OX LEADS THE WAY
Ox Muldoon didn’t pop up again until around 1807 during the time a Scotsman named Alex Forsyth had come up with the idea of percussion loaded pistols. Ones that loaded from the muzzle end using a sliding can of primer on the breech. It made things a bit easier but overall nothin’ big changed handguns until the American inventor, Sam Colt came forth with the fast shootin’ Colt Paterson, which was patented over in Britton around 1835. Old Sam didn’t stop there; he also brought out many other fine weapons for us to kill each other with including the Colt Walker which arrived in 1847 or thereabouts.
Ox messed around doin’ odd jobs here and there until 1811 then fell upon some good opportunities. He found steady work actin’ as a guide for pioneer families headin’ West, on what some historians would later call, the first great westward migration. Mainly he played guide for those travelin’ the Wilderness Road and later for a short spell, he helped families on the National road, or what some took to callin’ the Cumberland Road as well.
The vast majority of pioneer families made sure they had the three most important things needed on the new western frontier; a bible, a rifle and an ax. Some traveled by foot while others rode on horseback or in wagons. They came with all types of farm animals, seed for crops, basic tools and whatever else they figured they might not be able to get from the new lands.
Ox played host usually to several families all travelin’ by wagon who paid him very handsomely for his services, even though the money slipped through his fingers mighty fast indeed.
Hunting and supplying most of the meat they used on the hard journey was one of his favorite endeavors. There was always some kind of mishaps along the way from time to time. Such as the time one of the young boys from one of the families he was escortin’ had wandered off while they were encamped and came runnin’ back with a tornado of mad Hornets hot on his trail.
The lad had been pokin’ the nest with a rather large tree limb when shore enough, he knocked that huge nest to the ground. As the nest broke wide open from the impact, the Hornets descended on the fair young lad with great force and vengeance. Runnin’ back the short distance to the encampment brought not only his red whelped cryin’ little face, but the fury of the Bees as well. Ducking under the first wagon he came to tryin’ to escape the wrath of the hornets brought many odd and puzzled looks from the others who were sittin’ round the campfire. That is until those highly agitated insects commenced attackin’ all those poor onlookers.
Hoots and hollers abound from men, women and children who set to runnin’ in all directions. Ox was just returnin’ from a hunt when he spied the wild commotion unfolding before his eyes. Not sure what was goin’ on he moseyed on in and found himself now bein’ set upon by the mad hornets. Droppin’ the small deer he was totin’ he too ran for the hills. There was nary a pioneer member who wasn’t stung during this fierce attack.
After an hour or so all the members of the wagon party came to rest back in the camp as the hornets had finally gotten over their insane madness and moved on. The women folk broke out the salve and applied it real liberal to all who came complainin’ of pain and the like.
Ox found the young lad who had brought the scourge down upon the encampment hidin’ under a wagon. He plied the young lad with a good thrashin’ with a deerskin belt across his lily white rump, which glowed bright pink after Ox completed his task. The boy’s parents made no effort to intervene as they too were mad and achin’ from the attack. This would be just another lesson for a young misguided boy to learn the hard ways of the new land.
News from the East was always carried by the new settlers who were journeying westward. Ox heard some of the settlers talkin’ bout the 'Battle of Tippecanoe.' Old Governor Harrison who was in control of the Indiana territorial troops did battle with Tecumseh’s American Indian Confederation forces. Ol’ Harrison kicked the crap out of Tecumseh’s Confederation, and later on in the 1840’s Presidential election Harrison used the slogan, “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” so people would remember his victories and would hopefully cast their votes for him as President.
Down in the Southwestern part of the country in 1818, Andrew Jackson took Florida from the Seminole Indians and Spaniards. Thousands of settlers ventured forth after the Adams-Onis Treaty, which Spain signed in 1819. It also placed Texas in the hands of the Mexicans. Later on, most all political and social structure would be controlled by the powerful plantation owners of the southern region.
Wasn’t long thereafter that settlers crossed the mighty Mississippi headin’ west, and within thirty years they’d be in California.
But I’m gettin’ a little ahead of myself; now the War of 1812 came soon enough, but would end by 1815 with the Treaty of Ghent.
There was a time Ox would have gone toward the fightin’ but he had other things on his mind. One such thing was a young lady whom he fell in love with on one of the wagon trains he led west.
Not much is known about her except her name was Amella, and that they were married, she gave birth in July of 1813 to Ox’s son, who he named, Bernard Douglas Muldoon. This was the only child Ox conceived, as far as he could recollect.
Ox in one of his drunken rages accused Amella of bein’ unfaithful and stated boldly that Bernard wasn’t his true flesh and blood. His temper when drinkin’ was mighty fierce and he decided right quickly he wanted a divorce. Amella was yellin’ and screamin’ at Ox about the boy bein’ his true kin but Ox would have none of it. Drawing his huntin’ knife he slashed out at his frightened wife who sustained a large cut from the top of her left shoulder down just a few inches past her left breast. She crumpled to the ground in shock and pain.
Pullin’ the cork on the jug of spirits, Ox guzzled down the remaining firewater then gave out a horrendous belch. Grabbing Amella by her right arm he dragged her through the thick brush almost a half mile to the fast moving river. Her screams had now simply become soft moans as the blood was still draining from her deep knife wound. Now only half conscious Ox dropped her at the edge of the riverbank, and with one forceful kick her limp body tumbled down the embankment into the swift river current below. Under she went and never surfaced again. Divorce was easy back in those times if you had the stomach for it.
Not much is known about who raised Bernard Muldoon, for Ox didn’t have much contact with the boy shortly thereafter. Ox went off to become a mountain man, trappin’ beaver and tradin’ the pelts and the like in the far out mountain regions.
Ox met up with a young Jim Bridger in 1822 who was on his first trappin’ adventure. They spent a month or so travelin’ together until the fateful night of December 2nd when the two were caught off guard by a sudden avalanche. Both men were buried alive. Young Jim Bridger dug himself out but ol’Ox was nowhere to be found. Jim searched almost one whole day then realized it was time to utter some holy words, and then weather per mitten move on.
Ox was goin’ into his thirty-sixth year, but like most folks back then he lived a full life in those short adventurous years, or so the old timers would say. Most folks never heard of Ox Muldoon, but many had heard of the red-headed giant and the tale tales told of him at the trading post and local taverns. The stories only grew bolder and more outrages until time itself allowed the stories of the red-headed giant to fade away into history.