Copyright JPeg Ranch. All Rights Reserved. Gavel Gamut By Jim Redwine (Week of 30 September 2013) CHAPTER 8 – OUT OF BREATH Raven and Frank walked west along Main Street from the Duncan Hotel to the Constantine Theatre a block away. The marquee announced a touring vaudeville show. Frank was afraid to reach for Raven’s hand, but he did feign to protect her by getting as close as he could while negotiating them through the large crowd in line for tickets. He knew he would not be able to talk to Raven in the theatre and the show was supposed to be two hours long. After the show Raven would just have time to get back to the Duncan for the nine o’clock game. Frank wanted to get Raven alone but he could not bring himself to suggest they not go to the show. “Frank, I do not care for vaudeville. It is a little too ribald and slap stickish for my tastes. Do you mind if we just get an ice cream and walk for awhile? Besides, aren’t you supposed to be mining me for inside information on Chief Lookout?” “I like black walnut ice cream. What do you want, Raven?” “Chocolate is my weakness. Make mine a double dip cone. That way I’ll be sure and drip it all over my new dress Father Thomas bought me.” Frank bought the ice cream at the confectionary beside the Constantine. He asked for several extra napkins. “I see there is a Tom Mix movie on across the street at the new State Theatre. Isn’t Mix from your old hometown of Dewey? Would you want to take that in?” Frank immediately chastised himself. Here Raven had given him the perfect opportunity to talk with her yet he blew it by trying to impress her with his knowledge of Tom Mix. “Yes, Tom is from Dewey and his head hasn’t got too big for his movie Stetson. He comes home regularly, rides in the Dewey Rodeo and leads the parade.” Frank’s heart sank. “But I can see Tom almost anytime he comes home. Let’s walk and talk and enjoy our ice cream.” Frank asked, “Are you game for a walk up Grandview Avenue to the top of the hill where the Million Dollar Elm is? We can take our time; talk as we walk and try to eat our cones before they melt all over us. It might be a little strenuous.” “I’ll show you strenuous!” Raven jogged across Main Street then started up the long brick road to the Osage Indian Agency. Frank raced past her then jogged backwards up Grandview while facing down the hill and taunting the panting Raven. “Okay, Uncle, slow down, you win. But I think we both lost most of our ice cream.” “Raven, there’s something I want to ask you when we get to the top of the hill. For now, let’s just keep climbing.” After fifteen minutes of hiking straight up Grandview Avenue they reached the Million Dollar Elm then flopped down. Raven was trying to catch her breath as she struggled to get out, “What … what did you … want to ask … me?” “Would you go with me when I see Chief Lookout and would you care to go out on a real date with me, say to Bartlesville to a Phillips Sixty-Sixer professional basketball game this weekend? Do you like basketball?” “I have to help Father and Hubert Saturday night, but maybe I could go Sunday afternoon if they are playing. Yes, I like basketball and even played it at college. Father Thomas sent me to Bryn Mawr in Pennsylvania where I studied basketball and pretended to attend class. So, yes, it worked, but it almost did you no good as I thought I was going to die. “Now that your scheme has worked on me we better start your education about how to distract Chief Lookout. And it probably will help if I go with you but I will have to bring Julia in on everything. I cannot mislead her. She is like a second mother to me. Of course, she already believes an Indian versus white football game could be good for not only Osages but all Indians if Haskell wins or, at least, is not embarrassed. Also, Julia will not want to mislead Fred for very long, so if you get his support by slight of hand we will very soon have to come clean with him too. The delicate part will be how Father Thomas and Hubert react. You’d better leave it up to me when and how we tell them. You understand Father and Mr. Cokes are only interested in your plan because they see a huge gambling opportunity involving wealthy oil men and ranchers, Indian and white. They will not take kindly to anything that interferes with their chance to make money. “Now, as to Chief Lookout, one thing that might surprise you is he is very patriotic. Many Indians feel that way. Fred is quite proud of the Osages and other Indians who served in the great World War. One of our heroes is the famous scholar I mentioned before, John Joseph Mathews. He was an army pilot and even taught other soldiers to fly. Mathews is a local Osage boy who got his early education in Pawhuska then went on to Oklahoma University and Oxford. Another plus for your plan is Mathews graduated from Pawhuska High School in 1914 and was the captain of the football team. It should be easy to get Chief Lookout talking about John Joseph Mathews. “On a personal note, the Chief and I are close. You might mention how I was saved from that tornado and a fire in Dewey by a little neighbor girl, Clarice Berryhill. “Clarice and her family lived just down a country lane from my parents and me. Clarice was only six years old at the time but she was helping my mother and me cook and clean for a dollar a week. My mother was far along in her pregnancy and was having difficulty. Mother and I needed help with the house so I could concentrate on caring for her. Clarice would get to our home at four a.m. each day to start breakfast. The morning of the tornado it was quite cold and my father had kept a fire in the kitchen stove until we went to bed. He thought it was out, but the firemen believe the wind from the tornado made it flare up and ignite a coffee can filled with bacon grease my mother kept on the stove. “We only had one bedroom and that’s where my parents slept. I slept on the enclosed back porch. When Clarice got to our house the winds were howling and the house was already ablaze. She woke me and led me off the back porch but the rest of the house was destroyed in minutes. There was no possible way to save my parents. Clarice and I huddled together in a ditch until the tornado passed and help arrived. “The Lookouts knew the Berryhills and right a way the Chief and Julia took me in until Father Thomas became my guardian. “Chief Lookout will readily respond to questions about me, Dewey, Tom Mix and Clarice. “Well, that should be enough for you to build a misdirection ploy on. I don’t like fooling Chief Lookout, but, if Julia thinks it will be best in the long run, I’m okay with it.”
Posted on: Fri, 14 Feb 2014 02:03:53 +0000