This chapter can be read as a standalone story but it will make more sense and give you the background of the characters and the story line if you read the first two chapters.

Constructive comments/emails are welcome and appreciated.

There are no graphic sex scenes in this story. Thanks for taking the time to read my work and I hope you enjoy it.

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18 year old Josh Kelly was pushing the horse and mule remuda along the trail just to the side of where the wagons were traveling. It was the wagon train's fourth day headed west and Josh thought about the last three days as he drove the horses and mules just off the edge of the wagon train's path.

Johnny Burrows, the old mountain man, had been right, the wagon train didn't make more than 10 miles that first day; in fact they made just over 7 miles stopping at Shady Grove, Oklahoma the first night. It took longer than even Johnny thought to get the 27 wagons, the horse/mule remuda, and the people who had no idea of what they were doing across the Arkansas River.

The second day on the trail they had made almost 13 miles according to Clint Hobart, the wagon master. By the morning of the third day Josh could see that the families were beginning to get organized; they were able to pitch camp easier every night and more importantly were able to strike the camp and get on the trail much quicker in the morning.

The third morning Johnny Burrows left to return to Fort Smith; Josh had spent two days and nights learning about staying alive in the west from the mountain man. He was sorry to see Johnny go but was looking forward to continuing his journey. The trail was in good shape, the weather was co-operating and the third day the wagons were able to cover almost 20 miles.

So it went for several days, the train continued to make good time as the families got organized and began to understand what was necessary. One morning Hobart asked Josh to scout ahead about a day's travel along the trail; he was to look for a good spot to camp for the night. Josh spent a lot of time as a wrangler, but Hobart also used him as a guard, scout, and to help the families get their animals hitched to the wagons and on the move.

Josh was about 2 hours ahead of the wagons when he spotted a man walking, actually limping, along the trail. He noticed that the man was carrying a saddle over one shoulder and had a rifle in the other hand. As Josh got closer the man dropped his gear and turned to face the rider approaching him. The rifle wasn't pointed toward Josh but the butt rested on the man's hip and could be brought to bear very quickly. Josh's rifle was in his right hand, lying across his saddle and was also ready to bring into play in an instant.

Stopping about 80 feet away, Josh said, "Nice day for a walk don't you think?"

The man couldn't help but grin and replied, "I thought so myself, but I could've been wrong. It's beginning to get a mite warm." He lowered the rifle to his side and motioned Josh to come closer. "C'mon over, never did like to shout."

Josh rode closer and dismounted. Extending his hand he said, "Names Josh Kelly. I'm scouting for a wagon train going to Santa Fe."

"John McCall," the man responded. "People call me Texas Red or just Red because I'm from the Red River country in Texas. I'm trying to get back home to Amarillo."

"I like to walk myself but it's quite a piece to Amarillo, especially carrying a saddle. Did you think about using a horse instead?" Josh said with a straight face.

McCall chuckled and said, "Well I had a horse but he stepped in a hole and broke his leg; had to shoot him. I could 'a shot myself too but decided to try walking for a bit."

"Sorry to hear about your horse, Red," Josh handed his canteen to the man and watched him drink taking little sips of water. "You can sit here and wait for the wagons; they should be here in a couple of hours. Or if you want, cache you saddle and gear and I'll take you back to them."

"I've been walking for a spell, about five miles since day break. If you don't mind I think I've had enough for today, could you take me back to the wagons?"

Josh helped Red hide his gear and mounted his horse. They would pick up the gear when the wagons came past the hiding place. He held his hand out and helped Red get up on the horse behind him. It's a good thing I'm riding Sunny, Josh thought. Some of the others I've been riding would have never put up with carrying double.

He held the horse to a slow trot, slowing to a walk for a while to rest Sunny and then going back to the trot. Josh didn't want to overwork his horse just to get back to the wagons quicker. During the walking periods it was only natural that the two men would talk.

"I noticed you limping," Josh said. "Did you step in a hole too or did you hurt your leg when your horse went down?"

"Naw, the leg is a souvenir of the war. I was with the 29th Texas cavalry at Manassas in '61and took a bullet in the leg. I had already lost two brothers and the captain thought my family had given enough and sent me home. The wound healed and the leg is still here, although it is a mite stiff." Red explained his limp. "I was lucky," he added.

"How about you Josh? Did you fight in the war?"

Josh told Red about the Bushwhackers, his father wanting to keep him out of the war, and how he ended up scouting for the wagon train. He told the story without apology or embarrassment and added that he had only left his family because of orders from his father and mother.

"I wish I'd had sense enough to stay out of it too. But my brothers went and I couldn't stay at home with them in the war. I don't know why we got involved, just dumb pride I guess. No damned Yankee is going to tell us what to do type of bullshit." Red laughed sadly. "Hell we don't own any slaves and the Union government is too far away to bother us."

Josh smiled in sympathy for the man but understood his need to support his brothers even if he didn't believe in their cause; they were family. The talking stopped as Josh pushed Sunny back up to a trot. About an hour later the two men saw the lead wagon and slowed to a fast walk.

Hobart had seen Josh returning and then saw he was carrying double. Curious, he rode out to meet his scout and the unknown man with him. "Pick up a stray, did ya Josh?" Hobart said with a big smile.

He didn't want to insult the man with Josh but he damned sure wanted to know where the stranger came from. Hobart had heard stories about outlaws getting a man inside a wagon train; the insider would dispatch some of the guards and then the gang would rob and sometimes kill the families. Hobart wasn't about to let that happen to his wagon train.

The three men dismounted and Josh said, "I guess you call him a stray, Mr. Hobart. Found him walking down the trail after his horse broke a leg." Turning to Red he said, "This is Clint Hobart, the wagon master."

Red took a step closer, extended his hand, and said, "John McCall, most folks call me Red."

Hobart listened as Red told the story of how he happened to be on the trail. As he listened he formed a good impression about the young man. There was no self pity or anger in the young man because of what he had gone through and Hobart no longer felt quite as suspicious of the youngster.

"Well Red, we're about five days out from Oklahoma City; we can give you a ride that far at least," Hobart offered to him.

"Thank you Mr. Hobart, appreciate it," Red accepted the offer. "I'll work for my ride if you let me."

Hobart told him, "I need someone to spell my wagon driver and to help set up camp. How'd that suit you?" Red nodded and Hobart continued, "Get yourself over to that lead wagon and get something to eat and some rest; we'll talk some more."

The lead wagon was still about a half mile away and Hobart indicated that he wanted to talk to Josh alone. Josh said, "Here Red, take my horse. I think maybe you've walked enough today. I'll wait until the wagons come by and pick up my horse then." Red nodded his thanks, mounted Sunny, and walked the horse toward the oncoming wagon.

"I guess that answers my question," Hobart remarked. "I was going to ask you if you trusted him, but I figure you wouldn't have given him your horse if you didn't."

"Remember I told you about Mr. Reece teaching me about horses; his wife Mali is full Cheyenne. She taught her husband better ways to handle horses but she was the one with the special touch. She said that I had that special way with horses too: that I could tell if a horse was going to be worth anything just by touching and looking at it. Mali said I'd been touched my Maheo'o, the Great Spirit and I had the same talent with men. Yeah, I trust Red, Mr. Hobart. I think he's just what he said, an ex soldier trying to get back home."

"Good enough for me son," Hobart said. "Jump up behind and I'll take you to the wagon."

"Thanks, but I'll walk a little; it will help limber me up some. I've been in the saddle all morning and I got a little stiff," Josh replied.

As the wagon train passed the spot where Josh had met Red, they both went to recover Red's saddle and gear. The wagons traveled for another hour and stopped by a small stream. For the first time Hobart instructed the wagon drivers to pull the wagons into a circle; this was a tried and true defensive position to ward off attack by hostile Indians or guerilla bands.

Red went right to work helping set up camp and gathering wood for the cooking fires. His limp didn't seem to slow him down and he did more than his share of the work. After supper he approached Hobart.

"Mr. Hobart, if you need me I can take a turn at night guard; either here in camp or as an out rider," Red offered.

In spite of Josh's appraisal of the young man, Hobart wasn't going to take any chances; he would have Red stand a turn at guard inside the circled wagons and keep an eye on him. Red was here because of Josh's trust but Hobart would decide when and if he could be fully trusted. There was too much to lose if Hobart made a bad decision.

"Okay Red. You can take the first 3 hour watch here at my wagon tonight. That'll give you a few hours of uninterrupted sleep before we start in the morning," Hobart said.

After supper Josh walked out to the horse corral to continue his work with Diablo. The big horse was waiting close to the rails of the temporary corral for the man with the good tasting treats. He was becoming more trusting and gentle every day; Josh hoped to begin riding him soon.

Already Diablo would let the man come into the corral and run his hands down the horse's neck and across his back as Josh hand fed him and talked to him softly. "Tomorrow I'll put a hackamore on you and lead you around the corral for a spell," Josh told the horse.

Later that evening Hobart showed Red his guard station and told him he would have him relieved in 3 hours. However Hobart didn't go to sleep, he laid on his bedroll under his wagon and watched the young man on guard. In the next few days he rotated Red through all the different guard shifts and made it a point to have the boy watched every time he was on duty.

Hobart was a careful sometimes suspicious man; several times in his life this suspicious nature had stopped something bad from happening to him or his wagon trains. In this case his worries were unfounded; Red was exactly what he appeared to be, a young man trying to get home after a horrible ordeal.

It took the wagon train 15 days to make the trip from Fort Smith to Oklahoma City. They had averaged about 13 miles a day which was pretty good time for a group of people that knew nothing about traveling over a rutted trail in wild country.

The country between these two points wasn't settled land by any means but it wasn't nearly as wild as what they would be facing after leaving Oklahoma City. Hobart ordered everyone to replenish their depleted supplies and load up as much as possible. He told everyone that there were few people and fewer settlements all the way to Amarillo so they best carry all they needed; there were no stores out on the prairie.

The families bought staples like salt, sugar, flour and beans. They had a chance to replace gear that was beyond repair and get some things they had forgotten when they started on their trek. Extra harness, rope, and some cured hides were brought back to the wagons. The hides could be used to repair a lot of leather gear.

Josh went to the gun smith's checking on the price of handguns; he hoped he might find a bargain or a cheaper price than in Fort Smith. But if anything the prices were even higher out here on the frontier. I guess I'll just have to wait till Santa Fe, he thought.

He left the gun smith's and headed toward the general store. Red and Josh met about half way in between the two merchants. They discussed the things they had bought or were going to buy.

"Where you headed Red? I was thinking about gettin a beer before I headed back to the wagons; thought you might join me," Josh said.

"I'm going to the gun smith's to do some business and then I'll join you," Red answered.

"Hope you're not going to buy much from him; his prices are more than high. That man's really proud of what he sells, I'll tell you," Josh complained.

"What were you lookin for?"

"I been thinking about gettin a hand gun but the price is just too high. I've still a long way to go after I get to Santa Fe; I need to be careful about using my money," Josh replied.

"What are you looking for and how much did the gun smith want for a decent hand gun?" Red questioned. Josh told him the gun he was looking at Colt .44 Army Revolver and the price.

"That damned old horse thief," Red exclaimed. Josh questioned him and Red answered, "I wanted to sell one of my extra hand guns and that old crook offered me about a quarter of what he wants to sell it for."

Josh and Red grumbled a few minutes and then started laughing. "I guess if you've got the only game in town, you make the rules," Josh said.

"Look, I was going to sell one of my brother's guns to help get me home. I got their guns with their personals when they were killed. Why don't I sell it to you instead of that old scoundrel and cut out the middle man?" Red suggested. He could see Josh was hesitating so he continued.

"It's a Remington New Model Army .44. I've got 2 extra cylinders and all the reloading gear. You can load all the cylinders and change them out when you empty one; you don't worry about reloading for 18 rounds or so. That's what makes it better than the Colt."

"I don't think I can afford it just yet," Josh said. "I'll have to wait until I get paid at trails end and get one there."

"The prices in Santa Fe will probably be even higher than here Josh. Tell you what I'll let you have the Remington for half of what he asked for a gun and we'll both be happy," Red offered.

"Even at that price I need my pay at the end of the trail to afford it," Josh answered.

"I owe you a debt Josh and I trust you; Hobart only let me join the wagons because you vouched for me. Don't think I didn't notice him having me watched while I was on guard duty. I don't blame him but without you I wouldn't even have that chance. So let's help each other here."

Josh thought for a few seconds; he really wanted the gun and it was a good price but he didn't like buying on credit. "I don't know Red; I don't like to run up a debt."

"I know you'll pay me and what difference does it make when I get the money? There's no place to spend it out on the trail, don't you know." Red was smiling; he could sense that he had Josh thinking.

"Okay, you've got a deal. You should'a been a snake oil salesman Red. C'mon I'll buy the beer," Josh said leading Red to the saloon.

The two young men walking down the middle of the dirt street attracted the attention of other people on the street and wooden sidewalks. First even though it was a frontier town it was unusual to see two men passing a pistol back and forth as they walked through the middle of town. The people soon realized that this wasn't a fight about to start but a discussion about the gun.

The second thing that attracted attention was the differences in the men walking together. Josh was a tall young man for the times at 6' 1" with almost black hair and startling blue eyes. He walked lightly as if barely touching the ground, like a mountain lion. He was slender but his big frame promised to fill out as he grew older.

Red was about average height at 5' 8" with an almost squat body. At almost 200 pounds he was stocky compared to the slender Josh. According to him, people called him Red because of where he hailed from but his nickname might have had something to do with his reddish blond hair, blue eyes, and freckles. Even with his limp he stomped along as if trying to pound the earth down as he walked.

Josh was like a big panther, lithe and graceful: Red was like a bear, plodding and forceful. In his own way each of the youngsters was a force to be reckoned with.

It was like the two men were drawn together by fate, or whatever. Both had lost something important to them because of the war; Red lost his two brothers in battle and Josh had been forced to leave his family and home. Although Josh was four years younger than Red, he was a natural leader and acted like one. Josh wasn't melancholy but he handled himself in a sedate and quite manner. Red was outgoing, boisterous, and loud. They made a good pair.

The friends stepped through the swinging doors of the saloon for a beer to seal the transaction for the pistol; at least that was the excuse they used. When Josh ordered a beer, Red changed his mind about a whiskey and ordered a beer too. Red thought it was a little strange that Josh passed on drinking whiskey; a lot of young men on their own would have had a drink whenever they could just to prove that they were men.

"If you don't mind my askin, why don't you drink whiskey Josh?" Red questioned his new friend.

Josh chuckled and said, "I learned my lesson a while ago, back home. The man living in the next hollar over the hill behind us ran a still. Pa caught me taste testing some of the "shine" and made sit with him and drink about a quart of the stuff. For a while I thought I was a big he stud, drinking with my pa. It wasn't very long before I threw up until there was nothin left in my stomach and I had the dry heaves; I got so sick I would've had to die to get better. That was my first and last experience with the hard stuff."

Red laughed so hard at the story that he blew beer out of his nose. "Dang, your pa knows how to teach a lesson don't he?"

As they toasted their deal and took their first drink, two men came into the saloon. Josh had learned to be much more aware of his surroundings after spending time with Johnny Burrows and he watched the two men make their way to the bar. Something about them put him on his guard; these men looked like trouble to him.

The two men were scruffy looking, unshaven, and dirty. Whatever else they had been doing bathing wasn't one of their scheduled activities. They both wore the butternut brown pants with a yellow strip of a Confederate Cavalryman; their shirts were fringed buckskin. One of the men looked around the room and saw the two young men at the end of the bar and nudged his companion pointing to Josh and Red.

The same man walked down the bar to where Josh and Red stood. "Where'd y'all get that gun?" He asked pointing to the pistol lying on the bar between the younger men. "It looks a mite big for you boys."

Red tensed and put his hand on the butt of the pistol at his hip, but before he could say anything Josh answered, "It's my gun mister, I just bought it." He pulled the pistol over to him and stuck it in his belt.

Josh could sense trouble brewing and was trying to avoid a bar room brawl. He wasn't afraid and knew he could hold his own but didn't see the sense in fighting for no reason. Josh casually brought his Henry up and laid it on the bar; leaving his hand on the weapon. It wasn't a threat or a challenge; it was just a move to let the men know that Josh could protect himself.
The man at the other end of the bar said, "C'mon Zeb, it's not worth the trouble. The boys'll take care of em later."

"Shut up Hank, you talk too much," Zeb said and walked back down the bar to rejoin his companion. The two men became engrossed in a heated discussion, sometimes looking down the bar at the two well armed young men.

Josh motioned to Red to finish his beer and they walked out of the saloon. Without making a point of it on the way to the door, either Josh or Red faced the two at the bar. They never turned their backs on the pair.

Once they got outside Josh said, "Let's get back. We need to tell Mr. Hobart what that one said about the others and later." Red nodded and they mounted their horses and headed for the camp at a lope. Josh had sort of loaned his horse Joey to Red for a spell; Hobart said he would provide a working horse for the young Texan.

When they got to camp, Red took care of the horses and Josh went to find Hobart. After he told the wagon master what he and Red heard, Hobart went into action. He ordered the wagons pulled into a tighter circle and placed seven of the wagons through the center. There was about 95 feet of space across the interior of the circle and the wagons would keep any attackers that got inside from shooting across to the opposite side.

The wagon trail consisted of 24 families; there were 39 men to defend the wagons counting Hobart and his men. Hobart put most of the women and all of the children in that center line of wagons, along with two of the older more steady men to protect them. Two of Hobart riders were stationed outside of the circle to protect the remuda which had been packed into the portable corral.

Josh, Red, and two other men were used as armed outriders, patrolling and scouting in a large circle around the wagons. They were an early warning system and the first line of defense. Hobart had done the best he could, although some thought he went overboard. It didn't matter what the few detractors said, he knew he had given the camp the best chance of surviving if an attack did come.

No attack came that night and the next morning Hobart keep two pairs of outriders patrolling as the wagon train got ready to roll. The outriders would continue to scout during the day's journey. Red had offered a suggestion on what to do if the train was attacked during the day.

Red suggested that if they were attacked that the wagons split into two smaller circles close to each other instead of trying to form one big circle. It would cut down on the time necessary to get a defensible position set up and the circles could help cover each other. Hobart thought it was a good plan and told the wagon drivers of the new strategy.

Josh felt that an attack would come before they got too far away from Oklahoma City and that it would come from that direction. He and Red rode a rear guard patrol and about three hours into the day Josh spotted a cloud of dust on the horizon; it could only be the raiders catching up to the wagon train.

The two friends found a rocky outpoint and set up a defensive position. Josh was riding Diablo and although the big horse was very strong and could run all day, Red would ride back with the warning because he was mounted on a quarter horse mare that was very fast for the short distance back to the wagons. The little mare could make the trip back to the wagons a lot faster than Josh and Diablo.

"Red, ride like hell and tell Mr. Hobart that they're coming," Josh ordered. He didn't consciously take command but fell into the role naturally.

"What about you? Where are you going, partner?" Red didn't want to leave his new friend to face the raiders alone.

"I'm right behind you. I'll discourage them a little," he said holding up his Henry. "Then I'll see how fast Diablo can get me back to the wagons. Don't worry, I'm not trying to be a hero but the wagons need to be ready when that crowd gets here."

Red was still skeptical but did as Josh said. He quickly mounted the mare and rode like hell toward the wagons. He planned to warn Hobart and then return to help Josh. He never got to return; Hobart ordered him to help set up the placement of the armed men and the women that would help them reload, if need be.

"Josh will be fine, Red. He knows what to do and how to do it. Now get to work," Hobart ordered. He didn't stop to think that Red was the one with battle experience.

Red helped Hobart position the defenders and had just finished setting up the reloading stations when he heard Josh's big Henry sound off 16 times; there was an answering fuselage of gun fire. He looked back down the trail, heard 6 pistol shots a short pause and 6 more shots, answered by another barrage of gun fire. He saw a small cloud of dust closing on the wagons and as Red jumped up on a wagon he could see Josh and Diablo riding hell bent for leather back to the circled wagons.

When Josh got to the wagons, Diablo didn't slow and jumped through the space between two wagons and stopped. Josh slid down off the big horse laughing and patted the animal on the shoulder with affection. He talked to him soothingly; praising the animal for doing a good job. Diablo looked at Josh, his stance and expression seem to say, "Of course I did good, what else did you expect?"

Josh laughed again and turned as Red walked up and handed him a canteen. "Damn, the big guy is faster than I thought, good thing too. They were right on my tail for a while." Josh absently reached up and wiped a bleeding cut on his cheek.

"You hit? Red asked noticing the blood for the first time.

"Naw. One of those guys can shoot pretty fair; he hit the rock I was hiding behind and a rock chip cut me a little. That's when I got the hell out of there," Josh answered.

"I guess that Remington I sold you came in handy," Red happily remarked.

Before Josh could answer Hobart yelled, "Here they come. Everybody get ready, wait until I shoot then give em hell. Josh you and Red get to the other wagons and take charge over there. Jack's a good man, but he's never been in a fight like this." He had come to admire and respect Josh and it slipped his mind that the youngster had never had this kind of experience either.

Both men nodded and trotted to the other wagon circle leading their horses. There was one blind spot with this formation; where the circles were closest you had to watch where you were shooting so you didn't fire into the other wagons; the raiders weren't restricted in that way. Josh put the most experienced men there with a warning about their line of fire.

The outlaws, about forty in number, came over a small rise and got their first good look at the defensive positions the wagons were in and made their second mistake. They attacked one of the circles head on trying to overrun the defenders and force their way through into the middle of the circled wagons. Their first mistake was attacking Hobart's wagon train to begin with.

There were seven men with repeating rifles, including Hobart, stationed at the point of attack. The fire power of these fast shooting weapons was devastating to the guerilla band. They lost more than a dozen men in that first encounter. The survivors retreated, regrouped, and tried an attack on the second group of wagons.

Five men, including Josh and Red, had repeating rifles and the others had three or four of the single shot rifles at hand. Again, the hail of bullets cut down several of the raiders and forced them to retreat. Hobart made a quick count and realized that his men now outnumbered the raiders. If I had trained men I would take the fight to them he thought, but what I've got is farmers protecting their families.

The gang was getting worked up to try another attack and Josh had the same thought as Hobart. He motioned to Red and explained what he wanted to do. The smaller man grinned, nodded his head and went to get the horses. Josh, Red, and two other men weaved their way out of the encircled wagons on the back side of the circle.

The attackers switched back to the first wagons and started to attack again, but at a different point this time. When they did Josh and his men flanked them and hit them from the side. Now the outlaws were caught in a devastating crossfire; it was too much for them and they retreated again but this time they didn't stop, they just kept running.

The riders from the wagon train that had flanked them followed the raiders until Josh was sure that the gang was really gone. He and his men returned to the wagons and helped assess the damage.

The guerilla band left 22 dead men behind; the two from the saloon, Zeb and Hank were among them. The raiders lost over half of their number; it was a terrible casualty rate. The people in the wagon train didn't get by completely unharmed; two men and a woman were killed. The men had been defending the wagons, shooting at the outlaws and the woman had been reloading for her husband. There a few minor wounds but the families had come out of the fight in good condition.

They buried their people, Hobart said a prayer for them, and they reformed the train so they could leave. No one wanted to stay at the site of the battle. Some of the men asked Hobart if he wanted to bury the dead raiders.

"No, I don't think scum like that deserves it. Let God have mercy on them because I won't," was his answer. "Strip the bodies of anything useful and let's get on the trail. We spent enough time here." Hobart was a hard man at times.

They pushed hard and past the time that they would normally have stopped. Everyone wanted to put as much distance between them and the attack area as possible. The wagons traveled until almost dark before stopping; they had made about 13 miles. The camp that night was somber with people recovering from the stress and the danger of the attack and the sorrow for the people they had lost.

Eight days and about 120 miles later the wagons stopped and made camp as usual near a stream with running water. The train was nearing the border and should reach Texas in about a day and a half if the weather held. The camp spot had good water and grass for the animals so Hobart decided to stop for a day to make repairs to the wagons and gear and give their animals a rest. He sent Josh and another man out hunting that evening to help replenish their meat supplies. They had plenty of salt pork and dried beef but it was a long way to Amarillo so he decided to stretch their supplies by taking some game.

Josh took a shotgun with him along with his Henry and his pistol and returned just before full dark with several prairie chickens, what Josh would have called grouse back in Missouri, and a mule deer. The other hunter had returned with a few rabbits.

"I guess you weren't braggin' about being a good hunter," Hobart said as he smiled at Josh.

Josh smiled and nodded then said, "I saw sign of a herd of buffalo traveling north; two or three buffalo would go a long way toward feeding us; maybe even cut down on having to buy too much in Amarillo."

"How long you think you'd be gone?"

"If we left a couple of hours before sun up, I should catch up by 8 or 9, get a couple, and head back by midday. Should be back with the train by late afternoon."

"What'd you mean we? Plan on takin' someone with you?" Hobart asked.

"I can't pack enough back on a horse to make it worth the trip. But if you sent a couple of men with a wagon after me, I could kill two or three. We could gut and bleed them and bring them back here to dress out. I don't know what our fire wood supply is going to be along the trail so maybe you could send some people over to the buffalo trail and fill a wagon with buffalo chips for the fires."

"I was thinkin the same thing myself. How do you know about buffalo chips? I didn't think there were any buffalo in Missouri," Hobart said.

"No buffalo back home. I learned about the chips from Johnny when we rode together those two days," Josh answered.

"I think you just want to get out of mending harness," Hobart kidded Josh. "Sounds like a good plan Josh. Pick the men to go with you."

The next morning about 3 AM Josh riding Sunny with Red and Jack on the wagon left the camp headed north. "Go to that big rock out croppin' and turn due north. You'll come to the buffalo sign in a bit; follow it and we'll meet up along the way," Josh told Red and Jack.

Hobart loaned his .54 cal Hawken plains rifle to Josh telling him, "It's got a mite more range than your Henry and better stopping power. It's one of the new ones and uses percussion caps instead of a flash pan. You can lay off almost two hundred yards and make your shot. Let me explain the best way to hunt......"

"Yes sir, I know," Josh interrupted him. "Johnny told me how to get buffalo, especially with a big bore like a Hawken. This should make it a mite easier."

Josh guided the wagon to the buffalo trail and rode off following the herd. He kept the big buckskin at a ground eating lope for about an hour and then slowed to a walk to let the horse rest a little. Sunny could have gone on for hours at that pace but there was the return trip to think about and Josh didn't know how far he would have to track the herd.

A little over two hours of travel brought the hunter to the trailing end of the buffalo herd. The herd was spread out as they grazed, not packed like they would have been if they were on the move. Josh retreated behind a low rise out of sight of the herd; he was still close enough to hear the buffalo feeding. He grabbed a handful of the grass which was belly high on his horse and let it flutter to the ground.

"We're up wind Sonny and if we top this rise the herd will catch our smell and maybe take off. Why don't we circle around until we have the wind in our faces and then set up a stand?" Some may have found it strange that Josh talked to his horse like he would another man, but to Josh it was just a normal thing to do. Josh continued talking to Sonny, "It'll maybe take an hour or more for us to get set up and the wagon should be close enough to hear my shots by then."

Josh remounted Sunny and began to walk the big buckskin around the herd to the right. His plan was to circle the herd until he was straight downwind and find a hill or rise to hide behind and set up a spot to shoot from. If he stayed low and didn't silhouette against the skyline he would have time to take two or three of the buffalo before they spooked.

It took almost an hour to find the spot he wanted. He dismounted behind the small rise, pulled the Hawken and the Henry and dropped the reins to the ground. Sunny was trained not to move far if the reins were hanging down to the ground; Josh had spent weeks training the big horse to ground tie. Someone would have to use a whip on him to make Sunny run off and a couple of gun shots wouldn't bother him; Josh had used the horse several times for hunting back home.

Buffalo are big, strong, and at times dangerous animals. They have bad eyesight but a very good sense of smell and are very bad tempered; therefore you needed to be downwind if you're hunting them. For all their size and strength they aren't the smartest of animals. As long as they can't smell an enemy they'll continue feeding until they smell the blood scent from injured or dead animals. And when they start running, you had best get out of their way.

The Hawken was a heavy rifle and difficult to hold on target shooting free hand for any length of time so Josh used dirt and some rocks to build a rest for the big gun. He slowly inspected the herd, chose two yearling bulls as his targets, and waited for the animals he picked out to graze closer to the hilltop. It was almost 30 minutes before his first target got within a hundred yards. Cocking the rifle he took aim at the young bull on the edge of the herd and took his first shot.

The bull dropped as if his legs had been cut from under him; the only noise he made was hitting the ground. Because Josh was downwind, behind the rise hidden from view, and over a hundred yards away the sound of the shot didn't bother the herd.

The buffalo closest to the dead animal move away a little when he went down but not seeing or smelling an enemy they soon went back to feeding. Josh reloaded the Hawken and waited for another 15 minutes for the animals to settle down again; then he took a second shot downing another young bull. Again this animal was over a hundred yards away and on the edge of the herd.

Josh could have shot several more animals without spooking them but it would have been a waste. Each of the yearling bulls would weight close to five hundred pounds and their combined weight would push the limit they could carry in the one wagon. After shooting the second buffalo he reloaded the Hawken and got back to his horse. When the major part of the herd passed he rode out to the two animals he had shot. The animals were only about 90 feet apart and he put a rope around the rear legs of one to drag them closer together.

Now the messy job began. He used his rope and horse to get the rear of the animals high enough to place some rocks under the rear of the buffalo and cut their throats to bleed them. While they were bleeding he carefully made cuts length wise along belly of the animals.

After Red and Jack got to the downed buffalo, Josh suggested they use the block and tackle in the wagon to haul the rear of the buffalo up. This would help to bleed the buffalo and give the men room to gut the animals before they had time to go bad. While Red and Josh gutted the animals, saving the hearts and livers, Jack fed the horses some grain and gave them water. Using the horses and a pulley, the men were able to get the two buffalo into the wagon and covered them with a canvas.

It was about midday when they began the return trip to the wagon train. On the way back Josh scouted in a two mile circle with the wagon at the center. It wouldn't do to be surprised by Indians or one of the guerilla bands; with only the three of them, their odds of survival wouldn't be good if they were attacked. It was slower going back but they had the camp in sight by 4 PM.

They still had the two buffalo to skin, clean, and preserve for the trip. Hobart directed some of the men to take wagon tongues and make a three legged upright to hang the animals from. The men used a block and tackle to hoist the big carcasses and then skinned and butchered them. Some of the meat was cut into roasts and steaks for eating right away.

The wagon master decided to stay one more day so they could smoke, dry, and salt the rest of the meat to preserve it for use later down the trail. The people not working with the meat or doing repairs on the wagons and gear were sent to gather more buffalo chips.

Two days not traveling gave everyone including the livestock a much needed rest. The wagon train broke camp on the third morning and began the 300 hundred mile trip to Amarillo. If the weather stayed good they could make good time across the flat plains. There had been a little rain here and there but nothing that slowed the wagons down very much.

Josh had been riding Diablo more and more and the big horse was becoming all that Hobart hoped he would be. The rotation for Josh's mounts now consisted of a day on Sunny, then Diablo for a day, Joey for a day and then back to Diablo. He spent a lot of extra time training Diablo to ground tie and teaching him to be calmer.

Red had been riding horses from the remuda that belonged to Hobart. When they chased the guerilla band off they kept the best of the horses that belonged to the raiders that were killed and turned the rest loose. Red was given first choice of the animals to use; he chose two and now he rode one of those. One of his horses was a big gelding, almost as big as Diablo.

For twenty one days the train made good time and on the afternoon of the twenty second day arrived on the outskirts of Amarillo. Hobart led the wagons to the far side of the town and made camp just off the trail going on to Santa Fe. He told everyone that they would hold up for the next day and leave the following morning.
He suggested that if they went into town that they go in groups; warning everyone to be careful because Amarillo was a cow town and sometimes a hot bed of wild cowboys, guerilla bands, and the Rebel army. Hobart gave each of his men $5 and split them into two groups and told them that each group could have one night, morning, or afternoon in town. Again he warned them about the possible dangers of the town.

The next morning Hobart walked over to where Red and Josh were getting ready to go into Amarillo. "Red here's your pay along with a bonus; I think you've earned it. I want you to keep the two horses you picked after the raid; those are two good ponies," Hobart said to the young Texan.

"Thanks Mr. Hobart. I didn't expect to be paid, I was just working my way home," Red replied. He was very surprised at the wages and the gift of the two horses.

"I guess we'll be leaving without you, now that you made it back home. You're a good man John and I've enjoyed knowing you," Hobart said shaking the young man's hand. "Hope to run into you again sometime."

"Josh, here's your town money and I'm making you a gift of Diablo."

Like Red, Josh was surprised at the wagon master's generosity. Hobart just laughed and said, "Hell Josh, that horse follows you around like a big dog anyway. I'm just glad to see that I still know horse flesh."

Josh was grateful to Hobart for the money and the horse but he was the most thankful for the confidence, trust, and respect shown to him by the older man. "Thank you Mr. Hobart. But Diablo is pretty much over his distrust of people; he'd be a good horse for anyone as long as they treat him right. Are you sure you want to let him go?"

"I don't have time to train another man how to treat a horse. I've got enough on my plate, so you take the animal off my hands for me. Okay?" Hobart had made up his mind that Josh deserved the big bay horse and not just because he had been able to train the animal.

Apparently I still know men too, Hobart thought as he watched Josh and Red mount their horses for the ride into town. That youngster is so much more than I could have hoped for. I knew he was a good one when Johnny Burrows took to him but I didn't realize how much he could do for the wagon train. Yep, I still know how to pick em alright, Hobart finished his thought.

The two young men rode toward town; Josh on Diablo and Red on the big gelding. Watching them leave, Hobart decided that he needed a few hours in town too. He climbed on his horse and followed the men toward Amarillo. Damn I guess I'm going to have to start using a buckboard or surrey he said to himself, I'm getting too old to ride a horse all day every day for weeks at a time. These old bones just won't take it anymore.

Josh and Red talked about what they would buy or hoped to find in Amarillo, their days on the trail, and the generosity of the wagon master. They didn't talk about what was really on their minds; the fact that Red was home and the two friends would be parting. Josh hated to see Red leave the train but he was home again; Josh would have gone home too if he could have.

They left their horses at the blacksmith's to be reshod. The two men bought a few things at the general store and then went to the gun smith's to get powder, shot, and percussion caps for their pistols; in addition they picked up cartridges for the repeating rifles that they both carried. The men were basically killing time until the smithy could finish with the horses.

The next stop was the saddle maker's. Red had been using a Confederate Officer's saddle that he had brought with him after leaving the war. Now he wanted a western saddle; it was more useful when working stock or herding cattle. He was able to find a used saddle that was reasonably priced and bought it. Red carried the saddle over his shoulder and Josh helped by carrying the rest of the gear back to the blacksmith's. This left both men with a hand free to use their pistols if the need arose.

They got to the smithies just as he was leading their newly shod horses to the hitching post in front of his shop. Red switched out saddles, giving the military saddle to the smithy. As he finish a group of six men wearing Confederate grey rode over and stopped in front of Red and Josh.

"I'm Captain Davis of the CSA procurement office for Texas," the man leading the troops said to Red. "That's right nice piece of horse flesh you're riding."

"Thank you, I like him myself," Red answered with a little hostility. Josh could sense the change in his friend and slowly pulled the Henry out of the saddle scabbard.

"I'll give $40 in good CSA script for the animal," Davis offered.

"No thanks, I'm right fond of this animal. He's not for sale," Red answered.

"I don't think you understand youngster. In time of war, the army can take whatever it needs for the people it protects. I don't have to pay you for that horse, I was just being polite. Do you understand the phrase military confiscation?"

"Do you understand the phrase dead where you sit?" Red said as he slid his hand down to the butt of the pistol strapped to his hip. "You're not takin my horse Grey Back."

Josh was amazed at the change in his friend. Gone was the laughing, joking, easy going young man. In his place was a steely eyed gunfighter ready to shoot it out to keep what belonged to him. Josh had no doubt that Red was ready to kill the Captain.

"Son, there's only one of you and there's six of us. I think you're out gunned," Davis boasted.

"There's two of us mister," Josh informed the Captain as he stepped from behind his horse. He was holding the Henry in the crook of his arm. It wasn't pointed at the Confederate Captain but it could be brought to bear in a heartbeat.

"I don't think the two of you will be much problem, you're still out numbered," the Captain said.

"Maybe so Mister, but when the shootin starts, you'll be the first one to die," Red promised. Just like my pa told Fogerty Josh thought.

"And if he don't get you, I will Captain."

Davis turned his head to see a man with a Spencer rifle pointed in his direction. "And who are you Mister? You don't want to go against the army."

"I'm Clint Hobart and these men work for me. I'll just repeat what the boy said; the horse is not for sale." Hobart took a step or two closer.

"Don't believe you represent the Confederacy. I think you're just another son of a bitch trying to take advantage of people during this war. It might be a good idea for you to ride on." There was a deadly threat in Hobart's voice.

Captain Davis was a lot of things but stupid wasn't one of them. The three men facing his troop had the look. The look that said they were willing and able to fight Davis and his men if necessary. He turned his horse and with the rest of the troop following, rode out of town.

"Damn Red, I thought you were going to kill him," Josh said.

"I was; if he or any of his men had touched a gun, I would have shot Davis out of the saddle," Red told him. "I would have got as many of them as I could before I went down. Thanks for the support Josh; it means a lot to me."

Hobart had remounted and walked his horse over to the two youngsters; I'm going to have to stop thinking of them as boys, he thought. Those two are about as tough as any I can think of. "It might be best if we ride back to the camp together. I don't think those skunks will hang around but no need to be foolish about it. You boys ready to go?"

Back at the camp as Josh and Red were taking care of the horses, Josh asked, "When are ya leaving for home Red?"

"I guess I'll head out early morning. It's about two hours out to the ranch," he said laughing. "Hell it's just a big farm but Pa's got an idea that he's a real cowboy, don't you know."

In the early hour just before first light, Josh and Hobart watched Red saddle his horse, gather his gear, and get ready to leave. He put a pack on his other horse and loaded up his few belongings. Then he was ready to go and turned to say good bye.

"Gonna miss you son, you done good while you been with the train. If you ever want a job, look me up in Fort Smith; I'll always have a place for you," Hobart told him. He shook hands with Red and left the two young men to say so long.

"You take care of yourself Red. I don't have many friends and I can't afford to lose one. Good luck to ya," Josh said. He was sorry to see the Texan leave but knew Red needed to go home to his folks.

Red grinned to hide his feelings and said, "If I'd known about the attack on the wagon trail, the hard work I was going to do, and the run in with those fellers in Amarillo I might not have been so quick to accept your help when you found me walkin.

"Well I had to entertain you some, I mean being an ignorant Texan and all. I aim to please," Josh said.

"I don't want to lose a friend either. Hope you get to return home soon, Josh. If you come back this way, stop by the ranch to say hello," Red replied in a more serious note. "Keep your powder dry big man."

Red mounted his horse, pulled the lead rope on the other horse tight, and with a final wave rode off to join his family. Josh watched him until he went behind one of few hills on the flat prairie. He gave a big sigh and went to get Sunny ready for the day's work. Another huntin trip was scheduled to supply the wagons with meat; the more meat supplied by hunting, the less they would have to buy.

Josh and the other hunters were able to add some wild game to the larder. The rest of the people worked on the wagons and got organized for the last push through to Santa Fe. There was always work to be done on a wagon train.

The land they were traveling through was mostly flat. There were few trees, some scrub growth, and a lot of grass belly high to a horse. A hill twenty feet high stood out like a small mountain and it was on one of this rises that Hobart posted a look out early the next morning. Out riders and guards were a fact of life out here especially as the train began to hitch up teams and prepared to travel.

Hobart had posted one of the older boys on the hill as a look out while the wagons got ready to begin the day. Both Josh and Hobart would check the guard's positions every so often and it was Josh that saw the boy riding like hell back to the wagons. Dang, that boy can ride Josh thought, admiring the boy's skill on a horse.

The youngster pulled up in a cloud of dust and was off the horse before it came to a complete stop. "Riders coming Mr. Hobart," he reported. "At least two horses, maybe more, couldn't tell but they're raising a lot of dust."

Josh hurried to finish saddling Diablo, making sure that his weapons were loaded and readily available. He knew that if it was another guerilla band he would be more effective from horseback.

"Good job Jerry. Go tell the rest of the guards and tell them to stay alert; they might have to come back to the wagons. Now off you go son," Hobart ordered. Josh mounted and turned his horse toward the low rise.

"Where you going Josh?"

"Going back up the hill, if it is a raiding party I can slow them down a mite. Maybe give you time to set up a defense," Josh told him. Hobart nodded and Josh started for the crest of the hill.

Sitting just below the crest of the low rise Josh was able to see the dust cloud coming toward his position. He stayed on the big horse and sat with the butt of his Henry propped upright against his hip. The wind was in his face, blowing the dust kicked up by the horses toward him and obscuring the ones causing it. When the wind shifted and the dust blew sideways he could see that it was a lone rider leading another horse. He relaxed a little but stayed alert; even a single man could be a danger out here.

When the rider drew closer Josh began to smile and road out to meet him. He recognized the rider; it was Red on a big sorrel stallion leading a quarter horse mare. The two friends pulled their horses to a stop as they met.

"You get lost on the way home?" Josh asked as a greeting.

"Naw, but I figured you would if I wasn't around to keep an eye on you so I thought I'd come back and lead y'all to the promise land," Red replied with a laugh.

"Good to see you Red. Why are you here?"

"Let's get back to the wagons and I'll explain to you and Mr. Hobart at the same time. I crossed the trail of about twenty riders headed southwest, could be nothing but he should know about them," Red suggested.

As they rode back to the wagons Red said, "I saw your scout up on the crest and then he was gone in a hurry. I guess to report my dust cloud. Who was it anyway?"

"That was Jerry Barnes; his pa and ma were killed in the raid and Mr. Hobart has sorta taken the boy under his wing, letting him work some and paying him. It helps take his mind off what happened."

"You might tell him to sit just below the crest with only his head showing. That way no one will see him and he'll be able to surprise them if need be," Red suggested. Josh nodded agreement.

Hobart was waiting for them when they got to the wagons. "Hello Red, I'm surprised to see you so soon."

"Hello Mr. Hobart," Red said. He nodded at a few people that had seen him ride in, including the Barnes boy who was still mounted waiting for orders from the wagon master. "Thought you'd like to know, just north of Amarillo I found a trail of 20 riders or so headed southwest." He waited for the wagon master to think about the riders. "Say Mr. Hobart, is that job offer still open? Thought I might go along as far as Santa Fe, if you don't mind."

"Glad to have you son, and thanks for the warning. I thought you were going to farm with your dad. What changed your mind?"

"Well, funny thing about that. When I was with the 29th Texas in '61 I couldn't wait to get back home. When I got back to the farm I realized that I didn't want to be a farmer. Besides, my sister married a guy with two children and they're living with my folks. To make things a little tighter one of our cousins lost her husband at Manassas in '61, and she and her three kids have moved in too." Red shook his head at all the people now living on the farm and in the one farm house.

"I don't hanker to sleep three to a bed in a room full of kids so I thought it might be time for little Johnny McCall to go out on his own. I loaded my gear, grabbed my horses, and come back here. Thought I might sweet talk you into a job," Red finished the story.

"Put your extra mount with the others and get to work. We're burning daylight," Hobart said with a smile. He liked and respected the young Texan and was glad to have him back with the wagon train.

"How long to Santa Fe Josh?" Red asked but really didn't care; it was more out of curiosity than anything. He was on his own journey now and was looking forward to the trip.

"If the weather holds and no one bothers us and if nothing else happens, should take 20 to 25 days," Josh answered and continued with a grin, "But something or someone always turns up."

Josh was also glad to have his friend back with him; they had formed a strong bond since Josh picked Red up limping down the road. He respected and liked Mr. Hobart but Red was closer to his own age and they had something in common; he had left his home too.

He looked forward to getting to Santa Fe and beginning the final leg of his journey to Colorado. Josh mounted on Diablo, turned the big horse on the trail west.

To be continued.