Arizona Blue—Gunfighter [Ch: 3 of 7: Wolves Nest]
Arizona Blue—Gunfighter
The Wolves Nest—in the North
[Episode Five]
Northern Minnesota Area–
Winter of 1877
After the Battle [Chapter Three of Seven]
“Glad you were here Arizona,” said Harry.
“This is quite a different place to live,” commented Arizona
“Why not asks Arizona to stay a few more days, Harry?” said Feba.
“Good idea. We could use your gun, and you could use a rest, and you still need to get some nourishment into your body if you plan on moving through this cold. The cold you know takes it all out of you, your energy.”
Arizona knew he was right, and he needed sleep, he just didn’t want to get into any more battles, but the enemy was all-round him, different than what he was used to, perilously so, but on the other hand, he didn’t have much choice.
“You’re very kind; sure, I need a few more days sleep.”
The Morning
Arizona never did get back to sleep, although he felt the worse was not over; why should it be, he told himself, they had burned out a few settlers hereabouts, killed some, and scared some off; leaving only a few left in the whole area. Why on God’s earth did Harry want to keep his family here, he asked himself: this place was doomed he figured. Another storm of Indians, and it was judgment day for all in this little log cabin.
His wife was forty or younger, and her husband was also getting up in age. Their son was around fifteen, figured Arizona. Eighty miles South was Pigs Eye a bar and trading center; also a city that did a good business on the Mississippi (St. Paul, Minnesota). Open up a shop or bar, that’s what he could do there, he thought. Get out of this territory.
As Arizona put on his boots, Feba came out with water for him to wash up with. She was pretty, but aging quickly he could tell, it was a life of drudgeries out here to told himself. The worry of the land would put wrinkles on any person’s face, Arizona thought.
“Do you care if I put some firewood on the fire Mrs.’” Arizona asked. She caught eyes a few times, as if she was attracted to him. But he knew better, he was interesting, that is all. She had a good looking husband, and he was a good father to her children. And people are more interesting when you show up out of nowhere, and you fight for them, a hero type. You trust the other person more. You got more in common then. Just a human thing deliberated Blue.
“The winters in Minnesota are really bad sometimes. But the deer and the fox and the bears are plentiful. They bring a fair price for our living.”
Blue looked at her. She was trying to convince him that they needed to stay here for the money. Hell, it was cold, and isolated. No one in their right minds would travel five miles to help you fight Indians.
Then came Harry in, from out of side, he had used the toilet shed, he hit Feba on the ass, saying,
“She’s a beauty, a good wife. How about breakfast honey?”
She blushed a bit, then she started to make the breakfast, the wolves and dogs were starting to bark and squeal. Harry ran through the bedroom, Feba looked at Arizona. The boy ran down stairs with his wolf. Arizona grabbed his holster again, and put his pistols in his belt, and checked his colt to be sure it was loaded.
Harry did not come back, so Blue ran to the outdoor shed, Harry was dead on the floor with an arrow in his head; the wolves were on fire, but still alive with arrows in their spines, legs, backs, stomachs. They were being used for target practice. The roof was on fire and was starting to fall in. Just then Blue turned around, three Indians came through the door; they had used a tree to break through the door. A wolf jumped on the first Indian, and the boy looked about for the rifle, but before he spotted one, an hatchet went into his chest. Blue started shooting wild like, reloading, and shooting; he got the two Indians that where pushing the back of the tree against the front door. All three were dead. As he looked out the open window, there were about six more Indians looking through the doorway, but didn’t proceed to force their way in. They simply waited for the house to burn down and out. They were holding rifles in their hands. It would be a slaughter, as they wanted.
Feba was in shock, she was walking in circles, looking at her dead boy and into the bedroom at her dead husband. Arizona grabbed a rope, and Feba by the hand, ran up into the loft, the lone wolf, the boy’s wolf ran after the six Indians, as did three or four that got away out in the back from being tied to the fence. They also ran through the house towards the Indians. For the time being, they fled, but the house was burning, and they simply went into the woods but a short distance away. As soon as they’d go out of the house they’d shoot.
There was an entrance to the roof, and Feba and Blue got on top. It was burning, and so Blue grabbed the rope tied it around the chimney, and lassoed a nearby tree. He grabbed Feba and they both swung into the deep snow bank against the tree in back of the one they had lassoed.
The Indians still thought they were in the house, for when they came back after shooting the wolves, they stood by and watched it burn down, thinking everyone was dead, and there were no tracks running out to the woods. Blue took the rope off from tied around them; Feba had a sweater on from the morning, but no jacket. And she had slippers on her feet.
Blue had his boots on, his guns, a leather jacket, and his gold in his pocket. All the horses were taken by the Indians. They had 80-miles of snow in front of them to go to find help.
Feba started crying, and as she was about to scream, Arizona put his hand over mouth.
“Listen, if the Indians hear us, we are dead. And if we do not find a place to stay we are dead. And if we do not make it to the city, Pigs Eye, we will also die somewhere along the way. And so please grieve later,” cold as it was, the elements seemed to fill her mind, and pulled herself together.
She looked up at Arizona, wiped her tears from her eyes and nodded her head as if say, I’ll try; and Arizona, gave a smile, and sad smile, it was all that was left inside both of them.
As they started to walk South, Blue knew he had to do something before her feet got frost bitten. They would not last in the cold. He took his knife out and cut the top of his boots off, and then he cut his leather sleeves off of his jacket, and put the boot parts under Feba’s feet, tying them with the sleeves. It was the best he could do. She smiled.
“We’re gonia make it?” asked Feba.
Blue never had to face nature in this way, it wasn’t a gun fight, he really didn’t know.
“I’m not sure Miss, but we’ll give it a good try.”
The Wolves Nest—in the North
[Episode Five]
Northern Minnesota Area–
Winter of 1877
After the Battle [Chapter Three of Seven]
“Glad you were here Arizona,” said Harry.
“This is quite a different place to live,” commented Arizona
“Why not asks Arizona to stay a few more days, Harry?” said Feba.
“Good idea. We could use your gun, and you could use a rest, and you still need to get some nourishment into your body if you plan on moving through this cold. The cold you know takes it all out of you, your energy.”
Arizona knew he was right, and he needed sleep, he just didn’t want to get into any more battles, but the enemy was all-round him, different than what he was used to, perilously so, but on the other hand, he didn’t have much choice.
“You’re very kind; sure, I need a few more days sleep.”
The Morning
Arizona never did get back to sleep, although he felt the worse was not over; why should it be, he told himself, they had burned out a few settlers hereabouts, killed some, and scared some off; leaving only a few left in the whole area. Why on God’s earth did Harry want to keep his family here, he asked himself: this place was doomed he figured. Another storm of Indians, and it was judgment day for all in this little log cabin.
His wife was forty or younger, and her husband was also getting up in age. Their son was around fifteen, figured Arizona. Eighty miles South was Pigs Eye a bar and trading center; also a city that did a good business on the Mississippi (St. Paul, Minnesota). Open up a shop or bar, that’s what he could do there, he thought. Get out of this territory.
As Arizona put on his boots, Feba came out with water for him to wash up with. She was pretty, but aging quickly he could tell, it was a life of drudgeries out here to told himself. The worry of the land would put wrinkles on any person’s face, Arizona thought.
“Do you care if I put some firewood on the fire Mrs.’” Arizona asked. She caught eyes a few times, as if she was attracted to him. But he knew better, he was interesting, that is all. She had a good looking husband, and he was a good father to her children. And people are more interesting when you show up out of nowhere, and you fight for them, a hero type. You trust the other person more. You got more in common then. Just a human thing deliberated Blue.
“The winters in Minnesota are really bad sometimes. But the deer and the fox and the bears are plentiful. They bring a fair price for our living.”
Blue looked at her. She was trying to convince him that they needed to stay here for the money. Hell, it was cold, and isolated. No one in their right minds would travel five miles to help you fight Indians.
Then came Harry in, from out of side, he had used the toilet shed, he hit Feba on the ass, saying,
“She’s a beauty, a good wife. How about breakfast honey?”
She blushed a bit, then she started to make the breakfast, the wolves and dogs were starting to bark and squeal. Harry ran through the bedroom, Feba looked at Arizona. The boy ran down stairs with his wolf. Arizona grabbed his holster again, and put his pistols in his belt, and checked his colt to be sure it was loaded.
Harry did not come back, so Blue ran to the outdoor shed, Harry was dead on the floor with an arrow in his head; the wolves were on fire, but still alive with arrows in their spines, legs, backs, stomachs. They were being used for target practice. The roof was on fire and was starting to fall in. Just then Blue turned around, three Indians came through the door; they had used a tree to break through the door. A wolf jumped on the first Indian, and the boy looked about for the rifle, but before he spotted one, an hatchet went into his chest. Blue started shooting wild like, reloading, and shooting; he got the two Indians that where pushing the back of the tree against the front door. All three were dead. As he looked out the open window, there were about six more Indians looking through the doorway, but didn’t proceed to force their way in. They simply waited for the house to burn down and out. They were holding rifles in their hands. It would be a slaughter, as they wanted.
Feba was in shock, she was walking in circles, looking at her dead boy and into the bedroom at her dead husband. Arizona grabbed a rope, and Feba by the hand, ran up into the loft, the lone wolf, the boy’s wolf ran after the six Indians, as did three or four that got away out in the back from being tied to the fence. They also ran through the house towards the Indians. For the time being, they fled, but the house was burning, and they simply went into the woods but a short distance away. As soon as they’d go out of the house they’d shoot.
There was an entrance to the roof, and Feba and Blue got on top. It was burning, and so Blue grabbed the rope tied it around the chimney, and lassoed a nearby tree. He grabbed Feba and they both swung into the deep snow bank against the tree in back of the one they had lassoed.
The Indians still thought they were in the house, for when they came back after shooting the wolves, they stood by and watched it burn down, thinking everyone was dead, and there were no tracks running out to the woods. Blue took the rope off from tied around them; Feba had a sweater on from the morning, but no jacket. And she had slippers on her feet.
Blue had his boots on, his guns, a leather jacket, and his gold in his pocket. All the horses were taken by the Indians. They had 80-miles of snow in front of them to go to find help.
Feba started crying, and as she was about to scream, Arizona put his hand over mouth.
“Listen, if the Indians hear us, we are dead. And if we do not find a place to stay we are dead. And if we do not make it to the city, Pigs Eye, we will also die somewhere along the way. And so please grieve later,” cold as it was, the elements seemed to fill her mind, and pulled herself together.
She looked up at Arizona, wiped her tears from her eyes and nodded her head as if say, I’ll try; and Arizona, gave a smile, and sad smile, it was all that was left inside both of them.
As they started to walk South, Blue knew he had to do something before her feet got frost bitten. They would not last in the cold. He took his knife out and cut the top of his boots off, and then he cut his leather sleeves off of his jacket, and put the boot parts under Feba’s feet, tying them with the sleeves. It was the best he could do. She smiled.
“We’re gonia make it?” asked Feba.
Blue never had to face nature in this way, it wasn’t a gun fight, he really didn’t know.
“I’m not sure Miss, but we’ll give it a good try.”
posted by Dennis and Rosa Siluk at 6:07 PM
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