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After more than half a day's ride, Josiah stopped the horses and then
dropped from his saddle. Shielding the sun from his eyes, he gazed at the broad valley
before them. Tree clad mountains surrounded the rolling hills and open meadows, while
billowy white clouds sailed past the sun, casting moving shadows onto the wild landscape.
Narrowing his eyes, Josiah searched for his prey. Then with a cry of satisfaction,
he caught glimpse of it to the West-- a moving ribbon of darkness, spreading across
the rolling valley floor.
From this great distance, Emma was unable to see what Josiah was looking at. "What
is it?" she asked.
"Buffaler!" exclaimed Josiah, guiding their horses to a nearby shelter
of sturdy conifers.
Before Emma had a chance to realize what "Buffaler" meant, Josiah ordered
her to dismount. Then he pulled a buffalo robe from his packhorse and hurriedly tossed
it at Emma's feet. He grabbed a small remnant of dried meat from his possibles bag
and then shoved it into her hand.
"That's all the food I got, so don't eat it too quick," he cautioned. "It
should hold you till I git back."
"You'll return by sundown?" she asked nervously.
Josiah remounted his horse. "That's what I told you yesterday, ain't it? When
you're cold, hunker under the buffalo hide." Reaching for the pommel holster
on his saddle, Josiah drew out a pistol. "This weapon is only if some animal
comes too close," he explained warily. "If I hand it over, I don't want
it used against me when I git back!" He glared at Emma and waited for some assurances
that it wouldn't. When Emma remained silent, Josiah groaned impatiently. "Say
it woman, or I'm leaving you here without a weapon!"
"I won't use it against you," Emma finally responded.
Josiah scowled at her knowingly. "The thought crossed yer mind, though."
He flung the small pistol a good piece from Emma, planning to be well out of range
before she had time to reach it. As Josiah turned his mount toward the valley, Emma
suddenly realized he was taking all the ponies with him.
"You're not leaving me with a horse?"
"Why?" Josiah grinned. "You ain't going nowhere." He spat at
the ground and eyed Emma one last time before leaving. "If you see anyone, keep
out of sight."
"Even if they aren't Indians?" she asked in surprise.
With a fearsome growl, Josiah barred his teeth at Emma. "White skin or red,
you keep out of sight!" With that, he plunged his heels into the sides of his
horse and galloped away.
When the last of the trailing ponies disappeared from view, Emma went to retrieve
the pistol.
After Josiah picketed his horses, he approached the edge of the buffalo herd on foot.
A large bull took notice of Josiah and gave him a warning huff to stay away from
his female cows. Taking a small step back, Josiah waited for the bull to return to
his grazing.
The mountain man grinned at his good fortune. Buffalo can be skittish creatures,
known to stampede at the mere shadow of a man; at other times, hunters could approach
them quite close, before the herd would sense danger. These buffalo were grazing
and enjoying the autumn sunshine so much, that Josiah figured he could make short
work of his hunting. |
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