Chapter 6

Sky entered the front door and saw his father working behind the counter near the trading tables.

“Dad, I have something for you,” he said as Raif turned to see his son standing there with a rifle.

“The General brought two crates of Henry rifles and many crates of cartridges that were given to him by Mr. Henry in my honor. I wanted you to have one of the rifles from me.”

“Sky that’s very generous of you and very generous of the Henry Arms Co. to send you rifles by the General.”

“Yes Sir, there’s even one that has silver inlay and engraving on the sides with my name engraved on each side of the forearm. Then there’s another rifle like this one that’s made of blue steel that does not have all the fine engraving, that the General said is for my everyday use. The General and I unpacked the rifles and he taught me how to shoot at some small willows we marked with our knives. The General even told me that I was a natural born firearms expert,” Sky was telling his dad all about his day after they got the wagons unloaded.

“Dad would you let me purchase one of the rifle scabbards over there? I want to put it on my saddle so I can carry my rifle with me and practice my marksmanship, as the General termed it.”

“Sky I’ll give you one,” Raif said as he pulled a smooth buckskin rifle scabbard from underneath the counter.

“I want you to always be very responsible with firearms and considerate where you shoot as well, if you like, I’ll ride with you tomorrow and we’ll both take rifles so we can practice our skills.”

“I’d like that very much dad, just you and I.”

The next morning the General and Jane rode into the post early as Raif and Beth were opening for business. Sky was already out in the barn securing the new rifle scabbard to his saddle and tending to his horses. He walked out as the two riders dismounted.

“Good morning Sir, good morning Jane, I’ll take care of your horse while you go inside.” Sky told them. He took the horse from the buggy and led it inside the barn.

The two early risers went to the post as Sky swung to the back of his horse and set off up the trail to the house.

Sky rode directly to the barn and took the long rifle with the blue steel barrel and two boxes of cartridges from the opened case. He placed the cartridges in his saddle bags. He shoved the new rifle, barrel first into the scabbard with the butt of the rifle pointed upward to the front of the horse.

Swinging to the back of his big horse with ease, they whirled and ran up the trail to the post. He rode to the front of the barn, bounced to the ground and went inside. He came back out with Ocoze Sina, the Appaloosa stud saddled and ready, with a rifle scabbard secured to this saddle as well. Walking with both horses to the front of the post he stopped and held his hand up to them and went inside. Neither had bridles on.

Raif and Sky left the post within the hour, on a trail that took them north and west from the post, out into the open plains. They rode silent for a few minutes as their eyes scanned the plains and took in the beauty of nature spread out before them.

“Dad, I hope I can prove myself worthy of hunting alone this fall. I think I would like to scout out and kill a deer on my own if you think I have earned the right.”

“Sky I see no reason why you can’t hunt alone, you’re a very responsible young man and you seek the advice of your elders in matters that concern you. The Sioux have schooled you well in the care and riding of your horses. The General has been here one day and you’ve learned the fundamentals of the new rifles.

“You are well on your way to becoming your own man. I want you to know that when you pick up firearms it changes the way you’re looked upon, as well as the way you present your self to others.”

“When you take up arms, there are three main reasons to do so and you must always know, that only you can pull the trigger or walk away.

“The first and foremost reason to take up arms is to provide food for you and your family. This is your right guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America. The Constitution also guarantees you the right to bear arms to defend yourself, your family, your friends and your property. The third reason you would take up arms would be to defend your country against any and all who come against her, whether you be in the Army as I was, or involved in law enforcement in some way.”

“Always remember, if you wear a gun on your person or carry one in your hand, you have to be ready to use it. Someone somewhere will challenge you in some way, and you have to be ready to defend yourself or you could very well die.

“If you’re wearing a gun among friends, know your friends well. If you’re wearing a gun among those who are not your friends, trust no one.”

“Your name and your place in life were not by your choosing. The events that brought you to this land were beyond your control and beyond your ability to change. You’ll be faced with many decisions by those that would call you fake and liar, because of your legacy. You’ll be called names like ‘half-breed’, ‘dirty Injun’, ‘squaw-man’ and others that will challenge you and your manhood.

“You will need to use reason and control many more times than I did when I was your age. You will need to be a man that knows when to fight and when to walk away from a fight. Walking away from a fight does not mean you’re weak, it means you’re smart enough to look at the odds and live to fight another day.

“If someone is itching for a fight with you, then you make sure it’s you that picks the time and place. Never jump a man from behind, face him head on, even if it means getting your butt whipped a few times. Only a coward will jump a man from behind or hide and blind side him.

“Fighting for a man’s honor will never prove anything except who can whip who. Still, with that said, I cannot ask you to let your honor, your life or your legacy be stepped on. If you’re ever pushed into a fight, whether with guns or with your fists, fight to win. Take your opponent out as quickly as possible, and always be aware of who may be waiting to take part in your defeat.

“Remember, in a brawl there are no rules. If there are more than one, take out the strongest first, most times that will put fear into the rest. If you’re ever pushed into a gun fight, look for the one you think is the best and kill him first. Kill the head of the snake and you can step on the tail.

“Sky, I want to tell you one very important fact about facing a challenge. Whether it be in a hand to hand fight or whether you’re answering a challenge from the past. Never let hate and anger lead you into a fight. If you do not have control of your thoughts and your emotions, you’ll not be in control of your actions. You can justify your actions and ask yourself why, after you walk away. When I was in training for the cavalry, we had a sergeant that would tell us. ‘Fight in a way that will let you live to fight again, no mercy asked, none given’.”

Sky was riding beside his dad, taking in every word as he spoke, the horses walking neck and neck as they traveled farther out into the plains.

“Dad, will you teach me how to defend myself with no weapons in my hands, I think I would rather do that, than have to kill a man for making remarks about me, my family or my heritage.”

“One of the men that came with the General is an expert in hand to hand fighting, I’m sure he’d be honored to teach you his skills. After he has schooled you, we’ll talk again and I’ll show you how to know when to fight and how to end a fight. Remember this Sky, each time you fight, whether with your fists or with your guns, your reputation grows. Someone will hear the story and want to challenge you.

“This is a wild and savage land we live in today and fighting is a way of life for some, for the rest of us, it is a way to survive.”

“I thought I was already becoming a man, now I see that I have just begun. The lessons I learn now will have a bearing on how healthy I am and how long I live,” Sky said with a laugh.

“Now you see that there is more to growing up, than getting bigger and getting older.”

Sky and his dad rode again in silence, enjoying the feeling of being together and riding into the open plains as father and son. The father and son rode on for a few more miles and stopped near a grove of trees. Raif pulled the Henry rifle from its scabbard on his horse and took the shells Sky offered him. Sky loaded his rifle and they sat on a fallen tree and let the horses walk out to the grass to graze.

Raif stooped and picked up a double handful of sandstone rocks the size of a walnut and walked a few yards out to place them in a line on another fallen tree.

Sky watched as his dad did this and thought, ‘if those are targets the shooting better be good today’.

Raif came back and sat down near Sky. “I know the General showed you the basics of how to work the rifle and how to shoot, now we’re going to make each shot count.”

“Learn to hit what you aim at and you’ll live longer and spend less on ammunition,” Raif said then whipped his Henry rifle to his shoulder and fired all seventeen rounds, having loaded one in the barrel. There had been seventeen of the small sandstone rocks along the log, now there were none, in a matter of seconds.