Chapter 18
“The best sermons are lived, not preached.”
Frank Walcott had been thinking of the Mexican boy ever since they left him in the barn at Red Angus’ place. Something about the way the Texas Kid looked when he walked out of the barn after taking the boy back in there that didn’t sit well with Frank.
I have got to go back, he thought.
Turning his big grulla gelding, Bandit, around, he spurred him into a lope and headed down the arroyo toward Tom Corlett. As he approached Tom, he reined in Bandit.
“Tom, I been thinking about that Mexican boy we left at Angus’ place. I gotta go back and make sure he’s alright. I just don’t trust the Texas Kid. I think he hurt that boy and I won’t be able to rest until I make sure he is okay.”
Tom had his right leg up across the pommel of his saddle with his hat pushed back and a piece of straw dangling from the corner of his mouth. He was watching the small herd of cattle they recovered from Plunkett as they slowly moved across the prairie, occasionally slowing down to graze on the buffalo grass until a rider came along and prodded them to move.
“Okay, we can get these cattle back with the rest of the herd with no problem.” He said.
“I’ll probably be back before you get to Olive’s place. Just keep an eye on the Texas Kid,” replied Walcott.
Tom nodded his head and watched the retreating figure of Major Frank Walcott
He always had a suspicion that old Frank wanted a kid and it wouldn’t surprise him if he didn’t bring that young Mexican boy back with him to the Circle L.
Major Walcott was thinking, as a Confederate Officer, he was taught to respect women and children. To protect them at all costs. How could anyone of sound mind do anything to a child or a defenseless woman?
What happened after the raid on Red Angus’ ranch to recover the stolen cattle for Isom had bothered him. He didn’t feel right leaving that young Mexican boy alone to fend for himself. The Texas Kid wanted to kill him, he could feel it. He was glad he didn’t let him do it. But still, he worried about that boy. The only way he could clear his mind was to go back to Angus’ ranch and see if he could find the boy and make sure he was alright. Maybe he could find a family up near Chugwater who would take him in and take care of him.
As he entered Red Angus’ ranch, Walcott turned toward the barn. As he dismounted he noticed a lot of flies buzzing around the barn door. More than was usual.
It was dark inside and it took him awhile for his eyes to adjust from the bright sun.
“Oh hell, what did he do?” Frank cried, running to the boy’s side.
“Quieto, muchacho, hold still.” Frank slowly lifted the boy’s head and saw what was left of his eye hanging down the side of his face. The flies were already covering the empty eye socket. He hurriedly brushed them away and took off his handkerchief and wrapped it around the boy’s head. Gently placing the boy’s head back on the ground he noticed his hand was coated with blood from the wound to the back of the boy’s head.
Frank ran back to his horse and grabbed his canteen and first aid kit out of his saddle bag and hurried back to the boy. Slowly lifting his head again, he brought the canteen to his lips. The boy’s one good eye fluttered open but then closed again. Frank bandaged the head wound and took a hay fork and broke the handle off. He then straightened the boy’s shattered leg the best he could. The boy screamed in pain and then went limp, passing out in Frank’s arms from the pain. Frank finished lashing the hay fork handle to the boy’s leg and lifted him up and carried him out to his horse. As carefully as he could, he placed the boy in his saddle and then mounted behind him and headed to Chugwater to find a doctor.
The boy was unconscious for the entire thirty minute ride into town. Frank saw a cowboy standing by his horse in front of the livery stable. As he approached he asked him, “Is there a doctor in town?”
The cowboy looked at the Mexican boy and shrugged his shoulders and walked away.
Frank drew his gun and cocked the hammer back. The cowboy heard it and stopped in his tracks.
“I asked you, is there a doctor in town? If you don’t answer me quick, you will wish there was.”
“Ain’t no people doctor, but there’s a horse doctor at the end of the street. Don’t know if he’ll work on a Beaner though. I sure as hell wouldn’t.”
“We’ll see,” Frank said, holstering his gun as he rode away.
A man was sitting on a bench in front of the hotel when Frank rode up. His face was smeared with dirt and lined with age. He was wearing a black hat, white shirt with a bolo tie and with heavy sweat stains under both arm pits. He wore suspenders that were holding up a pair of frayed black cotton pants.
“Is the horse doctor here?”
“Guess that’s me,” the man replied. “That don’t look like no horse to me. What happened?”
“He got beat up pretty bad. Lost his eye and his left leg is smashed,” Walcott replied.
“Here, let me help ya get him down,” the doctor said as he slowly got to his feet and walked toward Walcott.
“We’ll bring ‘im inside and see if there is anything I can do. Haven’t seen anyone hurt that bad in a long time, and that fella’ didn’t make it.”
They put the boy down on a table and the doctor yelled, “Mildred, come out here quick and get some water boilin’, we got a messed up boy here.”
Mildred was wearing a blue calico dress with a white apron. She was a short stocky woman with white hair, wire rim glasses and a kindly face.
“Oh Mary, Mother of God, what happened to this poor boy? I’ll get some towels and bandages from your buggy while the water is boiling.”
Frank turned to the doctor and said, “I’m Major Frank Walcott. I’m the foreman at the Circle L Ranch outside Bosler. I found the boy out at Red Angus’ place. Red and his boys rustled some of our cattle and one of my boys got carried away when dealing with this kid. I will take care of him; you take care of this boy. Here, Frank reached in his vest pocket and gave the doctor two fifty dollar gold pieces. This should cover your expenses. I’ll be back to settle with you later. What’s your name doc?”
“Frank Wilson,” he replied. “We’ll look after him, you won’t have to worry. My wife, Mildred, loves children. Now, let’s take those bandages off him so I can do it right.”
Doctor Wilson slowly unwrapped the bandage from the boy’s eye, shaking his head.
“All I can do is keep that hole from getting infected. That leg of his will be useless if he lives. Your boy did a job on that knee cap. I will cut in there and remove some of the bone chips. That should cut down the pain he experiences if and when he gets up and around. He’ll need a crutch or else he can just drag the damn thing along behind him. He sure won’t be breakin’ no broncs.”
After they removed the bandages, the doctor cleaned the eye wound and applied a sterile bandage.
“Okay, cowboy,” Dr. Wilson said, “you are going to have to hold this boy down while Mildred here and I cut on his leg.”
Dr. Wilson poured a clear liquid into a white rag and handed it to Frank.
“Press this over his face for about a minute. I’ll tell you when to let up. Its chloroform so doesn’t breathe it in or you’ll find yourself knocked out on the floor.”
About an hour after Dr. Wilson had finished up his work, the young Mexican boy started to come around.
“Dónde estoy, Where am I?” he asked.
“You’re at a doctor’s office in Chugwater. “Como se llama, muchacho? What’s your name, boy?”
“Enrico Perez. Oh, estoy herido, I hurt.”
“The doctor here fixed you up. You’re gonna’ be okay. I’ll come back soon to get you. You can work for me when you are well. Bueno?”
“Si, senor, what is your name?”
“Major Frank Walcott.”
“Doc, Mrs. Wilson, thanks for all you have done. I’ll settle up with you when I get back in two months. Take good care of him,” Frank said as he swung up into his saddle and rode out of town.
It didn’t take him long before he caught up with Tom and the rest of the boys.
“Made it just in time,” Tom said, “there’s the Circle L. How’s the boy doin?”
“The Texas Kid did a number on him while he had him in the barn. I took him to Chugwater. An old horse doctor and his wife are lookin’ after him.”
“Do you think he is going to make it,” Tom asked?
“I reckon he will. The doc seemed to know what he was doin. I plan on bringing the boy back here when we are done with this drive, Tom.”
“Thought you would,” Tom said as he spurred his horse into a lope toward the herd of cattle.