The Floating Outfit 27

by J. T. Edson

  3a. With the exception of .22 caliber handguns intended for casual pleasure shooting, those specially designed for Olympic style ‘pistol’ matches, the Remington XP100—one of which makes an appearance in: Case Two, ‘A Voice From The Past’, THE LAWMEN OF ROCKABYE COUNTY—designed for ‘varmint’ hunting at long distance, or medium to heavy caliber automatic pistols ‘accurized’ and in the hands of a proficient exponent of modern ‘combat’ shooting, a handgun is a short range defensive and not an offensive weapon. Any Old West gunfighter, or peace officer in the Prohibition era and present times expecting to have to shoot at distances beyond about twenty feet would take the precaution of arming himself with a shotgun or a rifle.

  4. ‘Make wolf bait’: one term meaning to kill. Derived from the practice in the Old West, when a range was infested by stock killing predators—not necessarily just wolves, but coyotes, the occasional jaguar in southern regions, black and grizzly bears—of slaughtering an animal and, having poisoned the carcass, leaving it to be devoured by the carnivores.

  5. ‘Up to the Green River’: to kill, generally with a knife. First produced on the Green River, at Greenfield, Massachusetts, in 1834, a very popular type of general purpose knife had the inscription, ‘J. Russell & Co./Green River Works’ on the blade just below the hilt. Therefore any edged weapon thrust into an enemy ‘up to the Green River’ would prove fatal whether it bore the inscription or not.

  6. ‘Light a shuck’: a cowhand term for leaving hurriedly. Derived from the habit in night camps on ‘open range’ roundups and trail drives of supplying ‘shucks’—dried corn cobs—to be lit and used for illumination by anybody who had to leave the campfire and walk about in the darkness. As the ‘shuck’ burned away very quickly, a person needed to hurry if wanting to benefit from its illumination.

  7. The sharp toes and high heels of boots worn by cowhands were functional rather than merely decorative. The former could find and enter, or be slipped free from, a stirrup iron very quickly in an emergency. Not only did the latter offer a firmer brace against the stirrups, they could be spiked into the ground to supply added holding power when roping on foot.

  8. Americans in general used the word, ‘cinch’, derived from the Spanish, ‘cincha’ to describe the short band made from coarsely woven horse hair, canvas, or cordage and terminated at each end with a metal ring which—together with the latigo—is used to fasten the saddle on the back of a horse. However, because of the word’s connections with Mexico, Texans tended to employ the term, ‘girth’, usually pronouncing it as ‘girt’. As cowhands from the Lone Star State fastened the end of the lariat to the saddlehorn, even when roping half wild longhorn cattle or free-ranging mustangs, instead of relying upon a ‘dally’ which could be slipped free almost instantaneously in an emergency, their rigs had double girths.

  9. ‘Chaps’: leather overalls worn by American cowhands as protection for the legs. The word, pronounced, ‘shaps’, is an abbreviation of the Spanish, ‘chaperejos’ or ‘chaparreras’ meaning ‘leather breeches’. Contrary to what is frequently shown in Western movies, no cowhand ever kept his chaps on when their protection was not required. Even if he should arrive in a town with them on, he would remove and either hang them over his saddle, or leave them behind the bar in his favorite saloon for safe keeping until his visit was over.

  10. ‘Hackamore’: an Americanized corruption of the Spanish word, ‘jaquima’ meaning ‘headstall’. Very popular with Indians in particular, it was an ordinary halter, except for having reins instead of a leading rope. It had a headpiece something like a conventional bridle, a brow band about three inches wide which could be slid down the cheeks to cover the horse’s eyes, but no throat latch. Instead of a bit, a ‘bosa’—a leather, rawhide, or metal ring around the head immediately above the mouth—was used as a means of control and guidance.

  11. ‘Right as the Indian side of a horse’: absolutely correct. Derived from the habit of Indians mounting from the right, or ‘off’ and not the left, or ‘near’ side as was done by people of European descent and Mexicans.

  12. ‘Mason-Dixon line’: erroneously called the ‘Mason- Dixie line’. The boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland, as surveyed from 1763-67 by the Englishmen, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon. It became considered as the dividing line separating the Southern ‘Slave’ and Northern ‘Free’ States.

  13. ‘New England’: the North East section of the United States—including Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont and Rhode Island—which was first settled by people primarily from the British Isles.

  14. ‘Gone to Texas’: on the run from the law. During the white colonization period, which had commenced in the early 1820’s, many fugitives from justice in America had fled to Texas and would continue to do so until annexation by the United States on February 16, 1846. Until the latter became a fact, they had known there was little danger of being arrested and extradited by the local authorities. In fact, like Kenya Colony from the 1920’s to the outbreak of World War II—in spite of the number of honest, hard working and law abiding settlers genuinely seeking to make a permanent home there—Texas had gained a reputation for being a ‘place in the sun for shady people’.

  15. ‘Summer name’: an alias. In the Old West, the only acceptable way to express doubt about the identity which was supplied when being introduced to a stranger was to ask, ‘Is that your summer name?’

  16. In the Old West, the jurisdictional powers of various types of law enforcement agencies were established as follows. A town marshal, sometimes called ‘constable’ in smaller communities, and his deputies were confined to the town or city which hired them. A sheriff—who was generally elected into office for a set period of time—and his deputies were restricted to their own county. However, in less heavily populated areas, he might also serve a marshal of the county seat. Texas and Arizona Rangers could go anywhere within the boundaries of their respective States, but technically were required to await an invitation from the local peace officers before participating in an investigation. Although a United States Marshal and Deputy U.S. Marshal had jurisdiction everywhere throughout the country, their main function was the investigation of ‘Federal’ crimes. Information about the organization and duties of a modern day Texas sheriff’s office can be found in the Rockabye County series.

  16a. As we explained in our Alvin Dustine ‘Cap’ Fog series, by a special dispensation of the Governor during the Prohibition era, Company ‘Z’ of the Texas Rangers were allowed to initiate operations without requesting permission under certain circumstances. During the late 1870’s, the Governor of Arizona formed a similar force to cope with law breaking in the State. A similar decision was taken by a later Governor and the Arizona Rangers were brought back into being. Why it was considered necessary to organize the first force, how it operated and was finally disbanded is recorded in the Waco series and Part Four, ‘Keep Good Temper Alive’, J.T.’S HUNDREDTH.

  17. ‘Burro’: in this context, a small wooden structure like the roof of a house upon which a saddle would be rested when not in use. Being so dependent upon his rig, a cowhand preferred to use a burro when one was available instead of laying it down or hanging it by a stirrup.

  17a. Despite the misconception created by Western movies—even the late and great John Wayne being an offender—a cowhand would never toss down his saddle on its skirts. If no burro was available, he would either lay it on its side, or stand it on its head, somewhere it would be safely clear of anybody inadvertently stepping upon it.

  About the Author

  J.T. Edson was a former British Army dog-handler who wrote more than 130 Western novels, accounting for some 27 million sales in paperback. Edson’s works - produced on a word processor in an Edwardian semi at Melton Mowbray - contain clear, crisp action in the traditions of B-movies and Western television series. What they lack in psychological depth is made up for by at least twelve good fights per volume. Each portrays a vivid, idealized “West That Never
Was”, at a pace that rarely slackens.

  The Floating Outfit Series by J. T. Edson

  The Ysabel Kid

  .44 Caliber Man

  A Horse Called Mogollon

  Goodnight’s Dream

  From Hide and Horn

  Set Texas Back on Her Feet

  The Hide and Tallow Men

  The Hooded Riders

  Quiet Town

  Trail Boss

  Wagons to Backsight

  Troubled Range

  Sidewinder

  Rangeland Hercules

  McGraw’s Inheritance

  The Half-Breed

  White Indians

  Texas Kidnappers

  The Wildcats

  The Bad Bunch

  The Fast Gun

  Cuchilo

  A Town Called Yellowdog

  Trigger Fast

  The Trouble Busters

  The Making of a Lawman

  Decision for Dusty Fog

  ... And more to come every month!

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  1 Texas was supplanted as the largest State of the Union by Alaska in 1959.

  2 Provided the herd was of sufficient size, a second vehicle was taken along to supplement the chuck wagon. For information about what was carried in the ‘bed’ wagon and how a herd was driven from Texas to the railroad in Kansas, see TRAIL BOSS.

  3 Another example of how clothing could establish a man was from Texas is given in Case One, ‘Roan Manet’s Son’, ARIZONA RANGER.

  4 Further information about that particular Englishman, Sir John ‘Monocle Johnny’ Besgrove is given in NO FINGER ON THE TRIGGER.

  5 Although Sir John Besgrove did not wear such an aid to vision, a popular misconception in the United States all through the Nineteenth Century was that all members of the British upper class wore monocles. This could have been helped to gain strength as a result of a few like the Earl of Hawkesdon, known as ‘Brit’, who did so; see RIO GUNS.

  Having learned of the supposition, the very competent British criminal, Amelia Penelope Diana ‘Benkers’ Benkinsop wore a monocle as an aid to creating the character she was playing at one period during her visit to the United States in the mid 1870’s; see Part Three, ‘Birds Of A Feather’, WANTED! BELLE STARR. Further information about the visit is given in: BEGUINAGE IS DEAD! and Part Five, ‘The Butcher’s Fiery End’, J.T.’S LADIES.

  6 In a few years time, Merle’s maturity and sense of responsibility caused him to be appointed segundo of the B Bar D ranch; see NO FINGER ON THE TRIGGER.

  7 Like many of her generation and class, albeit perhaps a trifle tongue in cheek in most cases, as it was in her own, Lady Winifred Amelia ‘Freddie Woods’ Besgrove-Woodstole held to the belief that the world was divided into two parts, Great Britain and its colonies, therefore anybody who was not British was considered a ‘colonial’. We subscribe to the point of view, see the dedication for KILL DUSTY FOG!

  8 Most of the tricks employed by Blotchy are described in detail in various volumes of the Floating Outfit, Waco and Calamity Jane series.

  9 ‘San Jac’: Texans’ name for the decisive Battle of San Jacinto on Thursday, April 26 1836, in which a greatly outnumbered force of Texans led by General Samuel ‘Sam’ Houston defeated the army of Presidente General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana and ended his tyrannical rule over them. See OLE DEVIL AT SAN JACINTO.

  10 According to a legend which was already well circulated at that point, on hearing somebody complaining that General Ulysses Simpson Grant was drinking heavily, President Abraham Lincoln replied, ‘Find out what kind of liquor he’s using and give some to my other generals. He’s winning battles and they are not.’

  11 More information about the Texas War of Independence is given in the other volumes of the Ole Devil Hardin series and THE QUEST FOR BOWIE’S BLADE.

  12 For information about the effectiveness of the Texas Light Cavalry, see the DUSTY FOG’S CIVIL WAR series.

  13 Because of the slowness of communications at that period having prevented the news reaching the area, the Battle of Palmitto Hill near Brownsville, Texas, was fought on May 13th, 1865, approximately a month after the War Between the States ended elsewhere. Ironically, it was won by a force of the Confederate States’ Army under the command of Colonel John Salmon ‘Rip’ Ford.

  14 Described in THE TROUBLE BUSTERS.

  15 Unlike in the United Kingdom, Americans refer to the part of a multi-story building at ground level as being the ‘first’ floor.

  16 Sir John Ramage was the youngest grandson of Admiral of the Fleet, the Eleventh Earl of Blazey; details of whose career in the Royal Navy prior to succeeding to the title are recorded in the Ramage series of biographies by Dudley Pope.

  17 The tradition of hunting and exploration in South America was continued by Lord James Roxton’s son, John; see THE LOST WORLD by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

  18 For an example of just how dangerous failure to take such a precaution could be when making a draw, see THE FAST GUN.

  19 Told in QUIET TOWN.

  20 How the blond youngster coped with a similar situation at a later period of his career is described in Part One, ‘The Campaigner,’ WACO RIDES IN.

  21 How a modern day Texas sheriff dealt with a ‘hostage’ situation is recorded in Part One, ‘Hostages,’ THE LAWMEN OF ROCKABYE COUNTY.

  22 The Metis were a race evolved in Canada as a result of marriages between voyageurs—boatmen and traders generally of French-Canadian origin—and women of the various Indian tribes with whom they came into contact. The name had its origination from a corruption of the French word, ‘metissage’, meaning miscegenation.

  23 Le Loup Garou , the Werewolf.

  24 Further information about Arnaud ‘le Loup Garou’ Chavallier, although we inadvertently called him ‘Cavallier’ is given in THE REMITTANCE KID and THE WHIP AND THE WAR LANCE.

  25 Information regarding the background and special qualifications of Waco, including why he knew only one name, is given in APPENDIX FOUR.

  26 We have been unable to find details regarding a Haynes ‘Excelsior Percussion’ Grenade being acquired by any member of the OD Connected ranch’s crew, or even being used during the War Between the States. However, a contemporary device, the Ketcham’s ‘Four-Pounder’ Grenade, which operates upon a different and somewhat safer principle, is employed in THE COLT AND THE SABER and COLD DECK, HOT LEAD.

  27 Details of Mark Counter’s background and special qualifications can be found in APPENDIX TWO.

  28 Information regarding the background and special qualifications of the Ysabel Kid are recorded in APPENDIX THREE.

  29 What is meant by the reference to hair on the chest is explained in Chapter Eight. ‘Waco’s Education’, THE TROUBLE BUSTERS.

  30 Neither the efforts of Colonel George A. French nor the office of the United States’ Marshal at Topeka, Kansas, were able to discover who was the supplier for the arms in the possession of Arnaud le Loup Garou Chavallier. However, it was later established that many came from Ernst ‘die Fleisher’ Kramer, a dealer in illicit weapons based in Chicago, Illinois, some details of whose career are reported by inference in THE DEVIL GUN and THE WHIP AND THE WAR LANCE, also at first hand in CALAMITY, MARK AND BELLE and Part Five, ‘The Butcher’s Fiery End’, J.T.’S LADIES.

  31 In May, 1873, Colonel French created what a later generation would form a paramilitary law enforcement force which was to be called the ‘Canadian Northwest Mounted Rifles’. However, due to the Government of the United States having registered protests over the presence of a military body operating close to its border with Canada—wishing to maintain the spirit of cooperation he had established with various peace officers while visiting Amer
ica—he substituted the word, ‘Police’ for Rifles’ and this was accepted as a satisfactory compromise by both countries.

  32 In spite of his experience outside the Mulrooney passenger depot and with other peace officers in the United States besides the town marshal’s office at that town, Colonel French continued to retain his close-topped holster and had the same kind of rig supplied to the men under his command.

  33 An occasion when Freddie Woods used her ‘elephant gun’—actually a .465 caliber Holland & Holland double barreled hunting rifle regarded by many British sportsmen as being too light for use against such a large and dangerous animal—is recorded in BUFFALO ARE COMING!

  34 ‘Montana peak’ - a hat with its crown shaped much the same as those once worn by Boy Scouts.