by Bobby Dennis
Dove was a great fighter, but she fought only her mother and brothers. She was 5’ 2” and wore 100 pounds. She and Swallow had yet to engage in battle with their band, but if called they could.
Lao Tzu and both of his wives were still young, he forty and they thirty. He had formed his own clan. The Bird Clan and they were the fiercest among the Cherokee. Close to them camped the Seminoles, who they were friendly with.
The Seminoles were comprised of Indians, runaway slaves and other Native Americans who were exiled from their own tribes. They often went on hunting parties together.
Raven and his brothers spoke four languages by this time and from constant contact with the Seminoles they were all fluent in Spanish. Rarely did they come in contact with white men, they knew the trouble it would bring. They ventured from the camp days at a time.
On one such trip they had been deep in the swamp trapping beaver and fox. They had four pack horses loaded with salted yet green pelts and they headed to the trading post which was a weeks ride from the camp.
Their small band consisted of Raven, Eagle, Falcon, Hawk, Wolf and another half-breed named Cougar. Cougar was the son of a runaway slave and a Cherokee woman. His sister Willow was the wife of Eagle and they had a son who was now Little Bird.
Willow had two sisters who would be the wives of Falcon, and Hawk. Fern and Violet were theirs as soon as the bride price was paid. Three horses apiece.
The men had the horses as they were the wealthiest clan in the tribe. Lao and his sons often went out on raids of settlements and other tribes.
As the six Braves rode up to the trading post they noticed a group of horses with blue and yellow saddle blankets, with crossed sabers and the legend U.S on the corner.
Raven and his brothers could read, Mandy had taught them as Rebecca taught her. Lao had furthered their education and they read and wrote both Chinese and English. They knew the horses were army because they had fought them many times before.
The six Braves were all dressed traditional, except Raven and his brothers wore holstered pistols that hung gunfighter style on their hips. Raven wore two holsters crisscrossed that hung on either side. Eagle wore his pistol in a cross draw rig.
They carried Colt Peacemaker 45’s, Winchester lever action 30-30 rifles and the four brothers carried several knives. Each had one strapped at their calves and one at their waist. They all carried tomahawks and their bows and quiver of arrows were strapped to their horses. The six men bristled with weapons.
They each wore loincloths, leggings and calf high moccasins. None of them wore shirts, but they all wore vests held together with beads and decorative colored quills from porcupines. Each wore wide leather bands around their heads except for Eagle, who wore a buckskin cap of his father’s design.
From Raven’s headband hung big, blue-black feathers from the bird of which he was named.
Falcon, Hawk and Eagle all wore feathers from their name sakes. And Cougar and Wolf’s headbands were decorated with pelts.
They dismounted and each grabbed a bundle of pelts and entered the trading post.
The trading post was a big squat building made of rough hewn logs. It was one big room with make shift tables and drunken white men, both soldiers and civilians. There were squaws and black women sprinkled throughout the place, whores each one. They were sitting in the laps of the men smoking, drinking and laughing as the men groped them beneath their ragged dresses.
The man who owned the trading post was named Sam Purdy. He was a big man and he ran the place with his brother Seymour.
Seymour was just as big as Sam and they both were rattle snake mean, pig eyed men. They ran the whores and fucked them too. They had built cribs behind the trading post where the men could take the women. For 50 cent per thirty minutes they did good business, as they were the only trading post, slash whore house in fifty miles or more. The only other women in the area were Squaws and the wives of settlers. And it was dangerous to molest either, so the eight women were kept busy. None were older than twenty two, but you couldn’t tell by looking at them. They were all hard eyed and seasoned. The liquor had taken it’s toll on them.
As Raven and his crew came to the counter and laid down their pelts, Sam Purdy offered them a drink.
Raven and his band never drank the white man’s fire water. They had seen its results so they turned it down.
Sam Purdy turned up his lips, sneered then asked. “You too good to drink with us nigger?”
Raven looked in his eyes and said. “I didn’t come to drink, I came to trade. Every time we come here we never drink, yet each time you offer us that filth. It seems to me that you should’ve learned by now we don’t indulge in your filthy habits, so you can stop trying to encourage us!”
A big man in the uniform of the U.S Calvary with captain bars on his shoulder spoke up.
“You talk mighty uppity for a nigger. I’ve never heard an ex-slave use such perfect language, besides you’re dressed like a savage.”
Raven turned to the man and said. “I’ve never been a slave, and it is you who dress the part of a savage.”
The captain looked at him in shock, then said. “Nigger I’m of a mind to teach you a lesson for that smart ass mouth!”
Raven looked to Sam Purdy and said. “We came to do business not make trouble.” He laid his rifle on the counter and looked Sam in the eyes.
Eagle and Cougar had moved to the back of the big room and each took a corner as they saw trouble rising.
Wolf and Hawk spread out, so they could cover the front.
Falcon stood beside Raven with his rifle pointed towards the floor. The drunken soldiers and civilians never noticed the positions the men took, they were concentrating on the conversation at the counter.
The captain who’s name was Seamus O’Rourke grabbed Raven’s shoulder and turned Raven to him, and shouted. “Nigger don’t you never turn your back when I’m speaking to you!”
Raven’s hand shot up in an open handed blow that struck the Captain on the side of the face and ear. The blow cracked like a pistol shot and knocked the Captain from his seat. He crashed to the floor in a stunned heap by the force of the blow.
Sam Purdy screamed, “nigger you’re a dead man!” and reached under the counter for a shotgun he had there. Before his hands closed over it, Falcon’s rifle had swung in a rapid arch. And with devastating force slammed into Sam’s head behind his ear. Sam collapsed to the ground
unconscious.
There were ten other soldiers in the place besides the Captain and six civilians including the Purdy’s. Seymour Purdy sat at a table playing cards with two of the civilians and three soldiers. They had all passed in the play when the confrontation began. When Seymour saw Raven slap the Captain to the ground, he started to rise. He pushed his chair back and reached to his waist for his pistol that hung there. It was a big Colt Dragon.
He pulled it from his waist and was bringing it up, when Hawk fired his rifle. The big 30-30 slug hit Seymour in the middle of his chest, crushed his breast bone, ripped thru his heart and exited in a spray of blood and gore. The force flung him back into his chair, which toppled over backwards. When the big slug hit him, reflexively he pulled the trigger.
The big pistol discharged in a plume of smoke and fire. The bullet struck a man sitting across from him in the face. The slug destroyed the man’s nose, plowed thru his head and blew the man’s brains out of the huge exit wound it made in the back of his head.
The room burst into total chaos, as the soldiers and civilians stood clawing for their weapons. Three men sat at one table, two had whores in their laps. They stood quickly dumping the whores to the floor. All three were fumbling for their guns.
Raven’s hands streaked down, pulled his two Peace Makers and fired off four quick shots as soon as they cleared leather. All three men were punched back, as the rounds hit them. Each man took one to the heart and one took one in the neck. The bullets shredded their hearts and blew out of their backs in a shower of blood, lungs, and p
ulverized heart muscle.
Falcon had his rifle at his waist working the leaver and firing in one steady motion. He opened fire on a table of four soldiers. One of the 30-30 slugs ripped thru a man chest and crashed into another man’s forehead. The force had been decreased to a degree, but there was still enough to penetrate and puncture the man’s brain.
Eagle pulled his pistol and fanned the hammer, killing two soldiers before they could undo the flaps over their pistols. Both were head shots, that scattered bone and brain in the air.
Cougar fired his rifle methodically, killing two soldiers with heavy slugs to the chest, that pinned them to the chairs.
Wolf fired round after round into the men. He shot one soldier in the face, blood and brains showered from his head. He shot a civilian in the side, shattered his ribs, punctured both lungs and pulped his heart. The slug blasted from his other side in a spray of blood, bone shards and various mingled tissues. In less than two minutes they had killed 15 men.
Sam Purdy and Seamus O’Rourke were the last white men alive. The whores crawled in the blood and gore screaming.
Captain Seamus O’Rourke looked at the carnage and whispered, “oh my god”. Then he looked up into the dead eyes of Raven and begged. “By the blessed mother of god please don’t kill me. Please Jesus”…
Raven shot him in his pleading mouth and the bullet ripped out of the back of his head in a spray of blood.
Falcon stuck his rifle over the counter and shot Sam Purdy in the head and blew his brains out.
“Be quiet!” Raven shouted in a loud voice. The women stopped their screaming and watched the six Braves.
“You will help us to clean up this mess.” Raven said to the women. The women all nodded yes.
Hawk and Cougar hitched up the wagon they found in the barn. Then the six Braves loaded the bodies in the wagon and dumped them in the woods. It took them two trips. They had stripped the bodies first, the wild animals would do the rest. They buried the saddle blankets and clothes, then changed all the brands on the Calvary horses.
Raven, sent Hawk and Cougar back to the camp to get Lao Tzu and the entire Bird Clan, plus Fern, Violet and the woman he chose to be his wife. They took the horses they got from the trading post as bride prices.
Raven told them to bring back Wilber O’Gilvey, the only white man who lived in their camp. He was a trapper who had two Indian wives. It would take them three days to reach camp riding in relays and another seven or eight days for the clan to reach the post. Ten or twelve days at the most. In the mean time Raven set the women to cleaning the trading post. Raven, Eagle, Falcon and Wolf changed into white man clothes that they got off the shelf. Wolf got one of the holsters and a pistol from those they took off the dead men. Raven chose to dress in all black. Black jeans, black shirt, black vest, black boots and a black low crowned Stetson that previously belonged to one of the dead men. The others chose an array of colors and set up shop in the trading post.
The first customers that floated thru were Indians. Raven dealt with them fairly. They were surprised at the prices they got for their goods and word spread quickly.
Raven had read the books and knew who was supplying the Purdy’s. Most of the suppliers brought their goods to the post, but Raven knew they would have a problem dealing with a black man. That’s why he had sent for Wilber O’Gilvey, he would front the operation for the clan. Lao Tzu, Mandy, Sparrow, Dove, Swallow and the other wives would really run the place.
* CHAPTER # 5 *
Fourteen days had passed by the time Hawk and Cougar returned to the post. Hawk came to Raven and they embraced, then he said. “Father wanted to come with us, but after a lengthy discussion he came to the conclusion that it would be better if he stayed with the clan.”
Raven nodded his head. Raven was dressed like the white man and Hawk stared hard at his elder brother as they walked into the trading post. Raven refused to sell strong drink to the other tribes, but he gave them all a fair price. They sat in the post catching up on what news there was of the tribe.
Lao and the others arrived. There was a beautiful Seminole and black woman with them, who was to be Cougar’s wife. She was the granddaughter of the Seminole Chief, her name was Conchita. Most of the Seminole’s had a Spanish name.
She was 5’ 4”, weighed 125 pounds and her skin was dark with a reddish tinge.
Wilber O’Gilvey came to Raven and wrapped him up in his bear like arms. Wilber was bigger than Raven, he stood 6’ 6”, and weighed 300 pounds at the age of thirty. He and Raven stood to the side as the clan settled in around the post. Wilber looked deep into Raven’s eyes and asked. “What’s going on here son?”
“We had trouble with the previous owners and a small squad of Calvary. So we killed them all and took over the post. We know the merchants won’t do business with us if they think the post is ran by the people or blacks. If they do then they are sure to charge us more than they would a white man or give us inferior goods. So I need you to be the front man for the post, you’ll be an equal partner with me and the others.”
“What about the clan?” asked Wilber.
“They will be taken care of, me and my brothers will take care of them from our share of the profits.”
Wilber nodded his head, then said. “I agree on the condition we sell no spirits to the Braves.”
“That has already been established,” said Raven. “You must teach the women to plant and grow, as well as livestock. Times are changing and the old ways are dying so we must look to the future and use the white man’s method to prosper. Our survival depends on us being able to change with the times.”
“You see far for one so young , but there is more we must do to insure the survival of our clan. We have to stake claim to as much of this land as possible before the homesteaders move in.” said Wilber.
Raven nodded, then said. “You take care of that. I want to ride up to the Spanish settlement and see how they are doing things.”
“Has anyone come looking for the soldiers or the owners since the trouble?” asked Wilber.
“No. We haven’t had any whites come since the trouble.” said Raven.
“They’ll come, It’s just a matter of time. We’ll be prepared, but what we can’t do is get into a shooting war with the U.S army. You’ve seen some of the results of the so called Indian Wars. The tribes have been decimated and we have no where near the amount of Braves to fight a war.” said Wilber.
“I understand,” said Raven. “Believe me that’s the last thing I want, but I want to see the clan prosper in the ways of the white man.”
“The only way you’ll be able to do that is with gold or money. Enough of either and your color will be over looked. The first thing we need to do is build a settlement around the post. No Teepee’s, but log cabins for each branch of the clan, then a hotel and saloon separate from the post. The post will serve as the general store.” said Wilber.
“You’ll have to teach us how to do these things and the sooner the better.” said Raven.
“We’ll start tomorrow, it will be work for men. The women as well, but we need to have everything done before winter. Most of the things we’ll need are readily available, but the Braves will balk at the work unless you explain it to them.” Wilber said.
“It’s done. I’ll talk with my father first.” said Raven.
* * * * After the women had set up camp, they all sat in the trading post. Raven sat with Lao Tzu and explained to him the plans he had for the clan. Lao agreed that the plans were good and should be put into action soon.
Lao called the clan together and told them what they would do.
All of the men were his sons so they didn’t complain.
Night fell and Lao was in the Teepee with Sparrow and Mandy. He looked at the women, and said. “Our son Raven is destined for great things. He has come up with a plan to insure the future of the clan. It involves learning the ways of the white man and employing them to our benefit. It will take much effort on all our behalve
s to make it work.”
“What about the customs of the people?” asked Sparrow.
“They will be passed on to the young ones as
always.” replied Lao. “It is a good thing to have knowledge of
the old ways. As time passes I find myself remembering less
and less of the ways of my people. And that will not happen
to my sons or the sons of my sons, as long as life is within us.
We are the elders, it is our responsibility to make sure they
don’t forget.”
Mandy looked from Lao to Sparrow, then asked.
“What of the ways of my people? I have no knowledge of
them, only of the whites and the people.”
Lao moved to her and pulled her into his arms, then
said. “History will teach our sons and their sons the way of
your people. These are strange times and your people are
from a far away land. In time they will learn, rest assured of
that.”
Mandy had long ago learned to have confidence in
Lao Tzu. She held him tight as Sparrow moved over to them.
They were still dressed in traditional clothing.
Lao looked at the women, then said. “You two will
have to curb the warrior spirit within you in the times to come.
The discipline you’ve learned will help you. When the time to
fight comes, you will as always follow me into battle. We
have much work to do, but you will have even more. You will
teach the daughters each day, all of them. We are alone now
and no longer have the strength that comes with numbers.
Each member of the clan must be ready to do battle, if we are
to survive the times to come.”
Lao and the women undressed, then made love and
went to sleep.
Early the next morning the entire clan was hard at
work, with Wilber overseeing. They cut trees in ten plots that
they would build their homes on.
The men planed the logs, as the women cleared land
