The Book of Common

Incident at Biltmoore

Well I was just thinkin about the time I patrolled the waste land border just south of the hard pack.
Some places I could see that red and black hard
pack. Scattered rocks about it some sand. Only near its edges was a red color, black or grey more
further out. For miles nothing but black grey little
red to pink. I got close few times went out hundred
yards or so. Hard like iron sand and rock mixed about.

My scary looking take some guts and down right
bull headedness to cross that then deal with the
dunes. Didn't go that far mind ya, don't want too.

The Biltmoore don't know why its called that nothing is around it. Just an edge of the border.
Well why I was patrolling that blame border,
few no goods were robbing those tryin to get
to the Ohio's. My thinkin is cross at York only
about ten mile of hard pack, no dunes safe quickest
route. Well then Ohio they sealed themselves up.

Waste Land best way in, sneak in I guess. Well
Biltmoore, last of the grass and trees all around me
the Sun hitting that hard pack made it shine some.
Little spring gurglin I'm about to nap, head on my
saddle. I raise to take a drink of ale, I hear this singin. Might pretty voice. Look around my lan sakes. What in tarnation is that lady doin? I ask myself. Well she is humming and an occasional
La de da. Then I see she is carrying a pistol and
sword. Shield carrying I am a sayin. Then this is the what in tarnation is about also. Why theys a shelter standing where none was.

She says hello in the shelter, bright red hair.
Fire red mind ya. The hard pack transition is
just starting so few black sand and rock with
Blotches of red and pink lay about. Well few minutes later a man and lady take off on two horses where they came from I'm not certain.

It goes to night then day, I sees her taking a compass reading, same girl fire red hair.
She walks off into the hard pack. Now I am
confused and startled what just happened one
second I see her the shelter. Then its gone just
vanished like never see it. Now I'm not certain
did I dream it all, was it a vision from the future.
Could it of been the Past. Well get back on track
the other thing that happened. Now I'm not
one ta go off on an yarn spinnin thing.

I saw what I just told ya, no lie no adding to
somethin. The truth out right truth now.
Might spooky to say the least. Get on track Common. Ok so now I am here well because
those fools tryin to cross the Waste Land, the
ones tryin to rob them. Lan sakes what a mouthful.

I was told to ride the length from here ta Memphis
that's near Missasip, both Ohio and Missasip claim
it. Won't be no fightin over it. Who wants that hard
ground. Can't plant in it can't let animals feed on
it. Useless ground I tell ya. Ifin Memphis is like
this, must be names just to mark a spot on the map.

Even the wild animals stay away, on occasion you'll see one standing at the edge. Theys a looking
like nope I ain't goin. Well I'd stayed long enough.
Time to head west, see what lays ahead. Even my
horse sensed the Waste Land was no good. It would make funny noises when we got to close.

Well this was boring to say the very least. Nothing
I tell ya nothing other than that oddity back at Biltmoore. That still has me baffled. Well about a
days ride from the baffling I runs into a couple.
Youngsters not more than teens, they just hitched
up. So they tell me. I stop with them, I look at the
man say, might scary ain't it. Take a lot of lets say
Balls to cross that. Got some dunes to cross too.

Well he says The Ohio's Ranger, man might do
better at life up that way. Good land I hear up that way. I says I'm not tryin to stop ya now. Not against
the Law. What I wants ta tell ya, is goin to need more water. Who knows how far it is ta water.
Look out that ways fella. He says only got this water bag and couple canteens. I wouldn't go with out least two more water bags son. Nope wouldn't
do it. Well he looks at me says, we a goin Ranger.