Headstall

You and me both. I type fast, but then I have to go back and fix a lotttt of words. It's still better than the two years I typed with one finger and could hardly capitalize.

I agree, Parker. I believe a tentative friendship was strengthened immensely by that experience. They were there for each other, and that would mean a lot to two men used to being alone. And both men felt the same about taking a life, and their biggest concern was for the other. We don't know whether the other bandit is alive or dead, or if he is long gone. We aren't even sure how bad he is injured, and we might never find out. Thanks for reading and commenting, my friend. Cheers!

I believe you, absolutely, but that's why I say researching (guns) can be very confusing to someone who doesn't know much about them. For example, this is the kind of thing I put faith in... Lefaucheux Model 1854 In 1854, Eugene Lefaucheux introduced the Lefaucheux Model 1854, the first revolver to use self-contained metallic cartridges rather than loose powder, pistol ball, and percussion caps. It is a single-action, pinfire revolver holding six rounds. Also... I read there were cartridges made as early as 1808... in France, I think. In other research, I read in a few different links that the Navy 1851 used metallic cartridges as well as cap and ball, and later, after the civil war, they used paper cartridges. I do know some had their preferences, and that made the Navy more appealing. Thanks for the information, Doc. I guess I have to be content with it was a revolver with six rounds. Cheers!

I think Lee needs his hat back a few inches. He was so good a as bad guy, wasn't he?

Oh Lord. Here we go. I'm easy... we can go with oxbow, but the town folk of Bearpaw might disagree.

Thought so.

Twenty dollars was something you could count on. There wasn't as much faith in paper money back then, so gold was most often preferred.

That's one way to do it. I think in a chase it was acceptable, but one on one, there was a code decent men followed. Who knows, though. How many were killed that no one else ever saw? I think what matters when creating a character readers will like, is that there is something present a reader can count on. We don't like characters who don't operate under rules, like Will Diamond.

I once sold some gold chains and rings so I could get a new (used) horse trailer. Gold is always valuable.

Yep... that surely be the case, then and now. Not our hero, though.

Wow. Wish I had a few of them laying around.

That's funny. Did you mean Diablo?

If cowboys weren't drinkers and gamblers, they could save money. They were given meals as part of their pay, and their lodging was the great outdoors, so saving twenty to thirty dollars a month was doable. The problem was, cowboys liked their lifestyle, and would blow their pay on whores, drink, and cards when they had free time. Still, there were many who used the hard work to build a nest egg for buying land and the American dream. As I've already said, that pistol wasn't yet made during the time of this story. It's popularity was after the CIvil War, and this story takes place before that. The Navy 1851 was my gun of choice for these men. From what I've learned, you could buy a decent used gun from a gunsmith for ten to twelve dollars. I have to believe that is accurate. And yes, there were many guns out there besides Colts. Apparently some guns were even made from spare parts.

The lady is correct. Although... I tend to be an open book if I am handled in the right way.

Exactly. If a man doesn't have honor and a moral code he lives by, he can lose himself. Jubal could have made life easier for himself, and could even have retrieved all his gold with one more shot, but he has a line he won't tread on. I admire that. Self respect is something that can't be bought. I think we will find Jubal is a complicated character with layers, but we will always know who he is. Cheers!

Some readers thought the doc might be Boone's father. I found that truly interesting. He is the right age, and his coloring is the same... yellow hair and green eyes. Just saying...

Thanks for the information, buddy. I did read about this gun, but the time period for this story is the late 1850s, so it was too early for Jubal to have the SAA. You're right about its popularity for that time and after. I know one gun, I believe it was a Walker Colt, sold for well over a million dollars recently. The gun I had picked for Jubal was the Navy colt 1851. It was a single action as well, and as @drpaladin told me, it was a much lighter gun than the Walker Colt. It could also take bullets as well as the cap and ball, and bullets became more popular in those years. Appreciate the input, buddy. Thanks again. Oh, and guns were adapted and rebuilt and sold cheaper by gunsmiths. A lot of used guns were available, so there is no way of knowing what Jubal might have paid for his gun. Twenty dollars really isn't that much when the average cowboy made around twenty-eight to thirty dollars a month in the 1850s.

As long as you get here, you can be as late as you want, my friend. That's a good point, Doc. If these thieves have been active for a while, there should be information on them. It just depends on how good communication is in that area. And yes, there is a telegraph line. We don't know if that third bushwhacker is badly injured or even dead, so there is definitely room for speculation about him. It would seem, though, that his shooting arm is at least damaged, so he might not be as big a factor anymore. Tilted Hat? Love that!! For that reason alone I now want to see Tilted Hat again. Should I have another shootout? Nope. The doc in Larkspur is unmarried. Love the speculation that happens as a story progresses. It gives me energy. . Cheers and thanks for the support.

Yep. There's no mystery about me. I can't tell you how many times I've changed a character's name once I get to know them... that happens in my mind even before I start writing, but it also happens after. Stories can have a flavor to them, and I really strive for that. Just like scenery or practices of the time, names have their own power. As a writer, it gives me a satisfaction even if it is something that has little effect on the reader. Cheers, Terry.

It usually takes some time to learn my characters and what makes them tick, but we are on our way. We did learn a lot in this chapter, and I agree these are likely good men, centex. I think we learn a lot about Jubal after he gets some gold back. Instaed of it making him joyful, he shows he still grieves Kema deeply. That is the kind of man I understand. And Lucas was not too proud to admit he has made a lot of mistakes. That's telling in itself, but the attitude he shows is just as telling. He is made of stern stuff. Will we see 'the talker' again? Killing those men was necessary for survival, but you'd have to be some sort of sidewinder not to be affacted by it. What was most telling was that each man was more concerned for the other in the aftermath. Thanks for your support and the great comment, my friend. Please leave a story like if you are comfortable doing so. Only six days to Bearpaw Monday.

Thanks, Doc! Appreciate the new info and clarifications. Sometimes research gets confusing when it comes to guns. I knew the Walker was heavy, but not that it weighed almost twice as much as a Navy 1851. No wonder the Navy was so popular at the time.

Awesome. I didn't know it was Wild Bill's gun. Was it as good a gun as articles say? It was a single action, so a shooter had to be fast with cocking the trigger each time. I know it could use an earlier cased (metallic foil) bullet and later, the paper cased one, and I read that is was a lot more accurate than the Walker Colt. Is that true?

YeeHaw! Thanks, Doha! This makes me really happy. I love westerns, and writing them has been a real treat for me... I never expected to get much of a following for them, but I love that I was wrong. Some of the best comments and reviews I've received are on my westerns. That's the main reason I've written this one... and I look forward to seeing you and the rest every Monday.

Thanks, guys.

Good point. The fact is gunsmiths were common, and they often adapted older models. The Colt Navy 1851 revolver could shoot ball or bullets, and the older Dragoons were often adapted. I'm not a gun expert, but I've researched them quite a bit.