Longwood Second Hunt Day 05-06

The sky is growing close to sun when we near the hills the watcher was standing atop. I motion Elan and Bipin up to me, I'm walking in front for unknown reason.

"Bipin, Elan, move ahead and go up hills, watch path and ahead." They nod then look down, I do as well then groan since they have no knife.

"Can we get a throw?" I pull out two throw knives and pass them over, then pull out the tomahawk.

"I'll take that, Elan is not blooded." I look at Bipin then Elan to get a shrug.

"I'm better with rifle, know knife but tomahawk was not old enough before reservation."

With a sigh I send them on ahead, they get with a minimum of noise. I'm pretty sure have more noise from the boots. Course they are right behind me, possible they are louder with the scoot but not likely. Moccasins work well on making walk quiet. Course in summer also make hard to wear, much sweat. We reach path not much behind Bipin and Elan, then marshals move up beside me.

"Since we are yelling out marshal we figure we should be up front." I look at them both then look at Dan with frown, he glares right back so not saying different.

"Spread out, give them long track for new target. If they shoot more likely they die first."

"Less likely to shoot as well." I look back at Dan and hold finger to my lips.

"Ach lass we're all worried about you." I look sergeant up and down then grin.

"You stand in front then." He snorts and backs up.

"Me gal would be right cross if I get shot down." Checking on where we are in relation to a cabin I grin at sergeant.

"Honest, I mind she would jump for joy." I then stick my tongue out at him getting a scowl then a snort.

Elan appears above us holding a rifle and a belt, with pistol. He's grinning ear to ear and well I reckon he's blooded now. I look at Dan who has noticed as well, he gave us an owl hoot. Dan sighs then motions him down, it's not a straight drop at least so Elan hustles down and we stop to talk.

"What was the man doing?" Elan grins bigger somehow.

"Man was sleep, crept up pulled rifle away then hand on face. Man wakes up and I'm talking to him, he grab for pistol so use knife." Good reason for knife, then something occurs.

"Did you speak Apache?" Elan glowers at me.

"Use round eye, he nod at first then reaches for pistol. I mention sheriff and marshal, I mind these are gang like reckon." Bipin comes down when I use a hawk cry.

"Bipin, Elan is blooded and we have gang. We will move up and yell marshal, then you shoot. Elan same other hill, careful to hide, no tell how many. Perhaps cabin have more than door." They both nod then Bipin goes back up the hill, Elan stays looking at pistol then at me.

"May use pistol?" I nod then look at Cucaracha, he nods and smiles.

"He can keep it on the hunt, after he has to hand over, Winchester though he can keep for hunt. Stay in fort otherwise but his for hunt." Elan is beaming now then gets up the hill.

"Sergeant, captain won't go against what Cucaracha said?" I get a shaken head.

"No complaints on the range of the short rifle. Now that I know about it, will speak to him and likely sell the short rifle for new."

Dan ushers me on toward the cabin so we continue on the way. The door is facing us with little windows up high. This good for us, they must come out door. At end of path I wish to speak on plan. Instead, the door open and man come out with bucket to get water. Marshal yell out getting man to drop bucket and run inside cabin.

This is very much bad thing, they know we are here and inside cabin. I look at Dan then motion circle before pointing at sergeant. Dan nods and grabs sergeant to edge around the cabin for the back. If we are lucky they are collecting everything then dash out the door on other side. As it turns out not so lucky, they are waking up and collecting rifles.

Door opens and two men rush out, another stays in door. Raising my Winchester I shout a challenge then start singing. They shoot first, digs a line in the dirt just a bit afore and to side of me. I raise Winchester still singing and shoot. The man falls down holding his belly while Bipin and Elan call out challenges and shoot.

Man in door fall away, not sure if they shoot or he panic. Leaves one man we know about, he can't decide where to shoot. Also seems to have problem working lever, but not dropping either. Bringing up my Winchester again I just shoot him, higher than belly this time. He's falling away and a shot comes out of the cabin.

I yell about in the cabin as I reload then I start shooting up the doorway. The marshals take part in this along with Bipin and Elan. There are poofs of bullets hitting wood of floor and doorway beyond what three can do. When I run out of bullets in Winchester I drop it and pull revolvers. Dropping low I scoot to the left, Dan went right around cabin.

Keeping an eye on doorway proves good idea. I'm perhaps halfway to cabin when I notice man in doorway. I can only see part so he is covering behind wood. Raising pistols I shoot him twice and am gratified to see him slumping to floor. Dan appears on other side of cabin and shakes his head. Well then if there is no exit I move on the door.

Dan doing the same thing before stopping and shooting with his rifle. I'm singing quietly at the moment so I hear them moving about inside. I wave at Dan who takes a knee with his rifle pointed at door. My pistols are on door as well though do notice Elan moving up. I wave him down then indicate a rush to get a nod.

He does an odd thing, an owl hoot, then a hawk cry and finally a bird song. Rather confusing though there is another hawk cry so it must have been for Bipin. Then there is a rush on the door, the first out is looking toward Dan so shoot him. Fairly sure someone else shot as well. He stiffens right up and falls over, the next out is looking at me so Dan shoots.

I shoot as well, have eight bullets left in Colts. A third comes out slower so he gets shot by marshals along with Bipin and Elan. Dan moves up toward the door then motions to me. I nod then dive right in the cabin. Dan follows me in and we are looking around. No one is moving, the one I shot covered at door is not breathing.

Another man that must have been shot when we shoot up door. He's lying there panting and big blood. Dan goes over to him and collects his pistol then looks at me. Not sure why but Dan always makes me check on live or die. I go over to get sucked in breath, I pat him on the shoulder and pull up shirt.

Shaking my head I leave him to Dan to look for supplies and affects. Dan is talking to man quiet while I'm looking over things. The man took three to his chest, not long for life. I find a bit of bacon, beans, and flour while marshals come in. Cucaracha and sergeant come in, Cucaracha goes straight to slow die man.

Sergeant looks about then goes over to the saddle bags, I have not gotten to those. The supplies are in bigger bags, the other bags are smaller for coat, ammo, and other things.

"Couple wallets in here, I reckon we got a name on two now." Sergeant shows me wallets when I come over, one is fancy so shake my head.

"Fancy wallet likely own by bank man. Should be bags of money about somewhere."

"He say they buried the bags and money out back. Janet get Bipin to help you and have Elan collect the man he knife. Need to collect all and take to town." I look at Dan then nod.

"Sergeant you may as well help, so us injuns don't steal."

Sergeant snorts and grins at me then follows out the door. Bipin and Elan are dancing about in celebration until I whistle. They come over then split up, Elan to get his first and Bipin with me and sergeant. Takes some effort to find buried, they were strong mind. Shuffled dirt all over so really hard to track.

Finally I get us to right spot and use the shovels sergeant collected from behind cabin. Five heavy bags pulled from dirt we return to cabin. The dead are piled on horses when we round cabin. Marshals add the bags to saddle bags then we walk for our camp. Since all not shot I suppose now good time for fun.

"Elan feel like man now?" Bipin snorts into hand while Elan glares at me a moment.

"Feel like warrior now."

"Ach lass was cruel jest. We got pistol for all now, even this lowly sergeant is getting one." I wink at sergeant.

"No pistol for sergeant, head in clouds already." Dan snorts and chuckles, sergeant rolls his eyes then waggles his finger.

"Oi now none of that, I be a right proper soldier." Cucaracha snorts.

"Unless we got drink on hand." Sergeant turns red then chuckles.

"Sergeant morning." Even sergeant is laughing about that.

When we get closer to camp we smell vittles so hurry up. Chun is watching over vittles, Bia is working on two more moccasins. I go straight for the fire while the men get busy taking the dead off horses. Said horses are then hobbled and left to graze, which they do promptly. I'm the first to get a plate with two rolls of tortilla.

I'm surprised to find there is coney meat with beans and corn. Right proper morning vittles and I'm smiling then realize Bia is doing two moccasins and she has two on feet.

"Bia got two coney?" She looks up and grins.

"Plenty of coney about, shot first before you shot I reckon. Second took a bit, but was cutting up coney for spell." I snort then point at Chun, Bia giggles and shakes her head.

"I don't know how to cut up a coney, I know how to cut it smaller from butcher." I just look at Chun a moment.

"Bia teach Chun how in morning, I'll get coney. Moccasins for Chun?" Bia nods.

"Collected socks from Dan for her. Just can't wear in snow and too cold." I nod, makes sense and I never thought of Chun, then thought comes.

"Chun I thought you wore shoes."

"I did, they got too worn and never bothered to get new. Seems many think I'm injun as well so not really worth the money." Dan finally sits next to me with a sigh.

"You never leave the saloon either." Brings something to mind so I best ask.

"Chun what do you do with the money you earn?" Brings us a smile from her.

"I'm saving up with Amanda, we will open another eatery. We are thinking of getting the money to get the ice machines in town so we can make ice cream." I'm not sure on ice cream, I haven't cared for any so far, but Dan has.

"Fine plan, would make us popular with the visitors."

"I just wish to say that too sweet." Chun snorts and shakes her head.

"Janet, Amanda agrees with me, you are so against sweet you would shoot honey." Dan snorts and chuckles until I poke him hard.

"Not true." We have finished eating so Dan puts his arm around me.

"You realize that if you give me a daughter you will eat sugar only like Bonita did." Chun is laughing hard, along with most everyone else.

"Clean and pack we need reach the next town."

Dan looks at me then hops right on up. Sergeant does as well then everyone else does, guess I look mad. Not really meaning to, I have seen women carry daughters in my tribe. They weren't getting everything sweet. About then I remember we never really had anything sweet, and the women did make their food as sweet as they could.

That pulls a sigh out of me, I'm going to eat big sweet if I get a daughter. Not the greatest of thoughts, though would mean I have daughter. Daughter is powerful good thing. I like daughter better than having granddaughter which is depressing cause I'm old. Pinto comes right over to me before Dan gets his saddle on.

I get nuzzled and snorted on making me giggle. Then pinto starts nosing around for licorice which I give him since made me feel better. Sergeant is put in charge of dead men horses, Elan is fresh blood so should not.

"Chun, how much do you have for the eatery and ice?" Chun smiles at me.

"We're doing good, have enough for the building. Can afford machines but not building with, perhaps two more months."

"Have you told Sally yet?" Chun glares at Dan.

"Of course we have, she will advertise for another cook when we get to the ordering everything stage."

"Hire Apache for help?" Chun grins and nods.

"You bet, the ice machine needs a crew and we will need help with the food. We can provide ice for the town, and the Apache. Well most likely just Bea, the rest of them seem rather happy without." One thing I don't understand.

"What does Bea want with ice?"

"Icebox, it is a box you load with things you want cool then put ice on top. That will be most of what the machine crew does, makes blocks for iceboxes." Still not understanding so look at Dan.

"Staying cool helps with things like meat, think of it like winter year round for meat." I get it now and smile.

"Oh, so Bartholomew would stop being hot." Chun snorts and grins.

"He gets most of the ice anyway, as our butcher we need him having enough meats for everyone."

I think about that and realize he hasn't been sitting out front of store all day. Then I notice the town in the distance, looks like a nice one like last. Can see the church tower going up high, there is another tower as well. Rather surprising and I don't understand why it's there.

"Dan two churches?" Dan looks at me then at the town and shrugs.

"Maybe, more likely it is a spot tower, to see an attack coming. This is the trail for settlers mind."

"Long way before get to only Apache area." Dan sighs and shrugs.

"Before trains most any injun would attack." I sigh and shake my head.

"No, remember I say on cloth to be shot less. Most likely the attack started because settler shoot injun. We not wear much in summer, make sense it hot so not need cloth. Round eye decide little cloth is trying to get women away so shoot. Dead warrior means tribe under attack and must answer in kind."

Nobody has anything to say about that so we finish our ride to town in silence. This town is quite nice for us, the sheriff is easy to find, he comes out and talks to us right away. His office is on right side, this town only one street. Sheriff is young man, younger than Cucaracha perhaps, surprising chance there.

Dan hops down and motions at me so I drop then hand reins to Cucaracha. Pinto snorts at me so I fish out a licorice and hand it over quick.

"Well this is a surprise, town sheriff well out of his jurisdiction with soldiers and injuns."

"Got a gang as well, pulled five bank bags out of ground behind their cabin. We announced ourselves and they started shooting." The boy sheriff looks a little uncertain on things so I best mention marshals.

"We have two marshal from Kansas City, hunting a different gang." Dan pulls the poster out of my vest pocket to show to him.

"They robbed the town behind us." We get a nod then he looks over the paper and shrugs.

"Not a good picture, but I think this man came through, do you know how many he had with?" Dan looks at me so I roll my eyes at him.

"Dan sometimes you are too round eye. He had eight with him, if you are unlucky two came in and the rest are camped around town or already robbed." He chuckles and shakes his head.

"No, we had eight ride through. I remember that group, couple injuns. I think why I remember them, usually don't see any round here. Do you think there are bounties on your dead?" Dan shrugs.

"No idea, what we brought them along for. If our mind is right they go south of here and rob there, the bank bags don't have a bank name on them."

"Well see there's a problem, as small as we are I don't get many posters. Next town over is on the north running train route. Good thing winter I reckon, they won't get smelly." Dan looks at me and well I admit it, my face is a little fallen, I hate going along with the dead.

"Well then I reckon we will scoot a town, may as well check in your store. Janet probably needs more licorice and we could use more supplies." Boy sheriff nods and sighs.

"Honest I'd prefer you drop them here, our undertaker could use the work. However not fair to ya'll since I can't match them up with posters if there are any."

Dan takes my arm and we head for the store. I'd prefer dropping them here, taking the money along with wallets to the next town, and finding the bank to return that. Not exactly fair to anyone though. Bia could use the money, along with Chun. Bipin and Elan will probably give the money to chief to spread out for the tribes. We don't get a store man right away so I turn to Dan.

"Dan let's drop the men here, we can return four bags." Dan stares at me a spell then shakes his head.

"No we will take them to the next town and see if there are bounties. Keeping part of the money makes us robbers, the bank decides if we can keep some." I'd like to try a little harder to convince Dan, but the store man comes out.

"Howdy folks, what can I help you with?"

"Do you got the not sweet licorice? Janet here hates sweet and has to be getting low on licorice." I sigh then swat Dan, I have plenty of licorice.

"We bought it in the last town." Dan shrugs.

"You share it with your horse, probably should share with the rest." Store man snorts.

"I got the not sweet licorice, can only give you five cents worth though, rather popular with the town." I look up at Dan and grin, he rolls his eyes.

"We are not moving here. Alright five cents worth, then we should get some sugar, carrots, and taters if you got." Store man nods and heads for the things we want as Chun comes in with Bia and Cucaracha.

"Getting low on coffee and salt." Dan sighs then shrugs.

"When we get him back we can add that, he's getting licorice, sugar, carrots, and taters." Chun giggles.

"We got at least half a pound of taters left, and we just got carrots."

"So we will add taters to everything, Janet seems to be right, we have a long hunt." Cucaracha sighs.

"Yeah about that, I'm only supposed to remain at the reservation for a month." I giggle and shake my head.

"Should only take another week, if that long." Cucaracha just looks at me a spell, so long the store man has come back and left for the new things.

"You said it would take two weeks just to get an eye on them." I grin and wink.

"Fun to poke at greenhorns. Besides tracking and getting use to no buildings this easy. Only hard part is tracking and not going near predator den."

"How does one do that?"

"Wolf is easy, get near den and they start howling to get rest of pack. They prefer forest or cave so avoiding both is best. Bear and cats are easier, they claw. Look for scratches on tree and stay away. Both prefer a small cave or dug away in raised earth, see either and leave. Not take long for mom to decide you after child and either is powerful bad fight."

"What about in the places with no trees?" I sigh then Dan ushers us outside, I guess finished with store.

"Bear and cat still leave mark. Bear will find recessed cave, so gulch likely. Cat other hand prefers higher, they take after injun."

Outside I hop up on pinto and wait for fresh supplies to be put away. Once that finish we get under way, outside town I scoot over to side of path. Elan does same and we just ride along a spell. I'm starting to think Cucaracha ran out of things to ask about, along with nobody else has anything to say. Then Chun rides closer to me and smiles then opens mouth.

"Janet I was wondering, did you care for that mousse because it was chocolate?" I shake my head powerful confused.

"Mousse was good because not sweet. Not understand question, what special about chocolate?" Chun snorts and just laughs a spell.

"You are just about the only woman in town who doesn't like chocolate." I think back and realize the mousse is popular for the women.

"I guess, not big on sweet and usually what is popular."

"Chocolate actually isn't that sweet on average." Well now I'm confused.

"If not sweet why is popular?" Chun shrugs and grins.

"Not really sure, but always feel nice after." I get a wink then she turns to see Dan. "Dan, next town can we see about buying some chocolate?"