Paddy's Land

Chapter 1

One Small Step

T WO AND A half months later Paddy Kelly was on his way across the street to the large wooden livery stable in a small town called Blue Haven to buy a horse. It had been a three hour journey after resting for the night in a small hotel at the Gulf of California.

The owner of the livery stable was sleeping lightly near the barn door but came to life when he heard Paddy’s footsteps coming toward him.

He looked him up and down and said to him.

‘Stranger here young fella yes, mmmm only old folk and wanted men come here, straight off I can see your not old, so maybe you are wanted then huh?

‘No siree, don’t get too many young folk this far south? Paddy nodded yes and the old man replied. ‘Spot you a mile off… spend a year in this god forsaken place and you’ll look as old as I do, hahahah, mmm, no sense of humour either, mmmmm, huh?

He muttered though his mouth of half missing teeth then added.

‘Come in on that old barge the Carpenter huh?’ Paddy said he did.

‘Where you headed if’n you don’t mind me asking ya?

‘Big Ser,’ Paddy replied then added. ‘then even further up north to my father’s place, a good bit away from here, not a hundred per cent sure but I’ll get more directions once I get there,’

The old man laughed a little more and said to Paddy.

‘You mean if you get there, there’s a lot of land between here and there, many a outlaw too, not to mention the Apache the Sioux and the Shawnee, know anything about horses do ya?

Paddy said to him. ‘Not really eh, how far is it to Big Ser?

The old man laughed again and said. ‘It’s Big Sur, not big Ser, well it’s about four hundred mile from here, more if you go the coastline, but you’ll save nearly half that if you go east over the Granite mountain yonder.

More danger though of you running into wild cats and even worse still pesky bandits hiding out in those parts, still, if’n you were me, but you ain’t, that’s the way I’d go young fella,’

He limped across to the stable then stopped and turned to where Paddy was still looking eastward. He called to him.

‘You want a horse or not? You can always go to the next town mmm, maybe forty miles from where your standing, mmm, give or take a few, or wait a day or two and take the train to Fresno, mmm, then on to San Jose, but that will put a lot more miles on top of the four hundred, come on in and look at this here horse I got, he’s a fine horse, mmmmm’

The old man showed him a three year old snow white stallion. Truly a beautiful horse to look at but Paddy passed it by without giving it a second glance and went for a roan that was munching on some hay in a stall in the corner of the dilapidated old barn.

The old man quickly followed him saying. ‘Thought you said you knew nothing about horses mmm? Then he muttered something about ‘young ones always in a hurry’

Paddy was stroking the horses head and the mare was letting him too. ‘Why that’s the strangest thing I ever did see; that horse won’t let anyone near it, including me, the only one that goes anywhere near that horse is my young niece Stella, and she’s so small she has to climb that post there.

You don’t want this horse, mister, it’s too unpredictable, owner left it here in instead of payment, said the horse was nothing but trouble, had enough he had, and so it were left here, had no more use for it that’s for sure ha ha,’

Paddy said to him.

‘You’re not doing yourself any favours talking like that, why the way you speak about this lovely mare anyone would think you couldn’t wait to be rid of her and that you were giving her away free,’ the old man coughed and said. ‘Mmm now I never said that fine horse was free, no sir, I was just telling it like it is, she is a wild filly and no good me selling her to you, then have you bringing her back tomorrow, that’s all I meant to say,’ Paddy was impressed with this lovely horse.

‘I need a horse with spirit, one that will not give up the first hill I have to climb, I like this mare, she is well built so can afford to lose a little weight, she has strong legs, and look at her shoulder bones, well this horse was once a race horse I’ll bet my life on it’ Paddy said opening the door of the corral.

The old man grunted and said back to him.

‘You ‘will’ be betting your life on her, if you have to out run those bandits I was telling you of earlier, that white stallion there would leave this old nag eating its dust, if I were you mister, he’s the one I’d be betting my life on,’ then as a forethought he said out loud. ‘Name’s Ben by the way, thanks for asking, mmmm’

‘How much do you want for her, eh Ben?’ Paddy asked him while leading the mare out into the light of the day.

‘Well that fella I was telling you about, he owed twenty five dollars for her board, and feed, she’d eat all you put in front of her, and more besides, but wild and all as she is she is worth at least twice that, say how about, fifty dollars, you seem a nice young man honest and all, fifty dollars and I’ll throw in his saddle to boot, hum?’

Paddy was sitting up on the mares back and she was letting him.

‘Well, stone me, that’s the most uncanny thing I ever did see in all my days of working with horses, tell you the truth now, her owner, well he didn’t exactly leave her here, someone shot him dead in the saloon yonder, and well I was left with the looking after her.

Funeral fella has his guns and holster, mmm, two fine guns they are to, plus a rifle, wanted me to buy em but well my shooting days are long gone, but they might be of some use to you, mmm, do no harm to go take a look see,’

Paddy dismounted from the horse and said to the old man. ‘I will give you fifty for the horse and saddle, but I feel duty bound to tell you she is worth twice that again and yes I’ll go take a look at these guns while you get her ready for the road, okay?’

The old man agreed and said to him.

‘I’ll even throw in some of those wild oats and those beans she loves, you won’t be disappointed I’m sure, but if’n you are, remember what I told you about her wild ways, and there’s no coming back with her now, understand that, mmm?’

‘Done’ said Paddy and went looking for the funeral man and as he walked away he heard the old man muttering but never heard what it as he said. ‘You going to be an old man by the time you get to Big Sur, mmm, so you are, but you know what young fella?

Wish I was young again, then I’d go with you, the names Ben by the way, did I mention that?

Forgetting a lot of stuff lately, so I am, mmm’

The fat man in the so called funeral house was sweating like a man out working on the chain gang in the mid day sun but he was sitting in the shade of his workshop when Paddy entered. He made no movement of any kind not even when Paddy stood facing him saying.

‘I understand you might have some guns to sell,’ the fat sweaty man said nothing.

Then Paddy said to him. ‘Of course I could go to the hardware store when it opens but that would mean me wasting two, maybe three hours, that old man at the livery stable told me you have some ones leftovers, mind if I take a look at them?’

The fat man wiped his sweaty forehead and pointed to a long wooden box on the floor underneath the filthy window.

Paddy went over and opened the box and took out a holster with two long barrelled guns and when he saw them he whistled. For he had never seen guns like this before no sir beautiful they were and even just holding them gave him a uncanny sense of power.

Not that he’s seen many guns before no nothing like this; maybe the odd shotgun or two or .22 rifle.

Beautiful and shinning like black polished steel they were and after spending some two minutes looking them over the fat man said to him.

‘Them there’s fine guns custom made and if you know anything about guns you’ll see they haven’t been used much, hence the reason your holding them in your hands and the owners lies buried in that grave yard out there, that rifle was also his.

Someone claimed he was a gunfighter but if he were he was not a good one; there’s also a black hat that goes with them there if you want it, twenty for the guns fifteen for the rifle and five for the hat; you’ll need ammunition for those, a dollar a box, twenty shots a box you’ll need about ten boxes.

I’ll throw in those old looking glasses if you want em; my my, but it’s going to be one hot darn day’ he said as he was melting all over the floor.’

‘Do all you men in this town deal only in fifty dollar bills?

Paddy said as he paid the man that still had not moved an inch not even to take the money from his hand so he threw in on an old brown wooden table that had a small white wooden coffin on it.

There was a small child in the half open coffin and by the smell coming from it Paddy figured he’d been dead for at least a week. Still the fat man never moved.

An hour later he was on his way to Big Sur and once out of the small town he could see how vast and empty this land was and feeling pretty good on his fine new three year old mare he rode on out into the west. He got a lot of practice in with his guns shooting at imaginary targets. He became quite the little gunslinger with his near perfect draw. Well it was all too easy drawing against a tree stump.

Against the real thing however he was very soon about to be tested.

It was hot and nearing noon when he stopped and made a fire and had some coffee and beef jerky and when the meal was over he sat back against a mighty oak tree and rested his eyes from the midday sun. He slept for about two hours then had some coffee before he rode on north into the bright sunshine.

By the evening time his backside was hurting so again he stopped and made a fire and called an end to his first day on the prairie. He was sore but happy and he made sure his horse was okay then made himself a makeshift bed underneath a mighty old Mulberry tree and settled down and gazed up at the stars that filled the evening sky.

It wasn’t such a bad old life.

He was about to drop off to sleep when he heard something rumbling in the bushes to his right and was very startled to see a young deer rushing in his direction quickly followed by a naked and bleeding young woman with a look of terror on her face.

She saw him and stopped for a split second then darted left and ran into the tall grass and disappeared. A few minutes later another sound only this time he knew what it was.

Horses;

Two riders stopped when they saw him and one asked in a long slow Tennessean drawl.

‘Howdy stranger, names Frank; this young fella there with a nose of a hunting dog is named Bob,

You see an Indian squaw running by here?’ he was bearded and scruffy looking and Paddy could smell his sweat even though there was six foot or so between them.

Paddy said no but had heard a lot of noise that woke him up but the man who asked the question got down from his horse and said.

‘Funny that, you haven’t seen her like, look here see… she come this way mister, now you wouldn’t be hiding her for yourself now would you?

‘Cos that wouldn’t be wise now,’ the other rider had moved over to his left and seemingly found something as he called out in a similar drawl.

‘Over here Frank, she come this way… then shot left, look she’s making for those hills there I reckon,’ the one called Frank turned to Paddy and said.

‘This is your lucky day mister, eh… didn’t get your name.’

He waited but Paddy didn’t give his name.

‘Huh’ the stranger said as he jumped back up on his horse and gave Paddy a deadly look that would wilt a morning wild rose then turned his horse and followed his friend east toward the mountains.

Paddy knew that his hopes of getting back to sleep were gone as every time he closed his eyes he could see the young girl and the look of terror in her eyes.

He rebuked himself for not having his gun ready as he could easily have been killed by any one of those men at any given second.

Lesson learnt he told himself then tried again but in vain to sleep.

It was just as well because an hour or so later the men came back his way dragging the young naked lady behind Frank’s horse.

Now he really was in a strange predicament. Here right in front of him were two men he didn’t know from Adam.

Dirty in mind and body and with an Indian girl no more than fourteen or fifteen hurt and terrified standing in front of the horses and been held by the one called Bob. They did not look too happy at all and at every second Paddy was waiting for one or both of them to draw on him and leave him dead. Dead men don’t tell tales. The girl was petrified and visibly shaken but she managed to hold her head up and stare at Paddy.

She was trying to talk to him with her eyes and Paddy could see she wanted help but he what was a man to do? He never even fired at a rabbit never mind a man that could fire back and who was probably twice as fast as he was and besides there were two of them at that.

‘Let her sit by the fire here,’ Paddy said to the one called Frank. ‘She looks kind of cold.’

The one called Bob laughed and said to his friend. ‘Man she is anything but cold.

In fact she is one hot little filly. Besides after all that running she is verging on boiling over I should say; then sneering at his partner added. ‘Just the way I like em.

Anyway if she is feeling a slight chill’ he paused and did some more sniggering. ‘We’ll warm her up some more pretty soon I guess.’

Paddy pushed his luck a little by saying. ‘Bring her nearer to the fire she is shaking all over with the cold,’

Bob laughed some more saying. ‘We all going to be doing some shaking soon, don’t worry mister; you can have her when we’re finish.’ Paddy took a chance and walked over to the girl with his night blanket.

He began to shake even more as he took his blanket and covered the girl’s naked and bruised body.

The two men laughed at him for doing that then he went back to his side of the fire.

He was still shaking a little himself at first then a lot so much so that he had to move backwards to try and lean on the tree that he knew was behind him for support. Also it gave him a little shade from the firelight as he did not want them to see how scared he was.

The fire was still lighting fairly well and he looked the girl in the face and caught her eye then looked straight down at the burning embers hoping she could read his thoughts.

She could and she fell to the ground and Paddy brought up his right hand and began firing hitting Frank between the nose just below the eyes then the other one called Bob just inches’ from the heart.

Lucky shots as they both fell to the ground but were still alive and crying out in a lot of pain.

Paddy couldn’t finish them off.

He didn’t have the heart.

But the action wasn’t over just yet for as the girl was rising to her feet an arrow came out of nowhere and went through his left shoulder and pinned him to the Mulberry tree.

A small band of Apache Indians appeared and the girl jumped in front of Paddy as the one with the bow got ready to shoot at him again.

At the same time the older of the two the one that appeared to be the chief judging by all the feathers on his head stretched out his arm and pulled down the arm of the man with the bow and arrow.

‘No,’ she said spreading herself in front of Paddy saying in her Apache tongue. ‘This one, he… saved me, those two there… are the ones that took me… from the river; then I saw the white horse… and thought that soon I would die… but this one save me…’

The one with the bow and arrows got down from his horse and came over to the girl.

He opened the blanket that was covering her young nakedness. He had a good long look at her body that was badly bruised and bloodied then he spat in her face and walked back to his horse.

He had turned his back on her and as she was brought up in their ways she couldn’t stand the shame so she walked away into the tall grass and disappeared into the night. Leaving Paddy still pinned to the tree.

The chief getting on in years then said something to him so he took a rope from his horse then came back and tied it around the two men that were still moaning on the ground.

He put it around their shoulders then the one given orders said something else and motioned by turning his right palm upward then the one with the rope untied it and made a double noose and wrapped it around the two dying men’s heads then turned them over onto their stomachs.

Paddy could see what was coming but he told himself that the men were near dead anyway and it would be over for them very soon.

The one that spat in the girls face walked up close to Paddy and looked him up and down then spit in his face snarling at him like a dog.

Paddy wanted to knock him to the ground but he knew better as there were far too many of them besides even moving his good arm caused him a lot of pain.

The younger one then gave one end of the rope to the chief that was still on his horse then mounted his own horse and between them they dragged the men face down behind them as they rode off back the way they had come.

Paddy was in dire straits as he couldn’t move without causing himself a lot of pain as he was still pinned to the tree. He must have blacked out as it was nearly light when he woke again.

He knew he had to do something and quickly to save himself as there was no one else around so he felt in his pockets for something he could use as a knife but of course there wasn’t anything so he braced himself for the only thing he could do. Besides he was a sitting duck for any wild animal that came his way. Like a mountain lion or hungry bear not to mentions deadly snakes and such.

Somehow he had to break the arrow in half and that would allow him to get free from the tree.

Every little movement cause him excruciating pain so he knew he was in for it but there was no other way.

He stood as tall as he could under the circumstances then took a deep breath then dropped himself to the ground in one quick movement and sure enough the arrow broke but again he blacked out from the pain.

He woke with the sun warming his face then sat up against the tree and pulled out the rest of the broken arrow from his shoulder.

The pain was causing to him to see things as he tried to focus on something that was moving in front of him.

He thought he could see the white horse that the Indian girl spoke of earlier.

He heard himself calling out.

‘No one’s dying here today so go away pick on someone else for a change.’

He was feverish but he had to saddle up and go and hope to God he came to a town pretty soon or else he would soon be riding that white horse all the way to that great ranch house in the sky.

He managed to ride on but it took him twice as long as it normally would as the pain had him stopping every few yards or so. He headed west and rode on keeping the mountains to his right but he was having great difficulty just staying on his horse.

Eventually he had to stop and rest and it was here he blacked out again and the last thing he saw was the beautiful bare breasted Indian girl bending over him then everything went black.

He awoke some time after dark then as he tried to sit up the girl came to his aid and said. ‘No, no move… lie still… you’ll feel better,’

‘How long have I been out? He asked her.

She answered saying.

‘Two days, and this third night… you have fever, I get root from young cactus plant… mix with muca weed… help with wound… then make good soup… you drink and come back to the living, but you still need rest… or that wound will open again,’

So they stayed there another two days and in the afternoon of the second day they set out for his father’s ranch that seemed to be getting further and further away.

‘Where did you get those clothes?’ he asked her as they went along the way.’

She replied. ‘From dead man back there, he not need… I need so I took… boots no good so I make from rabbit skin, keep feet warm, body warm… body warm, body happy, yes?’

He asked her why she didn’t go back to her tribe and she said.

‘Tribe no longer mine, once those men… those men… have… take me, I no longer wanted… in tribe, so I wander around for long time… then find you back there, I think… you dead,’ he said to her.

‘Would have been had you not shown up, I never even asked you your name,’ she thought for a moment then said back to him.

‘Running Deer,’

Then she continued saying to him. ‘Yes I see… buzzers circling… over your body, but now… you alright, so buzzers not eat today,’

He laughed at her simple way of putting things and she laughed at him laughing at her and they both laughed at each other as they rode on together with her behind him and holding him tight around the middle and he liked that a lot.

Chapter 2

Running Deer

O N AND ON they went with everyday the same as the last and sometimes he grew weary of all the travelling and sometimes he walked while she rode the horse and vice versa and when he was feeling low he’d looked up at young Running Deer sitting on the horse he was glad she was where she was and she was glad she had helped this good kind man called Paddy Kelly to live.

The land stretched out for miles and miles in front of him at each side of him and when he looked behind him he felt on more than one occasion about the size of an ant.

A little like the army of ants that were swirling all around his poor sore feet.

Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months as they rode on and on into the vast wilderness.

It was the girl that kept him motivated for if she were not here well he was sure he would giving up long ago and turned tail and made for home. He wasn’t sure though about the feelings he was now experiencing about this very beautiful but very young Indian girl.

Running Deer; he smiled at that then turned to look at her beautiful face and something stirred inside him.

She made him feel good again but it wasn’t to last very long as they rode up a small embankment they stopped at the top of the hill and where horrified at the sight that lay before them down the other side.

Facing them was what was left of a wagon train that had been attacked by Indians and there were bodies scattered all over the place. Two whole families had been wiped out and their bodies were just lying there in the afternoon sun. Wouldn’t be long now till the place was filled with buzzards and crows and even the ants would have a go at the bits of flesh the scavengers left.

The wagons were still burning so it couldn’t have been long since it happened.

They got off the horse and walked down among the carnage that lay before them.

Nothing was said between the two as Paddy searched for any survivors but there weren’t any.

Moments later she touched him on the arm and when he turned to see what she wanted she nodded her head skywards and Paddy followed her gaze and saw white smoke rising from the mountain top and he felt really afraid that he might never get to see his father again never mind his father’s ranch.

‘Yours’ he asked her still watching the smoke rise and she said.

‘Apache war party… and it looks like they know… we are here,’

‘Well, nothing we can do about that now,’ he put on a brave face and told her. ‘We can’t out run them, not two on one horse, she’s a good one but not that good, and there’s no way we can bury all these people, just bury this little one here,’

He was looking down at the body of a little boy about two or three when she said to him.

‘Apache not kill… this child, apache take small children… and make them their own, this little boy… hit by running horse… or fall from wagon,’

So he dug a hole and buried the child then said a small prayer over the grave then went looking for a horse for the girl. He found one in minutes; a black mare that was so very thirsty it came right up to him.

All he had to do was put a rope around its neck.

‘What do you think they will do now?’ he asked her still watching the smoke rise up and up into the clear blue sky.

‘They… are watching, and waiting… may have other plan on mind and they will follow… for awhile… so we have to… keep moving, forwards Fort Bragg, and soldiers,’ she replied.

Paddy agreed so they continued heading west all the time keeping an eye on the mountain and the trail behind them.

It was here that Paddy riding behind her noticed the girl had long white streaks in her hair and not jet black like any Indian he ever saw before so he made a mental note to ask her about it later.

On and on they rode often seeing no one for days on end and she would tell him that just because they could not be seen didn’t mean they weren’t there.

No sign of life in this vast land yet it was teeming with unseen life.

The threat of the Apaches attacking them seemed to have passed and as they made a fire to settle down for the night he remembered her blond hair so he asked her about it.

She seemed flushed and a little angry but she said to him.

‘When I was five… or six they… attacked our little ranch; the barn house first… because they knew old Joe… always brought his rifle with him… wherever he went… so they took old Joe… then dragged him out… in front of all of us.

He was sixty… maybe sixty five years old… and couldn’t hurt a fly even if he wanted to but they… cut him up and dragged… him into the front of our little home… then tied him to the horse rail then shot him full of arrows… and we watched as arrow after arrow hit him… unable to lift a finger to help him.

Animals they were.

They were playing on our fear.

Waiting… watching.

Waiting… and watching… to see what… we… would do but they knew there was nothing to be done. We were alone and helpless.

What could… my father do?

He never showed it but he… must have been frantic with the worry… for us all.

One man… against so many stinking… savages, we were doomed… barring a miracle… like the late arrival of the army soldiers… but they were camped seventy miles away… in Fort Bragg, there was nothing… that could be done… so we prayed… while we waited… to die.

Paddy felt great sympathy for her as he listened to the rest of her sad tale.

‘While we were watching old Joe die they… were making their way in from the back of the ranch house.

They… then overpowered my father… but only after he shot many of them… and they dragged him outside… to have their fun with him by…’

She got real upset telling him this but she went on to say.

‘They dragged him… around the stony ground… face down, in their minds it was something to do with my dad… not finding his way home to the Great Spirit in the sky… and been unable to get justice against them… for their great barbaric acts of cruelty.

Just like they did… to those two horrible men that, well… you where there… you saw for yourself… my father put up a great fight at first… and killed many of them… but there was only so much he could do… and it wasn’t long until… well, every so called brave there then… turned on the woman… raped them… and finally killed my mother… and my two elder sisters… because they were too old to be… of any service to them; it was horrible for anyone to see… never mind a small child.

I was left standing there… in the open watching all this happening… to my family.

They felt no shame whatever raping… and then butchering my family like animals… laughing and joking to each other… one trying to outdo the other in their brutality.

Later I learnt… I was let see all that, it was to let me know… that my family were now gone and the Apache was now my family.

In their minds they thought… they could make me into one of them… savages…

Therefore… in their eyes I was now an Apache.

They took me with them… when they left.

I still have… two brothers somewhere… at least I think… I still have.

They may be… dead by now.

One brother… Billy… was only twelve but… adored his elder brother Michael… who was fifteen, but out here… the boys grow fast… they have to… they were over helping… a neighbour, putting up some fencing.

I remember all that… but not much life after that… for everything suddenly… became unreal. One day I was living… with my family; the next day in some smelly Indian tent… with smelly little Indians kids… that kept hitting me… and pulling my hair. I went hungry for a long time… but in the end I had to eat… they knew that I would… so they let me alone.

The years past and well, I learnt their language somehow… and when I turned thirteen… I was told… I had to marry some mighty warrior that was the chief’s only son, Mountain Bear… and we did… get married Indian style… but I couldn’t get used to his smell… and whenever he came near me I would turn away.

He didn’t like that and began to beat me. He was a proud man… a brave warrior and no woman was going to…’

She was weeping so much inside but she went on saying. ‘He raped me every night sometimes twice in the night… he did things… I was the slave… he was the warrior.

Then when I turned my hair white… he got very angry and left me outside in the cold night… to make me change my mind and turn it dark again but I would not. I did this not only to hurt him… but it was a way I would… remember… where and who I came from… he was a brute of a man, my brave my husband.

‘You met him.

My big brave drunken husband the mighty brave Indian warrior that feared no man or ran from no fight whether it be man or beast.

He who beats women;

This mighty warrior called Mountain Bear… so called because it was said… when he was a young man he killed a bear… with just his hunting knife on the mountain called Granite… that mountain over there, just to prove how much of a man he is. Hard as the mountain he is… hard as granite he was… and still… is.

He was the one… that stuck… that arrow in your shoulder… the one so full of hate.

The same one… that spat in my face back there… once he knew I had been… used… by those two horrible men… I became… unclean to him; more than unclean, in his mind I let the white men… have me… but…’ sighing hard she went on saying. ‘There was nothing I could do to stop them.

Paddy almost wept hearing her story but manage not to in front of her.

She went on saying.

‘It is hard to run… when you’re, lying on the ground… and been held by two filthy men.

Still to him I was willing to let them have me.

It was because in his mind… they got more from me that he ever did. The spit in the face… is the ultimate insult to an Apache… as far as insults go.

Had I been his horse or pet dog I would have been put down… but what he did to me was worst… he sent me into the wilderness to be eaten by wolves or mountain lions… and pumas, or just die of thirst, had you not been around… well.’

She was crying now and Paddy moved over beside her and put his arm around her and said. ‘What will you do now that you are free?

I mean will you go looking for your brothers? Still sobbing she replied.

‘You want… to send me away too?

He could feel her pain so he hugged her all the more and when she turned to face him he kissed her fully on the mouth.

He was more than a little surprised when she returned his kiss.

Pulling his head down to her lips she kissed him hard.

Suddenly he pulled away remembering she was only a child