Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting. (Peter Pan)
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. (Dr. Seuss)
Well, Fred and me, we’re on the Trail again, headin’ back on north after rescuin’ the girls from their hideout on Dry Devil River. Wouldn’t you know it, turned out they actually had been taken by slavers, aimin’ no good thing. But those were some feisty women, a tribute to us all, and they soon had the upper hand, an’ had them slavers hog-tied and headin’ on down Dry Devil River on the raft that was intended to take them down river into slavery instead. Trouble was, JanelleElise (who woulda thought??) got a little free with a rock or two she was beatin’ one of ’em with, and rendered him a little bit dead, so they hid his body, and then hid themselves in an old cave they discovered in the rocks down there, not wantin’ to risk her goin’ to jail. Persuadin’ ’em to come back with me wasn’t hard, tho’, when Fred suggested I inform ’em of the four footed critter who called that there cave “home”, and when I told ’em what the sheriff didn’t know couldn’t hurt ’em, well, that sealed the deal.
So the girls was restored to the Yella Rose Schoolhouse, still outa business due to the sickness of course, and commenced to helpin’ the others, led by Autumn Glory, on the new business scheme they’re a’cookin’ up, somethin’ to do with “empowerin’ women.” Good for them, I says, needs to be done. They wanted me to stay and help ’em, especially Miz Suze who it was hard to say good-bye to, but Fred and me, we were hearin’ the call of the open road and those ole mountains again, so we headed out after we’d rested awhile.
So, like I started out sayin’, we’re back on the Trail again, and should be home in a week or so, barrin’ unforeseen adventures. I was mighty relieved ole Fred is still with me. Thought the Big Chick mighta called her back to heaven, but evidently they must still think Fred’s still got work to do, protectin’ me, which is all I can figure her job really is. Wouldn’t a’thought I needed all that protection and all since I take pretty good care of myself, but I reckon the powers that be know better’n me. The thing I appreciate the most about ole Fred is her intuition, her way of kinda knowin’ somethin’ the rest of us don’t know or can’t see. Mebbe it’s because she’s from the heavenly realms.
Sayin’ good-bye to Miz Suze and the girls was hard, and I find myself thinkin’ what kinda life I might have lived if I hadn’t lived the one I did. I don’t think I coulda been one of those there folks that ever quite settle down, whatever that might be. My feet, they somehow got a mind of their own, and just take off, an’ my body is obliged to follow.
We’ll see, I reckon. Right now, just a’restin’ a spell sounds good to me. Mebbe I’ll be back to tell you some more of our adventures sometime. You never know what lies around the next bend of the trail.
(By the way, in case you was ever a’wonderin’, since you been readin’ about me ever since The Old Country Store and Post Office, what I looked like? Well, one of the girls had a man with one of those newfangled cameras take a picture of me an’ Fred . . . for some reason, Fred’s image wouldn’t come out on the photographic plate, but she suggested I share mine with you. It’s not my best look, but I reckon it’ll do.)
