Chapter Sixteen
Jess rode northward, constantly keeping a wary eye out for any sign that he was being stalked. He still felt a sense of guilt, of heavy loss, even though he had had no choice. His instincts were right, and they had served to protect him. Even the sheriff had assured him McElroy would not have hesitated to kill him if the professional gambler could have pulled the trigger fast enough.
As the miles passed, he talked to the bay, and a strong rapport began to form between rider and horse. The horse seemed to be soothed by the low, raspy voice of his new owner. And Jess had never had a mount with such a graceful stride. The horse was already becoming alert to even the most subtle of Jess' commands, and yet was very much at ease with his master. And that helped Jess ease his tension as he began to adjust to the way his life had changed, as he worked things through in his mind to accept the fact that he had killed a man in a gunfight. A famous man. And everyone, it seemed, knew it.
He felt lucky that he had not been followed from town, so once the sun started going down, he decided to camp near a small brook where the sweetgrass would be good feed for his mount, allowing him to save the oats for when they might need them in an area with less vegetation. After letting the horse have a quick drink, Jess secured him from wandering, unsaddled him, and wiped him down, giving the bay time to cool off and relax before further watering and allowing him to graze. Jess continued to talk quietly to the horse.
"You know, boy, ever since I was a kid, I been hoping to have a bay like you. You're even more of a beauty than I ever thought I'd be able to git. And smart too. And you got a good nature, son. You and me are gonna git along just fine."
The horse turned its big dark brown eyes to Jess as though he understood every word.
"Now, ya need a name. And I've had one in mind ever since I was seventeen and fightin' for ol' Jeff Davis. How 'bout I call ya Traveller? That was the name of General Lee's horse, ya know. And I think it's fittin'. After all, you and me are gonna be doin' a whole heck of a lot of travelin' out in the Big Open."
Taking the curry comb and brush from his saddlebags, he set about to further groom the horse.
"Reckon you don't much look like the general's Traveller 'cause I hear tell he's a big gray, and here you are, a bay. But you're near 'bout the same size. See, Lee's boy is sixteen hands. You're fifteen and a half. Close 'nuff, right? So what do ya think, son? Traveller okay with you?"
Again, as though he understood, the horse nickered and rubbed his nose against Jess' neck.
"All right. Glad you like it as much as I do. Traveller it is."
Finally, Jess prepared his own bed on the ground, had a small supper, and sacked out.
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Jess thought it best for them to avoid towns for a while, hoping talk of the gunfight with McElroy would die down.
On the third day traveling through the Open, they paused at noon to have some rest, water, and a bite to eat.
"Hey, Traveller, how 'bout some oats?"
After the feed, the horse nudged at Jess' shirt pocket, where he had already learned some small chunks of sugar could sometimes be found. Jess pulled a couple of pieces out and gave them to him. After chewing the sweet treat, the horse rested his head on his cowboy's shoulder.
"Yeah, you're welcome." Jess scratched the muzzle.
That evening, they came upon a deserted cabin. The weather had taken a slightly chilly turn and for a moment Jess considered sleeping in the small building. But it had no bed, and there was more dust than air. So he changed his mind and decided sleeping outside with the clean night breeze was preferable to inside. Besides, he didn't want to leave his horse alone just yet, hoping to build the animal's sense of security. He made camp beside the structure, where he and Traveller would be sheltered from any stronger winds that might move through during the night.
As usual, Jess talked to the horse as he groomed him, taking great comfort in the occasional nickers and snorts from Traveller that made the conversation two-sided.
"You know somethin', Traveller? At some times in my life, I been lucky to have me some folks to be purty close to. Family. Friends."
He finished with the curry comb and started the brushing.
"Ma and Pa, now they were the best parents anybody could ever have." A far away look came into the cowboy's eyes. "Reckon I was mighty lucky to have 'em as long as I did."
He moved along Traveller's side, continuing the brushing. "And my brothers and sisters, a' course. Johnny and Francie was like special friends. They were family first, but good friends too. See, Benjie and Chloe, now they were small. I guess you might could say they were more a reg'lar brother and sister than friends." He paused. "A great brother, though. And a sweet little sister," he said softly.
He moved around the horse, continuing the brushing on the other side. "And there was Sophie. She was such a tiny one. Ya know, we never even got to have a birthday cake for her." His eyes dipped. "I liked rockin' her in Ma's chair."
He took a deep breath. "As for friends… Jer." His hand paused in the midst of brushing the bay. "Jer and me, we were sure 'nuff the best a' friends. Somethin' special 'bout havin' a pard that just plumb knows ya. Even seen your worst and sticks by ya anyway. Come hell or high water." He nodded, as some of the escapades he and Jerome had seen each other through flashed through his memory.
He began brushing the horse again. "You ever have a best friend, Traveller? 'Course you ain't been around too long yet, right, fella? Only three years old and your whole life ahead a' ya."
He returned to a soft brushing behind the bay's ears.
"There was the Duncans during our fightin' days over on the other side of the Big River. No idea where they are now. And more recent was the Major and Billy. Ain't seen them in a month and a half though. Prob'ly never will again."
He finished up the brushing of the horse and tossed the brush over near his bedroll, to be added into his saddlebag later.
"I ain't really had anybody to talk to for a long time, Traveller."
Suddenly his fingers curled into the horse's mane. Squeezing his eyes closed tight, he pressed his forehead into the bay's neck.
The horse stood calm and still, understanding the need to steady his master as Jess leaned against him. The horse's ears twitched at the sound of the low whisper.
"I'm mighty glad you're here."
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After further settling the bay for the night and banking the campfire, Jess stretched out on his ground sheet and blanket, and pulled another blanket over himself. He realized how incredibly tired he was as the exhaustion washed over him like a wave. About to nod off, he glanced over at his new friend.
"How ya doin' there, Traveller? Looks like you're feelin' just fine."
The horse turned his head toward Jess and nickered softly.
The worn-out man's eyes closed, gently this time, as he began to drift into sleep.
"And ya know somethin', Trav?" he murmured.
A smile lifted the corners of Jess' lips, as his voice came more relaxed than it had been in years when he said the next phrase.
"Me too. I'm fine."
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─end of Part Five─
Author's Note:
Well, I've got ideas for three more Parts (maybe four, not sure yet) to wrap up this whole tale. Might take a while to get them out of my imagination and into the computer, but I'll try to do it as quickly as I can. I'm wondering if I should post them as I complete each chapter or wait until an entire part is complete before uploading any of it. Do you have a preference?
What do you think of these five Parts so far, pards? Thanks for reading and for sharing your thoughts.