The Adventures of Cherokee

by Nancy Johnson

  -5-

  A Big Mistake

  Early the next morning J.D., Marty and two other men rode out to the area where Bobby had first spotted the hoof prints. They figured on tracking from there since the sign was still fresh. In less than an hour they found the right place. Upon closer examination, J.D. noted that the tracks led to and from the water and the tall red oak trees.

  The men rode into the trees looking for more sign, but it was fall and so many leaves were on the ground, the only thing they found was the place where the horses had rested.

  “Let’s try circling around and watch for tracks coming out somewhere else. We’ll split up and if anyone finds anything, give a Yahoo!’ so the others can come running. That O.K. with you?” asked J.D.

  “Yep.” the men answered, whirling their horses and heading off in the opposite direction from J.D. and Marty. But it wasn’t only tracks that the two men found. Within 30 minutes they came up on all four horses, startling them, as well as the cowboys! As Cherokee broke into a run with Sunee and the fillies directly behind him, one of the men gave a loud, “Yahoo!” and chased after them.

  Cherokee knew he and Sunee could outrun the men, but the fillies could not. In his haste to escape the cowboys, Cherokee made a mistake and headed directly for the ranch! When Cherokee came within sight of the outbuildings, he realized what he had done and quickly tried to change directions. But J.D. and Marty had moved up on the other side of the four horses, forming a “V” behind them, driving them straight toward the dreaded fences!

  One of the cowboys was mending a corral fence. He saw the horses coming at a hard gallop and hurried to open the gate to the nearest empty corral. All four horses entered without breaking stride!

  The already penned wild horses watched in surprise at what was happening. Dancing Shadow raced to the fence on one side, watching as her son and daughter were captured; Flying Hawk whinnied anxiously as Cherokee was forced through the opening against his will. All four captives raced to the other side of the corral to escape the men. By this time the gate slammed shut. The four young horses stood huddled close together, trembling, eyes wide in terror.

  Unaca, the mother of Sunee and Yellow Bird galloped up to stand beside Dancing Shadow. “What shall we do? None of our family escaped Man!”

  “There is nothing we can do,” answered Dancing Shadow. “At least, not right now. We will talk with Flying Hawk tonight. Call your young daughter and I will call mine. Perhaps that will distract Man from other thoughts.”

  The mares nickered softly to Little Sister and Yellow Bird. The fillies answered immediately and trotted to the fence trying to get closer to their mothers. The cowboys were just dismounting and watched the interaction between the horses.

  “I am so happy to see you e tsi,” said Yellow Bird.

  “Me, too,” whispered Little Sister to her mother.

  J.D. said, “Let those colts in with their mothers. Maybe the other two will settle down.”

  The reunion between the mothers and their offspring was a joyous one. Unaca and Dancing Shadow touched noses with their babies, letting them know just how much they were loved. They carefully checked them for injuries and made certain they rested from their terrifying run.

  Cherokee and Sunee would not settle down. They paced first one way and then the other. They pawed the ground and looked for a way to escape.

  “We will never get out of here,” cried Sunee.

  “Yes, we will!” insisted Cherokee. “The fence is no higher than many of the rocks and tree trunks we have jumped. When the time is right we will escape.”

  “But what of the others?” asked Sunee.

  “We will talk to Father and our mothers tonight after dark. We will make final plans then. Since Little Sister and Yellow Bird are back in the care of our mothers, we can make better time. For now we must wait.”

  They watched as one of the ranch hands brought them a bucket of water. He made another trip and brought shocks of hay and dropped it over the fence to them so they could eat if they wanted to.

  The men stood around for a while watching the reaction of the newly captured animals, but all they saw were two horses, one spotted, one buckskin, wild eyed and frightened, backed against the fence, staring back at them. So the men remounted their horses and rode out to attend to other ranch errands, leaving the horses to whatever peace they could find.

  When night fell, Cherokee’s thirst forced him to walk over and check the water bucket. It seemed to be alright, so he nickered to Sunee to come and get a drink. After they both drank their fill, Cherokee walked to the fence to talk to Flying Hawk; Sunee stepped over to visit with her mother and little sister.

  “Father,” said Cherokee, “How could I have made such a mistake? How could I have led Sunee and the young ones into this trap? I am so ashamed.”

  Flying Hawk knew that Cherokee had learned a very important lesson. “Do you remember what Grandfather said about Dalaha?” asked the big stallion.

  “Yes, Father. He said, ‘Do not worry. Worry is like Dalaha the woodpecker who hammers on your roof’.”

  “And what are you supposed to do with Dalaha?”

  “Chase him away. Chase the worry away.”

  “That’s right. It will do no good to worry about what is already done. Now it must be fixed. Misfortunes are not set in your path. They are everywhere. You and Sunee still have a u no ligo so, a partnership. Never forget that.”

  “What should I do, Father? I must follow the sun, not stay and serve Man. I think that Sunee could. She has great love for the little ones.”

  “Why do you want to go so far away into unknown lands? What calls you?”

  “When I was very young and ice caused me to fall in the cave, I had a vision. You were gone a long time and I fell into a deep sleep. In my sleep I was alone and walking into a brightness. I did not know where I was only that I walked and walked and seemed to arrive nowhere. I heard no birds and saw no animals or mountains or water. I became very tired and wanted to lie down. That was when I heard thunder, but it wasn’t thunder at all. A horse appeared out of the mist and he told me that he was Grandfather’s ancestor. He said that I was destined to follow the sun and that one day I would be called to make the journey. There would be many experiences and adventures, but what I learned from you and Mother and Grandfather would see me through,” explained Cherokee. “I believe that now is the time for me to go.”

  “And what is the purpose of your journey?” asked Flying Hawk.

  “That was not told to me, Father,” sighed Cherokee. “I am sure it will be explained in time.”

  “What do you think you should do, my son?”

  “When Sunee and I were gone the day our families were captured, I spoke with her about traveling west for as far as the sun goes. I asked her to go with me. She said she would have to ask Unaca, her mother, first.”

  “And what has she decided?”

  “We have not talked about it since that day.”

  Flying Hawk was quiet for a long time.

  “Cherokee. Perhaps I should call you Tsalagi, now. Remember that was Grandfather’s name, and when he went to be with his ancestors, he gave the name to you? Whatever you do, wherever you go, find your own path. Listen to your alarm system. Listen to the rhythm and order of nature. Talk with Sunee and Unaca. Being with a partner in a strange land is good.”

  Cherokee turned his head toward Sunee and her mother and sister. They were deep in conversation and he did not want to disturb them. He waited a few minutes and then slowly walked to the pile of hay Man had left for them to eat. He was hungry.

  Sunee talked softly to her mother. “Cherokee should have been with you and Dancing Shadow the day Man came and chased you out of our valley. Cherokee should have taken a different path today, so we would not have been captured. Now we cannot help our families
to escape!”

  Unaca sighed. “Little pot, do not call the kettle black until you have been in the fire as long as he has!”

  “Mother!”

  “Sunee, you will know your true strength only when you are challenged. Where were you the day we were chased from our valley?”

  “Cherokee and I had gone for a long run. He told me he was going to follow the sun as far as it went and he asked me to go with him.”

  “And did you tell him you would go?”

  “No. I told him I must talk with you first.”

  “That is wise. The greatest gifts we have received from the Great Spirit are the gifts of wisdom and courage. Wisdom is in the heart; the test of courage is to rise up. You must choose your own path.”

  “I will think more about it, Mother. I know I have your blessing now, but I do not know if I can leave you and Yellow Bird and all the family I have ever known, nor do I think we can escape Man, but Cherokee says we can. I will come and tell you if I decide to go with him.”

  Sunee trotted to Cherokee’s side and began to share the hay with him. Neither one of them spoke a word. The moon was their light and night sounds kept them company; the twittering of the birds as they settled down for the night; the mournful hoot-hoot of the owl and the shifting of its wings. The bark of the fox and the cry of the coyote were familiar to them, too. They soon relaxed and lay down in the dirt corral for a well needed rest.

  It was fall and the morning sun rose with more reds and oranges than in the spring and summer. It burst over the tips of the red and white oaks in splendid glory. The air was crisp and cool. It felt like snow. The horses milled around watching for Man to come. Man was their only means of food and water now, and they depended on him to care for them. Two of the cowboys came out with a hay wagon drawn by two tall, strong Belgian horses. They drove it right through the gate and into the enclosure. The team of Belgians was then unhitched and led out of the corral. The men soon returned with water barrels hauled in the same manner. The barrels of water were dumped into long troughs built especially for the horses and from which they would drink.

  The horses were both hungry and thirsty. The colts pushed to the front and drank thirstily then trotted quickly to the hay wagon and began to eat. The older horses drank more slowly and were not in such a rush to eat the dried food, but it was all they had.

  Cherokee watched with great interest later in the morning when Bobby, J.D. and Marty came out to the corral. J.D. and Marty carried coiled lariats and a halter just the right size for the black colt. Two other cowboys were mounted, swinging lariats at their sides. Bobby opened the corral gate letting them in. Most of the wild horses raced to the far side of the corral, but Cherokee stood fast, taking in every movement of each man. Two men on their cutting horses were ambling at a slow trot in their direction. It was not a difficult job to separate the wild horses from the black colt; however, it was almost impossible to separate him from his mother. They finally accomplished their purpose and lassoed him with both ropes. They brought him kicking and fighting back to the other side of the corral to Bobby and J.D. and Marty.

  “Let’s take him out of here and into the empty corral,” suggested Bobby. “We will halter him there.”

  The mounted cowboys led the black colt out of one corral and into another, with him disputing the arrangement all the way. Once in the empty corral, he was held and comforted by all of the men. They rubbed him and petted him, handling him all over, letting the colt realize he was not being hurt.

  Cherokee walked down his side of the fence, getting as close as he could to the men and the black colt. As he watched, fascinated, he remembered Tsa tsi, the small Indian boy and his gentle hands. The black colt soon settled down and J.D. slipped the halter over his ears and nose with no trouble.

  “Turn him loose,” said Bobby. “We’ll give him a little time to get used to that halter and come back after lunch.”

  Once the men left, Cherokee whinnied to the colt to see if he was alright. “What are the men doing to you, young one? Are you unhurt? What is that on your face?”

  The colt was shaking his head trying to get the object off his face, but it was fastened firmly. “Man called it a halter. I don’t like it, but they didn’t hurt me. At first I was frightened, and then I got mad, but the man was kind.”

  Cherokee sighed. “Since time began we offered our gift of service to Man, so be gentle. Do not hurt anyone. Learn all you can. Learning is strength.”

  “Yes, Cherokee,” answered the black colt. “I will do as you say.” Both horses turned and went their own way.

  Later in the day the men brought the colt a drink of water. At first he refused it, but Bobby talked softly with a steady rhythm of sing-song words and music and soon the colt took a few hesitant steps toward him. Bobby was pleased with the fast response, but he just kept talking and singing and soon the colt had come as close as he planned to. He stretched his neck so he could stick his nose in the water, but Bobby had backed up a step. The colt had to move forward once again. Without realizing it, he was drinking from the pail Bobby held in his hand.

  The next step was to rub the colt’s neck and face. Bobby quickly snapped on a lead rope and began to caress the colt, still talking and singing. He used words of encouragement and love and kindness. The black was not quite yet a yearling, but he was big enough to begin training. Bobby fastened the snubbing line to his halter and twirled the rope ends gently toward him in order to drive him away to the far walls of the corral.

  When Bobby lifted the training whip, the colt bolted as far and as fast as the line would permit. Then Bobby tickled the black on his rump with the end of the whip, causing him to go at a steady pace around the circle. It wasn’t long until the colt got tired of that and wanted to make friends with Bobby. Bobby then forced the colt to reverse his direction. After several rounds, the black flicked his ears back and forth, and began to make chewing motions with his mouth, indicating that he wanted to make friends now. He dropped his head and walked toward Bobby. Bobby smiled. “First step! Successful!” he thought.

  Bobby led the colt to a large open stall, put a portion of grain in a bucket and unhooked the lead rope, leaving the halter on. The colt had never eaten from a bucket. But the grain smelled good and his appetite overcame his wariness. Bobby gave him a final pat and left him alone.

  Cherokee tried to see into the stall where Man was taking the colt, but they disappeared through a door. All must be well. Man came out whistling, with a rope over his shoulder, striding easily toward his house.

  That night it snowed. Giant flakes, soft, white and beautiful. The coats of the horses were growing thick and warm, nature’s way of preparing them for cold weather. Cherokee remembered when he thought his thick coat felt like rabbit fur. Now he was grateful that Mother Nature took such good care of him and his family. He trotted to his mother, Dancing Shadow. “Mother, I am going to try to leave tonight.”

  “But the man can follow your tracks in the snow!” She answered.

  “I must go!”

  “Live in balance, Cherokee, squarely with the truth! You must reason that it is not the time to leave!”

  For the first time in his life, Cherokee dismissed his Mother’s words. “I will talk to Father. He will advise me of the right thing to do!”

  “You are like Sasa, a goose in a wheat field, that gobbles without a thought! But whatever you decide, remember that I love you.” And just to remind him of his bad manners, she added, “Others will reflect your mirror image. Always have pleasant manners.”

  Cherokee did not answer her, but turned and walked away. He was embarrassed, but a little angry, also. He was so sure she would agree with him. Well, his father would tell him it was wise to leave tonight! He had not given a thought to talking with the Great Spirit or consulting with Sunee.

  -6-

  U tso nati


  When Cherokee turned away from his mother, he saw Sunee watching him. “I did not think of my best friend,” he thought. “I am selfish.”

  “Sunee,” he called out.

  “I’m here, Cherokee. What is the matter?”

  “I’ve nearly made a mistake again. I just talked to Mother about leaving tonight and when she disagreed with me, I got angry and told her I was going to Father for advice. I was not polite to her.”

  “And?”

  “And I did not think of what you would want to do or what the Great Spirit would have us do. I was only thinking of myself. I am sorry.”

  “Then we must speak to the Great Spirit and discuss the matter together. When we have reached an agreement, we will again speak with our elders.”

  “Oh, Great Spirit,” pleaded Cherokee. “Please show us what to do. Should we leave our families behind? Is it time to journey so far without our elders to guide us?”

  Sunee prayed, too. “Great Spirit, if we are to make this journey, travel with us wherever the path may take us. Talk to us often and keep us safe. Guide our steps.”

  The two young horses finished their prayers and talked softly together. They decided that leaving with snow on the ground was not wise; they knew the sun would soon warm the air and this first snow would not stay. On the day that it melted, they would run away. In the meantime they would exercise by playing games that would keep them strengthened for jumping and running.

  They talked with Flying Hawk once more, and he agreed that waiting for the snow to melt was a good idea. He also agreed that Cherokee should apologize to his mother for his bad behavior.

  Two nights later, Sunee spoke with her mother for the last time.

  “Mother,” she said. “I have decided to go with Cherokee. We leave tonight before the moon comes up to light the way for Man. We do not want them to see where we are going.”

  “I will miss you, Daughter.” With a warm touch of muzzle to muzzle, Unaca sadly said, “May you be warmed by the sun, rocked by the winds and sheltered by the trees.”