SEPTEMEBER 10, 1861

The "Devil" Texan
by Michael Quebec
Original characters created by Ella Davis and Michael Quebec
Alias Smith and Jones and related characters were created by Glen Larson
The Lone Ranger and related characters were created by Fran Striker and George
W. Trendle
 

Somewhere near the Lakota hunting grounds

Joshua Smith could feel the arrows whizzing over his head. Joshua swore that he felt an arrow point clip his right ear. The trickle of warm blood dripped over the right side of Joshua's neck, while the full run of his horse buckled under him, "bruising his backside," he told himself.

"God damn it! Don't them Sioux never give up?! They been chasin' us fer more'n ten miles now!"

Tonto rode Scout up beside Joshua and his horse. The Lone Ranger's Kiowa "brother" was just as desperate to escape the angry Lakota warriors. Tonto felt Scout's heart pounding as his legs gripped the pony's side. Tonto's heart was pounding just as hard. A Kiowa who had helped a white man could expect the worst torture imaginable if captured by the Lakota.

"Sioux are too stupid to quit! Even when my people whipped them, they still keep coming!" shouted Tonto to Joshua, over the war whoops of Crazy Horse and his braves.

Normally, Joshua Smith would have restrained from teasing an "Injun" about his pride, especially in regard to a tribe's battles with another tribe. However, Joshua really felt that Crazy Horse's men might actually catch up with them. What did he have to lose with a little "teasing" of Tonto?  He could only die once.

"That why they chased the Kiowas out of the Black Hills, all the way to Texas? 'Cause they're stupid?" He asked with a teasing grin on his face.

Tonto glared at Joshua Smith. The fear of the Sioux turned to red-hot anger. Tonto turned Scout around and immediately drove the pony forward ... straight at their pursuers ... straight at the Sioux.

Shocked, Joshua yelled out, "Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Joshua slowed his horse, Gambit, down to watch Tonto charge their pursuers. To himself, Joshua grumbled, "Crazy injun!" 

Tonto yelled out his own war whoops as he raised his hatchet defiantly. 

The Kiowa should have been an easy target for the gun toting Lakota. However, the sight of a warrior recklessly charging better armed and more numerous enemies actually touched the hearts of the Sioux. 

Crazy Horse's men fired over the head of the Kiowa.

Tonto and Scout drove through the Sioux lines, passing Crazy Horse.

The Lakota leader gestured for his warriors to hang back. Crazy Horse then let out a war whoop and charged after Tonto, amidst the approving war cries of his men. 

Tonto and Scout and Crazy Horse and his mount rode straight towards each other.

Tonto's hatchet was raised high, threatening to cleave anything that it came within reach of.

Crazy Horse's rifle was also raised high. Apparently, the Lakota "shirt-wearer" had no intention of shooting the Kiowa. It was much more "honorable" to smash the Kiowa's head in ... with the rifle butt.

Rising up out of his saddle, with his eyes wide straining to see better, Joshua looked on with morbid anticipation.  It looked as if the two "injuns" would destroy themselves from the sheer explosive force of their horses colliding, before the two warriors could even lay a hand on one another.

Each warrior yelled loudly, each horse driving itself unflinchingly towards certain destruction.

Then ... the two warriors turned their horses slightly to their left sides, just avoiding collision by mere inches. 

The flat of Tonto's hatchet blade smacked the right side of Crazy Horse as Tonto passed him. The sting of the blow burned Crazy Horse's shoulder. However, it was nothing serious. The Lakota would live.

Crazy Horse's rifle butt smacked the right side of Tonto as Crazy Horse passed him. The Kiowa thought that a rib cracked beneath his dear-skin war shirt. The pain burned. However, it was not a fatal blow. Tonto would live.

The two warriors slowed their ponies and faced each other from afar. They then raised their weapons up high, defiant and proud, and each let out a war whoop.

Crazy Horse's warriors raised their weapons high and also shouted out their approval.

"Well I'll be damned." The ritual of Plains "warfare" had gained these "injuns" their "honor." Apparently, the opportunity to gain war honors, to "count coup", was more important than capturing escaped prisoners. It actually seemed to Joshua that the Sioux had completely forgotten him. 

Crazy Horse nodded approvingly to Tonto. "We'll meet again, brother."

Tonto nodded back. He knew that it would now be "dishonorable" for the Sioux to continue the chase. It was over ... for now.

Crazy Horse gestured to his men. The Lakota quickly rode off, back towards their camp, leaving Joshua and Tonto alone.

Joshua rode up to Tonto. "I don't git it. Them Sioux have gotta be thinkin' that their camp's in danger. Fer all they know, we could be bringin' a whole regiment of blue bellies to ride into their tipis."

Still looking towards the direction of the Lakota, Tonto explained, "They do think that. That's why they're in hurry to get back. Honor between warriors still cannot be broken."

Tonto then casually turned to Joshua. "Mister Smith, there's something I need to tell you. Can you please-?"  Tonto motioned for Joshua to dismount. 

Joshua got off of his horse.

"Thank you." Tonto dismounted from Scout.

The next thing Joshua felt was the jarring impact of Tonto's knuckles, as the Kiowa sent a right hand that knocked the outlaw right into the grass. Joshua could feel his nose stuff up as his nostrils fought to control the bleeding. His eyes started to water from the pain.

Joshua shouted "God damn it! What was that for?!"

Calmly, Tonto said, "Mister Smith, never tell me that the Sioux 'chased' my people out of the Black Hills." The Kiowa then smiled, "That really upsets me."

Tonto then turned away from Joshua and remounted Scout. Casually, he then trotted Scout in the general direction towards Fort Laramie. 

Joshua dusted himself off as he stood up. "Lousy injun! Can't he even take a joke?" Joshua then tried to mount his horse, but his boot slipped on the stirrup. Gambit whinnied and moved away. Joshua then walked over and grabbed his horse's reins. "Come here!"

Joshua got up on his horse. "Wonder where the hell that Masked Man is anyway? Probably having a sarsaparilla in some saloon right now."

Joshua's horse decided to trot in the opposite direction from Tonto and Scout, back towards the Sioux camp. Joshua pulled hard on the horse's reins, turning him around.

Joshua's horse whinnied. "Yeah, yeah," retorted Joshua. He then took out a handkerchief and put it to his nose, to stop the bleeding.

As quickly as Joshua’s anger had come it also dissipated. He wasn’t one to hold a grudge for long, especially when it was his fault to begin with. Noticing Tonto was leaving him behind, he hollered after him, “Hey, wait up, Tonto, Kiowa brother, winner of many war honors against the enemy tribes! Ya hear me, wait up! Hey, I’m sorry!” He kicked his horse in high gear to catch up, “No need for either of us to hold a grudge.”