The Legend of Eli CrowChapter 47
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Eli knew he had a battle on his hands convincing the mommas of his sons and daughters that his plan was the best way to keep the Bucks, the Crow girls and the rest of them from having babies and still let them spend time with their friends. He figured the best way to handle this was to get them all at once and get it over with.
Miranda, Clarissa, Tin Yu, Catt, Eva, Rose, Sissy, Suh, Juni, and Grandma were gathered together out away from the others. Eli wanted all of them to listen to what he had planned, especially his girls’ mommas and the Bucks’ mommas.
“Eli, what is this all about?” Rose asked as the women sat near a big pecan tree in the warm sun. The women already knew about him meeting with all the Bucks, his girls, and the the other boys and girls who were here for the Land Run. They had suspected what he was up to and had already noticed the boys and girls sleeping together in the same bedrolls. They kept quiet about it, knowing that Eli had given them his approval or they wouldn’t have dared been caught together.
“Rose, I wanted all of you to come out here with me so I could tell you what I’ve worked out for all the girls and their beaus. I talked to Doc and Lettie a lot about this and with their help, we’ve worked out a way to keep them from having babies until they’re married,” he told them, looking around at each of them quickly to see their faces.
“Eli, we’ve taught all our girls about the things a woman can do to prevent pregnancy. We knew they would meet boys one day and need to know these things,” Clarissa told him.
“Clarissa, I know you did. The girls have told me they already knew about that. What I was afraid of was, that when they get time alone, would they remember those things when it mattered. I want our boys and girls to have fun at this time in their lives.
“None of us ever got a chance to court and be with others. We had to make a life for ourselves and be grownups before our time.” He explained as best he could.
“Eli, we’ve seen them sleeping together in their bedrolls in front of us and the other parents. We knew you’d given them permission or they wouldn’t be that brave,” Miranda told him.
“We’ve all agreed that we wanted our boys and girls to meet someone they liked. Little Eli and Isaac have been very responsible with Kit and Ruby with all of you helping them. I’m proud of those four for showing they could love each other and still respect each other too,” Eli continued.
“Now we have the other four Bucks who’ve met and fallen in love with girls from Texas. They’ve spent the past six or seven months writing letters and sending telegraph messages back and forth. They used their own money to send messages and post letters too.
“Now they’ve met again and each of them has told me they love those girls from Texas.
“I got to tell you now, those Texas girls are even wilder than my girls and I knew we had to do something to help them be together, yet keep them from having babies.”
“Eli, what are you trying to say?” Eva asked.
“Eli are you telling us you have agreed to let them be together like grownups?” Grandmother asked.
“Well, yes. Sort of anyway.”
“They can’t sort of sleep together like grownups, Eli. Either they do or they don’t,” Clarissa told him.
“Each of them have promised me that they would wait to have babies. I’ve talked to Doc and Lettie and they told me how to help them keep their promises.”
“Eli, have you agreed to let our girls and boys have sex out of wedlock?” Miranda asked.
“Yes, but with the understanding that if one girls gets with a baby, they’ll all have to wait until they’re eighteen to see each other again.”
“And they agreed to that? All of them?” Rose asked.
“Yes. They are ready to be grownups, but they want to prove they can be trusted too.”
“What did Doc and Lettie suggest that made you see things different, Eli?” Tin Yu asked.
“They suggested we buy them condoms,” he said, quickly looking at each of them.
“Eli, are you sure about this?” Clarissa asked, looking around at the other women too.
“Doc and Lettie told me they used them when they stayed together up in St. Louis and even used them after they came to Tulsa to keep from having babies.”
“I read where they were banned, Eli,” Miranda told him.
“Doc said they are still banned from being sent through the postal service. But he knows how to get them.”
“Eli, I’m not a momma to these girls, but I have to wonder if this will work,” Grandmother said.
“Grandmother, I can see what Eli is trying to do. We all know those boys and girls will never be able to see each other off and on for the next three years and not want to love each other. I would rather know they are aware of what they’re doing and are willing to take responsibility for what they do, than one of them come tell us they are with child,” Miranda said.
“I agree with Miranda. I would rather them agree to Eli’s rules and help keep each other from breaking them, than to have one slip up,” Catt agreed.
“Then I agree too,” Tin Yu added.
“Do we all agree to at least let them try? Think of the trust we will put on them and that they’ll have to live up to,” Eli said.
“What do you want us to do, Eli?” Clarissa asked.
“Nothing for now. I just wanted your approval before I did this. They are young men and women now and this is our last chance to make sure they know what is expected of them before they start spending time alone with each other.
“I’ve already had a private talk with all the couples. They were honest with me and I was honest with them. They want to be trusted and all of them want to wait to have babies.
“I told Michi and Kia that they could marry in a year and a half if they still loved their young men. I’m sure they’ll come to you and tell you all about it. Those girls are women now. Talk to them like women and you’ll see,” Eli said as he looked around at the women.
“Eli, Tin Yu proud of you,” Tin Yu told him.
“We are all proud of you, Eli. We’ve wondered many times how you would handle it when your girls became old enough to have a beau courting them. I’ll be the first to tell you, you did the right thing,” Clarissa said, then added...
“I know Lilly Beth and even Lee Yu needed this, they are far too wild and free not to love those boys without any restrictions,” Clarissa said and the others laughed as they agreed with her.
“So, we’re just supposed to accept this and not fuss at them if we see them behaving as grownups?” Suh asked.
“Suh, I want you and Moses to sit down and have a talk with Pike and Cecily. Just like we’re having now. Don’t ask personal questions of them, talk to them as grownups and let them tell you how they feel, they will surprise you.
“Pike is a man now. He’s as mature as any of the other Bucks. You and Moses can be proud of the way you’ve raised that boy.”
“Eli, I’ll have to tie Moses down, but we’ll do just that. I am so proud of Pike and I just love that pretty little Cecily Blasingame. She hangs onto him and it makes me so proud to see both of them in love,” Suh told them.
“I want to talk with Micah and Belinda too. They are so much in love and it makes me so proud for them,” Catt told him.
“I want all you mommas to talk with your sons and their girls, in private. Don’t be talking about the things we’ve talked about here either. Let them have that part to themselves, they’re all grownup enough to handle it and you’ll see when you talk to them. Just get them to talk about each other and let them tell their feelings and their plans for the future. Don’t be telling them how to think or live their lives,” Eli told them.
“I’ve been putting off having a personal talk with Lilly Beth and Ladd. I swear, Eli, that boy has our daughter smiling and following him around like Pepper follows Maryanne.
“I’ll tell them I want to sit down with them, but I’ll do it like you said and I won’t treat them as kids either. I’m proud of that girl and I hope Ladd can tame her little wild-ass down some too,” Clarissa said. She was smiling and her eyes were filled with tears as she talked with pride about Lilly Beth and her young man.
“I have already had a talk with Lee Yu and her young man, Lane. At times, I felt like maybe I was the girl and they were already the grownups. They were telling me all they have planned and what they want to name their babies. They are so happy, Eli. You have done a big thing, letting them show how us they can be grownup,” Tin Yu said as she and Clarissa looked at each other, nodding as they smiled.
“Miranda, I know you’re not Kia and Michi’s birth momma, but they call you momma and they’ve told Jere Jo and Jonny Bill about they’re real momma and daddy and how they were killed. They told the story about being adopted, then their new momma dying. Now they tell them you are their momma. I want you to sit down with them and let them tell you how they feel. If you don’t bring up the sex part, they won’t either. I’ll tell you now, you’re in for a surprise; those girls are already mature women.”
“Eli Crow, when did you start saying that word? I’ve never heard you say sex before in your life, like if you didn’t say it, none of the girls would even know about it,” Rose said and the women laughed.
“When I first started talking to my boys and girls privately, I found out real quick that they already knew more than I did and they even told me I needed to catch up with the times. I knew I had to catch up or be left behind by my own kids growing up so fast.
“Little Eli even told me back when they were leaving to come down here, that things were different than when I was young and that times have changed. That’s when I started talking to Doc and Lettie. They told me that if I didn’t change my way of thinking, I was going to have a houseful of grand babies before my Bucks and girls were even married.”
Before Eli left the women to their own discussions, he asked them to prepare a picnic lunch for each of the young men and women to have tomorrow.
He, Doc, and Lettie were taking the young men and women on a private picnic.
Doc borrowed Don’s horse and buggy for their short trip over to the lake on the backside of the property. He and Lettie had their leather medical bags, and a few small unmarked, wooden shipping crates tied behind the seat of the buggy. The girls had placed their baskets of food on the buggy and laced them down with rope. They were ready for the picnic of a lifetime.
Doctor Gerald Harrod had been boyhood friends with the Goodyear family back in St. Louis, Missouri.
He and Raymond Goodyear, a cousin of Charles Goodyear, who had discovered the vulcanization process of rubber, were classmates in school and then on into medical school. Later they became interns at the same hospital. Through Doc Harrod’s earlier association with Ray Goodyear, he learned of a new latex condom patented by Ray’s cousin, Charles.
Charles Goodyear’s first patent came in 1844, and later more than sixty patents were granted to Goodyear for his original processing of numerous rubber products. Among which were feminine rubber condoms, intrauterine devices, douching syringes, and womb veils.
Condoms and other contraceptive devices were deemed obscene by Federal and many State Laws and were banned from distribution through the mail in America by the Comstock Laws. They could no longer be sent through the United States Postal Service.
However this didn’t stop the production and sale of latex condoms.
In 1861, there were ads for condoms appearing in The New York Times as, Dr. Powers’ French Preventatives. These were made by Charles Goodyear’s Company.
Though Charles Goodyear died penniless in July of 1860, his legacy lived on and in 1898, The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was named in his honor by the man who owned it, Frank Seiberling.
Ray Goodyear still maintains his close connections in the latex rubber industry to this day, and supplies his closest medical associates with latex condoms not only as contraceptives, but as a means to prevent the spread of venereal disease.
“Eli to eliminate any embarrassment, Lettie will conduct her demonstration of the condom with the girls over here. If you will go with me, I will demonstrate the proper procedure for applying the condom to the boys of the group. This will be strictly clinical, yet Lettie and I both will answer all questions, and I am sure there will be plenty.”
“Doc, are you sure you want me there when you show the young men how to use these things? I mean, well, you got to remember, my girls are over there and all of us know who these will be used on...” Eli said, his face turning red when Doc grinned at him.
“Eli, you need to get over this. Men and women have been making love for centuries and fathers always have the same feelings when they give up their daughters in marriage. You are doing this for them. Don’t let it look like this is embarrassing you, and it will come natural for the young folks to use these devices.”
“Doc, I’ll try like hell, but this is NOT going to be easy on me. Lettie will have the girls far enough away that they won’t hear us, won’t she?”
“Eli, relax. She will do this in a professional way. I will also, but there will be questions and if you have any, please ask. You may want to take a few of these condoms with you when we leave.”
“Doc, lets just get on with this. I see the girls looking over this way. We need to walk on around the lake bank a little ways!”
“Eli, you are about to go through the second part of catching up with the times. This isn’t obscene or indecent. This is for the prevention of babies and in certain cases, disease. You’ve met with the young men and women and explained what is expected of them. They have agreed to do this your way. Now, we need to explain the clinical part or you will have done this for naught.
“Then lets get on with it, Doc. I’m still nervous just standing here,” Eli said and he and Doc turned to the young men, motioning for them to follow.
“You young men follow Eli and me. We’ll walk around this bend in the lake shore and I’ll demonstrate to you how contraception works. I know you are all old enough to have some knowledge of condoms, though I doubt any of you have ever used one or doubtfully ever seen one.
“Now that we’re out of sight and out of hearing of the others, I want to take time to show all of you this latex rubber condom while I tell you a little about it.
The terrain was becoming rougher than they’d experienced so far. The fifty miles took them almost two days, as the trail twisted and turned, and back tracked through the jagged rocks of the first foot hills as they came closer to the Southern Rockies. By the mid-afternoon of the second day, they had ridden down into a big grassland that covered most of the valley. The horses were hungry for fresh grass and they stopped to let them graze near a cool, clear river. Juni and Tin Yu were naked...
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“Sundy, you put this shirt on and slide over here on my horse with me. We’re going up there and scout this trading post,” Eli said as he unlocked her shackles and pulled a buckskin shirt out of his saddlebag. “Marshal, you be watchful of Sundy if there’s shootin. We’ve took a liking to her and want to see her do good, now that her kin have been arrested,” Jessie said. “I’ll be alright, I know Marshal Eli will keep me safe,” she said as she hugged her thin body to his back. “Duncan, I’m...
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Doctor Harrod came out just a few minutes after Eli and Jefferson walked into the lobby and sat down. They both jumped up as soon as he came through the door, hurrying to meet him. “Doc?” Eli said as he looked at the young doctor. “Duncan is fine. He’s sleeping now and you’ll both be able to see him in a few hours. I drained the wound where the injury had become infected. There was a bone fragment just as I thought. It was wedged in a clump of hair that had pushed into the tiny skull...
Indian Territory June 15, 1884: “Eli, look at all them dark clouds down yonder south of here. I sure hope we don’t run into any bad weather on the way home,” Duncan said as they rode on into the late afternoon after getting Joe patched up. “I’ve been watching them too, Duncan. I hope they’re between us and home, I’d hate to know our place was being hammered by storms.” By nightfall, the dark storm clouds had moved east of where they were heading, but the air was still damp and heavy like...
With the arraignments and hearings coming up for the criminals that Eli, Duncan and Moses had arrested in the past weeks, they were all required to be in the courthouse most of each day for a week. After that, they were told by Judge Parker they needed to be on call for another week as the prosecutors, lawyers, and public defenders obtained information from them. Though this was a rough two weeks for the three of them, who were used to being out in the open. They did enjoy their time at...
The next morning early, the three had ridden no more than half a mile from camp, when Eli pulled his horse back. “We got riders coming in, hold up and get your guns ready,” he told them. They were suddenly surrounded by sixteen members of a cavalry patrol, handguns drawn and hammers backed. “Stand your position men, United States Cavalry here. You’re trespassing on government property,” a big sergeant in front of the troop yelled. “Mister, you best put them pistols away before we shoot...
As the three rode back to the courthouse, they felt good about the girls going to learn about nursing. They felt good about getting to ride out together again too. Jefferson had their warrants, since Judge Parker was already in court for the day. “Eli, this big horse wants to run some, let’s get stretched out and make some miles. It sure does feel good to be out here again,” Duncan said. They poked their horses up to a good hard gallop and let them run for miles before they pulled them...
They left the courthouse and headed straight home to see the family. Duncan, Moses, and Eli could hardly wait to see their kids. Moses was extremely proud of his and Suh’s boy. They’d named him Pike Longfeather Kidd in honor of Moses’ father. Duncan and Eli’s young’uns were seven, and the two marshals could hardly wait to get home from a trip. Pike was about six months younger than the other boys, but he felt he could do anything the others could – the other boys expected as much of...
It took another hour to get from the high knoll over to the far side of Fayetteville, but they were at the old trading post at last. Eli helped both women to the ground. They were about frozen from being on the trail most of five days. He tied their horses to the hitching rail and rapped on the solid wood door. “ELI IS HERE,” he heard a scream and the door swung wide as Tin Yu, Catt and Eva ran out to him, nearly knocking him over backwards as they grabbed him in a hug, jumping up and...
The next morning, when Rose and Mary came down to the kitchen to start breakfast, Jefferson already had a warm fire built in the cookstove. As they filled the big coffee pot with coffee and water, they heard a noise on the back porch. Jefferson stepped to the back door to see the two nannies and the two kids on the porch, with the billy standing in the yard, looking up at them. Corinne and Lorene were next down the stairs, carrying the two babies, since they had taken it upon themselves to...
The three marshals rode for two more days, pushing their horses, keeping them fed and watered, as they made their way toward the Cherokee Outlet, known all over this part of Indian Territory as no man’s land. The third day on the trail after they’d met the cavalry patrol at the mouth of the Chikaskia where it emptied into the Salt Fork of the Arkansas, they met another patrol headed east. Abraham Walker was the scout. “Marshal Moses Kidd, you have made good time. Lieutenant Carpenter is...
The trip back to Fort Smith took three days longer than the trip over to the Panhandle. Twice along the way, Eli killed a small deer late in the day, so they could cook it all night and be gone at daylight, eating the cooked meat along the way. The rest of the time, they only stopped long enough to feed and water the horses and relieve themselves. The prisoners were left to their own devices, as for relieving themselves. While riding on the boards of the rough, bouncing wagon bed, they...
The travelers broke camp at daybreak after an early breakfast. They were still most of a day’s travel from Pecan Ridge and the MacEagle brothers wanted their new friends to visit the Cheyenne Village and meet their grandfather on the way. The Young Bucks and the Crow girls knew White Elk and they were excited about going to the Cheyenne village to meet with him again. They were even more excited to be there when he welcomed his grandsons home after they’d graduated from the private boarding...
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A week after the marshals returned from their last trip, Eli rode across the river to Tulsa with Little Eli and the other boys and girls. The young’uns thought they were almost grown now, getting to ride the big high stepping horses all the way across the river with him and going to the post office at Perryman’s. He gave them enough money to buy some candy and even some gum, for the first time in their lives. The boys saw some baseball bats, gloves, and balls and each of them wanted baseball...
December 27, 1884 Tulsa Depot Tulsa, Indian Territory Jon David and Joe were at the train depot when the train pulled in from Kansas City. Jon David had gotten a telegraph message that there would be twenty-one, young Negro women aboard the train arriving on the twenty-seventh. There were only two Pullman cars and a caboose connected to that train. The preacher from the Negro church in Kansas City had made the trip down to Tulsa, escorting the young women personally, since the young women...
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They did make that trip in September. Eli wanted the family to visit their hotel in Santa Fe then come back through Albuquerque on their week-long trip. They even made it down to Las Cruces to stay two nights at that hotel before heading back home. Eli knew the women would be having babies in the spring and he was already planning trips to Kansas City after the babies were born. In April of 1890, Eli took his Cherokee brothers, Iron Hammer, Iron Hand and Iron Eyes, with their families for a...
Tulsa, Indian Territory Sunday, July 28, 1889 While Moses, Isaac and Little Eli were loading the horses, the engineer yelled and waved to Eli again just as he stepped down from the Pullman carrying Little Eli’s traveling bag. “Marshal, if we’re gonna make a fast run down to Abilene like you want, the fireman will need some help from your bunch to keep up the steam,” he yelled above the noise of the locomotive. “We’ll ride up here with you. I want to keep this this thing red hot and smoking...
Miranda turned and sat sideways on the top rail as she watched Little Eli run over to get on his horse. Lee Yu, Lilly Beth, Kia, and Michi were all waiting for him. They all waved to her when they saw her looking. She felt like getting off the fence right then and grabbing Eli Crow. She was so in love with him and his family. No matter if it was right in the middle of the cattle pens, and right in front of all the men, she could have thrown him to the ground and loved him right here. They...
Across the small hotel dining room, there were three well-dressed men wearing tall white hats, drinking coffee and smoking fat cigars. One of them moved closer to sit at the table nearest the Young Bucks. “Excuse me please, but did I hear you say you have an exceptionally fast horse bred from Cheyenne horse blood?” The man asked from behind Eli. Eli turned to look back at the man, “Yes Sir, we sure do. He’s never been beaten in about thirty races,” he told the man. “We’re here to meet the...
After their meal, they rounded the young’uns up and headed them back upstairs. The elevator had to make two trips to get them all to the top floor. By the time they had the younger ones settled and into bed, it was after ten o’clock and they had a busy day planned for tomorrow. The baseball game started at one o’clock and they were scheduled to play two games before dark. The grownups talked for another hour before heading off to their separate rooms and to bed. They still wanted to spend...
“Trapper, there are at least two dozen turkey-buzzards circling overhead back west of here,” Micah told him as they rode north. Trapper and the others turned their horses to look back to where Micah was pointing. “Looks like we could have a fresh one for you men to check out. Let’s get on over there,” Trapper said and spanked his horse with his reins. They topped a small rise to see at least two dozen more buzzards on the ground tearing into a dead calf. When they rode up, the buzzards...
After their performance on their first assignment in Colorado back in October of 1896, the six Young Bucks’ names became well known at the Western District U.S. Marshal’s Service office in Kansas City. During the next two years they were called upon time and time again to settle disputes. They were sent to the Missouri border town of Fort Scott, Kansas, to help settle a railroad union dispute that had already gotten out of hand with clashes of violence by the time they arrived. With strong...
“We’ve never been up this way before, Daddy. Where are we going?” Little Eli asked. “We’re going up the Arkansas to the rough country where the Pawnee and Osage Tribes join lands. We’ll camp on the Arkansas and we’ll have our own school for you boys out here.” They had crossed the Arkansas River in a northwesterly direction, then followed along the west side of the river until mid-day. The boys were told to bring nothing but jerky in their grub bags, they were going to survive on what the...
Kansas City, Missouri July 21, 1889 Eli and Isaac were up and dressed, after washing up from a wild time the night before when they’d had champagne sprayed all over them and made love on the balcony. They were sitting out on the balcony again, looking down on the sprawling city below as people began to stir and fill the streets. The girls came out laughing and talking about the fun, crazy time they’d had last night. They were bathed, dressed and ready for a day of shopping and sightseeing...
Upon their return to Tulsa from racing Cheyenne at Vinita, Little Eli had met with Bill and Jack Robertson that day, asking them about making a lightweight saddle just for Cheyenne. After measuring and fitting him with the special built saddletree and pad, they made a saddle with no high pommel and no saddle horn. There were no fenders, just leather straps that supported the small brass stirrups. This saddle was half the weight of the working and pleasure saddles they used on the ranch. As...
October 1, 1881 While Eli was getting his latest prisoners turned over to the jailers, Jefferson left the courthouse through the back door and ran out to saddle his horse. He rode hard up the back way, cutting across an open lot and through someones yard as he raced home. He didn’t take time to put his horse in the barn, he knew Eli would see it anyway. He jerked the saddle off and turned his horse in the cow pen. When Eli rode into the yard later, it was almost sundown and there was no one...
When they arrived in Durant, the sun had been up a few hours and Eli herded them to the hotel. The fireman and engineer went with them as the local railroad workers filled the reservoirs with water and oiled the locomotive for them. This was the first chance Eli had for more than a few words with his Bucks since they’d boarded the caboose in Abilene. Eli and Moses sat across the table from them in the dining room and looked at each of them as they talked to their brothers and their...
“Kit, would you and Ruby want to wear buckskins like we do?” Caleb asked as they all talked, ate, and became friends. “We sure do. Marshal Eli told us we could, and said he’d even give us our own horse,” Kit answered. “We’ll have to round up our horses in the morning and see how many we have now. Daddy may have to get more horses from our friend, Iron Hammer. He’s the main man in the Cherokee Tribe that owns all the lands around us,” Little Eli said. “Momma told me we could all go down to...
Crow Ridge Cattle Company Tulsa, Indian Territory Thanksgiving Day November 27,1884: “Here come the Buffalo Soldiers, they’re crossing the river now!” Isaac yelled as he jumped off the back porch, headed toward the barn where the men, the girls, and the rest of the Bucks were gathered. The women had run the men and younger ones from the house so they could finish cooking and get the dinner ready. This was to be the biggest feast and biggest celebration they’d had to date. The men, the...
When they finished unloading the flatcar, they headed back to the house. Smitty, Leon, James, and Albert were on the wagon and Eli drove. “Smitty, I need to have a talk with you. Want to walk down to the river with me?” Eli asked. “Sure Eli, let me get a drink from the pump and I’ll be ready.” “I’ll meet you out front.” Eli went through the house and into the kitchen where the women were fixing supper. “Corinne, come go with me,” Eli said. “Eli, I’m not sure about this now. Can we wait...
After an early start in the cold hours of morning, they rode hard and steady all day, stopping to relieve themselves twice and eat from the grub sack. They made Kansas City, Missouri late in the day as the sun was sinking behind the cold flat horizon, across the river in Kansas. They stopped at a big fancy hotel and registered as Eli and Rose Crow. The desk man was hesitant at first to let the two Half-Breeds stay in his hotel, but saw the Deputy U.S. Marshal badge and the Indian Police...
“ELI! You’re back. Did you get the last one? Dal said you thought there was a woman with them too,” Sam Connor greeted his grandson when he came through the back door, stomping the mud off his feet. Eli was soaked, his buckskins wet and clinging to his body, his moccasins filled with mud and water. He hadn’t even put his long coat on when he left Young’s Store. The back of his coat was shot out anyway. “They’re all taken care of, Grandpa. How’s Grandma? She alright after all this?” He...
When they reached the river’s edge, Kit laid the fuses and caps on a stump. Ruby handed Kit a stick of dynamite and picked up a cap and a short fuse. Eli and the others watched as she inserted the end of a fuse into the open end of the blasting cap, then put her fingers about an inch from the end of the brass. She stuck this short end of the exposed brass into her mouth with the extra fuse trailing down her chin. They could see her straining her jaws as she bit down on the brass, clamping it...
Eli had planned their trip himself and since he wanted them to stay a few days in Boones Crossing without being in a rush, he decided to take his dad’s advice and travel to Kansas City first then come back to Boones Crossing. Though he and Isaac didn’t wear their guns, they did have their knives on their hips, with their guns packed in their traveling bags. Both were dressed in buckskins and their girls dressed in finery like the other women traveling on the train. They ate one meal in the...
Saturday October 3, 1896 Crow Valley, Oklahoma Territory “Let me see that map again, Deuce,” Ezra said. He stood next to Eli and Isaac as they looked at the map. They had just gotten their first orders as Deputy United States Marshals two days ago, and the six of them were excited as they saddled up. They’d packed the night before and already had their two packsaddles loaded with tents, food and supplies for at least a two-week stay once they reached their destination. They were being sent...
Dal Hopkins had been half asleep, half-awake as he worried about his town. He heard a man whisper something behind him in the cell. Was he dreaming? Could it really be? HE KNEW THAT VOICE... He’d know that voice in the middle of a windstorm on the plains or in a howling snowstorm on top of a mountain. No matter where on earth he was, he would know that voice... Eli was here. He knew it was him! How – he didn’t know, but that was Eli Crow behind him, he’d bet his life on it. “Marshal,...
Boones Crossing, Kansas July 23, 1889 Little Eli, Kit, Ruby, and Isaac arrived in Boones Crossing early, making the short trip from Kansas City in only a matter of two hours. They had accompanied their friends to the train station the evening before and watched as they boarded the train to Colorado. This was a tearful parting of new friends with all of them vowing to meet again soon. The McInnis sisters especially took it hard, sobbing as they sat on the train and waved out the window to...
Crow Ridge September 1, 1896 “Come on in, Ezra. Your dad and I wanted to talk to you before you head back to Crow Valley,” Rose told her son. Jefferson was sitting up in bed with the covers pulled to his waist. “Dad, are you feeling any better?” Ezra asked as he walked over to sit at his bedside and lay his hand on top Jefferson’s right hand. “I feel better today, Son. This has actually been one of my better days in the past few months. “Dad, I suppose I’ve always taken for granted that...
When the Buffalo Soldiers rolled in from Little Tree with empty wagons, all of them jumped in and loaded them as quickly as possible. There were fifteen more loads to ship after they held back the last three loaded wagons to take to Tulsa. Willis turned fifteen of his men right back around, telling them to get on back so they could all head over to Tulsa and start learning to be oil well drillers. The next morning early, Eli and Jon David were sitting by the fire outside, drinking coffee...
Eli knew he had to get over to the women as soon as he could. He saw them laughing and talking with Analisa, pointing now and then toward where he stood. Even Sissy, Miranda, and Grandmother were huddled with the young Mexican woman, whispering and laughing. When Catt and Eva pulled her aside, they were laughing aloud and Eli knew it was time to go. “I see all of you have met Analisa. I hope you’ll make her welcome. I’ve asked her to work for us when we get back to Tulsa,” Eli told them when...
Two weeks earlier, when Duncan and Eli had split as they arrived in Tulsa, Duncan felt alone as he rode north toward Kansas. Though he’d been a deputy marshal for over two years when he met Eli, he’d grown to like hid friend so well that he missed his company and the friendship they shared together on their trips into the Territory. He rode into southern Kansas two days later, after riding late like he and Eli often did when they first met. He wanted to hurry and do his law business, then...
The men of Crow Ridge Cattle Company loaded the second trainload of cattle bound for Kansas City and knew there wasn’t time to load another fifteen cars before dark. The first trainload would have to make it to the next sidetrack, near the Kansas state line, before the two empty trains could travel on down to Tulsa. They made plans to start loading at daylight the next day. The empty trains would arrive during the night and have to lay over. They gathered around after the first day of...
The Waco Kid never raised his head as he reached out to pick up a stick and thrash it across the bedroll nearest him. “Get your asses up, we got a score to settle this morning and I’m ready to get started!” he said loudly. The other men began to stir in their bedrolls and The Waco Kid rolled over to sit up. He had yet to look up as he pulled his boots on, then picked up his two pistols and shoved them down in his holsters. He stretched his arms over his head, wincing at the pain in his ribs,...
Crow Ridge March 29, 1889 The family was up before dawn to see the Crow girls and the Young Bucks off. Even their younger brothers and sisters were up. Eli cornered Little Eli and Ezra as soon as they came downstairs and pulled them aside. “I need to give you men something. I’ve been wanting to tell you about this, but never felt like it was the right time until now. “Eli, back when you told me that you Bucks wanted to have a place of your own and still wanted it to be near each other, I...
Union Station Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania June 19, 1885 Eli had been on the train for four days when he arrived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They had an hour layover there, one of many layovers they’d had on his long train ride from Indian Territory. After he’d found the toilets to relieve himself, he sat inside the huge train station and watched the hundreds of people coming and going. He’d never seen this many people in one place ever before, not even in Kansas City at the ballpark. He kept...
“This is absolutely beautiful. I just love the way the houses and barns look with all the pecan trees around,” Miranda said. “It does look good and shady back in them trees. We need to plant some pecan trees over at the other place to shade it a little, I reckon,” Eli agreed. “You boys get you some clean buckskins and go back behind the barn and get a bath,” Eli told the six boys. “Miranda, would you help Sissy get the girls back there and get them bathed?” “I will, but first we’re going...
There were snow flurries blowing in the wind, with a light blanket already covering the ground when the Bucks started out the next morning after saying their goodbyes to the family. They were dressed in their buckskins with their union suits underneath and heavy boiler overalls over their buckskins. Each had a leather fur-lined cap pulled down over their head and ears. They wore wool scarves backed with flannel over their faces, leaving only a slit with their eyes exposed as they rode...
Eli and Duncan headed out of town with their wagon load of prisoners. Bud Parkins drove the wagon, Duncan and Eli rode their horses. “Eli, I already like this horse pretty good. He’s as tall and long legged as that big stud you got.” “Yep, you got a good’un, Duncan.” They turned south at the creek crossing, and rode right by Noonan’s ranch. “You could at least let me see my wife before you take me back,” Noonan said. “I’ll go see if she wants to see you... “Duncan, you keep them headed...
“What can I do for you, Mister? You look to be part Indian. Are you?” The man behind the window at the train station said as Eli walked up to the window to send a telegraph message back to Little Tree. “I need to send a message over to Little Tree, Texas. Can you do that for me?” Eli said, ignoring the man’s remark. “I sure can. Who is it for and what name do you want on it?” “Put my name on it, Marshal Eli Crow. Send it to Hoke at the livery. Tell him I need him to get word to my folks at...
“Son, that was some race. We heard what Parkman’s jockey said. You did the right thing holding Cheyenne back, then letting him run away with the race after they’d tried to run him down like that. You’d think Sam Parkman would know better by now,” Eli said as he and Joe stood beside Little Eli when their picture was made. “Did you win big again, Dad?” Little Eli asked, knowing by his smile that he did. “We all won big on that race. I already have another big bet placed on the last race...