Ghost Town at Sundown

by Mary Pope Osborne

  “What was that?” someone said.

  Just then a loud whinny split the air. Jack saw a beautiful horse rear up.

  She had no rider or saddle, just a rope around her neck. She was as red as the sunset. She had a wild black mane and a white star above her eyes.

  “We can’t keep fighting this one, boss!” a cowboy yelled.

  “Yup. She wants her colt,” another said. “We shouldn’t have left him behind.”

  “He was too slow,” a growly voice said. “We’ll sell her when we cross the border.”

  That’s terrible! thought Jack. He knew Annie must be upset, too. He just hoped that she wouldn’t jump out of her barrel.

  But the cowboys pulled the red horse away. The ground rang from the pounding of hooves as they galloped off.

  Jack and Annie stood up. They watched the riders disappear into the dust.

  The pounding faded away. All was quiet again, except for the lazy buzzing of flies.

  “They were mean to that horse,” Annie said in a low, angry voice.

  “I know. But there was nothing we could do,” said Jack. His boots were killing him. He climbed out of his barrel.

  “Man, I have to get these off,” he said.

  Jack sat down on the porch of the hotel. He grabbed the foot of one boot and pulled.

  “Jack,” said Annie, “I think there is something we can do.”

  “What?” Jack looked up.

  A small horse was running down the road. He was as red as the wild mother horse. He had the same black mane and white star above his eyes.

  A rope was around his neck. He looked very lost.

  “It’s the colt!” said Annie. “He’s looking for his mother!”

  She ran toward the wild-eyed little horse.

  “Wait!” called Jack. “Oh, brother.” He pulled the book out of his pack.

  He found a chapter titled “Horses of the Wild West.” He started reading.

  At the end of the 1800s, over a million wild horses, called mustangs, wandered the West. These tough, fast horses were descendants of runaway Spanish horses. Mustang herders captured them and sold them to ranchers. Breaking a wild mustang took great skill.

  Jack turned the page. There was a picture of a herd of horses. Two of them even looked like the beautiful mare and her colt.

  “Hey, Annie,” Jack called. “You should see this picture.”

  Annie didn’t answer.

  Jack looked up.

  Annie was trying to get close to the young mustang, but he kept darting away.

  “Watch it! He’s wild!” said Jack.

  Annie was speaking softly to the colt.

  She slowly reached out and grabbed the end of his rope. Still talking to him, she led him to a broad wooden post.

  “Stop! Don’t do anything!” said Jack.

  He flipped the pages of his book. He found a section called “How to Treat a Horse.”

  The basic rules on how to treat a horse are simple: a soft hand, a firm voice, a sunny attitude, praise, and reward.

  “I’ve got the rules!” shouted Jack. “Don’t do anything before I write them down!”

  Jack pulled out his notebook and pencil. He wrote:

  “Okay, listen—” Jack looked up.

  But Annie was already sitting on the colt’s back!

  Jack froze. He held his breath.

  The mustang whinnied and pawed the ground. He snorted and tossed his head.

  Annie kept patting his neck and talking softly.

  Finally the young horse grew still.

  Annie smiled at Jack. “I named him Sunset,” she said.

  Jack let out his breath.

  “Let’s go,” said Annie. “We have to take him to his mom.”

  “Are you nuts?” said Jack. “We have to solve our riddle. It’ll be dark soon. And those guys were real bad guys, I could tell.”

  “We don’t have any choice,” said Annie.

  “Oh, brother.” Jack knew she wouldn’t change her mind. “Let’s see what the book says.” He read more about mustangs:

  Wild mustangs live together in families. The bond between a mare and her young is very strong. His sounds of distress or hunger will always bring her to him. A mustang cannot bear to wander alone.

  Jack groaned. He looked at Sunset. The young mustang did have a sad look in his eyes.

  “Okay, we’ll make a plan,” he said. “But first I have to get out of these boots.”

  Jack grabbed one of his boots and pulled.

  “Hurry!” said Annie.

  “I can’t even think in these things!” said Jack.

  He huffed and puffed and pulled. Then a deep voice stopped him cold: “Hands up—or I’ll shoot!”

  Jack let go of his boot. He raised his hands in the air. So did Annie.

  A cowboy rode out of an alley. His face was bony and tanned. He was riding a gray horse and pointing a six-shooter.

  “I reckon you’re the smallest horse thieves I’ve ever come across,” he said.

  “We’re not horse thieves!” said Annie.

  “Well then, what are you doing with my horse here?” he said.

  “Some bad guys came through town with his mother,” said Annie. “They left him behind because he was too slow.”

  “Yup, must be the rustlers that stole my last five mustangs,” the cowboy said.

  “Who are you?” said Jack.

  “I’m a mustang herder,” the cowboy said.

  “They rode through town. Then Sunset showed up all alone,” said Annie. “We’re taking him to his mother.”

  “Sunset?” the cowboy said.

  “Yup,” Annie smiled. “I named him.”

  The cowboy put away his six-shooter. “Well, you’re pretty brave to try and rescue him, Smiley,” he said.

  “Thanks,” said Annie.

  Jack cleared his throat. “A mustang needs his family,” he said. “The bond between a mare and her young is very strong.”

  The cowboy looked at Jack. “Whoa, you’re pretty smart to know that, Shorty.”

  “Shorty?” said Jack.

  “Every cowpoke’s got to have a nickname,” said the cowboy.

  “What’s yours?” said Annie.

  “Slim,” said the cowboy. “My name is Slim Cooley. And this is Dusty.” He patted his horse.

  “That fits,” said Annie.

  Jack agreed. Slim was slim. And Dusty was dusty.

  “So tell me,” Slim said. “How did you two brave, smart young’uns end up in Rattlesnake Flats?”

  Jack caught his breath. He didn’t know how to explain it.

  “Um … the stagecoach,” said Annie. “We begged the driver to let us off. But I think we made a mistake.”

  Slim looked around. “I’ll say,” he said.

  “When the next stage comes through, we’re leaving,” said Annie.

  “I see,” said Slim. “Well, I’m going to take my colt now and find those rustlers. You didn’t hear where they were headed, did you?”

  “They said they were going to camp over the rise,” said Jack.

  “Hmm, must be over yonder,” said Slim. He looked at a low rise in the distance. The sun was a red ball above it.

  “Better get going before dark,” he said.

  “Can we go with you?” said Annie.

  “No, we have to stay here,” Jack said quickly. Now that Slim could help Sunset, Jack wanted to look for the answer to the riddle. Plus, he still wanted to take off his boots.

  “Shorty’s right to be scared,” Slim said to Annie. “This is no job for young’uns.”

  “Scared?” said Jack.

  “Oh, please! I want to go,” said Annie.

  Slim looked at Jack. “And what do you want, Shorty?”

  For starters, he wanted Slim to stop calling him Shorty. And he wanted Slim to think he was brave.

  “Sure, I want to go,” said Jack.

  “What about your stagecoach?” asked Slim.

  “It’s not coming unti
l tomorrow,” Annie said quickly.

  “Well … ” Slim scratched his chin. “I reckon I could use some brave, smart help. But you have to do everything I say.”

  “We will!” said Annie. “Can I ride Sunset?”

  “I wouldn’t say ‘yes’ to many kids, Smiley, but you seem to have a knack with horses,” said Slim. “Now, hang on tight to his mane, I’ll just pull him along behind me.”

  Slim slipped the rope off the post. Then he held his hand out to Jack.

  “Put your foot in the stirrup, Shorty. And grab my hand,” said Slim.

  Jack did as Slim said. Slim pulled him onto the front of his saddle.

  Jack held on to the saddle horn.

  “Sit tight,” said Slim. “It’s not far.”

  Slim snapped his reins. Dusty took off with Sunset right behind him.

  Jack bounced up and down. His boots hurt. The sunlight blinded him.

  “Giddy-up!” said Slim.

  “Giddy-up!” said Annie.

  The horses galloped across the prairie, dust flying from their hooves.

  “Ah-choo!” Jack sneezed as he bounced along into the setting sun.

  The sky was dark by the time they got to the rise. The wind was cool, almost cold.

  “Whoa,” said Slim.

  Dusty slowed to a halt.

  “They’re camped down there,” Slim said in a low voice. “In that patch of trees.”

  Jack saw a campfire at the bottom of the slope. He saw the horses gathered in a dark clump. One let out a loud whinny.

  “Hear that?” said Slim. “The mare. She senses Sunset is nearby.”

  The mare whinnied again.

  “Sounds like she’s tied to a tree,” said Slim. “I think the rest of the herd are loose.”

  “What’s our plan?” whispered Jack.

  “Smiley, you stay here and guard Sunset,” said Slim.

  “Right,” said Annie.

  “Shorty, you and I ride down near their camp,” said Slim. “You keep Dusty quiet while I cut the mare loose.”

  How do you keep a horse quiet? wondered Jack.

  “Once the mare’s loose, she’ll break for Sunset,” said Slim. “Then you and Sunset take off, Smiley.”

  “Got it,” said Annie.

  “Then we’ll split the wind,” said Slim.

  What’s that mean? wondered Jack.

  “Till we get to Blue Canyon,” said Slim.

  Where’s that? wondered Jack.

  “All set? Any questions?” asked Slim.

  “Nope,” said Annie cheerfully.

  Yup, about a million, thought Jack.

  “Okay, pardners,” said Slim. “See ya soon, Smiley. Come on, Shorty.”

  “Have fun,” said Annie.

  Fun? thought Jack. Is she nuts? Our lives are at stake.

  Slim snapped his reins. Dusty started down the rise. Their way was lit by a nearly full moon and a million stars.

  Maybe now I can ask Slim some questions, thought Jack.

  But just then voices came from the rustlers’ camp. They were mean voices, followed by mean laughter.

  A chill went through Jack.

  Dusty halted.

  “This is far enough,” whispered Slim. He slipped off of Dusty.

  “Keep him here,” Slim whispered to Jack, “and keep him quiet.”

  “Wait—” whispered Jack. He needed more information.

  But Slim was gone.

  Jack gripped the reins and held his breath. He hoped Dusty wouldn’t do anything.

  For a moment Dusty was still. But then he snorted and began walking.

  Oh, no! thought Jack. He tried to think of the rules on how to treat a horse.

  He remembered: a soft hand, a firm voice.

  He patted Dusty softly.

  “Whoa!” he said firmly. To his surprise, Dusty froze and was quiet.

  Jack remembered another rule: a sunny attitude. He patted Dusty again. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

  Just then a loud whinny came from the herd of mustangs. They began moving up the moonlit slope.

  “Hey! The horses!” a rustler shouted.

  A gun went off. Jack ducked.

  “Come on, Shorty!” came Slim’s voice.

  Jack looked up. Slim was riding the mare!

  Jack was shocked. He had thought that Slim was coming back to ride Dusty.

  Instead, Slim rode right past him! As he got close to Annie, she took off on Sunset.

  The mare galloped after Sunset. And the band of mustangs galloped after the mare.

  Bang! Bang!

  Jack snapped the reins. “Go, Dusty!” he said.

  Dusty leaped after the mustangs. Jack nearly fell off. He clutched the reins in one hand and the saddle horn in the other.

  Bang! Bang!

  The rustlers were on their horses now. They were getting closer.

  “Hurry!” Jack cried.

  Dusty cleared the rise in an awkward leap. Jack started to slip out of the saddle. He let go of the reins and tried to hold on to the saddle horn, but his weight pulled him down. He closed his eyes as he fell to the ground.

  Bang! Bang!

  Oh, man, thought Jack, this is the end.

  He opened his eyes. Dusty was looking at him. Jack scrambled up and tried to climb back into the saddle. It was hard without Slim’s help.

  As Jack struggled, he heard shouts from the rustlers. Their horses gave high-pitched neighs.

  Jack looked back.

  A shimmering white figure was moving across the top of the rise! The rustlers’ horses were panicking and backing away.

  Jack didn’t have time to think about what he was seeing. He knew it might be his only chance to escape. Using all his strength, he pulled himself into the saddle.

  “Go, Dusty, go!” he shouted.

  Dusty took off at full gallop over the prairie. Jack held on for dear life as they split the wind.

  Jack bounced in the saddle. He felt the cool night wind against his face.

  He couldn’t tell where they were going. But he trusted Dusty to follow the others.

  Finally Dusty caught up with the herd as they began to slow down.

  Jack snapped his reins. Dusty came up beside Slim and Annie.

  “Howdy!” said Slim.

  “Howdy!” said Jack.

  “Howdy!” said Annie. “Are you okay?”

  Jack pushed his glasses into place. “Yup,” he said. “You?”

  “Yup,” she said.

  “That was some good riding, Shorty!” said Slim.

  “Thanks,” said Jack, smiling. He even liked being called “Shorty” now.

  “Where we headed, boss?” Jack asked Slim.

  “Blue Canyon,” said Slim. “Okay with you?”

  “Yup,” said Jack.

  “This way!” said Slim. He slapped his horse and they all speeded up again.

  Slim steered the herd to the left. Soon he led them through a deep, narrow pass.

  Finally they came to a boxy open space surrounded by walls of rock and lit by moonlight.

  “We’ll corral the mustangs here in Blue Canyon,” Slim said.

  He got off his horse. He helped Jack down. Annie slipped off Sunset.

  “Take him to his ma,” Slim told Annie.

  Annie led Sunset to the mare. In the moonlight, the two mustangs rubbed against one another and neighed.

  As Jack patted Dusty’s damp neck, he remembered the last two rules: praise and reward.

  “Thanks,” he whispered to Dusty. “You were great. You were super great.”

  Slim unsaddled Dusty, then handed Jack his saddle bags.

  “Take those over to that grassy spot. We’ll camp there,” he said.

  As Jack carried the saddlebags, his boots felt stiff and tight. His legs were sore and wobbly. But he didn’t mind.

  He threw down the saddlebags and his backpack. Then he flopped himself down. He was very tired. Annie joined him.

 
“They seem so happy to be free and together again,” she said, gazing at the moonlit mustangs.

  “Yup,” said Jack.

  He lay back, using his backpack as a pillow. He looked up at the stars.

  “If we just had the answer to the riddle, everything would be perfect,” he said.

  “Yup,” said Annie.

  “Hey, Slim,” he called. “I have a question for you.”

  “Shoot,” said Slim.

  “Do you know the answer to this riddle?” Jack asked. “Out of the blue, my lonely voice calls out to you. Who am I? Am I?”

  Slim was silent for a moment, then said, “Sorry, Shorty, don’t know that one.”

  Jack’s heart sank. “That’s okay,” he said. “We don’t either.”

  “I have a question, too,” said Annie. “Why does the piano in the hotel play by itself?”

  “I do know the answer to that one,” said Slim.

  “What is it?” said Annie.

  “It’s Lonesome Luke,” said Slim. “He’s a ghost of a cowboy who wanders the prairie.”

  Jack sat straight up.

  “I saw him! I saw him!” he said. “I just remembered! He scared the rustlers! If he hadn’t come, I never would have gotten away!”

  “Oh, yeah?” Slim chuckled. “Well, lucky for us, Lonesome Luke sometimes likes to help folks out.”

  Slim threw his saddle down next to Jack and Annie and sat against it.

  “Years ago, Lonesome Luke had a gal who he was just crazy about,” said Slim. “She couldn’t take the Wild West, though. So she went back east.”

  “What happened then?” asked Jack.

  “Luke went loco. Every night he’d show up at the hotel and play the piano. He played ‘Red River Valley’ over and over.

  “Then one night he just vanished into the prairie and was never seen alive again. His bones were found a year later. But folks say his ghost returns to the hotel piano to play ‘Red River Valley.’ It goes like this … ”

  Slim took out a harmonica. He began to play a song. It was the same sad song Jack and Annie had heard in the hotel.

  Jack lay back down and listened to the lonesome tune. A coyote howled in the distance. The horses stirred in the dark.

  I better take some notes, thought Jack.

  But he didn’t write a word before he fell asleep. He didn’t even take off his boots.