The Man From Eagle Creek
Chapter Nineteen
They were all laughing so hard that Tom had to laugh as he
watched them and he didn't even know all that was said.
"Tom, we love your friend, she's so much fun and such a sweet
girl," Valerie told him.
"I agree, we've known each other just two weeks and we've become
good friends."
"Ma'am if you'll show Sally Mae and I the mares, we'll get
started today and finish tomorrow if need be."
"Yes Tom, we have three mares that have just foaled and last week
we purchased two mares from a neighbor that are to be delivered
this evening. These mares have just dropped colts also."
"Good, then Sally Mae and I will start right away."
Valerie went to the stables with Tom and Sally Mae to show them
the mares. They were all three in a small corral that opened into
the barn.
Sally Mae went right to work on the first mare, then Tom brought
his stud over to be cleaned. Soon the stud and the first mare
were together in another open pen. Tom watched as Sally Mae
prepared another mare.
The three mares were bred that afternoon and Tom was glad to get
this much behind them, now if the other two mares were brought to
the stables they'd be on the way once again.
The next day at noon Tom stood at the kitchen table as Maria
counted out one thousand dollars on the table. He gathered the
money, and thanked the sisters.
At two o'clock that afternoon Tom stood at the window of the
station once again. He showed the man his paper and was told he'd
have to wait until the engineer could connect to a cattle car.
Tom and Sally Mae sat on the platform in the warm sun and watched
as the train engine moved from one track to another, switching
back and forth until there was a cattle car just in front of the
caboose.
The train pulled out of Atchison, Kansas bound for Wichita. They
were twenty three minutes behind schedule.
Tom counted twenty seven cars in all on the train. They started
slowly with a hard jolt as the big steam engine blew steam and
black smoke into the air. Soon they were rolling across the
plains, leaving behind the stock yards, the houses, and the
businesses of Atchison, Kansas.
Out in the open flat land, the engineer pulled the throttle open
and let the long train run. He wanted to make up as much time as
possible on the long straight run down to Wichita.
Tom and Sally Mae knew from the other train rides in the cattle
cars, they were going faster than ever today. The wind was
whipping against them hard. The black smoke of the coal fired
steam engine was blowing back in a long dark cloud that hung in
the still air of the Kansas plains like a big black rope.
The steam whistle on the engine was blowing almost constantly as
they rolled past small crossings along the way. In just over an
hour they pulled into the station in Topeka, Kansas. The train
was only still long enough to get passengers loaded and unloaded,
cars switched and to take on water.
They were out on the open plains once more, black smoke
billowing, the whistle screaming at each crossing. The wind was
whipping the straw around in small whirlwinds as the train rocked
and rattled down the track.
The clickety clack of the wheels crossing the rail joints kept
time with the swaying of the cars along the straight path of
endless rails.
Tom and Sally Mae relaxed against the side boards of the rail
car. They soon fell asleep lying against each other as the rhythm
of the rails and the wheels of the train sang a lullaby in the
wind.
Sally Mae woke up and looked around, the sun was low in the
western sky as the train still screamed across the Kansas plains
bound for Wichita. She crawled away from Tom, dropped her
breeches and peed.
Sally Mae lay back beside the long tall injun and started running
her hand up and down his belly, slipping her hand under his
shirt, she felt the smooth tan skin. Sally Mae wanted some.
The train whistle was blowing wildly, the train was slowing and
Tom raised up to see the stock yards with the rail fences in all
directions, laid out to form pens and corrals for the cattle.
The train was passing the stock yards and slowing to a stop in
front of the train depot. There was no ramp by the cattle car and
Tom jumped down to see someone about getting his horse off the
car. Sally Mae had followed and Tom's horse stood there with his
saddle on, looking through the sideboards as Tom walked off.
The big horse bolted to the open door and jumped out and down
four feet to the wooden platform, then galloped to catch up with
Tom and Sally Mae.
Tom just looked at him and smiled, he should have known better.
People were standing everywhere staring at the tall injun, the
slender high yellow girl and the big horse on the platform.
Tom calmly walked to the train station to ask for directions. He
handed the man his paper, and the man looked up at Tom.
"You're Tom Cooper?"
"Yes Sir, I am."
"Helluva name for an injun."
"You will find Mr. Holliday at his office across the tracks and
down the street to your left toward the center of town."
"Yes Sir, thank you," Tom said as he swung to the saddle, pulled
Sally Mae up behind him and trotted his horse to the edge of the
platform where he leaped to the ground and kept his pace.
They passed the front of the steam engine as it stood hissing
steam and puffing smoke. Tom crossed the tracks then took the
street that ran along the tracks toward town. There were so many
buildings he couldn't keep up with where one ended and another
started.
They came to a tall, red brick building that had `HOLLIDAY'
painted on a white sign in big letters.
"Sally Mae, stay here with the horse, I'll see if I can't get
someone to tell me where we need to be."
Tom walked into the front door, he had his black hat on, the Colt
still strapped to his leg and his paper in his hand.
A short bald man looked up from his desk and saw Tom. The man
jumped up and backed away from his desk, then ran from the room
through an open door. Tom followed the man to see if he knew
where Mr. Holliday was.
He saw the man through a window into another room, Tom walked to
the open door and heard the man.
"There he is now Sir, that's the man I was telling you about,"
he said to a big man sitting at his desk.
"I'm Tom Cooper and I'm looking for Mr. Holliday," Tom said.
The short bald man backed to the wall, scared the injun was going
to start trouble.
The big man at the desk stood up and stuck his hand out, "I'm
Cyrus Holliday, I've been expecting you Tom. I sure didn't have
you pictured like this though," he said as they shook hands.
"Sir I'm here with my stud and my helper, if you'll show us to
your stables we'll start the breeding of your mares."
"Yes Tom if you'll bring your horse around to the back of this
building I'll meet you there at my buggy."
Tom walked out, swung to the saddle and rode around the building
"Is he here Injun Tom?" Sally Mae asked.
"Yes, there he is now. We'll follow him."
They rode behind the buggy as they were led through the streets
lined with businesses and houses. When they were out of town, Tom
rode beside the buggy.
"Tom that sure is some fine horse you have, I know better than
to ask, but would you sell him?"
"No Sir, he's not for sell."
"I can understand that young man, I'll have to settle for the
hopes of getting a good copy of him out of my mares. I have some
fine stock horses here. Some are speed horses, some are pleasure
horses and some I breed for cattle handling. I hope to have the
blood of this big horse in all my horses. I've heard so much
about you and your horse, I even read an article in a newspaper
that a friend of mine brought from Kansas City the other day. You
seem to attract a lot of attention Tom," The big man laughed.
"Yes Sir, but I don't like a lot of attention, the trouble just
seems to find me."
They were riding alongside a well kept wood rail fence, then
turned into a large entrance to a ranch headquarters.
Tom and Sally Mae were looking at all the horses in the pens and
the ones that grazed on the green grass in the open pastures.
"This is really a nice spread here Mr. Holliday, it reminds me of
the Canady's spread up in Newton, Nebraska."
"Thank you Tom, Dale Canady and his family are friends of me and
my family. My oldest son is trying his best to court Dale's
oldest daughter Alissa."
"I have met Miss Alissa, she is a very pretty young woman and
very headstrong, as are her sisters and mother."
"I would agree with you there Tom, they're all exceptional
people, Dale has written me all about you and the reputation you
left in Newton."
"I didn't set out to make a reputation, like I said trouble has
become my shadow."
"You have no reason to worry, your reputation is a good one. You
made a lot of friends for life there in Newton. I hope that one
day you will also call me friend."
"Thank you Sir."
When Mr. Holliday pulled up to the main stable, a girl about
Sally Mae's size and age walked out. She walked over to Mr.
Holliday and hugged him.
"Daddy, I didn't expect you to come home so early today," she
said as she looked Tom and Sally Mae over.
"Oh my, is this the stud that will breed our mares?" She asked as
she reached out to touch Tom's horse on the nose.
The big horse smelled her hand then walked a step forward to
stand with his nose at her chest as Tom slid off his back.
"Melody this tall Indian is Tom Cooper, I told you about him."
"Yes you did daddy, but you didn't really tell me he looked like
this," She smiled.
"Well, he was a shock to me too, when he walked into my office
earlier today."
Tom helped Sally Mae down.
"This is Sally Mae, she's my helper in the breeding."
Melody shook Sally Mae's hand as she looked her over real good,
Mr. Holliday shook her hand too as he looked Sally Mae over good.
"Tom, we had plans for you to stay in the day cottage here by the
barn, if you need more room we'll make other arrangements,"
Melody said.
"No Ma'am, this will be fine. We'll be working with the horses
mostly while we're here."
"Tom don't call me Ma'am. Please call me Melody, daddy is already
trying to get me married off, he's so afraid that I will become
an old maid," she laughed.
"Yes Ma'am," Tom said.
"Sally Mae if you'll bring your belongings with you, I'll show
you the living quarters."
"Yes Ma'am," Sally Mae said and followed her with Tom's bedroll
and her tow sack.
Tom and Sally Mae went right to work getting the mares separated
and cleaned up for the breeding. Sally went to the big stud to
clean him, he knew by now what this meant and stood stock still
as she washed his tool up for him to stick the mares. Like the
rest of the stables they had been to, most of the brood mares had
just dropped a colt and were being bred right back to Tom's
horse.
Before dark caught them, they had bred Tom's stud to five of the
mares, they had another six to go tomorrow.
The next morning at daylight, Tom was up and out to the stables,
he wanted to get a good start and give his big stud a rest then
finish up in time to get back to the station before dark.
Sally Mae and Tom worked good together and soon had half the
mares taken care of. Tom gave his horse some crushed oats and a
cool drink. He let him walk in the barn yard as he talked to
Sally Mae.
"We should be back on the train to Topeka before dark if we can
finish here soon."
"We've had a good day Injun Tom we'll be through soon."
Sally Mae was right and they were soon ready to pack up and get
on the road. Mr. Holliday came out and paid Tom and they were on
their way to the train station.
"Injun Tom," Sally Mae said as they turned up the main road to
Wichita.
"When we are through in Topeka will we have some time before we
have to go back to Omaha?"
"Yes Sally Mae, when we're through in Topeka, we'll have
completed my contract with the association, and I'll no longer be
on a schedule."
"Then I want us to ride your hoss up to Omaha so we can stop at
the big lake where Bones takes me fishing. There's good grass
there for your hoss and a good place for us to stay for a day or
two. I know you'll be gone soon and I want some time with you
before you go."
"You and I'll spend two days at the lake if you'll let me rest so
I can continue my journey."
"You can rest some there," she said with a smile.
Two days in Topeka and the two traveling horse breeders were
through, they had made their rounds and taken care of the mares
on the schedule.
The one and a half hour ride from Topeka up to Atchison seem to
take only minutes, they were tired and they were glad to know
they could now take time to sit down for a spell and rest.
The next morning they were up early and rode up toward Omaha to
the lake.
Sally Mae was happy that she would get to spend at least one day
if not two, alone with Injun Tom at the big lake. She showed Tom
where the shaded campsite was that her pappy Bones took her as a
little girl to fish.
Sally Mae slid off the big horse into the sand, and as Tom
slipped the saddle off his horse, she threw off her clothes and
ran to the clear water.
Tom heard the splash as she hit the water and turned to see the
naked girl laughing and playing in the water. Her long black hair
was plastered to her left teat in front and down her right
shoulder blade in the back. The water was dripping and beading on
her smooth skin as if she were oiled.
Tom threw off his buckskins, he wanted her. He ran to the water
right at her, splashing her as he hit the surface in a long leap.
They laughed and played in the late evening sun. They touched and
hugged and held each other close, enjoying the feeling of being
free.
Sally Mae took Injun Tom's hand and led him to his bedroll laid
out on the sand. She lay down and pulled him down to her.
"I want some Injun Tom," she said.
They didn't waste time kissing and touching, they had time later
for that, this was for them. This was in celebration of a job
well done. They were smiling at each other face to face. They
became one as sundown exploded across the western sky in a blaze
of colors.
Sally Mae wanted all of him she could get, she wanted to
remember this moment in time forever. She knew that Injun Tom
would be gone tomorrow and she would never see him or hold him
again. Injun Tom had a date with destiny and Sally Mae knew it.
She was proud to share time and her body with this half breed
from the Dakotas.
Daylight began to peek out of the sleeping night and race across
the land. Shadows that had been sleeping in the dark woke up once
more to dance in the sunlight.
Tom woke early as he always did, he looked down at Sally Mae as
she slept in his bedroll. Tom covered her sleeping form and
walked into the smooth waters of the clear lake. He swam easily
and smoothly across the lake, then swam along the other bank for
a ways before swimming back to the camp.
When Tom turned to swim back across the lake, he heard the
unmistakable sound of an eagle as it screeched loudly in the
early morning light.
The sound echoed back and forth across the misty air above the
lake surface and fell silent. Tom stopped swimming and looked up,
trying to see through the mist, all he saw was the shadowy
outline of an eagle through the mist rising from the warm water.
The sound took him back to a time earlier in his life, a time
when he was a part of the eagles. He felt an urgency to find this
eagle, to see if there was a reason for its being here.
Sally Mae was still covered in his bedroll as he walked out of
the water and over to where she lay sleeping. Tom heard her make
a gurgling, gagging sound and looked closer.
His heart jumped up into his throat as he looked at the two long
knife handles that were sticking out of his bedroll. Tom fell to
his knees beside the bedroll and pulled it off her face.
Sally Mae was wide eyed and crying, her tears were pooling and
running from both eyes as her mouth opened and closed silently.
"I hurt Injun Tom, I hurt so bad," she whispered.
"Hold me Injun Tom, hold me and let me feel the wind beneath me
as I fly across the plains one more time. I want to fly with you
and the eagles. I want to see one more time the land you came
from, where you spent your boy years. Hold me Injun Tom, make the
hurt go away."
Tom pulled the top of the bedroll back more and saw the blood
pumping from her heart, running in a river of red between her
small teats.
Tom looked up into the sky and let out a moan that turned into a
yell of anguish as he saw what someone had done. They had meant
to kill him, but had killed this innocent young girl sleeping in
his bedroll.
"I am flying Injun Tom, I have wings and I am flying with the
eagles. I can see the hills, the rivers, the valleys and the rock
bluff overlooking the plains. I am going Injun Tom. I am going
higher and higher, hold me one more time Injun Tom," Sally Mae
whispered as blood ran from her lips, then she was quiet.
Tom screamed to the heavens again as her hurt became his hurt. He
looked down at the serene, peaceful face that had been so full of
life and wonder the whole time he had known her.
"Why", he screamed into the heavens. "Why her and not me?" He
asked the Gods above.
Tom covered the face of his young friend, he thought of his
horse. His heart stopped beating for a second time then thumped
hard in his chest as he looked around. He knew that his horse
should have been there to warn of anyone coming to the camp.
Tom walked out away from the trees to the open space above the
lake bank. He looked all around in the morning light, but didn't
see him. He walked out farther and farther, searching the
landscape for the big Palomino.
He heard a noise, a beating, thumping, kicking noise and ran
toward it. Tom saw his big horse lying on its side, kicking and
trying to get up. He just knew as he ran to him that his horse
too was dying and his heart almost failed him.
Tom came to the struggling horse and saw a bolo around his front
feet and ropes wound tightly around and around his hind legs.
The big horse had been down for some time and Tom knew he needed
to be quick. He slipped his knife through the ropes and grabbed
the horse around the neck. He pulled as his horse raised his head
to get his front feet under him. He was up on his front legs now,
his hind quarters still on the ground.
Tom pulled and talked to him, he had tears in his eyes as he saw
his big horse stagger to his feet and stand there swaying and
stumbling, trying to get his balance.
Tom coaxed him and he walked slowly and weakly forward. Tom
hugged his neck and held him as the horse gained his balance and
strength.
Tom walked back to the camp, the hurt came back to him. For a few
minutes he was helping his horse and the reality went away. Now
reality reared its ugly head and Tom saw the body of his young
friend rolled up in his bedroll.
Tears ran from his eyes as he pulled his buckskins on, strapped
his Colt on his leg and grabbed his hat. Tom saddled his horse
and put his Henry in the scabbard. He rolled Sally Mae tightly in
the bedroll and heaved her body across the saddle. Tom tied her
belongings on behind her and walked out into the open, his horse
following him slowly, his once proud gait was now one with his
head held low as somehow he knew too that he had lost a friend.
Tom and the big stud horse both walked the twenty miles back to
Mr. Hollister's stables with their heads held low, their hearts
full of hurt and an empty feeling of loss that would never go
away.
As he walked into the barn yard, Bones walked out of the stable.
Bones saw the rolled up form in the bedroll and fell to his knees
beside the big horse. Tears ran down his black face, his hands
reached up to touch the still body of the young girl he had
raised as his own.
"What happened Injun Tom, why is my Sally Mae dead?" Bones cried
openly.
Tom told him of waking at daylight and leaving her sleeping in
the bedroll. He told him of his early morning swim, blaming
himself for leaving her helpless and asleep.
Bones stood up and untied the bedroll from the saddle and pulled
the lifeless form down to his arms He carried her across the
barnyard like the little girl she was. He didn't want to see her
face, so he lay the flap over her.
"Injun Tom, what is this?" Bones asked as he looked closely at
two big splotches of brown just above where the knives had been
driven into the heavy cloth of the bedroll.
Tom knelt down to see what Bones was talking about. The blood
drained from his face, he felt cold all over his body. He felt as
if he had been hit in the stomach as he looked down to where
someone had spit tobacco on his bedroll.
`How can this be', he thought.
Tom thought of Ernie that worked for Mr. Canady on his spread
outside Newton. Ernie had come to Tom to tell him about setting
up Mr. Roller. He wouldn't have come all this way to hurt me. Tom
thought of Sam Wilson and his friend Bo.
He remembered seeing Sam spit tobacco on the saloon floor before
he drew on the sheriff. It had to be Sam, he was the only one
that had reason to hate him. Sam had hated him since the day they
met. Sam had hated him even before they met.
Tom and Bones dug a deep grave near the stables, under a big
shade tree. Mr. Hollister had given them permission to bury the
girl near the horses she loved so much. Tom gave Bones one of his
white shirts that his mom had made, to bury Sally Mae in.
Bones sawed the pine boards and nailed them silently as tears ran
down his face. Sally Mae's mammy dressed her in the long white
shirt and laid her on the saddle blankets in the pine box.
She sat beside the coffin and held the lifeless form of her young
daughter and sang the only song she knew.
"Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home.
Swing low sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home.
I looked over Jordan and what did I see,
coming for to carry me home,
a band of angels coming after me,
coming for to carry me home."
Tom and Bones lowered her into the grave as her mammy knelt under
the tree and prayed to God to keep her safe and happy in His arms
The two men covered the grave and placed a white cross there that
Bones had made. Mr. Hollister watched as they buried the girl
that had grown up here in the stables under the feet of Bones and
the horses.
Tom took his flute out and played one last time for Sally Mae,
the sound was soft and sweet as it slowly floated on the breeze
to all the stables and into each of the stalls. The horses of the
ranch perked up their ears at the sound, then lowered their heads
as if they knew the meaning.
Bones held Sally Mae's mammy as she cried over the mound of fresh
dirt where her precious girl lay cold in the ground. The music of
the flute was soothing to her soul, but nothing would ever make
the loss of her sweet daughter go away.
Tom's big horse stood to the side, his head held low, his body
lifeless as he stood looking at the mound of dirt where his young
friend lay.
Tom handed Mr. Hollister all the money he had made with his stud
horse and asked him to take enough out to make sure Bones and his
woman were taken care of and have the rest sent to the Bank of
Newton the next time he went that way.
Tom kept one hundred dollars for his journey. He had business to
take care of now, and he wouldn't rest until this was over.
Whoever did this had meant to kill him in that bedroll, he felt
in his heart that somehow Sam Wilson was to blame. He would get
Mr. Hollister to contact Sheriff Keyes and find out where Sam and
Bo were now.