Fifty Winchesters - A Classic Western

By Jess T. Bryan

John Casey is a man on a mission to rescue his beloved wife, Mary, from the clutches of Maximiliano Cabal, a notorious Mexican bandit ravaging California's border towns and stealing cattle. The only way to secure Mary's release is to barter with Cabal, offering up to fifty Winchesters in exchange.

With the help of his trusted companion, Bear Claws, John sets out on a perilous journey to retrieve the rifles and reclaim his wife. But as the two men cross into Mexican territory, they quickly find themselves double-crossed and on the run from Cabal's men.

As they navigate the dangerous landscape, their only reliable ally is an Apache warrior joining them in their fight against Cabal and his men. With bullets flying and the odds stacked against them, John and Bear Claws must use all their skills and cunning to survive and rescue Mary from Cabal's clutches. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Outlaws Publishing LLC
• Release date: Sep 23, 2024
• ISBN: 9798227982827

Jess T. Bryan

Timothy B. England is an American Western fiction author. He grew up in a small rural town in Tennessee and spent much of his early life helping on his family farm. He graduated from Fairview High School. Having a lifelong love for Westerns –movies, novels, and TV shows — he started writing his Western novels about fifteen years ago. Since then, he has written several stories under his pen name, Jess T. Bryan. He currently resides in Tennessee with his wife and children.

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Copyright © 2023 by Timothy B. England

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is purely coincidental.

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Cover Art by Michael Thomas

Cover design by Outlaws Publishing LLC

Published by Outlaws Publishing LLC

September 2024

10987654321

Chapter 1

Double Eagle Ranch

October 5, 1898

It was a cool but sunny day. The ranch hands were herding stray cattle back onto the Double Eagle Ranch; John was busy in town on business. Only Mary was in the ranch house, too busy with chores to hear the sound of clippty-clopping horse hooves. Their dog outside began to bark loudly, but Mary figured it was the hired hands returning, so she paid it no mind. Suddenly there was the sound of gunfire. Mary ran to a window and peeked out. Ten or fifteen bandits! A raid! She pulled John’s Winchester from the mantelpiece, loaded it, broke a window, and began firing on the bandits. Alas, there were too many of them!

Having ventured north from Mexico, the bandits were shooting in every direction, destroying as much as they could. Mary wasn’t a bad shot and even knocked a bandit, coming too close to the house, off his horse. They were after something. Was it cattle, gold, horses, or something else? She fired again and again, killing off four or five bandits before the jefe rode up to the front door.

"We know it’s only you in there, Señora! Come out or we'll burn you out," said Maximiliano.

Get off my land! My men will be back any minute now, and then you’ll be sorry, said Mary.

They all began to laugh.

"I'm afraid you'll be waiting a long time, Señora," chuckled Maximiliano.

Why's that? asked Mary.

’Cause we killed them all, laughed Maximiliano.

No, I don't believe you. I've got twelve hands. They'll be back. Now get off my land! shouted Mary as she fired another round, killing another bandit.

Maximiliano started to laugh again. "Have it your way, Señora," he chuckled. He turned to his fellow bandits and ordered them to seize the woman. A couple of bandits dismounted and headed for the ranch door. They kicked the door in, and there stood tiny, but gallant Mary Casey, still clutching the Winchester.

They sauntered over; she quickly backed away. They slapped the rifle out of her clutches, but she wasn't going to go without a fight. She clawed and scratched at the bandits' faces and chests. She kicked and fought with all her energy, but no matter how much she fought, they wrestled with her and laughed at her, ignoring her efforts.

"You need a real man, Señora," said the bandit.

She kicked him between his legs as hard as she could. The man groans and sinks to his knees clutching his crotch. She ran out of the house where she met up with the rest of the gang of bloodthirsty bandits.

"Where do you think you are going, El Cato?" said the bandit who pulled her fiercely into his arms. He slapped her, causing her to fall to her knees. She looked up at the laughing hyena, her lips bleeding. The bandit jerked her to her feet.

Put her on a horse. We're taking her with us, said Maximiliano.

No, I'm not going! shouted Mary as she resisted efforts to put her on the horse.

Lopez, Francisco! You two torch the house. You know where we will be once you get through, said Maximiliano.

Lopez and Francisco nodded and began ransacking the house, looking for valuables or at least anything worth stealing. The dog came from nowhere, leaped up, and landed on Francisco, tearing at up, biting his arm, and blood spurting. Lopez stood by and watched this horror show take place until Francisco couldn't take it anymore.

Get him off! Lopez, do something? pleaded Francisco.

Lopez pulled out his pistol and shot the dog.

Oh, you bastards! You won't be laughing when my husband gets word that I have been kidnapped, said Mary squirming, trying to slide down off the horse.

"El Cato, I'm counting on it," chuckled Maximiliano.

Maximiliano shouted in Spanish to move out. Lopez and Francisco, after ransacking and torching the house, used a knife to stick a note onto the collapsed front door – and laughing all the while they did it. Lopez and Francisco were the last ones to leave the destroyed ranch house. They remounted and kicked their horses into a gallop to catch up with the gang that was heading back to Mexico.

****

No sooner had he returned to the ranch than John Casey pulled back on the reins, dismounted, and walked among the smoldering rubble and scattered bodies. He ran to the smoking ranch house that had once been his home. Debris was scattered everywhere from what appeared to have been quite a battle.

Mary! Mary! Mary! shouted John.

John stumbled around in a daze looking for his wife. He went to the front door and saw a knife stuck through a piece of paper. The note said, 50 Winchesters. Bring them or you lose more than a dog. It was signed by Maximiliano Cabal.

He looked around and noticed the smoldering remains of his dog. He was stunned, and couldn’t speak. Hate replaced fear and a new resolve came over him. John had sworn to Mary he would never pick up a gun again, which is why he had turned to ranching. His men were nowhere in sight. How could they leave the ranch unguarded?

He ran inside the smoking house and immediately raced upstairs to the bedroom where an antique Victorian dome-top steamer trunk sat on the floor at the end of his bed. He opened the trunk and inside was his gun belt and Colt Single Action Army with 5/1/2 barrel known as the ‘Artillery model - .45 Long Colt pistol’. He used to be pretty damn good with it. He strapped it on and ran out of the house. Grabbing the reins of his horse, he crouched in the dirt studying the tracks. He mounted and rode away, heading for Old Mexico. But, first, he needed a tracker. And he knew just where to get one – in the Arizona Territory.

There were picturesque views in every direction, green-trees landscapes, and big blue skies. He galloped as fast as his horse could carry him and crossed two rocky creeks. He couldn’t believe it! His beloved ranch house and his beloved dog were gone. His wife had been kidnapped! How was he going to round up fifty Winchesters? It wasn’t possible. But he had to try, or he wouldn’t see his dear Mary again. As he rode, all he could think about was Mary and how they had treated her – and very likely were still treating her. He couldn't get the images out of his head.

He rode over the flat terrain, passing elk and mule deer roaming through the valley. On both sides of him were some of the most stunning rock formations in the American West. The visibility at this elevation was crystal clear. The ground was blanketed with sandy loam, ideal for a garden of vegetables and an orchard of fruit trees. Surrounding all this were foothills and rock formations and rain-fed arroyos.

He took in sweeping views of the surrounding wilderness—mountains, mesas, and valleys. The land was thick with forests of hardwoods as well as evergreens – majestic oaks, honey locusts, Russian olives, Arizona ash, junipers, Scotch pines, and blue spruce.

The first stop was at the Crescent Canyon Ranch in northeastern Arizona. The ranch belonged to a neighbor of his. This ranch was a 45,900-acre homestead with both wooded acreage and level grassy pasture surrounded by foothills and ridges that opened up panoramic views of vast wooded expanses and, in contrast, grassy meadows. The land was covered with a thick mantle of native grasses that were perfect for pasturing livestock. Throughout the summer, colorful wildflowers covered the meadows. Ranchers enjoyed the mountain vistas and broad grassy valleys that teemed with elk, antelope, and deer plus rabbits and ‘coons.

The Crescent Canyon Ranch belonged to the Harris family. Outside dogs were sleeping in the sun and grandkids playing in the shade. John rode up and pulled back on the reins to bring his horse to a halt. He dismounted and walked up the dirt road to the main house and knocked on the front door. A servant opened the door.

Yes, how may I help you, Sir? asked the servant.

Is Aaron or Charlie in? I must speak to them, said John.

"Mr. Harris is out on the range, but his brother is out back. Would