I ended up stayin in austin for another few years. I never got up the gumption to git away from there..

I cleared outta Mariah's place finally, but she was still sulky to me. hell I offered to do the french thing to her every day if shed a jist smiled once. since I dint know what the hell she was all so mad about, I jist said goodbye. jist passin by her house later always made me feel sick and weak.

I never did get all my strength back niether. whilst I ate enough beef to get me past bein weak, I never did fill out as right as Id been. thats probly why I never got up and left that damned austin. I tried helpin out a blacksmith to put the strength back in me but Id jist get too tired too damn soon.

it was fine though. I had my buff money and John had laid up a house for me too. I still needed to do something.

the first thing I did when I finally got outta my sickbed was go to the whorehouse and catch up for near five months of damn clean livin. I startin runnin out of steam too quick as far as I reckoned though. even after I got past bein weak, Id wear out too damn fast.

the next thing I figgered to do was even up things with me and Ben Thompson. sumbitch whupped me good when I was sick and weak and that was fine, but I figgered I could pull out my LeMats faster than what happened when hed beat the hell out of me the last time. the thing was though some cowardly poltroon had ambushed Ben down to San Antone. that fella had a grudge against Ben too, but he dint have the sand to call him out like I was gonna do. nope he just shot Ben down like a coward.

austin wasnt all bad though. I picked up drinkin more coffe than I had afore. I found out I had a sweet tooth I dint know Id had til then, but only when I was drinkin coffee. maybe pour some molasses in my coffee, or have a nice piece of pie with it. sometimes Id put a lil whiskey in the coffee instead. Id go down to the river or ta shoal creek. Id take my chair out in the sun and feel the nice heat of it whils I was havin my coffee and my sweets. I picked up readin durin the war, sos I spent a good deal of time readin too.

sometimes one of the whores I was guardin would come sit in my lap whils I was sippin. caint explain why that was feelin as nice as bronc bustin.

I started takin on as night watchman at one of the whorehouses. there was a fiend that was runnin around town killin women. mostly servant girls, but some whores too. I knew one of the whores he kilt. she was a rich woman who whored for the fun of it. she was good at it too.

I even seen the sumbitch that done it too. Ida killed him but good, but the curse that Mariah and her voodoo sister put on me stopped me from doin it.

Id been sittin out with one of my scatterguns when a nigger cook Id seen downtown was draggin a girl down the street and wavin a knive at her. the damn fool dint even have shoes on. I got up and pointed the scattergun at him and he let that girl go and started cussin me. he could cuss all he wanted to cos I pulled the triggers for both barrels. the godamned breeches busted and I got a face full of gunpowder and my hands was stingin. sumbitch killer ran off too. I seen that marshal John Bracken and tolt him it was the nigger cook killin them girls.

later on Bracken shot that cook whils he was tryin to kill another girl. werent no more murders after he got kilt, sos we know it was him for sure

John Bracken holding a rifle. Detail from undated photograph. Galveston Daily News, 1921.

I went to Mariah sos I could cuss her out good. a girl got kilt between when I shot at the killer and Bracken kilt him for good. Mariah had left austin afore I got to her but I dont know when. maybe a day or a week, but she was gone. ill never understand the good book or Mariah's nonsense about we all bein one person, and not to kill. some folks jist need to be kilt. I dint believe that voodoo guff til my shotgun blew up in my face, but I was gonna put my hands on Mariah if I ever seen her again. folks got kilt coz her an her sister stopped me from killin the killer. I wisht that the folks that always talked about doin goood would think about them that does bad.

I dint sit easy in austin after that, coffee and sweets or not, there was somethin empty in me after that.

Darling, I am growing old,
Silver threads among the gold,
Shine upon my brow today,
Life is fading fast away.
But, my darling, you will be,
Always young and fair to me,
Yes, my darling, you will be
Always young and fair to me

John Stevens:

Wallace always had a restless movement about him. As a young man, he would simply just go somewhere else to appease that. After his injury and illness, the restlessness was still there, but it seemed to be that he looked inward after his time in Austin than outward as he had done before.

Wallace's disregard for Christianity turned into more contempt after that as well. It was horrible for Ma because he finally had more belief in Jesus and the spiritual side of life, but he felt that it was an impediment to getting things done here on Earth. And of course, for Wallace, getting things done meant ridding the Earth of those that did wrong in his book.

The Story So Far

Part One, in which Wallace Stevens returns home from the Civil War, then joins the Texas Rangers.
Part Two, wherein our desperado steals a Comanche princess and deserts the Rangers.
Part Three, in which Wallace attempts to return home again yet to put himself into more trouble.
Part Four describes the shootist's adventures as a hired gun in Mexico.
Part Five, wherein Wallace reminisces over his favorite weapons.
Part Six returns the gunman to New Orleans, where he joins a buffalo hunting crew.
Part Seven in which Wallace reflects on killing and the War.
Part Eight relates the tale of buffalo hunting and the last of the buffalo Indians.
Part Nine, wherein Wallace reflects upon his life with the fairer sex
Part Ten brings misfortune to our unreconstructed rebel.
Part Eleven, in which Wallace is quartered in Austin far longer than he'd like.

Note - If you are interested in the serial killer mentioned here, read this site:
http://www.servantgirlmurders.com/the-servant-girl-annihilator/