Longwood First Hunt Day 03-04

"I wish the marshal had not shot him over me. That was horrible." The woman says looking up at us finally.

"Janet here did that, the rest of us were waiting for her to shoot." Gwen says looking a bit happy with herself.

"Impossible, injuns can't shoot that well they are just heathens." I collect my Winchester and head for the exit.

"She can walk back to town let's go." I say over my shoulder, Dan and Martin are staring at me as I come out.

"I'd ask but I don't want to know. Michael gave up along with another there are twenty two dead, twenty three I suppose if there is one in the tent. This will take a while to get the bodies on horses." Dan says as I get near to them.

"Big one in the tent along with the reason I keep calling round eyes, round eyes. She walks we do not have an extra horse for her, I will watch the prisoners." Dan and Martin trade glances then nod and go for the remaining horses.

The woman comes out pleading with Dan and Martin as Silvia and Gwen come over to stand with me. Martin finally tells her to make nice with Cherokee Janet. This gets a squeak of surprise out of her Gwen grins and trades rifles with me then shows it to the woman. The woman crawls over to me begging for forgiveness, I just ignore her taking my rifle back from Gwen.

"Let go of me before you become another dead person." She had grabbed my arm.

"Please you don't understand I'm a congressman's daughter I can't stay here." I look down at her then pull my knife.

"Then your father is responsible for all that is wrong with the way my people are treated. Your father is the reason my entire peoples were marched to death all for the land they had been promised to keep." I am advancing on her she is shrieking and backing away. "Your father is the reason my tribe was slaughtered just for trying to get some meat from the town. We were promised meat we were promised that we would receive enough. Because of your father I was taken from my tribe and taken as a wife to a man who had a wife. Your father is the reason my first son did not know my face when I finally found him. Your father is the reason you die, I am taking revenge for the wrongs done to all tribes." She is screaming and begging for forgiveness when the knife goes high Dan grabs my arm and pulls me back.

"Janet wait, this can be good. You heard Gwen and Sally, Cherokee Janet is a hero to the woman in the east. All you need to do is let this one live and return home to make it known you are an injun. Women don't get to vote, they do get to make their husband listen. Trust me what the wife says holds weight to most houses. Think about it this way, you saved a congressman's daughter from being turned into a bandit bedmate that alone will carry weight." I sigh and relax against Dan.

"All you had to say was stop." Dan stares at me confused.

Not feeling up to explaining it I put my knife back and go to watch the prisoners. Silvia looks over at me and comes closer.

"Janet we can keep them here hard to get up with your hands cuffed behind. Go find the grindstone and see if you can find their supplies."

I sigh and go, I start at the front end of the camp and work my way through. I giggle when I realize the front end is only the front end because I came into the camp from that way. The tent itself is empty besides the two beds the dead man has already been pulled out. The smell remains making me wrinkle my nose in disgust there is not even a dresser or chest. Puzzled on this I exit the tent and look on the far side, this is where the supplies are and a chest.

The chest is locked, I yell for Dan he appears along with the woman I do not wish to be near. I wave her away with what must be a very not nice expression and show Dan the chest.

"I don't know, do we break it or see if we have an extra horse to take it with us?" Dan sighs and shrugs.

"It's my chest I'd like to take it with if not the key for it is in someone's pocket." The woman says coming closer then backing away when I look at her.

"I guess we look for the key, if it's her chest there is likely perfumes on the top where we would shoot." Dan says taking hold of my arm and walking me back around the tent. "Alright out with it I get the feeling there is something you have not told me." Dan pulls me around to look at him when we get away from everyone.

"With your child again would be nice." Dan grins then shakes me giving me a tired look. "I'm the chief's wife not the chief. I only have say in what we do in our bed. If you really wanted you could order me to stay at home and cook vittles for you, it is my place."

"Janet shush on that, your place is beside me on a hunt. You're the reason we do so well on hunts. I'm going to ask, why do you get say on what we do in bed?" I grin up at him.

"Because chief have hard duty they must send the warriors out to fight, the chief decides if the tribe wars or trades. Medicine man advises chief, all decisions are chiefs and only chiefs. The wife of chief gets final say on bed to keep chief in line, chief does something wife not like chief no get roll, true of all bonds especially important with chief." Dan blinks at me.

"So what you're saying is, if I told you to have a roll with Gwen you would?" I sigh and shake my head.

"I get final say in bed, does not matter whose bed or what you say. If you order me to go to New York I would go, I would be very unhappy and not give you rolls as much as I could stand but I would go." Dan sighs then looks at me.

"So what happens if I get tired of waiting and try to get a roll?" I sigh and look down.

"I would kill you and be perfectly justified forcing is one thing injuns do not abide by. I could tell you the penalty for it but you would really not like to know. It extends to all women in all tribes nearby." Dan looks at me and sighs.

"I am asking for it but give me a quick run down." I look up at Dan surprised, he nods.

"It involves your equipment on a rock with all women holding another rock, they all get one hit, the one forced can hit as long as she wants. The warriors hold you down in place it does not happen often, in my old tribe it had never happened, there were stories of it happening in another tribe near to mine when my mother was young. The warriors watch as well as hold, it is the closest thing to a never broken rule as we have." I look up Dan is white.

"I think I know why, I've been kicked there when I was young there is really no matching the pain. Let's move past that, do we need a medicine man?" I shake my head then grin.

"We are too small to matter for that. If you would like advice on what to do Mr. Johnson is as close as we need. We are only six strong if tribes could still wander we would simply be absorbed by another or you would be killed and I would be taken." Dan chuckles and shakes his head.

"I think they would lose ten or fifteen and turn around. You are very good with your Winchester. I better help Martin search for a key you couldn't reach any I think. I still wonder how you manage to get on your horse." I giggle and let Dan go.

I move back to the other side of the tent and go through the supplies then cheer. I pull up a mortise and pestle then show it to Gwen when she appears to see what the fuss was over. She grins and takes it from me I find a good amount of flour another chunk of bacon a barrel of water and more beans. I yell for some saddle bags and get the Apache coming around leading a couple of our horses. I smile at them and ask for some help to get our new supplies.

We get everything packed up by the time the sky is lit again. We even managed to get the key for the chest. Watching Elizabeth open her chest, she finally deigned to say her name to us, is a study of disgust on even Gwen's face. There are in total seven bottles of perfume, eight pieces of clothing for one dress. I remember the dress Dan put me in to go to Longwood I had a total of five pieces. Suggesting she wears the dress she is wearing gets me a look of disgust, it is only a nightgown.

I walk away in disgust, no wonder there is so much violence in New York, takes an hour to get a woman out of enough clothes for a roll. The truly special comes when Martin pulls her chest over for her to get on a horse. I watch this with a sinking feeling she walks out with a poofy skirt. It takes a couple tries to get on the chest, when she tries to get on the horse I whistle and shake my head. Gwen is grinning when I walk over to Elizabeth, I give her a dirty look I'm sure and pull up the skirt, underneath like I thought is another skirt with bands keeping it spread out.

Martin picks her up and brings her down to the ground where I pull out a throwing knife. This is too precise for the big Bowie, Gwen comes over to help and I cut out the under skirt showing her bloomers and slip until we let the skirt drop.

"I'll have you know that was a hundred dollar whale bone underskirt you just cut up." Any more Elizabeth would have said dies with my Colt in her face.

"Shut your trap and ride the horse, walk, or die your choice. I really do not have a preference in the matter so long as words do not issue from you. We did not come here to save you we only came for one of the survivors. Speak again and I will give you to the Apache to break, there are a lot of warriors with no bedmate thanks to your father I think that would be a fitting punishment." Elizabeth turns white and gets on the horse.

Dan leads the way out of the gulch the Apache taking up the rear with the horses carrying the dead. Martin has the two prisoner's horse's reins in his hand. Gwen is talking to him low, I assume so the prisoner's do not listen in on their conversation. Dan touches me and gives me a silent question on a roll, I grin and mouth town to him. He smiles and nods as Gwen moves up beside me.

"Janet I'm curious, would you really give that pompous woman to the Apache?" I look over at Gwen at the question and grin.

"I would try, Dan gets final say in that so likely would not happen. I do not see a reason not to once she is broken she would make a better voice to let us be injuns instead of destroying our ways like they wish." Gwen giggles and goes back to Martin's side.

"I don't think the Apache would take her let alone break her. I asked you should speak to them in Spanish more by the by. Both agree she is not a woman, she is closer to a wild animal." Silvia says coming up beside me getting a shocked noise out of Elizabeth, she quiets right down when I look at her.

"Martin, would you be interested in Elizabeth if Gwen wasn't draped all over you?" I ask with a grin.

"She's hinting at more than draped but no, I like women with a backbone. Elizabeth doesn't have much of a backbone she's just full of herself because her father is a congressman." I look back at Elizabeth, her mouth is hanging open.

"What about you Dan?" Dan looks over at me sighs and shakes his head I shake a finger at him then look at our prisoners. "Michael and the other smart one I never heard your name apologies on that, would either of you want Elizabeth?" They look at me, look at Elizabeth then shake their heads.

"I'm siding with Martin on this one, even if it got me pardoned from what I am going on trial for. Well I would take the pardon then head west without her." Michael says getting a chuckle out of Martin.

"I'm Benjamin and no apologies were needed, I don't recall offering my name to you. I'm going with Michael and Martin, I'm not even sure I'm facing charges, I'll even be a gentleman and offer up more reasons." Elizabeth looks unsure I nod to Benjamin with a grin. "The biggest reason is out here you need sensible, even trying to wear all of that get up to ride a horse is not sensible. That dress may work fine in some city, anywhere else and all you are is an easy mark for bandits." Gwen giggles and looks back.

"Wouldn't work well in New York if you wandered out of the fancy section, the gangs would have a field day tearing your clothes off and having their fun. I've seen them do it to women with not nearly as expensive an air to them." I look over at Michael and Benjamin.

"I find a bit of curiosity, do you two know why there was not a gang watching over the carriage to Longwood from Kansas City?" Michael nods.

"There was no pull there, Longwood until the railroad was a poor town. Anybody going to Longwood would have been likewise poor and not worth the effort. Wicker on the other hand was poor but did not get a sheriff until a few months after the railroad." Dan makes a noise getting me to look over at him, he's looking at Michael.

"Michael, I find a bit of the curious in me, you always struck me as a farmer and yet you were busted out of my cell by bandits and you were in their camp." Michael looks over at Benjamin.

"I was a farmer, I had the closest house to the town until the sheriff showed up he wasn't sheriff then. My crops failed and I was left without a penny to my name, spent it all trying to get more crops to grow. Nothing would grow just like that, I sold my house to the sheriff he was sheriff then so he would have a place to stay. I found work in the store at first, wasn't much to earn but it was a roof and a bed, until deputies showed up. I don't know why but I had to stop working at the store, left me with nothing to do, then more of the farmers had the same problem. The deputies started strong arming folks those of us who had no home were all leaving. We got met by the bandits who promised coin and food all we had to do was help." I look over at Dan, he sighs and nods.

"Michael did you and the bandits ever actually shoot a deputy?" Michael looks a little surprised then nods.

"Two of them, both I knew from before the sheriff. I don't think I shot either, I pointed my gun I didn't shoot." Martin curses and looks over at us.

"We should leave these two here and go clean town, I've heard tell of this before. Sheriff shows up people end up destitute then bandits show up and ransack the town gradually." Dan shakes his head.

"Janet and I are the ones that brought news of it, when we tracked the deserter we found it. I'd like a little more proof than just those two, I'm a sheriff it's not looked well on for a sheriff to shoot a sheriff. We will stay for a day or two and watch the trial, perhaps we will sleep in the sheriff's office."

"Unless they speak out against injuns I've had enough of that today." Dan looks at me while I say that, he opens his mouth to say something then shuts it.

"Janet could you ask Elizabeth how she was grabbed, she won't tell me." Silvia says coming up close, I sigh and look back at Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth out with it how did the bandits end up with you?"

"I was getting ready for bed on the train it stops at that town for the night. I would have gotten off if there had been a hotel. I had just locked up my chest when men got on grabbed me up and took my chest. I don't know what they planned to do with me they just said I would do." I look back at her then Dan, he sighs and nods.

"They planned to be your husband, no telling how many would have taken you for a roll. If you had not resisted perhaps just the one I shot trying to take you for a roll. You did resist so there would have been many if we had not come." Elizabeth turns white.

"That can't be true, they were Christian's." I look back and feel a little sorry for her, Silvia groans.

"Christian's seem to be some of the worst offenders of everything. I was led to Longwood on a lie of translating the Apache instead I got locked in a little room and taken by the Christian men. Janet had the same treatment when she was eleven to thirteen by the same Christian. The soldiers that put down the so called uprisings are Christian and yet they slaughter entire tribes, women and children. Talk to the Apache they have survivors of such thing in the reservation. Congress is full of Christian men, and they order the treatment of the injuns that would not be ordered for fellow Christians." Elizabeth opens her mouth to protest until I turn around.

"Cherokee are largely Christian do you remember what was done to the Cherokee? They were marched across the country those that fell just died or were shot by Christian soldiers. My tribe's uprising of going to the local town to try and get some meat they were not provided is one of the catalysts of this march. I missed out on the march because I was not in a reservation. We were forcibly taken from the land we were promised as being ours to make room for round eyes. The next time you see an injun think about that, we are tortured, lied to and forced to leave places we are promised and signed treaties saying it is our land forever. This is all done by Christians I follow the old ways to not lie like a Christian."

We ride on in silence for a while Gwen is smiling at me, I'm not sure if it is because of Martin's hand in hers or what I said. The shadows are getting longer when I hear the railroad. You can see it off in the distance, more the smoke than the train. Gwen rides up with me again looking at the ground more than me.

"Janet, would you be of a mind to teach me how to track?" I look over at Gwen then Martin, both are smiling.

"I could, it takes a bit to learn it, why are you wishing to learn?" Gwen smiles at me then looks back at Martin and Silvia.

"I rather enjoyed the hunt and Martin, I found the shoot out was satisfying. I'd like to perhaps see about doing hunts with Martin, I'd like if Silvia came with us." I look back at Silvia, she's smiling.

"I will teach you, Sally I reckon will not mind so much, she wants more Apache. We have three that speak round eye well enough plus Bonita. I'm not sure Sally will like you doing marshal business Gwen, it's dangerous. I keep doing it because Dan asks me to, I admit it is fun I just miss my sons now." Dan puts his hand on mine, Gwen smiles at me.

"Thank you Janet, this means a lot to me and don't worry about my sister, I can get her to agree to it. Would you be averse to letting me keep your old Winchester?" I shake my head at Gwen she smiles and slows down to ride with Martin.

We do not beat the train to town the engineer has a strange look in his eyes when he looks out at us. He does motion ahead of the train so off we go that way, I let everyone go ahead around the train and stop to speak to the engineer.

"Janet you know I did not expect to see this going by my train." Gus says sitting on the floor of the locomotive his feet trailing out over the side.

"I didn't really expect to be part of it walking by your train. You brought us a marshal and prisoner three days ago now. The prisoner got broken out and we came hunting, there were a lot of them along with a freshly grabbed congressman's daughter." Gus chuckles and shakes his head.

"I didn't bring the marshal that was Arnold. There are two trains on these rails me and Arnold run them. I don't know when it will happen but there is talking of getting a better light on the front of our trains so we can run at night and day, we would run the route faster but screw up when we arrive at each town. I suppose the higher ups never think to ask us people at the bottom, I think it's a bad idea." I sigh and nod in agreement.

"Try being an injun, you get used to having things you don't like shoved on you. I know not your fault and I'm being cross with you, not been the best of days nor night before. We took them out in the middle of the night and not slept since, at least we are at the town, I can give Dan the we live roll now." Gus chuckles and stands up.

"Well if you can't find a place in town and not up to on the ground I reckon we got room on the train, at least a cargo box."

"Thanks Gus, Dan mentioned trying to mark out a section of the sheriff's for us. You will get Elizabeth she was snatched off a train yesterday according to what she said." Gus gets lower and shakes his head.