She rested . There were not many times in a day she had time to let her thoughts wander or to even plan past a days time .
Zeke , Captain Jack , Wade and Sam were finishing up their projects they had been working on . They were all tired but determined to finish and enjoy going to the river to bathe and enjoy the evening . They were through and Wade had saddled Bud , the others were coming and bridling their horses to ride to the river .
That's when they heard the gun shots coming from where she was at the laundry rock . It sounded like a war with a steady thunder of rifle fire from many guns . Wade swung up and kicked Bud to a run to the river while the others franticly saddled their horses to get to her and Nate !
Tumbleweeds
Moderators: carlson1, Charles L. Cotton
Re: Tumbleweeds
It had been a good while , she had done and hung the laundry and been holding Nate lost in the peace of the river and her own thoughts . She needed to get dressed , the men would be coming any time . She checked her lightest dress and it was dry , she put it on and heard a horse whinny across the river . She turned around to the river and could see several horses some without saddles beyond the shinnery , Indian men were running with rifles to the brush along the opposite side of the river . Comanches !
She turned to run to Nate in front of the laundry rock and a bullet went by her , she ran as fast as she could . Rifles were firing but all she cared about was Nate , she felt a stabbing pain in her side that almost made her stumble but she kept running . She got to the rock and grabbed up Nate ducking behind the rock . Bullets were flying , they were ricocheting off the rock ! She couldn't get to the black mule , she reached around the rock where her Henry was and drug it to her She raised up on her knees with Nate between her and the rock to protect him and fired twice into the bushes blindly . She was pinned down ...her and Nate's only hope was the men if they could get here in time !
She turned to run to Nate in front of the laundry rock and a bullet went by her , she ran as fast as she could . Rifles were firing but all she cared about was Nate , she felt a stabbing pain in her side that almost made her stumble but she kept running . She got to the rock and grabbed up Nate ducking behind the rock . Bullets were flying , they were ricocheting off the rock ! She couldn't get to the black mule , she reached around the rock where her Henry was and drug it to her She raised up on her knees with Nate between her and the rock to protect him and fired twice into the bushes blindly . She was pinned down ...her and Nate's only hope was the men if they could get here in time !
Re: Tumbleweeds
Wade pulled Bud up hard two hundred yards from the river , he assessed the situation and turned Bud right for thirty yards and slid off with his Sharps behind a big chaparral bush . He started breaking branches down and heard the others coming . He stood up and waved them to him , when they slid to a stop he said to Captain Jack Wade was talking like he was in the cavalry again saying ...She and Nate are pinned down behind the rock where she does laundry ..Sir !The enemy is entrenched among the shinnery on the other side of the river ..Sir ! We are outnumbered four or five to one ..Sir ! I recommend we deploy on either side of her position to return fire ..Sir !
Wade looked at Zeke and said ... Deploy to the west of their position , stay in the cover ...we can not shoot it out with them ...they are too many . Shoot once or twice and change position ! DO NOT STAY IN ONE PLACE ! Keep moving !
Captain ! You and Sam deploy to the east of their position ! Keep moving your position !
I can do more good at a distance with the Sharps for now ! Captain ! Sir .. if I ride hard to your position you are to full load your Winchester and pass it to me with your cartridge bag !
Captain Jack asked ...What will you do ? Wade said ...Take it to them !
Sooner or later some will cross the river to flank us and we are too few and can not allow that to happen !
Wade looked at Zeke and said ... Deploy to the west of their position , stay in the cover ...we can not shoot it out with them ...they are too many . Shoot once or twice and change position ! DO NOT STAY IN ONE PLACE ! Keep moving !
Captain ! You and Sam deploy to the east of their position ! Keep moving your position !
I can do more good at a distance with the Sharps for now ! Captain ! Sir .. if I ride hard to your position you are to full load your Winchester and pass it to me with your cartridge bag !
Captain Jack asked ...What will you do ? Wade said ...Take it to them !
Sooner or later some will cross the river to flank us and we are too few and can not allow that to happen !
Re: Tumbleweeds
She knelt behind the rock unable to get her head up to shoot , the bullets were flying all around her . Nate was screaming and the pain in her side was growing . She was scared that Nate might get hit ...she prayed .
Re: Tumbleweeds
Wade sat down behind the chaparral , he propped the Sharps in the fork of a broken limb and checked to see if it was solid . He raised the sights behind the hammer and sighted beyond the shinnery the Comanches were firing from adjusting the sight . He scanned the area , there were nine or so of their horses with three men tending them . He pulled the hammer back to full cock .
There were too many of them but this called for something he hated doing . He aimed behind the shoulder of a sorrel horse and fired . It took a second and the horse reared up falling over on the ground kicking . He put the hammer on half cock , dropped the lever and let the case fall , put in a cartridge and pulled the lever up then pulled the hammer to full cock .He sighted in a black horse and fired , the horse ran a ways and dropped . He reloaded , the targets would be different now .
He held the rifle steady in the fork and two men broke out of the shinnery running to move the horses ...he fired and one went down . He was reloading before the man hit the ground sighting in on the other ...the Sharps boomed and the second man went down . He waited a few seconds then shot another horse . Wade , Sam and Zeke were moving and firing on both sides of her in the brush and there were few bullets coming her way anymore so she started raising up taking aim and shooting too .
Wade was drawing fire but on his slightly higher elevation and distance it would take a long time to get his range , they were all falling short . He was loaded and another Comanche ran out to try and get the horses , Wade took his time and pulled the trigger . The man dropped with the horse running away . Wade put his hand in his cartridge bag and brought out ….TWO CARTRIDGES !
He reloaded and waited ...he could shoot no more horses but they did not know that . Two men ran out to get the remaining horses and he waited till they got to the horses . He shot the one gathering a horse and the other running back to the shinnery . He dropped the butt of the Sharps on the ground leaving it in the fork running to Bud twenty yards away , hung a stirrup and was at a run to Captain Jack .
There were too many of them but this called for something he hated doing . He aimed behind the shoulder of a sorrel horse and fired . It took a second and the horse reared up falling over on the ground kicking . He put the hammer on half cock , dropped the lever and let the case fall , put in a cartridge and pulled the lever up then pulled the hammer to full cock .He sighted in a black horse and fired , the horse ran a ways and dropped . He reloaded , the targets would be different now .
He held the rifle steady in the fork and two men broke out of the shinnery running to move the horses ...he fired and one went down . He was reloading before the man hit the ground sighting in on the other ...the Sharps boomed and the second man went down . He waited a few seconds then shot another horse . Wade , Sam and Zeke were moving and firing on both sides of her in the brush and there were few bullets coming her way anymore so she started raising up taking aim and shooting too .
Wade was drawing fire but on his slightly higher elevation and distance it would take a long time to get his range , they were all falling short . He was loaded and another Comanche ran out to try and get the horses , Wade took his time and pulled the trigger . The man dropped with the horse running away . Wade put his hand in his cartridge bag and brought out ….TWO CARTRIDGES !
He reloaded and waited ...he could shoot no more horses but they did not know that . Two men ran out to get the remaining horses and he waited till they got to the horses . He shot the one gathering a horse and the other running back to the shinnery . He dropped the butt of the Sharps on the ground leaving it in the fork running to Bud twenty yards away , hung a stirrup and was at a run to Captain Jack .
Re: Tumbleweeds
Wade rode hard east a hundred yards then cut back south to the river to stay behind the tree line . When he got to the tree line Captain Jack was topping off his 1873 Winchester with cartridges . He handed it up to Wade and took off his cartridge pouch round his shoulder and Captain Jack said ...Don't do this Wade ! Dismount and stand with us ! Wade stuck the rifle in his gun boot and slung the cartridge pouch on his shoulder and said … Got to take it to em Captain . If they get one or two across the river to flank us then we are dead . Give me cover when I hit the water ! Sam was close and heard .
He wheeled Bud to the right where she was and circled wide to get a straight run at the opening by her laundry rock .
He wheeled Bud to the right where she was and circled wide to get a straight run at the opening by her laundry rock .
Re: Tumbleweeds
Wade finished the circle to the laundry rock and tapped Bud with his heels . Bud took off at a dead run with Wade slowing zig zagging him a bit to throw off their aim at him and Bud .
Captain Jack hollered ...Give em hell ! Cover him crossin the river ! Zeke looked back at Wade and thought ...He's goin ta do it ! He's goin to swim the river . Lord help him !
She turned as she heard fast hoofbeats behind her and it was Wade riding straight for her at a dead run like he was crazy ! He was going to get shot !
Captain Jack and Sam started firing across the river . Zeke levered one in and started aiming and pulled the trigger pacing his shots .
Wade broke to gallop and shot by her rock pulling up on the reins , Bud sailed out into the river with Wade holding his 1860 Army in the air above his head to try and keep the powder dry as he could ! Wade gave out a blood curding yell as Bud started swimming to the other side as he fired his pistol into the shinnery .
Captain Jack hollered ...Give em hell ! Cover him crossin the river ! Zeke looked back at Wade and thought ...He's goin ta do it ! He's goin to swim the river . Lord help him !
She turned as she heard fast hoofbeats behind her and it was Wade riding straight for her at a dead run like he was crazy ! He was going to get shot !
Captain Jack and Sam started firing across the river . Zeke levered one in and started aiming and pulled the trigger pacing his shots .
Wade broke to gallop and shot by her rock pulling up on the reins , Bud sailed out into the river with Wade holding his 1860 Army in the air above his head to try and keep the powder dry as he could ! Wade gave out a blood curding yell as Bud started swimming to the other side as he fired his pistol into the shinnery .
Re: Tumbleweeds
Bud was pulling hard swimming the river seemingly paying no attention to everything around him as Wade brought the Colt steady after each ball fired searching for a target in the thick shinnery as bullets hit the water around them . They made it to the other side , Bud putting all into it struggling up the muddy steep bank .
Wade slid out of the saddle rolling into the underbrush and disappearing . Captain Jack knew he would stay on the east side of the Comanche so hollered out ...Fire in their center !
Wade slid out of the saddle rolling into the underbrush and disappearing . Captain Jack knew he would stay on the east side of the Comanche so hollered out ...Fire in their center !
Re: Tumbleweeds
Zeke was running low on cartridges . He had plenty of caps , powder and balls for the Army so started using it to spare the last ten or so cartridges left for the spencer . He kept moving and keeping a steady rate of fire going .
Captain Jack was worrying about her , he could see her dress was bloody all the way down on her left side and didn't know how bad she was hurt . Zeke was out of sight but still firing . Wade had been silent on the other side , he wondered if he was alright . All at once they all heard that blood curdling Rebel yell from close to the river where he had disappeared .
There was silence then two Indians stood up to snap off a shot at where the yell came from ! Before they even pulled the trigger Wade came up thirty feet south and shot one then fired two rounds where the other ducked down .
Sam stepped back out of the brush east of Captain Jack smiling and said ...Captain ! I'd like to report that Wade is still very much alive !
Captain Jack was worrying about her , he could see her dress was bloody all the way down on her left side and didn't know how bad she was hurt . Zeke was out of sight but still firing . Wade had been silent on the other side , he wondered if he was alright . All at once they all heard that blood curdling Rebel yell from close to the river where he had disappeared .
There was silence then two Indians stood up to snap off a shot at where the yell came from ! Before they even pulled the trigger Wade came up thirty feet south and shot one then fired two rounds where the other ducked down .
Sam stepped back out of the brush east of Captain Jack smiling and said ...Captain ! I'd like to report that Wade is still very much alive !
Re: Tumbleweeds
Captain Jack hollered at her ...How bad is your wound ma'am ? She called back ...I don't know ...I can't make it stop bleeding . Captain Jack was worried , there was blood all over her and the side of the rock she was behind . He called to Sam and Sam kept low and ran to him .
Captain Jack pointed at her behind the rock . Sam looked for a second and said ...She's bleedin bad Captain ! We need to end this , think they would surrender if we let them leave and we keep their weapons ? We have tore em up Captain they may have had enough .
Once in a fight Captain Jack had never offered to let anyone walk . But this was different with a woman and a baby in the middle of it . He Called out to her , Zeke and Wade ...Hold your fire ! We will offer to let them surrender ! They all stopped firing and in a second the Comanche did too .
Captain Jack and Sam hunkered down behind a big pecan tree and Captain Jack hollered out in Comanche and gave them the offer to surrender their guns and they could leave with their wounded , dead and horses . There was silence .
Captain Jack pointed at her behind the rock . Sam looked for a second and said ...She's bleedin bad Captain ! We need to end this , think they would surrender if we let them leave and we keep their weapons ? We have tore em up Captain they may have had enough .
Once in a fight Captain Jack had never offered to let anyone walk . But this was different with a woman and a baby in the middle of it . He Called out to her , Zeke and Wade ...Hold your fire ! We will offer to let them surrender ! They all stopped firing and in a second the Comanche did too .
Captain Jack and Sam hunkered down behind a big pecan tree and Captain Jack hollered out in Comanche and gave them the offer to surrender their guns and they could leave with their wounded , dead and horses . There was silence .
Re: Tumbleweeds
The silence continued . Captain Jack knew they were talking or arguing whether to surrender . He told Sam ...Give me your rifle ! Sam handed it to him and Captain Jack walked out in open sight . He said … I am Captain Jack Coffee with the Texas Rangers! I have The son of Big Foot Wallace and Jacob Mclellan with me and two more ! You know who we are and we will kill you to a man if you choose to continue ! You have harmed my family !
An older Comanche stood up in the shinnery and looked at Captain Jack and said ...Jack coffee is no more with the Rangers !
Captain Jack said ...I came back !
An older Comanche stood up in the shinnery and looked at Captain Jack and said ...Jack coffee is no more with the Rangers !
Captain Jack said ...I came back !
Re: Tumbleweeds
Captain Jack said … Make you mind up quick ! I am holding my people from killing you ! If I walk away my offer to save yourselves and your wounded is gone !
The Indian said … We will leave but we will keep our guns and horses !
Captain Jack looked at him shaking his head slowly no and said ...This is the last time I will speak ! You will leave your guns and can keep your horses ! I will not bargain and I am ready to walk !
The Indian said … We will leave but we will keep our guns and horses !
Captain Jack looked at him shaking his head slowly no and said ...This is the last time I will speak ! You will leave your guns and can keep your horses ! I will not bargain and I am ready to walk !
Re: Tumbleweeds
Captain Jack stood there just a bit then turned to walk back to Sam . He took two steps and the same Comanche quickly stood up and said … We will leave our guns ! We will leave !
Captain Jack stopped and faced the Comanche across the river like he might not accept then said ...You will leave to your horses . You will pile your guns in one pile with your powder and ammunition ! You will be watched and if one man tries to carry a gun through to the horses you will all be shot ! You will be followed when you leave and if you ever harm my family again I will make you regret it !
The Comanche said ...Some of these men can not travel ...they will die . Captain Jack said ...Your attacked a woman with her baby alone doing laundry to kill them ...I have no mercy for you ! Move out or we start shooting again !
Captain Jack stopped and faced the Comanche across the river like he might not accept then said ...You will leave to your horses . You will pile your guns in one pile with your powder and ammunition ! You will be watched and if one man tries to carry a gun through to the horses you will all be shot ! You will be followed when you leave and if you ever harm my family again I will make you regret it !
The Comanche said ...Some of these men can not travel ...they will die . Captain Jack said ...Your attacked a woman with her baby alone doing laundry to kill them ...I have no mercy for you ! Move out or we start shooting again !
Re: Tumbleweeds
There was movement in the shinnery with the Comanche getting their dead and wounded out . Captain Jack hollered out ...Wade ! Supervise their leaving any way you see fit , we will be there with you ! Wade hollered back far off to the rear of the shinnery ...YES SIR!
Captain Jack turned to Sam and said ...I will cross the river and help Wade , we can't leave him by himself . Sam quickly said ...No Captain ! I will go , you and Zeke get her to the cabin ! Captain Jack said ...I can't ask you to swim the river ...There could be a few over there that still want to fight ! Sam said ...Your not asking , I want to help Wade and your better treating wounds . I'll help Wade get them moving and send him back to help pretty quick . I'll follow them for a day to make sure that any will not return . Let me have the rifle Captain .
Captain Jack reluctantly gave him the rifle and said ...We will cover you till you get across the river ! Be careful !
Captain Jack turned to Sam and said ...I will cross the river and help Wade , we can't leave him by himself . Sam quickly said ...No Captain ! I will go , you and Zeke get her to the cabin ! Captain Jack said ...I can't ask you to swim the river ...There could be a few over there that still want to fight ! Sam said ...Your not asking , I want to help Wade and your better treating wounds . I'll help Wade get them moving and send him back to help pretty quick . I'll follow them for a day to make sure that any will not return . Let me have the rifle Captain .
Captain Jack reluctantly gave him the rifle and said ...We will cover you till you get across the river ! Be careful !
Re: Tumbleweeds
Sam went to fetch his horse , Captain Jack walked across the opening to the laundry rock and hollered to Zeke ...Keep your rifle ready , Sam is going to be with Wade . Zeke called back ...I am watching !
Captain Jack got to her and Nate , He told her to stay down ...that it wasn't over till all of them were on horses and leaving . He stayed with her , she was hurting bad . He tried to check her wound but there was a hole going in and one out of her dress and he couldn't tell much till it was cleaned .
Zeke was worried to death about her and wanted to get her to the cabin .
Sam rode out to the rock and put his horse in the river swimming across . They pulled up on the bank on the other side and Sam dismounted walking east down the game trail along the river staying behind his horse to find Wade .
Captain Jack got to her and Nate , He told her to stay down ...that it wasn't over till all of them were on horses and leaving . He stayed with her , she was hurting bad . He tried to check her wound but there was a hole going in and one out of her dress and he couldn't tell much till it was cleaned .
Zeke was worried to death about her and wanted to get her to the cabin .
Sam rode out to the rock and put his horse in the river swimming across . They pulled up on the bank on the other side and Sam dismounted walking east down the game trail along the river staying behind his horse to find Wade .