REVISED STORY Once again, thank you to my mentor and beta reader, Barb. You draw the creative imagination from me and keep me honest with my stories. Thanks Barb. I couldn'ta done it without ya."

A Trail Not Often Travelled

By Pat Storm

Chapter 1

It was one of those great fall days just outside Laramie, Wyoming. The air was crisp but the sun was shining brightly and warmly to make the cooler air a welcome relief.

The two men were taking full advantage of this small gift of fair weather to continue preparing the ranch for the coming winter. They felt a bit like the ants from the old fable of Ant and the Grasshopper, working from sun up to sun down during the warmer seasons. And those warm seasons never seemed to last long enough to get everything done. To be granted another fine day to ready themselves and their animals for the long, cold winter ahead was more than they could hope for. The past few days had been more than they could have even wished for and they were getting far too dangerously used to the good weather, almost believing that winter might not come at all this year. And here it was, another superb day to accomplish a little more to make their winter a little easier to bear when it finally decided to arrive.

Slim Sherman and Jess Harper knew all their preparations were necessary, but they also knew that once the bad weather set in much of what they'd done would be undone by the harsh winter wind and snow. It was best to take advantage of the good spell of weather to do any mending they could find to save themselves from having to do repairs when sitting by a roaring fireplace with a hot cup of coffee in hand would be far more desirable.

Keeping warm for the winter tended to be one the biggest struggles to living in this beautiful part of the country. There were always chores that had to be done outdoors everyday. Animals needed tending, repairs, and upkeep demanded their time out in the frigid weather, mostly in snow, sometimes in sleet or freezing rain. Preventative repairs now meant less patching later, giving them more time to spend indoors enjoying the warmth of the fireplace and company of their small family, safely away from the snow and freezing cold. In some ways winter could be one of the warmest seasons of the year to the close-knit family.

Today they were reinforcing the fencing around the corral near the ranch house. It was in relatively good shape to the naked, distant eye, but upon closer inspection they'd found a few places in the wooden rails that were starting to show some signs of rot that could give during the winter. The precious gift of this longer stay of mild weather gave them a chance to see to fixing the paddock railing. Not only could they elude an extensive repair, they could possibly avoid having to go out in the cold and snow to round up any livestock that may stray if any part of the enclosure went down. Enough snow to walk on and over the barrier though, was beyond their control. Rounding up strays was always an unpleasant winter activity.

In the house, their housekeeper and surrogate mother, Daisy, was busy in the kitchen putting up jams and jellies for the long winter to come. Like the men, the women folk were always working hard during the best weather to prepare their families for the winter months. To Daisy Cooper the two men and the orphaned boy, Mike, were her family. She loved them all as sons and she knew they all felt a loving kinship for her, as well.

Chapter 2

Jess and Slim continued to enjoy the wonderful weather as they bantered back and forth while replacing the decaying logs. Their good-natured sparring helped to pass the time and kept their minds as active as their bodies since they were always trying to one up the other. It was a talented battle of wits usually scoring a tie.

While placing a rail on a support Slim suddenly stood up straight looking off in the distance. Jess' immediate reaction was to put his right hand on his gun butt and look in the direction that Slim was peering. With their preoccupation they both nearly lost control of the log, but both recovered in time to steady it again while scrutinizing the distant riders.

There had to be maybe fifty riders, luckily they weren't an Indian raiding party to the relief of both men. That many riders together was an unusual sight at the ranch. The group was much too large to be a posse and it looked like they were coming straight in the direction of the house.

As the company of men got closer it was obvious they were an army cavalry division. Their mission could only be surmised and both men hoped it had nothing to do with Indian unrest in the area. It appeared that Slim and Jess were about to find out what was going on as the riders continued to come closer to the front yard of the ranch.

Jess continued working, making the tie connection to keep the fence rail in place on the post while Slim prepared to meet with the lone rider who separated from the group and was now coming closer. The rest of the men were stopped a distance away from the house in the open meadow. As the rider came closer Slim was able to recognize that this must be the man in command of the troops he was leading, appearing to be a captain. Slim put down his hammer, stepping forward to meet the horseman as he rode through the gate and into the yard.

"Good morning", said the captain.

Slim smiled, returning the greeting. Jess looked up from his work, listening closely to what was being discussed. If there was trouble, he wanted to be prepared.

"I'm looking for Mr. Sherman," the young officer announced.

"I'm Slim Sherman. What can I do for you, sir?

"Mr. Sherman, I'm Captain Peterson. I was directed to see you regarding our necessity to acquire a guide and scout to take my unit to Fort Laramie. Unfortunately, we lost our scout just as we crossed into this territory. He was apparently ambushed while out scouting and we assume it was hostiles who killed him. I was told that you might be available to do some scouting and guide us to Fort Laramie north of here? Of course, we will be willng to pay you for your time.""

Slim shook his head, "As much as we could use the extra financial help, I'm sorry, but I can't leave the ranch right at the moment. I have an auditor from the Overland Stage coming here in the next day or so to go over my books. There's no one else here who knows those books like I do. I'd be glad to lead you, but you see I just can't get away at this time."

Jess stepped forward. "Slim?" The tall blonde turned to look at his partner. "We're in good shape here. I could help the captain out that is if he'll have me." Jess said, directed toward the officer, and then turned back to Slim. "I know the area as well as you do, 'n I'd only be gone a few days."

Slim gave it some thought then looked back at Captain Peterson. "Jess, Jess Harper here, like he says, he knows the territory and I can afford to spare him a few days. If you want his services and since he's willing, you may have just hired yourself a scout."

The captain saluted both men remarking, "I reckon I have. Would you be ready to leave by morning, Mr. Harper?"

Jess said, "Sure." To the officer then turned to his partner. "Slim?" Slim shook his head yes.

"Marvellous, Mr. Harper. Oh, now one more favor, Mr. Sherman?" Slim's eyebrows raised as he turned to look back at the young officer. "Could my men make camp here in your field overnight?"

"You're most welcome, Captain." Slim smiled that the favor was so easily granted. "I couldn't feel safer than with a company of soldiers camped in my pasture."

"Mr. Harper?" Peterson directed his question to Jess. "Could you join me in camp this evening to discuss some of the details?"

"Yes, sir. When I finish up here I'll find yer tent."

The captain saluted the two men and turned his horse to ride back to tell his men to set up camp.

"Well Jess, as usual you'll do anything to get out of a little work." Slim commented, slapping Jess on the shoulder as they wandered back toward their repairs. "And you couldn't have asked for better weather for your little trip. I wish I could've gone. It should be a pleasant ride for you, just watch out for those hostiles. If they're down on the border they could be anywhere around here. So, be careful, my friend." Slim said showing his envy, yet concern for his friend's well being.

"Bein' careful's what's kept me alive this long", Jess quipped.

"Oh yeah. And I can't count the number of times your temper or mouth almost got you killed." Slim responded with a broad grin.

"That's why I wear a gun n' know how ta use it." Jess replied, patting his holster jauntily.

"Yeah, but some day, Jess. Someday.." Both men smiled as they went back to work to complete the job they'd started. When they finished cleaning up after the job, Jess went about getting his gear together for his morning departure. Examining his horse, Traveller, he found one shoe needed some tightening so Jess took care of it immediately. Now he felt confident his horse was as ready for the ride to the fort as he was.

Slim went into the house to tell Daisy about the small army of men spending the night in the front field and that Jess was going to guide them to Fort Laramie, doing any scouting that may be necessary. Mike's head flew up from paying attention to the jars he was busy sealing with wax. "Army?" he shouted. "Wow, kin I go out 'n see um?"

"I think you better finish up here first. You can go out and look later, but stay in the yard. They don't need you wandering around their camp." Slim said as he put his hand on Mikes shoulder to both calm and keep him seated to complete his present chore.

"Aw, Slim." Mike said, a touch of disappointment evident in his voice. "I wish I could go with Jess. I could help him be a scout. Jess says I'm gittin' real good at trackin'."

"Sometime, maybe Mike, but not this time. Sure, the weather's holding now, but you can never tell when it might change. Jess will have enough to do just taking care of himself without having to worry about you, too. If it were summer we could have talked about it, but for now, no you can't go." Slim replied, not wanting to worry anyone with the information that there could be hostile Indians in the area. "Besides I need you here to help me change the stage teams." Mike shook his head in agreement, but couldn't hide his disappointment.

"Hey, Mike. If the weather holds, how about we go do some fishing?" Slim asked with enthusiasm, knowing that it would cheer the boy.

"Yeah, Slim. That would be great." Excitement replaced the disappointment Mike was expressing just a few short seconds ago.

Daisy busied herself putting together a few days worth of rations for Jess upon hearing the news. She knew he would share meals with the army on the way out, but he would require food for the trip back home. She packed the usual fare then searched for some treats to include in the sack she was filling.

In the barn, Jess bagged up some grain to take for Traveller. He checked his saddle and cinch to make sure everything was in good shape for the next few days away from where repairs could be easily made. Sure, the army was prepared for those small emergencies, but he'd be on his own on the trip home. Better to be prepared than wish you'd replaced something before you left or brought along a necessary tool. Looking around he packed up a few things he thought he might desire on the trail. Not thinking he'd need it, he also packed some extra ammo. Hunting for some fresh meat on the way home would be a welcome change from the hard tack that was the easy keep staple for trips no matter how short.

When he finished gathering everything he thought he might need from the barn, Jess went into the house knowing that supper was probably about to be set out on the table. Over dinner they discussed Jess' trip and how fortunate for everyone that the weather was so unseasonably mild so late in the season. They all had to agree that it would be a good get away for Jess, before being cooped up in the house for the winter, with both Slim and Mike voicing their wishes that they could go, too.

Once they were done eating Jess wandered to the bedroom to pack up a few items he needed to take with him from the house. Setting those items out on a bench near the door, he planned to take them to the barn in the morning placing them in his saddlebags before he left. When he was certain he had everything he'd desire ready, he hiked off to the open pasture, now turned into an up and running army camp, to talk with the captain.

Jess had a lot of questions that required answering to plan ahead. What kind of hostiles he might be dealing with, for one. Each tribe had their own way of ambushing and fighting. It was always best to know your enemy before you met him. A little knowledge could give him insight in what to expect and where.

Chapter 3

The camp was already pretty much erected and was running like the camps Jess remembered from during his war days. He asked a soldier where the captain's tent was located and was directed to the tent a few yards down on the right. When he arrived at the tent announcing who he was to the man standing guard, he was told that Captain Peterson was expecting him and was waiting for him inside. The guard opened the tent's flap, holding it open for Jess to enter.

The commander was inside sitting at a table, busily writing. Rather than just barging in Jess stood outside of the tent, clearing his throat to gain the officer's attention. "Mr. Harper. So glad you came early. I have a few things to go over with you. Come in. Come in. Coffee?"

"Sure." Jess said as he entered the tent, taking the chair Peterson pointed out to him, as the officer told the guard to send for the coffee. Before Jess was settled comfortably on the chair a sergeant entered the tent, saluted the captain with one hand while setting down a coffee pot and a couple of tin mugs on the table with the other. He saluted again then turned to leave as the officer thanked him. Captain Peterson grabbed the pot and poured some coffee into the two mugs, offering one to Jess.

Jess leaned forward reaching to take his mug then sat back in his chair sipping at his coffee while waiting to hear what the captain had to share with him.

The commander leaned back in his chair with both hands wrapped around his cup and took a sip while measuring Jess up through the steam rising from the contents of his mug.

"Mr. Harper," the captain began.

"Jess," Jess interrupted, "Jess, please, sir."

"Okay, Jess, then. Thank you. You know what happened to our last guide?"

"Yes, sir, I heard what you told Slim. Do you have any idea who ya might a' met up with? I'd like to know what to watch out for in any scoutin' I might haveta do durin' this trip."

"We're not sure, Mr, er, Jess. We were told there were Sioux in the area, but that information didn't come from what we would consider a reliable source. After our scout's death though, we're taking that possibility seriously." The young officer picked up a pencil and started turning it in his hands, a bit of a nervous habit, or maybe a way of relieving a little stress. Whatever the quirk, he was unconsciously manipulating the writing instrument, not taking his eyes off the newly hired scout.

Jess shifted in his chair, leaning forward a little and asked, "Any indications near the body or close by? Was the man scalped? Anything?"

"No. I'm afraid animals had gotten to the body before we found him. Between coyotes and the buzzards, we had very little left to go on. If it weren't for his remaining clothing we wouldn't have been able to identify him. We never found his horse. And for that matter, if it hadn't been for the vultures, we never would have found the remains."

"But yer sure it was hostiles and not that he was attacked by a lion or bear? If the body was scattered how kin you be sure it was hostiles?"

"Unless your lions and bears here in this territory are using a bow and arrow these days, we're sure it was hostiles." Peterson said with a hint of a smile showing on his face for being able to share his wit.

Jess nodded his head in understanding, without a hint of a smile. The death of a man wasn't humorous to him, especially if he was going to be the man's replacement. "Any idea which hostiles we're dealin' with from the arrow type or markin's?

The captain shook his head. "No, It looked like it was a single arrow and from what we can gather. The animals devoured and chewed enough of the arrow, due to the blood, to make it unidentifiable. We're just lucky the coyotes and vultures left us with any evidence. That we only found one arrow we're not sure if he ran into a lone hostile, possibly a scout, or if there were more and they were just lucky with the first arrow. And why a bow and arrow and not a rifle has us wondering, as well. That's what leads us to believe it could have been a scout who didn't want to draw attention to the fact he was in the region and alone. He probably hoped we'd never find the body."

Jess took in the information with a frown coming to his face. He didn't like not having a clue to work with on a plan for strategy. Things were getting more complex than he'd expected. He'd have to go into this venture blindly. Well, at least not totally blind. He knew there was a good possibility that he was open to target practice, and he was going to be the target. It was then that Jess' strategy changed from taking a long lead ahead of the company of men to keeping them to a closer distance. Even if he got off only one shot the soldiers would be alerted to trouble ahead and could come give him a hand with any hostiles he might encounter. If they weren't in time to help him, at least they would be forewarned.

"Well, Captain, I reckon we kin hope for the best but have ta be prepared for the worst." Jess said unable to hide the worry showing on his face. "At least we have the weather on our side."

"Jess, you know the country. You know the places we may want to avoid and where to go to take a stand, if necessary. I have a good unit of fighting men here. Every one of them is battle seasoned. Yes, we hope we ran into a single hostile at the border and the rest of the trip will be as uneventful as we had prior to the death of our scout. We will be counting on you to show us the safest route to Fort Laramie."

Both men stood to shake hands with Jess asking what time he planned on heading out in the morning. Agreeing that he'd be ready, Jess volunteered that they would be able to travel in relative safety for several miles before the terrain would become such that where a scout would be useful.

"Jess, why don't you join us for breakfast. We may have more to discuss before we leave. My officers and I will be going over the maps that I brought along."

"I just might take ya up on that." Jess replied through his preoccupation.

Walking out of the tent, Jess was a bit more worried than when he'd gotten there. This was Sioux country and it was his best guess that it was Sioux they might meet up with as being hostile. He hoped his speculation wouldn't cloud his vigilance, though. Knowing the Sioux strategy, Jess knew the places where they'd most likely strike between there and Fort Laramie. There was always a good chance that the incident at the border was just that, an incident, and he'd have an effortless ride ahead in which he could enjoy being away from the ranch routine for a few days.

He was looking forward to a carefree ride back home. It would be a plus if he could shoot a deer on his way back to the ranch. Fresh venison on the table would be a treat and surprise for them all, also adding to their cache of food stored away for the winter months.

When he returned to the yard, Jess walked back into the barn, taking another quick survey of his gear. "Well, Trav, it looks like we're ready to ride come mornin'. Rest up, ole boy, we got a few days of steady ridin' ahead of us." Jess said to his horse, stroking his neck gently. Jess was content that he was set for the morning meeting with the captain as well as ready to guide him and his command to their new post.

Wandering into the house, Mike almost knocked him down running to meet him. "If this is the kinda greetin' I get before I leave, I wonder what ta expect when I git back?" Jess grunted while ruffling Mike's blonde mop of hair.

"I wanted to go with you, Jess, but Slim is gonna take me fishin' instead." Mike proclaimed smiling broadly at the still recovering Jess.

"Fishin'? Now I'm not so sure I want to take this trip. Hey, Slim? Why didn't ya tell me about these fishin' plans?" Jess asked Slim, who was seated at the desk working on his books.

"Well, you know we all have our important things to do, Jess. You, you get to take some our brave soldiers to their new post. Then some of us have to work hard on making sure there's enough food to keep us all fed for the winter. So, Mike and I will be working real hard to be sure we have plenty of smoked fish to keep us till spring." Slim teased, tossing a wink and a smile Mike's way as he closed his books turning in his chair to join in with the playful conversation.

"Yeah, Jess, it's a tough job, but I think I kin help Slim. I'm real good at drownin' worms and sometimes I even catch me a fish on the line." Mike teased at Jess while watching for Slim's reaction as he enlisted in the fun.

"Well, Tiger," Jess said, stooping down to be eye to eye with the boy, "You just be sure ya save some of them fish fer me. Throw a couple of um in the water trough ta keep um alive till I git back. I 'd sure like some fresh fish when I git back home. I'll be along the river on part of this trip, but I don't think I'll git in any fishin' time."

"I sure will," Mike grinned as Jess tousled his hair again. Jess stood back up straight and turned to find Slim was now behind him holding a hot cup of coffee for each of them, offering one to Jess.

Jess accepted the cup with a nod and a smile. "Thanks, Pard. Hey, Daisy. Be sure to pack me up some coffee for my trip back home." he said to the tiny shadow standing with her back to the slight glow coming from the kitchen behind her.

"It's already packed, Dear." She smiled, folding her hands in front of her apron. "I think I have plenty packed to keep you from starving to death on the trail coming home. Just stay out of it until you're out of army food or it won't last. I'm sure they will be very happy to feed you on the trip out."

Jess nodded and yawned. "Yeah, but I bet the food won't be as good as your cookin'." He said giving her a hug while being careful not to spill his coffee.

Yawning, again, Jess took another sip of his coffee, then stretched. He was thinking that the morning was going to start real early, so he said goodnight to every one. Daisy asked him what time he wanted breakfast. He told her not to bother that he'd meet with the captain for breakfast since he had a few more things he wanted to discuss before they left. Daisy pointed out where she'd left the sack of food for him. Jess picked it up putting it on the bench next to a few items he was taking with him that he hadn't packed in his saddlebags yet. He noticed someone had put his heavy winter jacket with his things. A good idea, something he hadn't thought of.

Downing the last of his coffee, he wished everyone a goodnight, again. Slim told him he'd be careful not to wake him when he turned in, himself in a short time. Jess assured his tall partner that in return that he'd try to be quiet when he got up in the morning, as well. The tired, dark haired man handed the tall blonde man his empty coffee cup then headed for the bedroom door, to bed and off for the best night of sleep he'd have for the next few days.

Chapter 4

Morning came much too early, as it usually does to anyone who works hard for a living. It was still dark but Jess woke and rubbed his eyes. He heard Slim snoring lightly and almost rolled over to go back to sleep when it suddenly occurred to him why he had to get up, and now. Today was going to be a far reach from a normal day at the ranch, a whole different week or so ahead of him, he reckoned. If he'd only known what lay ahead, he probably would have turned over and gone back to sleep. But not knowing his future, he rose with the enthusiasm of doing something new and different. Half his time would be spent in the company of soldiers; not being one of them was most appealing to him. Then half his time would be spent on a leisurely ride back home, almost like the old days when it was just Jess and Traveller alone on the drift. But this time it would be different, this time he had home for a destination. That is if everything went as planned. Of course, you can never count on anything going quite the way you intend, but he had faith that this time the week would almost be boringly dull with good weather and no confrontational Indians. After all, there hadn't been any aboriginal difficulties going on for nearly a year now.

He grasped his clothes with the thought of dressing in the living room so he wouldn't disturb Slim, but when he opened the bedroom door he could smell fresh coffee brewing. How did Daisy know what time he'd be up? He backed up, back into the bedroom, quietly dressing in the dark. Carrying his boots, he tip- toed out from the room, closing the door quietly, walking out to the kitchen. And there she was, Daisy up and about, fully dressed and fussing about the kitchen like she'd been up for hours.

"Daisy, the sun ain't even up yet. What are ya doin' up so early?"

"I thought you would enjoy at least a cup of coffee before you left, Dear. Are you sure you wouldn't like some bacon and eggs?"

"Thanks, Daisy. The coffee'll be fine." Jess said, smiling his pleasure then wrapping his arms around her to give her an affectionate hug of appreciation. "I reckon me 'n the captain need to talk over the terrain we'll be coverin'. I'm sure his maps show him what to expect from the lay of the land, but I'll bet he has no idea where we'll have to watch for an ambush."

"Oh, Jess, do be careful." Daisy exclaimed, just realizing that Jess' mission could be more than merely a simple necessity to have a guide to the fort.

"Of course, Daisy. Don't fret. I'll be fine." Sorry he'd let the cat out of the bag, sort of. "But you know me. If there's trouble to be found, I'll probably find it," he teased, trying to make light of the subject, resulting in causing Daisy to frown.

Understanding his good-natured teasing she still reminded him that she was very serious for him to be to be acutely careful, as they walked to the table, Daisy carrying the coffee pot, Jess his boots. She poured Jess a cup of coffee and one for herself into the cups she'd already set out on the table before Jess was up. They both sat down to the table across from each other. She sipped at her cup while watching Jess gulp his cup as fast as he could, considering how hot it was. She could tell he was in a hurry so she didn't bother to ask him if he wanted another cup. Daisy knew if he wanted more, he wasn't too shy to help himself. Jess pulled on his boots then picked up his cup, downing the coffee that remained in it.

Daisy was sadly disappointed that they didn't have more time to spend together in the quiet of this early morning. When Jess was finished with his coffee he got up from the table, leaned over it and said "Thanks, Daisy." giving her a peck on the cheek. Straightening up, he walked to where his gun belt was hung on a peg near the door, took it down and strapped it on his hip. Pulling out his .45, he checked to make sure it was loaded. He knew it was, but it was his compulsive habit to always make sure. After re-holstering his gun he walked to the bench where his gear was piled and waiting for him, picked up his lighter jacket and slipped it on.

Daisy got up from the table, to walk over to Jess by the bench when he turned to her asking, "Daisy?"

"Yes, Dear?"

"Did you put my heavy jacket here?" Jess questioned, pointing at the small pile of his belongings.

"I think it may have jumped on the pile all by itself. You know winter could arrive at any time now. I guess it was just worried you might need it." Daisy responded with raised eyebrows in mock surprise, offering a warm smile.

"Thanks," Jess said as he hugged her. "I hope it holds off for a week er more. I'd love to git some fishin' time in myself when I git back home. But yer right,.Ta keep countin' on the weather holdin' on to that white stuff 'n stayin' warm, we all know it ain't gonna happen. It'll be gittin' cold sooner er later. I'm sure hopin' fer later."

Daisy hugged her surrogate son one more time, cautioning him to be careful once again. Jess picked up his gear, put on his hat and walked out the door. Daisy trailed him onto the porch then her eyes followied her young man as he walked to the barn. When he disappeared from sight she returned to the house. There was a bit of a nip in the morning air that raising goose bumps on her naked arms. The sun was just starting to show itself, promising yet another nice day, she hoped it would continue for Jess' sake. Entering her bedroom, she picked up her shawl. Wrapping it around her, she went back out on the porch. She wanted to see her son off properly, with a smile and wave, praying that he would have a swift and safe journey.

When Jess entered the barn he lit a lantern, hanging it on a nail near Traveller's stall. Walking into the stall, he petted his friend on the neck. Traveller turned his head to see if there was a treat and he wasn't disappointed as Jess pulled some sugar from his jacket pocket, offering it to the broad chested bay. Gently talking to him, Jess took his horse from the stall. Hooking the halter to a latch next to the stall, Jess gave Traveller a good brushing before throwing the saddle blanket, then saddle over his back. Once saddled and bridled, Jess finished putting his gear in the saddlebags and attaching some items to the saddle latigoes. Pulling his rifle from its scabbard, he checked to make sure it was fully loaded. He knew it was last night, but that old nervous habit forced him to confirm it once more. Better safe than sorry, he always rationalized, hoping he wouldn't need it until his ride home. He was looking forward to bagging a deer as a surprise for his family. Fresh venison was always welcome and he'd be travelling in the kind of country where deer were abundant on his way back to the ranch.

Convinced that he had everything he needed and was ready to leave, he blew out the lantern, walking his horse out from the barn. He was amazed to see Daisy still standing on the porch since he was fully aware of the chill in the morning air. He walked his horse to the porch to say goodbye as she made her way down the steps to give him one last hug.

"Now git on back inside before ya catch yer death," Jess admonished her, giving her a peck on the cheek before climbing into the saddle. Ignoring his concern, Daisy stood in the yard to watch her son start out on his journey. When Jess was past the gate he turned to wave, knowing Daisy would still be watching him depart. And she was, waving back at him with that sweet smile of hers, trying to keep the quiver from showing on her lips. Turning, she climbed the steps to stand on the porch, intending to watch him until she could no longer see him as he disappeared amongst the soldiers in the camp.

She could see several campfires blazing in the short distance, even with the sunlight starting to brighten the yard. A slight, light fog, lying close to the ground gave Jess' ride a bit of a magical or dream-like appearance as Traveller's hooves stirred it while walking through it toward the encampment. Once he was out of her view she sighed and turned to go back into the house while whispering a little prayer for her dark haired son's' safety. She took another glance in direction of the camp before going into the house, closing the door behind her, then stood with her back leaning against the closed door. A chill went through her, not from the coolness of the morning, "A goose just stepped on my grave," she said aloud to herself, as worry washed over her. She knew it was more, it was different. It was more like a premonition that something wasn't right. Again she said a prayer that her Jess would travel in safety and return to them quickly, wishing that the cold feeling in her bones hadn't crept over her. She knew from past experience, the feeling never boded well.

The camp was already full of activity as Jess rode directly to the captain's tent. The tent door flap was already open and Jess could see inside. The captain was talking to a couple of his men when he noticed Jess waiting outside. Motioning for Jess to come in, he introduced the new scout to the two other officers that were joining them for breakfast.

Jess and the officers discussed various topics over breakfast; Jess mostly listened. He was surprised at how much he'd forgotten, like how bad army food could be. Perhaps Slim's cooking wasn't so bad after all, he thought grinning to himself. Through his years in the army during the Civil War, when food wasn't scarce it was seldom anything to look forward to eating. It was usually poorly cooked and rarely held more than just the basic nutritional needs. Only once he'd been in a camp during those years where the chief cook knew what he was doing. Jess had thought that it was too bad that his unit was just passing through; it would have been the company he would have liked to have joined up with. At least he could have looked forward to some good eating during those dark days. They say an army travels on its stomach and Jess experienced how true that statement really was. In the final years of the war food was scarce and often unfit to eat. If the south had had better rations maybe, just maybe, things would have ended differently. He pondered what his life might have been like if the war had ended in a different way, speculating what events might have changed his life today. The "what ifs" continued running through his mind as the officers discussed other mundane topics that Jess felt uncomfortable with being included in. Much of the talk this morning was of a more personal nature, such as their families. Jess' biggest what if was, what if he'd never rode into Laramie that day and what if the events leading to meeting Slim hadn't happened. What would his life be like today? Would he still be alive, the way his life and luck had been going at that time in his life? Would he be a wanted man or spending the rest of his life behind bars? His mind continued to wander and wonder.

Finished with his meal, while pouring himself another cup of coffee, Jess found his thoughts turning toward the ranch. Home. 'Thank goodness for Daisy,' he thought to himself, finding a whole new appreciation for all the good meals she'd prepared for them and knowing how much he'd miss them while he was gone. He could almost smell her hot apple pie baking right now. He smiled at the thought of Slim and Mike getting ready for their fishing excursion, wishing he could have gone with them. With those thoughts he became more than anxious to get these men to their destination so he could get back home. While the men talked Jess was amazed, once again, that their focus wasn't completely on the expedition ahead of them. The men talked about their wives and children and how anxious they were to get settled in at the fort so they could send for their families. Though he wasn't really interested, he felt that now he could at least relate, where in the past family talk had always caused him some discomfort.

When they'd completed their meal, the table was cleared and moved outdoors. A chest of maps was set out near the table while Peterson's tent was disassembled. Some selected charts were laid out on the table, fixing them with rocks in case a breeze or wind should materialize. Now the conversation turned serious and completely to the matter at hand.

So far, the day looked as if it was going to be bright, sunny and maybe warm once again, cooled with a slight breeze from the west. The nip in the air continued to be quite apparent as the sun continued to rise in the east. Perhaps the day wouldn't be as warm as the past few had been.

'Good travelling weather,' Jess thought to himself while turning his jacket collar up against the morning chill. Captain Peterson stated that he'd calculated that there was about 100 miles of travel ahead of them. Jess confirmed what the captain said, adding, "There are only a few dangerous areas where a scout might be needed. I'm gonna take you through a route regularly used by wagon trains. The trails and passes are pretty well kept and wide enough to allow yer wagons to pass n' there's plenty of water for the horses." Jess said pointing out the places on the map where water could be found. "If all goes well," he suggested, "these are places where we kin make camp." he continued, showing them their multiple choices on the charts. It would all depend on how quickly they could cover ground where they would have to spend their nights. "As we git closer to the fort," Jess mentioned, "We'll be along the river. I don't reckon we'll have a problem crossin' it to get to the fort. It's been dry n' I know of a few places where the water ain't too deep n' the current's not so swift. If we don't make it to the fort by dark the riverbank will be good place to set up camp so we don't have to travel after dark. At the river there'll be plenty of water n' grass fer the horses."

The camping areas along the way that Jess had indicated were all well thought out to consider not only the men but also providing plenty of grass and water for the horses. The soldiers and their horses had already had an extensive journey composed of long days of travel with mere nightly rests. Jess remarked, "The horses need some good grazin' n' fresh water durin' the night rests n' these places have both. We'll be followin' the river to the fort after we're past the mountains."

Once they'd push away from the mountains the danger of hostile Indians would then become minimal, Jess added. Since the river was prime camping for the Indian population as well, Jess would have to scout ahead of the troops to make sure they wouldn't run into any difficulties along the river. As close as they'd be to the fort though, he didn't expect any problems. If any Indian encampments would be encountered, he suspected they would be comprised of members of the more friendly tribes. He didn't predict that the Sioux would camp that close to the fort. "They might make use of the water for their horses, but they'll be closer to the mountain range. They favor the mountains to keep themselves hidden or for plannin' an ambush." Jess explained to the captain and his men.

The officers agreed that the route they'd been shown was probably the best and easiest way to the fort, even if it might add a few miles to the arrow straight direction they would have liked to traverse. It made sense if wagon trains travelled through the passes they should easily allow a company of men on horses as well as their equipment wagons to pass with few difficulties to slow them. There were virtually no settlements between Laramie and Fort Laramie so they didn't have to deviate around any towns. Most of the flat, unclaimed land in the west was open range so few detours, if any, would be encountered by fencing. The mountains would be their only obstacles to not heading due northeast toward the fort. If the passes were clear and they ran into no confrontations, Jess speculated that they should be at the fort early into their third day.

Once the camp was packed and ready to move out Jess did another quick once over to make sure all his gear was tight, mounted up and rode to meet the captain at the head of the caravan.

Chapter 5

During the first hours of their ride the country was clear and fairly level with only some mildly rolling hills and a scattering of trees and brush so Jess continued to ride along with the cavalry. The ride couldn't have been more pleasant with both the weather and the scenery being most exceptional. Jess and Peterson exchanged in small talk about Peterson's army career and Jess' work at the ranch and stage stop.

After a few hours of riding they could see the foothills ahead and calculated they could make it easily to the first pass before nightfall. Once they achieved that goal they could decide whether to continue on or make camp before attempting the mountain pass. The resolution would depend on how much daylight was left and what kind of camping would be found on the other side of the pass. As they moved closer to the mountains Jess suggested, "I reckon it might be time for me to head out n' see what we have waitin' for us up ahead."

It was still plenty early enough for Jess to explore the trail though the first pass and to examine the camping possibilities on the other side. If time allowed and the procession could make it though the pass before dark, a choice of which side of the mountain they would prefer to make camp could be determined after his investigation. The officers would have to take into consideration that they were going to have to camp close to the mountains overnight and provide for adequate security. Camping close to the mountains offered a multitude of dangers, not only from Indian attack, but also from hungry predators that called the mountains home. A choice of which side of the mountain that held the best choice for fortification would be something that had to be considered. At this point, safety was more of a consideration than time. A half-day, one way of the other, didn't matter when the safety and lives of his men were to be considered, Captain Peterson had already made that clear to everyone who was present at the meeting earlier in the day.

Agreeing that it was a good, well thought out plan, Peterson saluted Jess, "Good luck, Jess. I hope you have nothing to report back to me."

Jess felt a little uncomfortable, should he salute back? Old habits where hard to break so he half saluted, half touching his hand to his hat. "Thank you, sir. I hope yer right." he responded, turning his horse to head toward the looming mountain range.

The temporary army scout set out in a slow gallop to move far ahead of the company of men who were moving in a slow, steady, walking pace. He needed some distance for their safety while he looked for any signs of danger, yet he wanted them close enough just in case he ran into a jam he couldn't quite handle himself.

When he reached the foothills he could see the band of men off in the distance, thanks to the relatively flat country they were crossing on at the present time. Riding into the rocky terrain he could no longer see them unless he crested an open area on the side of the summit. Jess searched for signs of anyone in the area on the mountainside. He found some old tracks and a few trails where horses wearing shoes had passed by. Shoes were a good sign but a horse wearing shoes wasn't foolproof. They could be horses recently stolen by one of the Indian tribes, most notably the Sioux. More likely though, a prospector with a packhorse or mule heading up the mountain. The tracks weren't fresh enough to worry about but they were still worth investigating to make sure they continued on and wouldn't present any hazards for the army to encounter.

Jess followed the freshest tracks for some distance, once he sure that they continued on and no one was present to create any problems to the cavalry, he turned his horse back in the direction of the pass. Doubling back he spotted another trail, tracks that led out and away from the pass. Shoes, again, good sign he hoped. The trail itself was more overgrown but the tracks were fairly fresh. Investigating further, he following them for some distance finding where the rider had made camp. "From the looks of things it sure wasn't an Indian. 'No Indian would leave a camp lookin' like this,.' he thought. It had been a lone rider and it looked like he was in a hurry to move on since he left such a mess. The irresponsible camper was probably forced to stop when it got too dark for him to follow the trail; building a small, carelessly built campfire to grab a bite to eat, then take a quick nap until it was light enough to ride. "Most likely someone that don't wanna be found n' someone I don't need er wanna deal with right now." Jess commented to his horse. The tracks showed the man had drifted on further up the mountain and away from the pass, so Jess didn't feel there was any reason for concern.

The afternoon in the closed mountainous terrain, with the rocks holding the heat from the sun, meant it was getting exceedingly warmer. Jess peeled off his, jacket tying it to his saddle. If he hadn't known better he would have thought he'd missed winter, it felt more like a late spring day. Continuing to ride back toward the pass, he spotted a way to travel up to a clear flat ridge where he could overlook both the pass opening as well as see the progress of the cavalry. He turned Traveller to make the not too steep climb. When he got to the top, the view was amazing. Jess had never lost his wonder of nature and the beauty of the world he lived in. Spotting a large overhang that was flat and sound, he dismounted to walk out to take in more of the panorama, leaving Traveller back on safer ground. The sky was so clear. He had to look far off into the distance to see a cloud on the horizon. The air was much cooler than it had been amongst the rocks. The breeze felt good and refreshing. He drank in more of the beauty and breathed in the fresh smell of the mountains. ,'If I could just stay here forever,' Jess thought. Not practical, he knew, filing the view and his feelings away to dream about them at a later time.

Jess surmised the company of men were moving much slower than he'd expected. They may end up having to camp on this side of the mountain pass unless they picked up their pace. There wasn't any movement on this side of the mountain, nor anything of concern at the mouth of the pass that he could detect from his view on his lofty perch. Taking another long hard look in all directions, he didn't spot anything that would raise any suspicion needing a closer examination. All was a picture of peace and contentment. Before he walked back to Traveller he took in the expansive perspective of the lowlands below him once again. Glancing above, a bald eagle was soaring in large circles, most likely on the hunt from the endless, sweeping sky. Jess turned looking up at the mountains that still towered high above him. A feeling of awe struck him, making him suddenly feel extremely insignificant. It was a magnificent day and he had a spectacular view of the world he lived in. Jess had a surge of feeling blessed to be alive, to be where he was here and now, and most of all, to be able to enjoy them both.

With a sense of well being, Jess walked back to Traveller petting his neck, wishing he could share his feelings of awe with his horse. "I reckon we wasted enough time for now. Time to move on, boy? What do ya think?" Jess asked. Reaching into his saddlebag he pulled out a piece of hard tack for himself and a lump of sugar for Traveller. The horse turned his head, as if he read Jess' mind, nickered then gently took the sweet offering from his owner, savouring the treat. Jess looked around to see if he could spot any signs of water, not seeing any he reached for his canteen, taking a deep drink. When he finished he took off his glove, cupping his hand he poured some water into the cup of his hand so Traveller could have a little drink, too. He hoped he'd find some drinking water for his horse, soon. With it being as dry as it had been, he wasn't sure that some of the water holes were still available and hadn't dried up; much less find any unmarked ponds of water. He knew there was a pool in the pass that had been dug out to be a watering stop for the wagon trains to water their stock. It was spring fed, so he was pretty sure he could count on that one to be there and it wasn't far off. He was sure Traveller would want a long sip of that cool refreshing water once they reached it.

Jess led Traveller down the trail they'd struck to a flat landing where the dark haired scout remounted and continued on with his survey of the environment in and around the pass from above.

Reaching the flatlands again, Jess crossed the mouth of the pass proceeding to ride up the north side of the mountain to look for any signs of resistance. Once again he found what appeared to be the same shoe prints he'd seen on the other ridge. He thought it could be a lone prospector in the mountains since the trail was used, but not heavily travelled. Following the trail for about a quarter of a mile, he was sure that the rider hadn't been in the area for days, maybe as long as a week. The man had to be either extremely brave, lucky or very foolish, he mused; or he had a good understanding with the local Indians. Jess hoped, for the man's sake, it was the later. The hoof prints showed that they were leading away from the ridge that ran along the gap. Breathing a sigh of relief that he wouldn't have to be concerned about finding scalped remains in his reconnaissance on this side of the mountain since he needn't follow any further on that trail. Continuing to scout along the ridge a little farther he was unable to find any other trails or signs of anyone in the locality. He rode up side of the mountain a little farther, but still found no signs that there would be any worry about an ambush in the pass. There wasn't a single sign that a human had been on the steep mountainside around the pass for a very long time. When he reached a level point he turned his horse around and headed back down the mountain to take on examining the pass for anything he might have to report back to the advancing soldiers.

Allowing Traveller to pick his own way to the opening of the pass, he only occasionally had to rein him in the right direction. When they reached the gap Jess rode into the crevice to search for any signs of danger. The trail was rutted but easy enough for a horse to navigate without difficulty as long as you kept at a walk. Years of wagons cutting their way through the pass had deeply left their mark.

About half way through the high-sided passage he came to a curve in the trail. As he made his way around the curve he found trouble. It was a far different kind of trouble than he'd expected though, a rockslide. It had dumped a good portion of the mountain wall almost completely blocking the trail in a narrow part of the passage. Just beyond the slide he could see that the passage widened and he could hear the trickle of water from the spring as it emptied into the water hole that was still unseen.

There was a slight dip in the rubble along the one side wall, making it passable for a man leading a horse to bypass the slide, but they'd have to tread very carefully. Jess dismounted, "Okay. You stay here, boy. I have to go take look on up ahead. I'll git you to the other side for a drink in a few minutes. I'll be right back," he said, leaving Traveller behind, to investigate the condition of the trail and to give thought to what could be done about the rocks that barricaded the passageway. Nothing appeared to be loose as he carefully picked his way through the debris. The obstruction had to have happened some time ago since the rocks were solidly settled. There seemed to be little danger of any more rocks coming loose since the face of the mountain was barefaced smooth now. Jess figured the mounted men could make it through the narrow passage one man at a time leading their horses, but the wagons wouldn't have a chance of getting through. Just past the slide he could now see, as well as hear, the water spilling like a tiny waterfall into the small pond from low on the wall of the mountain. Walking back through the scattered rocks to get his horse, again he tested the walking for any loose hazzards.

"Okay, let's git ya a good drink." Jess said to his horse as he took the reins walking him to the edge of the debris, toward the narrow lower piling near the canyon wall. "Okay, easy. We're gonna take our time here. Easy." He said as he led his horse through the narrow passage with little difficulty, taking Traveller directly to the watering hole and leaving him to drink his fill. While Traveller drank, Jess surveyed the area a little closer looking for anything else he needed to report back to the approaching army of men who were depending on him for a safe passage. Changing their route now would add days to the trek and travelling along the mountain range could add the possibility of running into savage Indians hiding amongst the rocks and brush. The pass was the safest way of travel for them all as long as the surrounding mountains were clear. The western end of the mountain pass was safe and so far there were no indications that the eastern side might not be the same. Jess would investigate that portion of the pass and mountains once he reached the far opening.

Traveller indicated that he'd had enough to drink by digging at the ground with his right front hoof. Understanding the signal, Jess walked back to him, "Enough? I hope that'll hold ya for a while." He remarked as he remounted to continue on with his exploration. Scouting on ahead for about a quarter of a mile he found nothing else amiss nor any sign of anyone in or around the pass or mountains on either side. Since he saw nothing else of concern he decided it was time to head back to report what he'd encountered. Back at the slide, this time he carefully rode Traveller through the narrow passage to check its safety. Just as he'd thought, there was no movement or shifting of any of the rocks. He wouldn't, though, recommend riding through it by the company of men since that many hooves could cause shifting of the settled rocks.

It wasn't long before Jess emerged from the pass. He could see the approaching men and figured there was no reason to wait to give them the bad news. Spurring Traveller into an easy lope, he headed toward the cavalry riders who were slowly advancing in his direction.

As Jess approached the group, Peterson rode forward to meet him, "You're back sooner than I expected. I hope that's a good sign." The Captain commented. They continued on toward the mountains riding slightly ahead of the rest of the soldiers to allow for a little privacy. Jess assured the captain, "I didn't find any signs of anyone recently in or around the pass, but we have a different kind of trouble." Jess told him, advising him about the rockslide blocking their way. "We could get the soldiers though one at a time, but there ain't no way we kin get the wagons through."

"Is it something my men can clear?"

"I reckon they could, 'n that'd be the wisest 'n safest thing we could do. The trail there ain't all that wide to begin with but if they kin move the rocks along side the wall enough to widen the trail for the wagons, it should work. It'll just take some time 'n manpower, horses, 'n rope. Do ya have pick axes n' hammers with ya?"

"We do, but do you think we should change our route and head straight north to the river and cross there?" Peterson asked while glancing to the north along the mountain range that wound back toward the west before the river cut through it.

"I wouldn't advise it. The north end of this range near the river is a favorite campground for the Sioux. They've got a lot of hidin' ground in the mountains 'n water's close at hand fer um with the river cuttin' through the mountains right there. We kin chance it if ya wanna, sir. I'll leave that up to you, but if ya ask me, we clear the pass. Besides, the extra ground we'd have to cover would probably take us longer than clearin' the pass." Jess advised.

"Well, we have the men, and if we must, we can take the time. Let's proceed to the pass and I'll take a look at it. Then I'll give what orders necessary to resolve the situation."

Peterson turned to his men, giving the order to move out. They made up some time moving a little faster, trotting in the direction of the pass. If it weren't for the slide, at this pace they would have been able to make it through the gap before dark, but that wasn't going to happen now.

At the opening of the passage, the captain ordered his men to set up camp for the night. As the soldiers undertook the bivouac, Peterson chose some men from the ranks to undertake moving the rockslide, ordering them to eat something while the others finished setting up the camp. Peterson explained the situation to his other officers telling them that he and Jess were going to ride into the pass to examine the rockslide. When he got back he'd then issue applicable new orders once he was visually apprised of the situation.

Jess could tell the captain was disappointed by the set back, but the soldier expressed that he was also relieved that they weren't being called on to press into battle. Discussing the matter as they rode into the fissure, Peterson confided in Jess that he was extremely anxious to get to the fort so he could send for his family. "We're expecting a child in four months and I don't want my wife travelling too late. If I can't get her to the fort before winter sets in I might not have her with me until spring and our child will have to be born in Kansas. It's our first child, and I really wanted to, well, you know…"

Jess smiled and shook his head in agreement. "I think I know what ya mean. I don't have any kids yet, but I reckon I'd feel the same way."

Chapter 6

Reaching the slide, Jess and the captain dismounted while the soldiers remained on their horses. After careful examination and discussion with Jess, Peterson returned to his horse, mounted up, then barked orders to his men how he wanted the way cleared. He had his men dismount and lead their horses, one at a time, to the other side of the debris. Hobbling their horses the soldiers set them loose to graze on the meager grass on the peripheral of the trail and to partake of all the water they could hold, beyond the pile of stone and rock they were about to start moving out of the way. Many of the men filled their canteens as well to take back to the work area with them. It looked like it was going to be a long night, the men guessed, but the captain told them he would have them relieved in about three hours, sending the next shift in to work as long as they could see and able to move rocks out of the way. If another shift was necessary, he'd be sure that was also arranged.

Once Peterson saw to it that his men were aware of their job and proceeding to his satisfaction he left his sergeant in charge. Turning to Jess the captain said. "I reckon you're hungry, Jess?" Jess shook his head affirming the fact that he was. "How would you like to join me back at camp for some dinner?"

Jess was hungry, even if it was army food, so he agreed, "I'd like that fine, sir." he responded and they rode off leaving the soldiers to their work.

Returning to the camp Peterson's tent was already assembled, he and Jess rode straight to it and dismounted. A soldier stepped forward immediately, taking the reins of the captain's horse. Peterson invited Jess into his tent, holding the flap open for him, but Jess declined saying, "I'll join you in a few minutes. I want to settle my horse in for the night, first."

Peterson ordered one of his men to take Jess' horse away and to be sure the horse was given proper care for the night. The young soldier took the reins from Jess' hand, leaving him speechless and stunned as he watched the private lead his horse away. Jess wasn't sure he was comfortable allowing someone else to care for Traveller. The captain called to him once again. Jess turned reluctantly towards the tent, with intentions of checking on his horse before he bedded down for the night.

Entering the tent, Peterson pointed to a chair for Jess to sit as he walked to a trunk, that Jess recognized as housing the maps they had used earlier in the day, sitting against the wall of the tent. Opening the chest, the officer took out a bottle of whiskey. Picking up two mugs that were sitting on the table, he poured a generous amount of whiskey into each. Placing the uncorked bottle on the table, he offered one of the mugs to his scout. Jess gratefully reached for the cup, thanking him, anticipating the soothing relaxation the brown liquid would offer. They sat talking over the current events of the day, enjoying their leisurely drink, and then discussed what they had to look forward to when they were able to get back on the move again.

Jess expressed his thoughts, "I reckon I should scout on past the slide early in the mornin', whether the rocks are cleared er not. Sometime in the day ya oughta be able to git past the slide n' through ta the other side 'n back to open ground. I wanna scout ahead n' report back if we should hold er proceed on through the pass, just in case there's any other setbacks." He also wanted to be sure that the other side of the mountain was as free of inhabitants as the side they were camped along. "We don't wanna be surprised by an ambush while we're in the pass." Peterson had to agree that a peaceful crossing to the fort was his wish as well.

The two men sat talking a little longer until their dinner arrived. It smelled real good to Jess. "Is it because I'm so hungry or did the cook learn something since breakfast?" he wondered to himself. Digging into the food he was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't half bad at all. Finished with their dinner, Peterson offered Jess another cup of coffee or another tip of the bottle. Jess chose the coffee. When he'd finished his coffee, the captain offered him another cup but Jess shook his head declining this time, planning on going out to check on Traveller. Peterson called to his sentry to send someone in to clear the table, that they were done eating. A young soldier appeared, saluted and proceeded to clear the table. Peterson told the young man to have someone bring another cot to his tent that Mr Harper was going to share his tent with him for the night. Jess was pleasantly surprised and expressed his thanks, since he figured he'd be sleeping in his bedroll on the hard ground. A soft cot for the night sounded great. Another young solder with a cot soon appeared at the door. The officer motioned him in, pointing to the wall of the tent where he wanted the cot set up. As the soldier busied himself putting the cot and bedding together the captain invited Jess to take a walk with him around to inspect the camp.

Peterson was impressed with his scout and he could tell that Harper had been well trained to army life in the past. It didn't matter to him which side Jess had fought on. The officer could also see that the dark haired man from Texas was well adjusted and resolved to how the war had ended, even if he'd fought on the other side. Peterson preferred to not really know how Jess felt about the war. That chapter in their lives was over and he didn't want to open any old wounds, so he didn't ask. He didn't want anything to stand between them from respecting each other for the men they were today.

Peterson wanted to keep Jess close by when he was in camp. Harper knew the territory, while Peterson was fairly new to the west. He felt confident asking Jess questions and that he'd get honest answers. Too many people just saw him as an officer and told him what they thought he wanted to hear. This man, Jess, wasn't afraid to give him bad news or suggest changes in his orders. Harper's knowledge of the maps and actual experience in the area made him a valuable member of his party. Peterson was comfortable asking questions about the Indian customs and fighting techniques in the region and was learning more from Jess than he did from the usual military descriptions and opinions. He liked and trusted Jess and he wanted to get to know him better, learning as much as he could from him in the short time they'd be together. The thought crossed his mind to offer Jess a permanent job as a scout, wanting to keep him around to call on his expertise and hopefully they could become good friends. But he also knew he wouldn't be in the position to do that once he reached Fort Laramie.

The camp was immersed in activity. Some tents were still in the process of being erected and there were men busy at campfires preparing their own meals. Due to the absence of the men working to clear the pass, many of the men had to double up on their duties in camp. The smell of fresh coffee hung in the air. Now Jess wished that he hadn't turned down that last cup he was offered, but he reckoned there would probably be more when they finished their walk and returned to the captain's tent. If not, he reckoned he could get a cup from one of the active campfires. He knew that coffee was usually available at all times in a travelling army camp.

It seemed strange to Jess to just be strolling through the busy camp, not being one of the men working earnestly putting things in order. When he was in an army camp before he was always one of the men scrambling to do everything that was expected of him, and more. He knew now what it must be like to be an officer. If he'd liked army life, returning as an officer might not be so bad, but he reckoned there was little chance of him becoming an officer. Besides, he really liked the life and home he'd found for himself at the Sherman Ranch. There was something about taking pride in doing your own work. He smiled to himself, "Yeah, it looks like I've finally put down some roots." If the need to go adrift ever called to him, he knew he'd always have a home and family to return to. He hoped the urge would never come and that little side jobs, like this, would be enough to push that hankering farther and farther from his thoughts.

Their inspection walk ended in front of the captain's tent and Jess followed the officer inside. His cot was made up and on the table was a pot of fresh hot coffee with clean mugs waiting for them. Peterson poured coffee into the two mugs, offering one to Jess. Accepting the cup, Jess sank down on the chair on the opposite side of the table from the officer. Peterson picked up the bottle of whiskey from the table and poured a generous portion into his partially filled cup of coffee.

Jess sipped at his cup as Peterson took a deep drink from his own mug, his mind seeming to be miles away. Like waking from a dream, Peterson glanced at Jess asking, "Oh, I'm sorry, Jess. Would you like a tad of whiskey in your coffee? I'm sorry, my thoughts were someplace else, excuse my inhospitality."

Jess smiled, pushing his mug in the captain's direction across the table. "I know how that is. My thoughts wander from time to time, too. Anything you need to talk about? If it's none of my business, just say so." His coffee was topped off by the young officer then pushed back to him. Taking a sip Jess gratefully smiled and nodded his thanks.

Raising his cup to Jess, Peterson said, "I find it helps me sleep a little better at night." Jess had to agree. "Sometimes I need a little help. I was thinking about our previous scout. When I get to the fort, I'll have to report his demise to his family. At least his children are all grown, but it still won't make it any easier on his widow. Of course, she'll have her children to lean on. And not having his body to deliver to her, well…."

Jess was feeling uncomfortable about the conversation, sorry he'd asked. "I understand. I reckon it's a real tough part of yer job. I hope there won't be any more casualties,." "he said, immediately biting his lip. "I mean, I …"

"I'm sorry, Jess. I didn't intend to get morbid. More whiskey? It's my problem and my duty. I shouldn't have mentioned it. It doesn't excuse my rude behavior." Peterson apologized.

"Forgotten, sir. Sure, another drop or two would be great." As the officer poured a little more whiskey in Jess' coffee, Jess said, "About tomorrow…"

"Ah yes." Peterson interrupted. Turning to his trunk he pulled out some maps, then lit a few more lanterns that hung along the walls of his tent. He gulped down the remaining drink in his cup then poured another cup of coffee, adding some whiskey to the brew once again. Offering Jess more of the same, they sorted through the charts while sipping at their drinks. Choosing one of the maps, he spread it out on the table asking Jess to point out where the opening to the next pass was located. It was already marked plainly on the chart, but the captain wanted to be sure they were both on the same page. After it was confirmed Peterson rolled up his map, picked up the others he'd removed and replaced them all back in the trunk, along with the bottle of whiskey. Picking up the coffee pot, he shook it; it was almost empty. He offered the last of it to Jess, but Jess declined saying that it was getting late and that he should probably think about getting some sleep to get up early in the morning.

"I think I should git an early start, come mornin'. I wanna try ta get all the way through this pass 'n across the open range to the next one. With luck, we might be through both passes tomorrow. Once we're past these mountains, it should be pretty easy goin'." Jess alleged.

"Well, I have to meet with my officers, tonight. You go ahead and get some sleep. I'll go meet with them at their mess tent and be back shortly. I'll try not to wake you when I come back. Have a good sleep, Jess. Good night."

"Thanks, and good night to you, too, sir." Jess responded as Peterson slipped out the flap door of the tent. Getting up from the chair, he walked to the cot, sat down and pulled off his boots to rub his sore feet. Fluffing the pillow, he laid back on the cot, just resting before going out to check on his horse. Being more tired than he'd realized, he slipped off to sleep, forgetting all about making sure that Traveller was settled in and receiving good care for the night.

The next morning Jess woke before the bugle, surprised that he was still dressed. Peterson was soundly sleeping in his cot. He must have thrown a blanket over Jess when he came back to the tent, for which Jess was grateful. Quietly sitting up, he moved carefully to not wake Peterson. After slipping on his boots, he left the tent to walk about in the camp. A few men were awake, huddled against the coolness of the morning drinking coffee, with food cooking on their small cook fires. The soldiers were friendly, greeting Jess, some of them offering for him to sit with them for breakfast or coffee. He was tempted, but politely refused thanking them, continuing on to where he knew his horse had been corralled for the night. Jess was feeling guilty for not looking in on Traveller the night before to make sure that he was okay, settled in and being cared for.

The grass was soaked from the heavy dew of the night before. Turning his collar to the crispness of the air, Jess was grateful that it was dew and not a hard frost greeting him this morning. With luck, the sun would warm their world to allow them to enjoy another good day of travel.

Along the way he passed where a few officers were gathered together talking outside of a larger tent. One of the men waved Jess over asking if he'd eaten yet. Jess replied that he hadn't. They were about to have their breakfast and invited Jess to join them in the officer's mess tent. Jess reluctantly accepted. He really wanted to get started but the smell of coffee brewing all around him convinced him, yeah, he'd better eat before leaving. Jerky on the trail never measured up to a real breakfast, especially when there was fresh coffee. Besides, Daisy had ordered him to not touch the food she'd packed for him until his trip home. Smiling he thought, "And I always do what Daisy tells me to do."

Having a pleasant breakfast, the officers asked Jess questions about what kind of terrain to expect ahead of them, amongst other things. Jess assured them that once they were through the passes, the rest of the trip would be effortless. Travelling in the wide-open range the chances of an ambush were near impossible and the Sioux wouldn't attempt it. In the narrow passes and mountains though, ambush was always a danger, but so far there were no signs of any hostiles in the immediate area.

Jess enjoyed the time he'd spent with the officers. It was a change from just communicating with the captain, different views and ideas. He had a second cup of coffee, staying and relaxing longer than he'd planned. The men had some very interesting ideas and adventures to share. Jess could tell all the officers were intelligent with a lot of practical military knowledge and experience. He no longer held on to any worries about if anything happened between home and Fort Laramie, any of these men were capable to assume leadership. He excused himself that he had to get on his way. The officers wished him luck, thanking him for joining them to answer some of their questions and concerns. Jess thanked them for the good wishes, breakfast and pleasant company. It was just what he needed to get him off to a good start. Shaking his head as he walked away, ''"I wonder if I'm getting' use to this army cookin' er if that cook really has learned somethin' in the last day er so. That was a far better breakfast than the one I had back by the ranch,' he thought.

Traveller must have recognized Jess' walk, lifting his head he turned to run from where he was grazing to the rope fencing to greet Jess. Jess gave him a good petting on both sides of his neck then reached in his pocket pulling out a couple of lumps of sugar. "How ya doin' boy? Sorry I didn't tuck ya in last night. I was kinda tired. Yeah, I know it's no excuse. Am I forgiven?" Jess asked offering the sweet treats to his horse. Traveller took the sugar eagerly, yet gently from Jess' hand, happily crunching on them while nodding his head up and down as he usually did when he was pleased. Once the horse was done with his treat, Jess bridled him, then led him out of the make shift corral. Before saddling up he examined Traveller's feet, but it appeared someone had already cared for any stones that may have been picked up the day before. He'd worried that Traveller might not get the normal care he'd personally tend to him under the attention of one of the soldiers, but it looked to him like whomever was in charge of tending for the horses knew his job. To have all the horses looking as well groomed and cared for as they appeared there had to be at least one soldier who took his job seriously, really concerned about the animals more than for it just being his job.

Jess examined the shoe that had been loose before he'd left the ranch. Finding that it was still tight, he didn't perceive it causing any problems in the days ahead. Knowing that the army was prepared for blacksmithing during their travels, he wouldn't worry about the shoe until his return trip home. He'd be sure things were tight or replaced before he left the fort, if necessary. Walking Traveller to where the tack was stowed, he grabbed his gear and saddled up to leave for his day of scouting.

There were several more active cook fires now as he rode through the camp. The morning bugle must have sounded but he'd been so absorbed in his conversation with the officers he didn't recall hearing it. Riding past many of the small fires some of the soldiers called to him or waved. He returned their greetings with a wave, a nod, a touch of his hat or a smile. Stopping at the captain's tent, Peterson was surprised to see him, thinking that Jess had already left for the day. Having his breakfast, the officer asked Jess if he'd join him. Jess told him he'd eaten already but he'd be grateful for another cup of coffee before he set out on his exploration. Peterson motioned him to come in. A soldier followed Jess into the tent carrying a mug, full set of utensils and a plate. The officer told the private to only leave the cup, that the rest wasn't necessary. The soldier took the utensils and plate leaving the two men alone together. Peterson poured coffee into Jess' mug as the blue-eyed scout sat down. Jess picked up his mug, took a sip, giving Peterson a big smile and nod of thanks. By the look on his face, Jess could tell that the captain was a man who enjoyed his coffee as much as he did.

The two men discussed Jess' plans for the day over their coffee. When they'd finished both men stood up to shake hands, Peterson wishing Jess good luck as he left to start out on his further exploration. The scout thanked the commander as he left the tent, mounted his horse and starting out for his day in the saddle, hoping the captain's wishes for good luck were fruitful.

Chapter 7

Jess met a few soldiers coming out from the entrance who'd been working during the night to clear the way as he started his ride into the pass. When he arrived at the slide he was pleasantly surprised to see how much the men had cleared and levelled the trail so the wagons could progress with ease. They'd be done in no time, he predicted, just a matter of hours. He rode Traveller to the other side of what was left of the slide to the water hole to allow his horse to take a good long drink before they set out on the day's ride. Dismounting, he filled his canteen then tied it back to his saddle. While Traveller continued to drink Jess walked a few feet away to talk with the sergeant, whose clothing showed signs that he'd pitched in on the job at hand. Only a few men remained, rolling rocks to the side of the passage while a few were loading the packhorses with some of the tools they'd used to break up and move the larger boulders. Jess praised them that they'd done an exceptional job, then informed the sergeant that he'd be back shortly to report on the condition of the rest of the pass.

The sergeant advised Jess that if they'd finished before his return, he'd send a man ahead to meet him to save riding all the way back. The soldier could then deliver any messages back to the commander. Jess agreed that it would save them all considerable time to do so, allowing the cavalry to expedite their travel for the day. Traveller finished his drink so Jess mounted up to continued on his way, looking back again, he was amazed at the job the soldiers had done to clear the pass during the night with only torch light. The way was almost cleared wide enough to allow the wagons through. Barring any new roadblocks they should be able to make up some time during the coming day.

Following his own trail from the day before all looked well until he came to a very steep trail going up the side of the mountain off to his left. Mountain lion tracks crisscrossed the tracks Traveller had left on the passage floor the day before, then continued up the side of the mountain on the precipitous path. The tracks were pretty fresh, fresh enough for Jess to cautiously look above and around to make sure the cat was no longer close by. He was unable to follow the trail up the mountain since it was far too steep for his horse to navigate and it would take a very surefooted jump to reach the bluff. It must have been a regular haunt for the cat; it appeared to have been used often from the extent of wear he saw on the vegetation. They were invading the cat's territory and that wasn't a comforting thought. It was very unsettling that the noise from the men working overnight didn't seem to deter the animal from exploring the area.

Jess hoped that the cat was well on his way across the mountain and had found himself a good breakfast so he wouldn't become a vexation to the travelling troops. Turning, he rode back to where the men were still clearing away the remaining rocks, reporting his find to the sergeant. Jess expressed his concern that the prowling cat might find some of the men that remained working as interesting prey. The sergeant shared his apprehension stating his disappointment that he had already sent some of the men back to camp. He could have used a few of them to lookout and stand guard while the others worked. Walking to one of the horses, the soldier pulled a rifle from its sheath as he reassured Jess that they'd be okay, that he'd be on the watch for any signs of the cougar.

Jess turned his horse, returning to where the tracks of the cat disappeared up the side of the summit. Following the tracks to their source he found another leap that the cat must have frequented on his hunt around and through the pass on his hunting forays. He was relieved that once they'd clear the pass they'd be moving away from what was apparently the cougar's prowl.

Continuing on his way, the rest of the excursion through the pass was uneventful. Riding into the clearing, all looked calm, peaceful and quiet. The open field was plenty large enough for an encampment if they ran into any similar problems through the next gap. If the next pass was clear and they increased their speed they could possibly reach the river before dark. If they camped on the riverbank there would only be a short ride to the fort the next morning, possibly arriving in time for the noon meal.

After surveying the open field, Jess turned his horse up the mountain to look for evidence of anyone, especially Indians and the mountain lion, being in the immediate area. Again he came across cougar tracks. These weren't as fresh as those on the trail through the pass, but it appeared the big cat called this whole area his hunting ground. They would have to remain cautious and on the look out for the possibility of a hungry lion for the entire portion of the trail. Not finding any evidence of human presence on the south face of the pass, Jess rode back down the mountain, past the mouth of the gap, then up the north side of the ridge. Short of a few deer trails and some old, scattered deer bones, he found no evidence of any life on that side of the crevice. He figured the scattered bones had once been dinner to the big cat. Not finding tracks of the cougar concerned him a little. It meant the cat was presently still prowling the tract of mountains where he'd discovered the two leaps that allowed the animal to enter and cross the gap where the soldiers would soon be travelling. They'd have to be especially careful when they rode that stretch of the trail. "Damned cat, more unpredictable than a Sioux raiding party." Jess commented to his horse.

Coming off the side of the mountain, Jess loped his horse across the field to the mouth of the next pass. He rode into the yawning gap for a few minutes finding that everything looked acceptable enough for the company to continue onward, at least to the next pass. Backtracking he rode back to tell the sergeant to report to the captain that the first pass was clear, to be wary of the cougar, especially in that section of the trail, and they could proceed on to the next pass. He added that he was going to advance on with scouting the next pass and would meet them in the open field with the results of his inspection, once completed. Since the soldiers were done clearing the way and had finished picking up the tools, the company would be ready to move out as soon as the camp was torn down, packed up and the men ready to ride.

Jess turned Traveller back to the water hole to let him take another drink, figuring the army breaking camp and travelling through the pass would give him plenty of time to explore the next pass and return to warn them of any impending problems. He hoped they wouldn't have to camp in the field and that they could proceed onward through the next pass in one smooth operation.

Leaving the first pass, he rode into the open field once again, loping Traveller northeast toward the entry of the next pass. The second gap would have them through the mountains and on mostly level terrain for the rest of their excursion to the fort. He'd breathe a sigh of relief once he had all the men on the other side of the mountains, away from the pressing danger of ambush. Once past the mountains and in the open range they would be close enough to the fort to be fairly safe from attack by a raiding party. The fort was expecting the company of soldiers, so they'd be vigilant for any Indian movement in the area. Scouts would most likely be patrolling the locality and be aware of where any prospective trouble spots would be expected, reporting back to the fort commander who would be sure to send an escort for the new arrivals if necessary.

As he approached the second pass, Jess decided to examine the mountain on the south side of the gap first. This slope was much steeper than the others he had to contend with on the other side of the field. He doubted that anyone would dare climb this portion of the mountain; it would be suicide. Backtracking, he rode along the base of the mountain looking for a more suitable way to climb the slope. Finding none within a half-mile or so, he reckoned that side of the pass wouldn't cause them any worry. Heading back he re-crossed the opening in the mountain to the northern side. Immediately he found a trail going up the side of the mountain that was adequate for his horse to climb. This pathway looked like it had been used often, but he was unable to make out any definite tracks, appearing that nothing had passed through this way for some time. Continuing along, the tree branches where low, whipping him as he threaded his way along, causing him to have to duck many of them. After following it for some distance, he assumed it had to be some kind of animal trail. Tired of having to ride hunched over to avoid the low hanging branches, he dismounted. On the ground it was easier to examine the trail more closely, as well, but it was like it had been brushed clean. Not a hoof mark nor paw print could be distinguished on the near naked earth. Leading his horse, Jess continued to follow along the trail a little farther. Shortly it became very rocky with little chance of finding any spoor, but he was more than convinced that he wasn't following a human trail. With thoughts of the mountain lion at the other side of the field, he wished he could see some tracks to find out if that cat may have claimed this mountain as his hunting ground as well. No spoor from the cat was good, but no animal tracks was a little unsettling, especially on such a well worn trail. "What do ya, think, Trav? Anything we should worry about?" Jess said, looking into the brush in several directions for any indication that they should continue exploring the area. Finding nothing suspicious to follow he started to drift back toward following the defined trail back down the side of the mountain.

Since it was easier walking than trying to dodge the branches while on horseback, he led Traveller back down the trail. Once back on the flatlands Jess remounted. Following along the edge of the mountain he looked for an appropriate place to ride upward to examine the landscape for other trails or signs of human intrusion.

Riding along the rough foothill Jess found what appeared to be a good place to scale the side of the mountain and started up the slope. Examining the ground he only found a few tracks from deer, but nothing to signify they used the area for frequent travel. After a short time his investigation revealed some old corroded digging tools that looked like they had fallen over after being leaned against a tree. He speculated that they might have been lost or left behind by a miner at some time long ago from the amount of rust they'd accumulated. As he travelled on he came across what appeared to be disturbed ground where someone may have been digging some time ago. It wasn't a fresh dig; wind and moisture had eroded the edges around the rim of the shallow hole. It wouldn't be long before the excavation would be almost unrecognizable as any more than a depression in the soil. Jess wondered if there was any connection between the abandoned tools he'd found and the hole or not. He figured, most likely it was, but it wasn't something relevant to ponder at this point of his journey. It was old and not important to his appointed job of getting the company of men safely to their new post.

Exploring a little farther, Jess was unable to find anything of concern so he expanded his search as he started his decent from the side of the mountain. Once again he found nothing of importance to them that needed further investigation. There were no current signs of humans in the area; no danger of ambush from what he could perceive.

Heading back toward the mouth of the second pass he scared up a family of rabbits that scattered, running in several different directions. The yap of a coyote in the distance caught his attention at the same time. He stopped to look in the direction that the howl had come from, but didn't see anything moving in the high grass. It suddenly occurred him that it was puzzling that in this quiet little patch of open range, sheltered by two mountain ridges, that it didn't hold a visible abundance of wild animals. The rabbits were the first he'd scared up navigating the field. He would have thought the place would be teaming with a variety of different animals that would have been startled by his intrusion. Putting the notion aside, he pushed on.

Jess entered the new pass cautiously, uttering to Traveller, "I wonder what surprises this one will hold for us, ole boy. We found a few surprises we didn't expect in that last one, didn't we." He leaned forward to stroke Traveller's neck. "Sure glad that rockslide happened before we got to it. Bet you are, too. Well, let's hope we don't git any surprises here." Jess professed as he spurred his horse on and further into the fissure.

The horse and rider made their way slowly through the first quarter mile of the pass without discovering upon any hindrances. No human or animal tracks, no rockslides and very few ruts. With this ridge located on higher ground and more likely having better drainage, the passage must have been drier when the last wagon train had travelled through leaving it with a much smoother, less furrowed travelling surface.

"The trail looks good, boy. We might even make up some time by the looks of things." Jess softly shared with his horse, hoping the whole trail through the mountain from grassland to grassland would remain as clear. The creviced walls had far more low areas for animal trails to enter the pass from numerous steep fissures. He came across some deer tracks that crossed from one side to the other where the mountainside took a drastic dip. Crossing diagonally they disappeared next to a steep bluff, reappearing on the landing, then disappearing into the thick brush to continue up the side of the mountain.

Trees were close to the floor of the pass where the sides plunged greatly unlike the high solid rock sides of the first pass, mostly deformed and misshapen. Small deceptive trails were seen along some of the deteriorating wall. If they weren't so badly eroded and filled with loose rocks, they could have easily been mistaken for trails. Only small animals could attempt to use the convenient clearings. A heavier animal wouldn't be able to keep their footing on the slippery, unsettled rocks. During the spring thaw or a heavy rain they'd probably run like small water falls with the drainage from the mountain, keeping the vegetation from taking a hold in their path and not allowing the rocks and stones to take a strong grip.

The walls in this pass looked far weaker than the walls of the last. Signs of time and weather erosion were everywhere. Tree roots protruded from the walls high above Jess' head. Rather than roosting in a treetop, Jess saw some birds resting on a dried root, ignoring the cover of leaves in the same tree high above. He found himself pondering why the more sturdy appearing pass had the rockslide, while this weathered, crumbling gap appeared to be holding together well with all its weaknesses.

Jess reckoned he might see more wildlife and spoor along this part of the trail. With the smoother ground, tracks would be much easier to read. Above he heard the screech of an eagle. Looking up he saw a bald eagle perched high on the branch of a dead tree that flanked the bluff holding one of the deer leaps. The eagle watched his passing with interest, turning around on his perch to get a better view as the horse and rider made their way east.

Ahead Jess could see a dead tree, where the soil had eroded allowing it to fall into the pass from above, blocking the way. He could easily ride around it, but it would have to be moved when the wagons reached this point. It wasn't a real problem needing to be reported. The tree could be moved quickly and easily when the army came upon it. A few men could move the trunk and broken branches aside to allow the wagons to pass. Axes would make quick work of any wood that continued to block their way. Luckily the tree chose a wider spot on the trail to fall. If it had only been the mounted soldiers the fallen tree wouldn't have caused any impediment what so ever.

What Jess didn't realize was that unseen eyes were following his progress shortly before he met up with the fallen tree. His pursuer continued to follow him for a ways then took the initiative to travel ahead of the lone rider, looking for an appropriate place to ambush.

Things ahead looked clear to Jess, pleasing him to think they might make up some travel time. He continued on his way until Traveller came to a sudden stop, startling Jess. Trying to urge Traveller on was to no avail. Then he heard it.

Chapter 8

The blood-curding scream of the cougar was loud and close above his head. Jess quickly looked up to see the huge cat on an overhang preparing to launch himself on the horse and rider. Pulling his gun in a flash, he fired hitting the cat in mid flight. The cat fell heavily to the ground in front of Traveller. The frightened horse shied with a tiny rear as he started to turn away, but Jess regained control almost immediately. Trying to calm his horse he backed him away from the dead animal. When they were a comfortable distance away, he dismounted to try and calm both their nerves. Taking off his hat he wiped the sweat that had quickly appeared at the scream of the cat, from his brow. "That was a close one, Trav. Thanks for the warning. He's dead, boy. It's okay. Take it easy. We're both fine." Jess said to his horse, so happy with the way their teamwork worked in this potentially lethal situation, not knowing whose nerves were more strained. Again he petted his horse's neck trying to reassure him that everything was all right.

He was sure the cat was dead, but closer scrutiny revealed that the fallen lion was still breathing very shallowly; suddenly one foot flinched. Again Jess pulled his revolver firing a bullet into the great cat's head, to be sure he was dead and to end any suffering the animal might have been experiencing.

He would have moved the cat to the side of the pass but Traveller wanted no part of being anywhere near the lion. Jess feared if he'd ground tied his horse to drag the cat aside; Traveller might panic, leaving him afoot. It was best to lead Traveller carefully past the body leaving it to the army to move the body aside or bury it when they reached the corpse.

"It's okay boy. I sure hope that's the cat from the other side. It looks like he had himself quite a huntin' ground out here." Jess continued to stroke his horse's neck until the Traveller's eyes were no longer bulging with fear. "I sure hope there ain't a missus lion around these parts. Maybe we're not outta the woods yet. How about it, boy? Ya think we kin git movin' again? Huh? You okay, now?" The dark haired scout shifted the forelock on his horse to one side with his shaking hand knowing they were both still on edge.

Sure that his horse was as calm as he was going to be near the dead cat, Jess remounted and tried to spur Traveller past the carcass. Traveller trusted Jess, but very cautiously responded to his master's command, as he tip toed past the lion, never taking his again bulging eyes off the dead animal. Once past the lion Traveller turned to face the cat, Jess allowing him to reassure himself that the cat was no longer a threat. Once satisfied, Traveller snorted at the dead animal then turned in the direction Jess was reining him and they continued on with their reconnaissance.

Other than a flock of birds flying high overhead, Jess saw no signs of any kind of active life through the remainder of the pass. A long deserted den was tucked away in an indentation of the rocks. It held no threat, possibly left by wolves a season or longer ago. Ahead he could finally see the opening of the pass and the lush green field, beyond.

Riding into the open country, a long sigh of relief escaped his lips as he turned to look back over his shoulder into the narrow gulch. From here he should be able to travel with the cavalry until they approached the river. When they got close to the river he'd have to scout ahead for any Indian encampments along the waterway. It was always wise to avoid any contact, if at all possible. There was plenty of river and open camping ground along the riverbank. There was no need to cause any form of confrontation, no matter how friendly the Indians they'd meet might be, misunderstandings were to be avoided.

Looking northeast over the open land and mildly rolling hills, not a sign of a campfire or smoke could be seen. He surveyed the whole vast open expanse of grassland before him. There wasn't a sign of movement, other than a small herd of mustangs close to the edge of the mountain range to the south. They were far enough away that they didn't notice him, so they continued grazing.

As before, he explored the mountains on both sides of the pass. Finding nothing but a few deer trails, coyote tracks and old mountain lion spoor, Jess was relieved that it appeared that there were no signs of human intrusion in the area, at least not near the pass. Since it was used regularly for wagon train travel, he didn't really expect to find much activity in the area. If a raiding party planned to raid a train, they wouldn't be foolish enough to camp directly in the area for fear of discovery by the train scout. They'd observe from farther down the mountain range as the wagons passed through the open flats then close in from there, depending on the size of the train and the size of their band of warriors. Ambush of the wagons was more common on the open range where the slow moving wagons had little chance of taking cover against well hidden Indians surprising them from the mountains. The open grassland here was well protected by the soldiers from Fort Laramie. When passage was necessary, the fort sent out scouts ahead of the wagons to ensure their safe travel through the field and passages. Jess wouldn't have been surprised to meet a scout from the fort in his explorations since they were expecting the new command's arrival. It puzzled him a little that he hadn't. There wasn't a sign of a humans passing by in the area for a long time, probably not since the last wagon train travelled through the passes.

With his initial exploration completed, Jess rode down from the side of the mountain, heading back toward the pass to report his findings to Peterson that the second pass was fundamentally clear and that the land on the other side looked like they could move out at a good pace, gaining both time and ground. At the rate they were moving now, he figured they could make it to the river well before nightfall. Even stopping along the way to eat shouldn't create any snags in reaching that goal. According to both the captain's maps and to Jess' recollection, there was supposed to be a water hole between the pass and the river. Jess predicted that it was probably about a three-hour ride from where they'd emerge from the gap. A cook camp could be set up and disassembled quickly so they could continue on their way. He'd recommend that the branches from that fallen tree would be handy for building the cook fires since wood on the rangeland would be scarce. The supply wagons were empty enough now to accommodate bringing along some logs for this purpose. The timber and kindling from the dead, dry tree would burn easily with little smoke to give away their position.

When they reached the river, they could follow it until they were forced to make camp due to darkness; that is, unless they ran into an Indian encampment. But that was his job, to discern such difficulties. If there were any Indians camped in the region and he located them soon enough, he would detour the men around them without notice. Once redirected and out of sight they would then continue on back toward the river, hopefully before dark. Even if tribes found along this portion of the river would most likely be friendly, it was best not to risk their disposition. It was understood that it was best to avoid all contact that could possibly instigate conflict.

The ride back to report to Peterson was blissfully monotonous, except for the cautious sidestepping Traveller insisted on when passing the dead mountain lion. Stroking his neck and reassuring him as they passed the dead animal, Jess once again could see the bulging eyes and feel the stiff tension and quivering muscles of his terrified horse beneath him. He'd have to be sure to ride behind other riders when they approached this part of the trail, letting others remove the body while keeping his horse as far from the carcass as he could to avoid any further stress. He hoped in the company of other horses Traveller might gain some confidence when he caught the smell of the dead lion.

Jess wondered if his horse had encountered a big cat before he'd bought him since he'd never encountered one while he was with Traveller. His horse was usually fearless. He'd expect him to be wary if he'd smelled a lion, but he felt his faithful horse was overreacting to the dead animal. Looking back on his own hard life though, he knew how long it took for old scars to heal. Traveller may have had a traumatic encounter earlier in his life with one such cat, leaving an indelible impression. Jess wished his companion could talk, to tell him why he was so terrified of the dead lion.

Loping across the open field, Jess re-entered the first pass. Reaching about half way into the high-sided trail, Jess was pleased to see dust stirring ahead and to hear the sound of wagon wheels echoing off the canyon walls as they rolled in his direction. He reckoned the men were well on their way and would soon meet up with him. Approaching the water hole he dismounted, allowing Traveller drink. He figured he'd wait for the cavalry to catch up with him there at the pool, reporting then what they were facing ahead of them. They'd all have to stop to water their horses anyway, since it would be a good distance before they reached the next water hole where they could break to feed themselves while resting and watering their horses again.

Jess was happy when the captain and some of his men rounded the bend. They were making better time than he'd expected. Leaving Traveller to drink, he walked to meet Captain Peterson, telling him about the two minor obstacles in the next pass and that the way to the river looked clear. The captain smiled, showing his pleasure at the good news as he saluted Jess. Uncomfortably, Jess returned the salute as he turned to walk back to his horse. Traveller was pawing the ground, a good indication that he'd had enough.

Captain Peterson turned to his men, ordering them to allow their horses to drink their fill and for them to top off their canteens. They wouldn't be able to count on how much or the quality of the water in the hole on the way to the river. The dry weather may have shrunk the size of the pond and they might need it all for their horses. The spring fed water hole was perfectly placed for passing wagon trains with quantity and quality. When the army wagons arrived they'd have to fill the water barrels to be sure they'd have enough water for the journey to the river just in case the water hole was dry. Once they reached the river, they wouldn't have to worry about water for the rest of their journey to the fort.

Jess told the captain that he'd meet them when they reached the clearing. In the meantime he was going to make sure that things still looked good at the other end of the pass. Warning the officer that just because he'd killed a mountain lion, it didn't mean it was the same cat that had left it's tracks in this pass. They'd all have to remain cautious for the rest of the ride since they were well into lion country. Unlike wolves, Jess reminded him, they didn't live in packs, but it wasn't unheard of for them to overlap their territory with other lions. With a sly grin, Jess remarked to Peterson, "I reckoned that's how little lions come about." drawing a smile from the young officer.

Jess climbed back into the saddle to ride away from where the men were assembling to water their horses. He could hear the wagons that were following the mounted men getting much closer to the bend in the trail, just beyond the spring fed pool. Knowing they'd be ready to move on quickly after all the horses were watered and the barrels filled, he wanted to head out for enough time to scrutinize the clearing a little more. If he spotted a deer, they'd have fresh venison for the afternoon meal. At least he and the officers could.

Riding out into the open land once again, Jess looked for any signs of movement, particularly human movement. Above, a hawk caught his eye as it floated on the updrafts, circling the field searching for a quick meal. An open field so well sheltered should be a good hunting ground for the hawk, he thought. A lot of small game should flourish in such a lush field. Not having fully explored the open grassland before, being more focused on the surrounding mountains, he realized the level plain was far larger than he'd realized. It extended between the mountains far to the north, winding along with the whim of the mountains as far as he could see. He realized that another pass might be somewhere along the mountain range opening into the field, but the one he'd explored was heading northeast toward their destination and was familiar to him from previous travels. Knowing from his earlier exploration of the day, it was clear, so it didn't make sense to look for an alternative route. He made note of it though, thinking that maybe on the way home he'd do a little investigating. It could be useful in future trips.

Surveying the grasslands before him, Jess dismounted getting Traveller's halter out from the saddlebags. He took off the bridle, placed the halter on the horse's head then walked him out into the field to allow him to graze while they waited for the army to emerge from the pass. He loosened the saddle then stroked the sturdy bay's neck and shoulder as he watched him graze on the succulent grass. Removing his rifle from its place on the saddle, he surveyed the mountain range around him while Traveller continued to graze.

The sky was still bright blue, but the valley was feeling cooler than the past few days. He wondered if it was the higher elevation or if the warm spell was passing. He hoped for the former, but feared it could be the latter. At least their journey was about half over, and on the way home he would make better time riding alone. If they made the fort early enough, he could leave that same day and maybe even make it to the first pass before nightfall. At the least he'd make it back to the water hole to camp out. Maybe the water hole was not the best place to bed down alone, but he'd worry about that later, or spend the night at the fort after all.

As much as he was enjoying his outing, he was looking forward to returning home. Some of Daisy's hot apple pie sure would be welcome right about now along with a nice hot cup of coffee, he contemplated. The officer's cook was a meat and potato man, never presenting anything more than the essentials to keep the army moving. If they'd had any sweet rations when they left Denver they must have used them up on their travels, keeping what sugar that was left to sweeten their coffee.

To the west, Jess heard thunder in the distance. At times that was a welcome sound, but right now he hoped it would stay far away. They surely didn't need rain. It might be warm now, but rain would cool things, and getting wet would make for a colder, slower, miserable ride. With luck it would move north or south of them and they would stay dry.

Soon he heard the horses and saw the dust they were raising as the army was approaching the mouth of pass. Tightening the saddle then removing the halter from Traveller, he replaced it with the bridle once again and stood stroking his horse until he saw the first men emerging from the opening. Mounting up he rode to meet them as they gathered at the mouth of the pass waiting for the wagons to reach the clearing.

Assembled, the band of men rode on together in a double column with the wagons bringing up the rear, heading toward the mouth of the second pass. Jess rode beside Peterson telling him about the mountain lion and that he wanted to be sure he was distanced away from the animal when he passed through that part of the trail. Peterson replied, "I totally understand, Jess. I'll send some men ahead to dispose of the carcass when we get closer. I've known of other horses that reacted in much the same way to big cats, live or dead. Some that panicked over snakes, as well. It seems that some are so sensitive, while others, it amazes me, wouldn't be phased by an elephant crossing their path."

"I just don't understand Traveller's reaction to the dead cat, though. I'm glad he warned me in time when that cat was overhead. It musta put a real bad scare in 'im, I know it sure made my heart stop for second er two. I reckon he mighta had a bad scare in his life that I don't know about. He's a mite skittish around snakes, too. I've had him spook at a stepped on branch that he musta thought was a snake, a time or two. Must be that Texas upbringin.' He smiled, "we kinda learn to be cautious." Stroking his horse's neck in appreciation, "Don't we boy?" he directed to his horse.

If nothing else, Jess learned from the experience that if there were a mountain lion in the vicinity, Traveller would warn him well enough in advance to be prepared to take appropriate action. 'After all these years, there were always new things you could learn about your friends, even those you thought you knew so well,' Jess mused.

Chapter 9

The field was suddenly abundant with rabbits scattering in all directions, as the army horses disturbed the high grass, putting many of them on the run. Jess pondered where they'd all come from, since his earlier ride through this same field a short time ago he saw very little wildlife. Were the animals aware that the big predator was no longer on the prowl and they were no longer afraid to show themselves now, he wondered. If it wouldn't draw attention to them there could have been rabbit stew on tonight's menu, but the number of animals that they'd have to shoot would create a lot of gunfire, giving away their location if there were any hostiles in the area. In this location, between the two mountain ranges, they were still in a far too dangerous position to be discovered. The rabbits were lucky; they'd live another day. The coyotes, though, had their own ideas regarding the rabbit's survival. In the distance a coyote could be seen jumping over the tall grass to pounce upon his prey. Some of the men watched him with amusement. Eventually the coyote must have been successful on one of his leaps, since they could no longer see the graceful ballet being performed. The grass was seen parting, as the animal headed toward the foothills. The coyote was probably taking his dinner to share with his family or to hide somewhere so he wouldn't have to have to share his meal with any other predators.

One sign that Jess found disturbing while observing the materializing wildlife was that the songbirds were flying very low. Low flying birds usually meant rain was on its way. After hearing distant thunder to the west of them earlier, he hoped it would go around and spare them.

Crossing the wide field the riders picked up their pace to a slow, easy and steady trot. It was smooth travelling on this virtually level ground and even the wagons were keeping up without any difficulty. As they approached the mouth of the second pass, the captain sent some men ahead to bury the deceased cat. Jess was hopeful that burying the lion would be more than enough to calm his horse as they passed through that portion of the trail. Peterson also instructed the men to move the fallen tree so the wagons would be able to pass. As the chosen men went on ahead, the commander slowed the rest of his caravan to a walk to give the workers time to remove the obstructions.

When they reached the tree, the other soldiers stopped to help load the wagons with some of the dry branches that the workers had cut away from the trunk of the fallen tree to provide for the afternoon cook fires. The trunk of the tree had been pushed to the side of the trail with most of the branches removed, so it was no longer obstructing the way for the wagons to proceed. Once loaded, the wagons and riders continued on their way through the passage.

The cougar was buried before they reached that part of the trail. Jess was a bit nervous as they approached the spot where he'd left the dead lion, not knowing what to expect from Traveller. He could feel a slight tension in his horse, but nothing alarming as they passed the mound of dirt where the dead animal had been interred. Either the smell of the dead cat was no longer a threat to Traveller or not seeing the animal gave him more confidence. A few other horses showed signs of agitation as they passed the grave, while others showed no signs of distress at all.

Finally they emerged from the east end of the pass into a vastly open, almost treeless field. Other than the mountains to their rear and south, the field was a sea of green for as far as the eye could see. The ride to the river would be clear sailing once they were away from any remaining dangers that the mountains might still conceal.

Jess scanned the ridge for any signs of scouting Indians and was happy to report that there was no indication of any humans, favorable or inhospitable, observing them. Perhaps the various tribes in the area had already travelled to their winter campgrounds.

Glancing at the land reaching out around them Jess caught a glimpse of the mustangs ahead of them. "Look, sir," he said, pointing toward the small herd. "They're probably headin' for the water hole or maybe goin' to the river. If we keep watch on um from a distance they might warn us of anything wrong ahead. They'll spot trouble long before we will. We'll have to stay back far enough to not spook um. If we kin keep pace with um, staying down wind, they'll warn us if anything's goin' on up ahead." Jess was well aware that the horses had a heightened awareness of their surroundings with an enhanced sense of hearing and smell giving them a powerful advantage over the men.

Another coyote was hunting in the field. "Hey look, Jess," Peterson pointed out the animal as it almost floated in mid air before disappearing in the tall grass once again. It was hard to tell if it was just one coyote springing often or if it was a family on the hunt jumping at different times. They would leap up here and there looking rather like popcorn in a popper over an open fire. "I can't tell if there's only one or ten." Peterson smiled at Jess, enjoying the entertainingly natural performance he was observing.

The field probably had an abundance of game like the hidden field on the other side of the pass given the coyote activity, but once again the men refrained from hunting any game for fear of exposing their position. If a herd of deer were spotted though, Captain Peterson was prepared to allow some of his sharpshooters to take down a few to augment their rations. The men would enjoy a good meal of fresh meat. A few rapid shots would echo off the mountains and not give a fixed location on them, where if they'd hunted rabbits, several shots over a period of time would have been easier to hone in on exposing them to discovery.

Ahead Jess spotted some large birds circling in the clouding sky. From the distance it was hard to tell if they were a family of hawks on the hunt or buzzards congregating, waiting for their turn at a meal. "Looks like I better ride over n' see what's goin' on." Jess mentioned to Peterson, motioning in the direction of where the birds were gathering. "I think they're buzzards, we might want to know what it's all about. I'll go check on it while you keep the men headin' northeast. Be sure to keep a good distance back from them mustangs and watch for signs of um gettin' excited about anything." Jess instructed as he set out in the direction of the birds, keeping a wide birth to the mustangs so he wouldn't spook them himself, as he left the caravan.

The army continued on in the northeast direction while Jess loped Traveller easterly toward the assembling birds. As he approached them he could see and hear they were buzzards. Not a good sign, he thought, as he continued to ride in their direction to see what they were scoping. He hoped it would be an animal and not a human.

As he got closer, he slowed his horse to a walk at the sound of growling and snapping jaws. Moving toward the sound he soon saw that it was a pack of wolves tearing at the carcass of a deer. The wolves lifted their heads acknowledging his presence, but his distance didn't deter them from continuing to devour their meal hungrily. They had no intentions of sharing their meal, determined to gorge themselves before allowing the buzzards to pick the bones clean.

Jess sat still on Traveller quietly watching the magnificent animals and they in turn continued to keep an eye him as they feasted. He'd always had a certain admiration for wolves even with the bad reputation they held with most ranchers. Somewhere deep down within him he felt an affinity for them. After getting to know the wolf that Andy had taken in and raised up as an orphan a few years ago, he found a deep respect and stronger feeling of kinship with the majestic animals. They were more compassionate than many men he'd known in his past. He reckoned he knew more than most, earned or not, how hard a bad reputation was to shed.

An occasional brave vulture would land near the kill, but one of the wolves was always sure that the bird didn't get an early chance at the meal, chasing them off. Guarding their deer jealously, the buzzards would have to wait until the wolves no longer had the need to fill their bellies. Jess knew that if the wolves had young ones, they would drag what meat they could back to their den. Nothing went to waste with a hungry pack, bones, hair and sinew would all be devoured, the birds would be lucky to be left any scraps.

After watching the drama before him longer than he'd planned, Jess turned to ride back to report his observations to the captain. With interest Peterson and the other officers listened to what he'd witnessed, grateful that it wasn't necessary that they'd have to make any changes in their journey. Jess could sense some disgust by some of the men for his appreciation of the wolf pack. He was certain that if one of them had been along, there would have been some dead wolves left behind. It was an old and set hatred in many men who really didn't understand them like Jess did. Rather than get into a discussion that would lead to an argument, Jess changed the subject, bringing up the multitude of game that they'd encountered since reaching the flatlands.

Knowing that the grassland was full of game, they were in agreement that it was a shame they couldn't take advantage of hunting it. Accepting that it was better to be safe than sorry and not bring an Indian raiding party down upon them for a few meager rabbits in a stew pot. In the open field as they were, the chances of being raided by a small party was minute. Their only fear now was if there were a substantial number of hostile Indians in the region, large enough to take advantage of the soldiers having no cover if vastly outnumbered. Luckily, their location this close to the fort made the chances of being raided a very remote possibility. A large hostile party wouldn't chance approaching this closely to a fully armed bastion. Only small bands might ride well hidden in the sparse brush cover of the mountainous range.

If anyone appeared from the north, the mustangs would be the first to alert the band of soldiers of possible danger. Keeping an eye on the mountains behind and to the south of them was essential until they were far enough away for rifles to no longer to be effectively fired from the cover of the prominence scrub and bushes.

The mustangs appeared to be continuing to wander in the direction of the water hole almost due northeast, in the same direction the men were headed. The caravan followed the horses keeping a safe distance away so they wouldn't alarm them. If the wild horses stopped at the pool and didn't move on before they became aware of the army, the animals would move on once they felt their safety was compromised by the approaching men on horseback. The direction the mustangs would travel when they left was unpredictable. Jess didn't think they would head for the river if the water hole had sufficient water to appease their thirst. If the pond was dried up though, they might continue to have the mustang's company all the way to the river as long as they didn't find the men following after them as a threat. It was like having a well trained scouting party ahead of them who would give them ample warning of something amiss.

As they drifted farther from the mountains, Jess thought he heard the rumble of thunder again. Captain Peterson heard it this time too, and expressed his concern for them to remain dry for the rest of their journey. Jess had to agree, also thinking about his own return home. After he had the men warm, dry and safe at the fort, Jess still had the weather to contend with on his way back to the ranch. He was glad he had his slicker so he'd stay fairly dry and knew the cavalry was also equipped to continue riding in the rain, no matter how uncomfortable that might be. He'd also packed his chaps. If they did get caught in the rain, he hoped that it would be light enough that it wouldn't penetrate the leather of his chaps and soak into his clothing. None of them wanted to think about or consider the possibility of a soaking rain. This time of year, rain usually brought colder temperatures. Getting soaked and catching a chill was not a comforting thought.

It was afternoon when they arrived at the water hole. Captain Peterson ordered his men to assemble a temporary camp for their meal. Some men gathered at the wagons to remove the logs they'd stowed to build the cook fires while others took over tending to the horses to allow them to drink and graze during the bivouac. One young soldier approached Peterson and Jess to take their horses. "Thanks, private, but I reckon I'll tend to my own horse this time. But thanks anyway, I really appreciate the care you've given him. I hope you don't mind Captain, I just kinda wanna stretch my legs out there in the field n' I kin check out my horse n' gear while I do it."

"That's fine with me, Jess. I want to stretch my legs, too, but I'll do it by checking on my men. Will you join us for the meal, though?"

"I wouldn't miss it, sir." Jess said with a smile. "I'm really not avoiding anyone, I'm just kinda, well, funny, about my horse. He's kept me outta a lot of jams n' I figure I owe him."

"I'll talk with you then, shortly. I'll have my other officers join us."

"Thank you, sir." Jess said as he led his horse away.

First Jess unsaddled and haltered Traveller, leaving his equipment lying in the field. He then walked his horse to the water hole allowing him to take a long, deep drink. When Traveller demonstrated that he was through drinking, Jess led him away from the other horses. Stopping to remove some grooming tools from his saddlebags, he walked Traveller to a lush, green patch of mixed prairie grasses. While the horse grazed, Jess checked his hooves, removing a few stones that they'd picked up in their earlier travels that day. When he'd finished examining Traveller's feet and checking the tightness of his shoes, he proceeded to give Traveller a good, soothing brushing. This down time together was relaxing for both Jess and his horse, something they both needed while he waiting for his meal to be prepared. It seemed like it had been a long time since Jess was able to spend some leisurely time just spoiling the horse he considered his friend. The long days ride was work, for both of them. This was pleasurable, mind soothing time for them that few humans could ever fathom.

Away from the clatter of the camp Jess could hear thunder, again. This time it sounded much closer and in long rolling rumbles. A frown creasing his forehead, the young scout looked at the sky to their west. The sky was still blue, but it had a strange yellowish, sulfurish tint mixed with the natural color visible just over the ridge. Not something startlingly visible or ominous, but it didn't look quite right. It was making the short hairs on the back of Jess' neck stand on end. He knew something was wrong, but couldn't quite put his finger on it but the color was quite telling. "Hear that, Trav? It sounds like it's gittin' closer. You think it's cause we're clear of the mountains 'n it just sounds louder, or it 's really comin' this way? Sure wish you could tell me what ya think. I'm sure yer senses are better than mine. I sure don't like the color thar sky's aturnin'. I wonder what it looks like on the other side of the mountains." Suddenly the sky lit up over the mountains. Lightening was on the horizon and rain was just on the other side of the mountains. It looked like they weren't going to be able to avoid getting wet after all.

While his horse continued to graze, Jess went back to his saddle pulling out his chaps from amongst his gear. It was cool enough that the chaps wouldn't be an uncomfortable burden and he'd be partially prepared when the rain found them. As he strapped them in place, the fragrance of coffee floated heavily in the air as well as the aromas of the assorted foods that were in various stages of preparation over the cook fires. Jess gave Traveller a good pat and stroked his neck a few times while digging out a lump of sugar from his pocket. Traveller always seemed to know when a treat was coming and was already anticipating it, licking his lips before the sugar was out of Jess' pocket. He gently took the lump from his master's hand using only his lips. Savoring it, he then nicked and nodded his head in thanks. Jess smiled with his own pleasure, giving his friend another petting, then turned to walk back to the camp.

Searching over the many fires, Jess finally caught a glimpse of the captain and his officers gathered together preparing to be served their meal. Walking past a fire he grabbed a mug, filled it with some coffee from the pot that was hanging over the fire, then approached the officers. More lightening lit the western sky, followed by a clap of thunder, no longer just a rumbling.

Captain Peterson had already apprised his officers of Jess' encounter with the wolves. They further discussed the wisdom of taking some deer should they find a herd. They agreed that a few shots at once wouldn't give away their position, especially with the echoing from the mountains. Any one at a distance wouldn't be sure of the direction the gunfire came from as long as no other shots were fired afterwards. Venison at the evening meal would be welcomed and enjoyed by all the men. Once again the sky lit up over the mountains, and a loud burst of thunder halted the men's casual conversation.

"I don't think we're going to miss out on that cloudburst." Jess exclaimed to the officers, nodding in the direction of the darkening sky. Peterson commented that they better not dawdle and get themselves moving as soon as possible.

After they finished eating, the camp was rapidly dismantled. Jess fetched and re-saddled Traveller while the camp was packed back into the wagons and the men prepared their mounts to continue on toward the river. The thunder was getting audibly closer. The rain was obviously just on the other side of the mountains, moving in their direction very slowly. There was virtually no wind perceptive to Jess indicating to him why the rain wasn't advancing rapidly upon them. Dark clouds were rolling in and the sky above the mountains had changed to a disturbing shade of dark grey, the yellow tint he'd observed earlier was no longer visible. Now when the sky lit up from the lightening, it wasn't just a flash on the other side of the mountains any longer. Now they could see the actual bolts streaking down from the sky hitting the mountain with all their fury. Each strike was followed by a shatteringly loud crash of thunder. Up the side of the summit, near the top, they could see the mistiness of the wall of rain as it started to descend down the mountain to the grasslands below.

Jess knew now that they would have to grapple with rain before they reached the river. And he was right. None of them knew the amount of water, discomfort and danger they would encounter with the coming storm.

Chapter 10

They hadn't been on the move for long when they felt the first huge drops. The rumble of thunder was no longer in the distance it was now nearly overhead. The storm had reached and encompassed the mountains. Flashes of lightening could be seen along the rim of the ridge while some bolts were now striking the lowlands. Suddenly a bolt of lightening struck a tree on the mountain just north of them immediately followed by a frightening, echoing crash of thunder. A small fire ensued sending up a tower of smoke into the sky to meet the low hanging dark clouds. Hopefully, the rain would put the wildfire out. As dry as it had been, a fire would spread quickly through the mountain brush and down into the flat grasslands, unless the rain could overcome its spreading. A drenching rain could eliminate that danger, but the discomfort that would result to the travellers by a heavy rain would definitely not be welcome by any of them, including their horses.

Rather than waiting to be soaked the men stopped their horses, pulled out their slickers and put them on. Not only was it becoming a steady rain, it was also starting to get noticeably colder as well, as the temperature dropped with the slow moving front. The wind still hadn't picked up very much so the storm wasn't going to move through quickly. The men were resigned to the fact that they were going to get cold and wet before they set up camp along the river for the night.

It seemed like a much longer ride than they'd expected, probably due to their discomfort, but finally off in the far distance the river was starting to come into view. It was barely discernable through the deluge only the green of the grass disappearing in the distance gave them any indication that the river was within sight. Jess conferred with the captain as best he could, trying to be heard over the combination of loud thunder and torrential rain. It was decided that he should set out to see the status of the river and to scout where an encampment would be appropriate. The rain would settle them earlier than they'd originally intended, unless it passed over them quickly, but that didn't look very likely. Jess planned on them riding along the riverbank until dark, but the rainstorm was quickly changing those plans.

The sky overhead continued to get darker and blacker. Lightening flashes were almost immediately followed by the loud, booming crash of thunder causing many of the horses to become skittish. Riding in such open range was dangerous during a thunderstorm.

Another tree was hit by a flashing streak from the sky, this time on the flatlands not far from where Jess rode. The rain extinguished the fire before it had opportunity to take hold, but the incident made it very real how dangerous it was to be in the open during the storm. Jess hoped that if he was going to fry, it would be swift and he wouldn't know what hit him as he watched thunderbolts strike the ground much too close for comfort.

The winds finally arrived, causing the rain to become cold, whipping pellets against the skin. Jess was grateful that the stinging torrent was to his back, only feeling its force when turning to look when a lightening strike startled him into looking in that direction. As the afternoon continued so did the storm. It became dense enough that he could no longer distinguish where the riverbank was; both the water and land appeared to have become the same color, grey. He knew he was headed in the direction of the river and prayed that no Indian camps would suddenly appear before him in the downpour. Every time the rain would lighten up a little, it would then make up the volume with another blinding deluge.

Jess finally reached the river finding that he was alone. Not discovering another human in sight caused him to breathe a sigh of relief. At least they didn't have to worry about finding another campsite. It looked clear as far as he could see, but that wasn't far due to the blinding rain. Rather than waking up to a surprise in the morning he decided to follow the river both east and west to make sure there were no Indian camps in the immediate area. Pulling his hat down to shelter his face from the force of the driving rain, he headed westward along the river first. He tried to take advantage of the lightening making the world brighter for those short few seconds to see ahead of him. Travelling on for about half a mile, Jess found that he was very much alone along this portion of the riverbank. Turning eastward, Jess and Traveller rode along the river past where he originally arrived and continued on for another half mile, passing the stone directional wagon train marker. Satisfied that the army could safely set up a camp along the river he rode back southerly, to report to Captain Peterson that it looked clear and that they could camp safely along the river, well as safely as the weather would allow.

While Jess was gone, the equipment wagon was struck by lightening. The driver and horses were lucky, but the wagon had caught fire and was totally destroyed by the fire that resulted, loosing almost everything that had been in the wagon. By the time Jess had returned several soldiers were sifting through the ashes trying to salvage anything they could find of some use and throwing it in the remaining wagon. The men would have to double up in the remaining tents and some would have to share some of their sleeping gear. Pots and pans as well as tin eating utensils were salvaged. Luckily no food was lost since it was all stored in the existing wagon. They might not sleep in comfort, but at least they'd be able to eat. Hot food and coffee might be another matter if they were unable to keep even a small cook fire going. The rain was constant and heavy enough to not allow any fires started by lightening to take hold and spread. Stoking a small cook fire would be a worthy challenge, especially since any firewood they had was burnt up in the destroyed wagon. Any wood they would find along the way or along the river would be far to wet to expect it to burn effectively.

After finding anything useful in the dead embers, the army continued onward to the river. Captain Peterson was relieved that they would soon be setting up camp where they would all have a chance to shed some of their water soaked clothing, even if the dampness wouldn't let their clothing or the men dry out suitably.

The army pushed on until they reached the river, then rode east along the bank until they found an appropriate stand of land level enough to set up their camp for the night. Most of the soldiers quickly began by setting up shelters first. Jess helped some of the men stake ropes to corral the horses for the night. By the time the temporary corral was completed and he finished tending to Traveller, he noted that the Captain's tent was finished being erected. Jess reckoned that food would be served shortly. Hoping that hot coffee would be on the menu, he started walking through the matted down, wet grass toward the officer's tent.

The lightening was more to the east of them now, posing less of a danger of them being hit by another strike, but the thunder continued to make it difficult to communicate at times. The wind had subsided some. It was more in gusts than the constant pounding they experienced earlier in the day.

When he reached the captain's tent the flap was down, keeping the wind and rain out. Before he entered, Jess took off his drenched hat and shook it out before lifting the flap to greet Captain Peterson. He noted that a coffee pot was already waiting on the table, bringing a smile to his face. Peterson had already started sipping on either the coffee or some whiskey or both, since the whiskey bottle was sitting on the table as well. The officer had his back to the opening when Jess entered, causing him to quickly turn around to greet his scout, lifting his mug in a salute. Jess didn't wait to be offered coffee. He walked to the table, picked up the pot and filled one of the mugs that were waiting on the table. When he sank down in a chair, he put his soaked hat on the wet grassy floor next to him. It didn't really matter; the hat couldn't soak up any more moisture than it already had. As he sat down Jess said," It's rainin' hard enough out there we could drown without goin' near the river."

"That it is, Mister Harper, sorry, I mean Jess. I have a cot coming for you to spend the night here with me again. Just getting out of these wet clothes will do me a world of good." Peterson said as he flinched being startled by an extremely loud crash of thunder.

"You're right, there, sir." Jess responded, not really knowing how much it would really matter. He'd have to put on the same wet clothing in the morning, and he was sure the extra clothes stuffed in his saddlebags were more than damp. Peterson must have read his mind, after reaching in his travel trunk, he handed Jess some dry long underwear to sleep in for the night. With a grateful smile Jess said, "Oh, you have no idea how great these are gonna feel."

"Oh, but I think I do. Once I know I'm done having to go out in that rain, I will be shedding my own wet clothing. I'm really looking forward to it. In fact, I think I'll turn over my command for the night, so I don't have to get wet until morning." Peterson smiled.

When the cot arrived, Peterson sent for one of his officers. He did just as he said, he turned over his command for the night, telling the young man to take command, but call on him if anything important should arise. Both men were resigned to get some sleep. They were both tired from the ride, the constant rain had taken its toll, sapping them both of energy and of being fully alert. "Well Jess, what do you say, let's get out of these wet clothes. I think the camp can do without us both for the rest of the night." Peterson said as he held up his own dry clothing.

Jess agreed and both men quickly changed into the dry, woollen long underwear. Jess held up his boots, dumping the water that had accumulated in them out into the grass. Peterson laughed as he did the same, propping them upside down to "let them drain for the night" as he put it to Jess. Setting his own boots to drain, Jess knew they would be still wet and cold come morning, but being dry right now felt so good after being soaked for a good portion of the day. Reaching once more into his trunk, Peterson drew out a couple pair of dry wool socks, offering a pair to Jess. Once again, gratefully, Jess reached for them with a satisfying smile and nod of thanks.

Peterson went to the table, shook the coffee pot and gingerly touched the sides to see if it was still hot. "It's still warm, do you want some?" He asked Jess.

Jess shook his head no, "I think I have more of a mind to want to turn in, if you don't mind, sir."

"I'm having a little more whiskey, how about you? It'll warm you some and help you sleep a little more soundly."

"Okay, I think ya convinced me." Jess said with a grin, picking up his cup and holding it to Peterson to pour him some whiskey from the bottle. "Thanks." He said as he took his mug with him to sit on the edge of his cot.

Peterson walked to his cot to sit and sip at his cup as well. They sat silently, both lost in their own thoughts, but foremost sleep was on both men's minds.

The rain continued all night, but the thunder finally passed over them. When morning came, Jess dreaded putting on his still wet boots. He recalled actually pouring the water out of them and ringing out his socks before he went to bed. Taking off the warm wool socks, to keep them dry, he walked to the door in his bare feet, lifting the flap to have a look outside. It was still raining, but not as hard as the driving rain they'd faced the day before. It was chilly with no sun to warm the air and the dampness made the temperature feel even colder than it actually was. He wasn't looking forward to today's ride, even if it did finally get them to the fort.

If he'd known he was going to meet this kind of weather he might have had second thoughts about taking on this scouting job. He walked back to his cot to dress in his semi-dry clothing. His jeans still had gotten wet through his leather chaps. The captain started to stir and woke to offer Jess a good morning, asking him what it looked like outside, hearing that it was still raining. He was hoping to hear that the sky was clearing to the west, but Jess had to give him the bad news. The sky was still dark grey all the way to the mountains and beyond for as far as he could gather. At least the lightening danger was gone, he added with an upbeat tone.

"Do ya mind if I use yer socks today? Mine are still wet." Jess asked, hopefully.

"Army issue, not mine. I think the army can afford to requisition a pair of socks to one of its scouts. You're welcome to the underwear, too." Peterson said, waving the issue aside. "Did you tell anyone that we're awake and awaiting breakfast?" He asked.

"No, but I kin." Jess responded, springing to his feet to head for the opening, now that he was fully dressed.

A cold drizzle followed the men all day. Not a creature was seen. No rabbits bolted from the passing horses. No coyotes seen playing or hunting. Not a deer or mustang was in sight. Jess wondered if the other creatures had more sense than the humans, having the good sense to hole up during this kind of weather.

They made good time pushing the horses a little harder than before. Their thoughts of their own comfort upon reaching the fort and knowing the horses would have a well deserved rest were incentive enough to push on. The remaining wagon faired well, only getting stuck in one low dip in the ground where water was standing. The mud made the wheels sink, slide and not want to turn. Between the horses and help of several muddied soldiers, they were able to turn the wheels getting the wagon out of the mud hole so they could continue onward, leaving behind a rip in the land that filled with rain water as they continued on their way.

The sight of the growing fort was a welcome prospect. Fort Laramie was unlike most forts. There were no walls around it. It resembled more of a settlement than a fortified fort, but it was well guarded with a rapt security force.

When they'd almost reached the fort, Jess was very pleased and surprised that they wouldn't have to cross the river, after all. A new bridge had been erected across the river. It was now easy to enter the settlement from either side of the river. As wet as they all were, they wouldn't have gotten any wetter having to cross through the river, but it was a welcome relief that they didn't have to go through that last ordeal before finding some comfort.

The word went out within the fort that riders were spotted. Once recognized, the caravan was warmly welcomed as they entered the grounds. Jess looked to the west to see no promise of the rain letting up, sealing his decision that he would spend the night, rather than start back home today. With any luck the rain would be gone by morning. Besides, he could use the rest and a good meal and so could his horse. He really wanted to get warm and dry before attempting his return home. He was suddenly aware that the chill was to the bone as a shiver ran through him and he had to control the temptation to allow his teeth the chatter.

All the men were shown their accommodations while the resident soldiers took over the care of the horses and wagon allowing the new replacements to settle in, get something to eat and dry out.

Jess was shown to an empty officers cabin. It felt good to be alone. He quickly built a fire in the fireplace and proceeded to take off his clothes so he could hang them to dry. The change of clothes he had in his saddlebags was damp, but they were better than the clothes he was peeling off. He put on his drier clothing and stood warming himself in front of the fire as a knock came to the door. When he opened the door, a soldier was holding a tray with a pot of coffee, a mug and a plate full of food. Jess thanked him taking the tray. Jess walked it to the table and sat down to enjoy his feast while basking in the heat from the fireplace.

Finally, he was getting warm, was almost dry and was eating a good meal. It was early, but he was exhausted from the previous day's ordeal so he decided to take advantage of being alone to go to bed early. Maybe things would be different in the morning.

And they were.

Chapter 11

Jess woke after a good, dry, restful sleep. As he became aware of his surroundings he perceived that he no longer heard the pitter patter of rain on the roof. It sounded like the rain had finally passed on.

He was hungry as a bear and wondered where he could find breakfast or if he had to wait for it to be delivered. It looked like it was getting light out, but he hadn't heard revelry sounded. Either he slept through it, or he was up earlier than the rest of the camp.

Thinking back he remembered that he'd turned in early so he figured he might have beaten the bugler to wiping the sleep from his eyes this morning.

Wondering if anyone in the camp might have some coffee brewing, he decided to dress and go out in search of some. Pulling on his now dry socks, he heard the sound of the bugle and knew the camp would soon be stirring, He reckoned he could expect that his breakfast and coffee would shortly be delivered. One of the perks staying in the officer's quarters, he thought. Yeah, he could get use to and like this, he smiled to himself.

Jess felt the clothes he'd hung on chairs near the fire overnight. They were dry. His chaps, though, were still damp and getting stiff from the heat. He'd have to loosen them up some before he could put them on. When the soldier brought his breakfast he would ask him to bring him some leather grooming supplies.

And his boots! His boots were dry. Amazing. Was there anything better than warm, dry feet, he thought?

Ah, dry, warm clothes. They felt good as he put them on then picked up a log throwing it on the fire. He shivered thinking about how cold and wet he'd been the past two days. Once fully dressed he went to the door to look out at the sky to see what he could expect from the day ahead. He was anxious to get started home. When he opened the door he was taken aback at what he saw. No wonder he didn't hear any rain hitting the roof. It had turned to snow. There was nearly a foot of the cold white stuff covering the ground and light, fluffy flakes were still falling from the sky. Not exactly what he wanted to see.

Walking out on the porch Jess studied the sky. It was dark grey above him, dark grey to the east, but the sky north and west of him was almost black, promising that the snow would continue at least well into the day.

There was a very noticeable drop in the temperature. He often contemplated how one day could be so mild and the next the temperature could drop below freezing. Weather sure was a fickle woman he thought to himself.

Okay. Snow was better than a cold pouring rain. He'd start home after breakfast, after he worked his chaps enough to make them softly functional again. He was glad that he'd brought them with him. And he sure was glad his heavy jacket just happened to jump on his pile of gear. That Daisy, he thought, always looking out for her boys. What would we ever do without her? He smiled, warmed by the memory of her kindly face, sweet smile and the deep love their little family shared. He irrationally wished he would never have to face that awful day when they wouldn't have Daisy with them any longer, sending a shiver through him more dramatic than that from any of the cold he'd ever encountered. He reminded himself how he'd have to show more appreciation to her for her foresight and good care of them all; not to mention her great cooking. The food during this trip hadn't been all that bad. Nothing like his old war days, thank goodness. At least this food was edible, but it sure made him miss Daisy's delicious meals.

A knock came to the door and he went to open it. A soldier with a tray of food was waiting and greeted him with a good morning. Jess stepped aside allowing the man to bring in the tray and sit it down on the table. Thanking him, Jess showed the solder his chaps and gloves, asking him to bring back some supplies that he could prepare his leathers for use later in the day. The soldier nodded, turned leaving Jess alone to his breakfast. Jess smiled as he noticed that the tray had a full pot of hot coffee, along with a heaping dish of fried bacon, ham, eggs and potatoes. Fantastic, this would stick to his ribs well into the afternoon. Pouring his first cup, Jess blew on the strong coffee to help cool it more quickly, drinking in the rich scent of the freshly brewed beverage. Once it had cooled enough, he took a long deep, satisfying swallow. Refilling the cup, he sat down to eat his breakfast, soaking up the warmth of the small cabin's fire. When he'd finished, he tossed another log on the fire, poured himself more coffee and sat in front of the small, contained blaze to absorb as much heat as he could before setting out on his journey home. A knock on the door disturbed his thoughts of home and Daisy's hot apple pie. He called, "Come in." The soldier had returned bringing the supplies Jess needed to limber up his chaps and gloves. Jess thanked him and the solder turned leaving Jess alone once again to his own thoughts.

His thoughts no longer lingering on being home, Jess had to decide if he would back track over familiar ground or if he would head due southwest toward the pass. If he backtracked he knew the terrain and where to expect any rutted areas. If he travelled due southwest, he would need to take extra caution, not knowing what might lie under the freshly fallen snow. The straighter route could cut off maybe a mile or more, but he might also loose any gained time if he ran into any unforeseen barriers.

After another cup of coffee and with considerable thought, Jess reckoned he was better off taking the route he already knew. When he finished his coffee he set down his cup, got up from the chair and reached for his chaps to get started limbering them up. He noticed they weren't completely dry, but they would still take the hand working, soaping and oiling just fine.

He poured the last of the coffee from the pot into his mug then started working on the stiffening leather. As he worked he heard another knock at the door. He called to come in. The soldier had come back to clear the table. Before the man left, Jess asked him to bring another pot of coffee. The soldier nodded, and then asked if he would be present for the afternoon meal. Jess gave it serious thought for a quick second, but told him no, that he wanted to head for home as soon as he was ready to leave, which would be shortly. The private asked if there was anything else he could get him or do for him before he left.

Jess said yes, instructing the man to report to the stable to ask them to prepare his horse for travel. He requested that they not saddle or bridle him yet, but check him over for anything that may need attention before he left, including checking on the tightness of all four shoes. He hoped the soldier who tended to his horse on the trail would be the man caring for Traveller now. He had faith that the young man had a genuine interest in all the animals he cared for. His way and care of the horses made Jess think of Mike and Andy, before him, and the way they had with all manner of creatures. Those fond thoughts of home brought more smiles to Jess' face, making him even more anxious to get moving. In only a matter of minutes, his second pot of coffee arrived.

Finishing his chaps, Jess grabbed his gloves and rubbed some saddle soap into them to take the stiffness out from drying them in front of the fire. While sipping at another cup of coffee he started putting his gear together to ready it for carrying out to the stable so he could set out on his journey home.

Putting on his chaps and heavy jacket, he took a quick glance over the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything then walked out the door into the cold. Yep, he thought, it was a lot colder today. As he stepped on the first step the board crunched. The rain had first changed to a freezing rain, coating everything with ice before changing to snow. Walking was a little tricky. The snow hid the ice beneath it very well. Luckily the ice was rather brittle to his weight shattering before it became a slippery obstacle.

Glancing around him, he noticed how heavy many of the trees were laden with thick ice. It was beautiful to look at, but he knew how treacherous this kind of weather could be. He would have preferred it that the rain had changed directly to snow, not leaving the slippery surface hidden beneath the snow.

Carefully making his way to the stable, he intended to stop by to say goodbye to Captain Peterson, but when he asked he was told that Peterson's quarters were in the opposite direction from the stable. Jess would rather not push his luck, risking falling and maybe breaking a leg forcing him to be stuck at the fort for the winter. He knew he was needed back at the ranch. As much as he enjoyed being coddled, he reckoned it would wear thin more quickly than broken bones could heal.

He was counting on Traveller's weight to press through the layer of ice and not cause them any problems. His own weight was breaking through most of the ice, so he was confident his horse wouldn't have any problems keeping his footing.

Complimenting the young soldier for the fine job he'd done preparing his horse, Jess asked if he'd checked Traveller's hooves for stones and for the condition of his shoes. The younger man smiled, nodding that he had checked his feet before brushing Traveller and that everything looked fine for Jess' trip home. Jess slapped the young man on the shoulder, commenting, "I've noticed how much you care about the horses. They sure put you in the right job, I reckon. I wish you well in your career. Stay safe, okay?"

"Thank you, sir. Yeah, I always enjoyed workin' with horses. They seem to like me pretty much, too." The young soldier said, relaxed with talking to Jess, grateful to be recognized and appreciated for the pride he put into his work.

"Where ya from?" Jess asked while throwing the saddle over his horse's back.

"Texas."

"Yeah? Me too. Up around the panhandle." Jess responded, as he pulled up on the cinch.

"I come from Dallas. It's growin' into a pretty big town. I sure don't miss all the to do that goes on there. Here I just ride or take care of the horses. Lots better than anythin' offered back home. I'll stay with the army if they let me keep carin' fer the horses. It pays better than workin' at the livery n' I don't have to worry about eatin' or keepin' a roof over m' head."

"Well, good luck. I hope your job sticks. Thanks, again for the good care of my horse. I really appreciate it. I couldn'ta done it any better myself." Jess said as he left the stable leading his horse.

"Have a safe trip, sir."

Jess turned around, "You needn't call me sir. I'm just a plain ole cowpoke. Goodbye."

"Bye, sir." The boy responded

Jess just shook his head as he walked his horse on a little farther through the stable toward the door. It felt strange being called sir. It must have been because he slept in the Captain's tent and was given officer's quarters at the fort that the young man thought he was an officer, if not now, maybe retired.

Chapter 12

Saddled up, Jess checked his gear and the sack of food that Daisy had packed for him, securing it in place to his saddle. He found that his canteen had already been filled for him and was already tied to the latigos. He figured the young solder had seen to it when he sent word he would be leaving.

Walking Traveller out of the stable into the freshly fallen snow, Jess hopped gracefully into the saddle, turned his collar up against the cold, then rode slowly through the fort toward the bridge they'd crossed the day before. The grounds were now active as solders busied themselves with their daily assignments. Some of the men stopped for a second or two to raise their hands to wave at the scout who had brought them safely to their new post. Jess cheerfully waved back, knowing that he had competed his job satisfactorily, glad that that portion of his excursion was finished.

Crossing the bridge, he found it was extremely slippery. Traveller had trouble keeping his footing. Jess quickly dismounted, leading his horse slowly the length of the wooden bridge. The water on the bridge had soaked well into the wood to make it swell, leaving a layer of water on top of the saturated boards that crept between the drainage slats to solidify as the freeze hit. It turned to a thick sheet of ice gripping the wood that did not break under Traveller's weight as they made their way across to the other side. Jess foresaw that the newly built bridge would need to be redone before the next cold season to prevent future ice build up. But for now, it was a hindrance to anyone who needed to use the bridge after the kind of storm they just experienced.

Once across the bridge the ice on the ground was much thinner. Jess remounted and started on his journey along the river to find the stone marker indicating the turn southwest to find the passage back through the first mountain range.

The snow came down heavy for a time then would lighten up. It was comforting to see the river to his right. He knew he wouldn't loose his bearings as long as he could see the beautiful flowing river.

He continued to ride finding that the ice base was thin enough to not give Traveller any footing problems, snapping though the ice with each step. If only the wind and snow would stop, the trip wouldn't be all that bad, though he wished the mild weather would return, and fast. What he'd expected to be a leisurely trip back home was becoming a real challenge, a very frigid challenge.

Not giving it any thought, Jess reached to where the army wagon had previously gotten stuck going through the standing water and mud. The deepening snow cover gave him no warning that there was a solid patch of ice ahead. It was snowing harder and the wind was whipping it directly into Jess' face. With his collar up and his head down to allow his hat to shelter his face, he didn't spot the danger ahead until it was too late.

Even though they were moving at a slow pace, they hit the patch of ice too fast. A few steps out on the thick ice, Traveller lost his footing. They both hit the ground hard. Jess' leg was caught under the saddle and the panicking horse started thrashing franticly. Jess tried talking confidently to Traveller to calm him and stop his struggling so he could pull his own leg loose then try to help the horse get back to his feet without either of them being injured.

Once Traveller stopped struggling, trying to regain his footing, Jess pulled his leg free from under the saddle and the terrified horse. He crawled to Traveller's head, talking to him calmly, trying to keep him lying still until he could get back on his own feet. "Easy boy, easy. Let's see what we kin do to git us outta this. "

Continuing to talk to Traveller in a soothing voice, Jess was able to slowly stand up, glad to note that he had no broken bones. He only hoped his horse was as fortunate. Traveller lifted his head to watch his owner. Jess kept talking to him calmly, trying to keep him from struggling. "Okay. Stay down boy. Let me look at what we have here. I'll have you up in no time." Under his breathe, he added, "I hope."

Jess walked slowly, hunched over, around Travellers head keeping his hand on the horse's neck to keep him from moving. Untying the cinch from the saddle, Jess continued to talk to his horse as he walked back to the other side. Petting Travellers neck to assure him, and constantly speaking to him, he reached down to give the saddle a tug. It moved some, but it caused Traveller to start thrashing, trying to get up again. The horse's movement was enough for Jess to pull the saddle clear and out of the way. He tossed it as far as he could into the snow to get it out of their way.

Again he sat next to Traveller's head, talking soothingly and stroking his head and neck trying to think of his next move. Looking heavenward he wished he had a plan, praying that one would come to him. At least with the saddle out of the way, the danger of the horse getting tangled in the stirrups was no longer a threat, and if Traveller didn't make it to his feet in the attempt to get up, it would be better for him to land on his side without the saddle causing some kind of body or internal injury. A broken leg or rib would be tragic, even fatal, though neither could be ruled out with or without the saddle in the way, but at least removing it would lessen the chance of injury.

Taking hold of the reins, Jess slowly stood up. He backed away a little then encouraged Traveller to get up. "Come on, boy. Try 'n git up, now. Come on, you kin do it." The horse understood and gave it his all in a flurry of four legs trying to gain some traction on the ice but to no avail. Jess could see the shoes were causing a problem on the ice. The horse would get no traction as long as the slippery iron remained on his feet. Calming Traveller again, "It's okay, boy. Okay, lay still. That didn't work. Give me a minute. Now, stay easy. Easy boy. Don't move. I got an idea. Lay still. Easy. Easy boy," Jess said encouraging his trusting horse to lay still. Walking to his saddle, Jess took some tools from his saddlebags. Traveller lifted his head trying to watch where his master was going, but he continued to lie still as Jess had requested, though a twitch ran through his flank.

Jess was glad that he was always prepared to fix a loose shoe while out on the trail. He never dreamed he'd need those same tools to pull shoes off his horse making him barefoot so he could get footing on ice. It looked like this was his only option. Riding back in the deep snow with no shoes wouldn't be a problem. The occasional snow balling in the hoof due to shoes wouldn't be a worry on a barefoot horse, one advantage to going barefoot, he thought, trying to look at the bright side of things. There had to be a bright side, he thought. Things couldn't be much darker. Stranded out in the deepening snow without a horse, he feared searchers wouldn't find his body until spring, if the wolves and coyotes gave them anything left of him to be found.

Now if he could only get those shoes off with Traveller's co-operation. He'd never removed shoes from a horse lying on its side. This was going to be a new experience, complicated by a very frightened horse. At least he had the trust of the animal or he wouldn't ever attempt this unusual and potentially dangerous venture.

Taking his time showing the tools to Traveller, Jess explained what he was going to do. He knew the horse didn't understand him, but talking to him calmed the animal and talking about his plan helped Jess get it straight in his own mind as he searched for an alternative. Where to start? Front feet? Back feet? Jess elected to start with the front feet first so he was close to Traveller's head to continue to reassure him that everything was going to be fine.

Before starting he ran his hands down each leg to make sure there were no injuries. Maybe there were a few bruises, but he felt no swelling or broken bones. It was time to try and pull those shoes, and it was an awkward angle to try to do the task at hand. Jess was proud that Traveller trusted him enough to allow this strange method of removing his shoes. Traveller gave indication of wanting to try to get up, but Jess continued to verbally persuade him to lie still. As he worked, Jess occasionally stroked the horse's neck or his shoulder while observing Traveller's eyes and ears. If he saw signs of extreme stress he stopped working on the shoe until the horse relaxed again.

At last, the first shoe was free. Jess triumphantly showed it to Traveller. "Only three more to go, boy. Take it easy and we'll be done in no time," he promised his horse, somewhat unsure of how precise his prediction would be. The front hoof closer to the ground was a bigger challenge. Jess had to sit down in the snow to get leverage, having to trust that Traveller would remain calm. If he panicked Jess could easily be trampled. The thought crossed Jess' mind that his body might give the horse the traction he needed to get up. Chuckling to himself at the thought that it would then be Traveller's job to try to get him back on his feet. Hopefully, Traveller wouldn't have to pull his boots to get him back standing, he further imagined adding to his dark amusement. The notion, though, gave Jess other ideas for righting his horse if removing the shoes didn't work. He contemplated that he could put things like clothing down for the horse to use to gain some traction. With luck, though, the shoe removal would be all he'd need to do to get Traveller back standing. Standing and walking soundly enough to ride could be a whole different matter that he didn't even want to consider. Jess knew it could be a very real possibility that Traveller might not be able to be ridden after all once he'd got him up. A broken leg would be lethal. Lameness that was repairable would require him to lead his partner back to safety, slowing down their travel considerably. But he would not leave his friend unless it was absolutely necessary. Absolutely.

Rather than get ahead of himself, Jess focused on taking things one step at a time. Getting Traveller up was his main objective at the moment. The second shoe finally gave and was removed. Traveller lifted his head after the final tug to look at his master. Jess smiled, holding up the prized shoe to show him, then praised him again for being so good and trusting. Now if he would trust Jess to remove the two back shoes.

Jess started by petting Travellers neck, slowly stroking him, working his way back to the horse's hindquarters. When he got to the leg he ran his hand down the leg assuring the horse the whole time that everything was okay. When he reached the foot the horse was relaxed but pulled back a little from Jess' touch on his hoof. Speaking softly to him again, Jess started working to pull the shoe. This was the shoe that he'd tightened before leaving the ranch. He swore that he'd done a too good of a job when he tightened it, since it was stuck tight. With some effort and a little ingenuity he was finally successful at removing the shoe. He'd have to remember some of the unusual tactics he used to get the shoe to let go. They could come in handy on other tough shoe removal situations in the future, if he had a future, he reminded himself in his ruminations.

Finally the last shoe. Again Jess started by petting the horse on the leg above the foot and worked his way down before taking on that last shoe. Like the previous hoof, Traveller was a little reluctant, but he lay still to allow Jess to remove the shoe. It came off more easily than Jess expected. Maybe this one was coming loose like the other one, but had showed no signs when he checked it before leaving home or the fort. It was probably the most cooperative of the four shoes he removed or his previous experience was benefiting him, Jess mused. He was glad he hadn't tightened that one too, before leaving the fort.

After all the energy he expended, Jess needed a bit of a breather. He sat down next to Traveller's head, "Well, Pard, are you ready to give it another try? Just let me git my wind back, then I'll git the tools outta the way." Jess stood up, picked up the tools and shoes, walking them to the partially snow covered saddle to put them in his saddlebag. Again, Traveller helplessly watched to see where Jess was going. Finished with storing the items, Jess walked back to sit down next to his horse 's head. Again he stroked Traveller's head, neck and mane. Traveller nuzzled at his hand. Jess wished he'd had some sugar for him, but feeling in his jacket pocket, he was fresh out. Realizing just how exhausted he was from the whole ordeal and stress of removing the shoes, Jess didn't feel like moving. But he knew he had to do something and quickly before they both froze to death.

With effort Jess stood up and with one rein in his hand he backed out of the way and said, "Ready, boy? This has to work." It was like Traveller understood and all of a sudden all four legs were on the move as the stocky bay tried to stand up. He was almost up when his back feet slipped and he went down again. "It's okay, boy. Stay put. I have to look things over for more ideas to git you off this ice." Now Jess found that he had to tell himself to be calm, "You think better when you're calm. At least that's what Slim always tells me. I sure hope it works. I'm runnin' outta ideas fast."

Traveller's front feet looked like they were getting some traction on a raised, frozen mud wagon rut, but the back feet were on as smooth an ice as Jess had ever seen.

The wind, that had subsided, was starting to whip up again and the snow was coming down heavier as well. Glancing at the darkening sky, Jess gave it a silent curse.

Now he was more than determined to get his horse up or die trying. He would not leave his faithful friend for the coyotes and vultures.

Walking back to his saddle, he searched to see what he could use for traction for Traveller's back feet. If only he had something to break the ice, or melt it, he might succeed. Heat. Warm things stick to ice. This thought gave him an idea that had almost slipped his mind. Searching through everything in his saddlebags, removing his bedroll and other gear, he found anything he could use to throw under Travellers hooves to give him any kind of traction.

Taking off his jacket, he laid it on the ice next to Traveller's back feet. Then he took off his chaps, laying them on the ice. Next he opened his bedroll, he laid out the blankets over top of the clothing. Jess hoped there was enough heat on his clothing to grab hold of the ice. He walked back and forth over the pile of various materials. It was now or never. He was tired, wore out and clean out of ideas.

Walking to Traveller's head, Jess picked up the reins, "Okay, Trav. We gotta give it one more try." This had to work. The walk back to the fort would be his closest choice if he was forced to walk with or without Traveller. He hoped he wouldn't be making the trip alone. Stepping back a few steps, Jess took a deep breath, looked heavenward whispering a few words to his God, and then gave a tug on the reins, "Up, boy. Come on. Please git up." He shouted urging his horse, showing as much enthusiasm as he could muster. In a flurry of legs trying to get footing, slipping one foot here then there, the horse was finally on his feet! Jess couldn't contain himself, giving out a yelp of triumph, then raising his eyes to the sky, "Thank you, Lord. Just a little more help, please?"

Not wanting Traveller to move just yet, he encouraged him to stand still. "Whoa, boy. We did it. Now we gotta git you off this ice. Steady. Don't move." The horse just couldn't resist giving himself a good shake. Startled, Jess thought Traveller was just about to go down again, not realizing what the horse was doing at first. With a chuckle at his being startled so easily, Jess was relieved that the full body rumble didn't result in Traveller loosing his footing and falling down, again.

Hoping that being barefoot would aid in getting better traction, but he wasn't quite ready to leave it there. Jess told Traveller to hold tight and not move. Dropping the reins, Jess walked behind the horse. He picked up what cloth the animal was no longer standing on then picked them up to lay them out under the horse's belly and in front of him, for him to take his next few steps. Once Jess was satisfied things were placed properly he guided Traveller to take another few steps.

Keeping up this same action, they continued until Jess was sure they were no longer on the thick ice. Once he could hear his own feet crunching and breaking the crust of ice under the snow, he finally felt confident that they were out of danger of falling again.

With a sigh of relief Jess praised his brave horse, ground tied him and went back to collect the scattering of clothing and blankets that were tossed about on the snow. He shook out his heavy jacket, noticing a tear on the shoulder. The rip wasn't all the way through the liner so the jacket would still keep him reasonably warm. As he pulled on his jacket, he suddenly realized how cold he really was. His full attention had been on the grave task of saving his friend's life, adrenaline keeping his full attention on the task at hand, not on his own comfort. How he wished he had a fire with a hot pot of coffee brewing right this second. He knew he had coffee in his things, but this wasn't the time to realistically think about setting up camp out here in the open grassland; no matter how cold, hungry or tired he was.

Since Traveller walked off the ice, Jess was relieved to know that there were no broken legs. Before picking up anything else he made a thorough examination of his horse, starting with his legs. Feeling no swelling or extreme heat indicated that there wasn't any injuries. Next he worried about Traveller's ribs. He touched him gingerly at first, probing more boldly the second time he checked the rib cage of the animal. By the time he went over the ribs the third time he was putting considerable pressure on each rib with no other reaction than Traveller turning his head to look at him, wondering what on earth he was doing. Traveller was so relaxed now, he couldn't resist taking another good shake. It startled Jess again when his horse's whole body convulsed in a full body shake. Every muscle and hair was involved in the sheer joy of his own personal earthquake. Chuckling at his own reaction to Traveller showing his contentment, Jess was very much relieved that it looked like his friend came out of the ordeal virtually unscathed.

Convinced that Traveller had no serious injuries, Jess waded back through the snow to gather and shake out the remaining clothing and blankets left lying on the disturbed snow over the dangerously slippery ice.

Shaking out his chaps a little more, he put them back on. Carrying the rest of the materials, Jess laid them on the ground close to Traveller. He then wallowed back to get his saddle to bring it to his horse. He was definitely not going to take a chance of leading his horse back anywhere in that direction. He couldn't recall how large the mud hole had been.

Taking out his grooming brush, he brushed Traveller's back where the saddle would sit. Shaking the snow off the saddle blanket, he placed it on his horse's back. Next he placed the saddle gently on top of the blanket. Pulling up on the cinch slowly, he received no reaction from his horse' so he tightened it a little more, then a little more to where he felt it was tight enough that the saddle wouldn't slip. Picking up the rest of the things scattered on the ground he placed them in the saddlebags or tied them back on the saddle.

Reaching in the bag of food, he took out a chunk of hard tack and took a bite. Putting the whole piece between his teeth, he brushed the snow off the saddle and climbed aboard. He just sat still on his horse for a moment or two, then looking upward as he took the piece of hard tack from his mouth and said, "Thanks. But I'd sure appreciate it if you made the snow stop until I got home. Aw shucks. Thanks for gettin' us through this. Much obliged." Jess was so happy to have his horse back under him. Chewing on the piece of dried meat he'd previously bit off, he spurred Traveller on their way heading toward the eastern ridge's pass, heading west and for home. Much to his relief Traveller showed no signs of pain or discomfort. It was almost like the whole nightmare had never happened, but it was one he'd never forget.

Chapter 13

Snow continued to fall, constantly accumulating as Jess rode along the river. Reaching the stone directional marker, he turned southwest toward the pass. Looking out across the vast field toward the mountains he hoped he'd be able to keep his bearings in the snow, especially during the whiteouts. At least if he could still see the mountains, keeping them to his right, he would know he was heading in the right direction. Knowing that his horse had a good homing instinct if he got confused, he'd only have to give Traveller his head until he could re-establish his bearings.

Jess decided to risk picking up the pace for short spurts wanting to reach the pass before nightfall. The pass would offer them some shelter from the wind, if not the snow and cold. Remembering the deserted animal den he recalled that it was probably large enough for him to bed down in to keep himself warm while he slept. The thought was comforting but he worried about Traveller having to continue to endure the harsh weather.

Allowing Traveller to eat some snow from time to time to keep him from dehydrating, he was careful about how much he allowed him to swallow. Knowing that too much snow at one time could chill Traveller's innards causing cramping and he was determined to not let that happen. They stopped from time to time and both dug at the snow to uncover some grass for Traveller to graze. Jess had no plans of what he was going to do once they reached the pass. It was hard to plan ahead when you didn't know what to expect, but he knew there would be little in the crevice for Traveller to eat. They had to adjust from moment to moment, taking advantage of what they could and when they could. Those adjustments and advantages meant their survival. If only he hadn't forgotten that bag of grain for Traveller, he admonished himself.

At times the snow became blinding again and Jess couldn't see the mountains any longer. He continued on his way, allowing Traveller to take his head when he felt Traveller pulling insistently. When the snow diminished and the wind allowed him to see clearly once again, the mountains were exactly where they should be. Trusting in Traveller was never a mistake in Jess' mind.

He wasn't sure if they were still on the original trail. Traveller was going in the right direction, he knew, but Jess surmised that his horse might be picking a short cut of his own to the pass. Squinting against the snow, whenever he could see the mountains, Jess would recognize a rock formation or two easing his mind that Traveller was still moving steadily toward the pass. Also realizing during one of those bearing checks, Traveller was hugging much closer to the mountain range than their original trail. They were making good time on Traveller's instinct as he recognized the wisdom of his horse. Traveller was using the mountain range to block some of the raging wind. If they'd been on the previous trail, the blowing snow would have made the storm seem even worse, if that was at all possible, and the snow was less deep closer to the mountains. With the snow cover, Jess didn't worry about any Indian raiding parties. He reckoned that anyone with an ounce of sense wouldn't be out and about in this kind of weather, unless they had to.

Tiny snow devils occasionally danced ahead of them, but they were spared much of the wrath of the raging wind as it came over the mountains. Jess reckoned that most of the wildlife was holed up until the storm would pass. But if he scared up a rabbit, he would have fresh meat for dinner. His only fear was that a prowling, hungry lion could be stalking them from the cover of the mountains. Whenever Traveller veered too close to the mountains, Jess guided him back to a safer distance so a cat could not easily leap upon them. It would have to come at them from the ground where he'd have good warning and an easy shot.

Thinking of the last encounter with the cougar, Jess reckoned that Traveller would warn him long before he saw a cat. Better to be safe than sorry. The snow devils were easier to contend with than a hungry lion, he reasoned. At least the bears were all wintered away, unless the mild weather stirred them. He hoped the snow had sent them back to sleep in their caves, if they'd wakened and had gone out on the prowl.

The day wore on. The snow never stopped. It would be loud and blizzard like one minute, fluffy and silent the next. The snow was well up to Traveller's knees now. Farther out in the field, it would have been much deeper.

They passed a stand of bushes tight against the mountain that Jess recognized. They were nearing the mouth of the pass meaning they'd have some shelter over night. This end of the pass would be fairly clear of snow, Jess considered due to the direction the wind was blowing. What to expect at the other end where the wind was having its way, left a lot to his imagination, none of it good.

Ducking his head under his hat with his collar turned up to shelter his neck and cheeks, he had to keep bobbing his head up to watch for the opening since he knew they were getting very close.

"If this blasted wind and snow would quit I could probably see it, by now." He said to no one in particular allowing the thought to verbally escape. It was like his thought was heard. The wind opened a window in the snow just enough for him to see that Traveller was heading straight for the opening. Then like a curtain being drawn he could no longer see the gap in the mountain, causing Jess to doubt himself that he'd actually seen it. Confident enough in his horse, Jess gave Traveller his head while he bundled down as much as he could into his jacket.

The next time Jess looked up he was looking straight into the pass. Entering the narrow passage Jess found the pattern of the snow very interesting. The wind had done its job sculpting a one of a kind art. Some places were completely bare of snow while some drifts against the wall were as high as Jess' shoulder while seated on his horse. If the way through the pass continued in this vein this part of the trek would be easy, and with the lack of a wind chill, it made the pass feel much warmer than the open field.

It was quickly getting dark and they would have to seek some shelter if possible. Thinking again of the den close to the mouth of the pass, Jess searched for it along the wall. When he found it he decided it was too close to the opening to offer any shelter for Traveller, even if he would be snugly curled up in the den wrapped in his bedroll. Rationalizing he said to his horse, "Aw, it's probably full of fleas, anyway." pushing the idea from his mind.

They continued on through the winding trail looking for a place to bed down. He needed to build a fire. He needed coffee. He needed heat. Then the thought struck him about the dry, dead log just a little farther up the trail. Even if darkness fell, they could only follow the trail, getting lost was not going to be a problem. He just hoped he could find the tree in the dark. It might save their lives.

The ice storm mustn't have hit this side of the field. At least there was no ice in the pass. The snow coming down now was sparse. Looking up at the sky he could see some stars between the breaking clouds. It was like someone was watching over him. Just when it was getting too dark to travel on, the full moon came out from behind a cloud lighting his way. Just ahead he could see the outline of the dead tree only partially covered with snow.

Looking up at the moon Jess whispered "Thanks", as he dismounted. Examining the large log, he could see that there were still some branches attached that the soldiers hadn't broken off to take with them. He hoped there were enough to keep a fire burning all night.

After unsaddling Traveller he haltered and hobbled him. Going through his gear, Jess searched to see what he could find to use to break up some of the wood. The few tools he had with him weren't made for the job ahead, but he reckoned he could improvise and get some use out of them.

Traveller found some patches of grass growing close to the wall. Digging at some of the snow, he was able to uncover more. Jess was glad that the ground wasn't totally barren. If not a meal, at least Traveller would have a good snack. Even the walls had small patches of edible grass protruding from them.

Working at it getting some firewood together, Jess found that the wood was more rotted than he thought. It was easier to break apart, but it would burn more quick as well. He'd be displacing some bugs that called the tree trunk home, but that thought never crossed his mind and it wouldn't have mattered if it had. Soon a pile of wood was waiting to be lit. If the wind didn't suddenly make another appearance there would soon be a good fire to take the chill from their bones.

A few trees and bushes lined the walls low enough for Jess to reach. Finding a few branches still clinging jealously to their leaves, he succeeded in gathering some for kindling. With his hands full, he headed back to his prospective campfire. After depositing the kindling near the woodpile, he went to his saddlebags to find his tin of matches. While rummaging for the matches he found more sugar in the bag. Before heading back to the pile of wood, he walked to Traveller to share his treat with him. The bay horse nodded his head in appreciation for the treat then turned back to his meagre grazing.

The kindling caught quickly, considering it's dampness, and that wind to blow it out never materialized. As the fire grew Jess gathered his food and coffee supplies together. Getting his coffee pot set on a steady rock in the fire, he moved on to lay out his bedroll close to the fire. The moon disappeared from above but the fire left a warm glow as the delicious scent of coffee started to drift on the night air.

Sifting through his supplies, he thought he'd best ration them to last two extra days. He figured it wouldn't take him that long, but he didn't know what to expect on the other side of the mountains. Once he was through the passes he reckoned he could risk picking up the pace, if he didn't find it too icy.

Jess took his diminutive meal while having a pleasant conversation with Traveller, who nickered back to him on a few occasions, holding up his end of the discussion. Wanting to get started as soon as it got light, Jess threw more wood on the fire to build it up before he turned in. As he crawled into his bedroll he wished Traveller a good night. Snuggling down as deep as he could into the blanket he was soon sound asleep, never realizing how exhausted he really was.

During the night Traveller took advantage of the heat from the fire and didn't roam searching for any more grass. Quietly dozing on his feet, the devoted animal stood watch over his sleeping master.

A wolf howling in the distance woke Jess once during the night. He waited for a response to make sure there were none near his camp. The next howl he heard was farther away. Either the wolf was travelling in the other direction or the second howl was a response from his mate. With the deer dinner they had the other day he hoped they weren't hungry again, just being sociable. After putting more wood on the fire, Jess pulled his gun from its holster. Tucking it close at hand near his head, he snuggled back down in his blankets. Glancing at Traveller he mumbled, "Just in case. And don't fergit to warn me, then git outta the way!" Eventually the crackle and comforting heat from the fire lulled him back into a deep, restful sleep.

Chapter 14

Jess grumbled something inaudible when Traveller woke him with a not so gentle nudge. Trying to snuggle down deeper into the warmth of his blankets and ignore his horse didn't work. Traveller was insistent putting his nose down to give Jess another, rougher tumble, this time almost rolling him completely out from his wool cocoon. "Alright. All right! I git the message!" He said as he opened his eyes realizing he'd slept longer than he'd planned. After the kind of day he'd had the day before he was exhausted and the much needed rest had actually done very little to refresh him. His mind and body needed the extra sleep whether he wanted to admit it or not and a few more hours might had done him good. But his impatient horse must have sensed that it was time to leave, exhausted or not.

Throwing aside the blankets Jess got up, then tossed the last of his wood reserve on the dying embers. Once the fire was well stoked, he put his coffee pot on the flat rock in the low flames to heat it while he dug for some food from the sack to heat up for his breakfast.

Standing, stretching and bracing his aching back, "I'll sure be glad when we git back home so I kin sleep in a nice soft bed, again," Jess commented as he walked to Traveller's side to give him a good neck rub and snuggle against his muzzle, while blowing into his nostrils. Traveller gave him his own returned greeting, with a snort in Jess' direction, causing Jess to smile and rub his soft muzzle once again.

Wanting to start out as soon as he'd finished eating and having his morning coffee, Jess started packing up his campsite. After eating, Jess checked around for anything he might have missed during his primary cleanup. He made sure that he hadn't missed anything and that the campsite was as neat and clean as it was when he'd arrived. Drinking the last of the coffee in his mug, he poured the rest from the pot over the dying embers. He cooled the pot with some snow before packing it and his tin mug back into his saddlebags.

Lifting the saddle to his horse's back, Jess felt the chill already creeping into his bones. He'd be glad to be back on the move again. Every step brought him closer to home. The sky was still heavy but there were no flakes coming down. "Now if it'll stay this clear till we make it home," he uttered as he tightened the cinch before climbing into the saddle. Putting a spur to Travellers flank, they were off to move through the pass as quickly as it was safely possible.

The snow and wind had left their signature along the way. As they rode closer to the other end of the pass they were running into more wind blown and deeper, drifted snow. The passage was also starting to look darker ahead. When they reached where the fissure should have opened into the small valley, it was closed with tightly packed snow piled almost as high as the sides of the cavern.

Jess dismounted to climb up the massive mound of snow toward a small opening where he could see daylight through a hole formed by a dip in the drift. The snow was easy climbing since it was packed solid. Each kick from the tip of his boot took a firm hold for his climb up the slightly inclined wall of heavy, wet snow. When he reached the hole he could clearly see the open range on the other side leading to the subsequent pass. Breaking more of the snow away so he could get a better look at the snow packed heap on which he stood, Jess was disappointed that what he suspected was to be true. It was massive, huge, thick and wind packed, narrow at the top, but at least twelve feet thick at the base. There was no way he could get Traveller through or over it. He could dig himself out through the hole, climb down the other side, but he wasn't going to leave his friend behind.

Sitting down in the hole with his back to the field he needed a minute to give thought to the whole present setback. Nothing came to him as he glanced around the inside of the passageway. Short of dynamite they'd have to wait for a thaw before they could leave through this end of the pass. By then they'd both either starve or freeze to death. Not an option, Jess thought as he stood up. Many thoughts passed through his mind but not a single one seemed to bring him an answer.

Climbing down from his perch Jess walked to his horse. Leading Traveller, he started back tracking, wracking his brain about what to do. He might have to resolve going back to the fort or consider going over the mountain. He surely didn't look forward to having to go all the way back through the pass nor think of attempting the mountain. If he was forced back to the fort he might not get back to the ranch before spring if the weather didn't break before then. With a touch of guilt, Jess thought of the hardship Slim would have to face without his help to tend to the ranch and change the daily relay teams. Even when weather prevented stage travel, the ranch chores still had to be completed. It was not easy work, especially during the cold, snowy winter months. Slim needed his help and Jess intended to not let him down.

Pondering what he might find on the mountain, Jess questioned whether it might be too icy to hazard the climb. Proceeding along the sheltered passage trail, he examined both walls rising beside him. Knowing that there were animal trails leading down into the pass that he saw the first time through, Jess searched for an indication that any of them were clear of snow. None of them really looked very promising from what he recalled, but it was worth investigating. Finding a usable trail could cut some of the back tracking as well as helping to avoid tackling the whole mountain. "The runs the cat used wouldn't be accessible to a man with a horse, but a deer trail could have potential." he thought to himself, hoping there might be something he missed on his first trip through the gap that might be a feasible solution to their present situation. "Come on, boy. Let's see if we kin find us a way outta here." Jess said to his horse, as he started to lead him back down the passage.

As they followed along the trail, Jess came across an animal leap here and there, but nothing he could consider attempting to coax Traveller to jump. Suddenly he spotted what looked like a new deer leap. It was so new he almost missed it. This one didn't appear too be very steep. Ground tying Traveller and leaving him behind, Jess grabbed a branch to pull himself up on the fresh trail. Though still overgrown, it looked like it had good possibilities. At least it would get them up on the mountain, maybe leading them to a clearer trail. Walking on a little farther he became more optimistic that it was worth a try. He was amazed at how gradual the climb was. Perhaps a gully wash carved the way, creating the smooth and flatter areas on the new trail.

After he'd explored far enough Jess returned to where his horse patiently waited. Traveller watched his master climb down from the incline. Looking back at the gradient, Jess measured it up to see if he thought Traveller could achieve the jump. To be successful Jess would have to clear the bushes and brush back for a ways to be sure his horse would have a clear place to land and settle; and that there would be little danger that the saddle would catch on anything. Traveller would need all the forward motion he could muster to make the jump. Anything blocking the way or catching on the gear could be disastrous causing injury or worse.

Pulling his hunting knife, Jess started hacking at the bushes to clear a safe landing area for Traveller. After working for about an hour he'd unobstructed the way of bushes and snow far enough up on the gentle slope to give the horse good footing for several steps away from the drop, he went back to retrieve his travelling companion.

Jess stood beside Traveller petting his neck as they both faced the cleared avenue that Jess had prepared. "Well, ol' boy, I think I found us our way outta here. You're gonna have to give it your all to help. We're gonna have to cut through some pretty thick brush up and down that mountain. It's probably our only way outta this trap. I sure don't want to have to go back to the fort. We could get stuck there all winter." As he fastened the stirrups securely to the saddle so they wouldn't create any problems getting in the way or getting caught on anything, his thoughts turned back to the ranch drawling a small, sad smile to his lips. "We can't let Slim think he kin git along without us now, kin we?"

Petting Travellers neck, then wrapping his arms around his neck giving him a hug, Jess tried to gain his horse's trust once again to do as he requested. "Ready, boy? This ain't gonna be easy, but we gotta give it a try." Jess took his rope putting it over Traveller's neck, needing a longer line than the reach of his reins. Tying a knot in the reins, he looped them securely over the horn of his saddle to keep them from becoming a problem by being stepped on or catching on anything as he encouraged Traveller up the side of the mountain.

Scrambling up onto the ledge Jess stood back far enough to not get trampled when Traveller made the leap onto the shelf. Now he would find out how much his friend trusted him. Once feeling confident that he had good footing Jess gave a tug to the rope calling encouragingly to Traveller to follow him.

Cautiously Traveller walked to the edge of the ledge. He tried to lift his foot to the ledge but couldn't quite reach it. Jess knew Traveller would need a bit of a running start. It would be necessary for the horse to jump to make it up the leap. Having to climb back down from the sill, Jess physically backed Traveller as far as he could allowing enough rope for him to climb back up on the leap to urge Traveller to vault up on the shelf to join him. He hoped the rope was long enough to give Traveller enough of a running lead before having to make the jump. "Okay, let's give this another try. I know ya kin do it! I know, I'm tired and cold, too. But we gotta git outta here n' this might be our only way. Now let's do it, okay? Now watch, I'll go first n' you come after me, git it? Yeah, I know, crazy human, just trust me, okay?"

When Jess was back up on the leap and as ready as he ever would be to give this treacherous venture a try, he called to Traveller while giving a sharp tug on the rope hoping it would make the horse move fast enough to get the idea to jump. Traveller came trotting but suddenly stopped short at the edge. This wasn't going to work Jess thought shaking his head, but he wasn't quite ready to give up yet. With no new ideas coming to mind, he had to give it one more try.

Once again he set Traveller back down the pass for a running start, first praising him for being a brave horse, then begging him to make the jump. After his pep talk, Jess climbed back into position on the ledge to give it another try. This time Traveller understood what his master was expecting. With a graceful leap, he landed solidly on the ledge of the deer trail. The rope went slack so fast that Jess fell over backwards landing in a bush. After he untangled himself, stood up and brushed off the snow he was bursting with pride to having the best horse in the whole world.

Slowly walking to where Traveller stood, Jess praised his horse while removing the rope from his neck, "See, I knew ya could do it! You're the best Trav. Let's hope this will git us home real soon. "

Taking the reins and stirrups down from their secured roost, he then re-looped his rope, replacing it on the saddle as he continued praising and thanking Traveller the whole time, not believing that his plan had actually worked. Now it was time to look more closely at the condition of the trail ahead. The climb up the mountain didn't appear to be too steep, and the ice he found was thin and crunchy, fragilely breaking when stepped upon. As far as he was able to see when he was clearing the way, his view was blocked by brush and mounds of rocks, the ground appeared that it would be fairly easy to navigate. The way was too overgrown to attempt to ride through, so Jess started leading Traveller up the winding path.

Without shoes Jess began to worry about the rocky trail, reaffirming that leading his horse was best to avoid possible stone bruising. After an hour of carefully picking through the fledgling trail, Jess came across some fresh deer tracks heading up the mountain. Deciding to follow them, he hoped that with a little luck they might lead to a more travelled path, maybe even clear enough that he could ride.

Steadfastly the man and his horse continued to climb the snow-veiled mountain. Jess slipped in the snow a few times, turning his ankle one time causing him a few painful steps when he stood up and restarted his hike, but he was able to walk it off. Traveller had no problem with his footing.

Ducking and bobbing between the bushes, swearing when cold snow would fall from a bush down the neck of his jacket, or a low hanging branch would knock off his hat, the two progressed through the heavy snow laden brush. It wasn't an easy journey but they were getting close to the top of the mountain now with no major setbacks. If their descent were no worse than the climb that they'd just accomplished, it wouldn't be all that bad and would have been well worth the effort.

Jess pondered whether it was the other side of the mountain that took the brunt of the storm. He feared they would be facing more, deeper snow blinding them from their path. If the deer didn't do any fancy footwork on the other side of the mountain Jess might be able to follow their trail a good portion of the trip. That is if the wind hadn't already drifted snow back to cover over any tracks.

When they reached the summit, the view was breathless, as was the frigid air. They were nowhere near the top of any of the higher mountains, but plenty high enough to see the broad field of white that spread out almost as far as they could see. From their vantage point, Jess couldn't see a single opening mark in the snow. If it were a solid ride, they could have walked right across the snow to the pass, but Jess knew better. There were mild, rolling hills and for the ground to look that level, he knew the snow was wildly drifted. They'd be deep in snow one minute while maybe ankle deep only a foot or two away. Remembering that the field was also the home of many ground dwelling animals, especially rampant with rabbits, the snow covered any chance of them seeing a hole in the ground before stepping into it. Jess couldn't decide if the decent down the mountain or the trip across the open field would be the most hazardous.

Looking at the sky to his west, the clouds in the distance weren't holding any promise of good weather ahead. Even if it wasn't snowing at this very moment, it looked like more was on its way. He knew the snow would find him long before he found home. The weather they were having two days ago would have had him home tonight from here. Not only did he have to deal with unknown terrain across the snow desert ahead of him, but also with the other pass, another unknown. Sadly, he had no idea how much longer his journey was going to take. There were so many unanswered what ifs; if he had to attempt going over the other higher mountains; if the weather closed in hard again; along with other what ifs he didn't even want to think about. So many unexpected things could happen as he'd seen, nothing was ever certain. More Indian summer at this point didn't seem like a possibility fitting in with his what ifs.

"Sitting here ain't gittin' us home. Let's git goin', Trav." Jess said to his horse, still undecided as to what they were going to do next, knowing they had to do something. It was most definitely going to snow.

The deer trail near the top of the ridge looked more open than what they'd just clambered through. Also it didn't look very steep, but the depth of the snow could always make appearances deceiving. His first notion was to walk the whole slope down the mountain, but this opening looked like it could be a well-travelled trail. If not an animal trail, maybe it was used by prospectors. Following it along with his eyes, Jess could see that the trail continued along the top of the next ridge and maybe beyond. He decided to give following it a try unless things got rough. Mounting Traveller, man and rider began to descend the mountain slowly and cautiously.

Surprisingly the trail was pretty solid and what ice they encountered was very thin. The drifts tended to be far off to the south, clearing much of their way with just a dusting of snow.

Jess was convinced the narrow trail was more than a deer run. Many mules probably travelled this path carrying prospector tools. Now if Traveller were as surefooted as those mules they wouldn't have a thing to worry about, Jess smiled at the thought, knowing that his faith in his friend had grown just in the past few days. All they had right now was each other and their mutual trust, a trust that would never be questioned or broken.

With only a few minor slips, they made it safely down the side of the mountain, grateful to finally be back on level ground.

Jess was surprised to see what appeared to be hoof prints hugging close to the edge of the mountain. Moseying over for a closer look, they were indeed horse or mule hoof prints headed north. Had they been heading southward he might have been tempted to follow them. Needing to go southwest, he was on his own. Looking up the side of the mountain north of him, Jess saw a speck of a man and mule following a trail very much like the one he'd just travelled. Deciding to backtrack the man's trail southward, he figured with luck, it would save him running into any unforeseen bad dips in the snow. Even better, the man may have come through the pass, giving him a good trail to follow without many surprises. But it wasn't to be.

Jess and Traveller followed the trail left by the prospector for quite a distance. It was smooth and apparently well travelled making this portion of the ride much easier than he'd anticipated. Eventually they came to the end of the horizontal trail. The trail now led up the side of the mountain where the prospector had left the mountain ridge to avoid the gap of the pass. From here they would have to mark their own trail toward the remaining pass.

Jess couldn't quite see the mouth of the passage across the field from where he sat, but he did recognize the jagged rock formation that ran nearly parallel with the pass. They were nearing their destination. Deciding to take the shortest route, Jess turned Traveller heading diagonally from where they were, directly for where he knew the opening was in the mountain. With no indication of a better route, the shortest route made the most sense. Any route could be dangerous when you couldn't see where you were stepping. "Well Trav, I'm leavin' this one up to you. I reckon you know where we want to go, now just take us there. You pick the way, be careful, my friend."

Chapter 16

The sky overhead was getting more threatening. He could see a wall of snow building on the other side of the field near the mountains. It was moving quickly in their direction as the wind was picking up. Jess turned up his collar readying himself for the weather he saw coming, rather looking like a wall or curtain they would eventually meet. The shelter of the coming pass would once again be welcome. With its high sides and southerly opening to the west, it would cut the wind considerably once they were securely inside.

The going was slow with occasional rough spots. As the curtain of snow approached, the wind became notably wilder making it bitterly cold. It wasn't a whipping wind but combined with the light snow on the ground around them and the drafts created by the tall mountains, it was difficult looking to the west. Not only could Jess not see where Traveller was stepping, soon he wouldn't be able to see where he was going. Since Traveller seemed to know where they were headed and probably had a better feel for the ground under them, Jess fully gave him his head as the snow started falling on his shoulders when the storm system arrived. At first it was light but as they moved westward the snow became heavier. Jess tucked his chin into the neck of his jacket and pulled his hat down to block the snow from hitting his already chafing face. He took a peek from time to time to see how close they were getting to the pass. From what he could surmise when he was able to glimpse a landmark, Traveller was right on track, while choosing his steps cautiously. At times the snow was up to Traveller's knees; the next just barely covering his hooves.

They were nearly across the field when Jess started to have second thoughts about the pass. Reviewing their last experience in his mind, he wondered if he should have crossed the field to follow along the edge of the mountain range looking for a trail over the mountain. He reckoned though, no matter his choice it wasn't going to be an easy ride. Getting home was his goal; the ways and means was no longer a factor, only succeeding. Glancing up he could see the mouth of the pass yawning wide before him. It was too late to change his mind now, the pass it would be. "Looks like ya got us here, alright. I reckon you'll git us home in no time. You seem to be better at this stuff than I am." Jess said, petting his horse's neck and running his fingers through the horse's thick mane.

Like the other pass this one looked fairly open on this side of the mountains. The snow in front of the opening was probably waist deep. When Traveller arrived at the deeper snow he became hesitant to move through it. Jess had no idea why his horse was reluctant to move on so he dismounted to lead him to test the ground ahead in case there was something Traveller could sense. He certainly didn't want another incident like they'd encountered on the ice yesterday.

Once through the deep snow and safely in the passage all Jess could fathom was that the snow was deeper than what Traveller wanted to plow through. He'd followed Jess' lead with no further hesitation following him closely as Jess waded through the snow. "Gittin' kinda temperamental, ain't ya?" Jess asked in the pass as he remounted. Traveller nodded as if he was agreeing but was more than willing to continue onward as if nothing had happened.

The snow sculptures here were much like those Jess had seen in the last pass. The snow though was a little deeper, the drifts a little higher against the walls. But travelling through this part of the trail caused them no difficulties. There were always low spots in the trail to walk them past the higher drifts. If all went well they would be through the pass long before dark. Jess would then have to decide to travel on or take advantage of the relative shelter in the pass for the night.

The wind continued to howl and the snow showed no signs of stopping. At least it wasn't viciously battering them now that they were sheltered in the narrow gap between the mountains as it would have had they'd still been in the open flatlands. If they spent the night in the pass to avoid the weather there was no guarantee that tomorrow would bring them any better travelling. As they continued along the trail, Jess tossed the pros and cons back and forth in his mind as to whether they should hole up for the night or try to continue onward through the night. Not being able to make a final decision he put those thoughts aside to worry about them once he reached the end of the pass. Things could change between now and then, maybe more than once or twice for that matter.

When they reached the water hole there was a slight coating of ice over the spring fed pool. Jess broke the ice with the heel of his boot, refilled his canteen then searched around for some wood that may have fallen from above, while he allowed his horse to drink. A hot cup of coffee and some hard tack could improve his disposition. The few twigs he found though wouldn't burn long enough to heat a pot of coffee. Settling for a piece of dried meat, Jess took a sip of his canteen while he waited for Traveller to finish drinking. "Bet yer hungry, too. When we git out to the grasslands, we'll have to see if we kin dig ya up a snack. I sure wish I'd remembered that grain. I'm so sorry I failed ya, boy."

Looking skyward, he thought the snow looked like it was lightening up some. Even the wind seemed a bit calmer, but the grey clouds continued to hold the sun hostage without allowing it to take a peak at the cold planet below. When the bay horse finished drinking Jess remounted and they continued on their way avoiding the deeper drifts of accumulated snow.

Passing over the area where the rock slide had been cleared, Jess would never have known that it was there if he hadn't had a hand in clearing it. The blanket of snow hid all evidence of the extensive work the soldiers did just a few short days ago.

Approaching the exit point Jess was concerned about what he might find. The last passage on the westerly side was open facing the northwest. The wind tended to sweep down from the northwest. This pass' westerly opening faced more to the southwest. If the wind followed its normal pattern, this opening might not be as tightly packed closed as the other had been. The sudden thought slightly excited Jess, but he wouldn't allow himself to become too optimistic.

On the final turn, ahead of him Jess could see daylight. His prayers were answered. This end of the pass was open. The snow was deep both in the mouth of the passage and beyond, but from here to home it would all be open land with a few rolling hills, but these hills Jess knew well. He was sure he could avoid any areas that collected severely drifted snow. Home. It was just ahead. Finally. A few more miles and he'd be able to warm himself in front of the fireplace, rocking in his favorite rocker with a hot cup of coffee in hand and maybe even a hot piece of Daisy's apple pie with some thick cream streaming over it. He smiled to himself while reaching down to pet Traveller to share in his joy and for encouragement. "It won't be long now, boy. It looks like we'll be home soon."

He knew it would be slow going. When he'd left home, it took him nearly a day to get this far in the good weather. How long it would take trudging through the deep snow he didn't want to try to calculate, it would only depress him.

With no sun to indicate the time of day Jess was unsure of how long they'd travelled or how late it was getting. The prospect of home was too exciting to consider stopping to rest, so Jess pressed on. Rather than hole up for the night, he opted to continue on through the familiar country. The snow was gently falling, not creating visibility problems and home was calling to him. If they were able to travel all night, they might make it home in time for the noon meal. Even if they were late, he knew Daisy would be sure to have plenty of food on the table to greet him when he reached the yard. And Traveller, well there'd be a barn full of hay waiting for him to eat, toss in the air or even lay down to enjoy the comfort of the dry grass under him.

Putting the mountain pass an hour behind them, the snow and wind were starting to pick up again. First gusting, swirling the snow into little snow devils, but before long the wind started to grow steadier. If it wasn't snowing at the moment, the wind was now blowing the snow on the ground into a whipping frenzy. It was getting exceedingly hard to see where they were going but Jess knew Traveller would get them home from where they were. All Jess had to do was just stay aboard and hope Traveller would choose the best way. If Traveller started heading for any anticipated trouble spots, then Jess would intervene. Jess knew that Traveller's wishes matched his own, home, food and warmth.

The wind was building stronger and sharper and it was obviously snowing once again. Impossible to see where they were going, Jess was sorry he hadn't opted to spend the night in the relative shelter of the pass. Along with the blinding snow, it was getting dark. The moon was now the hostage of the angry sky, as the sun had been earlier in the day. It was almost like riding in a fog and there was no chance of seeing a landmark to determine how close he might be getting to home. They could be riding in circles for all he knew, but he still trusted in Traveller's instincts.

Feeling chilled, Jess stopped his horse and dismounted. Pulling his light jacket out of his saddlebags, he took off his heavy jacket, put on the light jacket then put his heavy jacket on over the lighter one. He was really feeling the bone chilling cold and the wind wasn't helping. His hands and feet were going numb. If only there was a line shack or cave along the way, but he knew there was nothing but open land. Besides with the blizzarding snow he could be standing right next to a building and would probably never even see it. Travelling these rolling hills so often over the past few years, he knew almost every blade of grass. Now he couldn't find a blade of grass. It was like he was on a different planet. He couldn't see any recognizable landmarks, had no stars to guide him; he finally had to admit it, he was lost. His only remaining hope was that Traveller would get them home.

Getting very sleepy, Jess caught himself napping as they slowly rode along. He didn't want that to happen knowing that falling asleep could lead to freezing to death. He had to stay awake, no matter what. To try to stay awake he started singing some old songs from his childhood to his horse. A few shakes of Travellers head gave him the hint that Traveller preferred the silence. Besides, Jess could only remember half the words and had to make them up as he went along. "So ya think you might do better?" Jess chided his friend, before snuggling deeper down into his jackets.

They continued on into the storm. Suddenly Traveller tripped, falling down, throwing Jess to the ground. Once he recovered, Jess tried to help Traveller to his feet. The nightmare of a few days ago rushed into his head. Shaking it from his mind, Jess put his full attention to the crisis at hand. Traveller had stumbled over a small mound of rocks, perhaps some kind of stone marker someone had set out in the field that was now buried in the deep snow. Jess checked Traveller over to make sure he was okay. "Okay, Trav, let's see how bad this is."

Traveller immediately recovered to his feet, shaking the accumulation of snow from his back. Walking his horse a few steps it was plain to see that Traveller was limping badly. The weary horse had injured his knee in the fall, probably hitting it squarely on the pile of rocks. Jess rubbed some snow on the bruised joint to keep the swelling down, but it didn't work. Traveller's knee was already visibly growing in size. "At least it isn't broken. From here it looks like we'll both be walkin'. Don't worry, boy. We kin take it slow n' rest when we need to." Jess said as he prepared to start leading his horse, hoping the walk ahead of them wouldn't be too painful for his friend.

Looking around him, not only was he lost, he was at a loss. He was counting on Traveller to guide them home, now he had to be the leader. He had to choose the route. The snow had already covered their tracks and the signs of their fall were almost completely filled in by the fresh snowfall. With no tracks to show where they'd been, Jess had no idea in which direction to start. Stroking his horse's neck, Jess tried to figure out how he was going to get them out of this dilemma. "As usual, if I'm not lookin' for trouble, trouble is sure to find me. This trip trouble found us too many times. It's like I buy one, I git one free," he said as he looked around trying to get his bearings. Until now he was always able to regain control, but this time…

And so close to home.

Looking skyward, Jess gave a grim chuckle and said, "The only thing missing now are the buzzards." After sharing his dark humor, Jess hoped that it wasn't a prophesy of things to come.

After giving their situation more thought, Jess took off his bandana and held it to the wind. Unless the wind was blowing from an unconventional direction, he could use the direction of the wind to give him the bearings he needed to get them home. The way they'd been travelling, the wind was coming from the northwest. They'd been heading, more or less, into it bearing slightly to the south. Now the wind was more over his right shoulder. He held up the bandana again to set his bearings, then started walking, pushing through the snow. Traveller, limping badly, followed slowly after his master, while the snow continued to fill the world with silent white.

Walking helped to warm Jess some. It was surely keeping him awake. He felt bad forcing his friend to carry the gear through the snow but he couldn't afford to leave anything behind. If they hadn't found their way by morning he'd fire off some rifle shots to see if he could get a response. On a night like this he didn't expect anyone to be anywhere but snuggled close to a warm fire in their cabin, tepee or whatever they called home. "We gotta be the only two out in this stuff, boy. How ya doin'? Are we headed right? I wish it was you leadin' the way. I'm afraid my compass ain't workin' so good, 'specially since I forgot to bring it. Afraid my head didn't come with one built in like yours did, pard. Let's have a look at yer leg," Jess said, stopping to look at his horse's knee. The swelling was very noticeable, but at least it didn't feel like there was a break or dislocation. It was just a bad bruise that would take time to heal with some good care and rest. Rest in a warm barn, Jess amended his thought.

Using the wind and his bandana as his guide once again, they continued on walking through the night, stopping occasionally to rest. Jess knew he was getting weaker, that he needed food and rest, as did his injured horse.

The blizzard continued on through the night. At times the bandana waved in several directions, occasional whipping in circles, causing him to have to stop until he could get a consistent wind direction. During one of the stops Jess sat down with his back against a tree. His exhaustion overtook him and he quickly fell into a deep sleep. The next thing he remembered was Traveller pawing at his foot to wake him. Feeling almost warm, Jess fought waking up mumbling to his horse to go away. The horse was insistent with his pawing but finding he wasn't getting the results he wanted, Traveller took drastic actions. With his muzzle, the lame horse physically knocked his master over and away from the tree. With a start, Jess woke as he rolled head first into the snow. Where he was and why came to him in a rush when the sleepy haze faded. Playfully Jess picked up some snow, rolled it into a snowball then tossed it lightly at Traveller, "Next time you wake me up, make sure you're bringin' me a nice tray with breakfast and coffee. I like m' eggs over easy n' my bacon crisp."

Using the trunk of the tree to help him, Jess got up. Feeling stiff and cold, tired and hungry and a long list of other unpleasant things, he looked up into the sky then said to Traveller, "Well, no buzzards, yet. I reckon that's a good sign, we must still be alive."

It was still dark with no sign of the sun coming up. With the heavy cloud cover it would be difficult to tell when the sun might reach this side of the world. The wind had diminished, but the snow continued. Jess almost wished that it were the other way around. The snow was getting deeper and not helping the situation at all. As cold and uncomfortable as the wind was, at least it gave him some sense of direction to continue their journey.

Checking Traveller's knee, Jess found that it was still quite swollen and hard to bend. The horse was hardly putting any weight on it at all. Reaching into his food bag, Jess found that it almost empty. There was plenty of coffee left, though. Looking up at the tree he'd been sleeping against, he reached up to snap off a few of the lower hanging branches. Without much of a sense of time or space any longer, Jess decided he was going to take the time to build a fire to have some coffee. Not only would it warm him, but it would also help to keep him awake. If he could keep the fire going for any length of time they would spend the rest of the night relatively warm until they saw signs of morning. With luck he would gain a glimpse of the sun coming up so he could at least have an idea of the direction he was heading. And if luck was really on his side, he might recognize a landmark somewhere near them. Again he worried himself with the "what ifs".

Clearing a place in the snow as best he could, Jess placed the wood for his fire in the small circle. With no kindling to be found he needed to find something that would catch fire easily. Looking through his saddlebags he found an old bill of sale. Searching a little farther he found his tin of matches. The bill of sale wasn't adequate to start a fire, he had to find something else that would burn easily, but found nothing else useful in the bag. Franticly looking through the other bag he came across a couple more stray pieces of sugar. Holding his hand out in Traveller's direction the horse understood the gesture and limped to accept the treat from his master. Nodding his head as he chewed on the sugar lump, Traveller hopefully eyed Jess to see if there was a possibility of another stray lump of sugar to be found. Apologizing, Jess said, "Sorry, Pard. There ain't no more. Wish I could find you more, but I'm fresh out. Tell ya what. When we git home, I'll git you a whole hat full of sugar, n' maybe an apple er two. How would that be? Okay?"

Accepting Traveller's nod that it was a deal, Jess went back to rummaging through his bag, hoping he'd maybe missed something he could burn.

Looking up at his patient horse, Jess wished he still had the bag of grain he'd packed when leaving home. How could he have been so forgetful, he admonished himself.

Finding nothing in the second saddlebag, Jess put his hand in his jacket pocket. Finding a soiled bandana, he hoped the piece of paper and the bandana would be enough to start the twigs and branches afire. He could almost taste the coffee now, and he didn't want to be disappointed.

As he brushed more snow away for a place to sit near the fire, Jess discovered a few more branches lying on the ground. Things were starting to look more like he might get a good warming fire going shortly after all. Digging a little deeper, he found a good sized branch that he was able to step on and break into several pieces.

Clearing more snow away to build a sheltered wall to sit close to the fire and to break the wind, he finally reached the bare frozen ground. As he piled the wood, he whispered a little prayer that this was going to work. Lighting the piece of paper first, then starting the neckerchief afire from the paper, he put both on the smallest twigs. With a little coaxing he was able to get a few twigs smoking then finally catching afire. He had fire, but the wood was damp, not catching quite as well he wanted. All the rain before the snow had everything waterlogged. Walking to a tree, a few yards away, he snapped off a few more tiny twigs and branches. Showing a little more cooperation at catching afire, maybe they would dry the other wood enough to encourage the larger pieces into burning. Working at his fire for what seemed like an eternity, it was finally getting off to a good start. It wasn't going to be a good warming fire, but it would heat his coffee pot and warm his hands and feet some.

With cold stiff fingers Jess prepared his coffee pot, putting it on the fire to brew using the last of the water from his canteen. While the coffee heated, he took his bedroll off the saddle. He was going to keep as warm as he could for as long as the fire held out. Maybe by the time the fire was going out the sun would be coming up. He felt bad that he had nothing for Traveller to eat, once again chiding himself for forgetting the grain bag, but he noticed that Traveller was using his good foot to dig at the snow to scrounge up some of the frozen grass. Maybe the rest of the night wouldn't be so bad, after all.

Once the coffee was hot Jess poured himself a cup, giving up a sigh of pleasure with his first swallow. It was so warm and delicious making him feel better already. Just the psychological satisfaction of having the warm brew did wonders for his declining morale. Leaning back against the hard packed snow bank he'd created, he slowly drank his second cup of coffee while warming his feet close to the fire, drying his boots as well. His own little port in what was left of the storm.

Both the fire and the coffee held out until the sun was starting to brighten the sky. The snow was still falling but very lightly allowing his vision to be greatly improved, especially with the help of the sun. Now that he was able to see where he was he became acutely aware that he was still far away from much of anywhere. It was obvious that he was facing another long cold walk. With the sun the wind also woke, but like the snow, it only showed itself lightly.

Feeling the energetic result of the caffine, Jess quickly packed up his gear. Checking the swelling on Traveller's knee he found that it didn't seem any better, but then it didn't seem any worse. Traveller appeared to be putting a little more weight on the injured leg this morning, though. With luck there was no damage to his knee except some heavy bruising and he'd be as good as new in no time after they got home. Jess didn't want to think of it as anything more disastrous, they'd been through so much together the past few days. Not wanting to find that the kindest thing he could do for his friend would be to put him out of his misery due to a broken knee, he was sure Traveller was putting more weight on the injured leg. Jess couldn't bear to think of the alternative. Traveller was going to be fine. He just had to, Jess promised himself.

It was getting light enough now that some folks might be awake and doing chores. Pulling his rifle from its boot Jess fired two shots into the air then listened for a reply. None came. After kicking snow over what was left of the embers from the fire, Jess walked back to Traveller, stroking his neck as he grabbed hold of the reins to get started on their trek for the day. "Maybe today we'll be home," Jess said more to himself than to his horse.

If he kept the sun at his back and over his left shoulder for now, adjusting as the day wore on, he reckoned he would be walking in a south westerly direction, as long as he could determine where the sun actually was. He continued looking for landmarks but most of the rock formations were snow covered and not much help in determining his exact location. The blanket of white made everything look almost the same, but fixing his sites on the mountains, he was sure he was travelling in the right direction of the ranch. As long as he could see the mountain range he was confident he could keep a reasonably set direction, even if the sun didn't cooperate.

Plowing through deep snow that was often waist deep, both man and horse were becoming exceedingly exhausted. Jess realized how slow he 'd been walking, the snow not allowing them a fast pace. They hadn't put much distance between where they'd rested those few hours and where he was now. Jess' knees were cold, almost numb and getting harder to bend with each step. His hands and feet were almost beyond feeling. Traveller's limp was becoming more pronounced as the day wore on. Yet the weary pair continued to trudge along in slow, short steps, only stopping occasionally for short periods when the need arose. With each stop it became exceedingly harder to get moving once again, but the thought of home continued to offer Jess encouragement.

Afternoon had come and was almost gone. Daylight would be running out, shortly. Jess didn't think they could survive another night out in the cold, especially without food or water. Snow was a poor substitute for a canteen full of water. It started snowing again. The wind was minor, but the cold and snow depth was about to cause them to need to stop and rest once again. Jess was afraid to stop. If he sat down he feared he would fall asleep and this time not wake up no matter how much Traveller prodded him. They continued to stumble and struggle along, Jess often falling down in the deep snow. Each time he fell and had to get up, it was harder and harder.

As they topped the next small hill Jess saw smoke. It had to be from a chimney from the looks of it. They had to be near a homestead or ranch. With everything white around them, he wasn't sure where he was, but they continued to move toward the smoke. At this point, if he wandered into an Indian encampment he didn't care. He felt he was already being courted by death.

Chapter 17

Jess stumbled down the hill and fell. Standing himself back up, he started up the next rise. When he reached the top of the rise he couldn't believe his eyes. He was home! They'd made it. They were almost there. Trying to pick up his pace, Jess was hampered by Traveller's limping. "It ain't much farther, Trav. Come on, boy. We made it. Look, a barn full of hay is waitin' for ya." Jess encouraged his pal, refusing to leave him alone in his excitement. He was almost afraid to blink his eyes that the mirage before him might disappear.

They were almost to the outside edge of the far side of the corral. They just had to make it around the fence to the gate and into the yard. Jess tried to call out, but his throat was dry causing his voice to crack. He was unable to make little more than a squeak. Continuing to struggle onward toward the front yard, Jess rounded the corner of the corral and was almost to the yard when he tripped over something in the snow. Falling, he hit his head on a wooden rail in the fence. Trying to stand, he reached for his head as he felt the warm blood running down the side of his face. Suddenly his knees buckled and his world went black.

Slim and Mike were outside doing the evening chores. Slim wanted to have the animals fed and bedded for the night before the snow set in again. While Slim worked in the barn tending the larger animals, Mike was working in the chicken coop. Mike came out of the coop and waded through the deep snow toward the various cages where he kept his menagerie of "pets". As he pushed through the snow in that direction something caught his eye at the end of the corral near the gate to the ranch. Stepping out to get a better look the boy saw that it was a riderless horse. A horse was just standing there caused Mike to wrinkle his nose and scratch at his head in puzzlement. Not liking the looks of the situation he ran, as best he could, to the barn calling out for Slim.

"Slim? There's a horse standing out by the gate." Mike said as he found Slim pitching hay into one of the horse's stalls.

"A horse?" Slim asked, stopping in mid toss of the fork full of hay.

"Yeah, it looks like it has a saddle but no one's on it." Mike said, pointing out toward the barn door.

"I wonder if someone may have been thrown or left afoot during the storm. I'll go take a look. You stay here." Slim said handing Mike the hayfork as he left the barn. Walking through the deep snow he made his way toward the silhouette of the horse shaking its head up and down while pawing at the ground. As Slim got closer he recognized that the horse was Traveller and he started running as best his long legs could carry him through the deep snow. When he was a few yards away he saw something lying in the snow in front of the horse about the size of a man. It had to be Jess. Slim called to him, "Jess! Jess!" but saw no movement nor received a response. Traveller kept bobbing his head standing over his master giving a low nicker and snort, happy that he'd attracted Slim's attention. Finally reaching them after what felt like an eternity, Slim fell to his knees next to Jess' prone body.

"Aw Jess, why on earth did you come back through that storm?" But he got no answer from the unconscious man. Thankfully, he could tell Jess was still alive since he could see his breath on the cold air. The wound on the side of his friend's face looked minor, like it had just happened. The blood was already starting to congeal. Had Jess just fallen from his horse, Slim pondered. Seeing the fresh blood on the wooden rail of the fence he knew that was where the wound on Jess' head must have originated, but he questioned why. Feeling helpless but knowing he had to get Jess to the house as quickly as possible, Slim looked toward the house. It looked like it was a mile away. Too far to try and carry his pal.

Disappointed, yet glad to see that Mike had disobeyed him, Slim quickly forgave the boy when he saw him trying to run through the deep snow in his direction. "Mike," he called, "Go to the house and bring back some blankets. And tell Daisy to put on some coffee and broth. And hurry up about it".

Mike cocked his head, still too far away to understand the situation, he ran off to do as he was told. When he told Daisy that Slim wanted him to fetch some blankets she asked for an explanation for which Mike didn't know the details. "I don't know, Aunt Daisy. Slim just sent me in to get some blankets. He's out by the corral with somebody's horse. I couldn't really see," the boy explained. Daisy's face flushed as she read between the lines, knowing that someone must be out there and hurt.

Daisy gathered up the blankets, bundled herself up and rushed out the door carrying a huge pile of folded blankets. Mike was hot on her heels pointing to where Slim was kneeling on the ground near where the horse stood. Daisy immediately realized what she was looking at, knowing instinctively that Slim was on his knees with Jess. The way the storm had set in they never expected Jess to try to come home until the weather was better. They hadn't worried about him, they reckoned he was safely tucked away at the fort having himself a grand time, warm, dry, drinking lots of hot coffee, playing cards and socializing with the soldiers.

Daisy moved as quickly as she could in Slim's direction though the ruts made by Mike when he came to get her. Mike followed closely behind her and once he realized the horse was Traveller, he started yelling, "Jess! Slim, is it Jess? Is he okay?"

Daisy told the boy to slow down and let Slim check Jess over, already knowing that they had to get Jess to the house to warm him up as soon as possible. Worry was written all over her face as she handed Slim one of the blankets

"Mike, take Traveller and put him in the barn. Take off his saddle then go in the house. Daisy and I will get Jess there on the blankets. Throw a few more logs on the fire while you're in there." Slim ordered Mike as he unfolded the first blanket.

"Slim, is, is he okay?" Daisy quietly asked as she laid the blankets on the snow next to them, dropping to her knees to put her warm, gentle hand against Jess' half frozen face.

"Well, he's alive. I can't tell if he has any injuries, other than a bad knock to his head. It looks like he fell against one of the fence rails." Slim motioned with his head toward the rail where the drying blood could still be seen.

As Mike lead Traveller away, Slim noticed how badly the horse was limping. "Look at Traveller." He said to Daisy, nodding his head in the horse's direction.

Daisy turned to look as Mike continued to lead the horse toward the barn. "Traveller's lame, it looks like they may have been walking for a long time. He's probably exhausted to say the least. I hope frostbite won't be part of the problem. We have to get him in the house and warm him up, quickly."

Slim opened up another blanket, placing Jess' limp body on it. Taking the others he carefully wrapped Jess in one, throwing another over the hastily fashioned cocoon. They were going to have to try dragging him to the house over the snow on the blanket. Both Slim and Daisy grabbed a corner of the blanket and started to pull Jess' body across the snow toward the house. Daisy started breathing hard, gasping for her breath. Slim made her stop pulling on the blanket, telling her rest a few minutes to catch her breath. Grabbing both sides of the blanket Slim tried to drag Jess by himself, but it was very slow going. Once Daisy caught her breath she insisted on helping to drag the blanket once again.

When they reached the porch Slim lifted Jess' body to carry him into the house. Mike had been watching for them and had the door open before Slim was to the top step of the porch. Slim hurried though the door carrying Jess to the couch, placing the prone body gently on the fireplace warmed leather. Ordering more dry blankets he started to take the snow caked clothing off his best friend's half frozen body. Fearing frostbite, Slim started rubbing Jess' hands, arms, feet, and legs in an attempt to 'warm him up' and get some blood moving. Daisy brought fresh blankets and they both wrapped Jess in the soft, warm blankets.

When they finished blanketing Jess, Daisy went to the kitchen to start some broth and coffee. While it was warming she brought a warm basin of water to wipe the blood from Jess' face. As Slim predicted, it was a minor scrape.

Mike was all a twitter asking a multitude of questions, but the adults were so involved in their work and worry they didn't hear him or offer any answers.

Once they had Jess comfortably settled Daisy went to the kitchen to watch over the coffee and broth that she'd forgot about when she rushed out the door with the blankets. Mike followed her into the kitchen asking all his questions, again, this time catching Daisy's attention.

Daisy told him she really didn't know much and that they would have to wait for Jess to wake up and tell them what happened. She noticed tears in Mike's eyes as he asked one more question, "Aunt Daisy? He's gonna be alright, ain't he?"

"Mike, you know Slim and I will do everything in our power to make Jess well. Now you must stay out of the way for us to work," she said with an understanding smile. The disappointed look on Mike's face caused her to quickly add, "But stay close by just in case we need you. Okay? It's very important that if we need you to come help us that you'll be near. I think your job for now will be to make sure the fire keeps going, but don't burn down the house!" she said giving him another smile and a hug to reassure him. Mike understood, but it was going to be hard to stay out of the way. He wanted to help.

Slim warmed a little water to get Jess to sip, hoping that it would warm him from the inside. He was able to get a little water down Jess' throat, but he was afraid to give him more that Jess might inhale and choke on it causing him even more problems. As Slim and Daisy both rubbed Jess' hands and arms, Daisy looked for signs of frostbite, but she saw none on his hands or arms. His face looked a bit too red, she thought. He might have some frostbite on his face, but as long as he still had color he would probably be okay.

It took hours, but finally Jess started to show some signs of coming around. He started shivering uncontrollably first. Shortly after, he opened his eyes. With chattering teeth he tried to speak, but only the sound of his chattering teeth and a squeak came from his mouth.

Daisy walked briskly to the kitchen to get him some broth, while Slim tried to assure Jess that he was home and safe. Bringing in a bowl of soup, Daisy sat down next to Jess to spoon it into his mouth. He took it as fast as she could give it to him. If he weren't shivering so hard she would have handed it to him in a cup to drink it down. Not only was he cold and exhausted, Jess appeared to be half starved as well.

"Jess, why on earth did you try to come home in that storm?" Slim asked. "We figured you were holed up at the fort. Why would you do such a foolish thing?"

Jess didn't even try to answer the question. He knew his voice wasn't working yet and his chattering teeth made it hard for him to speak. Besides, he reckoned he could use the time to think up a good explanation to stop Slim's scolding, but he did force out a raspy, "Horse?"

Slim asked, "Traveller?" Jess shook his head yes. "If it weren't for him putting up a fuss over you out by the gate, we probably wouldn't have found you."

"His leg?" Jess asked through his chattering teeth.

"I haven't had a chance to look at him yet. We had to get you in the house and warmed up before worrying about him. I saw he was lame. How far did you have to walk him? Never mind, you can tell us all about it later."

"More broth?" Daisy interjected. Jess shook his head yes.

"Any apple pie?" Jess asked with a grin, finally gaining some control over his chattering teeth. The shivers were coming and going now as his body was warming up.

Daisy disappeared and reappeared with a cup of coffee and some apple pie for her surrogate son. A crooked grin spread across Jess' face as he tried to sit himself up in a more comfortable upright position to tackle the piece of apple pie he'd been thinking about for days.

The coffee and pie did the trick. He was finally warming up and the shivering had stopped.

"Slim? Please go check on Traveller. He fell on his knee. It's pretty swollen. A good rub of some of Jonesy's old liniment would probably do him a world of good." Jess said pleading sincerely with his eyes, showing genuine concern for his horse.

"Yeah, I'll check him in a minute. First, are you okay? Anything broken? Any bullets or arrows we need to pull out? " Slim asked, only half seriously.

Jess smiled, shaking his head no. "I think everything's fine, once I kin feel my feet and fingers again. Right now they hurt like the dickens."

"That's the blood pouring back into them." Daisy informed him. "It's a good sign. You may have been lucky enough to avoided frostbite. Let's hope you don't loose any fingers or toes! We'll have to keep a watch over them."

"More coffee? Please?" Jess said offering his cup to Daisy.

"Sure, Dear. You can have all the coffee you want." Daisy said, smiling as she walked away to get the coffee pot. It looked like her son was going to be just fine.

Slim shook his head looking at his friend as he pulled on his jacket to go out the door and tend to Traveller. "One thing I want to know, Pard."

"Yeah?"

"Did you leave the fort before or after it started snowing?" Slim asked while putting his hat on his head. "Or were they sick of you and threw you out?"

Jess chuckled, "It was just snowin' a little bit. I thought we could beat it home. We had a few set backs, but we made it. And Slim, someone had to be watchin' over us. This whole day, I had no idea where we were or if we were really headin' in the right direction. I can't believe we made it home."

"Glad you made it too, Pard. I'm just glad we didn't have to wait for the spring thaw to go looking for your body." Slim said in all seriousness, as he opened the door and headed out to the barn. Jess knew the chewing out was no where near over yet. Slim was not going to let this one die easy.

Daisy was in her glory fussing over Jess. She forgot all about poor Mike who was being very good watching the goings on by sitting in Jess' favorite rocker with his legs hanging over the arm of the chair. "Aunt Daisy?" he finally asked.

"Oh, Mike. Yes, why don't you go get Jess another nice piece of apple pie, okay?

"Okay", he said quickly jumping up to go to the kitchen to get it. He came bouncing back into the room carrying a huge piece of pie, grinning from ear to ear.

"Put that pie down a minute, Tiger", Jess said pointing to the table. Mike set the pie down on the table with a questioning look on his face. "Now, come here." When Mike walked over to him, Jess grabbed him pulling Mike down and putting him into a big bear hug. "I've been waitin' to do this for days. Now ain't you glad you went fishin' with Slim instead of ridin' with me? "

"If I was with you I woulda made you stay at the fort!" Mike said with a grin as he struggled to get loose from the bear hug.

Letting Mike loose, Jess said, "Well then, I wish I had taken you with me. I reckon you have more sense than me." He tousled the boy's hair, Mike giggled and hugged Jess.

"Did you save some of them fish for me like I asked ya?"

"I tried to, but they froze to death in the trough. Jess, how do they keep from freezin' in the pond?"

"Don't know, Mike. Never gave it much thought."

"I'm so glad you're home." Mike said, giving Jess another hug, this time leaving his head lay on Jess' chest for a long few seconds.

Slim walked in the door smelling of liniment. As he took off his hat and coat he said, "His knee looks pretty bruised. I rubbed it down and didn't feel any bone chips or anything out of place. Umm, did you know you threw all four shoes? Traveller's barefoot."

"If you check my saddlebags the shoes are in there." Jess said, sitting himself up a little more, as Mike stood up and backed into the rocking chair to await the story. Slim had a puzzled look on his face as he awaited an answer. "Don't ask." Jess said. "It's a long story and I'm too beat to go into it right now."

"I reckon it can wait. Why don't you go take a nap until it's time for supper?" Slim suggested.

Eagerly Jess responded, "I think I'll take you up on that one, Pard. A soft bed sounds great." he said getting up, still a little wobbly. Mike quickly jumped up to give Jess a steadying hand to walk to the bedroom. Using Mike's shoulder to keep him steady, Jess made it into the bedroom where he sank down on the bed, pulling the feather comforter over him. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow. Mike leaned over giving Jess a peck on the forehead, then tucked the comforter around Jess' shoulders a little more before he left the room.

Epilogue

Jess slept soundly, warm and snug in his own bed until Mike ran into the room jumping on him to come eat their evening meal. Jess woke to the boy hugging him like he would never let go.

"Hey, Mike! Ya gotta let me up!" Jess laughed. Mike let go of Jess' neck and pulled on his hand, to help him get up out of the bed. Jess was only half dressed so he pulled on some clothes, and a pair of boots, then followed the boy out from the room to the table.

Daisy had prepared a feast in honor of her son's safe homecoming. They all enjoyed the variety of the bountiful meal. The discussion was mostly about the happenings at the ranch while Jess was gone. Jess kept fielding the subject away from his last few days, putting off talking about it until after dinner. He said there was too much to tell, and he didn't want his dinner to get cold. Once they finished their meal Daisy and Mike cleared the table while Jess and Slim went to relax in front of the fireplace. When she finished in the kitchen, Daisy and Mike joined the men in the great room before the fireplace. Jess sat in his favorite rocker, Slim sat on the leather couch and Daisy in a chair next to Jess. Mike sat on the floor at Jess' feet with his chin resting on Jess' knee. He looked like he couldn't believe Jess was really back and that he had to keep watching and touching him so he wouldn't disappear.

"Well?" Slim said taking a sip from the cup of coffee in his hand.

"Well, what?" Jess said, knowing fully well what Slim was asking, taking a sip from his own cup.

"The story! It's been snowing. No blizzarding, for days and you, you were out in it! How in hell did you make it back home? And why is your horse barefoot? And.....", the questions continued to pour out quicker than Jess could answer any of them. Once Slim took a breath Jess told his family about his adventure. When he finished his story he said, "Now I would rather forget all about it. But I want to say I'm thankful that I survived to come home to my family."

Both Slim and Daisy nodded in agreement. Jess could tell that it wasn't all over as far as Slim was concerned. He knew that Slim would have more to say about his lack of judgment, stupidity or whatever. But that was Slim, and Jess knew it would follow and expected it, but for now, Slim was letting it rest. Jess would worry about any further confrontations later. If he handled it right, it would be over and done with and just become another story to share in their old age.

Mike stood up and gave his big brother another huge hug and said, "Remember, ya have ta take me with you the next time. I won't let you do anythin' dumb like that, again."

"Not to worry, Mike. I learn from my mistakes." Jess said.

Slim tried to hide the smile and twinkle in is eye as he cleared his throat. Jess looked in Slim's direction and amended his response to Mike, "Most times."

Slim could no longer contain his smile, as all four in the little family shared in the humor of the moment, glad that they were all safely together in their cozy little home.

Outside, the wind was starting to howl again, but for now, it didn't matter.

END 4/7/08

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