by T J Reeder
The horse was about five years old and a gelding which I was glad of, since mares can be a problem. Both girls turned and looked at me. Charley sighed and shook his head and said “It’s going to be a real long trip.” I just nodded and asked if he wanted to go. He said something in his own tongue causing Sandy to laugh, so she whispered loudly that she would tell May later.
We led May’s horse back to Charley’s place and saddled him and May just stepped right up on him like they were meant for each other. Both girls smiled at me.
May headed out and we sat in the shade, Sandy went in to see the old woman who I swear is named “Old Woman.” Charley and I just sat quietly watching May riding all over the area, after an hour she returned and said “Can we come back to get him soon?”
Charley said he would be on his way within the hour. Right then an old pickup with a horse trailer pulled into the place and two of the young guys who had been with us on our previous adventure jumped out and came to say hello. Both looked at the horse with surprise bordering on astonishment but neither said a word. They took the saddle off and put the horse in the trailer and were gone.
May went in to tell Sandy all about it while I waited for Charley to speak up. At last he coughed quietly and said, “The horse had a devil in it, it’s broken up two of our best riders.” I was about to bounce when he put his hand on my arm and said, “Did you see the horse pick her?”
I said “Well, I saw it walk over to her.” He nodded and said “Yes that’s how it looked but there was more at work. The horse was waiting for May to come get him.” I said “Well hell, he’s broke so somebody rode him.” Charley waited a moment and said “No, May is the only person to ever ride that horse.”
Now I can get into all the spirit crap between Sandy and Charley because there is something there, but a horse and a woman who never seen each other before?
I asked Charley if he was serious, he just looked at me and I knew he was telling the truth. I’ll never understand, and he said “No John you won’t, but it’s right there if you only open up and let it come.”
I suddenly felt like I had lost something important but he smiled and touched my arm and said “No you didn’t. It’s there you just haven’t accepted it yet.”
After lunch we loaded up and headed for the canyon. All the while the girls talked about riding a lot while we were at the canyon to get May’s butt in shape. I smiled and thought “Her butt is just fine” and got a kiss on the cheek from May and a smile from Sandy. We would be in the canyon for at least two weeks getting us and the critters ready for the trip.
I knew Joe and Willy had been riding Buck and Rab but the pack mules needed some workout time. I was getting really excited about the trip. The girls were pumped as well. Sandy was filling May in on all our adventures good and bad. She of course had heard about me getting shot in the ass but Sandy would tell it just a bit different every time and they would have tears rolling down. I failed to see the humor and I would wish it on them but ruin a work of art? Not likely!! They both smiled at that…thought?
We made it to the canyon settlement and found Charley’s lads had unloaded May’s horse, who was pissed off until he saw May, who ran to him and hugged him close and whispered in his ear. I’d make a comment but when she whispers in my ear I wag my tail too so….
The boys loaded up and took off for home with a wave still smiling at May and her horse. I asked May what his name was but she just shrugged and said, “He hasn’t told me yet.” I didn’t ask. Sandy said something about me learning. Joe and Willy were there looking at May and her horse like they thought she was crazy and Joe said yanno, five minutes before y’all got here that nag was about to tear that trailer apart and then he calmed down and just stared up the road. Strange. I lowered my voice and said “You ain’t seen shit my friends.” But they in fact had seen how these girls worked as a team, and it was spooky to say the least. I’ve never believed in any of that spooky shit but I was fast becoming a believer.
I told them about how nobody had ever rode this beast and they believed it. About that time May jumped up across his bare back and threw a leg over and sat there like a warrior princess from long ago. She just needed a bow and a short sword to make the picture complete.
She nudged him and he turned and walked right up to us. She smiled and asked Sandy if she had any swords in her stash and maybe a bow. Sandy never blinked and said “No but I bet we can find some.” I swear Willy made the sign of the cross. I asked her why she asked that and she said “I don’t know it just popped into my mind and I liked the idea.” I headed for the truck and the JW with the guys following me.
We spent the next two weeks packing and unpacking the mules, more for May then them. This was a learning experience for her and her horse with no a name. About five minutes after I thought about that old song I heard May humming it. I need to start smoking that shit just so I have a reason to be thinking this stuff.
We had a long talk about where we wanted to go and how we wanted to get there. I still had the map with the route Sandy and I used but we wanted to see new country right along with May so we could all be impressed together.
We debated the entire week on either using the Dodge and trailer to get closer to the mountains but in the end we decided to just ride. After packing and repacking I came to the conclusion we needed at least two more pack animals. I wasn’t sure how two new mules would fit in with the family as it stood so I contacted Charley and asked him. He said he would think it over and two days later he and the two younger men drove into the canyon pulling their trailer.
I could only smile when he got out of the truck. Charley has become the brother I never had and the friend everybody could only wish for. While he stood with me the others opened the ramp and walked out 4 big beautiful red mules. I had to look close to see if he had snuck ours in the trailer. Sandy and May were bouncing like rubber balls and were among the mules before I could think of a warning about strange animals. Charley laid his hand on my arm and shook his head a bit. So I just settled down to watch.
In short order three of the mules were sniffing at the girls and the forth had backed away, at a hand sigh from Charley the men started to lead the forth mule back into the trailer but Willy asked him to wait. He walked over and stood there until the mule stepped over to him. Charley smiled and nodded, the boys closed the trailer. Willy had a mule.
Now I don’t really believe all this stuff but I gotta admit it was love at first sight with me and Buck and as I recall he walked over to me when I was looking them over. Now really, I’m not crazy. I don’t think. But it’s like with the girls. They, I swear, read my mind, and yeah it’s crazy to think that but there is no denying that it happens. And it’s like Sandy welcoming May into our family unit on nothing more than….what? Some kinda sense?
Screw it, the girls have three pet mules as big as Buck and Willy has one for whatever reason, but I expect he wants to ride him since mules do so much better in rough country. That’s why Arabs always win the endurances races. Make sense? I didn’t think so. But look it up.
Charley and I sat in the shade of some tree that has the balls to do well in the desert and watched the girls sitting on the mules and I swear talking to them. Charley coughed softly so I waited for a second and he said “You are going to start your journey from here riding?” Now nobody I knew of had talked to him about our plans but I just said “Yes.” He sat for a moment and said “You will be traveling through dry country but there is plenty of water out there. After you get a ways north there will of course be plenty.” He pulled out a map of the state and on it was marked a route that led to water while heading north.
It led through some of the most beautiful country out there. I thanked him and tucked the map away. I asked again if he would like to join us but he smiled his soft smile and said “No John, this is a journey for the three of you. I will see you when you return.” I asked when that would be. He said when it is time.
I asked if he knew. He said
no but the Old Woman did. That was enough for me. He stood up with the ease of a man 50 years younger while I had to work at it. He walked to his truck and returned with a buckskin pouch filled with something and handed it to me said, “Every morning drink a cup of this steeped in hot water and again at night.” I asked what it was. He said it would help the pains of old age. God knows I need it.
I sniffed it and it smelled familiar but I couldn’t place it, but if Charley said it would work I’ll take his word for it. After a bit he bid us goodbye and left. The girls were still playing with the mules and Willy was heading off someplace on his. I finally had to break up the puppy love affair between the girls and the mules. Shit they will be wanting to move them in with us too.
Our hole in the wall as I called it was a very nice home, one large room torn from the sandstone cliff and it was so very comfy. The temperature stayed a pretty steady upper sixties but in cold weather the fire felt very good. We were really just using it like a motel because after we left it would be there for anybody who needed shelter. The solar panels did a very good job providing plenty of light. Warm and light what more did a person need really? The food was eaten as it was grown so it was fresh and the milk from the goats and the eggs were lowered into the deepest part of the canyon where I swear it was damn near freezing. I dove down one time and long before I got close to the bottom I was shooting for the warmer surface water, I like to have froze my… well it was cold ok? So anything we had that needed cooling wasn’t a problem. There was fresh fish whenever we wanted it and deer for the taking. They had also brought in a few cows to have cream and to make cheese. Life in the canyon is good and quiet and peaceful. So why were we willingly riding off into the cold frozen mountains? I guess because they are there. But I feel this may my last ride up into the high country.
This morning Sandy and May tried to poison me. They fixed the “tea” from the whatever it was Charley left for me. I gag you not. I thought he was my friend. The pair of traitors laughed and called me a baby. Finally they added a bit if brandy to it and it was passable. They each had a cup without the booze to show me I was a wimp. I swear they had to clinch their jaws to get it down.
I think I figured out what it is! Back in my long ago youth I lived in the Mojave desert and an old man I knew would take dead leaves off of the Grease Wood bush, and steep a hand full in a gallon jug of water he left out in the sun all day. He swore he never had any arthritis problems again (true story). Could this be what I’m drinking? Anyway, I got it down and vowed tonight I would drink it right down and smack my lips and ask for more. I’ll show these two.
Finally the day came to head out, after we packed and repacked the panniers until we had them right. We were heavy on ammo and fairly light on weapons. We all had our usual handguns. I had my 308 in a saddle scabbard; the girls each had a 308 bolt gun in scabbards. On the mules we had our war fighting stuff. My AR 10, May got the 300 Blackout, Sandy had trouble deciding but left the Thompson behind and settled on her MP5/40.We had three M-16s packed away and two pump shotguns and ammo for all.
Food we had, a great deal of Mountain House stuff plus a lot of rice, beans, dehydrated veggies by the ton it seemed, but dried veggies and a rabbit or two makes a damn good hobo stew and sticks to the ribs. We would take fresh meat as needed and dry the rest. We were back in our Carharts as was May and good light weight lace up boots with Gortex. We had all the tools needed to cut firewood or build a shelter. We had several dome tents, enough to store all the stuff out of the weather and a big one for us. I added two large tarps that could be strung up as shelter for the animals.
We had made list after list and everything seems to be covered, plenty of sugar, salt, pepper, spices, you name it we had it. Dutch ovens on and on, all packed in its place and ready to use. I even took a crash course on replacing a shoe on one of the animals and had the tools and some shoes to fit our stock. First aid kits filled with everything we might need plus books on how to do some minor medical procedures. We had packed our body armor even. Thank god for the three extra pack mules. So we were ready, nothing we can think of, nothing our friends can think of. So it’s now first light and we are packed and mounted and heading out.
Goodbyes were said, and hugs handed out. We covered maybe 10 miles the first day. We needed time to iron out any bugs in our packing job and to allow the mules to decide who was going to follow whom. Yes they have a pecking order too. On our first late afternoon we stopped at a spring right where Charley said it would be and started developing our routines on evening chores.
I did the unpacking and covered all the packs with ground cloths in case of rain or heavy dew. While I did this the girls set up our tent then got a fire going and in general we made a nice comfy camp. We were all tired and were turning in at dark. We put the fire out and leaving Walker outside the tent we settled in for the night. We had solved the sleeping arrangement by using some foam pads in canvas and sewing king size blankets at the bottoms and some down comforters. I can say for me that I was asleep in 10 seconds and I don’t think we moved all night. I heard Walker rumbling once during the night but it was like Molly’s “Hey! We’re sleeping here so beat it” sound. Not a full on “OH SHIT!” we got problems sound.
Morning came and I couldn’t hardly move. I had two extra warm bookends sprawled across me but the main issue was the pains and agony of sore muscles. I wondered what it would feel like if we hadn’t been riding every day for two weeks. I laid there until my bladder said it wasn’t going to last much longer. So I wiggled out and slipped on my night moccasins and made my way out of the tent, in agony. Business done, I built the fire up and made coffee in the cowboy pot and crawled back into the tent and bed. I don’t think they had moved.
I went out like a light and woke to the smell of boiling coffee and missing a bookend so I got up and headed for the coffee. I poured two cups and decided I needed some extra pain killer then I remembered Charley’s magic weed, so I got water going and when it boiled added some of the stuff and set it aside. May returned with Walker and sat down and snuggled against me. I reached in the tent and got a blanket and we wrapped in it. Like a good little boy I gagged down my meds, then allowed myself coffee with brandy.
We heard Sandy yell “Walker!! Shit!! And we both laughed as he got her out of bed! Her coffee was waiting when she came back from watering the desert and cuddled under the blanket on my other side and moaned at the first sip.
We just sat there and sipped our coffee watching the beautiful sunrise. I will admit this morning I could be talked into heading back to the canyon and settling into retirement. But after the sun warmed things up some and we had something to eat the day looked better. It took us a while to get loaded up but that would improve with time.
All that day and the days that followed were spent looking at the awesome beauty of the red sandstone canyons and arches of this part of the country. The camp chores became routine and easier, the nights sleeping were better and most nights we slept under the stars. Walker liked those nights best because he could lay beside Sandy or May; he was an equal opportunity layer.
As the days turned into weeks we moved north and saw not a soul simply because we chose not to. When there are people in a bunch trouble seems to follow. In all this time we never fired a shot. The girls and I would practice our draw every day and from most any position. We started a game of using the clock as a test board. We would take turns at any time to call out a time. Maybe I’d call out 3 and they would turn and draw regardless of what they were doing. We just never fired a shot, why announce we were here? It was just keeping muscle memory alive. Folks say it’s like riding a bicycle but if you haven’t ridden one in a long time you’re gonna be slower and wobbly.
The girls were flat out scary fast. They both had shoulder holsters but May liked the right hip carry like I used. She carried a Colt Defender in her shoulder holster and a Commander on her side right past center.
Sandy carried her Gold cup under the jacket and Ellie on her
left front in a cross draw. I like that because on a horse it was damn fast. With Walker out ahead I felt pretty safe from a close in ambush. He had really matured; he had to weigh close to 80 pounds now and wasn’t grown yet. He was totally devoted to the girls, I was on my own.
We reached the point where we have to re-supply which meant entering a small town or a farm commune. After looking at the map we picked out a small town to check out, not knowing if it was even still occupied. It was. The town on the map was maybe a thousand people pre-event. When we got close enough to scout it out it looked like it hadn’t lost too much population. People were walking, riding bicycles, horses; even a few older vehicles were in use. It seemed like a peaceful place but we spent the afternoon watching it. In that time we saw no signs of anything out of place so we decided to ride in like we owned the place, but we took time to get out the close combat long guns. The girls both had short weapons with collapsible stocks, they both had dusters that would cover the guns, I had a CAR-16 but I kept it in hand as we rode in. The town was clean, folks nodded as we passed by, some gave a howdy. I stopped and asked one old gent where we could get a hot meal. He pointed down the road and said there was a few places but the best was a place called “Ma’s.” That sounded fine so we headed on following his directions.