Careful of the Lone Rider

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.