Comfort, is one of the many things you give up when you take up a life in the wild country.”
–Lou Bradshaw (Driftin’)
“As a door turns back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed.”
–Proverbs 26:14 (NLT)
Month: November 2016
The Saga of Miles Forrest
It was sudden. For a moment I thought it was just a customer coming in early, but as soon as he entered he began firing in my direction and walking toward me. I didn’t look to see how many for I immediately flipped over the table. Because of previous encounters in the restaurant I had this table reinforced with heavy oak.
I counted what I thought was five shots from the person approaching me. From the side I heard a shot from a small caliber gun and a groan. It was time, I shot up from my position and fired point-blank into the chest of the man who had been shooting. His pistol was empty and he was only about three paces from me. The blast from both barrels of the Greener took him full in the chest and knocked him back.
Then there was another shot and a man fell in the doorway. It sounded like a rifle. That would make three; were there more? Another rifle shot and then I heard horses galloping away. Looking around I saw Molly emerge from the kitchen with her pistol in her hand. The man on the floor was groaning. I didn’t even bother to look at the man I shot for he took both barrels. I didn’t want to look for he might be lying there in pieces.
The sound came from the sidewalk and he burst through the door. I pulled my pistol and only the good Lord kept me from firing. It was Lucas, carrying a rifle.
“Senor Marshal, Miss Molly,” and then he saw what almost happened. My .45 was looking him straight in the eyes. I thought he was going to faint, but he composed himself, smiled, and said. “Don’t shoot; it’s me, Lucas.”
“Lucas! Do you know how close?” I stopped. He was scared and so was I.
“I helped you. I shot the man on the sidewalk, and shot at two others as they rode off, but don’t think I hit them.”
“Help me with the table.” He came over and helped me flip the table over. There were four shots in the table; where that fifth shot was I didn’t know. “Sit down,” I ordered him.
Molly was down trying to stop the bleeding on the man she had shot. By now the marshal had shown up, plus Doc Jones.
“Get that man out of here!” I motioned to the marshal toward the one I shot with the Greener. “Don’t drag him, pick him up! I don’t want a trail of blood all the way out the door.”
The doc was working on the man laying there. All I could hear was groaning, and was also thinking of Lucas shooting a man at his young age. I motioned Molly over to him. He was now starting to shake.
Doc rose and came over to us. Molly asked, “Is he dead?”
“No, I think he’ll make it if infection don’t set in. He’s just passed out.” He stopped and looked at us shaking his head. “Molly, perhaps you need to change the name of this eatery from ‘Molly’s Place,’ to the ‘Shooting Gallery.’ My mercy, I’ve never seen the like.” He paused again. “Everyone here all right? How ’bout you son?”
Lucas nodded and said, “I saved the Senor and Senora.” He looked at me. “Senor Marshal, I wasn’t scared when it was happening, but I am now. Why is that?”
I reached out my hand to shake his. There are not words adequate at a time like this. “Thanks, pardner,” I said. He smiled and shook my hand.
Reaching for the coffeepot, I discovered where the fifth bullet hit. Right in the middle of pot. All I could do was sigh.
Echoes from the Campfire
Routine had a lulling effect upon the senses, and he knew his security demanded that he be alert at any moment for whatever might come.”
–Louis L’Amour (North to the Rails)
“If the godly compromise with the wicked, it is like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring.”
–Proverbs 25:26 (NLT)
The Daily Paine
But the way must be long, and as there were thorns and rocks for his feet, so must there be bruises to his spirit.”
–Zane Grey
“You can never tell what’s in a man till he’s tried.”
–Zane Grey
Did you really think that your excursion into the wilderness was going to be like a walk in the park? Maybe you thought it was a lark, sort of tip-toe through the tulips. Doesn’t work that way. The enemy of your soul is there ready to destroy you if you are not aware of his devices.
You have been walking smoothly after the ordeal of the canyon. With the respite you are feeling a little refreshed, but then you look ahead and come to a quick halt. There is something there that looks a little like frost, but you know it can’t be. Getting down on your knees you begin to examine and find to your horror that beneath that little thin crust of sun-dried mud is an alkali bog. Another step and disaster would have struck, and the sound of the devil’s laughter would be heard as you sunk deeper and deeper until it was over your head. One more step and the alkali would have filled your eyes, nose, and mouth and strangled you into hopelessness. Another narrow escape. What was it that made you stop? Was it your own senses that have been trained, or perhaps you are finally beginning to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit?
The trail cannot go through the alkali bog; somewhere you must have stepped off the trail and now must retrace your steps. Diligently looking you have finally found the trail and feel almost light-hearted as you begin your travel on it again. Moving quickly, your heart light, and you might even begin to sing. You move over a hill and around a bend and then find yourself facing a gorge. The cliffs loom high and then you check your food supply and find it empty and you realize that you are famished.
In despair you cry out, “Help, help! I’m lost!” Then you hear an answer, but not the one you expect. You hear someone else with the same cry, and then another, and another. There are souls all through the gorge that have strayed off the path and are lost. You crawl to the edge of the cliff and peer over and there are shapes, lifeless shapes of others who did not notice and fell to their death.
When traveling in the wilderness it is not safe for anyone to leave the trail marked by the Master, not even for a moment. How does a person get distracted? How does one stray off the clearly marked trail? Maybe it is that first drink of alcohol, or the first taste of tobacco or drugs. Maybe it is the skepticism of life and a scorn of the warnings. Perhaps it is sacrilege or cursing and profanity or foolish babbling. Oh there could be many reasons that a person gets lost.
Remember, while there is still time you can still call for help. Don’t give up! If you seek help of the Master Guide–the Holy Spirit, He will come and help you. You will still have to take the steps but He will show you the way out. He will also bring the refreshing, cool water and food for the soul. Your spirit will be revived and before long you will find yourself out of the gorge. It is now that He will take you to the “still waters” and allow you to “lie down in the green pastures.”
“Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil…. Then the Devil went away, and angels came and cared for Jesus.”
–Matthew 4:1, 11(NLT)