by Tell Cotten
A mule would slow us down, so we stuffed our saddlebags with all the canned goods that would fit, and then we climbed on our horses.
Cooper and Josie looked at each for a long time, and Cooper smiled gently.
“We’ll be back,” he said.
“You say that a lot.”
“I know,” he said, and he gestured at the cabin. “Remember what I told you.”
Josie nodded, and she walked inside and shut the door. I looked at Cooper, and he nodded.
“Let’s go,” he said.
I nodded back, and we kicked up our horses and rode out.
Cooper found the tracks, and we fell into our routine. Cooper’s eyes never left the ground, and mine never left the surrounding landscape.
By now it was late morning. The tracks were easy to follow, and we trotted briskly. We risked ambush, going that fast, but we had no choice.
The day passed quickly, and we rode until it got so dark that Cooper couldn’t follow the tracks. There was a draw nearby, and we camped in the bottom.
We were now deep into Indian country, and it was too risky for a fire. We unsaddled and picketed our horses, and I pulled out some canned peaches and hardtack from my saddlebags. Cooper grabbed our canteens, and we sat on the ground and ate.
“Tracks getting any fresher?” I asked.
“Some,” Cooper said, and added, “But not a lot.”
“We aren’t going to catch him,” I said flatly.
“I’d say that’s a good possibility,” Cooper looked grim.
I nodded, and we frowned as we thought on that.
“Well, we’ll come up with something,” I said after a while.
“We always do,” Cooper nodded.
“I can only imagine how terrified that boy is,” I commented. “There’s no telling what he’s gone through these past few days.”
“Josie would know,” Cooper said. “If we get him back, she might be able to help him cope with things.”
“Probably so.”
Cooper nodded, and it was silent for a bit. As we sat there, I couldn’t help but yearn for a hot cup of coffee.
“You want the first watch or the second?” Cooper broke the silence.
“Go ahead and get some sleep,” I told him. “I’ll keep watch for a while.”
Cooper nodded and stood, and he walked over to his bedroll and rolled it out.
I frowned as I watched him uncoil his rope around his bed.
“Are you going to do that from here on out?” I asked with a frown.
“Any reason I shouldn’t?”
“Sure. It makes you look foolish.”
“I’d rather look foolish than be bit by a snake.”
“But it doesn’t make sense,” I protested.
“Well, all I know is that I’m not the one who woke up with a rattler buzzing by my head.”
I sighed and shook my head.
Chapter forty-six
We were up at daybreak. We chewed on some hardtack, and then we saddled our horses and rode out.
It was a muggy morning. And, even though it was cool, sweat streaked down our faces, and our shirts became damp.
“Sure is sticky this morning,” I complained.
“Feels like it’s going to rain, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” I admitted.
“Makes you wonder about those rain birds,” Cooper said, and his eyes twinkled as he looked at me.
I scowled, and Cooper chuckled.
The morning passed smoothly. I kept a close eye out for Indians or an ambush, but I didn’t see any sign of either.
The tracks started getting fresh around midday. However, we also knew that we were close to the Apache camp, so there was little hope in catching him now. And, even if we did catch him, we couldn’t risk the sound of a shot.
There were trees all around us, and in front of us loomed a very steep ridge that went for miles. There was also a long ledge at the top.
“We might could spot the Apache camp from up there,” Cooper pointed.
I thought on that and nodded.
“Be worth a look,” I said.
It was too steep to ride, so we dismounted and tied our horses in amongst the trees. Cooper grabbed his spyglass, and we trudged to the top of the ledge.
It was a long, difficult climb, and we were out of breath when we reached the top. We were soaked with sweat, and flies buzzed around us. A few of them even flew up our noses, and we had to swat at them.
“These flies are driving me crazy,” I said irritably.
“Means it’s going to rain,” Cooper said.
“Now that I’ve heard of,” I said.
“It’s getting dark in the west too,” Cooper nodded at the sky.
I nodded, and then we looked below.
There was a valley in front of us, and the Apache camp was nestled beside a river that ran along the bottom. It was closer than we expected, and we squatted behind some brush.
“Well, there it is,” Cooper said wryly.
“Sure is,” I said, and it fell silent as we studied the layout.
The Indian camp was quite impressive. There were several hide-covered lodges pitched along the bank. Women, children, and dogs were all about, and there was plenty of laughter and chatter.
Their pony herd was on the other side of the river. They had a lot of horses, and we could see several Indian boys keeping watch.
There was a huge gathering of braves at a lodge on the outskirts of camp, and Cooper squinted through his eyeglass. A few seconds passed, and then he whistled.
“I see the boy,” he said.
“Good,” I said.
“Rocca’s down there too,” he continued. “No Worries is with him. Looks like he’s trading the rifles.”
“Is Wyatt all right?”
“I think so. He’s sitting beside some other kids at the lodge on the outskirts of camp. I think that might be No Worries’ lodge.”
“Are his hands tied?”
“Not that I can see.”
“They probably aren’t too worried about him running off, this far from home,” I figured.
“Probably so.”
A rifle shot suddenly boomed out, and Cooper and I instinctively ducked.
“What was that?” I hissed.
“No Worries just fired one of the rifles,” Cooper replied as he squinted through the eyeglass. “Probably making sure they work.”
“I reckon he tried the right one,” I replied, and added, “That about scared me to death.”
Cooper smiled and nodded. He passed me the eyeglass, and I studied the camp for a long time.
“Interesting, No Worries’ lodge being away from the others,” I finally said.
“What’s so interesting about that?”
“Do you reckon we could sneak up to the backside of that lodge at night?”
“No. It’s too open down there. There’s not any cover.”
“Have any better ideas?”
Cooper thought for a moment.
“No.”
There was a stirring below, and I looked through the spyglass again.
Rocca was mounted on his horse. He led Jug-head and the other mule, and they were packed down with pelts. He said something to No Worries, and then he kicked up his horse and rode out of camp.
We kept still and watched him. He rode to the top of the ledge about a half-mile from us, and he disappeared into the trees.
“Are we going after him?” Cooper asked.
“Catching him won’t get Wyatt back.”
“I reckon not.”
“We’ll wait and see what develops,” I said.
Chapter forty-seven
We watched the camp for another hour. No Worries disappeared inside his lodge, but Wyatt never moved.
“The boy looks calm,” I commented as I studied him through the eyeglass.
“I noticed that.”
Suddenly, we heard a deep rumbling to the west. We glanced at each other and frowned.
“Mebbe it was a mile-or-more bird,” I suggested.
We heard it again, and this time we could tell that it was thunder. We glanced up at the sky, and it was getting darker.
“It really is going to rain,” Cooper said.
“Looks like it.”
Another half hour passed, only this time we watched the sky more than we did the camp. Thunder kept rumbling in the west, and then it suddenly got very calm.
I looked down at the camp through the spyglass, and No Worries was outside, looking up at the sky. He said something to a squaw, and she gathered all the children, including Wyatt, and hurried them inside. Meanwhile, No Worries hustled around camp, and I could tell that he was talking to the other braves.
“They’re getting ready for a storm down there,” I commented.
“Yeah, and that storm is about to hit,” Cooper said, and there was a worrisome sound to his voice.
The sky to the west had turned completely black. Lightning struck the ground, and the thunder was deafening. It started sprinkling, and the drops were big.
“We’re about to get wet,” Cooper said.
I nodded as I looked below.
All of the braves were running to their lodges, and I also noticed that there were no lookouts.
“Everybody’s going inside,” I pointed below.
“I’d go inside too if I had a place to go,” Cooper said sourly.
“There’s no lookouts,” I said, and there was excitement in my voice.
Cooper looked at me and frowned.
“What are you thinking?”
“When the rain hits, I think we might could slip down there unnoticed, go into No Worries’ lodge and whop him on the head, and grab Wyatt and make a run for it.”
“What if it quits raining?”
“Then we’ll die and take some Injuns with us.”
Cooper scratched his jaw as he thought on that.
“Let’s do it,” he said.
I nodded, and we checked our weapons. There were still no lookouts below, so we started down.
We were about halfway down the ridge when the rain hit. It was the hardest rain I’d ever been in, and it felt like buckets of water being poured over us.
We were soaked within seconds. Just like that it was muddy and slick, and we had to be careful as we slogged along.
We were almost at the bottom when we heard a loud roar. We looked up, and water was pouring into the valley from the mountains.
“The valley’s flooding!” Cooper yelled at me through the rain.
I nodded, and we trudged on.
We finally reached the bottom, and I was surprised at how deep the water was. Running water was up over our ankles, and the current was remarkably strong. It pulled at us, and it was hard to stand.
“I don’t think we planned this out too well!” Cooper shouted.
“No,” I shouted back. “We didn’t!”
“Too late now!”
“Yes,” I yelled. “It is!”
Chapter forty-eight
The rain was falling so hard that we could barely see as we made our way across the valley. However, that also meant that nobody could see us, so that was a good thing.
Our feet sunk in the mud with each step, and the strong current grabbed at us. But we managed to keep on our feet, and we finally reached the backside of No Worries’ lodge.
The rain was still falling in sheets, and it was beating hard against the side of the lodge. I pulled out my knife, and I made a long cut in the tanned hide. The rain was so deafening that it didn’t make a sound.
I looked at Cooper and nodded, and he nodded back. I took a big breath and stepped inside, and Cooper was behind me.
Water was running through the lodge, and we could hardly hear anything. It was very black inside, but the cut in the hide allowed a little light in.
I heard a surprised grunt, and No Worries appeared in front of me. He was startled, but he recovered quickly and grabbed for his knife.
With an easy movement, I palmed my Colt. I swung it hard, and I hit No Worries on the side of the head. He grunted, and I holstered my Colt as he fell.
He was out cold, and his face was in the water. I knelt beside him and lifted him up, and I leaned him against the side so he wouldn’t drown.
The squaw and the children were huddled together in the corner. They seemed to be more terrified than hostile, but Cooper covered them with his rifle anyhow.
I spotted Wyatt. He looked scared, and he stared at us through wide eyes.
“Come here, Wyatt,” I called out to him. “We’re here to help.”
The boy didn’t move, and I frowned and looked at Cooper.
“Grab him!” I said.
Cooper walked over and picked him up. Wyatt started to fight back, but Cooper held on firmly.
“Stop it!” Cooper yelled. “We’re here to help!”
Wyatt didn’t say anything, but he stopped struggling as Cooper threw him on top of his shoulder.
“Let’s go!” Cooper yelled at me.
I nodded. Cooper walked towards the cut in the hide, but I turned towards No Worries.
“What are you doing?” Cooper yelled at me.
I didn’t reply as I knelt beside No Worries.
I grasped No Worries on the shoulder. I squeezed hard, and then I looked at the squaw, smiled, and followed Cooper outside.
It was still pouring rain, and by now the water was almost to our knees.
Suddenly, we heard some screams from camp. We looked, and a lodge was breaking up and was being swept away. Several Indians came outside and tried to help, but they were too busy to notice us.
I motioned at Cooper, and we trudged across the valley. The current was extremely strong, and we had to be careful with each step.
We finally reached the edge of the valley. We started climbing the ridge, and it was a relief to be heading to higher ground.
The rain finally started to lighten as we reached the top. I glanced below and noticed that several lodges had been swept away. The river beside the camp was roaring, and I could see some white rapids.
Cooper sat the boy down on the ground and looked him over.
“Are you all right?”
The boy just stared at him through wide eyes.
“Do you remember me, Wyatt? I’m Cooper. We met in Midway.”
The boy nodded, but that was all.
“You’re safe now, you understand?”
Again, the boy just nodded.
Cooper nodded back and looked at me.
“We’d best be going,” Cooper said. “They’ll be after us as soon as they find out what happened.”
“I don’t think so,” I said, and I gestured below. “That river is still rising. I think they’re cut off from their horses.”
Cooper walked up beside me, and he nodded as he looked below.
“I think you’re right.”
“We’ll be a long ways from here by the time that river goes down.” I said.
“But they still might come after us on foot,” Cooper warned.
“Let’s be going then,” I suggested.
Cooper nodded and picked up the boy, and we trudged back to where we had left the horses.
We were relieved to find them still there.
The horses were skittish, and we had trouble getting mounted. Cooper got on first, and I managed to get Wyatt up behind him. I climbed on my horse, and we took out.
We trotted briskly, and we put several miles between the Indian camp and us. Only then did we relax some.
“What’d you do back there?” Cooper asked me.
“No Worries counted coup against me once, so I returned the favor,” I explained.
“Unless the squaw tells him, he won’t even know it,” Cooper objected.
“I’ll know,” I said.
Chapter forty-nine
Despite being soaked, we were in good moods as we rode along. We had Wyatt back, and
that’s all that mattered.
The ground was wet and slick, but we still managed a brisk trot. We made good time, and by dark we were roughly halfway back to the cabin.
We wanted to push on, but it was too muddy to ride in the dark. So, we holed up amongst some trees, and I pulled out some canned goods. Wyatt was hungry, and he tore into his food with a vengeance.
Afterwards, Cooper talked to him some, but he still wouldn’t answer. However, he did nod his head every once in a while.
We sat there a while, and then Cooper and Wyatt turned in while I kept watch. Cooper relieved me around midnight, and come daylight we saddled up and pushed on.
The morning passed quickly. We were all a bit jumpy, but nothing happened.
It was late morning when we finally arrived at the cabin.
Cooper looked concerned as we rode up. I glanced at the corral, and I was relieved to see the horses and mules.
“Hello the cabin!” Cooper called out. “It’s us!”
It was silent, and then the door opened. Josie stood in the doorway, and a huge grin crossed her face when she saw us.
“You are here!” She exclaimed.
“I told you we’d be back,” Cooper smiled at her.
Josie spotted Wyatt, and she gasped in surprise. She rushed forward and helped Wyatt down, and she ignored Cooper as she led Wyatt inside.
Cooper frowned thoughtfully and looked at me.
“Now you know how I feel,” I said.
Cooper snorted, and we dismounted and followed them inside.
Kolorado was lying on the ground in the corner. He tried not to show it, but I could tell that he was glad to see us.
“You got the boy back,” he said.
“We did,” I nodded.
“How did you manage to pull that off?”
“The rain helped.”
“I told you it was going to rain,” Kolorado looked proud.
“You were right,” I said.
“We’re still wet too,” Cooper added, and he patted his damp shirt.
“How do you feel?” I asked Kolorado. “Are you queasy after losing all that blood?”
“Me? Queasy?” Kolorado scowled. “I’ve got the gut of a buzzard.”