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"OZELLA"

 

 

THIS IS THE WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME ABOUT OZELLA YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. 

 

WHEN WE LAST SAW OZELLA SHE WAS SITTING ON THE FRONT PORCH OF THE PAVILION OF A GUN CLUB.  SHE WAS SITTING NEXT TO RAY AFTER HE LEARNED A LESSON ABOUT TEXAS.

 

LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT OZELLA NOW.  REMEMBER I TOLD YOU SHE WAS 89 YEARS OLD AND A MEMBER OF “THE DAUGHTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS.”  TO BE ELIGIBLE TO BELONG TO THE “DRT” YOU HAD TO BE ABLE TO PROVE YOU WERE A DIRECT DESCENDANT OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ESTABLISHED THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS.

 

OZELLA WAS WEARING  A BIG HAT ALMOST AS WIDE AS SHE WAS TALL.  IT WAS A WHITE STRAW HAT AND AROUND THE BRIM SHE HAD TIED A BRIGHT BLUE RIBBON THAT SHE HAD WOVEN WHITE DAISIES AND RED ROSES THROUGHOUT.  HER LARGE SQUARE FRAMED GLASSES NOT ONLY SERVED HER EYE SIGHT BUT GAVE HER A “DON’T MESS WITH ME” LOOK.

 

SHE WAS WEARING A DRESS OF THE 1800’s ERA MADE FROM A PINK BROCADED SATEEN.  IT WAS A BUTTON TO THE WAIST TYPE WITH A FULL GATHERED SKIRT REACHING TO HER ANKLES.  THERE WERE TUCKS AND LACE COVERING THE BUST AND LONG SLEEVES THAT BILLOWED WITH RUTCHING AT THE SHOULDERS AND TAPERED TIGHTLY FROM THE ELBOWS TO THE WRIST.

 

ONE BOOT STUCK OUT FROM UNDER THE PINK DRESS.  THAT BOOT WAS  HAND TOOLED WHITE LEATHER WITH THE FIGURE OF TEXAS IN RED ON THE FRONT.  OH YES AND THERE WAS A SHINNY TIN STAR PINNED TO THE FRONT OF HER HAT.  ON THAT STAR WAS THE WORD “SHERIFF.”

 

THE BADGE HAD BEEN HER GRAND FATHER’S WHEN HE WAS SHERIFF OF EL PASO COUNTY IN THE 1890’s.  THE COLT SINGLE ACTION 45 CALIBER SIX SHOOTER SHE HELD ON HER LAP HAD BEEN HER GRAND FATHER’S ALSO.  SHE WAS WAITING FOR HER PISTOL MATCH TO START.

 

WHEN THE CALL CAME UP THAT HER MATCH WAS READY TO START SHE STOOD UP AND MARCHED DOWN TO THE PISTOL RANGE.  NOT HAVING ANYTHING ELSE TO DO RAY TROTTED ALONG AFTER HER.  WHEN SHE GOT TO THE FIRING LINE THE RANGE OFFICER GAVE HER THE TARGET FOR THE MATCH.

 

OZELLA HANDED IT TO RAY AND SAID “BE A GOOD LITTLE BOY AND GO POST MY TARGET.”  RAY, LIKE A GOOD LITTLE BOY TOOK THE TARGET AND TROTTED DOWN TO THE TARGET FRAMES AND STAPLED OZELLA’S TARGET TO THE TAG BOARD.  THEN HE TROTTED BACK TO WHERE OZELLA WAS STANDING AND STOOD THERE LIKE A PUPPY WAITING TO BE PETTED ON THE HEAD AND TOLD “GOOD BOY.”

 

THE RANGE OFFICER SAW EVERYONE WAS READY SO HE GAVE THE COMMAND TO FIRE.  EACH SHOOTER FIRED 12 ROUNDS AT THEIR TARGET.  WHEN EVERYONE WAS THROUGH SHOOTING HE GAVE THE COMMAND TO MAKE THE LINE SAFE.  WHEN EVERYONE HAD PUT DOWN THEIR GUN AND STEPPED BACK.  HE TOLD THEM TO RETRIEVE THEIR TARGETS.

 

OZELLA TURNED TO RAY AND SAID “BE A GOOD LITTLE BOY AND GO GET MY TARGET.”  AGAIN RAY WENT TROTTING DOWN RANGE AND RETRIEVED OZELLA’S TARGET.  HE HANDED OZELLA HER TARGET AND I SWEAR HIS TONGUE WAS HANGING OUT AND HE WAS PANTING JUST LIKE A PUPPY.

 

WHEN THE SCORES WERE TALLIED OZELLA HAD WON AGAIN.  THIS WAS THE 14th YEAR IN A ROW THAT OZELLA HAD WON THE 4th OF JULY PISTOL MATCH.  AFTER THE PICNIC LUNCH THE TROPHIES WOULD BE HANDED OUT.  TED WHO HAD COME IN SECOND TEN OF THOSE 14 YEARS SAID “I STILL DON’T KNOW HOW OZELLA CAN SHOOT THAT OLD ANTIQUE SO WELL.”

 

WHEN OZELLA WAS AWARDED HER TROPHY SHE WAS ASKED ABOUT HER SIX SHOOTER AND HOW SHE LEARNED TO SHOOT SO WELL.  SHE TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PISTOL BEING HER GRAND FATHER’S WHEN HE WAS SHERIFF OF EL PASO COUNTY.  HE HAD BEEN THE ONE THAT TAUGHT HER TO SHOOT, AND HE TAUGHT HER WITH THAT PISTOL. 

 

HE TOLD HER THAT IT WASN’T A FAST DRAW THAT COUNTED, IT WAS MAKING SURE THAT YOUR FIRST SHOT HIT IT’S MARK THAT COUNTED.  HE HAD BEEN IN NINE SHOOT OUTS AND HAD NEVER LOST ONE.  EL PASO WAS A TOUGH PLACE BACK IN THE 1890’s.

 

“DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS,”

 

  BY LOREN MOORE

COPYRIGHT 2002

 

LOREN

 SEE YA

 

 

 

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