I moved off into the shadows that merged with the darkness to my right, then quickly hurried across the street silently praying for the Lord to be with me. No more shots had been fired and I saw the sheriff move to see about Myers. I began to edge slowly toward the alleyway, staying close to the building walls walking slowly and softly. I was waiting for someone or something, maybe the boogerman to jump out from the alley and start shooting. As quietly as possible I cocked the Greener.
The building stopped and I was at the edge of the alley. Slowly I peered around the corner into the darkness. I thought I could see the outline of a barrel, but other than that–nothing. I moved down the alley toward the barrel, the shotgun at the ready. Stooping down by the barrel I felt around and my hand touched what I was searching for; a brass cartridge. I couldn’t tell without light, but it felt like a Winchester 73.
Not ready to move for movement could give away my presence, I stayed behind the barrel for several minutes. “Forrest,” came a harsh whisper from the entrance of the alley.
“Here,” I replied softly. “I’m comin’ back your way.” I eased myself up, listening to my knee joints pop. I stopped for a moment and thought, “that’s not happened before.” What a thought when someone has just shot at you.
When I came to the end of the alley, the sheriff was waiting for me. “Myers is dead,” he stated matter-of-factly. “I think he was the target.”
I couldn’t see his face as we were still in the darkness. We started walking slowly back toward where Myers, Hawkens, and Lula were sitting. “Maybe,” I answered, “but I think the first shot was for me.”
“I’m taking Mr. Hawkens and his wife, Lula, up to see Doc Perkins,” he informed me.
Stopping in the middle of the street I looked over at the sheriff, the light from the saloon was now shining on his face. “Wife? Lula is Hawkens wife?” I heard a grunt and we started walking again.
“Mister Hawkens, I sincerely apologize for thumpin’ you on the head. I didn’t know who you were, but I knew Myers and I needed to get you out of the way–for safe keepin’,” I said as sincerely as possible.
“You should still be arrested for assault or attempted murder for something!” came the voice that was becoming ever more annoying.
“Ma’am,” interrupted the sheriff, “we should get your husband to the doctor.”
I looked at Myers slumped in the bench. A few minutes ago, lifeblood was flowing through his veins, now it was pooled on the boardwalk. Death, eerie when it is next to you and the light flashing from the saloon on his face depicted a grin. I had seen it before, many times–the Devil’s Grin.
There was no use staying here; I decided to go back to the hotel and ponder the situation lying on the bed in my room. As I walked in the clerk piped up, “Are you Marshal Forrest?” he inquired.
I walked to the counter. “I am.”
He reached out and handed me a telegram. “This just came for you. Sam, from the telegraph office said it was urgent.”
Opening it I read, “Miles Forrest–Liberty Hotel–STOP–come home immediately–STOP–Anihu dead” signed Molly.
“When’s the first train out?” I asked.
“Going west?” he questioned and I nodded. “Not until 9:00 in the morning.”
“Can I get a ticket now,” and it was his turn to nod. As I turned to leave I saw the glimpse of a man rushing out in front of me and heard his boots thundering on the boardwalk. I rushed to the door and looked out, but no one was in sight. I decided to wait until morning to get my ticket.
The next morning as I was heading for the train station, I stopped by to see the sheriff. I was informed by a cranky deputy that he wasn’t in. “Tell him an emergency called me away,” I said and hurried off.
The train was on time…
Month: June 2019
Echoes From the Campfire
I had found that things sat a lot easier on a fella’s mind if he only worried about those things he could do something about.”
–Lou Bradshaw (Blue)
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”
–Matthew 6:25 (NKJV)
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The first part of Psalm 22, we saw David in deep depression and despair. His soul was in agony. Here we see him calling out to God. David, whenever there was a problem, or a situation that brought him anguish knew where to turn; he always turned to God. In these verses we also see the foretelling of another who was in deep despair–Jesus.
11 – Do not be far from me, because distress is near and there is no one to help.
12 – Many bulls surround me; strong ones of Bashan encircle me.
13 – They open their mouths against me—lions, mauling and roaring.
14 – I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax, melting within me.
15 – My strength is dried up like baked clay; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You put me into the dust of death.
16 – For dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has closed in on me; they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 – I can count all my bones; people look and stare at me.
18 – They divided my garments among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing.
19 – But You, Lord, don’t be far away. My strength, come quickly to help me.
20 – Deliver my life from the sword, my only life from the power of these dogs.
21 – Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen. (HCSB)
Here is a description of the cross hundreds of years before crucifixion was invented. The woe and pain that Jesus would face on the cross is shown here. Philip P. Bliss would write:
“Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned he stood;
Sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah! what a Savior!”
People, “dogs” were snarling at David. They wanted to see him destroyed. Very similarly, the dogs sought to tear at Jesus. They snapped, and snarled, and bared their teeth. The way people act in a mob is atrocious, there is chaos, no control. The mob is a good description of a pack of dogs–they wanted the death of David, like in the future a mob of “dogs” would want the death of our Lord.
If you’ve ever seen a pack of dogs they are not like a pack of wolves. The dogs will be of all breeds and sizes. Even the seemingly innocent little dog becomes vicious when he is with a pack. Kipling said that dogs were “lesser breeds without the Law.” My, my doesn’t that fit society today? Listen to the snarling. There is no sense among them, they just want to tear to shreds whomever they come against. The “dogs” of that day would raid villages and take the youth and children, strip them naked, chain them together and sell them as slaves. The Greek word “cynic” means a dog on the loose in the streets.
Men would carry clubs when they walked the streets because of the dogs. In later times, that club would become a cane, but the purpose was to ward off the dogs that might be encountered. David said, “the dogs have surrounded me.” Are we seeing that again? Are the dogs coming together, vicious and snarling, ready to devour and tear apart? Jesus had to face the “dogs” as well. They came at Him, and eventually they put Him on the cross, all the time snarling and drooling. They thought they had destroyed Him. Ha, they did not know with whom they were dealing. Jesus did not beat them off. He had another plan, one for you and me, yes, and even the dogs. “Christ submitted to suffer nakedness that we might be covered with righteousness and glory and walk with him in white forever.” (George Hutcheson)
Coffee Percs
He adopted a thick blue porcelain mug and approached the coffeepot. The steaming coal-black liquid reflected the lantern light as it bubbled into the mug. He took a sip and felt it singe the tip of his tongue.”
–Stephen Bly (Shadow of Legends)
Heard yuh comin’ up the steps. Take a seat, Pard, I’ll rustle up the coffee. Here, take a sip of this and things will start to settle down. I was just wonderin’ how many times I’ve had the tip of my tongue singed by a cup of coffee; also burnt the hair off my tongue a couple of times as well.
Pard, I was gettin’ ready to see the doc about my eyes. I was seein’ little specks movin’ about. It just so happened that I met an ol’ boy and he said he had the same problem–went to the doc and just found out it was coffee grounds floatin’ about. Well, if’n that’s all it is, reckon I won’t bother those busy folks.
Ever wonder about people? For instance, watch what cup a person chooses if there are several different kinds available. I remember, my Uncle Ted sayin’ one time when he visited that he didn’t want his coffee poured in one of those fancy cups that yuh cayn’t even get yur finger through. Now, my regular Saturday cup is one from the old Jones’ Café in Boulder. Yuh know, sittin’ ’round findin’ answers to the world’s problems, or talkin’ ’bout the Lord, well, yuh have to have a good, strong cup to hold yur coffee. After all, life ain’t no tea-party.
Sure had a good time out in God’s creation pickin’ blueberries yesterday. Too bad yuh weren’t along. They key is, yuh pick two eat one, and so on. Maybe I can coax the wife into makin’ a blueberry pie. There was a time in my life when that was my favorite pie.
I was readin’ some about Ike and D-Day. Yuh know he drank 20 cups of coffee a day. He was just ahead of his time as I just read an article sayin’ that a person could drink up to 25 cups a day without it botherin’ any of their vitals. That was my Grandpa as well, keep that cup full. Kinda like life ain’t it–keep yur cup full as yuh travel this old world. It’ll help yuh stay alert, recognize the crazies, and mindful of the obstacles that come yur way.
Pard, you have yurself a good week, hyar! Stay alert and ready, and if’n yuh haven’t checked yur cinch, do so now.
Echoes From the Campfire
The beaten trails don’t teach you nothin’. Ride open country with yore eyes propped apart. Yuh may never be no world beater, but if yuh learn to read the good Lord’s signs yuh won’t never be a fool.”
–Ernest Haycox (Chaffee of Roaring Horse)
“Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.”
–1 Timothy 3:15 (NKJV)
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How true it is that most people will not be a “world beater.” Few will make it to the rank of leadership, or fame and fortune, and yet so many think that is what they are called to do. “Get a dream and follow it,” clamors the voice and people heed it. Most then sit by and watch for that dream to be fulfilled. Instead they should be out, making a living and looking for the “good Lord’s signs” as they pass through this life. I would ask the question: What is it that the Lord wants you to do?
One of the saddest things that I see in life is a person in their 30s or older still trying to live like a child. They have developed a Peter Pan syndrome and want to live in Never, Never Land instead of where they are placed and do the duties they are called to do. This is not only true of the physical man, but also the spiritual. It is a pitiful sight to see a Christian who, supposedly has been one for 30 years and they still act like they are new-born.
The New Testament calls us to maturity. It tells us to grow up and quite whining and acting like the world. It tells us to put away the former things and quit playing around. We usually think of 1 Corinthians 13 as the “love chapter” of the Bible. That is true, but there is also some strong admonishment for us to grow up. Paul writes, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11, NKJV) This should be true physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Very few Christians actually meditate on the Word. They was to remain in a garden of beauty where the fragrance of the flowers is rich and the grass is soft and green. Hmmm, remember, it was in a garden where Eve and Adam succumbed the destroyer of their souls. Start to grow, get in the Word and live it. Our progress should be evident to those around us.
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Yesterday we remembered what is known as D-Day. However, often forgotten are the other “D-Days” in World War II. The one that took place in France in 1944 is remembered because it stopped the German advance and from that point on the Nazis were slowly pushed back into Germany, and in May 1945, Germany surrendered.
I had in my history library a book by Joe Alexander that spoke of the D-Days in the Pacific: Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Peleliu, Leyte, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, plus a host of others. My Dad was part of the invasion force at Palawan. Also don’t forget the invasion of North Africa, Sicily, and Anzio. The Battle of Tarawa was the most costly per day–247.5 Americans died per day during that invasion; it was truly “Bloody Tarawa”. Thankfully it was over in four days. The next costliest per day was Iwo Jima with 194.9 per day. The most costly in Europe was the Battle of the Bulge–470 per day. Sacrifice–Honor–Valor!
That is not to take anything away from Normandy. It was a spectacular event. The planning, the supplying, the execution, and the results were enormous to say the least. So much is owed to those who gave of their lives in one way or another to rid the world of the fascist menace.