The Legend of Eli CrowChapter 47
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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 and talking some more about their future in the oil business.
“Jon David, you and I need to have a meeting with all the men about the oil well drilling as soon as we can. I got a feeling we’re about to bust wide open out here and we need to start making plans now on how to handle all of this.”
“Let’s do that before we start drilling next week, Dad. We’ll call the drillers, the Buffalo Soldiers, and all our family and partners in for a big meeting. I have the same feeling you do about this oil venture. I’ve been studying all I can on the future of oil and coal used in generating electricity. We have the opportunity to really make a lot of money in the coming years. I can see us becoming big enough within five years to go public, with other investors investing in our operations.”
“Jon David, you always did think even bigger than I do, I like the sound of that. We’ll all eat Thanksgiving dinner at the big house and us men can meet out in the barn afterward. I got an even better feeling about us being in this oil and coal business now.”
“You’ll have to give up your service as a marshal soon, Dad. You’re going to be too busy to do justice to the badge in the coming years, you know that don’t you?”
“I know. I’ve already thought of that too. I sure hate to turn this thing in though, it’s become a part of me,” Eli said, running his fingers over his smooth silver star. “You know I’ll be leaning on you more and more when all this starts happening so fast we can’t keep up. You’ll be the one who’ll have to help me make the right decisions for the companies and all the families.
“I’ll be there, just like you’ve always been there for me. With the help of all those involved, we’ll make Crow Ridge Cattle Company, Crow Ridge Oil, and Coal Company and Crow Ridge Drilling known all over America...
...”Dad, about your badge, maybe we can talk Judge Parker into giving you a position as a special service marshal.”
They both stood and poured out the remaining coffee from their tin cups when they heard wagons coming into the ranch yard.
“Would you just look at this bunch of dust covered, crusty looking young’uns comin’ here. I wonder if they’ve even stopped grinning for the past month. Just look at them, Jon David ... I got to go over there and hug all of them,” Eli said as he put his cup on a rock by the fire and strode over to greet his kids.
Lilly Beth and Lee Yu both leaped from the wagon seat into his upraised arms as he reached out for them. They were laughing, hugging his neck and kissing his face as he lowered them to the ground.
“Daddy, we’re so glad to see you. We’ve had the best time in our whole lives picking up pecans and delivering them to Little Tree for shipment,” Lee Yu told him.
“We sure have, Daddy, and thank you for letting us girls make the last trip with the Bucks. We made sure our brothers behaved themselves too,” Lilly Beth said as she laughed.
Eli reached up to grab Kia and lift her to the ground as she hugged and kissed him with her dust covered, parched lips.
“Daddy, I just love you so much. We had so much fun delivering the pecans. You’d be proud of the Bucks too, Daddy. They bought our supper at the hotel the night we got there, and our breakfast the next morning,” Kia was telling him as she hugged and kissed him.
He reached for Michi and she leaped at him like Lilly Beth and Lee Yu had. She was laughing and kissing his face just like the other girls, as she told him how much fun they had.
Eli looked up to see Kit sitting next to Little Eli; he grinned at their dust covered faces. Kit leaped from the seat like a cat as he held his arms out for her.
“Daddy ... I mean Eli, this is the most fun we ever had. I just love you so much for letting Ruby and me live with your family. We’ve laughed and sung songs and we even got to eat at a hotel with just us kids. It was like we were grown up and we all acted like our aunts and mommas taught us,” Kit told him as she hugged his neck and kissed his face like his own daughters.
Eli looked up to see Ruby sitting beside Isaac, with a big grin on her face, her teeth shining white through her dry, cracked and dusty lips. When he held his arms out, she leaped into them, knowing he would catch her.
“Eli, I love you like you are my own daddy. I never knew me and Kit would ever be this happy in our lives. I reckon you know me and Kit love Little Eli and Isaac already, but we all talked about it and we’re going to act like grown boys and girls until you tell us we can really love each other. I feel like I’m almost grown now, the way you let us be by ourselves, knowing we won’t mess up,” Ruby told him as he put her on the ground. He looked at her and her sister as they stood smiling up at him; he wondered how in the world them two boys ever made it there and back in one piece, with these two little hot-blooded, red-headed sisters next to them.
Eli shook his head and grinned as he turned to look at all six of the Bucks lined up.
“I’m proud of you Bucks. I reckon you get a grownup hand shake for all you’ve done this past month or so. You’ve stepped up and stood against the cavalry and you’ve stepped in and drove wagons like men. I’m proud of you more than ever for the way you’ve come to be young men. I don’t see boys anymore when I look at you, I see young men that makes me and your mommas and daddies proud all over again.” He told them as they each shook with him and smiled through the dust on their faces.
“You girls get your bedrolls out and get some clean buckskins. Go back there and take a bath in that big watering trough, we’ll leave for home by first light in the morning. You Bucks, get you some clean buckskins out, you’re next.”
Eli turned to see Jefferson and Howard, both dust covered and smiling as they walked over to him and Jon David.
“Eli, we met the last fifteen wagons on the way back. Did you hold back enough pecans for the Bucks and the girls to take back to Tulsa and sell?” Howard asked as they shook.
“Yup, we sent some back with the women and we have three more loads here to take when we go.”
“How’d we do, Jefferson? I reckon you’n Howard are about ready to get back home too. I know the rest of us are.”
“Eli, this has been as much of an adventure for Howard and me as it was for the Bucks and the girls. I’ll tell you right here in front of everyone, you would have been proud of them, the way they conducted themselves,” Jefferson said as they shook.
“Eli, those boys aren’t boys anymore. They can do the work of men and they can drive a team of mules as good as any man you’ve got too. I’m like Jefferson, I know you’re proud of them, and I am too. Eli, with those last fifteen wagons we met, we have shipped four hundred and thirty-five wagon loads at a heavy, forty six hundred pounds each,” Howard told him.
“Jefferson, I know you’ve put your figures on that, how much did you get?”
“Four hundred and thirty thousand, two hundred and fifteen dollars, Eli. If they average forty six hundred pounds each, and Howard and I both know they will, plus some.”
“That is a whoooole lot of pecans,” Eli said and they all laughed.
After the girls and boys were through bathing, and dressed, Jefferson and Howard took clean clothes and walked back behind the barn to wash some dirt and grit off themselves.
Cookie had coffee made for the girls and the Bucks and plenty of his pecan pies, made with maple syrup and pecans. When they saw him with their plates already fixed, all twelve sat down and started eating. They were hungry and they were tired, but they were still full of excitement at what all they had done and seen in the past month and a half.
Eli and Jon David put their money together and paid Spotted Owl for his pecans and for helping with the pecan harvest. He protested like Eli knew he would, but in the end he relented and took the money with a big smile and a handshake for both of them.
They did some quick figuring and came up with what they wanted to pay Don, Clara, Martha and their men. They paid Don for his, Clara’s and Martha’s. He gave them enough to pay Nate and Newt Whelan, Cookie, and his other three cowhands. Eli told Don to buy more cattle and they’d pay their part when they came this way again.
“Eli, this is way too much for no more than we did,” Don said as he looked at all the money they had given him.
“Don, that’s enough to pay you, Clara, Martha and your men, half of what you got coming. Jon David and I held back the other half of yours and your men’s pay so he could invest it. Each of them will want a house on their hundred and sixty acres when the unassigned lands are opened. You might want to remind them of that too. We’re planning on being here and having our parcels picked out and marked before time for the land run to start.
“I’ve invited Lieutenant Jud McClanahan to join us down here. He may come by and see you soon. If he does you need to make him acquainted with Martha. She’s a right handsome young woman and he’s a tall handsome young man. He’ll be out of the cavalry in a year or so and he’ll want a good wife.”
Clara heard what Eli said and walked over.
“Eli, tell me what the lieutenant looks like. I’ll make sure Martha is climbing a tree to get a look at him. She’s young and full of fire, and she wants a man and a family really bad,” Clara said.
“Clara, he’s as tall as me, rangy like he may need some home cooking, he’s educated and easy to talk business with. He’s not married either, I asked him. Clara, I hope you can get Martha to hook up with him. I like the man and I figure he’d make a good business man with his education. I’d like him to be neighbors down here when we start drilling for oil too.”
“Eli, when do you reckon you’ll start drilling up there at Tulsa and how long will it be before you get down here? You’ve got me excited about this oil business,” Don said.
“It’ll be a few years before we make it down here, Don. I figure we’ll be here in four to five years though, about the time Jon David told me the unassigned lands would come open to the public. You need to keep all this hushed for now though.”
“Clara’s the only one who knows about it. We’ll keep it quiet.”
“Clara, I bragged on your cooking. I hope you and Martha have plenty of grub to cook if a tall man wearing blues comes ridin in to inspect the cattle we’re gonna sell the cavalry.”
“Don has taught us how to cook a fine cut of beef, Eli. Cookie has taught us how to make the best tasting pies. I had never eaten pecan pie until he made one. They are delicious. We’ll make sure he gets his fill and hopefully he’ll like this place enough to come again,” Clara said and looked at Don with a smile.
Before dark, they lined all the wagons up, with the three loaded wagons in the lead. They were planning to tie a team of mules and an empty wagon behind the wagons with drivers, taking all the wagons with them, except for the fifteen wagons headed to Little Tree with the last loads.
The next morning, they were up early once more. They were all eager and excited about heading back toward Tulsa after almost seven weeks away from home. Don’s men, the Bucks, and Eli brought the mule teams out and had them hitched to the wagons.
“Don, I reckon we’re gonna head on out of here at first light. Looks like all the young muleskinners have knocked the trail dust off last night and got a bite to eat this morning. I want you to load this place up with cattle like we talked about. You’ve got enough dry grass down here for them to eat on all winter and maybe we can get that herd built up for another big cattle drive,” Eli said as he saw the girls, the Bucks, Howard, and Jefferson coming back from the house where they had eaten breakfast.
“Eli, I know all of you want to get an early start back home, but it’s sure gonna be lonesome for us after having you and the family down here for over a month. I hope we can build that herd back up and have another big pecan harvest next year too. We like spending time with you and the family. Maybe one day, Clara and me can come over to Tulsa and see the new oil wells you’re talking about drilling. I never even heard of that until you told me about it.”
“Get yourself caught up down here and make the trip next spring after calving time. We’ll be knee deep in the oil business by then, if my oil experts are right.”
“We may have to wait a little longer than that, Eli. Clara will be calving herself, by early next spring. We’ll make it over there one of these days though. I know y’all will be back by next fall anyway.”
“Don, it has been my pleasure once again to spend time with you. I hope you do get the herd built back up. I looking forward to coming back and helping with another of the Little Tree roundups,” Howard said as he and Don shook hands.
“Howard, I’ve enjoyed the time spent with you this time as well, though you and Jefferson were in charge of the shipping at Little Tree most of the time.”
“Jefferson, it was good to meet you. I hope you and Howard will make it back down here when this land is opened up to the public like Eli and Jon David says. You’ll sure have a lot of land to buy and sell and you’ll have lots of mineral rights to purchase as well,” Don said as he and Jefferson shook hands.
“It was the experience of a lifetime for me, Don. I had never been exposed to the likes of harvesting pecans, driving wagons, and loading rail cars until now. I am positively thrilled by the land, the people, the Indian friends I’ve made, and the Buffalo Soldiers I’ve met. I am truly thankful to you and Clara for being Eli’s partners and for being so accommodating to all of us,” Jefferson said as he just kept on shaking Don’s hand as he talked.
“Jefferson, we’ll be expecting you back this way soon. I have enjoyed talking with you, Howard, and Jon David, too. Through the eyes of you men, a man like me can see this country growing into a place populated with neighbors closer than a day and a half away. I’m proud to know all of you and welcome you back any time.”
“Don, if you happen to need more money to purchase cattle, send a rider to Little Tree and send me a telegraph, we’ll make sure we don’t miss any good deals in the coming year,” Jon David said as he said his goodbyes to Don and Clara.
Howard, Jefferson, Carl, Donald, Jack and Bill volunteered to drive the wagons so the girls and Bucks could ride their horses. This was something the men were glad to do, since they had recently learned to drive a team of mules pulling a wagon.
“Willis, we’ll be seeing you in a week or so. You ‘n your men get on over to Tulsa and have turkey dinner with us. We’ll have a big feast before we start working for real,” Eli said as he turned to Willis one more time.
“Marshal, we’ll be headin’ your way with your wagons as soon as my men get back from Little Tree. How do we find you when we get there?”
“When you get over to where the Frisco starts, on the east end of unassigned lands, just follow the rails all the way to Tulsa. You won’t get lost, there’s nothing between here and there but what you see right here...
“When you get to Tulsa, all you’ll see is a crossroad right before you cross the Arkansas. Go right off into the river and you’ll see our spread on the ridge just ahead of you. The main house looks just like the one Don lives in. Carl and Donald over there are carpenters and they’ve built you and your men bunkhouses to live in until you can get on your feet and build yourselves some houses of your own.”
“You already got us a place to live?”
“Yup, each of you will have your own room as soon as they get them all finished. There’s two long buildings with all the doors opening on the front porch, and they’re built strong and warm. When you sit on the porch, if you ever get a chance to that is, you’ll be looking down the hill at the Arkansas as she runs to the south and east.”
“Eli, I can see it in my head now. I feel like I’m coming home already ... just listenin’ to you.”
“You get yourself and them men on over to home then, Willis. We’ll be ready to start punching holes in the ground as soon as you get there.”
“Eli, I told my men about Jon David fixin’ to write letters to some churches asking for us some wives. They’re ready to get on over there and start a new life already. I reckon I’m itchin’ just as bad to start a new life with a new job and have a family of my own.”
“It’ll happen, Willis. We’ll see to it.”
The three wagons loaded with pecans were already rolling as the men talked. The girls and the Bucks were riding lead and drag with the wagons when Eli mounted and rode after them. With the wagons loaded heavy, they would be over four days on the trail home. They were all anxious to get there now that they were through with the Little Tree Pecan Round-up and headed home.
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...
Sissy and Joe came home while they were still sitting around the table. Joe was wearing a Deputy United States Marshal’s badge, grinning that crooked grin, and Sissy was hanging on him like she was shackled to him as she came in grinning. “We’re married, Daddy. I’m a wife now and I love my husband. Judge Parker married us and he cried, he was so happy that we let him. He told us not to worry about that trouble over in unassigned lands, he would take care of it.” “Momma, I’m taking my man...
Fort Smith, Arkansas October 12, 1883 When Eli, Duncan and Moses rode into Fort Smith, they went straight to the courthouse to tell Judge Parker about the flash flood, and finding no rustlers. Before they even got upstairs to his chambers, they were met by Jefferson, and told of a jailbreak. “Eli, it was that Larry Parkins kid, the one who hit Duncan. He was in the cell with L.W. Ward and Clyde Pickens, the ones you brought in from down toward Fort Towson when we got Kia, Michi, Lorene...
“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...
“This big horse wants to run, Duncan. You want to make some time?” “Let him run, Eli. We have almost 700 miles due west to ride and I’m ready. It’ll take us over 2 days hard riding to get to Tulsey Town, over on the Arkansas River.” The two deputies rode hard for over an hour and then slowed their spirited horses to a long easy lope as they talked and laughed as friends, starting a partnership that would be remembered in Indian Territory and surrounding states for years to come. The...
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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...
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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,...
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...
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...
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...