Endrody Westerns: Lieutenant Wilson - Walter Hoffman

Bio

Chapter One

Even though we had gotten paid yesterday, some of us were still packing up. The cooks were preparing some leftover food while I saddled my horse with the intention of heading north. The men were all gone but as company commander, I had to help get rid of a lot of military junk that we still had left. While I was packing my own things, Major Bailer, our battalion commander asked me if I wanted a leftover mule.

Nobody in C-Company wants her, he said.

I can take her if you’ve got the papers on her, I told him.

That’s not a problem. I’ve also got that mare with the limp if you want her. I’d take her myself if it weren’t for her injury, he replied.

That is a nice mare, what did the vet say about her? I asked.

He said it is probably a pulled tendon. He really has no time to mess with her. If you want her you can have her, I’ve got the papers in my tent.

Great. Well, let’s go see what they’re cooking up over there, I told him.

We went over and had a piece of jerky and a slice of bread. They had a bunch of carrots and I got six nice big ones. I knew I would have to make friends with the mule because she was known to kick and bite if she didn’t trust you. I gave her a carrot and cautiously started placing a packsaddle on her. She turned to bite me, but I gave her another carrot and she changed her mind.

After I had that packsaddle cinched up, I walked her over to my tent and started to load my things. Afterwards, I tied her up and went to get my mare. She was still saddled with an old Texas saddle and a saddlebag. I walked her over to my tent and started to pack my extra skillet and coffee pot. The saddle also had a rifle scabbard. I got my extra Sharps .54 and put it inside the scabbard.

I suspected that because the vet hadn’t had the time to really check my mare out, her limp was probably caused by something simple. I picked up her hurt foot and saw that her hooves needed to be trimmed. The soles were all worn out. After I was finished at the tent, I walked my gelding, my new mule, and my new mare over to the Major to say goodbye. We shook hands and wished each other luck. I left heading to San Antonio, which was about 10 miles away.

We traveled slowly because of the mare. My gelding was itching to go faster but I held him back. I wanted to take my time. I was in no hurry; the war was over and I was a civilian again. I had 200 dollars gold in my belt and some silver in my pocket. We were on the stagecoach road that went all the way to Fort Worth.

After an hour of dragging our feet, we got to the stage station. I took the three to the water tank to let them have a drink. Afterwards, I tied them up in front of the stagecoach station. Inside the station, a nice looking young lady was cooking. I asked her what she was cooking she told me she was making up some deer stew.

An old timer came in, sat next to me, and ordered a cup of coffee.

What’s the matter with that mare? He asked me.

She needs her hoof trimmed, I answered.

It will cost you a dollar in Yankee money, he replied.

I pulled a dollar out and showed it to him and he said That will be fine. Let me finish my coffee and I will take care of her.

When he finished, he went and got a big pair of pliers and pulled off the front shoes. After he trimmed the front shoes, the mare she seemed to feel better. As he was finishing up, he spied the stagecoach coming.

I got to get the new team out here, he said.

I offered to help him. After the stagecoach passengers exited the coach to go inside to get something to eat, the old timer and I started to harness the new team. Two of the passengers came back outside, military officers heading north. One of them called me by name. He wanted to know if I still had my gelding.

Yes, but it will cost you 150 dollars in gold, I told him.

You trying to rob me? he asked.

It’s the other way around, you’re trying to rob me; he’s a good horse.

You’d better get on the stage or you’ll be walking north, he stated.

The old timer watched as the stagecoach pulled out. After they were gone, he got some new shoes for my mule and measured the old ones to them. Luckily they were the same size and he nailed the new shoes on. Then we went to eat and the young woman gave me a bowlful of her stew and a cup of coffee.

If you want the hind legs too it will cost you another half dollar, the old timer said.

I can do another half dollar, I replied.

I asked the girl what was in the shop next door.

Texas hats, shirts, and spurs, things like that, she said.

I could use a new hat and shirt now that I’m a civilian, I said.

My old hat was a mess. She opened the store after she finished up serving everyone that was still in the station. I bought myself a nice light gray Texas hat and a red shirt. It cost me three dollars. I fished out a five gold piece from my money belt and she said she did not have Yankee money to give me as change. I pointed to an item on the wall and asked her what it was.

It’s a saddle holster, she answered.

I’ll take it, I said.

Take some spurs too, she said, then you’ll look like a Texan. I gave her the five gold piece for the supplies and a dollar for the stew.

I still don’t have any change, she said.

That’s all right, honey. I will be back for breakfast. Hope you have some clean straw in the stables.

Talk to my dad about that, he’s the man who’s been helping your mare she said.

The old guy had put new shoes on the mare and I rode around the square. She didn’t seem to mind. For only a dollar and fifty cents, I had another good riding horse. We put the three in the stable; I pulled their saddles off and gave them some hay. The mare lay down on the clean straw.

In about two months, she’ll foal, the old timer said.

I didn’t know she was pregnant, I replied.

I spent the night on my blanket over the clean straw and in the morning I saddled up. I walked the horses and mule to the stage station and tied them up out front. I helped the old guy get his horses harnessed up and out to the stable. There was only one passenger, so the stop was short-lived. There was a stray horse tied up in the back of the store and when the coach pulled out, he pulled himself free. The stage kept going and the stray was not stopping. I stepped in the saddle and brought that gelding in. It had a big U.S. brand. I put him in the stable and gave him some hay. I went and had breakfast, drank some coffee, then got in the saddle and said goodbye to the old timer and the girl.

The old guy asked, Don’t you want that other horse?

No. He’s got a brand on him, I said.

As I headed north, the mare was doing well, no limping at all. The mule was behaving too. Everything was working well.

About lunchtime, I saw a wagon pulled to the side of the road with three men on horses with their guns pointed at some cowering people. I got the Sharps and shot one off his horse. The other two started firing with their short guns, but they were out of range. I put the Sharps back in the saddle holster and got my other Sharps and got another bandit. He got his long gun and started shooting, but he was still out of range. He was shooting with a Henry. I loaded the Sharps and shot him off his horse. I rode up closer and confirmed that all three were dead. Two of them had Henries and one had a Spencer. I looked in their pockets and looted a large amount of money from them. The man and women on the wagon did not have much to say. Just a Thank you, ranger; you sure saved the day.

I pulled the mare free from my other two to go get the bandits’ three horses. One had a brand, probably stolen, and I tied it to the back of the wagon. The other two were not branded and so I tied them to the back of my mule. The woman was making coffee so I stayed to have a cup. They asked about the horse that I tied to their wagon. It had a Smith carbine in the rifle holster.

What kind of guns do you have to defend this wagon? I asked them.

We don’t have much, the man said.

We have two Kentucky pistols and a Kentucky rifle, the woman added.

Let me give you a Sharps. It will shoot at two hundred yards. You can get some ammunition for it in town, I told them.

I kept both of the bandit geldings, along with the bandits’ Texas saddles, the rifle holsters, the Henries, and the Spencer. The bandits’ short guns were the Confederate .36’s. I decided that I did not want them.

I had a cup of coffee and pulled the dead off the ground. While doing that, I noticed a money belt on one of the bandits. I took it off him and put it in one of my saddlebags. I checked the other two and they did not have anything else on them.

I said goodbye to the couple on the wagon and I went with my four horses and the mule. The saddlebags on the two new horses were loaded with ammunition. The Henries themselves were already fully loaded and so was the Spencer .56.

When I got to the next stage station, I stopped, gave the five water, and then went in and asked if they had some oats I could buy. Two sacks cost half a dollar of Yankee money. I tied the two sacks on the mare and bought four more nosebags. I saw a wagon with new wheels for sale and paid 60 gold for it. I asked where I could buy some harnesses, and the shopkeeper said, Two doors down that way. I bought a pair of new harnesses and harnessed the two new geldings. They took the harnesses without a fight. I could tell that they had been in harnesses before. The saddles, oats, and the packsaddle from the mule went into the wagon. I stopped at a bakery and bought 20 rolls. I then left town to get back on the road heading north. We were now heading for Austin.

I stopped at a place where the creek was running along the road in a small ditch and I let all the horses and the mule drink. Then I gave all the animals a nosebag of oats. I kept going and stopped in a small town. Its name was Oak Hill. A sheriff came by and asked, Why did you stop here?

I said, I am very tired and I figured that I would doze for a couple hours and then go on.

Where are you going? He asked.

El Paso, I told him.

That will take a month. Let’s park your rig in front of the hill. There’s some Mexican soldiers in town looking to steal horses, and I need your help, and he hopped on board of my wagon. You have a gun?

I have several, I answered. I’m a retired lieutenant.

Put one in your lap, here comes two. See them by that shack? Get the captain and I will get the sergeant.

We got a little closer and I shot the captain and the sheriff shot the sergeant. When we got even closer, the sheriff said, Just get his money belt. I jumped off my horse, grabbed them by the hair and dragged them behind the rear horses and took his money belt. I found the captain wasn’t dead so I hit him in the face with my gun. I went around behind the shack. We ran into the door and I got two of them and kept shooting. There was about twelve dead and we scared three other witless.

That’s enough, the sheriff said. We went out and confiscated some rifles and a mess of guns. All the rifles were German, but the rest were all Mexican Army.

Most of those soldiers have bare feet, I said.

The officers are supposed to be getting money to buy uniforms and boots, but they just put the money in their money belts and make them go barefooted, the sheriff said.

There were fourteen horses with Mexican saddles in front of the shack. We got all fourteen and led them over to the jail. We tied them up in the back. Some were branded, which meant they were stolen. The sheriff advised that I brand all my horses because so that people would know they weren’t stolen.

Our carpenter is selling his wagon that can take six harnessed horses and pull another four in the back, the sheriff said.

But I only have my five, I told him.

"You can go out of here with