BILLY STEELE: KID RANGER, IRON HORSE VS. IRON GIANTS

CHAPTER SIX

By Ronald "Spell" Binder

They called it the Iron Horse, the mighty mechanical locomotive that possessed the power of thousands of thundering, stampeding steeds. The building of the great transcontinental railroad was designed to link the eastern industrial powers to the frontier as well as transport the golden West’s virginal resources to the smoke stack laden east.

Politicians proclaimed that the construction of the railroad would benefit the nation, and that only the uncivilized heathens would oppose the railroad’s coming.. Native American tribes, including White Eagle’s people, were being forced from the land to make room for the wooden tracks, iron spikes and relentless violations of their home and culture.

A cruel construction boss named Hadley, who was guided only by bonus money for meeting the railroad’s building’s deadline, ignored the red man’s warnings and drove his workmen to dynamite the canyon walls on sacred land. These walls were an immortal canvas, created by nature, on which White Eagle’s people painted the history of their tribe. Vivid, vibrant colors of the wind and sky depicted the history of a people with the story of their tribe’s origin, their love of nature’s glory and their prayers for peace. These canyon pictures lived for thousands of years until Hadley’s cigar lit the fuse to sticks of explosives that blasted the Indians’ art to rubble in mere seconds.

Soon Hadley and his men felt red man retribution for their unspeakable crimes. Torrents of fire arrows, spears and tomahawks fell upon Hadley’s work camp. Immigrant workmen who squirreled their meager wages away to bring family over from the old country, had arrows plunge through their hearts. And Hadley’s head, still wearing a greedy smirk, was propelled on a tribesman’s spear; its blood became the paint of vengeful victory.

For years, the cavalrymen from Fort Yuma and other outposts protected the railroad’s construction from the Indian attacks with many casualties on each side. Just as Col. Tim presided over military funerals for their fallen, the medicine man White Eagle used his mystical power to guide the souls of his braves to their paradise. The ancient Indian shaman implored his people to let the iron horse graze on the land, for it will bring many of the white man’s precious gifts for the red man’s prosperity. But as white leaders called for the red man’s eradication, and their land and tribes were devastated, the red men continued to battle the invaders even if they knew it was a losing struggle. Finally, the railroad tracks were to meet in the heart of the frontier. The Union Pacific, the most magnificent metal locomotive iron horse was about to roar its arrival. A shiny juggernaut, a massive rotund design of pulsating gears, flaming steam engine, and inexhaustible power, the iron horse was more of a vicious mythological beast with its cow catcher resembling metal fangs that would swallow all opponents into oblivion. But it had a cheery, brightly sounding bell that the engineer rang while wearing a jovial smile. A magnificent golden spike was to be driven in the tracks by the President himself to link the rails and the country. And joining this once-in-a-lifetime celebration was Billy Steele and Holt’s Rangers, who would safeguard this historical day.

The 12-year old kid ranger beamed a smile as broad as the Great Plains he so loved, for he was chosen as the American flag bearer of the ceremony’s honor guard.