CHAPTER 10 CAPTAIN MAKE HIS MOVE

WITH PRIVATE SIMS DEAD CAPTAIN HAS EXTRA MOUNT TO USE.

CAPTAIN:   BILL I WANT YOU TAKE THE EXTRA HORSE AND RIDE JACK TRAIL FAST.    FIND HIM AND KEEP EYE ON HIM.

BILL:   YOU FOLLOW ME AND CATCH UP?

CAPTAIN:   WE RIDE HARD BUT WITH TWO HORSES YOU CAN MOVE LOT FASTER:   LIKE JACK DID US FROM THAT CREEK.

BILL:   ME RIDING FAST JACK CAN AMBUSH ME!

CAPTAIN:   I KNOW.   I AM DEPENDING ON YOU AND JACK FRIENDSHIP TO KEEP YOU ALIVE.

BILL DROP OFF THE SADDLE OFF PRIVATE SIMS HORSE  TOOK REINS AND RIDE OFF FOLLOWING JACK TRAIL.   BILL RODE HIS MOUNT FOR HOUR THEN SLIP TO PRIVATE SIMS MOUNT AND IS ON HIS BACK RESTING HIS OWN MOUNT.  HE RIDES THE TRAIL FAST.

BILL RIDE LIKE THIS FOR FOUR HOURS.   HE CAME TO TOP RIDGE.   AS HE LOOK DOWN ON VALLEY HE SEEN TWO RIDERS WAY OFF WITH PACK HORSES.   ONE RIDER HAD BOTH PACK HORSES. AND THEY ROAD SLOWLY.

BILL:   'THAT'S JACK HE SAVE HIS HORSES.   THEY FRESH: MINE ARE TIRED.   HE JUST RIDE OFF LEAVE ME IF SEE ME.'

BILL RIDE ALONG JUST FOLLOWING ,TRY NOT GET ANY CLOSER. WAITING FOR THE CAPTAIN TO CATCH UP.   BILL RODE OVER TOP THE RIDGE AND SEE LIZZIE JANE THERE WITH FOUR MOUNTS, JUST WAITING.

LIZZIE JANE:  'HI JACK SAID YOU CHEROKEE BILL.'

BILL KNEW HE HAD BEEN HAD.    HE JUST PUT UP HIS HANDS.   FROM BEHIND HIM HE HEAR JACK'S VOICE  ' BILL JUST LET THAT RIFLE DROP.   LETS CHAT FOR LITTLE BIT.'

BILL LET RIFLE DROP:  I TOLD CAPTAIN YOU AMBUSH ME IF I RIDE TO HARD.

JACK:   WHAT HE SAY TO THAT?

BILL:   HE DEPEND ON YOUR AND MY FRIENDSHIP KEEP ME ALIVE.

JACK:   'STEP DOWN BILL'   BILL DID AS HE WAS TOLD.   JACK LOWERS THE SHOT GUN AND LET THE HAMMER DOWN SLOWLY.

BILL:   THAT'S A NASTY THING THERE.  I SEEN ITS WORK AT TRADING POST.

JACK:   BILL I AM NOT OUT TO KILL ANY BODY.   I JUST WANT TO LIVE AGAIN AS A NEW MAN SOME WHERE ELSE.

BILL:   I KNOW YOU COULD KILL ME THE FIRST DAY AND YOU DID NOT.  LEFT ME SOME FIRE WATER THROWN......THANKS

JACK:   I USE MOST MY FIRE WATER ON LIZZIE JANE HERE TO FIX HER ARM.   WHO WAS SHOOTING AT US?

BILL:   THE CORPORAL. CAPTAIN HIT HIM WITH RIFLE  MAKE HIM STOP.

JACK:   WHAT ABOUT THE CAPTAIN? WHAT HE DOING WITH THAT RED LEG SCUM?

BILL:   THEY WERE GIVEN TO HIM BY COLONEL ROBINSON TO BRING YOU IN ALIVE TO STAND TRAIL.

JACK:   COLONEL ROBINSON SENT HIM?

BILL:   YES HIS ORDER IS BRING YOU IN ALIVE.

JACK:   WELL BETTER NOT KILL HIM.  UNCLE BE MAD

BILL:   UNCLE?

JACK:  YES UNCLE  HE TRYING TO SAVE ME FROM ALL THIS CRAP. . .HE GOT BAD JOB HE ALWAYS SEND HIS BEST OFFICER.   BY LOOKS OF CAPTAIN HE PICK A GOOD ONE.

BILL:   BEST ONE I WORK WITH.   HE GOT HAND FULL NOW WITH YOU AND RED LEGS.

JACK:   FIRST NIGHT WHEN I WAS IN YOU CAMP. I SEEN THE TWO THAT LEAD THE GROUP THAT KILL MY DAUGHTER AND RAPE HER.   A SERGEANT AND CORPORAL.   ALL I COULD DO NOT TO KILL THEM THEN.   WE DID NOT NEED THAT BLOOD BATH.

BILL:   WE KNOW PRIVATE GOT SNAKE BITE HE TOLD ALL BEFORE HE DIED.   ME CAPTAIN KEEP IT TO OURSELVES, THINK THEY TRY TO KILL US.

JACK:   TWO DAYS THE COMANCHE WILL BE HERE WITH RED BEAR.   WE FIX IT THEN  . I SENT WORD AHEAD .

BILL "YOU DID," WE RIDE INTO A TRAP?

JACK:   JUST LIKE TO DAY.   YOU AND CAPTAIN BE OK BUT RED LEGS FORGET IT.

BILL:   I GOT TELL CAPTAIN YOU KNOW THAT.

JACK:   YUP WHY ME AND YOU HAVING THIS LITTLE TALK.  I DO NOT WANT WRONG PEOPLE GET HURT.   YOU REMEMBER THIS LAND, WE RODE HERE IN 59 , I THINK.

BILL:   YES I REMEMBER.

JACK:   THERE ARE TWO WATER HOLES.  WE BE AT SECOND ONE. THEY TWO MILES A PART.YOU WAIT HERE FOR CAPTAIN AND TAKE HIM TO NUMBER ONE.

JACK WENT TO LIZZIE AND STEP UP ON Sam AND RODE OFF LEFT BILL STANDING THERE.

BILL:  THANKING GOD WE JUST PAWNS IN CHEST GAME".

RED BEAR BEEN ON TRAIL A HALF DAY. HE HAS 110 BRAVES.   HE HAS 60 BRAVES WITH HIM.

BLACK CROW THE WAR CHIEF HAS THE OTHER 60 WITH HIM.   THEY TRAVEL IN TWO GROUPS.

THIS MAKE IT HARD TO BE AMBUSH AND ONE GROUP CAN SUPPORT THE OTHER.   RED BEAR KNOW BLACK CROW IS TO THE EAST CLOSE TO 30 MINUTE RIDE AS RUNNER SAY.   THEY SEND RIDERS EVERY HOUR TO KEEP TRACK AND BRING NEWS IF THERE IS ANY.

RED BEAR TO HIS UNDER CHIEF:   BEEN LONG TIME I SEEN MY FRIEND JACK JOHNSON.

UNDER CHIEF RED BIRD:   WHAT HE LIKE?

RED BEAR:   HE MORE INDIAN THAN LOT INDIANS AND HAS THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHITE MAN.  GREAT FIGHTER.  HE IS A KIND MAN TOO. DEPENDS IF YOU CROSS HIM OR NOT.

RED BIRD:  STRANGE TYPE OF MAN.

RED BEAR:  WE WAS AT WAR WITH BLUE BELLIES THAT CAME TO OUR LANDS.   I WAS SHOT OFF MY HORSE.   JACK FOUND ME.  HE KNEW I WAS A CHIEF.   HE DID NOT KILL ME.   HE FIX MY WOUNDS , TOLD ME  THEY WISH NOT TO KILL ANY MORE. THEY JUST WANT TO CROSS OUR LANDS.

I TOOK THIS MESSAGE TO RUNNING WATER.   HE WAS TRIBE CHIEF AT THIS TIME.   I WAS WAR CHIEF.

RUNNING WATER:  GO GET HIM WE SEE IF HIS WORDS ARE TRUE.

RED BIRD:   WHAT YOU DO?

RED BEAR:   I RODE CLOSE TO WHERE THEY WERE CAMP.   GOT OFF MY PONY AND WALK IN UNARM.   HANDS UP IN AIR.   JACK CAME OUT TO MEET ME ALONG WITH A INDIAN CHEROKEE I THINK.   I TOLD HIM RUNNING WATER WANT TO TALK TO HIM.

JACK:   CAN CHEROKEE BILL GO WITH HIM TO HELP WITH THE TALK.   NOT SURE ON ALL THE SIGNS.

RED BEAR:   YES WE WANT TO MAKE SURE ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT BEEN SAID.

JACK AND BILL CAME WITH ME. I  INTRODUCE THEM TO TRIBE CHIEF RUNNING WATER

JACK THRU BILL SIGNING TOLD RUNNING WATER THEY JUST WANT TO CROSS THE LAND.

RUNNING WATER sign:   YOU NOT GOING TO STAY?

JACK sign:   THE LEADER IS GOING WEST TO MAKE FORTS ON UPPER ARKANSAS RIVER.

RUNNING WATER sign:   WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT BUNCH THAT COME?

JACK THRU BILL sign:   I WONT SPEAK FOR THEM. I NOT KNOW THEIR MIND.

RUNNING WATER sign:  WILL THEY COME TO TAKE OUR LANDS?

JACK THRU Bill sign:    SOME DAY THEY WILL.   I NOT LIE TO YOU NOR CAN I SPEAK FOR THEM. ALL I CAN SAY IS FOR OUR GROUP WE HAVE NO DESIGN ON YOUR LAND.

RUNNING WATER sign:   WHAT YOU SAY COULD GET YOU KILL FOR TELLING THE TRUTH.   BUT YOU FIRST WHITE EYES TO SAY THE TRUTH.   YOU NO LIE WE LET YOU PAST.  WE FIGHT YOU NO MORE.

JACK sign:   MY WORD IS MY BOND.

RUNNING WATER sign:   YOU MUST BE A BLOOD BROTHER.   RED BEAR YOU SAVE HIS LIFE, HIS LIFE BELONG TO YOU.

JACK sign:    I BE GLAD TO BE BLOOD BROTHER TO RED BEAR, HE FIGHT WITH COURAGE. JACK CUT HIS PALM AND HAND RED BEAR THE KNIFE .  NOW WE BLOOD BROTHERS.

RED BIRD:   TO BE BLOOD BROTHER TO THE TRUTH IS A HONOR.