RIN TIN TIN AND THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
by
GAIL GARDNER
Vin Tanner hunkered down next to the rock, ignoring the bead of sweat that trickled down the side of his face to be absorbed by the collar of his shirt. The little damp spot grew fractionally larger. His companion was valiantly trying to match his calm but the twitch of a cheek and a screwing up of his nose betrayed his presence.
"Here they come." Vin whispered so quietly it was like a puff of air meandering between the leaves.
Ezra Standish held in the breath of admiration he was about to express. At the edge of the meadow a mother bear appeared with two bear cubs. The cubs were rolling around together, wrestling and growling playfully. The mother sniffed the wind cautiously and almost looking at the two hidden people gave a gruff woof and cuffing the cubs herded them back into the forest.
Ezra let out the pent up breath in a huff. "I didn't move." He looked up at the tracker.
"Naw. Ya did good Ez." Tanner smiled down at the young boy. "Sometimes critters got a feeling yer there. Bears are mighty careful, especially with youngins."
"They were having fun." The young boy said wistfully, "The mama was looking out for her cubs, wasn't she?"
The young man and the young boy were silent for a moment both of them feeling a fleeting sense of pain for their lost mothers. One to death the other to who knows where.
"C'mon sprout let's get back 'fore ol' Chris gets huffy about us bein' late fer dinner." The tracker didn't give the boy a hand, even though his legs must be pretty tired and cramped from sitting still for almost an hour. Little Ezra Standish liked to stand on his own two feet. Just like Tanner had experienced when he was a boy. Only Ezra Standish had six men to stand behind him and help him up when he fell.
"We were quite close, weren't we Mr. Tanner?" Ezra asked excitedly.
"Yep. Been closer though." Tanner smiled at the boy. "Bear tried to eat me once."
The boys eyes got big. "What happened?"
"Waal this bear decided I was too close to his hunting place so he come a roaring and slavering at me."
"Did you run?" Ezra asked.
"Bear faster than ya expect. Can out run a man easy. Can climb a tree faster than a cat, too."
"Did ya shoot it?" Ezra shivered deliciously.
"Nope. I just lay down and played dead. Only way to escape a bear. He clawed at me a mite, but when I wasn't moving or nothing , he got bored and went away."
"You're fibbing." Ezra said and then bit his lip. "Sorry Mr. Tanner. I didn't mean to doubt your tale."
"Don't blame ya Ez, it is pretty strange, but that's how bears is. Next time we go to the bath house I'll show ya the claw marks." Most little boys seemed fascinated by scars and bullet holes.
"I think Ah'll pass on that opportunity." Ezra stated stoutly.
A detachment of soldiers from Fort Apache were out on a patrol to find a small party of Indians who had escaped from a reservation. Lieutenant Rip Masters held up the column with a wave of his white gloved hand. He could see the small cloud of dust coming in fast. It meant that his scout was coming in.
"Here he comes." Sergeant Biff O'Hara remarked unnecessarily. "D'ya think he found them wanderin' Injuns?"
"Course he did!" The three foot high Corporal Rusty chimed in.
Masters shared a grin with his sergeant and then bent a serious look to the young boy. "The difficulty is not Rinty finding them, it's the darn report that I have trouble with. Woof woof bark?"
The boy's lower lip stuck out. "I can understand him."
"That's why you're with us, Corporal." Masters said dryly.
The large shepard came loping up happily with a bark and wagging tail.
"Well?" Masters hung over his saddle horn to eye the dog. He always felt a little ridiculous talking to the dog. He was sure the men told some wild stories in the barracks about the Lieutenant and Private Rin Tin Tin. Trouble was half of them were true. He'd seen recruits with less sense than the big dog, and he couldn't fault the dog for his single-minded devotion to Rusty.
Rinty wagged his tail happily and offered a paw. An eager to please Rinty meant it was suppertime or he didn't find anything more interesting than rabbits or roadrunners to chase.
"I hear the law in Four Corners got a good tracker." Biff spoke up quietly.
"Rinty can..." Rusty began hotly defending his dog.
"Corporal!" Masters barked out. "I am in charge of this detail."
"Yessir." Rusty said blankly and wheeled his pony back with the other enlisted men. Rin Tin Tin followed happily his tail wagging.
"Aww, sir..."Biff hated it when Masters got all military with the boy.
Masters gave his sergeant a sharp glance. The boy was his responsibility, along with the rest of the troop. He gave the orders here.
"Yessir." O'Hara sighed.
Now Rip Masters knew where Rusty learned the pout from. "We got some Indians to return to the reservation." He raised his white gloved hand. "For'ard! Ho!"
Larabee was pissed. Buck could tell by the way his eyes got a squinty and the cigar in his mouth was hanging together by a thread. This was the third complaint this week about missing stock. Most had been chickens and the odd pig or two, but when James came in huffing and blowing about cattle being rustled the law had to take a hand. Unfortunately, the tracker was out with Ez and the pair were late coming in. What light for tracking had almost disappeared.
"They'll be back soon." Buck said trying to soothe the irate gunslinger. Most of the bad mood was probably from having to act civil to James. "I ain't never known Vin to pass up a meal, or Ezra for that matter."
"How the hell can I count on Vin when he is running around with the kid?"Larabee growled.
"You said you didn't have time for the boy today." Josiah rumbled. "So, Vin took him out, been teaching him tracking."
"We're lawmen, not baby minders." Larabee grated out. His cigar gave up to his grinding teeth and the smoldering length of it fell on the ground. Larabee spit out the mangled stub onto the street as Tanner and Standish came riding in peacefully to the front of the jail where Larabee and the rest of the men were waiting.
"Chris!" Standish threw himself off the horse, eager to tell about the bears he'd seen that day. He was left standing in the street when Larabee brushed by him and began talking urgently to Tanner. His little fists clenched at his side and the look of happiness on his face was replaced by one of placid indifference.
"Ain't much light now." Tanner squinted at the sky. "Might be better to start out first thing in the morning."
"If you had come sooner, there would have been enough light to get started." Larabee grated out.
"What got a bee in your bonnet, cowboy? Let James stew a few hours more, ain't gonna make that much difference.
"Listen up Tanner!" Chris began angrily.
"It was my fault Mr.Larabee." Ezra felt he had to defend his friend.
"I'm sure it was." Larabee ground out. "Get some supper and get to bed." He turned on his heel to stalk over to the saloon.
"C'mon son, we'll have dinner." Josiah held out a promising hand.
"Thank you Mr. Sanchez, but I feel suddenly fatigued. Perhaps an early night." His smile was insincere.
"Now Ezra..." Josiah began trying to placate the feelings of the youngster.
"Company coming." Tanner looked up the street. "Damn it's the calvary." He wheeled his mount and made off for the saloon. "Chris!" He yelled. "Trouble comin' in."
"What the hell now?"
Lieutenant Rip Masters brought the column of ten men to a halt neatly in front of the jail. Rusty looked around with bright eyes. He spied a boy his age standing next to an older man. He ignored him, he was a civilian and a towny at that. Unfortunately, Rin Tin Tin had no such limitations and approached the boy with a wagging tail.
Ezra had never had a pet and his experiences with big dogs had always been bad ones. One of his relatives had thought it funny to sic his hunting dogs on the boy for 'fun'. Ezra skittered nervously to stand behind Josiah.
"I'm looking for the sheriff." Masters looked around carefully taking in the gunmen near the saloon and the two standing by the jail.
"JD!" Buck bellowed. Dunne came out of the saloon hastily wiping away a mustache of milk.
"Oh lord a boy sheriff." Biff O'Hara groaned.
"You gotta a pretty short-growed corporal there yerself." Buck said and pointed to Rusty.
Larabee stood behind JD, a glowering presence. Masters eyed the group and addressed his remarks to Larabee though he gave an acknowledging nod to the boy with the tin badge.
"I'm looking for a small band of Indians. They left the reservation near Fort Apache about three days ago." He pulled off his gloves and began beating the dust off his leg with them.
"Why? Ya oughta let them go iffen they wanna." Vin Tanner snarled at the army man.
"Well, their families want them back for one thing. They are just young kids." Masters eyed the man. This was probably the tracker, he looked part Indian himself. "We aren't going to hurt them or jail them."
"Putting them on the reservation might as well hurt them or be like jailing." Josiah Sanchez spoke up in his deep voice.
"Sir!" Sergeant O'Hara interrupted what was going to be the great Indian debate. "The men need a place to bivouac." and he gave a meaningful nod to Rusty who was valiantly trying not to sleep in the saddle. "Maybe after we get settled we could have a beer..." He added hopefully.
Sure, Masters was the officer, but a good non-com made sure that the officer didn't put his foot in it. Masters was pretty easy-going, but he would talk the hind end off a horse just to prove his point.
"Back of the livery is good. Nice little stream running through it and an outhouse." JD offered helpfully.
"Sir?" O'Hara asked expectantly.
"Very well sergeant. Fall out!"
About an hour later the two army men walked into the saloon. They faced a rather cold welcome from the law in Four Corners.
Larabee nodded to the table he and Buck were sitting at along with Josiah, Nathan, and JD. Vin was standing at the bar his posture cold and distant.
Masters sat down with a sigh. Sometimes he hated this job. O'Hara's matching sigh was for the large mug of beer he cradled with relish.
"We found out that the Indian agent had been cheating the government giving out weevily food, taking the meat for himself and selling it on. He was starving them out. By the time we found out about it, about six of the tribe's young men had decided to go out and hunt food for themselves."
"So, the army sent you to get them back."Nathan said distastefully.
"Yeah. And the chief of the tribe asked that I would bring them back too. He gave me this." Rip Masters pulled a medicine bag out from where it was hanging around his neck.
Vin Tanner was at his side in a moment. "He wants them back bad." He gestured to the bead decorated bag.
"Two of them are his sons, just turned 13 and 14. Only a couple years older than my Rusty." He added quietly.
"Ez ain't much older, either." Larabee mused. "Vin?" he looked up at the tracker.
"I can find them, but iffen they don't want to go back," he pointed to the bag, "even with that. Then I ain't gonna make them."
"Fair enough." Lt. Masters carefully hung the bag around his neck again."First light?" He got up to leave. O'Hara gulped his beer down hastily, looked like he wasn't going to get another. "Oh can I leave Rusty, the boy here? He won't be any trouble."
"Sure." Larabee said smoothly. "He can play with Ezra. Just drop the boy off at the jail."
The two boys looked each other over with distaste. Being forced to be 'friends' by adults wasn't
the best way to start things.
Ezra was grumpy at having to get up at first light to be told to stay in the jail and be friendly with the soldier boy. Rusty was peeved at having been left behind. Since they had the human tracker, at least Rin Tin Tin was left with them.
As if sensing Ezra's unease the dog was lying on the floor his head on his paws, eyes moving from one boy to the other.
"Whatever is that you are wearin'?" Ezra eyed the little uniform disdainfully.
"Ain't half as bad what you got on." Rusty thought the green jacket and vest on a kid looked ridiculous.
"Imbecile." Ezra muttered.
Rusty wasn't sure of the word, but he understood the curl of the lip and the tone of voice. "Stuck-up." He replied.
"Am not!"
"Yeah, you are!"
"Go away!"
"Make me!"
The two boys were escalating to fisticuffs when the dog had heard enough of sharp voices. He insinuated himself between the two and started indiscriminately licking faces.
"Aw Rinty." Rusty tried to push the dog away.
"Ahm being licked to death." Ezra complained pushing futilely at the 80 pound hunk of German Shepard. A tongue in his ear caused him to giggle.
The two boys were soon exhausted with playing with the big dog.
"He's a nice dog." Ezra said admiringly petting the head tentatively. "What's his name?"
"Rin Tin Tin." Rusty said proudly. "He's in the army, like me."
"How exciting." Ezra said smiling. "Of course, it isn't as exciting as being a lawman in this town." He brushed his fingers over his vest as if polishing a badge.
"You're kidding?" Rusty cocked his head interestingly.
"Yes, why Mr. Larabee depends on me. And the others of course." He added modestly.
"How can you be a lawman with no gun?" Rusty knew that much about lawmen.
"Behold, my doubting friend." Ezra popped the little derringer out of his vest pocket. "I assure you I am a dead shot."
"Yeah?"
"Indeed."
Things would have heated up again, but the low woof from the dog stopped their wrangling.
"It ain't fair that the others have left us behind." Rusty gave a big sigh.
"I know, most unjust, since we are also members of the establishment."
"Huh? Oh yeah." The two boys stood for a moment scuffing dirt with the toes of their boots. Each eyed the other with a modicum of growing respect.
"We could go after them." Rusty said cautiously. Most kids his age were real scared about adventures. Ezra Standish seemed just as hardy as he was, in a sort of fancy way.
"Chris...Mr. Larabee would be pleased at any assistance." Ezra lied glibly, knowing that Chris was liable to tan his hide. But, that would be better than being ignored.
Both boys were teetering on the edge of indecision, knowing in their hearts that the grown-ups in their lives would be a trifle upset if they went out after the rustlers. Fate stepped in with the appearance of Mr. Dowdell who owned a farm about five miles east of town. "Sheriff! Mr. Larabee! Dang it! Wherein h-," He stopped when face with two miniature men. One a calvary corporal and one a lawman. "Where in Sam hill," he tempered his language. "is the law? Ten chickens lost to them thievin' Injuns. Someone gotta come out and take care of this horrible crime!" Mr. Dowdell shared a passion with JD Dunne for dime novels. His language betrayed that fact.
"Why, Mr. Dowdell, you are indeed in luck. My plucky companion, Corporal Rusty, and I will be glad to come and purvey the scene of the crime."
"Corporal, huh?" Dowdell scratched his head. The loss of ten chickens was catastrophic, but even more catastrophic was going back to his wife with no lawmen.
"Rinty can track down the culprits!" Rusty added. Hearing his name the Shepard sat up and offered a paw to be shook.
"Why sure. Good idea boys. Y'all can come with me in the wagon."
The two boys and the dog were about half-way there when it occurred to them that maybe a note would have been a good idea.
"Rip, um Lieutenant Masters will get really mad, not knowing where I am."
"We'll just do a little reconnoitre and then get back before they do. Chris, uh Mr. Larrabee will not rest until justice is done! Ah'm sure they will not be back until late tomorrow."
Rusty shrugged, "What they don't know..."
"Won't hurt them." Ezra finished. The two boys grinned at each other. This was shaping up into a nice little adventure.
The Dowdell's were too distraught to even think that the two boys representing the law was anything strange. Why even Horatio Alger had wrote about the plucky gritty lads in the west! The loss of ten chickens was more important.
The two studied the ravaged henhouse with a studied air that mirrored the actions of their heroes, Rip Masters and Chris Larabee. Ezra chewed on a twig with narrowed gaze. Rusty pushed his hat back on his head running fingers through his sandy locks.
Rin Tin Tin sniffed around the site busily. A low growl rumbled in his throat. He didn't like the smell, at all.
"Whuuuf." He barked and looked at Rusty expectantly.
"He got the scent already!" Rusty coughed as his voice broke a trifle high. "Good boy." He said gruffly and tilted his hat back with a finger just like Rip used to do. His thumbs hitched in his belt.
Ezra ran a finger over his lower lip. He spat out the twig and looked up at the sun, it was just a bit past noon.
"I estimate that we have some hours of daylight to track t he felons. We will return about sunset to inform you of the miscreants location. My colleague and I will need to borrow a horse and a rifle."
"Ain't got but one ridin' horse." The farmer scratched his head. "But I figger you boys can ride double."
Both sighed and eyed each other, civilians just didn't understand that riding double was so beneath men of action - yet the job had to be done.
"Got me a good carbine, though. Just about 10 shells left though, been meaning to get more ammunition later." Dowdell looked apologetic.
"If it can't be done in a few shots..." Ez began.
"Ain't worth shooting at." Rusty finished. It seemed the boys had quite a similar upbringing.
The good carbine turned out to be a dirty rusty antique firearm, the boys viewed it with disgust.
"Why, Biff O'Hara would have the soldier owning this carbine do latrine duty for a month." Rusty said scornfully and tried to rub some of the rust off.
"Shameful. A man must keep his firearm in good working order." Ez poked at box of cartridges, they also seemed to be rusty and some where dented and nicked.
"Rip lets me break down his revolver and clean it. I got a rifle, but only shot at rabbits."Rusty admitted.
"Chris doesn't let me touch his guns. A gunfighter's guns are very sensitive and must not be handled rashly." Ezra winced at the memory of the one time he'd picked up the gunfighter's gear. Larabee had been so angry. He didn't realize that the gunslinger had been terrified to see the hair triggered firearms in the boy's hands.
"Makes sense." Rusty conceded.
The two boys rode the swayback plug double without a saddle. They had a few disparaging remarks about the nag. It soon escalated into a contest on which expletive out did the next.
"I picked that one up in the barracks." Rusty said proudly. "Got my mouth washed out with soap when Sergeant O'Hara heard it."
Ezra shuddered in sympathy. "Must have been a most regrettable experience."
"Army issue soap, too." Rusty added. "It don't clean ya, just peels off layers of skin with the dirt." He added nodding.
"Barbaric. I can give you one of my bars of fine lavender if you like?" Ezra hoarded his soap like other boys marbles. It was a fine sacrifice he was offering.
"Naw. Ol' Rinty wouldn't know me if I smelled too good."
"Good point."
The boys went back to the business of tracking. Every now and then they would get off the horse and discuss the scuffs on the ground or the trail of overturned stones or broken twigs. Rin Tin Tin would sit patiently and then using his superior sense of smell continue to track the chicken thief. The boys were too involved in telling stories that they didn't notice that the dog was growling low in his throat and that his hackles were raised.
"Wasn't no human that got yer stock." Tanner said gruffly after looking at the tracks briefly. "Bear. Probably a yearling, just weaned from his mama and hungry."
"You're a liar...you are just protecting those thieving savages." James snarled.
"Mister James. If Tanner says it's a bear killing your stock then it is a bear." Larabee cut in on the tirade.
"I insist that you look some more." James huffed.
"Mister Tanner is on army business. I need him elsewhere." Rip cut the man off. "Troop! About turn! Ho-o!" The long hours of drill in the parade ground practising manoeuvres paid off as the men did a smart precision turn and were trotting off James' property with the six lawmen neatly in tow.
"He ain't too bad for a lieutenant." Buck commented to Chris.
"Thank you." Masters had pulled up next to them and gave a salute with a wry grin. "General Wilmington." He tipped his hat back with one finger.
"I figger we go where the pig was stolen." Larabee nodded to the officer, a small smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. Anyone who mouthed off at James couldn't be all bad. Ezra would appreciate the telling of the story tonight when he put the boy to bed.
The inspection of the Persson farm proved more fruitful. Or at least more smelly. Mr. Persson was more worried about the state of the pig shed rather than the loss of two small pigs.
"Runts of the litter, they were, yah." He drawled in his Swedish accent. "My Erma was going to make blood pudding of them anyways." He rubbed a hand through his whiskers thoughtfully.
"Shame they had to break down the shed though, I not so young no more." he eyed the lawmen and the soldiers expectantly.
"O'Hara!" Masters barked out. "Take three men and repair Mr. Perssons pig shed." He turned to the farmer. "Would that be enough compensation for the loss of the pigs?"
"Weeelll." The farmer got a interested glint in his eye. "You gif me young fellers for a day, do some work for me, yah?"
"All right." Masters nodded. Sergeant O'Hara looked bleak until Mrs. Persson added brightly.
"I bake for you, yah? Make good lunch for skinny boys! Maybe you too!" She prodded Masters in the ribs. "A little blood pudding put red in your cheeks."
"Thank you ma'am." he coughed diplomatically. "But I have to find the young men before they do any more damage."
"That was mighty generous of you, Lieutenant." Josiah mentioned as they rode away from the farm. Mrs. Persson was already herding the soldiers into her kitchen for a "feeding up" before her husband put them to work.
Masters gave a snort. "My Colonel didn't give me leave to use any extra funds on this detail. I was lucky he let me have the men."
"So, let me get this straight." Buck eyed the lieutenant. "You aren't collecting these bucks for the army?"
Masters shifted in his saddle a little. "Well, the Colonel said I was to procure fresh supplies for the tribe and make sure they got everything they needed. Chief wanted his boys back. I figure that's within my orders."
Larabee nodded his head and gave the man a salute. Masters acknowledged the accolade. The tenseness between the lawmen and the soldiers dissolved into the wind. Wind that brought the tantalizing odor of roast pork.
Tanner came galloping back. "They'se just over the rise. I suspect ya didn't need me ta tell ya that." He eyed Larabee expectantly. "They'll spook iffen they see all of us."
"I'll go alone." Masters chucked his horse forwards.
"I'm going too." Tanner said stubbornly.
Masters shot a glance at Larabee who gave him a fractional nod.
"All right. Corporal. Stay here. You are under Mr. Larabee's orders until I get back."
As the two men rode away, Buck leaned over his saddle. "Hey. How does it feel to be back in the army?"
"Shut up, Buck." He eyed the troops that under his withering glare sat up straighter. Larabee looked a lot meaner than the lieutenant.
To give the boys credit they were waiting for the two men with notched bows. As Masters dismounted an arrow landed about an inch from his toe. He ignored the quivering warning and stepped forwards with his hands held high.
Tanner had to give him credit for guts. They were only scrawny boys, but they could just as easily skewer the Lieutenant.
"Your father has sent me to bring you home." He said evenly.
"If we go home we starve." The oldest boy who loosed the arrow spoke up defiantly.
"No. That is no longer true. The army has punished those who took your food and given you more, many cattle to eat, maize and vegetables."
"You lie!" A youngster who looked about ten spoke up. "White men always lie."
"That ain't true t'onttu, little brother." Tanner spoke up. "Show them the medicine bag."
"Was just going to." Masters said under his breath and pulled the bag out from under his tunic.
"Your father sent this to you. He asks you to consider its meaning."
The oldest boy nodded his head to one of the other boys, obviously his little brother, who scampered over and took the bag from the soldier's hand.
"We will talk this over. You wait." The older boy gestured with his nocked arrow.
Tanner hunkered down on his haunches to wait. Masters did the same, though his high calvary boots creaked. "What do you think?" He asked the tracker.
"Figger the medicine bag is just their daddy's way of letting them come home without losing face."
Masters looked up at the sun which was westering. "Yeah. That's what I thought, too." He shifted a little. "Think they'll take all day to decide?"
Tanner shrugged, "Depends on how bad they want ta go home. Mebbe if yer lucky, before your legs cramp."
Masters snorted. "Army issue boots aren't made for comfort, it's so the Colonel can yell at you for not shining them."
Luckily the group of boys came back quickly. "We will return, but not with you like herded cattle." He raised his chin defiantly.
"Now, I can't just let you boys loose to steal more livestock..." Masters tilted his hat back with a finger.
"I'll go with them." Tanner said unexpectedly. "Teach 'em to hunt a little so's the chickens and pigs are safe."
The boys looked more than interested. "Will you Pu'kki, Big Brother?"
Tanner nodded. "We'll camp here tonight. We leave at first light. Reckon I'll tell Chris."
"Mr. Tanner, I appreciate the gesture."Rip gestured to the boys who were excitedly preparing to go home. "Will Mr. Larabee have a problem with you going."
Tanner laughed, "Probably, but that won't change things and Chris knows it."
It was a relaxed Rip Masters and Chris Larabee who rode leisurely back towards Four Corners. Each bearing the opinion that the other wasn't such a bad fellow after all.
"I suppose Rusty and your son are getting along." Masters said casually.
"Not my son." Larabee said curtly. "His Mother abandoned him. I just look out after him."
"Rusty isn't mine either. His parents were killed when he was young and the fort took him in."
"Nice looking boy." Larabee said. "Minds you does he?"
Masters gave an inelegant snort, "Just when it suits him. Rusty is like a fox in a hen house."
"Ezra's much the same. Just looks at you with them big green eyes and you know he's been up to something."
The men were quiet for a bit.
"You don't suppose..." Rip began cautiously.
"That they found some trouble to get into?" Chris finished the sentence.
"No. Rusty is a good kid."
"Yeah, so is Ezra."
The men looked at each other and kicked their horses into a faster trot - just to be on the safe side.
"Getting kind of late." Ezra said as his stomach rumbled.
"Yeah." Rusty admitted. They had a drink at the last stream and had eaten all their sandwiches that Mrs. Dowdell had given them hours ago. "Well...dang."
"I concur. But it has been a most pleasant excursion. Even if..."
The horse gave a snort and danced nervously showing more energy than it had all day. Rin Tin Tin had his ears pricked forwards and was growling.
"What is it, boy?" Rusty leaned over to talk to the dog. The horse suddenly gave a frightened whinny, and showing more gumption than the boys expected, reared up. If there had been a saddle they would have had a chance to hang on, but they were thrown. Rusty landed hard on his shoulder his head slamming into the ground, knocking him unconscious. Ezra landed easier, but had the breath knocked out of him. The horse hightailed for home.
The furious barking of Rin Tin Tin was mixed with the outraged grunts and snarls of a disturbed bear. Ezra looked around for the rifle, it was lying next to Rusty. The barrel was bent.
Ezra took out his little derringer with shaky hands. He aimed, but was afraid of shooting the dog. Luckily, the bear seemed to have enough of the dog and with a growl went off as suddenly as it had appeared.
"Rusty. Rusty! Are you all right?" Ezra patted his new friend carefully on the back. A small trickle of blood was running down the boy's face. Rin Tin Tin was suddenly there whining and pushing at the boy with his nose. He groaned. The persistent licking of his face by the dog and the worried voice of Ezra Standish brought the little soldier to consciousness.
"R-rip?" His head swam horribly and for a moment he figured he was gonna be sick. His eyes focussed finally on the familiar sight of Rin Tin Tin's nose poking at him. Someone else was poking him and he let out a sharp cry of pain when his arm was prodded.
"Ah'm sorry Rusty." Ezra bit his lip. "Do ya think ya can sit up?" He carefully manoeuvred his friend to a sitting position.
Rusty leaned heavily against the other boy panting. "I feel like..." He paused.
"Like that word ya heard in the barracks?" Ezra prompted, rubbing the boy on the back like Larabee would do for him sometimes after nightmares.
"Yeah." Rusty answered thinly. "Now, I know what it means." he looked around. "What happened?"
"Ouah chicken thief is a bear. Luckily your canine friend has persuaded the fiend to leave, but Ah'm afraid our noble steed has also left the vicinity." Ezra was gaining his equilibrium after the accident and his vocabulary was coming back.
"We're on foot." Rusty found it easy to follow what Ezra said, after all communicating with Rin Tin Tin was much harder.
"Ahm afraid so. Do yah think yah can stand?"
"My head hurts." Rusty whined just a little, "And I think my arm is busted." He moved it injudiciously and moaned leaning more weight on Ezra. The dog face washed him with his tongue until he opened his eyes. Just to be fair Rinty licked Ezra's face a few time too.
"I'll put your arm into a sling."Ezra stated stoutly, "I've seen Nathan do it dozens of times." Nevertheless it took a few minutes of turning and folding and a little bickering on the part of the boys before Rusty's neckerchief and Ezra's vest were turned into a fairly acceptable support for the broken arm.
Ezra got the other boy to his feet and they both looked around worriedly.
"It's gettin' dark in a few hours." Rusty said nervously. "I don't think we can walk back to Mr.Dowdell's farm."
"The horse will undoubtably return back to his home. Mr. Dowdell will be worried about our absence and will inform Mr. Larabee of our disappearance." Ezra said stoutly.
The two boys were silent for a moment.
"He'll wait til tomorrow won't he?" Rusty winced as he moved his head slightly.
"Knowing him, day after tomorrow." Ezra added gloomily. He looked at his friend. Every freckle on Rusty's face seemed to stand out on his too pale face. "You are gravely wounded, it is mah duty to get you to the loving arms of your companions."
Rusty snorted. "They're troopers, not companions, and my arm is busted. I ain't gravely wounded." The remark about loving arms was just too ridiculous to even fight about, not that Rusty felt like fighting.
A coughing growl caused both boys to start in alarm. Rusty found himself being held up by the other boy. "I'm okay." He whispered. "That bear is still out there."
Rin Tin Tin punctuated the statement with a throaty growl.
"Ah know." Ezra whispered back. "Ahm afraid we are without a weapon of any worth other than mah derringer."
"This calls for what Rip calls a strategic retreat. We gotta find a place to hole up for the night."
Rusty offered.
"We must have someplace where our backs are protected." Ezra added his own bit of Larabee strategy.
A quick survey of the surrounding area revealed a small group of boulders that were high enough to offer two boys a small amount of protection. Ezra gathered some firewood and with Rusty's instruction got a small fire going. A thorough catalogue of what they had in their pockets came up with three shiny stones, (two which were Ezra's), a wad of string, a horse shoe nail, a set of lieutenants bars, and a jingle from a spur. A handful of raisins and an apple with only one bite out of it was their supper.
Night fell quickly and with it all the strange noises of the night. The only thing that kept the boys from being outright terrified was the small fire and the comforting presence of Rin Tin Tin. He lay down between the two giving them comfort and warmth. Hands petted and stroked the dog giving him great pleasure and assurance to Ezra and Rusty.
"We can send Rinty to get help in the morning." Rusty explained. "He's smart. He'll find Lt. Masters and the others."
"Why do you call him Lt. Masters? Isn't he your father?" Ezra asked.
"No. I don't have any parents. They were killed when I was little. The troopers found me and I was raised in the fort. Rip and Biff and the others kinda look after me."
"Ah am in much the same situation. Mr. Larabee and his associates are kindly looking after me until mah mother comes for me."
"They are pretty good to me. I get to be a corporal and Rinty is a private. The chow is horrible, but that's army chow as Biff always says." Rusty moved closer to the big shepard who put his head on his knee.
"Mr. Larabee is teaching me to shoot and Mr. Tanner to track, Nathan lets me help in the clinic. They are nice to me. Though Mr.Larabee finds me mortally exasperatin' at times."
"Rip says I get in more trouble than a fox in a hen house." Rusty yawned. "He once talked about sending me east to school..." His voice held a note of pain. "When's your mama coming to get yah?"
"I don't know." Ezra admitted.
Rin Tin Tin felt the two boys shivering next to him and sensed the unhappiness. He nudged them with a wet nose and gave a sympathetic whine.
"Why did you give him the name Rin Tin Tin?"Ezra asked.
"Don't know. It was the only thing I could say when they found me. Biff named me Rusty after my red hair."
"So, you don't have a last name?" Ezra asked.
"No. Guess I haven't needed one." Rusty yawned again.
"You can have one of mine." Ezra offered generously.
"Huh? I don't want your name." Rusty scoffed.
"No. I mean one of mah other names. Mah mother was always giving me new names." Ezra said earnestly. "Ah've been Ezra Simpson, Ezra Sanders, Ezra Pinchley, ah don't recommend using Pinchley the family are quite unpleasant, Ezra Connors...you can have one."
"I don't know." Rusty said slowly. "None of them sounds like me."
"They didn't sound like me either, but you can get used to it." Ezra yawned himself. "I'll take the first watch. Ah am quite used to staying up late."
"Okay. Wake me up when it is my turn." Rusty leaned his head back on the rock and dropped off to sleep with his hand deep in his dog's fur. Five minutes later Ezra was just as soundly asleep. Rin Tin Tin kept his big ears alert and keen nose to the wind all through the night. Only once did he raise his head and growl soundlessly into the night as something came too close to the sleeping boys.
They had combed the town, annoyance had turned to anger, anger to consternation, and as the sun set they were just plain worried. They were now gathered at the saloon to plan where they were going to look next.
"This ain't like Rusty..." O'Hara scratched his head in perplexingly.
"This is just like Rusty." Masters bit out between his teeth. "The only saving grace is that he isn't alone."
"Uh Ezra is not, I mean he gets into a lot of trouble, too." JD added helpfully.
"Thanks JD." Chris said dryly. "We all know that Ezra doesn't look for trouble, it looks for him."
"The saving grace is Rin Tin Tin." Masters ran his hand through his hair distractedly. A few more years in Rusty's company he figured he would be bald.
"A dog?" Buck queried.
"The smartest dog in the west. He's pulled us out of trouble more than once."
"I could go and find Vin and he could track them." Josiah added fiddling nervously with his cross.
"We wait for morning, if Rusty is in trouble he'll send Rinty." He held up a hand as the Four Corners peacekeepers murmured disbelief.
"Trust me. Rinty will show about two hours after sunrise." Masters said firmly. He repeated the mantra to himself in his tent that night after a few stiff shots of medicinal whiskey. "Rinty will show up. Then I put that boy in a barrel and let him out when he's 18, no hell, 20!"
Larabee toyed with his whiskey for a few hours before drinking it down. "I think this time when Ezra gets home we'll keep in the jail for a while. Say 10 years."
Buck nodded, "Sure, Chris." he grinned.
"And I'll put you in with him to keep him company." He stalked out of the saloon.
"He doesn't mean it, does he?" JD asked.
"Naw. Besides which Ez can pick the lock faster than a cat can wink."
Ezra woke up to something wet on his face. "I don't want to get up yet, Chris." he moaned. The wetness continued and he opened bleary eyes to the first light of dawn. The little fire was merely cold embers. Rin Tin Tin was licking his face. Seeing the boy's eyes open the shepard sat back on his haunches and offered a paw. It was time for reveille and breakfast. Rusty hadn't moved during his morning ablutions from the dog, so he had turned to the other boy.
"Good Gawd! The sun isn't even up yet." Ezra moaned. "Chris or Vin send ya?" Not wishing to be alone in his misery he carefully poked his companion. "Rusty. Rusty?"
The other boy moaned but did not open his eyes. Ezra sat back for a moment. "I must check for fever, that is what Nathan always does." He wished the healer were here now. He put a hand to Rusty's forehead and grimaced to find it slick with dog drool. "You are a disgusting canine, you know that?" The dog smiled at him, laughing probably. He wiped his hand off on his trouser leg and felt again. Rusty felt very hot, he tried to pull away from the light touch to his head.
"O ---." Ezra said worriedly. The repetition of the word learned from Rusty didn't seem to help the situation. Rin Tin Tin looked at him expectantly and whined.
"I don't know what to do." He yelled at the dog who looked over his shoulder and then back at the boy expectantly.
"Ez..." Rusty peered at him with half-lidded eyes.
"That's Ez RA." He said peevishly.
"Ra...tell him to go...find...Rip." Ezra had to lean close to hear the faint words.
"Right. All right Mr. Rin Tin Tin, please to return to Four Corners and find Lt. Masters. Oh yes, Rip Masters." The dog cocked his head and smiled, tongue hanging out.
"I suppose I must repeat myself for your canine mind does not perceive like we do." Ezra cleared his dry throat. "Rin Tin Tin. You must go find Rip. There, that should be of sufficient brevity."
The dog didn't move.
"Well! Go! Find Mr. Masters, sorry Lt. Masters." Ezra felt like his head was spinning. He daringly gave the shepard a small shove. He didn't budge.
"Rusty. Rusty. Your canine companion refuses to go." He prodded the feverish boy.
"Rinty." Rusty's voice was a bare breath but the shepard immediately stuck his nose up to the boys nose. "Yo, Rinty." He breathed and closed his eyes. The shepard immediately turned on a dime and took off at a dead run.
"Ah could have done that." Ezra said. "Why didn't you tell me that 'yo Rinty' was sufficient? Rusty? Rusty?" Ezra patted the boy's back.
Dawn found the two fighting men waiting for a small thread of hope, based on one of the man's belief in the big dog. Both looked rather worse for wear as if they hadn't slept all night, which was the case.
"I brought you some coffee." Nathan gave the men two steaming cups of the strong brew. Nathan nudged his medicine bag off to one side with his foot. Hopefully, it wasn't something that would be needed.
The silence was only broken by the natural sounds of the small town of Four Corners waking up.
"Ezra hates early mornings." Chris mentioned off hand. The silence continued.
"Boy is forever losing socks - one at a time." Rip said casually.
"They're going to start shooting someone soon, aren't they?" JD asked in whisper to Josiah.
"Most likely." Josiah whispered back.
A small cloud of dust appeared on the horizon. The men stood up in expectation. It turned out, however, to be a man riding a dusty sway backed mare. He stopped at the saloon first, but seeing the small group of men at the jail nudged the reluctant mount towards them.
"Howdy." He said dourly. "Got a complaint." He eyed the healer. "Fer the sheriff."
"Come into the office." JD sighed deeply.
"You all have any growed up lawmen? Them two young fellers ya sent out yesterday..." He stopped and swallowed as he was nailed with attention of several dangerous looking men.
"How young?" Larabee grated out.
"Bout yea high." The man indicated something the size of a garden gnome. "Mebbe a bit bigger." He raised his hand fractionally until the man in black and man in the uniform grunted.
"Where are they?" JD asked.
"Don't know. They took off on Sally here with my good rifle after the chicken thieves. Sally cum back last night all sweating and bothered. They got my rifle, yah see and the thief done came back last night and took five more chickens."
"Whereabouts do you live?" Chris asked. The Indians couldn't have done it since Vin was with them.
"Jest east of here, next to James' spread."
"The bear." Rip said looking grim.
Chris glared at the farmer. "What on earth made you think that two small boys were lawmen?"
"Why they was in uniform or at least one was and in that book 'Plucked Dick' by that Alger feller he were sheriff by the age of 14." His voice trailed off as the glared punched a hole through his head. "They seemed to know what they was doing." He added to his pitiful defence.
The only thing that saved his life at the moment was the timely arrival of Rin Tin Tin. (Rinty had made timely arrivals a habit.)Covered in dust and with tongue hanging out he looked supremely happy to find the men waiting for him.
"You're late." Masters snarled at the confused dog.
"But he can lead us to the boys?" Nathan asked.
"Yes." Masters knelt next to the dog and put his hands on each side of the dog's head. "Rusty. Take us to Rusty."
The dog barked and took off back the way he came. The men mounted their horses and took after the indefatigable Rin Tin Tin.
Rusty was sitting up against the rock looking fractionally better than he had when Ezra had woke him up. Ezra had fetched some water in his hat, and despite the sweaty wool flavor it was like nectar to the sick boy.
"You are lucky that your arm is broken." Ezra said morosely, he was fiddling with the spur jingle flipping it up and over his knuckles one handed.
"Huh? What makes you think so?" Rusty said a little angrily.
"Well, your Lt. Masters can hardly give you a whipping when you are injured."
"Yeah, well, he'll probably put me on KP for a month after its healed." Rusty eyed the despondent Ezra. "Will you get a whipping?"
"I expect so. Mr. Larabee has been most tolerant up till now, but it is in my experience that adventures like this do not end well."
"So, why do you do it, if you know there will be a lickin' comin?"
"Because," Ezra grinned, "sometimes you get away with it." His face fell a little. "Though I had an uncle I stayed with who gave me a whipping every Sunday because he was sure I had done something to deserve it. He ruined the odds."
"How do you do that?" Rusty pointed his chin at the jingle that was flipping over Ezra's fingers.
"Practice. Here watch as I do it slow." The two boys bent their heads over the fascination of showing off and the learning a new trick. They didn't notice until almost too late that the bear had returned.
Young bruin was stuffed to the ears with chicken and wasn't too interested in eating young boys, but he was curious and still young enough to think that the strange smelling bears might want to play.
"Bwwwaaaah." the bear called out and waved a paw. To the boys it looked like the prelude for an attack.
"Chris." Ezra whispered.
"Rinty." Rusty croaked.
Ezra drew out his little derringer which seemed scarce protection against the furry foe.
"Here." He pressed the little gun into Rusty's hand. "I'll lead the bear away from you. If it comes back you can shoot it."
"Wait, Ezra..." Rusty tried to gain his feet, but fell slumped back against the rock.
Ezra took off like a rabbit. Bruin gave a wuuf of happiness, this one wanted to play! He lumbered swiftly after the fleeing youngster.
Ezra ran like he had the whole of the New Orleans Police Department after him, something he'd experienced before. Only this time it wasn't jail that was waiting for him, but ending up as a snack for a wild animal. Then in an act of desperation he remembered what the tracker had told him about bears and he threw himself down on the ground covering his head with his arms.
"Please Chris. Please Chris. Come. Chris." He repeated under his breath with his eyes squeezed shut.
Rusty had seen Ezra go down and pulled himself to his feet. "Ezra! Ezra!" He shouted. He staggered towards his friend who was being pawed by the bear.
The bear had terrible breath. Razor claws sliced through Ezra's coat and shirt, blood began welling up from the cuts. The bear snuffled interestingly at the smell and pawed him a bit more.
Then there was a loud bang and something hit the bear's backside. It turned around and saw one standing behind him. The bear gave a snort of confusion and pain when another loud bang came and it felt a sting on a forepaw. He shook his head and paw in confusion.
Rusty had emptied both barrels of the little caliber gun into the bear, unfortunately it was like throwing rocks at the bear. The bear wuffed. His paws hurt for some reason. These bears weren't fun to play with.
Rusty fainted, which probably saved his life as the bear started lumbering towards him.
The men heard the gunshots and mounts were kicked into a faster gallop. Rin Tin Tin was going flat out and beat them there by seconds.
The sight that met the two men's eyes couldn't be more horrible. The bear was pawing at the small still body of a boy. Another body was lying close by, also very still. The dog burst on the scene, barking furiously, growling and snapping at the bear antagonizing it, leading it away from the boys.
Both men had their guns out and cocked. "Don't hit Rinty!" Masters called out. Their moment came when the enraged bruin reared up on his hind legs. Guns thundered and emptied into the bear who dropped down dead in it's tracks, riddled by bullets.
"Rusty!"
"Ezra!"
Larabee placed a none too steady hand on Ezra's back. He felt the stickiness of blood, but the rise and fall of the back showed he was breathing.. "Ezra?" He gently smoothed the hair away from his face. Ezra's eyes were screwed up tight. He tried to roll the boy on his back but Ezra just rolled himself in a tighter ball. "Nathan!" He bellowed.
Rip Masters was holding Rusty's head up while he poured a little water into his neckerchief to wash the boy's face. Rin Tin Tin was growling and chewing at the bear and then came to sniff at Rusty. He looked up expectantly at Masters.
"Good boy." The accolade was enough to make the big dog wiggle with delight, his tail wagging double time.
"Rip." Rusty opened his eyes to the relieved smile of his best friend, human friend anyway. He hugged the man in a rare display of affection. "Ezra! The bear is eating Ezra."
Rip looked over to the healer and the gunfighter.
"Open your eyes Ezra." Chris said gently. The little southerner carefully cracked open a lid and his face lit up with undisguised joy.
"You came. You came." To his chagrin he felt tears well up in his eyes.
"Let me see your back." Nathan began poking and prodding. "Hmm not too bad, just some bad scratches. I'll clean them with some carbolic when we get back to town.
"He's fine." Larabee said to the other man.
"See. He's okay." Rip smiled down at Rusty who was looking like he was fighting the tears of relief. "It's awful dusty here. Makes my eyes water." He explained loudly giving his bandana for Rusty to sniffle into.
"Yeah dusty." Larabee gave a little swipe at his eyes with his handkerchief and handed it Ezra.
"You came." The boy repeated as if was a miracle, and maybe for Ezra it was.
EPILOGUE
"Shame you boys didn't get a bearskin rug out of this adventure." Buck grinned at the two little rascals. "Ol' Chris and Rip there put about twenty bullet each into that bear making the hide more like a furry sieve than a bear hide."
Ezra and Rusty were waiting outside the jail. Both boys had spent a few uncomfortable nights in Nathan's clinic before they were released to the careful eye of their guardians. Rin Tin Tin got his due credit for a job well done and was spoiled rotten by Miss Inez who discovered that the dog loved her tortillas.
Unfortunately, duty called and Rip Masters, his small troop of men and Rusty had to leave. The boys had already traded some mutual treasures as a token of friendship. Rusty had the jingle from a famous gunslinger's spur.(He was already getting handy at passing it over his knuckles one handed), and Ezra had a genuine war hero's second lieutenant bars. Ezra was also no longer afraid of dogs, or at least of Rin Tin Tin.
Larabee and Masters were laughing and shaking hands. They had some entertaining evenings swapping stories about the trouble their 'boys' had gotten into. Several child rearing tips were also exchanged. Neither one mentioned out loud how scared they were of the whole incident.
Rusty was riding double with Rip, as it was difficult to ride with only one arm. The other was tied up in a sling. The Lieutenant swung up behind the boy and with a last wave to their new friends rode off. "Fo'aard Ho!"
Rusty leaned gratefully back against Rip as they rode off.
"So, did you decide to take up Ezra's offer?" Masters said casually.
"To learn how to stack a deck?" Rusty asked innocently.
Rip decided that card playing was out in the near future. "No, I meant the one about a last name."He had been amused by the offer at first, but perturbed when Larabee explained why the boy had the 'extra' names. Still, it made him think.
"I dunno. Which one do you think suits me?"
"Hmmm. Good question. None of them really seemed like you."
"No. I didn't think so either."
"How about," He hoped Rusty didn't notice he was a bit nervous, "Masters. That's a good name."
"That's your name." Rusty said in wonder
"Yeah."
"But if we have the same name then people will think...that we are...we are." Rusty bogged down at that point and twisted in the saddle to look at Rip's face. The man was smiling happily.
"Father and son. Yeah, I guess they would think that."
"Really? For real and true?"
"Yep. For real and true."
"YAAAHOOOO!!" Rusty threw his hat in the air one handed. "I'M GOING TO BE RUSTY MASTERS!"
Rin Tin Tin dutifully picked up the hat and trotted after the troop and his boy.
Ezra watched Rusty go with heavy heart. It wasn't just that his friend was leaving. It was time for him to pay for his adventure. Chris had a hand on his shoulder as if expecting him to bolt.
"Ahm quite well again Mr. Larabee." His back still hurt, but it had gotten more to the scratchy phase of healing. "May I inquire when you will be chastising me? I find the waiting tedious. I would rather it was over."
"Oh, I think I'll find some chores you can do for me, but not until Nathan says you are completely well."
"You won't be whipping me?" Ezra hated the way his voice rose to a squeak. "I assure you that I am quite used to physical punishment and will not cower from what is due me."
The fingers on Ezra's shoulder tightened almost painfully, then loosened. Larabee knelt down in front of the boy and raised his chin with his finger. "You will never get a whipping from me. I promise."
Ezra may have considered himself expressionless, but Larabee was become adept at reading the little signals. The boy was relieved, elated, and oh hoh calculating.
Larabee smiled and then turned a serious look on his face, "That doesn't mean I won't be dusting your britches now and then."
"That's all right Mr. Larabee. I like those odds." Ezra grinned at the gunslinger and put a shy hand in his as they walked down the street together.
THE END