Cows and Memories, Flashback - Fort Riley – Summer 1865

The heat of the summer sun bore down upon his hat, and JT could feel that it was gonna be a hot one today… Removing his hat, he used his sleeve to wipe his forehead… and he looked down at the steer before him and swore a curse. He hated cow punchin’… cows were the dumbest, smelliest, orneriest beasts on God’s creation… and he was tasked to move a herd of cows from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley so they’d be fat by winter set in. Normally, the soldiers would be with the cowboys, but it seemed that the railroad needed more protectin’ than the cows… so JT and the scouts would help the cowboys move the damned steers.

Fort Riley was a military station on the plains of Kansas Territory… Lee had surrendered the Confederacy to General Grant at Appomattox only a few months ago… and now the War Between the States was over… Of course, in parts of the south, and in Texas, battles were still being fought by those who refused to surrender… and now the railroad started pushin’ westward. It was the cavalry out of Fort Riley who would do the guardin’ in this area… and John Wesley ?; well, he was a scout for the Cavalry of course… but it seems that the scouts were paid for “additional” duties as well.

So here he was, sittin’ on the back of the buckskin, watching the ass of a cow sway left and right… Underneath the handkerchief, the material protecting him from breathing putrid dust, a smirk crossed his face as his mind wandered to Lacy Stevens… Lacy Stevens had a fat ass… Oh she was not overweight, but she had a buxom shape no doubts…

The cow quickly veering from its path snapped John Wesley back to the cow punchin’ tasks at hand. He spurred the buckskin cuttin’ horse and took off after the wayward steer. He would think on Miss Lacy Stevens again he was sure. There weren’t too many women he had been in love with… but he was a free soul, destined to wander, and he would not put her thru a lettered relationship, or an absentee marriage. JT loosened the rope loop and began spinning it to the side as he chased the steer.

Wrapping the rope around the saddle horn, JT spurred the beige cuttin’ horse, and began to rejoin the herd. On occasion, he felt the rope tighten at the tug of captured steer.

To the side of the herd, was a bull taking a cow as his own. On the range, you could get an education that would never be discussed in the schoolhouse. JT just smirked and remembered… In no big hurry, JT jostled in the saddle, and once more the heat and the gentle jostle of the horse, JT once more ventured into the Lacy Stevens dream-world.

…and JT woke up to a jostled shove, nearly falling from the saddle… “Wake up Mr. Wesley, Ya ain’t getting’ paid ta sleep…” the Army’s herd-master said as he rode forward. “Damn !!” was all JT was able to say...