Longwood Second Hunt Day 01-02

"We got good news, seems they departed by horse. Going to stop and ask but we can get vittles around the corner and look in the gun shop." Dan comes in, comes over to me, and I get a hug.

"You have four boxes of ammo, I have five boxes plus what the lieutenant has. If we run low it won't matter they have too many." I grin up at my husband.

"I just want to see, Andrew was saying a full gun shop would carry more guns. Mayhap I can get another bow or three and we can show Cucaracha why lights out." Barkeep sighs and shakes his head.

"You don't want that, he had two Mohawk with him." I look up at Dan beaming, he looks confused so he doesn't recall.

"Mohawk fought with the French, Washington got Cherokee and a few minor offshoots of us." Cucaracha gets it first.

"So we have nothing to fear because we have a Cherokee?" I nod.

"Yep, two Apache as well, not as good but close." Bipin and Elan come in with Chun and Bia on their arms with the marshals right behind them.

"Can we look at the gun store before we leave?" I think we all stare at Elan a moment.

"That is my plan, look at the guns, get vittles around the corner and head after. We need to ask at the station, they perhaps boarded the overland train." Dan collects a beer then asks the question I was pondering.

"Why do you want to look at the gun store?" Elan shrugs.

"The rifles they give us to hunt with are not exactly long ranged. When hunting with a round eye range is nice to have and perhaps can get a pig." Dan nudges me so I look up.

"Janet share your pig trick."

"Dan he's a dirty Apache he doesn't need it." Bipin snorts and chuckles.

"This from a filthy Cherokee." I give him the best answer to the comment, I stick my tongue out at him.

"At least I have a husband." Well alright so there is a phrase to go with the tongue, Bipin stares at me a second then wags a finger.

"Janet just share the trick." Dan beat him to coming up with a good counter.

"What I do is collect a bucket and have Amanda drop orange peels, apple cores and such in. Add a little water and just let it sit until it starts to smell a little, then go pour someplace. Away from people because the pigs will come. Some are big and a bit mean."

"That's all there is to it?' I shake my head.

"Do it every day for three or four then you will have a good sized pile and pigs will come. I do behind the farm store past the outhouse. Once you do it enough you can go sit at the outhouse and they won't know. I take the big ones, they are ornery and will go after people."

"What about the smaller ones?" This from the sergeant.

"I leave them alone, though if you have a notion and a net you can keep them. Pigs are easy, they will take anything, left over meat, rotten anything. If it was food in the last month or so they will eat." Bipin opens his mouth and he has a good question.

"How often do pigs breed?"

"Once or twice a year, I think, not recalling. They have litters though so a year later you have a few big enough to eat for a while."

"All it takes to get injuns to stop attacking people is to give them pigs?" I think we all stare at Cucaracha for a bit.

"No, the ones you will be tasked with hunting I suppose are Apache. They value warriors above all others." Bipin nods and winks at me.

"We make an exception on Janet." I grab my water and toss the water at him, keep the glass.

"Hopefully you won't actually see why the Apache are afraid of me. This many greenhorns though I suppose you will. Apache are resisting reservations because they have tried, they get lied to. None have gotten it as bad as Cherokee, but it doesn't take much to anger a warrior. I'm going to say what you need to do, won't happen but what you need. You need to give them a place to live where they can grow, and teach it. We mostly did not know how to do a farm, most injuns wandered the land and knew where to sprinkle seeds for the next time through." Dan nudges me so I look up.

"Women, they will want women because most of the rampaging Apache are war tribes, little to no women."

"Ach that be a tall order." I shake my head and grin.

"Apache remember, their women like to get with the warriors. If you get a war tribe to settle to a spot you can get women in by train or walk. We turn women away from the saloon because they want to bring money to their new tribe." Barkeep waves his hand.

"What if they don't like any? I hear stories about Apache I guess raping women." I shake my head.

"No what you hear stories about are Apache doing wife raids. They don't always sneak away with a wife for one, if there is husband they sometimes kill husband and take all women. Of age and resist are broken to stay with one, younger are raised Apache and get to choose. This is not seen as rape, to us rape is something to not do. Your soldiers do more often than hostile wife raids." Bia steps up.

"I am a direct result of that very thing." Barkeep crosses himself.

"So I should ignore most of what is said?" We all nod.

"No whiskey still, we do not resist well." Dan snorts.

"Janet turns into a giggling drunk with one whiskey." I shake my head.

"Half a glass of watered beer was in there."

"I got one better with you, two swallows and a half of whiskey and she passed out" I swat Dan for making me sound like a round eye drunk.

"I was shot and the undertaker wanted me passed out or something."

"I think we better get to the gun store." Cucaracha says with a sigh and the barkeep nods and heads for him.

The waking is rather funny, when the barkeep touches him the man only groans. So he pushes him a time or two and he falls out of the chair. The sergeant mutters something then hops up and goes with his beer. He waves the beer near the man's head a time or two and he grabs for it. He actually gets hold so sergeant is pulling and the man is pulling. Both are calling the other names I don't understand.

Barkeep runs behind the bar and returns with a whiskey. Back over to them he goes and holds it up in front of gun store man. Well he lets go of the beer and grabs up the whiskey. Sergeant is too busy keeping his beer so ends up sitting down and splash. Some of his beer came out and on him so he's complaining about losing beer. The rest of us are laughing, watching this is better than most of us see often.

Then Bipin calls it dog hat and us injuns are laughing. I shake my head and call it sergeant morning and we are all laughing. Finally we get the two Irish up and head for the gun store. Inside is wonderful, there are rifles and pistols everywhere. Cucaracha follows me around as I go over the rifles. The pistols I am quite happy with my Colts so pay them no mind. One rifle though is interesting, it looks to be a blackpowder rifle.

I pick it up and go over it, the back of it opens up to allow a bullet. The length is about on par with my Winchester so it would fire true. I think at least and while my Winchester is better with loadout this would be a good rifle. Cucaracha on the other hand seems to love the rifle. The store owner comes over and just looks at us a moment.

"Not much call for these, the Winchester and Henry are more general use. These are good for hunting though."

"I have a Winchester and a Henry before." He looks me up and down and shrugs.

"I didn't know you injuns followed the stories." I'm just a bit on the confused side, Cucaracha is right there with me.

"What stories?" I think we ask it together.

"Why the stories on Cherokee Janet, there hasn't been a new for a spell. They are good though, she goes out hunting outlaws."

Well that makes me laugh. I laugh so hard I end up sitting on the floor. After a spell I realize everybody is looking down at me. Dan is right there so I climb right up and swat him a few times.

"Dan you never told me about stories on me." Dan scratches his head.

"I never knew honest. I shared stories at the courthouse, and the men we rounded up alive shared stories. Nobody ever told me there were books."

"There is a book store across the street."

I just follow his point and out the door. The book store is next to the eatery so it is easy to find. I seem to be followed by most everybody. Dan is all I need though, he has most of our money. The store is just opening when we get to it so I get to look right off. Finding the books is easy, I'm a series of penny novels so not terribly big. There are plenty of them though so I collect every one and drop it on the counter. The clerk looks at the books, up at me, then at the books again.

"If'n you follow her why are you buying all of them?"

"I lived these most likely, I didn't know made books about me." The clerk chuckles and points, on the cover of one it shows a round eye woman.

"Dan, did you say I'm a round eye?" Dan sighs and picks up one of the books and leaf's threw a moment.

"Oh here we go, Janet say us about our first hunt with a Winchester, just catching the guy."

"If'n I recall right we had found our man in the evening. I talked you into moving up during the night and we reached his camp with the sun coming. I went above with new Winchester, you stayed down in the dirt. When I got to a good overlook on a sleeping camp I shot in the air. Dan yells at them while I sung. End up shooting two out of the five and we had two bounties, one dead and one alive." Dan nods and the clerk's jaw is just hanging.

"Here now, let's get a few sets." Sergeant drops two more sets of the books on the counter. "We can laugh about the wrong parts."

I elbow the sergeant but well I can't really forbid it. Dan pays a strangely quiet clerk then we are exiting to get vittles. Cucaracha joins us here carrying the black powder looking rifle. I can tell he's got boxes of ammo for it. Into the eatery we go and get a big table for sitting. To be nice, everyone gets a big table, there are three long tables with chairs. We split up a little, there are not many empty chairs together.

The rest of the eaters are a bit nervous, at least I'm the only injun armed. I sit with Dan, Bipin, and Cucaracha. Sergeant sits elsewhere with Elan, Bia, and Chun. I'm fairly certain Bia and Chun actually get spoken to, the man sitting next to me never utters a word.

"Cucaracha why did you get that rifle?" He looks up from his plate and smiles.

We don't get a choice on what to eat, we sit and get a plate of vittles. Not a terrible system though I rather prefer the eatery we have. Course here we only have one cook so definitely easier. Amanda swears she had problem every day though she never made more than two different plates.

"I trained on this rifle. At West Point we are taught how to soldier in all ways, foot, horse, and boat."

"Not every soldier gets a Winchester?" He shakes his head and smiles.

"Fine rifle if expensive, cavalry gets a Winchester, anyone else gets one of these. Once trained this rifle is just as good as a Winchester." Brings to mind a question so I turn to Dan who is busy eating.

"Dan, how much did we pay for my Winchesters?" Dan sighs and slumps a little, I guess I won't like this.

"The first one was borrowed, I didn't expect you to put it in a drawer. I just went and bought a new one for him. At least the new one was cheaper than he paid. He swears up and down it worked better though you never complained." I shake my head.

"It worked perfectly fine for me, perhaps my songs helped." Dan shrugs and smiles at me.

"I can't say, I don't follow your ways though you never dropped it either. He said dropping it loaded sets it off. The new one didn't do that so either he dropped it cocked and it did on that one, or he never cocked the new one for a drop." I snort and giggle.

"Possible either way, now you never answered, how much did they cost?"

"Lets see, if'n I recall right the replacement was fifty. First short rifle was seventy five, something about wanting to make sure there is a demand. The second was fifty." Cucaracha waves his hand.

"Why did you buy two?"

"The first one got shot, we had just finished a hunt and taking him back. The store we stopped at didn't have replacement stock, but did have short rifle so we traded. I got six boxes of bullets for my shot rifle so even trade I warrant."

"Sold that one to the brothel when we moved to Longwood. Had it for a good spell and fine for brothel but I wanted a new for Janet." Cucaracha looks at us both and shrugs.

"Makes sense, you two get the duties most won't do."

"It's not hard work, the only part that needs training is tracking. If'n you don't want to do it yourself just hire an injun, most all of us can. Some are better than others course so make sure you ask. Bipin can't track worth spit, but everything else he's powerful good." Bipin swells up and smiles.

"Janet you realize you just said an Apache is good at something." I look up at Dan and sigh then stomp on his foot.

"He's not exactly an Apache anymore." Bipin snorts and points at me.

"I warrant you ain't Cherokee anymore but you didn't change none." I grin and stick my tongue out.

"At least Cherokee always smell good." Bipin sighs then chuckles.

"Got nothing to say bout that one. All jealous of you though, you don't attend church and no problem." I lean into Dan and wink.

"Honest, if'n it wasn't for Dan I'd only do round eye way." Dan pokes me.

"This wasn't my idea, I'm happy just minding Longwood."

"Dan I was happy just being in the brothel with you doing security." Dan turns to look full at me.

"So you wouldn't want to get McCalbane if we stayed in the brothel?" I roll my eyes.

"I meant we could have found him, rode out, kilt him proper, and gone back. Course I'm happy with Longwood, just wish he had gone near the Cherokee reservation."

"I don't think he would have, likely figured you went to a reservation and being Cherokee would have been there. Think about it, Apache and Cherokee don't mix, you seemed all set to shoot the Apache at first." I just roll my eyes, Bipin laughs.

"Dan Cherokee don't do that, Apache might but then we are not stupid either. A reservation full of tribes one Apache won't attack. I warrant our reservation wouldn't attack theirs either." I giggle and shake my head.

"If'n we were that close we would set up watch and you might get two steps. Asides I been teaching you to be more Cherokee like."

"Chief been saying he heard stories of Cherokee having towns, is that true?" I nod and grin at Cucaracha.

"True, when the round eye came they found us in towns, at first they asked us to get closer together. We figure have nation like them, then round eye get better idea, for round eye. I missed most of, what I recall of before reservation with McCalbane we were getting moved about. We got McCalbane providing meat because small tribe, why we had been near Florida, get away from enemy tribes."

"So your tribe was the one that revolted?" I just glare at Cucaracha a spell.

"Round eye recall wrong, McCalbane not give meat after take me. Cow he get he sell and not give, tribe went to town to get meat and cavalry come. Killed all but seven elders too weak to fight, women, children, all dead for being hungry. Because of McCalbane we forced on march, can't march, shot. I miss all because I held in ranch for enjoyment of men. Reason I work in brothel, round eye try and kill Cherokee because round eye not like injun." Bipin nods and nudges him.

"Apache learning christian cause hear talk of sending our kids to round eye school and forget our way. Christian nice though, chief prays to both during poker and walk away richer often." I snort and shake my head.

"Chief good at poker, I sing because what I know. Might help, might not, there's no tell. I no christian because round eye christian are reason need brothel so long." Dan gives me a hug and just holds me, I smile cause nice.

"I'm Christian and attend, we all pray for Janet but she's too set in her way. Father Darren plays poker with Janet and speaks on it, she knows just won't attend or say. Honest, most of our money come from her playing cards anymore." I look up at Dan.

"Craps, I play craps too. I warrant we should get, and figure out where marshals went." Dan snorts.

"Marshals ate fast and took our horses to the overland rail, they are asking after our man on getting train." I nod and we get up, the cook coming fast to collect coin.

I figure Dan pays a dollar for all us, though the plates are only a penny each. He does get us a big smile though so I warrant it's worth the dollar. Good bread too, plenty of butter, honey as well but I didn't touch. I notice Bipin did so I tease him on being round eye a spell. When we reach the rail we find the marshals and our horses. They give good news as well, our man didn't get on train. For this train you need buy ticket before boarding.

We all stow anything we got extra in our saddle bags then get on horse. Chun needs help with that. She doesn't leap like I do so Cucaracha ends up leaning over and pulling her up. Course a train is coming during the wait for Chun. Dan heads over and looks, like I couldn't have already said too close. So we sit there and wait for the train to move up and stop. When it does we head for the train and go in front of it.

Passengers are getting off and we cause something of a stir. Judging by the look we are getting most have never seen an injun before. Dan nudges me and tells me to so I pull my Winchester and shout a challenge. The warriors do the same with grins causing consternation. Sergeant shakes his finger at me then goes that way. I wave at the engineer as we pass him, he's grinning at us. Around the train we speed up a bit, not much to let the sergeant catch up. Bipin and Elan head to the edge of the path in cause they turn quick. A laughing sergeant catches up with us after a spell.

"Most of the women refused to believe you are Janet. The men wondered if we were taking you all to a reservation." Chun groans and shakes her head.

"Can't anybody tell me from an injun?" Bipin, Elan, and myself raise our hands, Dan does as well after a moment of chuckles.

"Pretty sure she speaking of not injuns and pals." Cucaracha says after a moment, well this bears a question.

"What difference? I gave Dan son already, Chad is from round eye." Sergeant waves his hand.

"Janet you rather hold yourself aside from us." Well I'm plumb confused so look at Dan, he shrugs.

"In a way you do, I mean besides not attending church. You have a rather man feel most of the time." I lean over and swat Dan, then look at Chun who waggles her hand.

"Besides the hat you got now you rather do have a man feel. When you whored it was easy to overlook, you wore a camisole and a skirt. Now all you wear are the pants and a shirt." I groan and toss up my hands.

"I'm a deputy need to be able to at least fight with no warning." Dan snorts and shakes his head.

"You didn't wear your belt, not complaining but a deputy with no gun is a little odd." I ran out of things to say, I guess I do have a man feel.

"I'd like to hear this tale about a cucaracha." I look at him and grin, Bipin looks up and snorts.

"What story about a cucaracha?"

"Bipin you forget much of old way." Bia snorts and giggles.

"I think I know story but was sparrow."

"Yes similar, coyote never get moment of peace, perhaps why he act the way." Cucaracha opens his mouth until sergeant nudges him.

"Just get on with the tale."

"Should have brought wife, sergeant. Perhaps would give us moments peace." Cucaracha snorts.

"She never shut up when we were getting ready." This is funny so I laugh with most everyone, sergeant gets a little red.

"She was upset I was going away for a while with no warning. Still has not met you." I look at Dan and get a shaken head.

"Will on return promise, perhaps play poker at fort." Sergeant opens his mouth until Cucaracha swats him, I guess say story now. "Coyote has den in sky, sleeps there, plots his tricks. Cucaracha one day decides to listen in to foil plot. Hears coyote plan on getting sparrow so goes and warns sparrow. Coyote goes for sparrow and does not get sparrow, but finds out cucaracha warned sparrow. Coyote is powerful mad so hunts cucaracha, long hunt, much tearing up of ground. Can not find cucaracha so finally coyote give up." Bia claps and smiles.