“You cut any sign yet?” Elijah asked‚ while continuing his own search.
“No, not yet,” replied Tyler. “There’s a good chance they’ve been washed out in the last day or so because of the rain.”
Elijah pondered on the statement and agreed. “You might be right about that. It’s still muddy in some of the low places that we’ve been riding through.”
The two men rode side by side, secretly hoping their fears were unfounded. “I only hope we can find him before trouble does,” Tyler said, trying to break the uneasy quietness that had surrounded them; “You know how Jacob can be.”
“We will,” replied Elijah. “There aren’t too many men who could corral an old goat like Jacob, and once they did they’d just leave the gate open, hoping he’d leave on his own accord.”
Tyler found himself smiling at the picture Elijah had drawn. The cracked smile, whenever it found a way to his worn face, seemed almost wolfish at times. The eyes held no malice‚ just the quiet gleam of confidence. Elijah was right about old Jacob‚ though.
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Daily Oklahoman
An Oklahoma City man has written a novel with the primary purpose of making readers aware of the participation of blacks in the early West experience. Sean Chandler, the young black writer of "Ebony Marshal" (Branded Black Publishing, $9.95), blends history with fiction in the work.
The chief character is Tyler Musler, a deputy U.S. marshal who is black. Taking a page out of American history, Chandler selected Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) from about 1851-1895 as the setting. At that time, law in this territory was enforced by U.S. marshals from the Western District of Arkansas.
The most popular and effective judge was Isaac C. Parker. He was responsible for hiring the deputy marshals. The marshals were white, black and American Indian. Indian Territory was known at the time for being a chaotic setting for the lawless. Chandler placed Tyler in the middle of this setting.
The job of the U.S. marshals was to capture criminals and bring them to court for the judge to administer justice. For Tyler, his conflict was with someone wanting him dead. Although he does not run from his enemy, he cannot pursue the enemy, either, because he does not know who the enemy is. The action revolves around Tyler pursuing and being pursued by people unknown.
Chandler fashions Tyler after Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves. Probably the first black U.S. marshal in Indian Territory, Reeves worked with Indians and whites to enforce the law. Tyler, like Reeves, had a reputation as an efficient man with a gun, physically tough, intellectually keen and difficult to outsmart. Reeves killed at least 14 men in his job. Tyler kills a sizable number, as well.
Filled with language of the time and place, "Ebony Marshal" is a story of suspense, mystery, humor and drama underscoring the importance of blacks in the early years of Indian Territory.
-- Paul Lehman
