Our Peoples' Values, Part I

Todd was riding in the desert, through Arizona’s red-brown waste, out chasing down word of silver, it was 1878. He had nothing to go back to, never had fit in well back east, he’d left for Denver eight years back, found nothing gold beneath those peaks. He had been wandering since then, finding work wherever he could, lawman, cowboy, gunhand, wrangler, even a stretch selling dry goods. But nothing stuck to him for long, before long he was on his way, he’d heard of silver in the south, so had come here to make his play. It was by a short slot canyon that he saw a man on the earth, Indian by the looks of him, it was clear that the man was hurt. He sat hunched over by a stone, something clamped onto his bare feet, as Todd neared he saw a wolf trap, the man pulling hard in the heat. The Indian saw him clearly, the fear evident on his face, but Todd did not reach for his gun, first thing he stopped, surveyed the place. Made sure that this was no ambush, Apaches were clever, he’d heard, but long scanning revealed no one, just the injured man on the earth. He’d fought with Indians before, but had also traded with them, like most folks they were a mixed bag, but seeing this fellow there then Made him think he should hold his gun, this simply was no way to die, and the man posed no threat to him, so he dismounted with a sigh. He grabbed his rifle and walked up, the Indian looking afraid, then motioned downwards towards the trap, said, “Pull, I can pry it away.” The man seemed to know what he said, exerted with sweat-straining might, Todd got the barrel in the jaws, worked it back and forth, with a fight. With a creak it got wide enough for the man to pull his foot out, he scrambled backwards a few feet, his eyes showing visible doubt. Todd wasn’t sure what to do next, just look down at the wary man, who limped about, his ankle broke, he was barely able to stand. Todd said, “If your tribe is near here I can give you a ride, to them, you won’t get far on that ankle, I might as well help you again.” The man still looked on warily, as he leaned against a large rock, then with a guarded look the man cleared his throat and started to talk. “I have no people to go to, they cast me out long, long ago, so there’s no where you could take me, no people around here I know. “But I am now in debt to you, since you have come and saved my life, if I can find a place to heal I swear that I will make this right.” CONTINUES IN PART II.