Authentic Tales of the West: Part 10

Blue Steel, a Model New Lawman

Arnold Ashford’s Journal Entry #10

It was a wild night of celebration after the Blue Steel Gunsmith was completed. One would think that that much whiskey and beers would mix rather poorly with that many guns, but while it was not a quiet evening, it was surprisingly non-injurious. There were many shooting competitions that were had the following day, and the same young man that I had seen a few days ago having a conversation with the local Rancher, name of Oswald Garrity, well it turns out he was doing very well for himself.

I don’t know how I didn’t hear about this earlier, but it turns out that this was not simple, fun competitiveness; those that performed best would be given the chance to become the new Lawman! This Oswald seemed as surprised as anyone else that he was doing so well. In fact, it weren’t particularly close; he seemed a natural with that iron in his hand. But while most of the shooters were laughing, smiling and talking it up, Oswald was quiet, kept to himself, and was almost sheepish when he would shoot so well.

Oswald Garrity

Illustrated by Steven Lambert

I just assumed that he would quietly and politely decline the offer of taking up as the Lawman of Dodge City, not because he was without skill, but he just didn’t seem the type. I was surprised when he not only accepted it but seemed eager to do so. He actually seemed a bit of a cowardly sort, but taking up the badge seemed to be the only thing he’d get in his guts about, and he was undeniably good with that gun.

That gun in his hand wouldn’t be of much use to him though. Just two days after he’d been named the Lawman of Dodge City, and less than a week after the Gunsmith had been built, Floods hit Dodge City and the surrounding area. People fled as best they could to higher ground, but Noah wasn’t coming.

— Check back next Monday for a new entry in Ashford’s journal —