Gunfight and Aftermath

Previously:

A few hours later they began to arrive in Dreadwood—first to gather were the various business owners, followed by Town Marshal Boomer Jack, Chief Deputy Town Marshal Erik Hare, Deputy Town Marshal Jay Cooper and Deputy US Marshal Susan Miller (who’d been told by her Alice that she must stand with Boomer Jack, regardless of what he’d done).

Next to arrive was McLintock, Bulgebottom, and their men. McLintock guessed correctly that the townspeople who’d been paying him for the privilege of remaining in business, were siding against Boomer Jack. He and his men joined the townspeople.

McLintock, when he was satisfied they were in position looked up and down the line, a quick count revealed they outnumbered the marshals by twenty to seven…

“Shoot them down!”

Season VI, Chapter 6 Renegade Marshal, Episode 18:

It didn’t quite work out the way McLintock imagined as the seven, in addition to the fact that even the slowest gun-handler among them was a bit faster the fastest gun-handler opposing them—the seven were all sharpshooters and simply didn’t miss.

Blackmon’s people quickly spread-out and took cover behind whatever cover they could find

Blackmon’s people quickly spread-out and took cover behind whatever cover they could find, posts, doors, watering troughs were all used as not only cover, but a place to brace their firearms for more accurate second shots.

It proved quite effective, as in a few minutes every townsman and wrangler facing Blackmon and company fell dead and only one of their number was hit. Boomer Jack was struck in the arm, painful, but not necessarily life-threatening.

Add to that the fact that the dog-people, casting self-preservation instincts aside, charged snarling and biting into the rear of McLintock’s line, where, of course, McLintock, Bulgebottom and his deputies were hiding. That saved their lives as they were on the ground fending off the dog’s attacks.

Black powder weapons leave a lot of gun smoke, unlike modern weapons, and as the light breeze began to move the smoke after the gunfire stopped, Marshal Blackmon surveyed the carnage. There were twenty-two dead or mortally wounded. Somehow, McLintock and Bulgebottom escaped the dogs—Bulgebottom’s deputies did not.

And then Sarah Cooper noticed—the wounded Boomer Jack and Daisy were nowhere to be seen.

To be Continued…