Just Yarnin' Chapter 4: Hosses

Just Yarnin

Dec 30

Long shadows were beginning to form on the landscape surrounding the two gray-haired mountaineers. Out in the meadow, the mules and horses lazily tossed their tails at pestering mosquitoes. The blowing of noses, munching of grass, and the stomping of hooves were all familiar sounds these mountain veterans had witnessed thousands of evenings. On this particular evening, the backdrop seemed to provide a particularly deep sense of peacefulness. The frenzied trapping of the fur boom had died off. Now the old-timers seemed satisfied to simply stay alive in these wild mountains they had devoted their lives to.

Half mesmerized, Solitaire spoke his thoughts aloud. “Lookin at them hosses reminds me of the boat days back in the beginning.”

“That’s right, I dern near forgot you was a boatman in your early days,” replied Parfleche.

“Shore nuff true. I pushed, pulled, and drug a keelboat more miles than I care to remember. Course, back in them days that was the only way we got ‘round.” Solitaire drawled still stuck in a trance.

“Yep,” he continued, “I ‘member it better than I’d like to. Me an’ them Frenchmen would haul them boats up like a passel o’ rented mules. Bend our backs luggin’ that boat upriver. I believe the year was…20..20..22 ifn’ I ‘member right. I got wind of Ashley’s advertisement in that St. Louis paper. 100 enterprisin’ men. Ha! I was enterprisin’ shore nuff and couldn’t stand the thought of spendin’ my days farmin’ or minin’. It was either fightin’ Injuns or diggin’ in the dirt. Yes, sir-e, I hot-footed it down to St. Louie like I was walkin’ on coals and got hired on straight away. Then Old Henry hands us the cordelle an’ points the boat upriver. Hell, you got along the same way with old Lisa didn’t ya?”

Parfleche nodded affirmation. “Yep. Course nobody ever’ thought of a different way of doings. That is till ya’ll finally got it figured.”

“Ha!” Scoffed Solitaire. “Got it figured? Best I can figure them Ricarees figured it for us. Yep, see we did the boats in 22 an’ had a few wrecks. I goed back down with ‘Diah next spring to St. Louie and got outfitted fer another year. That’s the year we got waylaid by them Ricarees comin back upriver.”

“Be that ’23?” Parflehce asked.

“Believe so. Yep, I ‘member we’d camped on a sand bar outside that Ricaree village. They was wantin’ a council and we obliged. Things was tense after Ashley had his council with ol’ Gray Eyes but we’d pitched camp on the edge of the river. I stood guard early in the night but ‘fore long I was done and headed fer’ my blanket.

“Next thing I knowed har’ come Ed Rose scramblin’ though the brush. He says them Rees kilt his partner. See, them two thought they’d stay in the village and pay them squaws a visit. Shore nuff did. Though don’t seem them bucks saveyed the idea.

“Anyways, Rose come hollerin that his partner been kilt and we all grabs our shootin’ irons. We waits fer mornin’ and them Rees starts the fight jist as the sun is breakin’ dawn.

“Hell, we didn’t stand a chance stuck out thar’ on that dern sandbar. Arrows is flyin’ through the air. Injuns is sulking through the willows. Them Rees had gotten thar’ hands on a few guns as well and was pourin’ the lead down round us. I ‘member one ball hit the ground right in front of my face as I was lying thar. Dern near blinded me and got me kilt.

“Men was crying, yelling, Injuns was war calling, and guns was blastin. Havin’ not been in an Injun fight ta’ that point, I was getting’ plumb sober in a hurry. I swear, it shore nuff was a tough fight.

“Fore long I hears someone calling through the noise, shoutin’ ‘to the boats! We was pinned down something awful, but I manage to sort of make my way back. I ends up in the boat and looks back to see none other than Jed Smith standing amongst the dead fer one last shot. Sand was kickin’ up all round him ‘fore he lets one more Ree have it. Then he comes whoopin’ back to the boats. We was able to cut the lines and let the current take us back downriver. By the time we’d finally got ‘round to the headcount, it turnt out 15 had gone beaver.

“What’s all that got ta’ do with hosses?” Parfleche interrupted.

“You jist sit thar’ an’ smoke a while. I’m a doin’ the yarnin’. ‘Sides, I was jist getting’ to that.

“See we’d headed back down river an’ ended up at Fort Kiowa. After we’ threw in with Leavenworth and repaid them redskins fer’ thar’ treachery, Ashley was still lookin’ fer men ta’ get the goods to Henry up on the Yellerstone. Ruther than try the river, Ashely sends us overland. He’d traded fer’ a few hosses and mules to pack. Me and a few boys takes that pack string and lit west. Problem was, thar was only enough hosses fer th’ goods so we was left a walkin’. We was all up ta’ green river though an’ it didn’t worry us none.

“We sets out and winds our way through the country till we ends up at the Crow villages whar we bumps into Henry. They was shore’ nuff glad to see us an’ them pack hosses. After we get the men outfitted with some possibles we hunkers down into winter quarteres. As we gets ta talkin’ we talks about them hosses. Heck, thar’ was cayuses in all them Injuns camps an’ travelin’ with them was right nice. Sides, not being a voyager we didn’t savvy the river much anyhow. Next year, instead of runnin’ them rivers and squabblin’ with them Rees again, we jist packs up them hosses and sends the fur out that way. That next year they brings the possibles out the same way, all on hosses.

“After that you seldom seen another boat, savin’ a dugout canoe or bullboat ever’ now and then. It’s been hosses and mules ever’ since.”

“Damn glad for it to,” Parfleche piped in. “I’d just assume fork a hoss than climb in some floatin’ boat any day.”

“That’s how my stick floats,” Solitaire agreed. “’Sides a good mule is better company than a boat man any day. Wagh!”