Mark was on his way home from school one day when he saw a commotion.  It was a man being whipped.  A man named Xavier came up to Mark and informed him that the man had stolen wine and was being whipped for it as punishment.  He told Mark that this was a personal manner and to leave immediately.  When Mark got home, he told me what happened.

We were churning butter that afternoon when I saw the Czar and his henchmen coming.  I was hoping they would ride on past, but they didn’t.  The Czar introduced himself as Czar Tiffauges and told me he was from New Orleans. “You have perhaps heard the name?”

“No, we’ve never been that far east,” I answered. 

The man named Xavier complained about the ranchers.  “These ranchers, all they can tell us is move along, move along, shake along.”

The Czar then kindly pointed out that I hadn’t introduced myself, so I did.  I was trying to be as friendly with them as I could, and decided to make conversation.  “You really crossed the whole state of Texas in this rig?” I asked, pointing to his buggy.  “You must have got stuck in fifty sand pockets.”

The Czar found this humorous.  “Monsieur, I got stuck in one hundred and fifty sand pockets, was no problem.  The fellows of mine they have ropes on their saddles so I make them harness themselves.  And I stand here.  I take a whip, and I call on them.”  I no longer saw this as a humorous matter.  He began beating his horses with his whip. 

Xavier muttered “Animal” under his breath and the Czar started to whip him.  I grabbed the whip from him.

The czar told me not to interfere.  “Just keep the whip in its place while your on my property!” I commanded as I put the whip up.  He proceeded to tell me that it was all in fun.

“Now Monsieur, with your kindness we look for a city called North Fork.”

I told Mark to go churn the butter.  I didn’t like where this conversation was going, and I did not like this czar.  “Well, I’m afraid North Fork isn’t much of a town.” I tried discouraging him from going there.

He didn’t care.  “Perhaps you’d be so kind enough to show us the way.”  I wouldn’t be.  I pointed them in the general direction, hoping he’d leave.  “Very nice little place you have here, McCain,” the czar suddenly commented. 

“We like it,” I answered.  “All 4100 acres.”  I waited to see what he was up to.  Two of his men competed in lighting his cigar.  I waited patiently.  Suddenly, he told me exactly what he wanted.  “Maybe I’ll take this place off your hands, huh?  I wish to retire to the quite life of this part of the country.”

“It’s not for sale,” I stated firmly.

But he laughed.  “You hear that you fellows, the McCain estate is not on the market!”

Suddenly, one of the czar’s men told me, “the boss owns twenty-five blocks of New Orleans waterfront.  That was not for sale either.  At least, not at the time.”  This sounded like a threat to me.

But I wasn’t threaten easily.  “I’ve been meaning to ask, just what was it the Texas Rangers had on you?”

“Monsieur, please to observe these carriage lamps, Sterling silver.  Do I have to answer questions from a petty rancher with manure on his boots?”  He stated that we would discuss it tomorrow in town.  I told him I’d be in town tomorrow, but to pick up supplies.  I was a very busy man and didn’t see reason to take time out to talk to the likes of him!

Xavier was so kind to suggest that I wasn’t too busy to talk to the czar.  I asked him if he liked being horsewhipped.  He called me a Yankee and told me it was an honor to be horsewhipped by Senor Tiffauges.

Mark didn’t understand why I allowed the Czar to talk to me like that.  “Now look son, I am a small rancher, I have got manure on my boots, and south of the border I’m a Yankee.  You want me to start gun trouble with an army like that?”

When I got to town the next day the Czar was watching for me. They were all decked out in the street, eating well and drinking fine liquor.  He told Marshal Torrance to tell me he wanted to see me. Micah told him he’d be glad to tell me, but he didn’t know if I’d-

“Whether he’ll be glad or not be so kind to bring him here,” the Czar insisted.

Xavier told the Czar, in fact, that there were many other ranches around that he could choose from that were bigger and twice as better.  The Czar commented that he always wants the one that he always desired the one not for sale.

Micah came to the General Store to tell me that the Czar wanted to see me.  “I’ve never seen anything like it!  He’s got the whole town crawling to him.  First thing last night he deposited 85,000 gold in the bank.”  I didn’t understand how a man got his hooks into that much money!  Micah continued.  “Here’s a bulletin come in on New Orleans stage, a warning to all stops in the Texas Rangers.  This Tiffauges, is the king of organized vice for the whole New Orleans area.”  I told Micah that the Czar wanted to take my ranch off my hands.

Micah was going to deputize some men, and I told him I’d go talk to Mr. Tiffauges.  Micah warned me that they were all cut throats, but I didn’t want to start something when it was a personal matter between him and me.  Micah wanted to argue with me further, but Mark came to show me the candy he bought.  I went to talk to Mr. Tiffauges.

While I was on my way over, Xavier warned the Czar that I was good with my rifle, that the rifle was like part of my hand. The Czar asked me to sit and have a drink.  When I said no, he “insisted.”  I sent Mark to go move the wagon.  I did not want him in on this conversation.  I said I’d have one drink.

Mr. Tiffauges wanted me to have a shooting match with Xavier, but I refused…at first.  Then Mr. Tiffauges started warning me that maybe Xavier was a liar about how good I was, and threatened to punish Xavier. That’s when I decided to show him I could shoot.

Then he got down to “business.”  “Mr. McCain, I know what you paid for your ranch.  I offer you the same money exactly.  Unless, of course, fifty percent for wear and tear.”  I told him it was not for sale.  I had worked a long time for that ranch, and I intended to bring up my boy there.

That’s when Mr. Tiffauges decided to raise the stakes.  He asked Xavier for a knife.  Then he asked me if I’d ever seen a woman die.  I didn’t even want to answer.  “Well, then you’re aware that there’s something…that…shall I say special about a  death of any woman,” he stated.

I did not like where this conversation was going!  “Something very special, Mr. Tiffauges,” I answered stiffly.

“Why do you think I’m here, McCain?  By the persecutions of my enemies, reformers and hypocrites.  While only three times their political grand juries have indicted me.  Well, last time, last time they bribe an old woman and two of the girls, you know that work in her establishment.  You know what happened?  Early one morning some unknown man with a passkey entered the room where the three were hiding.  And when he leaves there is no more evidence.”  I suggested they were shot, but he assures me they hadn’t been.  “Would you believe it, Monsieur McCain, that my friends even say that this violent man was Cesar Tiffauges…me.  Me personal.”  He laughed his evil laugh. 

“But of course I do not recount all those horrors to distress you.  No, right now you reject my fair and friendly offer.  I’m of course very sorry and for both of us, Monsieur McCain.  Who can predict what losses can occur to your livestock?  That your crops do not catch fire?  Your home itself burnt to it’s foundation? And don’t forget you have a son.”

I must admit that up to that point, I didn’t feel to intimidated.  But at the mention of my son, things changed.  “A son, my poor friend you know from now on whenever he is not at your side, you will be asking yourself what comes to him, where is he?  I’ll tell you, you’ll get up twenty times at night to look if he’s in bed.  You will light the lamp, McCain, to see if there is blood.”

He was threatening my boy’s life, and I knew I had to protect him.  Nothing was worth loosing him for.  So, I decided to play along with him.  This man was very dangerous, and I knew I had to play my hand carefully.  I told him that he drove a tough bargain.  I told him I had built a house, barn and stable, two wells, a 1 ¼ mile of grade A fencing, not to mention on the sweat I’ve put in.  But he didn’t care.  He would be there at 10 AM in the morning to take the property from me.  He was giving me no choice.

Little did he know that I had no intention on giving him my land.  But he couldn’t know that.  My boy had to be safe.  I told Micah to gather some men up and have them out at my place by 10:15.  I was hoping that when he got there, they could turn around and leave.

I went to the wagon. Mark asked me if I told him the ranch was not for sale.  I simply told him no.  When Mark started arguing with me, I told him the ranch wasn’t for sale, but Mr. Tiffauges didn’t understand.  That night, I put Mark to bed.  I went out onto my porch to smoke a cigar.  As I took a puff from it, I remembered the threats against my boy.  Suddenly, I didn’t want to smoke.  I wanted to be near my boy.  To watch him sleep.  To make sure he was okay.  I dimmed the lamp and went to check on him.

The next morning, Mark was getting ready to leave for school.  He forgot his books.  He told me he sure whished he could be there when they got there.  “Anything to get out of going to-“ I started.  But I saw them coming.

Mark looked worried.  “I thought you said 10 o’clock!” Mark said.  “It’s only 8!”

I was worried.  It looked like trouble.  “Mark, you go into town the back way and tell Micah to get back out here as soon as he can with the boys.  And then you go on to school.”  Mark hesitated.  I could tell he was worried, but I tried to act natural.  “You heard me.  Only don’t get kept after.  I want you back here to help me with the stock.”  Mark was worried, but there was nothing I could do about it.  I had some fast thinking to do.  “Go on, boy.”

After Mark left, I went inside and sat down at my table.  I poured myself a cup of coffee.  I was not going to let them know I was worried.  I was going to show them they can’t push me around.  As I sad sipping my coffee, Czar called me to come out.  I picked up my rifle, went outside, and told him to come back at 10 because I had work to do.  Of course, he said we would talk now.

“Mr. Tiffauges, you’re a guest on my property.  And while you’re here-“ I started bravely.

But he interrupted me.  “I dispossess you from this property, McCain.  Because I am who I am.  And what I am on my ancestors who was one from whom I inherit my name and my destiny; who was answerable for his actions not even to the King of France.  What am I saying, not to heaven itself.  Even today is remembered in that famous story called “Bar Bleu” or as you say it in English, “Blue Beard.”  You of course heard about it?”

“Sure,” I answered. “He still frightens children.”

“But your wasting my time, McCain.  Bring forth the papers.”  He threatened me again.  “I order you for your own sake, get the papers.”

I’d have almost enough of this man.  “That’s the thing about this part of the country.  Men come here so they don’t have to take orders. They think the way they want, and they feel the way they want – not the way some so-called ruler wants.  As a matter of fact, Tiffauges, your kind just don’t make any sense out here.  You belong back in the Dark Ages with that ancestor of yours.  And I’m telling you most of your men agree with me.” I stated angrily.

“Get the papers,” he ordered again.

“I just gave you my answer.”

He threatened me again.  He stated I’d be shot if I didn’t do what I was told.  I twirled my rifle.  “If I thought that order would be carried out, I wouldn’t have been waiting here for you.” 

Czar ordered his men to shoot me.  Only one of his men tried to shoot me and I killed him with no problem.  The Czar himself pulled his gun out to shoot me, but he was suddenly shot and fell from his carriage into the dirt.

Xavier killed him.

“Much obliged,” I stated.

Xavier came towards me.  “It makes us…how do you say?  Even on the border.  Oh you were right, amigo.  Freedom is a precious thing.  You made me realize what I give it up for.  After all, we see him for what he is there.  A big fat nothing lying in the dirt.  You know, he said we’d find you here this morning when we came here like a big bowl of jelly quivering on a platter.  He was wrong what he said and I have been right what I said.  You are muy macho, much man!”  He laughed.  It felt good for him to speak to me with such pride and respect.

That night, I put Mark to bed.  But tonight, I stood out on my porch and looked over my land as I smoked my cigar.  I didn’t take it for granted now.  I was pleased with all I had.  I looked at my cigar that I was able to finish tonight.  Then I went inside and picked up the lantern.  Going into the bedroom, I watched my son sleep.  Tonight, I would sleep.  My son was once again safe.

The Apprentice Sheriff

The Sister

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