Teaspoon sat outside the Marshall's office porch, the chair tilted on its back legs, his hat pushed forward to shade his eyes, his head tilted forward, his chin resting on his chest. To the casual observer it seemed that the old Marshall was sleeping peacefully, but those who knew him best knew that not a movement in the small town of Rock Creek escaped the sharp gaze of the shrewd Marshall.

The young man reined in his glossy black stallion at the Marshall's office, eyeing the dozing Marshall closely, he slowly dismounted and looped his reins around the hitching rails, then stepped onto the porch.

'Can I help you son?' Teaspoon spoke from under his hat brim.

'I'm looking for work, the Marshall in Willow Springs, said to see you. Said the Pony Express might hire me,' the lad spoke quickly.

'What's your name son?' Teaspoon questioned, tilting the chair forward until it rested on four legs once more.

'Clarry Baker,' came the short but succinct answer.

'Can you work with animals son?' Teaspoon questioned.

'I'm real good with horses Marshall, been working with them since I was eight years old,' the quick reply satisfied Teaspoon.

'Well son, I don't know how much work the Pony Express can give you,' he paused, 'what with the telegraph coming and all. But if you still want a job,' watching Clarry's nod he continued, 'go down to the express station,' he indicated with a jerk of his head, 'tell the lady you meet there, Rachel Dunne is her name, that Teaspoon said to give you a some odd jobs, until I get back there and a bunk in the barn.'

'Thank you sir,' Clarry turned and bounded down the stairs, beaming widely.

Teaspoon watched the newcomer almost warily, something about the lad was very familiar to him, he couldn't quite put his fingr on it. He watched as Clarry walked his horse the length of the street, tying his horse's reins to the hitching rail outside the bunkhouse, then want back to his silent observations of his town.

Clarry knocked on the bunkhouse door and waited patiently for an answer, surprised when two women opened the door. One a mature woman dressed in normal women's clothing the other a young woman dressed in men's clothing.

'Can I help you?' the older woman spoke.

'My name is Clarry Baker. The Marshall sent me to find Rachel Dunne and tell her to give me some odd jobs and a bunk in the barn until he gets back here,' Clarry stated.

'Okay, well if you'd like to take your horse to the barn and stable it, you can set up your bunk in the hayloft' Rachel spoke the glimmer of a smile on her lips. 'Then come back here and you can have something to eat, you look half starved.'

'Thank you ma'am,' Clarry turned and unlooped Thunder's reins before walking over to the large barn to settle in.

'How long do you think it will take the rest of them to notice?' Rachel spoke to Lou as they both watched their new workmate.

'This is our boys we're talking about Rachel. Unless we paint them a picture they'll never know,' Lou answered.

'Should we tell them?' Rachel looked at Lou.

'She's got her own reasons, she reminds me of me when I arrived, when she's ready she'll tell. I don't think we should betray her that way.'

'Sure, okay a dollar says that Kid will be the first one to work her out,' Rachel bet Lou with a smile.

'You're joking aren't you? He won't notice trust me. No I think it will be Ike or maybe even Buck.' Lou laughed as they turned back to the bunkhouse.

'Should we tell her that we know?' Lou asked gently.

'No, not at first anyway, but if she needs us we can be there for her.' Rachel glanced a frown marring her delicate features as she did.

Clarry performed some odd jobs while she was in the barn. She swept out several of the stalls and spent some time with a lovely natured paint mare that was housed in one of the stalls.

'Thats Kid's horse, her name's Katy,' Lou spoke as she walked into the barn while Katy was nuzzling against Clarry's neck.

'She's beautiful,' Clarry murmured unaware of how purely feminine she sounded when she spoke so wistfully.

'Yeah sometimes I think he loves that horse more than he loves me,' Lou spoke as she leaned against the rungs on the side of the stall trying to be friends with the young girl, wondering if she looked quite as feminine when she was masquerading as a boy.

'Is he one of the riders that lives here?' Clarry asked trying to work out who did in fact live here and if her quest was nearing its end.

'You'll meet them all at supper, I came out to tell you that they will all be back soon and then there will be a fight for the showers, I thought if you needed a shower, you might like to have one now, before they all get back.' Lou remembered the times that she had showered in the middle of the night or even worse gone without to minimise the risk of detection and she wanted to spare Clarry some of that trauma if she possibly could.

'Thanks I might just take you up on that,' she spoke and walked to the ladder to the hayloft.

'Showers are behind the bunkhouse you can't miss them,' Lou spoke over her shoulder as she walked out to give her some privacy.

The rest of the riders, who had been at a Livestock auction in a neighbouring town, all arrived while Clarry was in the shower. They all entered the bunkhouse, only to gather their towels and clean clothes before heading to the shower. Lou and Rachel looked at each other worriedly and spoke up quickly.

'Boys, I don't want you showering yet,' Rachel spoke hurriedly.

'Why not Rachel?' Cody spoke. 'We all smell like Jimmy and we'd like to change that,' he smirked as Jimmy flicked him good naturedly with his towel.

'Because I want you and Jimmy to go into town and tell Teaspoon that supper is ready. Kid you and Noah, you two can go and get Jesse from the schoolhouse. Buck, Ike can you go and pick up these things from Thompkins please,' she issued orders like a drill sergeant.

'Rachel, can't we just have a shower and relax for a bit first please?' Cody whined. 'We've had a hard day.'

'Cody just do as you are told, just this once please,' Rachel spoke firmly, but any further conversation was cut off when Teaspoon opened the bunkhouse door. Jesse under one arm, and Clarry under the other.

'Good you're all here. I want to introduce you to a new workmate,' Teaspoon spoke.

'Clarry, you've already met Rachel and Lou, this is Kid,' he indicated each of them in turn and they responded with by nodding their heads in greeting. 'Noah Dixon, Ike McSwain, Buck Cross, Billy Cody and finally Jimmy Hickok'.

Clarry masked the pain that crossed her face at the mention of Wild Bill's name and glanced around the room her face never stopping on one face for too long.

'Thank you for making me welcome. I don't have any family, so thank you for taking into yours.' she spoke.

On to Chapter 2!