By Kirsten Page
Copyright 1999
“Lou, are you ready to go?” Kid asked as he stepped inside and took her gear to place it on her horse. He didn’t want her to ride out, especially not after their had been so many reports of Indian raids, and Cody had actually been shot at the day before.
After things in their relationship had smoothed themselves out a few weeks ago, and the feelings between Kid and Lou were once again confessed, they had officially gotten back together for another round of the game of love.Lou walked out a few moments later and took Lightning’s reins. She made sure that she had all that she needed with her. This run was going to take her a couple of days to complete. “Don’t look at me like that, Kid. I’ll be fine.” She responded to his pale complexion.Lou’s one and only stipulation to that was that Kid was going to have to stop being so overbearing and protective. So it was with much reluctance that he agreed. “But you can still fuss over me.” She had added at his worried look.
He looked frightened that he had let his worry show. “I didn’t say anything.” Kid added innocently, not wanting her departure to be on a sour note.
She smiled at him warmly, “It’s all right, Kid. I could see the worry in your face, and sometimes that speaks louder than the words.” He nodded, agreeing that yes, looks can in fact speak more than the words spoken from the tongue. “I’ll be back before you know it,” she grinned. “Maybe I’ll even bring back a surprise.”
Kid reveled in the thought. Surprises are good! And knowing Lou, it would be something nice, because she always got him nothing but the most special thing she could find. “Just bring yourself back in once piece.”
“I will.” Gingerly, Lou reached up to kiss him, and then was interrupted by the familiar call of ‘rider comin’! She pulled back and mounted her horse, “I’ve got to go.”
Stepping back, Kid watched her turn her horse and prepare for the handoff. “Lou,” he called and she glanced over at him. Then he softened his voice, “I love you.”
Smiling with a radiance that only she could muster, Lou replied with the same affection. “I love you too, Kid.”
In moments Jimmy had ridden up beside her and she spurred her horse onward, leaving Kid nothing but a cloud of dust and the vision of her last smile.
“Ride safe, Lou!” Jimmy called out, “And watch out for the ice, it’s slippery,” he mumbled and held his stiff back as he dismounted his golden horse. Apparently he had experienced just how slippery that ice could become.
“Jimmy, you hurt?” Kid said, offering a hand to his friend, but trying to stifle a laugh at the awkward limp that he was desperately attempting to conceal.
He realized it was useless after he couldn’t even straighten up. After all, how much more obvious can it get? “Yeah.” He wrapped his arm around Kid’s shoulder as support. “Good piece of advice. Don’t ever try to run after your horse. Especially when there’s clear, hard, and slippery wet stuff on the ground.”
By now both of them were laughing. “You mean your horse ran away, Jimmy?”
Jimmy stopped and hobbled into position so that he was in front of his friend. He pointed a finger at his face, “You tell anyone, Kid, and you’ll be sorry.”
It was cruel to laugh, and Kid knew it. He also knew that if he kept the rate of laughs per minute up like he was, there was going to be a serious stomach ache involved. “Jimmy,” he finally mustered, “There’s nobody to tell, besides, nobody would appreciate it as much as me.”
Jimmy curled his lip. “Yeah, yeah, ha ha, laugh away, Kid. Your days are numbered,” he placed the only arm that wasn’t sore on his gun, “Now are you going to help me or not?”
Finally able to stop laughing long enough to be of assistance, Kid once again offered his shoulder as support and helped his friend inside. But unfortunately his hiccups did nothing to help stop the serious nature of the moment.
Nightfall came quickly and Lou was wishing that she would see some sign of the next weigh station. She had been sent out on a different side route that she was unfamiliar with. In fact, she didn’t even have a clue why she had been ordered out this way. It seemed such a roundabout way to get to her destination.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity in the freezing wind, and slushy snow, she saw smoke rising from a chimney. It was one of the most welcome sights she’d ever seen. A lantern had been left in the window, and there was a rustling noise inside.
Something still wasn’t right though, it was too quiet, and there was nobody there to greet her. There should have been someone lined up and ready to take her mochila. Stopping Lightning in front of the station, or what she assumed was the station, she eased herself down. “Hello?” She called softly, making her way up the steps to the door. “Hello?”
Just then something came up from behind her. She could sense the presence. Lou wheeled around just in time to be met with something painful and hard striking her repeatedly. Her mind raced, and she thought she heard herself cry out, “Kid, Jimmy!” The names of two men that Lou believed would always be there for her.
But this time it was too late, there was nothing that either one could do for her. A short instant later, she wasn’t sure which came first, the sick feeling in her stomach, or the blackness that clogged all sense of direction, and consciousness.
“He’s a goner!” The young man cried, signaling the other two that it was safe for them to come out.
“Good. Now do something with the body, I don’t want it sitting around out here.” He ordered.
The young man complied and roughly drug Lou into the house. He would figure out something to do with the ‘boy’s’ lifeless form later.......in the meantime, he had a run to make.
The Next Morning
“You’ve got to be kidding, Teaspoon! This game is totally senseless and there is no point to it whatsoever.” Cody groaned as he watched another one of his game pieces being taken off of the table.
The older man smiled at his victory, and rubbed his hands together. “It ain’t supposed to be fair, son, it’s a game. People play them to annoy others.”
“The name ‘Chess’ doesn’t sound right either,” Noah added, as he rested his chin on his hand.
“Come on boys, don’t be sore losers.” Teaspoon said, as he cracked his knuckles in preparation for his next victorious move.
Cody stood up in frustration. “I am not a sore loser! I just don’t think it’s fair that you can jump your king over the other pieces while I can’t, and then you get two turns!”
Jimmy and Kid sat up at the noise, while Buck put his book down to see what was going on. Why was it that there could never be a quiet morning in the bunkhouse. “Hey, some of us that aren’t early risers are trying to sleep around here,” Kid said rubbing his eyes and then pulling the covers over his head.
“I’ve got a great game,” Jimmy moaned, “It’s called the ‘shut-up’ game, and the winner is the person who can go the longest without saying a word.”
Teaspoon shook his head. Those boys just wouldn’t get it. They were hopeless when it came to any type of recreational activity. Slapping his hands down on the table, he rose to his feet, “I spose I better be heading down to the office. That is unless Barnett has already burned the building down.”
Just then a stranger knocked on the door, stirring the attention of everyone in the room. They weren’t expecting any visitors, and the next rider wasn’t due until the afternoon. All of those factors caused the boys in the bunkhouse to become quite suspicious. “Come in.” Teaspoon offered.
A young man, who had obviously been riding hard, stepped into the room. He looked fearful and sad at the same time. “Are you Teaspoon Hunter?” He finally asked. Seeing the presence of the other boys around, some of them in bed, while others were sitting up, he took another step inside and closed the door softly.
“Yes,” the Marshal responded, his face reflecting the concern that was now flooding his emotions.
The man took off his hat and cast his eyes downward. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but one of your riders was found dead last night.”
Dead.....the most dreaded word in the English dictionary, seemed to linger for hours. One of their friends, their family members, was dead? It couldn’t be, only one of the riders was out! Surely it wasn’t, it couldn’t, no, they refused to believe.......not Lou! Not her, especially when they had just lost Ike not that long ago.
Kid sat up faster than he ever had before, Jimmy not more than a split second behind him. Buck dropped his book and it fell to the floor. Teaspoon reached behind him for the support of a chair, while Cody and Noah looked sick.
“You must be mistaken,” Kid started, “We’ve only got one rider out, and he’s not dead,” he forced himself to believe. It couldn’t be.
Teaspoon remained more composed than any of them. He had seen his fair share of death, that’s why although it was a shock, it didn’t surprise him as much as it might the other boys. Dear Lord, please, not Louise. He prayed. “What’s the name of the dead rider you found?”
All breathing stopped in anticipated response, and instead of being the shot that rang around the world, it became the sorrowful shock that flooded their hearts and minds at the sound of the two words that belonged to the woman they had grown so fond of.
The boy replied, “Lou McCloud.”
On to Chapter Two
