Leroy. K.G. Griffin

fought to keep tears from rolling down his cheeks. He was filled with anger, and he seethed while muttering words under his breath, “I’ll git you, Bugger. I’ll git you good; you wait and see, you thievin’ son of a gun.”

      As the day wore on and the sun beat down, Leroy conjured up all kinds of ways he could get his gold piece back and how he could get back at Bugger. He imagined hog tying him, then stringing him upside down in a tree, but somehow that seemed too civil. Then he had a better idea: he would bury him up to his neck near a big red ant bed and let them have their way with him. Or, he might dangle him over a precipice until he cried out for mercy and promised to give back the gold piece. Any number of ways to punish the Bug came to his mind until the whole group halted for the evening.

      It wasn’t until he dismounted that he realized he had eaten nothing all day, and his stomach ached for food. There was a creek nearby, and after taking care of Molly, Leroy stripped to his long johns and got in the cool refreshing water washing away the dirt and grime. The deep scratches Bugger had inflicted stung when the water hit them, but Leroy embraced the cleansing effect of the water and allowed himself to soak in his misery as he sank waist deep in the creek. After a few more minutes, he rose and gingerly picked his way through the smooth rocks and climbed up on a large outcropping where he stripped completely. He wrung out his long johns and hung them on a nearby tree. Then he grabbed his britches and his belt which he tightened to a notch not used before, and he realized he was getting thinner.

      As he returned to his camp, he heard soft humming coming his way. He looked up to see sweet Cora walking toward him. He barely had time to get his shirt on when she approached him. “Hi there, Leeroy.” He tried to respond, but all he could manage was a slight nod.

      “I heared how you and that Bugger Smith had a fight on the way, and I come to see how yore adoin’.”

      Leroy stood as tall as he could and finally got his tongue to work: “I’m alright, I reckon. I thank Bugger got the worst of it, and I’m pert near sure I coulda finished him off ‘cept some big burly guy yanked me up when I was gittin’ the better of him.”

      “Well, that big burly guy was my paw, and he said you both needed his interference, or you mighta broke somethin’, like yore nose. Anyways, Maw says you might be hongry, and she told me to brang you some of our dried venison and a dab of liniment for yore wounds.”

      Leroy softened. “That was mighty kindly of yore maw and truly special of you to brang it to me. I’m plum near starved fur shore. I’m building a fire. Would you like to sit fur a spell?”

      Leroy spread his blanket, and Cora plopped down while he got the fire roaring. He was totally self-conscious as he felt her unwavering stare. He tried to think of something more to say, but nothing came to mind, so he sat down an arm’s length away from her, unwrapped the venison and took a bite. He savored every bit of it, glancing every now and then at the fire and then at Cora. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, wishing he could think of just one thing to say.

      After he finished eating, Cora said, “Now let me rub that liniment on yore wounds.”

      Leroy totally blushed, but nodded in consent. Cora moved closer, dabbed her fingers in the liniment and tenderly rubbed the ointment on the scratches on the back of his hands. Then she gingerly massaged some into the deepest scratches on his face and neck. Leroy could feel her breath on his skin, and he struggled to keep his equilibrium, so he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, their eyes locked, and he could barely breathe. When she finished and rose up, he clambered to his feet and managed to mumble, “Thank ye kindly.”

      “Twas nothin’. I’ll be seein’ you, Leeroy.” And she skipped off humming that same tune.

      Leroy stared after her in wonder. This had been the worst day on the trip and the absolute best day. That girl was truly getting under his skin, and he was a goner for sure.

      That night he slept deeply, not even dreaming.

      6

      Hero

      Early the next morning Leroy awoke abruptly as he felt someone kicking him in his rear repeatedly. Bugger stood over him with a scowl and practically spit on him as he spoke, “I knowed who took your precious gold piece and it warn’t me.”

      With a startled look Leroy jumped to his feet and threw up his arms and yelled, “Who?”

      Bugger smirked. “It was that no-account, cheating’, thievin’ greenhorn by the name of Marvin Brooks. He cheated me, and he stole from you.”

      “How do you know?”

      “Cause I seen it with my own two eyes. He pulled it outta his pocket and begun tossin’ it in the air, braggin’ on the fact that he had a gold piece. Said he won it fair and square in a game of brag, but acourse I knowed better. So there – whatcha gonna do about it, mister smarty pants?”

      Leroy was so taken aback by this revelation that he just stared and slowly shook his head as Bugger turned and sauntered off. His first thought was to go in search of the dude, give him what for and demand the return of his coin. However, as he thought more on it, doubts began to flood his mind. Was Bugger maybe lying to save his own skin?