starting to come out to play in the new snow.
Henry’s kids were with them. Looked like they were playing Fox and Geese. I remembered that game from when I was a child and still living among people.
Jake whined, he wanted to go out and play. I opened the door, he bounded out. At first the children were scared of him. But they came around. It wasn’t long till they were all best buddies.
I turned and sat down at the kitchen table, Brie poured me a new cup of coffee, then sat a plate of flapjacks covered in butter before me. Then she sat a pitcher of Choke Cherry Syrup in front of me. I poured as much as my plate would hold.
She sat down with me, only she had a smaller plate and ate daintily. I got a chance to study her face. She was beautiful, she was in perfect proportion. Everything fit like the creator meant it to. She glanced at me, “What?” She said, laying down her fork, “do I have butter on my face or something.”
“No, it’s just that I have never seen a woman as pretty as you. What happened to your husband?”
“How do you go from complimenting my looks, to asking about my dead husband?”
“I don’t know, it just jumped into my mind. So how did he die?”
“You don’t give up do you? What are you part bull dog?”
“I guess you might say that, I’m sorry, forget about it. How is Henry and his family doing?”
“I am a little concerned, I don’t know where he can find work. The same people who stole his homestead run the mine. They have the territory around here under their thumb.”
“So, how come they haven’t moved in on you?” I asked.
“You remember that I said Randy Fuller was trying to get me to marry him. That is their way of getting me on their side. They’re really terrible people.”
“Hey, I have an idea, why don’t I get Henry to run the livery stable, I’m sure the Blacksmith wouldn’t mind. What’s his nationality anyway?”
“Klaas Bleecker? He’s Dutch. They’ve been hassling him, but you know how the Dutch are, stubborn. Also he’s the only Blacksmith around. Do you really think he will let Henry run the livery?”
“Yes, I do. The living quarters aren’t all that big over there, but they could expand some. They would only lose a couple of stalls. I think it would be a good business for him. Why don’t you ask Henry if he would like the job. I’ll go over and talk to Klaas.”
And that’s just what I did. Klaas was a little leery at first, but when I told him I would hang around and make sure no one bothered them, he acquiesced.
I had noticed that Brie had a small barn where she kept her horses and buggy. Plus a chicken house and a milk cow. I figured I’d ask her if Jim could stay there. I walked back over. I didn’t bother knocking at the kitchen door this time.
Brie and Henry’s family were setting at the kitchen table. Brie said, as I walked in. “Henry is willing to do that. But Mary and the children would have to stay here till the remodeling was done.”
“Good, Klaas is all for it. So Henry, as soon as I move my plunder over here. You can start. Brie, I was wondering if there was room in your barn for my horse?”
Sure, Daisy would like the company. Do you know how to milk?”
“I reckon, doesn’t everybody?”
“No, not really. But Caitie said she does, so if you wouldn’t mind trading off with her, it would be nice.”
“Sure no problem, come Henry, I’ll walk with you. I have to get my stuff, and of course my horse.” As we went out the door, Jake was setting there, I guess he got tired of playing with the children.
“Come on Jake, we’re moving over here, how do you like that?” I couldn’t read his mind, but by his action’s, he did.
As we were walking by the building that held not only the town Marshall’s office but also the Wise River Mine office, the door opened to the mine office. Two men came out just as we stepped up on the boardwalk. They weren’t dressed like miners. They looked like hired guns to me.
Henry whispered to me, “They are two of the men who run us off our homestead.”
“Walk a step behind me.” I said, as I unbuttoned my overcoat to free up my guns.
There were a few other people on the boardwalk, they seen the four of us and ran for cover.
“Ho, Ho, what do we have here?” One of the men said, “You’re the one who beat up the Boss’s kid.” They both planted their feet, setting themselves for an easy kill, or so they thought. I didn’t slow my pace, like they thought I would. I kept walking, I was almost on top of them before they reached for their guns.
Too late for them. With my left hand gun, I rammed it into the first one’s throat, as he was falling, I turned my attention to the second one, he got off one shot, but I had brushed his gun to the side and down, his bullet went into the boardwalk. I bent my right hand gun over his head. The other one was still trying to catch his breath, I didn’t give him time, I kicked him in the head.
That should have been the end of it, but the Marshall’s door was flung open, I turned, but was a little slow, the man with the tarnished star over his heart, got off a shot at me. It went through my heavy coat, just a little below my armpit. I could feel the burn. He started to fire again, my instinct took over. I put one shot right between his eyes.
Damn, I should of just shot his gun arm, was my first thought. But when someone is trying to kill you, self preservation takes over. I stood there with my gun smoking. Nobody moved. Then someone peaked out the window of the Marshall’s office. I slammed the door open, it was an older man and woman.
“Do you want part of this?” I said.
“No, no. We were just here trying to get the Marshall to find out who has been killing our livestock.” The woman said, her husband didn’t say anything. He just stood there with a questioning look in his eyes.
“Well, I don’t think the Marshall will be able to help you, that is unless some of those rustlers are already in hell.”
The man said, “Just who are you stranger?”
“My name is Trego. I just hit town yesterday. It sure is an unfriendly place.”
“It didn’t used to be, that is before the mine started up. You know how greed is, the more you have the more you want. By the way our name is Specter, my wife is Molly, I’m Harold.” He said, as he held his hand out to shake. I shook it and then picked the cell door keys off the nail beside the door to the cells. I handed it to Harold, “How about you open the doors to those cells, I’ll bring the carrion in.”
Henry helped me drag them in. I locked them in separate cells. We came back out. Harold and Molly were still there. “Was he the only peace officer this burg had?”
“Yes, he wasn’t elected, the Manager of the Wise River Mine, just appointed him.” Molly said. I looked at them, they were probably both in their fifty’s. He was tall and straight and dignified, with a white mustache. Molly was also trim and neat, with honey blonde hair. I asked them, “do you have any children?”
“Yes, of course, our son is a lawyer in Chicago. Our daughter married a Doctor, she is also in Chicago. We moved here ten years ago. It was nice, but like we said, till they hit silver.” Molly said.
“How many hands do you have on your ranch?”
“Well we did have seven, till some left to go prospecting. And then some left on account they were run off, by those two you just locked up. We have two older hands, that came here with us.” Harold said.
“Uh, do they have an undertaker here in Coolidge?”
“Sort of, old Dr, Hoeffer does double duty.” Molly said, “here he comes