ROCK CREEK ADVENTUROUS TALES
PART 2

GHOSTS FROM THE PAST

by Debra © 2001

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The opaque peacefulness of the night sky becomes highlighted with the crackling of a campsite fire. The tension of the day between old friends and family, mixed with many scathed sounds of the wild doesn't help relieve the uneasiness between the men gathered at the campsite. The bright red and orange fire is simmering a coffeepot filled to the rim with the murky liquid that is meant to quench their nerves and warm their bones before bedding down for the night.

Buck and Kid have taken up the task of collecting more firewood for the long haul until morning. The air is turning to a crispness that has the men wishing they were back home tucked into their beds. It isn't that they can't find their inner strength to sleep underneath the stars. They are just feeling a little melancholy that the heavens don't provide a cozy bed with pillows to hug and blankets to tangle up into leaving no reason for an early uprising.

The campfire spreads warmth around a circle where each man has his bedroll drawn out onto the rocklike ground. Teaspoon and Jack have stationed themselves close together to avoid any controversy between Jack and Teaspoon's boys.

Teaspoon is sauntering small pieces of wood around in the fire pit. He is sitting on an old log that had fallen down from a nearby tree. Teaspoon assumes the tree lost its hefty limb during one of the relentless storms that are constantly passing through the area.

Jack is leaning up against a large boulder that is near the fire that Teaspoon is shamelessly playing in while his mind is wondering to some far away time. Jack watches the old marshal, pondering over just how happy the old man really is. Twenty some years ago, Jack had figured Teaspoon to be more of a solitude man. Twenty some years later, Jack finds Teaspoon up to his hips with children and a beautiful wife.

"Are you here with us, or are you out in some undiscovered territory hunting down the meanest bear you just crossed paths with?" Jack asked quietly. He would prefer to keep his conversation with Teaspoon just between him and Teaspoon. He senses that Teaspoon's boys are not overly fond of him just yet.

Teaspoon snaps out of his hypnotic state to glare incorrigibly at Jack. "I'm not dwelling on my past if that is what you are really asking me. I may reminisce about the good memories of my past from time to time, but I refuse to allow past mistakes to hamper my present life."

"Are you insinuating that I have problems keeping the past buried as it should be?" Jack asked harsher then he had intended to sound.

"I ain't insinuating nothing where you are concerned. Besides, I never said that the past should be buried. I'm not ashamed of my past. Oh, I may have been on the wrong side of the law once or twice, but I don't have any regrets about being there."

"No regrets. That is a rather bold statement to make about one's life. I would think that everyone has a regret or two."

"You only have regrets if you possess a guilty conscious or you've had just a plain miserable life. I can assure you that I have had a good life. As for a conscious, I have one but it isn't a guilty one," Teaspoon spoke adamantly as he continues to stroke the fire with the twig he holds in his hand. The ambers take on a brighter glow as he works the burning firewood around the pit.

"I had thought you might have regretted the part in your life that didn't keep you with that young Indian maiden we found."

"You always keep aiming our conversations her way. Why do you do that?"

"I didn't just go back to find her after you had left her. It never dawned on you why the two of us didn't run into each other after you drove me away from our campsite?" Jack asked as if he had been betrayed.

"Like I told you before. I had spent a few days with her. I hadn't really thought of us meeting up with each other again. To be honest, I thought you were far away by the time I left her."

"I was far away all right. I had every intension of raping her," Jack spoke behind a mask of anger that Teaspoon had left him alone to defend himself against her tribe.

Teaspoon gazes harshly at Jack Morgan, but he doesn't show surprise over Jack's admittance. "I'm listening."

"I had her underneath my body on the lightly snow-covered ground. She was a feisty woman. She was pretty intent on not allowing me the pleasure that I was hankering after. Her screams pierced my eardrums. Perhaps that is why I didn't hear a few of the men from her tribe sneaking up on me."

Teaspoon's expression is one of contentment that Jack wasn't able to rape the woman he had just spent time with, but also confusion concerning Jack's fate.

"You're probably wondering why they didn't just kill me," Jack spoke guarding his disappointment over Teaspoon's abandonment.

"The thought is crossing my mind."

"Don't really know why. Maybe the savages…"

At that moment Jack's voice becomes noticeable to everyone else in the camp including Buck and Kid who have just entered the campsite with each of them carrying a pile of wood to keep the fire burning through the night. Jack's words hang in the air like a thick fog that won't disappear.

Teaspoon tries to shut out the stunned look on Buck's face. He knows that Buck, through the years of having to deal with imbecility people like Jack, has learned to not let the criticisms of his heritage rip him emotionally apart. At one time in Buck's life any negative remark made about his Indian heritage would consume him with emotionally pain. Now the remarks, as far as Buck is concerned, are the sign of an ignorant white person.

Kid and Buck pile the wood close to the fire pit. "This should keep the fire going pretty strong through the night," Kid spoke avoiding the remark made by Jack Morgan.

"I think we should all turn in for the night. I'll keep the first watch," Jimmy spoke from adjacent to Jack and Teaspoon.

The others bed down for the night amongst the sounds of only wilderness beyond them. Buck remains sitting on his bedroll. For quite sometime after the others are all asleep, he continues to listen intensely for any sound that might be out of place in the wilderness.

Jimmy takes a long sip of the hot coffee that reminds him of a long time ago. He keeps his eyes on Buck, and finally witnesses the Kiowa laying down on his bedroll.

"Night Buck."

"Good-night Jimmy," the Kiowa spoke as he tries to rest his mind and body, but the uneasy feelings he has about Jesse and his gang watching their every move has his eyes remaining wide open.

Jimmy takes another sip of the dark liquid that Teaspoon swears is coffee. He wonders silently why Teaspoon in all these years has never learned to make a good pot of coffee. It seems that when Teaspoon inherited Sam's duties as marshal of Sweetwater, he also became a master at making coffee taste exactly the same as Sam's coffee, foul and unsavory. Jimmy smiles warmly at his thoughts of Sam and Emma. It has been a mighty long time since they have seen their friends. Why hadn't good people like Sam and Emma come back into their lives instead of trouble such as Jesse and his gang of outlaws? Jimmy could ponder that question forever, and he still probably wouldn't be able to come up with a good answer. He takes another swallow of the now cold tasteless coffee. The taste doesn't appeal to him. He throws the remains of the coffee onto the ground, and sighs heavily as he watches over his family.

Jane is walking into Buck's kitchen with a handful of freshly picked wildflowers that she saw along the crystal blue creek behind Buck's home. What a beautiful place to build a home. It fits Buck perfectly with the woods and creek right in his backyard.

Jane lays the flowers on the counter while she makes a search of Buck's cupboards for a vase to put them in. Since her arrival at Buck's home, Jane has felt as if something were missing. That something is a woman's touch on keeping the home bright and cheerful. The flowers will make a good start in bringing freshness and happiness to Buck's home.

She is amazed that she finally finds a vase after rummaging through every cupboard in Buck's kitchen. Jane takes the vase to the water pump and pumps the vase half full of water. She is placing the flowers in the vase just as Charlene barges into the kitchen.

Charlene grimaced as if she is in excruciating pain as she watches Jane place the flowers in the vase. She certainly doesn't appreciate the fact that not only can Jane cook and she can't, but now the woman has to add a homey woman's touch to Buck's home.

Jane turns around just in time to see Charlene making an attempt to straighten out the ugly appearance of her facial expression. Jane takes the flowers to the table and places them in the center. She starts to arrange the flowers until they look harmonious on every side in the vase.

"Good morning, Charlene."

"I doubt that Buck will appreciate you bringing flowers into his home. Those smelly things will only cause us all to sneeze."

"Charlene, have you always been such an unhappy person?" Jane asked as she looks at the evil woman's face.

"Not that it is any of your business, but I am not unhappy," Charlene spoke as she steps over to the stove and pours herself a cup of Jane's coffee.

"You could have fooled me."

"Don't you have a schoolhouse full of children you need to teach to today?"

"Why do you ask? Are you planning on missing me today?" Jane asked with a wicked smile.

"The only person I plan on missing today is Buck," Charlene snapped back at Jane.

It is Jane's turn to look unhappy. She also has been missing Buck, but more so because she is worried about his safety. Jane walks out of the kitchen without another word or glimpse at Charlene. She has a schoolhouse full of children who will miss her if she doesn't attend school today. At least the children will keep her mind from worrying about Buck and the others.

The autumn weather of late has made an impression on everyone in the territory. If Jesse didn't know for a fact that it is October, he would swear that it is more like August by the sudden up rise in temperatures.

Jesse makes his way over to Frank who is busy saddling his horse for their continued journey today. He watches Frank for a few moments in silence. He has seen this mood many times in his brother, but more so lately then ever before. Frank is becoming weary from all the close calls with the law.

"You've been kind of quiet since we left Rock Creek. Is there something troubling you that I should know about?" Jesse asked Frank quietly not wanting their conversation to be heard by the others.

Frank glances away from the job he has been doing. "I'm just a bit worried that we're overstaying our welcome in Rock Creek."

"You don't like my plan about doubling back to Rock Creek?"

"I just think it's time that we moved on. Teaspoon and the others are not a part of your life anymore, Jesse. The longer we stick around, I think the deeper in trouble we've gonna be in."

"I'm not through with them yet," Jesse spoke with a gleam of hatred in his eyes for his family from the past.

"That's just my point Jesse. You want revenge, but revenge for what? What did they all do that has you so intent on harming them?"

"Teaspoon has turned his back on me, because he listened to Buck and Jimmy, and the others as well. I had Teaspoon eating from the palm of my hand, but his honorable deputies just couldn't mind their own business. They had to interfere and cause Teaspoon to mistrust me."

Jesse, we stole their horses and then smeared their faces in horse manure when we rode their horses into town the night of the dance," Frank spoke as if he's defending Teaspoon and his deputies.

"It doesn't matter now. I'm not leaving Rock Creek until I have made them all pay for their mistreatment of me," Jesse spoke like a crazed man out for revenge.

"What's our next move?" Simon asked as he approaches the James Brothers from behind Jesse.

"Because of your luscious fiancée, we know that the boys are hot on our trail. Won't they be surprised when they realize we are headed straight back to Rock Creek!" Jesse spoke smiling deviously at his great plan.

"Once we get back to town, then what?" Simon asked exasperatingly. He is taking Jesse's side to cause upheaval in the lives of the people that he feels caused the separation between him and Charlene.

"I have a plan, that with Charlene's help, will cause Buck and Kid great pain, but Charlene and I will get everything we've always wanted," Jesse spoke with an evil laughter.

Simon joins in on Jesse's evil laughter, but Frank can't help but think that Jesse has gone over the edge to face insanity!

Cody took up pacing with Charlene strolling into the marshal's office clad in riding breeches, black boots, and one of Buck's shirts. He stops his elaborate pacing to stand in front of her. "What are you thinking, just riding into town and coming here to see me?"

"Cody, you are really too uptight. You need to relax more," Charlene spoke softly as she maneuvers her body to the back of him and begins to give him a massage around his shoulders and upper back.

Cody lets out a few soft groans of enjoyment. "How can a man relax when he has one woman who wants to play games with people's lives, and another woman in his life who is the recipient of those same games."

"Cody, Jane is teaching over at the school today. There is absolutely no chance she'll see us together," Charlene spoke as she stops her massage and once again faces her accomplice.

"My luck just isn't that good Charlene. One way or another Jane will know you were here today," Cody spoke has he runs his fingers through his hair in a frustrated motion.

"Perhaps I shouldn't stay long since you are working your way to an apparent nervous attack."

"Why did you come here in the first place? We should be meeting outside of town as we both agreed to."

"We need to move ahead with another plan."

"Charlene, none of our plans have worked yet," Cody spoke disgusted that nothing has brought Jane closer to him.

"Cody, I never figured you to be a weakling."

"The woman I want to make my wife is in love with one of my friends. To make matters worse, I've been doing some things that I'm not too proud of. Charlene, I'm just not sure that I want to continue to play with my family's lives. Someone could end up seriously hurt. I couldn't live with myself if something bad happened to any of my family."

"I want Buck, Cody! I'm not conceding to Jane just yet! You are going to help me or all your dirty little secrets won't be secrets any longer."

"Are you threatening me, Charlene?"

"Take it anyway you like. Your next more is to compromise Jane. Take her by force if you have to."

"I can't do that! That would be rape!"

"Cody, you won't have to rape Jane. Buck is away tracking the horse thieves. Use this time to get closer to her. You could offer to spend more time with her because you are concerned for her safety with Buck being away. Get Jane to trust you."

"I don't know Charlene. Jane is too much in love with Buck for me to use my William F. Cody charms to try and persuade her otherwise."

Charlene rolls her eyes, and turns and walks toward the door with Cody following right behind her. Once she has the door open, Charlene turns around to face Cody. "Cody, please don't use charm to snare Jane. Buck certainly doesn't have to."

"What is that suppose to mean?" Cody asked disappointed that Charlene is insinuating that a woman would naturally fall for Buck much faster than she would him.

"Be yourself. Be genuine. If you act like someone you're not, Jane will surely see right through that."

As Charlene and Cody converse on the wooden walkway outside the marshal's office, Jane stops dead in her tracks from the other side of the main street of Rock Creek. She had been going over to the marshal's office to speak with Cody, when she spies Charlene and Cody talking and laughing together. She wonders for a brief moment what kind of plot the two of them are cooking up now.

By mid-afternoon The James Gang's tracks are leading Buck, Kid and the others in a circle back in the direction of Rock Creek.

"What would make Jesse lead us out here to the middle of nowhere for two days just to head back to Rock Creek?" Kid asked baffled.

"Maybe Jesse and his gang need fresh horses," Buck spoke with sarcasm.

"That isn't funny, Buck," Kid replied somberly.

"What really bothers me is that they are ahead of us by at least half a day," Buck spoke seriously.

"Which means they will reach Rock Creek, the ranch, and Louise, Jane, Rachel and Charlene before we do," Kid spoke with a worried frown upon his face.

Both men are well aware of what might happen if Jesse chooses to take advantage of the men being away from the ranch. Neither man wants to dwell on the possible outcome.

The sky begins to darken as the sun has already drifted away some hours ago. Buck and Kid insisted to Teaspoon, Jimmy and Jack that they keep moving as long as possible due to the fact that Jesse led them out here with intentions of devastation back at the ranch!

When the moon is shining brightly overhead of the men from the ranch, they set up camp for the night.

Jack had been watching Buck most of the day. The Kiowa certainly didn't talk a whole lot, but the others seem to follow him without asking any questions. He has noticed how there is a deep bond between Teaspoon and the Kiowa. That is good. They will need a deep respect for one another when he delivers his news to them.

After a hearty meal of rabbit, Buck proceeds to take the first watch as the others bed down for the night.

As the night wears on, Buck hadn't felt much like waking anyone else to take a turn at guarding the camp. He wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. He is too much into his thoughts about Jesse and what the young man is up to.

Jack awoke with a start wondering how late in the night it had become. He glanced up from his bedroll to see that Buck is still on guard. It must be past the time for Buck to awaken the next man. Jack gets up from his bedroll and half staggers around other prone bodies around the campfire. He makes his way quietly over to Buck. The Kiowa doesn't even bother to glance Jack's way as he approaches him, but Jack knows the Kiowa is aware of his nearness.

"Did you plan on staying up all night?" Jack asked flatly.

"I didn't think I'd be able to sleep anyway. There is no reason to wake someone else up when I would have stayed awake all night," Buck replied without so much as a glance at Jack.

It doesn't go unnoticed by Jack that Buck heeds him no attention. "You don't like me much, do you?"

"What is there about you to like?" Buck asked flatly.

Jack is taken back by Buck's candid view of him. So the Kiowa holds nothing back when he is in the company of someone he mistrusts and doesn't like much. "What is it about me that you don't like?" Jack asked Buck, wanting him to answer his own question.

Buck gives Jack some awareness that he knows the older man is standing next to him and partaking in this conversation. Buck looks directly at Jack.

"You are a killer."

What I do is legal killing," Jack stated boldly.

"To whom? To you? To the law? To the families whose kin you shoot in the back?" Buck asked working himself into a bad mood.

"Outlaws don't have family," Jack stated with anger aimed at the Kiowa.

"Jesse has family," Buck stated as he points to Teaspoon asleep on the ground and snoring as loud as can be. "Jesse's family is Teaspoon."

"I didn't think you cared so much," Jack stated flatly as he pulls his eyes away from Teaspoon to look back at Buck.

"I don't care much for Jesse. He's just the man of a boy I once knew many years ago. That boy doesn't exist anymore. However, I do care a lot about Teaspoon. If you should kill Jesse, Teaspoon will be heart broke. I don't want that to happen. Before you pull the trigger, just think about your old friend, and what Jesse's death will do to him."

Jack sees this as an opening for him to discuss Teaspoon with Buck. "How long have you known Teaspoon?"

Buck looks at Jack quizzically, but is happy to be off the subject of Jesse. "Since 1860, close to eight years now."

"Is that when you were under Teaspoon's employ as a Pony Express Rider?"

Buck acts disgusted with Jack's line of questioning. He looks at Jack suspiciously, and tries to contemplate what it is that Jack is up to. Of late, it seems like there are too many people in his family's lives that have hidden agenda's, namely Jesse and now Jack Morgan. Are his questions merely out of curiosity, or does Jack have a hidden agenda? Whatever the case may be Buck is a bit leery about giving up the answers to Jack's questions.

"What is it that you want?" Buck asked cautiously.

Jack smiles boldly at the young man. Teaspoon sure has taught the Kiowa well. Don't trust anyone until you're sure they are more friend then foe. If they are your friend, you help them in any way that you can. If they are foe, watch your back! "Did Teaspoon teach you to be so mistrusting of others?"

"I wouldn't say it is mistrust that Teaspoon taught me. It's more like being cautious. You never know when someone will shoot you in the back. My brother, Red Bear taught me the same. Red Bear would always say that white men are not trustworthy."

"Red Bear. Am I guessing correctly that your brother is not a half-blood such as yourself?"

"My brother is a Kiowa chief. I believe that I have run out of answers for all your questions," Buck spoke. He walks away from Jack and retires to his bedroll.

Jack watches Buck abruptly storm away from him. His questions had annoyed the Kiowa. He wonders if Teaspoon's family of orphans would have treated him more like a human, if he were not in their presence to hunt down Jesse James. Probably not he assumes. Jack just has a way about himself that makes others uncomfortable being around him. He'll have to work on becoming a bit more congenial.

"Good-night," Jack spoke barely above a whisper. He isn't sure if the Kiowa even heard his endearment.

NEXT

FEEDBACK

Back to
The Reading Room Complete Stories Continiuos Stories