Chapter 21: Jesse & Marie

Jesse and Marie had their shakedown, learning period about trail travel in a wagon in the weeks it took to reach Monroe, Louisiana. Lots of little things had to be learned the hard way and some were never learned, but taught, once they joined up with two other wagon loads of seasoned travelers.

Things like: how to scour cooking pans with river sand, how to properly bank a campfire for the night, why it was necessary to locate off the trail some distance when possible, how to rig a canvas under the wagon to toss in downed limbs or twigs or dried animal droppings; fuel for the time when camp had to be made and no fuel was otherwise available. These and many more trail wise tidbits were shared and learned. With more people, better night watch shifts could also be established.

One wagon contained the Jed Connors family of Jed, Jill, and their four children: Jed Jr., Jillson, June, and baby Jon. The other wagon contained the Ned Bastions, Ned and Sarah, newlyweds at one year and no children. Both the Connors and the Bastions had a milk cow in tow and each had a mongrel dog.

Even without the extra livestock, ten miles progress a day was a good day. Fording streams, fixing breakdowns, and negotiating muddy trails after a rain could slow progress considerably. This kind of travel was also dirty, hard, backbreaking work, but Marie loved it and the freedom it brought her from the chores of her former life. The tomboy side of her she had enjoyed years earlier with her sister was still with her.

The Connors and the Bastions had been traveling together and Jesse and Marie had caught up with them one evening near Shreveport while looking for a night camping spot.

Jesse said to Marie, "Look, Marie, off to the right up ahead. I think I see two wagons making camp. Let's see if we can join them. We could both use the company!"

As Jesse pulled the team to a stop close in to the other two wagons, he could see a small, clear running stream a short way off from the camp.

"Mind if we join you?" Jesse called out.

One of them, Jed as it turned out, shouted back, "Looks as if you already have! Pull your wagon around to our open side and unhitch."

After introductions were made all around, Ned said, "No offense meant, but two things: You appear to be pilgrims so far as living on the trail and the knowin' of western ways. First, you always need to hail the camp and request to come in farther out than you did this time. Give the camp time to look you over before they decide ifn they wants you to come in."

"Second, now that you're unhitched, go get your team and bring them inside the wagon circle. So doin' will give you a much better chance of them still being there in the morning than picketed out there in the open."

"Thanks," said Jesse, " we still have a lot to learn, and because we do, no offense is taken."

And, a lot more was learned by Jesse and Marie by the time Longview, Texas was behind them all. One evening, about half way to Dallas, the three wagons were in evening camp within a small stand of timber along the banks of a small stream. Jesse had removed himself from view of the camp to relieve himself.

Jesse had just finished buttoning up, when out of the corner of his eye, he caught the slightest hint of movement off to his right. One of the things recently learned was that nobody, male or female, left the camp unarmed. Jesse had his Army colt in his waistband.

With deliberate slowness, Jesse drew the Colt as he slowly slid down the tree to a prone position on the floor of the timber. As the head of an Indian partially broke cover in the direction Jesse was looking, Jesse lined up on the target. He exhaled slowly, eased the trigger back, and fired.

The Indian's head exploded in a splash of bone, blood, and brains. The shot also served to warn the camp of danger.

Two arrows flew by Jesse, just inches above his head. Jesse had seen one of the two shooters and snapped off a shot in that direction. He was rewarded by the sight of a body falling forward, just the head out of cover. The body did not move any further.

A little early to brag, but that was not bad shooting for one used to sighting in and shooting artillery! thought Jesse. Just lucky, I guess.

From the other side of the wagons, several shots were heard with shots fired in return from the camp. Hearing a slight sound behind him, Jesse rolled onto his back just in time to grab the arms of an Indian who flopped on top of him, one hand armed with a knife he planned to sink into Jesse's chest. More shots came from the campsite.

Jesse and the Indian rolled around, locked in a mortal embrace. They were nearly equal in strength, about as evenly matched as possible. Jesse rolled, striking his head on a rock, stunning himself for the briefest of moments. Just long enough for the knife to sink through his shirt, drawing blood and halting against the sternum, failing to penetrate further.

Recovering, Jesse summoned superhuman effort and heaved the Indian off and onto his back. Now it was Jesse who flopped on top, once again locked to the wrists of the warrior. Sweat ran in a rivulet off Jesse's chin and onto the face of his grunting opponent. With the next roll, the Indian was again on top and the knife slowly descending.

In an instant, Jesse managed to twist the Indian's arm so the knife pointed upward, and then he relaxed his resistance. With a look of surprise and shock, the Indian fell onto his own knife, driving it hilt deep into his chest and heart. Jesse heaved the Indian off and crawled toward the campsite as more shots erupted from that location.

Jesse, on his belly, inched up behind a small shrub ten or so yards short of the wagons. As he looked toward camp, He saw an Indian rise up to kneel and raise a rifle aimed into camp. Jesse snapped off an unaimed shot at the Indian and by pure chance, hit the wooden stock of the rifle, after smashing through the Indian's hand. The force and shock of the hit snapped the wooden stock across the face of the Indian and drove him over backwards onto his rump.

The Indian and Jesse regained their feet simultaneously and faced off. The Indian came on fast, a knife in his good left hand. As the Indian's backhand slash went past Jesse's face, leaving a bloody but shallow slice across his forehead, Jesse lashed out with his left leg and caught the Indian squarely in his breechclout.

As the Indian doubled over in pain, he didn't see Jesse's artificial leg separate from it's attachment point and drop to the ground. Unbalanced, Jesse fell onto his side, but with the presence of mind to fire two rounds at the Indian. One round went into the body, the other squarely into the side of the Indian's skull.

The sudden quiet that descended upon the entire camp was unnerving.

After a minute or two, Ned or Jed, called out, "Jesse! Are you ok?"

Jesse, still in relative cover, didn't answer for fear of giving more evidence of his location to the hostiles. Five minutes passed, then ten.

Jesse then called out in a low voice, "I think they're gone. I'm just out side the west side of the wagons. I'm going to crawl in. Cover me, but don't shoot me!"

He could hear a sob of relief and guessed it was Marie, glad to know he was alive. Jesse made it into camp with no further hindrances.

Everyone started to relax. Jed said, "We got one that we know of, don't know if any more were hit or how bad. Did you hit any, Jesse?"

Jesse quietly replied, "I took out three."

"Whooooeeee!" cried Ned, "You got three? All dead? I wonder how many was in the full raiding party?"

"Don't know," said Jesse, "but I guess they had enough! I don't think they'll be back tonight, but we best stand extra guard, just in case. We were very lucky--this time. I'll take first watch, Jed, you take second, and Ned you take third. That'll get us to daybreak. Ned, you best wake the rest of us just before that, just in case those Indians do decide to try and surprise us."

Ned then said, "Jesse, I said it before, you shore is a fast learner."

Jesse replied, "My army training and experience might have a bit to do with it."

The rest of the night was uneventful, as was the next morning. After breakfast, the party packed up and hitched up. The travelers were on the trail for Dallas soon after. The remainder of the long trip to Dallas was also uneventful in it's boring monotony of work and constant watchfulness.

It was a little over a week before Christmas, 1868 as the small party drove into the east outskirts of the city. The decision was made to lay up for rest and resupply and to celebrate Christmas in Dallas before resuming the trail. After resupplying, the decision was also made to drive back outside town a couple of miles to camp. At camp that night, the men discussed the immediate future while the women cleaned up supper and listened in on the conversation.

After the decision to pull out the day after Christmas, Ned asked, "Can we all afford the money for hotel rooms for Christmas Eve and Christmas night? A real bed and bath for the women would be right nice Christmas present for them before hittin' the trail again!"

After some discussion and some encouragement from the wives, it was agreed to spend the two nights in a hotel and then be on the trail by noon, early noon, the day after Christmas.