Cowgirl Thrillers

by Barbara Neville

“Moon’s still up,” I remark, surveying the sky.

  “Yeah, Buzz and I were hopin’ it would he’p us during our ride last night, but thick clouds mostly shut it clean out. It was dark as yore damn crystal cave,” says Spud.

  “I shudder at the thought,” I say.

  “Despite the nasty conditions, it was a companionable ride. Buzz is an interesting feller,” says Spud. “When snow conditions got too poor to ride fast, he entertained me with them stories.”

  “Uh huh. I figured out later that he never seriously answered the question of why Bãngh left Earth. How come we never heard of these folks leavin’? I mean utopian society? What is that? Why not just go over the hill and start a new community? But heck, reckon they did leave. There’s plenty of holes in history anymore.”

  “Maybe it ain’t our business,” says Spud.

  “Hard not to be curious. Then again, maybe he don’t know either, it was a long time ago,” I say.

  “Yeah, I reckon they don’t know. Maybe it is like Earth, the past was bombed, burned, lost in floods, torments and such. Thanks to them ultra-religious book burners, much of our past is merely a matter of speculation.”

  “True,” I agree. “We hardly know truth from fiction ourselves. Besides if they aren’t from Old Earth originally, then they would be actual aliens. Eek.” I shudder.

  It being morning, we are feeding.

  “Wolf feed yesterday?” Spud asks.

  “I he’ped.”

  “Okay,” says Spud with a twinkle in his eye. “He take good care of ya?”

  “And me, him,” I say, smiling.

  “He is a good brother.”

  “I could learn to like this Injin brothers sharin’ deal.”

  “You cain't ruin friendship with sex,” says Spud, “It's like trying to ruin wine with cheese. My brother is a’ all around good guy.”

  “Speakin’ of heathen devils, here he comes,” I say, pointing with my chin over an armful of hay flakes.

  Wolf walks up and says, “Palefaces ready?”

  “Fer what?” Spud asks.

  “Spirit deer.”

  “What about the snow?” I ask.

  “Wolf smoke, meditate, have spirit journey dream last night. Weather warm up with clear sky today, we have window for deer. Must leave soon.”

  “Time for a quick dip before breakfast?”

  “Pool busy. Boys playing when Wolf walk by.”

  “Which boys?” I have to ask. A cat would definitely be dead by now. Seein’ as how curiosity kills ‘em.

  Wolf looks at me for a mite then says, “Wolf not notice.”

  “Yore a better man than me,” I say.

  “You not man, only girl. Girl gotta know. Gossip is lady work,” says Wolf with a sly grin.

  “Okay, ya got me there. I do wonder,” I say.

  Spud says, “Shit, Wolf’s pullin’ yore leg. He knows. He is likely the most curious of the bunch of us. He spies on ever’one, bein’ a’ Injin. He loves sneakin’ up on folks. Has done it with pride his whole life.”

  We both look at Wolf who, of course, looks innocent and unconcerned with such trivial stuff.

  “Okay it’s cold, I give. Let’s go eat,” I say and head up the steps to the indoors.

  We head for the kitchen and cook up a fine feast. Spud makes fresh salsa. Wolf and I cook our freshly gathered eggs. Michael arrives in time to cook tortillas while his leftover frijoles refritos, refried beans, reheat. Buzz and Sir Jacob wander in last and set out the dishes.

  We all gather round the table for another fine repast.

  “Wolf go find Spirit Deer today. Now. Annie go too,” says Wolf.

  “I am?” I ask. “I have no, like, say in the matter?”

  “Wolf absolve responsibility for Annie. Also, part of how to be Injin lessons.”

  “Lessons, eh?”

  Sir Jacob pipes up, “Didn’t we have this same conversation in the Short Branch not that long ago? If I remember correctly, Wolf’s next line is hog tied or not…Annie going.”

  Wolf waves a hand toward Sir Jacob, needing to say no more.

  I look around the room wondering if I look stupid.

  “We find three spirits. Dog, human, and buffalo, yes?” asks Wolf. “Annie and Wolf good spirit partners.”

  Michael asks, “Where is Bitch? I haven’t seen her.”

  “She stayed with Shaz, I think. That is where I saw her last,” I say.

  “No, Buzz and I saw her tracks in front of us on the trail here,” says Spud.

  Buzz nods in agreement.

  “She with Coati, go check on teenagers today,” says Wolf. “Coati keep Painter on short leash now. Make surprise visits.”

  “Ay, hope that kid stays put,” says Sir Jacob.

  Everyone nods at that.

  “Okay, I get horses,” says Wolf. “We go. All are welcome.”

  “I gotta check cattle,” says Spud.

  “Coati say she check for you.”

  “Ah, you have been plotting, brother.”

  Wolf smiles.

  Sir Jacob and Michael are talking quietly together. Sir Jacob looks over and says, “I have chores up at the Arse End, so we will ride with you a ways. Buzz?”

  “I will accompany your party.”

  “You may go either way when we split up,” says Sir Jacob.

  “Splendid, I shall decide before we separate.”

  “Good,” says Wolf. “Michael can give more directions to last sighting of white deer.”

  “Great,” I say, mentally jumping on board. “The adventure continues.”

  Now, dear reader, if you think carefully about this, you may realize that our journey takes us back up through Badger Canyon and the very memorable Dead Horse Draw. Spud takes great delight in recounting his version of my and Wolf’s ‘adventures’ there to Buzz.

  “I still get itchy ridin’ through here,” I say. I look around, counting. “Six dead shots to protect me today. Includin’ myself, of course.”

  “And most of them bad guys kilt dead since then. Plus some of their friends too,” adds Spud.

  “Shit, I sure hope that Soames bastard neither lived nor left no pissed off friends behind. Sure seems like he must have been too badly hurt to have kidnapped Shaz that soon after.”

  “Tracks in buffalo cave too big for Soames,” says Wolf.

  “Oh, yeah, didn’t think of that,” I say.

  “I saw the blood spurtin’ out of his chest right after yore arrow hit him,” says Spud. “Let’s hope he’s kilt.”

  Putting negative thoughts aside, we laugh and talk our away up Badger Crick. I am remembering what Charley said before the last journey.

  I ride over to Buzz and share it with him. “When Wolf first asked me to join him on the buffalo quest,” I say, “I was not too interested in going. I had other plans. My friend Charley kicked me in the butt. She said, ‘100 years from now when you look back upon your life don't you want to be able to say you went on the Spirit Quest?’ That is what got me out here. Plus, Wolf’s threatening to take me whether I wanted to go or not; hogtied, kickin’ and screamin’.”

  “On the other hand,” says Spud. “Adventure is just hardship fancified.”

  “Oh. When you put it that way. Hm.”

  “On Bãngh we have our own version of the saying. Hardship is the past tense of adventure,” offers Buzz. “It is also said when we embark upon a difficult and harrowing journey, the survivors will have tales to embroider upon for the remainder of their lives.”

  “Survivors? Shit. Is Wolf lookin’? Maybe I kin sneak off,” I say and mime looking for an escape route.

  Wolf has, of course, snuck up right behind me. I shrug and say, “Like anyone could escape from Wolf’s eagle eyes.”

  “Today,” he says, “is a good day to live. Ask yourself, Annie, at the end of your time. When yore life story flashes before yore eyes, will it be worth watchin'?”

  “Mm,” I say. “Same thing Charley asked.”

  Eventually, h
aving survived Dead Horse Draw, we split up. Michael accompanies Sir Jacob. Buzz stays with the brothers and me. Oh, the two doctor fellers have struck up at least a friendship, maybe more. I need to grill Wolf.

  “Okay, now what?” asks Spud, looking at Wolf.

  “What?” asks Wolf back.

  “Look, I admire a question answered with a question, because there ain’t no answers, only questions, right? You taught me that,” says Spud. “But I was askin’ what happens next on this quest deal?”

  “‘Tis the journey, not the destination,” says Wolf. He looks at me and winks. “Spud pulling Wolf leg. Him know, inside.”

  We are climbing a long hill, sidehilling and switchbacking to reduce the work for the horses. We stop for them to blow three times along the way. While stopped we enjoy great views, looking back down Badger from on high.

  When we top out on a snowy hill, we can see the down trending country ahead. The view below us includes a lake. The lake is at a low enough elevation that the trees still have their leaves.

  As we get nearer, we stop on another hill. We watch the water. There is a beaver dam, the family of beavers is busily felling trees and dragging them to the water. Once the logs are floating, they swim behind and push them to the dam. Other beavers are dragging the green branches into the water, where they pull them to the bottom and stuff them in underwater piles for winter feed. Smaller members of the family, the kits, are playing atop the beaver house. Occasionally they drag a stick up to fortify the roof against predatory wolves, coyotes, cougars and such. The whole family works together to build and maintain their home with its fabulous moat.

  “Look,” says Wolf, pointing. “There, on south end of dam, the bird.”

  We all look.

  “Tall white bird, yeah?” I ask.

  “White phase heron,” says Wolf.

  “Are you shittin’ me, brother?” asks Spud, teasing. “A half day into our adventure, we already found a spirit bird? Fuck, this is easy. I imagined hardship and toil. Yeehaw.”

  “Brother bring good luck. Wolf always know Spud good Injin. You see, you learn Injin ways, just like Annie,” says Wolf.

  “Hmph,” says Spud.

  “Sorry, this bird?” asks Buzz. “There are a number of white birds. Are they all spirit birds?”

  “No, this white phase of blue bird, called Blue Heron. White Blue Heron, is uncommon phase,” says Wolf.

  “How do you know all this?” I ask.

  “Mm-hm. Wolf Injin. Learn from chiefs at Spirit Cave Powwow. Big Injin med'cine.” He says, looking strong and mystical.

  “Also, Sir Jacob has a bird guide book. Wolf read that thing over and over as a kid,” says Spud.

  “Book? A real book, printed on factory paper? I saw them books at Jacob’s place. They really have bird names in them?” I ask.

  “Yes, one have bird name, picture, describe habits. Wolf spend many hours reading. Read animal book, also.”

  “Wow. My learnin’ come mostly from story tellin’ by my folks,” I say. “I haven’t touched a real old time book, yet. Next time at Sir Jacob’s, maybe he’ll let me look at one.”

  The guys all seem to think this is funny. Maybe on the Rock books are not so rare. I figger once agin, I shoulda kept my own counsel. I try not to turn beet red, but I can’t. Got no control at all. Just a pore hick from Triassic.

  We arrive at the stream, just above the beaver pond, and set up camp. We have a good view of the beaver activity. They likely never saw two legged critters like us before. Looks like they feel safe in their ponds. I carry my canteen over, walking slowly, to fill it. By golly, one slaps his tail on the water and…

  ‘Crack.’

  They all dive down into the underwater house entrance. Up inside, the house is above water, warm, dry and safe from predators.

  “Smart, them beavers. They got teepees with moats,” I say. “Suppose them kings and queens designed their castles after beavers? Just another example of a species smarter than us.”

  We eat right quick and hit the hay. Been a long ass day fer these childrens, as Mose would say.

  Wolf has a last bit of wisdom to share.

  “Where do we head tomorrow?” asks Spud.

  “We continue journey,” replies Wolf.

  “No particular way?” I ask. “How will we find what we are lookin’ fer?”

  “Spirit deer is where we find him. We only know where he was day Michael see him. Now, we know naught.”

  “How come you never seem to care where you're goin’, brother?” asks Spud.

  “Because the journey is what matters. To ready apprentice spirit hunter mind for travels to come,” he says. “Remember, chase after life brings chaos. Allow life to happen brings peace. Retreat from life, life maybe find you.”

  “If only,” says Spud.

  “Says the man who goes into battle saying, ‘as usual, no plan’,” I add, just to stir his brainpan.

  That gets a smile out of both brothers.

  “Ain’t really no need for a plan, we have been working together for a lifetime. We know each other’s ways,” says Spud.

  “Okay,” I say. “Hasta mañany, boys.” And head for my soogans.

  33 Bam