Chapter 3
"I'm telling ya, something was out there, and it was watching me."
Teaspoon and the others sat around the table in the bunkhouse listening as Cody related his story. Buck quietly took in every word. Lou glanced at Kid. Rachel looked nervous and Jimmy tried not to laugh.
"Jimmy, if it were you out there then you wouldn't be laughing right now. I am telling ya, something was there. I saw a shadow and it was bigger than anything I have ever seen. And I could smell it."
"Smell it?" Noah asked.
"Yeah, it smelled awful. Like, like, well I don't know what it smelled like. But it smelled nasty."
"Where were you, Cody?" Teaspoon asked.
"Out near the little bend."
"Jimmy, Buck, we are gonna ride out there. See if we find any clues as to what kind of animal it was."
Jimmy nodded while Buck jumped up to get his horse ready.
"Well, I ain't going. I plan on staying right here." Stated Cody.
"You scared of the dark now, Cody?" Jimmy laughed.
"You didn't see what I did. That's all I have to say."
Soon Teaspoon, Jimmy, and Buck were riding out to the little bend. They easily found where Cody had made camp. Jimmy walked around looking at the dirt and the ash. Teaspoon followed Cody's horses tracks as he tore out last night. Buck walked carefully next to the trees. He stopped and was pinching something off one of the trees when Jimmy walked over.
"What you got?"
"Black hair." Buck said holding it up.
"Cat?"
"No, I don't think it is."
Jimmy shook his head as he moved further into the trees while Buck studied the hair. He walked deeper into the grove as the breeze picked up. He stopped.
"Buck?"
"Yeah?"
"You smell that?"
"No, I don't smell anything." Buck said walking beside Jimmy.
"You sure?"
Buck took a deep breath. He closed his eyes. They snapped back open.
"Blood."
"That's what I thought."
The two walked farther into the trees where they found the source. They both spun around covering their mouths.
"Teaspoon!" Jimmy yelled.
"What is it?!" Teaspoon yelled back as he ran into the trees.
Jimmy pointed as Teaspoon stopped.
"My Lord."
"Yeah."
"Cody was right. Something was out here. It was that close to him. He doesn't know how lucky he was."
Teaspoon and Buck eased over to the dead corpse. Buck held a cloth over his nose as he took a stick and pushed the man's jacket aside.
"Same." He said quietly.
"Damn."
Jimmy walked the path leading into the woods. He stopped. It was the same track. He knelt down to look at it. He watched the trees. He felt himself shutter. Damn Cody wasn't seeing things.
The group buried the unknown traveler and made their way back into town. Teaspoon went to his office. He flopped in his chair still trying to grasp exactly what they had found. It was definitely the same animal. He picked up Carson's letter again. He hated to admit it but maybe his far- fetched friend would have some answers.