by Tim Tingle
“For stealing Fire Eye?” Danny asked.
“Yes,” Rick said. “Stealing a horse is a very serious crime. Davis is already a prisoner, so he won’t get a trial. Besides, this is wartime. If they think he stole Fire Eye, he will hang.”
“He stole him for me,” Danny said, “so I could escape from the graveyard. I’m the one who rode away on Fire Eye!” Danny said.
“But Jim Davis stole him, Danny. You’ve got to remember, this is a war between the Army of the North and the rebel states of the South. Jim Davis is a prisoner of war. Some of the officers at the fort would like any excuse to hang a rebel. Now they have one.”
“Jim Davis was my best friend at Fort Davis,” Danny said. “He taught me to speak your language. He planned my escape. What can I do to help him?”
“Danny, you can’t do anything. If they decide Jim Davis is innocent, who will they think is guilty?”
Danny realized for the first time that his life was in danger.
“Me,” he said quietly. “If they catch me, they could hang me.”
“Yes,” Rick said. “The only thing you can do is stay hidden—from Manny and from the soldiers. Stay out of sight.”
“I was going to bring water to my family. They are on the mesa, above the camps.”
“I’ll make sure they have food and water. You need to stay away for a few days, until things settle down. The soldiers will be prowling all over these hills, looking for Manny and his men. I cleaned this cave out for you, Danny. So you’d have a place to sleep.”
“Thank you,” Danny said. “Will you let my family know I am safe?”
“I will,” Rick promised. “I’ll take food and water to them now.”
Soon Danny was alone, sitting on the floor of the cave. He leaned against the wall and fell asleep. He spent the next few days discovering new hiding places. It’s only safe if I don’t stay here all the time, he thought.
He found a safe lookout over the road. He watched the wagons roll in and out of Fort Sumner. On the morning of the third day, Danny spotted Rick’s wagon leaving the gates of the fort. As Rick drew closer, Danny stared at Rick’s two horses pulling the wagon. Something was different.
“Fire Eye!” he whispered. As he watched, Fire Eye danced from side to side.
“He looks like he wants to run,” Danny said. “Maybe he will. Today.”
He glanced up and down the road. Seeing no one, he waited for Rick to pass below a rock overhang. When he did, Danny leaped from the rock to the seat beside Rick.
“Whoa!” Rick shouted. He jerked the reins in surprise and turned to Danny.
“All right, son,” he said. “I guess that makes us even. Just don’t try that again. I was about to jump off the wagon and let you have it.”
“That’s what I was hoping,” Danny laughed. Rick patted him on the back.
“Good to have you along, Danny Blackgoat,” he said. “Any special reason you joined me?”
“I saw Fire Eye and I had to jump,” Danny said. “Can I ride him tonight?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Maybe we can see the Gradys,” Danny said. “They saved both of us from Manny and his men.”
“That’s a good idea, Danny. I’d like to meet them.”
Just before nightfall, they approached the Grady ranch.
“It’s not far now,” Danny said, pointing to the path leading to the watering hole.
As the dark settled over the desert, Rick pulled his wagon to the roadside.
“Now I can ride Fire Eye,” Danny said. “He’ll be glad to see Sarah.”
Danny stepped from the wagon and took Fire Eye by the reins.
“Maybe tonight’s not a good night, Danny,” Rick said. His voice was serious.
“Why not?”
“Look,” Rick replied. He was pointing to the sky over the Grady ranch. Long columns of dark smoke curled over the hill. “There’s been a fire, Danny. Looks like a bad one.”
“No!” Danny called out. “Not the Gradys!”
“Manny is not the kind of man to forget,” Rick said. “The Gradys killed his men.”
“If I thought he would go after the Gradys, I would have shot him when I had the chance,” Danny said. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. “This is my fault,” he said, fighting back tears as he spoke. “All of it. Jim Davis’s trouble. And now the Gradys.” Danny untied Fire Eye from the wagon.
“I have to go, Rick. Don’t try to stop me. I have to see if they are still alive.”
“I’m going with you. Let’s hide the wagon as best we can.”
They found a dark spot behind a boulder and parked the wagon. Rick saddled his horse and said to Danny, “Sorry I don’t have a saddle for you. I wasn’t expecting you.”
Danny wrapped his arms around Fire Eye’s neck and leaped onto his back. Fire Eye stomped the ground and whinnied.
“I think he’s glad to see you,” said Rick.
“Easy, boy,” Danny said. He patted Fire Eye’s neck. “We’ll go slow and easy.”
“Wait,” Rick said. He reached under the wagon seat and pulled out two shotguns. “They are both loaded,” he said, handing one to Danny.
Rick followed Danny up the steep hill. They steered the horses carefully, stepping over rocks and cactus plants. As they topped the hill, they pulled the horses to a halt. A half-moon lit the scene below.
Fresh water gurgled and splashed. The yellow moonlight on the water was a beautiful sight to see. But beyond the woods, in the direction of the ranch house, the sky was bright with fire.
“It’s not safe to ride to the spring,” Danny said in a quiet voice. “They might be hiding in the woods. We should circle the spring and stay out of sight.”
Rick nodded. They eased their horses down the hill. They avoided the woods and rode around the spring. As they neared the house, Danny urged Fire Eye into a gallop. Spirals of smoke rose from the ranch house and the barn.
“Nooo,” he muttered. “Please, no.”
The ranch house was burned to the ground. Danny jumped from Fire Eye and ran to the back of the house. Two long logs, burning from top to bottom, shaped an X across what had been the back door.
The stone fireplace stood straight and tall. Flaming boards cracked and crashed around it. The smell of smoke was everywhere. Danny coughed and waved the smoke from his face. He took a step and stumbled on the outside dining table. He fell to his knees and rolled across the burning table.
Rick lifted Danny to his feet.
“Careful where you step, Danny,” he said.
Danny remembered his meal with the Gradys. The Gradys saved my life, he thought. I hope they are safe.
They heard a loud crashing sound behind them. They turned and saw the roof of the barn collapse.
“I wonder where everyone is.” Rick said.
They climbed on their horses and circled the burning barn. They saw no one.
Finally, Danny pointed to the woods. “Maybe that way,” he shouted, and they rode in the direction of the spring.
As Danny entered the woods, he gripped Fire Eye’s mane and pulled him to a slow walk. In the dim light of the moon, he saw Mr. Grady lying face down on the ground.
Danny slid from his horse and walked slowly to Mr. Grady, hoping with every step that Grady would roll over. Danny picked up a broken branch and touched his boot heel. Grady did not move.
“He’s gone, Danny,” said Rick. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”
Danny stepped away from Mr. Grady. He remembered his grandfather’s words before the healing ceremony: You have been too close to death.
Chapter 15
Blood and Water
Danny turned his back to Grady and walked away, in the direction of the spring. He did not stop to see if Manny or his men were watering their horses.
“Danny,” Rick whispered, following after him. “Be careful. Manny could be anywhere.”
Danny ignored his friend. He walked faster and faster, as if he coul
d outrun his feelings and the image of Mr. Grady lying on the ground.
Danny stepped from the woods and walked to the sparkling spring. The moon shone bright and anyone could see him.
But Danny was not thinking about safety. He was thinking about revenge.
“They have hurt and killed too many good people, Rick,” he said. “Manny needs to pay for what he has done.”
“Stop for a minute, Danny, and think,” Rick said. He was breathing hard from trying to keep up with his younger friend. “What does Manny hope you’ll do?”
“He hopes I’ll forget about this. He hopes I’ll go away and forget.”
Rick sat down on a rock and dipped his hands in the water. He took a drink and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Think about it, Danny,” he said. “What would Manny really want?”
Danny shook his head back and forth. Tears flowed down his cheeks. He wiped them away and sat beside Rick.
“Manny wants me to come after him, doesn’t he?” he said.
“Yes, son. Manny would like nothing better than to capture you. I don’t want to think about what he would do. To both of us. He had a chance to kill us both. Instead, he believed you, and it got his men killed.”
“I am paying for my lies,” Danny whispered.
“I don’t know about that, Danny. But we need to have a plan before we start chasing Manny. Can we agree on that?”
“Yes,” said Danny. “Thank you for being my friend.”
“Now,” Rick said as he stood, “let’s get back to our horses.”
“Just a minute,” Danny said. “Sarah always kept a cup for drinking by the spring. I want to try one last time to help Mr. Grady.”
He found the tin cup nailed to a nearby tree and filled it with spring water. Rick walked behind as Danny returned to Mr. Grady.
He’s dead, Rick thought, but Danny needs a last good-bye.
Danny walked slowly to Mr. Grady. He knelt beside him. He closed his eyes and lifted his head to the night sky.
Danny remembered the day, long ago, when he had saved Jim Davis’s life. Davis had felt a burning pain in his chest. The other prisoners were going to let him die. But Danny had brought him back to life. He had pounded on Davis’s chest and had blown air into his mouth to help him breathe. He had never given up on his friend. And I will not give up on Mr. Grady, Danny thought.
He opened his eyes. Rick stood beside him. His hands were folded across his belly and his head was bowed.
“Rick!” Danny said. Rick looked up in surprise.
“What? What’s happening?” He turned to his horse and pulled his shotgun from the saddle.
“No,” Danny said. “Nobody is here. It’s just the three of us. You, me, and Mr. Grady.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mr. Grady is alive.” Danny rolled Mr. Grady on his back. He tilted the cup to his lips and pulled his jaw open. He poured a thin stream of water into Grady’s mouth. For a few seconds, nothing happened. The water just dribbled from his mouth.
“Help me lift him,” Danny said. Rick held Grady from behind and raised him from the ground. Danny poured another stream of water into his mouth. Grady spit it out, all over Danny!
“Yes!” Danny shouted. Mr. Grady coughed and sputtered. Without thinking, Danny tossed the cup at him, splashing his face and chest with cold spring water.
Grady blinked his eyes. He rocked back and forth, and finally sat up straight.
Rick dropped his jaw. He looked from Danny to Grady and back again.
“What happened?” Grady asked. “Where is my family?” He closed his eyes again and touched his temple. Danny gasped. Grady had a knot as big as a peach on the side of his head. It was dark purple and covered with dried blood.
“Danny, he needs help,” Rick said. He ripped Grady’s shirt from his back. Red blood flowed from an open wound in his shoulder. “Let’s get him to the spring.”
Rick and Danny carried Mr. Grady to a leafy patch of ground in the trees by the spring. For several hours they tended to his gunshot wound.
“First, we need to get that shell out of him,” Rick said.
Danny held him still while Rick dug the shell from his shoulder.
“Bring me a handful of mud and dried leaves,” Rick said.
He patted the mixture on the bleeding bullet hole. When the blood finally stopped flowing, Rick leaned against a tree trunk.
“Now,” he said softly, “we wait.”
Rick soon fell asleep against the tree, and only his loud snoring kept Danny awake. At the first sign of morning, Danny walked to the spring. He looked to the sky and reached for his pouch of corn pollen.
As the sun rose yellow and strong, he whispered the morning prayer.
Chapter 16
Mr. Grady’s Story
“He’s going to make it, Danny,” Rick said, as Danny returned.
“How can you tell?”
“The blood is all dried. There’s nothing fresh,” Rick said. “So it’s stopped flowing. Now, Danny, get close to him and tell me what you hear. Go on, get close to his face.”
Danny knelt beside Grady and leaned close. He saw Grady’s lips open and close, but so slightly that no one would ever notice. Then he saw his chest move up and down.
“He is breathing. He is alive,” Danny said. “I will never forget what you have done.”
“My family will remember, too,” said Mr. Grady. His eyes were open and he nodded to Danny.
“Mr. Grady,” Danny said, “we were so afraid for you and your family.”
“Did you see any sign of them?” Grady asked.
“There were no bodies,” said Rick. “They are still alive, that’s what we think. Manny probably took them.”
“This is my friend Rick,” Danny said. “He saved you.” Rick stood and shook Grady’s hand.
“We will do everything we can to help you,” Rick said. “Manny tried to kill us too. But Danny says you folks saved him.”
“Yes.” Grady said, “That was quite a battle. We won that one, but men like Manny never forget.”
“That’s what I’ve been telling Danny. Maybe the three of us will have a chance.”
“Did you see Sarah before they shot you?” Danny asked.
“Yes, I saw her running this way. I rode my horse after her. Manny shot me. The last thing I saw before I hit the ground was Sarah. Manny caught her. He grabbed her by the waist and rode across the spring.”
“Mr. Grady,” Danny said, “we have enemies everywhere. But we also have good friends, people like Rick. Sarah is alive. I know it. And we will find her.”
“Thank you, Danny Blackgoat,” Grady said. “I believe you.”
“Can you tell us what happened?” Rick asked.
Mr. Grady took a long, deep breath. He ran his hand through his hair and hung his head on his chest. When he spoke his voice was quiet. He was reliving the memory as he told the story.
“Just before sunrise yesterday, one of my ranch hands woke me up. He was guarding the spring that night. He said some men were stealing cattle. I told him to get a group together and follow them. Manny was behind it, I know that now. He wanted my men gone so he could take my family.
“As soon as the men rode over the hill after the cattle thieves, I heard gunfire. I don’t know how many were captured, or how many were killed. But when none of my men returned, I knew this was bad, very bad. My wife and Sarah hid in the house. I took my gun and climbed to a loft in the barn.
“Manny must have circled the woods. He attacked from the front of the house. I couldn’t see him. I heard screaming and ran to the house. It was already burning. Next thing I knew, Sarah was running from the burning house, heading to the spring. I followed her, like I said. That’s when Manny shot me.”
When he finished his story, Mr. Grady looked up at us, like he was seeing us for the first time. He shook his head back and forth.
“I should have made sure my family was safe,” he said.
“Grady,” Rick s
aid, “I have a family, too. A wife and a daughter Danny’s age. They’re at Fort Davis right now. But I sometimes take them on the road above your ranch. I always thought it was safe. With Manny out there, and others like him, nothing is safe. You can’t blame yourself for this. We will bring your family back.”
“Why would you help me?” Grady asked.
“Because you saved my life,” Danny said. “And something else. Mr. Grady, Manny would never have burned your house if I hadn’t brought him here.”
“I guess we’re all gonna feel guilty,” Grady said. “You’re right, Rick. Let’s find my family.”
Grady reached his hands out and Rick helped him to his feet.
“I think we should wait a few days, Grady, till you’re able to ride. You almost died, you know.”
“We don’t have time to wait,” said Grady. “I can get well while we ride.”
“We’ve only got two horses,” Rick said.
“Manny doesn’t know everything about the Grady ranch. I know where I can find a good, fast horse. He’s too jumpy to help out on the ranch, but I can ride him. Whenever there’s noise, he hides in the boulders across the way.” Grady pointed to a spot on the far side of the ranch.
In less than an hour, Grady had caught and saddled his horse, Solo. They filled their bags with water and climbed the hills in search of Manny, Mrs. Grady, and Sarah. They rode without speaking until they reached the woods overlooking the ranch.
“I was afraid of that,” Grady said. He stepped from Solo and walked in the direction of two bodies in a clump of juniper trees. “Two of my best men.”
Danny had seen enough death to know what had to be done.
“I’ll find a shovel,” he said to Rick. He rode back to the barn while Rick and Grady tended to the bodies. Grady could not keep himself from weeping.
“We had a good life here,” he said. “It was hard work, but we had warm beds in the winter and plenty of food. Now that’s all gone. At least for these two.”
He washed the faces of the men. He laid them side by side, brushing the dust from their clothes. He took his hat off and prayed over them. Soon Danny returned with a shovel. Taking turns, Rick and Danny dug two shallow graves.