CONTENTS
Pistol Pete
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Author: Eaton Frank (b. 1860)
Year: 1953
By the middle of the afternoon there wasn't as much shooting but it was more dangerous. Both sides were getting down to business.
After about an hour by the sun Ernest Lewis called out, "Frank, are you there?"
"Yes, what do you want?"
"Wish you would turn the cows in with the calves. My business is so damn confining I can't come out."
"All right," I said, "don't shoot, I'm coming over the bank." I leaned my rifle up against a tree and went over the bank.
"Come up to the house and get a bucket and milk me a bucket of milk," said Ernest. "I'm going to churn about Saturday."
"If you take the milk where you are going it's going to be so hot it will be sour before Saturday," I told him.
Ernest opened the door and.... handed me the bucket and I backed out of the door.
I went out to the cow lot and let down the bars and let the cows in to the calves, then started milking. When the bucket was full I let the calves finish sucking, then hollered to Ernest, "You want me to turn the cows out and the leave the calves in the pen?"
"Yes, turn them out. I want fresh milk in the morning," he called back.
On the other side of the house the shooting was pretty brisk and I hollered to Ernest, "Hold on with that shooting till I deliver this milk and get over the bank again!"
Ernest laughed and said, "Come on in and let them shoot; they ain't hurtin' anything."
"I know," I said, "but some of our boys might shoot clear through the house and get me."
"Wouldn't that be hell!" said Ernest.
I handed the milk through the door and Ernest gave me a letter and asked me to give it to his wife when I went to town. I took the letter and he put out his hand.
We shook hands, and he said, "Now here is where all friendship ceases. Get over the bank and do your damnedest."
... I said, "So long," and jumped over the bank and Ernest fired a shot right over me to let me know the truce was over....
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