Old Misery and the High-Stakes Saloon Showdown

In the heart of California’s Gold Rush, young Ezra Boone’s desperate gamble costs him more than he bargained for. Thrown into a whirlwind of bandits, hidden gold, and betrayals, he teams up with the legendary mountain man, Old Misery. Together, they navigate perilous escapes, mysterious alliances, and face enemies at every turn. Can they survive long enough to reclaim their freedom and honor, or will the lawless frontier claim them both?

Part One

“God help me!” groaned Ezra Boone to Maria, the monte dealer, as he watched her sweep in his last dollar.

“It was not my money I lost. I am a thief!”

The young Vermonter had lost fourteen hundred dollars belonging to friends in Coloma, a mining camp in southern California.

To Maria, this was simply another ludicrous case. She was accustomed to seeing men lose other people’s money in gambling halls. In these famous days of 1853, amid the wild hilarity of the ’49 gold rush, San Francisco witnessed things that a more conventional time would have been shocked over.

Maria’s laugh died out as Joaquin Murieta, the notorious bandito, and five masked men entered the gambling hall. On their heels came “Old Misery,” the Man from the Mountains—a grizzled figure with a reputation as the most expert knife-thrower in California.

In a flash, Murieta shot out the lights. In the ensuing darkness, men grappled with each other helplessly. Boone, shaken and trembling, tried to escape; he groped blindly, and his hand found a window curtain, which he drew back. Before he could duck, the bandits leaped through the window, each carrying a bag of gold.

Boone followed, stumbling over the window ledge. As he landed on the ground, his hand encountered a bag dropped by the bandits. Concealing it under his coat, he fled into the night. Inside the gambling den, Old Misery confronted Maria with a sly grin.

“You ain’t bad at heart, Maria”

“Just a trifle wild. Your grandpap won’t last another gathering.”

When he left, he took her with him. Old Misery was accustomed to taking care of other people’s troubles; this girl was going to be taken back home again.

The next morning, Boone resolved to face his fate and purchased a ticket to Sacramento. From there, he planned to catch a stagecoach to Coloma. As he checked the contents of the bag, he found three hundred dollars, which he felt entitled to use, at least for the moment.

Arriving in Sacramento, Boone became confused and accidentally boarded the wrong stagecoach, finding himself en-route to Nevada City. To his surprise, seated across from him were Old Misery and Maria. He resigned himself to the situation; after all, he wasn’t in a hurry to return to Coloma.

In Nevada City, Boone met Mr. Peters, the gambler, and learned about the ongoing rumors concerning Joaquin Murieta’s raid on the gambling hall in San Francisco. It was being said that Murieta had escaped with the aid of a greenhorn Yankee. In desperation, Boone confessed the entire affair to Peters.

Peters advised Boone to lay low until the commotion blew over. After some persuasion, Old Misery agreed to let Boone take refuge in his home in the foothills. Ben Williams, Old Misery’s tame bear, even showed a rare fondness for Boone, sealing the arrangement.

As they were riding out of Nevada City, Manuel Vesquio, rode up, breathlessly warning them that a posse was forming in the valley to hunt them down.

As they were riding out of Nevada City, Manuel Vesquio, rode up, breathlessly warning them that a posse was forming in the valley to hunt them down.

“Shan Wu says that Maria is in cahoots with Murieta,” Vesquio reported.

“Very soon he shall face the consequences.”

When Vesquio departed, Misery informed Boone that if Murieta didn’t take care of Shan Wu, he would handle the matter himself. Misery was convinced that Murieta had taken Maria to resume her old life.

With Maria’s grandfather, Old Miguel, missing, the little group pressed on. Misery promised Weymouth Mass and Sailor Ben a share in his gold mine if they would safely escort Maria and her new identity, Ana Benítez, to Mexico. As they prepared to part ways, Maria confessed that her grandfather had left to kill Shan Wu for exposing her real identity.

Part Two

Uncertain of blind Miguel’s ability to succeed, Old Misery decided to go to Nevada City to search for him. There, he found the city in an uproar. Twenty horses had been stolen from Adams’ ranch, and two men were dead. Convinced Boone and Maria were involved, the townsfolk organized a posse to capture them.

In his search, Misery discovered that Shan Wu  was held prisoner in his own cabin. Seizing an opportunity, Misery entered and found Miguel and Shan Wu tied up, both battered but alive.

Shan Wu was struggling against his bonds, furious and shouting threats, while Miguel, bruised but resolute, looked up at Misery with a determined glint in his eye. Miguel had managed to keep Shan Wu subdued just long enough for help to arrive, securing a small victory over his adversary.

Rejoining his party, Misery offered Boone a choice: to continue into Mexico with the others or to stay with him. “I can’t leave the United States,” Boone declared.

“If I must lose myself, give up my name, and be thought a thief, at least I’ll stay in this country.”

“Spoken like a true mountain man!” Misery replied proudly. Together, they headed for the hills as Misery’s cabin went up in flames behind them—their pursuers closing in.

Eventually, they found refuge in a lone cabin in the woods. Misery suspected it belonged to a storekeeper. However, they were soon taken prisoner by a band led by “Snake” Martin, a lieutenant of Joaquin Murieta. Misery pretended to be a valued member of Murieta’s gang and, to prove his loyalty, picked a fight with a giant named Evrick, emerging victorious.

During their captivity, Misery and Boone overheard two men plotting against Martin. Realizing the danger, Misery devised an escape plan, feigning drunkenness and innocently picking up a bow and arrow.

“Drop that!” Martin commanded, pointing his gun.

At that moment, Boone cried from the window, “Here comes a man riding hard!”

Everyone rushed outside to see Reelfoot Williams arriving at a gallop. Williams, known as a lone worker, shared a mutual respect with Martin, who admired his skill and independence.

Seeing Old Misery, Williams grinned. “You here, old man? Well, I’m not trying to hold you up again,” he laughed.

Martin, curious, asked, “You know this man, Reelfoot?

“Know him? Not long since I held him up on the ridge above Nevada City,” Williams chuckled. “He had a rare bag of nuggets. And what do you think? I didn’t take it.”

Laughing heartily, he added, “Met Rattlesnake Dick afterward and told him about it. He wouldn’t have touched them, either, if he’d stood in my boots. Remember what I said, old man? ‘Not any for me, thank you.’ Good joke on me.”

As Williams relayed the story, his comrades, amused and admiring, let their guard down. In that fleeting moment of distraction, Old Misery and Ezra seized the opportunity to make their escape, disappearing into the wilderness, free once again.

The End