By James
The saloon’s pianist was playing ‘The Entertainer’ on his piano, and all the saloon’s inhabitants seemed content with their day. Several tables were occupied with cowboys and finely dressed gentlemen playing a hand of cards. Teaspoon, Kid, and Ike all had themselves situated in separate poker games. However, Teaspoon and Ike were having an easier time then Kid was. A handful of the girls that worked at the saloon were flirting relentlessly with Kid, and all their attention was distracting him from his duties.
“You sure are shy,” one of the girls called to the young man. “Sugar, we don’t bite.”
Kid just smiled bashfully. “I know Ma’am,” he managed to say finally. Kid couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable with the ladies smothering him with their affection. The other men at his table were envious, but Kid didn’t appreciate all the attention he was getting. He had tried to escape the ladies earlier, but they were persistent. One of the girl’s began lightly running her fingers along Kid’s arm, and then spontaneously dropped herself in his lap.
“What’s your name?” The woman asked as she traced the outline of his lips.
“Folks call me Kid,” he answered after a brief pause. He was now desperately searching for a distraction. “Ma’am could you please get off my lap?” Kid asked politely. He couldn’t take her relentless flirting anymore.
“You can sit on my lap, darling,” one of the poker players offered.
“If I had wanted to be with you,” the woman began with her annoyance clearly displayed. “I’d already be over there.” With unbelievable determination, the woman remained fixed in Kid’s lap.
Buck finally turned his attention away from his friend. He couldn’t help but find Kid’s predicament some what amusing. The look that washed over Kid’s face when the woman sank into his lap was priceless. Buck could tell the young woman had no intentions of moving, despite Kid’s obvious discomfort.
“What’s so funny?” A saloon girl that had quietly approached Buck asked. Her presence caught him off guard, and she seemed to sensed it.
“Nothing,” Buck answered after eyeing the woman over. “Just thinking is all.”
“What about?” She inquired as she drew closer. Her fingers gently caressed the edge of the glass he was holding.
“Uh...nothing really,” Buck mumbled as the woman grew more and more friendly. He no longer found Kid’s problem entertaining. These women were a little too bold.
Problems at the Home Station
The temporary riders were riding Rachel’s nerves. The five men that the company had sent over had piggish habits, and were incompetent at their jobs. Not only did they disobey company rules by drinking cheap whiskey, but they didn’t seem to understand the concept of bathing either. Half the time, the riders weren’t even properly dressed. Besides dreading the sight of them parading around in their long johns, Rachel also dreaded cooking for them. Serving dinner was no easy task. Most of the food was gone by the time Rachel got it to the table. Cody had better table manners than these men!
The sound of an approaching rider captured Rachel’s attention. Now she had to nag the men until one of them got ready to ride out. “Rider coming,” Rachel announced to the men that lounged outside the bunk house. None of them made a move for the horse Jesse had saddled for the run. “This is where one of you gets on the horse,” Rachel spoke to them as if they were three year olds.
After finding no rider ready to take the mail from him, Noah halted his horse a few feet from the hitching post. He was surprised to see five lazy men seated on the bunk house porch. “Rachel, what’s going on?” He asked in confusion.
“I’ll explain later,” Rachel answered shortly. “First we have to figure out a way to get one of these worthless riders on a horse!” The housekeeper could no longer contain her temper. Quickly she drew Noah’s gun and pointed it at the men. “Who’s up?” She asked with a smile that dared them to defy her.
“I’ll go,” one of the cleaner men volunteered.
“No, it’s my turn,” another argued. Actually, soon they were all fighting over the run. Although none of them really wanted to work, they didn’t want to stay at the station anymore either. The housekeeper had obviously lost her mind! Finally, one of the men settled the dispute by grabbing the mail and leaping on the fresh horse.
“Come with me,” Rachel ordered Noah after Jesse took his tired mount. “I have a lot to tell you.”
The Lady’s Rebellion
While dusk settled in, Louise finished dolling herself up. Her companions didn’t wait for her this time. Instead, they headed back to the saloon for the second time that day. Earlier they discovered that all the riders had arrived safely in town. Jimmy had even managed to pass some information off to Teaspoon. Lou managed to do something productive as well. She chased all of Kid’s admirers away and then left him to sit by himself. Naturally she whispered what little knowledge she knew about Callahan before leaving. The men at Kid’s table assumed she was flirting with him like the other girls.
The sudden knock on the door startled Louise. “Mr. Cody?” the desperate voice cried. “Please, Mr. Cody!” Quickly Lou opened the door, and was shocked to find a beaten woman standing outside her door. Tears flowed heavily from her eyes, and her clothes were torn. She seemed surprised to find Lou there and not Cody. It took a while for Lou to recognize the battered woman as the lady that had sat in Cody’s lap. “I can’t take it anymore,” she whispered.
“Come in,” Lou insisted. Lou vaguely remembered the woman’s name was Mabel.
“What happened?” Judging by how bruised the woman was, Lou knew it had to be something serious.
“It’s Marcus,” she cried. “I can’t take it anymore. He has to be stopped.” The young woman began to cry uncontrollably, and Lou offered what little comfort she could. “I want to help you take him down,” she stated bravely. Reaching into her pocket, Mabel pulled out several pieces of crumpled paper and handed them to Lou. As Lou peered over the papers, she realized that they were shipment lists.
“Wait here,” Lou ordered Mabel as she headed to the saloon to find Cody. Mabel had just giving Lou valuable information that Cody needed to see.
Once Lou entered the room, she immediately scanned the area for Cody. She eventually spotted him having a drink at the bar. Jimmy was with him, and they were conversing with a well dressed man that Lou did not recognize.
“There you are Louise,” Cody said as he pulled her close. “I’d like you to meet a business associate of Mr. Callahan’s.”
“Daniel McCarty,” the man introduced himself before gently kissing Lou’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Yes,” Lou replied before turning back to her friends. “Mr. Cody, something very urgent has come up, and you need to come right away.”
“Excuse us,” Cody said politely to Mr. McCarty. The men followed Lou quickly out of the saloon where they could talk in private. Once it was safe, Lou showed them the documents Mabel had given her.
“Where did you get these?” Jimmy asked as he read over the crumpled paper.
“Mabel,” Lou stated. “Callahan attacked her, and she came looking for Cody.”
“She gave you these?” Cody asked in confusion. “Why?”
“He hurt her pretty bad,” Lou explained. “Maybe she’s finally had enough of him.” Lou had only known Callahan for a short time, and she had already grown tired of his arrogant ways.
“This would be a good way to get even,” Jimmy commented. Still, his gut had a bad feeling about Mabel’s betrayal. “Think we can trust her?”
Cody shook his head. “I have a bad feeling about this,” he admitted. Mabel didn’t strike him as the rebellious type. “How would she even know we were after these documents unless...”
“It’s a trap,” Lou realized. Callahan was testing their loyalties. “What are we going to do?”
Jimmy knew exactly what Cody was thinking before he even spoke. “We’re gonna play his game.”
“We don’t have much of a choice,” Lou noted. “Callahan ain’t gonna let us leave town with this evidence.” He’d have them killed before they could even saddle their horses. “So what’s the plan?”
“We’re gonna return these to her boss,” Cody answered slyly. “Then we’re gonna inform him of Mabel’s betrayal.” If their plan went well, they would earn Callahan’s trust.
On to Chapter Six!