Jonny and the Comanches

Chapter 14: Indians On the Bluff!

The sun shone brightly warming up the dew on the greening grass and the birds sung sweetly. It was just after breakfast and Jonny felt like a dip in the creek. "Hey! Willy! Want to join me for a dip in the creek?" he asked. "I sure would like to!" The two boys ran as fast as they could down toward the creek with a gun in one hand and a change of clothes in the other. Right behind them was coony, the border collie. He bit their heels trying to herd them out to pasture. It was a funny sight. "Man this water has gotten higher since last week." exclaimed Jonny. "Yeah, I was down here yesterday and noticed it." said Willy. The creek or rather river was dug into a little gorge about twenty five feet up from the bottom. In some places it was steep and others you could climb up. On either side of the gorge there were two bluffs and on the bluffs was blowing grass. Jonny could see the roots of the grass on the side of the gorge wall that towered over him. The heat rose up down there and made the two boys hot. Jonny dived into the deep area where the boys always swam in the summer. "Whoo-hoo! This water is cold!" yelled Willy. "Yes I can barely stand it." said Jonny while his teeth chattered. "I'm getting out." he said. "Ok be there in a sec." said Willy. Jonny slipped some dry clothes on and patted Coony on the back. Then Willy said, "Do you feel weird?" "Yeah, it is really strange. Something isn't right down here." said Jonny in an awkward tone. Jonny couldn't explain it. Then the hair on the back of his neck stood up and bristled. He whirled around and grabbed his gun. He looked all around but didn't see anything. By this time Willy was feeling the same and he got out and changed into dry clothes. He grabbed his gun and they both looked all around them. Then Jonny exclaimed, "Look, up on the bluff, Indians." "Are they... Yes they are comanches." Willy said. "We need to get out of here." Jonny said. Just as he said that he looked up and the indians backed away and out of sight. "We have to warn the family at the house!" Jonny yelled. Willy whipped out his thirty eight special revolver and fired it into the air. He fired a second time. The boys ran wildly up the gorge wall and raced to the house. "Pa!" Jonny shouted, "The indians are back, we saw them!" "You did? Where?" father asked. "On the bluff! On the bluff!" Jonny said in excitement. Just then Karl burst in the door. "They stole White-Foot and Sid!!" The little ranch burst into action. Clem, Karl, and Ben jumped on three of the remaining horses and were about to gallop off when, "Wait, before you guys race off," Pa said, "I think it is wise that you stay here. It might be a trick of sorts to make us chase after them." The three cowboys obeyed and returned the horses to the corrals. Everyone congregated around the bonfire to discuss the happenings of the morning and enjoy a snack. Jonny looked at the door of the house and Ma came out with Natasha and Alisha. They all carried trays of Lemonade. Jonny's mouth watered. Alisha offered him one and he gladly took it. "I reckon those indians have a little bit of an early start don't ya think?" Clarence said. "Yeah but the real problems will come in about a month or two." stated Mr. Thomas. "Right, we just have to get through this darn horse stealing, and then we get worse things." added Pa. Jonny was listening so intently to the grown-up conversation that he didn't even realize that Alisha was whispering into his ear. "What?" he said. She laughed and said, "You were lost in your thoughts again. I just had to interrupt to see if I was thinking the same thing you were." Jonny said. "Were you?" "I don't know." She said. "You know, we must be very careful, because those indians will come back. They will probably try to kidnap us too eventually." said Jonny seriously.
That evening Jonny sat around the fire soaking up the heat and the happenings of the day. He heard the kitchen door open to the house and close. He heard silent and graceful footsteps walk toward him. Alisha came and sat on the log bench next to him. "You thinking about White-Foot?" she sympathetically asked. "Yeah, I am." Jonny answered. Just then a tear rolled down his cheek. "I believe she will come back to you Jonny." she said hopefully. "You just might be right." The two watched the setting sun and enjoyed the delightful warm fire and Jonny thought It couldn't get any better than this. But they both knew dangerous and deadly times would come.