Alvin Fog, Texas Ranger Read online

  [45] Pussyfooted: a sanctimonious person who advocated temperance enforced by law.

  [46] Like many English people of that period, Mrs. Winifred Fog, q.v., frequently expressed the opinion, perhaps a little, tongue in the cheek in her case, that the world was divided into two parts, Great Britain—as it was then—and its Colonies. See dedication in KILL DUSTY FOG I, also ‘Brit’s’ comments in RIO GUNS.

  [47] For further comments respecting to the Dowager Duchess of Brockley, see: THE REMITTANCE KID and THE WHIP AND THE WAR LANCE.

  [48] The service which Mrs. Winifred Fog, q.v., rendered for Waxahachie Smith is described in: NO FINGER ON THE TRIGGER. Other details of his career are given in: SLIP GUN and he makes a ‘guest’ appearance in: THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN.

  [49] A Chicano is a Mexican-born citizen of the United States.

  [50] For further details, see: THE FORTUNE HUNTERS.

  [51] Information respecting to two earlier heads of the family, Coleman and his son, ‘Rameses-Rani’ Turtle, is given in: OLE DEVIL AND THE CAPLOCKS—which, along with the other volumes of the Ole Devil Hardin series, covers some aspects of the Texans’ struggle for independence from Mexican domination—BEGUINAGE, BEGUINAGE IS DEAD, and, by inference, THE QUEST FOR BOWIE’S BLADE.

  [52] Montana peak: a hat with a crown similar to those worn by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and, prior to being changed for berets, Boy Scouts.

  [53] After his marriage to Dawn Sutherland—who he had first met during the events recorded in GOODNIGHTS DREAM and FROM HIDE AND HORN, Mark Counter had bought a ranch which proved to be the center of an extensive deposit of oil. While the family’s fortune was mainly based upon this industry from then onwards and they continued to increase their holdings, there is no evidence to support the suggestion that they were other than scrupulously honest where their considerable acquisitions of land were concerned and they were noted for their fair dealing.

  [54] Volstead Act: the Eighteenth (Prohibition) Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, defining intoxicating liquors as those containing more than one half of one percent alcohol and forbidding the manufacture, transportation and sale of such liquors for beverage purposes. Introduced by Representative Andrew J. Volstead of Minnesota, the Act was ratified—over the President’s veto—on October 18, 1919 and repealed in 1933.

  [55] Very pistol: a discharger for firing brightly colored flares, ‘Very lights’ as a means of signaling or providing hurried illumination of an area at night. Invented by the United States’ ordnance expert, E. W. Very (1847—1910) and still in use.

  [56] Some details of the career of Belle ‘the Rebel Spy’ Boyd are given in: THE COLT AND THE SABER; THE REBEL SPY;’ THE BLOODY BORDER; BACK TO THE BLOODY BORDER; THE HOODED RIDERS; THE BAD BUNCH; SET A-FOOT; Part 8, Belle Boyd, in ‘An Affair Of Honor’, J.T.’s HUNDREDTH; TO ARMS! TO ARMS! IN DIXIE; THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN; THE REMITTANCE KID; THE WHIP AND THE WAR LANCE and Part 2, Belle Boyd, in ‘The Butcher’s Fiery End’, J.T.’S LADIES.

  [57] What the results were on two occasions when Captain Dustine Edward Marsden ‘Dusty’ Fog felt the need to employ the precaution are described in: SET TEXAS BACK ON HER FEET and BEGUINAGE IS DEAD!

  [58] Refried beans: a Mexican dish generally made from the mottled variety of kidney beans known as pinto, which have had spices added and are cooked until attaining a similar consistency to what in Britain are served as mushy peas.

  [59] George Manfred, Leon Gonzales and Raymond Poiccart were the surviving members of the Four Just Men organization. Although the following volumes do not cover the tour of the United States, or meeting with Jackson Fog, see: THE FOUR JUST MEN; THE COUNCIL OF JUSTICE; THE LAW OF THE FOUR JUST MEN; AGAIN THE THREE and THE THREE JUST MEN by Edgar Wallace.

  [60] Batwing chaps are made of heavy bullhide with wide, flapping wings which snap on as opposed to the shotgun variety—so called because they are said to look like the twin barrels of a shotgun with a choke at the muzzle—having the outside seams sewed together all the way down the leg. Both kinds are intended to protect the wearer’s trousers and legs while working. However, cowhands in the Southwestern cattle raising States prefer the former kind as they are cooler and there is no need to remove the spurs from one’s boots when taking them off. Being weighty and cumbersome, they are generally removed if the wearer anticipates spending some time on foot.

  [61] For the benefit of British readers: galoshes is the colloquial name in the United States for what you would call wellies, or Wellington boots.

  [62] A ‘floating outfit’ was a group of cowhands employed by a large ranch to work its more distant ranges. Taking food in a chuck wagon, or greasy sack on the back of a mule, they would be away from the ranch house for several days at a time. As is told in the author’s Floating Outfit series, because of General Jackson Baines Ole Devil Hardin’s prominence in the affairs of Texas, the men employed in that capacity by his OD Connected ranch were frequently sent to assist his friends who found themselves in difficulties or endangered.

  [63] Told in: OLE DEVIL AT SAN JACINTO.

  [64] Chicken ranch: a colloquial name for a brothel.

  [65] Moran silencer: designed by banker-financier Leo Moran, see THE CLUE OF THE SILVER KEY by Edgar Wallace. Although Mr. Moran never had his invention manufactured commercially, as is indicated in ALVIN FOG AND J. G. REEDER, he allowed several to be produced for men he considered were making significant contributions to British law enforcement. Some of those which were allocated to the Three Just Men were presented to various prominent peace officers they met during their tour of the United States, q.v., Major Benson Tragg and Sheriff Jackson Marsden Fog being two of the fortunate recipients.

  [66] Mark Loncey Scrapton was the grandson of Loncey Dalton Ysabel—better known as the Ysabel Kid—who was, along with Dusty Fog and Mark Counter, q.v., a leading member of the OD Connected ranch’s floating outfit and a noted marksman with a rifle. Sergeant Scrapton had adopted the sobriquet ‘Blood’ on Company “Z”s’ first assignment as it had been a favorite alias of his illustrious forbear; see HELL IN THE PALO DURO; GO BACK TO HELL and Part Three, The Ysabel Kid in ‘Comanche Blood’, THE HARD RIDERS.

  [67] When manufacturing the extremely popular Winchester Model of 1873, the makers selected those having barrels found to shoot with exceptional accuracy to be fitted with set-triggers and given a special, fine finish. Originally, these were inscribed ‘1 of 1,000’, but this was later changed to script, One Of A Thousand. The title was a considerable understatement as only one hundred and thirty-six out of a total production of 720,610 rifles qualified for the distinction. Those of a grade lower in quality were given the name, ‘One Of A Hundred’, but only seven were so designated. The practice commenced in 1871 and was discontinued in ’78, allegedly because the management decided it was not good policy to suggest the Company produced different grades of gun. The rifle to which Sergeant Scrapton referred was won by his maternal grandfather, the Ysabel Kid, at the first Cochise County Fair; see GUN WIZARD.

  [68] Mickey Finn, also known as ‘Little Michael’, or a ‘shoo fly’: a strong purgative such as is given to constipated horses, or a barbiturate, in the form of a pill or a potion, administered by bartenders to recalcitrant customers. According to Alvin Dustine ‘Cap’ Fog’s records, it was the former variety Abel Softly intended to use as the effects could be mistaken for a severe attack of dysentery. The late ‘Lou Clayton’ partner and business manager of the comedian Jimmy Durante, was noted for his ability at ‘slipping a Mickey’ when the occasion demanded; see Chapter Six, ‘The Soft-Shoe Dancer’, SCHNOZZOLA, The Story Of Jimmy Durante, by Gene Fowler.

  [69] Rain-check: literally, a ticket stub or other receipt that allows a spectator to return and attend another outdoors sporting event, generally a baseball game, if the one for which the ticket was originally purchased should be cancelled because of inclement weather. The context in which Alvin Fog used the term was a colloquialism for a request or a promise t
o accept an invitation at a later date.

  [70] Picking up the toes: a colloquialism for inflicting punishment. It was derived from the cowhands’ roping term meaning to make a catch by throwing the lariat’s loop so as to trap an animal’s forefeet. Generally, the method was employed to punish a horse which persisted in breaking out of the wrangler’s rope corral when part of a remuda. While dangerous to carry out, the throw was used on a basis of kill or cure as the other members of the remuda could pick up the habit if the perpetrator was allowed to go unchecked. A description of how such a throw was made and its effect is given in: TRAIL BOSS.

  [71] Some details of the career of U.S. Marshal Solorryon Wisdom ‘Solly’ Cole are given in: CALAMITY SPELLS TROUBLE—although, while producing this title, the author had not learned Marshal Cole’s full name—Part Seven, Calamity Jane series, ‘Deadwood, August 2nd, 1876’, J.T.’s HUNDREDTH and Part Six, Martha ‘Calamity Jane’ Canary, in ‘Mrs. Wild Bill’, J.T.’S LADIES.

  [72] Told in: YOU’RE IN COMMAND NOW, MR FOG.

  [73] If the reader considers such a rate of fire from a Colt Government Model automatic pistol is impossible, the author would like to point out that on Page 61 of GUNS AND AMMO, February 1964, there is a photograph of Thell Reed, Jr.—one of the finest combat pistol handlers of his day—shooting, albeit from waist level, so quickly there are four empty cartridge cases in the air at one time.

  [74] According to Alvin Dustine ‘Cap’ Fog’s notes, although Hogan Turtle was never brought to trial for his complicity, subsequent inquiries established he had learned of the cave in his youth from some unspecified source. When the Eighteenth (Prohibition) Amendment was ratified, he had decided to turn it into a secret distillery and made arrangements for the work to be carried out.

  [75] How the assignment was carried out is told in : Case One, ‘Friendly Persuasion’, THE JUSTICE OF COMPANY “Z”