LETTER FOR GENE

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

C.J. PETIT
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
LETTER FOR GENE
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
EPOLOGUE
 Copyright © 2020 by C.J. Petit

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, 2020
ISBN:
9798684511561
 
 PROLOGUE
 
May 12, 1855
Peoria, Illinois
 
Gene was laughing as he and Harry Donnelly left the schoolhouse in the
middle of the stream of students.
“I can’t believe you did that, Gene!” Harry exclaimed, “I swear Miss
Hooper was going to beat you with her yardstick!”

“It just popped out, Harry,” Gene replied with a grin, “I was kinda
surprised that she even heard that word before.”

“Hell, everybody’s heard that word, even my mother.”

Gene looked at his best friend and asked, “Really? I never heard my
mother use it, but my father uses it every chance he gets. I always thought it
was a Gaelic curse that only men could use.”
Harry smacked his friend on the back and was giggling when they turned
onto the road leading south.
“I’ve heard a whole lotta folks use it even girls. You spend too much
time on your farm. You oughta come into town more.”
“I wish I could, but I’ve got a lot of work to do, Harry. Me and my dad
have to take care of the farm and my mom and sisters, too. It wasn’t too bad
until John died, but now I just don’t have any time to myself anymore. I’m
even surprised that I still go to school, but I figure this is gonna be my last
year.”
Harry looked at Gene as they trudged along and asked, “I won’t be
seeing you anymore after school ends?”
 “I’m not sure, but I hear my parents arguing about stuff a lot and some of
it’s because I’m not doing enough. My mom wants me to stay in school, but
my dad wants me to do more work. I think my mom is gonna lose this one.
It’s okay though, I reckon that I’ve learned as much as I need anyway.”

“Well, at least you learned that Miss Hooper knows that word.”
Gene snickered as Harry waved then turned left to head down his family
home’s walkway. Harry was a townie and lived just a block away from his
father’s butcher shop, but Gene had another two miles to go before he
reached the farm.

There were only fifteen more school days before his full day’s work
would begin. He was already doing most of his chores before he made the
thirty-minute walk to school and then worked for four more hours after he
returned. At least he wouldn’t waste all that time walking each day.
He really didn’t believe he had much more to learn from Miss Hooper,
but aside from Harry and Brian Connors, he really wouldn’t miss school.
He didn’t want to admit how much he’d miss talking to Lorraine Morris. He
still turned red whenever she smiled at him.
He had his school bag slung over his left shoulder. It was really just an
empty oat sack that he used to carry his chalkboard and chalk, a pencil,
notebook and the lunch his mother made for him each morning.
He spotted the farm house and barn fifteen minutes later and lengthened
his strides.

Eleven-year-old Gene was the tallest boy in his class and was even taller
than most of the older students. He didn’t carry a lot of weight because he
worked so hard, but he was stronger than he looked. He had to be.
When he reached the edge of the farm, he didn’t use the wagon’s path to
the house but cut across the open ground. The farm had sixty acres of good
soil and plenty of water. They kept chickens, six cows and a bull, and had
two mules for pulling the plow or the wagon. Their main income came from
their corn fields, and most of their grain was sold to the distilleries in
Peoria.

He soon entered the house, set his bag on the floor and just as he was
about to announce his arrival, he heard crying from the kitchen. Gene
slowly walked through the front room and down the hallway almost afraid
to hear whatever tragic news had caused the grief.
When he entered the kitchen, he found his two younger sisters in tears,
but his mother seemed to be angry rather than weepy. All six blue eyes
turned to him when he left the hallway and then stopped.
“What’s wrong, Mom?”
His mother snapped, “Your bastard father abandoned us. That’s what’s
wrong!”
Gene hadn’t noticed his father’s absence, but still scanned the room
almost expecting to find him hiding under the table or in the pantry as if it
was a prank.
When he realized that it was far from being anything less than a disaster
for the family, he asked, “Where did he go?”

“He went to California to get rich. That selfish good-for-nothing even

sold more than half of the farm’s land before he left.”
Gene was shaken to his core with the news. He’d always respected his
father and knew how hard he’d worked to provide for the family. He may
not have been a gentle, loving man, but Gene knew that it was a hard world
and his father had to face it each day. He hadn’t even blamed his father for
not wanting him to stay in school. But this was not only completely
unexpected, it was a crushing realization that his father wasn’t the good
man he’d always believed him to be.

Gene looked at his sniffling younger sisters and said, “I’ll take care of
you, Katie and Anna, Mom.”
 “I don’t know how we can do this, Gene. At least you’ll only have to
work twenty acres now.”

He nodded and smiled at nine-year-old Katie and seven-year-old Anna

but knew that even twenty acres would be almost impossible for him to
manage alone. Even if he was a fully-grown man, it would be
extraordinarily difficult, and he had a long way to go before he could call
himself a man. He wasn’t sure he’d live long enough to be a teenager now.
His mother stood, stepped before him and rested her right hand on his
left shoulder.

“Mister Moran stopped by an hour ago. He bought the land from your
father, but he told me that he’d have his boys help, so it won’t be too bad.”
“I don’t get along with any of them and Kevin hates me. Now that they
own most of our farm, I know they’ll be even worse. I’ll do everything by
myself.”

“You know you can’t, Gene. You have to realize what a mess we’re in
right now. You’re going to have to swallow your pride and work with the
Moran boys.”
Gene’s world had been on a downward spiral since his seventh birthday.
The day after that important age step in his life, his oldest brother, Joe, had
died with a bad case of measles. Then less than a year later, his brother Pete
had succumbed to an infection caused by a simple cut on his shoulder. With
each death, his workload had increased but he’d still been able to attend
school. When his last brother, John died last year, he knew his school days
would be over. His sisters couldn’t help and now he was the man of the
house. A skinny, eleven-year-old boy would become the patriarch of the
Stewart family.

He nodded and quietly said, “I’ll try, Mom.”

She smiled at him then walked to the cookstove to finish cooking their
supper.
 Gene turned his eyes to his sisters and found them both staring back at
him. He could see the fear in their eyes and hoped he could keep the family
together.

_____
March 22, 1859
 
Gene was alone in the barn as he stared through the open doors to the
farmhouse another hundred yards away. He’d worked with the Moran
brothers for almost four years now and even though there had been more
than just a few altercations, he’d managed to avoid letting his temper turn
them into full-blown fistfights. It had been a difficult adjustment for him,
but this was pushing things too far.

His mother had divorced his father for abandonment last November and
the recently widowed Jim Moran began visiting. That had been bad enough,
but his sisters had seemed to be smitten with that bastard Kevin Moran and
his younger brother Augie. Just when he thought it couldn’t get worse, this
morning his mother had told him that she was marrying Mister Moran and
that he’d be moving into the house with Kevin and Augie. She had
explained that the oldest Moran boy, Jack, needed the smaller house to raise
his own family as if that was enough justification.
It was as if all the work he’d done to provide for his mother and sisters
didn’t matter at all, and it infuriated and frustrated him. There wasn’t that
much room in the house and the thought of living in the same house with
the Morans made him sick. As badly as that idea made him feel, he knew it
would be even worse if he saw his mother and Jim Moran together as
husband and wife. Even his sisters seemed to be tickled with the idea of
Kevin and Augie moving in with them.

He thought he’d give his mother a veiled ultimatum, but when he told his
mother that he’d move into the barn’s loft, she had simply smiled and
thanked him for his thoughtfulness.
 So, here he was in his new home that he would share with the cows,
mules and an occasional visiting chicken. He really didn’t mind being the
only human to inhabit the drafty barn, but he felt as if he was no longer part
of the family. He wondered that if in another two years, he would be the
only Stewart left.

He continued staring at the house for another minute before turning,

picking up his sack of clothes then walking to the loft ladder. He set his
hand on a rung and was about to place his right foot on a lower rung when
he stopped.
It was only a month after he had turned fifteen, but he didn’t believe his
age mattered. He was over six feet tall already and while still not as heavy
as he should be, his muscles had been hardened by the years of almost
continuous manual labor. He was smart and knew that he could make it in
the world, but it wouldn’t be here working with the Morans.

He forgot about climbing to the loft and strode out of the barn. He
thought about just walking into Peoria but decided that he’d tell his mother
that he was leaving. He didn’t expect her to raise much noise about his
departure. She might ask him to stay, but he knew it wouldn’t be a sincere
wish. It was a Monday and his sisters were already at school, so he
wouldn’t have to see their reaction. It would be bad enough knowing that
his mother wouldn’t care if he left.
Gene had his heavy bag bouncing on his back as he trotted up the three
steps to the back porch and entered the kitchen.

His mother turned to face him and said, “I thought you were moving into
the barn.”
“No, Mom. It’s not that I don’t want to live with the animals, but I just
don’t think I belong here anymore. You’ll have Mister Moran, Kevin and
Augie to work the farm and I think that sooner or later, I’d cause problems
for you. I’m going to Peoria and find work there.”
 Even though he had been convinced that his mother wouldn’t object, he
was still deflated by her reaction.

She smiled then stepped close to him and kissed him on the cheek.
“You’re a good boy, Gene. You’re going to be a good man and I’m sure
that you’ll be successful. Write to me when you can.”

Gene stared into his mother’s smiling eyes for almost thirty seconds
before replying, “I’ll do that, Mom.”
He slowly turned and walked through the back door.

He was fifty yards past the front of the house when he realized that she
hadn’t even offered to give him some money or even a bag of food. He just
couldn’t imagine feeling any worse.
He was walking toward Peoria still dwelling on the morning’s stunning
turn of events when the first drops of a cold spring rain arrived.
“Why not?” he asked aloud as he began buttoning his heavy coat.
His sorry excuse for a hat was soon soaked and the two-mile trudge had
suddenly seemed much further.
He had $11.43 in the left pocket of his britches, but it wasn’t the money
that mattered now. He needed to find someplace to live and a new job.
Surprisingly, the job was the easier answer as Mister Jones at the distillery
had offered him a job each of the last two trips that he’d made to deliver
wagonloads of corn. He liked the man and wasn’t sure what he’d be doing,
but any job was better than working with those Morans.
The rain was coming down even harder as he slogged his way north in
the mud. He could see the outskirts of Peoria ahead and when he did, he
thought that maybe he could at least get out of the rain if he paid a visit to
Harry Donnelly. He tried to visit Harry each time he’d had to go to town,
but only was able to see him three or four times. Harry was now
apprenticed to his father who owned the largest butcher store in town.
 During each of those meetings, Harry had asked him to join him working
as a butcher, but Gene wasn’t keen on the idea. He’s spent all his life raising
animals and except for ending the existence of over a hundred chickens, he
had never had to kill a cow. He had even named the farm’s bovines and
mules. The idea of carving them up gave him the willies.
He turned down the cobbled walk to Harry’s home and began scraping
the mud from his boots as he shuffled along. He was chilled to the bone
when he stepped onto the porch and knocked on the heavy front door.
It was too early for Harry or his father to be home, so when the door
opened, he wasn’t surprised to see Mrs. Donnelly.

“My goodness, Gene! Get inside where it’s warm!”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Gene replied as he slowly entered the foyer of
their nice home.

Mary Donnelly closed the door and asked, “What brings you by, Gene?
It’s only midmorning and I would expect that you’d be working even in this
weather.”
Gene pulled off his soggy hat and as the water dripped onto the thick rug
that was there to absorb water and mud, he replied, “I left home, Mrs.
Donnelly. I’m going to see about getting work in town.”

“Well, take off your coat and let it dry. You can tell me about it over a
nice hot cup of coffee.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Gene said as he set his wet bag on the floor before
he shrugged off his coat and hung it on one of the hooks on the foyer’s wall.
Mary Donnelly waited until he was finished before escorting him into
the kitchen.
As they walked down the wide hallway, Gene wondered what Harry’s
mother would say about his decision to leave the farm.
 Mary poured two cups of the reasonably hot coffee then set them on the
large, maple table before sitting.

Gene took the seat behind the second cup before Mary Donnelly asked,
“Why did you leave home?”
Gene didn’t hold anything back because Harry had probably passed on
the stories that Gene had told him about the Morans. Harry wasn’t very
fond of Kevin either, so Gene hoped that Mrs. Donnelly could understand
why he had to leave.

When he finished his explanation, he was surprised by her reply.

“I suppose it was inevitable.”
“What was inevitable?” Gene asked as he gripped the cup for its heat.
“That your mother would marry Jim Moran. We knew that would happen
even before your father left.”

Gene’s eyes widened as he sharply asked, “

Why would you know that?
”
Mary looked back at him curiously as she asked, “You didn’t know?”
“Whatever it was, I must have missed it.”
“Why do you think your father left?”
“He went to California to get rich.”
“Yes, he went to California to hunt for gold, but that wasn’t the reason he
left. It was because he discovered that your mother had been seeing Mister
Moran.”

“
What?
” Gene exclaimed.
“Obviously, you didn’t know, but I don’t know how you missed it. I
imagine they limited their visits to when you were in school and your father
and brothers were in town making deliveries or picking up supplies.”
 “But I’ve been back at the farm full time for almost four years now. I
can’t remember seeing them together at all since I’ve been back, and my
sisters were almost always there. They never said anything either.”

“You still came to town, don’t you? Well, I suppose it really doesn’t
matter now; does it?”
Gene was stunned with the news. It seemed as if everything he knew
about his life was wrong.
“Why didn’t Harry tell me?”
“Harry doesn’t know either. I only found out because I knew Emma
Moran and she confided to me that she was going to divorce him for
adultery. She asked me not to say anything, but I was tempted to tell Sheriff
Dalton about it when she died last year.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“What good would it have done? Emma was already buried, and
everyone said it was an accident. All it would have done was to create a
problem for you.”
“But why didn’t my father tell me before he left? He sold the land to
Mister Moran and then just ran away.”
“I don’t know why he did, but maybe he didn’t want you to blame your
mother. At least you’re out of there now. Where will you stay?”
“I was going to ask you and Mister Donnelly if you could put me up for
a couple of days until I found a job and then my own place.”
“You can stay in Minnie’s old room for as long as you’d like, Gene. So,
do you know what you want to do now?”
“Mister Jones offered me a job at his distillery a couple of times, so I’ll
see him tomorrow.”
 She smiled and said, “It’s better than chopping up cows and pigs; isn’t
it?”
Gene returned her smile as he answered, “Yes, ma’am.
_____
Harry was very happy to have Gene staying with them and it wasn’t long
before he and his father began a full assault on his choice of jobs.
By the time they had gone to bed, all that Gene had promised was to see
Mister Donnelly after he’d gone to Jones Distillery.

As it turned out, he never did return to live at the Donnelly home, but did
visit often after taking a job at the Jones Distillery.
He still visited the farm, just not as often as he knew that he should have.
He wanted to keep in touch with his mother and sisters but seeing them
with the Morans was always stressful and each visit stressed him more.
When Katie said that she had agreed to marry Kevin Moran, those visits
became even more rare. At least Anna seemed to have gotten over her
attraction to Augie. That was a big relief because Anna had always been his
favorite.
_____
April 9, 1863
 
Gene was tasting a sample from a whiskey barrel in the large warehouse
when Fred Orson called out to him from the vat floor.

He stopped and waited for him, wondering what the reason was for the
interruption. He’d worked hard since starting work at the distillery more
than four years ago and had moved up from laborer to distiller. Now despite
his youth, he knew that he was one of the best men in the plant. He thought
he was expendable but was soon to discover that he wasn’t.
“Gene, the boss needs to see you,” Fred Orson said when he was close.
 “Do you know what he wants?”
“Nope.”
Gene rammed the stopper back into the barrel and gave it a whack with
the wooden mallet before setting the mallet on top.
“This batch needs another six months,” he said before striding past Fred
and heading for the offices.
He had no idea what Mister Jones needed but didn’t expect to be in any
trouble. Since he started working in the distillery, he’d never so much as
gotten into an argument with another worker.

But the most important thing that he’d learned during the past few years
away from the farm was just how much more he still had to learn.
He rapped on Mister Jones’ office door then swung it open without
waiting for permission. The knock was just a courtesy to let the boss know
he was there.

As soon as he entered, Lawrence Jones stood and smiled at him, which

eliminated even the remote chance that he was in trouble. Gene noticed that
the boss’s oldest son, Lawrence, Junior, was sitting next to his desk, but not
looking his way.
“Gene, how are you doing?”
“Fine, sir. Fred said that you wanted to see me.”
“I do. Please sit down.”

There was only one place for him to sit, so he lowered his butt into the
hard chair as Mister Jones sat in his nice leather seat.
“Gene, what do you think of this blasted war?”
“It’s a lot worse than either side figured it would be.”
 “I agree with you, but now the Union is running short of men and the
Congress just passed a law drafting men between the ages of twenty and
forty-five.”
“Yes, sir. It’s not my concern yet because I just turned nineteen. I can
work here for another year and by then the war may be over.”
As soon as he’d finished speaking, Gene glanced at Lawrence, Junior
and immediately knew why the boss had sent for him. The boss’s only son
was three years older than he was and was still single. Gene knew that his
father hoped that Junior would just marry, but his son preferred the free life
of a bachelor.

“Yes, I know that,” Mister Jones said, “but Lawrence has just been
notified that he has been selected.”
Gene didn’t reply, but just looked at Junior who now had his eyes
focused on him.
“As you might know, Gene, I can pay three hundred dollars or find a
substitute to take his place. I’d rather just give that money to the man who
replaced him rather than the government, so I’d like to offer it to you.”
He was prepared to turn him down, but by making the offer, Gene
suspected that if he did refuse to take Junior’s place, then he’d be insulting
his boss. Even if the boss smiled and seemed to accept his refusal, he
suspected that he wouldn’t be working for Mister Jones much longer. He
probably would be able to find a job with one of the other distilleries in
town, but he’d probably have to start at the bottom again.

Gene still didn’t want to join Harry Donnelly at his father’s butcher store
and figured that if he had to be a butcher, he may as well do it with a rifle
and bayonet rather than a cleaver and a sharp blade. He knew that even if he
did start at a common laborer somewhere else, he’d still be making at least
double what they paid a private. But as the army would be paying for food,
shelter and clothing, even as a poor substitute for what he had now, the loss
of income wasn’t as pronounced. It was a deeply held desire to move on
that finally drove his decision.
The decision process had only lasted ten seconds and as soon as the
answer arrived, he said, “Okay, Mister Jones.”
Both father and son broke into broad smiles before the boss rose and
shook Gene’s hand. He then slid an envelope across the desk.
“Gene, I know I only have to pay you three hundred dollars, but there’s
five hundred in here. You’re probably wondering why I hadn’t asked one of
the floor workers to take Lawrence’s place.”
“It had crossed my mind, sir.”
“My good friend, Henry Wheeler, who has been recently commissioned
a lieutenant colonel and will be commanding this group of replacements,
offered to make Lawrence a lieutenant. I told him that I was going seek a
substitute and he seemed disappointed and a trifle angry. I didn’t want to
lose his friendship so I suggested that I would send him a young man with a
good head on his shoulders and with a strong character. He said that if the
young man I sent as a replacement met his standards, then he’d offer the
commission to him as well. You’re the best choice I could send him, Gene.
Now he may not agree and take you on as a private, but it’s up to you to
impress him. I think you’re going to exceed all of his criteria.”
Gene picked up the envelope then said, “Thank you, Mister Jones. I
won’t disappoint Colonel Wheeler.”
After shaking both father and son’s hands again, Gene turned and left the
office. He slid the envelope of cash into his pocket and soon left the
distillery.
Before he even went to his room at Rooney’s Boarding House, he
stopped at Peoria Bank of Illinois and deposited all but twenty dollars of the
money. He had a balance of $1123.44 when he finally reached his room to
begin packing.
 He had another six days to report to the army station but wasn’t going to
wait that long. If Colonel Wheeler needed to be impressed, Gene didn’t
think stretching that time would be a good way to begin his army career.
It was still early afternoon when he was done, so he left his room and
began the two-mile walk to the farm. He didn’t expect his mother to shed a
tear about his decision but was worried about Anna’s reaction. Since she’d
moved on from Augie, she was the only member of the house who seemed
to care about him. It was probably because she knew that she was always
his favorite even when they had a house full of Stewarts.
One of the advantages of showing up when he did was that the Morans
should all be out in the fields.
After telling his mother that he’d be going to war, she surprised him
when she started crying then hugged and kissed him as if he was a little
boy. When Katie and Anna did the same, he found that returning to his
room in Peoria wasn’t as easy as he’d expected.
Still, he left the home after promising his mother and sisters that he’d
write as often as he could.
The same two-mile-long walk back to town seemed much longer, but he
found that he was getting excited for the new life that now awaited him.
Even if Colonel Wheeler made him a private, he’d be part of something that
mattered.
After meeting Lieutenant Colonel Wheeler in his legal office and a few
hours of intense questioning, Gene was offered his commission.

Gene spent the next eight weeks at a hastily constructed training camp
learning how to be a soldier and a leader. It was a grueling yet
extraordinarily critical two months.
Each day, the more he learned, the more Gene realized just how much he
still needed to know.
 On the 11
th
of June, the replacement brigade boarded a train and left
Illinois to join General Grant’s army in its siege of Chattanooga.
 CHAPTER 1
May 2, 1865
Outside of Bentonville, North Carolina
 
Captain Gene Stewart sat in the command tent with Colonel Wheeler
sharing one of the cigars that had been provided by a Confederate colonel
after General Johnston had surrendered his entire army to General
Sherman’s superior forces.
“Sherman’s terms for the rebs’ surrender have been accepted, Gene,” the
colonel said after exhaling a huge cloud of smoke, “They don’t have any
more big armies left, and I’ve been told that the 86
th
will be heading back
to Illinois to be mustered out as soon as the smoke settles.”

Gene grinned and said, “I assume that you mean the cannon and musket
smoke, sir, and not some of your own creation.”
Henry Wheeler laughed then asked, “What are you going to do when this
debacle is finally over?”
“I’ve been thinking about that, Colonel. I think all of us have. I can’t go
back to farming and don’t really want to start working at the distillery,
either. When I first put on this uniform, I was a bit nervous. I had never
been given any authority at all before and wasn’t sure I was up to it.”

“You were. I could see it in your eyes the first time you walked into my
office back in Peoria, although before I met you, I was close to making you
a private just because of your boss’s switch.”
“You may have been impressed, sir, but I wasn’t. It wasn’t until you gave
me enough leeway to learn through my mistakes that I was able to gain the
confidence that I needed.”
 “The reason I’m asking you is that I’d like to have you clerk for me
when we get back home. You could study law and probably pass the bar
within three years.”

Gene was stunned by his offer. He hadn’t really decided what he would
do but being a lawyer somehow unnerved him. It was the same way he’d
felt when he first donned an officer’s uniform. He only had five years of
schooling yet some of his men had finished high school. If he started
clerking for Colonel Wheeler, then he’d be dealing with men who’d
graduated from college.
“May I think about it, sir? It’s a very generous and welcome opportunity,
but I’d like some time before I can give you an answer.”

“I can understand that, Gene. We’re not going anywhere for a few weeks
anyway. I hear that there’s already noise up in Washington about the terms
that our feisty general gave to the rebels.”
Gene stood, shook the colonel’s hand then stuck his cigar into his mouth
before leaving the large tent.
Once outside, he removed the cigar, exhaled and began walking back to
his own tent just fifty yards away. He was sharing it with Lieutenant Barney
Clover who had just arrived eight months ago. Gene thought it was ironic
that he had been asked to take the West Point graduate under his wing.
When he entered his tent, he found his tentmate lying on his cot reading
a letter.

Without taking his eyes from the page, Barney said, “You got a letter
too, Gene. It’s on your cot.”
Gene spotted the envelope and didn’t disturb Barney with a reply as he
stepped to his side of the tent, removed his hat and after tossing it onto the
small table, picked up the thick envelope and sat on his bunk.

It was from his mother which wasn’t a surprise. Whenever he got mail, it
was from her but always included at least a page or two from Katie and
Anna. But this one seemed thicker than usual.

He pulled out his pocketknife, opened the blade, slid it under the flap
and after making a clean slice, snapped the blade closed and dropped it
back into his pocket.
Gene slipped out the expected pages and when he unfolded the sheets,
another envelope dropped to the ground.

He picked it up and noticed that it was sent to him but with the farm as
an address. The writing was both unfamiliar and in a man’s scrawl. It didn’t
have a return address, so he was intrigued but set it on his bunk before
reading his mother’s letter.
Dear Gene,
 
I received this letter yesterday and as I was in the process of
replying to your last missive, I added it to my envelope. I didn’t open it as it
was addressed to you, but I’m sure that it was sent by your father. What you
do with it is up to you.
 
The letter aside, I hope this letter finds you well. It sounds as if this
hateful war is finally nearing its end and I desperately wish to see you
again. I know that you were disappointed when I invited Jim and his boys to
stay here, but I think that your decision to leave made you a better man.
You’re surely better than the man who wrote that letter.
 
Katie is already showing with her second child now and she’s
hoping for a daughter this time. She said that she’ll include a letter the next
time and hopefully tell you all about her baby girl. Maybe you’ll even get to
be here when she gives birth. Her child is due in late July.
 
Augie is going to be moving back to the original Moran house with
Jack because he’s getting married to Lorraine Morris on April 1
st
.
 
I can’t tell you how proud you make me. When I received your first
letter and saw Lieutenant Gene Stewart on the return envelope, I was
bursting with pride. Now you’re a captain and a leader of men. I know it’s
been a hard time over the past two years, but you’ve earned those medals
and promotions. I was terrified to hear of your two wounds, but now that
the war is almost over, I pray that you’ll return safely.
 
Anna has included her own letter, so I won’t spoil her surprise.
 
With a Mother’s Love,
 
Mom
 
It was a short letter, as they usually were, but it was filled with much
more emotion than normal, too. He wasn’t sure if it was because the war
was ending or because of that letter sitting unopened on his cot.

He read Anna’s letter which was just as short, but he wasn’t surprised at
all when she told him that she was getting married on the first of September.
She’d told him in an earlier letter that she was visiting with a young man he
hadn’t met named John Kiley. John had the been mustered out of the army
after serving his three-month enlistment then refusing the reenlistment
bonus. She hoped that he would be able to return in time for the wedding
but sent her hopes that he would at least return safely.
After setting Anna’s single page onto his mother’s, Gene picked up the
unopened envelope and held it in his hands.

His mind was at war with itself as he stared at his father’s handwriting.
Part of him was so angry for his father’s desertion, yet another part was
curious. But the deciding factor was that conversation he’d had with Mrs.
Donnelly years ago. He thought about it often. For years before that
shocking revelation, he’d grown to hate his father. After his first eleven
years of admiring and respecting him, Gene had come to despise the man
for abandoning his family and turning his eleven-year-old son into the man
of the house. Then with her one sentence, his opinion made another drastic
change. He didn’t return to the same level of admiration and respect he had
held for his father, but he thought that maybe his father wasn’t the son of
Satan that he’d come to believe.
 He glanced at Barney who was now reading his letter for the third time.
It must be from his sweetheart because he was smiling as his eyes passed
over the words.

Gene didn’t bother using his pocketknife but ripped off the edge of the
envelope and slid the folded sheets from their paper prison.
He was still somewhat hesitant to read the letter because it would put a
face to the man who had raised him but abandoned him and left his mother
and sisters in his care until the Morans forced him to leave. He even found
it hard to remember what his father looked like anymore. He knew that he
was very different from the boy he’d been when his father left.

He wasn’t close to being a boy any longer and wondered if he’d stopped
being one when he discovered that his father had abandoned them. He was
well over six feet tall and weighed over two hundred pounds. He was easily
the tallest man in the entire brigade and he often wondered if his size hadn’t
given him that slight edge of authority that he had initially lacked.
But now his size and obvious manliness didn’t matter. He felt like that
confused eleven-year-old boy as he held those two folded sheets of paper in
his hand.

Gene finally exhaled then spread them open and read the first words he’d
had from his father in ten years.
Gene:
 
If you’re reading this, then I thank you. I wasn’t sure if you hadn’t
just thrown it away without opening the envelope.
 
You’re a man now and I don’t know if you’re still on the farm. You
were always such a smart boy that I expect you may have moved on. I hope
that you’re doing well and maybe you even have a family of your own, but
with this war that’s crippling and killing so many young and old men, I’d be
able to understand if you hadn’t had the chance to marry.
 
 I did a terrible thing ten years ago, and I won’t make any excuses
because there aren’t any. If I ever get to talk to you, then I’ll tell you why I
left.
 
The reason I had to write was that I have troubles that only you can
solve. I can’t go into details now but hope that you can come to see me.
 
I’m living in a town called Orville which is about forty miles west of
Colorado Springs. My house is #12 Fifth Street. It’s white with blue trim.
 
If you decide not to help me, don’t reply. I’d rather keep that ember
of hope alive. I don’t know what I can do if you don’t come, but understand
that you won’t just be helping me, you’ll be saving two innocents as well.
 
But if you do come, be careful when you get to town.
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I hope you’ll be a
better man than I could ever hope to be and come to Orville.
 
I’ll sign this with my Christian name because I don’t feel as if I’ve
earned the right to call myself your father.
 
Alex
 
Gene stared at the letter and didn’t know what to think. It was hardly
what he’d expected. He thought it would be a plaintive request for
forgiveness. Even though his father was forty-five, death was common
especially in the west where there was almost no medical help. He’d been
wounded twice and had been treated within an hour for the Minie ball
wound in his left arm and the bayonet stab in his right thigh. While he
thought that the army surgeons were little more than butchers like Harry
Donnelly, they were better than what men had to face in the empty
territories west of the Missouri.

The other part of the letter that had him baffled was the line about the
two innocents. His father hadn’t even mentioned what he had been doing
for the past decade.
Who were the innocents? Did he remarry and have a
child? And why was he the only one who could help him?

But before he refolded the letter, he knew that he’d have to go to

Colorado. He didn’t know how he’d get there or what he’d find, but it was
almost as if it was another campaign but in a different kind of war.
The next day, he told Colonel Wheeler of the letter and his decision to go
to Colorado. The colonel didn’t attempt to change his mind, but said that if
he did return to Peoria, the offer to be his clerk would still stand.
Twenty days later, the regiment packed up and started back to Illinois to
disband.
_____
June 25, 1865
 
The 86
th
Illinois had mustered out the day before in Chicago, and Gene
had received his final pay from the Union army.
He boarded the train to Peoria that morning. It was packed with other
returning veterans and he shared his seat with Colonel, now Mister Henry
Wheeler. Both men were still in uniform simply because they no longer had
civilian clothes, or at least any that fit. They could have spent another day
in Chicago to do some shopping, but both were anxious to return to their
home town. Besides, their uniforms had just been issued to them when they
arrived. It wasn’t as if the army was being generous, but that they had piles
of new uniforms that they knew were just going to take up warehouse
space.
Gene had replaced his normal infantry hat with a cavalry hat that he
thought would serve him better on his trip to Colorado. As an officer, he
was allowed to keep his saber, canteen, compass and field glasses but
wouldn’t have kept them if he wasn’t about to make that long journey
across the plains. He did have to pay for his rifle and pistol, but he knew the
amount the army charged was much less than he would have had to pay in a
store, and he kept both in excellent condition.

The train ride wasn’t nearly as long as some they’d taken in their army’s
move across the south and it was much shorter than the protracted marches.
Much of the time, as officers, both Gene and Henry were riding, but each
still spent hours walking with the men who didn’t have the option.
As the train chugged south along its hundred-and-sixty-mile journey,
they talked about Gene’s next trip to Orville.
“You’ll need to buy a horse, and they’re pretty expensive right now,” the
ex-colonel said.
“I know it’ll cost me, but I have a lot of money saved up in my money
belt. I have a bank account in Peoria, too. Between the two, I still should be
in good shape, but I’ll need a saddle and everything else. I have the Spencer
and my two pistols, but I’ll probably buy one of those Henry repeaters if I
can find one. I’ll take the train as far as I can go, but I don’t think it’s more
than eighty miles west of the Omaha yet. I hear that town is loaded with
veterans of both sides looking for jobs.”
“Them and a lot of immigrants fresh from the green isle. I’m not sure if
Scottish Gaelic is the same as the Irish version but can you speak Gaelic?”
“No, sir. I never heard anyone speak so much as a word in that evil
tongue. I reckon that I’ll be hearing some of it in Omaha, though.”

“It’s going to be strange getting home; won’t it, Gene? It’s been more
than two years since I’ve seen Millie and my girls. I don’t suppose I’d
convince you to stay by introducing you to Bess. She was a pretty sixteen-
year-old when I left, and I imagine she’s even more attractive now.”
Gene laughed before replying, “You’ve tried that enticement before, sir.
And unless I’m mistaken, I recall that I suggested she was probably already
being wooed within a month after we got on that train that started us on this
adventure, if that’s what you wish to call it.”
 Henry grinned, then shrugged and said, “I’m still trying, but as far as I
know, Bess hasn’t seen any prospective beaus. I doubt if Millie would have
held back that piece of information.”
“That’s only if she told her mother, sir.”
“Maybe so. I guess I’ll find out in a few hours. Will you at least join us
for dinner? You don’t have any place to stay, and you have to do some
shopping, too. At least I still have clothes stored at home. I’d give you a suit
to wear, but I think they might be a tad small.”

Henry laughed when he finished and Gene replied, “I’ll agree to that, but
I think your old britches might be a bit loose around the waist. You’ve lost a
good thirty pounds since you put on that uniform. We probably crapped
more than that on some of those bad days when more than half the regiment
was on sick call.”
The colonel patted his noticeably flatter stomach before saying, “It’ll be
good to just sit around the table with my family again. I won’t mind putting
some of those pounds back on, either. How big are you now?”

“When we were mustering out the corpsman measured me at six feet and
three and a half inches. My weight was a bit low at two hundred and four
pounds, but I’ll probably put some more of those pounds back on now that I
won’t be marching everywhere. I don’t know how some of those men
actually gained weight on the march across Georgia and then up to the
Carolinas.”
“At least we didn’t gain a few ounces of lead. You had yours pulled out
and mine never bothered to say ‘hello’ before it passed through me.”

“A lot of the boys weren’t so lucky, but at least most of them will be
going home with just horrible memories. I was surprised at first that we lost
so many more to sickness than we did to enemy action. The final numbers
were more than two to one. That’s something the army needs to work on
before they start another war.”
 “Hopefully, the next one won’t be with other Americans.”

“That sounds like you don’t count Indians as Americans.”

“I suppose you’re right. I meant, well, you know…”
“Yes, sir. I know what you meant, and I know that you’re a good man
and don’t harbor any such prejudices. It’s just kind of sad that we just
fought a war to free the black men and now we’re ready to use that same
army to kill all the red men.”
“Thank you for not putting me in that category of men, Gene. You know
we’re riding on the same tracks that Mister Lincoln’s funeral train used a
few short weeks ago.”

“Yes, sir. I still can’t believe that he’s gone. He visited the front lines
often and could have been shot on many occasions but gets murdered while
watching a play in Washington City. That idiot Boothe killed the only real
chance that the South had for a gentler peace. I guess hate and ignorance
overrule common sense and reasonable thought.”
“That’s the truth, Gene,” Henry replied as he looked at his young
traveling companion, ‘I think it’s odd that the same newspapers that are
praising him as the greatest president since Washington called him an ape
when he was running for president. Not only that, they worded it so that it
sounded as if it was an insult to the apes. Then the only reason he was even
elected was because the Democrats split into three parties. Even the
Republicans didn’t want him and probably voted for him with a sour taste
in their mouths.”
“He may not have been the most handsome man even in his own home,
but he may have been the only man with the strength of character to endure
what needed to be endured to pull the Union through the war. At least now
maybe the nation he saved seems to understand what a truly exceptional
man he was.”
 As he studied Gene who was now looking out the window, Henry hoped
that whatever he had to do in Colorado wouldn’t take long and he’d soon
return to Peoria to clerk for him. He could see the building blocks for an
outstanding attorney, or anything else that he might choose to do with his
life.

_____
The overworked and tired woodburning locomotive noisily but gratefully
slowed as it pulled into the Peoria station. It was late afternoon and the
blazing summer sun welcomed Gene and Henry Wheeler back to their
hometown.
Henry hadn’t sent a telegram to his wife to let her know he’d be
returning simply because the enormous Western Union office near the camp
had a line stretching for almost a hundred yards. Gene had suggested there
was a more sinister reason for surprising his wife, but he knew better. It was
a measure of how comfortable he was with the man who’d been his
commanding officer for the past two years.
When they exited the passenger car, Gene carried his Spencer carbine
and wore his gunbelt with his Colt, an ammunition pouch and his saber. He
had a backpack over his shoulders with the rest of his gear. Henry didn’t
have a gun and was carrying his things in a heavy satchel. Colonels didn’t
wear backpacks, but he still wore his saber, so the two ex-officers made
quite a sight as they left the station.
Henry may have been tall at five feet and ten inches, but Gene still
towered over him as they marched in step along the sidewalk. It was a hard
habit to break. It was a fairly long walk to the Wheeler home, but to anyone
who’d spent two years in the infantry, even as officers, it was just a short
jaunt.
When they turned down Foster Street, Henry said, “It seems like it’s
been a lifetime since I’ve seen my house.”

“It has been a lifetime, sir.”

 “Will you please stop calling me sir? Call me Henry now that we’re
civilians.”

Gene smiled before replying, “That will take some time, sir. You keep
forgetting that I’m just an ignorant farm boy.”
Henry chuckled before saying, “You may still have a lot to learn, Gene,
but you’re far from being a boy of any sort anymore.”
Gene was impressed when Henry pointed out his large home. As many
times as he’d wandered the streets of Peoria, he really hadn’t paid any
attention to the higher end neighborhoods. The Wheeler home must have
had six bedrooms for the four family members, yet he was going to have to
move into the barn when the Morans moved into the farmhouse. Now that
Olive, Henry’s older daughter, had moved out, only his wife and the much-
praised Bess lived in that enormous house.
After they turned down the long, cobbled walkway, Henry picked up the
pace in his anxiety and Gene let him pull ahead to give him some measure
of privacy when his wife opened the door.
Henry bounded up the porch steps and before he even reached for the
doorknob, the door flew open and Gene had his first sight of Millie
Wheeler. The colonel had described her often and even though he was
expecting to see a petite woman, Gene was still surprised by just how small
she was. Mrs. Wheeler was barely five feet tall and to reach a hundred
pounds on the scales, she would have to be wearing his backpack and
probably carrying his Spencer.
Gene stayed put on the walkway wearing a smile as Henry plucked his
wife from the porch floor and before either said a word, speech became
impossible.
When their initial passionate greeting had ended, Henry gently lowered
Millie to the floor and was soon lifting his daughter into the air. He just
kissed her on the cheek as tears rolled down Millie’s cheeks and her joyful
eyes welcomed her husband home. She hadn’t even noticed Gene standing
fifteen feet away and normally, he would be difficult to ignore. This was far
from being a normal occasion.

After Henry set Bess back to the porch floor, he took Millie’s hand and
finally turned to look for Gene and spotted him still standing on the ground.
“Get up here, Captain!” he ordered in his best command voice.
Gene snapped to attention, saluted then replied, “Yes, sir!” before
climbing the four porch steps.
Millie was still smiling broadly as she offered her tiny hand, “It’s a
pleasure to meet you finally, Gene. Henry has written about you often.”

As he engulfed her hand in his massive paw, he smiled and replied, “He
rarely said more than twenty words without saying your name, Mrs.
Wheeler. Even when he should have been giving us our orders.”
Millie laughed before saying, “Call me Millie, Gene.”

Then she stepped aside slightly before she said, “I’d like you to meet our
daughter, Bess.”
Bess was taller than her mother by three inches or so and was just as
pretty as her father had claimed.

He shook her offered hand and bowed slightly as he said, “It’s a pleasure
meeting you, Miss Wheeler.”
“Call me Bess, Gene. I feel as if you’re already part of the family just
from my father’s letters.”

“Thank you, Bess.”

Bess then preceded everyone into the house and once in the parlor, Gene
spent a few seconds in awe of the almost luxurious furnishings.
Henry said, “Millie, Gene is going to stay with us tonight. Which room
is available?”
 Millie smiled at Gene before replying, “You can stay in the first bedroom
on the left upstairs. The bathroom is across the hall. Did you want to put
your things away before joining us for coffee?”
Gene had barely uttered, “Thank you, ma’am,” before Bess said,
“Follow me, Gene,” and trotted toward the staircase.
He then glanced at her parents who were already leaving the parlor and
wondered if this was some sort of conspiracy that they had concocted via
correspondence once their brigade had been sent to Chicago.
Bess opened the bedroom door and waited for Gene to enter before
following him inside. She left the door open, which gave him some measure
of relief, then Bess gave him much more.
He set his hat on the dresser and as he was leaning his Spencer against
the wall, she smiled and said, “My father expects us to become enamored of
each other; doesn’t he?”
Gene was shrugging off his backpack’s shoulder straps as he grinned and
replied, “Yes, ma’am. He’s been doing a fairly constant job of selling that
notion for a while now.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about it, Gene. I’ve been seeing a young
man for a few months now and I believe he’s about to propose.”

He unbuckled his saber and laid it on the bed as he said, “I suggested

that very thing to your father, but he was convinced that your mother would
have told him.”
“We wanted to surprise him. I imagine by the time we return to the
kitchen mama would have broken the news.”

“Then I guess all I can say is congratulations, Bess.”

“Thank you, Gene. Let’s head downstairs before father thinks I’ve
changed my mind.”
 Gene laughed as he hooked his arm through Bess’s before they exited the
room and walked down the stairs.

The remainder of the day he spent with the Wheelers was more than just
pleasant for Gene. As he watched the family share their obvious love and
respect for each other, it gave him a glimpse into what he wanted from life.
Even when he was a boy, he had never felt this level of bonding. He had
respected his father and loved his mother, but this was different. As he
listened to them chatter and laugh, he wondered why Henry Wheeler had
sacrificed two years of this life to fight in that war. He couldn’t have been
drafted and even though Henry had told him that the governor himself had
asked him to form the brigade of replacements, it still didn’t seem a strong
enough incentive.
He became an active part of the Wheeler family for the entire evening as
Bess and Millie battered him with questions about his boyhood and family.
He didn’t hide any details but didn’t express his deeply held feelings about
his parents.
By the time he finally slipped beneath the heavy quilts, he felt that the
Wheelers were more of a family than his own. He still wanted to see his
mother and sisters but was happy that he’d stayed at Henry’s home.
His last walk from Peoria to the farm had been one stressful step after
another knowing that he’d have to see the Morans. But now he wasn’t
concerned about them at all. He’d learned how to handle all sorts of men
and rarely let his temper loose. He’d see his mother and sisters tomorrow
and then he’d return to Peoria to prepare for his long journey to Colorado.
 CHAPTER 2
It was well after midmorning when Gene turned onto Foster Street to
make the two-mile walk to the farm. He had left his Spencer and his
backpack in his room because he’d be staying with the Wheelers until he
left but decided to wear his saber. All morning, Henry had continued to
remind Gene that when he finished what he needed to do in Colorado, he
must return to Peoria even if Bess was no longer an incentive.
He was in a good mood as he marched through the streets and soon
headed south. He had been surprised by how few uniforms he’d seen since
he arrived, but he wasn’t surprised to see so many women dressed in black
or men wearing black armbands. Almost everyone had been affected by the
war and even though many displayed their grief in their dress, most just
held it hidden inside.
Gene studied the land as he walked along the dirt street. The crops in the
fields were mostly doing well and he saw men, women and youngsters
working in the tall rows of corn and other crops. He knew most of them, but
they were too busy to pay attention to the tall soldier.

Although he was no longer concerned about seeing the Morans, he still

hoped that they’d be working in the fields so he could talk to his mother and
Anna alone. With Katie living with Kevin in Jack’s house, he’d have to pay
her a visit later. He wasn’t about to visit Augie and Lorraine who had
moved back into town. He hadn’t learned why yet and really didn’t care.
As he always did, once he reached the northwest corner of the farm, he
cut across the yard toward the house. He was scanning the fields but hadn’t
seen anyone yet. The corn was tall enough to hide them, so it didn’t bother
him. None of the Morans were that tall, so they were probably out among
the tall plants. He did hear the cows lowing from the barn and saw chickens
trotting and pecking the ground almost everywhere he looked.
 The farmhouse where he’d spent his boyhood seemed so much smaller
now and not just in comparison to the Wheelers’ home. It hadn’t changed
except for a new coat of whitewash that was already fading but he did
notice that there were now two rocking chairs on the porch.

He strode across the grassy front yard and soon reached the porch steps.
He didn’t slow as he climbed the steps and after he crossed the porch he
stopped before the door. He wasn’t sure if he needed to knock but decided
that it would be a shock to his mother if he just walked inside.
Gene rapped the screen door and waited for his mother or sister to
appear. He heard footsteps and when the door swung wide, he almost didn’t
recognize Anna.

Anna, however, had no difficulties identifying the tall young officer

standing at the door with his saber hanging at his side.
“Gene!” she exclaimed before she threw open the screen door and
jumped into his arms.

Gene was all smiles before he kissed her on the forehead then replied, “I
almost didn’t recognize you, Anna. You’re not a girl anymore.”
He lowered her to the porch then she said, “You’re even bigger than you
were when you left. Come inside. Mom is in the kitchen baking some
bread.”

He followed his buoyant sister over the threshold and was removing his
hat when his mother came trotting down the hallway wearing a big smile.
“Hello, Mom,” Gene said before he embraced her.

His mother didn’t weep but held him close and rested her head on his
chest as she said, “I’m so happy to see you again, Gene. You’ll never know
how much I missed you.”
‘I missed you too, Mom. Is Katie here?”
 “No. She’s at her house with Jack’s wife. Her time is close and walking
all the way to visit isn’t a good idea.”

She finally released him and said, “Come into the kitchen. I’ll put on
some coffee and we can talk.”
Gene nodded before his mother took Anna’s hand and began walking
back down the hallway. Gene followed, all the time wondering where the
Morans were.

After filling the coffeepot and placing it on the hotplate, his mother
joined Anna and Gene at the table.
He considered asking her about her husband and the other Moran men,
but didn’t want to bring up the subject unless it was necessary.

As his mother sat, Anna quietly asked, “What was it like, Gene?”
“The war? Mostly it was just waiting. We’d march, set up a camp, drill
and train, but most of the time we just waited for the fighting. As we
marched, there would be sporadic gunfire on the flanks fairly often, but we
ignored it. When we did engage in a battle, they’d usually last at least a
couple of days. Those days were filled with confusion. Sometimes, we
wouldn’t even know who won, and I was an officer. It was much worse for
the enlisted men. The camp conditions were pretty bad, but nowhere nearly
as bad as the rebels had it. That was odd because it was their country. I
talked to a Confederate major who’d been at Gettysburg and he told me the
Army of Virginia never ate better than when they were in Pennsylvania.

“Illness was a much bigger fear than the battles. At least there you could
shoot at someone. We’d have battles when more than half of the brigade
went into the fight with a case of dysentery or some other gut-wrenching
sickness.”
“What did it feel like when you were shot?”

“Getting shot wasn’t as bad as being stabbed with that bayonet. I knew
I’d been hit, but the Minie ball that wound up in my arm had actually hit my
saber first. The blade was shattered, and only after I tossed it down, did I
realize that the bullet hit me.

“The stab wound was worse because I got to watch that Johnny Reb
stick his bayonet into my leg. I was lucky that the surgeons were able to fix
me up quickly. They cleaned both wounds with carbolic soap, so I didn’t
get an infection and lose either limb. Most of the time, the soldiers were on
the ground too long and had to have a leg or arm amputated.”
He then smiled at Anna and said, “Let’s forget about the war for a while.
I hear you’re getting married in September.”

Anna’s face split into a giant smile as she nodded then said, “I am. You
never met John. He signed up with the army right away, but it was only a
ninety-day enlistment. I guess they all thought the war would be over much
more quickly. He said that he thought it would be exciting and just an
adventure but found out that it wasn’t like that at all. He never got into a
single battle, so when his enlistment was up, he left the army. They offered
him a bonus to stay, but he thought it was stupid.”
“He sounds like a smart man. Why haven’t I heard of him before?”

“After you joined the army, I was in town and I told Peggy Farley that
you were in the army and she introduced me to her cousin, John Kiley who
was visiting from Chicago. He was supposed to leave for home the next day
but stayed for two weeks.”
Gene grinned then said, “I can understand why he’d change his plans,
Anna. So, after he left, letters flowed between Peoria and Chicago for a
while and he visited when he could. Is that right?”

Anna nodded before replying, “After we’re married, we’ll be living in

Chicago. You’ll be here for the wedding; won’t you?”
“I hope so.”

His mother then asked, “Are you going to live in town again or will you
be living here? Now that Augie is living in town with Lorraine, Jim could
use your help.”

Before he could answer, Anna giggled then said, “I’ll bet that was a
surprise hearing that Augie was marrying Lorraine.”
“Water under the bridge, Anna.”

Then his mother asked for a second time, “So, will you help us out now
that you’re back?”
Gene shook his head before replying, “I’m going to clerk for Henry
Wheeler and when he thinks I’m ready, I’ll take the bar exam.”

Anna exclaimed, “
You’re going to be a lawyer?
”
“Not anytime soon, ma’am. It’ll take a while.”

The coffeepot was steaming, so his mother stood and after sliding the
steaming pot from the hotplate, she poured in a scoop of ground coffee.
Anna then rose and as she set three cups on the table, she asked, “Where
will you be living?”

“I’m staying with the Wheelers right now. I haven’t got a place of my
own yet.”
His mother filled the three cups before returning the pot to the cookstove
and taking her seat.

Gene took a sip of the scalding coffee then smiled and said, “The one
bright spot of being in the army was that we always had a lot of coffee. The
rebs had to use all sorts of substitutes and when we captured one of them,
the first thing he’d ask for would be a cup of coffee. Of course, most of our
boys wanted some of their tobacco.”
His mother had her cup in both hands and looked over the rim as she
asked, “Why did your father write to you after ten years? I didn’t even
know if he was still alive until I saw that envelope.”
 Gene set his cup down and replied, “He asked me to help him with a
problem but didn’t say what it was.”

“
He expects you to go all the way to California to help him after he
abandoned us?
Surely you aren’t going to travel halfway across the country
just to help that thoughtless bastard!”
“He lives in Colorado now. I don’t know why, but I am going to go there
to help him.”

His mother’s eyes were enormous as she exclaimed, “

Why would you do
that?
Did he give you some excuse for what he did to make you feel sorry
for him? Did he make it sound as if I drove him away?”
“No, Mom. He actually wrote that there was no excuse for abandoning
us. He just explained that I was the only one who could help him. I don’t
know why that would be so, but the reason I decided to go was that he said
I’d be helping two innocents.”

Beatrice huffed and said, “She’s probably his kept woman and their
bastard child. I think you’re making a big mistake, Gene. I thought you
were smarter than that.”
“You’re probably right, Mom, but I’m still leaving. I should be back in a
month or so, so I won’t miss Anna’s wedding. I might even make it back in
time for the birth of Katie’s second. I haven’t seen my nephew since he was
just a baby.”

Anna noticed that her mother’s famous Irish temper was taking control,
so she quickly said, “I’ll walk with you to their house to meet him. I want to
see Katie’s face when she sees you in your uniform.”
“I’d like that, Anna. Tomorrow, I’m going to do some clothes shopping
and I won’t be wearing it again. I don’t know what I’ll do with the saber.”

“You could leave it with me and then I can give it to your first son, so
he’ll know how brave his father is.”
 Gene grinned at his sister before saying, “I’m far from having a son,
Anna, but I’ll leave it with you. Maybe you can use it to threaten your beau
if he balks at the altar.”

Anna laughed before sipping her coffee but glanced at their fuming
mother. She knew that she needed to get Gene out of the house and wanted
to talk to him in private anyway.
Gene had sensed his mother’s growing foul mood as well, so after
emptying his cup, he stood and said, “I’ll get my hat and then we’ll go visit
Katie and my nephew.”

He then smiled at his mother before saying, “I’ll be back in a little while,
Mom.”
To defuse her anger, he kissed her on the forehead before executing an
about face without realizing it and marching down the hallway to retrieve
his new army headgear.
Anna stood, placed hers and Gene’s empty cups in the sink and smiled at
her mother before she said, “He’ll be all right, Mom. It’s just so nice having
him back.”
Beatrice smiled back at her daughter then just nodded before taking a sip
of her coffee.
Anna heard Gene’s loud footsteps pounding down the hallway then as
soon as he appeared in all his military splendor, she hooked her arm through
his and after waving to their mother, escorted him out the back door.
As soon as they were clear of the house, Anna said, “I thought mom was
about to let her Irish loose. She’s been telling all of the Morans that when
you returned, you’d be working with them. I don’t know why she thought
that way because you left the farm long before you went into the army.”

“That really surprised me, Anna. She knows that I’m not fond of any of
the Morans.”
 Then after a short pause, he asked, “How is Katie really doing with
Kevin? I never asked before because I was so disgusted with the very idea
of mom and Katie marrying Morans that I didn’t want to know. At least you
finally got some sense into your head and moved on from Augie.”

“It didn’t take that long, Gene. But when you see Katie. she’ll probably
be with the other Morans and Jack’s wife, Fiona. They’re probably having
their noon meal. They have lunch at the closer house to each day’s work.
That means you’re going to have face all of them. Can you manage to
behave civilly?”
Gene snickered then replied, “Yes, ma’am. I’ve learned how to deal with
all sorts of men over the past few years. But you haven’t answered my
question about Katie. How is Kevin treating her?”

“I suppose it’s not too bad, but I know she’s not happy. She tells me that
he’s not the same man she knew before they were married. It was one of the
reasons I lost interest in Augie.”
“He put on a different mask when he was with Katie. I knew what he
was like, but I don’t believe she would have listened to me anyway. I was
just a skinny boy when I left.”

She squeezed her big brother’s arm as she said, “You’re not a skinny boy
anymore, Gene. I can’t get over how big you are. You were always tall, but
you’ve really filled out since you joined the army. I can feel all that strong
muscle in your arm. I’m almost sad that I’m your sister.”
Gene laughed as they passed along the edge of the corn fields and he
could see the original Moran farmhouse ahead.
Anna then said, “Gene, you have to be careful when talking to mom
about the Morans. You probably don’t fully understand why, but if you say
the wrong thing, it could set off fireworks.”
“I probably understand more than you do, Anna.”
 “I doubt if that’s true. I think mom was worried about what our father
wrote in that letter. I was surprised that she forwarded it to you. I guess
once she knew that I’d seen it, she really didn’t have a choice.”
“That makes sense. I can understand why she might be worried about
what he wrote, but I could let her read it without any concerns. I assume
that what you think I don’t know has something to do with why our father
abandoned us ten years ago.”
Anna pulled him to a stop and looked up at him before asking, “Do you
think it was just to find gold in California?”
“It might have been a reason, but I think the real reason was that he
didn’t want to have a full-blown battle with mom in front of us. He
probably discovered what was happening when he wasn’t home.”
“
When did you find out?
” she asked sharply.
“The day I left the farm when I stopped at the Donnelly house to get out
of the rain. When I told Mrs. Donnelly that I was leaving home because of
the Morans, she told me that Jim Moran’s first wife had confided in her that
mom was spending private time with her husband and she was going to file
for a divorce.”
“Why didn’t you tell me and Katie? We only found out about it less than
a year ago when Kevin tried to make Katie feel bad.”
“Would you have believed me, Anna? I had just stormed off the farm
because of the Morans, and you and Katie were making googly eyes at
Kevin and Augie. If I’d said anything, you both would have thought I made
it up and probably hated me for it. Even when I was fifteen, I could figure
that out.”
“You’re probably right,” she said before they resumed walking.
“Kevin told Katie that just to make her feel bad?”
“He does things like that pretty often, but at least he doesn’t beat her.”
 Gene didn’t reply but needed to use all of his army-learned discipline to
keep his half-Irish temper in check. He wasn’t sure if that would be possible
if he saw Kevin with Katie, but it was too late to turn around. Besides, he
really did want to see Katie again and see how much his nephew had
grown, even if he was named Moran.

There was smoke billowing from the cookstove pipe as they approached
the Moran home and walked to the back of the house. When they were near
the back step, Gene could hear male voices and laughter inside.
He was still in control of his nervous anger as Anna reached for the
door’s handle and without knocking, she opened the door and stepped into
the kitchen. Gene followed her inside and soon had everyone’s attention.

He stopped just inside the crowded kitchen and removed his calvary
officer’s hat as he spotted Katie. He couldn’t see below her shoulders, so he
didn’t know how big she was, but her face was rounder and as he smiled at
her, her round face grew a big smile before she slowly stood.
Anna didn’t say a word as her brother and sister slowly walked toward
each other and only when Katie waddled around Jim Moran, did Gene see
how really pregnant she was.
Her condition did limit the way and amount of force he used when he
wrapped his arms around her.
“Welcome home, Gene,” she said softly as she held him.
He kissed her on her forehead before saying, “I’m so happy to see you
again, Katie. Where’s my nephew?”
“Jimmy is napping. Fiona is curious about seeing you again, too,” she
said before releasing him and turning to her sister-in-law.
Fiona Moran stood and smiled at him as she approached, then shook his
hand and said, “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Gene. Katie and Anna talk
about you all the time.”
 “I’m happy to see you as well, Fiona.”

Everything was going so well that Gene had begun to feel almost
comfortable when Jim Moran changed the mood in the room.
He sharply asked, “Are you gonna move back here and help us now that
you’re finished being a soldier?”

Gene shifted his focus to the man and replied, “No, sir. I’ll be clerking
for Henry Wheeler in town.”
“I figured as much. I told Beatrice that you weren’t about to move back
here.”
As Fiona and Katie returned to their seats, Kevin stood and walked
toward him then stopped just three feet away.
Before his despised brother-in-law could open his mouth, Gene smiled,
stuck out his hand and said, “Howdy, Kevin. How are you doing?”
Kevin was taken aback by his surprisingly friendly tone and shook his
hand but as soon as the handshake ended, he said, “I see you’re still
wearing that uniform. I guess that you want everybody to think you’re a
hero.”
“No, sir. None of us who faced cannon and musket fire thought we were
heroes. We thought the men around us were heroes, but we were just doing
our job. I’m only wearing my uniform because I haven’t had a chance to
buy civilian clothes yet.”
Kevin was about to say something else when Anna quickly said, “Gene
will be leaving Peoria for a month or so, but he should be back before you
have your baby, Katie.”
Katie asked, “Where will you be going, Gene?”

“Colorado. Our long-lost father sent me a letter asking for my help and
said that I was the only one who could do it. He didn’t explain what it was,
and I wouldn’t have bothered but he did mention that it would help two
innocent people. Besides, I’m curious to find out what he’s been doing all
these years.”

As he answered Katie’s question, Gene watched Jim Moran’s face for his
reaction but didn’t see any measure of concern which surprised him. Still,
he felt that he’d worn out his welcome.
Anna must have shared his thoughts because he had no sooner finished
talking, before she said, “Mom is expecting us back, so we’ll be leaving.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get to see my nephew, Katie. But I’ll see him when
I get to meet my niece as well.”
Katie smiled and said, “You’d better visit both of my babies, sir.”
Gene noticed that she referred to them as ‘her babies’ and not ‘our
babies’ and wished he could spend more time with Katie to ask her much
more personal questions. But he knew that the odds of him being left alone
with his sister were almost non-existent, even if it meant the crops were
ignored for the rest of the day.
He pulled on his hat then he followed Anna out the door.

As they walked back to what was now the other Moran house, Anna
said, “You did better than I expected, Gene. I expected you to show Kevin
the pointy end of your saber after his snide comment.”
“I was expecting worse, Anna. I wish I could have spent more time with
Katie, but that wasn’t going to happen; was it?”
“I don’t think so. How long are you going to stay on the farm?”
“I think I’ll start back in an hour or so.”

“Do you need anything before you go to Colorado?”

“No, ma’am. In fact, I was going to ask you if I could give you any help.
I’m pretty flush with cash right now.”
 “Thank you for offering, but I’m fine. John’s father owns two flour mills
in Chicago, so money won’t be a problem.”

Gene grinned at his sister before saying, “But you’d marry him even if
he was just the seventh son of a dirt-poor farmer; wouldn’t you?”
She smiled up at him as she replied, “You know me well, sir.”
“That’s because you and I have always been so much closer ever since
you could walk. I’ll write to you when I get to Colorado if it looks like it
may take me longer than I expect. If you have any problems, send me a
letter. I’m not sure if they even have a telegraph there. His address is #12
Fifth Street in a town called Orville. Can you remember that?”
“I can, but no matter what happens, I expect to see you before September
arrives. If not, you’d better have a good reason for missing my wedding,
Mister Stewart.”

“It would be a much better reason than it was for my going into the
army, Miss Stewart. I just can’t imagine anything being that bad.”
“Maybe not, but it certainly sounds puzzling.”
“I’ll admit that the mystery of our father’s request was an important
factor in my decision to help him. That other sentence about the two
innocents has me intrigued as well.”
“You don’t think mom was right about him having another wife and
child?”
“I have no idea.”
“Whatever it is, just make sure it doesn’t keep you from getting back in
time to walk me down the aisle.”
“You want me to walk you down the aisle?”
“Well, our father isn’t returning, and I surely don’t want Jim Moran to do
it. You were always my first choice even if you brought our father back. I
prayed that you came home safely and not just to escort me to the altar.”
“Just being able to talk to you again made me happy to come back,
Anna.”
_____
Gene didn’t even spend another hour with his mother after they returned
and most of that time was spent eating their lunch. It was as if there was
even a higher barrier between them now. He assumed it was because his
mother probably realized that he knew about her adulterous relationship
with the man who was now her husband.
He still gave her a warm hug and kiss before leaving the house. He left
his saber with Anna as she had asked, so the walk back to Peoria was less
annoying. He was relieved that it had gone so well, and the only unwelcome
news was when Anna had told him that Kevin didn’t treat Katie well. It
wasn’t surprising because he knew Kevin and obviously knew him better
than Katie did, but it still bothered him.

The walk back to the Wheelers seemed much shorter even in the late
afternoon heat. He’d do some shopping tomorrow, check on the train
schedule to Council Bluffs which was across the Missouri from Omaha,
then return and start packing for the journey.
It would be a long train ride but a much longer trip across Nebraska and
Colorado. Luckily, he shouldn’t even need his compass for most of the ride.
He’d just have to follow the Platte River across the plains of Nebraska then
ride alongside the South Platte. There were army forts along the route to
protect the settlers who still followed the Mormon and Oregon Trails, so
he’d be able to pick up supplies as he made his way across the wild country.
He had no idea about the Indians along the way, but expected he’d be able
to get an idea of potential threats when he stopped at Omaha.

He was still debating if it wouldn’t be wiser to take a riverboat down to

Kansas City and then take the Santa Fe trail across Kansas, but he’d make
that decision when he arrived in Omaha. He wasn’t sure if he’d rather face
the Sioux or the Apaches and Comanches. He’d be well-armed with his
Spencer, his Colt Navy pistol and the new Henry he hoped to find before he
left Omaha whether it was south on the Missouri or west along the Platte.
He didn’t count the oddball Le Mat pistol he had in his backpack. He’d
been given the pistol by a rebel lieutenant from Baton Rouge. They’d spent
some time in his tent and shared stories. The Le Mat was unusual for many
reasons.
The Colt had become almost a standard design with its six chambers.
The Le Mat had nine and used a special ball that had to be made by the
user. If that wasn’t strange enough, the pistol had a 20-gauge shotgun barrel
under the pistol barrel. It only took the short stroke of a lever to make the
trigger strike the back of the shotgun’s percussion cap rather than the
percussion cap for a normal round, but it was a lot heavier and more
awkward to use than any other pistol he’d fired. He had never even fired the
gun after Lieutenant La Pierre had shown him all of its eccentricities and
loaded it for him. He’d even given Gene the ammunition pouch with over
two dozen balls he’d already made for the strange gun. The shotgun barrel
had to be filled with pellets that the rebel officer didn’t have, so it only had
the percussion cap attached to the empty shotgun bore.
Gene wasn’t sure if he’d ever really fire the thing and even the man
who’d given it to him had professed a reluctance to use it in battle. Gene
only kept it because it was a good conversation piece. He did harbor a
secret desire to fire the shotgun part of the pistol, though.
He reached the outskirts of town less than fifteen minutes after leaving
the farm as his long legs and well-practiced strides made short work of the
road.
Gene was about to turn down Foster Street when he checked his pocket
watch and realized he had enough time to start his shopping. He may not
get it all done, but he’d be sure to get one complete outfit of civilian
clothes. At least he wouldn’t need new boots or a hat. The nice officer boots
on his enormous feet were just issued to him last month.
 As he headed for Witherspoon & Sons General Store, he studied Peoria
in greater detail than he had since he arrived. There were some new shops
that he hadn’t noticed before and one immediately caught his eye.
Gene forgot about the clothes as he turned and began to cross the busy
main street but had to wait for a freight wagon and a double-seat buggy to
pass before he successfully crossed to the opposite side.
He entered the open doorway to G.W. Mason, Gunsmith and scanned the
shop’s inventory. Most of the guns on display were single-shot muzzle or
breechloaders and shotguns. He spotted some Spencers, so he knew he
could buy some ammunition, but he didn’t see a Henry rifle.

When he approached the counter, George Washington Mason grinned at

him before he said, “Howdy, Captain. Still want to shoot something?”
Gene smiled back as he replied, “I didn’t want to shoot anybody before I
left, but I might need to on my way to Colorado. You don’t have one of
those Henry repeaters; do you?”
“Yes, sir. I have six. I just got them in a couple of days ago and I’m still
cleaning them and making sure that they’re good enough to sell.”
“Are any of them ready to sell?”
“I’ve got two of them ready to go, but I reckon you’ll only want one.”
“One is more than I expected to find in Peoria. You weren’t here when I
left two years ago.”
“Nope. I was a drummer for Smith & Wesson and when I passed through
town, I didn’t find a gunsmith to buy my pistols. So, I decided to be my
own customer. You wouldn’t want to buy one of my Model 2s; would you?”
“Now you really have my interest. I have a Colt Navy, but some of the
other officers had the Model 2s and I was jealous. It used a metal cartridge
and they could reload all six cylinders faster than a soldier could reload his
Springfield. It fires a .32 caliber bullet; doesn’t it?”
 “Yes, sir. I have quite a few boxes of the cartridges for some reason. I
don’t have to tell you how handy it would be to have with you on that long
ride. I’ll give you four dollars off if you want to trade your Colt.”
“I’ll do that, but I’d like two of them, if you have them. I’ll need a new
gunbelt for both pistols and three boxes of the .32s and four boxes of the
.44s for the Henry.”
George grinned and then began stacking boxes of cartridges onto the
counter before walking behind the counter and pulling out two boxed Smith
& Wesson Model 2 pistols.

The revolvers were very different from his Colt. It didn’t have the trigger
guard, which didn’t bother Gene that much. The fast reloading was very
impressive as the pistol’s barrel would just swing up after releasing the
catch and then the cylinder would just slide off the mounting pin. The
expended brass would either fall out or they would be pushed out with the
pin below the barrel. Six new .32s would be inserted, the full cylinder was
then replaced, and the barrel snapped back into position. It was longer to
explain how it was done than it was to actually do it.
After the gunsmith set the two boxed pistols on the counter, he entered
his curtained workshop and soon returned with the prized Henry repeater.
Gene had actually fired the weapon before when a fellow officer let him try
his, so he knew the Henry’s great benefits and as well as its flaws.

After George dropped his new gunbelt onto the stack, Gene removed his
current gunbelt and set it on the counter.
“Well, Captain, I think you’re ready to take on a whole tribe of wild
Indians.”

“I doubt that, but I might run into some rebels. Not all of them have
surrendered yet.”
“I heard that, but if you’re heading across Nebraska, I’d lay my money
on you running into Indians more than Confederates.”
 Gene grinned as George began adding up his total. He momentarily
thought about offering the Le Mat as a trade but figured it wouldn’t fetch
more than two dollars and he’d rather keep the oddball weapon. He totally
forgot about asking for shotgun pellets.

After digging into his money belt, he paid for the order, then strapped on
his new gunbelt, loaded both pistols and dropped them into their holsters
before taking the Henry in his right hand and the bag of ammunition in his
left.
“Thanks for the business, Captain,” George said as he slid the cash into
his drawer.
“I’m not a captain anymore, but I’m really glad you decided to stop in
Peoria and set up your business.”
George gave him a wave before Gene stepped back outside and realized
that it was probably too late to do any more shopping. Besides, he wanted
to show Henry his new weapons, including the one that bore his name.
He thought that he’d had his last surprise of the day when he’d
discovered the gunsmith shop, but he was wrong.
When he was close to the Wheeler house, he spotted Henry in the back
yard near the carriage house. What really attracted his attention was the tall,
handsome horse that he was rubbing down. He hadn’t seen the horse when
he’d arrived, but he’d spent most of his time in the house, so it wasn’t a
surprise. He was an impressive animal with a dark brown coat and four
white stockings and a single white slash down his nose.
The surprise would come shortly after he walked down the carriage lane
and Henry turned toward him with a big grin on his face.
“You’re well-armed, Gene,” Henry said.

“I didn’t know that Peoria had a gunsmith. He was a good salesman,

too.”
 Henry laughed as Gene approached the tall horse, set down the bag of
ammunition and then began stroking the gelding’s neck.
“He’s a magnificent animal, Henry. How old is he?”
“John Donnelly told me he’s just three years old.”
“Harry Donnelly’s father? Why would a butcher tell you his age?”
“Because he’s the man who sold him to me. I just bought him today. I
know that he had a few horses that some of his customers traded for beef
over the years and he’d actually begun to breed some when the army was
paying top price. After you left, I went over to see him and found this
incredible animal in the corral behind his shop.”
“Why would he sell it? I mean, even though horse prices are finally
coming back to reality, I thought he’d want to keep him for himself.”
“It seems that he’d given the horse to your childhood chum Harry, and
when Harry tried to ride him, he was tossed a country mile. Harry didn’t
want to have anything to do with him and John was about to sell him
anyway. So, my timing was perfect, and I bought him.”
“Can I ask how much you had to pay for him? I can imagine he must
have set you back at least five hundred dollars.”
“I did some legal work for John before our little adventure down south
and didn’t charge him, so I was able to buy him for just a hundred.”
“That’s one hell of a bargain, Henry!”
Henry grinned before saying, “I’m glad that you are finally past that
whole colonel/captain crap. I’ll agree that he was a bargain and I’m sure
that he’ll serve you well on your trip to Colorado.”
Gene’s eyes whipped to his right to stare at Henry before he exclaimed,
“You’re kidding! Henry, you can’t do this! You deserve to have a beautiful
horse like him.”
 “Consider it a bribe, Gene. I want you to come back to Peoria and clerk
for me. I may have lost the Bess incentive, but I think a little guilt will serve
the same purpose. Every time you mount this big boy, you’ll remember that
you owe me.”

Gene laughed then turned back to look at the horse. He’d never seen a
horse whose eye level matched his own. He didn’t doubt that the gelding
would be able to handle the long journey. The biggest problem Gene might
have would be in keeping him. He imagined every Indian and dishonest
man from here to Colorado would make every effort to take him, but Gene
knew he was worth the risk.
“Thanks, Henry. I’ll admit he is a powerful incentive.”
“Good. Now let’s get him into the carriage house and you can tell us
how things went at the farm. You can tell me about your new guns when
we’re having coffee.”
Gene picked up his bag of cartridges and walked with Henry as he led
the big gelding into the carriage house. He felt less guilty for taking the
horse when he saw two other horses inside, but the taller of the two was still
more than two hands shorter than his new friend.
Henry was still smiling but even though he almost desperately wanted
Gene to clerk for him, the big gelding wasn’t really a bribe or even an
incentive. To Henry he was just a gift to a friend who needed a solid horse
for his long and treacherous journey.
_____
Gene’s second evening with the Wheelers was more pleasant than the
first as he felt even more comfortable.
He told them of his awkward moments with the Morans and his mother,
but how that was offset with his reunion with Anna. Bess said she’d like to
meet Anna, and Gene said that he’d be sure to introduce her when he
returned for Anna’s wedding.
 Bess thought Anna’s response to leaving the saber so he could present it
to his first son was perfect. Gene didn’t think for a moment that Bess had
hinted that she wanted to be the one to bear his son who would eventually
receive the saber.
Gene and Henry spent a couple of hours after supper examining his new
guns and Henry had agreed with the gunsmith that he was sufficiently
armed for his long trip. Henry recommended that he take the Oregon Trail
rather than the southern route along the Santa Fe Trail. He also suggested
that Gene cross the Missouri at Nebraska City and not Omaha because of
the influx of ex-soldiers and Irish immigrants who were overcrowding the
town as the Union Pacific began laying track. It made for a dangerous time
and Gene would be a prime target with his horse and new guns.
Gene had thanked him for his recommendations and was impressed with
his knowledge which only added to his belief that real learning only
exposed even more ignorance.

When he finally turned in that night, he was emotionally drained from

his experience on the farm. He was worried about Katie, happy for Anna,
disappointed with his mother, and even more disgusted with anyone bearing
the Moran name, except for innocent little Jimmy who he hadn’t been able
to see again.
Tomorrow, he’d do his shopping and maybe take some time to visit
Harry Donnelly.
He planned on leaving Peoria on the following day on a train that would
take him to Sidney, Iowa, the closest town to Nebraska City. Then the real
adventure would begin.
 CHAPTER 3
Gene’s shopping the next morning wasn’t limited to clothing. Now that
he had a horse, he needed to buy a complete set of tack. So, before he went
to Witherspoon & Sons to buy civilian clothing, he walked to Frobisher’s
Saddlery & Leather to outfit his new horse.
It took him longer than he expected as Mister Frobisher kept adding
accessories that he’d need for the trip like two scabbards for his rifles,
enormous saddlebags and even a new money belt. His old one was not only
beginning to fall apart, but he thought that a family of ticks might have
made it their new home. The saddle maker told him that his new one was
almost waterproof but didn’t clarify how much ‘almost’ was.

He told Mister Frobisher that he’d pick everything up in the morning

before leaving his shop to finally begin his search for a non-army wardrobe.
He wore the voluminous saddlebags over his shoulder as he walked along
the sidewalk. In his new money belt, he had a significant amount of cash
from his mustering out pay and his closed Peoria bank account. It also  
contained a single open envelope with the letter from his father.

_____
As Gene searched the aisles of Witherspoon & Sons for his new clothes,
a thousand miles away in Orville, Alex Stewart hacked violently before
dropping back onto his back.
Nora took the bloody towel from his hands and tossed it into the bucket
of soap water.
“I don’t think he’s coming, Nora,” Alex said, “I should have explained a
lot more in that letter.”
 “You know why you didn’t, and I agreed with you then and I still do. But
don’t concern yourself with Gene. Just try to get some rest.”

“I’m all right. I just don’t want to leave you and Robyn with such a
mess. I’m not going to let this damned disease take me. I can’t believe all
those damned smart rich folks think that consumption is a pleasant way to
go. I’d rather go down fighting. All I can do now is hold on and hope that
Gene will still come.”
“It’s a long journey, but he could arrive tomorrow for all we know. But
even if he does come, he’s still just a farmer and I don’t think there’s
anything he can do.”
“He’s my only son now and it doesn’t matter if he’s never even fired a
gun. All he’ll have to do is escort you and Robyn out of Orville to Colorado
Springs. I’ve made so many mistakes in my life one would think that I
should be able to avoid them by now. I should have pulled out of here when
I was still able to leave. Now I’ve trapped you and Robyn here with me.”
“I don’t feel trapped at all, and neither does Robyn. We could have gone
anytime in the past few months, but neither of us was going to desert you
when you needed us the most. You saved us when we were facing a horrible
time and you’ll never know how grateful we are. You know I love you, and
Robyn tells me often that she wished that you had been her father. You treat
us like royalty, Alex.”

Alex smiled at Nora and said, “I love you both too, Nora. I should have
married you years ago and then we wouldn’t be facing this problem.”
“You couldn’t marry me unless you divorced your wife and you lost your
chance to do that when you left Peoria. Even if you wanted to file here, we
don’t have a judge within forty miles.”
“I know. But that’s a weak excuse. I wish we at least had a sheriff or a
town marshal.”
“Even if we did, Humber probably would have him in his back pocket.”
 Alex smiled and asked, “Where is Robyn?”

“She’s making some more of that beef barley soup that you like. She’s a
strong girl, Alex. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“She’s just like you, Nora. We’ll figure out what to do even if Gene
doesn’t make it.”

“I’m surprised that Humber is still letting us buy food from his store,
even at those prices.”
“I was hoping that things would get better after I sold him the mine, but
it’s gotten worse. He hasn’t really done anything that looks bad yet, so I
guess he still wants to look like an upstanding citizen. I just don’t know
who he’s trying to impress. Most of the decent folks know what he is.”

“But I still don’t understand how he believes that he can claim the
money from your bank account in Colorado Springs.”
“I’m not so sure myself, but he knows that I abandoned my family back
in Peoria and that none of them think too kindly of me. He probably figures
that none of them even know where I am. He would have been right until I
sent that letter. Humber will probably just forge some last will or pull some
other legal shenanigans that I can’t figure out to get his hands on that
money. That’s the legal reason why I should have married you, Nora. When
I die, you and Robyn will get nothing; not even this house.”

“Then you’d better get better, Mister Stewart. You’ll want to give Gene a
strong handshake when he arrives.”
Alex smiled and patted her hand before saying, “Always the optimist;
aren’t you, Nora?”

“Someone has to be. I’ve got to do the laundry. Do you need anything
else?”
“No, ma’am. I wish I wasn’t so damned useless. I’m nothing but a
burden to you and Robyn.”
 “Oh, pish-posh! Enough of that burden nonsense! I’ll be back in a little
while with some hot soup.”

“Thank Robyn for me; will you? She’s really a special young lady.”
“I think so, too. Maybe when Gene comes, he’ll be as impressed with her
as we are.”

Alex laughed lightly then said, “Unless he’s already married and has
five…”
He was interrupted by a coughing spasm and quickly grabbed a nearby
towel to cover his mouth.

Nora stood, picked up the bucket and waited for Alex to finish. He had
good days and bad days, and today was one of the worst. She had been the
first to notice the symptoms almost two years ago, but it wasn’t until last
autumn that he’d finally been too ill to work anymore. The continued
decline in his health had forced him to sell his silver mine to Humber and
the trip to Colorado Springs to deposit the draft was the last time that they’d
made the journey. Ever since then, they’d rued their decision not to stay in
Colorado Springs. She sometimes thought he was getting better then he’d
have a relapse. Consumption was like that. All she could hope for was that
he would be one of the fortunate ones who beat the dreaded disease. She
had to have faith because without it, life would be worthless.
She then took his bloody towel, dropped it into the bucket and smiled at
Alex before leaving his sickroom and walking to the kitchen.

Once there, she dumped the heavy load of sudsy water and soaked
towels into the washtub then set the bucket on the floor.
Robyn continued to stir the pot of soup but turned to her mother and
asked, “How is he doing?”

“About the same, but I think he’s getting more frustrated by the day. A
man like Alex doesn’t do well when he’s limited as he is. He’s really
disappointed that Gene hasn’t arrived, too. I keep trying to convince him
that his son will be arriving soon, but I don’t think he believes me. He was
so excited for that first month, but each passing day makes it much less
likely that he’ll come.”

“I know. I wish there was something more I could do. I’m probably as
frustrated as he is, and I don’t even have an excuse.”
Nora smiled at her daughter and said, “You’re doing more than you will
ever know. We may not be able to help Alex get better, but we can’t give up
hope. Not everyone dies of consumption and if anyone can fight this
sickness, it’s Alex.”

Robyn nodded then said, “Fenn Jordan is watching the house. When I
went outside to use the privy, he waved to me as if he was our friend. That
man makes my stomach queasy.”
“Maybe you should start wearing Alex’s pistol when you’re out of the
house.”

She shook her head and after a noticeable pause, she replied, “No, I
don’t think it would matter. He’d probably look at me as if it was a
challenge.”
“You’re probably right. We need to do some shopping tomorrow. The
pantry is getting low.”

“I was going to mention that. I wish we had horse for the buckboard, or
even a burro.”
“I’m pretty sure that was one of Lud Humber’s doings. It was possible
that some other horse thief broke into the barn and stole them, but nobody
spotted the horses after they went missing. That’s almost impossible.”

“It didn’t take a brilliant lawman to figure out what really happened,
Mama. Anyway, I’m going to bake some biscuits with the last of our baking
powder. Do you want to delay the laundry so I can help?”
“No, I’ll get his done and then I’ll take some soup to Alex.”
 “It’ll be ready in about twenty minutes.”

Nora stepped over to Robyn and set her hand on her shoulder.
“I wish I could have given you a more pleasant life, Robyn.”

Robyn smiled at her mother as she replied, “I have you, Mama. Besides,
I’m only nineteen and who knows? Maybe I’ll have that fairytale life that
all girls dream about when they’re in pigtails.”
Nora laughed then said, “I never put you in pigtails, Miss Martin, but I
do pray that you really do have a much happier life waiting for you.”

Robyn was still smiling as she turned her eyes back to the simmering
pot. She wasn’t as optimistic as her mother, but that almost impossible
dream was what kept her going.
_____

Gene was finally out of the uniform he’d worn for more than three years
and was trying to adjust to the sensation. If he closed his eyes, he couldn’t
really feel any difference, but knowing that he was no longer enclosed in
dark blue made him feel odd.
He stepped out of his room and headed down the stairs to the parlor.
He’d already packed his new saddlebags and was impressed with how much
they could hold. He bought a new bedroll and slicker, but knew he’d need
more supplies when he reached Sidney. He was already thinking that he
might need to buy a packhorse or mule but would wait to see what
happened when he crossed over the Missouri to Nebraska City.

When he stepped into the parlor, he smiled at Bess who had watched him
carry his stuffed saddlebags into his room.
“Well, don’t you look like the well-heeled gentleman?”

“Hardly that, ma’am. I may be wearing a new covering, but I’m not
close to being either well-heeled or a gentleman,” he replied as he crossed
the floor and sat in an easy chair across from her.
 “My father said that you are quite well off when compared to most
young men.”

“Have you suddenly decided to banish your beau because of my well-to-

do-ness?”
Bess laughed then said, “Only if you decide not to ride off to the end of
the earth. Of course, you’d have to change your name, shrink about six
inches and lose fifty pounds. Oh, and you’ll need to change your eye color
from blue to brown and grow a beard.”
“Ah!” Gene replied with a smile, “You want me to be your current beau
but with the added advantage of having a stuffed money belt.”
“Now that I think about it, I believe my current beau is better situated
than you are as well, so I think that I’ll continue as his fiancée.”
Gene chuckled then said, “He’s a lucky young man, Bess. Just don’t
schedule your wedding on the same day that my sister is going to get
married. I’ll be walking her down the aisle, but I’d still like to attend your
nuptials, too.”
“He hasn’t even proposed yet, so I don’t think it’s a concern.”
As Gene was about to ask her another question, her mother entered the
parlor and asked, “What’s this about a wedding?”
Gene smiled at her and replied, “We were talking about my sister Anna’s
wedding in September. I’ll need to make that trip to Colorado, take care of
my father’s problem, and then get back before the wedding.”

“That’s going to be difficult; won’t it?” she asked as she joined Bess on
the couch.
“The train trip to Sidney will take a day. The distance from there to
Orville is around five hundred miles. If I’m lucky, I should do that in less
than eight days. So, after I find out what my father’s problem is and then
provide whatever help he needs, it’ll take me another ten days to return. If
everything works out, I should be able to make it back by the end of July.”

“That’s a lot of ifs, Gene,” Millie said.

“I know, but I’m an optimist.”
“You still have no idea why your father wrote that letter?” Bess asked.
“None at all. That was somewhat surprising when you think about it. If
he really needed my help, I would have thought he’d add a lot more details
that would give me a good reason to travel a thousand miles. Especially
when you consider the circumstances. He was either depending on my
curiosity or that I’d be infused with a sense of honor to help two innocent
people.”

“He was right; wasn’t he?” Millie asked.

“He was lucky. I could have been married and had a family that
depended on me, or I could have died or been disabled in the war. When he
left, I was just a boy and I could have turned into a worthless drunkard or a
criminal. He had no idea how I had turned out or what I was doing.”
“But he was the one who started you down the path to being the good
man that you did become; the same young man who completely impressed
my husband.”
“Your husband is a better man, Millie. But I will admit that my father
was my biggest influence when I was a boy until that day he left, and he
suddenly became a villain in my eyes.”

“But now you see him differently again.”

Gene nodded then asked, “Speaking of good men, where is Henry?”

“Oh, he went to his office to start setting up the practice again. You
wouldn’t believe how many people need lawyers right now.”
 “I can imagine. I’ve already done my packing, so I’ll be leaving in the
morning on the 8:50 train. Can you think of anything I’ve forgotten?”

“You seem to be pretty well prepared, but you’ll be able to add anything
you need when you reach Nebraska.”
Gene then stood and said, “I’m going to visit my old friend, Harry
Donnelly. I should be back in two or three hours.”

“Don’t be late for dinner, Mister Stewart. I’m baking you a cake,” Bess
said with a grin.
“Maybe I’ll bring some nice steaks back after visiting Harry at his
father’s butcher shop.”
“Steaks are always welcome,” Millie replied as Gene waved and headed
for the foyer.
He grabbed his army hat and after leaving the house, stepped across the
porch and down the steps. Instead of walking to the butcher shop, he turned
to the carriage house and was soon leading his new horse down the carriage
path to the road.
As he and the tall gelding stepped along the street, he spent the free time
thinking of Bess’s question about his father’s letter and his reply.
Why did
he just ask for help and not say what the problem was?
It was asking an
awful lot and on the face of it, his father must have realized that there was
just a small chance that he’d show up.
He turned onto the main street heading for the saddlery and was still
trying to imagine his father’s reason for making the request. He realized
that he knew just as little about his father’s life after he’d abandoned them
as his father knew of his life. But all of the questions aside, what eventually
was the only reason that mattered was that the man who had made the
request was his father. Gene was his only son now and he really had no
other choice. And then there were the two innocents who made his trip
almost mandatory.
 After saddling the tall gelding, Gene carefully climbed into the saddle
and waited for the horse to try to throw him as he’d tossed Harry, but the
big boy didn’t even flinch an ear. Gene and the gelding remained
motionless for more than a minute until Gene shrugged his shoulders and
pulled his left rein to turn him toward Donnelly & Son Butcher Shop.

He set the gelding to a slow trot and felt a new level of power as he
moved along the road. He’d never ridden a horse close to this height before
and even though it was only a few added inches, the power that he felt
beneath him made it seem as if he was on the top of a thundering
locomotive as it hurtled down its steel path.
It was only six blocks to the butcher shop and Gene almost turned down
a side street to extend the ride, but knew he’d be spending a lot of time in
the saddle soon enough, so after just a minute of riding, he pulled the
gelding to a stop, dismounted and tied him off at the hitchrail. He patted the
gelding’s neck and stepped onto the boardwalk before entering the butcher
shop.
He spotted Harry behind the counter while his father was slicing off
thick cuts of beef from a large haunch behind him.
Harry was showing a woman a pork roast and hadn’t seen him enter, so
Gene just walked to left and began looking at the shelves of spices and
condiments that would add more flavor to the meat.

As soon as he’d entered the shop, he appreciated the fine cuts of meat on
display in the glass cases. It was a rare thing to see meat that wasn’t at least
discolored and attributed it to a high demand. Before he’d gone into the
army, Harry had told him that the shop was doing very well, and he was
planning to marry soon. He just hadn’t picked out his bride before Gene had
left Peoria.
Gene glanced back at Harry and wondered if he had a family now. He
couldn’t see a wedding band on his finger, and he didn’t look much
different, but that didn’t mean much.
 But the fresh meat and tasty sausages that filled the cases set his mouth
watering. Before they went on their long march across Georgia and the
Carolinas, the meat that he and the other soldiers were fed was rarely this
good. Once they were on the march, the foraging parties usually provided
them with fresh meat. It was just a question of what it was and sometimes it
was just a guess. That smorgasbord of beef, pork and lamb laid out beneath
behind those glass shields would have made any of the boys in his outfit
weep.

He was still focused on the meat menagerie when he was almost startled
as heard Harry exclaim, “
Gene? Is that you?
”
Gene snapped out of his beef reverie and smiled at his first best friend.
The woman customer passed between them before Gene stepped to the
counter and shook Harry’s hand. Harry’s father had just glanced away from
his work before resuming his cuts. Gene guessed that he was still miffed
about Gene’s decision not to be another apprentice.
“How are you, Harry?” he asked as his friend pumped his hand.
Harry finally released Gene’s hand before he replied, “I’m good. I’m
married now and we have a little girl. My wife is already pregnant with our
second. You remember Abby Smith; don’t you?”

“Of course, I do. Congratulations on your marriage and fatherhood,

Harry.”
“Thanks, Gene. I’m really glad to see you made it back from the war
okay. Was it as hard as everybody said?”

“Maybe worse, but it’s mostly over now.”

“Are you going to go back to work in the distillery?”
“Nope. When I return from a trip I have to make to Colorado, I’ll clerk
for Henry Wheeler.”
“
You’re gonna be a lawyer?
” Harry exclaimed.
 “If they’re stupid enough to let me.”
Harry then asked, “Why are you going to Colorado? That’s going to be a
long and dangerous trip; isn’t it?”
“Probably. But my father sent me a letter and asked for my help, so I’m
leaving in the morning. I’ll be riding that big gelding that threw you on your
behind.”
“I knew that Mister Wheeler bought him; but he gave him to you?”
“Yes, sir. I might need another one for a packhorse when I get to
Nebraska, though.”

“I think that’s a good idea. Can you join me and Abby for dinner?”
“I wish I could, Harry, but I promised the Wheelers I’d spend my last
night with them. I’ll be seeing you a lot after I return, though.”

“Just be careful. Okay?”

“That’s the plan, Harry,” Gene said as another lady approached the
counter and Harry had to shift his attention.
Gene smiled at Harry before he turned and walked out of the shop. His
two or three-hour visit had been reduced to about ten minutes, and most of
that had been spent staring at meat. He untied the gelding, mounted and
turned him away from the shop.
He hadn’t really expected to renew their old friendship because their
lives were already so different, and Gene knew that their paths would
continue to diverge. He set the gelding to a walk and headed for Foster
Street.

After turning toward the Wheeler house, he wondered just where his
path would take him. He knew he wanted to return to Peoria to clerk for
Henry Wheeler and not just because he was astride his equine incentive. He
respected and admired the man and wanted to make Henry proud of him.
 Tomorrow, he’d start his journey to find his father and wondered if he’d
be able to rekindle that same respect and admiration that he’d held for him
before he deserted them ten years ago.
 CHAPTER 4
Gene stared at the Illinois countryside as his train rolled south. Before he
returned to the Wheelers, he thought about riding to the farm to say one last
farewell to his mother and sisters but didn’t think it would be any better
than the last one.
His last night in Peoria for at least a month had been just as pleasant as
his last two with the Wheeler family, but he’d turned in early to prepare for
his long journey. After a very filling breakfast, he’d ridden to the train
station and just forty minutes later, boarded the surprisingly mostly empty
passenger car.

As the train rocked its way across the state, he saw farm after farm pass
by being worked by dozens of men and women. He noticed that some of the
men only had one arm but still labored in the fields. He doubted if most of
them had lost their arms to farming accidents.

The train would make stops every twenty miles or so, but it was being
pulled by a newer coal-burning locomotive, so it was faster between stops
and didn’t have to take on as much fuel. He imagined that the four-hundred-
mile trip would have taken another three or four hours if the old wood-
burner that they’d taken from Chicago had been in front of this train, and
that would only be if the locomotive could finish the journey.
When the train made a long stop at Springfield, Gene used the
opportunity to have lunch and buy a book and a newspaper to keep him
occupied for the rest of the journey. There wasn’t much of a selection, so
he’d chosen
The Last of the Mohicans
. He didn’t think it would help to
prepare him if he ran into any Sioux on his ride across Nebraska, but it
would make the boring train ride pass more quickly.
 After reading the newspaper which had surprised him with a fairly large
amount of war news, he finally started reading Mister Cooper’s novel.

The sun had set, and the train continued its lurching way south and then
west as it crossed into Iowa. Gene had stopped reading when he lost his
light and the rhythmic clicking and swaying soon let him drift off to sleep.
He would sometimes awaken when they stopped for water and coal but
remained asleep for most of the trip.
By the time the sun rose again, he was awake and extremely stiff from
sleeping in an awkward position. The first thing he did when his eyes
opened was to feel the bulge at his waist for his money belt then checked
his two Smith & Wessons. He doubted that anyone could have taken either
his pistols or his money belt without waking him, but he wanted the
reassurance that they were still attached before he did anything else.

Gene used the onboard privy before finding the conductor and asking
him which would be their next stop. He was pleasantly surprised to hear
that they’d be arriving in Des Moines within ten minutes. It would be one of
those long stops, so he’d be able to have breakfast.
When he exited the train, he rubbed his cheek and felt the stubble that
needed trimming. He’d grown a beard for a while as the army moved across
Georgia but didn’t like it. He’d let it go until he stayed in Sidney or
Nebraska City, depending on the time they arrived.

But by the time he returned to his train, Gene thought it might be better
to let it grow anyway. He may have been a big man, but he was still only
twenty-one and thought that there might be an advantage to looking older as
he crossed the Great Plains.
_____
The rolling portion of Gene’s journey to Orville ended later that morning
when he stepped out of the passenger car and onto the small platform in
Sidney, Iowa. He scanned the town before stepping across the dry pine
surface then hopped onto the ground near the stock corral.
 As he waited for his gelding, he figured that as much time as they’d be
spending together over the next month, he really should give the horse a
name. He had finished his book, which he’d left on the seat in the passenger
car for another bored traveler and was going to name him Uncas. But he
wasn’t overly fond of the name itself, so he decided on Hawkeye. It may be
the nickname for Iowans, but he didn’t think the folks would mind. Besides,
he’d be spending most of his ride in Nebraska and Colorado. The only time
his horse would be in Iowa was on their return trip, assuming that there was
one.

After collecting Hawkeye, Gene rode him into town and after stopping
for lunch, he was given directions to the Missouri River ferry then headed
for the border between the State of Iowa and the Territory of Nebraska.
The ferry ride was more thrilling than he’d expected as the river was still
swollen with the spring rains that had fallen more than a thousand miles
upriver.

When he rode into Nebraska City, which was the biggest settlement in
the territory, he couldn’t help but compare it with Peoria, which was
probably only the sixth or seventh largest in Illinois. It was a bustling town,
but a lot rougher than those on the other side of the Missouri. He imagined
that the towns would be even more so with each mile he rode west.
He pulled up in front of a good-sized dry goods store, dismounted then
scanned the streets before stepping through the open door. He was a bit
anxious about leaving Hawkeye outside with his two rifles and bulging
saddlebags, but he knew he had to get used to it.

Nobody seemed to even notice him as he began his shopping. He had

decided against getting a packhorse or mule because he wanted to move fast
and wasn’t going to build a fire and attract attention when he was out on the
open ground. He still hadn’t seen the plains yet but had heard enough to
understand that it was hard to avoid being seen even without a fire.
He didn’t bother buying another set of saddlebags, but as he began
selecting his supplies, he added two heavy canvas bags with strong
drawstrings. He’d tie them together and drape them over his bedroll.

Once he’d discarded the idea of a packhorse, he quickly began choosing

what he’d need for the long ride. He was counting on reaching a fort at least
every other day, so he wasn’t going to fill both bags.
As he was walking down the last aisle, he found something that he
hadn’t expected and was grateful when he spotted it. It was a map of the
territory that included the territory of Colorado. It wasn’t as detailed as the
military maps he’d used in the army but had been produced by the Union
Pacific by their surveyors. He guessed that the railroad was selling them to
get every last penny they could from their venture. He knew how much land
they’d be getting from the government, so he thought they should just give
the maps away. To him, the map was worth a lot more than the two dollars
he had to pay for it. With his compass, he could leave the trails and cut
cross country. It could save him at least sixty miles.

He was mildly relieved to see Hawkeye waiting for him as he left the
store and after tying down his two bags, he mounted and turned his gelding
west. He had thought about staying in town overnight, but it was just past
midday and he was anxious to start. He figured that he’d be able to put
thirty miles behind him before he pulled up for the night.
So, with the summer sun almost directly overhead, Gene Stewart rode
out of Nebraska City and was soon riding alone along the Oregon Trail that
had been the path taken by thousands of wagonloads of pioneers over the
past thirty years. Folks who were looking for dreams and often found
nightmares.

Gene wasn’t sure which of the two was in his future, but he wasn’t
nervous. He knew that whatever lay ahead of him was nothing compared to
what he’d faced during the war.
_____

Robyn and her mother were emptying the bags of food and other
supplies they just bought at Humber’s Dry Goods. Even though they hadn’t
had any serious issues at the store, Robyn felt as if she had been constantly
watched.

As she dragged the heaviest bag to the pantry, Robyn asked, “Did you
feel as if we were in a stage play?”
“I know I was uncomfortable but couldn’t figure out why,” Nora replied
as she began placing tins onto shelves above the sink.

“I never even saw anyone staring at us, but I had that eerie feeling
almost from the moment we left the house.”
“I don’t know why anyone would be watching us. We can’t leave town.”

Robyn was putting the bag’s contents away when she said, “It’s like
they’re vultures waiting for Alex to pass.”
Then after she laid a slab of bacon on one of the shelves, she turned and
looked at her mother before she asked, “Mama, what will we do if that
happens?”
Nora had a can of beans in her hand as she turned to Robyn and replied,
“I really don’t know. Maybe they’ll just leave us alone. We still have over
two hundred dollars in the house, so we won’t go hungry. But I don’t want
to stay here without him, either. I’d ask Alex, but I don’t want to bring up
the subject. You can understand that; can’t you?”
“Of course, Mama. But that feeling made me want to scream, yet there
was nothing I could do to stop it. I don’t think it’ll get any better, either.”

“I agree with you, Robyn, but all we can do is take care of Alex and that
includes keeping him as happy as possible.”
Robyn nodded then smiled at her mother before saying, “You’ve always
been able to make him happy, Mama. You make me happy, too.”

“I’m really proud of you, Robyn. You’re the best daughter any mother
could hope to have.”
 Robyn left the pantry and hugged her mother before kissing her on the
forehead.

Nora then laughed and said, “You’re also the tallest daughter any mother
could have.”
Robyn smiled as she replied, “I’m not that tall. I’m just taller than you.”

“You’re taller than Alex, too. I wonder how tall Gene is. Alex said that
he was always a tall skinny boy. Maybe he’ll be able to look down on you
like you look down on me.”
“That’s only if he shows up, Mama. Personally, I don’t think I’ll ever
meet him. We need to figure out how we can protect ourselves if he doesn’t
show up.”
“I know. Let’s give it another couple of weeks. Alex is doing better
today.”
Robyn nodded then turned to finish unloading their supplies. She almost
let her mother know her secret, but didn’t think it was time yet.

_____
Gene hadn’t ridden for an hour before he slowed Hawkeye to a walk and
stood in his stirrups and took a long, sweeping scan of his surroundings. He
had just left the town and the Missouri River behind sixty minutes ago and
he already saw nothing but empty space. From this height, he could see
almost four miles in most directions. There were hills, rises and shallow
valleys, and he could see some trees along the Platte River to the north, but
it was so much different than anyplace he’d ever seen before.

He slowly lowered himself back into the saddle and nudged Hawkeye to
a medium trot. He’d never felt so alone before and it gave him a feeling of
awe mixed with a touch of fear. He imagined that seeing anyone, even some
Sioux warriors, would be preferable to a solitary life. At least he was sure
of finding humans at the forts along the way, but his new route that would
save him sixty miles also meant that he would cross untraveled country, at
least for white men, for a day or two.

He didn’t want to waste ammunition, but he did want to try the two new
pistols. They were markedly different from his Colt and he needed to see if
he could reload them as quickly as he expected. His only real concern about
the guns was their smaller caliber. His Colt had fired a .45 caliber round
which did a lot of damage when it hit its intended target, but the Smith &
Wesson only fired a .32. At least it was a lot better than the company’s
Model 1 that only used a .22 caliber cartridge. Of course, it was the first one
on the market to use a metallic cartridge. Gene imagined that Colt was busy
making their own cartridge pistol and so were Remington and the other gun
makers. He wasn’t sure that the post-war market would be strong enough to
make all of their new offerings successful. But then again, with the building
of the transcontinental railroad, a lot of setters would be heading west, and
they’d all want guns. Just as he was well-armed, he imagined that they’d be
buying new pistols to protect themselves.
Gene pulled off his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow with his
sleeve and after pulling his dark blue hat back on, he shook his head.

“Well, Henry, I just figured out that one Civil War was almost over, but
the other war between Americans is going to get a lot worse with all those
folks heading this way.”
His scan of the unpopulated surroundings made him wonder why, for as
long as people lived, they always seemed to be killing each other for
someone else’s land. There sure was enough for everybody. It seemed
almost silly if it hadn’t resulted in so many people dying.
Even more than the boredom and horror of the war, what had struck
Gene about the conflict was the waste. Equipment and supplies arrived and
were expended or were lost for the sole purpose of trying to kill the other
side. He had pictured a factory of workers building each rifle or forging
each bayonet just to have it broken or tossed aside. The ground was always
littered with discarded equipment after each battle. Some would be
retrieved, but a lot would be left behind. That war had cost hundreds of
millions of dollars and what was the end result? Not much had changed
except that slavery was now dead…at least in name. The colored folks
weren’t much better off now, but at least some could come west and take
advantage of the Homestead Act.
As he rode along the Oregon Trail, he could imagine farms being tilled
by freed slaves and immigrants. They’d have to fight for their almost free
land, but he didn’t doubt that each of them would give their all to protect it.
Those plots of ground would give each of them a newfound dignity.
Gene finally laughed aloud as he realized that he was philosophizing. He
had other, more practical things to occupy his thoughts.
First, he needed to get a feel for the new pistols, so he dropped his right
rein and pulled a revolver. It felt much smaller and lighter than the Colt and
as he pulled back the hammer he wondered if he could fire it if he was
wearing his gloves. Hopefully, he’d never find out.
He was about to pull the trigger when he remembered that Henry had
told him that Hawkeye had tossed Harry Donnelly the first time that he’d
tried to ride him. Harry was probably fifty pounds lighter than he was, but
Gene hadn’t had a lick of trouble from the big gelding yet. He thought he
should at least warn the horse before firing to reduce the chance that he’d
suffer a similar fate.
“Hawkeye!” he shouted as he watched the gelding’s ears.
The horse’s head nodded slightly, but after another few seconds, Gene
picked out a small rock just to the right of the deep ruts left by decades of
wagon travel and fired.

Hawkeye may not have reacted to the shout, but his whole body jerked
with the loud crack from the pistol just a foot from his head.
Gene had missed the rock by less than a foot and was pleased with the
accuracy of the Smith & Wesson. Now that Hawkeye had heard a nearby
gunshot, probably for the first time, he needed to see if he’d react
differently for the second.

He picked out a large clump of dried mud that was passing on his right
about forty feet away and began firing one shot after another until he’d
emptied the pistol. This time, Hawkeye didn’t seem to care at all. The
chunk of earth had been reduced to just dirt again and Gene was very
pleased.
He’d have to clean and reload the pistol when he stopped for the night
but switched the fully loaded revolver to his right holster just to have it
ready for use. He thought he was ready for whatever was ahead, at least
until he reached Orville. Then he had no idea what to expect.
_____
It was another four hours before Gene pulled up for the night. He
estimated he’d ridden over forty miles from Nebraska City. His map had a
settlement called Camden just another ten miles to the west, but he wanted
to spend the night under the stars.

After unsaddling Hawkeye and letting him graze on prairie grass, he set
up his cold camp and had his supper of beans and smoked pork. As he ate,
he ran the numbers again. He was now about four hundred and fifty miles
from Orville. If he maintained his pace, he should reach his destination in
six or seven days. He just had to avoid any kind of trouble, whether it was
caused by Mother Nature or other men.
By the time he laid atop his bedroll and pulled his blanket over him, he
suspected that even if he was able to keep trouble on the other side of the
door during the ride, he would find it in Orville. He just had to be prepared
for whatever problems had inspired his father to write that mysterious letter.

_____
Alex handed the empty bowl back to Nora and said, “Tell Robyn it was
even better after it was reheated.”
 Nora set the bowl on the side table then asked, “Do you think you should
show her how to use your pistol?”
“I think that would be a bad idea, Nora. She’d only make herself a target.
Men don’t worry about women carrying pistols. Besides, do you think she’d
be able to look some man in the eyes before shooting him?”
“No, I don’t think so. It’s just that she’s frustrated, just as we are, but
she’s young and more inclined to act.”
Alex smiled at Nora before saying, “You’re not exactly ancient yourself,
you know.”
She smiled back at him as she replied, “I wish that I’d met you when I
was young myself.”
“Then you wouldn’t have had Robyn. I often wonder how that works.
What if we had met and married twenty years ago? Would we have had
Robyn for our daughter or Gene as our son? My other two boys were good
lads, but Gene was special. After I lost my third son, John, I was terrified
that I’d lose Gene next. I was ashamed that I didn’t have any concern about
my girls. I loved them both but somehow, I felt as if they were protected. It
was like God was testing me by taking my sons.”
“When I lost my baby boy before we even had a chance to give him a
name, Robyn became my whole life. I can’t imagine losing children once
you’ve gotten to know them.”
“It was hard on my wife as well, and I often wonder if losing John
wasn’t what drove Beatrice into Jim Moran’s bed. I guess I’ll never know,
but I suppose that it doesn’t matter.”
“No, it doesn’t,” she said before standing, picking up the bowl and
adding, “Get some sleep, Alex. Maybe Gene will arrive tomorrow.”

Alex knew she was just trying to be optimistic for his sake but still
smiled and replied, “I hope so.”
 She leaned over and kissed his forehead before leaving his sickroom. To
Nora, the most painful part of his illness was that they could no longer share
their bed. For some reason, Alex felt as if he was almost a leper and didn’t
want to make her sick. He’d banned Robyn from his sick room and had
almost begged Nora to sleep in the empty bedroom. She had no idea why he
felt that way. It wasn’t as if consumption was like the flu or measles, but
Alex was insistent solely because he didn’t want to take the risk that it was.
His final convincing argument was that if he saw her or Robyn start to
cough, he’d want to shoot himself. As he kept the only gun in the house in
his bedstand’s drawer, she had finally acceded to his request.

She reached the kitchen and set the bowl in the sink before taking a seat
at the kitchen table with Robyn.
“Alex said to tell you that the soup was even better this time.”

Robyn smiled at her mother and said, “It’s usually thicker, and I’ll admit
that it’s pretty good. I wish he ate more, Mama. He needs his strength to get
better.”
“He seems to be doing better now and hasn’t had a coughing fit all
afternoon. Oh, I also asked him about the pistol. He said that if you wore
one, it would only make you a target.”

“I’m already a target, Mama.”

“I know, dear, but as long as we’re together when we’re outside of the
house, we’ll be safe. He asked me if I believed you could shoot a man after
looking him in the eyes.”

“And what was your answer?”

“I said that I didn’t think you could do it. I know I couldn’t.”
Robyn drank the last of her coffee before calmly saying, “If one of those
bastards threatened any of us, I wouldn’t hesitate to put a .44 right between
his eyes as he was looking at me. I just don’t know how to use a pistol.”
 “Well, you’re not going to get a chance to use one unless…”
When her mother abruptly ended her sentence, Robyn completed it in
her mind as she thought, “
…Alex dies and we’re on our own.
”
_____
At Brewster’s Saloon and Dance Hall, Lud Humber was sitting at a table
with Fenn Jordan, Hank Thatcher and Tomb Smith. Whenever he needed to
meet with them as a group, he’d do it outside of his office.
Tomb’s real name was the much more common Bill, but he’d given
himself the nickname to inspire questions. His reply would be that he had
filled graveyards with his two Colts. He actually had only shot two men and
only one had died, but before he arrived in Orville, he’d already created a
long history of gunfight victories over hard men. His cold eyes were proof
enough of his willingness to kill, so no one had ever challenged his stories.
Lud Humber had hired him because of those cold eyes more than the tales
which he suspected were at least an exaggeration.

Hank Thatcher had come to Pikes Peak to find gold as most of the men
in town had and after hitting rock bottom, he’d been lucky to find work
with Lud Humber as his personal bodyguard. Even though he didn’t regard
himself as a gunfighter, Hank had killed twice as many men as the self-
promoting ‘Tomb’ Smith.
The first man was another prospector who had loudly proclaimed a gold
strike in ’59. After shooting the man in the back, Hank had jumped his
claim and discovered that the mine was nothing more than a four-foot-deep
hole in the ground. After he became Lud Humber’s bodyguard, he shot
another man who was spitting mad and threatened to shoot Lud. Hank told
Lud afterwards that the man was reaching for his pistol before Hank shot
him, but Lud really didn’t care if he was or not. When Hank had put a .44
through the man’s gut, Lud didn’t have to worry about the man making
noise about Lud’s more profitable claim jumping.
 Fenn Jordan wasn’t a threat like Tomb or a protector like Hank. He was
the sneaky sort who spied for Lud and kept him aware of what was
happening in even the darkest corners of Orville. He was the one who’d
first told him about Alex Stewart’s disease and then watched it progress to
the point where Lud was finally able to buy Alex’s silver mine. Tomb had
offered to just put Stewart out of his misery, but consumption wasn’t like
pneumonia or a killer flu. It lasted years and despite Tomb’s claims of
unrivaled skill with his pistols, Lud knew that Alex Stewart was a lot better
than most men. Still, if Alex had lived alone, Lud would have let Tomb try
his luck. But he lived with Nora Martin and her daughter, and the one
weakness in the otherwise ruthless Lud Humber’s persona was that he
wouldn’t harm a woman.
When he was just eleven, he had watched his own mother being beaten
to death by his cruel father. He had waited until he was fifteen before he
had murdered his father as he slept. He’d plunged a butcher knife into his
chest then after he’d died, he dragged the body out to the back of their small
house and buried him in the empty field. No one had ever asked what
happened to him.
Lud Humber had been in that first wave of gold-seekers to descend on
Pikes Peak but hadn’t bothered to turn a single shovel or dip a pan into a
creek. He’d killed one prospector and relieved him of his pouches of gold
and the cash he had on him from selling his earlier finds. He used that
money to start his dry goods business and was making a very good amount
of profit as the hopeful men arrived in town and needed supplies to find
their fortunes. Even as the gold rush waned, his power continued to grow as
he expanded his reach into other arenas, not all of which were legal.

He was already the king of Orville and after the discovery of silver his
kingdom grew even larger. Alex Stewart’s mine had been very productive
and if it hadn’t been for the presence of the two women, it would have been
his after Tomb made Stewart disappear.
He’d paid Alex twenty-five thousand dollars for the mine and knew it
was still a bargain, but he had plans to get his payment back. He knew that
Alex had deposited the money in his bank account in Colorado Springs
because Fenn Jordan had followed him out of town a few hours later. It was
Fenn’s other revelations that had convinced him to pay that much for the
mine.
Lud, like most folks in town, already knew that Alex Stewart had
deserted his family. It wasn’t uncommon among the men who had arrived in
town, so it hadn’t marked Alex as any different than the others. But he
hadn’t brought his family to town after he struck it rich, which did raise
eyebrows. Then Nora Martin and her daughter moved in with him, which
was another fairly commonplace occurrence. But he hadn’t married the
widow, so she couldn’t inherit anything Stewart left behind.
To Lud, that meant that the only possible people who would benefit from
Stewart’s death were living a thousand miles away in Illinois. It was Fenn’s
report that Alex Stewart had never even written to his family back in
Illinois that had allowed Lud to gamble the twenty-five thousand dollars by
buying the mine.
Lud had Alex’s signature on the bill of sale and had a written an
addendum to that bill of sale which stated that in the event of Alex’s death
without heirs, the purchase price would be returned to the buyer. He had
made sure to use the same ink and as he was the one who’d drawn up the
bill of sale, within a day, the new addendum looked as if it had been there
when Alex had signed it. Now he just had to wait for Alex Stewart to die.
“How is our sick man doing, Fenn?” he asked.
“When those women went shopping, I looked in through the window and
I could see him sleeping. There was a pail near the bed with some bloody
water. It looked a lot worse than it was before.”
“That’s good news.”

Then Fenn said, “There’s something else I heard that might be a

problem.”
 “What kind of problem?”
“I heard those women talking about somebody called Jean.”
“So, what do I care about some other woman.”

“I don’t think it was a woman’s name, boss. It sounded like they were
talking about a man. There are men named Jean and others when it’s spelled
Gene with a G. It’s short for Eugene.”
“I know that,” Lud snapped, then asked, “Do you know anyone named
Gene?”
“Nope. I’ll start checking around, but it sounds like they’re getting
desperate. I wonder if one of them has a brother or something.”
“I don’t care if they have fifty brothers, none of them can do anything
more than take the two women out of town and that will make things easier.
They don’t matter.”
“What if he’s Stewart’s brother or son?” asked Fenn.
“Why would he all of a sudden contact someone in the family he
deserted ten years ago?”

“He knows he’s dying, boss. He probably wants to protect Mrs. Martin
and her girl, so if he wrote a letter to a son back in Illinois, he could tell him
about the money you paid him and offered to give it to him if he took the
women out of town.”
Lud leaned back in his chair and realized that Fenn was right, but there
was nothing they could do until the mysterious Gene arrived, assuming he
did show up. It was a long journey to Orville across hostile country and if
this Gene character decided to leave his peaceful home, there was a real
chance that he’d never even make it to Colorado.
“Alright, let’s keep an eye on that house for any strangers. If one does
show up, then let me know and we’ll have to come up with something.”
 “Okay, boss,” Tomb said before tossing his last finger of whiskey down
his throat.

Fenn just smiled. He really didn’t believe that Stewart was getting
worse, he just enjoyed giving his boss information that he wanted to hear.
He reveled in the trust that his boss placed in him, trust that he knew wasn’t
deserved.
 CHAPTER 5
For three days, Gene had ridden across the plains of Nebraska Territory
without any serious problems. He had faced a potential disaster on their first
full day of travel when Hawkeye was introduced to deep water as they had
to cross a wide creek. The gelding had stepped down from the bank and
entered the creek without any problem, but when the fast-flowing water
became deep enough for him to lose traction in the mud, the horse began to
panic. Gene had managed to calm him down enough to continue the
crossing and since then, they’d crossed even deeper creeks and one river
without a problem.
He’d stopped at two forts and one town on his way along the Oregon
Trail and was able to improve his limited knowledge of the local Indian
tribes that he might run across on the rest of his journey. He’d topped off his
supplies at each stop and had Hawkeye reshod at Fort Kearny. He’d met
some Pawnee at Fort Kearny, but they were scouts and not as hostile as
some members of their own tribe. Even so, they had warned him of the
Cheyenne to the west and the hated Sioux to the north.
He had also changed his mind about growing a beard after the itching
reminded him why he had remained mostly clean shaven while most of men
in his brigade wore some form of facial hair.
It was in the midmorning of the fourth day on the trail when he had his
first encounter with the Cheyenne.
He spotted the party of eight warriors when they were about two miles
away at his one o’clock position, which was about a half a mile closer to the
Platte than his path. He began angling Hawkeye to the south away from the
trail to build up a gap to let them pass. He hoped they were a hunting party
but that didn’t mean they’d ignore him. He knew that it was unlikely that
they had repeaters or even single shot rifles, but he doubted if he could hold
them all off if they really wanted his guns.

The Pawnee scouts and the soldiers at Fort Kearny had told him that the
most valuable things that he carried were his guns and ammunition. His
exceptional horse was just a bonus. They also mentioned that the last thing
he should do if he was seen was to show fear. That meant he couldn’t let
Hawkeye loose. He was sure that the big gelding could outrun their
animals, but he was concerned that letting Hawkeye gallop across the
broken ground could wind up breaking one of his legs and that would spell
doom for horse and rider.
As he watched the Cheyenne close the gap, he wasn’t sure if they had
changed their direction. They were less than a mile out now and Gene
began to get a better look at the men and their horses. He didn’t see any
meat or skins hanging from their horses, so either they weren’t a hunting
party, or they hadn’t been lucky. It was then that Gene cursed his ignorance
because he hadn’t asked why the Cheyenne would send out a party of
warriors if it wasn’t to hunt for game. They surely weren’t heading for Fort
Kearny to trade because it was already a good four hours behind him.
He didn’t change direction again, but the party continued to draw closer
and Gene soon could see that the Cheyenne were all looking at him. He
really wanted to pull his Spencer but didn’t want to be the one to initiate
hostilities.
He noticed that all of them had bows on their horses and quivers of
arrows hung over their backs, but two of them had long rifles. He was
already beginning to choose his first targets if they did mount an attack, but
knew it had to happen soon because he’d need time to defend himself.

If he let them come within two hundred yards before he pulled his
Spencer, he knew it would be more difficult to stop them all. He still had
the fifteen rounds in his Henry and his two fully loaded pistols which gave
him twelve more shots if they were close. With the seven shots from the
more powerful and longer-range Spencer, Gene knew that he had enough
bullets to finish them off, but he’d have to be dodging their bullets and
arrows while he tried to fire. It was a lesson he’d learned early in the war:
men under fire tended to move and duck even if they were well disciplined.
But now he was alone and if he moved and ducked to avoid being hit, then
he’d lose. He also had to worry about Hawkeye. If they put a bullet or
arrow into his gelding, the results would be the same.

He found himself growing more tense as the gap continued to shrink and
just before that range reached four hundred yards, the lit fuse reached the
powder keg.
Gene was staring at the warrior with the two black feathers in his hair
who also was one of the two armed with a rifle when the Cheyenne
suddenly kicked his horse’s sides before his seven companions did the
same. It wasn’t until their horses were charging at him that they began their
war cries.
Despite his mental readiness, Gene was still stunned for a few seconds
before he ripped his Spencer from the right-hand scabbard. He pulled
Hawkeye to a stop, cocked the hammer and set the sights on the two-
feathered warrior.
Both of the Cheyenne carrying rifles had their weapons level and even as
Gene was preparing to fire, he saw blooms of smoke and fire erupt from
their muzzles. The sound reached him a fraction of a second later, but he
didn’t flinch. He had steeled himself with the realization that ducking didn’t
matter. If he saw the flash of fire, then it was too late anyway.
He didn’t know where the bullets went, but the Cheyenne were still
racing straight at him and the two shooters had pulled their bows and were
already nocking arrows. The other warriors were ready to fire their missiles
when they were within range, but Gene didn’t know what that range was.
He knew he should be afraid, but Gene found himself admiring the sight
of the brave men who had to know that at least two or three of them would
die to gain the precious weapons that the white man possessed. They didn’t
even know about his Henry or the two pistols. They’d discover the power of
the Spencer soon and then the rapid fire of the Henry after that if none of
their arrows ripped into his body.

Their leader was less than three hundred yards out when Gene fired the
Spencer. He quickly levered in a second round and was cocking the hammer
when the Indian flipped over the back of his horse.
None of the other Cheyenne even glanced at their fallen captain as they
raced toward Gene. The choice of his second target wasn’t really important
now that both of their rifles had been fired, so he fired his next shot at the
closest warrior.

His years of experience with rifles paid off when the second Cheyenne
rocked on his horseback and dropped his bow but continued to ride.
Once he’d fired his second shot, Gene knew that he needed speed more
than range or power now, so he quickly slid his Spencer away and pulled
the Henry. He’d never fired a round through his repeater and hoped it
wasn’t defective as he cocked the hammer and aimed at another warrior.

He had to hold his first shot with the Henry until the warriors were a
little closer. He imagined that once they were within a hundred yards,
they’d start releasing their arrows. He wasn’t wrong.
But just before they crossed that invisible hundred-yard line, Gene fired.
He needed to hear the Henry bark to be sure it worked. If it failed, he’d be
able to grab the Spencer again.

Gene was relieved when the repeater popped against his shoulder and
even though he didn’t score a hit, he quickly cycled the lever to bring a
fresh round into the chamber.
The six remaining warriors began releasing their arrows just as Gene
brought his Henry to bear for it second shot. Most of the arrows fell short or
missed a few feet in front of Hawkeye, but one passed too close to his head
for comfort. He knew his time was growing short, but he had the right
weapon for the job.
 Gene held his breath as the warriors began nocking more arrows, and he
began to fire at the closing group of Cheyenne. He kept a steady, regular
pace as he let the sights settle on each of them before firing. It was having a
devastating effect on the Cheyenne.

Gene felt like a butcher as he continued to fire. One by one, the

Cheyenne either fell or bunched over when a .44 struck home. They
continued to release arrows at him, and one had glanced off his saddlebags,
but none had hit him or Hawkeye yet. He was awed by their lack of fear
after realizing how quickly he could fire his rifle.
There was just one warrior still capable of drawing a bow when Gene
felt the Henry’s loading tab bump into his hand. The barrel was almost too
hot to hold now and Gene was about to move his hand to let the spring
continue to push cartridges down the magazine tube when he lowered the
Henry and pulled the Smith & Wesson from his right-hand holster.

The last Cheyenne fired his last arrow and grabbed his war tomahawk
from his belt as he screamed his war cry.
Gene wasn’t sure if it was a war cry or a death song as the Pawnee had
explained to him, but it didn’t matter. He supposed that some men would
expect him to be noble and face the warrior with his knife, but he wasn’t
about to fight on even terms. The whole notion of battle was far from noble.
If you had an advantage, you took it.

The warrior was just twenty yards away when Gene began firing his
pistol. He had his other revolver in his left hand, but only fired the one
being held by the hand he trusted.
It was just before the last Cheyenne was close enough to throw his
tomahawk that Gene put two .32 caliber rounds into him. His voice was
silenced as he simply dropped off to the right side of his horse and crashed
awkwardly to the ground.

Gene quickly scanned the others to see if any were capable of launching
another arrow, but all of them were down. Three were still moving, but
those who still breathed were bleeding badly and probably wouldn’t last
long.

He slid his pistols back into their holsters, then patted Hawkeye on the
neck before taking one of his two canteens from the saddle, unscrewing the
cap and taking three long swallows of the warm water.
In his three years of war, he’d never had to fire so often or with such
deadly effect. He wasn’t going to bother with the warriors or their weapons
as he suspected that the extended sounds of gunfire might have alerted other
Cheyenne. This party couldn’t be that far from their village.

After hanging his canteen back on his saddle, he pulled off his rope and
nudged Hawkeye to the nearest Cheyenne horse. He wouldn’t take all of
them with him but would make a trail rope for four of the best of them.
Less than an hour after first spotting the party of Cheyenne, Gene was
leading four horses southwest away from the Oregon Trail. He knew that
he’d have to return to the Trail sooner or later because the forts were there,
but he wanted to put some distance between him and where he suspected
their village might be.

As he rode, he wondered what the group’s original purpose was. Maybe

it was exactly what had happened. The Oregon Trail, while not as heavily
traveled as it had been in the hay day of the wagon trains, was still used by
men like him. He’d ask when he reached the next fort on the trail.
When he got there, he might trade two of the horses, but probably
wouldn’t. Two of them were mares, one was a gelding and the other was a
handsome, light gray stallion. He’d keep them with him and maybe he’d
give the stallion to his father. Why he thought of giving the impressive
animal to the man who’d deserted the family ten years ago didn’t make
much sense, but when it came down to it, neither did leaving Peoria and the
promise of a real future.

He only stopped to let the horses rest, water and graze as he continued to
put distance between him and the site of the skirmish. The home village of
the eight warriors was actually on the north bank of the Platte and no one
had heard the gunfire. They wouldn’t miss the warriors until late tomorrow.

_____
It was late afternoon when Gene returned to the Oregon Trail and just
before sunset, he spotted Fort James. It was one of the newer forts and was
still adding buildings, but when he arrived leading four Cheyenne horses, he
attracted attention.

He had Hawkeye at a walk as he neared the front gate and was greeted
by a pair of sentries, which surprised him as even the much larger Fort
Kearny only had a single soldier at its entrance.
As Gene pulled to a stop, the soldier on the left asked, “Where’d you get
those Indian ponies?”
“I ran into some Cheyenne this morning and they didn’t want to let me
pass. I don’t know why they’d even bother me because it wasn’t even much
of a fight.”
The other private said, “I reckon Major Forrest will want to hear about it.
I’ll take you to him.”
“I appreciate it,” Gene said before nudging his gelding to a walk.
After entering the new post, Gene noticed the lack of discipline among
the soldiers. It wasn’t their unkempt or non-regulation uniforms, but their
casual behavior. He was never a stickler for what many in the army referred
to as proper discipline with perfect grooming and military bearing, but he
could tell that these men just didn’t seem to care. He swore that some
looked a bit soused which he found hard to believe. He wasn’t going to stay
around long enough for it to matter, but he was curious. He assumed that
things would improve when the veterans from the war back east were
shifted back to western forts, but he couldn’t guarantee it.
The private led him to the officers’ quarters and stood by the edge of
their fresh boardwalk while Gene dismounted.
 After he tied off Hawkeye, Gene followed him to the door on the far left
and waited as the soldier rapped loudly on the door.

Major Caulfield Jefferson Forrest opened the door thirty seconds later
and after the commanding officer glanced at Gene, he looked at the private
and asked, “What do you need, Private McAfee?”
“Sir, this man ran afoul of some Cheyenne this morning and I figured
that you’d want to know about it.”

The major then looked past Gene, saw the string of horses behind
Hawkeye then replied, “You’re right, Private.”
Then he looked at Gene and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Gene Stewart.”
“I’m Major Caul Forrest. Will you come in and join me and my wife for
dinner? You can tell me about it as we eat.”
“Thank you, sir,” Gene replied as he stood erect and barely avoided
saluting.
The major smiled then said, “Private, take his horses to the stables and
have Sergeant Miller get them shod and groomed.”
The private did salute, then turned to untie Hawkeye.
Gene followed the major into his quarters and removed his army
officer’s hat. He was surprised that the major had brought his wife to the
fort. If it had been a more established fort like Fort Kearny, he could
understand it, but this one was less than a year old.
Even though the major was the ranking man on the post, the quarters
weren’t that large, but Gene knew that they were bigger than the others. He
could see the kitchen in back just past a short hallway. He assumed there
was a bedroom in between and maybe a second across the hall but wasn’t
sure.
 “Mabel, I’m bringing a guest for dinner,” Major Forrest said loudly as he
and Gene entered the short hallway.

“I heard you, Major, as if you didn’t know,” Mrs. Forrest replied from
the kitchen.
As they entered the kitchen, her husband smiled and said, “I know. I was
just making it formal, dear. This is Gene Stewart and he looks as if he
recently left the army.”
Mabel Forrest stepped closer to Gene and smiled at him as she offered
him her hand.
His big hand swallowed her small one before he gently shook it and said,
“I’m sorry to intrude, ma’am.”

She looked up at him as she said, “My goodness! You’re a tall young
man, Mister Stewart. Have you finished growing?”
“I hope so, ma’am. I’m twenty-one and I don’t want to have to buy more
clothes or boots.”

“Well, have a seat and you and my impressive husband can conduct your
business while I finish preparing our dinner.”
Major Forrest had added another place setting while Gene had been
talking to his wife, so when he turned, Gene just took a seat at the chair that
had been pulled away from the table.
Once he was seated, the major said, “Private McAfee said that you ran
into some Cheyenne this morning. Why were you riding alone out on the
Trail? That’s a dangerous thing to do.”
“I’m headed to Orville. It’s a town that’s kind of tucked into the
northwest corner of Pikes Peak. Before I was mustered out, I received a
letter from my father asking for my help.”

“That’s a noble thing to do, but why are you going alone? Couldn’t you
convince a brother or friend to come with you?”
 “No, sir. I lost my older brothers and I wasn’t about to ask anyone to
leave Peoria to come with me.”
“
Peoria?
You started in Illinois?”
Major Forrest asked with wide eyes.
“Yes, sir. But I hadn’t had any trouble until I ran into those Cheyenne
this morning.”
“Tell me about that. The Cheyenne and the Pawnee are getting restless.”
Gene described the brief conflict starting with his initial sighting and
change of direction. By the time he finished, his coffee cup was filled, and
Mrs. Forrest had set a plate of biscuits on the table.
After ending the story, Gene said, “I couldn’t understand why they
would even attack me. I know that they probably wanted my guns, but they
only had two single shot muskets and they started their charge at four
hundred yards. At first, I was impressed with the courage but when it was
over, it seemed downright stupid. Why would they try to kill me if they
only had two shots available and they would be taken from the back of a
galloping horse. They didn’t even stop after they started losing men. It
made no sense to me at all.”
“I can’t tell you why they didn’t break it off after you started firing your
repeater because I’m woefully ignorant of the ways of the Plains Indians,
but I can tell you why they probably attacked you.”

“I’d love to hear it.”

“The telegraph wire to Fort Kearny is sporadic at best, so once a week,
couriers deliver mail and dispatches to the forts along the Trail. They’ll
send four men if they’re carrying the payroll, but it’s usually just two. I’m
sure that they were sent to stop the couriers because things are getting tense
and they don’t want us to get any orders from headquarters and want to see
what we’re up to. They probably thought you were a courier. There had
been occasions where they’d only dispatched one man.”
 “But still, if the courier had been armed with a Spencer, he could have
killed almost all of them and if he had a pistol as well, they might not have
stopped the courier at all.”

“We don’t have many repeaters, not even Spencers. The couriers usually
ride with Sharps carbines, which take a few seconds to reload. I imagine
that the Cheyenne expected to lose a couple of men at the most which is
why they sent eight warriors. That also means that stopping the courier was
important to them and that’s a very good thing to know. The real couriers
should arrive tomorrow, and I’ll add your incident to my dispatches.”
Mabel was setting food on the table as Gene said, “I plan on going cross
country starting in the morning to save some distance. Do you know of any
trouble in that direction?”
“Not much. Most of the problems are on both sides of the Platte. The
Oregon and Mormon Trails parallel the river and that’s where the forts are
located. I imagine if you run into any Indians south of here, you’ll probably
be able to avoid another fight.”
“That’s something, I suppose.”

“So, Mister Stewart, tell me about your service. You’re pretty young, but
you have the air of command about you.”
Gene grinned as Mrs. Forrest sat down and said, “I was working at a
distillery in Peoria when I was called into the boss’s office…”
As they shared their food, Gene gave them a condensed version of his
two years in the army and the major described his much longer career in the
regular army.
They were on their third cups of coffee and as much as he enjoyed
talking to the couple, Gene knew that he needed to get some sleep before
heading out in the morning.
Major Forrest had just finished a minor diatribe about the lack of
discipline among the troops that he’d inherited from their previous
commander when Mabel seemed to sense that Gene needed to leave.
“I think we’ve heard enough of your complaints, good husband. Now
why don’t you get quarters for Gene so he can get ready for his journey.”
Caul grinned at Gene and said, “She’s right as always, Gene. We’ll see
you in the morning after reveille. I’ll have Sergeant Miller get your horses
ready for you before then, so you can get an early start.”
Gene stood and shook the major’s hand before saying, “Thank you,
Caul.”
He then stepped around the table and shook Mabel’s hand before picking
up his hat and walking with the major down the short hallway and out of
their quarters.

_____
An hour later, Gene was stripped down to his skivvies as he lay on the
blankets covering his temporary bed. He was alone in the bachelor officers’
quarters as one of the unmarried lieutenants was out on patrol and the other
was in the infirmary with an infection that needed to be closely monitored
by the camp surgeon.

He had studied his map before blowing out the lamp and knew that if he
pushed Hawkeye just a little bit, he could reach Orville in three days. He
had reread his father’s letter and paid attention to the line that warned him
to be careful when he arrived. He wished that his father had provided a lot
more details, at least about the dangers that he might face, but he had to
assume the worst. That meant that it would probably be wise to enter the
town after dark. It couldn’t be too late, or he wouldn’t be able to find the
house at all.
His hands were linked behind his neck as he stared at the shadowed
ceiling. Now that he was nearing his destination, he finally began to believe
he should never have left Peoria. He had just had to fight off eight
Cheyenne warriors who would have left him dead on the prairie if they’d
been better armed and he still could die before he even arrived in Orville.
He was beginning to see himself more as a fool than a son who was trying
to help a father who didn’t deserve his assistance.
It was only that one line of helping two innocents that convinced him to
go on. They may be his new family, but it wasn’t their fault for what his
father did.
Then as soon as the thought crossed his mind, another one popped in
right behind it.
What if his new family wasn’t that new? What if he hadn’t
run off to California hunting for gold at all? What if the ‘innocents’ weren’t
so innocent at all? What if the woman was the reason that he deserted his
family?
Mrs. Donnelly’s revelation about his mother having an adulterous affair
with Jim Moran made him recognize that possibility. Maybe his mother
only started the liaison with Moran as retaliation for his father’s
faithlessness.
He ruminated on that possibility for almost another hour before he
finally drifted into a troubled sleep.
_____
After the bugler announced the start of the day, Gene joined the soldiers
in the common bath to wash and shave before meeting with Major Forrest.
He shared breakfast with them before saying his farewell to Mabel and
walking with the major to the stables.
When he entered, he found Hawkeye saddled and all of his gear in place.
He also noticed that two of the Cheyenne horses were now wearing army
saddles and another had been converted into a packhorse. One of the mares
had a packsaddle and two heavy panniers draped over her sides. The only
horse not encumbered with leather was the gray stallion.
He turned to Major Forrest and without having to ask, the major
answered, “Some quartermaster back east must have thought we had a lot
more horses than we do and sent enough saddles for a brigade. They were
taking up space in our warehouse, so I used your timely arrival to get rid of
a couple. The packsaddle and supplies are for stopping the Cheyenne and
giving us valuable information. You’ll need them if you’re going cross
country.”
Gene shook his hand as he said, “I’m not going to look a gift horse in the
mouth or count the excess saddles in your warehouse either, Major Forrest.”
Caul Forrest laughed as Sergeant Miller led Hawkeye and the four other
horses to Gene and handed him the reins.
Gene mounted and before he set his gelding in motion, he straightened
his back and snapped a sharp salute to Major Forrest.
After the still grinning officer returned his salute, Gene nudged
Hawkeye’s flanks with his boot heels and the gelding began walking onto
the parade grounds.
With the early morning sun casting long shadows to his right, Gene
Stewart left the fort and was soon moving at a good pace heading
southwest. Within an hour, he was alone again and was no longer following
a trail. He may have felt isolated on that first day when he left Nebraska
City, but now he no longer saw any signs of humanity at all. He should have
felt lonelier, but for some reason, he didn’t. He was focused now because he
was just three days away from Orville. What he found there was another
question entirely.
_____

Since Fenn’s report about the possibility that one of Alex Stewart’s kin
or friends might be coming, Lud Humber had set his three men on a
somewhat casual watch schedule to check for any strangers that might enter
the town. Even though the gold rush was over and even the discovery of
silver was waning, the town still attracted a number of fortune hunters.
Most would only stay for a few days before heading out for another
rumored gold strike, but some stayed longer. Those that stayed kept the
population reasonably steady as they replaced men who died in the mines or
of assorted diseases.

The influx of new arrival wasn’t overly taxing for the three men, but it
still kept them on their toes just spending a few minutes with each of them
to make sure none were the mysterious Gene. Fenn hadn’t been able to
glean any more information about who the women had discussed, and even
he began to wonder if they weren’t talking about a woman.
As each day after hearing that name passed without finding the man,
Fenn, Hank and Tomb began to lose interest and so did their boss. It had
only been a passing comment in the first place and since then, there had
been no change in the women’s behavior or Alex Stewart’s condition, or at
least in the condition reported to him by Fenn.
So, as Gene continued heading across the open plains, Lud Humber
finally told his men to do their normal work and just pay attention to any
newcomers they might spot in their routine duties.
_____
While Fenn hadn’t spotted any changes in the house on Fifth Street,
there had been something different that may not have seemed significant.
“
Where did you get that?
” Nora asked her daughter with big eyes.

“I stole it,” Robyn replied as she stared at the small pistol in her hands.
“How did you do that without anyone noticing?”
“When we were shopping the other day, Mister Castle seemed distracted
and was looking at you while you were in the first aisle. I was near the
counter and the pistols were just a step away, so I grabbed one and slipped
it into my purse.”
‘Is it loaded?” her mother asked.
Robyn nodded and said, “The gun wasn’t just lying there. There was a
stack of four of them and each one was in a small leather case that had
bullets, some cleaning fluid and oil and even an instruction booklet.”
“Don’t you think he’ll notice that it’s gone?”
Robyn looked at her mother as she replied, “I had a feeling that he left
them out like that and expected me to take one.”
“That’s crazy, Robyn! Why would you think something like that?”
She shrugged and said, “I don’t know. But remember what he said when
we paid for the order?”

Nora shook her head, so Robyn said, “He told us that he wished he could
give us a better price. It was as if he was ashamed to be working for Lud
Humber.”
“But that doesn’t mean he meant for you to take it. Why didn’t you tell
me before?”
“I was waiting to see if anyone would show up to accuse me of stealing
it. That Fenn Jordan character is still nosing around, and I thought if anyone
pounded on our door, it would be him. I finally believed that none of them
know about it.”
Nora dropped her eyes to the pistol and asked, “Do you think you can
use it?”
“I wouldn’t have taken it if I couldn’t, Mama. I’ve tried it without
bullets, but I wish I could do some target practice. I filled it with bullets, so
I have seven shots to use if anyone tries to come into the house.”
“Why would they? They seem to be satisfied with just hanging around
the house like vultures.”
“Humber might lose his patience or one of those bastards who works for
him might decide to act on his own. I’m going to keep the pistol in my dress
pocket during the day and on the nightstand while I sleep.”
“Just be careful, Robyn. I don’t want you to shoot yourself.”
 Robyn smiled at her mother as she slipped the Smith & Wesson Model 1
into her dress pocket while saying, “I promise.”
“I’ll tell Alex about it. Maybe he can tell you more about the pistol.”
“I wish you didn’t, Mama. He might ask you to take it from me and that
would put you in a bad position.”
Nora nodded and replied, “Alright. Just remember what I said about
being careful,” then she left the kitchen to see how Alex was doing.
He was having another good day today and he’d spent a few hours in the
parlor. He wasn’t even coughing today, and Nora held out hope that he still
might beat the consumption.

_____
The rest of the day’s ride wasn’t eventful for Gene and the only
difficulties were a pair of deep gullies and one wide creek.
When he finally made camp that evening, after he unsaddled the horses,
he finally had a chance to examine the contents of the packs that Major
Forrest had provided.
Most of the weight was food but he found two more blankets, a two-man
tent, some cooking gear, two boxes of matches and what really surprised
him was a small keg of gunpowder. It was only about four pounds, but he
had no idea who had decided that he’d need it. Except for the unused Le
Mat, all of his other weapons used metallic cartridges. He still had no idea
why he had taken the oddball pistol with him when he knew he’d have to
travel fast and light. He knew he’d never pull the trigger to the gun if for no
other reason that he didn’t want to take the time to reload the chambers. He
wasn’t sure how much powder to use either. If he used too much, the thing
could blow up in his hand and not enough could make it useless.

He set aside the barrel of powder and finished emptying the panniers.
Everything else was quite normal but he smiled when he pulled out a heavy
cavalry cloak that had lined the bottom of one of the panniers. It was early
summer, and he doubted if he’d ever wear it, especially with that bright
gold lining, but he wasn’t going to leave it behind. If he left anything, it
would be the small barrel of gunpowder. He knew that it wouldn’t explode
if it was hit by a bullet because he’d seen it happen when they were
engaged with Joe Johnston in North Carolina, but that didn’t mean that it
wouldn’t make him nervous.
He didn’t bother making a fire after having two good meals in a row, so
after having a cold supper, he stretched out on his bedroll and his two new
folded blankets as he looked at the band of stars that created the Milky Way.
It seemed so close, but he knew that they were well beyond the reach of
man. But it was that drive to touch the unreachable that made man unique in
God’s kingdom. Other creatures were faster, stronger and even lived longer,
but only man could dream and wonder how he fit into the grand scheme of
the universe.
After one more night under the stars, Gene expected to finally meet his
father again after that missing decade. He was still unsure of how he’d react
when they met but knew that he had to discover what had driven his father
to ask for his help before he passed any judgement. He’d get to meet the
two innocents as well and determine just how innocent they really were.
But even if they weren’t as innocent as he’d initially believed them to be,
the thought that he might have another brother, even a half-brother did
make him smile. If his father had another son, Gene would be the older
brother by at least ten years. He was smiling as he closed his eyes and let
his mind imagine what his nine-year-old brother would look like.
_____
Gene was up early the next morning and just washed and shaved before
saddling the horses. He didn’t eat anything until he was riding at his
accustomed fast pace and then only chewed on some jerky to keep his
stomach reasonably happy.
He had marked his route on the map before he left and after consulting
his compass, he was moving on a direct southwest path toward Orville. He
appreciated the open and mostly flat terrain which meant he didn’t have to
take a meandering route to his destination. When they’d marched across the
south following Uncle Billy Sherman, a fifty-mile distance using the scale
at the bottom of the maps usually turned into a sixty-mile march. He
imagined that if he had to travel through the mountains, it would be much
worse.
But even though the terrain was easily managed, he knew that since he’d
started his ride from Nebraska City, he’d been on a constant uphill grade
that wasn’t even noticeable. The map displayed a height above sea level at
the Missouri crossing as a little over a thousand feet, but the altitude around
Pikes Peak was five times that.
He still couldn’t see the Rocky Mountains but knew that before much
longer, he’d start seeing the peaks of the Continental Divide. He’d never
seen a mountain taller than the Smokies, so he wondered how impressed he
would be when he finally saw the snow-capped peaks.
Just after noon, he was letting the horses drink from a small stream when
he spotted movement far to his left and kept his eyes trained in that
direction. For the first time on the trip, he reached into his left saddlebag
and pulled out his field glasses. Unlike the ungainly Le Mat, he never spent
a moment thinking about leaving them behind.
He put them to his eyes and his mouth dropped open at the sight. Just
past the horizon was a sea of buffalo. He had no idea how many were in the
giant herd, but that didn’t matter. He was just surprised to see them at all
this far south. He thought that they only populated the Northern Plains, but
he knew now that he was wrong.
But it wasn’t the bison that bothered him, it was who was probably
following the herd. He may have been wrong about their range, but he was
sure that wherever a herd that size traveled, there was a much higher
likelihood of finding hunters. He may not think of taking down one of the
big beasts, but he didn’t want to become a target of the Indians who might
be hunting for meat and buffalo hides.
 He finally nudged Hawkeye to a walk and turned him almost due south
to swing around to the east of the herd. He’d give them a wide berth but still
watch them closely for anything other than a four-footed shaggy beast with
curly horns.

Gene knew he was adding a few miles to his journey as well as losing
time, but he wasn’t about to ride through the herd, especially trailing the
four horses. When he’d saddled them that morning, he’d briefly thought of
giving Hawkeye the day off and riding the gray stallion, but he trusted his
gelding and wasn’t sure that the stallion would be so easily managed. He
still had no idea why Hawkeye had tossed Harry Donnelly as he’d never
had even a moment of trouble with the horse since that first tricky water
crossing.
He wasn’t sure how much time he had lost when he finally reached the
other side of the herd, but because he had sighted on a distant hill as a
landmark, he knew that he was back on course.

He hadn’t seen any Indians stalking the herd but wasn’t sad about it.
Sometimes being alone is a good thing.
It was just an hour after leaving the buffalo behind that he finally spotted
the peaks of the Rocky Mountains in the distance. The wavy air from the
hot prairie made the mountains shimmer on the horizon, so he wasn’t as
thrilled as he’d expected to be, but just seeing them let him know that he
was close to his destination. He had read that the mountains would only be
seen from about a hundred miles away, so he knew that by the time he
stopped for the night, he’d be within a day’s ride of Orville.
Pikes Peak was lower than the taller summits so he wouldn’t be able to
see it until he was about seventy or eighty miles away, but once he had it in
view, then he wouldn’t need his compass any longer. He’d be able to take a
direct line to the right of the mountain and he’d probably pick up the road
between the small town and Colorado Springs. He was debating about
stopping at Colorado Springs on the way, but he didn’t see the need now
that he had the free supplies. Besides, he’d have to shift more to the south to
reach the bigger town.
Gene was determined to reach his father’s house by tomorrow night and
enter Orville as inconspicuously as possible not realizing that it wasn’t as
big a problem now as it had been when he started his journey. The watchers
were no longer watching.
_____
Lud Humber had all but forgotten about the Jean/Gene problem as he
had just been told about a much more serious issue, but it wasn’t from Fenn
or either of his other two henchmen.
He was sitting behind the desk in his private office as his mining
foreman, Joe Phinney stood in front of him.

“Are your sure, Joe?” he asked almost plaintively.

“Well, that rich deposit could show up again, but we haven’t gotten
much out of the last four feet and I was just wonderin’ how much longer
you wanted us to keep goin’.”

Lud thought about it for almost a minute. Operating the mine cost him
about two hundred dollars a day, but if it had played out, he’d just be
throwing money away. What really frosted him was that he’d paid Alex
Stewart twenty-five thousand for the mine and he’d only broken even two
months ago. He’d expected to get at least four or five times as much out of
the mine if not a lot more. He felt as if he’d been swindled but knew the
only way that he could get his money back soon was to ignore the two
women and finish off Stewart.
“Alright, Joe. Give it two more days and see what you find. If it stays
dry, let me know.”
Joe nodded, said, “Okay, Mister Humber,” then turned and left his office.
 Lud pulled a cigar from the box on his desk and after biting off the end
and lighting it, he leaned back to do some serious thinking.
He had to look at the big picture now. He had a very large bank account
in Colorado Springs and that was all that mattered now. His dry goods store
wasn’t as profitable as it had been during the gold rush and with the town’s
population stagnant, he didn’t think it was worth keeping. He could sell it to
Fred Castle for a decent price, so that wasn’t a problem. He really didn’t
even know if it was worth selling. The fact that the money he’d paid for the
mine was now sitting in Alex Stewart’s account in the same bank he used
was the only thing that really irritated him.
If he had been rational about it, he wouldn’t have cared that much about
Alex’s money at all. When he bought the mine, he thought he’d been the
one who had committed the swindle. He may now believe that he’d become
the victim, but he still made money on the deal. It wasn’t nearly what he
expected to make yet the six thousand dollars in profit should have satisfied
him. But it didn’t because he wasn’t the kind of man who tolerated being
made to look like a fool. He could almost hear some of the townsfolk
whispering about how Alex Stewart had tricked him. He knew that like
most powerful men, he wasn’t a popular man, but suspecting that those
common people would be snickering about him behind his back triggered
an irrational decision.
He didn’t call in his three stooges yet but would wait until Joe told him
that after two more days, the rich galena still hadn’t returned. Then he’d call
them into his private office with new and deadly instructions.
After Alex Stewart was dead, he’d ride to Colorado Springs with the
death certificate and the modified bill of sale to claim the twenty-five
thousand dollars.
He hadn’t been to Colorado Springs since that damned Drucker had been
elected sheriff. He had to send Fenn to the bank to make the deposits and
any other changes to the account because he suspected that if he arrived in
the bigger town, the sheriff would arrest him for some trumped up charge.
But after Stewart was dead, he’d have to make the trip himself. He’d empty
the account after getting Stewart’s money and then go to Denver briefly
before disappearing. He couldn’t care less about what happened to Orville
after he was gone.
_____
Alex had heard Nora and Robyn talking about the stolen pistol but
hadn’t mentioned it because he thought it was a good idea. He knew that the
big Colt in his drawer was too awkward even for a tall woman like Robyn,
but if she had a small pistol like that Smith & Wesson, he thought it was
better for both women. He didn’t doubt that Robyn had the sand to use the
gun either. Nora was a good and gentle woman and while her daughter
could be gentle as well, she could also be as determined as any man he’d
met. He’d watched her face down thugs with just a stare, so he imagined
that if she pulled that pistol from her dress pocket, whoever was facing her
would regret his decision to harass or threaten her or her mother.
He was feeling better the past three days and had spent as much time as
possible on his feet. If they still had their horses, he might even harness
them to the buckboard and drive to Colorado Springs. But even if those
animals were still in the barn, he doubted if Lud Humber’s thugs would let
him even get as far as moving the horses to the front of the buckboard.
No one in the house had heard the rumors of the failing production of the
Stewart mine, so Alex didn’t realize just how precarious their situation had
become. He knew Lud Humber well enough to understand that he was just
waiting for him to die, so as far as Alex was concerned, his rebounding
health was all that mattered. It meant that Humber would just have to wait
longer and may not ever get a chance to get his mitts on Alex’s money in
Colorado Springs. The money really didn’t even matter that much to him.
His bank account was more than four times the twenty-five thousand that
he had deposited from the mine’s sale. The silver extracted from the earth at
the base of Pikes Peak had never been a massive amount, but it had been
consistent.  If he had known that Humber’s plot was to just get his
investment back, Alex would have let him have it if he could just leave
town with Nora and Robyn. He had always suspected that Lud Humber had
some friend in the bank who would just turn over his entire balance and
between his ignorance and Lud Humber’s stubborn pride, the fuse had been
lit for the upcoming fireworks.
_____
By the time Gene set up his last night camp, he could see the Rockies
more clearly and was awed by his first Rocky Mountain sunset. He could
see Pikes Peak to the southwest and estimated that it was about sixty miles
away. After the long daily rides that he and Hawkeye had made since
leaving the Missouri River, sixty miles seemed like a pleasant jaunt. He
knew that he could probably sleep late in the morning, but suspected he’d
be too excited to stay under his blanket.
When he did pull his blanket over him to study the stars, he had his
gunbelt on his left under the blanket and the Henry on the right also
protected by the wool. He didn’t think there would be any dew before dawn
but didn’t want to risk getting his weapons wet. He might need them
tomorrow when he arrived in Orville.
As he lay on his back with his eyes open, he tried to remember what day
it was. He still had to return to Peoria before the end of July if he wanted to
get there before Katie had her second baby but suspected he may not make
it in time. But there was no way he would ever miss Anna’s wedding. He’d
never met her beau but was pleased that John was taking her to Chicago.
All he had to do was help his father, protect his two innocents, and stay
alive doing it.
 CHAPTER 6
Gene hadn’t been wrong when he thought it would be impossible for him
to sleep late. He was up with the predawn and had the horses saddled
shortly after the sun peeked over the eastern horizon.
As he kept Hawkeye to a medium trot his mind had already settled into a
firm expectation of what he would find when he entered his father’s house.
He would find his father standing beside his new wife and his half-brother
expecting Gene to act as if the last ten years were just ten hours. It was
almost a taunting vision that he had created, and he knew it was putting him
in a foul frame of mind, so he had to push it away and concentrate on the
ride.

He noticed that ever since he’d first spotted the mountains, the terrain
had become livelier. With each passing hour, the plains receded and were
replaced with more difficult ground and he was forced to start making
detours.
But before noon, Gene had modified his plans for arriving in Orville. If
he delayed his entry into the town, then he wouldn’t be able to find the right
street. He doubted that they had street signs posted to give him directions
and he wouldn’t be able to pick out the house from the brief description his
father had given him.
The other factor in his decision was that if he waited for the sun to go
down at this time of year, it would be around nine o’clock at night and they
would probably already be in bed.

The moment that argument arrived, the image of his father and his
faceless new wife sharing a bed exploded into his brain and a wave of
queasiness rolled through his gut.
 He’d just ride into town as if he was just passing through, which he
hoped would be true. He’d be prepared for trouble even though he had no
idea what it could be.

It was about an hour after high noon when he spotted a road ahead. It
was heading just a few degrees more westerly than what his compass told
him, so he assumed it was the road between Colorado Springs and Orville.
It wasn’t a great road, but it was definitely an improvement over the
difficult ground he was on now.
When he turned Hawkeye onto the road, he knew he had to be within
thirty miles of Orville because he couldn’t see Colorado Springs on the
other end of the road. That meant he could reach the town within four hours
at his current pace, so he slowed his tall gelding down to a slow trot. If he
timed it right, he might arrive while most of the townsfolk’s workday ended
and they’d be in their homes.

Now he was hopeful of seeing another person who was leaving Orville
just so he could find out more about the town’s situation. If a freight wagon
or a stagecoach left the town for Colorado Springs around eight o’clock,
then they’d be meeting soon enough. He knew that a stagecoach driver
wouldn’t stop to chat, but a teamster probably would.
He led his four horses along the road for three more hours without seeing
a soul which spooked him a little. There should be some traffic by now and
he wondered if after traveling over a thousand miles and fighting off hostile
Cheyenne, he’d get to Orville and find it a ghost town. Maybe the letter was
just a prank or some way of getting him to leave Peoria.

“You’re going loco, Gene,” he said aloud before he laughed.

It was after he self-diagnosed his pending madness that Gene realized
that it was Sunday which would explain the lack of road traffic.

He had been too jittery to eat after his almost non-existent breakfast, so
as the afternoon passed his stomach was on the verge of revolt.
 When he pulled off the road at a bubbling creek to water the horses, he
walked to the pannier of food and opened the flap. After rummaging, he
snatched a tin of chili con carne and used his big knife to slice off the lid.
He wished they made something better to open the damned things, but he
didn’t have time to invent one. He began spooning the cold chili into his
mouth as he looked down the road toward Pikes Peak which now
dominated the horizon.

After two bites, he said, “I’m almost here, Dad, so I’ll soon learn what
surprises do you have for me. They had better be worth the long trip.”
He polished off the chili then tossed the empty tin away before washing
it down with clear water upstream of where the horses dipped their muzzles.
He filled both canteens with the sweet, cold water then hung them over his
saddle and mounted.

Gene checked the loads of both his pistols before returning them to their
holster. The first time he’d put the Model 2s into the holsters he’d noticed
that they were almost lost in the leather pockets that had been made for the
larger Colts, so he’d had to jam wads of cut leather into the bottom of each
to bring the Smith & Wessons higher. Then the lack of trigger guards would
have been a problem if it hadn’t been for the hammer loops. The cartridge
pistols weren’t very useful for a quick draw, but that wasn’t a problem for
him anyway. Even when he’d been using his Colt, he’d never had to pull
the pistol quickly. He didn’t think this situation would call for it either, no
matter what problem was facing his father.
He was riding into the sun now as it dropped to the side of Pikes Peak.
He still hadn’t spotted Orville and it must be early evening by now. He
wasn’t concerned because the road had to wind through one curve after
another as it made its way around the base of the mountain so the town
would probably just pop into view within an hour or so.

Gene’s mouth was getting dry more from nervousness than the heat, so
he found himself attacking his canteens more often than normal. He had one
hoisted in front of his face to dump more water into his mouth when Orville
made its appearance.

He pulled Hawkeye to a stop without taking his drink and screwed the
cap back on before hanging it over its hook. He studied the eastern edge of
the town for a few minutes to get a feel for the place before starting his
gelding forward again.
Gene hadn’t seen many Western towns on his journey, and they seemed
to get a bit more ramshackle the further west he rode. He hadn’t anticipated
much, and Orville actually exceeded his expectation. The closer he got to
the town, the more details he observed. The sudden influx of gold-seekers
had left the fringes of the town looking almost like a squatters’ paradise, but
he could see much more substantial buildings just beyond the shacks and
tents. They were probably built by those who struck it rich either by finding
the elusive gold and silver or the men who either stole it or profited by
selling what the prospectors needed.

As Hawkeye brought him closer to the main street, he could see traffic,
but not as much as there would have been earlier in the day. Of course, it
was Sunday, so there would have been less anyway. He wondered how
many churches there were in town versus the number of saloons and
brothels. He’d discovered that the true measure of the success of a growing
town was the number and size of the schools. A town that was destined to
become nothing more than a memory usually never even built a school.
He had his eyes peeled as he entered Orville and didn’t find anyone
staring at him or even paying much attention to him at all even though he
was trailing four horses.

The stores and shops were all closed for the Sabbath. The livery was
open, but he wasn’t going to stop just to talk to the liveryman. He’d get his
information from his father now that he’d arrived.
He rubbed his stubbled chin and wondered if his father would even
recognize him. He was a far cry from the skinny eleven-year-old who had
gone off to school that morning leaving two parents still at home. Gene
wasn’t even sure that he’d recognize his father after all these years. He was
certain of one thing; it would be a very awkward moment when they met.

As he’d expected, there were no street signs as he walked Hawkeye

down the almost deserted street. Some houses already had lamps burning
inside and he imagined the families sitting down for a Sunday dinner of
baked chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy. It was a lot better than a can
of cold chili.
He may have been nervous and leery, but he still found time to snicker at
the comparison.

The crossing street names were painted on the corners of the buildings,
so after he’d passed 3
rd
St., he felt his heart begin to pound. He licked his
upper lip before taking off his hat and wiping his sweating brow with his
shirt sleeve.
He made one more scan of the main street before turning right onto Fifth
Street. He was curious why the sign painter had used numbers until he
reached Fifth Street, but it was just a passing question. Now he searched for
#12 in the shadows of the late evening sun.

_____
Inside the house, Robyn was cleaning up while her mother and Alex sat
in the parlor talking about something that was unrelated to Ludwig Humber.
She was scrubbing a cast iron pot that no longer needed cleaning as she was
deep in thought about the situation. She was feeling more like a prisoner
each day and even though she still took short walks or sat on the front porch
with her mother, not being able to walk freely through town felt as if she
was shackled.

It was coming to a boiling point for her even though her mother and
Alex seemed content to wait for the mythical Gene to arrive. She knew her
mother was only presenting an optimistic face for Alex but privately, she
knew that they shared the same sense of pending disaster. If Alex died, then
their future was more than just unknown. It was almost guaranteed to be
worse than when her father died six years ago. Alex had been there for them
within days of his passing, so they hadn’t had to suffer too many
indignities. In fact, once they moved in with him, their lives had improved
significantly. Without Alex, they’d be much worse than they had been
before, and Robyn wasn’t naïve enough to fail to understand what would
have been her own fate.

When her father had died, she was just a thirteen-year-old stick of a girl
but now she was a mature and well-figured nineteen-year-old young woman
who attracted more than just looks as she walked along the boardwalks.
Without Alex to provide for them, she knew what lay in her future. She was
glad that she’d stolen the pistol because, if nothing else, she’d make the first
man who laid a hand on her pay for the insult.
She didn’t hear the hoofbeats of the five horses as they passed by on the
other side of the house as she dwelled deep in her thoughts. Alex and Nora
were in an animated discussion about the end of the war and the building of
the transcontinental railroad and even though the clatter of hoofbeats
reached the parlor, neither had paid much heed to the noise. The street was
just fifty feet away, so the sounds from passing traffic weren’t unusual.

_____
Gene had seen light coming through the windows of #12 Fifth Street, so
his already rapid heartbeat added a few more beats per minute as he walked
his horses down the carriage path alongside the house. He could see a small
barn ahead but wasn’t planning on taking his small herd into the barn. He’d
meet his father and the two innocents first. He may decide to just mount
again and begin that long return journey to Peoria if his father’s problems
weren’t worth his attention.

He walked Hawkeye around the back of the surprisingly big house and
pulled him to a stop near the back of the wraparound porch. He slowly
dismounted and after tying off his gelding, he patted his neck and took a
deep breath.
 His heart was thumping against his ribs as he set his foot on the steps
and began his slow climb to the porch. There was a light in the kitchen, and
he thought he saw a shadow move through the window. It was time.

He stopped before the back door raised his big right fist and rapped on
the heavy pine surface.
Just twelve feet away, Robyn was startled by the knock and whipped
around with her hands spraying sudsy water onto the floor. She
automatically dried her wet palms on her dress before she shoved her right
hand into her pocket and felt the comforting cold steel of her pistol.

She wrapped her fingers around the grip and glanced through the
window before she stepped toward the back door.
In the parlor, Nora had almost jumped to her feet before she slid even
closer to Alex on the couch and said, “I’m staying with you.”

Alex understood why she wasn’t leaving his side and was about to tell
her to help Robyn when he heard the back door open and then…silence.
When that kitchen door opened, the moment that followed was filled
with stunning revelation.
Gene was shocked when he found that he wasn’t looking at a nine-year-
old half-brother but a very attractive young woman who was too old to be
his half-sister. So, he just stared into her blue eyes as his mind tried to
adjust to the unexpected.
Robyn’s stunned reaction was not because she was afraid of the tall,
impressive young man standing a few feet before her, but because she
instinctively realized that he was the phantom Gene Stewart, Alex’s only
living son.
The silence endured for a long and mutually stunned period of disbelief
before Robyn finally whispered, “Gene?”
Gene blinked then replied, “Yes, ma’am. Is my father here?”
 There was another soundless ten seconds before Robyn finally said, “I’m
sorry. Yes, he is. Please come in.”

Gene smiled then removed his hat before stepping into the kitchen.
Robyn still had her eyes focused on him as she closed the door and felt as if
she was in a dream world.
In the parlor, Alex and Nora were still confused by what was happening
at the other end of the long hallway. They hadn’t heard Robyn’s whisper of
recognition or Gene’s quiet reply. But they both heard the louder footsteps
enter the kitchen.
“Why did Robyn let him in?” Alex asked quietly.
“She didn’t shoot him, so it’s not one of Humber’s men,” Nora replied.

They were both staring at the end of the hallway as Gene followed
Robyn out of the kitchen.
Gene was still shaken after seeing Robyn but wondered if she was his
father’s new wife and instead of a nine-year-old half-brother, he had a
toddler half-brother or half-sister. He was already hoping that she wasn’t his
new stepmother because even though he already knew that he wanted to
help her, he would be jealous if his father was her husband. It was a bizarre
mix of emotions that already had his mind in turmoil before he even entered
the parlor to meet his father and the second innocent. It was just a question
of how old the other innocent was. Seeing his father again after ten years
suddenly became less important.
Then Robyn entered the parlor, stopped, looked at her mother and in a
shaking voice said, “Gene is here.”
Despite his infirmity, Alex jumped to his feet and as Nora stood more
slowly, Gene entered the room and met his father’s eyes. He had glanced at
the older woman who had been sitting with him on the couch and felt a
measure of relief before he turned his focus to his father.
 It was the ultimate in awkward moments as father and son shared a long
stare.

Gene recognized his father but noticed that he seemed tired and thinner.
He’d expected him to seem smaller because he hadn’t grown while Gene
had sprouted another six inches since he’d gone and put on almost a
hundred pounds. He hadn’t been close to shaving when his father had
deserted them, and now he should be shaving twice each day.
Alex felt a much wider range of emotions as he studied his son. He had
imagined what Gene would look like ever since he’d left Peoria and over
those ten years, he’d created visions of an older, bigger boy and then a man.
But even in his most heroic imaginings, he hadn’t come close to what his
eyes were telling him was real.

Eugene William Stewart was the image of what any man could hope to
aspire to become. But even more than his impressive height and obvious
strength, it was the confidence and authority that Alex could see in his blue
eyes that struck him. He was incredibly proud of his son and saddened that
he hadn’t been there to watch him become a man. More than that, he was
overwhelmed with guilt for having abandoned him when he needed his
father the most.
Nora and Robyn watched them in silence. Nora had initially been almost
as stunned as Robyn, but once that shock had subsided, she studied Alex’s
son almost as much as he did. The long delay before his arrival actually
made his appearance even more spectacular as she’d given up hope that
he’d ever walk through that door. Now he was here, and things would
happen…good things. She wasn’t unaware of the way Robyn was staring at
him, either.
Robyn had only spent a couple of seconds watching Alex’s reaction to
seeing his son before she spent the rest of that awkward silence examining
every bit of Gene. Since the moment that kitchen door had swung away,
she’d been in awe of the man. She’d seen many men since they’d moved to
Orville, but none of them came close to matching Alex’s son. She knew
how old he was, of course, but she now wondered if he was married. She
found that she was already jealous of the wife even if she didn’t exist. She’d
transfer that jealousy to his girlfriend if he wasn’t. For now, she just let
herself drift into fantasies that didn’t include either a wife or a girlfriend.
The awkward meeting had lasted more than a minute before Gene finally
said, “I received your letter in May, but I was in North Carolina. I only
mustered out of the army at the end of June.”
Alex nodded then replied, “Oh. I almost thought you weren’t going to
come at all. I could understand why you wouldn’t.”
There was another pause before Nora said, “Alex, you should sit before
you fall down,” then took his arm and pulled him to the couch.
After he was sitting, Nora sat next to him then smiled up at Gene and
said, “Will you please sit down, Gene? I swear my neck will snap in two if I
keep having to look up at you. My name is Nora Martin and the young lady
who seems to be smitten with you already is my daughter Robyn.”
Gene smiled back and replied, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nora,” then
looked at Robyn and after a brief hesitation, said, “And I’m happy to meet
you as well, Robyn.”
Robyn felt her heart racing as she stammered, “It’s…it’s nice to meet
you at last, Gene.”

“We’d better sit down,” he said as he waited for Robyn to choose a chair.
He had noticed that Nora hadn’t identified herself as Nora Stewart,
which raised a lot more questions, but he was sure that he’d have his
answers soon.
After Robyn sat in one of the easy chairs, he sat in the one closest to her
and faced his father and Nora as they sat on the couch on the other side of
the parlor.
 Before the explanations began, Gene quickly said, “I have my horses
outside and I need to get them unsaddled and put away. I think we’ll be
spending a long time talking, so I should really take care of them first.”

“How many do you have?” Alex asked.

“I have the gelding I took with me from Peoria but added four more a
few days ago. Two have riding saddles and one is carrying a packsaddle.”
Nora asked, “Why did you bring so many horses? That must have cost
you a fortune.”
“No, ma’am. The gelding was a gift that was really almost a bribe and
the four horses were ridden by a band of Cheyenne that attacked me on the
plains. I’ll explain later, but I really need to put them away. Is there enough
room in the barn?”

Alex replied, “The barn is empty after our horses went missing a couple
of months ago. That was a continuation of the problem that prompted me to
write the letter.”
Gene just nodded before he stood and said, “I’ll be back in about twenty
minutes.”
Robyn hopped to her feet and said, “I’ll help. I’d like to see your
horses.”
Gene glanced back at her mother before following Robyn back down the
hallway. He expected that he’d soon learn a lot more about the situation and
was more than pleased to be hearing the details from her rather than his
father.
Once they exited the back door, the first thing Gene asked was, “Is the
situation dangerous?”
Robyn was stepping down from the porch as she replied, “There hasn’t
been any violence, but we’ve been isolated for a while now and Alex thinks
that they’re just waiting for him to die.”
 Gene was startled by her answer and was untying Hawkeye’s reins as he
asked, “What do you mean by dying?”

“Your father has had a few good days, but he has consumption and when
he has bad days, he coughs up a lot of blood and sometimes we didn’t know
if he’d make it through the night.”
He took his gelding’s reins and as they started walking to the barn, he
asked, “Why didn’t he tell me? His letter was so short and didn’t even
explain what the problem was.”
“He’ll explain why he did that when we return. Personally, I believe he
should have given you much more information and I’m pretty sure that he
wished he did after just a couple of weeks.”
They reached the barn and as Gene began stripping Hawkeye of his
weapons, Robyn said, “Your father is a good man, Gene. Don’t judge him
harshly for what he did. He’s been nothing short of a hero to me and my
mother since he took us in six years ago.”

“I won’t judge him at all, Robyn. It’s not my place and it’s not why I
made this long journey.”
“Good. You haven’t asked the other big question that’s been ready to
explode in your mind since my mother introduced herself as Nora Martin.”

Gene smiled as he was untying his saddlebags and replied, “I’ll admit
that it crossed my mind.”
“My father died six years ago. He worked as a foreman in your father’s
silver mine. My mother and I had helped him with cleaning, cooking and
laundry, so when he was killed, he asked us to stay. I think they were in
love before the accident, but I know that nothing had come of it because I
was rarely away from my mother. Anyway, after we moved in, they became
husband and wife for all practical purposes.”

“Why didn’t he marry your mother?”

 “He couldn’t marry her, at least not legally and your father is a stickler
for following the law. He was still married to your mother.”

“Actually, he wasn’t. My mother divorced him for abandonment when I

was fifteen and remarried.”
Robyn had a saddle in her hands as she exclaimed, “
She divorced him?
”
“Yes, ma’am. She married the man who bought part of the farm from my
father to finance his escape. He moved two of his sons into the house and I
wasn’t fond of either of them, so I was going to live in the barn but decided
to leave the farm. I haven’t been back very often since.”
“Do you have your own family now?”
“No, ma’am. I worked at a distillery until I was nineteen then spent the
last two years wearing the blue with Grant and Sherman.”
“No girlfriends either?”

Gene set his heavy saddle on a shelf before he turned then smiled at
Robyn and said, “No girlfriend, either. Remember that I received my
father’s letter at the beginning of May and then had to spend another two
months in the army. I left Peoria just a couple of days after I returned.”
“I would have thought…never mind,” Robyn said as she hung a bridle
from a hook.
Gene laughed and said, “So, would I.”
Robyn laughed herself before they returned to unsaddling the other
horses.
“I’ll let my father explain the problem, but I need to know if he intends
to stay here with you and your mother. I can’t stay for very long for a few
reasons. My younger sister is getting married in September and I’m
supposed to give her away and my older sister is having her second child in
a couple of weeks. I’ll also start clerking for an attorney when I get back to
Peoria.”
 “You’re going to be a lawyer? That’s wonderful! I’m sure your father
will be even prouder of you when he hears the news.”
“I’m surprised he even remembered my name. His letter came as a
complete shock.”
“He does much more than remember your name, Gene. Even before we
moved into this house, we knew almost every detail of your life before your
father left. As difficult as it was for him to leave his life, he said that by far
the worst was knowing that he was disappointing you. He said he was close
to having you come with him, but knew it was selfish. He said that even
when you were eleven, you were already acting like a man.”
“I’ll admit that I was more than just disappointed when my mother told
me that he’d gone. I hated him for a long time but after I discovered that he
may have had another reason to leave other than to hunt for gold, I was
more charitable in my opinion.”
“I’ll find out that reason when you talk to your father, but in answer to
your last question, all of us really wanted to leave Orville in the spring, but
your father’s consumption had gotten worse over the winter, so we stayed.
Then we lost the horses, so it wasn’t possible to leave even if we had
wanted to go.”

“He seems better now. Do you think he’d be able to ride to Colorado
Springs?”
“I’m not sure if he can ride, but we have a buckboard behind the barn
and I think now that you brought a small herd of horses, we could hitch one
up to the buckboard and he could sit or even lie on the bed, but it would be
a tight fit.”
“I guess we’ll have to see how he’s feeling but knowing that you don’t
want to stay means we can start planning to leave before any serious trouble
starts.”
 “The faster the better,” Robyn said before pulling the last blanket from
one of the Cheyenne horses.

_____
After they’d gone, as Alex stared at the dark hallway, Nora said, “Your
son is an impressive young man, Alex. At least now you know that you
didn’t fail at all. Not giving him more details in your letter worked out as
you had originally hoped. He’s already proven his character just by his
arrival.”
Alex nodded and replied, “I know, but I still feel so guilty for not being
there for him and the girls. Every day since I left, the shame for what I had
done was lurking in my mind and eating at my soul. Now that I’ve finally
met him again, those feelings are even more intense, and I feel such a sense
of loss for missing those years. I don’t even know if Katie and Anna are still
alive or have children of their own. I’m a horrible father, Nora.”
“Now stop this right now, Mister Stewart. We’ve had this conversation
countless times since we met, and I’ll tell you once more that what you did
was the only choice you had. It was a terrible thing but if anything, you
were blameless.”

Alex took in a deep breath then suddenly bent over as he began hacking.
Nora pulled a towel from the stack on the side table and handed it to him as
he spasmed.
When he finished, she took the towel and dropped it into one of the
many buckets of sudsy water that were placed strategically throughout the
house. But she noticed that the towel wasn’t marked with blood this time.
She said a silent prayer that she’d never see another stained towel.
Alex then continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted when he asked, “Do
you think he knows about his mother?”
“I don’t know how she could have kept the secret for very long, but even
if he found out about it, I doubt if he knows the full story.”
 Alex nodded then smiled and said, “He is a very impressive young man;
isn’t he?”

“He is an extraordinary young man and if by some chance he is still

unmarried, I think that will add to the importance of his arrival, at least to
Robyn.”
“She did seem rather taken by him; wasn’t she?”

“I noticed that Gene wasn’t exactly immune from Robyn either.”

Alex took her hand and said, “I wish we could get married, Nora.”
“Maybe we can get married now, Alex. I’ve always said that your wife
would have probably divorced you years ago and married that Moran
character.”
“But he was already married, and he was a Catholic, so he couldn’t
divorce his wife. I told you that.”
“And I told you, sir, that you must not understand men as well as you
should. He may be a Catholic but that doesn’t make him a saint. After what
he did, do you think the rules of his faith would be enough to stop him?”
“No, and I’ll remind you of my old argument that his wife was a devout
Catholic and would never allow a divorce.”
“Divorce isn’t the only way to end a marriage, Mister Stewart.”
Alex stared at Nora for a few seconds before quietly saying, “I know, but
even a man with Jim Moran’s poor character wouldn’t be so bad as to
murder his wife.”
“Maybe not, but she could have died sometime in the past few years and
then he’d be free to marry Beatrice. I guess we’ll find out when Gene and
Robyn are finished with the horses.”
“I’m a bit excited already, Nora. We have a lot of catching up to do, too.”
“I’ll put on some coffee. It’s going to be a long night.”
 He was smiling as Nora stood, kissed him on his forehead, then left the
parlor to start a fire in the cookstove.
Alex watched her leave and hoped that Gene told him that his mother
had divorced him and remarried, even if it wasn’t to that bastard Moran. He
had wondered if she had died but the fact that Gene had received his letter
in North Carolina meant that Beatrice had forwarded it to him. He was
curious if she had read it first but was a bit surprised that she had even sent
it to him rather than burning it in the fireplace. One of the reasons for not
giving Gene many details was his fear that if Beatrice had read the letter
and known about his enormous bank account, she’d destroy the letter then
come calling to collect what she probably thought was her due. He would
tell Gene the other reasons when they were all back together in the parlor.
He was already tired, but the excitement of Gene’s arrival would sustain
him for at least a couple of more hours before his exhaustion forced him to
his bed.
_____
Gene handed the Henry to Robyn then hung his heavy saddlebags over
his shoulder and grabbed the Spencer.
“You have a lot of guns, Gene,” she said as she examined the repeater.
“They were all necessary on the ride across the plains, Robyn. Do you
know how to shoot a gun?”
She smiled in the darkness as she pulled her Model 1 from her pocket
and showed it to him.
“I have two Model 2 Smith & Wessons. They’re just bigger versions of
that revolver. Have you fired it before?”
“No. I wish I could have, but I didn’t want to attract attention.”
Gene nodded then said, “Let’s go talk to my father and your mother.”
 Robyn took his free hand and even though she was tall for a woman at
five feet and seven inches, her hand was swallowed by his big mitt.
Gene wrapped his fingers around her hand as they left the barn and
headed for the porch.
The moon was in its third quarter as they strolled to the house holding
hands while carrying rifles in their free hands. It was a quiet summer night
with just a light breeze, so if it wasn’t for the circumstances and the
firearms, it would have been an almost ideal romantic setting.
Once Gene had gotten past the shock of not finding his half-brother or
half-sister, he’d been paying intense attention to Robyn. He hadn’t had
much opportunity for a social life since leaving school but that didn’t mean
he was a hermit either. Still, he’d never met a young woman as impressive
as Robyn Martin. When she pulled the pistol from her dress pocket, he
hadn’t been surprised at all. After talking with her for just a few minutes, he
had recognized her solid character and powerful will. He wished that most
of the soldiers that he’d commanded in the war had half of her gumption.
Robyn’s awe that she had felt when she first saw Gene hadn’t diminished
much during their conversation. It had been replaced by a very real
admiration as he had demonstrated his sound judgement and decisiveness.
He wasn’t trying to impress her with tales of his bravery in the war or in his
dangerous trek across the plains. He had only mentioned his engagement
with the Cheyenne when she’d asked where he’d gotten the horses. Her
decision to take his hand was her way of telling him that she was interested.
When she felt his fingers tighten around her hand, she knew he had
accepted her invitation.
The young couple had spent less than thirty minutes together, yet each
had already started thinking of a joint future. Of course, both knew that any
future had to start with trying to get away from Orville without being
spotted.
When they entered the house again, Robyn said, “We’ll put your things
in the second bedroom on the left. It’s empty right now.”
 “Yes, ma’am,” Gene replied and reluctantly let Robyn’s hand go as he
took his Henry.
She opened the door to the bedroom and waited while Gene leaned his
two rifles against the wall and lowered his saddlebags to the floor before
tossing his hat onto the bed. He was going to take off his gunbelt but
decided to leave it on while he talked to his father.
Nora and Alex stopped talking when Robyn and Gene entered the parlor.
Gene let Robyn take her seat before sitting down next to her again.
Before his father began the long-awaited conversation, he said, “Dad, I
want to let you know that when I was fifteen, mom divorced you for
desertion and married Jim Moran. You’ve been unmarried for six years
now.”
Alex’s mouth dropped open then snapped closed before he turned to
Nora and exclaimed, “It’s true, Nora! We can get married!”
Then before he could stop her, she threw her arms around him and kissed
him passionately on the lips.
As much as Alex wanted to push her away to keep her safe, her
closeness and expressive love made him pull her closer instead. He held
onto her as he hadn’t been able to do for over a year as Robyn and Gene
watched. Gene wasn’t surprised, but Robyn was almost shocked after all
that Alex had told her and her mother about keeping any contact to a
minimum.
When their lips parted, Nora smile and softly said, “I don’t care about
your damned consumption, Alex. I want to be with you as your wife
tonight. Please don’t deny me. I want this regardless of the risk.”

Alex caressed her cheek with his fingertips as he replied, “I know that I
should refuse you, Nora, but I can’t. I need you and now we can be
married.”
 “We’ll have to go to Colorado Springs.”
“That’s why Gene was sent here, my love. I believe that God sent him to
give us the joy that we’ve denied ourselves for too long.”
Alex and Nora then turned their eyes to the other side of the room and
Alex said, “Thank you for telling me that first, Gene. I know you need to
hear many other things, but you’ll never know how happy that made us
both.”
Gene smiled at the couple and replied, “I think I have a good idea, Dad.”
Alex put his arm around Nora’s waist before he said, “I know that you
thought I left the farm to hunt for gold in California, but that wasn’t really
the reason I left. But no matter what I tell you, please don’t place the entire
blame on your mother. It was just as much my fault as hers.”

“I know the other reason, Dad. When I left the farm because mom
married Jim Moran, I was told by Harry Donnelly’s mother about how mom
and Mister Moran had been having an affair. She implied that it was the
reason you had gone but didn’t know why.”
“She married him? How could he do that? I know his wife wasn’t about
to get a divorce. Did she die?”
“Yes, sir. Mrs. Donnelly said that when she heard of Mrs. Moran’s death,
she suspected that her husband had murdered her, but never said anything
about it. He married mom just a few months later.”
“I hated that man and I know that you weren’t exactly friends with Kevin
or Augie.”
“Um, that’s another thing, Dad. When Kevin and Augie moved in with
their father leaving Jack at the old house because he was married, Katie was
kind of smitten with Kevin. She married Kevin and had a boy before I left
for the war and is expecting her second child soon. Her boy is three years
old now and is named Jimmy. She told me that she’s carrying a girl this
time.”
 Alex felt his stomach turn with the news before he quietly asked, “What
about Anna?”
“She was impressed with Augie at first, but she moved on quickly. He
married that girl that I had a crush on in school and they’re living in town.
Anna just told me that she’s engaged to a young man from Chicago. She
asked me to give her away when she gets married in September.”
Alex felt better about Anna, but the news about Beatrice and especially
Katie sat like a lead weight in his gut.

There was thirty seconds of silence before Alex said, “I guess that’s
another reason for us to leave soon. First, let me tell you why I had to leave.
I really wanted to bring you with me, by the way, but I knew that you had to
take care of Katie and Anna.”
Gene nodded but didn’t say anything as his father continued.
“I had known about your mother’s liaison with Jim Moran for more than
a year before I left. They tried all sorts of ways to avoid being spotted, but
the evidence was always there. Your mother was less receptive in our
bedroom and even accused me of having an adulterous affair with Mrs.
Abernathy.”
“Really?” Gene asked, unintentionally interrupting his father.
Mrs. Gloria Abernathy was a widow in Peoria who had been known to
invite many men to her home but wasn’t a particularly handsome woman.
“I know,” Alex replied, then continued, saying, “I’d found other things
that didn’t make sense including a pair of socks that weren’t mine or yours.
Anyway, it finally came to a head a month before I left. I came home from
buying some wire and spotted Jim Moran trotting out of the house. I called
out to him and he knew he was in trouble, but Jim had more weapons than I
did.”
“What do you mean?”
 “You were too young to understand that the bank held a mortgage on our
farm. We’d had two bad years in a row, so I had to get money from the
bank. We were close to losing the farm and Jim Moran knew it. He’d made
offers to buy some of our land, but none of them were very good.
“When Jim knew that he’d been caught, he simply turned around and
walked towards me as if I was the one who’d done wrong. He said that he’d
buy thirty acres at a much higher price than it was worth but only if I left
Illinois. I was furious and almost hit him, but after I calmed down a little, I
had to think about it. It sounds like a terrible thing to even consider, but we
were so close to losing everything and our only chance was to sell the
acreage.”
“Why didn’t he just buy the whole farm?”
“He wanted to do that, but I wouldn’t let him. I told him that you earned
your inheritance, as meager as it was.”
“But mom’s name was on the deed, so she could sell it to him after you
left.”
“After I told him I’d think about it, he left, and I went inside and had a
long talk with your mother. She didn’t deny the affair and said that she
loved Jim Moran because he was a real man. I was close to striking her for
the first time since we’d been married, but I felt this overwhelming urge to
leave that made Jim Moran’s offer more acceptable. She promised me that
she’d keep the farm so you could inherit it and I believed her.
“The sale of the acreage and everything else was done while you were in
school. I even left without saying goodbye or telling you the whole story
because I couldn’t bear to see your face. Besides, you’d probably want to
come with me or hate the Morans even more than you already did. I would
rather you hate me than leave your sisters without a man in the house. I had
that much confidence in you already. I still felt like an absolute heel for
abandoning you and the girls, Gene. I’ll never ask for your forgiveness or
theirs for what I did because I’ll never forgive myself.”
 Gene could see the massive amount of pain in his father’s sad eyes but
knew that there was no point in even mentioning the word ‘forgive’. The
story itself had been much more revealing than he’d expected and now it
was time to move on.
“What happened to California?” Gene asked.
“Oh. I never wanted to go that far, but after I reached Kansas, I heard
about the gold strike at Pikes Peak, so I came here. I bought a claim
expecting to find gold, but never found a speck. After two years of work, I
hit a large deposit of silver and that’s what gave me this house and a lot
more.”

“And now that silver has brought you the problems that you haven’t
explained yet.”
“The silver and this damned consumption.”
“How long have you been sick?”
“Almost two years now. I keep thinking I’m going to die and then I get
better. I was pretty bad a couple of weeks ago, but I’ve had a string of good
days.”
“So, what is the problem and why didn’t you tell me about it in the
letter?”
Gene coughed but only as if he was clearing his throat. Nora still pulled
a towel from the table and handed it to him.
He didn’t wipe his mouth, but replied, “When we needed help, I knew
that only you could be the one to handle it. You’ll understand why in a
minute. I wrote the letter and was very careful with its contents. I didn’t
want to tell you about the silver or the money because I didn’t want you to
come here out of greed. I know that sounds terrible, but if your character
had been changed over the years, I didn’t want you to have the money or
meet Nora or Robyn.”
 “I can understand that.”
“When my health was deteriorating, I sold the mine to a man name
Ludwig Humber for twenty-five thousand dollars and we made our last trip
to Colorado Springs to deposit the money in my account there. Lud and I
both thought he was getting a bargain if not a steal, but I couldn’t work
anymore. I screwed up by not adding Nora to the account. I thought we’d
be able to leave Orville, and it wouldn’t matter. If she’d been my wife, she
would have inherited anyway. But by late in the winter, I was in bad shape
and couldn’t travel. That’s when I wrote the letter.
“You were the only one who could access that account if I died. When it
was looking really bad, I tried to convince Nora to take what money I had
in the house and leave, but she refused to go.”
Gene then asked, “So, this man, Humber is the one causing the trouble?”
Alex nodded then began telling Gene everything he knew about the man,
what he’d done and the three men who did all of the dirty work.
As Gene listened a string of questions formed in his mind, but he saved
them until his father finished.
When he ended his long monologue, which Nora noticed had been free
of a single cough, Gene asked, “Why doesn’t he just let you leave? He
bought your silver mine and I would think he’d be happy about it and
wouldn’t care if you left or not.”
“I think he wants his money back.”
“Why? You said it was a steal at that price, and he can’t get the money
out of your account in Colorado Springs anyway.”
“I don’t know why he wants the money, but it’s the only reason for him
to keep us almost like prisoners in the house. He has one of his men
watching us most of the time, so he probably knows you’re here. As to how
he could get the money, all I can do is take a guess. I don’t know if he has a
last will forged or has a partner at the bank. He has his money there, too.”
 “I don’t suppose it matters now that you’ll be leaving. I didn’t see
anyone watching when I rode into town, either. So, it’s possible that he
doesn’t know I’m here. Even if he does, I don’t think he’ll do anything
about it.”
“What makes you believe he won’t send his two gunmen here?”
“If he hasn’t sent them before when you were so vulnerable, I think he’s
even less likely to send them now. You said that you don’t even have a town
marshal, so why hasn’t he just sent one of them into the house and put a
bullet through your head?”
“I have no idea. The nearest law is in Colorado Springs, but even though
Humber has a ruthless reputation, there isn’t one shred of evidence that
would put him in a jail cell for a single day. I guess when he heard I was
sick, he could just wait for me to die and then take the mine. When I didn’t
die right away, he began pressuring me to sell until I did. I expected him to
shoot me on the way to Colorado Springs when I deposited his draft, but
nobody even followed us.”
Robyn then said, “I think I know. When the horses were stolen, I walked
through town trying to find them. I doubted they were even in Orville
anymore, but I had nothing else to do. Just when I reached the livery, I
heard Hank Thatcher saying something about ‘the boss being soft about
women’. I never knew who he was talking to because as soon as I
recognized his voice, I turned around and headed home.”
Nora looked at her daughter and asked, “Why didn’t you mention this
before?”
“It didn’t matter; did it, Mama? We weren’t going to leave Alex and it
wouldn’t change anything. To be honest, I almost completely forgot about it
until Gene asked the question.”
Gene then said, “Okay. At least that gives me one answer and the others
don’t matter once you’re all out of town.”
 He then looked at his father and asked, “If I harness the buckboard, will
you be able to sit in the seat for the drive to Colorado Springs?”
“I don’t care if I have to ride on an angry bull all that way, I want to
leave here and never see this place again. Besides, I need to put a wedding
ring on Nora’s finger and get her name on that bank account.”
Nora was smiling as Gene said, “I don’t want to leave in the night
because if they do know we’re here, I won’t see them coming. The horses
need their rest anyway. I’d like to leave early in the morning, but I don’t
think it’ll be tomorrow morning because we’ll need one day for you to pack
your things. I don’t want to spend all night getting ready and then be so
tired when we leave that we’d be in danger if Humber changes his mind and
sends his boys after us.”

“So, we’ll be leaving on Tuesday morning?” Robyn asked.

“Unless everyone thinks that it’s more dangerous if we waited.”

Alex said, “No, I think you’re right. As long as they didn’t see you, then
I think we should wait.”
Gene nodded then replied, “Even if Humber does know I’m here, he’ll
know that I’m heavily armed and if he follows his normal pattern, he won’t
want a gunfight in town.”

Nora quietly said, “I hope not.”

_____
Despite Gene’s belief that he hadn’t been spotted by any of Humber’s
men as he rode down main street, he had definitely made an impression on
those who had witnessed his arrival.
While Gene was getting the story from his father, Fenn Jordan was in
Brewster’s Saloon and Dance Hall sharing a beer with Hank Thatcher when
he heard a nearby patron talking about a tall stranger entering town leading
four horses.
 Fenn was only marginally interested but gathering intelligence for the
boss was his primary job, so he began paying attention. When the man said
how odd it was that two of the four horses had riding saddles, one had a
loaded pack saddle and one was empty, Fenn became very interested.
He downed his beer then stood and stepped over to the next table and
looked down at the speaker.
“Tell me about this stranger, Boris.”

Boris Speckler immediately suspected that he might have something of

interest to Lud Humber, so he grinned up at Fenn and asked, “What’s it
worth to ya, Fenn?”
Fenn reached into his pocket, pulled out a quarter and tossed it onto the
table before saying, “I’ll buy you a few beers, Boris. Let’s have it.”
Boris was a bit surprised he’d gotten the two bits and gratefully picked
up the coin as he replied, “This big feller rode by just before sunset leadin’
four horses. He was ridin’ a really tall, dark horse with four boots. Two of
the trailers had ridin’ saddles and one was a pack horse. The empty one was
a really nice gray stallion.”
“I heard all that. What kind of guns did he have?”

“I didn’t pay much attention to the man ‘cause I was lookin’ at that
stallion. I reckon he had a rifle and a pistol.”
“Where did he go?”

“I ain’t sure but after he passed by, I checked a little while later and he
wasn’t on Main Street anymore.”
Fenn was annoyed for giving Boris the quarter but just huffed and
returned to his table.
When he sat, Hank asked, “Are you gonna tell the boss?”
 “I’ll mention it in the morning, but I’m not about to bother him at home.
You know how he is after he leaves his office.”

Hank snickered then said, “He ain’t all that much happier when he’s in
his office, either.”
Fenn knew that the boss would expect him to have more information, so
he figured he’d do a little investigating on his own tomorrow morning
before he talked to Lud.

_____
It was getting late and Nora could tell that despite his need to talk to
Gene, she knew that Alex was close to exhaustion. He may have had a few
good days, but he still hadn’t regained a lot of strength.

Gene had noticed his father’s need for rest as well and after he had
finished telling them more about the situation he’d left in Peoria and the
long journey across the plains, he knew it was time to call it a day.
“Dad, we can talk more tomorrow. You need to rest, and I need some
time to think.”
Alex smiled as he replied, “I’ll admit that I am a bit sleepy. Before I
waddle off to bed, I want to tell you how immensely happy I am to see you
again. I never thought that I would and even if this damned consumption
gets me, I’ll die a much happier man.”
Gene smiled at his father and said, “You’re not going to die for a long
time, Dad, unless your friend Lud Humber decides otherwise. And I intend
to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Before Alex could say another word, Nora stood then almost lifted him
from the couch.
“Goodnight, Gene. And to you too, Robyn,” Nora said before guiding
Alex from the parlor.
 Alex managed a smile and a wave as he left, but even though he was
close to exhaustion, even Gene noticed that he hadn’t coughed at all in the
last hour or so.

After he heard the bedroom door close, Gene turned to Robyn and asked,
“Is it normal for him to go that long without coughing? I’ve seen a few men
with consumption, and I know that some of them survived the illness, but
once they reached the point where they were coughing up blood, they were
usually so bad that it was just a matter of months.”
“I was wondering that myself. Just a few weeks ago, he couldn’t go
thirty minutes without having a coughing fit. That’s why there are those
pails of sudsy water around the house. Over the past week or so, his
coughing has subsided, but he’d had periods when he wasn’t so bad before.
I simply can’t recall a time since winter began where he’s gone this long
without having a serious coughing fit.”

“Maybe he’s self-healing. I’ve heard of some of those inflicted who had
been at death’s door before they recovered. Some call it a miracle, but I
always figured that sometimes our bodies have to figure out the best
weapons to use to fight the disease.”
Robyn smiled as she said, “You sound like an army doctor.”

Gene shook his head before he replied, “That’s the last thing I could ever
imagine doing. I had to visit our hospital tents pretty often when one of my
men was wounded and I can’t begin to describe the horrors that went on
inside. The smell alone will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
“I’m sorry, Gene. I didn’t mean to stir up bad memories.”

“I know you didn’t, and there’s no reason to apologize. I guess that some
things are just harder to forget than others.”
“Was it bad for you?”

“For me? Not so much. I was wounded twice, but not badly. Everybody
got sick and a lot died from all sorts of diseases, but I was luckier than
most.”

Then he smiled and said, “Of course, there were those really lucky boys
who went through the whole war without a scratch or having to spend one
day on sick call. What most folks don’t understand is that there were more
soldiers who never even fired a shot than there were in combat. There are a
lot of men who served in support areas bringing supplies in or doing the
enormous stacks of paperwork that the army demands. They didn’t have to
spend the cold nights in a trench or go a day without food. I felt guilty
because I was always an officer, so I was much better off than the enlisted
men.”
“Are you reluctant to talk about the war?”
“Not really. It’s a part of my life and despite all the cruelty, waste and
horror, I did learn a lot in those two years.”
“Like what?”

“I learned about what makes a man a man. It didn’t matter how tall he
was, nor did his age. It didn’t make a difference what color his skin was or
which God he prayed to as the bullets began flying. What mattered was his
character. It didn’t take long for me to notice which men had that strength
of character and which ones didn’t. I’m not talking about just simple
bravery. It’s something else that’s hard to express in words, but it’s easily
identified. I grew up a lot in those two years, Robyn, and I don’t know if I
could have done it if I’d stayed in Peoria.”
Robyn watched his blue eyes as he spoke and thought that no matter
where he’d spent those two years, he would have still become the same
incredible man who was sitting just three feet away. Ever since she and her
mother had moved in with Alex, he’d talked about Gene as if he was
nothing short of a Greek god. She and her mother knew it was just Alex’s
imagination fueled by a father’s pride and neither believed that they would
ever meet Gene anyway. But now, as he spoke to her, she almost expected
him to start hurling lightning bolts from his fingers.
 Gene then smiled at her and said, “I think you need some sleep yourself,
Robyn.”
Robyn blinked as she left her dreamworld then said, “Oh. I suppose that
you’re right. Are you turning in? You must be tired after that long ride.”
“I will, but I want to check on the horses before I do.”

“Be careful. I wouldn’t be surprised if Fenn Jordan wasn’t lurking

around."
Gene replied, “I’m always careful, ma’am,” then stood and waited for
Robyn to leave her seat.
Once she stood, he surprised her when he took her hand to escort her on
the long journey from the parlor to her bedroom.
Robyn smiled but controlled her urge to giggle as she clamped her hand
around his before they started walking.

Twenty seconds later, after completing the perilous expedition without

incident, she opened her bedroom door, then flashed one more smile at
Gene before going inside and closing the door behind her.
Gene let out his breath and then walked back to the parlor and blew out
the two kerosene lamps before heading to the kitchen again. After
extinguishing the one lamp in the kitchen, he left the house and stood on the
back porch in the darkness.
For more than a minute, he listened for any sounds that might betray an
observer before stepping lightly down the porch stairs and walking to the
barn.
Even though he believed he’d made it into town without being observed
by Humber or his boys, he would have been shocked if the man didn’t
know he was here. It was a common military blunder to assume you had the
element of surprise. You could make your plans in complete secrecy, yet
somehow the cat would get out of the bag and if the generals didn’t allow
for that, a disaster would be the result. Gene had to assume that Humber
knew he was here and that he’d soon be taking his father, Nora and Robyn
to Colorado Springs.
If they had spotted him, Humber would probably have his boys follow
them out of town where there would be no witnesses. But that was only if
he followed his recent behavior, and Gene had to be ready for anything.
When he entered the barn, he was relieved to find all five horses still in
their stalls. After hearing how their two horses had disappeared, he half-
expected his five to evaporate into thin air before he even turned in for the
night.

He was standing in the open barn doors staring at the house as he

debated about sleeping with the horses to make sure they didn’t wander off
in the darkness when he came up with a more reasonable solution.
The bar that kept the door closed was on the outside or there wouldn’t
have been a need to even think about sleeping in the barn. He closed the
doors and after lighting a candle, he took his heavy rope and wound it
around the inner barn door handles. He didn’t tie a knot but after a few
loops, just dropped the remainder of the rope to the barn floor and left via
the small back door. Humber could burn the barn down, but he couldn’t
have his boys steal the horses. Gene didn’t think he’d risk setting fire to the
barn either in a town that was constructed mostly of pine.

After leaving the barn, Gene made one perimeter check to see if anyone
was watching before entering through the back door.
The house was dark and quiet when he entered his room and after
closing the door, he removed his gunbelt then sat on the bed and pulled off
his boots and socks.

He was laying on top of his quilts with his hands folded behind his neck
while he thought about the different dangers Humber posed. He wished they
could just leave in a few hours, but that was only if no one had reported his
arrival to Humber. He may not have spotted anyone on his perimeter check,
but it was dark, and it would have been easy to remain in the shadows.
Gene finally pushed aside his concerns and would wait to see what
happened tomorrow and was able to renew his reunion with his father. Even
though they had conversed for hours, he knew that they still had much to
talk about. It already had been an incredible series of revelations that he still
hadn’t fully digested.
Yet even after ten long years, Gene could still see the same man he’d
admired and respected when he was a boy, only now he saw him through
the eyes of an experienced adult. He had spent the last two years with a
wide range of men from all walks of life and from many different parts of
the country. He’d met men who could barely speak English and others who
had graduated from prestigious universities.
Few men who had remained home during the war had that broad
spectrum of manhood for comparison and Gene found that he still placed
his father alongside those that stood on that top rung. He didn’t know if his
father would live long with the consumption threatening every breath, but
Gene was determined to get him to Colorado Springs, so he could marry
Nora. It wasn’t difficult to see how happy they were together.
He tried to remember if he’d ever seen his father this happy when he was
married to his mother. It was difficult for him to do because he was just a
boy who spent his days in school and when he wasn’t doing his chores, he
was busy chasing anything that moved. He finally figured that it didn’t
matter. All that was important now was that he and Nora could be happy
after they reached Colorado Springs. What they did after getting there was
for future discussions.
His last conscious thoughts before drifting off to sleep orbited about
Robyn. He was strongly attracted to her and hoped that she wouldn’t stay
with her mother in Colorado Springs after he headed back to Peoria. If she
did, he’d have to repeat his long ride across the plains as he hoped that she
didn’t find someone else while he was gone now that she was free of fear.
 CHAPTER 7
Gene’s question about whether or not he’d been seen entering town was
answered when he snuck out of the house about an hour after sunrise to use
the privy.
He had quietly left the back door and after doing a quick scan, he
scurried to the small house. After answering nature’s call, he opened the
door to return and with the morning sun at his back, his sharp eyes spotted a
man standing in the alley across the street. It had been one of those quirks
of timing. Just a couple of minutes either way and the man would have been
in shadow.

He immediately identified him as Fenn Jordan because Robyn had

mentioned that he wore a bowler hat with a white band around the crown.
He only had a fleeting glimpse before Fenn slid back into the shadows,
but that short sighting made him rethink his simple plan.
Gene walked back to the house without giving the alley another look
hoping that Fenn didn’t know that he’d been seen. He needed some time.

When he entered the kitchen, he was relieved to find it empty, so after

starting a fire in the cookstove, he returned to his room and strapped on his
gunbelt.
He picked up his saddlebags and set them on the bed to retrieve his
shaving kit. After he had his razor in his hand, he stopped, immediately
replaced it, pulled out the Le Mat then set it on the bed.
Gene donned the black vest he’d bought in Peoria and then slid the Le
Mat under the belt that held up his britches. The thing weighed more than
both of his Smith & Wessons combined.
 He grabbed his hat and left his room.
He’d just filled the coffeepot and set it on the cookstove when Robyn
entered the kitchen and waved as she left the house to use the privy.
If she and her mother hadn’t been here, he wouldn’t have bothered using
the privy in the first place and might not have been seen. But if they weren’t
here, his father would most likely be dead and he would never have been
able to send the letter that brought him here. And maybe almost as
important to him, he never would have met Robyn.

He had begun slicing bacon when she returned, entered the cold room
and soon emerged with a basket of eggs.
When she set them on the counter nearby, she asked, “So, have you
given up on shaving again, Mister Stewart?”

“No, ma’am, at least not permanently.”

“But you’re wearing a nice vest this morning to offset your scruffy
appearance.”

“I hadn’t realized that I was becoming a walking oxymoron.”

Robyn laughed as she began cracking eggs and dumping the runny
contents into a large bowl.

Gene continued to slide the butcher’s knife through the slab of bacon as
he said, “I was spotted by Fenn Jordan when I used the privy a little while
ago.”
Robyn was holding an unbroken egg in her hands when her eyes turned
quickly toward him and asked, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”
“Are we going to have to leave this morning?”

“No. I think it won’t make a difference when we leave. I’m going to go

outside in a few minutes and deal with the problem.”
 Robyn dropped the whole egg into the bowl then turned and exclaimed,
“
What?
”

“I’m not going to shoot the man, if that’s what you believe. I want to try
to defuse this whole problem and I think I can do it.”
“How?”

“I need to talk to Mister Humber and get a read on him before I can be
sure. Going by how my father described him, I don’t think I’ll be in any
danger while I’m in town. When I return, I’ll have a better idea of what to
expect from him.”
Robyn then fished her dripping, unbroken egg from the bowl and rapped
it on the side of the bowl as she thought about what Gene had just said.

Even as he told her what he was planning to do, Gene was adding more
details to the idea. The Le Mat had a part in the upcoming play that he
hoped wouldn’t become a tragedy.
“Are you going to tell Alex and my mother before you leave?”

“I will if they don’t stay in bed too much longer. Do they always sleep
this late?”
“They haven’t spent the night in the same bed for months. It was at your
father’s request and even though my mother was unhappy about it, she
moved into the next room. I can understand why they’re still asleep.”

Gene understood as well, so he just nodded and continued slicing the

bacon.
_____

In the alley across the street, Fenn cursed. He thought that he had seen a
man use the privy, but the sun was in his eyes and even after shielding
them, he was only able to get enough detail to know he was wearing
britches. He thought the man was too tall to be Alex Stewart but wasn’t
sure. Stewart still used the privy most days but his suspicion that the man
was the stranger who’d been spotted late yesterday kept Fenn rooted in the
alley.

His stomach was rumbling in its demands for nourishment, but he was
determined to get a better look at the man. He thought about taking a peek
through Stewart’s bedroom window, but the possibility that he might be
spotted by an armed man argued against it.
He was still watching when Gene and Robyn sat down to have their
breakfast.

_____
Robyn swallowed her mouthful of scrambled eggs before asking, “How
long will you be gone?”

Gene hadn’t put much on his plate and was almost finished as he replied,
“I’m not sure. It depends on how early Lud Humber gets to work. I’ll have
a chat with Mister Jordan and have him escort me to see his boss. I should
be back by midmorning.”
“And if you aren’t?” she asked sharply.

Gene set his fork onto his empty plate and replied, “Robyn, I’ll be back.
I’d rather be the one calling the shots than waiting for Humber or his boys
to make their move. At least this way, I’ll have a better idea of what to
expect.”
“I’m not sure that this is a good idea, Gene.”

Gene smiled and said, “Actually, I really do think it’s a good idea. The
very worst thing that could happen would be if he tried have one of his two
gunmen shoot me, and I’m ready for that. In a way, it would be the quickest
way to end this situation. But I honestly believe that will be the last thing
Humber will want to do. If I can’t convince him to just let us all leave town
tomorrow, then I’ll at least get a good read on the man.”
“If he says we can leave, then he’d probably be lying.”
 “I expect so, but I want to see his eyes when he tells me. I’d really like to
meet those other two men who think they’re handy with their pistols, too. I
want to get a measure of them. Now, I’m no pistolero, but I am a good shot
with my pistols and my rifles. I’d rather avoid getting into a gunfight and I
hope to impress Mister Humber that whatever plan he had for taking my
father’s money is gone. Then we can go to Colorado Springs without any
worries.”

“You’re being overly optimistic, Gene.”

Gene just smiled then as he stood, he said, “Maybe.”

He picked up his army hat and pulled it on before saying, “I’ll be back in
a couple of hours, Robyn.”
Robyn quickly stood and surprised Gene when she threw her arms
around him then suddenly hopped back when her ribs rammed into the Le
Mat.

“
What’s that?
”
Gene grinned as he replied, “A convincer,” then stepped across the
kitchen and onto the back porch.

Robyn was watching as he hopped onto the ground and soon disappeared
around the side of the house.
Gene wasn’t sure if Fenn was still there as he rounded the house and
took long, rapid strides alongside the wraparound porch toward Fifth Street.
He kept his eyes on the dark alley and was soon rewarded with the sight of
Fenn Jordan staring back at him.

He hoped that Fenn wouldn’t hightail it back down the alley before he
had a chance to talk to him, but even if he ran, Gene would follow until he
caught up with him.
Fenn had been pleased when he first got a good look at the stranger but
then was stunned when the man began a fast walk in his direction.
 At first, he thought the man was just going to walk to Main Street to go
to visit the barber or another shop, but when he met the man’s eyes, he
knew that he was heading his way. He felt the pull of the dark alley behind
him but was mesmerized by the big man’s confidence as he quickly
approached. By the time he’d snapped out of his mild fascination, it was too
late to even think about running. He was a spy and not a killer, so he wasn’t
armed and didn’t believe the man was going to pull one of the two pistols
he carried.

Gene was a bit surprised that Fenn was still just watching him and gave
him credit for more courage than he possessed, but the reason he stayed put
didn’t matter.
He crossed Fifth Street and stopped just four feet before Fenn then
smiled before offering his hand.
“Howdy! You must be Fenn Jordan.”
Fenn was momentarily taken aback by his friendly attitude and his
identification, but slowly took his big hand.

After two shakes, he asked, “Who are you?”

“I’m Gene Stewart. Alex Stewart is my father. I just found out he was
living here and thought I’d pay him a visit.”

“You’re his son?”

“Born and raised until he left ten years ago. To be honest, once I found
out where he was living, I came here to give him a piece of my mind for
leaving me as the man of the house when I was just a kid. I never got the
chance to do that before he told me why he had to leave Peoria. I can’t say
that I forgave him for running off like that, but I’m not so angry with him
anymore.”

“So, what are you going to do now? Are you going to live with him?”
 “No, sir. He wants to leave town with Mrs. Martin and her daughter, and
I plan to escort them to Colorado Springs. He told me that your boss, Mister
Humber, is making that journey almost impossible. Is that right?”

Fenn was a good seven inches shorter than Gene and as he looked up
into his intense blue eyes, he knew that he couldn’t answer the question
honestly without consequences. Whether those consequences came from
Gene Stewart or his boss didn’t matter. Besides, he found that he already
liked the big man.
“You need to talk to Mister Humber about that. He just pays me to keep
an eye on things.”
“That’s fine. Can you take me to see him?”
Fenn smiled up at Gene and replied, “Sure.”
He was more than happy to escape from his imagined position between
the proverbial rock and a hard place. Alex Stewart’s kid was now Lud
Humber’s problem.
Gene had no difficulty understanding Fenn Jordan. Men of his type were
commonplace. They were the ones who liked being close to power but
never wanted to take a chance on their own. They were manipulators and
sneaks, but Gene didn’t underestimate the man. He seemed to be astute and
that meant he may have plans of his own, so he warranted attention.
Gene walked beside Fenn as they headed north on Fifth Street. He
guessed it was already after eight o’clock just by the amount of traffic on
Main Street. When they turned onto the town’s business thoroughfare, he
noted that most of the shops and stores were open, so he expected that Fenn
would be taking him to Mister Humber’s office that he maintained in
Brewster’s Saloon and Dance Hall.
His father had told him that Humber owned the dry goods store, and one
of the three liveries in addition to Brewster’s Saloon and Dance Hall. When
Humber had bought the saloon under questionable circumstances, he hadn’t
bothered changing the name because, unlike other men with a stranglehold
on small towns, Lud Humber didn’t want to see his name plastered on every
building. Even his livery didn’t bear his name. It was simply the AA. That
quirk in his personality, along with his refusal to kill his father because
Nora and Robyn’s presence gave him hope that he’d be able to convince
him to forget about any plans he may have.

He wasn’t surprised when Fenn angled across the street toward the
saloon but had to swerve to avoid two riders who seemed to be in a rush.
They stepped onto the boardwalk and soon entered the saloon’s open doors,
and he followed Fenn across the barroom floor. His eyes took a few seconds
to adjust to the lower light and he noticed that the place was empty. The fact
that no one was already imbibing in alcohol didn’t surprise him, but the lack
of a bartender or even someone cleaning the place to get it ready for the
night’s crowd did.
Fenn passed to the right of the long bar and Gene glanced down the
empty space behind it just to be sure that no one was preparing to ambush
him. He knew it was almost impossible because it wasn’t as if Fenn was
sent to bring him to see the boss. If he hadn’t seen the surprise in Fenn’s
eyes when he first saw him, then he’d suspect that it was a setup. Still, it
was always better to suspect foul play than it was to be surprised by it.
After they’d walked down a short hallway, Fenn rapped on a door and
waited.
“Come on in, Fenn,” Lud called from the other side.
Gene was wondering if each of his minions had a different knock when
Fenn opened the door and stepped inside.
Gene removed his hat and followed him through the doorway.
Lud began to ask, “What do…”, then stopped and looked at Gene.
Fenn quickly answered, “Boss, this is Gene Stewart. He’s Alex Stewart’s
son and he wanted to talk to you.”
 Gene looked at the man who had caused his father all the trouble and
found it hard to dislike him. His father had described him well. He was tall
at just around six feet, fairly slim and had a full head of dark blonde hair
with blue eyes. He wore a full beard and his hair was longer than most
men’s and covered the back collar of his jacket. He was dressed in a dark
tweed suit with a deep red vest and a black tie. He looked more like a
successful lawyer than Henry Wheeler did.

But it was his eyes that made the biggest impression on Gene. He didn’t
have the hard eyes that he had expected to find. The fact that his face didn’t
give any indication of what he did for a living set off alarm bells in Gene’s
mind. This man was capable of lying with the best of them.
In those few seconds while Gene had been evaluating him, Lud had been
doing the same to Gene. He had the disadvantage of not knowing that Gene
was even in town and even less about the young man himself. But after his
initial surprise when Fenn had introduced him, Lud quickly recognized that
Gene Stewart was a problem. He could see his father’s determination and
intelligence in his eyes, but unlike his father, he was healthy and would be
difficult to handle.
Fenn hadn’t even noticed the bilateral inspections before Lud said,
“Alright, Fenn. You can leave while I talk with Mister Stewart.”
Fenn quickly turned, left the room and closed the door behind him.
“Please, have a seat,” Lud said as he gestured to the only free chair in the
office.
Gene sat with his hat on his lap before Lud said, “What brings you to my
office, Mister Stewart?”
“As I told Mister Jordan, when I arrived late yesterday, I had a serious
conversation with my father who abandoned his family ten years ago. His
unexpected departure had put me and the family in a bad situation. Things
are better back home now and after I discovered where he lived, I wanted to
set things right. But I found that he was ridden with consumption and after I
talked to him, I discovered the reason he left. While I may not have
forgiven him for leaving, I no longer feel the animosity I held for him since
he abandoned us.

“Once we’d made our peace, he told me that he wanted to leave Orville
but felt as if you were determined to keep him here. I told him that I’d come
to see you this morning to get your side of the story.”
Lud leaned back in his chair before saying, “He must have told you that
he sold me his silver mine for twenty-five thousand dollars.”

“He did and said that you both agreed it was a good price.”
“I believed it at the time, but I was just told that the mine had gone bust,
so I won’t recoup my investment.”
“But you bought it last October. Surely, you’ve surpassed the twenty-five
thousand-dollar mark in what you’ve already taken from the mine. My
father told me he was netting almost eight thousand dollars a month before
he sold it.”
“There were other expenses, Mister Stewart.”
“But isn’t mining by its nature a risky enterprise? You seem to be a very
good businessman and I’m sure that you understood the risk before you
bought the mine.”
Lud dropped the argument as it wasn’t going his way and shifted to a
different topic.

“You still haven’t explained why you wanted to talk to me? Is it to

threaten me with your pistols?”
“No, sir. Not at all. I only wear them for protection. I came to see if what
my father believed was true. I want to escort him and Mrs. Martin and her
daughter to Colorado Springs tomorrow and wanted to be sure that we
wouldn’t encounter any difficulties on the journey.”
 “I can’t guarantee that you won’t run afoul of Indians or highwaymen
along the way, but I never prevented your father from leaving. I assumed he
was too bedridden with his consumption to leave.”

Gene smiled and replied, “That’s good to hear,” then asked, “Do you like
guns, Mister Humber?”
“Of course, I do. Why did you ask?”
“When I was in the war, a rebel lieutenant gave me his pistol. I never
fired the gun because it was so odd, but I brought it with me for a reason I
fail to fathom.”
“What is it?”

Gene unbuttoned his vest and slipped the Le Mat from his waist and
showed it to Lud.
“I’ve never seen anything like that before!” he exclaimed as his eyes
locked onto the unusual handgun.

“It’s a Le Mat. It fires nine shots and the really odd thing about it is the
twenty-gauge shotgun beneath the pistol barrel. It uses the same firing pin
that is used by flipping that lever down before pulling the trigger. I imagine
the kick will just about break your wrist. It’s one of the reasons I’ve never
fired it.”
Before he could ask, Gene handed the Le Mat to Lud Humber and
watched his eyes devour the pistol.
Lud turned it over in his hands as he said, “It’s pretty heavy and I think
you’re right about the kick. Did the lieutenant who gave it to you tell you
how it fired?”
“He did. He gave me a pouch with the special ammunition too, but it’s
back at the house.”
Lud tore his eyes from the Le Mat and asked, “Why did you bring it with
you when you came to my office?”
 “I was going to give it to you if I believed that you weren’t as big a
problem as my father thought you were. I didn’t want to bring it back to
Illinois with me and he didn’t want it, either. If you had said that you didn’t
like guns, I wouldn’t even have shown it to you. But you seem to be
impressed with it, so if you want to keep it, then it’s yours.”
A big grin formed on Lud’s face as he said, “I really appreciate this. Do
you mind if I call you Gene?”
“Not at all. It’s my name and even though it gives some folks the idea
that I might be a woman, it’s better than Eugene.”

Lud laughed loudly before saying, “You’re about as close to being a

woman as a turtle is to being a horse, Gene. This is one hell of a gift.”
“I’m glad you like it. But if you fire that shotgun, don’t sue me when it
breaks your wrist. Not only will I be in Illinois, but I’ll be clerking for one
of the best attorneys in the state.”
“You’re going to be a lawyer? Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”
While Lud was still admiring his new pistol, Gene said, “I’ve got to get
back to help everyone pack. After my father and I were back on speaking
terms, I told him that my mother had divorced him years ago, so he could
marry Mrs. Martin. They’re both really excited.”

Lud snapped his eyes back to Gene then said, “What about his
consumption? He won’t even be able to consummate the marriage.”
“He’s doing better at the moment. I don’t know if it’s permanent or not,
but Nora probably wouldn’t care if he was going to give her the plague.”
Lud smiled and replied, “That’s good to hear, Gene. I hope everything
works out for your father and Nora. You should do something about that
pretty girl of hers, too. You aren’t married; are you?”
“No, sir. I never had a chance for much socializing between working the
farm, then a distillery and then spending two years chasing rebels across
Georgia and the Carolinas.”
Lud quickly asked, “You see much action?”
Gene suddenly wished he hadn’t given Humber that much information,
so he smiled and replied, “I was an administrative clerk with in the adjutant
general’s office in charge of prisoners, which is why I interviewed the rebel
lieutenant who gave me that Le Mat. It’s also how I met Henry Wheeler, the
lawyer I’ll be joining in Peoria when I return.”
“How’d you get those pistols?”
“Oh, I bought these before I left for protection. My size usually keeps
me safe in Peoria and other towns east of the Missouri, but I thought I’d be
safer with the pistols on the long ride to Colorado.”

“That’s a good idea. Do you have a rifle with you?”

“I have a Sharps carbine that I bought from the army when I was
mustered out.”
Lud shook his head as he said, “I’d recommend a good repeater, too. I’d
offer to give you a Henry from my store, but we don’t have any in stock
right now. When you get to Colorado Springs, you should buy one. Having
a single shot rifle doesn’t do much good if you run into a Cheyenne war
party.”
Gene’s eyebrows rose as he said, “I didn’t see a single Indian during that
entire ride. I saw a big herd of buffalo and met some folks on the Oregon
Trail, but not one Indian. Are they on the warpath or something?”
“You never know what they’re thinking. With the Union Pacific about to
send their tracks through Sioux and Cheyenne lands, I reckon they’re not
going to be happy about it. They’ve already lost some of their survey
crews.”
“That’s good to know. How did you hear about it way down here? I
thought they were going to run the railroad north of the Platte River.”
 “We get men coming in all the time looking for gold or silver. It’s better
than having a newspaper.”
Gene nodded and said, “Well, I’d better get going. We have a busy day
ahead of us tomorrow and I hope we can make it to Colorado Springs
without running into any angry Cheyenne. I’ll get that repeater when I get
to there, too.”
As Gene rose from his chair, Lud stood and shook his hand like an old
acquaintance. They smiled at each other before Gene turned, opened the
door and left his office.
Lud watched him leave and waited for Fenn to return. Gene’s
unexpected arrival had not only thrown his patient plan into disarray, it
meant that he had to act quickly.
He sat behind his desk and picked up the Le Mat. He liked the kid, but it
didn’t matter, nor did his rule about not harming women. When Gene had
mentioned that his father was going to marry Nora Martin, that meant she
could inherit and that made her a problem. He knew that Alex didn’t have a
will and now there was one heir he needed to eliminate and one potential
heir as well. Whatever happened to Robyn Martin didn’t matter. He’d have
Fenn bring Hank Thatcher and Tomb Smith to the office, so they could hash
out a quick plan. It would have to take place on the road to Colorado
Springs, where no one would ever know what happened to them.
As he stared at the pistol, he said in a low voice, “You should have been
a real soldier, Gene. At least you’d know how to use a gun, even a bizarre
one like that Le Mat.”
Fenn entered the office thirty seconds later.
_____
Gene’s mind was hectic as he walked calmly back to his father’s home.
He’d almost blundered with his mention of having served in the army for
two years. He wasn’t sure if Humber had swallowed his story about
spending those years as a clerk, but he didn’t think it really mattered. He
didn’t think that Lud knew about his Henry or the Spencer and that was
much more critical. The one thing he was sure of was that Lud Humber
would send his two killers to try to stop them from reaching Colorado
Springs. He still had no idea what his plan was to get his father’s money,
but it had no importance now. He had to come up with some way to safely
escort his father, Nora and Robyn to Colorado Springs.
If he’d totally misread Lud Humber and they’d be able to reach Colorado
Springs without a problem, it would be a much better turn of events. He just
didn’t believe it was likely.
He turned onto Fifth Street after taking a quick glance behind him to see
if Fenn was following. He didn’t see the sneak in the street traffic, but that
didn’t surprise him. He suspected that as soon as he’d left the saloon, Lud
Humber had called him in to start arranging for the attack on the road.

By the time he reached the house, he was already trying to recall the
landscape surrounding the road between the two towns. He’d seen a good
part of the road and had a good memory when it came to topography. It was
a habit that was ingrained in him as he looked for good ground during the
war.
Before he even turned onto the walk to the house, he saw Robyn
standing at the porch rail then smiled and waved. She was wearing women’s
britches as if she was already planning to ride and he was even more
impressed with her than he had been before.
She returned both smile and wave before she stepped down from the
porch. As he drew closer to the house, he glanced at the front door
expecting to see either his father or Nora, but it remained closed.
“You’re back!” she exclaimed when he turned onto the walk.
“I need to talk to everyone, Robyn,” he replied before taking her hand.
“What happened?” she asked as they climbed the porch steps.
 “I met Mister Humber in his saloon, so I have a much better idea of what
kind of man he is now.”

He opened the door and let her enter before following her inside and
closing the door. He saw his father and Nora meshed together on the couch
and even noticed that the ubiquitous bucket of sudsy water wasn’t nearby.
He’d ask Robyn about it later, but now he needed to tell them about his
meeting with Lud Humber.
After Robyn took her now customary seat, Gene sat down and said,
“Robyn probably told you that I spotted Fenn Jordan in the alley across the
street and then went to see if I could talk to him. He surprised me when he
didn’t run, but he did take me to see his boss.”
“So, you did see him?” his father asked.
Gene nodded then replied, “Yes, sir. I brought the Le Mat with me as a
bribe of sorts. I wanted to put him at ease to get a better read on him and I
think it worked. Believe it or not, I think he actually likes me.”
Nora snapped, “You don’t believe that man; do you?”
Gene smiled as he said, “No, ma’am. I just said that I think that he likes
me, but that doesn’t mean that I believe he’s going to let us leave without
sending his boys after us.”
“Why do you think so?” his father asked.
“It’s just a feeling I had when he was talking. When I asked him why he
was keeping you from leaving town, he denied it but quickly changed the
subject. He even told me that he hadn’t made any money on the silver mine
after buying it. That’s not true; is it?”
“I don’t think so, but it is possible.”
“He said it had gone bust. Is that likely?”
His father shrugged his shoulders then said, “In the mining business,
there’s always that chance.”
 “Anyway, after he changed the subject away from preventing you from
leaving, I gave him the Le Mat to make him more comfortable because I
thought he was close to ending the conversation. Then I almost screwed up
when I mentioned that I’d been in the war for two years.”
“Why would that be a mistake?” Nora asked.
“Because I didn’t want him to know I had faced men in battle. It hardens
a man and probably makes him a decent shot. I had to tell him that I was a
clerk in the adjutant general’s office. I’m not sure that he bought it, but after
he asked about my pistols, he asked if I had a rifle. I lied and told him I had
a single shot Sharps carbine and he recommended I buy a Henry repeater
when we got to Colorado Springs.”
Robyn quickly said, “I’ve seen those repeaters on the wall in his store.”
“I’m sure you have, but I bet if you go over there right now, they’ll be
gone. Once he asked that question, I was sure he was planning on
preventing us from making it to Colorado Springs.”
Alex asked, “Are we still waiting until tomorrow morning to leave?”
“I think that’s still a better time. A gunfight in the dark is an iffy thing at
best. If his two shooters leave in the evening to set up along the road, I’d
probably be picked off first. I’d rather leave in the morning, and maybe not
until noon. We can make that drive in about eight hours with the buckboard.
Is that right?”
“Maybe less,” his father replied.
“If we leave early, we’ll have the sun in our eyes and be at a real
disadvantage if they’re waiting for us. That would be the wise thing to do
and Mister Humber seemed pretty smart. If they trailed us after we left,
we’d be able to see them and set up a defense. They may only believe I’ve
got a single shot rifle and probably don’t know how to use it, but only an
idiot would take that risk.”
 “Those Cheyenne warriors rode straight at you and you said that they
weren’t stupid,” Nora said.
“They didn’t know that I had a repeater and even with the Spencer’s
seven shots and the Henry’s fifteen, I still had to empty one of my pistols to
stop all of them. They had committed already knowing they’d probably lose
at least one warrior, but to them, it was a fair trade to keep those dispatches
from getting through.
“It’s not any different than it was in the war, only our generals didn’t
mind using a few hundred men as cannon fodder if it meant defeating the
rebels. Those two that will try to kill all of us are motivated by money and
no amount of cash is worth dying for.”
“Did you ever get sent out as cannon fodder?” Robyn asked quietly.
He turned to her and replied, “My duty was to lead my men and I wasn’t
about to let them get mowed down by grapeshot and Minie balls while I
stayed behind someone. I didn’t see any company grade officers who didn’t
do the same thing. We were getting paid almost ten times as much as those
privates, so why should we be exempt from the same risks?”

Alex said, “Generals were making five or six times what you were being
paid and they stayed in their tents.”
“Most of them had already led troops in battle when they were young,
but the ones who didn’t were the field grade officers who had usually been
appointed by their governors as a political favor. My commander, Henry
Wheeler, was an exception and it’s one of the reasons I admire him so much
and why I’m looking forward to returning to Peoria.”
Nora then said, “Gene, you were only nineteen when you were
commissioned. How did the older soldiers treat you?”
Gene grinned then replied, “I was a lot bigger than any of them, so that
helped. Henry helped a lot, too. He boosted my confidence even when I
made mistakes. For a man with no military background, I put his leadership
abilities at the very top.”
He paused, then said, “I also reminded them that Lafayette was only
eighteen in 1776, and Alexander Hamilton was only twenty-one when our
nation was born. I had also been doing a man’s work since I was eleven.”
“You should have been able to stay being a boy,” Alex said as he looked
at his son.
“You forget that by that age boys can’t wait to be men. I may have been
angry about it, but it prepared me well for that war.”
“Alright, Mister Stewart,” Nora asked, “What do we do, now that you
have Lud Humber’s plan locked into your head?”
“I wish I knew exactly what he was planning, but we’ll go with the
ambush on the road to Colorado Springs, but we’ll have to be ready for
something different. Today we pack what we need to get there. I never did
ask if you own this house, Dad.”
His father nodded and then said, “I do, but I don’t care what happens to
it. You can burn it down for all I care. We just pack what we need and go.”

“Alright. Can you sit in the buckboard’s seat for eight hours, or do you
think it would be wise to have a mattress on that bed? It’s not long enough
for your legs.”
“Can we just put your bedroll back there? I can hang my legs over the
end and that should leave enough room on the other side for our things. I’ll
use the seat for as long as I can, but I don’t think I’ll be able to stay sitting
for that long.”
Gene grinned and said, “An honest man with no false bravado. I am
impressed. Okay, I’ll put my bedroll in back after we pack it with whatever
you’re bringing along. I’ll be riding my gelding. Robyn, are you going to
ride one of the other horses?”
 “Mama can handle the buckboard and I’d much rather ride in the
saddle.”
“Good. Now I’ve got that pack saddle but only have two panniers.”
Alex then said, “I’ve got extra saddles including a pack saddle and four
panniers somewhere in the barn.”
“I saw the riding saddles but having a second packhorse would be great.
I’ll head out to the barn in a little while to start organizing out there.”
“Nora and I are almost done with packing, so we’re almost ready.”
Gene turned to Robyn who said, “I’m almost finished too, so I can help
you in the barn.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Gene said then as he started to stand, he paused
and then dropped back down.
“If we’re almost ready to go, then maybe we don’t have to wait until
tomorrow. It’s not even ten o’clock yet. I told Lud Humber that we’d be
leaving tomorrow, so he probably won’t suspect that we’ll even be able to
leave today. Let’s see if we can’t get on the road within an hour.”
Robyn jumped to her feet as she exclaimed, “Let’s go!”
Gene stood more sedately before smiling at Nora and his father and
saying, “We’ll be back in a little while.”
_____
After Lud Humber had dispatched Fenn to find Hank Fletcher and Tomb
Smith, he sat at his desk fingering the Le Mat. He had difficulty
remembering the last time anyone had given him a true gift. His bastard
father had only given him beatings and he knew it had to have come from
his mother. He needed to explore deeply into his memories before he
recalled that pathetic trinket. When it formed in his memory, he smiled as
he looked at the ungainly Le Mat. It was on his seventh birthday that his
mother had given him a wooden gun that she had whittled out of a broken
pine board. She’d failed on many of the details, but it had taken her much of
her rare free time. When his father found him playing with it two days later,
he burned it in the fireplace.

Lud tried to remember his mother’s face and couldn’t. It had been too
long. He began to wish that he could talk to Gene Stewart again, but his few
minutes of gentle reflection ended when he heard footsteps in the hallway.
He cocked the hammer halfway and flipped down the pin for the shotgun
before snickering.

Tomb Smith entered his office and the adult Lud Humber returned with a
vengeance.
Tomb spotted the Le Mat in Lud’s hands and asked, “What the hell is
that?”

Lud tossed the pistol into his open desk drawer, slammed it closed and
replied, “It’s just an odd pistol that I found. Did Fenn find Hank?”
“Yeah. He was in the barber’s chair when Fenn showed up. He’ll be here
in a couple of minutes.”

“Have a seat. When he gets here, I have a job for you. You’re going to
have to leave tonight to set up for an ambush not closer than ten miles from
town.”
“Who’s the target?”
“Alex Stewart, the Martin women and his son.”
“
His son?
” Tomb exclaimed as he sat down, “
When did he show up?
”
“Yesterday. But I don’t think he’s going to be a problem. He’s only got a
Sharps carbine and I don’t think he’s ever even put a round through the
barrel. He’s a big man, but don’t let that throw you off. He’s just a big kid.”
Tomb grinned as he replied, “Big is good because it makes for an easier
target.”
 Then after a short pause, he asked, “So, it’s okay what we do with the
women now?”
Lud didn’t hesitate before replying, “Stewart is the one who’s to blame
for anything that happens to the women.”
Tomb continued to grin as they waited for Hank Thatcher.
_____
After Robyn’s enthusiastic response to Gene’s decision for an immediate
departure, she grabbed his hand and yanked him out of the parlor and down
the hall. Even though his legs were much longer, Gene found himself
almost jogging to keep up.
They blasted through the kitchen and out the back door but when they
reached the porch, Gene pulled her to a stop before she made it to the first
step.
“Slow down, ma’am. I don’t want Fenn or anyone else to see us running.
If he’s watching the house, we need to act as if we’re just enjoying each
other’s company.”

Robyn smiled and hooked her arm through his before saying, “I can do
that, sir.”
“Can I interest you in some private time in the darkness of the barn, Miss
Martin?”

“You may, Mister Stewart.”

They carefully stepped to the ground and without looking for any
observers, they strolled toward the barn. When they were close, Gene put
his arm around her waist and guided her around the side of the barn.
Before they disappeared from sight, Gene leaned over and whispered in
her ear, “I sealed the door so no one could steal the horses. Go ahead and
giggle like a schoolgirl.”
 Robyn didn’t need any acting prompts to release the genuine giggle she
had been holding back since he’d placed his hand around her waist.

Gene was close to giggling himself as they entered the shadows on the
side of the barn and even though he could have taken his hand from her
waist, he wasn’t about to unless she asked. And he didn’t think that was
going to happen.
He did have to let her go to open the back door and after they stepped
inside, he closed the door and began to look for the other pack saddle.
“It’s over there,” Robyn said as she pointed to the dark corner in the
front of the barn.
Gene took four long strides and picked up the pack saddle then set it
with the riding saddles before looking for the panniers.
“The packs are in the small loft. It’s kind of hard to get up there on that
ladder, so we don’t put anything heavy up there.”
Gene nodded and looked at the ladder at the back of the barn and
wondered if it would support his weight.
He had just taken one step toward the ladder when Robyn quickly strode
to the ladder and placed her hand on one of the upper rungs.
Before she started to climb, she turned and smiled at him then asked,
“Can you catch me if I fall?”

“No, ma’am. I’m going to start laughing as I watch you plummet into a
pile of horse manure.”
Robyn laughed then began to climb the sorry excuse for a ladder. Gene
heard loud squeaks from the protesting nails that held the rungs in place and
moved closer to the ladder until he was just a few inches from Robyn’s
back.
Robyn appreciated that he was there. It was only another eight feet to the
open hole, but the last time she’d had to climb the ladder, one of the lower
rungs had broken free and she’d narrowly missed breaking a bone. But the
safety he provided wasn’t the only or even the more important reason she
appreciated his presence.
Gene knew he should be watching the hole at the top of the ladder but
having Robyn’s behind just inches away was impossible to avoid. Her very
well fitted riding britches only made the image more impressive.
Robyn stuck her head through the hole in the loft and pulled down the
first of the empty panniers. She didn’t hand it to Gene, but just slid it from
the loft and dropped it to the barn floor.
Gene saw it coming but didn’t have to move before it created a small
dust cloud on the dirt floor. Three more panniers fell in rapid sequence
before Robyn looked down at him.
“I’m coming down now, so be sure I don’t fall.”
“I’m not moving, ma’am.”
She smiled then began to descend the ladder. When she was near the
bottom rung, she wondered if Gene was going to step back and hoped he
wouldn’t. But when her foot touched down and she turned, she was
disappointed to see Gene already picking up the fallen panniers.
Once Robyn was no longer in danger of falling, Gene had thought it
safer if he fetched the panniers. He needed to focus on getting ready to
leave and hoped that he’d be able to spend more productive time with
Robyn after they left town.
After her initial disappointment, Robyn asked, “What do we do next?”

“Let’s start saddling the horses. You can pick whichever one you want to
ride first so I can select one for pulling the buckboard and which two get the
pack saddles.”
“Can I ride the stallion?”
“Yes, ma’am. Let’s get to work.”
 With a sense of urgency built on a foundation of relief, they started
preparing the horses for departure. Saddling Hawkeye and the stallion were
first, then Gene picked the buckboard horse and the two packhorses.
As they worked, they talked about their childhoods, the circumstances
that brought each of them to Orville and their parents. Neither delved into
what would happen after they reached Colorado Springs as if it would put a
hex on the trip.
After the horses were all saddled and Gene’s full panniers were lashed
onto the packhorse, all that remained was getting the mare into harness and
loading the buckboard.
Gene wiped his hands on the front of his britches and stepped close to
Robyn.
“I don’t want anyone seeing us open those barn doors to walk the mare
around the barn to the buckboard. I’m going try to squeeze her through the
back door, but I don’t think she’s going to fit. She’s too wide. So, what I’m
going to do is knock out one of those boards to give her room.”
“I don’t think Alex will care.”
He grinned and said, “I know. I just need to be as quiet as possible,” then
stepped to the far wall and took a rusty hand saw from the wall.
It may have been rusty and not as sharp as it could be, but the wood was
dry, and the dull teeth soon began shedding sawdust as the kerf from the cut
grew deeper. Gene didn’t wait until the board was completely cut but pulled
the saw from the wood and handed it to Robyn. Then he just set his big
hand on the edge of the board and leaned his two hundred and twenty
pounds of mass forward. The eight-inch-wide pine cracked and then
flopped to the ground.
Gene stepped back and once he was satisfied that the entire wall wasn’t
going to collapse, he picked up the harness and waited for Robyn to lead the
mare through the widened back door.
 He wished he had time to make sure that the buckboard’s wheels were
greased but after he rolled it forward a few inches, he was satisfied that it
wouldn’t be a problem. After hooking the harness to the yoke, he and
Robyn quickly had the mare ready to act as the buckboard’s one-
horsepower engine.

Gene then took her hand before they returned to the barn to remove his
rope lock and get his bedroll onto the buckboard.
With his rope coiled and hung on his saddle, it was time to get Nora and
Alex.

“Ready?” he asked.
Robyn smiled and put her hand around his waist before replying,
“Ready.”

Gene hooked his around her waist before they stepped out through the
enlarged back door and walked past the buckboard.
When they turned toward the house, Gene smiled down at her and said,
“I could get used to this, Robyn.”

“What? Destroying a barn or making a mad rush out of town?”

Gene laughed before he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, giving
himself the excuse that it was part of the act to confuse Fenn.

Robyn didn’t care if it was an act or not as she practically floated the rest
of the way to the porch.
When they entered the kitchen, they quickly detached themselves as they
found Alex and Nora waiting at the table with two stacks of bags of all sorts
on the floor.

Nora soon stood and said, “I made some lunch to take with us and
moved all of our things from our rooms. I moved yours as well, Robyn.”
 “The horses and buckboard are ready to go, so all we need is to bring the
horse around and load everything. I just need to grab my rifles and
saddlebags,” Gene said before stepping toward the hallway entrance.

Robyn quickly said, “I’ll come with you,” then trotted behind him.
Nora watched them go then turned to Alex and said, “I think they get
along.”
Alex just grinned as he took a sip of coffee. He had only had one small
spasm of coughing earlier that morning and hadn’t had the salty taste of
blood in his mouth when he’d finished. He hadn’t told Nora because he
didn’t want to give her false hope that he might somehow have beaten the
killing illness. But as impressive as the diminished amount of coughing had
been, the lack of bloody sputum was much more encouraging. He was
trying to limit his own hopes but found it difficult.
Gene quickly snatched his Spencer while Robyn picked up his Henry. He
really didn’t need her help, but after hanging his saddlebags over his
shoulder, he used his free hand to take hers before they left his room. He’d
only spent one night in the room and wasn’t sorry to be leaving it behind.
_____
Fenn had returned to his alley after telling Hank Thatcher and Tomb
Smith to see the boss. He had listened to Lud and Gene’s conversation as he
usually did and had been surprised when Gene sounded as if he was a paper
pusher rather than a fighting man. He just couldn’t picture a man like him
sitting behind a desk while other men were dying just a mile away.

He hadn’t returned in time to see Gene and Robyn go into the barn, but
when he saw them leave, he just grinned. He may be a sneaky bastard, but
the sight of the handsome couple who obviously enjoyed each other’s
company was uplifting.
After they’d gone into the house, Fenn figured he may as well move out
of the alley. Most of the time he had kept watch on the house, he did it from
Sally’s Suppertime Café which was just two doors down. He had a reserved
seat at the table nearest the window, so nobody could leave the Stewart
house without his notice.
So, five minutes after he’d seen Gene and Robyn enter the house, he
stepped out of the alley to go to his restaurant observation chair. If he had
stayed just another three minutes, he would have seen Gene and Robyn exit
the back of the house carrying rifles to move the buckboard for loading.
That mistake would cost Tomb Smith and Hank Thatcher dearly later that
day.
_____

Gene carried his rifles into the barn and after sliding them into their
scabbards, he hung his saddlebags over Hawkeye and then left. Robyn
brought two bags for the packhorse and after putting them in panniers, hung
them from the first packhorse.
Gene, Robyn and Nora made four hurried trips between the house and
barn to move the bags to the packhorse or the buckboard. They’d filled four
canteens and hung one on Hawkeye and the gray stallion before leaving the
other two on the buckboard. The last thing they had to do was to fit the
folded bedroll onto the buckboard beside the bags. They never would have
been able to carry it all if they hadn’t had the second pack saddle.

Everything was ready and Gene assumed that Lud Humber must know
by now that they were leaving, so as Nora drove the buckboard to the back
of the house to pick up Alex, Gene and Robyn entered the barn and after
swinging the barn doors wide, Gene mounted Hawkeye and walked him out
of the barn. He was trailing one packhorse and the saddled spare while
Robyn was trailing the other packhorse.
Gene had the only two rifles, but he knew that Robyn had her .22 caliber
pistol and his father had his .44 caliber Colt. With only two potential killers,
he didn’t think that either of his father or Robyn would have to fire a shot.
He didn’t know what kind of guns the two men had but doubted if they had
anything with the range of his Spencer. He suspected that both had Henry
repeaters as their boss had some in stock in his store.

He and Robyn stayed in their saddles as Nora stepped down from the
buckboard and entered the house. She reappeared just seconds later with
Alex and Gene noticed that they were just holding hands and she wasn’t
having to act as a crutch.
“Where will we ride?” Robyn asked as Alex climbed onto the
buckboard’s seat.

Gene replied, “We’ll stay about fifty feet behind to watch the backtrail.
I’d be shocked if those two were already on the road.”
“Okay.”

As soon as Nora stepped into the driver’s seat, she released the
handbrake and snapped the reins. After thirty feet, she turned left to take the
carriage path to Fifth Street. Gene had told her to just use Main Street
because it was the shortest route and he expected that they’d already been
spotted, so it didn’t matter.
After she turned left Gene began scanning the street and boardwalks.
Even though he was reasonably sure that Lud Humber wouldn’t do
anything in town, he had to allow for the possibility.

The buckboard had passed Sally’s Suppertime Café, and just before
Gene and Robyn reached the doorway, Fenn Jordan erupted onto the
boardwalk. He glanced at them then continued racing away and almost ran
down an elderly couple before turning right onto Main Street.
Gene didn’t have to tell Nora. As soon as the buckboard made the turn
onto Main Street less than thirty seconds later, she had it moving at a fast
pace.

Robyn just looked at Gene but knew that there was nothing to be said.
 On the other hand, Gene smiled at her and loudly said, “Now that’s good
news!”

“What is?”
“I thought that Humber already knew we were leaving, but he hasn’t
found out yet, so we’re ahead of him. That also means that his two bad boys
aren’t waiting for us. If anyone does the waiting, it’ll be me.”

“And me, Mister Stewart.”

Gene just smiled as they nudged their mounts to a medium trot to catch
up the buckboard.

_____
Fenn burst into Lud’s office without knocking and slid to a stop in front
of his startled boss.

As Lud shot out of his chair to scream at him, Fenn quickly shouted,
“They’re leaving!”
Lud slammed his mouth closed and dropped back to his chair to regain
his composure. This was a totally unexpected situation, but it didn’t change
his intentions.

“Alright, Fenn, here’s what I want you to do. Tomb and Hank are
gathering their things to set up for an ambush. Tell them to forget about the
ambush and just grab their rifles and chase them down.”
“Okay, boss,” Fenn replied and began to turn when Lud stopped him.
“Fenn, I want you to go with them.”
Fenn’s eyes popped into saucers as he looked at his boss and said, “I’m
not a gunny, boss. I’m your spy.”

“I don’t care what you are, Fenn. Either you go with them or you can just
ride away. It’s your choice. You have a horse and a repeater, so for once in
your life, be a man. After this you can go back to being just a weasel in the
shadows.”
Fenn wanted to prove to Lud that he was a man by slapping him in the
face but didn’t have the courage. Besides, this might work out to his benefit.
He nodded, then turned and left the office.

Lud Humber may have succeeded in getting Fenn to ride with Tomb and
Hank, but he hadn’t convinced him to use that unfired Henry he’d given to
him.
Forty-two minutes after the buckboard rolled out of town, the three men
rode northeast along the same road.

_____
It was about an hour later and Gene and Robyn were trailing the
buckboard about a hundred feet back. They had been carrying on ongoing
conversation since they’d left Orville behind. Each of them had sprinkled
glances at their backtrail during their talk but hadn’t seen anyone.
Gene had just finished telling Robyn about an incident at the distillery
when one of the men had dropped a barrel from an upper rack then it split
and spilled its contents all over the floor. It looked as if a herd of thirsty
cows had descended into the warehouse as men from all over the distillery
arrived in a rush to lap up the spoils.
“Did you drop to your hands and knees, Mister Stewart?” Robyn asked
with a big smile.

“No, ma’am. I wasn’t old enough to drink at the time.”

“As if that mattered.”

Gene was still smiling when he looked at his backtrail and thought he
saw someone in the distance.
 When he hadn’t looked back at Robyn, she turned her eyes back down
the roadway and asked, “Did you see something?”

“I’m not sure. I’m higher than you are, so I’d pick it up before you
would. The timing is about right. If they had to run and get their horses,
they would have left Orville thirty minutes or so after we did. We were
probably only about four miles out of town by then and they’d be moving a
lot faster.”
“I still don’t see them.”

Gene didn’t either, but this wasn’t eastern Colorado, so they could be a
lot closer than a mile behind them. It wasn’t much of a buffer, but it was
better than having to ride into an ambush.
“Robyn, I want you to drop back about three feet.”

“Why?”
“We’ll continue to talk like we have been, but I don’t want to appear to
be looking back. I’ll be able to look that way without turning my head.”

“Okay,” she replied before letting the stallion drift slightly then matched
his speed again.
Gene said, “That’s perfect. I can look down the road while I’m facing
you.”
He then turned to the front and shouted, “I think they’re back there, Dad.
No matter what happens back here, keep going. I don’t know how dedicated
those two are, but I don’t think they know how well armed I am.”
Nora shouted back, “Alright, Gene.”

Gene then shifted his attention back to Robyn and said, “So, Miss
Martin, have you ever imbibed any spirits?”
Robyn laughed before she replied, “I tasted beer when I was ten and was
disappointed that it didn’t taste anything like lemonade.”
 Gene smiled and said, “That must have been a shock. Let me tell you
when I had my first taste of whiskey…”
_____
Fenn was still thinking about what might happen as they had their horses
moving at a fast trot. Hank Fletcher was intensely focused on the road
ahead while Tomb Smith was happily chattering about killing Stewart and
his spineless son. Fenn wanted to give him his own opinion of Gene
Stewart but had already decided that he’d let them find out on their own.

Fenn figured that if they were right, they wouldn’t need him, but if he
was right, then he’d flip sides and offer to help Stewart. He knew if Tomb
and Hank didn’t get the job done, then his own plan could be placed in
motion.
Tomb was in mid-sentence when Hank shouted, “I think I just saw
them!”

Tomb stopped talking and stared down the road but didn’t see anything.
“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. They just turned around that bend a mile or so ahead. It had to
be them. It was a couple of riders following a wagon.”
“Let’s keep this pace so we don’t wear down the horses before we get
there.”
“How do you want to do this, Tomb?” Hank asked.
“Let’s get a good look at ‘em first. He’s only got one shot with that
Sharps, so if he fires, we rush him. We keep sendin’.44s his way to keep
him busy but we trade off shots, so we don’t run low on ammo. He’ll
probably be so scared he’ll be dropping those percussion caps and never get
another shot off.”

“Sounds good, Tomb,” Hank replied as he continued to stare at the

approaching bend in the road.
 Fenn wasn’t sure if it was a Sharps carbine that he’d seen on Gene’s
horse or not. He just wasn’t that familiar with guns. It didn’t matter to him
anyway. He almost wished that Stewart had one of those enormous Gatling
guns waiting to cut Hank and Tomb to ribbons.
_____
Gene was laughing at one of Robyn’s stories of her girlhood when she
had kicked a boy in his privates after he’d insulted her mother. The
buckboard was about a hundred yards from a wide, shallow gully when he
spotted them again. Only this time, it wasn’t a fleeting glance, but a
permanent view.

The road was straight ahead for more than a mile and Gene knew that it
was time to deal with their followers. He had been thinking of a way to
avoid a gunfight since the first sighting, and now that he knew they were
coming, he had to try it. He hoped that it would turn them around and send
them scurrying back to Orville. If not, then he'd start with his Spencer, just
as he had with the Cheyenne. Only this time, his tactics would be
completely different.
After another few seconds, he identified three riders and wondered if
Lud Humber had joined his two killers, but quickly decided the third man
had to be Fenn Jordan. That surprised him because he’d never even seen the
man carrying a pistol. Of course, he hadn’t seen either of the other two men
at all.
He was still facing Robyn who had continued talking, so he had to
interrupt her by saying, “They’re coming and there are three of them. After
we get into that gully, I want you to keep riding. I’m going to dismount to
build something, then I’ll get back on Hawkeye and follow. Got that?”
“Yes, sir,” she answered as she resisted her urge to turn and look back for
the riders.
“Good. I’ll tell you what I’m going to do.”
 _____

Hank snickered and said, “Will you look at that! They’re just havin’ a
grand old time. They’re not even lookin’ for us!”
Tomb grinned before saying, “Get your rifle ready,” then sliding his
repeater into his hands.
Hank pulled his Henry from his scabbard but neither of them had paid
any attention to Fenn. Unlike their boss, they didn’t expect him to be of any
value in the gunfight. He wasn’t even useful as cannon fodder.
Fenn had already drifted back a few feet and even grabbed his rifle. He
wasn’t sure if there was a cartridge in the firing chamber, but it didn’t
matter. He had a totally different purpose for the gun.

_____
“
You’re going to make a bomb?
” Robyn asked in astonishment.
“Sort of. I don’t intend to blow them up or anything. I just want to scare
them.”
“Good luck with that. Just don’t blow yourself up in the process.”

“I won’t,” he said as they neared the gully.

As soon as they descended the three feet to the bottom of the dry
riverbed, Gene pulled Hawkeye to a stop and watched as Robyn continued
to ride.
He dismounted, then hurried back to the packhorse and opened the
pannier with the small barrel of gunpowder. He’d almost left it behind in
the barn, but it was just laziness on his part that had kept it in the pack. He
quickly pulled it out of the pannier and after setting it on the ground, he
tugged free the heavy cavalry cloak and spread it across the dirt. He then
removed one of the boxes of matches and dropped to his heels.
 Gene used his knife to pry the cork stopper from the small barrel and
then poured a stream of black powder onto the gold lining of the cloak
before setting the cask onto the cloak and rolling it into a dark blue ball. He
then turned over a corner of the cloak to expose the gold liner and after
ensuring that the gunpowder he’d poured onto the cloak was visible, he
stood and then dumped all of the matches from the box onto the cloak near
the visible tab of gold.
Satisfied that his bomb had a good chance of working, he wiped his
hands free of the gunpowder and mounted Hawkeye. The riders were within
a mile now and he wasn’t sure if they could see his bomb, but knew they
expected him to put up a fight. Now it was just a question of how much
they knew about his weapons and his skill in their use.
He climbed his tall gelding up the low bank and trotted about a hundred
feet closer to the disappearing buckboard. He made sure that Robyn was
still riding away, but could see that she was looking back, so he waved and
then after she returned his wave, he wheeled Hawkeye around and pulled
his Spencer. He quickly turned his head back to the three riders and didn’t
see his father and Nora’s waves.

Robyn then picked up her pace to tell them what Gene was planning to
do.
_____

“Well, will you lookit that? It seems our boy is tryin’ to be a man after
all,” Tomb said loudly.
“What was he doin’ down in that gully?” asked Hank.

“Probably peein’ in his pants and didn’t want the girl to see him.”
Hank laughed as Tomb grinned at him. This was going to be easier than
they’d expected. That big kid was just sitting there on his tall horse with his
rifle in his hands. After that first shot, he’d never get a second. After he was
down, they’d kill his father and then enjoy the women before deciding what
to do with them.

Fenn had maintained the same five-yard trailing distance but had shifted
even more to the left leaving as wide a gap as possible on a road that was
barely wide enough for two wagons to pass each other. The road wasn’t
traveled nearly as much now and he imagined that in a few years, it
wouldn’t be used at all.
_____
They were about six hundred yards out when Gene cocked his Spencer’s
hammer. His first shot wouldn’t be at the cloak’s gold tab. His first one
would be a wild shot to convince them that he was carrying the Sharps that
they expected him to be using. If they rushed him, then he’d wait until they
were within two hundred yards before firing at the bomb. He was confident
that he could hit that gold tab from a hundred yards. Once his .56 caliber
bullet slammed into those matches, they would ignite the loose gunpowder.
He just didn’t know how long it would take for the keg to explode. He
really had no idea how big a blast it would be either, but what really
concerned him was the shrapnel.
He began slowly backing Hawkeye away from the gully as he kept his
eyes on the spot of gold. He was about eighty yards from the gully when he
had to stop before it disappeared. It might still be dangerous for him and his
horse, but he still wanted to use it as a convincer.

When Hank and Tomb saw Gene retreat, it only added to their belief that
he was afraid of them. Tomb even thought that having Fenn along wasn’t a
bad idea after all as it made them appear as a bigger threat.
Gene lifted his Spencer as the three men approached his two-hundred-
yard mark. He had noticed that even though Fenn had his rifle in his hand,
he was riding back and away from the other two, which made sense to him.

He brought his Spencer’s sights level and aimed far to the left of the man
on the other side of the road from Fenn.
 Hank cocked his Henry’s hammer and exclaimed, “He’s gettin’ ready to
fire!”
Tomb didn’t reply as he brought his cocked Henry level and hoped that if
the kid did by chance hit someone, it would be Fenn.
Fenn was about to pull his horse to a stop when Gene fired.

Immediately after he squeezed his trigger, Gene lowered his Spencer and
turned slightly so they couldn’t see him cycling the lever and cocking the
hammer. As soon as it was ready to fire again, he shifted back to face the
three riders and began to fidget with his fingers over the Spencer’s breech
as if he was trying to fit a new percussion cap.
“Let’s go!” shouted Hank as he spurred his horse into a gallop.

Tomb did the same then quickly fired his first shot at a hundred and
eighty yards.
They had traveled almost fifty yards when Gene aimed his Spencer at the
gold tab and let his sights settle for a second before holding his breath and
squeezing the trigger.

The heavy round raced through the thin Colorado air and rammed into
the cloak at the very edge of the gold patch.
Hank had just fired his first shot when Gene fired. Even though neither
he nor Tomb had expected Gene to be able to fire again so quickly, if at all,
they didn’t care as he had missed wildly again.

For two heartbeats, Gene wondered if his bomb would go off. He’d seen
the matches flare and had expected it to explode almost instantly. He was
already bringing a live cartridge into his Spencer’s firing chamber when the
makeshift fuse reached the keg.
Tomb and Hank were still at a gallop and Tomb was preparing to fire his
second shot when the keg of gunpowder exploded.
 Not even Gene expected the size of the blast as the gully erupted in a
dust explosion mixed with shards of wood and shreds of wool as the cask
and cloak were disintegrated. The force of the explosion was mitigated
somewhat by the heavy cloak, but it was the gully’s bank that protected the
three riders. Gene and Hawkeye received the brunt of the debris, but by the
time it reached them, it had lost most of its energy, so it was more
distracting than dangerous.

But the unexpected explosion affected the horses more than the men.
Hawkeye had bounced several times beneath Gene as he was pummeled by
debris but didn’t buck wildly enough to throw his rider. Gene did drop his
Spencer in the chaotic ride and had to use both hands to regain control of
his tall horse.
Hank’s gelding had spun wildly to his left making Hank lose control of
his Henry as he tried to keep from being tossed. He was still wrestling with
his horse as the large cloud of smoke and dust began to clear.

Fenn had expected to drop his Henry even before Gene took his second
shot, but he never got the chance to voluntarily let go of his repeater before
his mare threw her rear hooves into the air and Fenn went flying over her
head. He had no idea where his gun went as he saw the hard ground rushing
closer.
He struck the ground with his arms extended and barely broke his fall as
his chest slammed into the road.
Tomb’s horse bucked worse than Hawkeye, but he was able to control
the horse and still hang onto his rifle. After two high jumps his animal
suddenly ended its tantrum and Tomb quickly brought his Henry level. He
was only a hundred and twenty yards out now and had the big man in his
sights through the drifting cloud.
Gene had just calmed Hawkeye down enough to inspect the damage
from the blast and expected to find bodies lying across the road. But when
he was able to focus, he was surprised to see one of them preparing to fire
his rifle.
 Without his Spencer, Gene had to twist in the saddle to snatch his Henry
from its scabbard and that slight change probably saved his life.
Tomb fired and just a small fraction of a second later, his .44 ripped
across Gene’s black vest exposing the cotton shirt underneath.
Gene hadn’t even noticed the vest’s destruction as he cocked his
repeater’s hammer and whipped it around to aim at the shooter.

After that near miss, Tomb had to pull his horse to a sudden stop as it
neared the new hole in the gully left by Gene’s bomb, and that delay proved
fatal.
Gene squeezed his trigger and watched Tomb rock in his saddle then
drop onto his horse’s neck as his repeater fell from his hands.

By then, Hank had his horse under control and just as Tomb lurched
forward, he pulled his Colt. He hadn’t seen Gene switch to his Henry and
maybe if he had, he might have just turned tail and escaped. But as his
blood lust raged, he lost all reason and set his horse to a fast trot as he
headed for Gene.
Gene wasn’t about to give the man a break. If he’d turned and ran, he
would have let him go, but he didn’t. He kept Hawkeye standing and his
Henry’s sights on the man as he continued to ride straight at him with his
pistol prepared to fire.
Gene knew that the pistol had the range to hit him but not the power to
kill him unless his luck suddenly deserted him. His only real concern was
for his horse.
Hank began firing his Colt before he reached the edge of the gully, about
eighty yards from where Gene was sitting astride his tall horse.
Gene held his breath and after Hank had fired his second round, he
squeezed his trigger. The Henry popped against his shoulder as the .44
caliber bullet spun out of its muzzle.
 After crossing two-hundred and thirty-three feet, the slug slammed into
Hank’s chest, just below his sternal notch. The bone that connected all of
his ribs shattered as the lead cylinder rammed into his aortic arch. The
massive blood vessel exploded like a burst balloon releasing the life-giving
liquid into Hank’s chest cavity. His blood pressure dropped to zero and
Hank’s arms dropped to his sides.
There was still enough oxygen in his brain to keep him conscious long
enough to know that he was about to crash into the ground, but when he hit,
he felt nothing.
Just five seconds after Hank plowed into the earth, Tomb slowly rolled
off the side of his horse and thumped to the ground.
Gene then shifted his eyes to the last man; the only one he had met
before. He nudged Hawkeye into a slow trot and had to pass through the
gully off to the right side of the road to get to the other side. He glanced
down at the crater he’d created as he passed by and soon approached Fenn
Jordan.
Fenn had watched the gunfight from his stomach and when Gene drew
near, he made a show of leaving his hands as far away from his torso as
possible. He wasn’t wearing a gunbelt, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
Now he was hoping that he had read Gene Stewart correctly and that he
wouldn’t shoot an unarmed man.

Gene had already returned his repeater to its scabbard by the time he
pulled Hawkeye to a stop and looked down at Fenn.
He didn’t say a word as he dismounted then took two steps to his left and
picked up Fenn’s Henry. He flipped it upside down and looked at the
magazine tube’s slot and found it filled with cartridges.

Gene wasn’t surprised, but still shook his head as he looked at an

unmoving Fenn before mounting and turning his gelding back toward the
buckboard.
 As he started away, Fenn shouted, “Wait! I’ll come with you. I can help
you get Humber!”
Gene looked down at him then said, “If I see you following us, I’ll
consider you a threat. I’m leaving your friends’ bodies for you to bury. You
can just dump them in that big hole for all I care. If you’re smart, you can
take one of their pistols and ride back to your boss and shoot him.”
Gene looked away and started walking Hawkeye to the bodies as Fenn
scrambled to his feet and began brushing off the dirt from his britches.

He had almost reached Tomb’s corpse when he spotted Robyn riding

toward him. She was still trailing the two horses and was carrying his
Spencer.
He had just stopped near Tomb’s body when she approached him and
asked, “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I’m going to collect their rifles and then I’ll join you at the
buckboard.”
“Even though we knew about the bomb, it still startled us and spooked
our horses. It took a while to calm them down and by the time we did, the
gunfight was over.”
Then she looked at Fenn who was still brushing the dirt from his clothes
and asked, “What are you going to do with him?”
“I told him to go back to Orville and shoot his boss. I doubt if he will,
but I warned him about following us. I’m going to pick up their rifles and
then attach their horses to my packhorse. Have your mother start the
buckboard moving again and I’ll catch up.”

“Alright. Do you need me to do anything?”

“Just get them moving again.”
Robyn glanced at Fenn before nodding then turning the gray stallion
around and heading back toward the gully.
 After she left, Gene pushed Fenn’s new repeater into one of the panniers
then spent a few minutes gathering the two used Henrys. He slid them into
the scabbards on the two horses then tied them to the packhorse.

As he was preparing to chase after the disappearing buckboard, he saw

Fenn taking the gunbelt from Tomb’s body and wondered if he really was
going to shoot Lud Humber. He didn’t think for a moment that he’d take a
shot at him but wasn’t about to risk being shot in the back by the coward.
Gene kept his eyes on Fenn until he’d reached the gully and didn’t look
forward again until he was well out of pistol range.
Once he was clear of the gully, he set Hawkeye to a fast trot to catch up
to Robyn and the buckboard already a half a mile ahead.

He took one last look back at Fenn and was surprised that he’d was
actually sliding both bodies into the crater. He still didn’t think that he’d
shoot Lud Humber but was more likely that he’d return to Orville with a
heavily modified story about the loss of Lud’s two killers. It didn’t matter to
Gene as he never wanted to hear of that place again.
He was closing the gap rapidly now and as he did, he wondered what
plans his father and Nora would make after they were married. Until now,
the conversations had all revolved around the past and the plan to get out of
Orville. Now they needed to discuss the future.
Gene knew that he’d soon be making that long return trip back to Peoria
and doubted that his father would want to get closer than the Missouri
River. He would find out soon enough where he and Nora would settle, but
there was another question that had never drifted very far from the front of
his mind.
What would Robyn do now?
He thought that he’d be spending years with Henry Wheeler learning the
law but wasn’t sure if Robyn would want to leave her mother. A lot
depended on his father’s health. He couldn’t imagine Robyn leaving her
mother’s side if Nora had to be a full-time nurse for his father.
 By the time he’d caught up to the buckboard, Robyn was riding on the
right side and talking to her mother, so Gene pulled Hawkeye to the left.
When he was even with the driver’s seat, his father looked up at him and
said, “That was quite a show, Gene. Are you okay?”
“Yes, sir. How are you feeling?”
“Better than I expected.”
“When we get to Colorado Springs, I’ll talk to the sheriff. I don’t know
what he’ll want to do about it.”

“I don’t know if Orville is in his county or not, so I’m not sure he’ll
really care much.”
“What will you do when we arrive?”

“We’ll get rooms at the Continental Hotel where we usually stayed when
we went there then get something to eat. We all need to talk, too.”
“We can start the conversation when we stop to have some lunch in a
little while.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Gene then looked past his father to Robyn and found her already staring
at him. He just tipped his head to the right and then slowed Hawkeye to let
the buckboard pull ahead.

As soon as Robyn pulled up alongside, she asked, “How are you really
doing, Gene? I see that your vest is ruined. What happened?”
Gene had completely forgotten the near miss, so he looked down at his
torn vest and blew out his breath as he fingered the tear.
He then turned to Robyn and replied, “It’s just a ripped piece of cloth,
ma’am. It’s not even bleeding.”
 Robyn nodded then asked, “Did it bother you? You know, killing those
men?”

Gene wasn’t sure why she was asking but answered, “Not at all and I
knew it wouldn’t bother me before I took my first shot. I felt bad about
some of the rebels I shot during the war because they weren’t bad men.
Most of them were just farmers like me, but their land was south and mine
was in Illinois. I felt bad about shooting the Cheyenne because they were
brave men protecting their land. They didn’t know that I was well-armed
with a repeater probably because they hadn’t even seen one before.
“Those two bastards didn’t deserve a second thought and the purpose of
the bomb wasn’t to kill anyone, but to drive them back to Orville. They had
their choice, and they chose to try to kill us. They must have believed that
story I told Lud Humber about only having a single-shot rifle and that I
wasn’t very good with it. It’s a cardinal sin in war to underestimate your
enemy and they were foolish to still press the issue after that bomb went
off. Fenn Jordan may be a coward, but he’s a smart coward and he’s still
alive.”
“I only asked to make sure you were really all right. I’ve never seen men
die like that before and I was terrified that you might die, too.”
“I’m surprised that living in a town like Orville that you’ve never seen a
shootout. Since I crossed the Missouri River, everyone I’ve talked to has
told me stories about the chaos that reigned in mining towns like Orville
and Leadville.”
“I’ve heard them but never seen one. I hope I never see one again.”
“I don’t want to get involved in another one either. And once I become a
lawyer, I don’t think I ever will. Especially if I’m living in Peoria.”

The gray stallion trotted another thirty yards before Robyn asked, “So,
you’ll be leaving soon and not coming back?”
 Gene then answered her question with one of his own when he asked,
“Are our parents staying in Colorado?”

“I think so. I don’t know if they’re going to get married right away,
though. My mother wants to get married tomorrow, but Alex wants to wait
a few days to make sure he doesn’t get worse.”
“At least he can put her on the bank account, so he doesn’t have to worry
about the whole inheritance issue.”

“That’s what he said. Does it bother you at all? First you lose the farm
and now you won’t inherit the money from the silver mine.”
“No, it doesn’t bother me. Losing the farm irritated me because I was the
one who kept it going for those years before my mother married Jim Moran,
but I didn’t do anything to earn a dime of my father’s money. You and your
mother did much more than take care of him, Robyn. You gave him a
reason to live. Maybe your mother is the reason he seems to be getting
better.”

Robyn smiled as she said, “He seems to believe that once God nudged
you to come to Colorado, He also snapped His fingers and started the
healing process.”
Gene laughed and shook his head before replying, “I don’t think so,
Robyn. I decided to help while I was still in our camp in North Carolina
two months ago. How long has he been improving?”
“About two weeks now. When did you get out of the army?”
Gene’s eyebrows rose slightly as he said, “Two weeks ago.”

Robyn smiled, but then became serious and again asked, “So, are you
still leaving?”
“I can stay a week or so to help getting things settled, but I do have to
return to Peoria. I don’t think that Katie really cares if I’m there when she
has her second baby, but I know I’d break Anna’s heart if I didn’t walk her
down the aisle.”
“But then you’re going to stay to become a lawyer?”
“Maybe. I’m not completely sold on the idea. I know that Henry
Wheeler wants me to do that and even gave me Hawkeye as a bribe to start
clerking for him, but I don’t believe he was serious. I don’t feel an
obligation to Henry because of the horse. He’s a good man and an excellent
attorney, but I’m not convinced it’s the life for me.”

Gene could see her mind in conflict as she wrestled with his departure
and the possibility that he may never return, but he knew that he had to go.
He was always a lot closer to his younger sister than he was to Katie.
Maybe it was because she was so much more like him in personality, but
whatever the reason, he felt an overwhelming need to protect her and make
sure that she gets to Chicago with her new husband.
He didn’t know why he was worried about her, but ever since he’d
waved goodbye to her, he’d had a nagging, uneasy sense that she was in
danger. He assumed it was just because she had to live with the Morans that
had created and maintained the annoying feeling. It may be irrational, but it
made him more determined to see her married and gone from that farm
even more than his promise to her.
But when he saw Robyn’s obvious turmoil, he knew that she had already
decided to remain with her mother in Colorado Springs. He didn’t doubt
that once she was settled in her new home, it wouldn’t be long before other
potential beaus would make their intentions known. Even if he returned to
Illinois for Anna’s wedding, the earliest he could return would be the
middle of September. He’d only known her for such a short time and they’d
already become very close, so sixty days would be almost an eternity. She
could be married and have already conceived by the time he returned…if he
returned.
They rode for another two minutes as each of them remained deep in
thought about what their future held.
 Gene finally broke the silence when he said, “It’s a long, dangerous ride,
Robyn. If I push it, I can probably make it to Iowa in a week.”

Robyn turned, looked at him and asked, “Are you asking me to come
with you?”
Gene had been trying to tell her that the earliest he could get back would
be the first week in September, and his obtuse statement had generated an
entirely different response.

“Um…that wasn’t my intention because I thought that you’d be staying

in Colorado Springs.”
“Then why did you tell me?”

“I was letting you know that the earliest I could return would be the
week after Anna’s wedding.”
“Oh. I thought you were asking me to come back to Peoria with you.”
“Would you have come along?”
Robyn chewed on her lower lip for a few seconds before replying, “No, I
don’t think so. Like you said, it’s a dangerous journey and I do think I
should stay with my mother and Alex.”

“That’s what I thought you wanted to do. I should have been clearer in
my statement.”
“I guess I was being too optimistic in hoping that you’d stay with us.”

“No, you weren’t. If it wasn’t for Anna, I would definitely stay. I’d write
a letter to Henry to thank him for Hawkeye and explain why I wasn’t
returning, but I just have this uncomfortable feeling about Anna. It’s
probably nothing.”
“Why don’t you send her a telegram when we get to Colorado Springs?”

Gene almost smacked himself in the forehead. He’d missed that minor
technological wonder. He’d given Anna their father’s address, but there
wasn’t a telegraph set in Orville, so she would have had to write a letter.
Even if she’d written a letter the day after he left, it would follow him west
and arrive tomorrow to an empty house.

“I’ll do that tomorrow, Robyn. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought about
it.”
Robyn’s smile returned in spades before she asked, “Are you going to
ask her to release her from your promise to give her away?”
“Not yet. I’ll send one just letting her know that I found dad and I’ll be
staying in Colorado Springs for a while. I’ll ask her about her wedding after
I start the long-distance conversation.”
Robyn felt an incredible sense of relief wash over her as the stallion
trotted along the road. It passed through an impressive landscape of forests
and impressive rock formations, but she only saw Gene. She had been
sickened by the thought of losing him even temporarily, but now she was
convinced that he wasn’t going to make another dangerous journey across
the Great Plains.

Gene’s future plans had evolved with his answers to Robyn’s questions.
He may not ask Anna about the wedding, but he’d include a line about
meeting Robyn. Because he and Anna were so much alike, he didn’t think
that he’d have to expand it beyond saying that he had met an impressive
young woman. He was sure that Anna would not only release him from his
promise but would reply that she wished that she could be at his wedding.
It was quite a shift from the plans he had solidified just a few minutes
earlier. Those plans were filled with their own questions that could have
only been answered when he returned to Peoria. That first reply from Anna
would be the only answer he’d need to settle into this new, much better
path.

Gene had no idea what he’d do if he stayed in Colorado Springs, but that
wasn’t important right now. He had over three thousand dollars in his
money belt and that was more than enough to buy and furnish a house.
They could live for two years on the rest even if he didn’t get a job. He may
have liked the idea of being a lawyer, but he already placed a higher value
on staying with Robyn.
The only thing that would make him leave Colorado Springs would be if
that annoying worry about Anna was more than just a silly figment of his
imagination.
_____

Almost a thousand miles away, Anna stared at her mother with a stunned
expression before exclaiming, “Mom, you can’t mean that! You’re just
upset. I can understand that, but it’s my life and I’m not going to do it.”
Beatrice had waited to tell Anna when they were alone and wasn’t
surprised at all by her daughter’s angry response. But Jim had asked, and
she knew that it was the right thing to do.

“Anna, I know that this is hard on you, but each of us must make
sacrifices for the family. Jimmy needs a mother and Kevin needs the
comfort of a woman.”
“Fiona can be a mother to Jimmy, and I don’t care where Kevin gets his
womanly comfort. I’m going to marry John and I’ll be the mother to our
own children.”
Beatrice snapped, “You will do as I tell you, Anna! You’re becoming just
as rebellious as Gene was before he deserted us just like your father did. He
made it worse by going to help that bastard and wasn’t even here to attend
Katie’s funeral.”
“I’m proud to be like Gene and I hope he comes back soon. He’ll put a
stop this insanity. I’ll never marry Kevin!”

“There’s a good chance he never even made it to Colorado. It’s a

dangerous journey across those savage lands, and he’d have to make it
twice. You will write a letter to John Kiley expressing your regrets and as
soon as Kevin’s mourning period is over, you will marry him and become
Jimmy’s mother.”
Anna glared at her mother with closed fists but wasn’t about to give
away her intentions. She knew that if she had no chance of changing her
mother’s mind and continuing to protest would make it difficult for her to
leave the farm.
She slowly calmed her face before quietly saying, “I don’t like it, Mom,
but you and Jim aren’t giving me much choice; are you?”

Beatrice saw Anna’s anger fade then assumed her forgiving mother role
and wrapped her arms around her daughter.
“It’ll be alright, Anna. It was just a shock. That’s all.”

Anna nodded, but was already making her plans. Even if Gene didn’t
return, she knew of a way to escape from this disaster that had been created
by Katie’s death.
Katie had gone into labor just four days after Gene had gone, and it had
been a horror from the start. For more than twenty hours, Katie had endured
a tortured birthing that had left her drained. When the baby girl was
stillborn, she’d hemorrhaged and died just minutes later. The only blessing
was that she never knew that the baby she’d carried for almost nine months
had never taken a breath.
Anna had been with her for much of that long night but not at the end.
She had been devastated by the loss of her only sister and almost thought of
canceling her wedding, but that thought hadn’t lasted an hour. Her mother
had been almost as upset, but Anna had noticed that Kevin hadn’t even
visited Katie while she struggled. When he’d been told that he’d lost Katie
and the baby, Kevin’s first question was, “Who’s going to take care of
Jimmy now?”
She wasn’t sure if it had been Jim’s idea that she should marry Kevin, or
if Kevin had been the one to who had suggested it. Either way, she knew
she could never do it. She despised Kevin Moran more than any other man
she’d met. Even after her father had deserted the family, she had never held
such disgust for him.

She’d let things settle for a while, then if Gene hadn’t returned, she’d
walk to Peoria when it was dark and go to the Wheelers. Gene had told her
about Henry Wheeler and was sure that she could find sanctuary in their
home.
_____
“
He blew up the road?
” Lud exclaimed.
“Well, not all of it, just the right side. I was lucky to get out of there
alive, boss.”
Lud was chewing on his unlit cigar as he thought about the disaster that
Fenn had just reported. He found it difficult to believe that the kid had
killed Hank and Tomb, especially Tomb. When Fenn had told him that
Stewart had used a repeater, he suspected that somehow, he’d bought one
from his own store. If that turned out to be true, heads would roll. But now,
he had a much bigger problem in the form of El Paso Sheriff Ben Drucker.
Lud had been able to avoid interference from the law by paying off his
predecessor, but when Drucker won the county election two years ago, Lud
had discovered that not all men had a price. He had reached the point of
offering the new sheriff three times what he was paying Horace Pope before
he realized that the new sheriff couldn’t be bought. Since then, he’d kept his
skirts as clean as possible. Now his entire wardrobe was covered in mud
because of this disaster.
He should have just let the damned Stewarts leave.
“Fenn, I need you to get Zeb Glenn and Joe Tennyson. Take a wagon and
some tools and drive out to that damned hole in the ground. Bring those
bodies back and make that hole disappear. I don’t want Drucker to find any
evidence. It’ll just be their word against ours.”
 Fenn nodded then said, “We’ll make it look like nothing happened,
boss.”
“Get going. I want this done before sunset.”
Fenn turned and hurriedly left the office while Lud continued to think.
Luckily, Sheriff Drucker was woefully short of deputies right now. After
he’d been elected, he’d fired all but one of his deputies because they’d been
accepting Lud’s bribes as well. The three he’d hired as replacements had
been whittled down by one case of pneumonia and two cases of lead
poisoning. He still only had his one original deputy and was finding it
difficult to find suitable replacements after the .44-inspired passing of the
last two.

The sheriff’s situation made it much less likely that he’d show up or
send his one good deputy to Orville. Lud still had to build a solid
foundation to make prosecution impossible. He’d hire Joe and Zeb to hire
his two lost gunmen, but it was quite a step down. Both of them were just
thugs who might be difficult to handle, but he needed some protection just
in case things didn’t work out. He knew that Fenn wouldn’t shoot anyone.
Fenn was now even more valuable even if the coward didn’t realize it. He
was the only man he could trust.
He relit his cigar, then pulled open his right-hand desk drawer and
looked at the still cocked Le Mat. He hadn’t worn a pistol in years, but with
Hank and Tomb gone, maybe he should carry again. He wouldn’t use this
beast but having it nearby would provide a last-ditch defense.
He took a long drag and exhaled an enormous blue cloud before closing
the drawer.
“Damn you, Gene Stewart!” he exclaimed in a low snarl.
 CHAPTER 8
It was early evening and the sun was just kissing the mountains behind
them when Gene had his first glimpse of Colorado Springs. He was
impressed with the town that was much larger than he’d expected. It was
smaller than Peoria, but its setting was spectacular.
After he and Robyn had settled the question of his return to Illinois, the
conversation the four of them had during the lunch break was much more
productive.
The mild argument about when Alex and Nora would marry had
continued, but Gene could tell that his father and future stepmother were
both pleased with his decision to send Anna a telegram. There had been
some discussion of money that hadn’t been resolved, but Alex and Nora did
say that they were going to stay in the town and buy a house.

Gene and Robyn had ridden behind the buckboard for the rest of the ride
and just talked about their parents and other, non-romantic topics. Gene had
noticed that his father had never made use of the bedroll and wondered if he
was truly on the mend. He expected to have at least a week to monitor his
progress and hoped it would be much longer.
When they rolled and rode into town, Gene let Nora guide them to their
temporary destination. It was too late for him to visit the sheriff, but once
they stopped before the large brick Colorado Continental Hotel, Gene and
Robyn dismounted. Gene glanced at Robyn and was impressed that she
didn’t rub her backside or even stretch her back. He was a bit sore himself,
but he figured it was because he’d had to ride a bucking Hawkeye for a few
seconds.

Nora and Robyn removed the travel bags they’d packed for their
immediate use which included Alex’s clothes and a supply of towels.
 As Gene helped his father from the buckboard, he asked, “How are you
holding up, Dad?”

Alex smiled back at him as he replied, “I haven’t felt this good in years.”
“Good. Let’s get some rooms and then I’ll take care of the buckboard
and the horses. We can all have a big dinner to celebrate our escape.”

“That was one hell of a boom, Son.”

Gene grinned as he said, “Bigger than I expected, but it served its
purpose, sort of. I wish all three of them had gone back to Orville, but it
made stopping those two easier.”

“Do you think that Humber will just give up now?”

“I’m sure he will, although it does stick in my craw that he’s getting
away with attempted murder. I’ll see what the sheriff says tomorrow."

Gene then took the travel bags from Nora’s hands and followed her, Alex
and Robyn into the hotel.
After dropping the travel bags near the reception window, Gene waited
to see how many rooms they’d be getting and wasn’t surprised when Nora
asked for three. As she began to open her purse, Gene pulled out some
loose bills from his pocket and handed six dollars to the clerk.

Nora accepted the keys and handed one to Gene as she said, “I could
have paid for the rooms, sir. Yours is 211.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll take care of the horses and the buckboard,” then
he looked at the clerk and asked, “Do you have a livery for guests?”
“Yes, sir. It’s just to the left as you leave.”
“Thank you.”

Gene smiled at Robyn who was wiggling her key with the 209 tag in
front of her smiling blue eyes.
 Gene rolled his eyes, then turned and walked quickly across the big
lobby before exiting the hotel wondering if he was just engaging in wishful
thinking. Then he remembered that walk to the barn earlier in the day and
began to believe that maybe it was Robyn who was engaged in wishful
thinking.

After he’d gotten all of the horses and the buckboard into the hotel’s
large and very clean livery, Gene left with just his saddlebags over his
shoulder. After his fairly detailed explanation to the liveryman of how he’d
obtained the extra horses and repeaters, he was sure that none of the gear or
guns that he’d left on the buckboard’s bed would go wandering. He knew
his size and two pistols had served as an emphasis to the grizzly story.
When he entered the hotel lobby, he found everyone waiting for him and
imagined that they were as anxious as he was for a hot meal.

They stood when they spotted him, so he didn’t bother taking off his
army hat before saying, “I don’t need to go to my room to drop these off.
I’d rather fill my stomach.”
Robyn quickly stepped to his side, smiled as she took his arm and
replied, “I wasn’t going to let you go up those stairs, Mister. I’m starving.”

Nora and Alex had their arms linked as they approached and his father
said, “We’ll have our dinner at Rosco’s.”
“Lead on, sir,” Gene replied before the older couple stepped past.
Gene and Robyn followed and soon they were sauntering along the
boardwalk and it seemed almost surreal to him. Two days ago, he’d camped
just a few miles north of here and had no idea of what awaited him in
Orville.
He’d had many momentous days in his life: the day he’d learned that his
father had deserted them, then the day his mother had told him that she was
marrying Jim Moran which was almost immediately followed by the day
he’d left the farm and learned of his mother’s infidelity. Then there was the
day he’d been offered the bonus to take Junior’s place in the army. But this
one day’s continuous series of life-altering events surpassed them all by a
wide margin. All of them just because of a short letter that told him
virtually nothing.

As the sky overhead blended from deep red in the west to indigo in the
east, Gene wondered how many more of these days were in his future.
Whatever they were, he hoped that he would share them with Robyn.
Robyn was still gripping his arm tightly as they neared the restaurant.
How he’d become so tightly bound to her in such a short time astounded
him. He didn’t believe it was because of the intensely stressful situation that
had thrown them together. It was something else. Maybe it was for the same
reason that his father and her mother seemed to be practically designed to
be together.

They turned into the restaurant and as Gene removed his hat, he noticed
some of the patrons looking at them. He imagined that they did present an
odd group with their unkempt appearance. He desperately needed a shave
and his sandy brown hair was a mess, but when he looked down at Robyn,
he thought that she somehow still appeared as if she’d spent the day just
reading in the parlor. Her long, dark blonde hair wasn’t tangled and even
though she was still wearing britches, she seemed positively elegant.
A waitress led them to a table, and it was only after they were seated that
he discovered one of the reasons people were staring. He was still wearing
his black vest with the very noticeable tear across the front, which exposed
his light gray shirt.

He sheepishly unbuttoned the vest and after sliding it off, he folded it

and laid it onto his lap before looking at Robyn and saying, “You could
have mentioned my vest problem, Miss Martin.”
Robyn laughed lightly then replied, “It was a lot more fun this way,
Mister Stewart.”
 Before they could continue their banter, Nora said, “Will you two please
stop your flirting and let us order our dinner?”

Both Robyn and Gene were laughing as Nora gave the waitress her
order.
After all their orders were placed, Alex said, “Tomorrow, Nora and I are
going to the bank. We’ll get her name on the account and then go look for a
house. Robyn said that you’re going to see the sheriff.”
“Yes, sir. I don’t know if he can do anything, but I need to tell him what
happened. I’m going to send that telegram to Anna and what happens after
that will depend on her reply. I won’t feel that badly for writing a letter to
Henry Wheeler about not clerking for him, but I’d feel like a heel for not
giving Anna away if I knew it would break her heart.”
“How are you going to ask her that question in a telegram?” his father
asked.

“I’m not going to ask her directly. All I’m going to do is let her know
that I found you and you’re living in Colorado Springs. I’ll add a line about
Robyn and then see how she reacts. Anna and I have always been close and
I’m hoping that she’ll understand why I included Robyn in the telegram and
release me from my promise.”
Robyn was all smiles as she listened to Gene and was praying that he
was right about Anna. It was asking a lot for her to interpret a single line
about meeting someone as a request to not attend her wedding.

Nora then asked, “What if she just replies that she’s happy for you and
suggests that you bring Robyn to Peoria?”
“I’ll send another telegram that’s less obtuse. I won’t beg, but it’ll be
close.”

Nora and Alex laughed as Robyn simply smiled. It made her believe that
there was almost no chance that Gene would leave Colorado Springs.
 Their conversation about their future in Colorado Springs continued
through the dinner and on the walk back to their hotel on the growing
darkness.

After they reached the hotel, Alex and Nora adjourned to their room on
the first floor while Gene and Robyn headed for the stairs with their arms
still linked.
“It’s been quite a day, Gene,” Robyn said as they climbed the steps.

“I was thinking exactly that as we were walking to the restaurant. I hope

things settle down for a few days at least.”
“Are you worried about Lud Humber?”

“It’s too late for him to start any trouble for us now. I’m just annoyed
that he’ll probably get away with attempted murder. I’ll know more after I
talk to the sheriff in the morning.”
After they reached the hallway, Gene felt a bit odd as they walked
toward their rooms. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed when
Robyn released his arm, then smiled as she entered room 209.

He entered room 211, closed the door and slid his saddlebags onto the
floor beside the bed before tossing his hat on the nice chest of drawers near
the window. He had never stayed in such a fancy hotel before. It was even
nicer than the room he’d used in Henry Wheeler’s home.
He stripped off his gunbelt and hung it over the bed’s footpost before
walking to the small desk and taking a seat. The hotel provided a small
stack of paper preprinted with Colorado Continental Hotel in fancy script.
He didn’t mind as he wasn’t going to write a letter. He didn’t use the
provided pen or ink but pulled out his stubby pencil from his shirt pocket.
He grinned as he recalled the waitress’s face when she saw his discarded
vest that he left on the seat.

He needed to think about the wording he’d use in the telegram he would
send to Anna. He didn’t want to give her the impression that he didn’t want
to participate in her wedding, but he still wanted to let her know he’d
appreciate being able to stay in Colorado Springs.

_____
As Gene wrestled with verbiage, Fenn pulled the empty wagon back into
Orville. Before he, Zeb and Joe had gone, Lud had modified his
instructions. Instead of returning the bodies to town, they had moved them
from the crater and then buried them in a forest of aspens another mile
down the road. When they’d left the site, the crater was gone but not
invisible.

After he returned the wagon to Lud’s livery, Fenn headed for his
residence at Josephine’s Rooming House. He wasn’t sure if Lud still trusted
him enough to let him follow through on his plan. If Gene Stewart had just
let him come with him, then he would already be on his way. But the fact
that Gene had let him leave gave him confidence that he’d be able to pull it
off after all. He just had to play his part even better than he had before. He
had to keep Lud’s trust for a few more days.
_____

Gene had finished his message and stripped before stretching out on top
of his bed. He had pushed himself beyond his limits since arriving in
Orville and expected to fall asleep in seconds, but that didn’t happen.
He had so many disparate thoughts racing in a closed loop in his mind
that he found it difficult to corral any one of them. What he found so odd
was that he’d had some days during the war where he’d gotten less sleep
and had been in much more stressful situations but still didn’t feel this out
of sorts.

He finally pushed all of the extraneous thoughts from his mind and let
them enjoy their laps as he concentrated on the young woman who was
sleeping next door.
 He was no longer concerned that she would find another beau even if he
had to return to Peoria but still wished that he didn’t have to go. He wanted
to spend as much time with her as he could until he could ask if he could
officially court her. He wasn’t sure if it was even necessary, but he was new
to the concept.
Those thoughts kept a smile on his face as he finally slipped into sleep.
Tomorrow should be a much more peaceful day.
_____
It was already midmorning when Gene left the bank and waved goodbye
to everyone. They were headed for the first of three houses that they’d be
inspecting while he walked to the sheriff’s office. He’d opened an account
in the bank and deposited three thousand dollars from his money belt
leaving him with a still healthy three hundred and twenty dollars. He wasn’t
trying to impress Robyn as he counted out the bills on the clerk’s desk, but
then felt like a pauper when he learned that his father had a balance of over
a hundred thousand dollars.
Before they separated, he’d told them that he’d let them know if the
sheriff wanted to have them write statements. Neither Nora nor his father
had met Sheriff Drucker, but they said that the man had a solid reputation.
He’d find out for himself in a few minutes.

When he entered the jail, he was surprised to find the sheriff himself at
the desk writing. Sheriff Drucker looked up at his visitor and grinned.
“Howdy, mister. What can I do for ya?”

Gene immediately liked the man. He had an honest face and didn’t try to
intimidate a stranger as many of them did.
“Sheriff Drucker?”
“That’s the name. Call me Ben. What’s yours?”
“Gene Stewart. That’s short for Eugene.”
 “Have a seat, Gene. What brings you to the Springs?”
Gene pulled off his hat as he sat across from the sheriff and replied, “I
left Orville yesterday with my father and two women. We were followed
and attacked by three men sent by Lud Humber to kill us. I shot two of
them and let the last one go because he was disarmed.”
Gene was surprised when the sheriff didn’t appear startled by the news,
but simply raised his eyebrows and not by much.
“I’m kinda surprised that he’d do something that much in the open. He’s
always been a more of an under-the-table sort of bully.”
“You know about him?”
“He was paying off my predecessor and most of his deputies before the
folks in El Paso County kicked the sheriff out and elected me to the job. I
fired all of those bastards and kept the honest one. So, why did Lud send his
boys out to kill you?”
“I suppose I should start by telling you why I even left Illinois to go to
Orville.”
“I got the feeling it’s not ‘cause you were looking for gold.”
“No, sir. I was in North Carolina and we were getting ready to be
mustered out when I received a letter from my father…”
Gene skipped a lot of the background details until he reached his short
discussion with Lud Humber. Then with each passing hour of his stay in
town, he added more specifics until he reached the gunfight.
He watched the sheriff begin to smile when he began explaining how he
built his bomb. After he explained its initial purpose, the sheriff shook his
head.
“I woulda blown those bastards to kingdom come. But go ahead.”
 Gene nodded then after the gunfight and Fenn’s departure, he ended the
narrative by letting the sheriff know that his father, Nora and Robyn were
out looking at houses.

“Do you need them to write statements?”

“I’ll think about it. You’ve got a pretty good case for attempted murder,
but you don’t have anyone who would testify that Lud was the one who sent
those boys. He could claim they went off on their own and he’d hire a good
lawyer to get him off. Now we both know better, but I don’t reckon our
prosecutor will even charge him with a crime without a witness.”
“I’ll bet Fenn Jordan will talk. He’s a sneaky bastard but a first-class
coward. He even offered to come along with us, but I sent him back and
suggested he shoot his boss. I know he won’t, but I guess I screwed up by
not bringing him along. I was disgusted with the man and let it cloud my
judgement.”
“Well, I can’t go and get him. I don’t want you to think I’m afraid of
going into his little kingdom, but I’m kinda laid up and I only have one
deputy now. I messed up my left knee when I slipped out of my stirrup a
few days ago. That’s why I’m at the desk. I feel like an idiot for doing
something so stupid.”

“That wasn’t stupid, it was just a slip. Besides, we all make mistakes,
Ben. I’ve made some real monsters over the years.”
“So, what are you planning to do after you settle down? I could use an
honest man and you seem to have all the tools to be a good lawman.”
“I hadn’t really gotten that far. When I left Peoria, I thought I’d return
within a month and start clerking for my good friend. He said I’d be a
lawyer within three years or so. Now I don’t even want to cross the
Missouri River again.”
The sheriff grinned and said, “You sound pretty smitten with Miss
Martin.”
 “It’s more than that, Ben. I’m in awe of her and still incredibly
comfortable with her. It’s really odd.”
“Well, you’d better not leave her then. You’d be doing me a real big
favor by taking a badge. Lotsa men want to be a lawman for all sorts of
reasons, but you have all the tools that are needed for the job. Most men
woulda shot Fenn just because he was riding with those other two. That
marks you as special, Gene.”
“I appreciate the offer, Ben. I still have a lot of things to do before I
could start anyway.”

“You can take your time. I’ve got four slots for deputies and I only have
Juice Silvio right now.”
“Juice?”

Ben grinned and replied, “It’s short for Giuseppe. He’s Italian and just
like a lot of other young fellers came here looking for gold but wound up as
a deputy sheriff. He’s been here six years now.”
“I should get things in order within a couple of days, but I need to talk to
Robyn about your offer, too.”
“I reckon so.”
Gene stood then said, “By the way, I have a few extra horses and Henry
repeaters. Would you like a couple?”

The sheriff grinned before he replied, “I sure wouldn’t mind those

rifles.”
“I’ll bring them by later,” Gene said before turning and leaving the
office.
Once outside, he had to scan the street until he spotted a distant wire and
began heading for the Western Union office. He thought about sending
another telegram to Henry Wheeler, but decided he’d wait a few days to let
things firm up before writing a letter instead. A lot could change if Anna
still wanted him to come to her wedding.

He entered the small office and slid his sheet of hotel stationery from his
pocket as he approached the operator.
He unfolded it and handed it to the man who began sliding his finger
across the page counting words.
“That’ll be seventy cents.”
Gene handed him a dollar bill and the telegrapher pulled open his cash
drawer and counted out his change before turning to the key.

Gene heard the rapid taps that sounded like a busy woodpecker and was
still amazed that anyone could interpret the stream of clicks.
The operator then turned and handed Gene’s sheet back to him without
comment.
After leaving the office, Gene walked down the main street heading for
the first house that the bank had offered. He might have to go to the second
as it had been almost an hour since they’d left the bank.
As he walked, he considered Sheriff Drucker’s offer. He knew it wasn’t
as prestigious as being a lawyer, but he knew that he’d be good at it. It was
probably even more important to the folks out here.
Back in Peoria, they had a police department of a dozen officers as well
as a county sheriff with four deputies. He knew most of the members of the
police department including the chief, Rich Tinker. Peoria was larger than
Colorado Springs, but it was settled and more civilized. Not only that,
Sheriff Drucker was responsible for the entire county and not just the town.
To protect all of those folks, he only had a single deputy. It just didn’t seem
right.
Even before he found his father, Nora and Robyn, he was convinced that
he’d accept the sheriff’s offer. But he still needed to see how Robyn would
react. She hadn’t seemed upset by the gunfight, but he didn’t know her well
enough to predict what she would think.

He turned onto Seventh Street to head for #17, the first of the three
houses. The second was #19, so if he didn’t find them at one, he’d just have
to go next door. He was surprised by the relatively modest appearance of
the houses, which were still much nicer than the farmhouse where he spent
his childhood. He’d expected that with his father’s surprisingly huge bank
account, he would have wanted something a bit more grandiose. Maybe
there weren’t any fancy houses available at the moment.
After finding the first house empty, Gene trotted back outside and turned
left to visit the next place. He was surprised to find no one there either and
couldn’t remember the address of the third house that they were going to
inspect. He figured that they must have returned to the bank to buy the first
house, so he headed back toward the main street which was named
Colorado Avenue.
Just as he turned onto the boardwalk, he spotted them heading towards
him. They were all happily chatting and hadn’t noticed him yet, so he just
smiled and kept taking his long strides.
He was just ten feet away when Robyn saw him and stepped quickly
away from his father and her mother.

“This didn’t take as long as we expected,” she said as she took his hand.
Gene smiled down at her and asked, “Which one did they buy?”
Before she could reply, Nora answered, “We bought #17 and #19. Alex
wanted to have you living nearby and they suited our needs perfectly.”
Gene looked at this father and said, “I can afford to buy my own house,
Dad.”
“I know that, but let’s face it, I have more than enough money and you’ll
need yours.”
 Gene just shrugged before he said, “Alright. I’ll grant you that. Which
one is yours?”
“They’re both very similar, so it doesn’t matter. The barns in back aren’t
very big, but between the two of them, we can house all the horses and the
buckboard.”
“That will work. I noticed that the houses are both furnished, but we
need to stock the pantries. Robyn and I can do that and while you and Nora
settle in. We need to move everything from the hotel, too.”
Alex replied, “I’ll be honest and tell you that I’m a bit tired from all the
excitement. So, if it’s alright with you, Nora and I will move into #17 while
you and Robyn take care of the move.”
“We’ll do that. We’ll bring the buckboard and horses first and get them
unloaded. You can start a fire in the cookstove so when we return with the
food, we can have some coffee and lunch in your new home.”
Nora was holding Alex’s hand tightly as she said, “Thank you, Gene. I’ll
escort your feeble father to the house and let him relax while you two
young people handle all the hard work.”
Gene laughed before saying, “If this is what you consider hard work,
ma’am, I can’t imagine you doing laundry.”

“Don’t remind me,” Nora replied before tugging Alex down the
boardwalk.
After they’d gone, Gene and Robyn started walking toward the hotel.
Gene said, “I had an interesting meeting with Sheriff Drucker.”
“Oh?”
“It seems that he was well aware of Humber’s misdeeds, but had been
hamstrung by a lack of deputies. He has a bad knee too, so there’s nothing
he can do.”
 “That doesn’t sound interesting to me.”
“It’s what he said after that is what made it interesting. He offered me a
job as a deputy sheriff.”
Robyn snapped her eyes onto him before she quickly asked, “What did
you say to his proposal?”
“I told him I needed to talk to you first.”
A smile grew across Robyn’s lips as she asked, “Why do you need to
hear my opinion?”
“Oh, please! You know why I want your opinion, Miss Martin. I’m not
about to stay here in Colorado Springs as a deputy sheriff or anything else if
I’m going to have to see you with another man.”
She had to take her hand from his to cover her mouth as she started to
laugh then after a few seconds she said, “As if that’s going to happen. I set
my cap for you the moment I opened that door and saw you standing there
with your mouth agape.”

Gene grinned and said, “It was kind of obvious; wasn’t it?”
“I wasn’t any better, Mister Stewart. Now that we’ve gotten that thin
barrier out of the way, I can tell you that I’d be proud of you even if you
wanted to be a dressmaker. Although it might be hard to imagine you
working a needle with those big fingers of yours.”

He grasped her hand again before he said, “It’s hard to imagine how
much my life has changed since I left Chicago less than three weeks ago. I
figured I’d be starting a path to becoming a lawyer in Peoria and now here
I’m taking an entirely different direction. And I’m not in the least bit
disappointed, either.”
“I should hope not. So, when are you going to tell the sheriff of your
decision?”
 “After I hear from Anna. I sent the telegram and she should get it this
afternoon. So, tomorrow I’ll have a better idea of what to expect.”

“What if she wants you to return for her wedding?”

“I have no idea. I may send another telegram that is short of begging or
send her a letter.”
“May I ask what you put in the telegram?”
They had almost reached the hotel when Gene reached into his pocket
and handed her the crumpled sheet.
She released his hand and then stopped to read the page while Gene
waited.
She laughed then handed it back to him and said, “I’m a wonderful
woman? That’s a bit vague; isn’t it?”
They resumed walking before he replied, “I wouldn’t need to explain
more to Anna. If I’d sent it to my mother or Katie, I would have had to add
another three or four lines, but Anna knows me better than anyone.”
“Even me?”

“Yes, ma’am. Even you. But you’ll get to know me a lot better soon
enough.”
“Is that in the Biblical sense of knowing?”
Gene grinned as they turned into the hotel and replied, “Absolutely.”
_____

It took them over an hour to move the horses and the buckboard with its
supplies, guns and their things from the hotel to the house and another hour
to do the shopping.
As Nora and Robyn began cooking their lunch, Gene told his father and
Nora about the deputy sheriff job.
 Gene and Robyn left in mid-afternoon to get Gene settled into what was
now his temporary bachelor abode.
When they entered the house, Robyn asked, “What are you going to do
about Lud Humber after you’re sworn in?”
“It depends on what the sheriff asks me to do. He’ll probably send me to
Orville to convince Fenn to testify against his boss. If I can do that, then I’ll
arrest Humber and bring him back here for trial.”
“Do you think he’ll have hired more gunmen by then?”
“I was a bit surprised that he only had two shooters working for him. I
imagine he has some other strongarm types on his payroll but they’re not as
skilled with firearms as those two.”
“But you’d still go there by yourself?”
Gene could see the concern in her eyes, so he just smiled and replied,
“We’ll see.”

It took them longer to get the second house in order as it had been
unoccupied for almost a month longer. It needed some more basic
household items as well, so Gene and Robyn left the house two hours later
and headed for Blanton’s Grocery and Dry Goods to fill the gaps.
While they were making one of the beds with the new sheets and quilts,
Robyn asked, “Can I live here? I promise not to slip into your bed while
you’re sleeping. It’s just that I think our parents want some privacy.”
Gene wasn’t startled by her question because he’d been thinking along
those lines, although not for the reason she’d given.
“I don’t mind, ma’am, as long as you aren’t worried that I’ll sneak into
your dark room at night.”
Robyn’s blue eyes sparkled when she laughed and said, “I won’t worry
one bit.”
 Gene then asked, “How is my father doing? You’ve spent more time
with him since we left Orville and I can’t recall seeing him have a single
coughing fit.”
“I haven’t either. My mother is still convinced that God sent you here to
help us and part of his miracle was to drive the consumption from your
father’s lungs.”
“I’m not going to argue with her, but I’m just happy that he’s doing
well.”
“Well enough to make me want to leave their new house.”
Gene shook his head as he pulled the quilt tight, then Robyn asked,
“Maybe they’ll have a baby who’ll be our half-brother or half-sister.”
Gene blinked at the unexpected possibility. Nora was in her mid-thirties,
so it was possible.
Robyn was still grinning as she took his arm to go to the next bedroom
to make her new bed. While he’d been visiting the sheriff and sending his
telegram, she had moved her things into the room already. Gene just hadn’t
noticed, so when they entered the room, he spotted her things and began to
laugh.

He may not have been planning on sneaking into her room, but he
expected that once he received Anna’s telegram that released him from his
obligation, it wouldn’t be long before they shared one bed.
_____

It was just a stroke of luck that Anna was the only one in the farmhouse
when Tom Eriksson arrived at the front door with Gene’s telegram.
She was in the front room scooping soot out the fireplace and had just
reached for the bucket when she heard his knock. She turned, walked to the
door and when she saw Tommy, she smiled.
“Hello, Tommy.”
 “Hello, Anna. I have a telegram for you.”
“For me?” she asked excitedly.
There were only two people who would have sent her a telegram and
either one would be able to help her out of this mess. It was why she was
spending as much time as possible in the front room. She suspected that if a
telegram or letter arrived addressed to her, either Jim Moran or her mother
would intercept it and read it first.
Kevin had become more obvious in his attentions and she was beginning
to worry that he may not even wait for a decent mourning period to pass.
She had even begun locking her bedroom door at night.
She quickly took the sealed sheet and asked, “Can you wait for a minute,
so I can send a reply?”
“I was gonna do that anyway.”
Anna said, “Thank you,” then opened the telegram and read:
  
ANNA STEWART FARM 2M S PEORIA ILL
 
ARRIVED IN COLORADO SPRINGS WITH DAD
MET WONDERFUL WOMAN
OFFERED JOB AS DEPUTY SHERIFF
PLEASE REPLY
 
GENE STEWART CONTINENTAL HOTEL
COLO SPRINGS COLO
 
Just as Gene had hoped, Anna understood what he meant by his
‘wonderful woman’ line, but she knew that if she didn’t tell him her
problem, then it wasn’t likely that she’d be able to marry her wonderful
man.
She quickly took the sheet to the nearby desk and hurriedly wrote her
reply before taking a silver dollar from her pocket and quickly returning to
Tommy. She’d been keeping it with her for the sole purpose of hopefully
replying to a telegram from either Gene or John.
She gave him both the coin and the message, then said, “Keep the
change, Tommy.”
“Thank you, Anna,” he replied before he turned and left the front porch.
Anna watched him ride away and felt a surge of hope swell inside her.
She knew that Gene couldn’t return for at least two weeks, but she could be
pleasant for that long. Kevin would still be in mourning for another month.
The problem was the letter that she was supposed to send to John. Her
mother wanted to read it before she sealed the envelope and if it was written
as she wanted, then John would be heartbroken and so would she.
She returned to the bucket of ash and after picking it up, she headed
down the hallway already thinking of some way to avoid having to write
that letter.
It all would come down to timing. She needed to delay writing the letter
for at least ten days and if necessary, she’d run to Peoria and ask for
sanctuary with the Wheelers. If she did run to town, she didn’t doubt that
Kevin would send her mother and his father to find her and create a serious
stink. She wanted to avoid causing trouble for the Wheelers, but she’d do it
if it was her only option.
_____
Gene returned to the sheriff’s office and met Juice Silvio for the first
time. Juice was about six inches shorter than Gene and was obviously much
darker in appearance. The physical differences aside, Gene found that they
shared a similar outlook on life and Juice seemed happy to know that Gene
would be joining the office. His boss was even happier after hearing Gene’s
acceptance, but Gene asked that he not be sworn in for a few days until he
settled into his new place. The sheriff was pleased with the two Henry
repeaters, too.

Before he returned to his new home, Gene swung by the telegraph office
and left a note that any replies should be delivered to #19 Seventh Street.
He had been secretly hoping to find a message waiting for him, but knew it
was next to impossible. He’d be lucky if Anna’s reply reached him
tomorrow. The war may be over, but military traffic still dominated the
wires.
As he walked back to the house, he wondered what he would do if she
didn’t answer at all. His nagging concern for Anna would probably grow
too large to be ignored if that happened. He knew that if he didn’t hear from
her, it wasn’t because she didn’t want to reply. He hoped that Jim Moran or
even his mother didn’t keep her from getting his message.

He rolled his eyes at his imagined expanding Peoria conspiracy and

began to laugh as he strode along the boardwalk. He was thinking too
much.
By the time Gene entered #17 Seventh Street, Robyn and Nora were
already preparing dinner.

“How did it go?” Alex asked as his son took a seat at the kitchen table.
 “I met the other deputy. He’s a good man and I already like him. He’s
pretty short, but Ben told me he’s a good lawman.”

“When are you going to be sworn in?” Nora asked.

“I told the sheriff that I’d like to take a few days to get settled.”

“Robyn said that you might go back to Orville by yourself to arrest him.”
“That’s a possibility, but nothing’s certain yet.”

“Oh, there is one thing that’s certain, Mister Stewart,” Robyn said before
she laughed.
Gene was smiling when he said, “You seem to be a regular Nostradamus,
Miss Martin.”
“Some things are more easily predicted than others, and in your case,
your intentions were quite clear within a few minutes of your arrival.”
“I guess it was obvious; wasn’t it?”

Nora then laughed and said, “Even your father noticed. We even talked
about it before you arrived. I guess it was because we both knew Robyn so
well and Alex knew what kind of man you would become. The only
question was whether or not you were already spoken for or if you’d
survived the war.”
“Well, I survived the war and I wasn’t spoken for until I reached
Orville."

Robyn just smiled across the kitchen as she reexamined her decision to
stay in her own room after the sun went down.
_____

Lud had given Zeb Glenn and Joe Tennyson each a new Colt pistol and
gunbelt after outlining their new duties. He wasn’t expecting Fenn to
change his spots at all because he was more valuable as a spy anyway.
 After they’d gone, Lud sat in his office just brooding over the failed
assassination. He’d have someone watching the road from Colorado
Springs for a week or so but doubted if Stewart would return. If he was
going to seek revenge, he wouldn’t have let Fenn live. Even if Fenn had
started to run before the first bullet flew, that big man would have chased
him down.

His problem was that he still had his bank account in Colorado Springs.
He’d have to send Fenn there in a couple of weeks to see if the Stewarts had
moved on. The kid said he was returning to Peoria, but Lud needed to be
sure that he did. If they didn’t, Fenn would have to find out if Sheriff
Drucker was going to do anything about the assassination attempt. He
doubted it because the man was too short-handed and he had no proof that
he had ordered the killing, but he still wanted to be sure.
He angrily slammed his open palm onto his desktop. A week ago,
everything was going so smoothly and since that kid had arrived, it had
been one disaster after another. He should have had him shot in town. He
was a stranger anyway. But it was too late now. Now he had to recover. It
didn’t help that the miners still hadn’t found a new wall of galena in the
silver mine. He’d told the foreman to keep them digging for another ten
days before calling it a dry hole. What he’d do after that was still open to
debate.

_____
Gene was sitting on his bed with the kerosene lamp burning on the side
table. He hadn’t even kissed Robyn goodnight although he knew she was
expecting it. It wasn’t as if he was being a prude or even an especially
moral man. He was already convinced that Robyn was the only woman he
would ever love. It was such a whirlwind romance that still left him
stunned, but he believed that it was for the same reason that his father and
Nora seemed to regard it as inevitable. They just meshed.

There was also not a doubt in his mind of what would have happened if
he had kissed her. She was already dominating his fantasies and dreams and
few of them were chaste.

What prevented him from kissing her and then almost yanking her into
his bedroom was the almost obnoxious and irrational concern about Anna.
He wanted to be focused completely on Robyn when they were together,
but he simply couldn’t shake that annoying worry about his younger sister.
The only thing that would drive it away would be her wired answer to his
telegram. He needed to read a reply that told him that even though he
couldn’t return for her wedding, she was happy and would send him a letter
after she and John Kiley had returned to Chicago.
He finally flopped onto his new quilts and let out a long breath.
Hopefully, Anna’s telegram would arrive tomorrow. He didn’t know how
much longer he could avoid being with Robyn.

Next door, Robyn was already under her covers and wasn’t so much
disappointed as curious. There was no question in her mind that Gene
wanted her as much as she wanted to be with him. She could read it in his
eyes as if it was printed with a bold hand. She was thinking about asking
him about it in the morning, and mistakenly believed it had something to do
with having to return to Orville and arrest Lud Humber.
Whatever the reason, Robyn was certain that it wouldn’t be much longer
before they would only have to make one bed in the morning.

She was smiling as she closed her eyes and entered her imaginary world
that wasn’t any more chaste than Gene’s.
 CHAPTER 9
Gene had the cookstove fire burning and two heavy pots of water on the
hotplates when Robyn dashed past him to use the privy.
When she returned, she smiled and asked, “Making a few gallons of
coffee, sir?”

“No, ma’am. I’m boiling some water for a bath. I need one and if you’d
like, I’ll let you use the water first. I can’t begin to describe what the water
was like when I bathed in the army or how often we went without bathing at
all. So, not having hot or even lukewarm water won’t bother me.”

Robyn grinned then replied, “I’ll gratefully accept your offer. Are you
going to cook us breakfast while I bathe?”
“I can do that, Miss Martin.”

Before she left the kitchen, Robyn asked, “Do you think that our parents
will believe that we really slept in separate beds last night?”
“I doubt it, but I don’t think that they’ll mention it when we see them. As
far as they’re concerned, we’re already married.”
Robyn laughed then said, “I feel that way myself. It’s really strange; isn’t
it? It’s only been a few days since you showed up at our door, yet I feel as if
I’ve known you for years.”
“I feel the same way. I don’t know if it’s because our parents love each
other so much and we’re like them in so many ways or it’s just one of those
things that just happens. Whatever it is, I’ll be forever grateful for finding
you, Robyn.”
She stepped close to him and took his hands.
 Their blue eyes locked as she said, “I don’t think that I’ll ever be able to
fully explain how I felt when I saw you. That feeling has only become
deeper each day we’re together.”

Gene pulled her into his arms and kissed her with all the passion he’d
been storing for the past few days. He didn’t lift her into the air, but as he
kissed her, he wasn’t sure if his feet were on the floor either.
Robyn had hoped for this as she matched his passion and wished that he
had kissed her like this last night. But the delay only made this one so much
more spectacular. She was grateful that he was holding her so tightly
because she knew her knees wouldn’t be able to support her.
When their lips parted, Robyn breathlessly asked, “Why didn’t you kiss
me last night?”
“I wanted to, but I knew that if I did, it would be almost impossible for
me to just leave you in the hallway.”

“I didn’t want you to leave me in the hallway. Didn’t you know that?”
“I knew, but I was worried about Anna’s situation and I didn’t want to
have any distractions.”

“You’re worried that she might still ask you to return for her wedding?”
“No. I’m worried that something bad is happening back in Peoria. I
know it’s silly and irrational, but it’s there. I guess it’s because of the
Morans. I never liked any of them, especially Katie’s husband, Kevin. After
they moved in, I was afraid that Anna would become enamored of Augie
Moran, but she didn’t, and he left the farm. As I said, it’s just a foolish
notion.”
“No, it’s not. I can understand. When we care about someone and there’s
a chance that they could be in danger, we worry and dream up all sorts of
bad situations. I imagine that after we’re married, I’ll worry every minute
you’re gone from Colorado Springs.”
 Gene smiled as he replied, “So, now we’re already married, Mrs.
Stewart? When did I propose?”

“You just kissed me and have me pressed against you as if I’m an

appendage. It’s a lot more of a proposal than just words.”
“It is, but I’d like to make it official.”

She looked into his blue eyes and whispered, “I’m waiting.”
“I love you, Robyn. I want to marry you and spend the rest of my days
with you. Will you marry me?”

“I love you too, Gene. I gave you my consent already, so may I have
your confirmation?”
Gene nodded then kissed her again.

Their lips remained locked together for as long as possible before the
need for oxygen made them end the kiss and gasp for air.
“I suppose I need to take my bath now,” Robyn said between hurried
breaths.

Gene didn’t answer, but simply nodded before releasing her from his
grip.
She smiled at him before gracefully floating out of the kitchen and down
the hall.

For almost a minute, Gene found it difficult to even remember what he

was doing in the kitchen. Then he turned to the sink and began pumping
water into a bucket to fill the bathtub.
After he’d partially filled the tub, he lugged the two big pots of almost
boiling water to the bathroom and dumped their steaming contents into the
bathtub. When he had emptied the second pot, he checked the temperature
and found it warmer than he’d expected.
 As he turned to leave, he almost bumped into Robyn who hopped out of
his way then smiled.

“Your bath is ready, madam.”

“Thank you, kind sir. I won’t take long so you can enjoy your own bath.”

Gene smiled and then left the bathroom to start cooking their breakfast.
He’d take his bath after they ate. The water temperature really didn’t matter
much.
_____

Twenty minutes later, they were sharing their breakfast when there was a
knock on the front door.
Gene stood and said, “I think our parents don’t want to disturb us.”

Robyn laughed before Gene quickly headed down the hallway and after
crossing the parlor floor, opened the door and didn’t find his grinning father
and a smiling Nora looking back at him. Since the morning’s exciting time
with Robyn, he’d almost forgotten about Anna’s reply.
“Mister Stewart?” the boy asked as he held the yellow sheet in his hand.

“Yes. I’m Gene Stewart,” he replied as he stuck his hand into his pocket
hunting for silver.
The messenger handed him the telegram and Gene gave him a quarter
which was all he’d found.

The boy was stunned and stared at the coin before grinning and racing
away without asking if there would be a reply. Gene didn’t care as he closed
the door and began slowly walking back to the kitchen. He wanted to be
sitting when he read the message.
When he entered the kitchen, Robyn asked, “Is it from Anna?”

“I think so,” he replied as he lowered himself into his chair.

 He carefully broke the seal and unfolded the single page before reading:
GENE STEWART CONTINTAL HOTEL
COLO SPRINGS COLO
 
KATIE AND BABY DIED
THEY WANT ME TO MARRY KEVIN
PLEASE HELP
DO NOT REPLY
 
ANNA STEWART PEORIA ILL
 
Robyn saw Gene’s eyes almost glaze over as he read the telegram and
she knew that his silly concerns weren’t irrational at all. Whatever Anna
had written was going to make him return to Peoria. Even before he told her
what was in the telegram, Robyn was already preparing her response.
Gene knew he’d have to help Anna. The most troubling line in the short
message was the last line. It sounded as if Anna was being held like a
prisoner. How she’d been able to receive his telegram and reply without
notice was a mystery but was irrelevant.
He handed the telegram to Robyn and as he waited for her reaction, he
was already making mental preparations for his immediate departure.
Robyn set the telegram down on the table and quietly said, “You have to
go.”
“Yes. Anna wouldn’t ask if she wasn’t desperate.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“No, Robyn, you can’t. I’m going to have to move faster than I’ve ever
ridden before. I’ll take two saddled horses and try to make that long ride in
just five days. It’s going to be a hard and dangerous journey and I don’t
want you to slow me down.”
“I wouldn’t slow you down, Gene. I’d take two horses myself. I can
help.”
 “Be honest, Robyn. I made that ride at a much slower pace and still
found it exhausting. I won’t even talk about the Cheyenne. Please don’t
argue. It’s a terrible way to start a life together.”
What Robyn conceived as well-reasoned arguments evaporated before
she nodded and said, “Alright. I’ll give you this one. Are you going to leave
today?”
“Hopefully within an hour or so. I’ve got to get the horses ready. We
have enough food in the pantry, so that won’t be a problem and I have more
than enough firepower. I’ll be okay.”
“We need to go next door and then while you’re getting your horses
ready, I’ll make you some food for the trip.”
Gene was relieved that Robyn had given in and hoped she wasn’t
planning to follow him. He hadn’t exaggerated the strain that he’d face and
the stress he’d be putting on his two horses. He’d still rest them when he
could, but horses rarely traveled more than fifty miles a day even on flat
ground, and he’d ask them to do almost double that. The ground around
Colorado Springs was far from flat and he thought he’d be lucky to get
thirty miles out by the end of the day. After he reached the plains, he’d have
to play it by ear.
He snatched the telegram from the table, then he and Robyn left the
kitchen to visit their parents. The wonderful news they had planned to
deliver was now almost secondary to Gene’s imminent departure.
The visit didn’t last long and neither he nor Robyn had even mentioned
the recent momentous change in their relationship as the almost
overwhelming sense of haste dominated the brief conversation.
Nora suspected that Robyn had tried to convince Gene to take her with
him but was enormously pleased when he told them that he’d be riding
alone. She fully understood her daughter’s desire to be with Gene, but knew
that despite Robyn’s strength of character, it wouldn’t outweigh the physical
demands the journey would require.
After leaving their home, Gene walked to the small barn behind #19 and
began saddling Hawkeye. Once his gelding was ready, he selected the gray
stallion that Robyn had ridden out of Orville. He was easily the best of the
others.
He hung two canteens over each saddle, added his two scabbards to
Hawkeye and one to the stallion. He’d bring a second Henry with him as a
backup then tied his bedroll, blanket and slicker to the back of Hawkeye’s
saddle. He strapped a sack of oats over the stallion’s saddle before he left
the barn with a set of saddlebags hung over each shoulder.
Gene entered the kitchen and found Robyn at the cookstove frying
bacon. She already had a pile on a nearby plate and when she heard him
pass through the doorway, she turned and smiled as if he wasn’t going
anywhere.
“I’m going to fry that whole slab of bacon. You can take the bag of
biscuits that we bought yesterday, too. That should keep your stomach full
on your trip.”
He nodded and said, “Thank you, Robyn. I’m sorry to be leaving you so
soon.”
“Don’t apologize, sir. I’d be disappointed in you if you didn’t leave to
help Anna. It just isn’t in you not to help someone who needs you. It’s why
you came to Orville and why you have to help your sister.”
“I hope that I never disappoint you,” he replied before saying, “I’ve got
to get one set of saddlebags packed.”
He then dropped one empty set on the kitchen floor before hurrying
down the hallway to his bedroom.
He packed one set of britches and another shirt and pair of socks before
adding his .32 cartridges for his pistols, .44s for the Henry and a box of the
.56 caliber cartridges for the Spencer. He hoped that he’d have the same
number when he returned.
After adding his compass and field glasses, he checked the load and tried
to think of anything he’d forgotten. He figured he didn’t want to return
looking like Rip Van Winkle and added his shaving kit. He finally hung his
heavy saddlebags over his shoulder and picked up his two Henry repeaters.
His long fingers allowed him to carry both rifles in one hand, so he grabbed
his Spencer and left his room.
He reached the kitchen and set the Spencer and Henrys on the table
before slipping his saddlebags from his shoulder and lowering them to the
floor.
Robyn just glanced at him as he picked up the empty set and carried it to
the pantry. He didn’t need much, but added a box of matches, two tins of
beans and a can of corned beef. He knew that the biscuits and bacon would
take up most of the space and he might stop at one of the forts along the
way if the timing was right.
After setting the food-laden saddlebags next to the first set, he stepped
close to Robyn and said, “I’ll send you a telegram when I get to Peoria.”
“You’d better, mister. If I haven’t heard from you within ten days, I’m
going to start walking.”
Gene laughed before saying, “I wouldn’t put it past you, ma’am.”
She slid the grease-filled skillet from the hot plate then turned and
wrapped her arms around him.
“Stay safe and return to me, Gene. I don’t want to be a widow before I
even get married.”
“Just be sure you don’t let any other young man attract your attention.”
“There is no other man for me, Gene. If one so much as looked at me,
I’ll show him my pistol as a warning.”
“You still carry your Model 1?”
“Of course. I just keep it someplace that you haven’t explored yet.”
“Oh. Remind me to hunt for it when I get back.”
Robyn sighed then said, “Just come back to me, Gene.”
Gene kissed her softly before she released him and began moving the
pile of bacon into a paper sack. After it was full, she folded the top over and
slid it into a second sack even as the grease began to soak through. After
handing it to Gene, she took another bag, stepped over to the bread box,
opened it and started filling the sack with biscuits.
Gene slid the double-bagged bacon into one saddlebag and after Robyn
handed him the biscuit bag, he dropped it into the other saddlebag.
He hung the food saddlebags over his left shoulder and then the
ammunition and clothing saddlebags over his right. When he picked up the
Spencer, Robyn snatched both Henrys and then waited for him to start
moving.
They quietly left the house and walked to the small barn. Once inside, he
slid the Spencer into Hawkeye’s left scabbard and then took one of the
Henrys from Robyn and slipped it into the right side. She inserted the other
repeater into the gray stallion’s one scabbard as Gene tied down the food
saddlebags on Hawkeye.
“You need to fill the canteens,” Robyn said as she tied the short trail rope
to Hawkeye’s saddle.
“I was going to do that last.”
She nodded and waited for Gene to take his gelding’s reins and then
walked with him out of the barn.
Once at the back steps, he tied Hawkeye and each of them took a pair of
canteens and entered the back door.
After reaching the sink, Robyn began working the pump handle as Gene
filled each canteen. It seemed ritualistic as the water flowed from the
pump’s spout into the small metal hole before Gene then capped it and set it
aside.
Each of them wished that that fourth canteen would never spill over, but
it did and after Gene screwed on its cap. He took it and a second canteen
then waited for Robyn to take the other pair. It was almost silly for him not
to carry all four to the horses, but neither of them smiled.
After hanging the full canteens on the saddles. Gene took Robyn’s hands
in his and smiled.
 “I’ll bring you a present from back East when I return.”
Robyn returned his smile as she replied, “It had better be special to make
up for leaving me so soon after becoming my intended.”
Gene kissed her gently before untying his tall gelding, stepping into
Hawkeye’s stirrup and taking his reins.
“Tell Anna she owes me,” Robyn said as she looked up.
“Trust me. I’ll make her feel more guilty than you can imagine.”
“I think you’ll make anyone named Moran feel much worse when you
get there.”
“Count on it,” Gene replied before he wheeled Hawkeye around and set
him at a walk.
Robyn followed until she reached the road where she stopped and
watched him turn onto Colorado Avenue then disappear from sight.
She sighed and began walking to #17. She needed to talk to her mother.
_____
Once he was clear of Colorado Springs, Gene set Hawkeye to a fast trot.
The long journey to Orville had given him confidence in the gelding’s
stamina but he still knew he’d be asking a lot of both animals. The stallion
was about the same age as Hawkeye, but a full hand shorter. Gene wasn’t
sure about the gray’s stamina, but he’d find out soon enough.
He was fortunate that after he reached the level ground of the eastern
Colorado plains, it was going to be almost a continuous downslope until he
reached the Missouri River over four hundred and fifty miles away. He told
Robyn that he wanted to make it in less than a week, but he wanted to do
even better. It all depended on his horses.
With his compass, once he was clear of the winding path necessary for
the mountainous part of the territory, he would be able to keep a more direct
route to Nebraska City.
 It was early afternoon when he rounded a tall ridge and he was greeted
by the sight of the edge of the Great Plains spread out before him like a
giant welcoming mat. He could see at least twenty miles ahead of him and
even though it wasn’t as spectacular as the view behind him, it was still an
impressive sight.
Gene urged Hawkeye down the long slope and watched as his panoramic
view began to diminish as he reached the level ground.
He rode his gelding for another hour before he took his first break and let
the horses drink at a healthy stream. He didn’t eat but just drank some of the
stream’s water to keep the canteens as a reserve. Even though he’d soon be
riding parallel to the Platte River for most of his journey, he felt better
keeping the canteens full if possible.
Gene had hoped to be able to put thirty miles behind him on the partial
day’s riding, but the long summer day gave him more time, so when he
pulled up for the night, he’d ridden almost fifty.
He wasn’t sure how far he’d gone, but as he unsaddled his horses, he
was now confident he’d reach the Missouri within five more days unless
one of his horses failed or he ran afoul of some Cheyenne or Pawnee.
The setting sun found Gene sitting on his bedroll eating a bacon-filled
biscuit as his horses grazed nearby. He just finished his second and
wondered if he’d grow to dislike bacon by the time that he reached the
Missouri. He snickered at the thought. When he was in the army, bacon was
one of the staples. Before they went on their march across Georgia, he
always marveled at the job the quartermasters did in supplying the
enormous army with food and equipment.
It was one of the things about war that seemed even more stupid than
war itself. It was such a waste. The factories were churning out all sorts of
goods that would be sent to the soldiers to eat, shoot or use. Both sides had
spent an enormous amount of money, not to mention the cost in lives, and
when it was over, not much had really changed. The differences were still
there and even though slavery had ended, most of the black folks’ lives
hadn’t improved much. He wondered how many would be heading to
Omaha to work on the transcontinental railroad.
 He was curious of what it was like in that town that was now attracting
men from all over the country and from other lands. It had the potential for
an almost constant state of hostility if not war. He wasn’t about to let his
curiosity push him into Omaha just to see what it was like. He needed to
move fast and avoid confrontations of any kind. He didn’t even want to run
into another herd of buffalo. That giant collection of bison had cost him
four or five miles and he didn’t want to add a single foot to this journey.
Gene was stretched out on his bedroll and under his blanket as he did a
little stargazing. The clear skies reminded him how lucky he’d been with
the weather. At this time of year, massive thunderstorms raged across the
plains almost daily and he hadn’t seen one yet. He knew that he hadn’t been
in a drought because the prairie grass was still doing well, so he must have
missed the downpours. All he’d seen were the clouds but was certain that
his luck would run out sooner or later and hoped it didn’t involve a tornado.
But regardless of whatever Mother Nature or man threw at him, he
wanted to get to Peoria, help Anna and then make an equally rapid return to
Colorado. He wasn’t going to make Anna feel guilty for taking him away
from Robyn, but he was definitely going to make the Morans wish he had
stayed west of the Missouri.
_____
Robyn wasn’t seeing the stars as she stared at her dark ceiling. She saw
Gene’s face and had an ominous fear that her imaginary vision would be the
only one she would ever have of him. She’d only known him for an
incredibly intense few days, yet he had become the center of her world.
It was the first time that she had ever slept in a house alone and she
hoped that it was the reason for her almost morbid premonition.
“Come back to me, Gene. Please, come back,” she whispered as she
closed her eyes.
_____
The next two days’ ride were uneventful as Gene pushed his two mounts
to their limit. The day before, he’d had a blanket of thunderclouds pass
overhead but not a drop of rain dropped onto his hat.
 It was during the afternoon of the third day that Gene’s luck ran out. He
was on the Oregon Trail, so he wasn’t surprised to notice traffic on the
horizon. It took him a minute or so to identify it as a tall, boxy wagon.
There were two men on the driver’s seat and the closer he drew to them, the
more incongruous it seemed.
The wagon had all the earmarks of a photographer’s rolling studio or an
elixir drummer’s business. He could see writing on the wagon’s side, but
the angle was too obtuse for him to make out what it said. He’d seen
photographer’s wagons before as they seemed to follow the army, and the
purveyors of magic elixirs were even more commonplace. But the two men
on the driver’s seat didn’t have the appearance of men who would have
chosen either method of making a livelihood.
He didn’t pull his Henry but slipped his hammer loops from both pistols
as he drew closer. Neither of the two men seemed to notice, but both were
almost studying him. Both wore pistols which was another oddity for either
a photographer or a hawker of ‘medicine’ that was an acceptable way for
teetotalers to imbibe. Men who normally drove those wagons would have
either a rifle or shotgun in the footwell, but rarely wore a sidearm.
Even if they weren’t the original owners of the wagon, Gene wasn’t
about to question them. He wanted to continue his journey without incident.
He didn’t have a true packhorse, so he hoped that they wouldn’t think him
worthy of their attention even if they were highwaymen. Of course, if they
were outlaws, he couldn’t understand why they would steal a wagon like
that.
He would soon have his answer.
_____
Chester Niemann and Al Doyle had been watching Gene closely and if
he’d been just an average man with a packhorse and one rifle, they would
have just waved and let him pass. But even though Gene hadn’t been sworn
in as a deputy sheriff, he had the look of a lawman. His size and the twin
pistols he wore along with the two rifles on his tall horse marked him as
trouble.
 Gene was about three hundred yards out when Chester asked, “What do
you reckon we do with him?”
“I ain’t sure. There ain’t any law out here; is there?”
“I didn’t think so. I just don’t want to have him at our back. We’re
gettin’ close and he could screw up the deal.”
“I know. Let’s just act real nice and when I say ‘medicine’, we both
draw. Okay?”
“Got it. We could use those horses, too.”
“Maybe he’s got some cash with him. That’d be a capper.”
Chester snickered as he released his Colt’s hammer loop.
_____
Gene noticed the sudden grin on both men’s faces even if he didn’t spot
the quick pull at their holsters. If he’d heard warning bells before, there was
a barrage of cannons going off now. He wished he had ridden further south,
but it was too late now. He suspected that if he turned now, he’d get a bullet
in the back. He may only have seen pistols, but that didn’t mean they didn’t
have a rifle in the wagon’s footwell.
As the gap between them continued to close, Gene studied their eyes and
even at a hundred yards could tell that they weren’t going to let him pass
quietly. The more they smiled the more he distrusted them.
Gene angled Hawkeye to his right and left the trail to give them room to
pass. His heart was pounding as he neared the wagon and was so focused on
the two men that he never even read the bold print on the side of the wagon.
It was Chester who initiated the loud conversation when he shouted,
“Howdy!”
Gene pulled Hawkeye to a stop and replied, “Good afternoon. Where are
you fellas headed?”
Chester had the reins in his hands as he pulled the heavy wagon to a stop
with the team even with Hawkeye.
 As Chester wrapped the reins around the handbrake, Al Doyle said,
“We’re gonna try and sell our elixir to the troops over at Fort James.”
“You’ve got quite a drive ahead of you. You need to be careful of the
Cheyenne. They’re not in a good mood these days. It seems that they lost
some of their warriors a couple of weeks ago.”
“No kiddin’. Well, we appreciate the warnin’, mister.”
Gene nodded and began to think that he’d be able to continue his ride
after all, but before he could say a word everything changed.
Chester quickly said, “We mix some roots and other stuff into our
whiskey and call it elixir so the folks can drink it without feelin’ like
they’re visitin’ a saloon. But everybody knows that it’s really not
medicine…”
Before he even said the word, Chester began reaching for his Colt. Al
was a half a heartbeat behind, but Gene hadn’t so much as moved his
fingers to his pistols.
The moment he saw the movement that he’d been expecting, Gene
popped his heels against Hawkeye’s flanks. They were pulling back their
hammers when Gene’s tall gelding surged forward.
When they fired, both of their bullets buzzed past Gene’s back by inches
as he pulled his two Smith & Wessons and yanked back on their hammers.
He twisted in the saddle and fired as both men prepared to take their second
shots.
One of Gene’s .32 caliber bullets ripped into Al’s shoulder just as he
pulled his trigger making him miss before his Colt dropped from his hand
and he screamed in pain.
Gene’s second shot missed but he hadn’t expected it to hit either man,
even at twenty feet. But the surprise of Gene’s two pistols being fired
startled Chester and ruined his second shot. He was cocking his hammer for
his third shot when Gene fired both of his pistols for the second time.
This time, Chester wasn’t so lucky. With Al already hunched over and
bleeding, Gene pointed both of his revolvers at Chester before squeezing
their triggers. Both slugs of lead drilled into Chester; one slamming into his
gut just below his ribs and the second hitting him on the left side of his
chest.
The ,32 may not have had the stopping power of a .44 or a .45, but at
twenty feet, it had more than enough energy to shatter a rib and then lodge
in his heart.
Chester’s eyes went wide as his Colt slipped from his hand and dropped
to the footwell. He then rolled forward and tumbled off the front of the
wagon onto the Nebraska plains.
Gene then returned his eyes to Al who was bleeding extensively but still
alive.
He slowly dismounted and made the mistake of taking his eyes off of the
wounded man.
Al knew he wasn’t going to make it and decided he’d rather die quickly
than suffer and might get lucky and take that bastard out. So, as Gene was
stepping down, he reached into the footwell with his left hand and grabbed
Chester’s pistol, but he was still too slow.
By the time Al jerked the Colt from the shadows of the footwell, Gene
had both of his pistols cocked and ready to fire. Gene was momentarily
stunned and almost didn’t remember that he had two revolvers in his hands.
The delay almost cost him his life but almost doesn’t count. Just as Al was
about to bring Chester’s pistol level, Gene fired.
His two Smith & Wessons spat their bullets across the short gap and
ripped into Al’s chest. Al’s trigger finger reflexively jerked back firing the
pistol, but the bullet just exploded into the ground between Gene and
Hawkeye.
As Al dropped back onto the driver’s seat, Gene realized how close he’d
been to being on the receiving end of the wounded man’s last bullet. He
cursed himself as he walked to the back of the wagon. As he passed the
side, he read DR. MYSTERE’S WONDER ELIXER with all of its
miraculous claims emblazoned across every blank space of the boards.
 He reached the back, swung open the door and peered inside. There were
long cases marked with the elixir’s brand name and smaller boxes as well.
He was curious why they would use two different sizes, so he clambered
inside and lifted one of the smaller boxes. He grunted as he hefted it and
then set it back down. Either their elixir was almost all mercury, or
something else was in the boxes and he had a good idea of what it was.
He slid his knife from its sheath and pried open the box’s lid. After
tossing it aside, he whistled and pulled out a cardboard box of Henry .44-40
rimfire cartridges. He returned it to the wooden boxes and didn’t bother
opening any of the long crates.
He counted eight of the long crates and a dozen cases of ammunition. He
wasn’t sure which made him angrier; the fact that those two were running
repeaters and ammunition to the Cheyenne or that they had delayed his ride.
All he knew was that he had to turn the wagon around and take it to Fort
Kearny.
He hopped back to the ground and after tying Hawkeye to the back of
the wagon, he pulled Al’s body from the driver’s seat. Once it was on the
ground, he stripped both bodies of their gunbelts and tossed them into the
footwell.
It was then that he noticed that there was a Henry in the footwell along
with two boxes of ammunition.
_____
Twenty minutes after stopping to chat with the two men, Gene had the
wagon moving back east. He hoped that the Cheyenne customers wouldn’t
come looking for their order because he knew that he wouldn’t stand a
chance this time. He couldn’t imagine how much damage they would be
capable of doing with the guns and ammunition back in the wagon.
It was almost sunset before Fort Kearny appeared on the horizon giving
Gene a large measure of relief.
The sun was almost gone when he reached the curious sentry and
stepped down.
 The private smiled and said, “I don’t think our colonel is going to let you
sell any of your elixir.”
“I think your colonel will want every bit of the contents of this wagon. I
need to talk to him immediately.”
The soldier’s smile vanished when he heard Gene’s command voice and
the intensity of his reply.
“Yes, sir. Follow me.”
Gene took the bridle of the lead horse and walked behind the private as
he crossed the fort’s central grounds.
_____
“Well, I’ll be damned!” Lt. Col. Lionel Richards said as he pulled one of
the repeaters out of a crate.
Private Lyman’s mouth was agape as he held the lantern and stared at his
commanding officer.
Gene was standing behind the private and although he was miffed about
having lost some time, he felt that it had at least been a worthwhile delay.
He’d be able to get his horses serviced and get his belly filled with hot food
as a bonus.
The colonel stepped out of the wagon and said, “You’ll never know how
much trouble this would have given us.”
“Yes, sir. I know exactly how much trouble it would have caused. On my
way to Colorado, I ran into eight Cheyenne that were waiting to intercept
your couriers. If they’d even had one of those Henrys, I probably wouldn’t
be here.”
“
That was you?
” he asked in surprise.
“Yes, sir. I hate to sound impolite, but I really want to be moving early
tomorrow. I need to get to Peoria as quickly as possible.”
“I understand. I’ll have your horses taken care of. Will you join me and
my wife for dinner?”
 “I’d be honored, sir.”
Gene then followed the commanding officer to his quarters after
Hawkeye and the gray stallion were led away.
The dinner wasn’t very formal, which was a relief and Mrs. Richards
was a very pleasant woman and was very interested in the reason for both
of his journeys and made him promise to stop by on his return trip to
Colorado.
When he crawled into a bunk in the bachelor officers’ quarters, he was
grateful for the relatively soft mattress and just as pleased to know that he’d
be awakened by the sound of a bugle. He figured he may as well have a
decent breakfast before he left. There were less than two hundred miles to
the Missouri River and his horses were still in good shape.
_____
Despite her feelings of loneliness and the depressing sense that Gene
may never return, Robyn still slept in the house she and Gene would share.
She spent her days with her mother and Alex but returned at sunset. Alex
had continued to improve, and her mother had whispered that she was close
to convincing him that they should get married. Alex had argued that they
needed to wait until Gene had returned.
When she wasn’t in either house, Robyn had been taking walks to search
for Fenn Jordan. Despite Gene’s assurance that it was unlikely that Lud
Humber would bother them, she simply didn’t trust the man. She even kept
her pistol on the nightstand as a security measure. Fenn Jordan had been
almost like the bogeyman while they’d lived with Alex in Orville and his
furtive eyes still haunted her.
_____
Reveille had started Gene’s day as expected and with the morning sun
blasting in his eyes, he left Fort Kearny behind. Both horses had surprised
him with their apparent eagerness to be on the trail again.
As the fort disappeared over the western horizon, he found himself alone
again and began to think about what might be happening in Peoria.
 He’d left less than a month ago, yet it sounded as if there had been
almost as many momentous changes there as he’d experienced on his
journey and when he arrived in Colorado.
Gene didn’t believe that his departure had caused any of the tumult in his
home town, but it still bothered him that he hadn’t been there to help Anna
or even support his mother when Katie died. Even though she’d married
Kevin, he still loved Katie and knew he’d miss her. But he wasn’t about to
allow that bastard to take Anna. It was what drove him and would continue
to push him until he walked into the farmhouse.
_____
After Anna had send her reply to Gene, Anna thought she could delay
writing the letter to John, but soon discovered that she didn’t have that
option.
Kevin had spotted Tommy Eriksson leaving the farm and told his father.
When her mother had questioned her about the telegram that had been
delivered, Anna had lied and told her that it was from John, but she hadn’t
replied. That had triggered an unrelenting hounding to write the letter and
just three days later, the mother-approved renunciation of John Kiley had
been posted.
Anna was now a virtual prisoner in the farmhouse as she was kept under
watch until Kevin’s mourning period was over. She had hoped that it would
last until September, but all of the indications now seemed to point to the
last week in August.
Anna’s hopes of avoiding a marriage to that despicable excuse for a man
were fading. She didn’t think that Gene would be able to make it in time but
hoped that John would be so hurt by her letter that he’d come to Peoria and
demand to see her. But one of the reasons she loved John so much was that
he had such a gentle nature. She was almost certain that even if he was
heartbroken, he wouldn’t leave Chicago.
_____
Gene rode until after sunset that day and when he pulled up for the night,
he knew that he’d traveled almost a hundred more miles. He was exhausted
and he knew both horses were spent as well. But this was the hardest day so
far and it wouldn’t be repeated. By late tomorrow, he should reach
Nebraska City. Then it was just a ferry crossing to Sidney, Iowa and a day-
long train ride to Peoria.
He was eating four thick strips of bacon sandwiched between two
biscuits as Hawkeye and the stallion grazed nearby. They were the last ones
that Robyn had packed for him and he still wasn’t sick of bacon…or
biscuits.
Gene looked at the gray stallion who had measured up to Hawkeye and
said, “I should give you a name so nobody dares call you an old gray mare.
You aren’t old and you’re definitely not a girl. Let me think about it.”
Both horses ignored him as he laughed then popped in the last of his
supper before wiping his greasy fingers on his filthy britches.
He could be cheap and go with Uncas, but that didn’t seem right. The
stallion looked like General Lee’s famous mount, Traveler, but that seemed
almost blasphemous. He revisited the
Last of the Mohicans
and began
reviewing the characters.
“I don’t want to give you British name or one of the other Indians, so
that leaves the American who fought with the British, Major Duncan
Hayward. How about Duncan? That’s not too bad for a horse’s name. I
never met a man name Duncan, but then again, I was the only Eugene I ever
met, too. I can call you Dunk for short. That’s good enough for me and you
don’t get a vote. As long as I’m going to cut a syllable out of Duncan, I may
as well do it to Hawkeye, too. So, from now one, you’ll be Dunk and your
big partner who doesn’t have your stallion-hood is Hawk.”
Gene laughed again before standing and walking to the two horses and
rubbing their necks. He owed a lot to both of them and wished he had a way
he could thank them. He assumed it would be easier to please Dunk with an
attractive filly or mare, but he didn’t know what he could do for Hawk.
When he returned to his bedroll, he stretched out and placed his hands
behind his neck and let out a long breath.
 Two more days until he reached Peoria, then he’d solve Anna’s problem
and get on that train back to Sidney as soon as possible. He just needed to
send that telegram to Robyn before he left. He still had no idea what he
could bring her as a gift. It had to be special because she was.
 CHAPTER 10
The northbound train rocked its way across Illinois as Gene anxiously
watched the passing landscape.
His last day on the ride had seemed almost like a Sunday jaunt and he’d
reached Nebraska City in mid-afternoon. After taking the ferry across the
Missouri, he’d been fortunate to just reach Sidney in time for the evening
departure.
Now he was just thirty miles from Peoria, and everything was so familiar
yet so strange now.
He could see farmers in their fields, and it seemed as if it was just a short
time ago when he was just like them. He knew that if it hadn’t been for the
war, he probably would have never traveled more than ten miles from
Peoria. Almost all of those men working the land were like that as were the
folks in the towns. War was the great instigator of change in all aspects of
peoples’ lives, especially for those who wear the uniforms. He’d seen parts
of the country that he’d never expected to see. He’d met men and women
who he could barely understand even though they were speaking English.
Now he didn’t even think about making a thousand-mile journey and
doing it three times within a few weeks. What had been almost unheard of
just a few years ago was now, while not commonplace, was no longer
worthy of even a story in a local newspaper.
Soon he’d make that short ride from Peoria down to the farmhouse
where he’d grown up but was now nothing more than a memory.
He hadn’t made any plans about how to handle Anna’s problem because
he didn’t know what to expect when he arrived. He’d be wearing his pistols
but didn’t believe that they would be necessary. His best guess was that
he’d knock on the door and his mother or Anna would open it. After that,
he’d just have to react.
 It was mid-afternoon when the train pulled into the station in Peoria and
Gene waited until the car slammed to a stop before leaving his seat. He
pulled on his hat and stood in line behind the other passengers. He knew
that no one would be waiting for him and had preferred it that way. He’d
thought about sending a telegram to Henry Wheeler but wanted to solve
Anna’s issue first. He’d see Henry tomorrow and explain his decision to
return to Colorado but didn’t think Henry would object too loudly.
Gene stepped onto the platform and headed for the stock corral to wait
for Hawk and the newly christened Dunk. He watched as other horses were
led down the ramp and it wasn’t until after a large bull was almost wrestled
out of the car that he spotted his big gelding.
He mounted Hawk and with Dunk in tow, he rode away from the station
and crossed over the tracks to take the back way out of town.
With the Illinois River on his left, he soon reached the road south to the
farm. He had no sooner set Hawk onto the roadway when he spotted the
farmhouse on the horizon. He had his gelding at a walk to let the farm come
to him more slowly. He didn’t know why he did but felt as if he was doing a
form of reconnaissance.
The house was just four hundred yards away and he noticed that nobody
was out in the fields. He was almost beginning to wonder why until he
realized that it was late in the afternoon and they were probably all having
dinner.
He wasn’t sure if that was good news or not as it meant that at least Jim
Moran would be with his mother and Anna and that Kevin might be there as
well which could be a problem.
He didn’t cut across the front of the farm as he always did when he
returned from school, but he wasn’t a boy anymore and he wasn’t walking.
Gene turned Hawk down the access road and kept searching for anyone.
There was smoke coming from the cookstove pipe, so they were probably
all in the kitchen having their supper.
He pulled to a stop before the house, tied off Hawk’s reins and
straightened his shoulders. He’d changed into his clean shirt and britches
when the train had stopped to take on coal and water in Quincy, so at least
he was presentable.
His heart was racing as he climbed the three steps to the small porch and
then rapped loudly on the screen door.
Inside the house, his mother was the first to rise and after glancing at
Anna, she said, “I’ll see who it is.”
Anna watched her mother leave and hoped it was Gene but couldn’t
imagine how it was even possible. As much as she wished it was John, she
knew that her mother would send him away and if that failed, Kevin would
make him wish he hadn’t left Chicago. Kevin was already staring at her
while his father had his eyes on the hallway.
Gene heard footsteps on the other side of the door and took a breath as
the door opened and his mother appeared on the other side of the screen.
Gene smiled, opened the screen door and quickly stepped inside and
scooped his mother into his arms.
“Gene!” she exclaimed as she felt her feet leave the floor, “What brings
you back? What happened out West?”
He lowered her to the floor, kissed her on the cheek and replied, “A lot
of things happened since I left, Mom. I could write a book about it.”
Beatrice had a giant smile on her face then took his hand and as she
walked with him into the front room, she said, “I can’t tell you what a
surprise it is to see you again.”
“I’m glad to see that you’re happy, Mom.”
Gene was pleased with his greeting and had a difficult time matching it
with Anna’s desperate telegram. It wouldn’t take long for that brief duration
of wonder to disappear.
As soon as she’d heard her mother call Gene’s name, Anna hopped to
her feet as did Kevin and then his father. Anna was sitting closest to the
wall, so Kevin cut her off and let his father take the lead as they headed for
the hallway.
 Gene shifted his eyes from his mother’s smiling face and saw the much
less pleasant visage on Jim Moran’s face as he strode down the hallway. He
noticed Kevin walking behind him with an even angrier face but didn’t see
Anna behind the two men in the shadowed hall.
His mother stopped walking and her initial joyful surprise gave way to a
sudden realization her son’s return wasn’t just coincidental. She understood
that Anna’s telegram must have been from Gene and not John Kiley and she
had replied to his message. Nothing else made any sense.
She instantly realized that there was a serious confrontation in the offing
and released Gene’s hand before slipping into the center of the room. She
had been pressuring Anna to marry Kevin at her husband’s insistence and
now regretted giving in. If Kevin had been armed, she wouldn’t have been
surprised if he didn’t try to kill Gene. For as long as they’d known each
other, Gene and Kevin had been enemies. She knew that Gene wasn’t about
to shoot Kevin with one of his pistols, so all she could hope for was a war
of words. Either way, she was already convinced that Gene wouldn’t leave
without Anna.
Jim Moran strode into the parlor then stopped just six feet in front of
Gene and snapped, “What are you doing here?”
“I lived here longer than you did, Mister Moran. Are you telling me that
I can’t visit my mother and sister?”
As he replied, Gene finally spotted Anna. He could see the fear in her
eyes but noticed that Kevin wasn’t holding her arm.
Jim replied, “You know what I meant. Did you send a telegram to your
sister?”
Gene looked at Anna and with a slight shift in his eyes, he told her to
walk around the two Morans and get closer to him. He waited until Anna
began to slowly move before he returned his attention back to Jim Moran.
“If I did, it would have been private and none of your business.”
Gene knew he was pushing Jim Moran but was more concerned about
Kevin. He knew that Kevin was unarmed, but he could still launch an
attack. Gene was much taller and probably sixty pounds heavier than Kevin
who was as thin as a rail without the spine, but he could have a knife and
Gene needed to be wary.
Jim was already fuming but not arguing as Anna worked her way past
the two Morans but on the opposite side from her mother. She didn’t want
to risk having her own mother grab her to keep her from reaching Gene.
Gene caught Anna’s approach out of the corner of his eye and felt she
was close enough for him to defuse the situation.
He spread his fingers apart and showed his palms to Jim Moran before
saying, “I’ll be honest with you, Mister Moran. I did send a telegram to
Anna. I asked her about her wedding, and she replied saying that she wasn’t
going to be able to marry John Kiley and that Katie had died in childbirth. I
was finished with what I had to do in Colorado and came back to see her
about her difficulty. What is the problem that seems to have you and Kevin
so worked up?”
Jim calmed down somewhat as Kevin slipped to his right and walked
past Beatrice toward the fireplace.
Jim had his eyes focused on Gene and hadn’t even noticed that Anna was
no longer behind him with Kevin. He also believed he had the full support
of his wife which is why he answered Gene’s question as he did.
“After Kevin lost Katie and the baby, he needed a wife to take care of
little Jimmy and I asked your mother if Anna could marry Kevin. She
agreed and they’re going to be married at the end of August. It’s not a
problem at all.”
Gene hadn’t missed Kevin’s move toward the fireplace but didn’t see it
as threatening now that Anna was next to him.
He turned to Anna and asked, “Is that true, Anna? Do you want to marry
Kevin and not John?"
Jim was startled when he pried his eyes from Gene and saw Anna just
three feet to her brother’s right.
 Anna shook her head and replied, “You know better than that, Gene.
Take me out of here!”
Anna’s loud answer started a brief but chaotic and gruesome sequence of
events.
Gene quietly said, “We’re leaving now,” and took Anna’s hand.
As soon as he had turned his eyes away from everyone, Kevin reached
for Gene’s saber that was lying on the mantlepiece.
Anna and Gene took one step toward the open door when Kevin grabbed
the saber’s handle and without touching the scabbard, pulled the sharp blade
free.
The scabbard loudly clumped to the floor which made Gene whip around
just as Kevin raised the saber above his head and took one long stride
toward Gene.
His mother screamed before Gene shoved Anna to the floor to protect
her then raised his left arm above his face to take the blow as he reached for
his pistol with his right hand.
Kevin’s eyes were blazing with hate as he arced the saber at Gene’s
extended arm expecting to slice it in half before he plunged the tip into
Gene’s chest. All those years of hearing how much better the great Eugene
Stewart was had created an almost bottomless well of jealousy-fueled
hatred that had finally come to this moment of satisfaction.
Gene was expecting the blow as he was popping the hammer loop free to
pull his revolver when the saber decided to call a temporary truce.
As Kevin whipped the saber toward Gene’s arm, the tip of the sword
slammed into the low wooden ceiling and while it didn’t stick, it stopped
the blade at the top of its arc.
In that brief halt, Beatrice screamed, “No!” at the top of her lungs, then
sprang for Kevin’s right arm to keep him from killing her son. Her hands
grabbed onto Kevin’s forearm stopping the swing and sending him slightly
off balance.
 Kevin quickly steadied then used his right elbow to shove her aside. He
didn’t intend to hurt her, but when his arm extended to push her back, the
weight of the saber kept his arm moving. As she stumbled back, the saber’s
sharp blade raked across her abdomen slicing deeply through her torso. She
screamed as she continued to fall back clutching her stomach as massive
amounts of blood poured from the gaping wound.
Gene forgot about shooting Kevin as he looked at his mother while
Kevin acted as if nothing had happened other than losing his opportunity
for his revenge.
Jim Moran had been stunned by the sudden shift into violence, but when
saw what his son had done to his wife, he erupted. This hideous act was the
final straw of a lifetime of problems that Kevin had caused him.
He rushed to Beatrice and as he passed his son, Jim threw his left elbow
into Kevin’s back.
“You bastard! You’re no son of mine!” he shouted as he dropped to his
knees near Beatrice who fading quickly as her hands clutched at her gaping
wound.
Gene had his pistol in his hand and was cocking the hammer when
Kevin looked down at his father’s vulnerable back and without hesitation,
rammed the saber through him and into his stepmother before quickly
yanking it back out.
Jim Moran barely felt the sharp blade pass through him as he collapsed
onto Beatrice.
Kevin’s crazed eyes then turned back to his intended victim just as Gene
squeezed his trigger.
Kevin didn’t laugh like a madman or even scream as the bullet passed
through his neck then ricocheted off the back of his skull. He simply
collapsed in a heap on the floor and began to shake.
Gene was stunned by the amount of blood that had pooled across the
floor. He had never seen so much blood, not even in the fiercest battles he’d
witnessed.
 He then strode quickly to his mother as Anna regained her feet and
stared at the scene in wide-eyed disbelief.
Less than a minute had passed since he and Anna had turned to leave.
By the time he had stepped around the still spreading dark red pool and
reached his mother, neither she nor Jim were breathing. He slid his fingers
over her eyelids to hide her sightless eyes, then did the same for Jim Moran.
He may not have liked the man, but with his last breath, he had tried to
protect his wife.
He then looked down at Kevin who was still breathing but was obviously
near death. Gene didn’t even bother cursing the bastard. Kevin couldn’t talk
but it didn’t matter. Only Anna mattered now.
He turned to Anna and looked at her almost empty face knowing she was
still in shock.
He didn’t say anything but guided her from the room onto the front
porch. Once her eyes were free of the grisly scene, she looked up at her
brother and began to shake as tears raced from her eyes.
Gene held her tightly and let her cry. He knew he’d feel his mother’s loss
later, but now he had to be strong for Anna and deal with the situation. He
knew that Jack Moran and his family lived about a mile away and they had
to be notified even before the police or the sheriff were told. He wasn’t sure
who had jurisdiction.
Anna’s shaking subsided after a minute and Gene quietly asked, “Anna,
we need to tell Jack before we go to town. Do you want to come along?”
He felt her nod, so he released her and after kissing her on the forehead,
he took her hand and walked with her down the porch steps.
He helped her onto Dunk and after she straightened her dress, Gene
mounted Hawkeye and they started the horses at a walk away from the
house.
After they passed the house, Anna asked, “What will I do now, Gene?”
 Gene replied, “After we tell Jack, we’ll ride to town and you can stay
with the Wheelers while I get the law.”
“No. that’s not what I meant. I mean after that. Mom had me write John
a letter telling him that I couldn’t marry him. He probably received it days
ago and I know he hasn’t replied with a letter or telegram, so I’m afraid that
he may have hurt himself when he read the letter.”
Gene looked at her and tried to imagine a man who would take that weak
path rather than storming to Peoria to make his case.
But when he saw her distraught face, he replied, “When you get to town,
you send him a telegram and ask him to come to Peoria. If he loves you,
and I’m sure that he does, he’ll arrive tomorrow.”
“But he’s not like you, Gene. He’s so sweet and gentle that I may have
hurt him beyond salvation. He may not have come charging from Chicago
with a pistol, but I expected him to at least write a letter.”
“It’s only been a few days, Anna. He may only have received the letter
today. You should have used the wrong address on the envelope.”
“I thought about that after it was posted. I hope you’re right.”
“I’m sure that you’ll be Mrs. John Kiley within a couple of weeks,
Anna.”
“What about Jimmy?”
Gene had to take a second to figure out who Jimmy was before he
answered, “I don’t know. He’s our nephew but he’s Jack and Augie Moran’s
nephew, too. He’s a Moran and not a Stewart. He’s been living with Jack
and Fiona since he was born, so do you think that they expect him to stay
with them?”
“I don’t think so. They have their own children and I don’t think Jack or
Augie like the boy very much because he’s your nephew.”
“I can understand their reasoning, but that doesn’t make it right. He’s
just a three-year-old boy and shouldn’t be blamed for being my nephew.”
 “It’s more than that, Gene. You never had a chance to see him since he’s
no longer a baby, and I think that’s part of the problem. He not only has the
appearance of a Stewart, just about everyone says that he looks like you.”
“I find it hard to believe, Anna. Besides, that was almost twenty years
ago and even if it’s true, it shouldn’t matter. We’ll ask when we get there. I
just hope that Jack doesn’t overreact like Kevin did. I should have seen that
coming, Anna. I just didn’t think that his hate had reached the level of
madness. I guess losing Katie and the baby pushed him over the edge.”
“No, it didn’t. To be honest, I thought that he felt relieved when she and
the baby died. He ignored little Jimmy and began paying more attention to
me that same day. I was disgusted, but I can’t describe how violently ill I
felt when mom told me that I had to marry him to raise Jimmy.”
“When I read your telegram, that line about ‘they’ were forcing you to
marry Kevin shook me even more than the news of Katie’s death. Did Jim
Moran really have that much control over mom to get her to agree with him
about having you marry Kevin?”
“I think she really did love him, Gene. I know it was difficult for her and
I don’t know what he said to convince her, but she didn’t even appear to be
upset with the notion. I felt trapped and if I hadn’t received your telegram, I
was planning to run away. I was going to go to the Wheelers and ask Mister
Wheeler what I could do.”
“He would have helped, Anna. I guess now, all we can do is to pick up
the pieces.”
“I know. Who is this wonderful woman that you mentioned in your
telegram?”
“I’ll tell you on the ride to town after we tell Jack. I’m not going to be
surprised a second time.”
Anna nodded as they approached the Moran house, unsure of what to
expect when Gene gave them the horrible news.
They pulled up before the farmhouse and Gene quickly dismounted and
tied Hawkeye to a porch support post. He waited until Anna had stepped
down then took her hand before they stepped onto the low porch.
He heard voices inside as he knocked on the door then glanced at Anna
to gauge her level of anxiety.
He knew she was nervous, but he was trying to hold down his anger over
the grief that the Moran family had brought to his own which had started
long before he left the farm. He needed to keep his temper in check.
The door opened and Jack Moran was startled when he saw Gene
standing before him. When he realized that Anna was with him, he
immediately expected a confrontation and it showed on his face.
Gene quickly said, “Jack, may I speak to you, please?”
His politeness dropped Jack’s concern enough to allow him to reply,
“Alright. Come on inside.”
He opened the door and Gene let Anna enter first before taking off his
hat and following her into the front room.
When his eyes had adjusted to the dim light, he saw his much older
nephew as Jimmy trotted across the room and latched onto Fiona’s legs.
Jack and Fiona had three children of their own but little Jimmy was
obviously different from the others and Gene realized that Anna hadn’t
exaggerated.
Jack took a seat, but Anna and Gene remained standing as Gene said,
“Jack, I came back to Peoria because Anna sent me a telegram about Katie
and that she was being forced to marry Kevin. I’m sure that you already
figured that out.”
Jack didn’t reply but continued to stare at Gene unsure of what to expect.
Gene let out a long breath before saying, “My mother was happy to see
me and we entered the parlor. Then your father, Kevin and Anna came
down the hallway. Your father and I had words about why I had come to the
house and I explained that I was taking Anna to town. He knew that he
didn’t have any right to keep her there, so he didn’t argue. I took Anna’s
arm and as we turned to leave all hell broke loose.”
 Gene quickly described Kevin’s vicious and unexpected attack with his
saber, the accidentally killing of his mother, then Kevin’s intentional murder
of his father before Gene ended the violence with a single gunshot.
When he finished the short narrative, Jack quietly asked, “So, they’re all
dead over in the other house?”
“Yes. I wanted to let you know so you didn’t enter the house while I
went to town to report it to the law.”
“How do I know that you didn’t kill everyone yourself? You hated all of
us and probably thought your mother was just as bad because she married
my father.”
“You’d have to believe that I walked in, grabbed my saber, killed my
mother and then stabbed your father before shooting Kevin. Why would I
use a sword when I had two pistols?”
Before he even made the accusation, Jack knew it wasn’t possible and
that Kevin was more than capable of doing something that hideous.
Jack looked at Jimmy for a few seconds then said, “You need to take him
with you when you leave. We don’t want him around anymore.”
Gene didn’t need to ask who ‘him’ was and as he looked at Fiona, he
was surprised to see sadness in her eyes. He was sure that it wasn’t because
of the loss of her brother and father-in-law. She must have already become a
surrogate mother to little Jimmy since Katie died.
Without even glancing at Anna, Gene took four long strides to Fiona
then smiled down at the toddler who was almost ready to fall over as he
tilted back to look up at the giant standing over him.
“Let’s go for a ride, Jimmy,” Gene said as he lifted the little boy into his
arms.
He turned and walked back to Anna, then without another word, he
walked through the open doorway, across the short porch and untied
Hawkeye’s reins.
 He waited for Anna to step near before handing his nephew to her and
saying, “Give him back to me after I’m in the saddle.”
“Okay.”
Gene quickly stepped up and once aboard, he leaned over. Anna held out
Jimmy, and Gene lifted him onto the front of his saddle before taking the
reins in his left hand.
The little boy was giggling as he sat behind the saddle horn and Anna
mounted Dunk.
“Let’s go see the Wheelers, Anna.”
She nodded and turned the gray gelding before Gene wheeled Hawkeye
around. They soon left the Moran house behind and were crossing the
fields.
“What are you going to do with Jimmy?” Anna asked.
“I don’t know yet, but we’ll come up with something.”
He was expecting Anna to offer to raise him after she married John
Kiley, but when she didn’t, he suspected it was because she wasn’t sure that
John would come to Peoria. He’d talk to Henry Wheeler about the boy
when they got to town.
Anna asked, “So, can you tell me about this wonderful woman now?”
Gene was more than happy to shift his mind’s focus from the horrors that
still existed in the house where he’d spent his boyhood or even the new
issues that would result from that deadly confrontation. If there was one
subject that would drive them all away, it was talking about Robyn.
“When I finally arrived in Orville, I kind of snuck into town and after I
knocked on the back door…”
Despite the recent horror, Anna listened to her big brother’s story that
was saturated with warmth and love, and let his words soothe her own
worries and fears. Knowing that he’d left Robyn and undertaken another
long and treacherous journey because he loved her only added to her
healing.
They had ridden past the house and Gene continued to tell Anna about
all that had happened since he left for Colorado. He hadn’t finished before
they reached town and soon pulled up before the Wheelers’ home.
Gene hugged Jimmy with right arm and carefully dismounted as Anna
stepped down from Dunk.
He tossed Hawkeye’s reins over the picket fence and Anna tied off the
stallion then opened the gate and after they entered, she closed it again.
As they walked down the brick walkway, Gene glanced at his nephew
who didn’t seem to be upset by the big stranger who was carrying him away
from his home.
They stepped onto the polished oak porch and Gene used the brass
horseshoe doorknocker to announce their presence.
Anna was anxious for a myriad of reasons, but Gene’s calm demeanor
had kept her steady. She just hoped that John would reply to the telegram
that would soon be making its way to Chicago.
When the door swung open, Gene grinned and said, “Hello, Bess.”
Bess smiled broadly as she replied, “I didn’t expect to see you back so
soon, Gene. Please come in.”
Gene waved Anna in first then followed her inside with Jimmy riding on
his right hip.
“Who’s your little friend?” Bess asked as she closed the door.
“I’ll explain everything shortly. Where’s your father?”
“I’m right here, Captain,” Henry said as he strode into the foyer.
“I thought you’d be working by now,” Gene said as they wandered into
the parlor.
 “I am, but I do most of my reading and paperwork in my office. How did
it go in Colorado? I’m surprised that you made it back so quickly.”
“Colorado was a problem, but most of it’s solved. It’s what happened
about an hour ago that’s the big problem right now and I need your help.”
Millie Wheeler entered the parlor but didn’t say anything as she took a
chair.
After Henry, Bess and Anna sat down, he set Jimmy on his sister’s lap,
removed his hat and then turned to his friend.
Henry then asked, “What is the big problem?”
Gene sat in the last open chair and replied, “About a week ago, I
received a telegram from my sister Anna, who has our nephew on her lap. It
was a startling message and I…”
He quickly retold the same story he’d just given to Jack but added the
situation with Jimmy.
When he finished, he asked, “Can Anna and Jimmy stay with you while
I try to straighten things out?”
Millie quickly replied, “Of course, they can. You’ll stay with us as well.
Are you staying in Peoria now that you’ve taken care of your father’s
difficulties?”
“No, ma’am. As soon as I can, I’m returning to Colorado. I met a very
special young lady and I’ll be working as a deputy sheriff in El Paso
County.”
Henry smiled as he said, “I suppose I should remind you about that big
horse I gave you, but he really wasn’t a bribe. I still believe that you’d be an
exceptional attorney, but I’m sure you’ll do well in whichever path you
choose. Other than providing hotel services, how else can we help?”
“I don’t think I’ll be facing any charges, but I’m not even sure who has
jurisdiction. Is the farm outside of the town limits?”
 “It is. You’ll need to visit the sheriff’s office. Do you know Sheriff
Mandel or any of his deputies?”
“No, sir. I know most of the policemen and the chief, but no one from
the sheriff’s office.”
“Okay, I’ll come with you. When we get back, I’m sure my wonderful
wife will feed us both.”
Anna then said, “I need to send a telegram right away. Can I do that
first?”
Bess answered by reaching over and lifting Jimmy from her lap and
sitting him on hers.
“I’ll watch him while you send your message,” then she looked at Gene
and said, “He looks like he should be your son.”
“That’s what Anna told me, and I have to admit that there are a few
similarities. Of course, I can probably ride a horse better than he can.”
Henry stood and said, “I’ll go saddle my horse.”
“You don’t need to, Henry. I have two outside.”
Millie then said, “I’ll walk with Anna to the telegraph office. It’s only
three blocks away.”
Gene nodded, then pulled some bills from his pocket and handed them to
his sister.
“That should cover your telegram and anything else you may need right
away.”
“Thank you, Gene,” Anna said as she accepted the currency and then
stood.
Gene and Henry left the parlor and as they passed through the foyer,
Henry snatched his hat from one of the brass hooks along the wall.
As they stepped down from the porch, Henry asked, “Did that big boy
try to toss you like he did to your pal?”
 “Only once and that was when I kind of set off a bomb.”
Henry’s head snapped to look at Gene before he snickered and after he
shook his head, he said, “I’ve got to hear that story.”
As they passed through the front gate, Gene replied, “You will and it’s
just one part of an incredible month. I just hope that the mess in the
farmhouse is the last of it for a while.”
Gene took Hawkeye’s reins as Henry untied Dunk before they both
mounted.
“Where did you get the stallion?” Henry asked as they turned their
horses toward Main Street.
“He was a gift from one of the Cheyenne who were trying to kill me.
That was on the ride to Colorado.”
“He’s a magnificent horse, Gene.”
“You can keep him if you’d like, Henry. I’m fond of Hawkeye here, but
I’ve got quite a few back in Colorado.”
“We’ll talk about it,” Henry replied as they turned onto Main Street.
They soon pulled up before the county jail and just fifteen minutes later,
they were riding south with Sheriff Eb Mandel and Deputy Sheriff Joe
Smith. Henry’s presence had removed any suspicions that the sheriff might
have had if Gene had just walked into his office with a story of a triple
homicide.
Before they left, Gene had warned them of the vast amount of blood that
he had left congealing on the floor but doubted if even his old commander
would expect to see the enormous pool that had spread across the parlor
floor.
As they rode, Gene had to provide more background for the two lawmen
and wasn’t hesitant to let them both know of his own long-held dislike of
the entire Moran family. He hadn’t been surprised that both the sheriff and
his deputy didn’t have high opinions of either man.
 They cut across the front of the property and soon pulled up before the
house and dismounted. After tying off their horses, Gene led them onto the
porch but stopped at the open doorway. The smell of death was
overpowering. Even though each of them had witnessed violent deaths,
especially the two men who had worn Union uniforms, that malicious odor
still affected them.
Gene took a deep breath and strode into the room. Even though he knew
exactly what to expect, when he saw it again, his stomach rebelled.
He stepped around the wide pools of drying blood and picked up the
bloody saber and showed it to the lawmen.
“This is what Kevin Moran used to try to kill me but wound up cutting
my mother when she tried to stop him,” then he pointed to the bodies and
said, “But when she fell, Jim Moran rushed to help her while I was trying to
pull my pistol. He knocked Kevin aside with his elbow and then screamed
at him and dropped to his knees to help my mother who was already
unconscious. He was bent over her when Kevin skewered him in the back
with the saber and then turned to finish me off. That’s when I shot him.”
The sheriff and deputy both looked at the saber but neither seemed to
want to touch it, so Gene dropped it to the floor. He’d have to decide what
to do with it later, but it wasn’t even close to being important at the
moment.
“Let’s get out of here,” Sheriff Mandel said before he quickly turned and
strode out of the house.
After they were back on the ground, the sheriff said, “I’ll have the
mortician come and pick up the bodies. Do you want to talk to the Morans
about burial arrangements?”
“Not particularly. I’m sure that they don’t want to see me again either.”
“Alright. I’ll have the mortician ask them what they want to do with Jim
and Kevin. You can tell him where you want your mother buried.”
“My three older brothers are already buried in the town cemetery, so I
think that would be best. I’m pretty sure that’s where Katie is buried as
well. I’m going to stay to move them out of the parlor and cover them with
some blankets. I need to clean the floor of that blood, too.”
“Okay. But stop by on your way back. I’ll need to have statements from
you and your sister."
“Yes, sir. Thank you, Sheriff.”
Sheriff Mandel nodded, then he and Deputy Smith mounted and soon
rode away from the farmhouse leaving Gene and Henry standing near the
porch.
Gene said, “I’ll take care of this, Henry. I should be back in about an
hour or so.”
Henry was about to offer to help, but wasn’t sure his stomach could
handle it, so he just set his hand on Gene’s right shoulder then nodded
before turning and mounting Dunk.
“When you get back, you can tell us about everything that happened
since you left.”
Gene smiled as he looked up at Henry then waved as he turned the gray
stallion away from the porch and trotted across the front yard.
He didn’t wait long before he turned and quickly climbed the porch
steps. He wanted to get this done as rapidly as possible.
He walked to the first bedroom and yanked the blankets from the
mattress and tossed them over his shoulder before going to the next room
and removing the bed’s coverings.
When he returned to the parlor, he had to move Kevin’s body first and
wasn’t gentle about it. He didn’t cover it but tossed the blankets onto a chair
then grabbed Kevin’s ankles.
He quickly dragged it out of the parlor and once he was on the porch, he
turned to the left and pulled it ten feet from the doorway before releasing it.
Rigor was setting in, but he managed to get Kevin’s arms next to his
body before reentering the house. He had to move Jim Moran’s body next
because it still lay atop his mother’s.
He was more considerate when he pulled it free and after rolling the
body onto the back, he began sliding it out of the parlor and soon reached
the porch. He turned left again and left Jim’s body next to Kevin’s. He had
more trouble getting Jim’s arms straight, but soon father and son were lying
side-by-side on the porch.
Gene hesitated before returning to retrieve his mother’s body, but soon
entered the house and stepped to the chair where he’d left the blankets.
His mother was lying on her back and the gaping wound across her
stomach was evidence of just how sharp the saber’s blade was. Her face
was far from peaceful, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it.
He’d already closed her eyes, but that was the extent of his ability.
He took one of the blankets and stretched it over her body then rolled it
until she was lying face down on the wool. He folded it over her and then
rolled her back so he could lift her. The blanket was already wet with the
blood it had picked up from the floor, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have
been.
He slid his hands beneath her body and lifted her slowly in his arms. He
was no longer aware of the overpowering stench that filled the room as he
carefully walked to the open doorway.
Once on the porch, he turned to the right, away from the Morans and
when he was almost at the edge, he carefully laid her body down.
He stared at the shrouded body and wished he could say something
meaningful but couldn’t find the words.
His mother was now a mystery to him. For those first years of his life,
she was everything to him. Then as he grew into boyhood, he grew to
respect and admire his father as she had to care for his younger sisters. But
she was still his mother and he loved her without reservation. Then came
that horrible day when his father abandoned them, and as he hated his
father, his mother returned to her place at the center of his world.
 That lasted until she married Jim Moran and allowed his hated sons to
move into the farmhouse. He thought he knew his mother until that day and
then after Mrs. Donnelly’s revelation, he began to think of himself as an
orphan.
Then, in one day, he’d returned and for just a few minutes, he saw his
mother as he had when he was a young boy and she was mom again.
He finally understood that just as he had misunderstood his father, he
didn’t really know his mother either. They were his parents, but they were
still people. People with their own needs, desires and problems.
Gene turned and walked back into the house and snatched the last one of
the blankets and after returning to the porch, simply laid it across the two
Morans.
It took him another thirty minutes to do a reasonable job of getting rid of
the blood from the floor. It would always have that stain, but he knew that
he’d never see it again.
He had cleaned the blood from the saber and returned it to its scabbard
before setting it back on the mantle. He thought about bringing it with him,
but it was just a passing thought. He didn’t want to have a reminder of the
horrible day.
As he mounted Hawkeye, he took one last look at his mother’s body then
wheeled his gelding around and headed back to Peoria.
_____
Anna had sent her telegram and hoped that she’d hear from John before
the day ended. It was unlikely, but so was Gene’s sudden return.
She and Bess had become friends very quickly and both young women
and Millie had enjoyed their time with little Jimmy.
_____
After Henry returned, he’d walked Dunk behind his home and into the
carriage house in back where he dismounted. He unsaddled the gray stallion
and set him in a stall before brushing him down. As he groomed the
handsome horse, Henry wanted to do more to help Gene. Almost from the
day he’d met the nineteen-year-old, Henry had seen the young man as one
who embodied what he’d hoped his own son would become if he’d lived.
He wished he’d stay in Peoria and thought about asking him to bring
Robyn and his father back with him, but he knew that it wasn’t likely. One
of Gene’s many impressive traits was once he believed something was
right, he didn’t waiver.
He’d learn more after Gene finished his gruesome work at the farm and
they spent time talking about what had happened in Colorado.
He tossed the brush into its box, patted Dunk on his flank and then
headed for the house.
_____
Gene had almost reached the edge of the town when he spotted the
hearse and pulled to a stop. It only took a few minutes to tell Wilbur Lynch
about the bodies on the porch and give him instructions for his mother’s
burial. He had more than enough cash on him to pay for the burial and the
grave’s marker.
Wilburn expressed his condolences and told Gene that he’d tell the
Morans. Gene’s last request was that his mother’s burial be held at least two
hours before the two Morans’. The mortician nodded and told him that she
would be buried at two o’clock tomorrow afternoon and the Morans would
be buried the following day. After thanking him, Gene set his gelding to a
slow trot to finish the short ride.
Gene rode into Peoria, but before he went to the Wheelers, he stopped at
the telegraph office to send a message to Robyn. He wasn’t going to explain
much as he expected to be returning soon, so he’d just let her know that
he’d arrived safely and would be back in less than two weeks.
After leaving the Western Union office, Gene walked Hawkeye down the
streets of Peoria and wondered if he’d ever return after leaving this time. He
liked the town, but his future was in Colorado. Now his only Illinois family
was Anna and hopefully, she’d be moving to Chicago with her new
husband.
 That thought suddenly made him realize that he was wrong. He had
forgotten about Jimmy. The little boy may be a Moran in name, but neither
Jack nor Augie wanted him and that meant he was Gene’s responsibility.
As his gelding clopped along the road, that revelation posed a new
problem for him that he hadn’t anticipated.
What would he do with the
toddler?
If he didn’t have to travel so far and with so much danger on the
way, then he’d just bring the boy with him. He knew nothing about small
children and wasn’t sure that Anna would want to keep him with her
wedding looming. He doubted that John Kiley would just give up so easily,
despite Anna’s concerns. He’d have to ask Henry about the Jimmy situation
and ask for advice from Millie Wheeler as well.
He soon turned down the drive beside the Wheelers’ home and walked
Hawkeye to the carriage house. He dismounted inside and smiled when he
saw a shining Dunk enjoying his oats.
He quickly unsaddled his gelding and after quickly brushing him so that
he didn’t feel neglected, he hung his saddlebags over his shoulder and
started walking toward the house. He strode around to the front of the house
rather than going through the kitchen for an unknown reason, and soon
stepped onto the front porch.
Gene knew that he could probably just enter without knocking, but he
still rapped on the door rather than using the brass knocker.
Henry had heard him ride past, so as soon as he had heard his footsteps
on the porch, he stood and wasn’t surprised to hear his knock. He was
smiling as he stepped to the door and swung it open.
Gene said, “I know I probably didn’t need to knock, but well…”
“It’s just the way you are, Gene,” Henry said before he turned and let
Gene close the door behind him.
When they entered the parlor, Anna lifted Jimmy from her lap and set
him on the floor.
Gene was hanging his hat on a hook when the little boy trotted across the
parlor and latched onto his left leg.
 Gene laughed then picked Jimmy up and smiled.
Jimmy squealed, “Da!” which startled Gene.
“He can talk?”
Millie laughed and replied, “Of course, he can talk. Since you left, he’s
been chattering like a magpie.”
“He never said a word since I picked him up at the Morans.”
“He must have been awestruck by the big man who was holding him.”
“At least he didn’t pee on me. Does he do that?”
“We’ll talk about the boy and other things in a minute. Let’s go into the
kitchen. Dinner is almost ready,” Millie said as she stood.
Gene wished she’d answered his last question as he followed everyone
down the hall with Jimmy still firmly attached. After the boy’s initial
exclamation, he’d gone silent again and just smiled at Gene.
Once they were all seated at the dinner table and Jimmy was perched on
Anna’s lap, Gene began explaining what had happened in Colorado. He
didn’t talk about either of the journeys across the plains because they
weren’t relevant.
He had to answer many questions as he unraveled the story, most of
them from Anna, so it took the entire suppertime and well beyond finishing
their after-dinner coffee. When he told Anna about their mother’s burial
tomorrow afternoon, her first question was if the Morans were going to be
buried at the same time. He could see the relief on her face when he said
that they would be buried the following day.
It wasn’t until Jimmy had been put to bed and the adults were gathered
in the parlor that Gene could ask his question of what to do about the little
boy.
He looked at Henry and said, “I have a legal question for you, Henry. It’s
about Jimmy. I know he’s a Moran and I’m a Stewart, but he’s Anna’s and
my nephew as much as Jim’s and Augie’s. Jim was the one who told me to
take him away and I’m pretty sure that Augie feels the same way, so could I
adopt him even if I’m not married yet?”
“You don’t have to adopt him, Gene. You are one of his closest relatives
and he’s here now. Besides, you’ll be taking him back to his grandfather;
won’t you?”
“Yes, sir. The logistics may be a problem and I’ll need some childcare
education from Millie. I’m pretty ignorant about taking care of small
children.”
Millie smiled and said, “I’ll tell you more than you need to know, Gene.”
He then looked at his sister and asked, “Is that okay with you, Anna? I’m
sure that John will come racing down from Chicago and I think that you’d
rather not have a toddler roaming around on your wedding night.”
“I think Jimmy couldn’t have asked for a better father than you, Gene.”
“Thank you, Anna.”
Henry then said, “You have another legal issue, well sort of. What do
you want to do with the farm? It’s legally yours now.”
Gene was startled and asked, “
What?
”
“The inheritance laws go from father to son and even though your
mother remarried, it’s still yours. Although technically, I suppose, it belongs
to your father.”
Gene paused to collect his thoughts before replying, “I know that he
wouldn’t want it and I don’t either. Can I give you power of attorney to sell
it? I imagine that the Morans will think that they own it and I don’t want
that to happen.”
“I’ll draw it up tomorrow morning. When will you be returning to
Colorado?”
“After I give away Anna, as long as she doesn’t make me stay here until
September. I’m a bit anxious to get back.”
 Anna said, “If John still wants to get married, then I’ll see if I can talk
him into moving the date forward. It wasn’t going to be a big church
wedding anyway.”
“If John doesn’t want to marry you, then he’s the biggest fool in the
state.”
Millie then stood and said, “Alright, it’s getting late and we all have a lot
to do tomorrow.”
The others stood and after a rolling series of goodnights, each retired for
the night.
_____
Gene pulled off his boots and after stripping his socks, britches and shirt
off, he sat on his bed and tried to settle his mind. His sudden decision to
adopt little Jimmy had tied a knot into his plans, but he knew that it was the
right thing to do.
He didn’t even think about sleep as he tried to design some way of
transporting the toddler across the plains. He didn’t want to be slowed by a
wheeled form of transport, and he wanted to keep Jimmy with him, so that
meant he’d need to create some sort of contraption that would prevent the
boy from falling yet allow him to use his guns if necessary. The child was
big enough to sit by himself, so that would make things easier.
He finally believed that he had a solution, so he stretched out on his back
and was able to let his mind wander back to a much more pleasant realm as
he let it create a very realistic image of Robyn’s smiling face.
_____
A thousand miles away, Robyn lay under her covers and wished that she
wasn’t sleeping alone. She had been hoping that she would get a telegram
from Gene all day. She didn’t doubt that he’d make his goal of completing
the long journey in just a week, and that meant that he should have reached
Peoria today or tomorrow. She knew that there were a lot of reasons why a
telegram could take a couple of days or longer to cross the vast, hostile
land, but that didn’t diminish her concerns. That forbidding sense of dread
hadn’t left her since Gene had gone, and each night had been filled with
imaginary scenes of some horrible fate that had taken him from her.
Since he’d gone, her days were filled with routine. She had breakfast
with her mother and Alex and helped her mother with chores. Alex was
doing better each day, so he didn’t require any nursing, which gave them
more free time together. She made a point of taking at least one walk each
day to search for Fenn Jordan. She suspected that Lud Humber wasn’t about
to let them live in peace and he’d send his spy to see if they were still in
Colorado Springs.
Yet Robyn had underestimated Fenn Jordan’s cunning and so had his
boss. If she had known the details of the plans that Fenn had been making
since his return to Orville, she would have welcomed him to Colorado
Springs.
But the only one who knew of those plans was Fenn himself, so each
night as she slipped beneath the blankets, she worried about not only the
dangers Gene faced on his journey, but what dangers he would encounter on
his return.
 CHAPTER 11
John Kiley awakened in the house he’d bought for Anna as a wedding
present and believed that his head would explode. After receiving Anna’s
letter, the lifelong non-drinker had drowned his sorrows at a local tavern
and was now suffering the consequences.
He staggered out of his bedroom with the haggard appearance that didn’t
need a mirror’s confirmation and headed for the bathroom just to splash
some water on his face. He knew that his parents would be ashamed of him,
but he didn’t care. Anna hadn’t even explained why she had rejected him
and that made it even worse. She’d seemed so happy when they were
together, and he’d never detected a single nuance of regret.
After reducing the throbbing pain in his head to a tolerable roar, he
walked to the kitchen and started a fire in the cookstove to make a big pot
of coffee. He filled the coffeepot and then as he walked back down the
hallway to retrieve his discarded jacket, he spotted a yellow envelope on the
floor near the front door’s threshold.
He knew it had to be a telegram but didn’t know who would have sent it.
He hoped it would be from Anna expressing regret for the letter, but it
seemed more like a desperate hope than a real possibility. He assumed it
was from one of his college friends asking for a loan.
He walked into the foyer, snatched the envelope from the floor and
ripped it open.
When he unfolded the sheet, his eyes grew wide and he totally forgot
about his hangover as he read:
JOHN KILEY 17 WINSTON CHICAGO ILL
 
LETTER NOT REAL
PLEASE FORGIVE ME
COME TO PEORIA AND MARRY ME
  
ANNA STEWART 28 FOSTER ST PEORIA ILL
 
John started laughing as he reread the telegram then quickly turned
around and jogged back to the bathroom. He needed to hurry if he wanted
to make the morning train.
_____
After he and Anna had written their statements at the sheriff’s office,
Gene had stopped on the way back and bought a large canvas backpack to
begin his Jimmy-holder. It really didn’t require much engineering as all he
needed it to do was to keep the boy from falling. He’d build a blanket seat
over the saddle horn for support, so all he had to do was to cut holes in the
corners of the backpack for his legs. He wasn’t worried about it ripping as
the straps around Jimmy’s chest would keep him in place.
As he built the carrier in the kitchen, Jimmy sat on the floor nearby and
Millie began her lessons about how to care for the boy. He was pleased to
learn that he no longer wore diapers and would be able to let him know
when he needed to be free of his drawers.
Anna and Bess were preparing some food for his journey, including jars
of oatmeal and corn mush that Jimmy seemed to like. He assumed it was
because of the honey that was added to each.
Henry had already created the power of attorney, so the farm was no
longer a concern. He then took the power of attorney to the bank to arrange
for the farm’s sale and took both Hawkeye and Dunk to the livery to get
their shoes changed. He said that Gene needed the stallion more than he did.
Everything was moving very quickly, and Gene began to believe that
he’d be able to leave tomorrow, but it all depended on whether or not John
Kiley replied to Anna’s telegram. She’d been disappointed when she hadn’t
received the reply, but still hoped that she’d get one sometime today.
After modifying the backpack, the three women watched with big smiles
as he turned it into a front pack then lifted Jimmy from the floor and
carefully lowered him in. It was a little awkward getting his legs through
the holes as Jimmy was a bit fidgety and complained loudly. But once he
was safely into his new cradle, his attitude changed, and he started giggling.
Gene rotated three times to get a feel for the weight, then smiled at the
ladies and said, “This isn’t bad at all. When we’re riding, I won’t even feel
the weight.”
Millie said, “You’re going to have to keep him entertained, Gene.”
“That won’t be a problem. I have quite a few stories.”
“I’ll grant you that.”
Gene slid Jimmy out of the backpack and set him on the floor before
unbuckling the straps, sliding it from his shoulders and setting it on the
floor.
Anna then asked, “Are you sure that you’ll be able to make it all that
way with him?”
“I’m sure. This will be the third time I’ve made this journey in less than
a month. I know what to expect now and how to avoid trouble. There’s a
fort or settlement every fifty miles or so along the trail, and I won’t be
riding as hard as I did on the trip from Colorado.”
“Are you going to send Robyn another telegram before you leave?”
“Of course. I have to wait until you hear from John, so I can walk you
down the aisle, or at least be the man to give you away.”
“I don’t want you to wait just for that, Gene. I know you want to return
to Robyn as soon as you can and I’m not sure that John will reply now.”
“It hasn’t even been a day yet, Anna. With all of the military traffic still
dominating the wires, he may not have even received it yet.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“Even if the army isn’t keeping the wires humming, I’m sure that the
newspaper reporters are.”
 Anna smiled but knew that Gene was just saying that to make her feel
better. After she’d sent her message, she’d asked the operator how long it
would be before it arrived, and he’d told her just an hour or so.
Gene returned her smile, then said, “I’m going to start packing just to be
ready. Maybe you didn’t get a reply because John just jumped on the train
and will be arriving in an hour or so.”
Anna smiled and shook her head as she replied, “Ever the optimist,
Gene?”
“After all that’s happened in the last ten years, it was either be an
optimist or an ogre.”
He kissed Anna before turning and heading back to his room to start
packing. When he’d bought the backpack, he’d added some more clothing
and six towels for the trip. At least he wouldn’t need any diapers, assuming
that Jimmy was as advanced as Millie had claimed. She told him that he’d
stopped needing them for more than a year already. Gene had pointed out
that he’d seen grown men pee on themselves, but for cause.
_____
Robyn was returning from her morning rounds looking for Fenn Jordan
when she saw a boy turn onto the walkway of #17 and picked up her pace.
She could see a piece of paper in his hand and was sure that it was a
telegram from Gene.
Larry Fitzgerald had barely reached the porch steps when Robyn called
out to him from the other end of the walk.
“Do you have a telegram for me?” she asked as stepped closer.
“Are you Robyn Martin, ma’am?”
“Yes. I’ve been waiting for a telegram. Is it from Illinois?”
“I don’t know, ma’am. I just deliver ‘em.”
Robyn had kept a nickel in her pocket ever since Gene had gone and
after pushing her fingers past her small pistol, she pulled the coin free and
handed it to him before she almost ripped the telegram from his hand.
Larry grinned and said, “Thank you, ma’am,” but he was talking to thin
air.
Robyn had hurried past him, flown up the porch steps and thrown open
the front door before disappearing inside.
Larry snickered as he looked at the house then headed back to the
telegraph office. He hoped that the lady was happy with her telegram.
Robyn desperately wanted to read the telegram but didn’t want to risk
fainting if it was bad news. So, she stepped into the parlor and took a seat in
a blue cushioned chair then straightened out her dress before taking a deep
breath.
She carefully broke the seal then read:
ROBYN MARTIN 17 7 ST COLO SPRINGS COLO
 
ALL PROBLEMS RESOLVED
WILL BE BACK WITHIN 2 WEEKS WITH GIFT
I LOVE YOU
 
GENE STEWART 28 FOSTER ST PEORIA ILL
 
Robyn felt an ocean of relief wash over her before she started to laugh as
tears slid from her eyes. Gene was coming home. After a few minutes of
self-indulgent pleasure, she stood and quickly left the house to tell Alex and
her mother that Gene was safe and would soon be returning. She didn’t pay
one bit of attention to the promise of a gift. To her, Gene was the greatest
gift she could ever hope to receive.
_____
Gene had packed as much as he could until Anna’s situation was
clarified. He knew that she should have received a reply by now and began
to think less of John Kiley. Surely, he would have at least let her know that
he was calling it off. But if he did, he was already planning to ask Anna if
she wanted to come with him to Colorado Springs. There would be many
advantages to having her along even with the added delay and necessary
logistical issues. But he knew that their father would be immensely pleased
to see her again. When he’d read the telegram about Katie’s death, he could
see how shaken his father had been with the news. But more than anything,
he wanted Anna to be happy and wished that John Kiley would at least give
her a chance to explain why she had written the letter.
It was getting close to the time for the burial, and only Anna and Gene
would be going to the cemetery. Neither had any dark clothing but as they
were the only ones who would be at the gravesite, it didn’t matter.
After a quick lunch, Gene and Anna left the house to make the long,
silent walk to the town cemetery. She was gripping his arm for support and
Gene almost wished that he had been able to convince her to stay behind.
But despite what their mother had done to drive Gene away and then almost
ruin Anna’s opportunity for a happy marriage, she was still their mother.
When they arrived at the cemetery, they walked to where their three
older brothers, Katie and her baby were buried and found a freshly dug
grave nearby. The gravediggers were leaning on their shovels nearby and
watched them approach.
After they stopped near the empty hole, Anna asked, “Are we going to
have any kind of a ceremony?”
“No. It doesn’t really matter; does it?”
“I suppose not. It was such a horrible thing.”
“At least mom didn’t suffer like dad did. Dad has consumption and has
been sick for years, but now he seems to be recovering. I hope he really is
finished with that sickness. I haven’t seen many survive after they reached
the stage where they were coughing blood.”
“I haven’t even met anyone with consumption. I guess I’ve been
protected from all kinds of death until Katie died.”
“I’ve seen a lot of death and much of it has been violent. Yet it has never
reached the point where it becomes so commonplace that I can shrug it off.
I hope I never do become so hard that it doesn’t bother me.”
 Anna looked up at her big brother and said, “I don’t think your heart and
soul would ever be that way. You and my John are a lot alike that way, but
he doesn’t have your strength or passion.”
Gene smiled at her as he replied, “Then he’ll come back to marry you,
Anna. You’re one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known.”
“I’d like to meet Robyn.”
“In a few short years, there will be railroads all over the West and we’ll
come back to visit. We’ll bring Jimmy and our own children to meet all
their little Kiley cousins.”
Anna squeezed his hand then they both turned as the hearse rolled to a
stop near the gravesite.
The burial was nothing more than lowering the casket into the ground
before the gravediggers began shoveling the dirt back into the hole.
After the hearse rolled away leaving Gene and Anna alone at the
gravesite, they stayed in place for another two minutes, each with private
thoughts about the woman who had given them life.
Gene didn’t say anything but after a gentle tug on Anna’s hand, they
turned and left the cemetery.
They were walking slowly along the boardwalk toward the turn to Foster
Street when Anna suddenly froze.
Gene stumbled and then turned to look at his sister.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Anna’s eyes began expanding as she stared past him, then after almost
twenty seconds, she exclaimed, “I think that’s John!”
Gene whipped his eyes back down the street and spotted a well-dressed
young man carrying a travel bag as he hurried along the street looking at
signposts.
“Well, get going!” Gene said quickly before Anna took off at a run.
 In that brief moment before she sprinted away, he saw the incredibly joy
on her face and felt an explosion of happiness for her before he began to
follow with his long strides.
His happiness for his sister was buoyed with the realization that he’d
soon be able to leave for Colorado and he’d feel that same joy when he saw
Robyn again.
Gene was a good fifty yards behind Anna when she almost collided with
John. He began slowing his own pace and then stopped when he was thirty
feet away to give them time to talk or whatever else they might do.
Other townsfolk were staring as John wrapped his arms around Anna
and then kissed her. He could hear Anna trying to explain what had
happened, but John didn’t seem to care.
He gave them a few minutes of public display of affection before he
started to walk again.
When he was close, it was John who first noticed him.
He was still smiling as he said, “You must be Gene. Anna said you were
a big man, but I’m still impressed.”
Gene smiled back and offered John his hand as he replied, “It makes it
hard to buy boots, but other than that, it’s okay.”
John laughed then Anna said, “I suppose we need to stop causing traffic
problems.”
John replied, “That’s a good idea, ma’am.”
Gene just followed as the couple practically danced down Foster Street.
Anna was still explaining why she had written the letter and John was
nodding, but Gene didn’t think he was really listening. But he was paying
attention to her every word and assumed that Anna would want him to be
the one who would tell John about what had happened at the farmhouse.
_____
 The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent welcoming John and
providing him with the story of the tragic events of the past two days.
Gene could understand why Anna was so taken by John and was sure
that they would have a happy marriage. What scored even higher with Gene
was when John suggested that they get married in the courthouse tomorrow.
So, they would be married tomorrow morning and Gene would start his
return trip the following day. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood and
even Jimmy seemed cheerful. Of course, it helped that he was being
pampered with molasses cookies.
Gene hurried to the telegraph office before they closed for the day to
send another telegram to Robyn. He wanted to let her know that he was
leaving Peoria and that Anna was getting married. He still didn’t mention
the nature of the gift he would be bringing with him.
_____
The midmorning marriage was held at the office of the justice of the
peace and Gene was proud to be the one to give Anna’s hand to John. He
had been surprised by the strong emotions that had filled him during the
simple ceremony. He watched Anna’s face as she gave her vows and he
found it difficult to breathe. She seemed positively angelic as she stood
before the justice of the peace holding John’s hand. He could see the love
they shared and wished he was back in Colorado Springs saying the same
words to Robyn.
Bess and Millie had no compunction about expressing their own
emotions as both women shed a steady flow of tears. Henry seemed only
slightly more immune, so the only humans in the small room who didn’t
seem affected were the man performing the ceremony and Jimmy, who was
sucking on a cherry drop. It was a last-minute suggestion from Millie to
keep the toddler occupied. When they’d bought the penny candy, Gene
bought five cents’ worth to last the entire trip.
After the wedding, they returned to the Wheelers’ home for a celebratory
lunch, but it wasn’t very long as the newlyweds needed to make the late
afternoon train.
 John promised Gene that as soon as railroad reached Colorado, he and
Anna would visit so they could meet Robyn and Anna could reconcile with
their father.
Before she left for the station, Gene walked with Anna to the porch and
took a seat on the wide swing.
He smiled at her and said, “I’m glad to see you so happy, Anna.”
“I wouldn’t have had that chance if you hadn’t made that incredible
journey to save me, Gene. I only hope that you and Robyn can be as happy
as John and I are.”
Gene grinned and replied, “We’ll be starting a family sooner than you
will.”
“You’ll have a little boy with you when you start, but we’ll have our first
baby before you will.”
“Oh? You think so, Mrs. Kiley? I’ll tell you what. Whoever has a baby
first gets to name the other’s child. How about that?”
Anna laughed then kissed her brother and said, “Not on your life,
Eugene William Stewart. I can only imagine what silly name you’d stick on
our child.”
“I suppose you’re right, ma’am. Besides, you’d have a head start and
you’re not much better.”
“You always said we were a lot alike, so I think we’ll play it safe and
name our own children.”
Gene kissed her again then took her hand as he stood.
“I love you, Anna.”
“I love you too, Gene.”
He then embraced his only sibling and kissed the top of her head before
walking back into the parlor.
_____
 An hour and twenty minutes later, Gene waved to Anna and John as their
train began to roll northward out of the station.
They returned his wave and soon the train disappeared in a black cloud.
Gene turned and headed back to Foster Street. He was fully packed now
and tomorrow he’d start back to Colorado. He may have downplayed the
dangers to Anna, but his other two trips had improved his chances of
avoiding any confrontations on his final journey. And this time, he’d have
company.
_____
The next morning, Gene had Hawkeye and Dunk ready to go. He didn’t
change the arrangement of his weapons and only had one set of saddlebags
on Hawkeye but two on Dunk. The ones he had with him had some of
Jimmy’s special food, but Millie had told him that the boy would be just as
happy gnawing on bacon.
He had Jimmy in his hanging seat as he walked through the back door
with Henry, Millie and Bess. He was curious how difficult it would be to
mount with Jimmy strapped to his chest, so after kissing Millie and Bess
goodbye and sharing a manly handshake with Henry, he put his foot into
Hawkeye’s stirrup and stepped into the saddle. He just had to lean back
slightly to allow Jimmy’s legs to get past the blanket seat that he’d lashed
down over his saddle horn.
The Wheelers were all watching with smiles on their faces as he settled
Jimmy onto the blanket then looked back at them with a big grin.
“It’s pretty good and Jimmy seems happy about it.”
Almost on cue, Jimmy laughed and then surprised everyone when he
waved without being prompted.
Each of the adults on the ground returned his wave before Gene said,
“I’ll send you a telegram when we arrive,” then wheeled Hawkeye around
and started him at a walk down the drive alongside the house.
He gave them one last wave before he turned and headed back to the
train station. The train to Sidney wasn’t scheduled for another hour, but
Gene figured the logistics of this move would require more time.
_____
Jimmy was sleeping next to him as the train rolled out of Peoria to cross
Illinois and then Iowa. He watched the passing fields in the evening sun and
felt a mixture of sadness and relief. He knew he was far from reaching the
end of his journey but understood that he had reached another major turning
point in his life. He’d believed that he’d never return to Peoria and maybe
never even travel east of the Missouri River, but despite all of the disruption
and tragedy that he’d found here, it was still his first home. Now he and
Jimmy would be going to their new home and Jimmy would meet his
grandfather a new grandmother and his new mother.
_____
Robyn had received Gene’s second telegram before sunset and had been
ecstatic when she read that he was on his way. She had been concerned that
he might have to remain in Illinois for a while. What made it even better
was that he seemed to be as anxious to return as she was.
She had shown the telegram to Alex and her mother and they were
almost as excited as she was.
In her excitement, she had stopped her search for Fenn Jordan. He no
longer mattered to her, and even when she discovered that he’d arrived in
Colorado Springs, the result of that visit would be totally different from
what she had expected.
_____
It hadn’t taken Gene long before he realized that people treated him
differently now that he was accompanied by a small child. It was as if they
had accepted him as a father despite the two pistols he wore or his size.
He appreciated the change, but he also made a more momentous
discovery. When Jimmy wasn’t sleeping, he talked almost non-stop to
Gene. Gene didn’t talk to him as a child who hadn’t a clue what he was
being told but spoke to him as he would another man. He was reasonably
sure that the little boy didn’t understand most of it, but Gene felt it was
almost insulting to the lad by talking to him as if he was a baby.
Gene would point out different things and tell him what they were. and
Jimmy would repeat them, often dropping syllables but still seeming to
enjoy learning. Gene had to admit that he felt a surge of pride when the
toddler called him, “Da.”
But even if he couldn’t understand what Gene was saying, Jimmy did
seem to be paying attention. Gene hadn’t even had to give him any penny
candy to keep him busy. He’d fed him twice and had to take him to the
railcar’s privy closet once, which had really been an experience for the
toddler. Once he’d gotten past the shock of the noise and seeing the rails
passing beneath the trap door, Jimmy had thoroughly enjoyed using the
device.
As the night’s darkness enveloped the train, Jimmy spent most of the
time sleeping and even Gene drifted off a few times.
By the time they’d reached Sidney the following afternoon, he was
feeling almost like a father.
_____
The next morning, the ferry crossing across the Missouri River was
another eye-opening experience for Jimmy, but they were soon on
horseback and left Nebraska City behind.
As he guided Hawkeye along the Oregon Trail, the landscape was
familiar to him now and he was able to keep up a good pace. He and Jimmy
continued to chat, and it seemed that Jimmy’s vocabulary grew with each
passing hour.
The weather was still warm, so Gene continued past the first town. He
wanted to see how Jimmy would react to sleeping outside because he
wasn’t sure that it could be avoided later in their journey. He had extra
blankets in case they hit a deluge and Jimmy’s saddle-seat became soaked.
He had only been drenched once during his two long rides, so he knew he
was probably overdue. But having the extra blankets was necessary if they
camped.
 When Gene did pull up for the night, he found a lovely spot that didn’t
even look like it was part of the prairie. There was a clear stream that didn’t
have the brackish water that flowed through most of them on the plains. It
even had a small stand of river birch for cover in case Mother Nature did
surprise them with an unexpected shower.
Before they slipped under the blankets, Gene washed Jimmy with a wet,
soapy towel and had to avoid an unexpected boy-created shower. Jimmy
seemed to think of it as the perfect way to end the long day.
Just a few minutes after laying down, Jimmy was already in deep sleep
and Gene looked at the little boy in the moonlight.
“I wonder what Robyn will think about you, Jimmy?”
It was a question that maybe he should have asked before he even
thought of adopting the boy. The suddenness of his proposal and declaration
of love to Robyn hadn’t allowed them much time to discuss things like
family. It wasn’t as if she had a choice of having babies or not, but he didn’t
know if she’d want their first child to be a boy who didn’t belong to either
of them.
He could always ask his father and Nora to raise him and didn’t doubt
that even if he did adopt Jimmy that the boy would spend a lot of time next
door. But he hoped that Robyn’s soft heart and generous nature would allow
her to love little Jimmy as he would.
He was already incredibly fond of the youngster and he’d only met him a
few days ago. Of course, on the other hand, he did almost pee on him.
Gene laughed lightly then leaned over and kissed Jimmy’s forehead
before closing his eyes.
_____
In Orville, Fenn was whistling as he returned to his room after meeting
with the boss. Lud had instructed him to go to Colorado Springs and find
out all he could about the Stewarts, especially Gene. He wasn’t asked to do
anything with the information, and Fenn had nodded as he repeated the
directions. Whatever he said really didn’t matter to Fenn. Just being sent to
Colorado Springs was all that was important. He’d come close to leaving on
his own after the long delay, but he didn’t want his boss to become
suspicious. He needed at least one full day in Colorado Springs, and he
didn’t want Lud to send anyone looking for him.
He wished that he could leave in the morning, but Lud had told him to
wait for three more days without giving him a reason. It was a bit unnerving
for Fenn who saw plots everywhere and was concerned that somehow Lud
had figured out that Fenn was going to betray him. He knew it was highly
improbable, but there was always that chance. Lud may not be nearly as
smart as he was, but he didn’t get to be the boss because he was stupid. Lud
also understood just how much of conniver Fenn was. All he had to do now
was behave like the loyal, subservient toady for three days. He did need to
avoid overdoing it, though.
The boss’s two newest sycophants, Zeb Glenn and Joe Tennyson were
falling all over themselves to impress Lud and Fenn was disgusted with the
pair. They made Hank Thatcher and Tomb Smith seem like geniuses.
He entered his room five minutes later, closed the door and after tossing
his hat on the bed, he lit the lamp and sat at the small desk.
Fenn opened the small drawer and pulled out the lone envelope from its
shadows. This was his ticket to a fortune and even though he’d have to
share, there was more than enough to go around.
It was late, but Fenn couldn’t resist opening the envelope and reading the
single sheet of paper that would allow him to live like a king. He knew he
probably didn’t need it anymore, but he kept it with him because this time,
there might be questions when he walked into Colorado Springs Bank &
Trust.
_____
Gene and his small friend were atop Hawkeye and making good time as
they headed west.
As they rode, Gene continued his efforts to expand the boy’s vocabulary,
despite Jimmy’s modification of many of the words that were longer than a
single syllable. Gene was finding it a very enjoyable way to pass the time.
 For a brief time on yesterday’s ride, he’d seen the smoke of a locomotive
far to the north and knew that the Union Pacific was laying track on the
other side of the Platte River. He hoped they’d build the railroad even faster
but doubted if it would swing far enough south to reach Colorado, much
less Colorado Springs. Besides, the terrain wasn’t the best around the town
that was nestled at the edge of the Rockies. But he hoped that there would
be a railroad coming to Denver much sooner. It was only a day’s hard ride
away and he didn’t want to wait so long before being reunited with Anna
and John.
But despite missing Anna already, he was much more anxious to be
reunited with Robyn. He wasn’t riding nearly as fast as he had on the way
east because of Jimmy, but he was still moving along at a pace that should
get them into Colorado in another two days. Tomorrow, they should reach
Fort Kearny and he and Jimmy would visit Lieutenant Colonel Richards.
Even though he had Jimmy to keep him occupied, Gene still scanned the
surrounding terrain for potential threats, especially Cheyenne and Pawnee.
He wasn’t sure what effect his interception of their shipment of repeaters
and ammunition had on the situation. They could be raising hell with
anyone who used the Oregon Trail, or they could be waiting on another
shipment or even believe that this one was overdue. He just had to prepare
for the worst.
It was just after midday when he spotted a dust cloud on the western
horizon. It took him another few minutes to realize that the traffic was
headed west and that he was gaining on them. He didn’t slow their pace but
kept his focus on the dots that were hidden by the dust.
It was another ten minutes before he recognized the blue uniforms of
cavalry, and shortly after wondering why he was gaining ground so rapidly,
he noticed the tail end of a heavily loaded freight wagon.
The closer he drew to the convoy, the more wagons he saw. By the time
he was within a mile, he had counted eight wagons and sixteen troopers.
Whatever they were bringing to Fort Kearny must have been worth
protecting.
 He picked up the pace slightly and was soon spotted by one of the
soldiers.
When Gene saw other faces turn towards him, he waved, and they waved
back before two of the troopers wheeled their horses around and began
riding in his direction. He assumed that whoever was in command of the
detachment had ordered them to identify him. He glanced down at Jimmy
as he stared at the approaching rider and grinned. They were in for a
surprise. He was sure that they hadn’t seen the boy yet because Gene had
almost camouflaged him by dressing him in similar colors. It was only his
blonde hair that would attract notice.
By the time that the two cavalrymen were within a hundred yards, Gene
could see the curiosity on both of their faces.
He didn’t slow his pace, but they turned their mounts and pulled in on
his right side.
Gene smiled at the closer man and said, “Afternoon, Corporal. Where
are you headed?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing. I’m guessing you’re going to
Fort Kearny, but I can’t imagine why.”
“I’m stopping at Fort Kearny and I’ll spend the night with Colonel
Richards and his wife before we continue our ride to Colorado Springs.”
“You know the colonel?”
“I met him on the ride east a few day ago and he asked me to stop by on
my return trip. Do you know him?”
“No, sir. We only know his name from our orders. We were sent from
Fort Omaha to strengthen the garrison there. Most of the company is
already there, but we were assigned to protect the supply train. Are you
really going to cross the plains to Colorado?”
“Hopefully for the last time. This is the third time in the last few weeks.”
“We were sent here because the Cheyenne are getting feisty.”
 “I figured that with the war finally winding down, they’d be sending
more men out west."
"That’s the truth, but we were already at Fort Omaha when we were sent
packing. I’m not sure that taking the boy through Cheyenne territory is a
wise idea. You seem pretty well armed, but I’m not sure it’s good enough to
keep you safe.”
“I ran into some Cheyenne on the first trip, but they weren’t very well
armed, so I was able to stop all eight of them. I got the gray stallion from
one of them, but I’ll try to avoid them if I can.”
“Well, you can ride with us. We’re planning on reaching Kearny late
tomorrow.”
Gene didn’t have to think very long about the offer. He knew he could
ride at almost double their pace, but he was planning on staying at Fort
Kearny anyway and he appreciated the added protection. Each of the
troopers was carrying a Spencer or a single-shot Sharps carbine, so they
were probably better armed than any band of attacking Cheyenne.
“I’ll do that, Corporal. Thank you. I’m Gene Stewart and this is Jimmy.”
The non-commissioned officer grinned and tipped his hat before saying,
“It’s good to meet you, Mister Stewart. I’m Jim White and this sorry excuse
for a military man is Private Bob Draper.”
Gene nodded at the private before they picked up their pace slightly and
soon reached the wagons.
Gene met Lieutenant Morey Pittsfield and Jimmy soon became the
center of attention as the long supply train made its way westward.
After Jimmy, the second major topic was Gene’s previous rides through
the territory that was alien to the troopers. He was able to give them some
measure of what to expect and it naturally morphed into discussion about
the war.
By the time they made camp that evening, Gene and Jimmy were
comfortably surrounded by the soldiers as they shared war stories. His
purpose for making the hazardous journeys were part of the long sessions,
so by the time each of them was stretched out on various sleeping surfaces,
it was almost midnight. Lieutenant Pittsfield had set pickets for the few
hours that remained, so Gene was able to sleep more peacefully. Jimmy
didn’t seem to notice the difference.
_____
Robyn’s excitement about Gene’s return hadn’t diminished in the
slightest since receiving the telegram. She had been busy preparing the
house for his arrival and been adding new touches each day.
She found it difficult to fall asleep each night as her mind was filled with
images of their reunion. She was building a mountain of topics to share
with him when they were finally together again, and she didn’t think it was
unusual in the slightest. There had never been a moment since meeting
Gene that she didn’t believe that they were meant to spend their lives with
each other. Now all he had to do was make one last long journey across the
plains.
She had totally forgotten about Fenn and Lud Humber. As far as she was
concerned, they could be living on the moon.
_____
The stop at Fort Kearny had been a pleasant diversion and Mrs. Richards
had fallen in love with Jimmy. She gave him more hints about how to care
for the boy as well as two small cakes to bring along.
He hadn’t learned anything more about any trouble with the Cheyenne,
but he was still planning to avoid any contact with anyone on the rest of his
journey.
It was almost noon, and Kearny was long gone when he and Jimmy
spotted a good-sized herd of white-tailed deer.
Gene pointed to them and said, “Deer.”
Jimmy grinned and stuck his pudgy little finger out as he repeated,
“Deer.”
 Gene tapped him on his head and said, “Very good, Mister Stewart. I
hope that all we see until we get home is four-legged critters.”
Jimmy answered, “Deer. Da. Deer.”
Gene laughed before he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out one
of the small cakes. He broke it in half and gave one piece to Jimmy who
immediately crammed it into his mouth.
Gene was still grinning as he took a bite and began chewing as he
scanned the landscape. He was about to swallow when he saw four riders to
the northwest. They were three miles out and he assumed they were a
hunting party chasing down the deer, so he shifted to the southwest and
picked up the pace.
Jimmy was still munching his cake as Gene kept an eye on the hunters.
They were too far away to identify, so they could be foragers from the fort
or a settlement, but he was more inclined to believe they were Cheyenne.
There were only four and he was confident that he could hold them off if
they decided he was better game than the deer, but he didn’t want to put
Jimmy at risk. If they wanted his guns, they’d have to make a long charge
to get close and he was sure that both Hawkeye and Dunk would be able to
at least keep them from getting anywhere close.
He wasn’t even sure if they’d seen him, but they didn’t follow and soon
they were gone from sight. He was grateful but seeing them had renewed
his vigilance and now he was concerned about sleeping in the open. He was
still three days away from Colorado Springs and that meant he’d have to be
even more careful when he selected his campsites.
_____
The next day’s ride was uneventful, and Gene began to search for the
Rockies, but knew he wouldn’t see them until late tomorrow at the earliest.
But knowing that the tips of the mountains would soon beckon him home
gave him even more incentive. The ride had been at a much faster pace than
he’d expected because Jimmy had adapted so easily to his backpack and
blanket saddle. They hadn’t run afoul of bad weather which helped
immensely, but mostly it was because he and Jimmy found a comfortable
routine. Jimmy was a very pleasant companion and Gene found himself
enjoying his job as a parent, the need to clean up after the boy’s
unannounced natural disasters notwithstanding.
On his other two trips, Gene had spent much of the time talking to horses
without getting any replies. Jimmy may talk gibberish much of the time, but
Gene found that he was able to communicate with him better than he’d
expected. They were far from deep, philosophical discussions, but they
passed the time.
It was late that afternoon that Jimmy was introduced to a new creature.
When he first spotted the enormous herd of buffalo, Jimmy pointed and
excitedly shouted, “Deer, Da! Deer!”
Gene laughed and said, “Buffalo, Jimmy. Not deer. Buffalo.”
Jimmy looked up at him and asked, “Bull-o?”
“No, sir. Buff-a-lo. Say it one syllable at a time.”
Jimmy scrunched up his face and tried several times, but the best he
could manage was bluff-o.
Gene was angling south around the herd as he listened to Jimmy’s
attempts and wondered if he would have been able to say the word when he
was almost three years old. Everyone had said that Jimmy looked like him
and he agreed with their opinions, but he now began to see himself in the
little boy.
As they left the big herd behind them, Gene was certain that if nothing
else, he knew that he would have to be a good father to Jimmy. He wanted
to see the boy grow into a good man.
_____
It was in the early morning when the sun was at his back and threw its
light across the plains that Gene first spotted the summits of the Rockies on
the horizon. He was going to point them out to Jimmy but wanted to wait
until they were more visible. It’s difficult to point out something that looks
like nothing more than a series of small ragged spikes in the distance.
 But just seeing those bumps gave him renewed impetus as he nudged
Hawkeye into a quicker pace. They should reach Colorado Springs
tomorrow.
To celebrate, he shared some penny candy with Jimmy. He’d ridden over
four hundred miles without having to fire a shot and hoped that would hold
true for the last day and a half.
_____
Fenn rode out of Orville with a great sense of relief. Lud had given him
some last-minute instructions that morning and Fenn was sure that the big
boss wasn’t the least bit suspicious. He even had another new Henry
repeater in his scabbard courtesy of Mister Humber. He’d almost started
laughing when Lud had given it to him before he left but managed to
restrain his amusement. Why he’d even thought about presenting him with
the rifle was beyond him. He hadn’t asked him to shoot any of the Stewarts
because that was never his job anyway.
He finally guessed that Lud was trying to nudge him into the violent side
of his business. He really didn’t care because once he left Orville, he wasn’t
going to be working for the man anymore. He would never be working for
another man again. He’d be his own boss and he’d be the one to be giving
orders.
He expected to reach Colorado Springs late in the afternoon. He’d get a
room at the hotel, then after finding out about the Stewarts, he’d set the
wheels of his scheme into motion.
The key to its success was not only finding the Stewarts but finding that
Gene Stewart was still there. It might work if he wasn’t, but if he was, then
Fenn was sure that he’d be able to enjoy his new life without worry.
What was even more ironic about the whole plan was that it was Lud’s
misplaced trust that would be his downfall. A trust that had actually been
enhanced when he returned to Orville after the gunfight with Stewart. The
fact that he had returned at all had turned out to be a positive. As far as
Fenn knew, Lud Humber hadn’t trusted another human being on the planet
except for him and that tickled him to no end.
 As Gene set up camp that night around twenty-five miles northwest of
Colorado Springs, Fenn Jordan was already in his room at the Colorado
Continental Hotel writing at the desk and preparing for tomorrow’s work.
He hoped to be out of the town shortly after noon.
 CHAPTER 12
“Well, Jimmy, later today, you’ll meet your grandfather, grandmother
and your new mama. What do you think about that?”
Jimmy didn’t turn around in his restrictive holder but pointed to the
Rockies and said, “Mon-tens”
“Yes, sir. Those are some big mountains and you’ll grow up with them
all around you.”
He set Hawkeye to a medium trot and began the more tortuous route to
Colorado Springs. After a week of riding on mostly level ground, the much
more picturesque landscape while pleasant to the eye, made the ride slower.
Even though it did add time to the day’s journey that he was anxious to end,
he thought it was a fair trade.
_____
Two hours later, Fenn Jordan entered the Colorado Springs Bank & Trust
and walked to the desk of head clerk, Miles Johnson.
Miles was surprised to see him again so soon but smiled as Fenn
approached and then took a seat.
“Morning, Fenn. Making another deposit?”
“Just the opposite. I need to make a few big transfers.”
The clerk’s eyebrows rose then he glanced behind him before saying,
“So, it’s time. How come you didn’t give me any notice. I need to pack.”
“You’ll have to wait until those transfers are final. But before we do that,
I need some information.”
“Go ahead.”
“Does Alex Stewart still have an account here?”
 “Sure. In fact, so does his son, Eugene. They bought a pair of
neighboring houses on Seventh Street. It was the talk of the bank, so it’s not
exactly a secret. Numbers seventeen and nineteen. I can’t remember who
has which house.”
“That’s good to hear. I’ll explain when I get the chance, but I don’t have
time today. I want to be on the road to Denver before long.”
“Okay,” Miles said before pulling out some forms and taking a pen in his
hand.
“I assume the withdrawals are all coming from Mister Humber’s
account, sir?”
Fenn grinned and slipped a sheet of paper across the desk.
Miles Johnson turned it around, then looked at Fenn curiously for a few
seconds before beginning to fill out the papers. Two of the transfers he
expected, but the third was something new.
When he finished, he had Fenn sign each of them before he walked to
the cashier’s cage and pulled out a ledger. After making his entries, he left
the transfer sheets in the filing box then returned to the desk and after
sitting down, he handed the authorization transfer for Western Union to
Fenn.
“How else may I help you today, sir?” he asked with a smile.
Fenn returned his smile as he picked up the Western Union transfer order
then stood and shook Miles’ hand.
“Thank you for your help, Mister Johnson. You’ve been most efficient.
“No, sir, thank you for your business,” Miles replied before Fenn spun
on his heels and casually left the bank.
Fenn then mounted his horse for the day’s long ride, but he needed to
make two stops before leaving Colorado Springs. The first would be at
Western Union and the second was on Seventh Street.
_____
 Robyn was helping her mother with laundry while Alex was in the barn
behind the house taking care of Gene’s horses.
“I hope Gene gets back today. I’m a bit surprised that he didn’t show up
yesterday. I thought he’d make an even faster ride back than he did to get to
Peoria.”
Nora laughed, pulled out one of her dresses and as she began to wring it,
she said, “I hope you aren’t thinking that it means he values you less than
he does his sister.”
Robyn smiled at her mother before replying, “No, Mama. It’s just that
I’m so anxious to see him again. We had just started down the path of a life
together when he had to go. I can’t tell you how eager I am to resume the
journey.”
“I’m sure he is as well and trust me, I really do understand. I never
believed that I’d meet a man like Alex and when he was attacked by that
damned consumption, I almost lost my faith. I think it’s nothing short of a
miracle that he’s doing so well, and it was so sudden, too. It’s almost as if
he had gone away on a long journey and had returned home.”
“I’m so happy for you, Mama. I know that when Gene returns, we’ll be
just as happy together.”
Nora tossed her rolled, wet dress into the tub for clean clothes then stood
and arched her back.
Robyn was about to pick up the filled tub when she stopped and asked,
“Did you hear something?”
Her mother froze and listened before answering, “No. What did you
think you heard?”
“It sounded like footsteps on the front porch.”
Nora looked down the hallway before saying, “I don’t hear anything. Do
you want to check the front door?”
Robyn nodded but before she started walking, she reached into her dress
pocket and wrapped her fingers around her Smith & Wesson Model 1 pistol.
She had never fired the gun, but Gene had explained how to use it and had
her dry fire the small pistol before he left.
She slowly strode down the dim corridor and just before she reached the
parlor, she spotted a white envelope on the floor near the front door.
She forgot about the pistol and hurried to the entrance and picked up the
heavy envelope. It hadn’t been posted and it wasn’t a telegram. All that was
written on the outside was a single name, Stewart.
Robyn then flipped it over to look at the back of the envelope to see if it
had more writing, but when she found it blank, she pulled her pistol and
slowly opened the door.
No one was on the porch, so she stepped outside and scanned the street.
She spotted a rider turning onto Colorado Avenue and thought he might be
Fenn Jordan, but she hadn’t had a good look.
She returned to the house, closed the door and after sliding her pistol
back into her pocket she headed back to the kitchen with the curious
envelope in her hand.
As she left the hallway, her mother asked, “Is it another telegram from
Gene?”
“No. I don’t know what it is. It’s just addressed to Stewart, but it wasn’t
posted. I saw a rider leaving Seventh Street, and I thought he might be Fenn
Jordan, but I’m not sure.”
She handed the envelope to her mother and asked, “Do you want to give
it to Alex?”
Nora looked at both sides of the envelope before setting it on the kitchen
table and saying, “I’ll go get him and we’ll let him open it in here.”
“Alright. I’ll delay hanging the laundry. This adds a bit more spice to the
day and I was already excited.”
Nora smiled then quickly left through the back door to find Alex. This
most assuredly added spice to the day and even as she passed through the
doorway, she had no idea just how much of an impact that envelope would
have on their lives.
Robyn sat down at the table and began examining the envelope. She
thought it held at least two pages but maybe as many as four. She had
already developed three different theories of what was on those pages when
Alex and Nora entered the kitchen.
She held the envelope out to Alex who sat down and then took it from
her fingers as Nora watched.
He opened the envelope and pulled out the mysterious contents.
After unfolding the pages, he looked at Nora and said, “They’re from
Fenn Jordan.”
“I thought so!” exclaimed Robyn, then asked, “What does he want?”
“This is an affidavit that names Ludwig Humber as the man who ordered
Hank Thatcher and Bill ‘Tomb’ Smith to murder us. It has dates and is even
notarized.”
“Does he want us to give it to the sheriff?” Robyn asked.
“I don’t know. I imagine the other pages will have the explanation.”
Alex quickly moved the affidavit to the back then said, “I think he
expected Gene to read this.”
“Why?” asked Nora.
“He starts the letter with ‘To Gene Stewart or anyone else’.”
“What does it say?”
“I’ll read it aloud.”
Alex read:
To Gene Stewart or anyone else reading this:
 
I hope that it’s Gene Stewart reading this because I know he’ll do
what needs to be done. So, I’ll write this as if he’s reading it. If not, then
maybe Sheriff Drucker will act, but I doubt it.
 
I didn’t write the affidavit because I’ve seen the light and suddenly
changed my ways. I’m still the same sneaky bastard I’ve always been. But
I’ve never even so much as shot a gun at another human being simply
because I don’t have the courage to do it. I know that I could be charged
with any number of crimes, and if you want to chase me down, good luck.
You’d probably find me, but it would take you away from Miss Martin and I
don’t think you want to do that.
 
Lud sent me to Colorado Springs to find out if you were still here or
not. I believe you have him concerned and rightfully so. He expects me to
report back to him, so when I don’t, he’ll probably send someone else.
 
Before I left for parts unknown, I emptied Lud Humber’s very large
bank account here in Colorado Springs. Believe it or not, it wasn’t even
technically illegal. Two years ago, Mister Humber gave me power of
attorney to make deposits and withdrawals from his account because he
didn’t want to keep making the trip and there wasn’t a telegraph between
the towns. Why he trusted me in the first place is one of life’s great
mysteries. Of all of the people who worked for him, I would have trusted me
less than any of them. The only possible reason would be that he believed
that I was such a coward that I wouldn’t dare to cheat him. Coward I may
be, but I have no intention of seeing him again and that’s why I’m writing
this letter.
 
Before I emptied the account, I had to find out if Gene was still here.
I suspected that it was more likely that he was than not, so if you are here,
Gene, then your bank account is significantly higher. Consider it a gift for
not shooting me when most men would have. It’s not even a significant
portion of the amount I stole from Mister Humber, so don’t believe I’m
being overly generous.
 
The money is also sort of a pre-payment for returning to Orville and
bringing Lud Humber to justice. I’m sure that Sheriff Drucker won’t object
if you do his work. He may even make you a deputy to keep it legal.
Personally, I don’t care if you shoot the bastard in the back, but you won’t.
  
Just a word of caution. After you dispatched Hank and Tomb (very
impressive bomb, by the way), Lud hired two men as replacements. Zeb
Glenn and Joe Tennyson both make their predecessors look like intellectual
giants. They aren’t very bright, but they are both brutal and are good with
their pistols. If Lud tells them to shoot you, they won’t bother asking why.
 
Zeb is a short, stocky man with black hair, brown eyes, wears a full,
thick beard and is left-handed. Joe Tennyson is almost six feet tall and thin
with light brown hair and blue eyes and is clean shaven. He’s almost a
skinny version of you but with about half your intelligence, if that much.
 
What you do with them is up to you. I’m assuming that you would
still go to Orville even if I hadn’t transferred the money because that’s the
kind of man you are. I take no pride in being me. I’m your complete
opposite, but somehow, I find that I both like and admire you. I find it the
height of irony that the man for whom I should have held some measure of
respect for giving me the opportunity for a good life is a man I despise. Yet I
find that it’s you, the man who viewed me as a vile cockroach to be the man
I admire. Maybe I’m not a lost cause after all.
 
So, here’s the affidavit for Lud Humber. Enjoy the money and marry
Miss Martin. I know this sounds absurd, but I believe that you two were
meant to be together.
 
Good Luck,
 
Fenn Jordan
 
Alex looked up from the last page at Robyn and smiled as he handed her
the papers.
“Now that was interesting.”
Robyn glanced at her mother before saying, “He’s going to go to Orville;
isn’t he?”
 “Would you want him to stay and let Humber get away with his crimes?”
Alex asked.
“No. I just don’t want him to go into that mess alone. I know that the
sheriff is out of commission for a while and he has just the one deputy, so
Gene would probably have to go there by himself.”
“We’ll just have to see what Gene says when he returns. Maybe I’ll go
with him. I’m feeling a lot stronger. I’m beginning to believe that the
consumption is really gone.”
Nora quickly said, “It still did its damage, Alex. You aren’t up to it and
besides, you haven’t fired a pistol in years.”
“I suppose, but we’re not married yet, so you can’t start nagging me.
That has to wait until you’re officially Mrs. Stewart.”
Nora laughed then looked at her daughter and asked, “Do you want to
have a double ceremony, Robyn?”
“I’m not sure if Gene is ready yet, Mama. It was all so sudden.”
“If Fenn Jordan even noticed it, then I’m sure that he’s ready.”
Robyn smiled weakly as she nodded. Just when she was planning on
having at least a few normal days with Gene, this letter had to arrive and
spoil it.
“I hope that he at least postpones that ride to Orville for a few days,” she
finally said before she began reading the letter.
_____
After stopping for a quick lunch and letting Jimmy empty his little
bladder, they had remounted Hawkeye and resumed their winding ride
along the foothills of the Rockies.
As they rode, Gene continued his almost constant chatter with the
toddler who seemed to enjoy the disjointed conversation as much as the
adult did. Gene had become so accustomed to having Jimmy sitting against
him that he felt naked when he had to take him out of his pouch.
 “In a little while, you’ll be walking on your own again, sir. But I’ll still
keep your backpack conveyance even after you’re too big for it. I have a
feeling that it might come in handy over the next few years when Robyn
and I start giving you brothers and sisters.”
Jimmy simply replied, “Da,” which had become his personal affirmative
response.
Gene laughed as he stared ahead at the twisting road. They’d passed a
good amount of traffic heading north to Denver all day so when he spotted
another rider coming towards him, he wasn’t alarmed. Every time they’d
passed the strangers, each one of them had smiled at the sight of the big
man with the little boy and most had laughed when Jimmy had waved at
them.
As the rider drew closer, Gene thought he looked a little like Fenn
Jordan mainly because of his choice of clothing. He discarded the notion
because even in the unlikely event that Fenn was going to Denver, he
wouldn’t be riding. He’d be using the more comfortable accommodation of
a stagecoach.
Fenn identified Gene as soon as he rounded the bend and rather than
panic, he almost giggled. It was almost as if fate were pushing them
together. He wasn’t afraid because he wasn’t armed, and Gene hadn’t shot
him the last time. He’d forgotten about the Henry repeater that sat in its
scabbard on the right side of his saddle.
Gene realized that it was indeed Fenn Jordan approaching him and even
though he noticed the repeater, he didn’t bother pulling either of his rifles.
He didn’t even release his hammer loops because he was confident that
Fenn posed no real personal threat. He might be scouting for some
ambushers that would be waiting around the next bend, but he doubted it.
He was mostly curious about why Fenn had left Orville and now was
leaving Colorado Springs. If he had decided to run, he should already be
long gone. But he was convinced that he wouldn’t be able to convince Fenn
to return to Colorado Springs to testify against his old boss and that
bothered him.
 Fenn suddenly spotted the little boy strapped to Gene’s torso and his own
curiosity was piqued. He’d already imagined the big man would marry
Robyn Martin and he wondered if Gene had returned to his hometown to
collect his son. He knew that Gene had been living in Illinois, so he found it
hard to imagine that he would have ridden all that way with a child, so it
didn’t make much sense.
When they were just fifty yards apart, Fenn pulled up and waited for
Gene to arrive.
Gene didn’t change Hawkeye’s pace until he was close and then pulled
him to a stop alongside Fenn.
“I’m surprised to see you, Mister Jordan. Why did you wait so long
before you ran?”
“I’m even more surprised to see you, Mister Stewart. I expected to find
you in Colorado Springs. I even left you a letter.”
“You left me a letter? I imagine it wasn’t a love note.”
Fenn laughed as he replied, “Actually, it was pretty close. I left an
affidavit about Lud Humber so he can be charged with attempted murder.”
Gene’s eyebrows shot upward before he asked, “And you expect me to
let you just ride away without paying any penalty?”
“I do. You know I’m just a tool he used to keep an eye on things. I
suppose if you wanted to bring me back to Colorado Springs and have me
tossed in jail, you could do that. But I don’t believe you will. You want to
get back to town and see Miss Martin; isn’t that right?”
“And that’s why you think I’ll just let you leave?”
“That and you have the little boy with you. Is he your son?”
“He’s my nephew right now, but he’ll be my son when I return to
Colorado Springs.”
“So, may I continue? I really don’t want to run afoul of Lud. He won’t
be happy when he discovers that I’ve gone.”
 “I imagine so,” Gene replied as he looked at Fenn.
He knew that Fenn was right on both counts: he wanted to return to
Robyn and Fenn really wasn’t important as he had never posed a threat. He
might have changed his mind if he knew about the massive amount of
money that he’d stolen from Lud Humber.
“Did you really leave an affidavit?”
“I did. I even left you descriptions of the two thugs that Lud hired after
you eliminated Hank and Tomb.”
“I appreciate the information, so I guess there’s no point in my delaying
your trip. I don’t even want to know your final destination. I’ll put Mister
Humber out of business, so you’ll be able to enjoy your new life.”
“Thank you. I intend to do just that,” Fenn replied before saying, “I
know we’re not exactly chums, Mister Stewart, but could I shake your hand
before we go our separate ways?”
Gene was surprised but leaned across the gap and the two very different
men shook hands before Fenn nudged his gelding into a trot and rode away.
Gene twisted in the saddle and shook his head in mild confusion before
tapping Hawkeye’s flanks and heading for the bend in the road.
As much as he may have been repulsed for all that Fenn had done, Gene
couldn’t help but respect him for at least being honest with himself. Not
many men would admit to their faults so readily.
Once they rounded the bend, Gene said, “You didn’t wave to Mister
Jordan, Jimmy.”
“Da.”
Gene laughed and nudged Hawkeye into a faster pace. He knew he was
less than two hours out of Colorado Springs now and the desire to see
Robyn again was becoming even more intense.
He was debating about stopping at #17 first to introduce Jimmy to his
grandfather or going straight to his new home. He hoped that Robyn would
be visiting her mother which would make the decision unnecessary.
_____
When Jimmy spotted the buildings of Colorado Springs laid out in the
valley below the roadway, he began to giggle and point.
“That’s home, Jimmy. Pretty soon you’ll meet the rest of your family.”
Jimmy was too excited to give his ‘Da’ reply but was bouncing on his
blanket saddle as they began their descent into Colorado Springs.
They entered the north end of town thirty minutes later and Gene and
Jimmy were each sucking a piece of penny candy. Jimmy preferred the
cherry drops but Gene had selected a peppermint disk because he expected
to be kissing Robyn within a few minutes.
The encounter with Fenn Jordan was all but forgotten as he turned
Hawkeye onto Seventh Street and began to anxiously scan the houses ahead
in the hopes of spotting Robyn on one of the porches.
Robyn might have been on the porch waiting for him if it hadn’t been for
Fenn’s surprise envelope. After a long discussion about the letter, she had to
hang the laundry and then she left to do her chores at #19 to make the house
perfect for Gene’s arrival. Then after she’d returned to #17, she took down
the dry laundry and helped to prepare lunch.
With both houses immaculate and the laundry done, Robyn decided to
bake a raisin cake to celebrate Gene’s expected return but used the
cookstove at #17 because it was already hot from lunch. If she’d known that
he was just five miles out of town when she slid the pan into the oven, she
would probably have been primping rather than baking.
So, when Gene reached the first Stewart house and turned Hawkeye
down the drive, he wasn’t sure where Robyn was. He walked his tall
gelding and Dunk to the back of the house and stepped down without even
noticing that Jimmy was still attached any longer. He was just there.
He tied off his gelding and despite his burning need to rush into the
house, he pulled Jimmy from his enclosure, set him on the ground near the
porch’s steps and unstrapped the backpack.
 “We’re home, Jimmy,” he said as he hung the backpack on the saddle
and then lifted the boy onto his hip.
Robyn, Nora and Alex were talking about the situation with Orville, so
they hadn’t heard his approach. When the back door suddenly swung open,
all three heads swiveled to the back of the room in surprise.
Robyn quickly shot to her feet as she exclaimed, “Gene!”
Gene already wore a smiling face before he opened the door, but when
he saw Robyn’s face, it exploded.
But before she took her second step she stopped and stared at Jimmy.
Nora and Alex both stood, and Alex asked, “Who is your friend?”
“This is Jimmy. He’s my nephew and your grandson, Dad.”
Alex stepped slowly forward as Jimmy looked at him with wide eyes.
Gene was expecting him to say, “Da,” but he simply stared.
Gene finally said, “Jimmy, this is my dad. He’s your grandfather.”
Jimmy continued to look curiously at Alex before his grandfather poked
him in his tummy and Jimmy giggled.
Alex laughed before saying, “He looks just like you did when you were a
tiny boy, Gene.”
“That’s what everyone tells me. Do you want to hold him? I’ve been
supporting him for over a week now.”
Without replying, Alex lifted Jimmy from Gene’s arms.
Gene then stepped over to Robyn, wrapped her in his arms then looked
down into her blue eyes and whispered, “I’ve missed you terribly, Robyn.”
Robyn didn’t answer but stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
Nora only glanced at the couple before looking at Alex and saying, “You
have a grandson.”
 After the kiss ended, Gene turned to his smiling father and said, “Dad,
we all need to sit down so I can tell you why I brought Jimmy with me.”
Alex handed Jimmy to a greedy-eyed Nora before they walked to the
kitchen table and took their seats.
Gene took Robyn’s hand as he said, “I went to the farmhouse just an
hour after arriving to talk to Anna. When I arrived, I talked to mom for just
a short while before Jim Moran arrived and then things began to go all
wrong.”
He had to force himself to slow his speech as he didn’t want to relive
that terrible minute any longer than necessary. It still took more than five
minutes to explain the horror, and once he reached the moment that he and
Anna mounted their horses to go to see the Morans, he had to stop to catch
his breath.
When he did, Alex asked, “But Jim Moran tried to protect your mother;
didn’t he? He really did love her.”
Gene wasn’t sure that it was true but believed that it was somehow
important to his father that she hadn’t spent the last ten years without being
loved.
“Yes, sir.”
“You had her buried beside our boys and Katie?”
“I did. I didn’t have them write any sentiments on her memorial stone
because I didn’t know what would be appropriate."
"I understand,” he replied then looked at Jimmy and said, “I can’t tell
you how happy I am that you brought my grandson with you. That must
have been quite a difficult ride.”
“It was actually a lot smoother than either of the other two, but I had a
strange meeting on the road a few hours ago. I bumped into Fenn Jordan, of
all people. He said he left an affidavit about Lud Humber and expected me
to head to Orville.”
Robyn quickly said, “He left you a letter too, Gene.”
 Gene smiled at her before saying, “I know. He told me and then expected
me to just let him pass and not bring him back to face justice. I knew that he
wasn’t about to try to face me down and I could have forced him to come
with me, but he seemed to know me pretty well. He knew that I was
desperate to return to see you and that he really didn’t matter. So, I let him
go and didn’t even want to know his final destination.”
“In the letter, he said he took all of Lud’s money from the bank.”
“
He took all of it?”
Gene exclaimed, “That must have been quite a haul.
He never mentioned it and maybe I should have brought him back. To be
honest, I’m almost glad that Fenn has it because at least that will put Lud
into a bad position.”
“He said he transferred some to your account because you didn’t shoot
him.”
Gene rolled his eyes before he said, “I wonder what I’ll have to do with
it. I’ll need to talk to Sheriff Drucker soon anyway, so I’ll ask him.”
Then he looked at his father and said, “Speaking of money, Dad. Before
I left, Henry Wheeler brought up the farm. He said that I could sell it,
although he said technically you were still the owner. I could have been a
generous soul and let him just transfer the deed to Jack Moran who was
working the land, but he treated little Jimmy as if he was a diseased calf and
I didn’t want to give him anything. So, I gave him power of attorney to sell
it. I even hinted that he shouldn’t accept an offer from anyone named
Moran.”
Alex grinned and replied, “I’ll agree with that.”
Nora then asked, “What about Jimmy?”
Gene then looked at Robyn to ask her the same question but never had
the chance.
She smiled and squeezed his hand as she quickly said, “I’d love to adopt
him as soon as we get married.”
Gene was relieved and immensely happy with her answer to his unasked
question as he said, “I was hoping you’d want to do that, Robyn. I wasn’t
sure because he’s not related to you at all.”
“He will be. He’ll be my son and then we’ll give him brothers and
sisters.”
“And I’ll enjoy every moment in doing my part to make that happen.”
As Robyn laughed, Alex said, “I hope you’re going to change his name.
I like Jimmy Stewart much better than Jimmy Moran. It has a ring to it.”
Nora was bouncing the grinning toddler on her lap as she said, “It does.
Maybe he’ll be famous one day. Of course, he’ll have to work hard just to
reach the level of his new father.”
Alex stood and said, “Let me get the letter, Gene,” then turned and
walked out of the kitchen.
“What smells so good?” Gene asked.
Nora replied, “We’re baking a raisin cake in celebration of your return. It
should be done in another ten minutes.”
“I’m sure that Jimmy will appreciate it even more than I will.”
Robyn then asked, “Are you going to go to Orville right away?”
“No. I have a lot to do here first. Besides, Humber isn’t going anywhere
for a while. I wonder what he’ll do when he figures out that Fenn isn’t
coming back. I don’t know how he could have gotten away with taking his
money, but when Lud finds out about it, he’ll erupt like a volcano.”
“Fenn explained in the letter he left for you. Alex opened it because it
only had Stewart on the front. Fenn wasn’t sure if you were still here when
he wrote it.”
“Oh. Maybe…” Gene began when Alex entered with the letter and
affidavit.
Gene accepted the three pages from his father and quickly read the
affidavit before flipping to the second page. It only took him a minute to
read the letter then after he set it down, he smiled.
 “Well, it sure looks as if Lud Humber made an error in judgment when
he trusted Fenn. I can’t believe he’d trust any man enough to give him that
much power, but I guess that Mister Humber couldn’t conceive that such a
cowardly man as Fenn would dare to cross him.”
“He probably wouldn’t have if you hadn’t arrived and given him the
idea,” Alex said.
“Well, he’s long gone now, and it’ll take a few days before Lud
understands that he might be broke. Maybe I won’t have to go to Orville at
all. He might come here to check on his account personally and not send
someone as Fenn expected.”
He then said, “I know this sounds odd, but before we parted on the road,
he asked to shake my hand and I didn’t even hesitate. Fenn Jordan may
have been a cowardly sneak, but I had begun to respect the man. Every
coward that I’d ever met, and I’ve met quite a few, would bristle and deny
the allegation that he was anything less than a real man. Yet Fenn Jordan
seemed to accept what he was and never tried to minimize it in the least. He
may not have bragged about it, but he never claimed to be anything other
than what he was. In a way, it’s almost more courageous behavior to not
only admit it, but to learn to live with it.”
“He certainly made the most of it,” Robyn said with a smile as she
folded the three pages and slipped them back into the envelope.
Gene then said, “I need to take care of the horses and bring my things
into the house. Can you look after Jimmy for a while?”
“I’d love every second I can spend with him,” Nora replied.
“Thank you, Nora.”
Gene then stood and before his behind was an inch from the chair’s
surface, Robyn was rising as well.
“I’ll take the cake out of the oven, Robyn.”
Robyn hooked her arm through Gene’s and replied, “Thank you, Mama,”
then she and Gene walked out of the kitchen allowing their parents to
become better acquainted with Jimmy.
 After untying Hawkeye, Gene and Robyn led the two horses through the
backyards behind the two houses toward their own small barn.
“Gene,” she asked, “are we really going to get married soon? I mean,
everything happened so quickly that I began to wonder if it wasn’t a
dream.”
Gene put his arm over her shoulders as he replied, “We can get married
tomorrow if you’d like, Robyn. I’m never going to let you go now that I’m
back.”
Robyn almost stumbled before saying, “You’ve made me a very happy
woman, Gene. While you were gone, our parents were talking about getting
married and once it seemed that Alex’s consumption was almost gone, he
said that he wanted to wait until you returned. My mother agreed and said
that she hoped we could have a double ceremony.”
“I was going to suggest we do that if they weren’t already married before
I got back. They really do love each other; don’t they?”
“Maybe that’s why we fell in love so quickly. But I don’t want to risk
losing you again either. If you go to Orville, I’m coming with you.”
Gene lurched to a stop then turned to Robyn and snapped, “You can’t
mean that! Even I don’t know what to expect if I have to go there. I can take
care of myself and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“This is not open to argument, Mister Stewart. If I’m to be your wife,
then I expect to be your partner as well. I’m not planning on shooting
anyone, but I can watch your back and warn you. I also know a lot of the
townsfolk and might be able to convince some to help.”
Gene looked at the fire in her bright blue eyes and realized that there was
no point in fighting about it when he wasn’t even sure if he’d have to go to
Orville to find Lud Humber.
He managed to smile before replying, “Alright. Now can we please take
care of our poor horses, ma’am?”
Robyn smiled back before they turned then soon finished their short
journey and entered the barn.
 As they stripped both horses, Robyn asked, “Are you going to be a
deputy sheriff now?”
“I think so. I felt bad about disappointing Henry when I told him that I
wasn’t going to clerk for him, but he seemed to accept it well.”
“You don’t have to give up on it, Gene. You don’t have to clerk for a
lawyer; do you? Can’t you just study like Lincoln did and then take the bar
exam? If you’re a deputy sheriff, then you’ll be talking to the county
prosecutor and other attorneys, too.”
Gene held Hawkeye’s saddle in his hands as he looked at Robyn and
said, “You’re right. I can study while I work and it’ll help me be a better
lawman, too. I don’t know how long it’ll take, but I’d love to be able to
write a letter to Henry as Eugene W. Stewart, Esquire.”
Robyn laughed as she tossed Dunk’s saddle onto the stall fence.
“That sounds pretty impressive, sir. I hope you don’t expect me to curtsy
whenever I enter your office.”
Gene dropped the saddle onto another dividing fence then scooped her
into his arms.
“I’ll be the one who’ll be doing the bowing and scraping, my lady,” he
said before kissing her.
When their lips parted, Robyn said, “I suppose we need to get your
things moved to the house.”
After begrudgingly freeing her from his grasp, he said, “I suppose.”
Gene had both sets of saddlebags over his shoulders and Robyn had the
third when they left the barn. Gene had both rifles with him so when they
reached the back door, Robyn turned the knob, swung it wide and let Gene
enter first.
Once inside, Gene headed for his room with Robyn following.
He set his two saddlebags on the floor before Robyn crossed the
threshold, then stepped across the room and dropped his saddlebag on the
floor near the large chest of drawers and turned around.
He then noticed that her clothes had been moved into the closet then
looked back at Robyn before asking, “You plan to share my bedroom, Miss
Martin?”
Robyn smiled then replied, “I’ve spent every night alone in this house
since you left and I’m not going to wait any longer.”
Gene kept a straight face as he said, “This will have consequences,
ma’am.”
“Consequences?”
“Yes, ma’am. It would mean that you would have to marry me and do it
soon. There could be no more of your continuous procrastination.”
Robyn stared at him for two heartbeats before starting to laugh.
Gene granted her three seconds of merriment before taking her into his
arms and ending her laughter with an enthusiastic kiss.
Robyn let her own passions take possession of her and pressed herself
even closer to Gene, letting him know that there would be no
procrastination of any sort. She was expecting them to make use of the big
bed before long and was somewhat disappointed when he didn’t guide her
to the temptation of the mattress.
After the kiss ended, Gene quietly said, “We all have a lot to talk about,
Robyn.”
“I know, but I wouldn’t object to postponing those discussions for
twenty minutes.”
He grinned before saying, “Twenty minutes? You are being pessimistic,
ma’am. I intend to keep you much busier than that. You are a very
inspirational young woman and deserve my unbridled attention.”
She smiled back at him as she replied, “Then I’ll gladly postpone any
further adventures and expect nothing less than what you promise.”
 He swatted her perfect behind before releasing her and saying, “Let me
get my things put away then we can go back and talk to our parents about
what we need to do tomorrow.”
“Does that include getting married?”
Gene smiled at her before he began emptying his saddlebags and replied,
“We may have to wait another day or two for that to happen, ma’am. I need
to see Sheriff Drucker soon and tell him about everything. I’ll take the
letters and the affidavit with me and probably have to meet with the county
prosecutor. I don’t know if they’ll agree with my decision to let Fenn go, so
they both may want my scalp.”
“They wouldn’t dare!”
“You never know, but I’m pretty sure that the sheriff would understand,
and he’d much rather have Lud Humber. I’m just unsure of the money.”
“I wonder how much he put into your account?”
“We should check first. I don’t think it’ll be that much, but I may have to
give it back to somebody, maybe even Lud himself.”
“That wouldn’t be right, either.”
“Maybe I’ll talk to the sheriff first before visiting the bank.”
“I think you should,” Robyn replied as Gene emptied the saddlebags of
the last of his clothing.
He picked up the three saddlebags and said, “The rest can go into the
kitchen and probably one of the other rooms.”
Robyn nodded then hooked her arm through his and escorted him out of
what was now their bedroom.
Fifteen minutes later, they entered their parents’ home and found Nora
already spoiling Jimmy with warm raisin cake.
Alex smiled as they walked into the kitchen and said, “I think Nora is
well on her way to being a full-fledged grandma.”
 Gene replied, “I can see that. I hope there’s some cake left over for the
adults.”
“I don’t care,” Nora said without looking away from Jimmy and his
cake-stuffed face.
Gene and Robyn joined them at the kitchen table and Gene started
talking about what he needed to do tomorrow. Both Alex and Nora agreed
that he should talk to Sheriff Drucker before going to the bank, but Alex
pointed out that the money really didn’t matter. He said that the four of
them couldn’t even spend the money he was making on the interest alone
from his swollen bank account.
As much as Gene knew his calculations were accurate and that his father
was a wealthy man despite his almost rustic appearance, the issue still
bothered him. He still had a decent bank balance himself but didn’t want to
be seen as some rich man’s son. He remembered Lawrence Jones, Junior as
he sat in his boss’s office watching his father pay Gene to take his spoiled
son’s place in the army. He never regretted accepting the offer, but he didn’t
want to be seen as that kind of man. If he couldn’t become successful on his
own, then there was no purpose in being a man.
He didn’t mention his opinion as it wouldn’t change anything. He’d see
the sheriff in the morning. What happened in that meeting would determine
which direction his life would take.
The discussion then shifted to the double wedding ceremony.
Robyn said, “Mama, my Mister Stewart has asked for my hand in
marriage and I grudgingly accepted. He seems determined to delay our
nuptials until you and your Mister Stewart decide to wed. May we
coordinate our unions?”
Nora laughed then looked at Alex and asked, “Well, Mister Stewart,
have you finally realized that you are healthy enough to marry me? I know
that you’re well enough to enjoy our wedding night.”
Gene smiled and was surprised to see his father blush. He had never
recalled seeing his father change shades before but quickly looked at Robyn
to see if she had matched his new coloration. She was far from even pink-
faced when he caught her blue eyes already staring back at him. She even
winked to let him know that she was well aware of what had been
happening each night at #17 Seventh Street while he was gone. He didn’t
doubt that similar events would be happening in #19 that evening.
Alex finally overcame his embarrassment and replied, “Um…alright.
How about the day after tomorrow? We can all go to the justice of the peace
and be married before noon.”
“What about Jimmy?” Robyn asked.
Gene replied, “We’ll have to do that separately and with the county
judge. I don’t know the judge’s name, but I don’t see a problem. I’ll
mention it to Sheriff Drucker tomorrow.”
Robyn then turned to her mother and asked, “Could you keep Jimmy
with you tonight?”
Nora nodded and then set Jimmy on the floor.
Jimmy trotted to Gene and waited to be picked up.
Gene sighed, lifted the boy onto his lap and said, “I guess all that time on
the trail wasn’t enough after all.”
Jimmy then looked up at his new father and said, “Dad.”
Nora then said, “We spent some time working on his pronunciation
while you were gone.”
“He’s a smart little boy; isn’t he?” Gene asked as he smiled at Jimmy.
“He takes after his mother,” Alex said quietly.
Gene nodded but didn’t say anything. He felt almost guilty for not
missing Katie. He had always favored Anna and he hoped that hadn’t been
one of the reasons that she’d married Kevin. He doubted it, but he still felt
as if he should have given more attention to Katie than he had.
As supper was prepared and consumed, the conversations ranged from
the weddings to more details of what had happened in Peoria and on Gene’s
last two journeys across the plains.
 By the time that the sun was down, Gene and Robyn had put Jimmy to
bed, then kissed him goodnight and left the house to walk next door.
They slowly walked in the moonlight with hands gripped tightly. It had
been another in the almost unending days of discovery and stress for both of
them, but neither was remotely tired.
Yet after they’d entered their darkened house, there was no frenzied rush.
Just after leaving their parents’ house, Gene had asked Robyn to let him
take the lead in their expected lovemaking. He wanted this night to be as
special as possible for Robyn and she wanted it to be just as special for him.
They stepped down the dark hallway and turned into their bedroom. The
room was filled with soft moonlight which made it perfect with its
dreamlike quality. Gene was sure that he’d fulfill his promise to Robyn and
take his time to let her experience the full measure of his love for her.
Their first night together began with a soft kiss. Gene’s lips soon left
hers and slid across her cheek to her neck. She pulled aside her long hair
and tilted her head slightly and laid her fingers on the side of his face as he
began to kiss her.
She felt goosebumps erupt across her skin and a chill flash down her
back and immediately realized that the idea of a slow and gentle first time
wasn’t going to be possible.
Gene’s confidence about keeping that promise had been compromised as
soon as his lips had touched hers, and when he felt her reaction to his
kisses, he knew it would take Herculean control to maintain a measured and
methodical pace.
He tried to avoid touching her but within seconds of his lips reaching her
neck, Robyn pulled his hand to her right breast and then any possibility of a
gradual release of passion evaporated.
The bedroom soon echoed with cries of unrestricted lust as clothing flew
onto various locations on the floor and furniture.
Within ten minutes of entering the bedroom, the couple was naked and
on the large bed. Gene still attempted to keep a measure of his promise by
driving Robyn into oblivion with his caresses and kisses that covered her
body. But Robyn would no longer allow him to waste very much time
before she demanded that he take her.
Gene may have wished he could deny her first insanely loud request, but
it was no longer even remotely possible.
When they finally consummated their marriage two days ahead of
schedule, it was almost exactly the twenty minutes that Robyn had initially
suggested. But it was twenty minutes that left them both completely content
yet utterly exhausted.
As they lay together bathed in sweat, Gene felt Robyn’s chest rising and
falling as she lay against him. He had hoped to say something meaningful,
but Robyn spoke first.
Between breaths, she asked, “I wonder what our parents are doing?”
Gene began laughing as he pulled her closer. He couldn’t imagine saying
anything better.
 CHAPTER 13
Gene walked into the offices of the El Paso County Sheriff just after
eight o’clock the next morning. The brief time spent with their parents had
been free of suggestive comments by both pairs of adults, so Gene was able
to depart #17 without having to offer any explanations for his buoyant
mood.
When he entered, he found Sheriff Drucker at the desk as he expected,
but Juice Silvio was nowhere to be seen.
The sheriff remained seated when he spotted Gene because his knee
hadn’t shown any significant improvement.
Gene removed his hat before he sat on one of the two chairs opposite the
sheriff.
“So, how did your journey back East go?”
Before he answered, Gene slid the envelope with the affidavit and the
letter across the desk.
As the sheriff picked it up and slid the pages out, Gene said, “The trip
back here was uneventful, but I had some problems back in Peoria and I
think I’ll have a few more now, too. You can understand why when you
read the letter.”
“But are you gonna take that deputy’s job?” the sheriff asked as he
unfolded the pages.
“Yes, sir. But I need to explain quite a lot first and I have a few questions
first. Go ahead and read the letter and the affidavit from Fenn Jordan.”
 
The sheriff nodded then Gene watched as he read the affidavit and then
the letter with his eyes growing larger with each sentence.
 When he finished, he set them on the desk and simply said, “Go ahead.”
Gene began by telling the sheriff about the killings at the farmhouse and
the aftermath, including returning with Jimmy.
It was when he entered the realm of Fenn Jordan and Lud Humber that
Sheriff Drucker leaned forward with enhanced interest as Gene filled in the
gaps left by the letter.
When he finished, the sheriff said, “I think you made the right call about
Fenn Jordan. He’s nothing and I don’t care about the money he took from
Humber.”
“What about the money that he put into my account? I don’t even want
it.”
“It isn’t a bribe because you’re not a deputy yet and if Humber was
stupid enough to give Jordan the authority to take it, then I reckon you
oughta keep it. How much is it?”
“I haven’t checked yet. I wanted to talk to you first.”
“Well, what you do with it is up to you. Now about Humber. I need to
send somebody to Orville, and I reckon that you’re the only one who can
handle the man. Juice is a good man, but his skills aren’t up to your level.
Are you gonna take the badge?”
“Yes, sir. I’m going to get married tomorrow, so is it alright if I wait until
the day after?”
Sheriff Drucker grinned before saying, “Congratulations, Gene. I figure
Humber won’t be going anywhere, so an extra day or two won’t make any
difference.”
“He probably won’t realize that Fenn isn’t going to return until later
today. I don’t know what he’ll do after that. He might come here looking for
him or me or he could send one of those two new thugs he hired.”
The sheriff glanced at the letter and said, “We have their descriptions and
there’s only one road to Orville, so with the three of us and some of the
townsfolk, we should be able to spot anyone coming into town from that
direction.”
Gene was relieved yet apprehensive. Knowing that it was more than
likely that he’d be going to Orville in two days wouldn’t have bothered him
if Robyn hadn’t declared her intention to come along.
The sheriff didn’t bother with any formal swearing in ceremony but
simply handed him a badge and told him that his monthly salary was thirty
dollars.
As Gene accepted the surprisingly well-made silver star, he said, “One
other thing, Sheriff. I plan on studying for the law once I get settled in. I
won’t let it affect my work, but I might not be a deputy in a few years.”
“That’s a good idea, Gene. It’ll help you do this job better, too. Too
many lawmen don’t have a clue about what’s written in those law books or
even the Constitution. I swear those kind figure that all they have to know is
which end of the gun the bullets come out of. Juice is still learning, but I
reckon that he’ll always be a deputy. When you get a chance, I’ll introduce
you to Mister Percival. He’s the county prosecutor. He’s a pretty young
feller, only about thirty-five years old so you oughta get along pretty good
with him.”
Gene pinned on his badge then shook the sheriff’s hand and said, “I’ll
see you in a couple of days, Sheriff. You don’t have to start my pay until I
leave for Orville.”
Sheriff Drucker snickered before he said, “I don’t reckon the county’s
gonna care much about it, Gene. Kiss that pretty bride of yours.”
“I intend to do that as often as I can, boss,” Gene replied before turning
and striding out of the jail.
After pulling on his hat, he stepped out onto the street and after waiting
for a four-horse carriage to pass, he quickly bounced across the road and
hopped onto the boardwalk.
The Colorado Springs Bank & Trust was just two blocks east of the
sheriff’s office, so less than three minutes later, Gene entered the building
and headed for the cashier’s window.
The cashier looked at Gene and if he hadn’t been wearing the badge, he
might have been more nervous seeing the big man with the two pistols
approach his counter.
“May I help you, sir?” he asked.
“I need to make a withdrawal,” Gene replied.
“Certainly, sir.”
Gene filled out the slip that the cashier slid across the narrow shelf and
then the cashier removed the forty dollars from his cash drawer before
taking a ledger from the bookcase behind him.
He counted out the bills and then entered the transaction in the ledger
before writing the new balance on another small slip of paper.
Gene accepted the cash and the scrap of paper without looking at it but
noticed a definite expansion of the cashier’s smile.
He left the bank and after he walked west for a minute, he pulled out the
paper and stared at the amount the cashier had written. He continued to
gawk at the number and almost thought about turning around to ask the
cashier if it was correct but decided against it. If it was wrong, he’d get the
real amount the next time he had to make a deposit or withdrawal.
After stuffing the paper back into his pocket, he started back to the
house. He needed to come up with some argument to avoid having Robyn
accompany him to Orville. It was going to be a difficult undertaking. He
thought her determination bordered on stubbornness, and he needed a
logical argument to dissuade her. The problem was that he didn’t have one.
His initial point that she had never fired a pistol and would be in danger
hadn’t come close to changing her mind and that was his best argument.
Gene turned down Seventh Street and figured he wouldn’t have to bring
up the subject for at least another day, so maybe something would pop into
his mind by then.
 He soon spotted Robyn and Jimmy on the porch of #17 and waved. She
returned his wave and added a big smile, and Gene could see Jimmy’s small
hand waving as well.
The sight triggered a distant memory that hadn’t made its appearance
since it happened when he was only six years old.
He was coming home from his first day of school and his mother was
waiting for him on the porch with Anna on her hip. He’d waved and
watched as his mother and little Anna waved back.
The emergence of the recollection was unsettling as the image conjured
other, more recent memories of his mother and Anna.
When the six-year-old Gene had seen his mother and little sister, life was
so simple and pleasant. He couldn’t have predicted how much change the
future would bring.
As he approached the house, he hoped that the future would bring
nothing but happiness to his future wife and son. It would be his job to
ensure that happened.
Gene hopped onto the porch, and Robyn quickly said, “Good morning,
Deputy Sheriff Stewart.”
“Good morning, ma’am. Is this the small outlaw that you captured?”
“He is to be charged with petty theft of a piece of raisin cake.”
Gene snatched Jimmy from the porch and as the little boy giggled, he
said, “I’m going to have to throw you into the hoosegow, young man. We
cannot tolerate such evildoing.”
Gene then set him back down and took Robyn’s hand before they
followed the toddler into the house.
Alex and Nora were in the parlor waiting to hear what the sheriff had
said and weren’t surprised to see him already wearing the badge.
Gene and Robyn sat on the couch while Jimmy trotted to Nora who
scooped him onto her lap.
 “Sheriff Drucker said that he agreed with my decision to let Fenn Jordan
go because he hadn’t really stolen Humber’s money anyway, and I don’t
think he would have cared if he had. He also said that because everything
was legal and I wasn’t a deputy when Fenn deposited the money into my
account, it wasn’t a problem.”
Nora asked, “How much was it?”
“Um…it could be a mistake, but my new balance was over twenty-three
thousand dollars.”
Robyn exclaimed, “He transferred twenty thousand dollars into your
account!”
“It could be an error, but I didn’t return to ask. I was a bit embarrassed.”
Alex said, “I’m not really surprised, Gene. You’ve got to remember that
Lud Humber has been making deposits in that account for eight years and
he made a lot of money from that store of his before he began buying
mines. He must have had almost twice what I had.”
“
Are you telling me that Fenn Jordan emptied two hundred thousand
dollars from Lud’s account?
” Gene asked with wide eyes.
Alex grinned and replied, “I’d guess it was around that. He probably had
a partner at the bank, so don’t be surprised if one of their employees
disappears in the next few days. Fenn probably already had an account
somewhere else, and he had the money transferred yesterday. It wouldn’t be
hard to track him down, but like he said in the letter, it wasn’t even illegal.”
Gene laughed and shook his head at what was nothing less than the
perfect crime…stealing money from a thief.
“So, are you going to go to Orville?” Robyn asked.
Gene turned to look into her determined blue eyes and had his delaying
tactic ready.
“The sheriff expects him to come to Colorado Springs or send one of his
new toadies in the next few days. We’ll keep watch on the road from
Orville and see what happens. There’s a good chance that we’ll just be able
to arrest him in Colorado Springs.”
“How long are you going to wait?”
“At least until the day after our weddings, ma’am. Even the sheriff said
that there was no rush. We can let Humber stew until he’s ready to act.”
Robyn nodded and hoped that Gene and the sheriff were right.
_____
The afternoon was spent preparing for the dual weddings and that meant
shopping.
Gene needed to add extensively to his wardrobe, but Robyn only needed
a few items as she’d already done quite a bit of shopping in Gene’s absence.
Both couples bought wedding bands, despite the fact that both Alex and
Nora still had rings from their previous marriages.
Gene did refuse to go down the road of a full suit with a bowler hat and
tie. The nearest to sartorial splendor he reached was buying a nice gray suit
jacket and matching trousers. He did buy another pair of boots that he could
wear in the real world.
Jimmy was the recipient of all sorts of items, including new clothes and
more than enough toys to keep him occupied. When Gene had first seen
Jimmy, he’d been wearing an outfit that could have been worn by a little
girl, but Gene ensured that he’d wear proper little britches so no one would
mistake him as anything but a man-in-waiting.
_____
That night, Jimmy slept at #19, but in his own room while his new
parents pre-consummated their marriage for a second time. But this time,
Gene was not only able to fulfill his promise to extend their lovemaking, he
was able to keep Robyn entertained well into the night.
_____
 That night, Lud Humber was sitting at home with his current mistress,
Abigail North and hadn’t been paying much attention to her.
“What’s wrong, Luddie?” she asked.
Lud cringed at the silly nickname, but ignored it as he replied, “It’s Fenn.
He should have been back by now.”
“What happened? Do you think that he got killed?”
“Maybe. But he could’ve been arrested, too. If Stewart caught him
spying, then he could have grabbed him and brought him to Sheriff
Drucker.”
“What can you do?”
“I’m going to wait a couple of days and if I haven’t heard any news, I’ll
send someone to Colorado Springs to find out what happened.”
“Who will you send?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I don’t like this one bit.”
“Do you think Fenn will tell them things if they tell him he’s going to
prison?”
“That’s exactly the kind of thing he’d do. The man’s the biggest coward
I’ve ever met. Maybe I shouldn’t wait. If he starts singing, then I’d have a
big problem. That sheriff could have them freeze my money.”
“They can do that?”
Lud looked at her and snorted without answering her question. Abigail
had her uses, but none of them required thinking.
_____
The next morning, as the Stewarts and Martins were preparing for their
dual wedding, Zeb Glenn rode out of Orville. Lud had chosen him for the
job because he was less noticeable than Joe Tennyson and was marginally
smarter. It wasn’t a difficult assignment. Zeb just had to ride into town, go
to one of the saloons and ask about Fenn Jordan. He wasn’t supposed to do
anything.
But while Zeb may have been smarter than Joe Tennyson, he was also
more aggressive and had a higher opinion of himself. He fancied himself as
a gunfighter and when he’d been hired by Lud Humber, his ego had inflated
to the point of bursting.
_____
Sheriff Drucker had mentioned the possibility of either Lud or one of his
two new hires arriving in Colorado Springs to Juice and a few trusted men.
Nobody was stationed on the road, but the sheriff figured with so many eyes
looking west, it was almost impossible for anyone to slip into town without
being spotted. He didn’t expect to see anyone this soon either.
So, as Zeb made his way to Colorado Springs, the lookout for any
incoming strangers was haphazard at best.
_____
The two couples had filled out the forms for the justice of the peace
before making their way into the office for the ceremony. As each would be
acting as the others’ witnesses, the only other attendee was three-year-old
Jimmy. He had been given a steady supply of penny candy to ensure his
silence, but still managed to add a background of constant clicking with
hard sweets banging against his small teeth as the marriages took place.
By ten o’clock, the town of Colorado Springs had two Stewart families
added to the population. Gene and Robyn then walked to the offices of El
Paso County Judge John W. Massey and filled out the adoption forms for
Jimmy.
It took just ten minutes for Jimmy Moran to become Jimmy Stewart. His
full name was James Roland Stewart and Gene was able to furnish all of his
vitals for the record.
The happy couples plus one then enjoyed a fancy lunch at Sweeney’s
Steak and Chop House before returning to #17 to relax.
 It had been a perfect day and neither couple expected the night to be any
different, but things would get much different before the sun even set.
_____
It was late afternoon when Alex made an unusual request, at least for
him.
He grinned at his son and said, “How would you like to go to the Happy
House and get a beer to celebrate?”
Gene glanced at Robyn before saying, “Our wives couldn’t join us, sir,
and I’m not sure that they’d approve, either.”
Nora laughed before she said, “We won’t mind if you only have one or
two beers and return sober enough to satisfy us tonight.”
Gene stared at his new stepmother for few seconds before his own bride
started laughing.
“I guess we have permission, Gene.” Alex said before he stood.
Gene leaned across and kissed Robyn before he rose from the couch and
the pair of male Stewarts headed for the foyer. Gene had ridded himself of
his new jacket but as he pulled on his hat, he debated about wearing his
pistols.
He took a step toward the door then stopped, turned and snatched his
gunbelt from the brass hook and strapped it around his waist as his father
opened the door.
“Expecting trouble, Deputy?” Alex asked with a smile as they crossed
the porch.
“Always,” Gene replied.
He really wasn’t expecting trouble because the road to Orville was being
watched. The only reason he’d grabbed his guns was because they were
going to a saloon and he wasn’t sure of what to expect. It had been a long
time since he’d been in a saloon. For a man who’d spent years working in a
distillery, he’d never developed a taste for liquor.
 He and Alex strolled along talking about the ceremony and Jimmy’s
candy-rattling accompaniment. Neither paid any attention to the traffic as
they walked west along the boardwalk.
The Happy House Saloon was on the far west of the street but was the
nicest of the town’s six drinking establishments, which is why Alex had
selected it for their manly celebration.
_____
Zeb knew Alex Stewart by sight and knew that his son, the
troublemaking Gene Stewart was well over six feet tall. So, as he turned his
gelding onto the main street, he was startled to see both Stewarts walking
toward him on the boardwalk just a hundred and fifty feet away.
He should have avoided being seen and just turned at the first
intersection or even ridden past the two men without being noticed. He
would have been able to fulfill the job that he’d been given to simply find
out what had happened to Fenn, but he didn’t.
The story of the bomb blast and death of the two men who had chased
after the Stewarts on his boss’s order was still prominent in his mind. When
he identified the Stewarts, it was that original order that Lud had given to
Tomb and Hank that took precedence. He quickly decided that he could
impress Lud by doing what they hadn’t been able to do and eliminate both
Stewarts. He didn’t give one thought of the possible consequences as he
rode along the still well-populated street.
Zeb Glenn followed his horribly bad, almost inconceivable decision and
compounding it with poor execution.
He probably could have killed both Gene and Alex if he’d kept his horse
at a walk or even slow trot. Neither man was even looking at him as they
shared anecdotes of the day. But his excitement at seeing them drove him to
stab his horse’s flanks with his heels making the gelding lurch forward.
With only a hundred feet of space between them, that surge of speed
gave Gene less than three seconds to react. But the sudden move attracted
his attention and he jerked his head toward the oncoming rider.
 The focused brown eyes, full beard and left-handed holster all clicked
into his mind in less than one of those three seconds, and even as Zeb was
pulling his Colt from that holster on his left side, Gene was reacting.
He twisted slightly, bent at the waist and shoved his butt into his father’s
left hip, sending him sprawling. As Zeb was pulling his pistol, Gene was
reaching for both of his Smith & Wessons. He knew that he wasn’t going to
get his revolvers out of their holsters in time, so he was expecting to feel a
bullet punch into some part of his body.
Zeb’s gelding had just taken three long strides as he brought his Colt
Navy to bear on the big man who had set the bomb and killed Tomb and
Hank. But his sights were bouncing in time with the horse’s strides, so
when he fired his first shot, the .45 caliber bullet slammed into the
boardwalk behind Gene’s head.
Gene saw the muzzle flare and heard the pistol’s report but didn’t bother
to discover where the bullet had gone as he brought both of his pistols level.
He didn’t have time to aim properly before he pulled both triggers.
Zeb was just forty feet away and was stunned when he saw the two
revolvers in Gene’s hands and when they fired, he thought he was a dead
man. He had his Colt ready to release its second load at him when one of
Gene’s .32 caliber bullets ripped through the left side of his thick beard
without touching the skin underneath.
When he pulled his trigger after the close call his second shot was even
wilder before he dropped onto his charging horse’s neck and shot past
Gene.
Gene fired again at the fleeing rider whose horse was creating a giant
dust cloud. The combination of speed and poor visibility made him miss
with both shots.
Zeb ripped his mount to his right and disappeared down a side street.
The entire shootout had taken even less time than the murders in the
farmhouse.
 Gene quickly looked back at his father who was returning to his feet then
began to dust himself.
He shouted, “Dad, go home and saddle Hawkeye for me!” then took off
at a sprint toward the intersection where Zeb had made his turn.
Alex didn’t reply but began jogging back to the house as quickly as his
weak lungs and legs would allow him.
Before Gene had gone very far, Juice Silvio caught up with him and the
two deputies raced to the secondary road. By the time they reached it, Zeb
was gone.
Gene turned to Juice and said, “He was one of the two men Humber
hired. I can’t remember his name. I’m going to chase after him. I can’t let
him get back to Orville. Tell Sheriff Drucker.”
“Okay.”
Gene appreciated the lack of questions or apologies and popped Juice on
the shoulder before jogging toward Seventh Street.
He knew that the assassin couldn’t make it back to Orville before
sundown, but Gene didn’t want to have to track him down at night. If he
hurried, he could find him before the man had a chance to set up for an
ambush.
As he hurried home, Gene’s anger began to grow as he believed that Lud
had sent the man to kill him and his father. He simply couldn’t imagine that
the shooter had done it on his own.
As Gene ran to his house to prepare for the chase, Zeb turned west to
reach the road back to Orville. He was still disjointed after his brush with
death and as his gelding ate up the roadway, he ran his fingers through his
beard. He could feel where the bushy hair had been separated by the bullet
and it sent a chill up his spine. He’d never come close to being shot before
and the near miss hammered home his own mortality.
Zeb soon reached the road to Orville and made the turn to reach safety
that was still almost forty miles away. The last thing on his mind was
setting up an ambush.
 _____
By the time Gene reached his barn, he found that his father had Hawkeye
saddled and Robyn and Nora were also there waiting for him.
He expected an argument from Robyn, but she did nothing of the sort.
As soon as he cleared the barn doors, she handed him his Henry.
“Come back soon, Mister Stewart. It’s our wedding day.”
He smiled, accepted his repeater, then kissed her quickly and stepped
into the saddle. He slid the Henry into its scabbard and didn’t bother asking
about his Spencer before he walked the tall gelding out of the small barn,
having to duck his head to avoid losing his hat.
Gene waved at his family before setting Hawkeye to a fast walk as he
headed down the drive to Seventh Street.
As soon as he reached the street, he picked up the pace and soon turned
west toward the road to Orville.
When he made that last turn, he was only two miles behind Zeb, who
was riding a very tired horse.
_____
Zeb was well aware of his mount’s condition, but after not seeing anyone
behind him since he lost sight of the town, he felt it was safe to slow him to
a steady walk.
He still glanced behind him, but the twisting roadway limited his view to
no more than eight hundred yards. He also began to think that his best
option would be to start looking for a ranch or a farm to get a fresh horse.
_____
Gene had Hawkeye moving at a canter knowing that he would be
gaining quickly on the shooter. The man’s horse had to be tired because
he’d just ridden from Orville. He wasn’t concerned about an ambush as he
didn’t think that the man had enough of a lead to be able to set up well
enough. That didn’t mean he wasn’t observant as Hawkeye chewed up the
road. His bigger issue was that he was riding almost directly into the late
afternoon sun.
It was just ten minutes after leaving Colorado Springs that Gene caught
his first fleeting glimpse of the man who had tried to kill him and his father.
He estimated the distance to be about six hundred yards before he lost sight
of the rider.
Gene slid his Henry from its scabbard while he trained his eyes to the
road ahead hoping to spot the shooter again. He expected that as soon as the
rider caught sight of him so close behind him, the man would practically
kill his horse to try to make his escape. The terrain on either side of the road
made setting up an ambush almost impossible. There was a sharp drop on
his right and the side of a tall bluff on his left.
_____
Up ahead, Zeb cursed the landscape for a different reason. There wasn’t
enough ground that was suitable for ranching or farming which meant he
had to keep riding. He hadn’t been checking his backtrail as he’d been
searching for the elusive ranch or farmhouse, but once he realized that he’d
have to continue along the road, he swiveled his head to look behind him.
He initially didn’t see anyone, but just as he was about to turn his eyes
back to the front, he was startled to see the tall rider on the big horse come
racing around the edge of the bluff less than a quarter of a mile away.
“Son of a bitch!” he snapped and automatically pulled his pistol.
He had barely felt the weight of the big Colt in his hand when he cursed
again, knowing that he didn’t have a rifle, and only had three filled
chambers.
As he watched Gene close that already too-short gap, Zeb had to decide
if it was worth throwing his only three shots at Stewart when he already had
a repeater in his hands. What made him return his pistol to his holster and
put up his hands was recalling Fenn’s story that the big man hadn’t shot him
when he was unarmed. Zeb knew he’d be a dead man if he tried to shoot it
out with him and he thought he’d be spared the noose because he hadn’t
killed anyone.
 Gene watched the shooter pull his pistol and then was surprised when he
holstered it just a few seconds later. He wasn’t about to lower his Henry
even after the man pulled his horse to a stop and put up his hands.
He slowed Hawkeye to a trot and watched the man’s hands closely as he
approached.
When he was near, he slowed his gelding to a walk and then pulled up
fifteen feet behind him.
“Using your right hand, unbuckle your gunbelt and drop it to the ground.
When it hits, walk your horse twenty feet away and stop.”
Zeb nodded and keeping his eyes focused on Gene, carefully pulled the
belt’s end through the tang, let it drop to the ground then nudged his horse
the requested distance and stopped.
Gene walked Hawkeye to the fallen gunbelt, dismounted and snatched it
from the ground before returning to his saddle.
Once mounted, he released his Henry’s hammer, slid it back into its
scabbard and pulled his right-side Smith & Wesson.
As he held the shooter’s gunbelt in his left hand he asked, “Which one
are you? Zeb Glenn or Joe Tennyson?”
Zeb was startled but replied, “I’m Zeb. How’d you know my name?”
“I’ll tell you on the way back. Turn your horse around and we’ll go talk
to Sheriff Drucker.”
Zeb lowered his hands, took his reins and slowly wheeled his tired
gelding around and set him off at a slow trot as Gene slid Zeb’s gunbelt into
his saddlebag.
Gene rode alongside Zeb with his pistol still drawn for about a hundred
yards before returning it to its holster. He had been surprised that Lud had
sent the man to kill him without giving him a repeater, which prompted his
first question.
 “Why did Humber send you to kill me and why did you try to do it in the
middle of the street with so many witnesses?”
Zeb let out a long breath before answering, “He didn’t send me to kill
you. I was supposed to find out what happened to Fenn, but I figured that
he’d be happier if I killed you and your old man.”
Gene had to agree with Fenn’s assessment of the man’s lack of
brainpower but said, “Fenn is the one who told me that Humber had hired
you and the other man. He took all of your boss’s money and disappeared.”
Zeb’s head whipped across to Gene and he blurted, “
He took all of Lud’s
money and you let him go?
”
“I wasn’t in town and, from what I learned, your brilliant boss authorized
him to have access to the money. I hope I have the opportunity to ask him
about that when I see him tomorrow.”
“You’re gonna shoot him?”
“I’m going to try to arrest him, but if he’d prefer a bullet to a hangman’s
noose, I’ll be happy to oblige.”
“When did you start bein’ a deputy?”
“Yesterday. I just returned from Illinois and I was married a few hours
ago, so you really messed up my wedding day.”
Zeb didn’t bother offering his congratulations as he sullenly rode along.
He was going to ask how long he’d have to go to prison for trying to shoot
him and his father but didn’t want to press the issue. He suspected that
Gene would try to scare him and tell him he was going to hang. Zeb refused
to believe that the penalty for trying to kill a man was the same as it was for
putting him in his grave.
As they rode in silence, Gene was already thinking of that ride to Orville
tomorrow. He knew it would be one of the first questions that Robyn would
ask when he returned, and he didn’t want to start off the marriage with a
fierce argument.
 He was aligning his arguments when he stopped thinking about it,
looked at Zeb and asked, “Does Humber want Joe Tennyson to stick close
while you’re gone?”
Zeb thought about lying to Stewart, but figured he could get a lighter
sentence if he cooperated, so he replied, “Just before I left, he told me what
to do and then told Joe to hang around ‘cause he figured you might come
back and kill him.”
“So, he’s expecting me?”
“I reckon. I was kinda mad ‘cause he made it sound like he expected me
to get arrested or killed myself. I guess that kinda made me want to shoot
you first.”
Gene then asked, “So, he’d be in his office in his saloon with Joe?"
"Not exactly. Joe would be out on the floor while the boss is in his
office, but he’d follow him around town if he had to leave the office.”
Gene nodded and made a major modification to his plan to confront Lud
Humber. He’d need to surprise Humber and suspected that he might have to
wait until he left the saloon. He’d need more intelligence and the best
source for it wasn’t Zeb Glenn. He’d have to ask his family.
_____
They pulled into Colorado Springs just as the sun was touching the tops
of the nearby mountains and Gene didn’t have to tell him where the jail
was. After they pulled up before the sheriff’s office, they dismounted and
tied off their horses.
Gene didn’t bother pulling his pistol before he opened the door and let
Zeb enter. He wasn’t surprised to find both Sheriff Drucker and Juice Silvio
waiting for him.
“I wasn’t expecting him to be walking when you brought him back,
Gene,” the sheriff said as Juice walked to the first cell and swung the door
open for their prisoner.
 “He didn’t make a fuss, boss. I’ve got his pistol in my saddlebag if you
need it for evidence.”
“I reckon we won’t,” he replied then looked at Zeb and asked, “Did you
shoot at Gene and his father in the road, mister?”
“Yeah. I didn’t hit him, though.”
Sheriff Drucker glanced at Gene then motioned for him to move Zeb into
the cell.
Once he was locked behind bars, the sheriff asked, “Are you going to
Orville tomorrow?”
“Yes, sir. I don’t know if Lud Humber will give up so easily, but it’s
possible.”
“I’m going to have to send you in alone. I need Juice here. This blasted
knee feels worse than when I messed it up.”
“I know, boss. It’ll be okay.”
“I figured as much. You can write your report when you get back and I’ll
just have your prisoner sign a confession. I reckon that you’re probably
going to have to do a lot of explaining to your new bride.”
Gene grinned before replying, “Not as much as you think, Sheriff.”
He then turned and left the jail. He mounted Hawkeye and started back
to Seventh Street. He figured that Juice would probably have to take care of
Zeb’s horse and upkeep on his rider.
He soon reached #17 and wasn’t at all surprised to find the entire family
on the porch waiting for him in the dying rays from the setting sun.
He turned Hawkeye down the drive then stopped alongside the porch
and loudly said, “I’ll unsaddle Hawkeye and meet you in the kitchen.”
His father yelled back, “Alright,” but Robyn bounded down the steps
and trotted to the drive.
 Gene waited for her to reach him then looked down and said, “You’re
not dressed to ride, Mrs. Stewart.”
“It’s only a hundred feet or so, Mister Stewart. I’ll walk.”
Gene grinned then set his gelding to a slow walk as Robyn jogged
alongside. She may be tall for a woman, but her strides were no match for
those made by the gelding’s exceptionally long legs.
Gene stepped down outside the barn and led his horse inside with Robyn
walking on his left.
As he began stripping the horse, Robyn asked, “Did you have to shoot
him?”
“No, ma’am. He just gave up. He’s in the jail now. Believe it or not,
Humber actually just told him to find out what had happened to Fenn. His
attack was his own idea, which makes Fenn a good judge of character. But
he did tell me that Humber is expecting me to return to Orville to kill him.”
“Are you going there tomorrow?”
“I am.”
“And I’m going with you,” she said firmly as she glared at him.
Gene didn’t even look her way as he pulled off his saddlebags and
replied, “Yes, you are.”
Robyn had her arguments prepared and ready to be hurled, so even as his
affirmative reply reached her ears, she quickly exclaimed, “You need…”,
then she stopped and asked, “What did you say?”
Gene turned and smiled at her as he answered, “I said that you’re coming
along.”
Robyn stared at Gene as he continued to strip his gelding. His totally
unexpected agreement set off warning bells. Maybe he was going to try to
use her own arguments against her somehow. She simply couldn’t imagine
that he’d suddenly changed his mind. She’d seen his powerful reaction
when she’d first told him that she was coming and doubted if he had a true
change of heart.
Gene was sliding the saddle from Hawkeye’s back when Robyn asked,
“Why did you change your mind?”
“On the ride back with Zeb, I was making a list of reasons that having
you along was a bad idea when one of those arguments kind of backfired
and a new plan popped into my head. It’s a plan that needed your
assistance.”
“What is it?”
He set the saddlebags on the stall fencing then turned to her and replied,
“You, my brand-new wife, are a very attractive young woman. You are a
delight to every man’s eyes and can distract their attention.”
“Oh. So, you want me to wiggle my hips and let you do the hard work; is
that it?”
Gene grinned as he said, “Maybe not wiggle your hips, but just your
presence will make a difference. You’ll be wearing a gunbelt, so it’s not as
if you’ll be confused for one of the working girls.”
“I don’t have a gunbelt.”
“I have a spare in my saddlebags courtesy of Zeb Glenn. I’ll wear that
one because I’m familiar with the Colt and you can wear my two-gun rig.
The Model 2 Smith & Wessons are only a bigger version of the pistol that
you have hidden somewhere on your person and I need to find.”
“You’ll have to explain more when we get in the house.”
“I need to know more about Lud Humber, too. You and our parents can
fill in those blank spots.”
Gene then pulled off Hawkeye’s bridle and the big gelding stuck his nose
into the feed bin. After picking up his Henry, he hung the saddlebags over
his shoulder and took Robyn’s hand.
As they left the barn, she said, “This is our wedding day, Gene.”
 “It’s a wedding day that we’ll never forget, Robyn.”
She laughed lightly as they reached the back porch and climbed the
steps.
_____
Once inside with the rest of the family, Gene explained what had
happened after he caught up with Zeb and what he was planning to do
tomorrow.
Nora asked, “Do you really think Humber will just give up?”
“No, but I don’t plan to give him the option.”
“And Robyn is going to be a distraction?”
Gene looked at his bride and said, “She’s been a distraction to me since I
met her, and I only need her to distract Joe Tennyson for a minute or so.”
“What if he’s hired someone else?” Alex asked.
“Then I’ll modify my plan as it unfolds. No plan ever comes off
perfectly.”
“So, you’ll both be leaving for Orville in the morning?”
“Yes, sir. I want to be on the road by sunrise because I don’t want to
arrive late in the day. He’ll be expecting Zeb to return, so he should be in
his office.”
“And that’s where my distraction comes in,” Robyn said with a grin,
“Women aren’t allowed in saloons and my new husband wants me to wear
my riding britches and his pistols to attract all of their attention away from
him.”
Gene then said, “It’s going to be a very fast sequence, but I don’t believe
that Robyn will be in any danger or I wouldn’t have let her come along.”
“We’ll keep Jimmy with us until you return,” Nora said.
“Thank you, ma’am. We should be back the next day. Whether we return
with Lud Humber or not will be the only question.”
 “What happens after he’s gone? Won’t that leave a mess in Orville?”
Alex asked.
“I reckon it might, but the folks that were running his business will
probably just take over. It’s not really my concern right now.”
“I know how you feel. That town could blow away in a tornado and I
wouldn’t care a bit.”
“Well, it’s getting late and we need to have something to eat and prepare
for tomorrow’s ride.”
Alex smiled and said, “Sorry we never got to share that beer, Gene. But
thank you for knocking me down, even if you did use your big behind to get
it done.”
“You’re welcome, Dad. My butt was just the best weapon I had to do
that because my hands were busy.”
Alex laughed before Robyn and Nora began to cook supper. It would be
a late meal, but the time was well spent as Gene and Robyn began adding
details to the plan to bring Lud Humber to justice one way or the other.
_____
Later that night, as Gene and Robyn lay intertwined in their damp
nakedness, she asked, “Do you really think that it won’t be dangerous?”
“I wouldn’t have asked you to come if I did. I’m convinced that once
you enter the saloon, every eye will be on you and not one of the patrons or
Joe Tennyson will even be looking at the door when I enter. After that, I’ll
take over. The only issue will be if I have to make any kind of noise that
will alert Humber before I get into his office.”
“What if that happens?”
“Then I’ll probably wait for him to leave his office. If he doesn’t then
we’ll play it by ear.”
Robyn sighed then as she traced her fingers across his powerful chest,
she said, “I wonder how long it will be before we just have a normal day
together.”
“I hope we never have a normal day together, Robyn. They may not
involve gunfire, but I don’t want them to be boring either.”
She looked up into his blue eyes and replied, “They’ll never be boring
with you around, Mister Stewart.”
Gene kissed the top of her head and then closed his eyes. He hoped that
it would be as boring as possible tomorrow but would be shocked if it was
anywhere close to that level of routine.
 CHAPTER 14
Gene and Robyn rode out of Colorado Avenue early the next morning
and soon made the turn onto the road to Orville.
Robyn was wearing his two-gun rig with his Model 2s while he wore
Zeb’s gunbelt and its reloaded Colt New Army.
When he’d first seen her outfitted with the two pistols hung over her
well-filled riding britches and the light blue blouse that she’d been able to
quickly alter to be an even bigger distraction, Gene had come close to
delaying their departure.
But they’d left even earlier than they’d planned and once they were
heading west, Gene decided that he needed to let Robyn take at least two or
three shots with the pistols. He still didn’t expect her to do anything more
than be the enormous distraction she already was, but he felt she needed to
be able to protect herself if something went wrong. He hoped that it didn’t,
but he’d be a fool not to prepare for it.
So, after they’d ridden about an hour, Gene said, “Robyn, I want you to
fire one of your pistols.”
Robyn grinned as she replied, “I was close to doing it even if you hadn’t
made the suggestion, Gene. I’ve never fired my stolen Model 1, so I’ve
been anxious to try one of your pistols.”
“I’ve already shown you how to dry fire the gun, so just pick out a target,
cock the hammer and fire. Don’t spend too long trying to get the sights
aligned. Just point it like Jimmy is always doing with his finger and squeeze
the trigger slowly.”
“Okay, boss,” Robyn replied before releasing the hammer loop on the
right side.
 The pistol dropped back slightly before she wrapped her fingers around
the grip. She was riding on Gene’s right side, so there wasn’t any danger of
her accidentally shooting her husband.
She picked out a passing aspen and after cocking the hammer, she let the
sights arc as Dunk continued moving and then squeezed the trigger.
She was surprised when the pistol bucked in her hand and didn’t see if
she’d hit her target through the cloud of gunsmoke.
“Did I hit the tree?” she asked without turning.
“Yes, ma’am. Pick out another target a little further out. The tree was
only twenty feet away when you fired.”
Robyn nodded then selected her second target that was not only further
away, but smaller as well. What made it such a tempting target was that it
was a dark rock about a foot in diameter. It was surrounded by lighter stone
and she’d be able to see if she hit it.
Again, she let her sights settle for just a short time before she gently
pulled back the trigger. This time, she wasn’t surprised when the gun fired
and was more than pleased to see the rock’s face suddenly spit back shards
of stone. It wasn’t a big explosion, but she’d hit her target.
She quickly turned to face Gene and said, “I hit it almost in the middle!”
Gene was grinning as he replied, “You did very well, Robyn. Don’t
bother reloading the pistol, but if you want to have a full load, just switch it
with the other one.”
“I’ll do that,” she said before pulling out the second Smith & Wesson
and moving it to the empty right-hand holster and pulling the hammer loop
in place.
After returning the used pistol to the empty left-hand holster, she said, “I
feel better now, Gene.”
“So, do I,” he replied because he did.
 It was only two shots, but she’d shown that she had the technical skill to
hit a target. He just hoped that she’d never need to shoot a man.
_____
Lud had been in a foul mood all morning and hadn’t gotten much real
work done. He’d spent part of the morning at his store then his livery before
returning to his office. Then, just ten minutes after returning, he’d gotten
word that Stewart’s mine still wasn’t producing even after giving them a
few more days, so he’d finally given instructions to shut it down.
Even his lunch with Abigail had been annoying as she’d spent the entire
time whispering sweet, silly attempts to improve his mood.
As he sat at his desk, he was already working on his own plans to leave
Orville. It all depended on what Zeb would tell him when he returned. He
still didn’t believe that Fenn would touch his money because the man was
the biggest coward he’d ever met and knew if he did, Lud would find him.
His real concern was that Fenn had been caught and was now spilling his
guts to the sheriff. If that happened, then he’d have to adjust his plans.
He still wasn’t sure that even if Fenn turned canary, that they’d be able to
freeze his account. If he could get his money, he’d be able to do damned
near anything. He’d be set for life, but he still wanted more. He was only
forty-one and his reign as king of Orville had served its purpose. If he was
able to retrieve his enormous amount of cash, he’d be able to buy an entire
town. But he was already tired of being the big fish in a small pond. He
wanted to enjoy the life of a gentleman in a civilized society and needed his
money to finance that life.
Lud leaned back in his leather chair and stared at the ceiling as he
reviewed his new timeline for his departure from Orville. It was a much
simpler plan than the one he’d made before because it seemed much more
urgent.
He wasn’t even going to bother selling his store, livery or even the
saloon because most of them hadn’t been making much money in the past
year anyway. He surely wasn’t going to take Abigail with him, so all he’d
have to do is empty the safe that sat on the floor behind him, then ride out
of town. He could be gone by tomorrow, but he wanted to hear from Zeb.
He needed to know what to expect when he entered Colorado Springs.
_____
“How long will it be before you enter the saloon?” Robyn asked.
“I should be there in less than two minutes. The important thing is for
you to move to the left side of the room when you enter. Lud’s office is on
the right side of the bar, so I imagine that’s where I’ll find Joe Tennyson.
You know what he looks like, so that’ll be a big help.”
“But I’m not going to have a pistol drawn.”
“No, but you can pull the hammer loops off. When you do, the grip drifts
back a bit because the pistol doesn’t have a trigger guard like a Colt.”
“Why doesn’t it?”
“I have no idea. You’ll have to write a letter to Smith & Wesson when
we get back.”
Robyn laughed then said, “I don’t think I’ll wear them after we get back,
sir. You can have your pistols and maybe even the one that I stole.”
“I wonder how many townsfolk will be happy to be rid of Humber.”
“Most of them will probably be dancing in the streets. I don’t think the
miners and prospectors will care much, but the regular people will be
pleased that he’s gone.”
“I never could figure out why Orville doesn’t have a bank. I’ve seen
smaller towns that did, and Orville had those gold mines.”
“They did have a bank a few years ago, but it kept getting robbed, so
people stopped using it. The rich ones made the ride to Colorado Springs
where their money was safe, but most folks kept their small savings
somewhere in their homes.”
“What about the businesses?”
“Some had safes and Lud let others use the safe in his store.”
 “I imagine he has his own safe in that saloon, but I didn’t see it when I
was in his office. Of course, I was busy looking at him and didn’t take the
time to search the place.”
Robyn turned to look at Gene and asked, “Do you really think it’s going
to go as well as you hope it will?”
“I’d give it a fifty-fifty chance that it will, but I’ll be ready if it doesn’t.”
She smiled and said, “I’ll have your back, Deputy Sheriff Stewart.”
He returned her smile as he replied, “I know you will, Mrs. Stewart.”
The sun was well past its zenith and Gene knew that they’d soon
discover just how smoothly the operation would go. The biggest issue
would be if Lud Humber had more support than Joe Tennyson.
_____
Joe Tennyson had his elbows on the bar as he said, “I’m tellin’ ya,
Trooper, I reckon the boss is gonna skedaddle real soon.”
Trooper Foxx snickered before replying, “He ain’t goin’ anywhere. How
come you’re so damned nervous?”
“You ain’t been watchin’ him very close like me. Ever since he sent Zeb
to the Springs yesterday, he’s been real twitchy. I ain’t ever seen him like
this. If Fenn is spillin’ the beans to the sheriff, then Lud could hang. I know
I’d be runnin’ if I was him.”
“But you ain’t him, Joe. He’ll be okay when Zeb comes back. You’ll see.
Want another beer?”
“Yeah, sure,” Joe replied but his stomach wasn’t really happy with his
answer.
When the boss had gone home to lunch, he hadn’t been allowed to get
something solid into his own stomach. So, except for breakfast, all he’d had
to eat was a couple of the big sour pickles. Those pickles had made his
stomach as sour as the vinegar in the big jar on the bar that they had called
home. He’d only had four beers, but the thought of a fifth glass made his
gut scream in protest.
_____
Gene and Robyn exited the last curve before Orville, and Robyn felt her
stomach twist in a knot when the town appeared in the distance.
She didn’t say anything because she didn’t want Gene to think that she’d
changed her mind. Besides, she had a part to play in Lud’s arrest and wasn’t
sure if Gene could do it on his own.
Gene looked at the edge of the town and it seemed like a duplicate of the
image from the last time he’d made this ride. It was a little later in the day
the first time, but nothing else had changed.
Then he looked at Robyn and smiled. The town may not have changed,
but his life most certainly had changed. The last time he’d ridden into
Orville, he thought he was going to leave after a few days and return to
Peoria to walk Anna down the aisle and become a lawyer. He had been
there for Anna and he may eventually become an attorney, but those were
the only things that hadn’t changed.
Robyn turned to look at Gene and found his blue eyes already focused
on her. She still didn’t say anything, but just smiled to let him know that she
wasn’t afraid.
Gene returned her smile, then slowly raised his flattened hand to the
brim of his cap in a perfect salute before turning his eyes back toward
Orville.
____­_
They rode into town fifteen minutes later and only Gene scanned the
boardwalks for potential trouble as they passed the buildings.
Brewster’s Saloon and Dance Hall was near the end of the main street on
the left side and Gene’s plan was that they’d pull up in front of Humber’s
Dry Goods and dismount there. Then they’d walk to the saloon just eighty
yards away.
 They soon pulled up before the store and dismounted. After tying off
Hawkeye and Dunk, Gene smiled as Robyn brushed the dust from her
britches.
“I don’t think they’d notice the dust, ma’am.”
Robyn nodded, but couldn’t manage a smile before she took a deep
breath and began to step along the boardwalk. She tried to be brave because
Gene needed her, but her stomach was full of every imaginable insect
possible. She released both hammer loops when she was just fifty feet from
the batwing doors and felt the two pistols drop back slightly. She hoped she
wouldn’t need to pull them from their holsters but was determined to do
whatever was necessary to keep Gene safe.
Gene waited until she was about a hundred feet in front of him before he
began walking at the same speed. He had already released his Colt’s
hammer loop but unlike Robyn, he knew that he’d be pulling the pistol as
soon as he entered the saloon.
He still scanned the street and the other boardwalk as he followed her
and wished he had the time to appreciate his wife’s talented behind. It was a
strange time to think of such things, but the humorous idea calmed his
mind. He’d have to tell her about it after this was over.
_____
Inside the bar, Joe was staring at the half-empty glass of beer in front of
him and wished he hadn’t told Trooper to give it to him. The pickles were
threatening to return to the bar with everything else in his stomach.
Trooper was looking at Joe’s pallid face with a slight smile. He only
hoped that when Joe heaved, he’d be able to use the cuspidor near his right
foot but doubted it could handle the volume.
The rest of the room was empty, which wasn’t unusual at this time of
day. So, when the batwing doors squeaked, Trooper turned his eyes from
Joe and was startled to see a young woman enter. He wasn’t so much
distracted as he was surprised. He believed that not allowing women to use
saloons was unconstitutional, but he’d never seen one come through those
doors before and it drove him into a state of silent awe.
 Robyn had been expecting to see a roomful of men drinking, playing
cards or doing other manly pursuits, but the only ones in the barroom were
the bartender and Joe Tennyson.
Despite her own measure of surprise, she quickly sidestepped to her left
to let Gene enter and was almost annoyed when Joe didn’t even turn to look
at her. She felt as if she wasn’t doing her job and thought about letting Joe
know that she was there. But she decided to wait for Gene to enter and see
what happened. She did wrap her fingers around the grips of the right-hand
pistol just in case.
As Trooper gawked at Robyn and a nauseated Joe Tennyson stared at his
half-full glass of stale beer, Gene entered the saloon.
He had his Colt drawn but not cocked as he pushed aside the batwing
doors and had the same measure of surprise that Robyn had when he saw
the mostly empty saloon. But this was a much better situation than he could
have imagined, and after identifying Joe Tennyson who still leaned on the
bar with his back to him, Gene began to walk slowly toward Lud Humber’s
office. He glanced at the bartender and was about to put his finger to his lips
to tell him to be quiet when he realized that the man wasn’t even looking at
him.
Gene continued to cross the barroom floor and wondered what he should
do with Joe Tennyson. The uncocked Colt in his hand was the obvious
choice, but even as he decided to put the man down, Joe lost the battle with
the pickles.
As Gene began to raise the pistol to smack the back of his head, Joe
whipped to his right, bent at the waist and retched. He had tried to hit the
spittoon, but he missed by a foot and a half and covered a good portion of
the barroom floor.
Joe’s sudden lurch finally pulled Trooper’s eyes away from Robyn and
he spotted Gene with his pistol raised above Joe’s head.
Gene didn’t see the bartender change his attention but used the
opportunity of Joe’s lowered head to rap the back of his noggin with his
Colt’s barrel.
 Joe never knew what hit him as he flopped onto his stomach into the
mess he’d just created.
Gene disregarded the bartender and quickly began walking toward Lud’s
office.
Trooper had seen the badge on the big man’s chest and realized that if
Lud was taken, he’d be out of a job and all of the additional perks that his
boss gave him.
As Gene passed the end of the bar, Trooper turned, reached under the
lower shelf and pulled out his sawed-off twelve gauge. He took two steps
back toward his boss’s office and was about to pull back the hammers when
he was startled for the second time in just a few minutes and by the same
young woman.
“Hold it right there, mister!” Robyn exclaimed, but not loudly enough to
warn Lud Humber.
Trooper whipped his eyes back to the lady and his mouth dropped open
when he saw the cocked Smith & Wesson pointed at his nose. He was torn
with indecision as he held the shotgun in his left hand. He still had to cock
the scattergun and then bring it to bear,
but would this girl really pull that
trigger?
Any fear that Robyn might have felt when she entered the saloon was
long gone as she stared at the bartender and could almost read his thoughts.
“That’s my husband you’re planning to shoot, mister, and I’ll never let
you cock those hammers. Set the shotgun on the bar and step back.”
Trooper swallowed, then carefully laid the shotgun on the bar and took
one step back until he was pressed against the row of bottles.
Gene had slowed when he entered the hallway, so he was able to hear
Robyn’s threat and couldn’t hide his smile as he neared the door. He
wondered if Lud was even inside because Joe was in bad shape even before
he lost his lunch.
Just beyond the door, Lud had stopped dreaming about what he’d be
buying with his money after he left Orville and had returned his mind to his
concerns about Fenn and Gene Stewart. As he did, he removed the Le Mat
from his left-hand desk drawer. He was still studying the odd pistol and
playing with the hinged firing pin on the cocked hammer when the door
swung open.
As soon as he spotted the Colt’s muzzle, he didn’t hesitate to act. Only
one man would be entering his office without knocking and with a pistol. It
had to be the man who had given him the Le Mat.
Gene still wasn’t convinced that Lud Humber was in his office, much
less that he was holding a cocked pistol in his hand. So, with his own
pistol’s hammer still snug, he slowly stepped into the room and received the
shock of his life.
Lud saw Gene’s blue eyes expand into saucers in stunned surprise and
laughed before he said, “You’re dead, Stewart!”
Gene was pulling back his hammer when Lud fired the Le Mat from just
six feet away. The pistol’s firing pin fell and struck the percussion cap,
firing the fulminate that would set off the charge.
Lud still had a grin on his face when the pistol fired, but the only sound
it emitted was the pop of the percussion cap because Gene had never loaded
the shotgun barrel beneath the normal barrel.
Gene didn’t have the luxury of spending time to appreciate the twist of
fate as he fired the Colt just a heartbeat after Lud’s hammer fell. The
percussion cap on the nipple of his pistol’s cylinder sent its hot gasses into a
full charge of gunpowder which ignited and almost instantly propelled the
.45 caliber slug of lead down the rifled nine-inch barrel before the bullet
exploded out of the muzzle and drilled into Lud Humber’s chest.
Even as Lud wondered why his pistol hadn’t fired, it felt as if his chest
exploded when Gene’s slug slammed into his ribs. It then almost instantly
passed through his left lung, clipping arteries and other critical tissue before
it crashed through his thoracic spine and left his body to become imbedded
in the back rest of his heavy leather chair.
Lud Humber’s eyes were still wide open in disbelief as he fell forward
onto his desk and the useless Le Mat clunked to the desktop beside him.
 The room was filled with gunsmoke as Gene stood with the Colt in his
hand still shaken by the experience. It had been almost dreamlike when he
saw the Le Mat’s trigger fall and was expecting the instant arrival of one of
the pistol’s nine lead balls. But even as his own bullet was passing through
Lud, he hadn’t realized what had happened.
It took another ten seconds before Gene slowly lowered his pistol, slid it
into its holster and stepped over to the desk. When he picked up the Le Mat,
he finally understood why he hadn’t joined Humber in death. He resolved
never to replace the used percussion cap before he slipped the revolver
under the waist of his britches.
He didn’t need to check for vital signs but did need to see if Robyn was
safe, so he quickly turned and left the smoke-filled office.
Robyn had heard the shot and had momentarily turned her eyes toward
the hall as she thought about rushing to Gene’s aid, but quickly realized that
if Gene had been the one to take the shot, then she wasn’t needed. If it had
been Lud who had fired, then she didn’t care anymore.
She quickly shifted her eyes back to the bartender who was staring at the
hall’s entrance as well.
She was listening intently for any sounds from the room and within
seconds, she heard the loud footsteps that could only be made by her big
husband. The comforting sound filled her with relief and brought a smile to
her face.
When Gene cleared the hallway, he found Robyn with her pistol still
aimed at the bartender.
“Humber’s dead,” he said as he stepped past her and grabbed the shotgun
from the bar.
“What happened?” she asked as she finally returned the pistol to its
holster.
“He had that Le Mat that I gave him in his hand when I entered and
pulled the trigger. It was set to fire the shotgun barrel, but I never loaded it.
The percussion cap went off just a second before I fired.”
 Now that Gene was in control of the situation, Robyn finally stepped
back a few feet and blew out her breath.
“Now what do we do?” she asked.
“That’s a good question,” he replied, then looked at the bartender and
asked, “Do you want this saloon?”
Trooper blinked and asked, “What?”
“With Humber dead, I reckon that the best thing to do with his properties
is to give them to the men who run them. So, do you want the saloon?”
Trooper was stunned by the offer. He was about to shoot the deputy just
to keep his job and now the man was offering him the saloon.
He blinked again then replied, “If you think it’s okay, then I’ll be more’n
happy to have it.”
“Alright. Now tell me about Joe Tennyson. Is he going to cause trouble
in town?”
“Probably.”
Gene looked down at the unconscious man and figured he wouldn’t be a
problem for a little while, so he looked at Robyn and said, “I’ve got to go
back into the office. Do you want to stay out here?”
“No. I’ll come with you.”
Gene nodded then glanced at the bartender before reaching down, taking
Joe Tennyson’s pistol from his gunbelt and handing it to Robyn. He wasn’t
about to trust the bartender despite his generosity. He wasn’t sure if he had
any legal standing whatsoever to make the offer, but he didn’t think it
mattered yet. The important thing was to have the bartender switch
allegiance.
He and Robyn then walked down the hallway and entered the office.
Robyn looked at Lud’s body as it lay sprawled across the desk and
asked, “What do you need to do in here?”
 “I want to open that safe. I don’t want to leave a lot of money in here.
I’m sure the county would appreciate the donation.”
“How can you open it?”
“I’m not going to blow it up. I don’t have any more gunpowder anyway.
I’m going to go through his desk and see if he’s written the combination
down anywhere.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“I know, but you’re smart.”
Robyn smiled at Gene as he set the shotgun on the desk near Lud’s head
and then had to lift the body from the desktop and sit it in the chair. It was
awkward, but Gene managed to balance the corpse before starting to open
the drawers. There was surprisingly little paperwork inside, and nothing had
the combination. So, maybe Lud was smarter than Gene thought he was. He
really didn’t think that the man was stupid, but he surely made a giant
blunder when he’d trusted Fenn Jordan.
After searching the desk, Gene thought he wouldn’t find the combination
and was about to give up when Robyn said, “Maybe he wrote it on the
bottom of one of the drawers.”
Gene shrugged then slid the empty center drawer completely out and
flipped it over.
“You are probably the smartest person in this room, ma’am,” Gene said
as he stared at three numbers scrawled on the bottom of the drawer.
Thirty seconds later, he had the safe open and pulled out not only over
six thousand dollars in cash, but deeds for the saloon, the store, his livery
and a house.
“Well, this will make things easier. We’ll bring the lot with us when we
return tomorrow.”
Gene found a cloth bag marked with Colorado Springs Bank and Trust
and stuffed the bills and papers inside. He handed the bag to Robyn, then
leaned in front of Lud’s body and opened his jacket. He pulled out the
man’s wallet and opened it to find around a hundred dollars in cash, but
nothing else. He handed the wallet to Robyn who dropped it into the bag
then he picked up the shotgun and they left the office.
Once in the barroom, he opened the shotgun, removed the two shells and
tossed them away before setting it on the bar.
“I wasn’t gonna shoot you, Deputy,” Trooper said.
“I always play it safe. I’ll send the mortician to pick up Lud’s body.”
“What do I do with Joe?”
“I don’t care. I don’t have any reason to arrest him, but when he wakes
up, tell him that I don’t want any trouble from him.”
“Yes, sir.”
Gene nodded, then he and Robyn headed for the batwing doors.
Once outside, she asked, “Now what do we do?”
“After I see the mortician, we need to visit Sally’s Suppertime Café to
get something to eat and then we can go to the house.”
“Is it that easy?”
“It’ll be a lot more work when we return to Colorado Springs, but I don’t
believe that there’s anything else we can do here. Where is the mortician?”
“That’s Mister Howard’s job. He’s also the barber.”
“Let’s visit Mister Howard, ma’am. Lead on.”
After stopping at Hawkeye to put the Le Mat and Joe Tennyson’s Colt
into his saddlebags, Robyn took his arm and after a short two-block walk
they entered Mister Howard’s barbershop. He was extremely happy to be
told to bury Lud Humber and said he would do it with no charge to the
county.
After having their supper at Sally’s Suppertime Café, Gene and Robyn
walked Hawkeye and Dunk into the small barn behind the house.
 They dismounted and Robyn pointed at the back of the barn and said,
“No one has fixed the damage that you did to the barn.”
“And I doubt if anyone ever will, ma’am,” Gene said as he began to
unsaddle Hawkeye.
Robyn was removing Dunk’s saddle when she said, “It feels so strange
being back here again. I lived here for years and I don’t feel as if I belong
here anymore.”
“I imagine so. But we won’t be here for very long. We’ll be on the road
tomorrow morning and we’ll be in our real home before sunset.”
“Are you sure that we’ll be safe tonight? You don’t think Joe is going to
do anything; do you?”
“No. He may not be very bright, but there’s no reason for him to start
trouble, at least not with us. After we’re gone, I don’t know what he’ll do.
But before we go, I’ll let the folks know that if there’s any trouble, send a
rider to Colorado Springs.”
Robyn smiled as she said, “You’re the law now, Gene.”
He kissed her and replied, “I wish you could be a deputy too, Robyn.”
_____
As they prepared for bed in the same room that Robyn had used for six
years, Gene wished they could have headed back right away. Even though
he wasn’t really concerned about Joe Tennyson, he was almost totally
ignorant of the rest of the community.
Robyn was already in her nightdress and under the quilts waiting for him
as he began unbuttoning his shirt.
She could tell how distracted he was and asked, “Is there something
wrong?”
“I don’t know. I just feel as if I’m missing something. It’s probably
because I don’t know anyone in town.”
 “I know most of them and if you’re not worried about Joe Tennyson,
then I can’t imagine anyone else causing any trouble.”
Gene nodded then hung his shirt on the chair near the bed then
unbuttoned his britches and sat down on the edge of the bed to pull them
off.
He yanked them free and hung them over his shirt before standing again,
blowing out the lamp then joining Robyn.
She pulled him close and said, “I thought that you’d be more than
anxious to make unfettered love to me after all the praise you’ve been
sending my way about my riding britches.”
Gene kissed her gently then smiled as he said, “I thought I would be
ripping those britches from your magnificent bottom before you had a
chance, but I guess the nagging feeling of not knowing what is going on is
having a bigger impact on me than I thought it would.”
“So, you’re just going to let me go to sleep unsatisfied?”
Gene laughed as he slid his hand under her nightdress.
_____
But even Robyn didn’t realize that there was someone who would be
more than just upset about Lud’s death.
Less than a mile away, Abigail North was lying alone on the bed she’d
shared with Lud for the past year. She hadn’t changed for sleep because just
an hour earlier, she’d finally learned that he wouldn’t be joining her ever
again.
She had cried for more than thirty minutes before her sorrow was
replaced by an overwhelming desire to avenge her murdered lover.
Now as she lay on her back in the darkened room, she tried to plan some
way to extract that revenge. She’d been told by Joe of the circumstances of
his death, so she knew who had done it and where he and his woman were
probably staying.
 She had never fired a gun, so a pistol was out of the question. But she
wanted to kill him and after another ten minutes, she finally figured out
how she could do it.
Abigail smiled as she stood and walked out to the kitchen. Once she
arrived, she slid the can of kerosene from behind the cookstove and took the
box of matches from the nearby shelf.
She didn’t think it was late enough, but she’d wait for another hour or so
before making the walk through the dark alleys to #12 Fifth Street.
If she did this right, then no one would ever know how that bastard
Stewart died. She would have her revenge for her poor Luddie.
_____
After their frenzied lovemaking, a very content Robyn had fallen into a
deep sleep, but Gene found it difficult to drift off.
He lay quietly beside Robyn for another hour after she was breathing
quietly before he slipped out of bed and pulled on his britches and then
donned his shirt. He tugged on his socks and boots then even strapped on
his two-gun rig. He slowly tiptoed out of the bedroom and headed for the
kitchen. He had no idea what time it was as he took a seat at the kitchen
table.
On the floor near the table was his set of saddlebags with the money and
deeds, but it also had the Le Mat, so he opened the left saddlebag and pulled
out the pistol.
He pulled back the hammer and in the moonlight that drifted in through
the kitchen window, he began flipping the firing pin back and forth between
the shotgun and the cylinder positions.
“You saved my life, Mister Le Mat,” he said softly.
Gene smiled at the pistol before setting the firing pin in position to fire
the nine chambers and lowered the hammer. He was setting it back into the
saddlebags when he heard a noise from the front porch.
 At first, he wasn’t sure if he was imagining things and turned his head to
listen more closely.
Out front, Abigail was splashing the kerosene across the front porch with
an almost childlike glee. When she thought there was enough, she stepped
back and set the can on the porch’s floor and then quickly pulled a match
from her dress pocket and struck it on the side of the can. The match flared
to life and after snatching the almost empty can of coal oil from the porch
so there would be no evidence, she tossed the lit match onto the fuel-soaked
pine.
The flame almost exploded at her feet before she turned and ran down
the steps. She almost stumbled, but soon raced down the walkway to make
her escape. Before she reached the street, she turned and was pleased to see
the entire front porch already ablaze. She knew that there was no chance for
the murderer and his woman to escape.
Gene had heard another noise from the front of the house then quickly
stood and began to walk down the hallway. He had just passed their
bedroom door when he saw the bright flames on the other side of the front
windows. He knew there was almost no time before the entire house
became an inferno.
He turned and raced into the bedroom and shouted, “Robyn! Wake up!
Fire!”
Robyn was in such a deep slumber that she missed most of his shouted
warning, but just opened her eyes.
Gene quickly tossed the quilt aside and pulled Robyn from the bed.
She immediately awakened but was confused and asked, “What’s
wrong?”
“Fire!” he exclaimed.
He expected her to race out of the house but was surprised when she
took a few seconds to gather her clothes and even her boots before
scurrying from the room. She turned right, but quickly shifted toward the
kitchen after seeing the front of the house already being eaten by the fire.
 Gene ran behind her and after they reached the kitchen, he snapped up
the saddlebags and even grabbed his hat before they exited the back door.
The next priority would be to save the horses.
Robyn already understood what they had to do and raced to the small
barn. They knew that they only had a few minutes, so as the housefire
continued to spread, she let Gene handle saddling the horses while she
changed.
She was able to dress before Gene finished saddling Dunk but let him
finish the job while she stuck her head outside to watch the fire’s progress.
Gene glanced at her as he tightened Dunk’s cinch and yelled, "How
much longer?"
"Not long. The wind is blowing flaming cinders all over.”
Gene took both horses from the barn and handed Dunk’s reins to Robyn.
“Where do we go now?” she asked.
“Away from here. I don’t suppose that the town has a fire brigade; does
it?”
“I don’t know.”
Gene waited until Robyn mounted then stepped into Hawkeye’s saddle.
They turned their horses to the south and rode down the alley at a slow trot
as they watched the flames climb into the night.
_____
Abigail had stopped in the street as she was fascinated by the enormity
of her handiwork. She didn’t see any possible way for anyone to survive
that hellish conflagration.
Rather than run to the sanctuary of Lud’s home, she dropped the empty
can of kerosene in the street, wrapped her arms around herself and began to
laugh.
It wasn’t another five minutes before other Orville residents began
pouring from their homes in various stages of undress or in their pajamas
and other nightwear. Those with homes near the burning house began to
panic, knowing that they would soon be homeless unless someone stopped
the flames.
While the town had no formal fire brigade, men began trying to organize
a bucket line to bring water from the common trough. But none of them
really expected to be able to stop the monster. They hadn’t dipped a single
bucket into the trough before the roof on #10 Fifth Street burst into flame.
Gene and Robyn had reached Main Street and even as the townsfolk
were scurrying about trying to save their homes, Gene knew that there was
nothing they could do except to pray that the wind changed direction.
Robyn had to shout over the fire’s roar when she asked, “What can we
do to help?”
“Nothing. There isn’t enough water and the houses are too close
together.”
Gene stared at the increasing devastation and wondered if the entire
town would be taken by the fire and wondered who had set the house
ablaze.
He turned to Robyn and shouted, “Somebody set that fire.”
Robyn hadn’t thought about the source of the fire until Gene’s shout, so
she yelled back, “Who did it?”
“I don’t know and I’m not sure we’ll ever find out.”
“Are we just going to sit here?”
Gene had no answer but wished that he could do more than just sit on
Hawkeye. The town wasn’t a bad place and now that Lud Humber was
gone, the folks deserved something better.
He was about to tell Robyn that there wasn’t anything they could do
when he noticed that the moon was no longer in the sky. It had been shining
brightly just minutes before so what had happened?
 Then over the fire’s loud roar, he heard an even louder clap of thunder.
The bright light of the fire had blinded them all from the lightning and now
Mother Nature’s fireman had arrived.
He put out his palm and looked skyward for a second bolt of lightning.
Just as he picked up the flash, the first heavy drops arrived.
Suddenly, the fire was playing second fiddle to Mother Nature’s much
more powerful fireman.
Gene yelled, “We’ve got to get under the boardwalk!”
Robyn nodded and as the storm opened its faucet, they trotted their
mounts under the boardwalk eaves in front of Humber’s Dry Goods.
The other townsfolk either ran for cover or stayed in the street dancing
and loudly exclaiming their thanks to God for His mercy.
Gene and Robyn had dismounted but remained standing under the roof
with their horses as the storm ended the danger.
As they watched the downpour, Robyn asked, “Why were you awake?”
“I have no idea. After you fell asleep, I tried to join you, but I couldn’t. It
seemed the harder I tried, the more my brain wanted me to stay alert. So, I
grabbed my clothes and even my gunbelt then walked out to the kitchen and
got dressed.”
“That’s just another piece of your growing legend.”
“I don’t want to tell you how spooky it is to think of what might have
happened if I did fall asleep.”
“Don’t ever mention that again. I’m just glad that the rains came when
they did. I may not be fond of this town, but the people didn’t deserve to
lose everything.”
“You know what’s odd? In those weeks that I spend on the three
journeys across the plains, I only had one day of rain.”
“Well, I’m glad you saved this lot for tonight,” Robyn replied as she put
her arm around his waist.
 _____
By the time the storm passed, all that was remaining of #12 Fifth Street
was a pile of charred rubble.
Two men had found Abigail North in the street near the can of kerosene
and when she was asked, didn’t show any remorse when she told them that
she’d set the fire to get justice for her Luddie.
Fred Castle, the man who had allowed Robyn to ‘steal’ the pistol, was
the one who told Gene that Abigail had set the fire. He also said that she
seemed to be not right in the head, so Gene told him to just take her home.
By the time the storm had ended, and the aftermath had settled down, the
predawn had arrived, so Gene and Robyn rode back to Sally’s for breakfast.
Gene knew that they should stick around for another day to try and
establish some form of order, but neither he nor Robyn wanted to stay in the
town. He told Fred Castle about the money and the deeds and that he’d turn
everything over to the county judge for determination of what to do. If he or
anyone else wanted to talk to the judge, they could come to Colorado
Springs.
So, just as the sun exploded in spectacular style, Gene and Robyn set
out. The roads were already drying out from the deluge before they began
to make their way to Colorado Springs.
As Orville disappeared behind them, Robyn asked, “Do you think you’ll
ever have to return there as a deputy?”
“I don’t know and I’m not even sure the town can recover. How are you
doing? Do you think you’ll be able to handle another long ride?”
“I had an hour’s sleep, Gene, and you didn’t get any at all.”
“If either of us starts getting too tired, we can take a nap.”
“Just don’t fall off your horse. There are some long drops off the side of
the road.”
Gene laughed and said, “I could always lash us together with my rope.”
 “We were lashed together two days ago. Remember?”
Gene just grinned as he replied, “Happy anniversary.”
As they made the ride back to their new home, they talked about what
they hoped would be a more conventional life in their future.
They did have to stop before noon for an extended break. They snuggled
together on Gene’s bedroll under the protective shade of a cluster of aspens
and took a desperately needed nap that lasted more than three hours.
After having a light lunch, they remounted and continued their journey.
Considering that they had both been close to death at least once in the past
twenty-four hours, the ride was amazingly cheerful and optimistic.
Because they had left town so early, they didn’t encounter any road
traffic on the ride.
They were less than ten miles from home when Gene twisted in his
saddle and looked behind them.
Robyn mimicked his check of their backtrail and after finding it empty,
she asked, “Are you worried that someone is going to chase us for the
money?”
Gene smiled, shook his head and replied, “Nope. I was just wondering if
Mister Castle or some of the others wouldn’t be racing to Colorado Springs
to lay claim to Humber’s property.”
“I wouldn’t want to be the judge who has to decide who gets what.”
“That’s what they do, ma’am.”
“Maybe you’ll be a judge after you become a lawyer.”
Gene laughed then said, “I just put on the badge of a deputy sheriff and
you’ve already made me a judge.”
Robyn smiled as she replied, “To be honest, I was thinking more of
Governor Stewart.”
 Gene didn’t comment. The biggest ambition he had at the moment was
to be a good husband for Robyn and a good father for Jimmy. The rest was
unimportant.
_____
When Colorado Springs popped into view late that afternoon, Gene said,
“I need to get this to Sheriff Drucker and let him know what happened. Do
you want to head home and tell our parents?”
“Would you mind? I’m still pretty tired and I’ll admit that I’m a bit sore
as well.”
“I think you’ve earned a bath and another nap, Mrs. Stewart. I never did
tell you how proud I was of you in the saloon. You didn’t overreact and you
posed enough of a threat to make the bartender put down his loaded
shotgun. You’re one hell of a woman, Robyn Stewart.”
Robyn smiled as she replied, “What drove me was that I didn’t want to
give him a chance to make me a widow.”
“I’ll do my best to keep you from achieving that status, ma’am.”
“If I have to be a widow, it’ll be when I’m so old that I can’t even recall
how to spell the word.”
Gene laughed as they started their descent into Colorado Springs, but he
knew that it was much more likely that he would be a widower.
Robyn was so young but would be facing the dangers of childbirth many
times. The recent loss of Katie only emphasized that fact. He may face
angry men with knives and guns, but his wife might be confronted with
almost an annual sequence of having their babies. He wished there was
some way to at least limit that likelihood other than the obvious. He knew
that she had enjoyed their lovemaking as much as he did, and neither was
about to give it up.
It was God’s way of ensuring that humankind survived but he wished
that He wouldn’t have made the birthing process so dangerous for the
women. Maybe that’s what made the mother and child bond so strong.
Carrying the child for nine months was difficult enough for a woman but
knowing that giving birth to the baby might end her life must be worrisome
at the least.
Men just enjoyed placing their women in that condition, so they were
relatively distant from the newborn child. But to the mother, it must be an
incredible sense of relief and unrestricted joy to be able to see the life that
they had held within them for the better part of a year.
Gene looked at Robyn with a new sense of awe and an even greater
respect for all women. They not only had to endure the discomfort and pain
of childbearing, but still needed to do all of the housework even in the late
stages of pregnancy. He felt ashamed for having complained about having
to work so hard when he was a boy and was determined to make life as
comfortable as possible for Robyn. At least now, with Fenn’s generous gift,
he had the means to do just that.
Robyn hadn’t noticed Gene’s attention as she was focused on Colorado
Springs. She couldn’t wait to sink into a tub of hot water and wash away the
grime from the long rides and let it soothe her aching muscles and joints.
When she finally did turn to find Gene staring at her, she just smiled and
said, “We’re almost home, Gene.”
Gene returned her smile as he replied, “Yes, ma’am. Almost home.”
_____
Gene’s report to Sheriff Drucker with Deputy Sheriff Giuseppe Silvio
sitting nearby took longer than he had anticipated.
Ben Drucker took possession of the saddlebags and as Gene wrote his
report, he had Juice go next door to the county courthouse and tell Mister
Percival the story.
The sheriff wasn’t surprised when Juice returned with Elmer Percival in
tow just ten minutes later. The conversation with the attorney was both
informative and promising.
The arrival of the county prosecutor also extended the time that Gene
had to spend in the jail, so by the time he mounted Hawkeye to head back
home, it was already early evening.
 As he turned down Seventh Street, he looked ahead to #17 and was
mildly disappointed not to see his family waiting for him on the porch, but
soon forgave them when he realized just how long he’d been delayed at the
sheriff’s office. As much as he wished he could have returned sooner, he
still believed the additional time he’d spent with the county prosecutor had
been well worth it.
He walked Hawkeye down the carriage lane and pulled up behind the
house. After dismounting, he just tied off his gelding leaving him saddled
before bounding up the porch steps.
Just as he reached for the back door, it sprung open and Robyn smiled at
him.
“We were about to send out a search party,” she said as he entered the
kitchen.
“I was detained by Mister Percival, the county prosecutor.”
Alex exclaimed, “
They aren’t charging you with a crime; are they?
”
Gene immediately replied, “No, sir. He and the sheriff were very pleased
with the events in Orville. The first reason that I spent so much time with
Mister Percival was because I had to explain about the money and the
deeds, so he could relay that information to Judge Lawson. Then we talked
for a while about my studying for the law while I’m a deputy sheriff.”
Robyn quickly asked, “Did he think it was possible?”
Gene grinned as he answered, “He was positively thrilled with the idea. I
think the fact that we returned the money when no one had seen us remove
it from the safe bolstered his enthusiasm. He’ll let me read his books and
observe his cases whenever I can. It’ll be almost as if I was clerking for
Henry Wheeler.”
“But while wearing a badge and keeping the folks safe,” his father said.
“Yes, sir.”
“Let’s get you fed,” Robyn said as she guided him to the kitchen table.
 Gene didn’t argue and soon found himself sitting across from Nora who
had Jimmy sitting on her lap.
As Robyn began setting plates of food on the table before him, Nora
asked, “So, when do you start normal work?”
“Tomorrow. Zeb’s trial is at ten o’clock, but it shouldn’t take long. It’ll
be the start of my legal education, too. It’s a pretty simple case, so it won’t
involve a lot of courtroom drama. I’ll be a busy man for a while, but I won’t
let it affect the attention I pay to my bride.”
Robyn laughed before saying, “It had better not, Deputy.”
The rest of the family joined him at the table but only had coffee. Jimmy
was munching on a biscuit as he studied the adults.
His father grinned and asked, “Did you dislike that house so much that
you felt that you had to burn it down?”
Gene laughed before replying, “Just fulfilling your unstated wish, sir.”
 Robyn joined her mother and Alex in laughter as Jimmy simply giggled
because the adults thought something was funny.
As he cut his thick slice of beef, Gene let his eyes pass each of his
family’s smiling faces. He knew there would be more challenges ahead for
all of them over the coming years as it was for each soul put on this earth.
But they would meet those challenges together as all families did.
Next door, in the house that he would share with Robyn and their
growing family, he had his second set of saddlebags. Inside the left bag was
his money belt that no longer contained a single lonely piece of currency.
All it held was a misshapen, worn envelope: an envelope containing a letter
that had almost been tossed aside. But that one short letter had altered his
life in ways he could never have imagined.
It had returned his father to his rightful place of respect and admiration
as a good man. It had made him a father as well.
But most importantly, those few paragraphs had led him to the woman
who would be the center of his world until he left it. He just prayed that it
wouldn’t be for another six or seven decades.
 EPOLOGUE
Zeb’s trial went as expected as far as length and lack of courtroom
drama, but Gene was moderately pleased to hear Judge Lawson only give
him a fifteen-year sentence. He really didn’t want to see the man hang for
being such an idiot and a bad shot to boot.
The next day, John Greenfield, the president of the Colorado Springs
Bank & Loan reported that his chief clerk, Miles Johnson had disappeared.
Even though everyone knew that he had assisted Fenn Jordan in emptying
Lud Humber’s account, it was little more than an item of gossip, albeit a
very big whisper. No crime had been committed and many, even the bank
president, secretly admired the cunning that Fenn Jordan had used in the
non-heist.
The money that Gene had found was gratefully accepted by the county
and Judge Lawson played Solomon for a few days deciding who would
receive each of Lud’s properties. Abigail North was not awarded his house,
but she did take up residence in his saloon as a working girl.
While Orville didn’t become a ghost town as a result of the fire, it would
eventually disappear from the maps and would never even have a telegraph
wire strung to the town.
While no one ever searched for Fenn Jordan, just a month after his
departure, Gene received an unsigned post card from St. Louis. Other than
his address, all that was written on the back was
Thank you.
Two months later, Gene received a letter from Henry Wheeler with a
draft for thirty-six hundred dollars. The farm had been sold and not to
anyone name Moran.
_____
Over the next few years, Gene spent long hours reading law books
whenever he wasn’t doing his job as deputy sheriff, husband or father.
 As he’d promised himself, he ensured that Robyn’s life would be as
stress-free as he could manage. Of course, it helped that his wealthy father
lived next door. They shared a housekeeper and the Chinese laundry service
for their wives. Nora and Robyn both greatly appreciated the help, although
both women insisted on doing the cooking.
The babies began arriving the following year with two new arrivals to
the Stewarts. Robyn delivered Anne Louise on May 12, 1866 and her
mother gave birth to Allen James on June 9
th
.
Gene was pleased to have another brother and never considered him a
half-brother. The relationship between Jimmy and little Allen was too
confusing for anyone to follow, but it didn’t matter. Even Jimmy thought of
him as his baby brother.
Three more deputy sheriffs were added over the next two years, giving
Gene even more time to study. He and Elmer Percival became close friends
and on Monday, April 18, 1870, Eugene William Stewart was admitted to
the state bar.
He joined Elmer as an assistant prosecutor as the population of Colorado
Springs was growing rapidly.
While they hadn’t journeyed farther than Denver since settling down,
they had kept a steady stream of correspondence between the Colorado
Springs Stewarts and the Chicago Kileys as well as the Peoria Wheelers.
Photographs were included in many of the envelopes that passed back and
forth but later in the same year that Gene became an attorney, the railroad
arrived in Denver.
June 11, 1871
It had been a long train ride to Peoria as they had to go north to
Cheyenne, then east to Omaha before crossing the Missouri into Iowa.
Gene thought that although the train ride had taken less than half the
time that he’d spent making those long rides, it had seemed longer. Maybe
it was because the children required so much attention even with Jimmy
there to help.
 Now the train was slowing down as it neared the station in the town
where he’d been born and thought that he’d never leave then believed that
he’d never see again.
Robyn sat beside him with little Katie on her lap and Jimmy sat with
Anne in the seat in front of them. Gene could see Jimmy’s excitement as the
train prepared to stop.
As the platform came into view, he could already see Anna holding her
baby son next to her husband John who held their toddler daughter in his
arms. They were standing beside the entire Wheeler family. Henry had
regained the weight he’d lost in the war and maybe another pound or two,
and Bess was there with her husband and their two children. Each of them
seemed as excited as he was.
He glanced across the aisle and could see a measure of anxiety on his
father’s face. It had been more than fifteen years since he’d left Peoria
under a cloud, but the letters that he and Anna had exchanged had started
the healing process between them and Gene didn’t doubt that Anna would
welcome her father with the same warmth that she would give to him and
Robyn.
After his brief examination of his father, he turned his eyes back to his
perfect wife.
Robyn took his hand and quietly asked, “Does it feel odd to be coming
home?”
Gene kissed her softly before replying, “We’re visiting my sister’s
family and the Wheelers, my love. Next week, we’ll be going home, and it
won’t feel odd at all.”
Robyn smiled at her husband knowing that he meant every word. But
Peoria would have been his home if his father hadn’t written that letter
requesting his help. Gene had told her often that if he hadn’t added that one
sentence about the two innocents, then he probably wouldn’t have made the
journey.
She squeezed his hand as the passenger car lurched to a stop, then before
they stood, she looked into his smiling blue eyes and simply said, “Thank
you, Gene.”
 1. Rock Creek
12/26/2016
2. North of Denton
01/02/2017
3. Fort Selden
01/07/2017
4. Scotts Bluff
01/14/2017
5. South of Denver
01/22/2017
6. Miles City
01/28/2017
7. Hopewell
02/04/2017
8. Nueva Luz
02/12/2017
9. The Witch of Dakota
02/19/2017
10.                     
Baker City
03/13/2017
11.                     
The Gun Smith
03/21/2017
12.                     
Gus
03/24/2017
13.                     
Wilmore
04/06/2017
14.                     
Mister Thor
04/20/2017
15.                     
Nora
04/26/2017
16.                     
Max
05/09/2017
17.                     
Hunting Pearl
05/14/2017
18.                     
Bessie
05/25/2017
19.                     
The Last Four
05/29/2017
20.                     
Zack
06/12/2017
21.                     
Finding Bucky
06/21/2017
22.                     
The Debt
06/30/2017
23.                     
The Scalawags
07/11/2017
24.                     
The Stampede
07/20/2017
25.                     
The Wake of the Bertrand
07/31/2017
26.                     
Cole
08/09/2017
27.                     
Luke
09/05/2017
28.                     
The Eclipse
09/21/2017
29.                     
A.J. Smith
10/03/2017
30.                     
Slow John
11/05/2017
31.                     
The Second Star
11/15/2017
32.                     
Tate
12/03/2017
33.                     
Virgil’s Herd
12/14/2017
34.                     
Marsh’s Valley
01/01/2018
35.                     
Alex Paine
01/18/2018
36.                     
Ben Gray
02/05/2018
37.                     
War Adams
03/05/2018
38.                     
Mac’s Cabin
03/21/2018
39.                     
Will Scott
04/13/2018
40.                     
Sheriff Joe
04/22/2018
41.                     
Chance
05/17/2018
42.                     
Doc Holt
06/17/2018
43.                     
Ted Shepard
07/13/2018
44.                     
Haven
07/30/2018
45.                     
Sam’s County
08/15/2018
46.                     
Matt Dunne
09/10/2018
47.                     
Conn Jackson
10/05/2018
48.                     
Gabe Owens
10/27/2018
49.                     
Abandoned
11/19/2018
50.                     
Retribution
12/21/2018
51.                     
Inevitable
02/04/2019
52.                     
Scandal in Topeka
03/18/2019
53.                     
Return to Hardeman County
04/10/2019
54.                     
Deception
06/02/2019
55.                     
The Silver Widows
06/27/2019
56.                     
Hitch
08/21/2019
57.                     
Dylan’s Journey
09/10/2019
58.                     
Bryn’s War
11/06/2019
59.                     
Huw’s Legacy
11/30/2019
60.                     
Lynn’s Search
12/22/2019
61.                     
Bethan’s Choice
02/10/2020
62.                     
Rhody Jones
03/11/2020
63.                     
Alwen’s Dream
06/16/2020
64.                     
The Nothing Man
06/30/2020
65.                     
Cy Page: Western Union Man
07/19/2020
66.                     
Tabby Hayes
08/02/2020
67.                     
Letter for Gene
09/08/2020
68.                     
Dylan’s Memories
09/20/2020
69.                     
Grip Taylor
10/07
/2020
70.                     
Garrett’s Duty
11/09/2020
71.                     
East of the Cascades
12/02/2020
72.                     
The Iron Wolfe
12/23/2020
 73.                     
Wade Rivers
01/09/2021
74.                     
Ghost Train
01/26/2021
75.                     
The Inheritance
02/26/2021