Chapter five
Those first few weeks passed by unnoticed. We were in good spirits, and we traveled at least forty miles a day.
Every few days Pa would send me out hunting. I almost always brought back a deer or something, and it helped our grub go a long ways.
At first we ran into one settlement after another, but as we got further west the settlements became fewer. Pa had hoped to meet up with a wagon train by now, because further west was Injun country.
Pa had already explained about the constant danger of Injuns in Texas.
The Civil War had drained Texas of most its young fighting men, and ever since then the Comanches and Kiowas had been on the warpath with very little resistance. They were a fierce and brutal enemy, and we were going to have to be alert and ready at all times.
***
We had been gone about three weeks when Pa informed us that we were now in Texas.
I was surprised, because the country still looked the same as Louisiana did. But Pa explained that we were heading for the Texas Plains, and that was still a long ways off to the west.
A few days later we finally came across a wagon train. It was evening time, and we could see their campfires burning in the distance.
We set up camp and ate a quick supper, and then Pa rode over to have a talk with them. He came back later all excited, saying that in the morning we would pull in with them.
“They’re going all the way to California!” Pa told us. “But, I told them when we got close to Midway that we would be pulling out on our own again.”
That sounded good to us, and come morning we packed up camp and went down to meet them. I counted twenty-three wagons, and ours made it twenty-four.
We found out real quick that these folks weren’t very friendly. They were also a real clannish bunch. We later learned that they had all come from the same place back east somewheres.
There was a lady named Karen Day that was the exception.
Mrs. Day was a widow that was traveling all alone, and she had joined up with the wagon train a few weeks back.
Me and Elliot could tell that she took an immediate liking to Pa, and Pa seemed to like her too. It was the first time since Ma had died that Pa had shown any interest in another woman, and it made me and Elliot glad.
There was another wagon carrying three men that had joined up a few weeks back too. A big, husky man by the name of Jones was their leader.
They were a rough looking bunch. When we made camp they always stayed off by themselves, and they didn’t talk to nobody. We also noticed that at least one of them always stayed with the wagon.
Pa was wary.
“Stay away from that wagon, boys,” Pa told us. “I don’t like the looks of ’em.”
Pa didn’t have to tell me twice. I didn’t like the looks of them neither, and I kept my distance.
A man by the name of Tom Benson was boss of the wagon train.
Pa was surprised, and he told us boys that he had heard that Tom Benson was a no account gunfighter. He was a big, hairy, and gruff looking man, and his huge, square-like face was covered in a full-grown beard.
At first Benson didn’t seem to mind us being there. But then, a few nights later, Mrs. Day invited us over to do some visiting.
Pa was real quick to accept her invite, and that evening we had supper with Mrs. Day.
We were all having a good time, and we were in the middle of laughing over the campfire when Tom Benson came walking up. Seems like he had come to call on Mrs. Day, and us being there spoiled his plans.
After that Tom Benson took an immediate disliking to Pa. And, so did the rest of the bunch.
But that didn’t stop Mrs. Day. She really liked us, and she started having supper with us a lot more often, which made Benson even more irritable.
Benson was a sore loser, and he never called Pa by his name no more. Instead, Benson started using nicknames like ‘sodbuster’ or ‘tenderfoot’ and such. He made Pa’s life as miserable as he could, and he would yell and scream at Pa over nothing.
Benson also gave me a hard time about my ivory handled six-shooter. Every time he saw me he would laugh and say a youngster like myself didn’t have any business wearing a gun as fancy as mine.
I was aggravated, but Pa told me not to let it worry me. Pa said that Benson was making himself look like a fool, and that as long as we did nothing back he would only make himself look more foolish.
A couple of weeks went by, and every day the tension between Pa and Benson built. Benson was starting to get real mean and ugly, and Pa was worried.
Pa was also worried about the Jones’ wagon. They were acting real peculiar, and Pa was certain that they were up to no good.
Pa wanted to avoid any trouble. So, every night when we made camp we tried hard to keep out of everybody’s way.
Then came the day that we ran into Injun sign.
Chapter six
Another wagon train had been attacked and had been completely wiped out.
The Injuns had burned the wagons, and unrecognizable charred bodies, both human and horses, lay scattered about. All the unlucky human victims had been scalped, and there was an unhealthy stench in the air.
It was the worst thing I had ever seen. It made my stomach sick, and it was hard to keep my breakfast from coming back up.
This Injun attack had been recent, for the coals from the burnt wagons were still warm, and the bodies were still fresh looking and limber.
Everybody got worried, and Tom Benson had a hard time keeping everybody quieted down.
That is, all except for the Jones’ wagon. They didn’t seem concerned at all.
***
After that, things got more serious. Benson kept all the wagons bunched up together, and no one left the wagon train alone anymore to hunt. Instead, Benson sent out big hunting parties, and they shared the meat with everybody else.
Pa offered my services, but Benson laughed.
“I wouldn’t send a boy out to do a man’s work,” Benson scoffed.
“He’s young,” Pa admitted. “But, he’s the best shot I’ve ever seen.”
“Then I doubt you’ve seen very many, you being a sodbuster and all,” Benson replied, and everybody around laughed.
Pa didn’t say anything. Instead, he turned abruptly and went back to the wagon.
“Don’t let it bother you, Rondo,” Pa told me later. “What they think doesn’t matter none.”
It did bother me, but I managed to smile for Pa.
“Yes, Pa. I’m fine.”
***
That night we had supper with Mrs. Day.
We stayed a bit longer than usual, mainly because Pa and Mrs. Day were off talking by themselves real hush like.
Afterwards, Pa was real cheerful and talkative as we walked back to our wagon.
But Pa suddenly stopped short. His face got a startled expression, and Pa’s sudden movements made me and Elliot jump.
“What’s wrong, Pa?” I asked.
Before Pa could answer, Tom Benson stepped out of the shadows from beside our wagon. He was all sweaty and breathing hard, and he looked like he had been doing some real strenuous work.
Benson was surprised when he saw us. A look of guilt crossed over his face, sort of like a youngster getting caught stealing cookies.
“Evening,” Benson said, and he flashed us a shaky grin.
Before Pa could say anything, Benson turned and hurried off into the darkness.
“What was he up to?” Pa frowned suspiciously.
Pa went over to the wagon and lit a lantern. He climbed into the back and checked over everything.
“Nothing’s missing that I can see,” Pa told us as he climbed back out. “Let’s check the horses.”
The horses were fine, as were our saddles and gear. We checked everything else we could think of, but we found everything to be safe and sound.
The situation didn’t make any sense to Pa.
“I just know Benson was up to no good,” Pa told us.
“Maybe we came back too soon and messed up whatever he was planning on doing,” Elliot suggested.
“Maybe so,” Pa said as he shook his head in confusion.
There wasn’t anything else we could do in the dark, so we rolled out our bedrolls and went to bed.
We awoke early, and in the daylight Pa checked over everything again. But, Pa didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.
Pa planned on speaking to Benson about it, but Benson made sure and stayed well clear of Pa as everybody got their wagons hitched up. It was time to pull out, so Pa had no choice but to climb up onto the wagon seat and get going.
Me and Elliot rode a-horseback in front of the wagon like we always did.
The morning passed by uneventfully, and I had just decided that we must have been imaging things when I suddenly heard a shout from behind.
I turned around in the saddle and saw Pa pulling out of the wagon line.
“Something’s wrong with the wagon,” Pa explained. “It isn’t pulling right.”
Me and Elliot dismounted and tied our horses to the back of the wagon.
We were all down on our hands and knees looking underneath the wagon when Tom Benson came riding up. Benson took a quick look around, and noticed that nobody else was within earshot.
“What’s going on here, Sodbuster?” He demanded roughly.
“Looks like the axle’s broke,” Pa said from underneath the wagon.
Tom Benson made no effort to hide his pleasure.
“Is that so? Can you fix it?”
“Yes, but it’ll take a while,” Pa said as he crawled out from underneath the wagon.
Benson’s eyes lit up with victory, and a triumphant snarl crossed his face.
“Sorry, Sodbuster, but I can’t wait. This is Injun country, and we’d make too good a target if we stopped.”
“You’re going to leave us?” Pa asked, and his face was dark.
“I’ve got no choice,” Benson responded. “But, I’ll tell you what. ’Bout six miles ahead there’s a creek that runs into a lakebed. There’s good cover there, and that’s where I had figured on stopping for the night. Now, if’n it don’t take you too long to fix your wagon, you should catch back up with us sometime during the night.”
I could tell Pa wanted to say something back, but he controlled himself and turned away.
Benson smiled wolfishly, and then he loped off.
Chapter seven
Mrs. Day pulled her wagon up beside us, and Pa explained the situation to her.
“I’ll stay and help,” she offered.
“No, you had best go with the wagons,” Pa told her. “It shouldn’t take us long to get the wagon fixed, and then we’ll be right behind you.”
I could tell Mrs. Day didn’t want to leave, but she did what Pa asked.
Pa watched her silently as she got back in line, and then he turned to us.
Our faces must have been worried looking, because Pa tried to reassure us.
“Don’t worry, boys, everything will be all right.”
“Yes, Pa,” I replied.
The wagons rolled on by, and most of the folks glanced curiously at us. But, the Jones’ wagon acted like we weren’t even there.
Pa got busy. He went to the back of the wagon and pulled his tools out, and then we got to work.
Suddenly, from underneath the wagon, Pa hollered out in a rage.
“Now I know what Benson was up to last night! He sawed our axle halfway in two! That’s what he did! And that isn’t the worst of it!”
Pa crawled out from underneath the wagon and walked away as he tried to calm down. Pa was real mad, and his voice shook when he talked.
“Benson didn’t take any chances. He sawed that axle halfway in two on both ends, and that means I can’t patch it. We’ve got to have a brand new axle.”
“How are we going to do that?” I asked Pa worriedly.
Pa pointed at a far away tree.
“We’ll have to make one.”
Pa wasted no more time. He told us to set up camp, and then he grabbed his ax and went down to a little draw where a big tree stood.
Pa started chopping that tree down, and as it was getting dark the tree finally fell. With the first light of the new day Pa would start shaping the trunk for the new axle, but for now he had done all that he could do.
Pa didn’t want to risk the light of a fire. So, instead of a hot cooked meal, we had some shredded jerky and a few handfuls of dried corn.
“It’ll probably take us all day tomorrow to get that new axle built,” Pa told us while we were eating.
“So that means we’ll be staying here for another night,” Elliot figured.
Pa nodded somberly.
“Yes, probably so.”
It was silent as we all thought on that.
“That’ll put us about two days behind the wagon train,” Elliot finally said.
“At least,” Pa agreed. “But, don’t you boys worry none. We’ll be all right. Why, there probably isn’t any Injuns within miles of here.”
For the rest of the night Pa tried to look up-beat and cheerful. But Pa didn’t fool me, and I could tell that he was worried.
“Get some sleep, boys,” Pa told us after a while. “I’ll keep watch.”
Me and Elliot grabbed our bedrolls and stretched out. I fell right to sleep, but it seemed like no time at all when I felt Pa shaking me.
I opened my eyes and saw that it was already daylight.
Pa had been up for a while, working on the tree trunk. But now he was serious and grim looking, and was also breathing heavily.
Pa’s voice was grave.
“Get up boys,
quick
. Injuns are coming.”