I was surprised, Dad taught me to never show it. People probably couldn’t tell it if I was, with all of this fur on my face.
I pulled my hat down a little bit more and started to whistle an Irish ditty that Dad had taught me. They seen and heard me coming, those ones who were cooking outside, that is. They stood there with a stupefied look on their faces. I guess they didn’t see many strangers come a whistling down the road.
I came up within about twenty feet of the first wagon, I pulled rein and said “Howdy”. The woman stood there with her mouth open staring at me. I said, “You thirsty? You must be, you had better shut your mouth or you’re going to drown, all of that snow you’re swallowing.”
She snapped her mouth shut. The man that was setting on a stump, stood up. “Who the hell are you?” He said, not mean like, but just shocked, you might say.
“Well Sir, I don’t rightly know what this here ‘hell’ has to do with who I am, but I guess you might say that I am just a drifter.” I had just finished pontificating on that point when the flap to the wagon was pushed aside and two kids stood there, “Dad, is everything alright?” The young girl said. The boy that was beside her, just stared at me.
“Yes, Honey, everything is alright, if you’re coming outside put your wrap on.” Then he turned back to me, “I’m sorry, that was rude. It’s just that we haven’t seen any stranger’s for a spell.”
“If I may ask a rude question,” I said, “what are you all doing living in your wagon with winter coming on?”
The woman found her voice, “Henry is too proud to ask for help.” She said, with just a hint of chagrin, not too much, just a little.
“Well now, I can understand how that could be. But I don’t quite understand what the point is of that statement?” I said.
“We don’t have that much money, just enough for food, plus the keep of our horses over at the livery.” She said.
“Money? Shucks, I’ve heard of money. Never thought it was all that important. Would you like some?” I asked, then I said, “paper, silver or gold, which would you like?” I unbuttoned my coat and reached into my vest pocket and pulled out two double eagles and tossed them to the man. “Is that enough, or do you need more?”
He caught them in midair. He said, “You don’t have to give me money, we can get along.” He started to toss them back at me, when his wife caught his arm and took them away from him. She said, “Thank you, this will be more than enough, don’t worry we’ll pay you back.”
“No need, money isn’t that all important to me, do you know where I can rent a room? Rent is the proper word isn’t it?”
She said, “Yes, what other word would fit?”
“Oh, I don’t know, I just wasn’t sure if that was the word, I haven’t been around people too much.”
“They say there is a room for rent over at the saloon, if you don’t mind the noise.” The man said. “With this money you gave us, we can board with a widow women over on the hill.”
“Fine, I’m glad. This here Livery you mentioned, where might it be?” I asked.
“Just this side of the Blacksmith shop.” Henry said. “I’ll show you, I need to get our horses to pull our wagon over by the widow’s house.” He buttoned his coat all the way up and took a step toward me. Jake growled at him. He stepped back. “That is one fierce looking dog you have there.” He said.
“Jake simmer down, the man’s alright.” Jake stopped growling and grinned at him. Jim followed along behind Henry. As we went by the other wagon, the men there nodded at us. I nodded back. I got a close look at their wagon, it was covered with sheet metal, with gun loops on all sides. The men looked like hard cases. Jake growled low in his throat. He really didn’t like them.
Henry stopped at the Blacksmith to pay, he said, “They don’t have a livery hand, he died, the Blacksmith owns it.” I stepped down and dropped the reins, then followed Henry in. Henry introduced me, “This here man is the Drifter, anyway that’s what he call’s himself.” Then he looked at me and said, “This is Harry, that’s his nick name, not his condition, even though he is sort of hairy.” We shook hands. I gave as good as I got.
We went over to the livery, Jim followed along, as did Jake. Henry got his team, saying, “I’ll have them back within the hour, if that’s okay?” He led them out as I unsaddled Jim. There were a lot of empty stalls, I took my pick. I hung my tack in the stall, no one would bother them, with Jim guarding them, he would kick their heads off.
I looked around, there was living quarters in one end of the livery. Looked like they were empty. Harry was standing there.
“Say Harry, is anyone living in that end?” I asked him.
“No, are you interested?”
“Sure I need a place to stay. I would lot rather sleep with the horses than above a noisy saloon.”
“Tell you what, if you will run this livery, you can not only stay here, I’ll split the profit with you.”
“You got a deal Harry. I’m more used to animals than humans anyway. And I need a place to winter. Say what’s the name of this town and your real name?”
“Coolidge, the town, Klaas Bleecker, my name. ”
“What does everyone do to make a living?” I asked.
“Well, there is the Wise River mine, it’s just starting to pay off, some Gold, mostly Silver. But otherwise, there are some ranches and a few homesteaders are moving in, Henry was a homesteader. We’re pretty much off the beaten track. You’re one of first drifter’s we’ve had this way.”
“You say Henry was a homesteader, what happened?”
“He had some water and mineral rights on his place, they wanted it.”
“They? Who are they?”
“The Combine that runs the mine, I don’t know for sure who they all are, but what they want they just take. You mind your own business you’ll be alright. There’s supply’s in the living quarters, it’s fully stocked, when the old man died, I just left everything like it was.”
“This saloon, do they serve food? I don’t feel like cooking tonight.”
“Sure, somewhat. There is a small café, the widow woman run’s it, in a side room of her house. That’s the same place Henry is going to board his family.”
“Yeah, I might check it out on the morrow, but tonight I sort of feel like something different.” He looked at me, “Well be careful, some hard cases hang out there.”
I fed all the stock, forking hay from the overhead mow. I found the oat bin and gave Jim a bait. I took what clothes I had and put them in my room. I found a hand pump beside the sink in the small kitchen. I primed it from a pitcher of water that was setting there. I washed my face and combed by hair and beard. I rubbed a clean rag over my buckskins. I guess I should of brought more clothes with me. I took out my twin .44’s and shucked the shells and then cleaned both guns. I reloaded them with fresh shells. I spun them and stuffed them back in my holsters. The last thing I did, was build a fire in the Pot Belly Stove and then banked it, so the place would be warm when I got back.
Jake was setting there watching me, I said, “Hey old buddy, how would you like some store bought food?” He nodded. It was still snowing, I made sure my pistols were under my coat, hidden safely away.
We walked slowly toward the saloon. Taking our time and checking things out. We were in what was called the Beaverhead. I knew that Wise River was to the north. This town was starting into it’s boom phase, I knew when the ore played out, so would most of this town. Might be a few hangers on, due to the ranch’s around about. But it would be quite a ride while it lasted.
A few of the town’s dogs came running, barking. But as