The Outlaw's Son

Homeward Bound

CHAPTER 3 - Homeward Bound

I stopped to let my horse rest for a few minutes when it was late evening. There weren't many trees suitable for shade, but I just happened to ride up on one. I leaned against the trunk and lit a cigarette. The horse wasn't the only one who was going to relax for a few minutes.

      I was still trying to figure out who the crazy old lady was that was going to shoot me earlier in the day. I hadn't robbed anyone in a while, so I ruled her out as a woman out for revenge. I had read about people who would go crazy in their old age and shoot people. Mama taught me how to read when I was little and it's helped keep me entertained over the years. I could read my own name on the 'wanted posters', so it's helped to keep me out of the places where they knew who I was.

I finished my cigarette and thumped it to the side before getting back into the saddle. I carried on until dark. I stopped to sleep next to a creek so my horse could get water. The sound of the water rushing over the rocks and the scattered limbs put me straight to sleep. Crows were flying over and their squawking, which was usually annoying, aided to my sleep. That night I dreamt of guns firing and women screaming. I saw my Mama crying and I saw the old blonde haired lady. I woke up in a cold sweat that morning. I didn't know what that dream was supposed to mean, but I didn't harp on it.

I had finished my coffee by the time the sun rose and I was rolling my sleeping bag to tie it onto the saddle when a man rode up next to me. "Mister, I need some help."

"I'm headed somewhere." I bluntly replied. I didn't help people because people never helped me. He looked serious, so I waited to hear what he had to say. He pled his case to me like I was a judge.

"Mister, bandits took my wife. I can't get her back by myself. They were gonna hang her!"

Good grief.

"Where is she?" I reluctantly asked. I just wanted to be on my way. I'd help him, but he better make it quick.

"They took her to the woodline over there, Mister, you gotta help me." His eyes pleaded me and that wouldn't have made a difference, but there was a woman involved. So I nodded my head and quickly got my things together. I followed him to the woodline and I heard men yelling at each other and gurgled noises from a woman.

She's hangin' right now.

"Get away from here!" One of the bandits yelled at us. I kept riding, increasing my speed. If I was going to save this woman, I had to be fast. I raised my pistol and shot the one closest to her. I aimed steadily at the swinging rope and shot. The rope spit and she fell to the ground. Her husband ran to her while I shot the other three. All in a row. After they hit the ground I swung down to my feet and pulled out my knife. I cut the rope around her neck and stepped back as she coughed, heavily.

"Thank you, Mister. I don't have much, but please take the money in my saddle bag. I can't ever repay you for this." I thought about it, but decided against it. I tipped my hat to him and stepped into the stirrup before riding away.

I don't need no damn handouts. If I need money, I'll just take it.

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I was getting close to Hope Plain around mid morning. The grass was swaying with the wind and the sun was beaming down the back of my neck. I shifted my hat backwards a little to block the sun. Birds flew over me and I watched their shadows float across the grass. There weren't many clouds in the sky and I found myself wishing for a cloudy day.

I was getting closer to the wooded area that divides the area I was now in and Hope Plain. As I reached the trees I looked for the horse trail. It was hard to see from this side and just when I thought I couldn't find it, the small opening caught my eye. At first my horse didn't want to step between the close trees, but after some harsh encouragement he changed his mind and we went forward down the trail.

I was a good was in the woods when I heard something woosh by my head. I heard and thud and looking in the direction it came from. I saw an arrow stuck in the tree next to me. Indians. I kicked my horse to run, but it was too late. I was grabbed off my horse and slung to the ground. My adrenaline started pumping and I grabbed the hand coming for my chest. The brave was about to stab me. I heard the others that were surrounding us. No doubt these were bandit indians. I looked to the side to see one of them looking inside my saddle bag. I kicked the brave that was on top of me and rolled to my stomach. I pushed myself from the ground and turned to face him.

He came at me, knife in the air. I grabbed his arm as I stepped to the side and flipped him over onto the ground. The others came after me then. I was in over my head. There were five of them, but only one of me. I pulled my pistol from my holster and they froze. "Be on your way, boys."

The one that had jumped me spoke first. "You are Mason." I was a little taken aback that he knew my name, but who didn't? I was known to most because of the way I lived, not that I regretted it. I nodded to the broad shouldered brave and he cracked a smile. "You are family."

I threw my head back in laughter. He laughed, as well as the others, but not for the same reason. I shook my head. "I think you got me confused with somebody else." He was serious. He eyed me closely.

"No. You are Cassidy's son?"

"I reckon I am, but that don't mean I'm your family."

"Cassidy is my cousin. Her mother was my aunt." I was a little shocked. I knew I had dark skin and hair, I had the cheek bones like my mother, but I didn't exactly look like an indian. I looked more white than anything. It kinda made sense. I knew Mama had Cherokee in her, but I never thought I'd meet any family from her side.

"What ya'll doin' down here?" The closest reservation was a week's ride from here.

"We do not have any food. What was left of the herd has moved on, or been killed out of sport by the white man. They kill and take the horns and fur. We save what we can from the meat, but it's never much. We do not find them before the wolves do, or it has gone bad."

I felt bad. I believe that was the first time I'd ever felt sorry for anyone. That wasn't fair. I'd never been a very fair man, but this was wrong. They were resorted to this because they were all stuck on a small piece of land without any game to hunt. They didn't have money so they couldn't buy food. Their cycle was interrupted by living on a reservation. Without having animals to hunt, they had no food and no furs to sell. "So you've come here to steal?"

"No. That was not our intention. We came in hope we could hunt. We were stopped a while back and threatened to go back to the reservation, or they would arrest us. We ran and have been tracked. We've killed three white soldiers, they were the ones tracking us. We did not mean to harm you, but we did not know who you were."

"The border to Mexico is a couple days from here. You'll find plenty of wild game there. They are over run with deer. You can take what you can and bring it back to your reservation. They will think you have gone towards California."

The brave nodded and stuck out his hand. I took it and shook. I wouldn't help anyone but my family and if he was my own cousin, then he had my help. "I'll be out on Hope Plain. If you run into trouble, come find me."

He nodded once more before speaking. "My name is Black Bull, but my white man name is Thomas. We are in your debt."

I shook my head. "No. No family of mine is in my debt. Ya'll be on your way and be careful. Head south from here and you'll find the bridge. Good luck." The other brave led my horse to me and I swung into the saddle. "I'll tell Mama I saw you." Black Bull nodded before jumping on his brown and white paint and riding off.

After I'd rode a little ways I thought about Mama. Her maiden name was Smith, so how did Black Bull know I was a Mason? I looked more like my Paw than I did Mama. It was weird, but I couldn't ask him now. I was almost home.