the furious sprint to Horse.
As he crested the canyon rim, he saw Delshay mounted and racing away. Com’on, Free! he scolded, Run! He raced with arrows in hand the twenty yards to Horse and pounced into the saddle with a mighty leap. Horse jumped as Free’s weight settled on his back, and the mustang roared after the Apache pony. Sensing the urgency, Horse laid his ears back and burst forward in an explosion of speed that soon propelled him even with Delshay.
Free maneuvered Horse to Delshay’s right side, wanting to make sure the Apache brave could not easily draw an arrow on him. Delshay recognized the ploy, slowed slightly and dropped behind, hoping to get a shot at Free’s back. Free watched Delshay lose ground and reined Horse hard in an evasive measure.
Delshay shouted in anger as Free thwarted his tactic. He glanced over and then rammed his pony into Horse. As the animals bumped one another, Delshay lunged from his horse and knocked Free from the saddle.
Both men bounced on the hard surface of the upper rim and rolled apart. Delshay gained his feet first and looked about for his bow. Free shook his head and scrambled to his feet. He yelled and raced for Delshay with a raised hand. He rushed three steps and stopped abruptly. He stared at his empty hand and then swung his gaze over to Delshay.
The Apache brave locked eyes with Free and then glanced down. Embedded in his right side were four arrows. Delshay groaned in pain and then dropped to his knees.
Free hesitated and watched as Delshay desperately tried to push the arrow points through his body. He stood transfixed and then blinked as he regained his senses. He whistled for Horse, remounted and raced off in search of the purple ribbon.
Free led Delshay’s horse into the Indian camp. The waiting line of squaws stood silent as he rode past. He reined Horse to a stop outside of Cochinay’s tepee. The squaws then rushed to Delshay’s pony and pulled the injured warrior to the ground. Several braves joined in and carried their badly wounded comrade to his tepee.
“The Tejano is weak,” Cochinay walked up to Free. “Delshay would have left the Tejano to die.”
Free handed the purple ribbon to Cochinay and then dismounted. “Where is my wife?” he asked, defiantly.
Cochinay nodded and gazed toward Delshay’s tepee. He shouted loudly in Apache and then slapped both thighs. Free looked in the direction of his shouts and watched as children began to emerge from the tepee flap.
Without caution, Free started for the tepee, first walking and then running, oblivious of the Apache around him. He counted as seven children emerged, and then he saw Clara.
He muttered her name and then ran for her, hollering louder with each step. “Clara!”
Clara looked in the direction of her name and saw Free. Unable to restrain herself, she unleashed a river of tears and ran screaming his name. “Free!”
The two rushed into each other’s arms and embraced in a long hug.
“Free! You don’t know how I’ve prayed to see you. I thought—.”
“Shh.” Free looked deep into her eyes, “I’m here now and that’s all that matters.” He glanced at her stomach and then back into her eyes.
Clara nodded, understanding his unspoken question. “We’re going to have a baby, Free.”
Free held her tight and swung her around. As they twirled, Free noticed the captive children around them. Each child carried a look of concern. He looked at them all and said, “We’re going to take you home, every one of you, today!”
The children stood expressionless.
“They don’t understand English, Free.” Clara wiped away her tears and smiled at the children. “Vamanos a la casa,” she said.
Free, Clara and the seven children walked back to Cochinay. From above the canyon entrance, a loud whistle sounded. Cochinay tossed a quick glance at his lookout and then back to Free. He yelled at several braves in great urgency and signaled for them to mount up. The warriors quickly raced for their ponies and prepared to ride from the camp. And then the unnerving bark of a dog carried down the ravine and echoed around the canyon walls.
Free grinned. “It’s OK, Cochinay. It’s the other Tejano and the dog.”
Cochinay held his hand up and halted the braves. From around the last bend leading to the camp, Parks and Dog appeared. Parks, atop Spirit, led the trader’s pack horses into the camp.
Later, Parks, Free and Clara rode across the shallow crossing of the Rio Bravo. The children each shared a pack horse, and one rode behind Parks.
“I still can’t believe you were able to round up those pack horses with a bullet hole in your side, Parks.”
“Well, Dog was aggravating me more than the bullet hole and the horses didn’t really run that far. I suspect the load of repeaters and ammo on their backs caused them to rethink that.”
“And I can’t believe you brought the repeaters to the Apache.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry too much about that, Free. Those rifles don’t shoot very well with fouled firing pins. And the ammo is hidden in the Ghost Mountains. I don’t think we need worry about the Apache wandering around there.”
Clara leaned against Free’s back and smiled at Parks. “It feels so good to see you both again.”
Parks tipped his hat at Clara, “My sentiments exactly, Clara.” he said, and then looked over to Free. “What’s next, cowboy?”
Free glanced around at the Mexican captives and smiled at each one. “We best get these children back to their folks,” he said. “Then you and me have a house and corral that need re-building.”
GLOSSARY
SLANG:
Among the willows — Hiding from the law
Beating the devil around the stump — Wasting time
Bangtail — Mustang
Bite the ground — Dead
Big Fifty — A fifty caliber rifle
Full chisel — Full speed
Lucifer — A sulphur match
Top Notch — A man’s scalp
COMANCHE PHRASES AND Names:
Cuhtz baví — Buffalo brother
Haa — Yes
Maruaweeka — Hello
Mow-way — Push aside or shaking hand
Ura — Thank you
SPANISH PHRASES AND NAMES:
Ahora — Now
Agua de Mesteño — Stray water
Bebidas y mecancías — Drinks and merchandise
Fiesta — Party
Camino del muerte — Road of death
Cañon de Sierra Carmel — Canyon of the Carmel Mountains
Combate — Fight
El Paso del Rio del Norte — early name for the city of Juarez
Muchachos — Boys
Ojo aridó — Dry eye
Vamanos a la casa — Let’s go to the house
APACHE PHRASES:
Ashoge — Thank you
Chan-deisi — Broken Nose
Chelee — Horse
Cochinay — Yellow Thunder
Dayden — Little girl
Delshay — Walking Bear
Gah — Rabbit
Gunjule — Be good
Hi-disho — It is finished
Lupan — Gray Fox
Netdahe — Death to all
Nzhoo — Very good
Tuzigoot — Crooked water
Zaastee — Kill
Ride the Desperate Trail
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What is the major theme of the novel?
The novel has an underlying minor theme. What do you think the minor theme of the novel is?
The author raises the question of social and cultural indoctrination in the novel. What is social and cultural indoctrination?
What indoctrination formed Tig Hardy’s view of others?
Do any of the other characters have a chance to escape their indoctrinations? What traits do these characters possess that allow them to escape?
What do you think McCaslin’s character represents in society?
Do you think all cultures feel they alone possess the correct worldview?
How do cultures arrive at this belief?
Is war a result of social and cultural indoctrination?
The book’s plot takes the reader through many twists and turns. What are the major obstacles Free must overcome in his quest to rescue Clara?
Do you think Free escapes his times?
Do you think Clara’s character escapes her times? What role did society dictate for frontier women?
The book contains Native American characters. Do you think the Native American characters are forced to play out societal roles?
Do societally dictated roles conflict with individual freedoms? Explain.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
As the first words of Ride the Desperate Trail scrolled across my computer screen, I knew most readers would see it as just another Western. Nevertheless, from day one the novel was always about the clash of cultures on the Western frontier.
The societal roles of native peoples and settlers, both distinct in their learned view of the world, played out day after day on the prairies of Texas, with each side willing to fight to the death for their cultural “right.”
The quote, “No man can escape his own times” became the major theme of the novel, and all the characters in the book face the decision of whether to continue their societally dictated roles.
Once I established the theme, the conflict of revenge galvanized each character. Their roles were further conflicted by cultural differences among each homogeneous group.
Would any of the characters “escape their times,” or would they simply continue to play out their assigned roles? It was my hope that these questions would make the novel an interesting read.
I hope the readers think so too.
No Man Can Escape His Own Times
—Unknown
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.
—G. B. Stern
Many thanks to:
Mindy Reed, Fred Tarpley, Weldon L. Edwards, and Stephanie Barko.
HIGH PRAISE FOR MIKE KEARBY!
RIDE THE DESPERATE TRAIL
“A rousing, action-packed saga of rough justice in an untamed land, highly recommended.”
—Midwest Book Review
THE ROAD TO A HANGING
“What I love most about historical fiction is that it places fictional characters into real history, and on this count Mr. Kearby is right on target. With plenty of action, danger and suspense from those days, even the most discriminating Western reader will be satisfied. Absolutely entertaining! A quality work!”
—New Book Reviews
“An excellent example of the recently resurgent Western genre. It is well written, with a believable plot that zips along and keeps the pages turning. The background is well researched, and the author doesn’t gloss over the violence of life in 1860s Texas.”
—Historical Novels Review
“Exciting reading.”
—Roundup Magazine
“An action-packed trail.”
—Author Elmer Kelton
“First-rate action and excellent characterization.”
—Author James Ward Lee
Also by Mike Kearby
Other Leisure books by Mike Kearby:
THE ROAD TO A HANGING
Copyright
A LEISURE BOOK®
June 2008
Published by
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
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Copyright © 2007 by Mike Kearby
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