Pale Horse, Robert L. Ross [beach read book .TXT] 📗

to water him, and to step down himself and dip his face and handkerchief to cool himself down.
“How 'bout some water, Ol' Boy,” he said as they approached the small oasis. Spirit neighed, sensing the water long before his master had said anything of it, ready for some refreshment himself. The shade given by the Devil's hand was a welcomed relief, as the blazing afternoon sun had crept higher in the cloudless sky and the tepid temperature had surely followed. He had been at this very spot many times throughout his lifetime, and had even camped here the odd time or two in his younger days. He stepped off his horse and took off the handkerchief he wore around his neck to hide it from the sunburn that was sure to find him had he not, and began dipping it in the water and wringing it out on his face, as Spirit made his way to the waters edge and began to have his fill of the much needed coolness. Stepping out from behind the huge mass of boulder as he was on his knees soaking his head with water, two men with no less than bad intentions caught the unsuspecting bounty hunter off his guard.
“Hands in the air Mister,” said the man on the paint to the left of him. Pale Horse couldn't believe he had let his guard down, even for the briefest of moments, but because he had, he was once again in one of those predicaments that seemed to always follow in his path.
“I have nothing you want and would suggest you be on your way,” he said, as he slowly rose to his feet, making sure that the bandits were right in front of him when he did.
“Well, lookie here Todd, we got's us a redskin that ain't so red, and seems to talk a mite better than both me an' you put together, Ain't that something?.
“Looks a mite pale to me to be wearin' them injun clothes, reckon he stole 'em Pete?”
“Makes nary a difference to me, Get to lookin' in them there saddle bags and see what this pale-face gots fer us,” answered Pete. As the bandit began rummaging through the supplies he had bought in Big Bear, Pale Horse looked up at the outlaw on horseback and said,
“Seeing that I have quite the journey ahead and the nearest town to re-supply myself is several days away, I would like to make you this offer, and I'll make it but once.”
“Whew, he sure does talk all fancy like, don't he Pete?” said his companion as he continued throwing the supplies to the ground in search of money or gold.
“What kinda offer you offerin' there, Chief?”, asked Pete. Pale Horse looked up at the man with a cold stare and answered as matter of factly as he could. “My offer is this friend, Have this ignorant and repulsive piece of buffalo dung take everything he's carelessly thrown to the ground and return them into the saddlebags from which they came, then climb back upon his horse, where upon the two of you rancid and poor excuses of swine fodder will apologize to me and my friend here for any inconvenience and delay you have caused us, and then ride out of here and continue on with your business elsewhere, and if you do this precisely as I've instructed, I'll not leave your stinking corpses to be picked apart and devoured by the 3 or 4 hovering vultures now circling above you.”
Pete, flabbergasted at the audacity of the injun half breed, and Todd, too ignorant to know else wise, cocked the hammer back on the pistol he had pointed at him.
“I'm not too fire sure “bout them fancy words your'e a'spewin from that mouth of yourn, but what I will tell ya is this, If'n you don't hand over them fancy Colts your a'sportin' and whatever monies you may have tucked away on that fine horse of yours or your being, I'm gonna fill ya' full of holes mister, and we'll just see who's makin' the offers then,” Pete replied, as Todd continued to come up empty in his search for hidden bounty.
Pale Horse looked at Todd, who was standing just a couple of feet from him on his left, and then back up at Pete, still on horseback. In a blink of the devils eye, he grabbed for the Colt .45 in his waistband with his right hand and shot Pete square in his chest, knocking him violently backwards and off his horse, while simultaneously grabbing his elk bone knife and slashing deeply from the left to the right through Todd's guts, spilling them to ruin on the barren soil that quickly soaked them up beneath him. Stepping over the bandits corpse, he began to retrieve the supplies and things the he had tossed about, shaking his head and laughing at the fools that had unfortunately crossed his path and would soon be part of the skeletal remains scattered about and around him.
Never one to complain about the obstacles that were sometimes thrown in his path, he believed and was known to say, “The battles along the way kept him sharp, and for that reason, they were usually a welcomed diversion.”
With the latest fracas and diversion now safely behind him, he couldn't help but wonder what the problem was that John was needing him for, but was definitely looking forward to seeing his old friends that he hadn't seen in several years. He knew that in the past when he was called upon, there had been blood spilled, and had little doubt, and even a sense of hope, that this time would be any different.
As the sun began to set on another day, he found a gathering of rocks to his liking, and removed the saddle from Spirit for the night. Reaching into his saddlebags, he gave his companion a good share of the beef jerky, and rather than start a campfire, he quickly spread out his meager bedroll, laid down, and fell asleep once more under the summer stars.
Awakened the next morning by the sound of what he figured was a coyote stalking his campsite, he fired his gun into the air to spook the creature, and wasting no time, anxious to be on his way, he rolled up his sleeping blankets, and continued with his journey. The desert sands eventually began to give way to sparse patches of greenery, and eventually into a vast plains of tall, swaying grass. He had made it once more through the desolate plains unscathed. Riding now with the comfort that the desert of nothingness was behind him, and knowing there was nothing but rich green earth and plenty of water the rest of the way, he once again began to look forward to seeing his friend John and pondering the job that lie ahead.
Suddenly, a Texas long-eared jackrabbit shot across his path, just feet in front of him. Having skipped supper the evening before, he decided rabbit would be a fine meal and a great way to start the day that was barely upon him. He drew back on the reins, and Spirit immediately stopped where he was, as if he knew exactly what his master had in mind. He stepped down quietly from his horse, and staring in the direction the rabbit was last seen, he drew his .45 from his leather, and waited patiently for any movement. Within half a minute the rascal bolted again, and he quickly fired his pistol. The fire was crackling and spitting as the green kindling below gave way to flame, and the rabbit turned on the skinned willow branch and began to cook and smell divinely to the traveler who was famished and ready to feast upon the bounty taken.
He pulled a tin plate from his saddlebags, and some of the jalapenos and hot sauce of which he was very fond of , that he had gotten at the General store back in Big Bear just for such an occasion. As he sat down and was pulling apart the smoked rabbit, now well done and a bit charred on the outside, a stray dog, probably some sheep herders dog that had either lost it's way, or was run off due to a lack of pulling his weight, shyly walked up towards him, sniffing at the air with a curious and hungry nose, no doubt starving with emaciated ribs that confirmed it.
“Well, come on boy,” he said in a soothing tone, as not to frighten the animal. “Come on over here and have you some of this rabbit, I know you're wanting some,” he said as he extended a good sized portion of the meal towards him. The dog more hungry than wary, slowly etched his way towards him, belly now low to the ground and just a couple of feet away. He reached forward, careful not to make any sudden moves as not to scare the timid creature, and gave the chunk of smoked rabbit to him. He quickly ate it up, and as if to say thank you, the black and white canine laid his head in Pale Horse's lap, his tail shaking to and fro from the elation. He kindly pet the wayward dog and offered him more of the fire roasted rabbit. While graciously feeding him the second piece, he noticed that the dog was sadly missing his right eye.
“That's a damn shame,” he thought to himself, as he pet him genuinely out of pity for the creature. He finished what was left of his meal, then walked down to the small stream and washed out the tin, with his newly acquired friend following him the whole way. When he was through and ready to continue with his journey, he walked Spirit over to the stream, and as he was taking water, he emptied and refilled his canteen with the cleaner, fresher water than that he had taken back at Devils Hand. Climbing upon his horse and pulling away from the temporary campsite, the canine began to follow, trotting just feet ahead and off to the right.
“You can't come with me, ol' fella,” he said while looking down at him. The dog returned the look of kindness, and through what seemed to be a smile if there ever was one, he ran in circles around them, barking, and never missed a stride.“ “Looks like we got us a friend”, he chuckled. “What shall we call him?” A few minutes passed as he gave the name much thought, and as if there was no other name in the world that would fit, he burst out with, “Jack, That's it, One Eyed Jack!”. A couple of more days had come and gone, and they were finally approaching Ben's place. The last he had heard, Ben had been elected Sheriff of the town called Rifle Stock, just miles up the road from his ranch. He had struck it rich in the oil well business too, and his ranch was a huge, beautiful place. Spirit now galloped with purpose down the long winding path that lead to the front of the place, followed close in stride by One eyed Jack.


The Double R Ranch


“Well I'll be hog-tied and dipped in molasses”, said Ben, as he stepped gingerly off the massive porch and extended his friend