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''I'm not afraid to die like a man fighting, but I would not like to be killed like a dog unarmed.'' - Billy the Kid in a letter to Governor Lew Wallace, March 1879.

Some years ago, a man named James Lee married an Indian woman which gave him the "right” to ranch in the Chickasaw Nation, or Choctaw territory as it was called sometimes. Brothers, Tom and Pink, helped him with the ranch, and soon several small cabins were built deep in the wilderness on the Red River near Delaware Bend and just east of Thackerville. But, the Lee Brothers weren’t really in the mood to do any "real” ranching; rather, they would confiscate the herds of their neighbors. The Lee Ranch soon became a safe haven for bandits and outlaws.

After the death of James Lee, the ranch was abandoned for some years, and forgotten. Until recently, when Ed Stein, an outlaw of some notoriety, married to the daughter of James Lee. He then started using it as a hideout for himself and Tom Cole and Jim Copeland. Tom, Jim Jr. and Pink Lee of the Lee clan also returned, as well as the halfbreed "Choctaw" Lee. Then the two Dyer Brothers Saul and Earwin, and others like Della Humpy and Jack Dekker.

Week after the attack on the Mormon caravan, it was clear "Ace of Spades" Mayer was not coming back to the hideout. Jack Dekker and Choctaw Lee spent the dollar in the Thackersville saloon. They had a decent meal sitting on a table for 20 cents each, and six shots of whiskey in total in the Winstar Casino.

Back in the hideout, it was time to decide on a few things. Gradually, the ongoing caravan attacks and stolen cattle had started to draw some unwanted attention. Now there was a reward for any information of the "Delaware bandits", but so far the authorities did not know the dozen outlaws were operating from the same safe haven...

Jack used his visit to town to buy things he believed indispensable and he had to leave behind when ... well, in his past life. He, like many others, did not talk about his past. And the good people of the west never asked. What mattered was the here and now. That's what he did, indulge his appetites of food and drink and don't think about the past. The future was a bright although a foggy moment, did not exist yet.

Choctaw loves gaming, but he need some stuff first. He goes to the town to buy some things:

Choctaw Lee, Jack Dekker and Della Humpy were sitting on some rocks close to the river bench, a few hundred yards
upstream from the ranch. Choctaw and Jack were remembering their recent visit to Thackerville, while Della Humpy was
cleaning his new boots. The outlaw did not speak much. Maybe Humpy felt that he had gotten the worst end of the stick. Afterall, he was no longer a member of the Dyer Brother´s Gang.

As of late, there had been divisions and discussions amongst the outlaws. "Ace of Spades" Mayer had not returned, and others were also thinking that time had come to leave the hideout, while they were still ahead. And alive.

The previous day there had been a meeting which had done nothing but proof that the outlaws were not one gang, but three. Or more. The Dyer Brothers, Earwin and Saul, were keen on leaving. Humpy used to ride with them, same as Jack. But when it really came down to it, the two brothers only thought of themselves. So Della Humpy felt a bit like an outcast.

Then there was the Stein Gang, lead by Ed Stein. Ed was a crazy bastard, but he was intelligent and convincing. On his side, Cole and Copeland were the brute force. They always supported Ed, who wanted to stay, and was trying to convince fellers to rob a bank together.

The Lee Clan included Tom and Pink, and their nephew Jim Jr. They had turned their back on Choctaw Lee, even though Tom was his father. No explanation was given, nor asked for. The Lee Brothers had ridden together for a long time before coming back to the abandoned ranch were they had met Choctaw again. But the half-breed was not part of their gang. The Lee family wanted to stay for now, but to keep a very low profile and find out more about a U.S. Marshal named James Guy who apparently was making a lot of questions.

So that´s how the outlaws were divided. The Stein Gang, the Lee Clan, the Dyer Brothers and a group of "outcasts" that did not belong to any of the three gangs.  

-So what ya two reckon Mayer did? Run like a coward? Or maybe he got caught? Invited to a necktie party hahaha!!, Della Humpy asked all of a sudden and laughed. He had finished cleaning the boots, and had put his stylish hat back on. He was a not a learned man, but he liked to dress fancier than the other outlaws. He was also a bit overweight, and not the sharpest tool in the shed. But he did not like to be alone, and since he had been tossed away like an empty bottle of whiskey, he wanted to make friends with Jack and Choctaw.

-I would prefer he tells me himself, with a bottle of whiskey between us and a couple of glasses to drink to something... I don't know, my mother taught me not to talk bad about people who were not present and it seems good teaching to me. People always speaks badly about others behind their backs. Until they open their mouths at the wrong time and someone shuts them with his fists. Or by a bullet. I hope he is well and if he have been caught he didn't say anything about this place...

Jack was moody, sullen or at least, perhaps because he had too much time to think, or remorse for the "execution" of the guys from the caravan. Or maybe he just felt miserable. Bad luck pursued him, although he did all kinds of things to elude that...

Choctaw is laying under a tree, smoking and drinking.

- I don't know and I don't care. I think that we must thinking about our next job. We have nothing to do and if we stay here we gonna go to jail or be shooted. There are too much people working here, compadres. Maybe someone needs  gunmen.

Lee stands up

- What do you think ?

-Seems fine to me. The outlaw life is not very pleasant. Working for someone should be more relaxing. Although someone who recruits men with guns is someone who wants or have problems. I don’t know. There we can choose what to do. It could be a good or bad idea, but it’s your own idea and the benefits are evenly shared… -he pondered in loud voice, to the other two men.

Choctaw laughs

- Are you kidding right? The outlaw life is the only life worth living around here. But, there are too much people in this place and I need money. Take a job, keep a low profile, and get some money, maybe a horse, that's what I need right now. And we don't get much money here. Do you know someone who needs gunmen?
 

-Hmm, low profile... That´s the problem ain´t it, Della Humpy said while cleaning his round hat for the eleventh time. It was obvious he had somethin´ in his mind. -Ya see, we ain´t farmers. We ain´t ranchers. No good cowboys. Not good for much I guess. Except killin´and robbin´. But I know someone who could have a job for us. In Arizona. Small town close to the border that is looking for gun hands or so I´ve heard.

Then he lowered his voice, and got closer to the other two. -I´ll tell ya more another time, he added and looked around to see if anyone else was listening. Then he changed subject. Sort of. -We ought to leave this place. The other day we were stealin´ cattle from Roff, the family that has a ranch up north. I reckon it was Jim Roff who was checking his cattle, and he saw a few of us rounding up a small herd. As he rode towards us, we fled. It wasn´t even his cattle, just a few heads that had the mark of some of the neighboring ranches. After a few hours, we went back and the cattle was still there. So we herded ´em here.

All three men realized there was a chance someone would follow the tracks to the hideout. Or even worse, contact the marshal. There were rumors that a US marshal named James Guy was investigating in the area.

-Yes, I think it be a good idea to get out of here. I could go with you -he said looking at Della-, a change of scenery, yes, it seems a good idea. Cattle draws attention and brands can not be erased, they are put for something. Yes, the sooner we leave, the better.

Seriously, these people did not have half a brain between them all. Cattle. And what will they do then, put the cows to graze nearby? Great to go unnoticed.

Choctaw is still smoking. He smokes in long puffs, taking time to think. He is very serious suddenly.

-If you are telling the truth we need to go away like hell. I'll with you guys. I'm fed up with this place, and this people. They guide the marshal here? C'mon we're leaving this place right now, but we need transport first

The three men got up almost at the same time, and looked at each other. They were a few hundred yards away from the cabins, and from there a small path went up a close-by hill and if you followed that path you would find the hidden horses. To the other direction, following the small stream, you get to the entry or exit point of the small hidden valley. You could also get here coming through the woods on the other side of the river, but that was not an easy task.

Suddenly, a sound of someone imitating a grackle, or another bird. It was not difficult to notice it was not a real bird making that sound coming from the high ground above them. It was Jim Copeland, one of the outlaws and Ed Stein´s henchman.

-Pssst, hey! Ere´s trouble fellers! I think we got someone comin´ this way, raisin´ dust on the mountain path...

The mountain path was narrow and it could be controlled from the high ground and the hill were Jim Copeland was. But it was too far away to be able to see clearly, and specially as it was dry and hot, the dust was raised easily making it even more difficult to see clearly without binoculars.

Dekker often did scout duty on the next hill, behind some rocks.

-Go get the horses, I'll have a look -said Dekker, going straight to the look-out place.

It sounded bad, but how bad? As bad as it can be or could, maybe, be an escape way of some kind?

- Bloody hell!

Choctaw goes to get the horses as fast as he cans

A map of the area:

The cabins are the two grey boxes. The orange circle is where you are now, next to the river.

Jim Copeland is higher up, he follows Dekker´s instructions and starts walking towards the narrow path that goes up from behind the cabins. High up, hidden, is where the horses are kept (grey square). It is not easy to climb there from behind the cabins, but the other route is a lot longer.

The secret look-out place Dekker is going is marked with a red X.

The grey dotted line is the mountain path. It follows a narrow opening between the two hills, crosses the small stream, and then goes alongside the river (between the river and the forest which is the green circle) up to the cabin area, where there is another river crossing.

Della Humpy wants to go to the cabin to inform the others. Do you go with him Choctaw?