Breaking Camp with Jack Long & John Henry

       After listening to Henry telling the story of our first encounter with Grover, the large and quite indulging Negro that we have ever encountered , we thought it best to break camp, and try to reach our next destination South of here. That would be somewhere around Colorado, or Oklahoma to find another job either rounding up wild Horses, in or around Denver or herding Cattle from Oklahoma West, to where ever the best price would bring us. Both choices were not particularly something we wanted to do from our past experiences, even though the money was good, it was hard on our bodies and soul. 
     
     Hey Henry, I hollered as we were both ready to mount our Horses and head on South. 'Which sounds better to you this time, rounding up wild horses, or Herding a bunch of beef to the slaughter house?' Of course it would take a while for the cattle to get to that stage of the game, but I figured it would help Henry make up his mind quicker, seein's  he didn't like the idea of bloodshed. He'd had seen enough of that in his life so far.

    Henry's life out here started on the worst note possible. He and his Ma and Pa, had packed up back East. They  were form Northern New York. His father a Mohawk Indian, his Mother was a mix, a little Indian...Mohawk...then the rest was a of what ever was wondering around those parts at the time. He told me once he had some Irish and German, which explained a lot when he got a hold of some 'Fire-water', and went on a tear for a couple days with not a soul that could stop him.
   Another reason that he got so ornery, was when they started there new life on the road out West. They had their wagon packed with an extra horse in tow along with a supply Mule, that carried any extra supplies needed. They headed out on a fine day in the early Spring, thinking that they needed as much good weather at the start, so there could get a jump on it as farther West they went.
    Henry was still a youngster, but proud to help out where ever he could, growing up fast on that  trip to the Mississippi. There were making good time and didn't encounter much trouble so far along the way. They had brought plenty of provisions to get them at least past the river.
     Now they were in some rough territory. Henry's father had rode out years prior to scout out the area, but hadn't gone much further from where they were now, when the weather got too rough and he had to turn back. But it would all be new to them soon enough, as they made their way into the Great Plains.
    At the time the Great Plains were nothing to fool with, since not many have been around to talk about it. They either made it through or went around.
       John Henry, his mother and his father, had to make a decision. Should they go Northwest, Southwest, or continue due West......