Chapter Eight: The Promise

Cactus Slim's Halloween Tale still to wordy

 

There were only three hours of day left. Slim had spent the day waving an ax. As a matter of fact, Slim had spent the last three days waling away at the stump. Now as fate would have it around supper time, an elderly man came riding up in a carriage. It was a fine looking carriage, too nice for a carriage ride in the woods. 

Behind the carriage he was leading the biggest blackest Morgan anyone in these parts had ever seen. Just as quickly as he appeared, he began to speak." For a small promise and a meal I will pull that stump for you" said the elderly gentleman. Well, Slim let out a boisterous laugh.

"I would be glad to share my meal and my fire with you this very night, and by golly my oath for a promise if you can lift that stump."

For supper, they had beans, jerky, buttermilk and cowboy biscuits. After every trace of supper was gone, they shared a pot of coffee and a yarn or two. Come to find out the old man's name was Benign, Samuel A. Benign.  He was on a pilgrimage of sorts. Going to pay respects to a family cemetery. 

As soon as the coffee was finished, Samuel walked over to his Morgan named Midnight. The horse wore a harness for pulling. A strange fact I might add. The old man made a lazy loop around the stump and secured it to the yoke. He whispered to the grand brute, "Rest is at hand, my old friend." With that said the horse pulled the stump, as simple as you please without even a groan. The man quickly and effortlessly gathered his things and began to leave. Slim, a good soul and a man of his word hollered, "Whoa- there, what of the promise?"

The old man only smiled and waved, his green eye’s beamed with pleasure as he rode away. Somehow Slim knew he would hear from the old man again. Slim voice rang out as Samuel faded into the shadow’s "God’s speed to you, Samuel Benign!" As Samuel cried back: "No, God’s speed to you my new friend."

Now, without warning, a thick fog settled on the valley, it seemed to rise up from the earth. Slim had thought about Samuel’s words at dinner. He had said I am young only my soul is worn. It was a strange thing to say. The fog settled in quickly, it held an eerie green glow.

Cowboy Slim’s dog finally showed up from who knows where. Slim and the dog bedded down by the fire for a well-earned rest. Slim began to dream of days long past, of a pretty woman and a small child. They were sick. Snuggled in each other’s arms and covered in many blankets. They were shivering under the covers and running a fever. In Slim’s dream, he knew their time was short. In his dream, a green-eyed man about thirty years old rode up to the house. He sat a huge black horse. He held in his hand a small bottle of medicine. He rushed in the house his eyes were sad and dismal as the stormy sea, but his eyes beamed with a flicker of hope when Alice smiled at him.

Soon the dream became dark and cloudy, and Slim began to fight under his covers. Cowboy sat beside him, watching him faithfully. Hoping he would soon wake. In the dream, the woman whispered: "Swear to me Samuel, pledge to me your oath" and with that the woman died.

Slim woke up in a cold sweat and sprang to his feet almost in a panic. At that moment he knew he was going to fulfill Samuel’s oath. The fog was trying to lift. The wind kicked in and seemed to cut a path in the mist. Slim without knowing or thinking grabbed a shovel and followed the cold, dismal path set before him. You could almost hear the wind whisper his name and command his steps. "Slim, Come with me!" bid the wind. The forest uttered not a sound over the howling wind.

His thoughts returned to the woman in his dream. As he did, he understood the promise. Samuel and Alice had lost a son in childbirth, and she wanted all of them to be laid to rest on hallowed ground. Fear was stirred anew as Slim heard the woman’s voice, " Swear to me, pledge your oath to me and to Samuel."

The wind raged wildly, and a groaning crept up from the belly of the earth. Trees bend over, and dust filled the air. As Slim softly vowed: "I swear."

Now Slim had been walking in a daze of sorts and as soon as he uttered the words the fog lifted and the wind was still. He stood in front of an old homestead. The first thing he spied were graves, and they were so marked:
Alice Benign Born Aug. 12th, 1841 Died Nov. 25, 1865
Arron Samuel Benign Born April 8th, 1860 Died April 9th, 1860
Sammie Elizabeth Benign Born April 8th, 1860 Died Nov. 22nd, 1865

As he walked toward the house in the doorway of the barn, he saw the carriage. It looked a good forty years old it was still hooked up, and the bones of a mighty horse with harness astride was tied behind it. A few steps from there the bones of a man, Samuel I’m sure. He laid with an urn full of dirt. The urn was etched in a blessing, and a flask of Holy Water clutched in his hands. Slim reached down to remove the pewter flask and as he did the boney hand released its grip. Slim’s heart began to pound, and the wind began to howl. He dug two graves one for Samuel beside his wife and the other for Midnight. He reached his hand into the urn and tossed the dirt upon each grave and into each corner of the family plot. Slim read the blessing aloud.

"Dear Lord, bless this ground and Father, bless these souls. Keep safe their bones, till the heavens split open to receive them home."

He then sprinkled the Holy Water. The wind carried from the east to the west. It landed in the north and settled in the south. It showered down to the earth like a fine mist. As the last drop fell to the earth, a dove watching from a nearby dogwood took to flight, and the wind followed it straight to the gates of heaven.

Author's Note

any comments are welcome

Reviews

[shythatway]

Since this is the first chapter I've read from this story, I'm probably missing some background on this character and the story itself. But as is, this was enough to make me want to start at the beginning. Which I will, as soon as I have the time. =) I think you have a really great sense of imagination.

[Charles D. Moorer]

I took a cursory read of the new chapters and find all of them quite entertaining. You are writing an episodic account of Cactus Slim's life. This a proven technique for writing a book. My only concern is that Slim is the only thing that holds the chapters together. There should be something else, some theme that carries from chapter to chapter, that the reader recognizes right away. Is there some quest Slim is on? Is there something that he promised to do that he is unable to do because obstacles are put in his way? See where I am going with this?