Bowden Rides the Outlaw Trail

I ran through the smoke into the other men, shoving and pushing them, finally, I was able to make my way out to the street where Smokey was tied. I was thankful I hadn’t sent him over to the livery as I had originally planned when I had arrived at settlement just a few hours earlier.

The Cavalry had long left the area and the old buildings had been turned over to the citizenry.  I knew the only way I could clear my name was with verification from the Cavalry, but the nearest army post was eighty-five miles away at Camp Brown, near South Pass.

Smokey is a fast horse and we easily made the first corner without detection and then headed south.  After a couple of miles I stopped to give Smokey a breather and check my trail.  I couldn’t see or hear anyone following, but I did see what looked like a fire smoldering about a hundred yards away.  I didn’t know what to make of it then, but I learned the gruesome details later!!

I wanted to cover my trail.  I grabbed a fallen branch that was on the ground under a small tree and drug it behind Smokey gradually increasing his speed causing his tracks to disappear into the rocky terrain.  After traveling south for some time I turned west a few miles then doubled back southeast and headed into the Wind River country.  I used every trick I had learned from those Indian scouts that were attached to my Cavalry outfit to elude the posse.   That was three days ago!!!