THE
LAST ONE HOMETHE
LAST ONE HOME
The old man in the gondola looked around him, this place was a far cry from where he started. Thousands of miles from his home and family. The others had become his family in just the short time they worked together. He looked back with fondness on the boys and one girl that he had ridden with. Then on to the man that was like a father to him and the two women that had cared for him as if he was their own. His brothers, for that was how he had thought of them, Ike, Noah, Jimmy, Kid and Buck, even Jesse.
He recalled losing Ike first. Ike hadn't been able to speak but managed to always get his point across. To lose him to that gambler was wrong. But in the eyes of him and the others riders, Buck had only beaten them at righting the wrong done to his friend. He could sure use Ike's way with horses right now, that Arabian was giving him too many problems.
Noah came to mind next. Noah had died in his arms helping Rosemary go after the men that had killed her husband. The gang had included Jesse's brother Frank, and the boy felt responsible for his friend's death. The man remembered that it had taken him many years to realize that it wasn't Jesse's fault. He recalled the light fading from Noah's eyes as he held him. Noah's death still weighted heavy on him after all these years.
Jimmy had been next. Becoming more like Teaspoon as the years past than the others. Forced to be, he thought, because of that awful dime novel. A lawman and good friend for so many years, Jimmy had even worked for him for a short while. During that time he learned that Jimmy had never stopped loving Lou. He returned to being sheriff when asked by a town they visited that needed order. Wild Bill had been shot in the back while playing poker, in that town. That the man that shot him soon followed him to the grave shortly after didn't matter, the pain was still hard to bear.
Kid came into his mind next, and where he was Lou was never far behind. Kid had the coolest head of them all, except when it came to Lou. The fights those two would have, he chuckled, and he could see them now arguing over wither or not Lou should ride with them into some dangerous situation. He recalled the day he and the others found out that Lou was a girl. He had teased Jimmy, only to cover the fact he thought she was might pretty himself. He admired her abilities with both horses and guns, as many that went against them had found out she was just as good with both as any of them.
He recalled the wedding and two of his best friends being married. What had started out as a grand day, ended in such a tragic way for all of them. They had made the best of things though. Even turning the small way station into a profitable horse ranch, when Kid returned from the war. The old man laughed to himself again, he never did learn Kid's real name.
The two of them had lived to see their 60th anniversary with children, grandchildren, and great grand children to celebrate with them. He had wanted to go but had been overseas performing for the king and queen of England. Then a few weeks later her regretted it even more, for that was when the telegram had been waiting for him. Kid and Lou were dead. A twister had wiped out the ranch house and barn during the night. Lightening and Katy had been taken with their masters.
That had left only him and Buck of the original riders at the Sweetwater station. He found out when he went looking that Buck had been killed while trying to keep his family from starving one winter.
The old man's thoughts then turned to Teaspoon Hunter. The old ranger had died defending Texas from the Yankees. Rachel had out lived her husband of only two years by but a few months. When they had gathered to bury her, they had all agreed that it had been from a broken heart that she had died.
Sam and Emma had lead long lives too, and passed away close together. Only Emma had been the first to pass on. She had finally had her own family, 3 boys, that she said reminded her of her grown boys.
That had left only him, he recalled, as he reached the pier and exited the gondola. He made his way down the pier and to his hotel. He suddenly felt his age and wanted to rest. He made his way to his hotel suite and his bed and lay down. He closed his eyes as the sunset on that distant shore.
He wasn't sure how it happened but suddenly he was on a horse riding fast and hard for his home station. When he arrived Teaspoon stepped down off the porch of the bunkhouse to greet him. "What took you so long son?" he asked.
He saw Kid sitting on the top step of the porch, with Lou leaning back against him from the next step down. Ike and Buck were at the corral breaking a horse. Noah was polishing his daddy's silver saddle in the doorway of the barn. Jimmy was leaning against post on the opposite side of the steps from Lou and Kid. Sam was leaning back in a chair his had pulled down to cover his eyes. Rachel and Emma were sitting in the swing o the porch of the house chatting and snapping beans for dinner.
Buffalo Bill Cody smiled at his reunited family, glad to be with them again and spun a tale of daring that made the others laugh.
They were all young again, with no war threatening their little family. He was home, and now he could rest.
Back in the hotel the lady kissed the old man's cheek and turned to the young men behind her. "Time to take your pa home to Sweetwater. I'm sure they're waiting on him there."
In Sweetwater, Lou and Kid's oldest son watched 6 riders ride into the sunset and knew that his parents had their whole family with them again.
