Joshua Deets
Encyclopedia
Joshua Deets is a fictional Texas Ranger appearing in two novels in the Lonesome Dove series
by Larry McMurtry
. In the films, he is played by Keith Robinson
and Danny Glover
.
. He begins by working as a cook for Rangers while traveling. Later on, when their captain Inish Scull leaves the troop and takes the Kickapoo tracker Famous Shoes
with him, Deets takes on the role of tracker.
, Augustus "Gus" McCrae and Woodrow F. Call
have all retired from the Rangers and are now running a small cattle company in Lonesome Dove. While in San Antonio, he runs into Jake Spoon
and brings him back to Lonesome Dove with him. There, Jake tells his compatriots about Montana
, describing it as a cattleman's paradise. Call, tired of the slow life in Lonesome Dove and wanting a new challenge, decides to get a herd together and drive it up to Montana. Deets and the rest of their crew come as well. First, they ride south to Mexico to steal the cattle from Pedro Flores. As they ride north, Deets is instrumental in finding paths and water. This, however, is not without its dangers. A lightning storm hits one night, aggravating snakes in one of the rivers that they must cross, and as a result, Sean O'Brien, one of two Irish immigrants they picked up in Mexico, is killed. Once the company enters Wyoming
and passes through the badlands, they must go 80 miles without water. Deets is also involved in one of the more heartbreaking side excursions during the journey. While passing through the Oklahoma territory
, Deets finds a dying man who has been shot by horse thieves. He alerts Gus and Woodrow, who send him ahead to find the thieves' track. Deets is such an experienced and instinctive tracker that he can recognize a rider by his track, and he is shocked to find that one of the horse thieves he is tracking is his former companion Jake Spoon
. He leads Gus, Woodrow, Pea Eye and Newt to the thieves and they arrest them, including Jake. Reluctantly, but out of loyalty to the law they once served, they must hang not only the three brothers, but Jake as well. None of them, however, can bring themselves to send Jake's horse away, so Jake does it himself.
After the company enters Montana, Deets notices that several horses have been stolen, most likely by Indians. When Deets tracks them down, he finds they only needed them for meat. Gus and Woodrow decide to let the Indians keep some of them, so rather than start an engagement, Call fires his gun to scare off the Indians. As planned, the Indians scatter, but they leave behind a blind toddler. Empathizing with the child, Deets picks him up to comfort him. Behind him, however, a young warrior from the tribe is hiding, and believe that Deets is trying to steal the baby. Gus and Woodrow warn him to drop the baby. Deets simply holds out the baby to the young man to no avail. The young warrior impales Deets with a spear. Deets dies within a few seconds. Gus and Woodrow bring his body back to the camp and bury him. Woodrow, despite having seen much death and not reacting very emotionally to it, is this time moved to carve a sign for Deets:
Author Larry McMurtry borrowed many aspects of his novel from the careers of Oliver Loving
and Charles Goodnight
. Deets is another element that McMurtry borrowed. Their tracker, Bose Ikard, was also an escaped slave. When he died, Goodnight carved a sign for him.
Lonesome Dove series
The Lonesome Dove series refers to a series of four western novels written by Larry McMurtry and the four television mini-series based upon them.-Novels:# Lonesome Dove # Streets of Laredo # Dead Man's Walk...
by Larry McMurtry
Larry McMurtry
Larry Jeff McMurtry is an American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter whose work is predominantly set in either the old West or in contemporary Texas...
. In the films, he is played by Keith Robinson
Keith Robinson (actor)
Keith Robinson is an American actor and R&B singer.-Early life:Robinson was born in Louisville, Kentucky and later moved to Atlanta...
and Danny Glover
Danny Glover
Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
.
Comanche Moon
This is Deets's first chronological appearance in the books. This book explains that he was an escaped slave who was offered a job in the Texas Rangers by Woodrow F. CallWoodrow F. Call
Woodrow F. Call is a fictional, Scottish-born Texas Ranger who appears in all four books of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove series. Much of the books revolve around his relationship with his Ranger partner Augustus McCrae...
. He begins by working as a cook for Rangers while traveling. Later on, when their captain Inish Scull leaves the troop and takes the Kickapoo tracker Famous Shoes
Famous Shoes
Famous Shoes is a fictional Kickapoo tracker who appears in two books in the Lonesome Dove series.-Comanche Moon:Famous Shoes makes his second appearance in the series, though his first chronologically, in this book. In the film, he is played by David Midthunder...
with him, Deets takes on the role of tracker.
Lonesome Dove
Ten years after the end of Comanche Moon, Deets, Pea Eye ParkerPea Eye Parker
Pea Eye Parker is a fictional Texas Ranger appearing in three books in Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove series.-Comanche Moon:Pea Eye is played by Troy Baker in the film version of Comanche Moon. In this volume, he, Gus McCrae, Woodrow F...
, Augustus "Gus" McCrae and Woodrow F. Call
Woodrow F. Call
Woodrow F. Call is a fictional, Scottish-born Texas Ranger who appears in all four books of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove series. Much of the books revolve around his relationship with his Ranger partner Augustus McCrae...
have all retired from the Rangers and are now running a small cattle company in Lonesome Dove. While in San Antonio, he runs into Jake Spoon
Jake Spoon
Jake Spoon is a fictional Texas Ranger appearing in two books of the Lonesome Dove series.-Comanche Moon:Jake's first chronological appearance in the books is in Comanche Moon, which was actually the last book published. Though Jake is a member of the Rangers as the book begins, he is not on the...
and brings him back to Lonesome Dove with him. There, Jake tells his compatriots about Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, describing it as a cattleman's paradise. Call, tired of the slow life in Lonesome Dove and wanting a new challenge, decides to get a herd together and drive it up to Montana. Deets and the rest of their crew come as well. First, they ride south to Mexico to steal the cattle from Pedro Flores. As they ride north, Deets is instrumental in finding paths and water. This, however, is not without its dangers. A lightning storm hits one night, aggravating snakes in one of the rivers that they must cross, and as a result, Sean O'Brien, one of two Irish immigrants they picked up in Mexico, is killed. Once the company enters Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
and passes through the badlands, they must go 80 miles without water. Deets is also involved in one of the more heartbreaking side excursions during the journey. While passing through the Oklahoma territory
Oklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
, Deets finds a dying man who has been shot by horse thieves. He alerts Gus and Woodrow, who send him ahead to find the thieves' track. Deets is such an experienced and instinctive tracker that he can recognize a rider by his track, and he is shocked to find that one of the horse thieves he is tracking is his former companion Jake Spoon
Jake Spoon
Jake Spoon is a fictional Texas Ranger appearing in two books of the Lonesome Dove series.-Comanche Moon:Jake's first chronological appearance in the books is in Comanche Moon, which was actually the last book published. Though Jake is a member of the Rangers as the book begins, he is not on the...
. He leads Gus, Woodrow, Pea Eye and Newt to the thieves and they arrest them, including Jake. Reluctantly, but out of loyalty to the law they once served, they must hang not only the three brothers, but Jake as well. None of them, however, can bring themselves to send Jake's horse away, so Jake does it himself.
After the company enters Montana, Deets notices that several horses have been stolen, most likely by Indians. When Deets tracks them down, he finds they only needed them for meat. Gus and Woodrow decide to let the Indians keep some of them, so rather than start an engagement, Call fires his gun to scare off the Indians. As planned, the Indians scatter, but they leave behind a blind toddler. Empathizing with the child, Deets picks him up to comfort him. Behind him, however, a young warrior from the tribe is hiding, and believe that Deets is trying to steal the baby. Gus and Woodrow warn him to drop the baby. Deets simply holds out the baby to the young man to no avail. The young warrior impales Deets with a spear. Deets dies within a few seconds. Gus and Woodrow bring his body back to the camp and bury him. Woodrow, despite having seen much death and not reacting very emotionally to it, is this time moved to carve a sign for Deets:
JOSH DEETS
SERVED WITH ME 30 YEARS. FOUGHT IN 21 ENGAGEMENTS WITH THE COMMANCHE AND KIOWA. CHERFUL IN ALL WEATHERS, NEVER SHERKED A TASK. SPLENDID BEHAVIOUR.
Author Larry McMurtry borrowed many aspects of his novel from the careers of Oliver Loving
Oliver Loving
Oliver Loving was a cattle rancher and pioneer of the cattle drive who with Charles Goodnight developed the Goodnight-Loving Trail. He was mortally wounded by Indians while on a cattle drive. Loving County, the smallest county in the United States in population, is named in his honor.Loving was...
and Charles Goodnight
Charles Goodnight
Charles Goodnight, also known as Charlie Goodnight , was a cattle rancher in the American West, perhaps the best known rancher in Texas. He is sometimes known as the "father of the Texas Panhandle." Essayist and historian J...
. Deets is another element that McMurtry borrowed. Their tracker, Bose Ikard, was also an escaped slave. When he died, Goodnight carved a sign for him.