THE OLD COWBOY Part Thirty
(continued)

"Well like I said, yer Grandma was the finest woman I've ever known. Yer mama always figured it was her fault, but the truth is Grandboy, yer Grandma'd been havin' some pains in her chest."

"What knid of pains Grandpa?"

"The kind they say leads to a heart attach. This 'doc' I was talkin' to a long while back, said yer heart stops pumpin'."

Grandpa reached over and took my hand and held it flat against my chest. I could feel my heart beating and I smiled 'cause I understood. "So there ya have it Grandboy, it beats in yer chest and therefore you live. When it stops you die. We never knew fer sure, but when I told this 'doc' what happened, he thought she lost her balance 'cause her heart gave out. I missed her some as the years went by. 

She died an' not long after, the Army hired me to break horses. They said a war was coming, a big war. They was right. It was the 'First World War'. A lot of things changed on account 'a that war. I met my second wife down in Lawton, Oklahoma where I was breakin' horses five days a week. I think the kids was glad to have a woman around to help 'em out. Yer ma never took to her though...(he rubbed the stubble on his chin). That oldest boy, yer ma's brother, was real good with a gun from a horse. He said he'd see us when the war was over...(he choked up). He never came back." We sat quietly for a while.

"Grandpa,... what's war like?" I asked. I guess it was a bad question, because Grandpa's peace appeared to leave his face. He got a far away look, and he got up and walked toward that oak tree.

"Grandboy, I never been ta war, but some that have, tell me the ground shakes when the big guns fire. Where they explode leaves a large crater an' clears what ever was there, away! Gone! Not to be seen again. 

War is not a good thing an' here we are again. No ser, I'll take it out west..."

To Be Continued. . .