Читать книгу Trego - J. D. Oliver - Страница 7

Chapter Three

Winter set in with a vengeance that night. It didn’t get above ten degrees all winter. The usual Chinook never materialized. The snow just kept piling up. The only good thing about it, was that it was more miserable than the people who would have been out in it.

Everyone in town was getting cabin fever. The only problem that I had was a few drunks that I put up in the jail for the night. The supply wagons only came once a month, instead of every two weeks like they used to.

That also meant that the mine was not shipping their silver. The road was too bad for the heavy laden wagons of silver. They had a silver smelter at the edge of town, so it was pure silver they needed to ship, not ore.

The only ones, as far as I knew who wasn’t suffering from cabin fever was Brie and I. We spent our leisure time having sex. Seems we never got tired of it. My lovely wife had a vivid imagination.

I don’t know whether I was looking forward to the spring breakup or not. I was afraid that along with the melting of the ice and snow, the inhibitions of the populace would also melt. They had been cooped up in this town for almost six months.

That warehouse of silver was on my mind a lot these days. As I was sure it was of every road agent in this territory. That was a topic that my Uncle Lambert and I had discussed just about every time that I got a shave and haircut. Plus it was a topic of conversation when ever Uncle Lambert and his wife ‘Garnet’ came over to our house for a meal. Garnet was not only my Aunt by marriage, but also because she was my mother’s sister.

It was the first week in March, the temperature moderated a bit. Lambert, Garnet, Brie and I, were seated in the Den, smoking and drinking a brandy. The women weren’t smoking, but they were sipping their brandy.

Lambert blew a smoke ring, then laid his cigar in the ash tray. “I think it’s time we addressed the Elephant in the room.”

“Huh? The Elephant, what are you talking about?” Brie said, I knew what he referred to.

“It’s a term I read in a book. It means a topic or situation that everybody carefully avoids talking about. And that’s my brother and Trego’s father.”

“Alright, since you brought it up, I’d like a few details on how my mother got killed and my Dad’s legacy, that he left me?”

Garnet put her drink down, “Perhaps I can tell you a little bit, it was the time when the Sioux had all but closed the Bozeman trail, so it shifted north, up the Missouri and through Fort Benton. The Calvary had troops all along the way, to protect the people. The Army had to supply those troops, they had wagon trains of their own. On those wagons were not only food and dry goods. But also the troops had to be paid, so they carried the payroll also. Your Father and Mother had a small ranch on the Missouri, they sold horses to the Calvary.” She stopped, took a sip of her brandy, her eyes became cloudy from her memories.

“The Army’s wagon train was camped in their yard for the night. You were just a baby. Anyway a renegade bunch, twenty in all hit the wagon train while they slept. They took them completely by surprise. Your mother heard all of the shooting and yelling, she stood up to see out the window, your Father yelled at her to get down, but too late. She was shot and died instantly. They got away with all of the Army’s Payroll.” She stopped again, a tear ran down her cheek.

“Your Father was inconsolable, he brought you to us, then he left. It was a year later when he came back and got you. We only seen you two times after that.” Then she fell silent.

“Yes, but we heard later about how your Dad caught up with those renegades. He killed them all, they were all drunk and sleeping when he came upon them. He rode his horse right into their camp. He was a wild man, when his guns went empty, he started in with his knife. He took all of their guns and horses and everything else. But they say the payroll was never found. It consisted of greenbacks and gold double eagles, they say.” Uncle Lambert said, then picked up his cigar and drink. Then he looked at me, “We never seen you again, just heard about you.”

I sipped my brandy, “Yes, so I suppose you want me to fill in the details? We moved around a lot, all of the big city’s, till I was ten. Then we went to the northwest part of the territory. Dad built up a homestead in the mountains. He trained me to take care.”

“Take care? What do you mean?” Brie asked.

“Of everything. Myself mostly. I learned to shoot, throw a knife, a tomahawk, an axe. Anything that would kill. He made me read all of the books that we brought with us. Then he quizzed me on them. I left and traveled a little in my twenties. I always came back in the winter, to make sure Dad was alright. He never got over the death of my mother.”

Brie got up and sat in my lap, she leaned in and kissed me. Then got up, “Does anyone want some pie? I made mincemeat pie, it’s good?” We all did. She went in the kitchen. I asked my Uncle, “Just how much was in that payroll?”

“They say, forty thousand dollars.”

“Hmmm, it’s strange there was a lot more than that in the stash that I dug up. That bunch must have had some from previous robberies.”

“I seen when you rode in, you couldn’t of carried all of that with you.”

“I didn’t. I stashed it.” Then Brie came back with the pie. She was right, it was delicious. We sat and talked for the next hour about mundane things. As they were putting on their coats to leave, I said, “Let’s keep what we talked about tonight under our hat’s, huh?”

Garnet said, “Of course, no one even knows that you are related to us. They just think that we’re friends. They know that Brie was a friend of mine.”

“Yes, that is safer for you both. If they thought they could get to me through you, they wouldn’t hesitate.”

“Well what about Brie, isn’t she in danger?” Uncle said.

“Yes she is. That’s why Jake stays with her all of the time now, instead of with me. And I am not more than a few minutes away at any time.”

“Your Dad was in the same room with your mother, when she got killed.” Garnet said.

“Yes, I’m well aware of that, tonight. I wasn’t before. I’ll take that into account.” I seen them out the back kitchen door. I closed the door and locked it. I turned, and got an eye full. Brie was standing there naked.

I said, “I like your outfit, is that new?”

“Yes, of course. In biology we learned that we are always making new cells.”

“Shall we go up to our room and wear out a few of those cells?” I said.

“No, I want to do it down here, either here in the kitchen or the den.” Remember I told you she had a vivid imagination. As it turned out, we made use of both of those locations. The fact that we might get caught by some of the borders, just made it that much better for my lovely wife.

The next morning, we came into the kitchen and Caitie and Brona looked at us and giggled. Margaret, our cook said. “What ails the two of you, get busy and take that food to the dinning room.”

They picked up the platters and looking back over their shoulders, they were still giggling as they left the kitchen. Margaret looked at Brie, “What’s got into them?”

“I’m sure I haven’t the faintest idea.” Brie said.

“I do,” I said, “they probably seen us making love on the kitchen table last night.”

Margaret looked at us both and said, “Land Sakes, you two do take the cake. Go on now and quit your joshing.” Brie’s face was turning a bright red. She came over and kicked me in the shins.

Jake was watching us both, I swear he was smiling. I had forgotten that he slept behind the kitchen range. Brie and I ate most of our meals in the kitchen. It seems that my presence at the dinning room table intimidated some of our boarders. Probably because I was never without my twin .44’s.

Margaret had made up a platter for the two drunks that I had in Jail, I always fed them before they were released. I went and fed the livestock, then I came back and got the basket of food. I made sure I always had one hand free, I was ambidextrous.

They scoffed that food down like there was no tomorrow. Couldn’t blame them, Margaret was a good cook. I gave them back their guns. They were a couple of Harold Specter’s hands. You remember they were having a little difficulty with Evan Blythe last fall. Blythe is trying to run them off of their ranch. With the cold winter, things had sort of been in limbo.

Their names were Charles and Robert Ringer. This was the first night they had on the town all winter. Couldn’t blame them for blowing off steam. “I took your horses over to the livery, tell Henry I will be by and pay him for their keep.”

“Thanks a lot Marshal, you’ve always treated us right, if you ever need anything, my brother and me will be there with bells on.” Charles said, he was the oldest of the brothers Ringer.

“Well, one never knows, someday I might take you up on that.” I said, as I closed the Jail door behind them. I went back to my desk and started going through the mail, there was quite a bunch of it. It was over a month since we got the last mail.

I looked out of the window, a Chinook wind was blowing. I hoped it wasn’t an ill wind. You see as soon as the ground thawed, there would be a lot of funerals. Everyone who had died or been killed all winter was stored in the ice house. And of course one of them was Blythe’s kid. I knew I hadn’t seen the last of Blythe on that score.

In this batch of mail was a bunch of new wanted poster’s from the U. S. Marshal’s office in Helena. A few of the boys in them wanted poster’s I knew. Some of them were some pretty bad men.

One of them in particular caught my eye: Sam Benbow. I seen him in action one time. He was pure mean, and when he got drunk, he was worse than mean. I sat there staring at his picture for awhile, his eyes seemed to follow my every move. Crap, I knew what that meant. I got these premonitions from time to time and they always fulfilled my worse fears. I would be seeing him in the future.

I went through the rest of the mail, answering a few queries from other towns. Mostly if we had seen this guy or this woman. The time sort of got away from me, till Brie and Jake came in. Brie was wearing pants again. She sure liked them. I didn’t mind.

“It’s lunch time, and I want to eat somewhere different.” Brie said.

“Different? What? There’s only your place or the Chinese one, or the Mexican Café?” I said.

“How about the saloon, I hear they have a pretty good lunch?”

“The saloon, you sure? They don’t take kindly to good women going in saloons.” I said.

She got a pouty look on her face and said, “Well that’s what I want to do.”

“Alright, but all of the so called good women in town will be down on you.”

“Oh they’re just jealous because their husbands won’t let them wear pants and go in saloons.” She said, bending over to pet Jake. I know she just did that on purpose.

Funny thing about women, they always get what they wanted, one way or the other. Me, I always like that ‘other’ way.

The three of us, went to the saloon, Bayard Benoit, the bartender had long sense given up on protesting about me bringing Jake into the bar. But his eyes opened wide when he seen Brie. Not just because she was a ‘good’ woman, but because he couldn’t take his eyes off of her pants.

Evan Blythe and those two body guards of his were standing at the bar, they turned when we walked in, Blythe started to say something, I let my hands fall to my gun butts. His mouth snapped shut.

I took Brie and Jake to an empty table in the back corner. Then I went to the bar and said. “Bayard old boy, would you dish up three plates of your beef and beans, plus three beers, two in mugs and one in a bowl?”

“Sure Trego, no problem.” Then he turned to do so. Blythe must of got some sand back into his backbone, because he said, “You have your nerve bringing your wife in here and wearing pants to boot. It’s not seemly.”

“Well Evan, you could be right about it not being seemly. But times are changing. Here it is 1880 already. And since she’s my wife and not yours, I don’t see as you have much to say about it.” He bristled, the guy on his right said, “Boss take it easy, can’t you see he’s just itching for you to draw.”

Evan looked at him and said, “That’s why I hired you two, to take care of people like him.”

“Well Boss, no you didn’t. You sort of hired us as your flunkies. We shoot pretty good, but we’re not in his class. If you want someone to go up against him, you’re going to have to hire a real gunslinger.”

“What makes you think I haven’t?” Evan said, and then downed the last of his drink and stomped out. The two hired hands stood there, they didn’t follow him out. They looked at me and then one of them said, “We’re just cowboys, we hired on with him early last fall, just before you got here. We needed someplace to winter. I reckon we’ll drift and see if we can’t find a riding job.”

“I hear the Specter Ranch might be hiring. Anyway that’s what the Ringer brothers told me.”

“Thanks Trego, I know you could of plugged us a couple of times, but you didn’t. Thanks a lot.” They said.

Bayard came back with our food and drinks, I helped him haul it to our table. “What was Evan Blythe talking to you about?” Brie asked.

“He was some upset about you and your pants being in here. He thinks it isn’t seemly. But I told him you’re not his wife, but mine. And to mind his own business.”

The saloon was busy, more than usual. Must be due to the warm Chinook winds. They were all careful not to make eye contact with me, though they wanted to look at Brie. I couldn’t blame them any, I wanted to look at her also.

Jake finished his food and beer in short order. Then he hopped up on a vacant chair beside us. He sat looking around at everybody. Brie and I finished ours, then we talked a little. “Honey, do you think we can go somewhere, being cooped up all winter has given me the blues.” Brie said.

“As soon as the snow melts and the mud solidifies a might. I think we can. How far and where would you like to go?”

“Oh, just out and around, I haven’t been on a horse for months. I used to ride all of the time when I was a kid in Chicago.”

“Did you wear pants then?” I asked with a leer.

“No silly, a riding skirt. But these pants are a lot better, more freedom. You can do anything you want and they can’t see your underwear.”

“Hmmm, I didn’t think you were wearing any underwear.”

“I’m not silly, that’s part of the freedom, I feel absolutely sinful.” Brie said, while wiggling her hind end on her chair.

“Stop that, everyone is looking at you. Including me. You know when you’re as beautiful as you are, you shouldn’t go around exciting everyone’s passion.”

“Really? I do that? Oh look, even that saloon girl is licking her lips.” Brie said, while bouncing up and down. I laid my hand on her arm, she calmed down.

“My, you are going stir crazy, aren’t you?”

“I’m sorry sweetheart. Come on, let’s go home.” She grabbed my hand, “I know what we can do….” And did she ever.

It was a warm night, the moon was full, Brie stood at the window, that was half open, enjoying the warm Chinook breeze on her naked body. “Come see how pretty it is. The birds are singing, isn’t it nice?”

I got out of bed and put my arms around her, she cuddled her backside up against me. Then laid her head back against my shoulder. “Why can’t we be like this all of the time?” She said.

“What do you mean, the weather?” I asked.

“No, naked, no clothes. Have humans always had to wear clothes?”

“No, they haven’t. Don’t you remember the Bible account of Adam and Eve?”

“No, my Dad didn’t like religion.” Brie said, as I kissed her neck. As to her question about clothes, I said:

“Well, man and woman were created au-natural, just like how we’re standing here.”

“Why did they start wearing clothes?”

“Because they disobeyed God and got kicked out of the Garden of Eden. I tell you what, in the morning I’ll read you the whole account. So you will understand. You know, I’m like your Dad, I don’t like religion either, but I love the Bible and what it tells us. The problem is most of the religions of the world don’t follow what the Bible says. That’s why I hate organized religion. In that, I guess your Dad and I are on common ground.”

“I think you have a lot more in common than that, you both love me.”

“Yep, your right on that point, I do love you.” I said as I picked her up and carried her back to bed.”

She was sleeping soundly with her head on my left arm. There were a few strands of hair laying over her eyes and across her perfect nose. I brushed them away. She had a few freckles on her nose. I leaned forward and kissed her nose, lightly. She stirred a bit, but didn’t wake up. This was a common occurrence, me kissing her freckled nose.

It was starting to come on dawn. I scooted out from under her and went to look at the sunrise. It was the kind of sunrise that only Montana can conjure up. I stood there watching it’s changing patterns. But perfect moments only last so long.

There was a horse and rider coming into town. He was still to far away to tell who it was. But I didn’t need to see, to know. I knew. I watched him all of the way, as he rode down the muddy street. He stopped in front of the Saloon.

Bayard was an early riser. He was sweeping the boardwalk in front of the saloon. The rider dismounted and asked Bayard something. I could see that Bayard motioned toward the open door. Probably telling him, that yes he was open.

I heard Brie stir, “Honey, what are you doing?”

“Just watching the sunrise, come see.” She threw the covers back, used the pot, then came and stood beside me. “Oh, yes it is pretty. Look, there is already a horse at the saloon.”

His horse was standing there, hipshot, with his head hanging low. I hated a person who would feed his own belly before taking care of his horse.

“Whose horse is that?” Brie asked.

“The rider just went in the saloon.” I said.

“Yes, I know he probably did, but didn’t you see who he was?”

“Yes I did.”

“Well?”

I pulled her close and kissed her. “Oh no you don’t, I asked you a question.” Brie said, grabbing me and twisting just a little bit.

“Alright, alright, I know who it was. His name is Sam Benbow, he’s a hired gun.”

“What’s he doing here?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I think Evan hired him.”

“You say he’s a hired gun, is he any good?”

“Yep, he is. I just got a flyer on him in the last batch of mail. And I have seen him before, yes he can shoot. The wanted poster said there is a thousand dollar bounty on him.”

“Oh good, then you can arrest him and put him in jail.”

“Honey, you just don’t arrest someone like that, you have to kill them to get their guns.”

“Well, you just be careful, come on I’ll make you some breakfast.” She said, as she gave me one last little twitch, just to remind me.

“Sure, sweetheart, you go ahead, I have the stock to feed, I’ll be back by the time breakfast is ready.” I said as we were both getting dressed. I went out and did feed the horses and milk cow. Caitie was already milking when I got there.

“Where are you going?” She asked me as I checked my guns before going out the barn door. Then she added, “I seen that gunfighter ride in at dawn, is that where?”

“Did you recognize him?” I asked.

“Not personally, but I know the type. You be careful.”

“I always am, Caitie, I always am.” I said as I went out the door. As I closed it behind me, my fingers ran across the bullet holes that the Blythe kid put there. I purposely hadn’t fixed them, they were a good reminder.

I went to the saloon, I was going to go in, when I stopped and untied his horse from the hitching pole. I led him over to the livery and paid Henry to grain him and currycomb him.

“Whose horse is it?” Henry asked.

“Sam Benbow’s, he’s over at the saloon feeding his face, he left his horse tied up. I figured I would just do him a favor.”

“Sam Benbow, huh? The same one that’s a gunfighter?”

“Yep, the same one.”

“What’s he doing here?” Henry asked.

“Well, I just don’t rightly know, I figured I’d just mosey on over there and ask him.”

“What do you want on your tombstone?” Henry asked.

“What makes you think it will be my tombstone?”

“I seen him in action once, he’s pretty fast.” Henry said, as he worked at currycombing his horse.

“I tell you what, the race doesn’t always go to the swift.

But who says he’s on the prod, maybe he’s just passing through.”

“Well, you just be careful, they say he isn’t above shooting someone in the back.”

As I came through the doors, my eyes swept the room, Sam was setting at the same corner table that Brie and I sat at for lunch yesterday. He seen me, his eyes had a surprised look. I ignored him and went to the bar. Bayard said, “What’ll be.”

“Just a cup of coffee, Brie is making breakfast for me.” As he went to get it, I turned my back to the bar, looking at Sam, I said, “Howdy Sam, what brings you to Coolidge?”

“I didn’t know for sure, till you walked in. That’s a mighty shinny badge you have on there.”

“Yep, it sure is. If you didn’t know why you came here, what ill wind blew you here?”

“This letter, with money in it.” He held the letter up with his left hand. “It just says that the Wise River Mine is having some varmint problems. I just bet that varmint is you?”

“Could be Sam. But I don’t take too kindly at being called a varmint.”

“Whoa, there Trego. I’m not after you, yet. Cause that cash was just a teaser, the deal ain’t been cinched yet. The letter also said something about riding shotgun on a silver shipment. You might not even be the burr under their saddle.”

“Am I the burr under your saddle Sam?”

“Nope, not yet. But I’ll tell you when you are.” He said, as he tossed some money on the table and hitched up his pants, careful not to get his hand near his gun. He walked to the door and started to go out. He stopped, turning he said, “someone stole my horse.”

“Nope, they didn’t. You’ll find it at the livery, you owe me two bucks. You know Sam, I just can’t abide a man who looks after his own welfare; before taking care of his horse, how did you live so long doing that?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well Sam, you know if your horse gives out on you in the middle of the desert or even when being chased by a posse, you’re in deep shit. Hell, even a greenhorn knows that.” His face was turning red, “take it easy Sam, remember, you haven’t been paid yet.”

Bayard broke the tension, “Here’s your coffee Trego.” I didn’t turn around, “Thanks Bayard.” I said. Sam was losing some of his steam, he turned and went out, slamming the door behind him.

“That was about the smoothest job of needling that I have ever seen done.” Bayard said. “It looked like he was going to draw on you.”

“Yep, I thought he might also. Sort of wished he would of, I don’t like postponing the inventible.” I said, as I sipped at my coffee.

“How come you always talk so fancy, some of the words you use, I’ve never heard of before.”

“My Dad was pretty strict, I guess he figured if it was worth saying, it was worth saying well. Of course sometimes I fall back on the colloquial.” I said as I finished my coffee and tossed him a dime.

I was debating which door to go out, the front or the side, wondering if he was going to try and dry gulch me. Knowing how devious his thinking might be, I decided to go out the front door, figuring he would be looking for me to go out the side door.

I was right, he wasn’t watching the front door. I peeked around the edge of the building, he was watching the side door. He didn’t see me. I stepped back, should I confront him? I peeked back around the corner of the building. He was gone. Damn, I should of braced him. He was sure enough a bad man, but he was a coward. And they were the worst kind.

“You took your time, where have you been?” Brie said, as I came into the kitchen.

“Oh, I didn’t like seeing that horse suffer, so I took it to the livery. Sam wasn’t the least bit appreciative.”

“I don’t imagine that he was, you did it just to piss him off, didn’t you?”

“No, not entirely, but some, yeah.”

“Why are you doing this. Are just trying to make him mad?”

“Yeah, I guess I am. You see when someone loses their temper, they lose their reasoning. I need any edge that I can engender.”

“Why, your faster than he is, aren’t you?”

“Maybe, but he’s a back shooting coward, I need him so mad he can’t see straight. I need him to draw on me, face to face.”

Brie stood there with the hotcake spatula in her hand, thinking. “Honey, let’s just leave, let’s go somewhere else.”

“Huh! What are you talking about? Running away? We can’t do that, this town is depending on us. Yes, that’s right us. You and me. We’re a team.” I said.

“I know that, it’s just that I’m scared for you. You said that we were a team? Do you mean that?”

“Of course I do.”

“Did you know that I can shoot? My Dad taught me, both with a revolver and a long gun. I just have to brush up a little. In fact I have my own pistol and holster, I never showed it to you. Would you take me out of town so I can practice?”

I sat there thinking, me and my big mouth, what if something happened to her, I would never forgive myself. “Alright, but let’s keep it a secret, I don’t want anyone to know that you can shoot.”

“Good we can saddle one of the mares for me this afternoon, if that’s alright?”

I didn’t see anymore of Sam Benbow the rest of the morning. He was probably holed up with that bunch at the Wise River Mine. I figured they would lay low for awhile. They had the funeral coming up, plus getting that silver shipment out of town. I had that creepy feeling in the middle of my back.

Her gun was a .41 caliber Navy. Well oiled and kept. You could see that it had plenty of usage. Brie was wearing her pants, she strapped the gun belt and holster on and twirled the gun on her finger and put it smoothly in the holster. I looked at her; she hadn’t told me her whole story.

“Put on your long coat, I don’t want anyone seeing you with that pistol.”

We rode out of town right after lunch; we used the reason of going to visit the Specter ranch. Everyone was looking curiously at us. Why wouldn’t they, this was the first time that we left town since I got here. Jake was running ahead of us. Happy to be going somewhere. Tied to my saddle horn was a sack of empty tomato tins, to use as targets.

We stopped far enough away from town so no one could hear our shots. I went out about fifty yards and lined up six cans about ten feet apart.

We dropped reigned our horses. I told Jake to keep an eye on the mare. She might spook at the noise. I knew Jim wouldn’t.

“Alright Honey, see if you can hit those cans.” Brie held her Navy loosely in her right hand, then she shot once. It hit close to the first can on the left. The can flew, not because she hit it, but the dirt did. She sat herself again. The second can was a direct hit, she did the same with the remaining four. You could see her confidence building at each shot.

She reloaded. I went and sat more cans up. I came back. “That was some good shooting sweetheart. But let’s try something different. Put your gun in the holster and try drawing and shooting.”

Brie twirled the gun, just like she did back in her room. She pushed her coattails back, then before I could blink, she drew and fired, the can flew, she shot again, hitting the can still in the air, she did it four more times.

“Oh, you are the devious one aren’t you? It’s your turn to set the cans up.” I said. Brie went and reset the cans. She came back, “I’m sorry Honey, I should of told you. But my first husband when I showed him, he sulked for days.”

She was still talking when I drew both guns, emptying them in succession, keeping the cans in the air all of the while.

“Wow! I’ve never seen anything like that.” Brie said, as we both reloaded. I looked at her, “How did you learn to shoot like that?” I asked her.

“My Dad showed me some, but most of it I learned on my own. I’d go out of town on my own and practice for hours. My brother went with me sometimes, but he never really got the knack.”

“What about you?”

“About the same, hours upon hours. But remember what I said, don’t let anybody know about how good you can shoot. We want it to be a surprise. Can you shoot with your left hand also?”

“Sure, but I only have this one gun.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you another one. In fact I think I might have one just like that at the jail, it would be nice to have matching ones.”

Brie mounted up, she sat a good saddle. I rode along side of her. “So Brie, have you ever shot anyone?”

“Goodness no. Just mainly target practice, but I used to hunt.”

“That’s about the same, only thing animals don’t shoot back at you. Well let me clarify that, there are men who are worse than animals, they do shoot back at you.”

We rode on for a little bit in silence. Brie glanced at me, “Are we going by the Specter ranch, like we told everyone we were?”

“Sure, if you want to, we have a couple hours of daylight left.”

“Yes, I would like to see Molly, I haven’t seen her all winter.”

We weren’t too far from their ranch, it only took us less than an hour to get there. All of the snow hadn’t melted yet, and sticking up through it was the first green grass of spring. There were cattle that were hunting for the new sprouts all along the way. Of course they were still being hayed. There were very few ranch’s that put up hay, but I was glad to see that the Specter’s did. That made me think, “Brie where did you get your hay last fall?”

“From the Specter’s. That is one of the reasons that I want to see them. To see if they had any extra, and also to contract for some this fall.”

“I’m glad to see that you’ve been thinking ahead. You know a lot of those ranch’s in the eastern part of the territory, don’t put up hay. One of these years there going to be sorry.

We’re due for a bad winter, when it does hit, they’re going to lose a lot of stock.”

“When do you think Montana will become a state?” Brie asked me.

“I don’t know, maybe in a few years. I heard some rumblings in Helena about that last year, I spent a week there.”

“What did you do there for a week?” Brie asked me with a sly smile.

“Not much, played some poker, drank some, you know.”

“I hear they have some fast women there, is that right?”

“I don’t know, I never seen them run. I don’t think they could be too fast, not with those fancy shoes they wear.” I said, while trying to keep a straight face.

Brie popped me with her quirt lightly on my arm. “You know what I meant, did you sleep with any of them?”

“Sleep? Nope, I didn’t sleep with them.” She popped me again.

“I’m sorry, that is none of my business, what you did before we were married. But you know how women are. If there is a loose thread, they have to pick at it till it unravels.”

“That’s alright Brie, I never did anything that I was ashamed of and I also believe that is true of you.” I said, she started to reply, but we had just rode into the ranch yard and several dogs came out to greet Jake, he whipped the leader, then they all became friends.

Molly came out, drying her hands on her apron, “Land Sakes, this is a surprise, come on in, supper’s almost ready, turn your horses into the corral, there’s hay and water there.”

Molly said, as she and Brie were heading into the house. I took the horses to the corral that was hooked onto the barn. I pulled their bridles and bits out of their mouths and hung them on the saddle horns. I loosed the cinches so they could eat and drink. The ranch dogs were showing Jake around the place.

Brie had hung her long coat on a peg in the entranceway, I hung mine beside hers. There was a big dinning room just off the kitchen, where everyone ate, including the hired hands. Charles and Robert Ringer were already there, as well as those two ex hands of Evan Blythe, that I sent out here. When I walked in everyone ignored me, they were looking at Brie. Not only her pants, but the gun and belt that she was wearing. I had forgot to tell her to take it off.

Harold looked up at me, “Set down Marshal, glad you folks dropped by. And I want to thank you for sending Clint and Chunk my way, they’re good hands.”

“No need to thank me, I was just glad that I didn’t have to shoot them.” I meant it as a joke, but I seen some at the table didn’t think it was so funny, my wife among them.

She said, “Come set beside me, Tre',” I started to sit down, but I had to untie my tie downs on my holsters, or it would have been awkward setting down. Brie had already untied hers. Strange thing, me being alone most of my life, at times I didn’t know how to socialize. In fact, since I came to Coolidge it was the first time I had been this long around so many people. I looked up from untying my tie downs, everyone was looking at me, they hurriedly averted their eyes.

The food was brought in by two Indian girls. They looked at me and nodded. I could tell by the design on their moccasins that they were Blackfoot. I guess they recognized my breed by just looking. They were nice looking girls, twins.

We all fell to, eating in silence. I was alright with that. Cause Dad and I never talked all that much when we were eating. I think Brie was a little uncomfortable with the silence. When we ate at home, she always yakked as much as she chewed.

After we were through, the hands left to do chores. The Blackfoot twins brought us fresh coffee. I pushed back my chair a little then said, indicating the girls, “How did you come by them?”

Harold said, “You mean Jane and Mary?”

“I reckon, if that’s their names?” I said.

“The last time we drove some cattle to Helena, on the way back we found them walking along the trail all by their lonesome. Turns out they ran away from the Black Robe’s. They didn’t take kindly to them trying to make Apple Indians out of them. They liked their own customs.”

Brie said, “Apple Indians? What’s that?”

“I can answer that,” I said. “it’s when they become red on the outside and white on the inside. Now me, I’m what’s could be called a Plum, the same color all the way through, not white or red.”

“That’s alright with me Honey,” Brie said, “as long as you don’t turn into a prune.” Everyone got a good laugh out of that. Even me. But I still had a question or two. “So why didn’t they just go back to the ‘res’?” I asked.

“Well, with winter coming on, we didn’t have time to get them there. We’ve been paying them a wage. That way they would have enough money to get there, come spring.” The girls had been listening. The one called Jane spoke to me in Blackfoot.

“We know the white man’s language, both what you call English and the French, we have talked, we want to go with you and your wife to town. The men here are sniffing around our flanks. We are afraid they will fight over us pretty soon.”

“What did she say?” Brie asked.

I looked at Harold and Molly, “It seems they want to go to town, if that’s alright with the both of you.” I said, making it a statement and not a question.

“Well of course they can, their not slaves, anytime they want to.” Harold said. He was looking a little green around the gills. Was he perhaps one of those that was doing a little sniffing? Or was I the cause of his discomfort?

Molly spoke up, “Yes, we would be glad to take them to town, if that’s what they want, the Lord only knows though, that I will surely miss them.” I was somewhat of a student of human nature. I think I noticed a little sense of relief in her demeanor.

I hadn’t paid too much attention to the girls, but as they cleared the table, I noticed some very womanly curves under those buckskin dresses.

Harold said, “But where will they stay? We can’t just dump them off in town.”

Brie spoke up, “I know, Trego’s Uncle lives in town, I noticed that they have a spare room. And his Wife, Garnet is a Blackfoot. I’m sure they will take them in.”

I looked at Brie, she looked at me and her face turned pale, “Oh, I’m sorry, no one is supposed to know that Lambert is his Uncle. Please don’t let that get out of this room.”

I looked at Harold and Molly, “I’m sure they will not repeat what you just told them, will you?” I gave them both a long searching look.

“Of course we won’t. We realize how that information might hurt Lambert.” Harold said.

“Good, then how about bringing them in around noon tomorrow? We’ll give Lambert and Garnet the news, I’m sure they will agree.” I said. Not knowing really if they would or not. But knowing my Aunt Garnet, she wouldn’t turn away two members of our tribe.

On the way back to town Brie spoke up, “Honey are you mad at me?”

“No, of course not. They only know that Lambert is my Uncle, they don’t know that Garnet is not only my Aunt through marriage, but also my Aunt through blood. There a lot of people that are prejudice against Indians. As you know, not too many people know that I am half Blackfoot; since I can pass for white with my complexion. A lot of people in town are as dark complexioned as I am.”

“What did Jane tell you?”

“She said that the men are sniffing around their flanks. They think that the men are going to start to fight over them. They want to leave before any trouble breaks out.”

“Really? Who exactly?”

“I think she meant all of them, even including Harold. Did you notice how relieved Molly was when we talked about them leaving?” I said.

“Yes, I did notice that. It’s rather peculiar how man’s basic instincts come out when they are trapped in close proximity to each other.” Brie said.

“Yes, sweetheart, I think that’s called ‘cabin fever’, in laymen’s terms. I see you are falling in the same pattern as I. Using an expanded vocabulary. We both will have to watch that. Bayard called me on that just the other day.”