Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 
   Tha Man From Eagle Creek
   Chapter Ten
   Tom and the kids walked out of the Doc's office with the sheriff, just
as some men were helping to get Sam and his friend up the steps to the
boardwalk.  No one spoke as they passed and Sam and his friend kept their
heads down, not wanting to look at the sheriff or the tall stranger beside
him.  The sheriff had his right arm in a sling and the Doc told him to keep
it there for a week before he used it much.  He told him to get the bandage
changed daily too so it would heal better.
   "Tom, you go on and find a place to bed down for the night and come see
me tomorrow, I was serious about needing some help for a few days."
   "Yes Sir, I'm gonna get these two wild kids taken care of then I'll see
you early tomorrow."
   Tom, Millie and Danny walked down the empty dirt street, followed by
Tom's horse.
   "Tom you can stay at our house and get cleaned up some, we have plenty
of room.  I know ma will still be passed out," Millie said.
   "Well, we'll see when we get there.  I wasn't planning to stay
overnight, much less a week or so."
   "Tom, we sure want to thank you for all you done for us, we'd still be
runnin' if we hadn't met up with you out there today," Danny said.
   "Tom, ma is a good woman, if we can get her sobered up she'll be more'n
glad to let you stay a while at our place.  We sure could use the company
too, me and Danny ain't even been welcome at our own home in a while,"
Millie said, walking with her head down, glancing up at Tom every little
bit.
   "I'll help get your ma sobered up so you can tell her what all's been
happening around the place while she laid up drunk, then we'll see about
the rest and how it goes with the sheriff.  I don't have any set plans, I
was just going to do some traveling and see the land this summer."
   "Thanks again Tom, you sure are a good man and we like you a lot," Danny
said.
   "How old are you Tom?" Millie asked, looking up at him with a sideways
glance.
   "I'm just shy of twenty, but don't you go telling anyone."
   "Wow Tom you ain't but a few years older'n me and Danny is twelve,"
Millie looked at Tom again and smiled.
   "Well, like I said I don't want folks knowing I'm only twenty, so if you
don't want that butt spanking I was about to give you earlier today, you
best keep your mouth shut about it," Tom tried to sound grown up with his
threats.
   "We won't tell Tom we promise, don't we Danny?"
   "We sure do, you been too good to us for us to tell folks you just a
little older'n us," Danny agreed.
   The three were coming into sight of the ranch house, Tom could see that
it was run down a bit, but nothing that couldn't be fixed back with a
little time.
   "I'm gonna take care of my horse, then I'll be in to see what we can do
about your ma."
   Millie and Danny went on over to the house to see about their ma before
Tom came in, they were still trying to get her out of bed and dressed when
Tom walked in.  Missus Croom was in a bad way, she was waking from a week
long drunk, naked and lying in her bed that had been pissed in no telling
how many times.  Her hair looked worse than a sage grass broom.  Her eyes
were swollen almost shut.  She had bruises and cuts and scratches all over
her body.
   Tom took one look at her and turned to the kids.
   "Do you have anything to give her a bath in?"
   "No, our bathin' tub is a wash tub but we got a big horse watering
trough out by the barn," Millie said.
   "Danny can you find some coffee and boil it?" Tom asked.
   "I sure can Tom."
   "Millie you help me get your ma out to the watering trough, we got to
get her cleaned up, grab a bar of that lye soap over there and bring it
with you."
   Tom rolled the drunk woman over then hooked his hands under her arms and
pulled her out of the bed, her feet hitting the floor with a thud.  He
pulled her out the door with her heels bouncing down the steps as he
dragged her off the porch and across the yard to the barn.  Tom could have
picked up the woman easily, but could hardly stand the stench of her, just
being this close.  He lifted her feet over the side of the watering trough,
then grabbed her by the arms again and lifted her body over into the water.
It came up to her chest as he leaned her back against the end of the
trough.
   "Millie, you get over here with that lye soap and wash her all over at
least twice, I'm going to see if Danny has that coffee ready," Tom said as
he reached and pulled Missus Crooms head back up, where she'd slid under.
   Tom and Danny came back with a big tin cup of hot coffee and Tom held
her head up while Danny poured the hot liquid in his ma's mouth.
   Missus Croom started screaming and hollering and squalling like a
wildcat as the hot coffee went down her throat, burning all the way down.
   "Millie wash your ma's head with that lye soap, looks like she's got
lice all over her head," Tom said as he let the woman's head fall back to
the end of the wooden trough with a thump.  Millie was on her like she was
the mother, washing her ma all over, slapping at her hands as she tried to
fight her daughter off.
   "Danny, you grab one of her feet and pull her leg wide, I'll get the
other while Millie washes your ma in her privates, she smells to hell and
back."
   The two kids did as Tom told them, Millie leaving the lye soap in her
ma's hair as she bent over and washed the other end.
   "Danny go in there and get the bed clothes off the bed and burn them in
the yard, the pillows too.  After what I saw, I don't think they can be
cleaned."
   Tom walked over to the barn and picked up a wide board.  He lay it with
one end up on the side of the watering trough and the other end on the
ground.  He pulled Missus Croom up and out of the water with her legs to
the bottom and her head lolled over to one side at the top of the slanted
board.  He took the bucket by the pump and pumped it full, handing it to
Millie.
   "Wash her off good, then check to see if she needs scrubbing any where
else."
   Tom watched as Millie rinsed her ma off then rinsed the lye soap out of
her hair.
   Danny had the bedclothes burning and Tom told him to get a clean blanket
and another cup of that hot coffee.
   Tom took Missus Croom and sat her on a block of wood that was turned up
for a seat by the barn.  When Danny got back with the coffee, Tom jerked
her head up and saw the woman crying.
   He made her drink from the cup and told her that if she spilled it she
was going to get the next one poured on her.
   Missus Croom was sobbing.  She knew she was shamed before her own kids
as she saw her naked body and the soapy water all over the ground near the
trough.
   "Cover yourself Missus Croom, you need to be more respectful of your
kids, they love you too much to be shamed this way," Tom scolded her.
   Millie had a comb and was combing her ma's stringy tangled hair.  Danny
was kneeling beside his ma, rubbing her arm and talking to her, telling her
that he loved her and that everything was gonna be alright from now on.
   Tom, Danny and Millie got her back in the house and made her sit at the
table and eat some cold biscuits.  She got sick and stumbled to the back
door, then she came back and sat down.  Tom made her drink coffee and eat
biscuits until she could keep it down without puking her guts up.  Millie
got her ma a thick, but thread bare, faded robe and helped her ma put it on
to cover herself.  All four sat at the table, no one spoke for the longest
as Missus Croom drank her coffee.  Finally she looked up at Millie, then
Danny sitting there watching her, then at Tom as he sat there with a smile
for her as she looked at him.  Her eyes were still swollen and red, her
face looked as if she had been beaten.  She still had scratches and
bruises, but she was going to be alright.
   "I don't even know who you are or what you're doing here young man, but
you better git from here before Sam Wilson comes back, he'll tear this
place down to get at you."
   "No he won't ma, Sam won't be coming back here ever.  Tom took care of
Sam today in town," Millie said with a big grin.
   "What do you mean Tom took care of Sam, you mean he killed him, that's
the only way he'd stay away."
   "Tom didn't kill'm but he shot his right hand nearly clean off," Danny
said.
   Missus Croom looked at her kids then at Tom as if in disbelief, then she
smiled at Millie, "Are you alright girl, did Sam hurt you any?"
   "No, he ain't hurt me none `cept to slap me around some.  Danny hit him
once with his fist and knocked him off me, then he knocked that sonofabitch
out cold with a shovel as he was about to breed me like a dog, that's when
we ran away and found Tom."
   "Young man, when I came to my senses out there and saw you helping my
kids to get me cleaned up, I could have died with shame.  I could have
killed you for shaming me like that.  Then I saw that it was me that had
done all the shaming, I'm the one that's crawled all over the bottom of
hell, dragging my kids with me.  I owe you for helping them and for caring
enough to come here and help them sober me up."
   "Well, no one owes me for anything, my folks would disown me if I didn't
help others that were in more trouble than they could get out of."
   "Ma, Tom's gonna stay a few days and help the sheriff out some since the
sheriff got shot in the shoulder by Sam.  I think we need to put Tom up
here at our place for him helping us like he did, don't you?" Millie said.
   "Well that's the least we can do for him.  Let me get my feet under me
and I'll cook us a good supper and we can sit down and all of you can tell
me about what happened.  Danny, go out there and kill a pullet and you and
Millie clean it, we gonna have fried chicken, and biscuits and gravy
tonight."
   Tom sat with the family at the table and felt good about the way that
they had pulled together after getting Sam Wilson out of their life. 
Missus Croom still looked like death could claim her any minute, but she
was coming to her old self quick.  She was smiling at her kids and she was
joining in the laughter.
   The chicken was good and they all needed the good home cooked meal.  Tom
had decided he would sleep in the barn out of respect for the family and
what all they had just been through with Sam.  He sure didn't want any talk
of him moving in on them.  Missus Croom, Millie and Danny pleaded with him
to stay in the house, but in the end they knew he wasn't gonna change his
mind.
   Millie was out to the barn early the next morning to see Tom and tell
him that breakfast was ready.  Tom was already up and using a big stiff
brush he found in the barn, to brush his horse out good.
   "Tom, Ma has breakfast ready, we got lots of fried eggs, biscuits and
salt meat.  She said come and get it before she throws it out," Millie
laughed.
   "Well, I reckon we better get in there and eat, sounds like your ma has
returned as head of the family again," Tom told her.
   Tom and Millie went into the kitchen to see Danny already sitting at the
table.  Missus Croom was busy at the wood cook stove finishing up the eggs.
They all sat around the table and Missus Croom reached out to her two kids,
grabbed their hands, and Millie and Danny reached out to each take a hand
of Tom as their ma asked for blessing of the food.
   "Lord, we thank you for sending us this friend and for delivering us
from the evil we were wallowing in.  We thank you for this food and for
this small family.  Amen."
   Millie and Danny dug in as if they were starving dogs as their ma smiled
at them.  Tom got a big plate full of eggs, biscuits, gravy and salt meat
too and filled his stomach.  The others drank coffee, but Tom drank water,
he just didn't have a taste for coffee he told them.
   Tom was in town early and went directly to the sheriff's office.  The
jailer told Tom that the sheriff was over at the hotel gettin' breakfast.
Tom walked into the hotel dining room and looked around for the sheriff. 
Spotting him over against the far wall, Tom started that way but was cut
off by the hotel manager.
   "We don't serve Indians in here.  You'll have to leave immediately."
   Tom felt the heat rise in his face as he looked down at the little man,
but turned to leave, just as the sheriff yelled to him.
   "Tom, don't listen to that little piss ant, come on over and have some
breakfast."
   Tom looked down at the man, then walked over to the sheriff's table.
   "Good morning Sir," he said as he sat down.
   "I've already eaten sheriff, Missus Croom was up early and cooked a good
breakfast, last night after she got sobered up, she cooked some fried
chicken and biscuits."
   "Good to hear that you and the kids were able to get her sobered up, she
was a good woman until that ornery cuss moved in with her.  Tom, I really
do need you to stay on a week or so.  I been needing a good man for over a
month now, the last one I had was worse than having a crook working as a
deputy.  Just stay until I can get my good arm working again, I'll pay you
a dollar a day and your meals in town."
   "Sheriff, I'll stay another week, but no more than ten days.  I don't
have any set plans, I just wanted to see some of the territory south of the
Dakotas while the weather was warm and I had time."
   "Thanks Tom.  Say how old are you anyway Tom, some that saw you
yesterday say you look kinda young to them."
   Tom knew this would come up sooner or later and was prepared to lie
about his age to keep his story from getting out of hand about a kid with a
gun.
   "I'm just barely twenty Sir.  I know I look younger but I've had some
good teachers that helped me accept the responsibilities of being a man."
   "Who might those teachers be Tom?"
   "Well Sir, the Sioux chiefs and elders taught me how to ride and shoot a
bow and arrow.  My dad, my uncle, and Mr.  Bill Cody showed me how to shoot
and handle a gun, and my mom taught me to read and write, as well as right
from wrong."
   "Sounds like you've had many lessons then.  You're a well spoken young
man and you have a caring heart, just be careful who you trust and who has
your back.  It's all over town about how you can handle a gun.  I didn't
see any of it, but I did see the blood and bones flying from what was
sposed to be the two fastest gun hands in this part of the country."
   "Yes Sir."
   "Lets get back to the office and I'll get you a badge to make it
official, don't let the folks get to you with remarks about you bein'
Indian, they'll come around and warm up to you."
   The two walked out of the hotel as others looked at the sheriff and the
tall Indian walking side by side.  Some scoffed at the sight, some looked
in awe at the tall man with the broad shoulders and black hat.  He was near
a foot taller than the sheriff.
   "Tom place your left hand on the bible and raise your right hand and
repeat after me.  I Tom Cooper do swear to uphold the laws of this county
and this land, in my duties as deputy sheriff."
   The sheriff took the big star and pinned it on Tom's white shirt on the
left side.
   "Welcome deputy," the sheriff said as he shook Tom's hand.  "I'm going
over to Doc's and get my bandage changed, you take a walk around town a
couple of times, let the folks get used to seeing you with the badge.  I
know I can depend on you to keep your calm, I've seen you in action," the
sheriff told him as he left the office and turned left on the boardwalk.
   Tom walked out of the sheriff's office and turned right, down past the
hotel and Miller's store.  His horse walked in the street, following Tom as
he walked.  He walked to the livery, stopping to visit with the old man
that owned it.
   `Langley's Livery Stable' the sign read.
   "I sure would like it if you took care of my horse for the next week or
so during the day.  I'll be helping the sheriff some for a few days."
   "I'd be honored to take care of that horse deputy, he sure is a prize if
I ever seen one."
   He led his horse over to the stall, took his saddle off and patted him
on the neck.  He leaned over and whispered in his ear as the man put the
saddle on a rack.
   "What did you just tell him deputy?"
   "I told him to take good care of you Mr.  Langley." Tom smiled and
walked away as the man watched him.  He couldn't help the big grin on his
toothless face.
   Tom walked on out to the edge of town, then walked back behind the
buildings on the main street.  He walked past a few houses and then turned
up between an alley to come back out on the main street again.  He walked
with his Henry hooked in his right arm, his hat pulled low to keep the sun
out of his eyes.  Looking the town over good, he saw every loose board
every flapping piece of roofing, every broken window.  He was used to
looking at the prairie with a close eye and he couldn't help but notice
these things.
   He saw the weeds growing up around the buildings, the wagon ruts made
the last time it rained.  He saw the broken boards in the boardwalk in
front of the stores.  The broken hitchin' rails next to the dirt street. 
He could hear the ring of a hammer on an anvil somewhere down the street.
   He crossed the street when he came back to the hotel, then walked into
the saloon.  The barkeep was there wiping the bar with that same old dirty
rag, but he had no customers this early.  The barkeep looked up when Tom
came in, saw the star on his shirt and looked Tom in the eye.  The two men
nodded and Tom walked out into the light again.
   He had walked ten feet from the saloon door when someone shouted, "Hey
tall man."
   Tom turned slowly with the Henry's barrel raised just a bit, but still
in the crook of his right arm.
   He saw a man on a big horse riding toward him in a slow walk.
   "Are you the owner of the big stud down at the livery?"
   "Yes Sir, that's my horse."
   "I don't suppose he's for sale."
   "No Sir."
   "I'm riding a hot mare and I'd pay you well if you'd let him stick her.
A foal from that stud would be worth hundreds of dollars if not thousands."
   "Well, he's still a young one but I'm sure he's old enough to cool your
hot mare off, how much you willing to pay?"
   "I'm a breeder of horses and I have a big ranch outside of town to the
west of here.  I'll pay you two hundred in gold if you let him stick her
twice so I'd be sure she took."
   "Then you got a deal mister, when you got in mind for him to put her
with a foal?"
   "I was thinking if you left your horse at my place overnight and the two
of them were alone in the pasture, they could do business for us."
   "No Sir.  He don't ever stay away from me."
   "Then won't you stay at my place as my guest while your stud and my mare
make a night of it?"
   "I'm not used to staying in strange places Sir, but for two hundred
dollars, I'd agree so your mare can be bred."
   "Good, when you ride out of town to the south, just head west at the
crossroad and you'll ride right through my gate in about an hour."
   "We'll be there well before dark."
   "I'll have my cook prepare some of the best beef steaks you ever chowed
down on then," the man said as he turned his mare and headed back to stop
in front of the bank.
   After he watched the man enter the bank, Tom turned and continued his
walk.  He came to a boarding house and a hardware store, then he saw a
blacksmith shop and heard the ring of a hammer on an anvil again as he
neared.  He stopped to make friends with the blacksmith and continue on his
walk.  He stepped into an alley between two buildings and walked to the
back side of the row of shops and stores.  He saw a row of outhouses lined
in a row behind the buildings about a hundred feet out.
   Walking across the street again, he saw the sheriff come out of the
Doc's office up ahead of him.  The sheriff saw him and waited for him to
walk up.
   "You about to get yer bearings Tom?"
   "Yes Sir, just finished my walking tour of the town and made me two
hundred dollars in gold on my round."
   "Well, deputy how'd you do that?"
   "I was leaving the saloon and a man hollered at me to stop, he was
riding a big Sorrel mare that he said was hot.  Said he'd seen my horse in
the livery and the livery man told him it was mine.  He wants to pay me two
hundred to let my stud stick his mare."
   "That would be Mr.  Dale Canady from out at the Canady Horse Ranch. 
He's a good man, makes lots of money breeding horse stock to sell back east
and to some of the bigger ranches down in Kansas.  He has a big spread and
a fine stable of studs and mares.  He also has three daughters out there
that are about breeding age too Tom," the sheriff said and smiled as cut
his eyes over to see his reactions.
   Tom smiled back at the sheriff as they walked side by side toward the
office.
   "When you going out there to put your stud on that mare Tom?"
   "I told him that I'd be there late this evening, guess I'll stay the
night cause I don't leave my horse and he don't leave me."
   "Good for you Tom, why don't you take off out there a little early this
evening, give you a chance to visit and get used to the place."
   "If you're sure you won't need me I may just do that, I need to ride on
out to the Crooms place to let them know I won't be there tonight too."
   "Won't be much going on tonight, but tomorrow is payday for most of the
ranches here and we always get some rowdy customers in town on Fridays and
Saturdays, so get rested for a busy weekend."
   "I'll be here Sheriff, but I have to tell you I don't like trouble.  I
just have to deal with it because I'm part Indian."
   "I don't think there's anyone that hasn't heard about you around here,
there won't be any fool enough to call you out, I don't think."
   "Well, as long as you got my back, I won't worry about that none."
   "Son I got yer back, no worry there.  Lets go on down to the bank and
you can look the place over, we've never been robbed but I always like to
keep a watchful eye out for our local businesses, especially the ones that
handle a lot of money, never know these days."
   Tom and the sheriff entered the bank and walked back to the managers'
office to meet Mr.  Clifton.  Mr.  Clifton saw them through his open door
and stood up to greet the sheriff and the tall deputy.
   "Come on in, and have a seat Sheriff," he said and stuck out his hand to
Tom, "I'm Ben Clifton, manager of the bank."
   "I'm Tom Cooper from the Dakota Territory and I'm the sheriff's new
deputy," Tom said as he gripped the man's hand.
   "I've heard more stories about you yesterday and today than I've heard
about anyone ever in this town, I just knew you would be too big to get
through my door.  I must say that you are a tall one though," he said with
a laugh.
   Mr.  Clifton walked back to his chair behind his desk and Tom saw him
limp noticeably as he walked.
   "Mr.  Clifton, we won't keep you from your business, I just wanted you
and Tom to meet.  I told him we never have had any problems and we wanted
to keep it that way," the sheriff said.
   "I'm glad you brought Tom over, and Tom you come back any time and let
people get used to seeing you here.  I'm sure when word gets out that you
come here often, we won't have any problems ever." Mr.  Clifton laughed.
   Tom and the sheriff left the bank and went back to the office once more.
   "Sheriff I don't even know your name and here I am a deputy." Tom looked
at his boss and smiled.
   "Tom, I never tell people my first name, but my last name is Keyes.  If
you promise me you'll never to tell, I'll tell you my first name."
   "Sheriff I'd never even let on to anyone that I knew, and besides that I
don't care what your first name is."
   "Thanks Tom, Francis is my name.  My Momma named me after Francis Scott
Key.  I'll never know why she didn't name me Scott."
   The two men spent the rest of the day talking and getting to know each
other, Sheriff Keyes really liked this young man.  He knew Tom wasn't gonna
stay here and make a life though, this young man had a date with destiny
and the sheriff could feel it as he looked at him and listened to him talk.
He was smart way beyond his twenty years.
   The sheriff looked at his pocket watch and told Tom to go ahead and make
his trip out to the Crooms place then keep his appointment with Mr. 
Canady.
   "Just you keep a watchful eye on them little fillies out there too," the
sheriff said and laughed at the look on his Tom's face.
   Tom walked down to the livery and the old man met him in the door.
   "Deputy I want to tell you that I almost lost your horse this morning,
Mr.  Canady rode up on one of his mares that was horsin' and your stud
nearly tore my barn down."
   "Sorry about that, I'll pay for any damages."
   "Oh there was no bad stuff to fix back, he just kicked a couple of rails
down in his stall."
   "Mr.  Canady axed me about who's stud this was, I told him he belonged
to the new deputy, hope that was awright to say."
   "Sure it was and he caught up with me, wants me to let my stud stick his
mare, gonna pay me good too."
   Tom went to the stall and opened the gate, the big horse followed him
out front and he saddled him up, sticking the Henry in the scabbard.
   "I'll be here in the morning," Tom said as he swung easily into the
saddle without even using the stirrup.
   "I'll be here Deputy."
   Tom rode out of town to the south and saw the cross road Mr.  Canady
told him about.  'I'll just cut across from the Croom's place and save a
few miles,' he thought as he nudged his horse with his heel.
   "Tom, I thought you were gonna stay with us while you were here, we got
the place all cleaned up nice while you were gone today," Millie said
sadly, when Tom told them he was spending the night over at the Canady
spread.
   "Well you sure did a good job too and I know your ma is as proud of you
and Danny as I am.  I'll be back tomorrow afternoon, then I have to work
tomorrow night and Saturday night, the sheriff says we'll have a lot more
folks in town those nights and some get rowdy."
   "Well, we sure will miss you Tom," Danny said with his head hung.
   "This is business and I wouldn't be there if it wasn't, the man is gonna
pay me good for my stud to spend the night with his mare."
   "We know Tom, we just kinda like you a lot and like being around you,"
Millie said with a put on smile.
   "Tell your ma that I'll see her tomorrow afternoon before I head back
into town for the night," Tom said as he swung to the saddle and left.
   The two Crooms kids stood side by side in the dirt yard and watched Tom
until he was out of sight, then went in the barn.  Both had tears in their
eyes.
   Tom rode north a couple of miles and cut back to the northwest at an
angle that would bring him close to where Mr.  Canady said his spread was.
He let his horse pick his own gait, looking over the land as he rode. 
There were no hills here like up in Dakota Territory, it was mostly flat
with just a few rises in the land.  The new grass was beginning to come out
and cover the ground which would make good grazing.
   Tom heard the crack of a rifle shot.  He pulled his knees in tight and
his horse stopped.  He sat listening as he looked all around, turning his
horse in a complete circle as he scanned the land for some sign of trouble
or movement.  He sat still for another minute and was about to move on when
he heard the second shot.  It sounded like it had come from the west and
Tom headed over that way, keeping an eye out.
   He rode at a slow but steady pace, not sure what he was riding into. 
Tom saw his horses ears perk up and he pulled him up to listen again.  Then
he heard it, sounded like some had yelled `help' and they weren't too far
away either.  Tom popped his heels into his horse's flanks and they went
from standing still to full gallop in one leap.
   He came to a short bluff with a small creek down below.  Tom looked up
and down the creek bed for anything that moved.  There wasn't a lot of
water but it sure looked like a lot of mud on either side of the water.
   Tom heard another weaker cry for help and whirled his horse to look
downstream.  He saw them, a horse and rider stuck in the deep mud.  The
horse was neck deep in the mud and the rider was almost as deep with their
hands up in the air, holding a rifle with one hand and the saddle with the
other.
   Tom stuck his heels in his horses flanks and he leaped down the short
bluff to the creek bottom, running flat out toward the horse and rider.  As
he neared where they were stuck in the mud, he tightened his knees and his
horse slid to a stop.  Looking them over good, he knew he needed a rope, he
didn't have one, but he saw one on the saddle of the horse in the mud.
   "Can you reach your rope," he yelled.
   The rider twisted to try and see who had spoken but couldn't turn that
far in the mud.
   "Get your rope off your saddle and I'll try to get closer to you," Tom
yelled again.
   Tom looked the creek over, there was mud on both sides of the water and
there wasn't much room for his horse to get a running start to jump across.
He looked farther down the creek and saw a narrower place, he kicked his
heels into his horse again and they raced to the narrow place.  He knew he
had one chance to get across and if they didn't make, he and his horse
would be in the mud too.
   "IYAYA," he yelled and dug his heels in the horses flanks.
   The big horse left the ground in a flying leap and landed clear across
on the other side in a dead run.  Tom turned him back to the horse and
rider and slid to a stop right in from of them.
   "Throw me the rope, loop one end on your saddle horn and throw me the
other end," he shouted.
   The rider was trying to find a place for his rifle and finally just
threw it in the muck and reached up for the rope.  The rifle had landed
butt first in the mud and in no time was all but gone.
   The rider got the rope off the saddle finally and got the loop on the
saddle horn.
   "Now swing the rope to me as far as you can," he yelled.
   The rope fell a few feet short and Tom looked for a stick or a limb
along the bank.  There was none.  He grabbed his Henry out of the scabbard
and reaching out, he hooked the rope with the front sight.  He finally got
the muddy rope in his hands and threw his rifle back on the bank.  Tom got
his horse close enough to get the end of the rope looped over his saddle
horn and his horse pointed upstream from the rider and horse stuck in the
mud.  He knew he could never pull them out straight.
   "Hold on to your horse while I try to get him out, if I can't, you'll
have to take the rope off your horse and hold on so I can get you out."
   Tom stood beside his horse and talked quietly to him, getting the rope
tight and then pulling harder and harder.  His big horse was digging into
the soft creek bed and leaning into the rope hard.  The horse was not
moving out of the mud.  He saw the horse lean to his right in the mud as
they pulled him sideways.  The horse pulled one front leg free of the mud
and pawed back down with it.  Then the other leg was free and he was pawing
and pulling himself as Tom's horse nearly pulled him over sideways in the
mud.
   Tom kept talking to his horse, the horse and rider were slowly moving
toward the bank.  Now the horses rump was out of the mud and it was going
wild, trying to kick free of the mud.
   "Turn loose of your horse and let her go, she's gonna hurt you," Tom
yelled as the horse broke free of the mud and Tom's horse nearly dragged
her sideways out of the sticky muck.
   He grabbed the reins of the muddy horse and hooked over the saddle horn
of his saddle as he took the rope and threw back to the rider.
   "Slip this under your arms and hold on," he yelled.
   Tom looped the rope around his saddle horn again and eased his horse
forward.  The rider slid up out of the muck slowly and across the top of
the slimy mess like a skid log.  The mud was all over the rider's face and
head as he slid to the bank.
   When he slipped the muddy rope from the rider's arms, he tried to help
him to his feet.  The mud was sticky and slimy and had a stench that would
gag a buzzard.  Tom grabbed the rider around the waist and pulled him to
his feet, getting mud all over him in his effort.
   "What were you doing out there in that mud anyway?" Tom asked.
   "Don't holler at me injun, but thanks anyway for gettin' me and my horse
out, pa woulda whacked my butt good if I had lost that little girl.
   "I was chasing a coyote and shootin' at him when he ran across this mud
bottom creek, hell it ain't muddy like this when it crosses our place over
yonder."
   `This boy sounds just like a girl.' Tom thought.


   
  
The Man From Eagle Creek - Chapter - 10