A man named Cole Dakota

The sulfur grey smoke filled the air and blocked the view of anything you could see that was more than a few feet in front of him. Hawkins laid flat on the ground next to the 1861 Parrott Rifled Cannon on top of the trampled grass, the cannon ramrod held firm in his left hand next to him on the ground. He could still feel the ringing in his ears, that he had become so accustomed to, as only moments before the four gun battery hand been firing again and again, sending round after round across the field against the oncoming Confederate army. The pistol he wore on his side, in the black leather military holster, dug uncomfortably into his hip causing him to adjust his position in the grass. Hawkins could see Private Rodgers lying in the grass on the opposite side of the cannon, pistol in one hand and ramrod in the other. He could sense Sgt. Hampton kneeling near the back of the cannon behind him. They could all hear the sounds of combat and rifles firing at some distance away and all awaited the next command from Capt. Vander Maten who was somewhere behind them, most likely trying to see thru the smoke, that had been caused by the repeated firing of the cannons, with his binoculars. Suddenly a lone rider on a horse burst thru the smoke rearing back and pointing his pistol at the men around the cannon and pulled the trigger. Hawkins could see the burst of smoke and flame from the end of the pistol, as he awoke suddenly siting up from the bed he was lying in and reaching for where his holstered pistol would have been.

The room was pitched black and he could smell the sulfur smoke in the air from the engines of the paddle wheeler. The sound of gun fire could be heard just outside of his room. He rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to what little light there was in the room. He still awoke from dreams of battle, even though the war had ended almost ten years ago. “Some dame fools standing out on deck shooting at something” he thought to himself. Hawkins got out of bed and opened the window slats on the small window of the cabin. There was a stand in the corner of the room with a bowl and water pitcher on it. A mirror was attached to the wall above the stand. He poured water into the bowl and splashed water onto his face and head. He picked up a small towel from the chair next to the stand and dried his face and head. He looked out the window and could see the sky alight with red and yellow streaks as the sun was setting. His vest hung from the back of the chair and he removed the watch in the pocket to see what time it was, almost eight pm, “Time to get dressed for work and go meet Caed” he thought to himself. Hawkins got dressed in his white cotton shirt with alabaster buttons, red silk vest, black pants and black lace shoes. He tied the black string tie around the collar of his shirt and then put a small brass double barrel ivory handle pistol into his pocket and a pearl handled double edged knife into the sheath located on his right side. He left his small cabin on the second floor of the paddle wheel steamboat Julius C. Wilkie and started walking down to the game room on the first floor. Passengers and crew were active all over the ship as dinner was finished being served, and people made their way down to the game room on the first floor of the five deck paddle wheel steamboat. The passengers were dressed in their very best as they walked about the ship. There were ladies in European style dresses wearing fancy ear rings and necklaces, some had their hair up in a bun held in place with long Pins topped by Ivory or other gem stones while others wore fancy feather covered hats. The men all wore jackets and hats mostly dressed in black. Hawkins would node his head and say good evening as he walked past the many passengers in the corridors. He stopped in the small bar located mid ship on the second floor, as It was where you could usually find him, if he wasn’t working in the game room or sleeping. Tim, the African American bar tender was wiping glasses and preparing the bar for a busy evening. “Hey Tim, can you get me some coffee and a bowl of soup?”, Tim nodded his head, “Sure Hawkins”. Tim went thru a door behind the bar leading into the kitchen and returned with a bowl of soup and coffee. Both were hot and tasted good. Hawkins chatted with Tim for a short while as a few customers entered the small bar and ordered drinks then sat down to visit with friends. Tim was a good bartender and a friendly fellow; he had worked as a bartender in one of the many bars in New Orleans before joining the crew on the Paddle Wheeler and always seemed to know what was going on aboard ship. “Hey, what was all that shooting about earlier that woke me up out of a sound sleep?” He asked Tim. “Oh, that was the big Russian Latimer, He challenged some fellow to a shooting match to see who would pay the bill for drinks, they spent most the day over there in the corner drinking and looking at a bunch of papers”.  

Hawkins finished the soup and got another cup of coffee from Tim, then headed to the game room. He walked the short distance along the ship and down the stairs to the first floor deck and entered the large double doors into the game room. The band was already playing music on the large elevated stage toward the bow of the ship. Some couples danced on the dance floor at the foot of the stage while others sat at tables. The room was well light by Kerosene lamps located on the walls and on the tables. The room was bustling with people looking for open tables to sit or a place on the dance floor where waiters were serving passengers. Hawkins walked toward the rear of the game room where the poker and Faro tables were located. Caed was sitting at one of the three Faro Tables with the Case keeper in front of him with a nervous look on his face, he looked liked he was saying something to the people seated at the table. Three men and two women sitting at the table, but Hawkins could not hear what Caed was saying to them over the music and noise in the room. The Case Keeper was a small wooden box that folded in half on a brass hinge. On the inside of the box were miniature cards that marked Ace thru king with a metal bar and four beads on each bar. In the card game Faro, a card was played and one of the four markers for each card would be moved to mark that the particular card had been played and it was Caed’s job to keep track of all the cards and when they were played.   

Hawkins walked the thirty feet or so to the table and when Caed caught sight of him he smiled with a look of relief. Caed was a good Case Keeper and although he had not been playing the game very long. However playing Faro just about every night on the ship, for the last year or so, had taught him quite a bit about the game. Hawkins sat down at the table and apologized for being tardy, and explained that his delay was unavoidable. The players didn’t seem to care as Hawkins cut the soda card from the deck and Caed marked it in the Case Keeper. The players placed their bets on the table and Hawkins turned the first card over called the dealers Card, a two of Harts and Caed marked it in the Case Keeper. Next Hawkins turned the next card in the deck over called the players card, a five of Spades and Cade marked it in the Case Keeper. Hawkins collected a chip that had been placed on the two, and no one had bet on the five. He continued to deal cards this same way for the next few hours drinking coffee and talking a short break to stand when the cards had to be reshuffled. Around one o’clock that morning a cowboy dressed in black slacks, a blue shirt and black vest with a black Stetson hat made his way over to the table. He had a woman with him dressed in a long blue dress that looked like it had been made in France. The couple held hands as they approached and the cowboy took a seat at the Faro table while the woman stood behind him with her hands on his shoulders. Hawkins dealt the last two cards from the deck and collected chips from the losers and paid the winners. The other players left the table as Hawkins began to shuffle the cards to start a new Faro game. The Cowboy had a serious look on his face and looked Hawkins up and down as he shuffled the cards. Hawkins took the deck and placed the cards on the table in front of him.  “Welcome friend, I haven’t seen you and your lady before tonight, you just get on board earlier today?” The Cowboy nodded in response. “You here to player Faro” Hawkins asked him. The Cowboy slowly shook his head then replied “I’ve heard lots about you Hawkins, mostly good that is”, “Well that is nice to know”, Hawkins replied. “Do you mind if we talk in private for a moment?” the Cowboy asked. Hawkins looked at Caed, “Hey, why don’t you go and stretch a bit and get us some coffee Caed”. Caed got up from the table and walked away. “Please sir, you may proceed”. “Hawkins, my name is Cole Dakota and I got a Ranch out in Arizona Territory, and if you’re as good as they say you are I could use some assistance from you” Hawkins picked up the card deck in front of him and began to shuffle them again then placed the deck of cards in front of Cole, Cole cut the cards and pushed them back to Hawkins. Hawkins then turned the top four cards over from the top of the Deck, all four Aces. Cole sat back in the chair and smiled, “Son, it looks like you and I can do business together, just don’t ask me to play cards with you” The two men shook hands across the table and Caed came back with the coffee cups for him and Hawkins. “Caed here is my back up and I trust him, let’s go upstairs and talk” The two men got up and all four walked to the second floor Bar to discuss the business Cole Dakota needed assistance with in the Arizona Territory.