BUCKAROO MULDOON
Between 1836 and 1848; the Texican’s won their freedom from the weak Mexican’s, which then lead to the Mexican War. After beaten’ the Mexicans, the followin’ treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo would hand over the land’s now called Utah, California, New Mexico and Nevada to the growing nation, some 524,000 miles of territory. President William H. Harrison came to office earlier on, and was succeeded by James Polk, who then laid the horns of power over to old Zach Taylor.
The Muldoon’s were tryin’ to build up a small cattle ranch at the time of Buckaroo’s birth. Barnard had stopped hoistin’ the jug and was makin’ an honest effort to make a go of things. Ranchin’ wasn’t an easy job but the Muldoon’s were makin’ steady progress.
The discovery of gold in 1849 at Sutter’s Mill out in California was too much temptation for Bernard who was itchin’ to get his feet wet and make his mark in the world. Yet Victoria put her foot down hard and Bernard gave in and staid to Ranchin.’
Buckaroo was a healthy lad, full of fire and spit all throughout his life. No childhood diseases or afflictions would keep the lad down for long. He took to Ranchin’ right quick like and seemed to enjoy the harsh life to his mother’s dismay, yet she never faltered in her love and praise of her little buckaroo.
As little Horace grew from infancy to the age of fifteen, many notable events took place. Samuel Colt’s repeating pistol and other weapons were used in the Mexican War and later also in the Civil War. Some three thousand Mormons made their way through the Great Plains to the Great Salt Lake shoreline in Utah seeking freedom from religious strife. Old Abe Lincoln was voted in as President in 1860 and the big civil war started just one year later.
Horace grew like a weed payin’ no attention to those events. Quick to learn and having a keen instinct for figurin’ things out would see him through the most troublesome events that would unfold in his short lifetime. Observing the innate beauty of his surroundings gave him the ability to put himself at ease; even after the most heartfelt events that were to unfold he could still find solace in Mother Nature.
During his teen years his time was spent learnin’ how to rope and hog tie a calf, to ride and maneuver a pony, tend cattle, break broncos and the like to help his father and mother with their struggling little ranch.
Bernard took Buckaroo to town to buy a saddle, which would be his sole responsibility to take care of. A saddle was a highly valued possession to a young fledgling cowboy, even if he didn’t own a horse. Most cattle ranchers who hired cowboys did not provide much more then a mount. The cowboy was expected to have his own gear and the like.
Little Horace was just twelve when he tamed his first horse, a small female mustang. Most mustangs, or broncos as some took to callin’ them, were from Spanish descent. They were smaller in build when compared to an average horse, yet were swift of foot and could out maneuver most larger breeds. That made them excellent for herding cows and the like.
Victoria watched Horace tame the mustang and flinched every time the feisty little pony bucked him to the ground. Took nary an hour for little Horace to break the mustang down, but she finally gave up the good fight.
As little Horace, bruised and a bit bloody, limped over to his maw, he was grinnin’ from ear to ear over his victory of breakin’ his first pony. She grabbed her son and hugged him, with the look of love and pride in her eyes only a mother can deliver. She kissed him on his cheek as she brushed some dirt from his proud and happy face and whispered, “My little Buckaroo.”
From that day on, she would call him by that moniker and he’d stand tall, shoulders back and proud at its utterance. No longer would he answer to the name Horace.
Buckaroo took the female mustang as his first horse and named her ‘Blossom.’ An unbreakable bond would form between the two; Blossom would be his most trusted companion throughout his life.
With so few women about, except those of lewd temperance in the small towns, some cowboys turned on lonesome nights to their horse to purge their natural desires for sexual expression. This was very true for Buckaroo and Blossom who had an uncanny self awareness of the role each would play in the others life.
Since cowboy’s spent most of their awake time in the saddle, they needed a horse they could trust and count on. Buckaroo was one of the lucky ones to own his own mount. Many cowboys could not afford to own and care for a horse of their own. Many a cowboy was saved by their horse depending on the circumstances and the hardships of the open range.
The Bozeman Trail opened up in 1863 as Buckaroo was now comin’ up on sixteen and considered himself a man, and by the standards of the day he was in fact rightly so a full fledged man.
Bernard and Victoria were gettin’ ready for another cattle drive to sell off their stock. Bernard had planned everything out, and hired several locals and two experienced cowboys as trail hands, bought provisions and acquired a small chuck wagon and cook for the journey.
They had a little over eighty head of cattle to move to market, yet three days before they were to embark on their journey, Bernard took sick. His drinkin’ ways had caught up with him and he took to his bed. Pale and weak from then on, his days were numbered. Never to leave his bed again, he would die from consumption a short time later.
After his death Buckaroo took up the mantle as head of the house and would step in and take over and lead the cattle drive. Victoria was afraid for her son; would he be strong enough to lead the others and make it safely there and back? Only time would tell as his lovely mother could envision no other way out of the desperate situation. Victoria didn’t quite trust the others her husband had hired, so it was her son who she chose to lead the way.
Buckaroo stood five feet ten inches tall, a bit over the average height in those times. He was of average build, a little leaner in weight, but more muscled then most, and hair black as coal, like his maw’s and cut very short all around. He had been on a cattle drive with his father a couple years back so he felt capable of the task at hand, and wishing to do his mama proud he would summon up all the courage a teenage boy could muster.