Chapter 11

The next morning, when Rose and Mary came down to the kitchen to start breakfast, Jefferson already had a warm fire built in the cookstove.

As they filled the big coffee pot with coffee and water, they heard a noise on the back porch. Jefferson stepped to the back door to see the two nannies and the two kids on the porch, with the billy standing in the yard, looking up at them.

Corinne and Lorene were next down the stairs, carrying the two babies, since they had taken it upon themselves to care for the babies in exchange for all the family had done for them.

“I think the goats have come looking for the rest of their family,” Jefferson said as he opened the door to show them all the goats on the porch.

The two baby girls started pointing to the back door and squirming to get on the floor. Lorene picked up a milk bucket and smiled at the others as she put the baby girl on the floor.

When she walked out to milk the two nannies, the little girl crawled through the open door and sat on the porch as the two kids ran to lick her face.

Corinne grabbed another bucket and placed the other baby girl on the floor, as she too went out to milk a goat. Both babies sat on the porch, hugging and rubbing the two little white goats as the women milked the nannies.

When the goats were milked, they still didn’t want to leave the house. Lorene led them away with a feed bucket and went to the barn to put out feed for them.

“Just wait until all the young girls come down to see the babies and the goats together. Wasn’t that just the sweetest thing to see early in the morning?” Mary said and they all agreed.

While the others started breakfast, all busy doing their part, Lorene and Corrine were busy feeding the babies goat milk with spoons.

The smell of breakfast soon filled the boardinghouse. Juni, Tin Yu, Eva and Catt came in and started setting the dining table for the family and boarders. By the time everyone was downstairs, and sitting around the table, drinking coffee, the breakfast was brought out on large platters.

They had long ago taken the dining table out and replaced it with four long tables which had bench seats built onto both sides. They could now seat thirty people at each meal.

The boarders who wanted two meals a day, paid one dollar and fifty cents a day for room and half board. They got breakfast and supper for their dollar fifty.

Those who only wanted a room and no meals paid a dollar a day.

They were at capacity with eighteen boarders and were planning to have all twenty four rooms rented in the new boardinghouse next door by the time it was finished.

Jefferson had already secured a contract with the Fort Smith school board for all their unmarried teachers to board here. That alone would take fifteen of the new rooms.

It was Rose and Mary’s plans to try and keep at least thirty boarders a month average. They had sat with Clarissa and Jefferson, trying to plan and budget for the coming year when they’d have two of the two-family houses, and four of the single-family houses ready to rent. They were all hoping to have an average monthly rent income of one thousand dollars.

“If we keep this up, we’ll need to keep the carpenters busy building new rental houses,” Jefferson told them.

“I hope we can build houses and boardinghouses all the way to the state line on this side of the river,” Rose added.

“We’re well on our way now,” Mary laughed.

Eli’s arm had healed better than Rose and Mary had hoped for. The swelling was gone and he had full use of his fingers on his hand, though his upper arm was still sore. They were off three days before Judge Parker called them into his chambers once more.

“Eli, there’s been some complaints brought out in the courtroom about prisoner abuse. I know you men and all the others have a very unsafe position in the law. I’m not condoning any unnecessary force in the apprehension of fugitives and the lawless individuals in The Territory, but please, to make my position a lot easier, don’t cut on them or make them lie in their own excrement,” Judge Parker said.

“Yes Sir, Your Honor. I reckon we sometimes take it personal when we go after some folks out there who have raped and killed and robbed defenseless women and children. I know I’m to blame for a lot of the complaints and I’ll try real hard to keep my own feelings to myself,” Eli told him.

“Eli, you, Duncan and Moses just keep bringing them in, we’ll deal with the complaints, and the punishment associated with the crimes these lawless men have been accused of.”

“Yes Sir, Your Honor.”

“Now, since we’re losing deputies left and right, I need you three to split up and make separate trips this time.

“Eli, here’s your warrants. You’ll have to go up into south Kansas for this one. There’s a town marshal by the name of Parkins and his son-in-law Hampton Noonan, the Third. They’ve been taking over people’s land and now they’ve illegally started a ranch down in Indian Territory.”

“Moses, here’s you a warrant for two brothers by the name of Erskins, down on the Texas border. They’re wanted for four counts of murder. You’ll see their full names.”

“Duncan, here’s you one for a man and his wife who’re accused of enslaving their own family into prostitution in south Tulsa. His name is Sylvester Norvel.”

“Is that the same as Tulsey Town, Your Honor?” Duncan asked.

“Yes, the government has officially named the town, Tulsa. There’s even talk of a post office coming to that place, in a year or so.”

Eli spoke up. “Your Honor, I was visiting with Jefferson about buying land, and he told me about the unassigned lands that were in dispute in the Territory. If a man like me had some money, could he buy some of this land?”

“Eli, seeing as how you’re of Cherokee descent, I’d see no reason why you couldn’t buy lands in your name in the Territory.

“Though the unassigned lands are not for sale at this time, I do expect all that land will be ruled eligible for public sale in the near future, maybe a year or so.”

“Thank you, Your Honor. So a man of Cherokee blood could buy some Indian land and it would be legal in the United States courts?” Eli asked, just making sure he was clear on what Judge Parker told him.

“Yes Eli, you’d be making a land purchase from the Cherokee Tribe or any other tribe for that matter. If they take your money and provide a bonafide document of land ownership, you would own the land even if the Territory were declared a state later.”

“Thank you, Your Honor. I’d like to make the next trip over near this new town called Tulsa. I want to make a land deal with the Cherokee.”

Duncan said, “Your Honor, I’d gladly swap with Eli, that is if you say it’s alright.”

“Then you two just switch trips and take care of your duties as usual. I’ll see the three of you when you return.”

“Eli, looks like things are working in your favor like always. How much land are you planning on buying over there? I figured you’d wait until later, and buy some of that fine range land in the middle of the Territory,” Duncan said as they walked out to their horses.

“I still want to buy some land over there too, but I don’t want to miss a chance to buy a spread up on the Arkansas River, I looked at. That is, if the Cherokee will sell it off at a good price.”

“Eli, you’re turning into a right smart businessman. Is this what’s called investing?” Moses said.

“I reckon it is, Moses, and I aim to invest a lot of time and money into these lands, so when the Territory does become a state, we’ll be set to have some good lands and not have to work at this marshaling all our lives.”

“Eli, me and Moses have talked and we want to start giving you some money each payday so we can feel like we helped buy some land too. You’re already letting us stay at the boardinghouse and eat free. We want to be a part of what you got planned, but we ain’t no hangers on,” Duncan said.

“If you two want to do this, we’ll get Jefferson to make out a paper to show each time you put money into our plans. We’ll work hard at it and one day when we’re old, we’ll all sit on the back porch and talk about old times when we were U.S. Marshals,” Eli said and they laughed as they rode into the barnyard to prepare to leave out once more.

“I think it would be better if we all put our money in one pot, along with what we’re making on rent and the sale of eggs, butter, and milk – and buy land as partners. Do you both agree?”

“Heck yeah, Eli, but you ‘n Rose ‘n Mary have already paid more up front than me and Moses could ever match up. Are you sure you want to cut us in as partners?” Duncan asked.

“We’re all partners, we share and share alike.”

“Then we both want to be your partners, Eli.” Moses agreed.

“We’ll talk to Jefferson about maybe writing out some partnering papers making it all legal, in case something happens to one of us.”

“Eli, you just think of everything. You’re almost as smart as Jefferson when it comes to business and making plans.”

“Well, we already know that one day our jobs as lawmen may pass, with the making of the Territory into a state. We need to be ready and not have to drive wagons or work on cow ranches that don’t belong to us.”

“We’re with you, Eli. If you and Jefferson do write them papers up, we want you to be the head man. You think better than Duncan and me,” Moses said.

“Well, I do have a lot more plans in my head yet to put in place. I want both of you to pay close attention when you look them outlaw places over, after you’ve made an arrest that is. They always have a little bit gold or money stashed away. We’d never in a hundred years find who it all belonged to, and no sense in leaving it for the next bunch of outlaws to take it, either.”

“We’ll do that, Eli. We’ll have more money to buy land with then” Duncan grinned at his friend, he sure was a smart man to be thinking about little things like that.

“Just remember, we can’t even tell the women or Jefferson about us doing this. I’m not sure it’s legal for marshals to be claiming the stashes of the outlaws we arrest.”

“You don’t reckon we’ll get into trouble doing this, do you, Eli?” Moses asked.

“Not if anyone knows, we won’t.”

The three lawmen partners lined their women folks up and went down the line, hugging and telling them their goodbyes. Moses was even in the mix of things this time. When he came to Suh, she grabbed him and they kissed right in front of the others.

“I’ll have my own big belly in a few weeks ... I just wanted you all to know. Moses and me are about to be man and wife when he gets back this time,” Suh proudly announced.

“Suh, we’re all proud of you and Moses. He’s a good man and he’s getting a good woman,” Rose told her as she hugged the tall slender Cherokee girl.

Mary, Clarissa, Eva, Catt, Tin Yu, and Juni Moon, hugged and made a fuss over her. Then came the younger girls who were brought in at the same time Suh was. Lettie had tears in her eyes as she hugged her young Indian friend. Jessie and Sissy both hugged her and giggled as they patted her belly.

Sundy was lagging back, but she stepped up and hugged Suh as they held each other for a long time. Suh was whispering to Sundy and they were both smiling.

Rose and Mary looked at Clarissa, then over to Eva, Catt, Juni, and Tin Yu. They shared a knowing smile as they saw Sundy coming out of her shyness more and more.

Eli, Moses and Duncan rode west together out of Fort Smith, their saddlebags filled with food for a week’s worth of travel on the trail. They rode about two miles into the Territory before Moses split off and turned south-southwest, while Eli and Duncan turned to the northwest, toward the Arkansas River and Tulsa.

Three days into the trip Eli and Duncan reached the growing town of Tulsa about mid-day.

Duncan and Eli nodded at each other, then without a word, Duncan followed the Arkansas on to the northwest, toward central Kansas.

Eli spent the rest of the day looking for the man and his family that he had warrants for. He found them in a rundown shack on the outskirts of Tulsa, near where the river bends and flows southeast away from town.

He needed a few hours of time for his own dealings, before he arrested the man and whoever else was a part of selling his family into prostitution.

Eli rode out toward the southeast side from the middle of town, crossed the river and rode upon a high ridge, looking down at the river, the trees and green grass below.

He could see where the railroad crossed this land, then crossed the Arkansas River. He knew railroads meant businesses would one day spring up and this would mean money for him.

This was the very place he wanted, if it was for sale. He saw three men riding toward him slowly and turned his horse to face them. They were older men and none were armed, though he could tell they were Cherokee by their dress.

“Hello, I am Eli Crow – United States Marshal and a brother of the Cherokee,” he spoke when the three men rode up.

“I am Iron Hammer, chief council for the Tulsa Tribe of the Cherokee. This is my brothers, Iron Hand and Iron Eyes. Do you have lawman business on these lands?”

“No Iron Hammer, I have come here to your lands for personal business, though I did come to Tulsa Town on law business.”

“Tulsa has become a bad place for all to live. White Man’s army has bad men riding in the ranks. They take what they need and many people have become hurt. They have place where a man can buy a woman, and now all the men fight over women there.”

“Iron Hammer, I have been sent to Tulsa by the big White Judge in Fort Smith, to stop the sale of women to these men. I will try to put a stop to the selling of women to any man. White, Black or Indian.”

“Then you would do good if you are the man to do this. What is your person’s business you come to Cherokee lands for?”

“I’ve rode this way many times before, to take bad people into the hands of the law and face the Big White Judge in Fort Smith. I have seen good lands for grazing and good lands for a man of Cherokee blood to live free. I would like to buy some of your lands and be a brother of the Cherokee for all to know.”

“Eli Crow, brother of the Cherokee, do you have paper dollars or gold to buy lands with? Cherokee people are poor people, living off the lands. The White Man comes here to kill what we would kill to feed our people. Would you bring peace to the Cherokee land, if we sell you some lands of our people? Would you stop White Man from killing off Cherokee deer, buffalo and elk?”

“I have the blood of my mother in me. I am a brother of the Cherokee. What is yours will be mine to protect and to defend against all who come to steal from the great Cherokee people.”

“I can see the blood of your mother in you. I believe you, Eli Crow. How many miles of land would you need, to make a place for you and your people?”

“I would like to have ten thousand acres, Iron Hammer. What would the price of such a land cost a brother?”

“We know nothing of White Man acres. Indian Bureau man talks of acres, and many thousands of them. We know miles ... our people learned of miles when they were marched here on The Trail of Tears, many years ago.

“Iron Hammer, white men measure land in acres and sections to make maps of the land. One section will have six hundred and forty acres. That section will be one mile long and one mile wide. I would like my Cherokee Brothers to sell me sixteen of those sections. This would mean a land tract of four miles by four miles, in a square like a box.”

“My horse walks four miles in one hour. He runs fifteen miles in one hour. We will walk four miles to the north from the river, then four miles to the sunrise, turn and walk four miles back to the river. Will Eli Crow have the gold to purchase such a place, of that many land miles?”

“I would love to have that many miles to call my own and live on the Cherokee lands as brother to Iron Hammer and his brothers. I will offer you ten thousand dollars in gold, for that many miles of land.”

“I was wanting ten thousand and one dollars in gold, Eli Crow ... would you pay that?”

“I will indeed. I see my brother is a good businessman. I too have brothers and sisters and one day we will live here on these lands, if you and your brothers will accept my offer.”

“Eli Crow, you are a good man for the Cherokee People to know. We are proud to have another Cherokee brother on our lands. Will you write the papers to tell of our agreement and our boundaries?”

“I will. I have a brother in the courts at Fort Smith, Arkansas. He will write the papers as we have agreed and I will bring them to you with the ten thousand and one dollars in gold.”

“You are a good man, Eli Crow. We are pleased that you have ridden onto our lands this day. My brothers and I will ride across your lands and mark the corners where the four winds blow.”

“Then I will bring more gold, I want to be a good brother to the Cherokee.”

“Then we will move the marker to the middle of the river so you will always have water.”

“Then I will let my stud put his seed in your best horses.”

“Ahh, we have many mares that would love to have the blood of that horse in their colts.”

“He carries many seeds, Iron Hammer.”

“Eli Crow, you go take care of law man business. We will see how you stop the men from selling the women to other men for a night. You come again soon and bring our gold. We are in need of food and clothing.”

“I will return in no more than three weeks.”

“Then we will be here on this hill three weeks from yesterday, waiting to see your big horse swim the waters onto your land. Eli Crow, we are proud to be your brothers.”

“I am proud of the Cherokee blood that runs through my body. I am proud of my new brothers.”

With a nod, a smile, and a wave, the three Cherokee brothers rode northwest at a slow walk.

Eli wanted to meet with Mr. Anderson Bredamon, the man from the Bureau of Indian Affairs who had made him and Duncan sworn members of the Indian Police.

He rode back across the river where he’d crossed before on the wide sandbar.

Eli spent only a few minutes with Mr. Bredamon, after being assured that Iron Hammer and his brothers were honorable people. Eli told Mr. Bredamon of his plans to buy a small parcel of land along the river, in hopes of maybe adding more later. He sure didn’t want anyone knowing of the big land deal, before it was even secured.

Mr. Bredamon agreed to meet with Iron Hammer and draw up the necessary deed to the lands, according to U.D. Government rules.

Eli was ready to do some lawman business now but the time was later than he’d planned. He figured the best way to find out about these people was to go see them. He pulled both badges off his buckskin shirt and put his new hat on his saddle horn as he tied his horse at the hitching rail.

He stood by his horse and watched for a while. As he waited, a grubby, older man came out, packed his pipe and lit it.

“Hey mister, can a man get a woman in there like they say?”

“Hell yes, Injun. Go right in that door. All them women are part Injuns and they can fuck your ass white if you’ll let ‘em.”

“So they’re all part Injun and working in a place like that?”

“Yup, the old man is white and his woman is Cherokee. For two bits you get a young girl for two hours and they’ll even let you pick your girl, out of the four they got.”

“You mean the girls are his and his woman’s? That must be hard on them, watching their girls fuck all the dirty ass old men that come here.”

“Injun, the way I see it, that’s their problem. For a quarter, I get some young Injun pussy and I don’t have to fight the old lady for it.”

“The girls don’t put up a fight?”

“They fight like hell, but they’re chained to a bed – hand and foot. All you gotta do is climb on, hang on, and get all you can stand in two hours.”

“Thanks, mister.”

Eli waited until the man had walked away, then pulled both his badges out and pinned them to his shirt. He thumbed the loop off his hammer, loosened the catch on his knife scabbard and stepped into the doorway of the filthy, foul smelling brothel.

No one was in the small front room. There was one lantern hanging from a nail in the ceiling. The light it cast only made a faint yellow glow, with shadows all around.

Eli looked back at the wooden door. It looked to be fairly solid as he swung it closed and dropped the board down to keep it from being opened.

When he turned, he saw a light moving from back in the darkened hallway. He stood still, ready for whatever may come, when an older woman in buckskins walked out into the small front room. She was carrying another lantern and started to place it on a chair as she looked up to see Eli.

“Well, we got us a tall Injun done come to get some of my girl’s pussy do we?” she asked, swinging the lantern up to see him better.

“Injun, is that badge real? Hell you got two badges. Are you here to cause trouble or to get your axle greased?” she asked as she looked him over.

“What is your name?” Eli spoke softly as he looked at her.

“I am Onalee, are you here to make trouble for me?”

“I have a warrant for your arrest, what last name do you go by?”

“I am called Onalee Nightwalker. You have no reason to be here, this is Indian Territory ... I am Indian.”

“I am of Indian blood also. I am Eli Crow, United State Marshal out of Fort Smith Arkansas, under the jurisdiction of Judge Isaac Parker. I have come to arrest you and your man Sylvester Norvel on charges of keeping slaves, and prostitution.”

“VESTER! You better get out here. We got a lawman out here who wants to make trouble for us,” she said loudly.

Eli stepped to the side of the doorway and laid the barrel of his Colt under the man’s ear when he stepped through the door.

“Sylvester Norvel?” he asked as he poked the gun barrel deeper into the man’s neck.

“I am Vester. What’s going on out here? We have done no wrong. If you’re here because them men claimed we robbed them last month, they were lying.”

“I’m here to arrest you and your woman for enslaving your family and for prostitution. Lay flat on the floor, both of you.”

“Injun, you have no right to do this. We’ll go to the Indian Bureau and file charges against you for this,” the man protested as he and his woman knelt, then lay face down on the dirt floor.

“You’ll have a better chance than that, when you face Judge Isaac Parker in Fort Smith District Court.”

“But we’re on Indian land, you can’t arrest us. We’re not a part of the states.”

“I’m sworn to uphold the laws of the United States of America and its Territories, as a U.S. Marshal. I have a warrant sworn and signed by the Honorable Judge Isaac Parker, giving me the authority to arrest and bring you to Fort Smith to stand trial in the Judge’s courtroom. You two just lay quiet and still, as I get my irons. If either of you move when I step out the door, I’ll shoot you both dead.”

When Eli stepped back inside the dim lit room, the man and woman were lying as he left them.

He shackled them together, left hand to right hand and left foot to right foot. They were lying back to back, in a tangle of arms and legs and there was no way they could move.

Eli took a lantern and walked down the narrow hallway, looking in the first room to see a young man cowering in a corner, trying to get his britches up. There was a young, naked Indian girl chained across the bed with her arms and legs pulled wide.

“Mister, you best get your clothes on and run from here like this place was afire. If you even stop to look back, I’ll shoot your ass. Do you hear me?” Eli said as he held the lantern over the man.

“I hear you Marshal, I’m gone,” he said as he scrambled to his feet, grabbing his shoes and hat, heading for the door barefoot.

“What is your name, girl?” he asked, looking down to the filthy bed in the light of the lantern.

“I am Nadalee Nightwalker. Are you going to set us free? My sisters are in the other rooms, the keys are over there on the wall,” she nodded to the far wall.

Eli took the keys and unlocked the padlocks, freeing the girl from her chains as she wiped the blood from her wrists with the soiled bedclothes.

“Show me your sisters ... take these keys and loosen their chains.”

Nadalee entered the first room ahead of Eli. As he held the light higher, he saw another, older girl chained to a filthy bed as Nadalee had been. Nadalee ran to the girl, shaking her as she unlocked the locks and freed her hands and feet.

The two girls hugged and cried as they sat on the soiled bed.

“Marshal, this is my older sister, Hadalee.

“Hadalee, this is a United States Marshal, he’s here to free us and arrest Ma and Pa.”

“Marshal, I hope you hang them for what they have done to us,” she spat as she stood and looked at Eli.

“How many more sisters are here?” Eli asked.

“We have two more sisters, both younger and we listen to them scream in pain as the men have their way with them,” Hadalee told him, then led him to the next room.

“Adalee, are you awake? There’s a U.S. Marshal here to set us free ... Adalee?”

Nadalee shook her youngest sister, who roused up to look into the lantern light.

“He’s a marshal and he’s gonna free us from all this?”

“Yes he is, Ma and Pa are on the floor in the front room, chained together hand and foot.”

“I knew one day God would hear my prayers. Thank you, Marshal. Can you get me out of this slimy, stinking bed?”

Hadalee and Nadalee loosened the chains on their sister, then pulled her up. She stood on shaky legs and hugged both sisters. She turned and almost fell forward, as she reached for Eli.

He could hardly stand the stench of the sisters, but felt they needed a hug, to show them someone cared.

“Let’s get your other sister and get out of this hell-hole,” Eli told them as he went back into the hallway.

Hadalee had already taken the keys and set their second youngest sister, Cadalee loose. The four sisters fell to the floor on their knees beside her bed, and held each other as they cried.

“Let’s get out of here. We have a long ride back to Fort Smith. We’ll have to get a wagon for all of you to make it back that far. When have you eaten last?” Eli asked.

“We are fed once a day and we get to use the toilet twice a day. We are hungry and we are weak,” Hadalee told him.

When they came to the front room, Eli told them to bar the door when he went out and not to open it for anyone. He would be back soon.

He had been to the blacksmith shop before and went there this time to buy a wagon and team.

Smitty remembered him and had a wagon hitched to a team in short order.

Eli drove the wagon back to the whorehouse and beat on the door. The sisters were scared to open the door, but he quickly convinced them it really was him.

Each of them wore thin, weathered and torn dresses, with no shoes and carrying nothing else. They did have one of the lanterns with them.

Eli remembered what the judge had asked of him, and made sure he didn’t break any bones or cut the man and woman as he threw them into the wagon and hooked all their chains together, even hooking one end of the shackles to the heavy iron ring on the wagon’s sideboard.

With his horse tied behind and the girls huddled together on the rough floorboards, he went back inside the stinking, filthy devil’s den. He knew there had to be money or gold ... maybe both. Maybe not a lot, but he wasn’t gonna leave anything.

He found a place in the dirt floor that had been wiped over with a hand. Thumping it with his fist, he heard a hollow sound.

Sure enough, there were short boards under the dirt floor. There was a deep hole with sacks and boxes of money and gold. Eli took it all and put it in a large gunny sack, then threw it over his shoulder as he picked up the lantern and dashed it against the dry inner walls.

By the time he’d reached the wagon, the flames were lapping through the open door.

The wooden roof was aflame also as they headed out of town.

He pulled up in front of Perryman’s Store and bought blankets for the girls, and even got two extra for their ma and pa.

He bought cold bread, jerky and dried beef for them to eat. He even bought a double handful of hard candy for the girls. He bought two canteens and filled them with water at the pump before they were on the road once more.

He drove the wagon for miles into the early darkness, finally stopping beside the river to make camp.

Adalee lit the lantern and placed it on the wagon seat, as the four girls gathered wood for a fire. They helped Eli roll their ma and pa out the back of the wagon and let them crawl the best they could over next to the fire. They were handed jerky to eat and sat silent as their daughters ate their bread and dried beef. They ate hard candy for the first time in their lives.

The next morning early, Eli had them up, loaded, and on the trail. The girls had talked together and now they were unsure of the trip to Fort Smith.