Cure the Texas Fever (A Waxahachie Smith Western--Book 3) Read online

  Information about the uncle, Tommy Okasi, can be found in the Ole Devil Hardin and Floating Outfit series.

  v How “Miz Freddie” Fog came by her mistrust of “civil servants” is told in DECISION FOR DUSTY FOG.

  vi Details of Dusty Fog’s career while serving in command of Company C, Texas Light Cavalry, during the Arkansas campaign are recorded in the Dusty Fog’s Civil War Series.

  vii Where the circumstances that led to Dusty Fog’s being given the sobriquet “Magic Hands” took place is described in THE DEVIL GUN.

  viii Some information about Dusty Fog’s career as a peace officer is given in QUIET TOWN, THE MAKING OF A LAWMAN; THE TROUBLE BUSTERS; DECISION FOR DUSTY FOG; CARDS AND COLTS; THE CODE OF DUSTY FOG; ARIZONA RANGE WAR ARIZONA GUN LAW; THE TOWN TAMERS and THE SMALL TEXAN.

  ix Some events in the career of Belle “the Rebel Spy” Boyd, a “secret agent” for the Confederate States and later a member of the U.S. Secret Service, are recorded in MISSISSIPPI RAIDER; THE COLT AND THE SABER; THE REBEL SPY; BLOODY BORDER; RENEGADE; THE BAD BUNCH; SET A-FOOT; TO ARMS! TO ARMS! IN DIXIE!; THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN; THE QUEST FOR BOWIE’S BLADE; Part Eight, “Affair of Honor,” J. T.’S HUNDREDTH; THE REMITTANCE KID; THE WHIP AND THE WAR LANCE; and Part Five, “The Butcher’s Fiery End,” J. T.’S LADIES.

  Having learned about the trick of employing a glass tumbler held to the ear and placed against a wall as an aid to eavesdropping from “Miz Freddie,” Dusty Fog’s grandson, Alvin Dustine, made use of it on at least two of his assignments as a member of Company Z, Texas Rangers, in the Prohibition era. See CAP FOG, TEXAS RANGER, MEET MR. J. G. REEDER and RAPIDO CLINT STRIKES BACK.

  x An example of how some modern professional killers operate is given in THE PROFESSIONAL KILLERS.

  xi We do not claim that Marvin Eldridge “Doc” Leroy was the originator of wearing a jacket adapted in such a fashion as an aid to making a fast draw, but our records establish that his were always convened that way. Information about his earlier career can be found in QUIET TOWN; Part Five, “The Hired Butcher,” THE HARD RIDERS; Part Three, “The Invisible Winchester,” OLE DEVIL’S HANDS AND FEET; Part Five, “A Case of Infectious Plumbeus Veneficium,” THE FLOATING OUTFIT; Part Three, “Monday Is a Quiet Day,” THE SMALL TEXAN; Part Two, “Jordan’s Try,” THE TOWN TAMERS; RETURN TO BACKSIGHT; Part Six, “Keep Good Temper Alive,” J. T.’S HUNDREDTH; and the Waco Series. How he achieved his ambition to become a qualified doctor is told in DOC LEROY, M.D.

  The Wedge acted as a contract trail crew for those ranchers who had too few cattle to consider making up and delivering a herd to Kansas individually a viable prospect. They make guest appearances in QUIET TOWN, TRIGGER FAST; Part One, “To Separate Innocence From Guilt,” MORE J. T.’S LADIES; and GUN WIZARD. They also star in their own right in BUFFALO ARE COMING!, WEDGE COMES TO ARIZONA;, and ARIZONA RANGE WAR; ARIZONA GUN LAW.

  Some information about the events that led up to Texans’ taking trail herds to the railroad in Kansas can be found in GOODNIGHT’S DREAM; FROM HIDE AND HORN; SET TEXAS BACK ON HER FEET; and THE HIDE AND TALLOW MEN.

  How such trail herds were handled is described in TRAIL BOSS. 3. Another example of how clothing could identify a man as a Texan is given in Case One, “Roan Marrett’s Son,” ARIZONA RANGER.

  xii The meeting is described in THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN.

  How a “trail count” was carried out is described in TRAIL BOSS.

  xiii The tragic results of James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok failing for once to take the precaution of sitting where he could not be approached from behind are described in Part Seven, “Deadwood, August the 2nd, 1876,” J. T.’s HUNDREDTH.

  xiv How and why the modifications to the staghorn-handled Colt Civilian Model Peacemaker revolver were carried out is told in NO FINGER ON THE TRIGGER.

  xv Information about Mark Counter’s family background, career, and special qualifications can be found in the Appendix.

  xvi An occasion when Mark Counter proved himself second only to Dusty Fog in speed on the draw and accurate shooting is recorded in GUN WIZARD.

  xvii How and where Mark Counter met his wife, Dawn—her maiden name being Sutherland—is told in GOODNIGHT’S DREAM and FROM HIDE AND HORN.

  xviii How such establishments operated and threatened to disrupt the economy of Texas is described in THE HIDE AND TALLOW MEN.

  xix How costly such a mistake could be even without the case going to court is told in Part Four, “The Penalty of False Arrest,” MARK COUNTER’S KIN.

  xx Why Waxahachie Smith thought Deputy Town Marshal C. B. Frith would seem more convincing in the role of Mayor W.S.B. Jeffreys is explained in SLIP GUN.

  xxi The incident is described in OLD MOCCASINS ON THE TRAIL.

  xxii Why the cooperation was given is told in THE LAW OF THE GUN.

  A reciprocal cooperation that took place between Dusty Fog and Lieutenant Frank Ballinger—as he was then—of the Chicago Police Department is described in THE FORTUNE HUNTERS.

  Lieutenant Ballinger makes a guest appearance in THE REMITTANCE KID.

  xxiii Information regarding Dusty Fog’s career with the Texas Light Cavalry is given in Part Five, “A Time for Improvisation, Mr. Blaze,” J. T.’s HUNDREDTH, and several volumes of the Dusty Fog’s Civil War series.

  xxiv Although we have used Waxahachie Smith’s surname when referring to him so far in this narrative, to avoid confusion between them, we will be calling him “Wax” and his companion “Frank,” unless employing the requested name “Teddy.”

  xxv An earlier meeting between Belle “the Rebel Spy” Boyd and Lieutenant Frank Ballinger—as he was at the time—is recorded in THE REMITTANCE KID.

  xxvi Details pertaining to the career of Belle Boyd as a secret service agent for the Confederate States during the War Between the States—hence her sobriquet, "the Rebel Spy"—and the United States when it ended are given in various volumes of the Dusty Fog’s Civil War and Floating Outfit series.

  xxvii How the Ysabel Kid met Rainey Smith, who later became his wife, is told in GUNS IN NIGHT.

  xxviii Walter “the Actor” Steffen had a son and grandson who took up his profession as a hired killer. While we have no information about the career of the former, we have recorded the fate of the latter in CAP FOG, TEXAS RANGER, MEET MR. J. G. REEDER.

  xxix Two of Mark Counter’s grandsons, Andrew Mark “Big Andy” Counter and Ranse Smith inherited his good looks and exceptional physique as did two great-grandsons, Deputy Sheriff Bradford “Brad” Counter and James Allenvale “Bunduki” Gunn. Unfortunately, while willing to supply information about other members of his family, past and present, “Big Andy” has so far declined to allow publication of any of his own adventures.

  Some details of Ranse Smith’s career as a peace officer during the Prohibition Era are recorded in: THE JUSTICE OF COMPANY “Z,” THE RETURN OF RAPIDO CLINT AND MR. J. G. REEDER, and RAPIDO CLINT STRIKES BACK.

  Brad Counter’s activities are described in: Part Eleven, “Preventive Law Enforcement,” J.T.’S HUNDREDTH and the Rockabye County series, covering aspects of law enforcement in present day Texas.

  Some of James Gunn’s life story is told in: Part Twelve, “The Mohawi’s Powers,” J.T.’s HUNDREDTH and the Bunduki series. His nickname arose from the Swahili word for a handheld firearm of any kind, ”bunduki,” and gave rise to the horrible pun that when he was a child he was, “toto ya bunduki,” meaning, “son of a gun.”

  xxx One occasion is recorded in: THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN.

  Information about the career and special abilities of Captain Dustine Edward Marsden “Dusty” Fog can be found in various volumes of the Dusty Fog’s Civil War and Floating Outfit series.

  xxxi 3. The incident is described in: BEGUINAGE.

  xxxii 4. The Manual of Dress Regulations for the Confederate States Army stipulated that the tunic should have “a skirt extending halfway between hip and knee.”

  xxxiii 5: The legacy also caused two attempts to be
made upon Mark’s life, see: CUT ONE, THEY ALL BLEED and Part Two, “We Hang Horse Thieves High,” J.T.’S HUNDREDTH.

  xxxiv 6. “Right bower”; second in command, derived from the name given to the second highest trump card in the game of euchre.

  xxxv 7. Told in: RANGELAND HERCULES.

  xxxvi 8. Told in: THE MAN FROM TEXAS, this is a rather “pin the tail on the donkey” title used by our first publishers to replace our own, ROUNDUP CAPTAIN, which we considered far more apt.

  xxxvii 9. Evidence of Mark Counter’s competence as a gunfighter and his standing compared to Dusty Fog is given in: GUN WIZARD.

  xxxviii 11. How Mark Counter’s romance with Belle Stair commenced, progressed, and ended is told in: Part One, “The Bounty on Belle Starr’s Scalp,” TROUBLED RANGE; its “expansion,” TEXAS TRIO; THE BAD BUNCH; RANGELAND HERCULES; THE CODE OF DUSTY FOG; Part Two, “We Hang Horse Thieves High,” J.T.’S HUNDREDTH; THE GENTLE GIANT; Part Four, “A Lady Known as Belle,” THE HARD RIDERS and GUNS IN THE NIGHT.

  Belle Starr “stars”—no pun intended—in: CARDS AND COLTS; Part Four, “Draw Poker’s Such a Simple Game,” J.T.’S LADIES RIDE AGAIN and WANTED! BELLE STARR.

  She also makes “guest” appearances in: THE QUEST FOR BOWIE’S BLADE; Part One, “The Set-up,” SAGEBRUSH SLEUTH; its “expansion,” WACO’S BADGE and Part Six, “Mrs. Wild Bill,” J.T.’S LADIES.

  We are frequently asked why it is the “Belle Starr” we describe is so different from a photograph which appears in various books. The research of the world’s foremost fictionist genealogist, Philip Jose Farmer— author of, among numerous other works, TARZAN ALIVE: A DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY OF LORD GREYSTOKE and DOC SAVAGE: HIS APOCALYPTIC LIFE—with whom we consulted have established the lady about whom we are writing is not the same person as another equally famous bearer of the name. However, the Counter family have asked Mr. Farmer and ourselves to keep her true identity a secret and this we intend to do.

  xxxix Told in: GOODNIGHTS DREAM and FROM HIDE AND HORN.

  xl This is established by inference in: Case Three, “The Deadly Ghost,” ALVIN FOG, TEXAS RANGER.

  xli See: IVANHOE, by Sir Walter Scott.

  xlii “Cave Adsum”; roughly translated from Latin, “Beware, I am Here.”

  xliii Some information about Jessica and Trudeau Front de Boeuf can be found in: CUT ONE, THEY ALL BLEED; Part Three, “Responsibility to Kinfolks,” OLE DEVIL’S HANDS AND FEET and Part Four, “The Penalty of False Arrest,” MARK COUNTER’S KIN.