"You bring a circus back with you, Buck?" Cody asked.
"You could say that," Buck replied. "We ran into a group of mutes."
"Mutes?" Kid asked. "Like Ike?"
Buck nodded. "They ran into some trouble on the trail to Sweetwater. Ike offered them shelter here."
"Good ol' softhearted Ike," Cody stated. He put down his pitchfork and wiped the sweat off his brow. "I'll go tell Rachel we have company."
As Cody headed towards the main house, the rest of the travelers approached. Marcus and Josiah were on horseback while Adam, Julie and Wilson rode on the wagon. They had buried Lucas on the path before they had left. Ike followed on horseback beside the wagon, on Julie's side.
"Can't any of them talk?" Kid asked.
"The girl can," Buck replied. "And I'm not sure about the old man."
"Why is that?" Kid asked.
"Because he moves his lips when he signs," Buck replied. "Silent men shouldn't be able to form words with their lips."
"Is that all?" Kid questioned.
Buck shook his head. "I just don't trust that man."
Finally, when everyone finished their super, Ike, Adam and Julie went for a walk. Wilson, Marcus and Josiah went over to the wagon, watching the three disappear into the night. When they were alone, Wilson started talking. "I don't trust that Indian," he told the boys.
"Just ignore him," Josiah signed. "We're welcome to saty and that woman cooks real good."
"We'll only stay until Adam can ride, then we'll go," Marcus added.
"That's another thing," Wilson whispered. "Adam and Julie are getting too close to that Ike fellow. I'm afraid for their loyalty."
"They won't betray us," Marcus said. "Besides, Ike's a good fellow. I wish he was one of us."
Wilson thought about what Marcus had just signed and smiled. "Maybe he could be one of us… if we make it happen…"
Marcus and Josiah exchanged glances. "What do you want us to do?" Josiah signed.
"Make the riders not like us… break Ike's tie to them… convince him to join us. We need someone to take Lucas' place."
Marcus smirked. "Do you think he would join us?"
Wilson thought. "If we get him against the Indian, I believe we could."
"The cholera hit our town pretty hard. We lived on the outskirts, so Mom sent Adam and I to our aunt's." Julie found a rock and sat down on it. "We got there, and found her to be… well, a promiscuous woman."
"A whore," Adam signed, "And a lush."
"We left after two weeks," Julie continued sadly. "We stole stagecoach fare from her. When we got home…" Julie stopped, trying to hold back a flood of tears. Adam gave her hand a squeeze. "They had burnt the whole town down, including our house. We were told that everyone had died."
"I know the pain," Ike signed. "I was seven when I saw my mom, dad and sister murdered. I thought my life was over. It was hard growing up with no one understanding me. Then I met Buck, and found my life again."
"You two really that close?" Adam asked.
Ike nodded. "Like blood brothers."
Adam yawned and stretched. "I think I'll head to bed," he signed, looking towards the wagon in the distance.
Ike helped Julie stand, and the three started walking back to the station. Halfway there, Julie grabbed Ike's hand and stopped him. "We'll meet you there," she told Adam, who smiled and continued on.
"What is it?" Ike signed.
"I just want to thank you for what you did today," Julie said. "If you and Buck hadn't shown up…"
"It was nothing," Ike replied.
"I wish there was a way I could repay you," Julie stated, and Ike smiled shyly. "How about I pack a picnic lunch and we go for a ride tomorrow?"
Ike nodded, his smile growing bigger. "It's settled then." With that, julie quickly gave Ike a kiss on the cheek and started towards the stationhouse. "Sleep tight."
Ike watched Julie go into the stationhouse and smiled dreamily. He wasn't aware of the two people watching him. Buck stood at the bunkhouse door, watching with a sad expression.
Wilson stood beside the wagon, watching Ike intently. Slowly, a mischievous smirk came to his lips as he hopped into the wagon bed.
