I grew up in an extremely remote area with a large Native American population. Roads were few and far between. My commute to school was 45 minutes one way.
Anyway, there was an older Native American man who everyone called Two Guns. He was tall, rail thin and always wore his waist length gray hair in braids underneath a beat to hell cowboy hat.
Two Guns walked everywhere. Given the few number of roads, it wasn’t unusual to see him walking in the middle of nowhere. People always offered him rides, but he rarely if ever accepted.
He was a staple at all football and basketball games for our high school. He was always in the stands for every home and road game.
One night after a basketball game we had in a town about 30 miles from our town, we passed Two Guns walking on the highway back towards home. Several of us kids on the team bus saw him.
No cars passed us on they way back to our school. It was bitter cold and aside from a few parents in cars following the bus home, nobody passed us on the highway.
There was only one road into town. But when we pulled up to the school to get off the bus, there sat Two Guns on the steps of the school!
Other than the cars following us and a few parents arriving to pick up their kids, nobody could explain how he beat us back.
This happened lots of times in different settings when I was growing up there. The legend developed that Two Guns was a shape shifter.
Not certain I believe that, but it is awfully hard to explain how he would be spotted in the middle of nowhere walking, but then appear somewhere else miles away.
It was very spooky! But, he was the kindest, sweetest man ever. He rarely spoke, but always had a gentle smile and a few words of encouragement for all the kids participating in sports.
I also remember he smelled of sage and pipe tobacco! Very noble man despite his age and position in life.
