THE ROCK CREEK
ADVENTUROUS TALES, PART 1
Teaspoon pushes back a curtain that hampers his sight onto the outside world. He is downstairs close to the front door of the home he shares with his wife Rachel and their two sons, Addison and Daniel Hunter. He gazes out at the storm that is threatening the lives of two of the young men that he loves as if they were his own sons. Teaspoon watches with concerned eyes as Buck and Kid wrestle with the horses against the strong elements of the storm.
Rachel stands behind Teaspoon with concern enveloping on her face. She knows her husband all too well. He won't stand buy helplessly while Buck and Kid's lives are in danger. Teaspoon turns around and places his coffee cup onto the table directly behind him. "I've got to get out there and help them boys before they get themselves killed," Teaspoon spoke not looking up at his wife at first knowing there would be pain in her eyes.
"I know you do. Just please be careful," Rachel spoke somberly as she moved to be at her husband's side.
Teaspoon grabs his coat from the coat rack near the front door. He starts to put it on when Rachel is at his side helping him with the buttons. He kisses her softly on the cheek and opens the front door. The brut force of the wind almost blows the door shut before Teaspoon can take one single step outside. He suddenly realizes just how strong the wind is. He firmly holds the door ajar with an opening only large enough for him to exit the house.
The cold wind hits Teaspoon immediately in the face when he walks out into the storm. Rachel stands at the door keeping just a crack of it open so she can keep a watchful eye on her husband as he calculates his every move towards the corrals. Teaspoon pulls the collar of his jacket closer to his chilled face. As he takes two steps towards the barn, the unrelenting wind sends him backwards by one step. He pushes his body forward into the strong wind, as he knows he must hurry to get to his boys.
Buck and Kid don't notice Teaspoon making his way towards them. They are too busy trying to calm down the remaining horses in the corral. But, with each new roar of thunder and each bright bolt of lightning, the horses become more agitated and more of a danger to themselves and the two men trying to rescue them. Buck finally gets another horse by her harness and begins to sooth her by walking her slowly towards the barn. He is only gone for a few seconds when he makes his way back out to the blackness of the corral. He looks up and suddenly sees Teaspoon climbing underneath the corral fence.
"No!" Buck shouts as he runs full force to get to Teaspoon. He forgets to pay attention to the soft ground underneath his boots. Buck takes a bad fall into the sticky mud. He hits the back of his head on the ground and lays motionless. When Buck doesn't make any attempt to get up, Kid and Teaspoon both are at his side in a few seconds.
Buck slowly opens his eyes for fear of being trampled by a horse. He's also afraid he may see stars before his eyes. A soft gasp of pain escapes his lips as he tries to move.
Teaspoon and Kid both extend their hand for Buck to grab onto. "Now who's doing the rescuing?" Teaspoon asked as they pull Buck to his feet. "Thank God son that you've got a hard head."
Kid is a little more compassionate than Teaspoon. He is concerned that his best friend may end up with a splitting headache.
"Either that or the ground gives in right now with all this rain we're having," Kid spoke softly so he wouldn't alarm the headache that he is certain is brewing in Buck's head right about now.
Buck rubs the back of his head and ends up with a hand full of mud. The rain, which seems never ending, continues its assault on the three men. For once Buck is glad for the relentless rain. It washes the sticky mud from his long hair and his clothing. "Why are you out here?" Buck asked with pain from a headache etched upon his face.
"The two of you looked like you could use some help," Teaspoon replied innocently.
"You shouldn't be out here in this mess. You could get yourself hurt," Buck spoke with protest in his eyes.
"Buck, do you know how foolish you sound. I'm not the one that just about killed himself hitting his head on the hard ground," Teaspoon spoke straightforwardly.
"Yeah, but if you hadn't come out here, I wouldn't have been rushing to get to you before you got yourself hurt by one of these stampeding horses," Buck spoke softly due to the pounding going on inside his head.
"You two need my help. You two can't handle these horses by yourself," Teaspoon spoke with much confidence.
"Please go back into the house with Rachel. If anything happens to this town's marshal these folks will have my hide," Buck spoke in a pleading tone to Teaspoon.
"Buck, Teaspoon's right. The three of us can get this done a lot faster
than just the two of us can. Let's just get these horses in the barn. When we're
finished we can go over to the house and argue about it then," Kid spoke
trying to reason with Buck.
Buck wasn't happy with the end result of his pleading. Teaspoon walks swiftly
away from him before Buck can mount another protest.
Kid puts his arm around Buck's shoulder in a comforting manner. "Don't worry. Remember when we were all riding for the Pony Express. Teaspoon was more cautious than all of us put together. Some things never change Buck," Kid spoke trying to persuade his lifelong business partner that nothing bad could ever happen to Teaspoon Hunter.
"The only thing that's changed is that he's older now," Buck spoke in a quiet and sad tone as if not wanting Teaspoon to hear his words.
"Don't let Teaspoon ever hear you say that. He'll have your hide long before the folks of Rock Creek can get a hold of you." Kid walks away just in time to retrieve a horse that calmly prances up to him. "Hopefully they'll all start to tire from their aggressive attack."
Just as Kid opened his mouth about the horses finally becoming worn out, the skies open up with an earth-shaking clap of thunder. The wind has died down enough that the rain is not blowing directly into their faces, but it is still coming down by the buckets full!
Buck watches Teaspoon grab hold of a rather meek horse that prances right along side of him. The horse allows Teaspoon to grab his reins and lead him safely into the dry barn. Buck breaths a sigh of relief that perhaps Teaspoon can still handle the elements of surprise. Buck thinks back to the days when they rode for the Pony Express. They were a close-knit family. When any one of them was in trouble, the others were always there to help out. Teaspoon was always there. He never once let them down. He'd let them try and solve their own problems, but he was always close by to listen or help out. There had been so many times when they lived in Sweetwater and at Rock Creek, when the townsfolk discriminated against Buck because of his Kiowa blood. Teaspoon always defended Buck even when others doubted him. Indian troubles were a daily battle in Sweetwater and Rock Creek. Somehow Buck always managed to get in the middle of the war between the White man and the Indian. Even if he didn't want to be, the townsfolk and Indians always placed him in the middle. Since he is a half-blood, the townsfolk found it easy to place blame on him. Teaspoon always stood up for both the whites and the Indians. He'd never take one side or the other without all the facts being laid out in front of him. If the facts looked more like mud water than clear water then he'd find the truth before doing any accusing. Teaspoon always knew how Buck felt. Being from two different worlds, but not really being accepted by either world. Teaspoon is definitely a man that any man, woman or child could easily respect. Even if the townsfolk thought Teaspoon was wrong, deep down they all knew he was right. Finding Teaspoon and the Pony Express Waystation in Sweetwater was the best thing that ever happened to Ike McSwain and Buck Cross. Thoughts of Ike brought a warm smile to Buck's face. If Ike were alive today, he would definitely have been a part of this ranch.
Jeremiah is seated on a chair at the dining room table. He slips one boot on and is working on the second when Louise comes storming into the dining room as if the house were on fire.
"Where do you think you're going?" Louise's tone, that matches her temperament, has never been anything to fool with.
"I need to get out there and help Kid and Buck," Jeremiah replied, not quite looking his older sister in the eyes. Jeremiah is sixteen years old and at least a head taller than his sister. But, Louise's wrath is one thing he tries to avoid at all costs. He has witnessed what Kid goes through on an almost daily basis. He has also noticed how Louise can easily put Buck in his place if need be. Yes, Jeremiah knows that when Louise speaks you damn well better listen!
"I don't think you'll be going anywhere," Louise spoke commandingly.
"How much longer am I gonna have to endure being treated like a ten year old?" Jeremiah asked making his way into bad mood, while meeting Louise's stubborn glare.
"This storm is like a wicked witch. One minute she's looking like she's not gonna attack and then suddenly the thunder and lightning and downpours strengthen her victory. Kid and Buck don't need you out there getting in their way. They would only worry about you getting hurt. Then they wouldn't pay attention to what they're doing, and one of them would end up getting seriously hurt."
Jeremiah couldn't believe his dumb luck that Louise had caught him before he could escape her over protective motherly ways. His sigh is one of exhaustion after listening to the same lecture he endures every time he tries to accomplish a task that proves he's a man and not a young child. He'll have to apply himself more to find a way to outsmart his persistent sister.
Kid and Buck are gently easing two horses into the barn. "I'll take her Kid," Buck stated as he takes the reins of both horses and proceeds to lead them into two vacant stalls.
"There's only three more horses out there," Kid spoke wiping rain from his face with the back of his hand.
Yeah, the three wildest one's," Buck spoke as he walks one of the horses into her stall and starts to walk the other into her stall. "Better get back out there with Teaspoon.
Kid had already started toward the barn door. He can't help himself but to turn around and smile at Buck's smothering remark. "You worry too much." Kid makes his way back out into the bad weather before Buck can comment.
When Kid gets back outside into the storm he notices that Teaspoon is trying his damnest to get a black stallion to listen to reason. It appears to Kid, that the stallion has taken a slight liking to Teaspoon. The stallion allows Teaspoon to brush the moisture from his mane.
Kid hurries to one of the last two horses in the corral. He sees Buck coming out of the barn throwing a glance Teaspoon's way before making his way over to the last horse. Kid shakes his head smiling at his friend. What a mother hen Buck as become where the marshal is concerned.
Buck tries several times to grab the reins of the horse closest to the barn doors. She prances around close to the barn entrance, but refuses to go inside. When Buck tries again to grab her reins, she quickly turns away from him as if playing a game. "So you want to play hard to get," Buck spoke softly to the horse as not to alarm her. She throws her head back slightly, which gives Buck the opportunity to grab her reins.
Another loud crack of thunder rolls across the flat land of the ranch. A flash of lightning follows, lighting up the sky. The steady rain drizzle paces back up to a drenching downpour. Kid crouches down low to the ground as a piece of the barn roof comes flying towards him! It lands on the ground behind him and crumbles to pieces as it hits hard to the ground. Kid straightens his stance slowly glancing up at the barn roof. He sees plenty of areas where the roof is completely missing or where pieces of roof are loose, and trying to dislodge from the barn.
Buck tries to locate Kid and Teaspoon in the sudden burst of downpour. The rain is like a blanket and is too thick to see anything or anybody in front of him. He hears the hail of sounds coming from a cornered animal. Buck struggles against the elements of the weather to make out the stallion pacing back and forth where Teaspoon has him cornered at the far end of the corral. He can barely make out Teaspoon's stance in front of the frightened animal. Teaspoon appears to be backing off the animal when Buck hears the violent pounding of the stallion's hooves hit their mark. Buck's eyes are wide open with terror as he sees Teaspoon slammed to the ground by the force of the stallion. When the stallion tries to get away from his captivity in the corner, he tramples on Teaspoon's legs!
"Teaspoon!" Buck bellowed deeply with fear etched on his face.
