Our Peoples' Values Poem by David Welch

Todd was riding in the desert,
through Arizona's red-brown waste,
out chasing down word of silver,
it was 1878.

He had nothing to go back to,
never had fit in well back east,
he'd left for Denver eight years back,
found nothing gold beneath those peaks.

He had been wandering since then,
finding work wherever he could,
lawman, cowboy, gunhand, wrangler,
even a stretch selling dry goods.

But nothing stuck to him for long,
before long he was on his way,
he'd heard of silver in the south,
so had come here to make his play.

It was by a short slot canyon
that he saw a man on the earth,
Indian by the looks of him,
it was clear that the man was hurt.

He sat hunched over by a stone,
something clamped onto his bare feet,
as Todd neared he saw a wolf trap,
the man pulling hard in the heat.

The Indian saw him clearly,
the fear evident on his face,
but Todd did not reach for his gun,
first thing he stopped, surveyed the place.

Made sure that this was no ambush,
Apaches were clever, he'd heard,
but long scanning revealed no one,
just the injured man on the earth.

He'd fought with Indians before,
but had also traded with them,
like most folks they were a mixed bag,
but seeing this fellow there then

Made him think he should hold his gun,
this simply was no way to die,
and the man posed no threat to him,
so he dismounted with a sigh.

He grabbed his rifle and walked up,
the Indian looking afraid,
then motioned downwards towards the trap,
said, "Pull, I can pry it away."

The man seemed to know what he said,
exerted with sweat-straining might,
Todd got the barrel in the jaws,
worked it back and forth, with a fight.

With a creak it got wide enough
for the man to pull his foot out,
he scrambled backwards a few feet,
his eyes showing visible doubt.

Todd wasn't sure what to do next,
just look down at the wary man,
who limped about, his ankle broke,
he was barely able to stand.

Todd said, "If your tribe is near here
I can give you a ride, to them,
you won't get far on that ankle,
I might as well help you again."

The man still looked on warily,
as he leaned against a large rock,
then with a guarded look the man
cleared his throat and started to talk.

"I have no people to go to,
they cast me out long, long ago,
so there's no where you could take me,
no people around here I know.

"But I am now in debt to you,
since you have come and saved my life,
if I can find a place to heal
I swear that I will make this right."

Todd was surprised by his stern eyes,
he seemed serious about it.
Todd said, "There's a town two days on,
my horse can take double a bit.

"But I don't know about this ‘debt, '
I just did what any would do,
Besides that, you're an Indian,
don't have much in common with you.

"Can't say I've ever got along
with tribes I've run into out here,
I think they are just too savage,
we'd be at each other's throats, I fear."

The man stood firm, and shook his head,
"It's a debt I must pay in full,
pale face or not, I must do right,
so say the values of my people."

These words struck Todd as rather strange,
he'd said his people cast him out,
so why this stubborn insistence,
why hold fast to such beliefs now?

But the man seemed quite determined,
Todd at least saw honor in that,
said, "Well then you had best hop on,
there's just room enough on his back."

It was a slow ride to that town,
but they made it there in good time,
the Indian, called Burning Wing,
by a doc had his foot aligned.

Todd set up shop for prospecting,
and though not that much would be earned,
he now had a brand new partner,
with Burning Wing much dirt was turned.

And though, at first, he kept close watch,
convinced at some moment he'd break,
Burning Wing proved good as his word,
did nothing but help work the stake.

From there the two would then embark
on adventures for three whole years,
the kind that could fill dime novels,
with adventures, gusto, and cheer.

They were gun-hands at a brothel,
and drove stages where bandits roamed,
they punched cattle for three ranches,
and scouted for Apache foes.

It was while doing that last part,
working for the army on horse,
that they saw a starving family,
approached as a matter of course.

When they got to ten yard's distance,
Todd slowed down his mount to a strop,
Burning Wing looked at him strangely,
then said, "They look thirsty and hot."

Todd frowned and said, "Their backs are turned,
they have to have heard us draw close…
something about this just seems off,
what it is yet, I do not know.

"The Apaches are quite clever,
would they leave a family out here?
Maybe we should ride around them,
get a look before drawing near."

Burning Wing smiled at his friend,
said, "Old travelers are no threat.
My people look out for neighbors,
we can save that family form death."

He spurred his horse forwards slowly,
Todd remained, not sure what to do,
but these people were Indians,
best to trust to his point-of-view.

But as Burning Wing approached them
three leapt up with long knives in hand,
and dragged Burning Wing from his horse,
down onto the rough desert sands.

Todd cried out as the knives slashed down,
spurred his horse in a sprint, gun drawn,
his pistol flashed, saw two men fall,
the other four ran and were gone.

He leapt of his horse and bent low,
saw Burning Wing choking up blood,
knew from the wounds there was no hope,
through him raw emotion did flood.

Burning Wing had enough strength left
to momentarily meet his eye,
but it soon left and Todd was forced
to sit there and watch his friend die.

It was over in a heartbeat,
his partner and pal was no more,
as he stood, stained by his blood,
Todd just sought to even the score.

He could see the trail in the dust,
four men were not easy to hide,
he walked over to his red roan,
mounted up, and began to ride.

The trail took him to the mountains,
he pursued them for half the day,
his mind told him that he was mad
to chase the Apache this way.

But Todd no longer thought of life,
all that remained inside was cruel,
the killers did not expect him,
did not think he would be such a fool…

It was early the next morning
when the army found Burning Wing,
Todd's trail was quite easy to track,
the cavalry now following.

They came upon a massacre,
four bodies strewn upon the ground,
a dying man against a rock,
twas Todd, the soldiers gathered round.

Their commander came up to him,
said, "My God, son, what happened hear? "
Todd croaked, "Those bastards killed my friend…
my brother, so I brought them fear.

"I could not prevent his killing,
I was too slow to save my friend,
but if I couldn't save his life
at least I'd see he was avenged."

"You did this for that Indian? "
said the commander, shaking his head.
"Our people value loyal friends, "
said Todd, "Such true things are not dead."

He died another hour on,
they brought them both back to the fort,
side-by-side in the potter's field
the two will lie forever more.