Wild Rose

The lights of the little town were bright against the otherwise pitch blackness of a wilderness at midnight. No moon had helped them on this last leg of their journey, and they rode with torches to light the dangerous ground.

Dakota Territory was rough itself, and Deadwood was much worse.

Nevertheless, the weary travelers were thankful for the civilization even a primitive town like Deadwood offered after three days of nothing but rocks and salt flats.

"I'm getting too old for this," Teaspoon had muttered the other night as he grunted and shifted on the rocky ground.

As Lou sighed and pressed against Kid for warmth, with a rock digging into her side unmercifully under the bedroll, she had been inclined to agree with him.

They'd been on the road for a week, making most of the journey by rail, stopping often and spending the nights in small towns along the way. However, an interruption in the track had made it necessary for them to take the horses from the box cars and ride them for the last three days. None of them wanted to think of why they travelled; of the waiting goodbye to be said by a graveside.

The October air had a bite to it tonight, and the wind blew strongly.

"At least we won't have to sleep outside again," Emma murmured, shivering even under the weight of Sam's heavy jacket.

Rachel sighed with relief as well. They weren't accustomed to the harsh life on the trail, as the others were, and it was hard for them.

It had been two months since Jimmy's death, but that was how long it had taken everyone to find their way to Sweetwater. It was still amazing to Lou, as scattered as they were, that they'd come so quickly.

Buck had shown up first, appearing very much the savage in buckskins and an animal hide vest. His eyes had been tired and wary at first, as they always were after months of living the nomadic life the Kiowa were forced to adopt. He divided his time between living with them, and travelling to Washington D.C. as a spokesman for the Native Americans. Only after Lou, Kid, and James warmly embraced him did the shadows in his eyes recede, and a smile split his face.

Sam and Emma had arrived next, from their home in St. Louis, where Sam acted as territorial marshal. They had a beautiful family there, with two grown daughters and one son a little older than James. Sam had wisely left all three of his kids at home, none of them having seen Jimmy more than once or twice, and none of them really ready to face a week's long trip in the wilderness.

Rachel and Teaspoon had long ago moved to Sweetwater, and built a house not far from the McClouds. Although they were not married, for neither had the desire to ever step up to the alter again, they'd lived together for nearly thirteen years, and shared a deep love. Lou had never been able to fully guess the nature of that love, but she suspected they lived as man and wife in spirit and body, if not in law. Teaspoon was still the marshal of Sweetwater, and Rachel had set the school in town up herself, and still had her same passion for instilling a love of learning in children.

Cody was the last to arrive, having to travel all the way from New York, where his Wild West Show was still a huge success. Kid, Lou, and James had gone to New York a few years ago to see it, and had been amazed. Jimmy had even been a part of it…for one night. Until the bright lights had hurt his weakening eyes, and he'd shot out the spotlight. Lou had scarcely seen Jimmy look as miserable as he did up on that stage and had scolded Cody sharply after the show for talking him into it. Jimmy had smirked smugly behind Lou's skirts, enjoying watching Cody squirm under her wrath. Cody had married, but left his beautiful young wife in New York. When questioned why he didn't bring her, his words were flat, "This doesn't concern her."

Lou smiled slightly in pride as she remembered the amazement and praise from them all when they saw the station. They'd seen it several times before, but never failed to marvel at all they'd done with the place. It was little wonder, Lou thought, their ranch was impressive now. They'd bought a thousand acres in addition to the old station. The house had been renovated completely and added onto, now sprawling impressively on the flat land at the heart of the ranch. The old barn had collapsed on itself during the neglect of the war, and had been torn down to make room for new stables. The new stables that stood in its place were Kid and Lou's pride and joy. Two long, wide buildings with spacious stalls inside, light and airy in the summer and cozy in the winter. Paddocks and corrals contained sleek, brightly colored paints, which were the trademark of the Bar M Ranch. A new bunkhouse to shelter the ranch hands had been erected. A livestock barn had been added in addition to the stables, to house the cows, chickens, goats, and pigs also belonging to the McClouds. The only things reminiscent of the old days of the express were the creaky windmill, the beacon that had led them all home from a hard ride time after time, and the old bunkhouse, where they'd lived so closely. Lou worked hard to keep the bunkhouse exactly as it had been in the days of the express, should any of them want to come home and stay there instead of in the main house. Jimmy had always stayed in the bunkhouse…

It wasn't hard to find a hotel in the busy little town, but finding a hotel that didn't seem to crawl with vermin was a different story. When the party finally settled into their rooms in a place that seemed the least likely to get them murdered in their beds, Lou lay down on the bed and sighed, allowing her weary limbs to sink deeply into the mattress.

"Mama!" the voice preceded the tall figure bursting into her room by only a split second. Tiredly she looked at her son, whose tall frame filled the doorway almost completely, his eyes bright with excitement.

"What are you looking so pleased with yourself about?" she wondered.

"Uncle Cody asked if I wanted to come out onto the porch with him and Sam and Buck!"

Kid shuffled in the room, sliding by his son wordlessly, collapsing onto the bed face first, and laying there motionless with a contented sigh.

"Why aren't you going out on the porch?" Lou asked her husband without moving to look at him.

"Because I feel about a thousand years old, and all I want to do is sleep."

"Sound good to me."

"Well?" James asked, stamping his foot.

"Well what?" Lou asked, with a slight grin, seeing the set of his stubborn jaw as he became agitated with her.

"Can I go?" he hissed.

Lou giggled, "Go where?"

"Mama!" He cried out, stamping his foot again with impatience, but finding in at inadequate expression of his frustration.

"Let the boy go so we can get some peace and quiet around here," Kid suggested, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"Go ahead, Jamie," Lou smiled, loving it that his uncles loved him so much, "Be careful, though. I don't want you wandering off alone."

"God, Mama, I'm fifteen years old! I can take care of myself! When you were fifteen you were already out on your own!" James pointed out indignantly.

"You're gonna be out on your own too if you don't kindly close that door and let me get some sleep!" Kid muttered around a mouthful of pillow.

Lou raised her eyebrows and exchanged a grin with Jamie, waving him away and laughing, "Go before you make a hole in the floor with your dancing around. You'd think you had ants in your britches!"

With an exaggerated sigh of mock irritation, James disappeared.

Lou giggled, despite her tiredness, and told Kid, "I think my favorite thing about being a parent is the right to aggravate him beyond all reason at times."

A soft snore was her answer.

Lou watched him for a moment, his face-at least what she could see of it over the overstuffed pillow-was dirty and creased with exhaustion and stress.

She tugged the heavy blanket over him and herself, and nestled her icy toes against his warmth, smiling slightly when he jerked in his sleep. Sensing her, he reached out and fitted her into the natural hollow that she'd seemed to carve along his length in the years they'd shared a bed. In seconds, she was sleeping soundly by his side, confident that Cody would look after Jamie for her.

Lou had no inkling of how long she'd been asleep before her eyes fluttered open in the darkness of the room. There was a bright moon out, and fires in the street still burned. When her eyes adjusted, the room seemed very light indeed, and sighing, she sat up slowly, knowing she wasn't going to be able to go to sleep again. Careful not to wake Kid, she slid out of bed.

Low male voices drifted up through the drafty window, which seemed to indicate to her that she hadn't been sleeping for very long. She pulled the curtain aside and had a good view of all the men of her family, save the one sleeping in her bed, and Teaspoon. They were sitting on the stairs, near one of the street fires.

Cody was talking, gesturing wildly with his hands, and often reaching over to smack Jamie on the shoulder. She couldn't make out the words, but imagined that Cody wasn't disappointing them with his natural ability as a story teller. Lou smiled at Jamie, his eyes wide with wonder at everything Cody told him.

Her heart swelled with love for all of them, sitting there together, but especially for her son. She couldn't believe at times that Jamie, caught somewhere between child and man, was the same tiny infant first laid beside her in the middle of the war. When he slept he still looked so much like the child that she wanted to wrap herself around him and protect him fiercely, but she also recognized his need for independence, for room to discover who he was.

And God, what a man he'd make! Lou thought proudly, with a stinging sensation in the back of her eyes. He had his father's gentle heart, but her own will of iron. Kid's leadership ability was a gift he shared, and he was more fearless and sometimes ruthless than his father, which Lou thought might come from her. He could be a lion or a lamb, she realized, and he'd be a force to reckon with some day…although that someday was coming faster than she was willing to admit.

Another round of laughter caused a tender smile for all of them to lift her mouth.

If only Jimmy was down there as well…

A blast of cold air rattled the window suddenly, lacing around her with morbid tidings, reminding her that one had fallen by the way side. One of them was gone.

She wrapped her arms around herself, trying desperately to shut out the cold hands tugging at her heart.

James wasn't sure why he looked up. Perhaps he saw the curtains move, or perhaps it was a sense of regret that his mother and father weren't there, sharing in the warm memories of Uncle Jimmy. Whatever the reason, he was still surprised to see his mother standing by the window, looking sadly out toward the mountains, as if she expected someone to come riding in at any moment.

He's not coming back, Mama, he thought with a heavy heart.

The room flooded with the light of a soft lantern, but James didn't think his mother noticed. He sighed in relief when he saw his father come to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and placing a gentle kiss on her neck.

Lou jumped in surprise, not having realized Kid was awake, so deep were her thoughts.

"After tomorrow it will be better," he whispered into her ear, his warm breath causing a chill to run over the rest of her body.

"How? How can we do this Kid? How can we say goodbye to him…to Jimmy?"

Lou's voice sounded almost frantic, and Kid turned her around and pulled her into his chest.

After holding her and stroking her hair when she sobbed, Kid's voice reached down to her, gentle as a caress, "We won't say good bye. We'll say, 'until we meet again'."

The sun was very warm on Lou's back, despite the blustery wind that kicked dust into her eyes and dirtied her fine black dress. In fact, a slight sweat broke on her brow, and trickled down her back as she gazed at the simple grave.

Sighing, she had no choice but to acknowledge that the coldness that settled into her bones came entirely from within.

She closed her eyes as Teaspoon continued reading passages from the Bible, drawing more strength from the two strong hands that clenched hers than from the words. Kid and James stood right beside her, heads bowed with their own silent thoughts as Teaspoon continued, reading the scriptures that were appropriate, the ones that Jimmy had liked best.

A tear dropped off Lou's nose, squeezed out of her eye by her tightly closed lids. She tried to picture him, and succeeded all to well.

Not incredibly tall, but commanding, slim in his youth, but a bit stockier as the years went by. Wide in the shoulder and chest, narrow in the hip. Long brown hair framed a square jaw and a wide, sensuous mouth, high cheekbones, a straight fine nose. The teeth were a brilliant white, startling in his weather tanned face. Eyes unlike any she'd ever known. Eyes that, though dark in color, could flash and shine and burn and pierce. Eyes that had caused many a man to back away in fear, and many a woman to approach eagerly. Eyes that saw too much too early, and carried a pain that at times dimmed but never faded completely. Eyes that were intense, demanding, and saw straight to her soul, accepting nothing less than everything she was willing to give.

Eyes that reached out, that touched. Lou had never been able to feel anyone's stare so much as Jimmy's, and recalled countless times she'd felt that slight burning in the middle of her back, at her cheek, wherever his eyes happened to be falling. She'd never failed to turn and find him there, so real was the heat of his gaze.

Lou thought that surely it must be her overactive imagination when she felt that familiar burning feeling at the back of her neck, but it persisted even as she focused on Teaspoon's words, and her heart skipped. Was he there, then, watching over them in spirit? Or was he there in body, actually standing behind her, laughing at them all for believing that such a life could be cut short by an assassin?

When the feeling continued, making a wave of heat rise over her neck and suffuse her cheeks, and gooseflesh stood on her arms, Lou turned her head quickly with a gasp. Both James and Kid looked at her in surprise and swiveled their heads as well to see what she was looking at.

Lou quickly inhaled when she spotted someone on the hill behind the cemetery. However, soon her head cleared and she realized it was only a girl. Kid and James turned back around, unconcerned after surveying the situation, but Lou continued to stare openly.

She'd felt it, and it wasn't her imagination. She still felt it. She could feel this young girl's stare as plainly as if she'd walked up and tapped her on the shoulder. She'd only known one other pair of eyes in the world that could stare so intensely, and it unnerved her.

Lou wrinkled her brow. There was something familiar about her. She had long dark auburn hair that glinted in the sun like gold, and she was tall. She didn't move and stared boldly back at Lou. Something in the arrogant tilt of the head, the carriage of the shoulders reminded her of someone she'd known long ago.

As suddenly as she appeared, the girl was gone. Lou didn't see her go. The moment she dropped her gaze and then raised it again, she was no where in sight, as if she'd faded into the hill.

A slight squeeze on her hand from Kid returned her to the grim moment at hand. Thoughts of the girl still stayed with her, the burn of her stare still hot on her neck. Oddly, it was comforting.

The service was much too short, and yet, Lou felt as if she'd been standing there, with the freshly turned dirt of Jimmy's grave crunching beneath her boots for days. Teaspoon thumped the Bible closed with a shocking finality, and Lou felt herself dip slightly as her weak knees almost gave away.

No one moved for what seemed like hours. Instead they stood in the deepest of silences. Not a sound from the country or the town behind them dared reach into the graveyard. It was as if time had stopped, and a bubble enveloped them safely in remembrance. Slowly, they said their final good byes, one by one walking up to the grave, then turning and making their way from the cemetery, avoiding the miserable eyes of the others. Buck, Sam, Emma, Rachel, Buck, Kid, James, and Cody were soon all gone.

And then it was only Teaspoon, Lou, and Jimmy left in the graveyard. Lou met the older man's eyes and fully understood the message there. Leaving the cemetery, was in turn leaving Jimmy behind, to mesh with the earth in the cycle of life, alone, as he had so often been in his later years.

They were reluctant to leave him. They'd both had different kinds of love for Jimmy, but equally strong and complex. Lou watched as Teaspoon walked slowly up to the tombstone, crouching down beside it, despite his stiff joints, and leaning his forehead against it.

His words were too low for Lou to catch all of them, and only as his voice occasionally cracked with emotion could Lou understand what he was saying, and thus only caught bits and pieces of phrases, "a son to me…so proud…a great man…love you…"

Lou closed her eyes, wishing to close it all out, to deny that she was here. Suddenly the sun seemed to win out over the chill inside her, and she was incredibly hot. She was next to tell Jimmy goodbye, she realized, and her heart began thumping far too rapidly against the wall of her chest. Her lungs felt shallow and drawing a full breath of air became too hard, although she frantically tried to pull air in. A ringing sound in her ears seemed to keep time with the bright lights flashing in front of her eyes.

Through the huge splotches of red and blue she was seeing, she noticed Teaspoon straighten up and turn to her, his face alarmed as he rapidly began walking toward her. Shouts behind her seemed to indicate that she was, in fact, weaving unsteadily.

Then, without remembering the transition, she was lying on the ground, the loose dirt of Jimmy's grave rubbing roughly against her cheek as she closed her eyes and found escape.

"What happened?" Lou asked, sitting straight up and knocking the cool cloth Emma had laid across her head into her lap.

James, who'd been sitting on the edge of her bed, gasped and started at the sudden movement.

"You fainted," her son informed her, "And the Doctor said you should lie down."

"I don't faint," Lou snapped.

"Apparently, you do," Cody answered, from his perch by the window.

Lou was a bit surprised to find them all there, sitting around her hotel room. Kid pushed through them to lean down close to her and kiss her forehead.

"It was a hard day, and you haven't eaten anything in days. You made yourself weak, and that with the stress of today…"

Lou groaned and held her hand to her aching forehead, "I have to go back. I have to tell him goodbye."

Kid nodded, "I know you do. We'll go tomorrow if you're stronger. Today, though, rest."

Lou glanced out the window and gathered that 'today' was almost history. The sun was setting slowly, and the town was coming alive. She sighed, feeling very foolish indeed.

"Are you alright now?" Kid asked with great concern, feeling her head for a fever.

Lou nodded, "I'm fine."

Kid smiled, "Good. If you're sure you are okay, I'm going to go into town with Cody, Buck, and James, all right? Emma and Rachel are going to stay with you."

Lou nodded, "Just be careful, for God's sake. This town is crazy."

Little did they know how right she was.

James walked proudly between his father and Buck, feeling manly to be out on the streets with them. Women and men alike looked curiously as they walked down the main street, all with the easy grace of born riders.

It was dark, and the fires already lit the streets. The town had an air of danger about it that thrilled James, who was feeling invincible with the legendary men at his side. He was quite content to drink his saspirilla with Buck in the smoky saloon as Kid and Cody chose to drink whiskey, no doubt to wash away the day's memory. James had rarely seen Kid drink anything stronger than water.

It was late when they left the saloon and started back to the hotel. Cody and Kid were noticeably more relaxed, although not drunk by any means, and the conversation flowed easily between the old friends.

"Give it back to me, now!" her voice trembled in rage, and her eyes snapped with fury at the very large man in front of her, who extended the object of her desire high above her head.

"Beg for it, and we might," he informed her, and a round of raucous laughter from his drunk buddies filled the dark alleyway.

"Beg me, and I might not claw your eyes out you son of a…"

She was cut off in mid-sentence by the big man's hand cracking against her cheek, the edge of the metal object in his hand cutting her below her eye.

She gasped in shock and anger, then threw herself at the man with all her strength, nails raking his face and a scream of fury bouncing off the walls of the saloons on either side of them.

A glancing blow sent her flying backwards, into the dirt, and she hit her head hard.

"Get this straight, darling! Wild Bill ain't around no more to protect you! You may have warmed his bed in exchange for his protection once, but he ain't around and the new marshal ain't into whoring!"

Without any warning at all she was up again, shrieking and reaching for the hand that still encased her most prized possession. "Give it back! Give it to me!"

When one of the man's companions moved to hold her, she placed a well-aimed kick in his groin, thus stopping his advances.

The other man got his hands on her and she screamed like a banshee, kicking out with all her might, while trying desperately to sink her teeth into the man's flesh and claw him at the same time. He was easily three times her size though, and aside from splitting his eardrums, there seemed little she could do. Finally, she fell silent, chest heaving, and looked at the man in front of her from under a wild lock of red hair.

"Now, maybe we can talk reasonably. About how you can get this back."

"I could cut your throats!" she growled, and struggled again briefly.

"No, but you could entertain us tonight…"

With surprising strength for such a small girl, she tore loose from her captor's grasp and screamed bloody murder. Although every instinct told her to run away, the blood of rage was singing in her ears and she went toward him, lunging at his chest with such force that she knocked him flat on his back.

James was laughing at Kid's recollection of the time Jimmy had gotten a sore tooth and how it had taken all of them tackling him to get a good look at it, and more effort still to drag him to the dentist, when the shrill scream filled the air.

"Give it back to me!"

Bewildered, Buck, Kid, Cody, and James all stopped and turned their heads in the direction of an alleyway. Another scream, mixed with terror and fury, pierced the cold fall air, and as if by reflex, James was off first, flying down the alleyway.

Kid's piercing command for him to stop fell on deaf ears, as the older men followed him frantically, for his sake as much as whoever was screaming.

The light in the alleyway was much dimmer than on the street, but thanks to the bright windows of the saloon above, James had a clear view of the situation in front of him.

Two men were dragging a woman off a third man. Both the woman and the man were screaming in rage. James called out, but was still too far down the alley for the party to hear him over their own screaming.

In horror, he watched as the third man scrambled to his feet, a heavy board clutched in hand. His intentions were unmistakable as he raised the board over the girl. She shrieked and struggled, but was restrained by the two men at either arm.

"No!" James roared, every ounce of color draining from his face as the huge man brought the board hurtling toward the tiny woman. Cody, Kid, and Buck emitted similar sounds of protest.

She managed to twist mightily, and the board avoided her face, but the sickening crunch of the blunt object crashing upon an arm pulled taunt by the other men echoed in the alley, and everything went completely silent for a moment.

The fall to the ground seemed to take forever, but she didn't really mind. There had been a brief, shattering pain in her forearm, but now it just tingled unpleasantly. She landed on her back, hitting her head quite hard.

She stared up at the poorly built saloon roofs, noticing how they both leaned inward. Cries from men running down the alleyway filled her ears, mixing with the gentle hum of the rattling of her skull.

Rescuers, she realized, then thought wryly that they were a bit late.

Her eyes slid down to her arm, lying at a disgusting angle out from her body, and with detached interest she studied the bone, sticking cleanly through the skin, glowing ivory in the darkness.

"How interesting," she said to the shadowy figure that bent over her, asking frantically if she was all right, "The bone is sticking right out, and I don't feel a thing."

She lost consciousness then, her large eyes fluttering closed.

Kid let out a shaky sigh, glad to see the woman was still alive. A cry of surprise escaped him when he moved back and a square of light from a window fell on her face.

She was no woman, but merely a child, twelve or thirteen at most.

He looked up at a particularly loud groan and saw the second man collapse on the ground beside the first, and Cody rub his knuckles in satisfaction.

He searched for the third man, and saw him running down the alley. Kid raised his eyebrows when he saw his tall, lean son quickly gaining on him with ground eating strides. He also noted that the man he chased was twice his size in girth, if not height.

"And what does he plan to do when he catches him?" Kid asked Buck and Cody.

He soon found out. James leapt upon the broad back of the man and his weight succeeded in throwing the man into the dirt. Kid couldn't help but be proud as James' fists moved expertly. A right, a left, an undercut, and the man under him struggled no longer.

Soon Buck was on his way to find the new marshal, providing there happened to be one, and Cody and James came to crouch beside the girl with Kid.

"She's just a girl!" Cody said, his voice wild with fury.

"I heard her yelling at the man about giving her something back," James said slowly, panting and sweating with exertion, "And I found this in that man's hand."

Kid and Cody looked curiously into his outstretched hand and gasped.

In his palm lay the tin star they'd seen a hundred times.

Jimmy Hickok's badge.

To be continued...Chapter II

Copyright 1998-This work is not to be reproduced without the permission of the author

The Way Station
Campfire Tales

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