Horrible Harvest

Sixty-three dead. The ladies and boys done most the killing. That ain’t to say they didn’t lose a few of their own, but they give more hell than they got. Tate and me helped them collect their sundries, pack up wagons, saddle a mess of horses, and then we’s all took a torch to Miller City and watched the fire spread from building to building. We parted ways when the ash dimmed the sun. The ladies give their pledge that they’d get all the boys home.

Me and Tate gathered our horses, Piney’s and Douglas’s, too. We’d give them their burials – Proper – If possible. We also piled Mr. Miller and Mr. Stockton atop two other horses. A couple hours past noon, we rode out north with our caravan of dead.

Some ten-mile later, I asked, “How goddamn far you think we’ll have to ride ‘fore they find us?”

“This far,” Tate said, pointing to eight riders on the horizon.

“They Sioux?”

“I expect they are,” Tate said as he dismounted and maneuvered the horses carrying Mr. Miller and Mr. Stockton behind his horse.

“What are you doing?”

“What we set out to do? Deliver these two to the Sioux, so they will know we did what we said we were going to do.”

“That ain’t what I’m asking. Why are you tethering the horses to your mount?”

“Because you can’t come. You need to stay here.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re white, and I don’t want them to get the wrong idea.”

“What idea is that?”

“That they can trust white men to deliver on their promises.”

I nodded. “Fair enough.”

He climbed atop his mount.

“How do you know you can trust them?”

“Because they’re not white, and neither am I. We are bonded by a common enemy.”

As he rode off, I said, “We ain’t all bad, you know?”

“You’re not all good, either.”

I fought a chuckle and then shouted, “Tell them Charles will be gone by sundown.”

He didn’t give no reply. He just kept a slow and steady pace toward the Sioux warriors. When he reached them, he raised his hand to show he didn’t have no weapons, and they set calm – Stoic is what it’s called. After a short back and forth ‘tween them and Tate, a rider from the middle of the Sioux dismounted and approached the horse that carried Mr. Miller. The warrior pult the monster from the horse and let the fat king of goddamn nothing fall to the grassy plain. Mr. Stockton was then pult from his horse in the same manner of care.

Tate reached back, untied the reins that hitched the two horses to his mount and handed them to the Sioux warrior. There was another short back and forth ‘fore Tate turnt back and returned to me in a gallop.

“Were they pleased?”

“Hard to tell. The buzzards will be pleased. I let them have the horses. We’ve no need for them.”

“Did you tell them about Charles?”

“There was a bit of a language barrier, but from what I could gather, they’ve no quarrel with him. I get the sense that they know him, but he’s not caused the same distress as Miller and Stockton.”

“Then they don’t know the sumbitch.”

“Maybe you’re the one who doesn’t know him.”

“What the devil is that supposed to mean?”

“He has a wife and child now. He could have taken a turn.”

“He hasn’t.”

“You don’t know that – ”

“I know him – The things he done – That is Charles. Changed or not, he’s gotta answer for those things.”

“I think you mean thing – One thing.”

I just give him a stare.

“It don’t make a damn to me – What Kenneth was to you. I don’t judge you for it. No honest man would. The whole point of this goddamn world is to find shelter for yourself and to give shelter to whomever is in need of it. The two of you found shelter in one another. Seems to me you fulfilled the natural order of this world.”

“Then you know why Charles has gotta pay.”

“Careful, you’re not the one who pays.”

“He won’t even see me coming – ”

“That’s not what I mean. I’m not going to pretend that some men don’t deserve to die. I’ve got an entire ledger full of men I think need be removed before the next rotation of this planet around the sun, but I also know I would lose myself checking their names off my list. That’s a high price to pay.”

“You’re coming at me a little late with your advice.”

“That’s true. I probably am, but better late than never.”

I looked over my shoulder. “Charles’ place will be west of here.”

“I’m not going with you.”

I looked to him, half-relieved, half-terrified.

“I can’t tell your mother that I was there when one of her sons killed her other son.”

I nodded. “I told Piney I’d deliver good Kate’s pipe to her and give her the money he earned.”

He jumped from his mount and untied the draft horse from Douglas’ funeral mount. “What should I tell her?”

I give his question thought. “That he spoke of her. He was fond of her. She was his final thought.”

“And his body?”

“See if they’ll – her and her brother – See if they’ll let you bury him near the water. Pay them extra if you have to.” I reached in my haversack to retrieve some more money.

Tate stopped me. “This ones on me.”

We stared awkwardly at each other ‘fore I turnt my mount halfway and then stopped. “You asked me once – Why I fought in the war – for the Confeds.”

“I did?”

“Years back.”

“And what was your answer?”

“Some bullshit. The truth is I don’t know. I didn’t believe a goddamn thing they was fighting for, but there I was, fighting like hell for it.”

He give me a half smile. “The harvest is only as good as the soil, son. Can’t blame the plant for what nourishes its roots.”

I give the half smile back.

“I need a promise from you – For your mother.”

I stopped. “What?”

“When you’ve done – When this is cleared from your books – All of it – Come back to Charleston.”

I give pause.

“She’s a good woman. She’s had a hard life. Give her some peace in this world. You owe her that much.”

“I don’t bring peace to folks. Never have.”

“Then let her bring peace to you.”

I stared at him for longer than what’s comfortable ‘fore saying, “When I’ve cleared my books.” I sent my mount into a westerly gallop with Douglas’ horse trailing behind me.