Title: Unreserved Judgement
Rating: PG-13
Author: Corbin
Summary: A new hire teaches Rowdy about first impressions and gives Rowdy a new reason to have self doubt.
Archive: Yes
Disclaimer: I'm not making money off of this; I just want to kill time.
Rowdy frowned as he warily watched a young new hire saddle up his morning mount. He knew that he should have felt a measure of relief for the help, but all he really did feel was unease and mistrust. They hired men from the streets all the time, and it had never bothered Rowdy before, but something about this particular young man made Rowdy bristle.
When Favor had ridden into camp two days earlier with the new drover Rowdy felt his hackles raise even before the young man had the chance to dismount. Rowdy had argued the point with Favor, but the trail boss easily dismissed the younger man's protests.
"Look Boss, you don't even know him! I gotta bad feeling about him, Boss. Something ain't right about him."
"Rowdy, you're right. I don't know him, but neither do you. Remember how you mistrusted Cord?"
Rowdy felt his face burn with embarrassment from the memory of the other trail boss. Rowdy had thought that Cord had been trying to double-cross them, when really all Cord had been doing was helping another trail boss. Rowdy had trusted his own judgement just as fiercely then, and he'd been totally wrong. Perhaps now his feelings were just nerves instead of any real warning.
In spite of Favor's advice to allow the new drover, Alan, to break in and build some trust Rowdy watched his every move. He tried not to be around Alan when alone, and when he had to work with the man he kept a cool distance. Rowdy had no interest in building any type of friendship with this young man. Rowdy had seen people like Alan come and go plenty of times.
It occurred to him late one night that perhaps if he made the work hard enough and life miserable enough this new rider would pack up his gear and leave. Then they could hire another man who didn't make Rowdy feel for the handle of his revolver whenever Alan was nearby. So on top of Favor's assignments Rowdy gave Alan more work to do. Alan was made to gather wood for the fire, look after the remuda with Hey Soos, and help Mushy and Wishbone set up camp in the evening and pack it up in the morning.
Rowdy watched with silent satisfaction as poor Alan barely managed to drag himself in to rest for the night. From the expression on his face the young man looked ready to sleep in his saddle. Rowdy couldn't help but smile; it wouldn't be very long now. If he had his way, Alan would quit within the week.
"Don't think that I don't know what you're up to, boy. Aren't you being just a wee bit harsh?" Favor asked softy. The trail boss had startled Rowdy who'd been contemplating a new list of chores for Alan to do in the morning.
Rowdy was silent; he already knew that he wasn't being fair.
"I'm the Boss. You do know that, right?"
Rowdy nodded.
"Why don't you let me worry about weeding out the bad hands then? Don't you trust my judgement?"
The Ramrod swallowed awkwardly; he wanted to trust Favor, but his own instincts wanted to do the opposite. He trusted Favor with most things, but this matter was something that he simply could not let go of.
In compliance with Mr. Favor's wishes Rowdy eased off the new drover, and to Rowdy's complete disgust Alan responded beautifully. He worked hard and got along well with everyone of the crew. Alan was respected and well liked by everyone but Rowdy Yates. Even Mr. Favor had instilled confidence in Alan, but Rowdy held back any move of friendship.
"Still can't let go of it, can you?" Favor asked softly as he rode up beside Rowdy. Rowdy had been brooding for a while. He stared out at the setting sun, and while he heard Favor's voice clearly he refused to look away from the display of colors in the clouds in the dusky sky.
"What does he have to do to gain your trust? It's been nearly a month, aren't you overacting?"
Rowdy felt his jaw clench in anger, but he held his gaze on the setting sun and kept quiet. He wasn't overreacting there must have been a reason for his dislike of this young man.
###
It was dangerous to work alone; Rowdy knew that well, but he didn't care. He didn't care that Mr. Favor had asked him to work with Alan today. He could not bring himself to want to work with anyone else today, new hand or even a trusted one. Rowdy spent his time gathering strays and trying to keep far away from everyone else. He didn't want to talk to Favor and he didn't want to talk to anyone else. All Rowdy wanted was to be allowed to work alone for a while.
Rowdy's face twisted with confusion as his gelding snorted nervously and stiffened. The horse froze beneath him, and Rowdy could feel the tense muscles twitch with fright beneath his legs. He trusted the horse, so he looked about for the cause of the distress. He didn't see anything but dead grass and dirt.
The young man allowed the gelding a moment to compose itself. Once he thought that the animal had calmed a bit Rowdy gently urged him to move forward. The horse laid its ears back and tossed his head in protest. Rowdy gave the command to move again, a bit firmer this time. The horse planted its hooves refusing to move.
"Come on. What's the matter with you?" Rowdy asked the horse as he watched the animal flick its ears back and forth skittishly.
A low grumble from ahead snapped Rowdy to attention. What the? Was that what he thought it was? It sounded like . . . growling. Rowdy focused his gaze and suddenly recognized what his horse had been trying to warn him of all along.
Hidden perfectly among the brush and earth was the crouched form of a very large mountain lion. Rowdy could just trace its outline among the dead grass and dirt. The cat hissed threateningly, and Rowdy's horse danced, not sure what to do. Rowdy reached for the revolver at his side. The creature flicked its tail in annoyance and bared its teeth.
There was no time to aim carefully. The cat had charged at him. Rowdy had fired a round and had missed! The young man felt his body forced out of the saddle as the weight of the big cat yanked him free of his rig. His gelding managed to keep on its feet and bolted away toward the safety of the herd, leaving Rowdy to fend for himself.
As man and wild animal hit the ground Rowdy felt his breath leave him in a whoosh. The cat growled as Rowdy breathlessly tried to keep it from biting and tearing at his face. The lion ruthlessly clamped onto Rowdy's left forearm as he attempted to shield his face from the attack. He had recovered enough breath to cry out as he felt the bone give in to the pressure of the crushing bite with a sickening crack.
Rowdy had dropped his revolver when he'd been forced from his mount; it lay at his feet, too far out of reach to help. If only he had listened to Favor and stayed with Alan! If only he hadn't been so stubborn!
Rowdy screamed as the animal bit into his left shoulder. How many bones would the mountain lion snap with its jaws before it decided to kill him? Would it rip him to shreds and leave him for dead? Next would come the killing bite; he was certain of that. The thing would close its fierce teeth over his throat and he would die.
Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that his life would end this way; mauled to death by a cougar! Would anyone ever find his body? What if the cat dragged him away? Would he be left as food for the varmints and the vultures? He prayed not. Rowdy supposed that there were worse ways to die, but at the moment that thought offered no comfort.
With his teeth clenched in pain Rowdy felt the cat's brutal fangs graze his throat. There was a sudden pop and the lion jerked as though it had been hit by something. Rowdy felt the huge animal drop on him like an anchor, and all went dark. The mass of the lion crushed him into the hard ground and he wasn't able to see anything through the blindfold of fur and muscle.
His entire being throbbed with a strangeness that he assumed was the newness of death; perhaps one just needed some time to adjust to the unfamiliar way of things. Rowdy thought that he could hear the faint sound of hooves beating. Did they ride horses in heaven? He sincerely hoped so. If only his body would adjust and allow him to see what was going on!
Someone was near; Rowdy could hear whoever it was circling him now. He felt the body of the dead cat pulled off of him and he gasped for air. Sunlight pierced his vision and pain ripped through his broken forearm and wounded shoulder. Pain was reassurance that he was still alive.
"Mr. Yates, you're lucky to be alive!" a young man's voice drawled. It took Rowdy a moment to recognize that his savior was Alan.
'Some luck,' Rowdy thought miserably.
Rowdy was greeted by a fresh ripple of pain as Alan gingerly moved his busted forearm to lay against Rowdy's chest. "Sorry," Alan said with a grimace.
Alan removed his bandana and pressed it to Rowdy's bleeding shoulder. Rowdy ground his teeth as he felt pressure against the wound. He told himself that pressure was good. Pressure would stem the flow of blood and keep him alive longer, but pressure was also very painful. Pain was not so good. Rowdy felt his vision blur, and he gladly allowed it to fade into nothingness.
When Rowdy painfully regained his senses two hours later, his wounds had been dressed and he was safe in camp.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Yates?" Alan asked with concern in his features.
"Well, I'm alive thanks to you," Rowdy replied with a grimace of pain.
"I'm glad I was there to help," the young man said softly. "My name's Alan. I don't think we've ever properly met."
Rowdy almost reached up to shake the young man's hand, but an intense burst of pain made him stop. Rowdy felt a pang of guilt. He'd been the reason that he and Alan hadn't met. He'd been so focused on getting rid of the young man that nothing else had mattered to him.
"My thanks again for your help, Alan," Rowdy managed to say between pain filled breaths.
"My pleasure, Mr. Yates. Take it easy now," the young man replied with a gentle smile. Rowdy watched as Alan turned and walked away from him.
Once again Rowdy had been dead wrong. He had completely misjudged Alan, and now he owed the boy his life. Rowdy knew all along that he should have just trusted in Mr. Favor. Perhaps when he felt better he could talk with Alan more, and maybe they could become friends. At least Rowdy could try and get along with him after what Alan had done for him.
Rowdy allowed fresh weariness to overcome him. For now he would rest, but later he would try and make amends with Alan. After all it wasn't Alan's fault that Rowdy was a lousy judge of character.
The End.
Hmmm . . . I'm not really sure why I wrote this one. I guess I just like to torture poor Rowdy. Nothing like a near death experience to make you think about things.