Brazos River Marauders

Contents

PROLOGUE

1

THE HORNS

2

FREEDOM

3

REVELATIONS

4

TRAGIC LOSS

5

AMBUSH

6

HOSTILE VISITORS

7

FORT WORTH

8

WAR OR PEACE

9

BLOOD TRAIL

10

OUTLAWPLOT

11

STRETCHED THIN

12

TRAIL DRIVE

13

THUNDER CANYON

14

MARAUDERS

15

LEFT FOR DEAD

16

ESCAPE

17

WANTON SLAUGHTER

18

BREAKING POINT

19

JUSTICE

PROLOGUE

For more than a hundred years, hordes of brave, hearty pioneers, men with their women and children traveled westward, hell bent on finding a better life beyond the western horizon. The western movements finally stopped at the waters’ edge of the Pacific Ocean. For some of the settlers, the trek to the American west was an extension of their travels from distant lands. This novel portrays a Scottish family’s life—a mere snapshot in time in America and on the western frontier during the lawless early years. They experienced heartbreak, loss of loved ones, lawlessness, wanton murder, floods, drought and many other hardships while seeking land they could call their own.

Historians spent years researching exciting tales left behind by courageous pioneers. They discovered unbelievable tales of gun battles, bravery, hardship, lawlessness and a multitude of other information related to life on the frontier. Some of these tales began with, if not before, the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Screenwriters of western movies some based on novels depicted the wild, untamed, lawless lands and seldom dwelled much on the hardships and struggles suffered by the courageous settlers.

Brazos River Marauders is a fictional story of a Scottish immigrant family Fred and Ella Horn and their only son Colt—who helped to conquer and settle the wild untamed and dangerous American Southwest. These early pioneers had to contend with lawlessness, the usual frailties and ailments of humans and animals, without the benefit of the law, doctors or patented medicines. They fought lawbreakers while carving out a new livelihood and learning new ways to treat diseases, wounds and broken bones. They found virgin forests, fields and meadowlands with an abundance of fruit, berries and game for their tables.

The courageous pioneers buried their loved ones along uncharted trails, leaving behind piles of rocks, crude wooden crosses or in some cases carved names in great oaks or other trees marking the graves of their loved ones.

The pioneers met unimagined challenges of every description with great determination. They raced ever westward with their women and children seeking land and the allusive wealth. Some realized their dreams by stubborn perseverance, honesty and the sweat of their brow. A few did not have the patience or skills to achieve the wealth they sought, but turned to murder and high crimes to deprive others of their lives and hard earned land. Many of the law-abiding citizens spent much of their productive time warding off predators, cattle rustlers and other acts of lawlessness.

Colt Horn was born on a trail to parents seeking new land they could call their own. He grew to manhood surviving battles, hardships and struggles. After his parents were murdered leaving him alone on a dangerous trail, Colt faced years of hardship and loneliness while trying to survive against great odds. Colt Horn possessed a burning desire to own a successful ranch. He wanted nothing he could not personally earn. He never lost sight of his vow to remain loyal to himself and the Lord. He was not an overly pious man, but lived and walked an honest trail.

After several hard years, Colt follows a lucky star to a small town on the Brazos River, buys land located in a fertile valley and works feverishly to establish a successful honest operation. Then cattle rustlers strike repeatedly, running off his prime stock: his foreman is murdered while riding the north range. He learns that an outlaw gang called the Black Cape marauders marked him for death. The gang leader intends to first kill Colt then take his ranch and control the entire valley.

When Colt Horn learned that the Black Cape marauders intended to kill him, he vowed to bring their leader to justice, and then pursue and eliminate the outlaw gang. While fighting to protect his ranch from the killers, he meets the love of his life: this provides additional fire in his belly to end the trouble on the range. He managed to hire honest cowpunchers willing to use their six-shooters in defense of the ranch. Talk and threats of a range war forced Colt to investigate his neighboring ranchers to determine if they had connections to the Black Cape marauders. Some of the citizens dared to question his motives when he inquired about the Black Cape marauders. They soon learned that he was trying to avoid a range war.

Colt Horn proved hard to kill even for the Black Cape marauders. Colt is surprised and can hardly believe what he is hearing when he learns the marauders boss’ identity. Then Colt Horn became more determined than ever to bring the gang and their vile killer leader to justice.

1

THE HORNS

The courageous pioneers who pushed the American western frontier from the pilgrims’ colonies on the East Coast to the Pacific Ocean included early generations of Americans and an influx of immigrants from other lands. This novel chronicles a Scottish family’s trek to the wild and untamed western frontier. In dire fear of the government and its indebtedness court, Fred Horn—Colt Horn’s father escaped Scotland to the ‘uncivilized colonies’ in America. His family would eventually experience the American western frontier in all its’ danger and glory.

The Horns loved their Scottish heritage and their homeland. However, the early years of the Eighteenth Century were rife with hardship in many parts of the world, and was responsible for much of the flight to the new and unexplored American lands. The living conditions in Scotland were especially severe and continued to worsen for many families who found their efforts to carve out an existence had become a burden that many simply could not bear. Some reached a point where they no longer cared whether they lived or died. Such conditions in Scotland came about not by disease, famine or some great natural calamity; but rather oppressive governmental laws and regulations accompanied by almost total disregard for civil rights. The commoners came to understand that only the rich and powerful gained favor with the government. There existed widespread unemployment, imposed by onerous taxes that favored only certain segments of the society: big landholders and those who managed to gain their wealth from government contracts and had other connections and influences. These living conditions provided little hope for a better life and influenced many Scottish families to face the dangers of crossing the oceans to the American Colonies or other new lands.

The hard times prevailed throughout most of the established civilizations, except perhaps in the new and generally unsettled frontiers where governments had not yet gained control long enough to establish their unwanted laws and regulations, especially imposition of taxation. Starvation was getting to be a daily threat throughout the Scottish realm. Educated and informed families began to understand that it was no longer possible to support their large families under the stringent labor laws and extreme working conditions. These laws favored the very rich: big landowners who lived in their large castles and bequeathed from one generation to the next.

The commoners seldom had steady work, and those who found work had to labor from sunup to sundown and in some cases late into the nights. They had to work for a mere pittance of money and the employers always demanded greater productivity. The ruling class controlled the courts that sanctioned these conditions. Citizens, who owed money, rent or labor would without a doubt end up in the Scottish Indebtedness Court, and more often than not remanded to prison. Then for the fortunate ones released as bonded servants to an important landowner or sold to one of the overseas resettlement programs.

It was common knowledge throughout Scotland that bonded servants suffered lifetimes of horrible abuse, while most of them eventually died before their release from bondage, and then buried in pauper graves. Families did not have the right to be told when their disgraced relatives died. Hard times continued to increase, and forced some members of James Horn’s extended family to leave for other lands. They left Scotland for a better life.

There was no positive sign of real change in sight for James Horn, his wife Charlotte and their son Frederick. Their holdings and income were limited and consisted mainly of what James could earn as a part-time merchant and Charlotte’s meager inheritance from her father’s family. The income from the interest on her inheritance, which was all she was allowed by the conditions imposed by her father’s will, and the small amount of money earned by James was never enough to maintain the family and keep

them debt free. The ever-looming possibility of becoming bonded servants was something they feared most in their lives.

In fact, this was their greatest concern and cause for nightmares with visions of hard labor, starvation, chains and whips. They also feared for their only child, Fred who was just coming into manhood at twenty years of age.

Then without warning, their worst fears struck. The courts called for payment of all the outstanding debts the Horns had accumulated. There was nothing left to meet the payments, and the courts ordered James Horn sent to a penal farm in Australia as an indebted servant for fifteen years. Six months after they forced James Horn from his home later confiscated by the Courts—in irons, Charlotte took ill and died.

Family friends warned Fred that he would soon follow his father to Australia if he stayed in Scotland. They urged his immediate escape to America. They had heard that it would be easy for him to lose himself in the wild frontiers of the Colony and beyond the reach of the Scottish Courts. Fred had already heard talk of being able to work on a ship and perhaps earn some cash which would help establish him in America. He had a small amount of money he wanted to keep hidden until he arrived in the new land. With help of relatives and friends, he escaped to the wild and unsettled American Colonies. He obtained passage on a freighter as a helper in the scullery, cleaning pots and pans and other undesirable dirty work reserved for the unpaid passengers.

Fred was not worried very much, about what would happen when he finally arrived in America. He felt sure his education, knowledge and strong body equipped him very well to obtain employment and then succeed in the new land. After many hours and days of searching through the ports and talking to various ships’ officers, he signed on to work as a crew-member in the ship’s galley for his passage and food aboard the passenger ship Euphrates. During the long and arduous crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, Fred managed to eat as well as anyone aboard except perhaps the ships’ officers.

One of the most disagreeable aspects of crossing the ocean was being forced to witness almost daily floggings of those caught stealing or deemed guilty of some other infraction of the rules.

Fred could hardly restrain himself from attempting to stop the punishment, but well knew that he would receive whatever was being meted out twice over and might not live to see the new land of promise. Everyone aboard was at the mercy of the Ship Captain. Anyway, he told himself that such ill-advised action on his part would not help the poor soul being whipped. He would end up just another skinned crewmember if he lived. He resolved to make sure he kept to himself and live to make a new home in America. His good intentions and efforts to avoid trouble almost caused him to take a turn at the bloody whipping-post.

One of the ship’s officers had taken an unwanted interest in Fred and tried to obtain what the officer called a little fun. Fred not only rebuffed his advances but also told him what kind of person he was and that his mother would cut her own throat if she knew what an ill-begotten mistake she had wrought on the world. The officer was offended and allowed that Fred would pay at the whipping post for his insolence and refusal.

This incident took place while the ship was nearing the port. On the evening before arrival in America, rough hands dragged Fred Horn before the Captain and accused him of insubordination, which he did not deny as he felt his actions were justified. The Captain would hear no evidence or permit Fred to make a statement. The Captain said that an Officer’s word was law on his Ship. The Captain ordered ten lashes a relatively light sen-tence—at high noon the following day.

The Captain always delayed the whippings for several hours, or in some cases days, to increase what he considered the ‘punishment of anticipation’. In addition, he liked to have more than one whipping administered within minutes of the last one so that he could watch the reaction of those awaiting their turn at the post. He enjoyed watching those waiting their turn cringe and flinch every time the whip cut the flesh and skin of the poor unfortunate at the post.

The Captain apparently possessed tendencies of a sadist and a masochist as it was rumored he enjoyed watching others mistreated and gained gratification from pain inflicted on his own body. The crewmembers who had served aboard the ship on previous crossings said the Captain’s greatest enjoyment in life seemed to be pain, mostly to others, human if possible, if not, any animal would do. The sight of blood excited him.

Courageous galley workers managed to keep Fred hidden under some canvas in an empty barrel for the last hours of the voyage and saved Fred from the ordered flogging. In addition, during this time, the ship encountered some real severe weather on approaching the coast, causing the Captain and other officers to give their full attention to managing the ship, and they forgot about Fred Horn’s ordered punishment. Fred knew enough about maritime customs and laws that precluded the Captain from carrying out his ordered flogging once the ship entered the New York harbor waters. Fred rejoiced at seeing the shoreline. To be on the safe side, he continued to stay out of sight until the ship arrived in the harbor. He had avoided discovery and did not show himself until the ship docked. Then he went ashore while the Captain cursed his officers for not bringing Fred to the punishment post while at sea.

Before leaving the ship, Fred had filled a small bag of food items from the ship’s stores. He had decided to spend the money hidden in his shoes only to keep from starving. He would find work, if not for pay, perhaps just for a room and food. Fred determined to be alert for any offer of work. He had experienced a few close encounters with ruffians trying to rob him, but escaped with a few bruises and without losing his money. The area around the waterfront was rife with crime. Fred soon learned to stay out of sight during the hours of darkness. It was a dangerous place and he began to look for a day job and not have to be out on the streets at night.

Fred’s first impression of the vast new land was that the wilderness continued as far as the eye could see, and seemed endless. His eyes searched the seashore, looking for something that might remind him of home in Scotland. Everything was so strange: the buildings and other structures appeared to be just temporary unattractive hovels: the folks in Scotland would not house their animals in some of the structures for fear they might collapse and kill them. As bad as the ocean crossing had been, his first thought was to flee this unfriendly place with its barking and growling dogs, and raggedly dressed children. The first few men and women Fred encountered were not dressed much better than the children who appeared to be homeless. He found a seat on a plank resting on blocks of wood in front of a store. He felt his life might be nearing the end. He just hoped that if the end came here, it would be swift.

He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what his father was going through serving his sentence of bondage in another strange land. It took only a few minutes for Fred to shake the feeling of loneness and despair. He chastised himself for momentarily forgetting how lucky he was to be in the new world and have the chance at a new life. He then and there resolved to be the best person he could be and overcome whatever hardships might lay ahead. Yes, Fred Horn would succeed in this great wilderness. He was not afraid of the future.

2

FREEDOM

Fred Horn continued to wander around the waterfront for several months, taking odd jobs. In fear of the reported killings and mayhem during the nights, Fred would only take work during daylight hours. He made enough money to sustain his needs, including what little comfort the rooming house could provide. He shunned work that required walking back to his room during darkness. The work he found was not hard, and he soon became known around the waterfront as a hard worker. Everyone understood that the nights were filled with crime of all sorts, from petty theft to murder. Then after a few months, Fred became acquainted with a fellow traveling to Virginia, who said near his home crime was not rampant and there was plenty work for a strong young man. Fred was anxious to leave the coast and the criminal element he abhorred.

On arrival in Virginia, he immediately found suitable work that he enjoyed in a gristmill. These were happy times for him. However, he oftentimes regretted that he had no communication with his relatives and friends in Scotland, which depressed him, but he had managed to adjust to the new life. He was proud of the few dollars he had managed to save. Yes, life in the wild and untamed America with all its’ freedom was a great improvement over what he had experienced under the iron rule in Scotland. He still loved Scotland and prayed for the day he could return. He wrote letters trying to find out the fate of his father in Australia, but so far, no one knew what had become of his father. The freedom he had tasted in America dampened most of his thought about returning to his homeland where the indebtedness courts still held sway.

Then his lucky star blessed him one day at the gristmill, when he met seventeen-year-old Ella Timmerman whose parents had died and left her penniless with no known relatives. After the short meeting that first day, she found reason to visit the mill often and made no secret of her interest in Fred. He felt honored that the young beautiful lass would seek his company. Ella had charm and much more: her azure blue eyes, long glossy blonde hair and her light complexion caused many eyes to be cast in her direction. Her ever-ready smile could light any dingy room or work place. Yes, she had it all: extraordinarily beautiful lass and available to Fred for the asking.

After a short courtship, they married and almost immediately began planning their future in the unsettled southwest part of America. They heard glowing reports of adventure, free land and riches on the plains in the Southwest. They also heard of the Texian war to gain Independence from Mexico, tales of Indians scalping settlers, lawlessness, and the hostile country where it hardly ever rained and the unbearably cold winters. None of these dire warnings fazed Fred and Ella Horn or lessened their adventurous spirits.

The newlyweds had many things in common: the most prominent of them all was their insatiable thirst to look over the western horizon. It took them less than a year to prepare for the trip, acquire a sturdy wagon, mules to pull the wagon and a saddle horse. Then the happy couple loaded all their possessions onto the wagon and set out to experience the savage unsettled outlaw infested west. All the local newspapers described the conditions in the west and southwest as a wasteland filled with crime. With high confidence and believing in themselves, such information only served to spur Fred and Ella on their way west.

They had armed themselves with rifles and pistols. He and Ella spent hours shooting at paper targets before they departed for the unknown lands to the southwest. They set out on the trail westward in high spirits with great hope and confidence that they could take care of themselves regardless of what they might encounter. Then on a rainy evening, the happy couple stopped in a cove where there was plenty of water and grass, and soon was forced to prove their nerve and ability with firearms. Late that evening they spent precious daylight time attempting to build a small fire. After several false starts, the wet leaves and wood dried sufficiently to light. It took time for the flame to provide enough heat to fry the rabbit and cook the biscuits.

Then without warning two riders appeared out of the wet darkness and rode right up to the fire where Fred and Ella stood. Fred still had his gun belt on and invited the bearded men to dismount and join them for supper. The big heavy fellow snarled while looking hard at Ella, and said to his partner, Johnny, you shoot this jasper and we will have both his woman and supper. She looks ripe to me. They laughed while leering at Ella, making kissing sounds with their lips. Fred could see that they were loco and ready to kill for what they wanted.

The one called Johnny replied, Yea, I’ll just do that and we will take the wagon and all their things. We can take turns and have fun with this fine looking girl. Just remember, I go first when this fellow is dead. Johnny had his pistol pointed at Fred’s chest.

Ella glanced at her rifle leaning against the wagon wheel in the shadow of the fire just out of reach and then quickly stepped in front ofFred, putting her closer to the rifle: using one hand, raised her skirt and stuck out her leg and said, Shoot me first and that will spoil your fun and supper. As she expected these lecherous vile men saw, her thigh exposed in the firelight and their eyes shifted, staring at her pink flesh. Fred took advantage of those precious seconds by swiftly drawing his .44, and fired over Ella’s head hitting the outlaw holding the pistol high in his left chest. The killer dropped his pistol and fell out of the saddle. Ella leaped and rolled toward her rifle, somehow found it in her hands and fired at the man still sitting in his saddle on the now bucking horse. She missed her target, but Fred had time to take aim and shot the moving target. Later, Fred checked the outlaws and determined that both would never again terrorize innocent travelers.

That night’s supper was ruined and neither Ella nor Fred ate very much. The next morning they buried the outlaws in a shallow grave and turned their horses loose, leaving their saddles and gear beside the well-traveled trail. The outlaws had no identification on them or in their gear. The small amount of coins they carried, Fred left with their gear. Fred guessed that the nearest settlement was more than three days travel back up the trail, so he decided he and Ella had no choice but to continue on their way. During the travel, he felt that about half the time he was lost, but kept following his compass to the south toward what he hoped was their destination. They traveled the uncharted trails south and southeast through Missouri. They avoided settlements and asked few questions. Fred proved to be a better navigator than he gave himself credit.

They arrived in the Republic of Texas at Clarkesville, soon after the revolution ended. Ella could hardly wait to smell the salt water and to see the ocean. During the next year, they slowly worked their way south to the ocean. The lovebirds worked for farmers, ranchers, and even took jobs in cafes as well as general stores to earn money. Fred had long conversations with the folks he and Ella worked for trying to learn as much as he could about the living conditions along the Galveston coast. Jones Creek was the village most often mentioned by those claiming to know the area. Fred and Ella decided that it would be their home. Therefore, the happy couple selected the small village of Jones Creek as their destination. They had learned that Jones Creek was near Galveston and the ocean. Two weeks before they arrived in Jones Creek, their baby boy was born. The happy parents named their son Colt, as they saw a brood mare and her beautiful colt in a field near Jones Creek. On seeing the frisky colt, Fred remarked, Well, Ella since we have not yet named our son, I hope he will be as happy and frisky as that colt in the field. How do you like the name Colt?

Fred, that’s a nice thought. Let’s name him Colt. Fred laughed and responded, My you are an agreeable mother today. Are you sure that you want to name him Colt? Ella smiled and nodded her head and cooed at the baby. They quickly sealed the agreement to name their son Colt with a kiss.

When they first arrived in Galveston, Ella wanted to see the ocean so they drove directly to the coastline. Ella had never seen so much water as existed in Galveston Bay. However, to Fred the large body of water just reminded him of his slow crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. Within a short time, Ella had more than her fill of the salt water. They drove on toward Jones Creek and began seriously to search for land with a house or a place

to build their own cabin. After a few weeks, they made many friends and learned to like the small village.

They looked at many plots of land and other possibilities to establish themselves in and around Jones Creek. It took a while as both Fred and Ella had a tendency to be very deliberate, but finally decided to build a log cabin on some acreage near town. In the beginning, the neighbors helped with building the cabin. Soon however, they found themselves on their own. The first few years seemed to fly by, but they kept improving their cabin and sheds for the new chickens and milk cows. Fred found suitable work and supplemented his salary, by the sale of milk, eggs and later hogs. They had good neighbors and attended church almost every Sunday. It was a good life. Fred and Ella spent long evenings with their son. He was growing so fast Fred claimed he could see him growing. Ella just laughed at the proud and impatient father.

Colt spent his young years at Jones Creek going to school, working at odd jobs and sharpening his skill with firearms. His skills hunting game for the table brought praise from the neighbors. It also gave his father bragging rights around the village. In truth, Colt was a natural born sharpshooter with about any type of weapon. Like his father, he appeared to