***The path towards Austin.***

In this part of the story our travelers will encounter many things they were not expecting on their journey. Right now they are headed to Austin.

Before 1830 Austin was known as waterloo. In the 1830’s Mirabeau Lamar decided Waterloo was the perfect spot to become the capital of Texas. In 1840 it was officially named the capital and the named changed from Waterloo to Austin.

Girtman, Taylor; KXAN News; What was Austin Called Before it Became Austin?; November 23, 2023; https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/what-was-austin-called-before-it-became-austin/

The Colorado River would be the first major river Robert and his companion would need to get across. Depending on the weather the Colorado would either be low enough to walk across or it would be too high to cross by foot and a low-bottomed boat would be needed. In my story it is the dead of winter, so the river hasn’t filled up with the spring showers.  

The shallow crossing seems to have been lost over time but some believe it would have been at the dead end of a road called Tinnin Ford road.

Barnes, Michael; Austin American Statesman; Where did the famed Chisholm Trail cross the Colorado River?; September 3, 2016 https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2016/09/03/where-did-the-famed-chisholm-trail-cross-the-colorado-river/10129487007/

***The Story***

Robert walked in to the small grove of trees with his companion following close behind. He realized just at that moment he didn’t even know the man’s name. Inside the trees there was a little shelter from the wind. This made gathering twigs for a fire somewhat easier. The man was unusually quiet. Robert thought maybe because of the death they just encountered or maybe he was just realizing their journey could end like the bones they found. Left for animals to eat and just bones bleached by the sun, scavengers taking all of their possessions alive or dead.

It’s what Robert was thinking since they found the lonely bones.

Robert stopped picking up sticks and turned to his companion. “My friend,” he said. “Can you tell me your name?”

“John,” replied Roberts traveling companion. “John is my god given name that my mother gave me, it’s the only name I know. The army gave me a surname, Bradford, but that is not my true family name.”

Robert noticed the solemn tone in his voice. He realized the man had come with Robert to find his wife and child. He understood why the man would be solemn, there may not be a wife and child anymore.

“I’m Robert Brown,” he told John.

After that they worked in silence. The two men dug a shallow hole for a fire and stretched their flimsy camp blankets between sturdy tree branches, which they placed on either side of the fire for more shelter from the unforgiving wind. They both heated up beans in cans and ate, Robert leaned against a tree closed his eyes and very soon fell in to a shallow dreamless sleep.

Something startled Robert awake, he jumped up and pulled his revolver. Robert moved around in a full circle scanning for the source of the sound. When he had moved around in a full circle he found John, standing with his arms up and some kind of animal in each hand.

“Hey, it’s me. It’s just me,” John said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, can you put down your gun?’

Robert slowly lowered his revolver, he shook his head and stretched, his body was sore from sleeping sitting up, he put the revolver back in his waistband.

“After we ate,” John explained. “You fell asleep and I was still hungry, I started looking around for something, and I came across these,” John held up the animals he was holding. Robert could see they were squirrels.

“I thought, there are two squirrels, there are two of us, now we have meat.” John was smiling at Robert and Robert could see he was proud of this accomplishment.

They would have to be skinned though and dressed. Robert shook his head again. “We could have them for supper,” he told John. “Right now we need to keep moving. It’s too dangerous to stay still for too long.”

Robert wondered how old John was, he looked to be about eighteen, John probably didn’t even know. From the incessant talking when they had started the journey the man had told him he had never known his parents. He had somehow ended up in the care of an old woman in New York that he didn’t know if they were even related. He had just been dumped at the old woman’s doorstep. Robert wished he didn’t know his mother or father, they were awful people, mean people.

After they gathered up their things both men started walking again on the narrow trail. Before them lay wide open fields with tall grass and shrub as tall as them in some places. It made Robert skittish you couldn’t see what was headed toward you or what may be tracking you, Robert was on edge.

Off in the distance there was the sound of a bell or something ringing, faint at first but seemed to be coming closer. The wind was so fierce that Robert couldn’t pinpoint the sound. He stopped to see if he could tell what direction it was coming from. John heard it also, he looked at Robert for direction.

“Get in the brush and squat down,” Robert told him. “Try to be quiet and still.”

They both moved quickly off the trail. The sound was getting closer and closer, John saw it first, he touched Roberts arm and pointed. Coming up the trail was a cow the ringing they heard was a bell tied around it’s neck. Shortly after more cattle emerged from the other side of the trail about five or six from what Robert could count. Then behind the cattle two men on horseback.

“Hey,” John said. “Maybe they can share a horse? Just for a while.”

Robert held his finger to his mouth trying to silence John. He didn’t trust it, these men could have stolen these cattle and they were taking them to their homestead. There wasn’t enough for a herd, they had to be separated from the herd, they may be honest men but Robert didn’t want to take the chance. John however did, it seemed because he stood and whistled. One of the men turned and saw him, they had gone quite a distance but when John whistled they turned their horses around and began rushing back.

Without thinking Robert grabbed John by the waist and dragged him back in to the brush just as one of the men shot a rifle in the air. “Run,” Robert said. “Stay low, whatever you do don’t stand up right until I say.”

Just as another shot rang out, Robert and John were crouched under the grass going as fast as they could away from the men on the horses.