CHAPTER 3 GOING WEST

JACK JOHNSON WAS DOWN CLOSE TO CHEROKEE STRIP HEADING WEST. CHEROKEE STRIP IN SOUTH OF KANSAS AND INDIAN NATIONS LAND. HE WAS TRYING TO STAY AWAY FROM WHERE LOT PEOPLE LIVE.

THE LAND HERE WAS OPEN NOT MUCH IN COVER AROUND. IT BE HARD TO SLIP UP ON JACK HERE BECAUSE ANYBODY COULD BE SEEN A LONG WAY OFF.   JACK CAME TO THIS LITTLE RIDGE AND HE WENT OVER IT AND STOP.   HE SET UP TO WHERE HIS HEAD COULD SEE OVER IT, AND PULL OUT HIS LONG GLASSES TO TAKE A LOOK.

JACK:   STEADY SAM LET ME TAKE A LOOK.  SEE IF WE GOT COMPANY.   AS JACK LOOK HE CAUGHT SOME MOVEMENT COMING OVER THE NEXT RIDGE.

JACK:   WELL SAM LOOK LIKE WE GOT COMPANY BEHIND US - SOME KANSAS FINEST RED LEGS. WONDER WHAT KANSAS BEST MEN DOING OUT HERE?

SAM LOOK AROUND AND GAVE A SNORT LIKE 'YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME'

JACK:   THEY MOST LIKELY WAIT UNTIL WE GET IN RUFF COUNTRY TO MAKE THEIR MOVE.   WELL I AREN'T GOING WITH OUT SLEEP WAITING ON THEM MAKE THEIR MOVE.

THE TWO KANSAS RED LEGS RIDING SLOWLY AND TALKING:

RED LEG:   HE A HOUR IN FRONT US NOT MORE.

2  RED LEG:   WHEN WE MAKE OUR MOVE ON HIM?

RED LEG:   WHEN HE GETS IN RUFF COUNTRY. WE OK HERE.   HE CAN NOT GET CLOSE TO US WITHOUT BEEN SEEN.   SO ENJOY THIS. IT GET ON YOUR NERVES WHEN GET TO RUFF COUNTRY.

THEY FOLLOW THE TRAIL ACROSS THE FLAT PART.   WHEN CLOSE TO LITTLE RIDGE THEY SEEN SAM COMING AT THEM RIDER LESS.

RED LEG:   THE FOOL LET HIS HORSE GET AWAY FROM HIM HAHAHA

THEN TOO LATE THEY SEEN A HAND HOLDING ON THE SADDLE HORN AND  JACK JOHNSON STOOD UP IN HIS RIGHT STIRRUP AND BAM BAM.   THE TWO KANSAS RED LEGS WAS DEAD.   JACK RODE OVER AND STEP DOWN AND KICK BOTH MAKING SURE THEY DEAD.

JACK TOOK THEIR GUNS AND GOLD.   ONE HAD 250 GOLD.  ONE HAD TWO NICE NAVY COLT 1861 MODEL.   THEN JACK TOOK THE HORSES:   HE NEED A PACK HORSE. SAM WAS CARRYING TOO MUCH ANY WAY.   JACK MOVES HIS GEAR TO NEW HORSE.   PICKS UP EXTRA RIFLES AND LOOK AT THEM.   I KEEP THIS SPENCER REPEATER HE SAID TO HIMSELF.   THROW THE EXTRA SHARPS ON GROUND  . CUT THE STENCH AND LET THE SADDLE FALL TO THE GROUND.   SAYS TO THE EXTRA HORSE I TRADE YOU FOR SUPPLIES.

JACK TOOK THE TWO EXTRA HORSES WITH HIM AND RODE OFF TO THE WEST.

LIZZIE JANE MC-MEND WAS ALSO ON THE TRAIL, ONLY WAY BACK. SHE JUST CROSS THE TRAIL A HOUR AGO. SHE WAS WATCHING THE TRAIL AND READING IT.   SHE THINK TWO ARE FOLLOWING THE ONE.  

BET THAT ONE IS THE GRAY RIDER AND TWO BOUNTY HUNTER ON HIS TRAIL.   THEN SHE HEARS TWO SHOT WAY OFF,  ALMOST OUT OF EAR SHOT.

LIZZIE JANE:   SHIT HOPE THEY DO NOT GET HIM BEFORE I CAN.

LIZZIE JANE RODE ON FOR ALMOST A HOUR AND HALF. THEN SHE CAME UP ON BODIES OF THE KANSAS RED LEGS. LIZZIE WAS WONDERING HOW JACK GOT SO CLOSE TO THEM.  HARD TO DO OUT HERE IN OPEN, AND I DO NOT THINK THEY ARE A FOOL.   HE HAD TO FOOL THEM SOME HOW.   SHE COULD SEE WHERE JACK APPROACH THEM. 

I BET HE PULL THE RIDER LESS HORSE TRICK ON THEM. HE IS A SLICK ONE.  THAT'S RIGHT HE WAS AN INDIAN SCOUT.  HE KNOWS ALL THEIR TRICKS AND SHOW THEM A FEW MORE.   WELL, I AM ON HIS TRAIL NOW.  I AM SURE THIS IS THE GRAY RIDER.

MEANWHILE JACK CAME TO THIS TRADING POST. AS HE GOT CLOSE TO IT HE COULD SEE TWO HORSES TIED UP OUTSIDE.   THE DOOR SWUNG OPEN AND SOME ONE THROW A PERSON OUT SIDE.

OWNER:   DO NOT COME BACK UNTIL YOU SOBER UP.

JACK WALK UP AND LOOK DOWN.   SMILE AND PICK UP THE INDIAN AND SET HIM ON THE PORCH BENCH.   THE INDIAN LOOK UP IN A DRUNKEN STUPOR AND SMILE AND ALMOST SAID HIS NAME.  JACK PUT HAND OVER HIS MOUTH AND SHEEEESH.

JACK HAD HIS SHOT GUN ON HIS SIDE. HE COCK THE HAMMER BACK ON THE RIGHT TUB AND WENT IN.   WHEN JACK WENT THREW THE DOOR IMMEDIATELY SAW TWO MEN SETTING AT TABLE NEXT TO WALL.  WHEN THEY SEEN JACK THEY LOOK DOWN AND ONE NUDGE THE OTHER AND WHISPER SOMETHING.   JACK THOUGHT OLD HELL THEY SPOTTED ME.

OWNER:   WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU SIR?

JACK WITH HIS RIGHT SIDE TO THE BAR WITH EYES ON THE TWO MEN 'GIVE ME A SHOT YOUR BEST STUFF.'

OWNER:  YES SIR.

JACK:   WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE INDIAN?

OWNER LEAN OVER:   HE MY FRIEND BUT THOSE TWO I THINK WAS GOING TO KILL HIM AND SCALP HIM.   I THREW HIM OUT TO SAVE HIS LIFE.

JACK:   HUUMM I NEED SOME SUPPLIES FOR TRAIL. TWO SIDE SALT MEAT COFFEE AND FRY PAN AND ONE THEM COFFEE POTS.   FLOUR AND SUGAR CANDY FOR HORSE.   HE GOT SWEET TOOTH.   TWO BOTTLE WHISKEY, TWO BOXES CARTRIDGES FOR A SPENCER CARBINE. OH YA SOME OATS FOR HORSE TOO.

OWNER:  THAT BE 5 DOLLARS MISTER.   SAY WHAT YOUR NAME?

JACK "JACK JOHNSON"

THE TWO MEN STOOD UP FAST AND WHOOOOM JACK FIRE THE SHOT GUN. TWO MEN FELL BACK AGAINST THE WALL AND SLID DOWN .  SEE DAY LIGHT COMING THREW THE WALL BEHIND THEM WHERE ALL SHOTS WENT THREW.

JACK:   O YA I NEED TWO POUND OF DOUBLE OO -SHOT.   I ALMOST FORGOT.

OWNER:   [NERVOUS] THAT BE A DIME EXTRA SIR.

JACK:  HERE A 5 DOLLAR GOLD PIECE TO FIX YOUR WALL.   I AM SORRY THIS HAPPEN.

OWNER:   HERE YOUR SUPPLY SIR AND I THREW EXTRA POUND OF SHOT.   THANK FOR DOING AWAY WITH THEM.   FRIGHTEN OF THEM,

JACK:   ALL KANSAS SENT THEM TO COVER ALL TRADING POST.   SEE IF I SHOW UP. I KNEW THEY WERE HERE WHEN SEEN THE HORSES.

JACK TOOK SUPPLIES OUTSIDE AND PUT THEM ON HIS PACK HORSE.   THEN HE WENT OVER AND WHISPER SOMETHING TO INDIAN. THE INDIAN LOOK AT HIM AND SMILE  AND GOT ON THE BARE BACK HORSE JACK HAD, WENT SOUTH WEST. JACK MOUNTED WENT NORTH WITH HIS PACK HORSE BEHIND HIM.

A HOUR LATTER LIZZIE GOT TO THE POST, CAPTAIN  RICHARDSON WAS THERE WITH TEN KANSAS RED LEGS WITH HIM. THE OWNER TELLING THE STORY OF JACK JOHNSON AND TWO MEN HE KILL INSIDE.   HOW HE ALMOST LOST HIS LIFE.

OWNER:   HE WENT NORTH WITH HIS PACK HORSE JUST OVER A HOUR AGO.

CAPTAIN RICHARDSON,, OK LETS MOUNT.   HE CLOSE THE TRAIL WILL BE HOT "BILL" TAKING THE LEAD.  THEN THEY WENT NORTH FOLLOWING JACKS TRAIL.

LIZZIE TO STORE OWNER:  WHAT HAPPEN TO THE BARE BACK HORSE HE HAD?

OWNER:   HE GAVE IT TO A INDIAN AND INDIAN RODE OFF ON IT.

LIZZIE:   WHICH WAY DID THE INDIAN RIDE OF TO?

OWNER:   SOUTH WEST . THAT'S BAD PLACE OUT THERE.  YOU DO NOT WANT OUT THERE.

LIZZIE:   WHY NOT?  THAT INDIAN HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH IT.

OWNER:   HE  INDIAN ,COMANCHE.  THE PAWNEE NOT FRIENDLY  BUT THEY ARE TO COMANCHE.

LIZZIE:   O I WONDER WHAT THE GRAY RIDER TOLD THE INDIAN FOR HIM TO GO OUT THERE? GRAY RIDER WENT NORTH AND INDIAN WENT SOUTH WEST.   WHAT HE BUY ANY WAY?

OWNER:   TWO SALT SLABS, COFFEE, FLOUR, 3 POUNDS OF DOUBLE OO-SHOT. COOK PANS. TWO BOTTLE WHISKEY, AND SUGAR FOR HIS HORSE, SAID HE HAD A SWEET TOOTH. TWO BOXES CARTRIDGES FOR A SPENCER REPEATING RIFLE.

LIZZIE:   I THINK HE GOING TO DOUBLE BACK ,AND GO SOUTHWEST.   SO I CUT HIM OFF AND GET A HEAD OF THE CALVARY.

OWNER:   HOW HE GOING GET AWAY FROM THEM?   HE GOT NO CHANCE THAT'S CHEROKEE BILL TRACKING HIM.

LIZZIE:   I DO NOT KNOW BUT HE IS A SLICK ONE. ANY BODY CAN HE CAN.   I AM GOING SOUTH WEST.

LIZZIE MOUNTED HER MUSTANG AND WENT SOUTH WEST TO INTERCEPT JACK JOHNSON. SHE STILL WONDER WHERE WAS THE INDIAN HE SENT OUT?   WHERE HE GOING?