Otis Cole, a Western....rough draft

The Western Way

Chapter 1

         I had been running all afternoon and half the night, and that sorrel  and me were plumb wore out. If I didn’t stop to rest soon and give Big Red a blow, I was going to kill a good horse.
              The ones chasing me were a persistent bunch, but they did not know these hills and woods like I did. I gave them the slip about midnight and left them wandering around in the forest looking for sign of my passing. Up until then I had just been trying for distance, but now I was being extra careful not to leave a trail they could easily follow. The only tracker they had in that bunch was Justin Lowry and he was only a fair to middlin’ tracker at best.
         I had several hours to cry and feel sorry for myself but now I was getting mad. The bunch that was a follerin me had dogged my trail for nigh on to seven hours. That was after they burned us out and killed my ma and pa.
                I was out huntin’ up some game like usual when I seen the smoke from afar off, so I come a-foggin it back, thinking the barn was on fire. My pa, being a blacksmith, it was a common thing for him to have fires in the forge or outside the barn for fittin wagon wheels and such.
                When I topped the last hill I could see that it weren’t the barn, but the house that was afire. I could also see a body layin betwixt the corral and the house and I knew it was pa. I could tell by his size and the buckskins he always wore. I also saw men with guns running around, I recognized some of them.
         I jumped off Big Red, leavin’ him ground hitched, and slipped down through the brush as quiet as can be, choking back a passel of emotions and a big lump that was forming in my throat. I come up behind the barn and could hear men arguing inside. It was Harlen Dawd talkin to that Lowry gent.
                “Where in the blue blazes is that brat kid? We have to make a clean sweep of this to make it look right, now finish what I paid y’all for! Drag Otha’s carcass in the barn and burn it! And find that kid!” That was Harlen talkin. “Where is that woman? Bring her here!” there was a silence after that for a few seconds and I eased the hammer back on that old pistol of mine. If they had ma, I was goin in a shootin’ and let the chips fall where they may. Then Lowry spoke up, “About that boss, she put up a terrible fight so I told Jesse to knock her in the head. I reckon he hit her a mite too hard. He bashed her skull in something fierce. She is dead.” I felt like some body just hit me in the stomach with a poleaxe. Ma too….
                Harlen started stompin around and cussin up a storm. “You bunch of no account idiots! The whole point of this durned affair was to get the woman and the ranch! What did you do with the body?” Another voice spoke up then, and it I felt a chill run down my back. “We left her in the house to burn Mr. Dawd. I figured it best,” That was Doc Stone. He was a gun for hire and said to be the fastest man with a short gun in all of Kentucky and Tennessee. “At least some one in this outfit has some sense.” Harlen says, “Get the preachers body in the barn and lets find that kid!”
         I just stood there listenin with a big knot in my gut, thinking I should do somethin but I couldn’t force myself to move. Ma and pa…. both dead. I had to think but I couldn’t seem to get my mind to working right. Then I heard men riding off on horses in different directions. They were looking for me.
         If I didn’t move quick I would be dead along with them. I wanted to lash out, to kill and destroy, but common sense told me I wouldn’t stand a chance against all those men. I may get a few, but with gun hands like Justin Lowry and Doc Stone, you just had to figure on taking some lead. I lit out of there and got back to my horse and headed for the hills. I was feeling pretty much like a coward right about then, taking off that way without a fight, but I had to get my thoughts together, I was some choked up.
         I injuned my way back to Buck and headed west through the thick wooded hills. I couldn't muster up a single thought in my head, it was just a blank. I guess I was in shock. I continiued to ride, weaving my way through the hardwood forest and rolling hills not knowin where I was going.....to be continued