Trail of Adventures: Trail of the Condemned

By M. T. Deason

This book details the further adventures of Toab and Doc. As they return to Hoodville to face an enemy, they find more trouble for themselves and their friends. After breaking their friends out of jail before they are hanged by a corrupt judge, they become fugitives, now having the law and their enemies after them. Will they survive this to cont

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stratton Press
• Release date: Sep 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781648955938

M. T. Deason

M. T. Deason is a resident of Oxford, Alabama. He has a love for the old west and adventure. He has worked in public service for close to thirty years. He hopes to continue writing and entertaining his audience with more adventures.

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TRAIL OF ADVENTURES: TRAIL OF THE CONDEMNED

Copyright © 2021 M. T. Deason

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-64895-592-1

ISBN (Ebook): 978-1-64895-593-8

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter

1

It was late March as Doc and I were on our way to Hoodville, New Mexico, territory. We had wintered in Wyoming territory with my family. We had wanted to return to Hoodville sooner, but the weather had not allowed it. We had come out of trouble up in Wyoming and Colorado before we had to winter with my family.

My name is Toab Harris. My best friend and saddle partner is Doc Hayes. We both had reputations we didn’t want as gunmen. We had both faced troubles and came out alive, and due to the fact that we had made it through those troubles against known gunmen, we were counted as dangerous men. I’m a peace-loving man, but if pushed, I will fight. I’m 5'9", about 190 from hard work, and big shoulders. I’m clean shaven, with curly black hair and dark brown eyes. I’m half Cherokee and have a dark complexion. Doc is six foot even, about 195, with sandy brown hair. He was now sporting a mustache and goatee. Doc liked to drink and was not one to be trifled with. He and I are alike but yet so different. As a team, I believed we were unstoppable. We are brothers in arms, and I am proud to call him my friend.

The man I had went after in Wyoming was Rupert Callahan, an evil man who was a gunman that tried to hide it by wearing a business suit and selling guns to the Indians. He had put a bounty on me and tried to have me killed, even hiring a cousin of mine to help him. Only thing, my cousin was working for the US Marshals and helped me. Rupert and I shot it out in Colorado, and now he is buried up there and his half brother and business partner, Jeff Johns, is on the loose. Johns, who was also selling guns to the Indians, escaped after I killed Rupert. He was heading to Hoodville, where I had friends, and he had started up a saloon there.

Now Doc and I were ten miles from Hoodville, and we were both tired and hungry. It was starting to get late, and the sun was going down. I spotted a ranch house off in the distance. I told Doc, Let’s head over that way. Maybe we can round us up some grub and get some rest before getting to Hoodville.

Doc shrugged his shoulders and said, Sounds good to me if they have some beer. I need a drink bad.

I just shook my head and grinned, saying, I wish you would shut up about a drink. You’ve been complaining about that for the past fifty miles.

Doc frowned and said, Toab, just because you don’t drink and enjoy it doesn’t mean others don’t.

I smiled and said, Maybe, I just think you would be better off if you didn’t.

Doc looked over at me disgusted like, saying, Just shut up.

I said seriously, All right, but it’ll be your funeral if you keep it up.

Doc just smiled and said, Well, I should be well preserved then.

I nodded my head and said, That you will.

With that exchange, we headed toward the house. When we got there, even at dusk you could tell the place needed work. I called out to the house, and a slender woman came outside. I said, Howdy, ma’am, I was wondering if you could spare a bite to eat. My friend and I haven’t had a decent meal in weeks.

The woman said as she studied us, You can go over to the barn and put your horses up, I’ll get Johnny to feed them some hay and grain. Then you can come and wash up before I feed you.

I said as I smiled at her, Thank you, ma’am. Doc and I turned the horses and rode to the barn. A boy, I would say around ten, came out and ran over to us and started filling some feed sacks with some grain for the horses.

Doc frowned and said, I bet she doesn’t have any beer. I may just ride on to town.

I looked over at him, cutting my eyes, and said, You can stay for a meal before we ride. It won’t hurt you.

Doc, being surly, said, It might, we don’t know if she can cook or not.

I grinned and said, True.

Washing up, we went inside the ranch house, where it was fixed up nice. You could tell it had a woman’s touch on the inside. It was clean and neat, with everything put in its place. There was a table with four chairs in the dining area with a red-and-white tablecloth on it, and a cabinet with dishes all stacked neatly.

The contrast from the inside to outside was like night and day. The inside was cozy and comfortable, having been well taken care of, but the outside was in need of repair and a handyman’s touch.

The woman introduced herself as Lacey Duncan and then introduced us to her son, Johnny. Doc and I introduced ourselves and we sit down, and she asked me to say the blessing over the food. I said the blessing, and we began to eat. There wasn’t a lot of food, but what we had was good, but to us, as hungry as we were, most anything would have been good. As we ate, Lacey asked us, Where are y’all headed?

Doc didn’t like to talk much while eating; he just shoveled his food on down. I answered, saying, We’re going to Hoodville. We’ve got some business to take care of. Then I asked, How long have you lived here? I thought I knew everyone around these parts.

Lacey looked at her food and kind of moved it around some before finally saying, A few years now. We just don’t get to town much. When we do, I usually don’t stay long, though I do like the company.

I ate a few more bites before I asked, Where’s your husband?

Lacey looked up at me after a moment with a tear in her eye and said, He’s dead. He was out working on the ranch and had supplies on the wagon for the ranch. The wagon hit a hole, and the front wheel came off and turned over on top of him and killed him.

I winced and said, I’m sorry to hear that, ma’am. How long has he been gone?

Close to a year now, she answered.

I looked around and said, Well, you’ve kept up the place pretty well. I did notice a few things on the outside that need fixing. Maybe Doc and I can help.

Doc looked over at me with one of those looks, like he was saying, Don’t get me involved in this.

Lacey said, I would appreciate it, but mostly I need help with the cattle. I would like to sell them and move back east where my family is.

I knew when she mentioned cattle, Doc would be leaving. Both of us had sworn we wouldn’t work cattle, not that there was anything wrong with it, we just preferred to make our money other ways. Neither one of us were good with a rope. Now I could deal with cows. I just didn’t like where they wound up, even though I like my beef. On the other hand, I just couldn’t see myself walking out on Lacey seeing she needed help. Also, it didn’t hurt that she was attractive enough with pretty blue eyes. I knew I would stay at least for a little while. I think Doc could see it in my eyes, and he was giving me that look like, Here we go again.

After eating, I said, I don’t know what all I can do to help, but if you would like, I can sleep out in the barn, and in the morning, I can look around and see what I can do. I can’t speak for Doc, though.

Doc shook his head and said, I need to take care of some business in town. I’m going to go ahead and head out tonight.

Lacy thanked me and told me, I would be happy to have your help. She asked, Do you need any blankets or anything?

I smiled and said, I have everything I need on my horses. I got up, and so did Doc, and we started for the door. Doc and I thanked her for the food before we went out. Outside we started making our way towards the horses. When we got far enough away from the house, Doc asked me, What do you think you’re doing? You know you can’t fix anything, and you sure can’t handle cattle. The only thing you’re good at is shooting, and that’s not going to do you any good here.

I grinned and asked, What’s your point?

Doc just shook his head while saying, Toab, you know exactly my point. The only reason you’re sticking around here is for the woman.

I thought a moment and said, No, that’s not the reason. Her and the boy need help, so I’m going to help them.

Doc cocked his head at me and looked at me sideways and said, Don’t try and fool me, Toab Harris. I know you all too well.

I shrugged and said, Maybe.

Then Doc asked, "What about Johns? We are supposed to put him out of business, stop those bounty hunters he’s hired. Think about it, don’t you want to go to town and visit the Fuzzy Rabbit and see the major and the girls? I’m sure it will be more fun there than here."

Starting to get annoyed, I said, Doc, go if you want to go, though you would be a better help around here than me. I know I’m not any good at fixing things or working cattle, but I’m not going to turn my back on Lacey and the boy.

Doc just looked at me disgusted, then finally said as we had just been standing there by the barn, "I’m heading out. You can stay if you want to. I’ll be at the Fuzzy Rabbit."

I just said, All right, Doc, you do whatever you want. When I’m finished here, I’ll head into town.

Doc went into the barn and got his horse Flash, a black gelding, mounted up, and rode off. I knew he would have to come back eventually or I would see him in town. I usually rode my big paint gelding, Tye, and Doc and I used my other two paints, Malaby and Regal, as packhorses. Doc had rode off without his pack and would start to miss it after a while.

That evening Lacey came out to see if I needed anything before her and Johnny went to bed. I thanked her and told her, No, I will be fine for the night. She turned around, heading back to the house. After I saw that she got in safely, I went in and pulled off the saddle and the packs from the horses and then rubbed them down. I got the pitchfork and forked over some hay for them, and then climbed up into the loft and pulled off my boots and got ready for bed. I wrapped up in my blanket and lay down. The night had a chill in it, and it started to rain. I was glad to have a roof over my head and food in my belly. I had spent so many nights sleeping out wherever we could find, no matter if it was snowing, raining, or hailing Doc and I were used to staying out in it.

As I lay there, I began to think what all had transpired over the past year. Running into a wagon train, Doc and I meeting the girls. The one Doc was in love with, Amanda, was killed by a gang of outlaws, and then Melanie, the girl I had met, was kidnapped, and we had an up-and-down relationship. After I went off to find the one that had put a bounty on me and hired the outlaws, I lost her. I saw my family that I hadn’t seen since before the War Between The States. I was nearly killed twice. How I survived God only knew.

My life had not been easy since the war where I met Doc. After the war, I met Delilah, a beautiful woman in appearance, with long brown hair, pretty blue eyes, and a very nice figure. She took me for a fool and left me in debt, running off with another man. Though I wasn’t a hand with women, I had met Kate in Wyoming, a slim and lovely brunette that left with someone else because I was in love with Melanie. Melanie’s former fiancé showed up as I was taking care of business in Wyoming and Colorado, and she married him around five months ago.

As far as I knew, Melanie was still in Hoodville, and I was, in a way, dreading seeing her again along with Delilah, who was working there. Sometimes a man wonders what he did to wind up in the messes that he gets himself in. At this point, that was what I was doing. Only thing, I knew it was all my own fault. I believe that is why I always liked to ride the trails I did and not stay long in one place. There seems to be a yearning in me to be always on the move. I knew no woman wants a man like that because she’s afraid he will ride off and never return.

Now I just wanted to be left alone and just help Lacey as much as I could. After that, I would go to Hoodville and take care of the business there to stop Jeff Johns from arming the Indians. My hope was that the major would have already taken care of things. Only thing, if Johns was as good at business and at hiring men, as I heard, the major might have a hard time of it.

Major Christopher had been a major during the War Between The States as one of the youngest men to make that rank. He had been over the artillery battalion that Doc and I were assigned to when our unit the 10th Confederate Cavalry company C was temporarily disbanded because we were short of artillery battalions. After the war the major, as we called him, had opened up a multi business in Hoodville with the main part the Fuzzy Rabbit, which was a saloon, restaurant, and dance hall with a side business, shall we say. The major was a good man to have on your side. He was smart, confident, and could shoot when needed. If Johns and the major run into each other, my money would be on the major.

When I woke the next morning, I got up dressed and went to the house for breakfast. Lacey had cooked up some eggs, bacon, and biscuits. It was good not having to eat what Doc and I had eaten on the trail.

That morning there was little talk around the table. I don’t think any of us were morning people and felt like talking.

After breakfast, I went out and looked around to see what I could do. There were boards that needed replacing along the corral, some work on the house, and several other things that needed to be done. I knew I wasn’t much of a hand with such, so I opted to go tally up the cows, checking for Lacey’s brand and if any of the calves needed branding. Lacey wanted a tally for when she made her sell she would know how much was to be made. I let Lacey know what I was going to do and then rode out.

I enjoyed getting out and riding, opting this morning to take Malaby out and give Tye a much-needed rest. It was a cool morning, and it felt good being out in the saddle without a set destination. I could just ride and see the beautiful countryside, the meadows with juniper trees and mesquite and the grass coming out. I didn’t like the branding, which was hard to do by myself, so I thought I would wait until I figured I could get some help. I rode most of the days and counted thirty calves with their mothers. They were spread out over the countryside after they had roamed over the winter. It would take a while to get all of them, especially with my lack of knowledge of cattle. What little I knew wasn’t from experience but was from observation and talking to others.

At the end of the day, I had counted up close to three hundred cows, counting the calves also. When I made it back to the ranch, Lacey had supper on the table. I washed up and sat down to eat. Lacey asked about the cattle and then asked about my places I had been. She wanted to know the news of the country and what all was going on in the world.

I think Lacey felt trapped here, and she was hungry for anything that could take her thoughts from this place even if it was just for a little while.

I asked Lacey, Do you have any other hands to come in and help?

She answered as she just stared at the wall across from her, No, when my husband was alive, we did, but after he died, they quit one by one because I couldn’t afford to pay them much. What little I had I needed to use to feed Johnny and me.

I nodded and said, Okay, tomorrow I’ll see if I can round up some help. I’m not much use at ranching, though I had a horse ranch in Alabama with a partner. If there was any fixing up, Douglas or someone we hired did the work.

Lacey said, I can’t afford to pay anyone.

I smiled and said, I’ll figure something out. Don’t worry about it.

Lacey looked at me, confused, but smiled, appreciating the promise of help.

I noticed Johnny had kept eyeing my guns. Finally his curiosity got the best of him. Mr. Toab, have you ever used those guns to kill anyone?

That was a subject I did not want to get into.

I just said, Johnny, they are just tools like anything else, and sometimes you might have to use them even if you don’t want to.

He looked at me curiously and asked again, Have you?

I looked over at Lacey, and she was looking at me curiously, also waiting for an answer.

I finally answered and said, Yes, I have a few times in self-defense when there was no other choice.

Both looked at me one with excitement, and the other with confusion. I think Lacey wondered why a man who had used a gun would stay here and help. To her probably a man that used a gun, no matter the reason, was an outlaw.

Lacey then asked, Why would you stay here then? My husband could shoot, but it was mostly for food or Indians.

I nodded and said, Yes, ma’am, do you not consider Indians people?

Lacey, kind of stunned that I asked that, then answered, I never thought of it, but I guess so.

I looked at her and rubbed my chin and asked, I’m half Cherokee, so would you consider me a person?

She looked at me for a moment before looking down and said, Yes.

I nodded and then said, Well, that means your husband killed another person in self-defense. See, that is all I have done is defended myself and others.

Lacey looked at me and asked, How many have you killed?

That was something I didn’t want to discuss, so I just said, I’m not really sure. I don’t keep count. I then changed the subject back to cattle, and after discussing that, I told her I was tired and ready for bed. I bid Lacey and Johnny a good night, then went to the barn for what I hoped would be a peaceful night.

I was ready for bed, and it did not take long till I was asleep. That night, I slept better than I had since leaving Wyoming. I was tired and exhausted. It was a good thing nothing happened during the night. If it had, I would probably would have been killed. I was that out of it. When I did awaken, it was after seven and would mean a late start. I went ahead and saddled up before I went in for breakfast.

Lacey and Johnny had already eaten and was doing some straightening out around the house. Lacey said as I entered the house, I was wondering when you were going to get up. Johnny went to wake you up, but said that you wouldn’t budge.

I smiled and said, Yes, ma’am, I was out cold. I haven’t slept like that in a long time. I guess it caught up with me.

Lacey smiled back and shook her head, saying, Well, we saved a little breakfast for you.

I thanked her and sat down to eat. Lacey and Johnny worked cleaning up, then went out to work in the yard. When I finished, I went outside. I told Lacey I was headed to town and get some help. Lacey started to protest, saying she couldn’t pay anyone. I assured her I would take care of it, that she didn’t need to worry.

I mounted Tye and headed to Hoodville, what some might consider my home if I had one.

Chapter

2

I entered the Fuzzy Rabbit and made my way to the bar. Now the Fuzzy Rabbit was the largest building in Hoodville, and the nicest. There were two sides to the building; half was a restaurant fixed up nice with chandeliers and fancy tables and chairs, with