Beau felt the vibration even before he heard the thundering
hooves. It woke him from a deep sleep which he hadn't had in weeks. Swearing
under his breath he quickly rolled up his blanket and threw his saddle and
saddle bags onto his horse. He cinched the saddle tightly listening to the herd
of something, for he had not yet determined what, cattle or horses, getting
closer. Sweat trickled down his brow as he climbed onto his nervous paint and
rode away from the edges of the canyon which would spew its animal contents at
any moment. In seconds he recognized the panicked bawling of spooked cattle and
even in the darkness of a half-moon sky he saw the dust cloud ahead of the crazed
beasts.
They quickly laid waste to what had been his camp; it only
took seconds.
"Damn!" he said, patting his horse on the neck
trying to calm the nervous animal. It was dancing around and nearly threw him
off as he held the reigns tighter. The heavy dust cloud spread in his direction
and he pulled his kerchief over his face and closed his eyes. The horse tried
to turn away and he let him with a, "Sorry boy."
"Are you all right mister?" someone asked.
Beau opened his eyes and saw a young man of about twenty
astride a tall white gelding. He had a pale hat pulled onto his head and because
they were in the shadows of the canyon, Beau couldn't make out much else.
"Oh, I reckon I'll live," Beau told him.
"What got 'em spooked?"
'I don't know, maybe some critter got in with them they
didn't like. They were peaceful and then they were running like hell," was
the reply.
Beau just nodded and brushed the dust off himself and then
reached ahead and brushed what he could from his horse's face.
"Why don't you come over to our camp?" the young
man asked. "I'm sure our cook has coffee on already and he'll start
breakfast shortly if I don't stop him."
"What about that cattle?"
"I don't hear them anymore. I expect the other fellas
got them stopped by now.
"Alright," Beau replied. "My grub is pretty
well ruined. I did good to get my saddle and blanket."
The young man looked at the place that had been Beau's camp.
"You were lucky. They could just as well have trampled you and that paint
of yours."
They rode together back to the camp, neither saying much as
they looked over the damage the stampede had left in its wake. Cacti were
shredded into mush and mixed with sand and the sparse grass as they rode
through the canyon. At the mouth of the canyon was a grassy oasis with a small
spring-fed pond. Beau could see the cook's wagon at the other end of the grassy
patch and a fire burning low beside it.
The paint balked and Beau looked down, steadying the animal.
"Whoa." He patted its neck. "It's okay," and led it around
what had scared it.
"What's wrong?" the younger man asked.
"I think a rattler got after one of your cattle and
spooked it. Could be what started it all. That rattler is pretty dead though,
so I'd say the animals came out ahead."
"Hey, Lou, that coffee sure smells good," the
cowboy called to the black man wiping his brow with a weathered kerchief
standing near the fire.
"Oh, good, somebody's come back," Lou said.
"Did you get 'em stopped Mr. Pete?"
"I reckon so," Pete replied. "This fella here
almost got trampled though," he said pointing to Beau. "Say, what is
your name? We never did exchange pleasantries."
"I'm Beau," he replied, "And you did ask if I
was okay."
They climbed down and tied their horses to the wagon. Lou
handed them each a cup of steaming chicory coffee and a biscuit.
"Thanks, Lou," Pete said. "We'll help you load
the wagon and find the herd."
Two hours later just after sun-up they rolled up on the herd
of a hundred fifty cattle which were grazing peacefully.
"I see they found more grass," Beau told Pete.
"Well, Texas ain't all sand; it just feels like it sometimes.
They should be good from here; we only got a couple more days to go
anyway."
"Oh, you're not taking them to market?" Beau
asked.
"No. My boss sold them to the army. We're taking them
over to the fort."
"Oh," Beau said. "We'll do you mind if I ride
with you fellas a ways? It gets mighty lonesome out here," he added.
"Sure," Pete told him. "Where you
headed?"
"No place in particular," he answered. "I
guess I'll know when I see it."
"I'll introduce you to the other fellas when they come
in to eat. They have to keep a pretty close watch over the herd. We can't go
losing them now," Pete said.
Beau rode watch over the herd for two days, giving one then
another a chance to go eat and get some rest. He told them it was the least he
could do for their hospitality.
"Hey, Beau, some of the boys are heading into
town. Want to go?" Pete asked him.
"We turn this bunch over to the army tomorrow afternoon," he said
indicating the herd of cattle.
"No, you go ahead. I'd rather stay behind," he
answered.
"You know, I sure wish you'd have talked more the last
two days. I didn't really get to know you all that good," Pete said.
"Of course you're welcome to stay on after we're done. I'm sure the boss
wouldn't mind."
"That's all right. I think it's time for me to be
moving on anyway."
"Well, if you change your mind about coming into town,
there are plenty of men staying behind to watch them critters. Just follow the
sound of the piano playing in the saloon."
Beau watched as Pete and several of the men headed to town.
He waited until they were out of sight and loaded his saddle bags with some of
Lou's biscuits, filled his canteen, and rode out of camp. He rode west late
into the night putting distance between himself and the encampment. "They
served their purpose," he thought. "No one will know where to look
for me. Juarez, here I come. "
"Pete, it's good to see you again," the sergeant
said sticking out his hand. "How was the trip up?"
"Oh, it was pretty good except for a minor stampede. We
got all of them here though," he said.
"Good, glad to hear it. Come on to the office and we'll
get you paid."
A troop rode into the fort looking ragged and tired. They
climbed down from their mounts handing the reigns over to boys who would make
sure the animals were brushed and fed.
They then headed slowly to the barracks brushing off several layers of
dust.
"Where they been?" Pete asked.
"Looking for an outlaw," the sergeant
answered." He killed a judge over by Fort Worth when he convicted him and
his brother for cattle rustling. He told the judge it was a lie, that they did
no such thing, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He grabbed for the
sheriff's gun and shot the judge, then they both jumped through a window. They
managed to get to their horses though."
"You got papers on him? Maybe we came across him on the
trail. He traveling with his brother?" Pete asked.
"No, he got killed during the escape. Old Beauregard
got away clean."
"Beauregard?" Pete asked. He turned white as a
sheet when he saw the wanted poster. There was Beauregard Richardson, also
known as Beau, wanted dead or alive.
"What's the matter Pete? You look like you've seen a
ghost. This fella would have been traveling alone, probably south, so we've
been trying to find someone all by themselves. I guess they didn't have any
luck."
"I think I know why," Pete told him.
