THE ROCK CREEK
ADVENTUROUS TALES, PART 1
The warm morning sun beats down on the two men that are working in silence. The skies are a peaceful hue of brilliant blue. There isn't a single cloud in sight. The feel of the sun by afternoon will probably be unbearable to work in. Buck is sure Louise will keep them cooled off with fresh mugs of lemonade.
Buck and Kid have just returned from Rock Creek with a load of wood on their buckboard. Thompkins had sent a messenger out to the ranch early evening yesterday to let Buck and Kid know that the wood they had purchased for the corrals had arrived.
Kid pulls the reins to halt the horses causing the buckboard to a stop close to where Buck and he will be working. Both men jump off the buckboard and start to unload the wood.
Occasionally Buck will glance over at Kid. Buck is well aware that Kid is in a detestable mood. Kid's destructive flinging of the new wood onto the ground has Buck questioning Kid's ability to think this problem with Jimmy through without it turning to violence. Buck has been working alongside of Kid, since Jimmy's surprise return to Rock Creek one week ago, mostly in silence.
After the wood is completely unloaded from the buckboard, Kid crawls back onto the bench of the buckboard and takes it around to the back of the barn to unhitch the horses. Buck has to back away in a hurry with Kid driving the buckboard close to him. He watches Kid until he is out of sight.
Buck starts to work on the corral. He places sections of wood back into the beginning posts that were left standing after the storm. He swipes beads of sweat away from his brow with his shirtsleeve. He stands up straight and views the work that he has done so far on the corral when he hears Kid walk from around the barn. Without saying a word to Buck, Kid hauls over a section of the wood and starts placing it into the posts.
Buck starts to tear down the second section of corral fencing that was damaged in the storm. Every so often he glances Kid's way to see if his bad mood and ill temper have changed. Buck takes notice that the features on Kid's face are still set in an unsociable, explosive, snarling declaration. The silence is getting the best of Buck's nerves. Now he kind of knows how everyone else feels when he gets into one of his stubborn, I'm not talking to anyone moods. But, Buck fears that Kid's uncommunicative mood is a sign of past hostilities that Kid and Jimmy never resolved. Buck knows the feelings of revenge and how they work against you. Those feeling make you act on issues that you wouldn't normally act on if your mind were thinking straight. He wonders if Kid's mood could turn into a violent eruption aimed at Jimmy.
Buck stands back away from the corral to watch Kid joining the planks together at the posts. Kid is working with such high intensity that Buck is worried that he may hurt himself. Kid stands back to eye the work he has done. From the corner of his eye he can see Buck ideally standing by watching him.
"Ain't you going to help?" Kid asked glancing at Buck.
"I didn't want to get hurt. The way you're throwing those planks around, one of us is sure to end up right along side Teaspoon keeping him company," Buck muttered in a soft-spoken manner.
Kid notices the worried and frightened look on Buck's face. Buck was always the most sensitive to others feelings and moods. He could sense right away if one of the riders just simply wanted to be left alone. That wasn't a gift that the rest of them possessed. Whenever Buck needed to be left alone, five other riders would hound him to death about what it was that was bothering him.
Kid's facial expression softens a bit. "I'm sorry. Jimmy just has me in a foul mood."
"You shouldn't let Jimmy get to you like this."
"Nothings changed Buck! He still thinks all of us should follow his lead! He's arrogant, self-righteous, over-bearing…"
"Still shows Louise a lot of attention," Buck stated calmly as he interrupts his friend's monologue about Jimmy.
Kid looks sorrowfully at Buck as he is thinking the same thing that Buck is saying. He couldn't totally admit it to himself until Buck spoke the words. He doesn't want to think that after six years of marriage, two beautiful children, a ranch that is starting to make a profit, and a family that he truly loves could be taken away from him just because Jimmy has feelings for his wife!
"Yeah. What am I suppose to do? Am I supposed to ideally stand by while the two of them carry on with their two-sided conversations? Allow him to visit Louise anytime he pleases as if he were courting her! I can't help but wonder if Jimmy would be tickled pink if I weren't around anymore."
"Tickled pink?" Buck questioned with a perplexed expression.
Kid laughs lightly at Buck's dilemma over the expression, tickled pink. "Never mind. It's just a figure of speech."
"I wasn't asking," Buck spoke confused.
"What would you do?" Kid asked the hurt showing in his eyes.
"I don't have any experience with matters such as this," Buck stated quietly.
Kid suddenly realizes how uncaring his line of questioning must sound to Buck. The fact that he is alone is something that Buck doesn't like to think about. He truly believes he'll be alone for the rest of his life. Buck hates to be reminded of that fact. But, Kid needs to know how others would feel if they were presented with the same set of circumstances.
"How do you think you'd feel Buck?"
"I'd be upset," Buck stated with a frown.
Before Kid can continue their conversation, the two men turn around to face the sound of a horse coming towards them full speed.
Before Jimmy's horse has completely stopped he has dismounted and is standing next to Buck and Kid. "I need your help! Seems there has been a few army soldiers found murdered outside Rock Creek. There are two soldiers in town right now waiting to take me out to where the bodies have been found. I thought it would be a good idea if both of us were present to examine the bodies and the area where they were murdered," Jimmy stated keeping his full attention to Buck as if Kid weren't nearby.
Buck turns his attention to Kid. "I won't be gone long."
"Go ahead. I can handle the ranch till you get back," Kid spoke calmly even with Jimmy's eyes watching his every move.
