New Rifle

One of the first thing I did was go shopping for a rifle.  There were all kinds available, but I had been impressed by the troopers Springfield carbines.  True they were out of date and only single shot, but they had a real kick with a powerful cartridge.  I  settled on one at a shop for a good price as it was surplus and bought a box of 45-70 rounds.  Now I felt I was fully armed.  Next I re-provisioned my travelling kit and loaded up Honeybun, who naturally objected to any extra weight.  Well, here we went.

I rode off toward Burke and stopped of at the stage stop.  The old lady was still there and her son, who had quit the stage line to run the stop,  was well armed and suspicious until he knew who I was.  Then I was made welcome.  As they fed me, the son said he'd heard there was a bounty out on me.  Well, it wouldn't be the last time I heard that, and I said it just went with the job and I let it go.  They asked me to stay, but I said I had some orders to attend to and needed to talk to the sherrif in Burke before I'd know what to do next.  I stayed the night and left next morning, arriving in Burke about noon.


The sherrif  was glad to see me and filled me in on the local news. He said, "We blasted open Old Charlies safe out back to see if there was anything in there , but there was nothing but the deed to his store and about fifty dollars. Nothing for him to die over." I shook my head. what could I say.  Then I asked if there had been any unusual activity.  He told me that a crowd of yahoos had riden through a week before, but they didn't stop, being in somewhat of a hurry.  They'd headed out to the north, declaring that they would set up in the Ozarrks and damn the US government.  Since they went out of his jurisdiction he just let it go.  He added that they had left with threats against me personally which in light of recent experience I found as no surprise.  I thanked him and set out the next morning for Indian territory once again.

Crossing the Arkansas brought me into Osage country, and though I camped several nights I had no strange dreams and rode on up to Tahlequa in the Cherokee land.

There I checked in with the sherrif, a town marshal now, who was glad to see I was still alive.  He had more news for me, "You might like to know the bummers you helped run off have a bad case against you, blaming you for everything, including the success of the cavalry", he said.  "Well, I replied," it's not unusual for cowards to avoid a fight with the cavalry.  I s'pose they have to pin their failures on one man."  We both grinned, and he told me the last they were seen they were headed up into the Ozarks to hide out.  I showed him my writs, and he urged me to take care, because there were many of them, and even offered to form a posse to accompany me.  It was tempting, but I had to turn him down.  I had one more stop to make before I turned up country.

Two days later I rode in at the fort I'd stopped at before.  It was almost deserted.  The captain in charge was still there and happy to see me.  I felt I owed him a report and gave it.  I asked after Jim Crow, but he had no recent news.  "I gather Jim Crow isn't exactly happy with you", he said.  I told him that was because I wouldn't let him scalp the Souix we killed.  He shook his head, "You may have made an enemy; that's an ongoing blood-feud, and you told him no,  If you meet him again, be careful , my friend."  I told him my intention to head up into the hills after a bunch of yahoos for whom I had warrants, and he offered me a squad of troopers as an escort.  I had to refuse, because it was unlikely I'd slip up on anybody in the company of mounted troopers.

The next morning I headed uphill.  I rode up the line of the stream I'd originally come down to the fort, nut soon I found a way to the east and away from the stream.  Riding up the hills I soon toipped out on a rise where I could get a look around.  Down below was a valley and beyond was a monument of  hills.  Looked like a trap to me.

I jumped down from Piano and slapepd him  on the butt.  Boot as usual was right under my feet.  Then I heard a loud bray, and Honeybun took of across the valley.  The best I could do was set up with my rifle, and I saw a man aiming at my mule so I shot him.  He flipped off his rock , and I mounted  Piano  and rode like hell to where they were.

I arived in the midldle of a fire fight and pulled out my Colt  and fired left and right.  then I pulled out my Schofield and fired for effect.  Pretty soon there were no others on the ground.  I counted six down and at least two had been stomped by Honeybun.  I deprived the bodies of there weapons and ammunition and loaded it all on Honeybun who complained.  I gave her a hug and a word, so that she felt appreciated, then I did the same for Piano and Boot, 'cause they had done their part.  Then I reloaded and set out to track down the rest of my enemies.

The hills of the Ozarks had a lot of ups and downs, so I constantly had to be aware of what was next.  Pretty soon I came out under some oak trees over a shallow valley and spied some campfire smoke.  Easing down through the woods, I could see a large camp of men below.  It occurred to me that I was outnumbered, so I laid low for a while.

I tied my mounts and told Boot to lay low and took my rifle into the trees.  I found a good place to watch the camp and settled down.  I decided I could stir them up without to much risk so i blew their coffee pot off the fire.  Well, that started a hooraw.  Everybody headed for the woods and started shooting in every direction.

I might mention that I had swapped over to smokeless  powder several years before, because it doesn't give you away.
you wouldn't believe some of these idiots were still firing black powder.  All I had to do was fire into their smoke.  After a couple of shots I moved my position so they'd have no idea.

Pretty soon I heard some crashing in the brush and soon saw a somebody poke his head up to look around.  It was too easy, I shot him.  Then I moved again.  After a while nobody came looking, and I heard horses riding out.

When things got quiet I saddled up and rode down to their campsite.  No one was around.  I dismounted and looked around.  There was nothing to see.  I looked in the trees and found a couple of bodies where I had shot.  It seemed like I'd whittled down my opposition.  I followed on. 

It began to rain, so I broke out my slicker and my wide-brim hat.  Boot got up under his tarp on Honeybun's back, and we proceeded through the woods.  It wasn't long before I spied a group of wet and cold troublers trying to light a fire without much success.  I rode in among them with my rifle covering them.  They wanted to know what I wanted, so I said, "your  surrender.  I have warrants for your arrest."  They looked thunderstruck, and one of them said, "what if we won't?"  So I pointed my rifle at him, and said, "say the word." 

I told them to saddle up and ride to Ft. Smith where they were to turn themselves into the judge there, and to tell him they were doing so at my direction.  They did that, and that was the end of this nonsense.  There I sat in the rain all alone in the middle of the Ozarks.