Red Outlaw

The Herd

Right when that sun came up Red's ma got him to his feet and started to walk.

His legs was sore and he wasn't up for no more walking, didn't his mama know?

But they had to get back to the herd. Red didn't know that. His ma did. He was big and strong now, ready to meet his papa, and his auntie and grandmama. Course they weren't all related that way, but a couple were. He had an aunt, a papa, a mama, and his grandmama, but the rest were only related because they was in the same band.

Red kept along at a good pace to start with, but got tuckered out by the first quarter mile. His ma didn't slow down, nor stop for him to nurse any. She just kept on' a goin.

Red wondered if this would be forever, but then figgered if he got tired, his mama'd get tired too. At some point. And she wouldn't leave him behind if he collapsed, would she?

Red tried it out and laid down. It felt good to be off his sore hooves.

Copper didn't look back, or even twitch an ear. Red had to hightail it to catch up with 'er.

That was when he knew that they wasn't gonna stop any time soon.

It seemed like they was walkin' for hours. They'd be walkin' for the rest of they lives, until Red up and collapsed on the ground and died.

She didn't even stop to sniff anything. Red smelled cat scat, which he shied away from. Cats are no good, he knew that already. And he had a torn ear to prove it.

He come across another snake, too, but this time wasn't so scared of it. He just knowed to stay away.

All that knowledge was stored there in his noggin, and he got to where he felt like he was learnin' a great deal.

He found another strange rock to play with when he was up in front a his ma, once. But this rock hopped. It was real strange indeed.

He sniffed at the rock, and it made a croak and jumped away from him. He stepped froward and the toad jumped again.

He enjoyed this game of chase the hopping-thing, but when his ma walked past him he hurried to catch up. She knew where they was headed, but he just thought it was an adventure.

Once Red stopped and stared at a bird. It was pullin' something pink from the dirt. He walked at it and it flew away. He wished he could fly too and maybe catch it.

When he trotted away to catch up with Copper the bird came back and yanked the worm out the ground to feed it's hatchlings.

Tail and head held high, he pranced about his mama, learnin' all these new things today was mighty fun to him.

When the sun was high, Red's ma got hungry and came up on two legs to eat the leaves from the trees. Red laid down in the shade, grateful to be resting. It wasn't long before the started up again. He barely got to sleep before his ma nudged him awake.

He slowly heaved himself up, shakin' his head. He got to followin' his ma again, not questioning her. He needed her for a while now, after he was done with milk he could go his own way.

Course he didn't think like that, cause he didn't know he'd not need milk. He thought he'd always be like this. No, he'd grow up. All young 'uns have to face it. Their mammies kick 'em away to fend for themselves.

It was afternoon when Red wished he could ride on his ma's back. His feet ached and his walkin' muscles hollered for him to stop moving, but his ma was fine. She showed no sign of exhaustion. Red was runnin' out of energy.

If he wasn't so spunky earlier maybe he'd be fine still.

His mama nickered, not too far now. That was more of a comfort than it was true, in Red's eyes they still had to travel a million miles.