Blue Lightning

 by Evelyn M. (Ages 10-13)

This story takes place shortly after Long Ride Home.

 

"Well, there goes that.” Andi Carter mumbled to herself with a groan. She watched as a fancy buggy pulled into the ranch yard. As Taffy stamped and snorted impatiently, she held tightly to the reins. “I guess we won’t be going for a ride after all, girl. Aunt Rebecca wasn’t supposed to be here until late this evening, and it’s barely noon.” Taffy bobbed her head and snorted again as Andi led the golden palomino back into the barn to untack.

  “Aunt Rebecca thinks that a twelve year old ‘young lady’ should be interested in frills, sewing, and Ladies’ Aid meetings, but I’m not like her and Melinda. I’d rather be out riding with Cory and Rosa than keeping my skin as white as a ghost and listening to Mother and Melinda look through a catalog full of dresses and lace and other silly things like that.” Andi huffed and pulled off Taffy’s saddle and bridle. She led her horse into the stall and patted the golden nose.

   “Wish me luck, Taffy.” Andi strode out of the barn, staring at the buggy that brought the most dreaded thing in the world for her- Aunt Rebecca.

She was suddenly startled out of her thoughts by a loud whinny from the barn. Andi rushed back to the farthest stall, where the sound had come from. All she saw, though, was a stunning black horse. His name was Blue Lightning, but everybody on the ranch called him Blue. He was a new horse that Chad, her brother, had bought at an auction a few months ago, and he was the envy of all of Fresno, let alone all of California.

Blue was a black stallion, highly trained, and tall and strong but gentle enough for a lady to ride. Andi looked around but saw no one. She comforted Blue by laying a practiced hand on his velvety nose. She turned to leave, eying her surroundings with a cautious glance. She shrugged, then stepped out into the bright sunlight once again.

 Turning her thoughts once again to Aunt Rebecca, Andi remembered her aunt’s last gift with a blush. It had been a purple and green dress, one that she had not worn since the day Aunt Rebecca had left. Anyway, at least it had been put to good use. Andi had used that dress to polish her saddle with, but Mother would be expecting her to wear it tonight.

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Andi flopped onto the bed after ripping off the horrid dress. During supper, Aunt Rebecca had prattled on and on about ladies’ fashion and things, and had not stopped. Finally, Andi had excused herself and ran upstairs to her room. She fell asleep, taking comfort in the fact that tomorrow was Sunday, and after church she would be allowed to go with Cory while Aunt Rebecca caught up with the old ladies and her mother shopped at the mercantile.

  The next morning, she dressed, rushed downstairs to eat breakfast with her family, and did her chores before Justin, another one of her brothers, had pulled the wagon in front of the house.

Right before she got in, though, she heard Chad yell and him and Mitch run out of the barn. “Blue’s gone!” He yelled. Justin jumped out of the driver’s seat and ran to see. Soon he came out, his face fallen. “There’s nothing to be done right now. We’ll be late to church if we don’t start.”

All the way into town, Aunt Rebecca’s tongue went flippity-flop as she chattered on and on about things in San Francisco, how uncivilized Fresno was, and all the dust and mud that lived there. In church, the Reverend was talking about things that made Andi’s brain fried to think about, and so she went off on her own little adventure, daydreaming until the long sermon was over with.

After this came the time when Cory, her best friend, ran up to her to show her his newest marble or critter that was bound to show up in the teacher’s desk the next morning. This time it was a huge spider, and he was carrying it around in a cup that fit nicely into his pocket.

“So, what do you want to do?” Andi asked Cory when their families were gone.

Cory looked at her, then snapped his fingers. “I know! My pa has a new horse in the livery.”

Andi wrinkled her brow. “When did the horse arrive?” She asked.

Cory shrugged. “Early this morning, I think,” he told her. “Why?” He was mystified. He followed her quickly as she made her way to his pa’s livery. 

“I knew it!’’ Andi shouted when she got inside the barn. “I give you: my family’s horse.”

Cory held up a hand. “Wait. My pa checks every horse for a brand- this horse doesn’t have one.”

Andi gave him a look that said, watch me. She rubbed her hand over a spot on the black horse’s rump and when she was done she held up a hand that was black from ink. The thief had covered the Circle C brand with a blotch of midnight black ink and gave him to the livery to board for the night.

Suddenly, they heard a loud crash and ran to the livery door. In the bright sun, they spotted a man sprinting away. Cory and Andi watched him go with a look of disappointment. They both knew that they couldn’t do anything to catch him; he had a large head start.

Andi turned to Cory. “What now?” she asked. Cory shrugged.

“I guess we should take the horse back to your family.” He told her. “I doubt that the thief will come back, now that he got caught.” Andi agreed, and they walked back to Blue’s stall.

Chad, Mitch, and Justin were all in a circle, talking to the other men about the horse thief that had stolen their horse. Andi heard the name Elijah Simon. When they saw Andi and Cory leading Blue, they ran over.

“He was in the livery, and the thief ran away when we figured it out.” Andi told Justin.

He took her by both shoulders. “ What did he look like?”

“Well, he was young, and he was wearing a dark blue shirt and a hat. That’s all I can remember about him.” Andi told her brother. Cory’s description matched hers, and they left to go tie Blue to the back of the Carters’ buggy.

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When the Carters got home that day, Andi rode to her special spot to fish. She hummed a hymn that the congregation had sung that morning, and let Taffy graze. After she had dropped her line into the creek, she listened to the chirping of the birds and the splashing of the water. The nature sounds were suddenly interrupted by a voice above her.

“Levántate, agradable y firme, y vuélvete hacia el árbol.”

She obeyed, standing slowly, and watched as a young man dropped from the tree. He was holding a pistol, and she shrank back at the sight. Please, God, not this! Not again! Andi thought pleadingly.

“Me llamo Elijah Simon.” He introduced himself. “And you are?” He asked in English.

“Andrea Carter.” She said, her mind reeling. This was the horse thief her brothers had been talking about. She noticed that he was still wearing the blue shirt and hat. She still stared at the gun as she thought about this. She was terrified of it, not only because it was fatal but also because of her accident two months before when Jed Hatton had shot her. Elijah noticed. He understood and holstered his gun.

He motioned to the stump. “Sit.” He ordered, also taking a seat across from her.

“Why do you do it?” Andi asked suddenly. Eli, as he had told her to call him, tried to act surprised. “We both know who you are, but why do you steal?”

 Eli stood from the stump. “I had to find my family. They were taken two years ago, and I was left. So, I stole a neighbor’s horse to go after them. When one horse wore out, I would sell it and steal another. When I finally caught up to my family, I set them free. After stealing horses for nearly a year while following them, though, I couldn’t just stop. I kept stealing, and my family left me eventually. Now I find that I don’t know anything better than to find a horse and take it.”

Andi was awestruck. That was not the answer she was expecting. She knew that was how it started, stealing a little bit, then a little more and more until you can’t stop. She also knew, though, that she couldn’t turn him in. The only person that could was himself.

The two continued to talk until nearly sunset, and then she knew she had to leave. “My brothers will come looking for me before long.”

Eli nodded solemnly.

“I will come back tomorrow morning with a horse. If you turn yourself in, then I will know you did the right thing. If not, then the horse is yours to keep.” Andi said. She turned and mounted Taffy, waving as she rode away.

  When she arrived at the house, she was met by Mother and Aunt Rebecca. “Andrea, we were worried sick about you!” Aunt Rebecca said. She was ushered inside where she was served a still-warm dinner, and given a mug of hot cocoa.

“Mother, where are the boys?” Andi asked. She wondered why she was not being scolded.

“They went back into town to round up a posse, and they left shortly after you did. They went to look for that horse thief.” She replied.

Sunrise came early the next morning, and Andi was up long before. By the time the rooster crowed, Taffy was saddled with Patches tied beside her. Andi had grabbed a loaf of bread from the kitchen, along with a leftover slice of apple pie. She filled a canteen with fresh water from the pump and set off. Eli was still soundly asleep when she arrived, so she left the supplies and Patches beside him. She was back home before anyone missed her, but later that afternoon Diego came over.

“Senora, Patches is missing.” He told her.

“I know.” She responded, bracing for a scolding.

“Well, when will he be back, Senora? Senor Chad will not be happy.”

Andi tilted her head. “I lent Patches to a friend, but I do not know when, or even if, he will be back.”

“Andrea!” Mother called. Andi ran to the porch where she was standing, and Mother looked at her curiously. “Would you go into town for me?”

Andi nearly jumped for joy. Mother never let her go into town alone! “Only, of course, if Rosa goes with you.”

Andi’s face fell, but she nodded. After getting Mother’s list, she ran to find Rosa. Then they saddled the horses and left.

In town, Sheriff Tate asked her to come into his office. He eyed her curiously. “The young man that turned himself in this morning left a horse for you. I told him I would let you know, but he wouldn’t tell me whose the horse was or why he had him.’’

Andi grinned. Thank you, Lord!