Chapter 22

Tom and Cal spent the night outside the small community of Bucklin, Kansas and rode over to Dodge City the next day.

They crossed the Arkansas River near Ford, Kansas and rode into Dodge City about three o’clock in the afternoon.

Dodge City was as busy as Kansas City had been, it just wasn’t as big and wasn’t as up to date on a lot of luxuries. The railroad split the town almost in half and the south side was mostly shacks and tents. Among these were saloons, gambling halls and whorehouses. The north side of the tracks was wide streets and big businesses.

Front street ran through the main part of town, and such notable businesses on the ‘good’ side of the tracks were, The Long Branch Saloon, Mueller’s Boot Shop, Hoover’s Liquor and Cigar Store, The Dodge House Hotel and other legitimate businesses.

Tom asked directions to the sheriff’s office from the driver of a freight wagon loaded with buffalo hides.

“Right on up yonder a ways Injun, you’ll see it.”

“Thanks Mister.”

Tom had seen the ‘gun ordinance’ sign. This pertained to the good side of the tracks, the south side was wide open.

‘Ford County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Charlie Bassett’, the sign read.

Tom slid off his saddle and looked around at the people hurryin’ to wherever it was they were going, they sure seemed to be running late. Tom grabbed his Henry as he walked that way.

He and Cal walked into the sheriff’s office and met the sheriff and two of his assistant’s.

“I’m Tom Cooper and this is Cal Randal, we’re looking for a job as lawmen, if you’re needing any.”

“You ever been a lawman before Injun, we don’t have many Injun’s in these parts anymore. You might not be taken kindly to around here.”

“I was a deputy for Sheriff Keyes up in Newton, Nebraska for a while. Reckon you could send him a telegram and get my story. As for being Indian, I got just as much white blood as Sioux. I didn’t have a lot of say about it either way.”

“You both look kinda young, but then we have a lot of young deputies and a lot of young hell raisers as well. I got one twenty two year old deputy now so I reckon we can take a look at it.”

“How long you figuring on staying here in Dodge?”

“Sheriff, I’m lookin for a man that killed a friend of mine, I’d just as soon be able to do it legal. I’ll figure to be here a couple of weeks, three at most.”

“Tell you what I’m gonna do Tom. I’m gonna send that telegram and if your story checks out, I’m in need a couple good men to walk the south side. If you can handle that, you can handle anything.”

“Yes Sir, Mr. Bassett we’ll walk what ever part of town you say. I don’t usually get riled by name calling, but I don’t take to being pushed too far either.”

“Come back to see me after you get your horses seen to, in the meantime I gotta ask you to check your guns with the deputy there.”

Tom and Cal slipped their Colts off and handed them to the deputy to be hung with all the others on the wall. Tom walked over and stood his Henry up against the wall also.

“That’s some fancy Colt you got there Injun, where’d you get that rig?” the deputy asked as he looked over Tom’s Colt.

“It was made special for my uncle from down in Charleston, South Carolina by Mr. Samuel Colt. My uncle gave it to me. It shoots the same .44 cartridge as my Henry.”

Sheriff Bassett took the gun and looked it over, looked up at Tom and nodded his approval.

“Welcome to Dodge City Tom, you and Cal come on back in a while and I’m sure we’ll have a badge for you both,” Sheriff Bassett said as he stood to shake their hands.

Tom and Cal walked down the wide dirt street toward the tracks to find the livery stable. They talked with the livery man for a while and left their horses.

Both men were in awe of all the rushing and hurrying as people went by them in a run.

Sheriff Charlie Bassett Dodge City Kansas stop

Tom Cooper is a friend and a good man stop

He will make a good deputy stop

A good man to have at your back stop

Sheriff F. Keyes Newton Nebraska stop

When Sheriff Bassett read the message he turned to his deputy, “Bat go find the Injun and his friend, let’s get them sworn in.”

“You bet, Charlie,” Bat Masterson said as he walked out to find Tom and Cal.

Charlie Basset was coming to the end of his second term as sheriff of Ford County. The Kansas State Constitution disallowed three terms in succession. The sheriff was grooming his deputy, W. B. ‘Bat’ Masterson for the job.

Bat was only twenty two years old but was well respected as a fair and forcible lawman. He already had some campaign posters up around town and Sheriff Bassett was speaking up for him to all the store owners and upstanding citizens as the man of choice.

Bat Masterson dressed as a gentleman, with a small ‘Derby’ type hat cocked to the right side, a suit coat and vest. Bat and his brothers had worked as buffalo hunters and skinners, taking twenty to twenty five buffalo a day, skinning and butchering them for meat.

Bat had even contracted to work a section of road bed to grade for the railroad, a job that had taught him more than one lesson. Not only was it hard work, but his partner in the contract took all the money and left for parts unknown leaving Bat broke and destitute.

Bat saw Tom and Cal walking slowly down the side of the dirt street taking in all the sights and sounds of Dodge.

“Tom, Charlie wants to see you and Cal in his office, he got the answer to his telegram. Looks like you two are in. Welcome to Dodge, Deputies,” Bat said with a grin and a handshake.

The three of them walked abreast down the street to the sheriff’s office where they were sworn in and given a badge as well as their guns.

“Tom, Cal I want you to try your level best to keep the law, and not have to enforce it. Most of the men that come here aren’t really bad folks. They just get kinda rowdy once in a while.

“We get a lot of cowboys off the trail drives that ain’t been in a town for a while and they like to knock the dust off and have fun. As long as their fun don’t harm them or others, we kinda let it ride.”

“Yes Sir, Sheriff,” They both answered.

“Call me Charlie, I’ll call you by your names as well.”

“Yes Sir Charlie,” Tom said.

Charlie Bassett shook his head and laughed, “Bat, take the new deputies on a round of Dodge. Take’em by the Long Branch to see if Wyatt is there. He’ll want to know who they are.”

The three young men walked out of the sheriff’s office and down the dusty street once again. By the time they reached the Long Branch Saloon they were laughing and enjoying each others company.

Wyatt Earp wasn’t a big man but he did cast a big shadow, just as Bat had told them. He was sitting at a table with two of his brothers when he saw his friend and fellow deputy, Bat come in with the tall Injun and the skinny kid, both wearing deputy badges.

Wyatt was dressed as a business man in black coat, black pants and hat. He had a large mustache that curved down and out from his mouth, covering most of his lips. This look, along with the black suit clothes gave him an air of confidence and authority that not many men questioned.

Not only was Wyatt a deputy town marshal, he was a Ford County deputy to Sheriff Charlie Bassett too.

His brothers Morgan and Virgil were sitting at the table with him. They were looking the three sheriff’s deputies over as they walked to the table.

“Wyatt, Morgan, Virgil, I want you to meet the two new deputies Charlie just hired. This is Tom Cooper from up in The Dakotas and Cal Randal from over in Wichita.”

“Tom, Cal meet Wyatt Earp and his brothers Morgan and Virgil.”

Tom and Cal shook hands with the three men and exchanged hello’s and pleasantries.

“Don’t reckon I ever seen an injun lawman except on the reservation,” Wyatt said.

“Well, I do get a lot of hard looks and a few names called in my direction because of my breeding, but I have to live with what I was dealt I reckon,” Tom said with a smile.

“We all do Tom and I’m sure that yours is some rougher to handle than most,” Wyatt said.

“There was a man in here late yesterday telling about a bunch of freight wagons being ambushed over between Pratt and Wichita. Said there was an Injun and a kid that took out all five of the ambushers, would that be the two of you?”

“Yes Sir, we were hired to escort the wagons loaded with lumber and building materials from Wichita to Pratt. Seems there had been a lot of wagons gettin’ ambushed that carried lumber over that way.”

“The two of you took on the five of them?”

“Well we knew they’d be coming, so we were ready. Cal was in the last wagon with a double barreled shotgun, I was out a ways from the trail with my Henry. When it all started, we just put a stop to it.”

“I was over in Wichita a while back and heard a tale of an Injun gunfighter taking out three men that had the drop on some police officers in Kansas City, would that be you Tom?”

“Well, I did get kinda involved in that too, but I was just spending the night in the stable that night when it all happened.

“I stepped in to help the lawmen and it got all talked up into a bigger story than it really was.”

“You seem to be at the meeting place when trouble comes down the trail,” Wyatt said and smiled.

“I reckon I do Sir, but most of it ain’t my doing I just get caught up in it some how.”

“I want to make a suggestion to you Tom, and no offense intended. You ought to consider taking them braids down while you’re here. A man with long hair and buckskins ain’t as noticeable as a man with Injun braids and buckskins.”

“I respect your opinion Sir and I’ll take your advice.”

“Tom, it’s nice to meet you and Cal, I’m sure we’ll all see each other soon.”

They all nodded agreement and the three young men walked out of the Long Branch.

“I’d hate to be totin’ the load that half breed is saddled with,” Virgil said.

“Yep, but from the look in his eye and the way he stands in them moccasins, I got a feeling he’s able to handle what’s been thrown at him,” Wyatt replied.

Bat took them through the main business district then crossed the tracks to the south side. There were a few buildings that had been thrown up, but most were still tents and lean-to’s. There were big tent saloons, liquor stores and gamblin’ halls.

There were dance halls where the girls danced and paraded around in little costumes and dresses. There were whorehouses with quite a few horses tied in front, even in the early afternoon.

The three deputies walked in the front door of each establishment and stood until the folks all got a good look at the badges on the new deputies.

There were more than a few remarks but nothing more than someone looking for a laugh from his friends.

“Let’s all go over to the Dodge House and get something to eat, the action don’t usually don’t start until late, if there’s gonna be any,” Bat told them.

Tom stopped on the way back over to the main part of town and placed his hat on a post while he loosened his braids. He ran his fingers through his long hair and pulled it back and held it as he put his hat on, letting his hair fall down his back.

“That don’t look so much like an Injun now Tom,” Cal said and grinned.

The three went into the dining room of the Dodge House and saw Sheriff Bassett as he waved to them from a large round table.

They joined him and a waiter took their order. “What’re you having Charlie?” Bat asked.

“Well I ordered a steak, thought I’d celebrate the hiring of two new deputies.”

“Sounds good to me, Cal you and Tom ought to try one, they have the best steak in these parts.”

“Sounds good to me,” Tom said and Cal nodded his approval.

“Since me and Cal got us a good payday for escortin’ the wagons into Pratt the other day and Charlie saw fit to hire us, the steaks are on me,” Tom said.

“Tom I was just funning about celebrating with a steak, you don’t have to buy,” Sheriff Bassett told him.

“We got paid way more than it was worth and we haven’t spent a nickel of it, this is a celebration of our own as well,” Tom said.

“Tom what did you and Cal think of the Earp brothers, I know Bat took you to meet them,” Charlie asked.

“Well they seemed to be a likeable bunch,” Tom answered.