Ed Spielman created the characters of The Young Riders for television. The series aired on ABC TELEVISION from 1989 - 1992. This story takes place immediately after the events of “Home of the Brave.”Thanks to everyone who helped by being a beta. I couldn’t have done this without you.
The ride back to Sweetwater from the Kiowa village was slow and painful. Buck and Ike were both sore and riding was difficult. They had to stop often and rest. Buck’s refusal to discuss the events was upsetting Kid. Every time Kid tried to bring it up Buck would say, “You won’t understand.”
When they finally rode into the way station yard, Emma insisted that both Buck and Ike go to the main house. “Lou, go ask Doc Burke to come out when he gets a chance,” she said as she settled Ike into bed while Teaspoon assisted Buck.
“ Yes, Ma’am” said Lou as she hurried about her new assignment. She wanted to get back as quickly as possible to be sure Kid was alright.
“ Kid,” said Emma, “you go get cleaned up, and I’ll have some dinner for you in a few minutes.”
Kid nodded and turned to leave. Teaspoon walked out with him. “What happened out there, Son?” he asked.
“ The Kiowa about killed Buck,” Kid said angrily. “He won’t talk about it. Says I wouldn’t understand.”
Teaspoon nodded. “He’s probably right.”
When Kid just glared at him, Teaspoon added, “Indians have some pretty strange ways about them. They don’t make sense to most white men. You go get cleaned up and we can talk more later.”
“ Yes, Sir,” Kid replied as he went into the bunkhouse to gather some clean clothes before heading to the shower.
Teaspoon let him go and turned to watch the sky. He didn’t like what he saw. Lightening was flashing out over the horizon. The charge in the air made the hair on his arms stand on end. He’d bet anything there was going to be a fire out on the prairie before the night was through. He just hoped it didn’t come toward town. These boys needed some rest. The last few days had been hard on them all.
A short while later, Doc Burke arrived with Lou. He went into the house and examined Buck and Ike. “They both need rest more than anything else,” he said as he packed his belongs back into his little black bag. “Do your best to keep them in bed the next couple of days.”
“ What about Buck’s feet?” asked Teaspoon. “They burned badly?”
“ Not really,” said Doc. “From what I can figure out he wasn’t ever really near enough for the flames to do any damage. I put some medicine on them and left the jar with Emma. If he’ll let you, put some of it on them each morning until it’s all used up. I’d try to keep him out of his boots until then, too, but I don’t think that will happen. He already wants to get up.”
“ Thanks, Doc,” said Teaspoon as he helped the man climb into his buggy.
“ You’re welcome, Teaspoon,” Doc answered.
As Teaspoon watched the doctor return to town, he again checked the sky. This time he watched in fascinated horror as a bolt of lightening split the sky and touched the ground. Shortly after the rumble of thunder washed over him, there was an ominous red glow on the horizon. “Damn,” mumbled Teaspoon as he entered the house.
“ You need to get back in bed,” Emma was stating firmly.
“ I need to go help,” Teaspoon heard Buck reply.
“ Help who?” he asked as he hurried into the room and placed a firm hand on the young Kiowa’s shoulder.
“ The village,” answered Buck.
“ What?” asked Teaspoon as he gently applied pressure to Buck’s shoulder and guided him back to the bed.
Once he was sitting on the bed, Buck pointed out the window at the growing red glow. “It’s headed toward the village. The river won’t stop it. I need to go help.”
“ I’m sure the men in the village can handle it,” said Teaspoon not even questioning how Buck knew where the fire was headed.
“ They aren’t there,” Buck replied. “They left on a hunt. I noticed them preparing the day we left. They always leave two days later. That’s today.”
“ You aren’t strong enough,” insisted Emma.
“ I have to try,” Buck answered. “They’re my people.”
“ Some people,” said Kid entering the room. “They tried to kill you.”
“ No,” said Buck. “They tested my spirit. I told you you wouldn’t understand.”
Teaspoon looked at the young man seated before him. There was worry on his face, and pain in his gaze. If what he said was true. . .
“ Can you tell me how to get there?” he suddenly asked.
“ Why?” asked Buck.
“ I’ll go help,” replied Teaspoon. “You give me something to show you sent me, tell me who to talk to and what to say, and I’ll go.”
“ Why?” Buck asked again.
“ Because you won’t make it and someone needs to go if what you were saying before is true. No one deserves to die that kind of death,” replied Teaspoon. “Now, can you tell me were the village is located, or not?”
*I can show you,* signed Ike.
“ No,” said Emma. “You can’t go either. You’re not strong enough.”
*Kid can show you,* suggested Ike.
“ Why should I?” asked Kid. “They tried to kill both of you.”
*No,* signed Ike. *They didn’t try to kill me; if they’d wanted me dead I would be. They wanted to scare me.*
“ Well?” asked Teaspoon.
“ It’s in White Horse Canyon, between the river and the cliffs near the opening,” said Buck. He handed Teaspoon his knife. “Find Shining Star. She’s Red Bear’s wife. Use sign when you talk and she’ll be able to understand you.”
“ I’ll find it,” said Teaspoon. He turned to face Kid. “It would be faster if you came along.”
Kid started to protest once again, but he caught a glimpse of Buck’s face. “Alright,” he said.
Teaspoon and Kid quickly gathered supplies – a couple of shovels, some blankets, some rope and some hay. Teaspoon lay down the blankets, put the shovels and hay inside them, rolled them up, and tied them with the rope. He put one bundle on his horse, and one on Katy. Then he removed his rifle from its place on his saddle.
“ Leave your weapon,” he told Kid.
“ No way,” said Kid.
“ You want to die?” asked Teaspoon as he tied a white flag to the end of a twig.
“ No,” said Kid. “That’s why I plan on taking it.”
“ It will get you killed,” said Teaspoon shaking his head.
“ What?” asked Kid.
“ They see weapons and they won’t trust us – white flag or not,” Teaspoon explained. “Trust me on this. Take it off and leave it here. We need to go.”
Kid reluctantly removed his side arm and mounted Katy. Soon they were nearing a crackling, blazing, red inferno.
They carefully guided their horses past the edge of the blaze and onward toward the Kiowa village. The place was in near panic when they entered. It took a while, but Teaspoon finally managed to located Shining Star. He gave her Buck’s knife and said, “Running Buck, brother to Red Bear, sent us to help.”
She looked at the knife. “Half brother of Red Bear,” she corrected. “Why him send white eyes to help?”
“ He is injured and couldn’t come himself,” Teaspoon explained.
“ Why white eyes care?” she asked suspiciously.
“ Running Buck is friend,” Teaspoon explained.
Shining Star shrugged. “No matter. No way to stop,” she said pointing at the wall of flames approaching them.
“ I can stop it if you help me. First, you must move those dwellings located closest to the water,” Teaspoon said. “You need to move them all away from the fire, near the cliff wall, and then get it all as wet as possible so sparks won’t set them ablaze.”
Shining Star nodded and organized the women.
Teaspoon grabbed Kid. He opened one of the bundles they had brought with them. He handed Kid the shovel, “Start digging a trench along this side of the river. Make it about three feet wide; don’t worry about getting deep. Just get up all the grass.” He quickly opened the other bundled, grabbed the nearest boy and told him, “Help him. Do what he does.”
The youngster started to protest, but Shining Star told him to obey.
Teaspoon took the blankets and got them wet. He showed some of the older girls how to beat out any small fires that got started on this side of the river. He had them gather more blankets and prepare.
This done, he quickly used the rope and hay to create a sort of broom. He took this across to the far side of the river, and then completely doused himself in the water. He moved about three feet from the water’s edge, and then carefully started a counter fire. He used this smaller controlled fire to burn the grass between where he was and the river. Hopefully this would rob the approaching flame of any fuel and it would die before reaching the water.
Soon the roar of the fire could be heard. It drowned out any other sound. The ash rained down on the water and sputtered before it slowly died. The heat enveloped the village. All they could do now was pray as they waited to see if their hard work would pay off. At first it appeared that the wall of flames wouldn’t be altered, but then, little by little, the intensity lessened. Soon they were able to take their wet blankets across the water and smother the remaining embers.
Shining Star sought out Teaspoon. Her face was covered with soot, but she smiled as she returned Buck’s knife. “Tell Running Buck, brother of Red Bear, we are most grateful for his friends.”
“ I’ll do that,” said Teaspoon smiling at the fact that she had called him brother of Red Bear, not half-brother. He turned to Kid, “Let’s go home.”
They mounted and rode out of the village toward the way station as the women began to set the dwellings back into place.
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