|
"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.
|
COPYRIGHT
2002
