Jonny and the Comanches

Chapter 1: Lost Pony

It was a sunny morning when 15 year old Jonny woke up to the smell of fried pancakes. His stomach growled. Then the thought came to him that he had to look after the horses and do the chores. He snapped his fingers in frustration. He flew out of bed and down the ladder into the warm kitchen. "Good Morning Jonny," his mother said. "Mornin, Ma," he replied. He ran out the door with Coony, the black and white border collie who got his name from his color, at Jonny's heels biting them as he ran making him trip. He stammered out to the corrals and fed the animals. He looked toward the bunk house and decided to have a look inside. He carefully tiptoed to the door and slowly opened it. He slipped in and saw every one of the cowboys asleep. He thought he would scare them. He slipped back outside and over to a window.

The windows in the bunkhouse were small but had no glass. He yelled like an indian. He saw Ben fly from the top bunk and Karl dash out of bed and to the door. Jonny walked around to the front of the bunkhouse. "Time for breakfast sleepers." he said. Ben Clem and Karl looked surprised, "Don't scare us like that." Clem rumpled Jonny's hair. After that little skirmish they came in and ate breakfast with the rest of the family. Clarence was talking about the Comanches and Jonny was all ears. "I heard from a cattle driver that about a 5 miles east a family was raided all of them killed." "Those Comanches are nothin to choke at." Brad chimed in. "Well I reckon we are the next target." "They keep stealin' our horses, it is no use, we need to ward them off." "Yeah and they kidknap youngins too." The sun was ablaze and the now green grassland was polished with rays through the clouds. Jonny heard some commotion outside and went to see what it was all about. A man in a nice plad shirt and jeans and a gun at his hip was sitting on a sweaty horse. Beside him was a boy about his own age sitting on a pony. He saw Charles talking with the man. "Is this your ranch?" "Yes it is."

Just then father came out and said, "What would you like sir?" "I am Mr. Conrad Thomas and this is William, I just bought a ranch down south of ya about 6 miles I'm guessing." The boy looked sheepishly at Jonny. He looked a little shy. "Really? Well we will have to come down and visit you." After some talking the man and boy rode away into the tall brown grass—their heads disappearing over a knoll to the North. Father came in and said, "Dear, you need to go welcome our neighbors, the Thomas'." "Should we go now?" "Yes and take this young'in with you'all too. Me, Charles, Brad, Clarence, and the rest of the cowboys are going to go to the herds. Be careful for indians though. Take some guns with you." "We will." With that father galloped away on Buck with the others. Still the sun was shining and Jonny was excited to go. He could not help thinking of how much fun it would be. A deep part of him wished they would run into indians, but he knew that it would be adventure at first and last would be deadly. Soon Ma and Aunt Martha were ready and they got on the three horses that were left of what Pa and the cowboys took. Soon they were far out on the prairie and were galloping away toward the north.

About an hour passed and Jonny was getting tired of sitting. Just then they rounded a little ridge and down in the valley a ways Jonny saw a cabin, corrals and picket fences. There was also a barn over by the corrals. Over on the left of Jonny's position there was the creek with a huge amount of willows by it. And up and away in that left direction was the woods with its dark trees and bears. They descended the little hill with careful step for many a rock and slides there were. At the bottom of the little hill The three dismounted and walked toward the cabin door. Ma knocked. The door swung open and the man Jonny had seen a couple of hours before came out with an older lady about 45 years and the boy William. "Well well so this is your place? Welcome to Colorado!" Ma said. "Thank-You the lady said. "My name is Katelynn." "Nice to meet you'all." As they were exchanging get-to- knows, an older boy came out the door much like Jonny's older brothers and two pretty girls. The elder boy was Mark, and the girls were Alisha who was 14, and Natasha who was 5. Alisha had beautiful long brown wavy hair, and Natasha had long blond hair in braids. Jonny had never seen two girls that were so pretty as the two of them. He began to realize how lonely he was out there in the west where no one was.

Girls were scarce because it was mostly men working on ranches. Jonny was a rough young cowboy and a hater of the indians. William came over to where Jonny was and said, "I want to show you something." Jonny followed him and the two girls to a little footbridge that went across a big creek. "This is our bridge and over there is our indian Tee-Pee." They went to a little shack with log poles leaned up together forming a tee-pee shape. The walls were covered with leaves moss and wood. Willy took them inside and closed the flap. It was pitch black. There were candles and Willy lit one. "This should give us some light." he said. Jonny noticed a big wooden chest in the corner and he asked what was in it. Alisha opened it and showed him a bunch of cookies and food and meat and a large jug of water. "This is our secret supply just in case," she said. They played indians and settlers for a long time. Jonny had not had this much fun in a long time. Soon it was time to go and Ma was calling him. They said goodbye and started climbing the hill toward home. Jonny looked back and saw Alisha waving to him.

He waved back and then galloped up the rest of the hill. He quickly caught up with Ma and Aunt Martha. He almost fell asleep but then he heard horses hoofs. A chill went down his spine. When he looked to his right he saw three Apache braves riding hard away from them. He whipped out his revolver that Pa made him carry. "Ma! Indians!" he shouted. He saw a glorious looking pony running after them and then the pony stopped. She looked in Jonny's direction. Evidently one of the Indians had let the pony go. The pony was a beautiful Spanish Mare and she was black. She was really beat up and foam was dripping off of her. Because of Jonny's love for animals he slid off of Sid's back and coaxed the pony to him. Carefully he whispered to her soothing words. "You must be lost." he breathed. "I'll take you home as my own." At home he showed her off the Pa and his brothers. "What are you going to name her?" asked Charles. "I think it will be White-Foot." since she had white ankles. White- Foot was a beautiful sight as she stood against the setting sun. Jonny thought to himself, "That was a good find."