O.H. Napier's
Heading to Hardshell
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April 28, 2003
Sixteen days and nights old Tenn Stud's feet has only hit the ground twice. I sure was going to shoot em yesterday as I figured he would be better off. Just as soon as I cocked old Betsy he started rolling them old big brown eyes around and I could see the life slowly creeping back into his heart. His old bushy tail started to twitch. I was so happy that my companion had found life one more time. He is up today and staggering around. He is getting meaner by the minute, so my hoss is back. As for me, I dang near starved to death and my mouth is dry as gun powder from having no moonshine. Hell, being raised in these mountains I can always find enough berries and roots to live on and there is plenty of water but my main firewater has been gone well over a week. By hell, I am putting the saddle on Tenn in the morning and we are going to ride across that ridge and we are going to load up again. I will walk beside him when he gets tired for a while but he is coming back to life. Makes me wonder what he caught. I guess horses pass disease the same way people do. At least he was strong enough to survive.
Well I am on the trail again still headed toward Flintville. There is where the rations are and some of my friends. It sure has been a long ride. The posse must not be after me that bad and it makes me feel a little safer. I still have the reward on my head and a friend told me that $500 was being offered for me "dead or alive." I have to watch every move I make. Every time I hear a twig break or a squirrel jump I just have to worry and check it out. I wish I had of listened to my poor old momma a long time ago. She is laying up there now in the family graveyard at Hardshell waiting on me. She is "only a sleeping patiently waiting for Jesus to come." That was one of her favorite songs. I have heard her sing it many times. Mom is also waiting on her baby to be sleeping beside her and mamma it won't be long.
A few years ago there was a little country store not far from where I am now that had this hateful stingy owner. I heard the story of how he turned down this poor young lady with three starving children just a little meal to make them some bread to eat. If that store is still there I am going bust his damn head with the stock of old Betsy. I hope that young lady is still living and if so I will take her everything I can pack in that store. I know I ain't got long to stay here on this earth anyway but I will leave this world with a satisfied mind about this case.

April 3, 2003
I have been here about a week according to the moons I counted. Tenn, I guess surely has left for that Tenn mare. Hell, I thought sure he would be back by now. My moonshine is about gone and most of my food. Someone's Walker hound dog stayed a couple nights with me and kept me a lot of company. WAIT! I just heard old Tenn snorting and he sure don't sound too good. Thank God he is back. He is just crawling along as I can make him out crossing the ridge in the dim darkness. Sure hope someone didn't shoot him. The owner of the mare should have had her locked up anyway to breed her. If they shot my horse there will be someone dead. I started whistling it up and he tried to trot toward me. He made it and was in terrible shape but I could find no bullet wound. All of a sudden, he dang just headed over and started snoring like an dang elephant. Then I got the message he had wore himself out and was about dead. Tenn must have got a hold of him some of that viagra. Dang I felt so sorry for him I just rubbed him down and knew that in a couple days after eating on the green grass around here we would be ready to ride. At least Tenn came back to his master.
Then I turned up my last little bit of moonshine as I had about a couple pints left and headed over myself next to my buddy and went to sleep. I just hope he don't roll over on me but I don't think he will be rolling anywhere tonight. At least he had him a good time and before long I am going to find me a young lady and take care of business just like my horse. Well I have had plenty time to think. We are still headed toward Flintville. I have many friends there and can get more moonshine and grub. So Tenn, I am proud of you buddy and I bet that mare will have a fine colt. Tomorrow or the next day we have to hit the outlaw trail again. I thought about turning myself in but I am too young to hang and Tenn. could not live without me. Hell, we might head back to Jackson this week and rob the bank. I heard it was clean picken. Sweet dreams Tenn. and Old Betsey is right beside, fully loaded.

March 2, 2003
Just had a good homemade country breakfast as I am leaving Smith Branch here on Southfork this early Sunday morning. As I leave the house of my friend here on the branch I kiss the little lady good by as her man is still sleeping over there next to the fireplace with a quart jar still about half full of that new batch of moonshine he had just run off other day when I was riding in. Sure is dang good stuff as he gave me a gallon last night before we both passed out. I told him that I would be leaving in the early morning headed toward Flintville and that I was very glad that he had kept me up for the last three days. My leg was about well from the bullet as it was only a deep flesh wound which had caused me to bleed alot and made me awful weak. He and his family sure had been good to me and I would see him later.
As I am heading toward the barn I could hear old Tenn starting to snort as he like me, was ready for the trail. We had rested up and we both were feeling good. I put my rifle in the saddle holster after getting Tenn. ready to ride. My rifle which I call "old Betsy" was shinning so pretty and slick as could be as I gave her a good rubbing down too. My hoss was so happy and ready to go. He was actually acting a little strange. Well as we headed out I finished cleaning Betsy out as I shot a few times up in the air going by my friends house. Actually I hope it woke him up as I wanted him to feel that hangover which also was still in my head but that breakfast sure helped. Then I reached down and felt that big old gallon jar of moonshine and I knew I was in heaven at least for a little while.
We have been a riding about half a day now and were out of Southfork and found the trail that will take us to Flintridge. Not long ago the Indians always went there to find flint rocks. All of a sudden Tenn's ears stood straight up and he tried to take off in a fast trot. "What in the heck is wrong with you Tenn?" I pulled out my rifle as I thought sure it was a big ole rattle snake, but I could not see one and the path was pretty clean. Still old Tenn just kept getting faster. I was trying to hold him back and save my moonshine at the same time. Then just up ahead I saw the four legged beauty. Lord have mercy there was no stopping Tenn now. That Tenn mare had her tail straight up in the air.
Old Tenn was the Tenn stud and he had found himself a Tenn mare. I knew my only chance was to reach down and unstrap the saddle, throw my rifle down and slide off right now and hold on to that dear moonshine. I sure didn't want to keep on riding, I knew he had went loco. I slide off with the saddle in a perfect spot. I made it with all my belongings. Lord thanks to that pretty little lady for the food sack which she had stuffed full of corn bread and dry beef jerky and thanks my friend for the gallon of whiskey. Looks like I will be here at least a couple days. The last time I saw old Tenn he was heading across that ridge up yonder as fast as he could go. I know he will be back, he loves his master but right now he has his new found Tenn mare on his mind.

Feb 5, 2003
Me and my horse are glad it has stopped raining. Been riding about three hours in the early mornings hours. I am heading across the hill into Southfork trying to get to Hardshell before the law catches me. I have a good friend up the hollow there who will put me up a couple days and his woman can really cook. I just made it over the hill and daylight is breaking. As I head up the hollow an uneasy feeling is coming over me. Don't rightly no what it is but something is going to happen. I have been riding over an hour in this holler and now I can see clearly.
My friend lived up another holler that runs into Southfork. Now I made it to this holler and have started up it. I can see woodsmoke in the distance and began to think my bad feeling was just that, then as I got closer to the smoke I began to realize that I had rode straight into a moonshine still. I heard the hammer of a rifle cock to my left and it was very close to me. I knew there was no reason to try to run as Tenn cannot outrun a rifle bullet. I hollered out my name.
"Hey brothers, I am OH, I am not here to bother you all. I need some help as I have been shot in my leg and can't go much further." I heard a deep voice reply, "How the heck do I know who you are, you had better turn around and get out of here." Then I mentioned my friends name as his voice sounded familiar and I heard a big laugh and a huge bearded man walked out from behind the trees. "Here you go good buddy have a real drink this early morning. I just ran off a new batch."
He was the man I was looking for. We had a chat and drank most of the moonshine out of the quart mason jar. I told him the law was looking for me and I was on the run. "Well follow me young man and me and the old woman will fix you right up. Take a spell with me and the youngins and we can talk about the old times. We will be just in time for a hot breakfast."
I thanked the Lord right fast for what a lucky man I was this morning and that I would live another day. "I thought I remembered that voice when I heard you holler OH. It was a good thing you hollared when you did as I was getting ready to drop you because I couldn't get a clear view of you from behind them trees but I still saw enough of you to kill you."
I patted ole Tenn on the neck and talked with my horse as my friend went back to the still and kicked out the fire to kill the smoke. He had been working hard all night and was as tired as me. Sure are some good friends in these Breathitt County hills. The hot homemade breakfast sure sounds good. He also has a pretty little woman and there were about three younguns a couple years ago. I bet there are more now.

JAN 24, 2003
My horse just won't leave me alone. I want to sleep so badly but since it is pouring the rain outside he wants inside this graveyard house with me. It just ain't big enough. I have a little fire built and it is getting dry in here. The dirt on the grave is getting warm in under the cold tombstome. I can make the last name out as Smith on the old handmade rock but the other dates are worn away by time and weather. As soon as the dirt gets a little dryer I am going to sleep. Old Tenn will just have to find him some shelter somewhere in under a bunch of trees. I know he has his belly full. I did get my rifle but he still has on the saddle. He will not leave as like me we are headed to Hardshell. He has been a good horse a long time and a faithful friend.
I keep hearing a strange noise which the likes I never heard before and Tenn is acting funny. I swear he must be seeing a ghost as he is trying to kick his way inside. I would shoot him but I cannot walk and then I would have to bury him here on the graveyard and I just ain't up to it. The rain is getting harder and now the lightning and wind is working hard. Hell, Tenn, lets go. I can stand it, if you can. My leg has stopped bleeding and I can make it. We are the last outlaws and ain't no use to die on this old graveyard. Just give me a little beef jerky and a stiff drink of moonshine and we will try it.
It is so dark and wet as I climbed out of the gravehouse. I just put out the warm little fire. OK, Tenn, I am here leave me alone. Then I saw in his eyes while the lightning struck. They were green. I slowly looked around to see what he was looking at. It was a beautiful grey horse but it was not standing on the ground, it was floating toward us. I remember the song my old grandma use to sing to me about the pale rider and his horse. Now I was scared. I know I was seeing something unnatural.
Was it the sign of the end for me or was it the sign of life? It floated up to Tenn and me, then with those empty eyes I saw death. Suddenly the rain and the storm stopped. I knew I had escaped death thanks to Tenn for warning, I made it one more time. The saddle was wet when I threw my self across it but me and Tenn headed out and never looked back, our destination was Hardshell as death would be waiting there for hell-for-certain.

JAN 5, 2003
I can barely drag my leg off Tenn. It is pouring down the rain. Glad I knew these hills as I found an old fashion graveyard which has a couple graves with a house like building over them. My problem is feeding my horse. He has to eat. Reckon the dead won't mind him walking around on the graves to get him some grass. This rain is making it sprout. As soon as I can crawl off I am just going to turn him loose to eat and I am going to crawl in on top of one old grave, build me a little fire inside the house building to dry out. Still got a little smoke, moonshine and beef jerky in my saddle bag so I will survive. Hardest problem is I need to relieve my self and that means I have to walk off this hill to the holler. If Tenn. takes off with my rifle I will foller him to hell.
I need my gun and my horse. I still ain't made it to Hardshell and we still got a distance to travel. I ain't far from Jackson but I made it around the town and missed the JSP. I just heard that train again. Tenn. better stay off the tracks as I heard last week in the Jackson Times a train killed a horse. I found a paper back around the bend while ago. As I was reading it out loud I scared old Tenn. so bad he broke to run. Now my leg is bleeding again, it is raining and getting dark and I must relieve myself, my horse has to eat and I must sleep. God be with this old broken, shot up outlaw tonight. Please I need you and keep that posse away one more night.
Heading to Hardshell is a new section written by our local favorite, O.H. Napier. We hope you enjoy our weekly updates of O.H.'s works.