Snatched by cmsix

Chapter 22

We headed for our hut then but I knew the talking would last and last after we were in it. I was right, and even Lanita sat around in the little circle my mates had formed, at least I hoped she didn't intend to get her licks in too. I was surprised when we heard someone scratching on the skin that served as a door.

Shaeta invited them in and it was Caloe. She was still a little flushed around the neck but I could tell she was pleased with herself, and she told us about it almost right away.

"It felt good to put that meddling fool in his place for once. The very idea of him telling Shaton he needn't take any more of the medicine. That's right, I pried it out of Shaton, even though it was like pulling teeth.

"I am not going to put up with that kind of thing. We have a healing woman; in fact we luckily have two healing women now so that people who are hurt or sick can get well. We don't need that idiot gajee maker going behind their backs causing things like this. I swear that if Shaton dies, Matatu will not see the next sunrise alive. I will kill him myself. Shaton may be bullheaded sometimes, but I've grown fond of him," she said.

"I don't understand why he would tell Zakat he didn't need anymore medicine," Nita said.

"I'm sure I know why, and I'm sure he didn't intend any harm. He just doesn't have any understanding of what was going on with Zakat. He probably thought the medicine was keeping Zakat weak now that he was cured. After all, he did look like he was well and he probably thought he was well himself.

"Matatu has ants in his pants to get over to see the place his vision showed him. I'm anxious to see it myself, but going again would be like leaving for a hunt before you made a spear. I can't see that there is a rush. The place isn't going to leave if we don't find it tomorrow.

"All Matatu has accomplished is even more delay. It will take three or four extra days for Zakat to be back to where he was before he stopped taking the medicine. It is unfortunate too, because it will take even more medicine now and my supply is not unlimited.

Caloe left us shortly and we were finally able to blow out our candles and get to sleep. I didn't even take time to explain to my mates that we were moving near the cashda for a few days. There'd be time enough to explain in the morning.

And there was. I told them after breakfast and they didn't question me about it. They merely started packing up things they thought they'd need, and there wasn't even that much. Lanita wanted to tell Buttercup goodbye for a while, and when they heard her ask they all shooed me away with her, saying I'd only be in the way.

After Buttercup's farewell, Lanita and I went back to the hut and everything was ready. Denac had even brought all of the workers over to carry things.

"I will keep two of them here to help finish the privies and then we might come over later this afternoon," he said, and then we were off.

Lanita laughed at me when I had to take off my pants and boots and such to cross the river but she was a good sport and held them for me while we did. It seemed like it took ages to get over and dress again but it was only minutes. Finally I had another brainstorm and asked if there were any vines that grew to good thickness and fairly strong.

"I've seen some often, but I don't know what they're called. What can you do with them?" one of the workers asked.

"I would like to make a long rope to stretch across the river. If we had one, we could make a raft and use the vines to pull it back and forth, that way we wouldn't get wet and we wouldn't have to take our pants off every time."

"But what is a raft?" Nita asked.

"They are made by tying dry logs together, and they will float, even with people on them. You can get on the raft on one side, pull yourself to the other side with the rope, and then get off. You don't have to get in the water."

"If I have time I will look for some of the vines today," said the worker that had claimed to know about them.

"You will have plenty of time to look, since that is now your job for today. You and one more will take my hatchet and go look for the vines. Bring back all that you can."

There was another snag when we got to the canyon. One of the two there was injured. He had an impressive bruise on his right thigh and it only took me a second to know how he got it. Nita knelt to look at and probe around on his leg but I started the third degree.

"How did you get close enough for one of them to kick you?" I asked, before he could open his mouth.

"How did you know what happened?" he asked, amazed.

"I've seen someone that has been kicked before. So how did you get close?"

"It isn't hard after a while. We walked around and around them, getting closer and closer, but not walking straight toward them. After a while they seemed like they were ignoring us. They didn't seem mad or frightened at all by then, but when I walked up behind one of them, it kicked me just as I said something to him," he said, pointing to the one that had been with him.

"You startled it. It wasn't paying you any attention and had probably lost track of where you were. When you spoke it was startled and it did what cashda always do when something comes up behind them while they're unaware. It kicked first and found out what was behind it later."

"The bone is not broken and with a few days rest he should be fine. It is quite a bruise though," Nita said.

"The cashda are large, strong, and have big hard feet. I'm surprised the leg isn't broken. I will show you all how to keep that from happening, but one of the best ways is to keep talking the whole time you are walking near one.

"For all their lives, anything that was sneaking up on them was trying to kill and eat them. You should always make sure not to sneak up on them," I said.

The rest of us headed to our pen project then and we had it finished completely before noon. We walked back to the opening and I was happy to see that my mates had food ready and had finished setting up our bedding and such.

After we'd eaten it was back to the salt mines, but the chore turned out to be easy. The pen was near the water supply and it didn't take much hazing to move all the cashda into it. After the gate was closed I climbed the fence and maneuvered around until I had one into the mouth of the chute, then it was easy to send him to the end, and one of the guys pushed a couple of short logs through behind him so he couldn't back out.

I was surprised that the stallion, the one I'd happened to catch, didn't raise more of a fuss when he discovered what had happened. He stayed fairly calm though, and after about an hour of speaking softly to him and touching him gently he was more than used to me. The next step would be the hardest, but there was something I needed to make, or get made, before we started that.

I gave the helpers some instructions about approaching slowly and petting gently and had them all stay close to the stallion. I even had them pull up grass for him and feed him from their hands. They seemed happy to do it for some reason, so I left them at it and went to fetch my mates.

My mates, and Lanita were sitting around in the trees and plaiting on the rawhide thongs they'd had left over from the lariats.

"Good, you're already working on the next thing I need," I said, as I joined them.

"What is that?"

"I will need a halter for the stallion, and eventually one for each of them," I said.

"You must show us what a halter is then," Nita said.

"Bring a shorter piece of the rope you've made and I will," I said, and Katia brought the one she was working on.

By the time we got to the pen and the stallion he was at ease with people. He might as well have been, there were two petting on him and two pulling up grass for his culinary delight and even one that was going back and forth to the little stream, bringing him water by the double handful. Pampered was the first word that popped into my head.

The girls, and especially Lanita, were happy to be so close and thrilled when they were able to pet it. After a while I got around to showing them what I needed in the way of a halter. It was much easier to explain with the cashda handy and Katia was even able to estimate the lengths they'd need to make by laying the short piece she was working on along his head and around it. Meanwhile, Buster munched on the treats he was brought and didn't cause much trouble.

Shaeta and Nita went back to our spot to gather the rest of the rawhide thongs they'd brought and when they returned they all went to work. Lanita and I went over to the pen's fence and stood there looking at the horses. It didn't take long for the youngest two colts to amble over to see what was going on.

I told Lanita she should offer them some grass, as if they didn't have plenty on the ground, but when she did it they were glad to munch it out of her hands, and soon enough they'd let her pet their muzzle a little before they backed off.

Lucky for me there was a handy tree near the chute. It was about fourteen to sixteen inches in diameter. After we'd finished our introductions to the youngsters I took the saw and removed all the low limbs from the tree, making it a serviceable snubbing post. By the time I was done the girls had finished the double strength halter I'd ordered and I was amazed at their progress.

It took about a half hour to get it on the stallion and the plaiting finished to keep it on him. Since we didn't have anything like a buckle, we just finished it to him.

We still had at least two hours before sunset so I decided to get on with it. I took two of the lariats they'd already finished and looped them through the halter and around the poll of the stallion's head. When I was ready one of the guys opened the front of the chute and another one urged the stallion out into the open. I made sure to keep the rope snug against his head so he would understand that he wasn't loose. At least I hoped he would understand.

Thirty minutes later I was suspicious that something had been done to the horse's disposition from afar. A wild horse is just never that easy to deal with. I wasn't complaining, but I knew something was up.

He wasn't trained or anything like that, but he never put up much of a fight at all. I had him following on the lead and stopping when I said * whoa * within half an hour. It was almost spooky. When I tied him to the snubbing tree he tried to pull away two or three times and then stood there patiently. I was amazed. I'd trained dozens of horses, but had never encountered one like this.

I tried an experiment about half an hour before sunset. I let him loose from the snubbing post and removed the doubled lariats, leaving only the halter on him. When he discovered he was free he trotted off about fifty yards and stopped to crop grass. I walked toward him then and when I was within ten yards he moved as if to go about his business elsewhere, but when I said whoa, he stopped and waited for me. That was just unbelievable, but it didn't make me mad or anything. I'd take any help I could get, from anyone.

We headed for our mini-camp then and all the talk was about the cashda. My mates were amazed that I could make that one do what I did, but finally I had to admit that I was as baffled as they'd been. There was no explaining what had happened.

"When are you going to ride him, Daddy?" Lanita asked, after we were back to our camp.

"As soon as I can, baby, and with the way he's acting it might be early in the morning."

"I want to see it. I have never seen a man ride a cashda. I have never even seen one until now and today I got to pet them. You are turning out to be a very fun Daddy. I think I might keep you," she said, and then laughed.

We had our supper and crawled into our furs. I was asleep almost at once.

Breakfast the next morning wasn't the usual feast of the main camp but there was plenty and it was good. After we'd finished, most of the guys and I headed back to the pen.

The two men that had gone after vines the day before had done a hell of a job. I was pretty sure they'd brought back more vines than we could use, but I was happy about it. The vines were about three quarters of an inch thick and would make an excellent rope for a raft crossing, but they had been covered with small branches and leaves. Right now my vine men were removing same.

When we reached the pen, I went in and hazed a big mare into the chute and in minutes she was in the same place the stallion had been yesterday, with practically the same result. I left the guys to get acquainted while I walked toward the stallion.

He was cropping grass about forty yards from the pen, and he didn't even try to move off this time. I tied a short lead rope to his halter and started back toward our temporary camp.

Lanita came to greet us and she gave Buster's muzzle a good petting as we walked on to camp. All three of my mates were up for a little petting of their own when we reached them. Damned if Buster didn't seem to be enjoying the limelight.

After a little indulgence I put my mates to work. The halter was fine for leading, and I thought it would probably work well enough for a bridle with the way Buster now seemed to want to do what I wanted him to. I explained what reins were for to my three lovelies and they went to work with the rawhide. Within an hour I not only had reins, but they had a loop on one end of each one so they could be attached or removed at my wish.

"I guess it is time for the truth to be found."

"What truth?" Nita asked.

"The truth of whether he will let me ride or not."

I led him out to a clear space, checking the ground for obvious rocks in case worse came to worst, and then turned to mount him. That's when I realized there was no way I could do it on my own. Buster was just too damned tall, probably every bit of eighteen hands. Luckily the two vine masters were nearby and I called them over, showing both of them how to make a step with their hands and having one do it.

In seconds I was astride Buster and heartily thankful that he didn't seem to know what bucking was. With a normal horse I would have never tried this so quickly, but with everything going so well, I'd pressed on, and it had been fine, so far.

The next part wasn't so easy, but it wasn't really a chore either. It took several tries with one of the men urging Buster from behind, but after a few more minutes he got the idea that my heels in his ribs meant that I wanted him to move.

Next was teaching him to turn from the reins but it is always fairly easy unless the horse is just contrary and Buster wasn't. He already knew what whoa meant, and after a few times of pulling back on the reins when I said it, he got the hang of that too.

There was no doubt that Buster had a lot more to learn, but with the basics in place the rest would come with repetition and practice.

"Save a place for me girls, I'm going to the main camp to show off," I said, waving to them.

In fact I wasn't going right this second, since I had to wait for the guys to open the gate, but they did it quickly. One of them had a question though.

"How will you get back on after you get off to take off your boots and pants?" he asked.

"I won't get off. Do you think the water will reach me up here?"

"Oh. No, I don't guess it will."

It only took five minutes to reach the river and Buster walked right across as if it were nothing. Of course it was nothing to him. He did tense up as we entered the camp though, but he wasn't the only one.

Even though I was sure that everyone knew what I was trying to do, it was apparent that none of them had thought I'd actually be able to. They were shocked speechless when I rode Buster up into their midst, Caloe seemingly most of all.

"I say ma'am, could you spare a drink of water for a dry traveler?" I asked her, and it was still a few seconds before she moved.

"But how?" Shata asked, not even able to finish her question.

"And so quickly?" Jekaycey said.

"Well, Matatu is in a hurry for another try at his journey, so I thought I'd better bare down on the cashda."

This brought more than a few sniggers, and Matatu deserved every one of them. In fact I still had a touch of the red ass over his stupid trick. The way I saw it, a little dose of humiliation wouldn't hurt him. Maybe it would even do some good.

To gain and keep respect you needed to act responsibly and a reminder wouldn't ruin his life. Currently he wasn't bothered by anything I could say, because he was still staring openmouthed at me on my perch, just like Denac was.

"Well, Denac, what do you think?"

"I'm ashamed to say it, but I don't know what to think. I didn't doubt you'd be able to do it, well maybe I did, but I thought it could happen someday. I had no idea that today would be the day though," he said.

"Yes, today was the day, but this is only the easy part."

"Easy part?"

"Yes, the hard part will be teaching men and women to ride."

"But it looks easy from here," he said.

"I'm sure it does. The bee stings don't hurt the ones who watch you gather honey from far away either, do they?"

"Yes, you're right. The pain is in the details," he said.

"Do you see what is holding me on up here?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact I don't."

"That's because there is nothing holding me on, but my knowledge of how it is done. Believe me, it does hurt if you fall off," I said.

"Maybe I should stick to building privies, at least that didn't hurt," he said, and then laughed.

"None of that now. I think you should send your workers back across the river for now and let Jekaycey help you gather your nerve for tomorrow. I'll expect you over there early for your first lesson," I said, and then laughed myself.

The men that had been helping Denac with the outhouses followed me as I rode back toward our temporary camp. They couldn't keep up though. Even at a walk the giant cashda moved twice as fast as they did, and of course they had to stop to remove anything they didn't want soaked in the river. Hopefully I could deal with that chore later in the day. Meanwhile, lunch was served when I made it back.

It was tasty and filling and since table manners were not a big concern here and now, I stuffed myself rapidly. Thankfully my mates took it as a compliment to their excellent cooking.

After the meal I got half the guys started on vine plaiting, a three plat seemed good enough to me, and then I took the others back to the pen to make wranglers out of them. I'd decided that a heavy-duty halter wouldn't be necessary unless we came to cashda that didn't behave as well as Buster had, and that didn't seem likely.

I looped the end of a shorter piece of the rawhide rope into an impromptu halter on the mare in the chute and had one of the men lead it out, and start leading it around.

"Don't worry about anything except teaching it to come when you tug on the lead and stop when you say whoa," I told him.

I corrected his first mistake then, when he turned around to face the cashda and tried to pull it toward him.

"Turn around and lead it, you aren't big enough to pull it anywhere and it will never follow you if you face it. If it won't move out at first, tell me and I'll get it started," I said.

I wasn't needed to get it moving though. When he turned around he did have to pull pretty hard at first, but the mare caught on quickly and he was soon leading her all around the place.

I sent one of them into the pen to haze in the next candidate and he got the job done fairly quickly. Then the petting and hand feeding began. I left them then and went back to our camp, where I'd left Buster to the tender mercies of my mates and Lanita. It's a wonder they hadn't petted a bald spot on his hide.

I didn't really have a gripe coming though. While I'd been riding him to the other camp they had braided up every scrap of thong they had into ropes of several different lengths.

"These cashda are going to be wonderful, aren't they?" Katia asked, when I got back.

"I think they are. Just imagine what the next move will be like when they are doing all the carrying. There are several more things we need to make for them and it will require some work to make sure they have enough to eat during the winter, but they can do so many things for us that we just can't do for ourselves."

"What things do we need to make?" Shaeta asked.

"Sooner or later every one of them will need a halter, bosal hanger, bosal, and mecate. They will also need a set of hobbles each."

"What are those things?" Nita asked.

"I will have to show you and see if I can help you figure out how to make them. I have used them all before but never paid much attention to how they were made.

"A bosal is a sort of rawhide plaited oval that goes around their nose. The bosal hanger keeps it in place and the mecate is for reins and a lead rope. It is tied onto the back of the bosal. The mecate is often plaited out of the long hairs of the horses tail."

"And what of hobbles? What are hobbles?" Nita asked.

"Hobbles go around the cashda's front feet to disturb their stride. With hobbles on they can't run or even walk fast. You hobble them at night when you don't have a pen to keep them in. That way they can graze and move about but can't get very far away."

"I see," Shaeta said.

"That reminds me, we will need to make some harness so they can help us with pulling things, but it can wait until later. For now, if I can find a way back onto Buster I think I should let you all have a ride behind me."

"Can he carry two at one time? Nita asked.

"If we could fit on him he could probably carry us all, but we won't try that."

I noticed a handy boulder nearby and led Buster to it. He obliged me by standing still and I was able to mount. When I rode back to my mates it was Lanita's turn first, of course. Nita lifted her up within my reach and I swung her on behind me.

"Hold on tightly around my waist and we will go," I told her, and she did.

I rode about half way around the perimeter of the big clearing and then stopped to put Lanita in front of me. I could tell she liked it much better this way, but she was so excited she never uttered a word until we were nearly back to the women.

"Oh, Daddy. It is grand, I love this riding," she said.

I took them all for a spin around the ranch and they reacted almost exactly the same. They could easily see that we were traveling faster than they could walk even though Buster never trotted a step. They all loved it, and no wonder. It beat hell out of walking.