Chapter 7
John woke up early Tuesday morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. It was August 29th, 2006
After he showered, he went to the sink to shave. He looked at the night's growth on his face. He put his razor away. He decided he would look tougher if he didn't shave this week.
He went into the kitchen and ate his standard bowl of Cocoa Krispies.
After breakfast, he went to his bedroom and dressed in his cowboy outfit. He grabbed his cowboy hat, saddlebag, and rushed out of his apartment. Bart's old saddlebag was still shoved under his bed.
During his regular routine on getting his horse from the stable, he made a pit stop at a Circle K convenience store and bought two bottles of water. He also made another quick stop at Wal-Mart where he purchased two blankets, matches and some bags of jerky for camping out in the desert.
He raced his Mustang to the stables and got his horse and trailer and drove off.
John rode his horse down Dutchman's Trail to Crazy Hole at Miners Needle. This was going to be an outlaw vacation to place him in the history books.
After his trek through Crazy Hole, John was back in 1883. Thursday, September 13th to be exact.
He rode his horse, with his pistol in his holster, for a couple of hours. He rode to the area where Sun City now exists. But in 1883, Stone Valley occupied that space and time have since erased all traces of that community.
John sat on his horse a half a mile away from Stone Valley. He looked at the town and smiled and silently prayed that this would produce a considerable booty.
He rode his horse off to Stone Valley. But unbeknownst to him, there were two other individuals on horses a quarter of a mile behind him. They were also headed in the direction of Stone Valley.
John rode down the main street of Stone Valley, and it looked peaceful were a few people milled around the dirt streets. It looked about the same size as Oak Creek but with a different layout.
John rode past the Sheriff's office and saw a "Went to Phoenix" sign on the door. He rode past it and felt confident this would go really smooth.
John rode to the Stone Valley bank. He got off his horse and loosely tied the reins to the hitching post. He looked around the town, and the coast was clear. John took a deep breath. He had to courage to press on, so he walked to the door of the bank.
At the other end of town, Bart Stone, twenty-four years old, mean and nasty famous outlaw, with half of his right ear gone and sidekick Charlie Chandler, twenty years old, stupid and Bart's slimly sidekick, galloped their horses into Stone Valley.
Inside the Stone Valley bank, Greg, Henry, Mickey, Cindy, a young lady, and Betty, an older lady, stood in line at the teller's counter where Sam worked.
John entered the bank and looked around. He didn't see any threats, so he whipped out his pistol, walked over to the counter and cut in front of Greg.
He aimed his pistol at Sam's head. John opened his mouth to speak at the same time the door slammed open with a bang, and everybody jumped.
Bart and Charlie rushed inside the bank with pistols ready for action. Bart fired his pistol into the ceiling. Everybody, including John, jumped a mile while plaster rained on everybody.
Bart strutted over to Sam's counter and stood near John, who lowered his pistol.
Charlie guarded the door with his pistol aimed at the patrons
"This is a holdup!" Bart yelled out and pointed his pistol at Sam's head.
John stared at Bart in awe when he realized his idol was next to him.
"Oh, my God! It's the famous outlaw Bart Stone. My hero!" John cried out loud.
Bart looked irritated with John. "Excuse me, but I'm trying to rob a bank here."
Charlie danced around by the door, anxious to get his over with and get out of town.
Bart, I'm John Mathers, and I'm also trying to rob this bank," John said then look excited and raised his pistol. "Can I join your gang?"
"Get a wiggle on! We don't have time for this hogwash," Charlie yelled out, getting nervous.
John strutted over and aimed his pistol at Sam's head. John handed Sam his cloth bag.
"Fork over your dough!" John yelled at Sam and cocked his pistol.
Sam almost pissed his pants with two outlaws ready to shoot him. He reached down, and his hands shook when he opened up the cash drawer. He grabbed all the dollar bills, gold, and silver coins and dropped them in John's bag.
John looked at Bart and smiled. "This is so cool! Now I can go home and read about Bart Stone and me together in the history books," John said with a proud smile.
Bart looked at John, baffled over his comment.
Sam handed the bag back to John.
Bart snatched the bag from John's hand and walked to the door.
John tagged along behind Bart.
John stopped at Cindy. He grabbed her head and gave her a romantic kiss.
Bart and Charlie watched while John kissed the young woman.
Betty looked jealous.
John released Cindy then smiled at Bart. "I'm called the Kissing Bandit," John said. "Alias John Mathers."
Bart and Charlie looked at John then at the young lady who smiled as she loved John's kiss.
"I hear of you. Okay, kid, you're in my gang," Bart told John.
They rushed out of the bank.
Bart, Charlie, and John ran to their horses.
They quickly untied them from the hitching post.
Bart quickly placed the loot in his saddlebag.
John saw the "BS" initials branded into this saddlebag that looked newer. He smiled, knowing that bag was shoved under bed back in 2006.
They quickly hopped out of the saddles of their horses and galloped down the dirt street out of Stone Valley and leaving a dusty trail behind them.
I'll be in the history books for sure. John thought to himself while they galloped out of town with Bart and Charlie.
A few minutes later, the people in the bank cautiously walked out of the bank. They saw that Bart, Charlie, and John were gone. They ran down the street to the Marshal's office, forgetting that the Marshal was out of town.
Bart, Charlie, and John rode their horses north for a couple of hours and stopped not too far from Lake Pleasant at the base of the Hieroglyphic Mountains.
"Let's camp here for the night," Bart said while he got out of the saddle of his horse.
John and Charlie got out of the saddles of their horses. They all tied their horses to some nearby trees.
"Get the fire going, Charlie," Bart ordered.
Charlie went into the desert and came back with some tinder and tree branches. He smoothed out a spot in the dirt and placed the tinder in the center.
He removed a bullet from his gun belt and removed the bullet.
He poured the gun powder out of the bullet case onto the tinder.
He removed two flint rocks from his pants pocket. He struck them and made a spark near the gun powder. The fire started, and he placed the branches over the fire.
John looked amazed, as he's never seen that before.
An hour later, they had a campfire, and their blankets were laid out on the ground close to the flames.
Bart shot a rabbit earlier, and it cooked over the fire.
They sat on their blankets while the rabbit meat sizzled over the flames.
"So, Mister Kissing Bandit, where do you hail from?" Bart asked while he opened a bottle of whiskey, which was probably stolen from some saloon.
John thought for a second to come up with a believable story. "Ohio. I rode into Phoenix last week on the train looking for new adventures," John replied.
"Ah, from the old states," said Bart then he took a sip of whiskey and passed it to Charlie.
"Well, if you stick with me kid, you'll be rich," Bart told John.
Charlie took a swig of whiskey and passed the bottle to John.
John took a swig of whiskey a big swig, and he choked. Bart and Charlie looked at John.
"Are you sure you're an outlaw?" Bart said concerned about John.
"Of course. A couple of days ago, I robbed the Oak Creek National bank and the Butterfield Overland stagecoach between Oak Creek and Stone Valley."
Charlie got a massive grin on his face when he remembered something. "Oh yeah. When I was at the saloon Rattlesnake checking out that bank, I heard about that stagecoach robbery," then he busted out in a gut-busting laugh. "You tried to rob them with your pecker poking out of your pants," Charlie said then laughed again and rolled on his blanket.
Bart busted out in laughter.
John got embarrassed. "I took a pee and almost got bit by a rattlesnake. I forgot to tuck it back inside," John said.
Bart and Charlie rolled on the ground and laughed for a few minutes. Then they stopped and sat upright.
"I like you Kissing Bandit," Bart said. "What was your name again?" he added.
"John Mathers."
"Okay John Mathers," Bart said then leaned over and opened up his saddlebag. He removed the bag and opened it up.
"It's time for your share my outlaw friend," Bart said then reached inside and removed all the cash. He divided it up, and they all got their even share. John thought he could have made more by doing the robbery all by himself, but hooking spurs with Bart Stone was way too cool.
The rabbit was now cooked, and they all filled their bellies.
"Let's get some sleep. I want to hit the stagecoach from Rattlesnake to Stone Valley. They should have loot for the Rattlesnake bank," Bart said.
It didn't take long for Bart and Charlie to fall fast asleep.
John lay on his back and stared at the stars. He looked at Bart who snored then looked back at the stars. John smiled, thinking he made the history books by being with Bart. He also had thoughts of writing a screenplay about Bart. Maybe a novel and screenplay called "The Life and Times of Bart Stone!"
John was too excited to fall asleep, so he stared at the stars for a couple of hours while Bart and Charlie snored. He finally fell fast asleep twenty minutes later.
Hours later, John had a dream.
In his dream, John was at a bookstore signing of his best selling book titled "The Life and Times of Bart Stone."
He had another dream of the opening night of his new movie titled "Bart The Outlaw," based on his best selling book.
It was Friday morning, and the sun rose, and Bart was the first one up. He walked over and kicked Charlie, and he woke up. He walked over and kicked John, and he woke up.
They got up and rolled up their blankets.
Thirty minutes later, they rode their horses into Rattlesnake.
While they rode down the main street, they rode past Phillip Adams Photography Shop, and that gave John an idea.
"Bart, let's get one of those pictures of us," John said.
"Why?" Bart asked.
"So in people, a hundred years from now will know what the greatest outlaws of the Phoenix area looked liked," John replied.
Bart thought about what John said, and he liked the idea. "Yeah, a fancy photograph would make me immortal," said Bart.
He turned his horse around and headed to the Phillip Adams Photography Shop. Charlie and Bart followed.
Fifteen minutes later, Bart, Charlie, and John stood in the main street of Rattlesnake. The photographer took two pictures of the three outlaws. John paid Phillip a little extra to develop the picture while they waited.
After the picture was developed, Bart shoved the picture in his saddlebag. They got in their saddles, and the three rode out of Rattlesnake and headed off into the desert.
An hour later, they stopped at a small ranch house out in the middle of nowhere. Anna Tippins was a thirty-five-year-old woman who lived alone at the ranch.
John learned that Bart and Charlie befriended Anna who would feed them during their travels through this area.
Anna's husband was shot and killed by a crooked Marshal of Rattlesnake, so she hated the law. Besides feeding Bart, she would let him have his five minutes of sexual pleasure with her, as she still wanted to feel the love of a man, even if it was only temporary.
Hours later, Bart handed Anna a couple of gold coins.
They left her ranch and headed to the trail that connects Rattlesnake to Stone Valley. John had more information about Bart for his potential book. A story about Anna would be a nice touch. And that picture just taken would be great for the cover.
Hours later, Bart, Charlie, and John sat on their horses and hid behind a massive rock while they waited for the stagecoach.
"So Bart, where were you born?" John asked.
Bart looked at John. "Some crappy wheat field in Kansas. Why do you need to know?" Bart said.
"Just wanting to get to know a little about the greatest outlaw in the world," John said to butter Bart up.
Bart smiled as he loved that comment.
"Do you know what year?" John asked.
"Don't really know. Guess around eighteen forty something. The year I was born doesn't matter," Bart asked then looked bothered. "Your questions are making me nervous," Bart added.
"I would like to write a book about you, so after you stop being an outlaw, we can make money from people buying it," John said.
Bart's eyes lit up. "How much money?" he asked and drooled at the thought.
"More than what you take from banks and stagecoaches and you can't be arrested for it," John said. "Or shot."
"I like that," Bart said with a gleam in his eyes while he thought of being rich without the threat of being arrested or shot.
"Want to know where I was born?" Charlie asked.
John looked at him. "Sure," John said.
"Why I was born out of my momma," Charlie said followed by a goofy laugh.
The stagecoach was heard way off in the distance.
"Enough of this hogwash, the stagecoach is coming," Bart said.
Bart peeked around the rocks and saw the dusty trail of the stagecoach five hundred feet away headed in their direction.
Bart rode off away from the rock.
Charlie followed then John.
They raced toward the stagecoach.
They got twenty feet in front of the stagecoach when Bart whipped out his pistol and fired a shot into the air.
"Whoa!" the stagecoach driver yelled out and yanked back on the reins, and the horses stopped.
Charlie whipped out his pistol and aimed it at the shotgun rider when he grabbed his rifle.
"One move and I'll put a bullet between your eyes," Charlie yelled.
The shotgun rider put his rifle away.
"Everybody out!" Bart yelled.
The stagecoach door slowly opened. Carl and Henry stepped out of the stagecoach. They assisted Linda, a fifty-year-old homely woman out of the stagecoach.
Charlie got out of the saddle of his horse, as did John. Bart aimed his pistol at the stagecoach driver and the shotgun rider.
Charlie rushed over to Carl, Henry and Linda.
John got his cloth bag out of his saddlebag.
"Give us all your money," Charlie yelled at them.
Henry and Carl reached in their pockets and removed gold and silver coins.
John walked up to Henry. He dropped his coins in John's bag.
He moved over to Carl, who dropped his coins in the cloth bag.
"Give us the loot for the Stone Valley bank," Bart yelled at the stagecoach driver.
"We don't have anything for the Stone Valley bank," the stagecoach driver replied.
Bart aimed his pistol and fired off a shot. The bullet hit the seat near the stagecoach driver's butt. He jumped scared, as did Henry, Carl, Linda, and John. The driver reached under his seat and removed a bag stuffed of cash.
"Get it, Charlie," Bart barked.
Charlie walked over, and the stagecoach driver tossed the bag into Charlie's waiting hands.
John looked at Linda, who had her coins in her hand.
Charlie looked at John with a smart-ass smirk. "Are you going to kiss her?" Charlie asked.
Linda realized who John was and smiled in anticipation of a kiss. She puckered her lips and aimed them at John.
John looked at Linda, but she was too old for his standards. But the figured if he didn't kiss her, Bart might think he's a fake and won't let him ride with them. So leaned in closer to Linda and planted a kiss on her waiting lips. He stepped away from her, and she dropped her coins into his bag. She looked at John with love in her eyes.
John stepped away with a little bit of the dry heaves.
"Let's get out of here," Bart yelled.
Charlie and John ran to their horses. Charlie got out of the saddle of his horse while John dropped the loot into his saddlebag. He got in the saddle his horse, and they galloped off in a dusty trail.
They rode southwest for a couple of hours and made camp hidden in the White Tank Mountains.
The sun settled, and the night was coming on fast.
They stopped for the night, and it was John's turn to make the fire. John tried using one of his bullets, and to his amazement, it worked, and he looked proud.
The campfire was lit and another rabbit cooked under the flames.
Bart, Charlie, and John sat on their blankets while Bart divided up today's take. It was massive, and John couldn't believe his eyes and knew he was going to be filthy rich when he returned home.
Bart and Charlie dumped their take into their bags then got up and dropped them in their saddlebags. He removed the bottle of whiskey from his bag then sat back down on their blankets.
"So Mathers, do you want some more stuff for our book?" Bart asked as he liked the idea of a book written about his life. He opened up the bottle of whiskey and took a gulp. He passed the bottle to Charlie.
"Sure!" John replied.
Charlie took a gulp of whiskey and passed the bottle to John.
"Well, it was around three years ago. We hid out in the Sandia Mountains over by Albuquerque," Bart said.
John wasn't thrilled with that information and took a sip of whiskey. He handed the bottle back to Bart.
"We hid for a week with Billy the Kid," Bart said then took a gulp of whiskey and passed the bottle to Charlie.
"You hung out with Billy the Kid? The real Billy the Kid?" John repeated to make sure he heard correctly.
"Yep, sure did," Charlie nodded in agreement then took a gulp of whiskey and passed the bottle to John.
"How did you meet him?" John asked.
"We met on the trail outside Albuquerque. Almost shot each other thinking we were the law," Bart said. "Then we realized who each other was, so we decided to hide out together."
"I can't believe it. You knew Billy the Kid!" John said, still amazed. "What was he like?" John asked then took a sip of whiskey and passed the bottle back to Bart.
"He was hilarious and told good stories. He seemed too nice of a kid to be a famous outlaw," Bart said and looked jealous. "So Mister John Mathers, you better write this book and make me more famous than Billy," Bart said.
"I will. I promise," John said then realized that maybe he might have bitten off more than what he can chew. But he always had 2006 to hide out for a safe haven.
Bart put the cork back in the whiskey bottle and got up. He walked over to his horse and placed the bottle in his saddlebag.
"Get some rest, we have an exciting money-making day tomorrow," Bart said while he walked back to his blanket and lied down.
Charlie and John all lay on their blankets, and they were all soon fast asleep.
It was Saturday morning, September 15th, 1883.
Bart was the first to rise, and he soon kicked Charlie and John awake.
They both got up and stretched. John was extra stiff as sleeping on the ground was new to him, and his body wasn't used to this way of life.
Hours later, Bart, Charlie, and John sat in their saddles while they waited along the Southern Pacific rail line. The track soon vibrated, and Bart smiled knowing the train was on its way.
"She's down the tracks," he said looked at Charlie. "You're on," he told him. Charlie grinned, and they looked down the tracks.
The train raced down the track heading at them.
The train raced by them.
Charlie galloped his horse after the engine.
Bart and John stayed behind and watched.
Charlie galloped his horse alongside the engine. He stood up on his saddle and jumped onto the engine. He whipped out his gun and aimed it at the train engineer. The train screeched to a stop.
John looked amazed at the feat Charlie just completed. Great stuff for my book! He thought to himself.
Bart rode his horse to the baggage car of the train.
"Open up, or the engineer gets shot then you'll be next," he yelled at the car. The door to the car slid open.
Inside that car, Paul O'Hara, a Southern Pacific employee, peeked his head out of the door, and almost pissed his pants when he saw Bart and John with pistols aimed at him.
"Watch my back," Bart ordered John while he got out of the saddle of his horse.
Bart climbed up in the car and immediately whacked Paul on the head with his pistol. Paul dropped to floor of the car out cold.
John watched the train from the outside while Charlie had his gun on the train engineer.
People poked their heads of the windows of the passenger car to see what was going on.
"Is that the Kissing Bandit?" Kathy asked her friend Jenny while they looked at John.
"I think it is," Jenny replied.
"I hope he kisses me," Kathy said.
"Naw, he's going to kiss me," Jenny said determinedly. "I'm prettier," she added and smiled as her teeth were a little whiter than Kathy's.
John felt proud after he heard the ladies talk about him.
Bart jumped out of the baggage car with two large bags stuffed with cash, which consisted of bills and coins.
Bart quickly jumped on his horse.
"Let's git," he told John.
They rode to the engine and came upon the passenger car where Kathy and Jenny leaned out their windows to get a kiss from John.
John rode up to them and stood up in his stirrups. He planted a kiss on Kathy then planted a kiss on Jenny.
Kathy and Jenny watched with smiles while John and Bart raced off to the engine.
"Come on, Charlie," Bart said.
Charlie quickly climbed down off the engine and jumped on his horse.
They galloped away into the desert.
Later that night, they made camp in the hills south of Stone Valley their next target. Instead of rabbit, tonight's cuisine was Armadillo sizzling on the fire.
After they divided up the take from the train, they drank the bottle of whiskey.
"So Bart, how did you get part of our ear cut off if you don't mind me asking?" John said.
Bart took a gulp of whiskey. "Charlie and I were in a saloon in Timberwood, New Mexico two years back. Some stupid drunk got pissed when Charlie here bumped into him, and he spilled his whiskey. He whipped out a knife and sliced at Charlie," Bart said.
"This guy looked meaner than a one-eyed rattlesnake," Charlie added.
"Yep. I moved back and then Bart punched him in his kidneys, and he dropped to his knees. Then while Bart reached for his pistol, the guy jumped up and sliced part of Bart's ear off," Charlie added.
"Then I shot the bastard dead," Bart said with a grin.