Chavez Spirit
Chapter 7
I couldn't believe that shortly after I made it that Buckshot Roberts had made it to us, he was on a mule, all of us stood around and looked at the old man "This guy has got to be older than dirt." I whispered causing Charlie to snicker. "We have a warrant for you." Dick said
"I have got no business for that warrant anymore piece of shit anyway; I am here to get my reward for "The Kid." The rest of you little shits is only worth a hundred but I'll take it, hell even you girl is worth enough…"
"Didn't realize I was worth anything." I replied.
"Yeah your worth fifty hell I'll take it." He cocked the shot gun "Well…Lets Dance."
All of us bolted backwards and took shelter behind a couple wood piles, he took fire and I heard the sound of a bullet hitting skin it was a pounding sound that wouldn't get out of my head, Chavez hit the ground and yelled out in pain, he was hit in the arm. Another shot was fired and Doc, who had been standing right next to me hit the ground, his hand was bleeding, "Agg SHIT!"
"Doc!"
"Get Chavez!" He called to me, I did as he said and grabbed his hand when another shot was fired, I practically dragged Chavez behind the wood pile, he was quiet for a minute "Chavez!" Doc called practically in his ear
"What!"
I practically laughed with happiness that my friend wasn't dead "Come on I have to get this arm wrapped up."
"You've been hit."
A sudden stinging shot down my leg, looking down at my leg I saw a slight graze on my thigh it wasn't anything I couldn't handle but it stung. It's just a graze I am fine."
He took my forearm "Don't…"
I looked at him "You think I am going to let you bleed to death I don't think so." He let go of me and I ripped the bandanna off my neck wrapping it tightly around his leg "Lucky for you the bullet went through." I said checking under his arm.
"Billy he's going into the shitter."
Billy got up and started to walk over to the bathroom I took my attention away from Chavez am and back up to the bathroom where Buckshot stood the door to the outhouse burst open and shots were fired, Billy hit the ground and crawled back behind the wood pile "Screw that!" I cocked the gun and took two shots and everyone fired with me "I can get a better shot with a rifle. Steve!"
"What?"
"You got that Shot gun?"
"Yeah."
"Give it to me."
He did as I said and threw the shot gun towared me, I set the barrel on the wood pile taking aim, waiting for the door to open again "Come on you sonuva…"
The door flew open and I took my shot causing Charlie to fire, I made a good hole in the door, however Charlie got a good shot of him into the gut, the door closed and all went quiet for a minute "Hey Buckshot Ya dead?" I asked
There was no answer of course it was kind of a stupid answer for me to ask anyway, Dick stood up and started to walk over to the outhouse "Dick, don't, something isn't right." I said standing I was right, the door slammed open and shots were fired again and in the sudden instant Dick was shot twice in the stomach hitting the ground he was dead. I grabbed a knife and threw it into the crease of the door pinning him inside, however I couldn't save Dick. "Oh my God!"
Charlie started firing and running toward him but Doc stopped him "Don't, its too late!"
Billy took over as leader and yelled "Regulators saddle up!"
I helped Chavez off of the ground and supported him on his wounded side trying to get him to his horse as fast as possible; he yelled when I did get him on the horse and smacked the back end. I got on my horse and looked at Doc "Come On Doc now is not the time to over think this!"
Doc was soon right behind me on his horse, as we took off. "This place is going to be crawling with Murphy men get the hell out of here!"
We took off as fast as we cold away, however it was like we were lost, Dick was the foreman of the regulators, every so often during our walk we would turn the horses as if we were hopeful Dick would come back.
We found a spot to make a camping circle and stay for the night, Doc stayed on his horse "Where are ya going Doc?" Billy asked
"I am going into a town write Dicks mother, get some wraps for this." He said holding up his hand to show his bloody hand.
"Whatever you do don't go near Lincoln." Billy stated.
I got up out of the hole and walked over to the horse "Your thinking about that little China girl aren't you?"
He looked down at me and nodded.
I smiled at him "Love cant be stopped, go to Lincoln and go and see her, don't listen to Billy, and if you can help it…Get out of here." I whispered.
Doc looked at me and nodded. He took off until I couldn't see him. 'In love with the China girl. I am proud of the man.'
I walked back into the hole and Charlie and a started to build a fire, Chavez went up the hill and stood behind the fire I looked up at him wrapped up in Buffalo skin he didn't look good, like he was sick, Billy was messing with a gun and Steve was sitting behind him stuffing his face with tobacco "What are you doing Billy?"
"Well… I am figuring out a plan to take the Murphy men." He drew his pistol and shot at the hill where Chavez was standing, it didn't faze him, he just turned and looked over his shoulder "We cant go back to Lincoln."
"Why?" Billy asked
"I don't know what your vision told you but my vision said go west."
It was the Peyote, the only part of his heritage that I didn't care for, like mine was any better than his.
"West huh? Well west is that way." Billy pointed his gun toward the west "And the bastards we gotta kill, are that way." Billy then flipped the gun to the other direction.
"The only bastards that are going to get killed are us Chivato let it go."
"Let it go, Murphy's taking ownership in Tunstall's store right now and your saying that means nothing to you?" Billy said frustrated, I stood up "I don't think you realize what you just said kid." I said watching Chavez turn to look down on the boy "It means nothing to me? Murphy has taken more blood from me than what he ever will from you."
"Oh yeah how do ya figure?"
"The Red Sand creek reservation." Chavez's eyes turned dark the smoke rose against his face giving him a darker look. Billy turned and looked at Steve and Charlie "What the hell is he talking about?"
Charlie and Steve both shrugged and turned to look at me then, causing Billy to look at me "What is he talking about."
I didn't have to look at Chavez "The Navajo, his mothers people, and My fathers people the souix." I said quietly sitting down running a hand through my hair "Two years ago."
Chavez took over knowing that I didn't want to explain it anymore "Murphy's men were supported by the federal government to take care of us and keep us fed but all they gave was rotten meat, no corn, no flower only rancid meat crawling with worms, I ran out with a band of my people to see if we could trade with them, Oh yeah they let us in, then they opened fire killing all of them, I managed to get away, when I made it home I found at that Murphy's men already heard of the attack and my people were killed, My mother was cut from her privates to her neck, my sisters were just babies and they had there heads bashed in by boot heels so that the army could save bullets! I only managed to find one survivor and she was almost dead when I found her, my best friend had almost been raped and it means nothing to me?"
The memory shot through me like a bullet to my heart and my brain, tears started to sting me, but I didn't let anyone show it, Chavez found me in a field with my shirt almost ripped open I had a large stab wound in my stomach they didn't rape me they didn't want to take any chances, he saved my life that night. "Yeah I went to take lives, but that is when John Tunstall took Catori and I in, so to say that it means nothing to me Chivato… You wouldn't understand." He walked over to the horse and started to saddle up "Catori…are you coming with me?" He asked
He knew that I would go with him everywhere he went and I walked over to get on the horse "How about you Charlie?"
"I have to stay and watch Dirty Steve."
"That's right, ya see Steve knows the meaning of the word pals, see once you have a pack of us together you got yourself a tribe, when you break us up you break our sacred hoop."
I turned to glare at the young kid and that is when I snapped, I walked over and a loud crack echoed, Charlie and Steve looked shocked, even Chavez was surprised in what I had done, I would have never done something like that, Billy had a handprint showing in the side of his face "I have had enough Billy! You never use the words of the people against me or him! You know nothing about a tribe, what you have is not a tribe! It is a plague!" Chavez walked over and grabbed me behind the waist pulling me away before I did something I would regret later, I fought but in the end he got the better of me. Billy was still looking at me when I was drug away.
Chavez walked me down away from him and I glared "He is going to be the end of us Chavez, he is going to get us killed, are you willing to loose your life because of a kid that is no older than eighteen?"
"No Chiquita! But at the same time he is right, Charlie, Doc and Steve are the only ones that we have left."
