Author: Ira Paine

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
Doc Jones was trying to save the life of a young man that was brought to his office by Sheriff Gold.  Shots had just been fired from the area of the jail.  Pandemonium is apparent.  Come with me now to those thrilling days of yesteryears with the Saga of Miles Forrest.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
       Clem looked from the jail cell to the kid lying on the floor.  “Lige, you killed him!”
       Clem’s brother, Lige Donor was pulling the keys to the cell from the hook in the office.  Within seconds he had the jail door open.  “Come on Clem,” he yelled.  “Let’s go.”
       Clem stood there, looking back and forth from his brother to the kid.  “No, I’m not going,” he barked.
       “I’ve no time to argue, now come on!”
       The office door burst open, Lige fired two shots at the person forcing him to back out.
 
       Mateo and I began to run toward the jail.  I soon out distanced him with his limpy leg, but stopped at the door.  Mateo went to the wall between the windows.  I looked at him when Charlie went bursting through the door.  I tried to yell at him, but he was soon forced back out by shots.  One of the bullets had hit the door frame showering Charlie with splinters some of which were embedded in the side of his face.
       Charlie’s ashen face was beginning to have blood trickle down the side from the splinters.  He glanced at me on the other side of the door frame.  I just gave a slight shrug of my shoulders.
       “Lucas!”  Lucas!” yelled Charlie, with no return answer.
       I tried to see through the window, but the glare was so that I couldn’t make out anything.  “Mateo, can you see anything?” I asked, and received a shake of the head.
       Charlie hollered again, “Lucas!” which brought another shot hitting the door.
       He looked desperate and I was afraid that he was going to try to barge through the doorway again.  Instead he looked my direction.  “You have any brilliant ideas?”
       I had been going through the lay-out of the room in my mind.  Upon entering there was a little space to the left.  Nothing was there.  To the right set a desk, with another one next to it with an aisle down the middle going to the main office.  There was no way two of us could get through the entrance without one of us being a target.  The windows were barred, so we couldn’t get in that way.  There was another door, but that one was kept barred from the inside.
       Panic was starting to work its way onto Charlie’s face.  I had never seen him like this before.  I know that Lucas was Marta’s brother. . . perhaps it was that along with shooting the kid he carried into the office, but whatever it was not working him into a good frame of mind.
       Looking over at Mateo, “Charlie and I are going in.  I want you to fire shots through the window to draw his attention.  Hopefully that will give Charlie and me a chance to get him.”  He nodded, then took several steps back so that when he fired into the glass, the shards would not hit him.
       Turning my attention to Charlie I said, “You go for the desk, I’ll hunker against the wall.”
       Before I could nod at Mateo, Charlie hollered, “I’ll hunker against the wall,” and thrust himself into the room.  Mateo started shooting when Charlie went through the door, while Charlie was firing his gun.  I went in next, then to the right.  We had not heard the shot, but saw two men clenched together, on the floor next to where we spotted Lucas.
       Seeing Lucas lying on the floor did something to Charlie.  He went up to the two men, neither of them moving, pulled back the hammer on his pistol and aimed it at them.  “Charlie!” I yelled.  He hesitated, kicked one of the men, I couldn’t see which, then went to check on Lucas.
       The kick caused the one man to roll away from the other.  Clem Donor’s eyes were wide in shock.  “Lige,” he whispered, then began to weep.  “Lige, I’m so sorry.”
       It was then that I noticed that Lige was holding a gun, but the barrel was pointing up under his chin.  His shirt was soaked with blood, and the light had gone from him.  Bending down, I took the gun from the dead man’s hand, then reached over to touch Clem on the shoulder.  He looked at me with tears streaming down his face.  “Marshal, I done kilt my brother.”
       I reached down to help him up at the same time that Charlie was picking up Lucas and rushing back out the door.  Clem Donor never took his eyes from his brother as I placed him in a chair.  “He came to get me out of jail.   I told him I wasn’t going with him.”  He paused to look at the entrance where Charlie had just departed.  “I saw the kid on the floor after Lige shot him.”
       Turning his eyes upon mine, he continued, but couldn’t speak for a few seconds, then added.  “I jumped Lige, we fought, the gun went off.”  Thrusting his face into cupped hands he began to openly weep.
       Motioning for Mateo, who was standing at the entrance, to come help me.  Each of us reached under the arm of Clem and lifted him from the chair and took him back to his cell.  “I’ll go get Parker,” he said in a soft tone.  Paul Parker was the undertaker for Durango.
       When Mateo left, Clem lifted his voice, “Marshal…”

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

The trouble was no man was ever ready to die. There was always more he wanted to do, something undone, even if it was only to cross the street.”
                    –Louis L’Amour  (We Shaped the Land With Our Guns)

       “And he said: ‘Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.'”

                    –1 Kings 8:23 (NKJV)
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Have you ever found yourself wondering, how am the world am I going to get out of this?  Maybe it’s financial, marriage, children, storms, or just life in general that is causing difficulties.  This next portion of Psalm 91 is interesting.  

          11 — For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.
          12 — In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
          13 — You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
          14 — Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he has know My name.
          15 — He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
          16 — With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.   (NKJV)

       You may recognize verses 11-12 as those which Satan used to tempt Jesus.  Yes, imagine being tempted with the Scriptures.  He put forth truth, but Jesus replied that we know that God will protect, but that doesn’t mean we take foolish chances, or tempt Him.  But if you recall what happened after Satan left Jesus in the wilderness?  “Then the devil left Him, and behold angels came and ministered to Him.” (Matthew 4:11, NKJV)  The angels were there all the time.  “They were protecting him all along!  Jesus didn’t have to try any daredevil dare–he just had to stay with his mission, and God would get him through it.  The same is true for us.  He will rescue those who love him.” (William J. Petersen)
       Beware of the danger that is presented here.  In the last few decades there has been a fad in the media, and among Christians and New Agers of focusing too much on angels.  Some have gone so far as to worship them, which is abhorred by the angelic host.  They are helpers, messengers, agents of God.  We are to stay on mission!  We are to go forth to do whatever God has told us to do, then, if needed they are there, to do God’s bidding.
       Know this, that God is there to protect us, either by His direct intervention, or if need be, sending angels.  The key–verse 14, setting our love on Him.  Knowing His name, which means recognizing that He is God, and that He is Father.  Steven Lawson puts it this way, “Those whose allegiance is to the Lord will find that his protective allegiance is theirs.”  Now, this does not mean that He will deliver us in the manner which we want or prescribe, but the way He wants.  Remember the answer of the three Hebrew lads who stood against Nebuchadnezzar’s warning.  They told him that God was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace, but even if He did not they would not bow. (Daniel 3:17-18).  They understood the spiritual deliverance was more important than the temporal.
       It is for us to remember, and to know that “God is bigger than the adversity and remains in full control.” (Lawson)  He can keep us out of any danger or He can keep us through any danger.  Whatever happens, He allows, and if we trust in Him it will be for our good.  “Setback, terrible things, even death are all only momentary.  It takes resurrection from the dead to realize the worst the devil throws at you never hurts you in the least.  Our implicit trust in God brings assurance that the bleeding nail prints of the present moment will become beautiful scars in the future.”  (George O. Wood)

               “Christian, seek not yet repose;
               Hear thy guardian angel say,
               ‘Thou art in the midst of foes;
               Watch and pray.'”
                       –Charlotte Elliott

 

Coffee Percs

by Ira Paine, Posted on

I picked up some sticks for a fire and dug out the old coffeepot and coffee. Seems like I’ve had that pot forever, but really only a few years now.”
                         –D.C. Adkisson  (Mal de Ojo)

Whoooeeee, Pard!  This is a busy week.  School’s out for one, but that don’t rightly affect me much anymore.  Then there’s the birthday week.  Yep, on Sunday we start the spring celebrations of birthdays with that of Kimberly’s.  Then later on in the week will be Annie’s.  Nope, I’m not bakin’ a cake.  But, that’s not all.  Just heading out for the countryside, the bluebonnets are amazin’, at least here in our part of Texas.
       Seein’ those bluebonnets and other flowers rise up from the ground just has to bring a smile to the face.  They only come ’round once a year, stay for a while then gone, poof, until next year.  Makes me wonder how many times God allows the weeds to grow around us and we grumble and complain, but then all of a sudden, hidden in those weeds is a touch of color–they bloom into gorgeous wildflowers.
       Now, Pard, get yuh a big swaller, ’cause this ol’ fence post just might beller out an’ sing.  I was readin’ the other day, “The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land.” That’s verse 12 of the second chapter of Song of Solomon.  But then I remember another verse, “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”  That there is from the Prophet Isaiah.  Those pretty flowers don’t stay around long.  They bring us a smile but soon they fade away.  See, Pard, we ain’t to be puttin’ our trust in this ol’ natural world.  Not in yur life, for it might look good, but it’s only for a short season.  But we should be holdin’ tight to the the holy writ.  That’s somethin’ that yuh can be sure won’t be goin’ poof.

       Yuh be hearin’ me Pard.  Enjoy the bloomin’ of the flowers; enjoy the legitimate temporary things, but cling to the Word of the Lord.  In the long run it seems that the Rock of Ages is more of a sure thing than them delicate flowers.  Just like you?  Pshaw, yur about as delicate as an old piece of leather the dog’s been a chewin’ on.  An’ I might add, twixt as dumb, for I keep havin’ to remind yuh to be checkin’ that thar cinch of yurs.
         Vaya con Dios.

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

No sound in the world, not even the roar of a grizzly, is so dangerous the laughter of wicked men.”

                         –John Deacon  (A Man Called Justice)

       “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”
                         –James 1:21(NKJV)
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There’s one thing I haven’t quite figured out, well, really, there are many, but I have always wondered why people, especially those in high places cheat, steal, commit fraud just to get ahead and get more money.  There are two places where man is equal:  at the foot of the cross, and in the grave.  It angers me, but I also think it sad how crooked politicians use their office to “get ahead”.  It’s sad, because without the Lord all that awaits them is a hole in the ground where they’ll stay until the Judgment.
       Solomon writes, in Ecclesiastes 8:

               10 — Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done.  This also is vanity.
               11 — Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
               12 — Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.
               13 — But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.  (NKJV)

I don’t rightly understand two things here.  The first is the grand ceremony of the funeral possession of a wicked person.  The poor will stand and watch the cars goes by, maybe not knowing who the person is, and surely never meeting them.  But not long after, except possibly on the anniversary of the birth or death, they will be forgotten.  The second is the fact that God delays righteous judgment.  We, in the United States, are to be given a “fair and speedy” trial, but sometimes it takes years because of the system.  It would seem that when wickedness is done, God would strike them, but then, that’s why I’m not given the position of a Judge.  God is righteous, but also full of mercy.  He waits, waits for repentance.
       Another thing I don’t understand is why bad things happen to good people.  I know the rain falls on the just and the unjust, but it seems that troubles hound the way of the righteous.  I will not take the time to try to answer that, but reading the words of Jesus helps.  There is a “baptism of suffering,” that little is spoken about today.  Instead, there are only showers of prosperity.  It may appear that bad things happen to good people, and that good things happen to bad people, but that is looking at the surface.  What is happening in the spiritual realm?  Someone said that “God gives us the ability to cope with reality though we’re at a loss to explain it.”  Pascal wrote, “If there were no obscurity, man would not feel his corruption; if there were no light, man could not hope for a cure.  Thus it is not only right but useful for us that God should be partly concealed and partly revealed, since it is equally dangerous for man to know God without knowing his own wretchedness as to know his wretchedness without knowing God.”

                    “I’ve had many tears and sorrows,
                    I’ve had questions for tomorrow;
                    There’ve been times I didn’t know right from wrong,
                    But in ev’ry situation, God gave me blessed consolation
                    That my trials come to only make me strong…

                              Through it all, through it all,
                              Oh, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
                              I’ve learned to trust in God.
                              Through it all, through it all,
                              I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.”
                                          –Andrae Crouch