Special Delivery

By: Cristy & Ladyhawk

Chapter 1

It sure has been awhile since I’ve had anytime to write. I wanted to write in this journal everyday but Teaspoon has been keeping me busy lately repairing that damn corral fence again. ‘Course he put me in charge and I gotta watch the other boys like a hawk. Sometimes it sure is hard being the example for the others but Teaspoon trusts me since he knows I’m the best. Just like last week, when he insisted I ride along with Jimmy to Fort Laramie to take Libby to her aunt’s place; right away I knew I had to go along to keep Jimmy out of trouble. He’s such a hot head and well, I am sorta an expert with the ladies… “Boys!” Teaspoon hollered as he came into the bunkhouse. “Where’s Kid and Lou?” “Rachel sent them on another one of those ‘special’ runs to Blue Creek to pick up supplies.” I spoke up from my position on my bunk. “What’s up, Teaspoon?” Teaspoon sighed and scratched his head. “Well, what about Ike and Buck?” “Ike’s on a run and Buck is helping old widow Miller repair a hole in her roof.” I replied. Teaspoon surveyed me and Jimmy doubtfully. Jimmy was polishing his gun and took no notice, but I knew right off that Teaspoon was up to something. I take a lot of pride in how observant I am. Nothing gets by William F. Cody, no sir. “Well, I guess you two will have to do.” Teaspoon sighed again heavily. “I need you boys to make a special trip to Fort Laramie for me.” Now it was real obvious to me right then that this trip to Laramie must be awfully important. Teaspoon clearly didn’t trust Jimmy to go with me, so I figured it was my job to assure him that I could handle things. I don’t like to brag but I am the best damn rider Teaspoon has, so I said it as tactfully as I could. “Teaspoon, I’m the best damn rider you got, so whatever you need from Fort Laramie, I’m your man.” “Why thank you, Cody, but actually, I don’t need anything. I need you to deliver something.” Teaspoon said. It was plain as day that he was impressed with my willingness to subject myself to the perils of this trip. Actually, the ride to Laramie was normally a pretty peaceful one, but there was no reason to tell Teaspoon that. If I could persuade Hickok to haul a little butt, we could get there in no time and maybe have some time to kill before returning to Sweetwater. Not that I don’t like Hickok. He just gets too serious sometimes. He used to not be like that, back before Marcus wrote that book about him. Visions of saloon girls were already dancing in my head, but I should have recognized that twinkle in Teaspoon’s eyes. Jimmy was watching Teaspoon warily and I mentally kicked myself for not paying better attention. If Hickok figured out something before I did, I was slipping pretty badly. “What do you need us to deliver, Teaspoon?” Jimmy asked skeptically, laying aside his gun. “Well…” The old man hesitated; there was still some doubt in his face. “I really wanted Ike or Lou and the Kid for this, but I need you to make this special delivery…” He opened the door to the bunkhouse. Jimmy almost knocked me down in his rush to get outside and see what need delivering. To set a good example, I calmly moseyed onto the porch. Never let ‘em see you sweat, that’s what I always say. Jimmy stopped abruptly, causing me to run into him. I stared at his back with disgust. Did he not know I was right behind him? “Teaspoon, I think you’re right, we should wait for Ike, or Kid and Lou.” Jimmy said firmly. “Now, Jimmy, we can handle whatever Teaspoon needs us to do.” I protested as I pushed Jimmy out of the way to get a look for myself. What I saw caused me to come up short. Sitting on the porch swing in front of me was a little girl. She must have been about seven or eight and she was the cutest thing I ever did see. Her long dark hair hung in curls all around her face and her eyes were brown and big as saucers. She regarded me silently as she fidgeted with a rag doll that lay in her lap. I glanced at Jimmy, and then we both turned to face Teaspoon. Of course, Jimmy started right in whining about not wanting to go. The sight of that little girl did throw me off, I’ll admit that, but then I started thinking. How much trouble could one little girl be? I had some sisters and from what I could recollect they mostly didn’t do much except cry when you pulled their hair. We could easily deliver the girl to Fort Laramie then see the sights in town. Nobody would be shooting at us, no rush to get the pouch through. Hell, I was all for it. “Why do we have to take her there?” Jimmy asked. Teaspoon watched the little girl, his expression serious. “Her ma and pa are having some hard times with their farm. Ain’t got much money right now, I reckon. Anyways, the girl’s aunt in Laramie offered to keep her until her folks can get back on their feet. Only problem is, they run a hotel and can’t exactly run off and leave it, so they can’t come get her.” He watched us both closely as he spoke. “Her pa is Sam Richards, owns that farm on the far east side of town?” He waited until me and Jimmy both acknowledged that we knew where the farm was before continuing. “Well, Sam came to see me since he knew how helpful all you boys are and I told him I might have someone who wouldn’t mind a trip with such a pretty companion.” Teaspoon winked at the girl. “Can’t we wait until Ike gets back tomorrow?” Jimmy queried. “Well, Ike is sorta who I had in mind.” Teaspoon admitted. “He’s so good with kids and all.” I could see that Teaspoon was seriously considering waiting for Ike, so I decided I better jump in. “Now, Jimmy, have you gone yellow on me? You ain’t scared of a little girl, are ya?” “No, I ain’t scared, Cody.” Jimmy snapped. “She’s just…a girl.” “Her name’s Libby.” Teaspoon pointed out. All three of us turned and just stood there staring at Libby. She looked right back, never flinching. Her little chin wobbled and her eyes looked far too serious for someone so small. I have to admit; right then and there she had my heart. She was so darn sweet looking, I knew she wouldn’t be a bit of trouble. She looked at us a while longer, then she slid down from the swing and slowly made her way over to us. I could see right away that she was coming to me, so I squatted down to be more on her level. Instead she walked right by me and grabbed Hickok’s hand. “I don’t want to leave my mama and poppa, but if I have to go, I want to go with you. I don’t wanna go with nobody named Ike.” Libby said softly, her voice like a bell. What a heartbreaker this little gal would be in about ten years. She gazed soulfully up at Jimmy, who looked at me with an expression of barely contained amusement. I moved a little closer to Libby and laid my hand on her small shoulder. “Aww, Jimmy, how are you gonna say no to that?” I said innocently, giving Libby my best smile. “Of course we’ll take you to your aunt’s place.” “You don’t have to go.” She said firmly. “Just him.” She tipped her head back far enough to see Jimmy. Jimmy snickered and gently ruffled Libby’s hair. “I guess I’m goin’ then. But we better take Cody with us. We might need somebody to feed to the bears.” Teaspoon smiled, reassured with his choice. I could feel my face turn red with anger. Jimmy always thought he was so funny. It was plain as the nose on my face the only reason Libby was taking up with him was because she felt sorry for him. It wasn’t Jimmy’s fault he wasn’t as good-looking as me, but you can’t tell that to a kid. Libby looked at me for a long moment, as if sizing me up. I could practically feel her softening towards me. Take that, Hickok. I’ll have her eating out of the palm of my hand before long. “He can go.” She said finally. “But only if we feed him to the bears.” ******************** “This is to set the record straight.” I regarded the scrawny reporter beside me. His name was Sherman Sinclair; he had a thick paper pad and a worn pencil on the counter in front of him. “How so, Mr.Hickok?” He pushed his thin wire rimmed glasses further up his long pointy nose. “You told me you had an adventure you wanted me to record. You do have an adventure to tell, don’t you?” I smiled. “Yes, I do.” I paused to look around the saloon. It was quiet. A few men sat at a Ferro table in the corner, and an aged cowboy with a salt and pepper flecked mustache sat on the far end of the bar, drinking away his long hard day under the hot summer sun. “You wouldn’t happen to mind getting me another sarsaparilla would you?” I figured I would milk this for all I could. This man wanted my story and he was about to do anything to get it. “Certainly!” Sherman Sinclair was curious. He knew he was lucky to have Wild Bill Hickok pick him to tell an adventure to exclusively. His career as a writer had been sinking since he mis-recorded the details of a land deed scandal up in the Dakotas, resulting in an innocent man’s arrest. He motioned the barkeep over and dropped some coins on the counter. “Tell me, Mr. Hickok, when did this adventure happen?” “Just last week.” I nodded at the barkeep when the drink arrived. “Nothing for you?” I asked. “No, I’m not thirsty.” I knew he was lying. I knew he had little money and was afraid to spend it on himself. “Last week?” Sherman seemed surprised. “Yes, I was called on for a run to Fort Laramie, Wyoming Territory.” I clarified. “Myself and a fellow I work with,” I somehow felt this didn’t do Cody justice. “A friend.” I corrected. “William F. Cody, but we all just call him Cody.” I watched as Sherman muttered and jotted down Cody’s name. “We usually run the mail, or even packages.” I explained. “That’s what the Express does.” I paused waiting for him to finish his scrawling. “Sometimes we get some special deliveries.” “What do you mean by that?” Sherman’s brow worked into a confused furrow. “Cargo that needs extra attention.” I took a sip of the sweet brown liquid. “This is really good, you outta try one.” I teased. I knew he would not change his mind. “Uh no thanks. I’ll have one later.” He continued his frantic writing. When he finished he looked over to me with a wild wonder in his eyes. “So just what was this special cargo?” “A little girl. Libby.” I started. “Whoa now.” He cut me short. “You mean to tell me the special load you brought to Fort Laramie was a child? ” He was obviously expecting something else. I had been too when Teaspoon first told me. He looked as disappointed as I had been. “That’s right.” I clarified. “I don’t think there’s a story for me here.” He closed his book and stood up to leave. “If you leave now you’ll never find out.” I laid it all out for him. It was now his choice. Stay or go. Curiosity got the better of him. He sat back down on the stool and opened his book again. He didn’t say a word. It was my time to tell him my story. Cody sulked as he drove the wagon. The little girl, Libby sat beside me fiddling with her doll’s stringy hair. I found myself wishing that Teaspoon had waited for Kid and Lou, or Ike. Lou would just love this girl. I’m not sure what it was about her that made me uncomfortable, she’s just a little kid. However, I wanted this “special shipment” to be army rifles, or fresh minted coins, or something more exciting than sitting in the back of a wagon all day. “Her name is Dorothy.” Libby looked up at me, catching me off guard. “Who?” I flustered. She held the doll up as though it was supposed to be obvious that’s what she meant. “This is Jimmy, Dorothy.” I found myself being introduced to a rag with a face and hair that happened to have a name. “Uh, Hi.” I was beginning to feel more uncomfortable and was hoping that the girl would latch onto Cody soon so I could take a turn driving the horses. I couldn’t understand why she didn’t like him; he’s practically a kid himself the way he carries on. “Do you have a dolly?” She asked quite seriously. Brown eyes searching mine, anxiously awaiting my reply. “Uh, no.” I chuckled inadvertently and realized suddenly that I shouldn’t have. “No, I don’t have a dolly.” A tear rolled down her ashen cheek. “I’m sorry.” I suddenly felt like I’d somehow done something wrong. There’s no figuring women, even little ones. “What’s wrong?” I hoped that by talking to her I could calm her down. It would be Cody’s turn to watch her soon. “I miss my Mama and Poppa.” She looked at me with tear soaked eyes. It was the same look you see on a cow that gets stuck in a wire fence and knows that it’s going to die. I awkwardly put my arm around her. “There, there. It will be okay.” I tried to reassure her. “You’ll be with your Auntie in a few days.” “I wanna go home.” She sobbed. I felt a headache coming on. The wagon came to an abrupt stop. Cody poked his head in. “Everything alright back here?” He asked. “Yes. I was just telling Mr. Hickok about my doll.” She wiped her dress sleeve over her wet eyes. “Who do we got here?” Cody smiled. Libby fiddled with the doll. “Does she have a name?” “No.” She lied. I wondered why she would tell me and not Cody. “Her name is Dorothy.” I was just trying to help. The little girl shot me an evil look. “Dorothy.” Cody came and sat on the other side of her. “That’s a pretty name. I knew a girl named Dorothy when I was little. She had pretty, dark, curly hair just like you.” He reached for the doll. “Can I see her?” She tried to pull the doll away just as he reached to grab it. Dorothy’s flimsy quilted arm came loose from her worn body and fell to the floor of the wagon. Libby looked at Cody with a horrified look. “You broke Dorothy!” She screamed. “I hate you!” Cody looked at me confused. “It’s just a doll.” He tried to make light of it but it was too late. Exasperated he threw his arms up in the air. “Fine.” He grumbled and gave up. He returned to the front and we were soon moving again. Libby slowly picked up the doll’s torn limb and cradled the doll and the arm in her lap for a few minutes before finally looking at me and asking, “Can you fix her?” The bewildered look on my face just wasn’t registering with her. “Please” She implored. I took the doll and broken part from her. I knew right then that this was going to be a long three days and that it would be three days I would never forget. Chapter 2 I can’t ever get a minute’s peace. Just as soon as I sat down to write, here come Teaspoon, wanting me to supervise the other boys while they broke in that new colt we got in a trade with Rock Creek last week. The filly is mighty feisty and Teaspoon don’t trust her to just anyone. When I got to the corral, Ike was already trying to ride her. Of course I had to step in before he got hurt. I don’t think Ike appreciated it much, but I’m just trying to keep his fool head from getting kicked in. Sometimes I wish I could just be average like the other fellas; then maybe they wouldn’t be so jealous of me. Anyway, back to my story… Well, I think it was obvious to me and Hickok both that Libby took right to me. It was kinda sweet really, the way she pretended to not like me to make Jimmy feel better. Of course Hickok thought Libby hated me but I have a way with kids. They all love me. I do admit I felt bad I tore her dolly’s arm off, but it was just a toy, so I didn’t figure it mattered much. And when I promised I would buy her a new doll in town, well, her and me were the best of friends… We rode along in silence. Actually, Hickok and I were silent. Libby talked for two hours straight. I listened to her chatter for awhile but gradually I began to tune it out. I could hear Jimmy grunt every now and then in response to one of her hundred questions and I figured he must be doing the same. I thought back to the days when I still lived with my sisters and tried to recall if they had talked so much. Truth was, I mostly spent my time outside with pa, so I wasn’t around them much. But I was pretty sure they didn’t talk as much as Libby. I think I would have remembered if they did. I could tell Jimmy was getting a little antsy so I decided to let him drive the wagon awhile. Jimmy practically tripped over his feet trying to get out of that wagon. Libby looked surprised for a minute then she began to crawl out after him. “Where you going?” I asked. “To sit with Mr. Hickok.” She replied shortly. Jimmy immediately began shaking his head vigorously. “Nope. You’ve got to sit in the back with Cody.” He walked on around and climbed up into the wagon seat. Tears began to fill Libby’s eyes. She looked so sad and lost sitting there by herself that I went over to sit next to her and put my arm around her. She jerked away from me and scooted towards the back of the wagon. I sighed. She must be still sore at me for tearing her doll’s arm off. “Libby, I’m real sorry I tore Dorothy’s arm. I’ll tell you what, I’ll buy you a new dolly when we get to Fort Laramie.” There, that ought to make her feel better. Libby looked down at the mangled doll in her lap. Jimmy had managed to sew the arm back on with a piece of rawhide string that he kept in his saddlebag but he hadn’t done a real good job. Dorothy’s arm stuck out at an odd angle and Jimmy had sewed the arm back on right through the doll’s dress so that the dark rawhide made Dorothy look like someone had gashed her with a knife. “I don’t want a new dolly. I love Dorothy.” Libby said calmly. I looked again at the thing she cradled in her arms. “But Dorothy is old and dirty. Don’t you want a pretty new doll? You could name her anything you want. What about Charlotte?” “I hate that name.” Libby stated flatly. “I like Dorothy.” What was so special about that damn doll, I wondered? “Can I see her a minute?” Reluctantly Libby handed Dorothy over to me. She watched me like an eagle while I twirled a piece of Dorothy’s yarn hair between my fingers. The doll was really an ugly thing. Her dress was a faded calico print and her hair was fuzzy and worn, like someone had been chewing on it. I couldn’t understand what Libby liked so much about it. I was holding Dorothy gingerly in one hand while I inspected her black felt shoes when Jimmy suddenly hit a rut in the road. I knew what was going to happen before it actually did. The doll flew from my grasp and landed with a splat in the mud of the wagon track. Libby began to scream at the top of her lungs and Jimmy jerked the wagon to a halt. “What’s going on?” He yelled as he ran back to where we were sitting with his guns drawn. I used my fingers to plug up my ears as Libby’s wailing reached a new high. Clambering out I desperately began to search the path for Dorothy. I would have done anything at that point to make Libby shut up. “I dropped the darn doll.” I explained as I plucked it from the mud. If Dorothy had been ugly before I dropped her, now she was downright horrendous. Her front was a solid sheet of mud. Only her black button eyes peeped through all that dirt. Libby took one look at her doll and her screaming gave way to sobbing. “Dorothy! Dorothy!” She cried. Her little face screwed up and I knew I was in for it now. “You got her dirty! I hate you! Why did you even come anyway? There’s no bears!” “Nice going, Cody.” Jimmy sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in that way that irritated me no end. “Well, I didn’t mean to drop her.” I said. “Look, Libby, I’m really sorry I dropped your doll. We’ll wash her off at the creek up ahead, all right? Just please stop crying.” Libby continued to shriek inconsolably. I looked at Jimmy who was standing with his hands on his hips. “Can’t you do something?” Jimmy gave me one of those looks that normally would have aggravated me, but right now all I wanted was for Libby to be quiet. I tried to look as apologetic as possible. Finally, Jimmy clenched his jaw in frustration and got into the back of the wagon again with Libby. “You drive.” He commanded. I didn’t figure now was the time to argue. ******************** “Excuse me, Mr. Hickok.” Sherman leaned onto the table with his elbow, placing his hand on his chin. “I really don’t see where this is going.” I was beginning to get annoyed with his impatience and he saw it. He flinched as my hand fell from the counter. I think he was expecting me to go for my gun. “You said your readers want a good read. Well that’s what I’m giving you.” “I’m sorry, Mr. Hickok.” He flustered. “Continue.” “Just call me Jimmy.” His formalities were beginning to get under my skin. It had been that way with Libby. She too kept calling me Mr. Hickok. To her that’s how you address an adult but to me it just added to the uncomfortable feeling that was already present. I told her also to just call me Jimmy. Which she did thereafter. “Jimmy?” Libby started tentatively. “What?” I think my frustration must have come out in my tone. “Do you hate me?” She looked as though she was going to cry again. “No, I don’t hate you.” I stated. “Why did you want Mr. Teaspoon to wait for the other riders to take me?” “I just thought you might like them better.” I tried to explain as carefully as I could. I felt the wagon start to slow. “Why?” She asked the question that she asked every time anybody asked her anything. There always had to be a why. “I dunno.” I tried to think. “Well, Ike he’s real good with kids. He’s a funny guy. He doesn’t talk but he always has a way of getting his point across.” “Why doesn’t he talk?” She questioned. Yet another why. “He had scarlet fever when he was a bit older than you. He lost his hair and his voice.” “Oh.” She said. I could tell she still didn’t understand. “What about Kid and Lou?” She wondered. “What are they like?” I wondered whether I should tell her what Lou was really like. Lou had sworn us all to secrecy quite sometime back and I had always honored her with that. “Well, Kid is a good guy. He likes kids a lot too...” “Is that why they call him that?” She jumped in. “I don’t think so.” I thought about it. “I don’t know where he got that name.” “What’s his real name?” She slid over closer to me. “I don’t know that either.” I had always wondered why it had never come out. At the Express station we had met a few people from Kid’s past. None of them had ever mentioned it. “That’s a silly name, Kid.” She thought aloud. “It is, isn’t it?” I chuckled. “What about Lou?” She asked. I was hoping she would have forgotten. She had a persistence I couldn’t help but admire. “Lou… well, Lou is a great rider. Real friendly.” I ran everything I said over in my mind carefully. “Is it true that Lou is a girl?” She came right out and said what I was avoiding. “Where did you hear that?” I was taken aback. “I heard Mr. Teaspoon talking to Miss Rachel and she said that it would be good for Louise to spend time with a little girl.” She fidgeted with Dorothy’s fresh sewn arm. “I figured that Lou was sort for Louise. I guess it’s supposed to be a secret.” “Lou is short for Louise.” I admitted with some astonishment. It had taken us riders sometime to figure out that Lou was a girl and we saw her everyday and slept in the same bunkhouse. Libby was smarter and more observant than I had thought a kid that age could be. I had to admit right there that she started growing on me. We both looked up at the same time and saw Cody standing there. I was startled. I had not even felt the wagon stop. Cody looked at me with disdain. “Did I interrupt something?” He swept a sweaty strand of stray blond hair from his face with a gloved hands. “Yes.” Libby replied. “Libby.” I scowled and tried to sound intimidating. “I mean no.” She smiled sweetly and rescued herself. Re-tying the ties on her bonnet she jumped down from the wagon. “What was all that about?” Cody asked. “All what?” I wasn’t sure what he meant, or how long he had been standing there. “You tellin’ her about Lou.” Cody lowered his voice. “I didn’t.” I protested. Libby popped her head back in again and interrupted just in time. “So, Jimmy, what are we making for dinner?” Cody looked at her then back at me. “We?” He asked. “I told her she could help me cook. It will keep her busy.” Part of me was actually starting to feel a bit sorry for Cody, he was getting left out of everything. The other part of me was beginning to enjoy every last minute of this trip. Maybe it would do Cody’s ego some good. “So what’s there for me to do?” Cody actually looked disappointed. “You can get me some fire wood.” I suggested. “Libby, maybe you want to go help Cody get some branches?” “Nah.” She shrugged. “I’ll stay here.” As Cody wandered off into the brush she hollered after him. “Watch out for bears.” Chapter 3 Whew! Just got through eatin’ some of Rachel’s good beans and cornbread. Boy, am I full! Teaspoon says I shouldn’t be so gluttonous. I don’t really know what that means, but I think he was trying to say I eat too much. I can’t help myself, though. Rachel’s cooking is too good. Course, the other boys laughed when Teaspoon said that, but I don’t care. I’ll get my revenge tonight. I love Rachel’s beans, but they do have a tendency to work on me. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah…Libby and her doll. Well, after we washed most of the mud off Dorothy at the creek, we continued on. I made Hickok stay in the back with Libby. She must’ve asked him a million questions! I could tell Jimmy was getting a little irritated, but if Libby knew, she didn’t pay him no mind. When we stopped to make camp, I asked her what they were talking about, but she didn’t really answer me. Obviously she was trying to perk Jimmy up some and just didn’t want to hurt his feelings by letting me know. Then I played a little joke on Jimmy and Libby. Needless to say, Libby thought it was hilarious… It was while I was gathering branches to make the fire that the idea about the bear came to me. Libby thought it was so funny to tease me about being bear food and Hickok was the one who put her up to it. Maybe I should just show them how much they needed William F. Cody around. I decided to sneak around to the back of our camp. I could just make out Jimmy and Libby; they were sitting on my old horse blanket waiting on me to return. Carefully I hid myself in some thick bushes and waited until Jimmy had left to get something out of the wagon. When Libby had turned her face away from me, I grabbed the bushes in my hands and began to shake them. Immediately Libby’s head jerked my way, so I stopped. She watched the bushes like a hawk. It was plain she had noticed the movement, but she wasn’t scared enough yet to do anything about it. I waited just long enough to let her relax a little, and then I shook the bushes again, this time uttering a low growl deep in my throat. It sounded pretty convincing I have to admit. “JIMMY!” She screamed, causing me to wince even at this distance. He ran over to her and she pointed shakily at the spot where I was hiding. “There’s a bear over there!” “A bear?” He scoffed. “Where?” Libby pointed again and I shook the bushes slightly. “See?” She cried. Jimmy started walking my way but Libby grabbed him by the leg. “No! Don’t go over there! It’ll eat you!” He tried vainly to shake her off, but she stuck fast. “Let me go, Libby! I’ll go see what it is.” “No, please! Don’t leave me!” Her voiced tuned up into that really high pitch again. “It’ll get me, too!” I was laughing so hard by this time, I didn’t have to shake the bushes; they were moving fairly well on their own. I tried to growl again but it came out more as a snort and I knew my game was over. “You-you guys…. so scared!” I managed to choke out as I stood to reveal myself. “Why you…” Jimmy snarled and headed my way. I held up my hands to hold him off. “Now, Jimmy, don’t go getting all mad on me. It was just a joke!” I knew that look in Hickok’s eyes. I was in trouble. I think he would’ve decked me right then and there if it hadn’t been for Libby. She let out a wail that made all her previous attempts seem muted, then she proceeded to sit down in the dirt and cry her eyes out. “Now see what you’ve done?” Jimmy snapped. I shrugged helplessly. “I was just teasing. How was I supposed to know she’d get so upset?” Jimmy went to her and gathered her in his arms. “She’s just a little girl, Cody.” “I hate you!” Libby screamed from the safety of Jimmy’s embrace. “You scared Dorothy!” “Dorothy?” I snickered. “I think you were the one I scared.” Libby began to bawl even louder. Pretty soon I couldn’t even hear myself think. Jimmy shot me a look that said he would deal with me later as he rocked the girl back and forth in his lap. I watched them both and the funniest thing happened. Even though I knew they were both mad at me and I felt bad for scaring Libby, the only thing I noticed right then was how good Jimmy was with Libby. For some reason that surprised me. “You should have you a few, Jimmy. You’d be pretty good at it.” I commented as I went back to my branch gathering, leaving a stunned Hickok behind me. ******************** “So there weren’t no bears?” Sherman sounded disappointed and he set his pencil down on the notepad. His scrawlings were getting less and less; he was obviously losing interest in my story. “What’s the most important thing in your life?” I asked him. The reporter flustered. Obviously he was more used to asking questions than he was answering them. “My job, I guess.” He didn’t give the question much thought. “What about you? Mr...” He almost called me Mr. Hickock again. I scowled and he quickly changed it. “Er, Jimmy.” “My job.” I answered. Sherman smiled. “I guess we have something in common after all.” He concluded. “I ain’t got a wife and four kids like you.” I stated. He realized that he had answered the question wrong or at least that he had his priorities wrong, either way it got his interest back to my tale. “All right.” He picked up his pencil again. “So your friend Corley played a trick on you. Then what happened?” “Cody.” I corrected, realizing he didn’t care. “I’m truly sorry Libby.” Cody tried everything to get her to stop crying. “I’m as sorry as the day is long.” He looked at her and she looked away.p> “I don’t get it.” He stared at me as though this whole mess was my fault. “I try and I try and alls I can do is wrong.” He was obviously exasperated. “And you.” He pointed accusingly at me. “You don’t even try, and look!” It was really bothering him that Libby didn’t favor him. She moved in beside me and gave my leg a squeeze. For once I had no witty retort for him, I actually felt for Cody, as he sulked off to start a fire with the few dried branches he had managed to gather. The night carried on without much event. Libby had helped me cook like I had promised her, but she found she didn’t care for the crude techniques of the trail, or the crude food for that matter. We tucked Libby in shortly after sunset. It had been one really long day on the trail and she had hit the end of her rope. She actually looked quite peaceful asleep. She hardly seemed like the same wailing, crying and questioning girl that had been at my side all day. That was one thing about women, even the little ones, they were always prettiest in their sleep. I touched her cheek gently. “Sure is cute when she’s quiet.” Cody said just what I was thinking. “She don’t hate you, Cody.” I knew that’s what he would want to hear. “I know.” He sounded like he wasn’t quite sure. “She just misses her folks.” I tried to find some way to justify it. She had been hard on Cody, even I wasn’t sure why. “They are good people.” Cody nodded. “You know them?” I wondered aloud. “Nah. Time to time I come across her Pa in Tomkins’ store.” Cody looked down at his feet. “He ain’t had the money for his supplies for months now. Crops ain’t well this year.” “You gave up buying that rattle snake hat band paying some of his bill.” I added Cody stood up like I offended him. “Who told you that?” He obviously didn’t want anyone to know. He paced in front of the fire. “You read my journal!” He exclaimed. “Well, you shouldn’t leave it laying around if you don’t want it read.” I stated. “Who else read it?” He demanded. “Just me.” I lied. “You can’t read.” Cody fumed. “So I guess the whole bunkhouse has had their peek.” Cody sat back down. “That would explain why Ike was so sour with me the other day.” “It weren’t like it was an exciting read.” I tried to play it down. He had had his turn expressing views of each of us, and at first I had been angry with him for it. But when we had read more it had shown all of us a side to Cody that we had seldom seen. He had a soft side, helping people and animals any chance he got. I wasn’t sure if I would have done a lot of the good things that Cody did. I looked over at Libby. She wasn’t sleeping; she closed her eyes when she saw me look. I hadn’t meant to anger Cody. I had mentioned it as a compliment. I’d never been real good at such things. Now I know how he felt with Libby. Chapter 4 I’ve got to be more careful where I’m laying this journal down. I left it on my bunk yesterday before I left on my run to St. Joe and when I got back this morning; it had been moved to the top of the dresser. Nobody will fess up to reading it, but I suspect it was Lou. She’s kinda nosy like that, which is why her and the Kid make a good match. Trying to get any privacy with them two around is right near impossible. Glad I’m not like that! I have tried to watch what I write in here since Hickok told me that they had all snooped in my journal before. I guess Jimmy doesn’t understand why I do this, but I think it’s important to record things so that I will remember them. Who knows? One day when I’m rich and famous, this here journal may fetch a pretty penny! That’s why I try to be truthful when I’m writing. I reckon I hurt Ike’s feelings when I mentioned that the glare off his bald head blinded me so as I fell off that horse I was trying to break, but he shouldn’t have been meddling in my stuff anyway. I saw a snake on my way back from St. Joe, and of course, right away I thought of Libby. Me and her was tight as two rats in a hole anyway, but after the snake she dern near worshipped the ground I walked on… I bedded down a good ways from the camp that night. I was pretty sore at Jimmy for reading my journal and I had about had my fill of Miss Libby, even if she did look a little like an angel when she was asleep. The two of them were such good buddies; they probably didn’t even miss me. I went to sleep, planning my revenge on Jimmy and the others when we got back to Sweetwater. It was just after dawn when I was awoken by one of Libby’s piercing screams. I jumped out of my bedroll, expecting to see that we were surrounded by Indians, or at the very least one Indian, but there was nothing in sight. Jimmy was already on his feet with his gun drawn, looking just as puzzled as I felt. “What’s wrong with her?” I shouted over the deafening din of her voice. Jimmy shrugged. “I don’t know!” Libby continued to yell, hopping up and down, and pointing at the ground. I took a step closer and that’s when I saw it. A big ol’ black king snake had decided to curl up at the foot of Libby’s blanket. The snake regarded her silently with its shiny, beady eyes. It wasn’t nearly as put out with the carrying on that Libby was doing as I was. Jimmy immediately pointed his gun at the source of Libby’s panic and prepared to blow it away. I quickly moved in between the gun and snake to stop him. That was Jimmy for ya, shoot first, ask questions later. “What are you doing?” Jimmy asked in amazement. “Don’t kill it!” I insisted. “It ain’t gonna hurt nobody.” I calmly bent down and picked the snake up, feeling it wrap itself around my arm. Libby stopped her screaming with a gulp and just stared at me. Her whole body shook with fear. “It won’t hurt you, Libby.” I said softly, taking a step closer to her, only to have her take one back. “This is a king snake; it ain’t poisonous. They eat the bad snakes.” She ran and hid behind Jimmy, peering out at me with her big saucer brown eyes. Hickok himself looked a little nervous, like he expected me to throw the snake at him or something. To be truthful, I did think about it. Instead, I carried the snake off a ways, placing him on a rock where he could sun himself. When I came back, Libby was just starting to calm down from her hysterics. Jimmy was fixing breakfast, looking slightly sleepy now that the excitement was over. To my surprise, Libby ran over to me and hugged me. “You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met!” She whispered fervently. I was slightly taken back by this sudden show of affection, but I was determined not to show it. I reached down to pat the top of her head, throwing a smug grin Jimmy’s way. He just rolled his eyes and sighed, then went back to turning the bacon. Some people just don’t appreciate me enough. ******************** “Mr. Hickok.” Sherman cut in and quickly realized his mistake. “Jimmy.” “What.” I was beginning to get annoyed with his constant interruptions. I was sure that he and the girl Libby would have gotten along fine. Just like her and Cody had begun to do. “You mean to say that the worst of your travel was a harmless snake?” He stared at me with beady eyes looking me over trying to decide what to make of me and my story. Then to add further insult, “And it was your friend Carter that dealt with it?” I sighed. For a reporter he sure was bad with names. “Cody.” I corrected one last time. ”And I ain’t said it was the worst of my travels.” I stared him down. He wasn’t near as tough as he was trying to be. “I haven’t finished telling my story. Someone keeps cuttin’ in.” My impatience was showing. I’d never been very good at hiding it, never cared to. “I’m sorry Jimmy. Please continue.” It turned out to be a very hot day. The heat seemed to affect Libby. She was tired and listless, I actually found myself missing the more energetic Libby I had gotten to know in this short time. She rested her bonnet-clad head on my shoulder. “I miss my Mama.” Her sudden exclamation startled me. It was the middle of the day and she had not said a word since the snake incident at dawn. “Well you’ll see your Aunt soon.” I tried to comfort her with that thought. “I want her now.” She demanded as though there was something I could do about it. “We’ll be in Fort Laramie by suppertime tomorrow. Just a little while longer.” I was beginning to wish we would have a few more days. I found the statement to be as discouraging as she did, but I guess it was for a different reason. “Braid my hair.” She looked at me with those big brown cow eyes. “My mama always puts my hair in two braids when it’s hot like this.” She demonstrated with her hands by pulling her hair into two sections, one on each side of her head. “I don’t know how to braid.” I admitted with a chuckle. It had always seemed like such a trivial thing. “How can you not know how to braid?” She looked at me with skepticism and disbelief. “I suppose you know how?” I threw it back at her. My ego cut in before I had a chance to remember what and whom I was dealing with. I don’t take well to challenges. “Of course I do.” She said plainly. “Then you don’t need me to braid it.” I smiled. There that was settled. “You can’t braid your own hair.” She said very matter-o-factly. “Well how hard can it be, right?” I gave up realizing there was no way I would win this argument. “You sure you’re eight?” I joked. She didn’t get the humor in it. “Nine in two weeks.” She announced proudly. I took firm hold of one of the sections of hair. I knew as much as it had to be in three strands. I pictured the intertwined strands of a rope lariat. I started winding the strands of hair together; somehow they didn’t end up looking like the lariat in my mind, or any braid I’d seen in a woman’s hair. Part of me wished I hadn’t given Buck such a hard time about braiding his hair. He had always said it was an important skill to know, just like tying a knot. I was never much good at knots either. “Ow!” Libby screamed as I grabbed the one loose piece left at the bottom and tied the braid off with it. “What are you doing?” She stared at me. “I’m braiding your hair like you asked.” I explained. The wagon came to a quick stop and just seconds later Cody’s head peeked in. “I heard a scream.” He looked around. “Everything alright?” “Everything’s fine.” I said, frustration beginning to creep into my tone. “No more snakes I hope.” Cody joked. Libby looked around the wooden floor frantically. “What happened to your hair?” Cody asked innocently. “I don’t think Jimmy knows how to braid.” She admitted much calmer than I had expected. “Is that all?” Cody acted as though this ‘braiding’ thing was no big deal. He wouldn’t think that once he’d tried it. “If we can get those knots out maybe I’ll give it a try.” He hopped up into the wagon. She backed away. “You’re not gonna make it worse are you?” “Nah.” Cody smiled. “I promise.” She wriggled back over to him. “All right.” She said cautiously. Cody turned out to be masterful at braiding. He ran his hands in and out of her hair like a craftsman weaving yarn. It was really quite a sight. When he was finished, I’m not sure who was more amazed, me or Libby. She patted down her head with her hands. “These are called French braids.” He explained. “I guess they wear ‘em in France.” “Where did you learn to do that?” I wondered aloud. “My sisters.” He answered. “You have sisters?” I realized that I never knew much about the other riders and their family lives. “Sure!” Cody protested. “I told you about ‘em lots of times.” He looked over at Libby, “Jimmy listens as well as he braids.” She giggled. “Susanna, Grace, and Clarissa.” He smiled proudly. “Little Clarissa had curly hair like yours. She would sit down and let me braid her hair for hours." “You wanted to do this?” Libby seemed quite surprised. “How else could I get her to go gopher and skunk hunting with me.” “Skunk hunting?” She squished up her nose in disgust. “Yup!” Cody sighed, remembering fond childhood memories. ‘Pa would give us a whole five cents for the days catch. He was glad to be rid of the pesky critters.” “I sure miss him.” Cody lamented. “The skunk?” Libby asked quite confused. “No, my Pa. He died when I was twelve. Ma died a year before that, cholera. Clarissa was only six years old when we were shipped off to the orphanage.” “That’s so sad.” Libby reached over and hugged Cody. I’m not sure if either of them noticed me slip out of the wagon, or if they realized that we had started moving again. I’m not sure it mattered. Chapter 5 Boy, is it hot today! That’s why I’m taking a break under this nice shade tree. I’m supposed to be sweeping out the barn and putting down some fresh hay, but I figure a little break once in a while never hurt anybody. Surely Teaspoon wouldn't want me to have a heat stroke or something. Well, Kid and Lou are fighting again. Them two can’t ever decide if they want to be in love or not. Personally I would rather court several different gals. Why settle down with one? That would be like going to the church potluck dinner and only eating one thing. It’s much better to sample some of each dish! Besides, why deprive anyone of yours truly? But Kid and Lou seem to think they can’t get along without each other. Least that’s what they think when they ain’t fighting. Kid just needs to put his foot down. Lou is too bossy. Of course, most women are. Take Libby for instance; she thought she could just bat her little eyelashes at me and get her way, but I showed her who was boss… We stopped later that afternoon beside a little creek. Libby and me soon waded into the cool water while Jimmy sat on the creek bed and watched. Libby insisted on holding my hand the entire time. Now that she had gotten over her initial shyness with me, she talked constantly. I was beginning to think I liked it better when she wasn’t talking to me. “And my Auntie has a puppy…won’t that be nice, Cody? I will have a puppy to play with!” Libby rattled as I tried to think of an excuse for escape. “But I shall miss my mama and papa very much. I would rather stay with them, even if they don’t have a puppy. Did you ever have a puppy, Cody?” She asked. “What? Oh, no-no, I didn’t have a puppy. I had a little orange kitty once, though.” I replied. Libby looked up at me hopefully. “Did it make you miss your mama and papa less when they died?” “No, I’m afraid Pete died a long time before my folks did.” I sighed. I saw her crestfallen look and hurried to correct myself. “But I’m sure your aunt’s puppy will keep you so busy, you won’t have time to be sad.” “I guess.” She said dismally. She hugged Dorothy tighter to her. I had encouraged her to bring the doll into the creek for another bath. “Jimmy, why don’t you come in and cool off?” I offered sweetly. If only he would get in the water, I was sure I could get rid of Libby for a little while. “No thanks, Cody.” He grinned. “I’m just fine right here.” “Don’t you want to go sit with Jimmy?” I asked Libby. “He looks kinda lonely.” “He’s alright.” She assured me. We went back to our wading and as we wandered down the creek, the embankment on the opposite side began to fan out with colorful wildflowers. Libby took one look at all those flowers and she started to squeal with delight. I sighed again, knowing what was coming next. “Oh, please, please, please! Cody, please get me a flower!” She begged, clapping her hands together in excitement. “I don’t know, Libby. They’re on the other side and there’s no way to cross over to get any.” Satisfied with my excuse, I turned back toward the wagon. Libby stopped me by tugging on my hand. “You could walk across that log.” I followed her finger to where she was pointing. Sure enough, a fallen tree bridged the gap over the water. “I can’t walk on that; it would never hold me.” “It will, too!” She argued. “I could do it, if you’d let me.” “No!” I wasn’t even going to consider that one. “See? Then you’ll have to go get it.” She pointed out, as if there were no other choice. “Libby, I don’t---“ “Please?” She looked up at me, with those innocent eyes and dark hair. I looked at the log. She was right; it did look pretty sturdy, besides it wasn’t that far. I could walk over, grab a flower, and be back on the bank in less than five minutes. I glanced back at Libby and she fluttered her eyelashes at me. I rolled my eyes and headed for the tree. “Yay!” She yelled, hopping up and down. “I knew you would, Cody! You’re the best!” “Don’t remind me.” I answered grimly. “You wait here.” She did as instructed while I cautiously tested my weight on the log. I stood there for a minute thinking it wasn’t too late to back out. But then I pictured how Libby would react if I said I wouldn’t get her a flower and I slowly began to make my way across. I was crossed with no problem. I hurried over to the closest flower and yanked it up, root and all. Libby began to yell and point, letting me know she wanted a red flower, not the yellow one in my hand. I bit back a sarcastic reply and made my way to the bunch of red flowers, which of course happened to be located in the middle of a big mud puddle. The mud sucked and pulled at my boots, but at last I managed to grab hold of a red flower. I held it up for Libby’s approval and after she nodded, I headed back for the log. Of course now my boots were heavy and slick with mud, so going back across wasn’t as easy. I held the flower between my teeth and used my arms for balance. Almost there…four steps, maybe five… “Cody!” Libby screamed. “The log!” Distracted by her voice, I was too late in noticing that the log had shifted and was beginning to slide. I quickly tried to jump the last couple of steps, but I underestimated the distance and landed with a loud splat in the mud beside the creek bed. At the last possible second, I managed to hold my head up enough to keep the flower from getting a mud bath, too. “Cody! Cody! Are you alright?” Libby asked as she ran over to me. I sat up and surveyed myself with disgust. I was covered from my neck down in mud. It clung in heavy clots to the front of my white shirt and filled my boots. I tried to wipe a little of it off, but only succeeded in spreading it more. “Cody?” Libby whispered softly as she squatted down beside me, her eyes huge with worry. “Here’s your flower.” I finally managed. Her little nose wrinkled as she accepted it. “You got it dirty! And there’s teeth marks on it!” I heard a roar of laughter from the bank. When I looked up, Jimmy was standing there, practically wiping tears from his eyes because he was laughing so hard. He must have heard Libby yelling and walked down to see what the noise was about. I got to my feet with as much dignity as I could muster and headed for the wagon. Some days, it wasn’t even worth the trouble to get out of bed. This was one of them. ******************** Sherman had stopped writing completely. I wondered if maybe the story was boring him. So I asked him straight out. “Look.” He regarded me with a candid honesty. “This here I’m sure is a fine tale. A sure winner one day when you are looking for a yarn to tell to the grandkids, but it just ain’t something my readers are gonna pay money for.” “Your readers paid money for stories, lots of stories, about me that weren’t true.” I justified. I felt my anger beginning to rise, and my blood started to boil inside of me. “My readers like action and adventure.” He countered. “You travel with this girl and tell me you don’t feel a sense of adventure.” I challenged. He sighed. “All right Hickok, but I reckon if somethin’ exciting don’t happen soon, I’m gonna take a few creative liberties.” I didn’t like the way he said ‘creative liberties’, but I nodded and continued on. He picked up his pencil and resumed his scrawling. The rest of the day dragged on until I thought it would never end, and the evening sky finally changed places with the scorching sun that had been beating down on us all day. Libby was beat, and I’d have to admit honestly so was I. “Well, Libby,” Cody started. She raised her sleepy head to acknowledge him. “Tomorrow we will be in Fort Laramie.” He was hoping for a rise of excitement from her. Instead all she could do with the last of her day’s energy, was slump against my shoulder and fall to sleep with a heavy sigh. “Coffee?” Cody offered. I thought about how awkward it would be to get the cup from him with Libby sleeping over my right side. “Uh, no thanks.” I chuckled looking down at her tiny quiet body. “Sure has been some trip.” Cody grinned. “It has.” I agreed. “Libby’s made me do a lot of thinkin’.” Cody remarked. “You know, it’s not as hard as people say.” “What ain’t?” I lost track of what he was talking about. I yawned; sleep would claim me soon too. “Raisin’ kids!” He exclaimed as though it was obvious. “One day I might settle down and raise me a passel.” I laughed. Cody changed his mind more than he changed his socks. He had always bragged how he could never settle down; how no woman could tame him. Maybe Libby was getting to him the way she was getting to me. I’d had the same thoughts, though unlike Cody, I wasn’t ready to admit them. “First you gotta get past bein’ a kid yerself.” I joshed. “Har, har.” He sneered. “Better get some sleep.” I reminded. “Tomorrow we should get to town.” “Yeah.” He said with no enthusiasm. “Big day.” The sun rose and Libby rose with it. “Jimmy!” She jerked my shoulder. I shook the cobwebs of slumber from my head. “What?” I wondered what it could be now. We had already encountered a broken doll, a snake, and a hair braiding emergency, what could she want now. It better be Indians, I thought to myself as I grumbled my way out of my bedroll. Big, scary, Comanches. I added to the image in my head. She smiled sweetly realizing I was now awake. “I’m hungry.” She stated, batting her long pretty eyelashes at me. I stared blankly at her. “Go wake Cody.” I urged. She slumped away disappointed. I wondered if the guilt that she laid on me was accidental or deliberate. It couldn’t be deliberate, after all she was only a young child, she wasn’t complicated enough. “All right. I’ll make some food.” I conceded. “I love you, Jimmy.” She ran over and hugged me close almost knocking me over. I just couldn’t stay cross with her. Cody woke just as all the work was done. The horses had been fed and watered, and breakfast was cooking on the fire. “Somethin’ sure smells good.” He licked his lips. I regarded him smugly. He sure had gotten himself out of chores by sleeping in. Maybe I could have a nap in the back of the wagon once we got moving. I’m sure he would be willing to take first shift driving the team. I pulled the bacon pan from the flame. The shriveled pieces of meat spat and sizzled. “Food’s done.” I stated. Cody wrinkled up his nose when he saw the food. The bacon was dry and hard and the biscuits were a few days old, the last of what Rachel had packed for us. I handed him a plate. “At least with Rachel’s cookin’, it looks as good as it smells.” He poked at the charred meat with a fork. “Can’t say the same here.” “I didn’t see you gettin’ up at sunrise to do chores and make a fire for food.” I lost my patience. “Yeah, well you didn’t even want to be here.” Cody pointed out something I now regretted. “Well, at least I...” I looked over at Libby who looked as though she was about to cry. “I ain’t gonna argue with you, Cody.” I said hotly. We ate quietly. The tensions of traveling together had begun to take its toll on us. Maybe it was also the fact that we knew we would be saying goodbye to Libby today that had put us all in a foul mood. I collected the dishes and wiped them best I could with a rag before shoving them back into my sack. Cody prepared the horse team and checked on Sundancer and his chestnut mare. He hitched each of our personal horses back up to their spots behind the wagon, with their leads. I began to load our bedding and supplies. None of us spoke. Libby helped too, she stood inside the wagon as Cody and I loaded our necessities into it, she moved things into the corner the way we set them when we traveled. Cody offered to take the first shift. Maybe he needed to cool down his temper; he just seemed to want to be alone. I never was able to nap like I had wanted to. The wagon rocked back and forth like a ship in turmoil, as we encountered the rockier land that paved the road to Fort Laramie. Finally I gave up and went up front to drive the team while Cody tried his hand at napping. The town of Laramie had started out as a camp for a small detachment of army lead by Captain Franklin J. Laramie; soon it grew to a fort because of its prime location. Now it had flourished into a growing frontier town with shops and markets and people moving in both directions down the busy main street as we entered. Although the town still bore a strong military presence, it was becoming a thriving civilian community as well as a successful military outpost. Cody clambered up onto the buckboard with me as I slowed the wagon down to survey the signs on the buildings as we passed them. “Teaspoon say where we’d find this place?” I asked. “It’s an Inn, how hard could that be to locate?” Cody asked. “What’s going on?” Libby stuck her head out. It looked like she had been napping. I’m not sure how she managed to relax with all the bumpy terrain that had kept me awake earlier. “We’re here.” I announced. “Fort Laramie?” She asked with wild amazement. “Yup.” I answered as a chill crept up my spine. I didn’t feel right about this place. It was more than just having to say goodbye to Libby. Something just wasn't right. Chapter 6 It’s a good thing I won a little money off of Jimmy last night playing poker. My other tablet was gettin’ full with all my scribbling, so I had to buy another one from Tompkins today. I can’t believe I have written enough to fill an entire tablet, but I guess I do have a lot of important stuff to say. I consider myself to be a pretty philosophical person (learned that word today in Rachel’s dictionary!), and ever since we got back from Fort Laramie, I’ve been thinking about Libby. Teaspoon said one time that everything happens for a reason. I just wonder what the reason was for Jimmy and me taking that little gal to her Aunt’s house. At the time, it didn’t seem like such a big deal, just another job to do. But if it was just a job, why can’t I stop thinking about it? I started out driving the wagon that morning. Libby and Jimmy left me alone; I guess they could tell I wasn’t in the best of moods. I don’t know really why I was feeling so sour, maybe it was because I hadn’t slept very well the night before. I glanced into the back where I could see Jimmy attempting to take a nap. He was stretched out across the bottom of the wagon while Libby quietly played with Dorothy beside him. It made me think of last night, when I woke up and saw the both of them curled up together asleep. Libby must have gotten cold because she was snuggled up as close to Jimmy as she could get and he had his arm wrapped around her. They had looked so peaceful like that. I smiled now at the thought. I had meant what I said to Jimmy about me having a family someday. Trouble was when I pictured the dozen or so kids I wanted to have, they all looked like Libby. I didn’t want just any kids; I wanted her. Although I had only known Libby for such a short time, I was pretty torn up about having to leave her with the Aunt. This Aunt and Uncle had better be good people, I swore to myself, or there’s no way I’m letting her stay with them. The closer we got to Laramie, the slower I drove that wagon. Finally Jimmy must have gotten aggravated at my pace because he came up front and took over the reins. I went to try and catch a little siesta before we arrived at our destination. Libby was already lying down, her eyes thoughtfully on the canvas of the wagon frame. She looked so serious; it was hard to believe she was so young. I grinned at her as I took a seat next to her and she smiled back sleepily. We sure had come a long way in a couple of days. “Tell me a story, Cody.” She asked in a soft voice. If there’s one thing I can do, it’s tell a good story. I mulled a couple of ideas over in my head before I started. “Well, once upon a time, there was this beautiful princess named…. Libby, who lived in a castle far, far away.” She giggled when I mentioned her name and waited for me to continue. “Now, this princess-Libby, she had to go visit her royal subjects in another town that was a long way from her kingdom. So her pa, the king, he hired a couple of knights to escort her. One of these knights was very good looking. He was blonde, well built, and kind. All the maidens in the kingdom loved him. His name was Cody. And the other knight…well, he wasn’t very handsome, and he had a bad temper, but he was still good, and his name was Jimmy…” I was just getting wrapped up in my story when I looked down and noticed that the princess was fast asleep. I sighed and stretched out next to her. She kinda reminded me of my sisters when she was sleeping. I sure did miss them; I don’t think I realized how much until Libby came along. It must have been hard for her folks to let her go off to Fort Laramie with two strangers. I don’t know if I could have done it. At least she had someone to take care of her, though. She wouldn’t have to make it on her own like I did. I turned my head away from Libby. I felt a strange prickling in my eyes, almost like I wanted to cry. I decided I better sit up front with Jimmy before he got us lost. When I poked my head through, I realized we were already in Laramie. My stomach felt like it kinda slid down to my feet. After a minute, Libby joined me. She must have woken up when I moved. When she was satisfied with where we were, she went to the back of the wagon where she could look out and see the sights. “What’s eating you?” I asked Jimmy. He looked like a cat that just knows there’s a stray dog nearby, all nervous and jumpy. “Don’t know.” He replied shortly. “Something ain’t right.” I looked at him like he was crazy, which come to think of it, he was. “What do you mean? This is Fort Laramie, ain’t it?” “Yeah, it’s Laramie…it ain’t the town exactly, it’s just…” He trailed off. “What?” I asked impatiently. He shook his head. “Nothin’.” He muttered. There was never any figuring Jimmy out. “Well, guess we better find this Inn.” I said reluctantly. I loved big towns, but I would have given anything not to be in Fort Laramie. “And a doll shop.” Libby piped up from beside me. She had crept back up to the front while me and Jimmy was talking. “A doll shop?” I asked. “What for?” She sighed patiently. “You promised me a doll. Remember?” Yeah, I did. I was just hoping she had forgotten. “Of course I remember! Jimmy, find us a doll shop.” Me and my big mouth. ******************** “I reckon that Cody was full of good luck. We came across a toy store almost right after she had mentioned it.” I smiled, recalling the look on Libby’s face as she spotted the store. Sherman nodded, uninterested, and mumbled “Toy store.” As he scribbled something down on his pad. I reflected, thinking about the look of pure joy on Libby’s face as we neared the store. I had spent my childhood just like I’d spent the start of my adulthood, angry and bitter, in a hurry to grow up. I realized now how much I had missed. Libby’s squeal not only spooked the horses but also almost made me lose control of the wagon. I whipped my head around expecting another snake or perhaps a spider, when I realized she was smiling. Cody was shaking his head trying to rid himself of ringing ears. He winced as I asked Libby what the noise was all about. “Look!” She pointed down the main street. “Alright, I’m looking.” I smirked. “What am I looking at?” “That big red sign!” She said plainly, as though it was the only thing there was to be seen in the busy street. I squinted trying to make sense of the words. They were a bit blurry at that distance and the letters were all jumbled. “Uh,” I tried to piece words together. “Camping toy ship?” I worked my brow into a furrow. “That don’t make any sense.” Libby giggled and corrected me. “No silly, ‘Campbell’s Toy Shop’!” She exclaimed. “I didn’t get a good look.” I defended. “I have to watch the wagon.” I swerved it a bit for effect. Cody and Libby smiled knowingly at each other. It bothered me being a bad reader. Cody was real good at reading and writing. It just seemed so natural for him. I tried to learn a few times, it’s just real frustrating. Lots of grown men I knew couldn’t read or write, it had never really bothered me so much until I saw how easy it came for people like Cody and now even Libby. “Please, can we stop?” She batted her eyelashes at me as we neared the store. “We should find your Aunt first.” I explained. “I’m gonna spend lots of time with Auntie Bella. Please can we go first? Just you, me, and Cody." She pleaded. How could I say no? I pulled the wagon over a few buildings down from the small store with the big sign. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!” She bounced down from the bench. Cody and I both laughed. She was so happy. “Come on, Cody.” She practically dragged him down with her. “I’ll stay out here and watch the wagon.” I said as she ran up to the store with Cody trying to keep up behind her. I slipped down from the buckboard. It felt good to stretch my legs. The last few miles of the trip had been over rough terrain and my body was weary and sore from the hard wooden bench. “Hickok!” A voice shouted. I felt the same chill creep up my spine that I had felt when we had entered town. I looked around and spotted a gruff man standing in the street staring at me. The man saw me turn and he hollered again. “Wild Bill Hickok.” Finally I acknowledged him. “That’s me.” Gasps and whispers escaped from the mouths of some of Laramie’s citizens. To them I was nothing but a wild-eyed killer. I hated Marcus and his book all over again. “Bill Hardin.” The rugged man hollered his name out. No one gasped or pointed. “What do you want?” I asked, uninterested. I glanced over to the toy store window hoping that Cody and Libby hadn’t heard the commotion outside, but as luck would have it they had heard and were watching me through the large storefront window. “I ain’t gonna draw on you, Bill.” I turned away from him. Why would he call on me? What had I ever done to this man? He tried to call me out again. He even tried waving a rusty old Schofield around to try and entice me to fight. Eventually, humiliated he skulked away. Cody came rushing out. “What happened? Who was that man?” The disappointed crowd began to clear and return to their daily routines. It was then that the Sheriff and an Army Lieutenant finally showed up. They looked around saw no threat, talked to a few of the town folk and left. I felt strangely odd and somewhat shaken up by the incident that had just occurred. Obviously Cody and Libby were anxious as well. Libby ran up to me and squeezed my leg hard in embrace. “Jimmy, I’m glad you’re not hurt.” Then she smiled through eyes that I could tell had almost teared up. “But hero’s like Wild Bill never get hurt.” “I shoulda told you about that.” I said, referring to my reputation as a gunfighter.p> “I knew who you were all along.” She looked at me quizzically. “Was it supposed to be a secret?” I chuckled, finding myself more at ease. “No. I just thought, well…” I was having a hard time giving her such honest answers. “I just thought you’d be afraid of me. Most grown folk who know of me, are.” I climbed up onto the buckboard, Libby clamored up beside me and Cody came up beside her. “I ain’t bad like people think. It’s that writer Marcus and his book of lies.” I let my inner most thoughts slip out. “He never did get over that.” Cody said aside. He looked down at the box Libby cradled in her lap. “Show Jimmy what we got in the store.” He grinned proudly. Libby excitedly opened the box. Inside lay a hand-painted porcelain doll with dark blonde curls of very real looking hair; she wore a fancy purple velvet dress with a thick purple ribbon tied around her waist like a cinch. It obviously came with a heavy price tag. She smiled up at Cody and I knew that to him it was worth whatever the cost had been. “Her name is Charlotte.” She smiled sweetly. “I picked her ‘cuz Cody said she looked just like his sister Clarissa.” “What did Teaspoon say that Inn is called?” I asked, trying to get back to the matters at hand. “Blue Duck?” Cody scratched his head. “Something like that…” “Bluebird Inn.” Libby corrected. “I heard Mama and Papa talking about it when I was ‘supposed to be sleeping.” I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like for her to over-hear such a conversation. “They didn’t happen to say where it is exactly did they?” I was beginning to realize the full extent of the size that Laramie had grown to be. “Nope.” She said fidgeting with the corner of the box. I shook the reins and got the horses to a start. “Figures.” Chapter 7 It’s another hot day here and everyone sure is touchy. Teaspoon had all us boys and Lou working on digging a new well. Everyone was sweaty and burning up, especially Lou because she has to wear a shirt and all, being a girl. Well, I told Lou if she wanted to work shirtless, it wouldn’t bother me a bit. I was just trying to be nice; I know how much cooler it is when I shed a few layers of clothes. I just had Lou’s best interest in mind, but do you think she appreciated that? No, she goes and punches me in the arm instead and told me to go to hell. Kid acted like his usual jealous self and even Hickok threw me a dirty look. I don’t know why he cares; Lou’s not his gal. It’s not like I wanted her to take off her pants or anything… Lou is about the only woman I ain’t got figured out. The rest of ‘em are easy, just like taking candy from a baby. Just like Libby, for instance, I knew right when we went in that toy store which doll she would pick… “How about this one?” I asked Libby for the tenth time as I held out a cloth doll with a pretty blue dress and bonnet. I thought it was a real nice replacement for Dorothy and it only cost half a dollar. “Nooo…she’s not the right one.” Libby said slowly after examining the doll. “Well, what about this one?” I held up another for approval. This one had dark yarn hair and a wool dress. It looked like a close twin to Dorothy and I just knew Libby would want her. The doll cost a dollar, but I still figured I was getting off cheap, compared to some of the other prices I’d seen in the store. “That’s the one!” She squealed. I grinned smugly, thinking she meant the doll in my hand, but instead Libby sailed by me and headed for a shelf of porcelain dolls in the far corner. I followed her, still holding the doll with the dark hair hopefully. I glanced at the porcelain dolls glumly. None of them had a price tag cheaper than ten dollars. Libby sighed giddily over all of them while I absently fingered one with a purple dress. I picked her up to examine her closer, wondering what it was about the doll that cost so much. She didn’t look any different than the cloth dolls except that her face and tiny little feet and hands were glass. “This one sorta reminds me of my sister, Clarissa.” I remarked softly, noticing the doll’s blonde curls and lifelike blue eyes. Libby had been studying one with dark hair and brown eyes, much like her own, but she immediately came closer to me. “Which one?” “That one.” I pointed and Libby lifted the doll from the shelf. She looked closely at the dolls fringed eyelashes and pink cheeks, then she said decidedly: “I want this one.” When would I ever learn to keep my mouth shut? “Are you sure? How about this one? She looks like Dorothy…” I might as well have saved my breath. Libby hugged the doll in purple to her tightly and looked at me with pleading eyes. I sighed and pulled the leather pouch I kept my coins in from my pants pocket. “What are you going to name her?” I asked resignedly as we paid for the doll at the front counter. Libby watched eagerly as the store keeper wrapped the doll in tissue and placed her in a box. “Charlotte.” “But I thought you hated that name!” I protested. “No, silly!” She laughed and flapped her hand at me. “Besides…you like it, right?” “Well, yeah, but it’s your doll.” “Her name is Charlotte.” Libby said firmly. I started to argue with her some more when I heard someone yell Hickok’s name. Libby and I ran to the nearest window and I hoped I wouldn’t see what I suspected; hoped it was just somebody Jimmy knew in Fort Laramie. I knew when I saw Jimmy’s face though it wasn’t anybody he knew. Whenever somebody called Jimmy out, he always got this funny look on his face. It wasn’t fear exactly…more like reluctance. Maybe it was regret for being placed in a situation that he had no control over. I don’t guess any of us boys will ever forgive that Marcus fellow for writing that book. If I was ever to run into him again, I suspect I would string him up for the sheer joy of it. Libby and I held our breath while we waited for what would happen next. Libby squeezed my hand tightly, but she didn’t seem really afraid. I was torn between staying with her and running outside to help Jimmy. I watched nervously as Jimmy turned his back and refused to give in to the anger that I knew must be tearing through his veins like a current in a river. Pretty soon the man gave up and left, which surprised me. Usually most of the men who called Jimmy out were pretty persistent. Libby tore outside and hugged Jimmy and I followed. Buck always said there was never a boring day with Jimmy Hickok. I guess he was right. Jimmy looked pretty shook up and I guess I would be, too. I don’t reckon you ever get used to people trying to kill ya. Still, it always startles me to see Jimmy lookin’ like that. He always acts so tough and he wants the rest of us to think he’s this big mean character that don’t care ‘bout nobody. But I know that ain’t the real Jimmy. He likes us, whether he admits it or not. We were soon loaded back into the wagon again. After Libby had showed off her doll to Jimmy, we set off in search of the inn that Libby’s aunt and uncle managed. Laramie was a big place, but it didn’t take long to find, mostly thanks to my skillful navigating, I confess. The Bluebird Inn was a neat cozy looking place right in the middle of the main street. We parked the wagon right up front then all three of us kinda stood there looking at the door. I don’t guess none of us wanted to go inside that place, but it had to be done, so I went first. The front desk was real quiet and neat. Behind it sat a petite woman with graying dark hair. She looked up as we came in and her face broke into a huge smile. “Libby!” She cried, rounding the corner of the desk and grabbing her niece up into a big hug. “Auntie Bella!” Libby crowed, her chubby arms wrapping around the woman’s neck. I knew right then that this aunt would be all right. She would take good care of Libby. I guess that should have made me feel better but a tight hot ball had somehow found its way into my throat and lodged there. I glanced at Jimmy and guessed he must be feeling the same way. He had his back turned with his hand on the wall as he stared out a window. I knew from long habit that he was trying to control his emotions. I guess all the way from Sweetwater we had both tried to deny it. Even this morning when I woke up in such a bad mood, it hadn’t seemed real. Maybe I had tried to tell myself the aunt would be mean or something and we wouldn’t be able to leave Libby with her, but suddenly the truth hit me: we would be returning to Sweetwater without Libby. I quickly excused myself and went outside to get some air. How could I be so attached to someone I had just met? ? I composed myself and came back inside the lobby. I had to stay in control, and be tough. Jimmy nudged me, reminding me that we had done the job that we were supposed to do and now it was time to go. As hard as it was we turned to leave. “Wait. Boys, It’s almost supper and I have plenty of food made, won’t you stay for a meal before you go?” I fumbled a bit not sure what to say, but it did mean more time with Libby and of course a fresh home cooked meal. “Don’t mind if we do.” I didn’t even give Hickok a chance to butt in and ruin things. William F. Cody has never turned down a free meal, and I wasn’t planning to break that tradition now. ******************** “So you mean to tell me there weren’t no gunplay?” Sherman seemed disappointed yet again. “Nope, he called it off and walked away.” I reiterated. “I’m almost done, then you can go back to New York and do whatever it is you do. People have a right to know what the people you men make famous are really like.” “Uh huh.” He grunted picking up his stubby pencil with disinterest. “Go on, Mr. Hickok.” The woman introduced herself to us as Isabel Hawthorne. She looked to be old enough to be Libby’s grandmother. Her silver streaked brown hair was pulled tight into a roll at the back of her head. She tied a frilly lace apron over her plain chocolate brown colored dress as she led us through the kitchen into the large dining area. Two men were seated at the large pinewood table. “Oh, this is John McMillian and Harry Canton.” She smiled. The two men looked up as we entered. I marveled at how she could keep the names of all her borders straight. I could not begin to imagine how many people had traveled through her Inn over the years. She looked expectantly at Cody and me. Cody caught on quicker than I did. “William F. Cody.” He introduced. “James.” I started, knowing what would come next. “ James Hickok.” Both men looked up at me like I was a Commanche war chief. After a few moments they relaxed, a little. “If you’d just like to wait here I’ll go get the mister.” Isabel excused herself. Cody and I sat at the other end of the table from the men. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Libby came scrambling down the long winding stairway that led to the second floor, with an equally eager dog behind her. “Libby!” Cody greeted her. She tucked Charlotte under one arm, Dorothy under the other, and joined us at the table. “This is Jackson.” She pointed down at the small brown dog happily wagging his tail. “I get to feed him and take care of him!” She was quite excited. The dog ran over to Cody and curiously sniffed at his pants leg. “My room is real nice.” Her smile was bittersweet. Obviously she had been touched as we had by our short journey, also she was now away from her parents and the only home she’d ever known, indefinitely. There was no doubt in my mind that this aunt of hers would take good care of her; she was obviously a caring, gracious woman. Reflecting on it all, it made me wish I had had more stability in my life as a child. I wondered if I had, if I would have still turned out the same. “Do you want to come and see it?” She invited. “It has pretty flowers on the walls and I have a lamp by my bed.” She looked down at the table. “Sometimes I have trouble sleeping and I need some light. Mama would always come in and start a small flame if I was having a restless night.” “I’m sure you’ll sleep good here.” Cody assured. Libby looked down at the two dolls. “I have a special place I picked for Charlotte, come on, I’ll show you.” She grabbed Cody’s arm. Isabel entered the dining room accompanied by a man who was physically her opposite. He was tall and lanky, his faded red suspenders held up his loose slacks. His ashy blond hair was beginning to see the touches of white at the crown. He smiled a toothless grin as he spotted Libby seated at the table. “Uncle Charley!” Libby bounded from her seat and nearly knocked her uncle over with the force of her hug. He set his hand on her head and tousled her soft curly head. “My, she sure has grown into quite a pretty flower.” He said aside to his wife. “She sure has.” Isabel agreed. “Last time we saw little Libby she was maybe three or four years old.” She said for our benefit. “How time can fly.” “Sit Dear, I’ll bring in supper.” She pulled a chair out for him to sit. “Phish.” He swatted a hand gently. “Let me help you with all that.” The couple disappeared into the kitchen. Charley came back into the dining room with a magnificent cooked bird on a platter, Isabel behind him with a dish of gravy. “Mmm.” Libby eyed the bird. Cody looked it over hungrily as well. Next came a basket of cornmeal buns, a plate of baby carrots and onions, and a large bowl of whipped yams. Just when I thought they were finally done serving, Isabel returned carrying a large apple pie. She sat it right next to me. The smell of it drove my hunger crazy. “What can I get you gentlemen to drink?” She asked. “Water will be fine.” Cody answered. “It don’t matter really, water I guess.” I followed suit. “Guess if I can’t get a whiskey, water will suit me as well.” Harry chuckled. “Nothin’ for me, Mrs. Hawthorne, thanks just the same.” John grinned. “This here turkey sure looks good. As good as the meatloaf you made us last night.” “Why thank you, John.” She smiled. “It’s actually a pheasant though, but it tastes much the same as turkey.” Isabel returned with a pitcher of water and a glass of milk for Libby. Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne both finally joined us at the table. I reached hungrily for a bun to start out with, trying to forget about the pie sitting beside me. As the food made it’s way around the table, Libby began to tell her new guardians about her trip from Sweetwater. “Oh my.” Isabel gasped as Libby relayed the events of the snake in her bedroll with some exaggeration. “Sounds like quite an adventure you three had.” She said quite honestly. “Adventure seems to follow you.” McMillian directed his comment at me. “How so?” I asked skeptically. “I saw the commotion earlier.” He explained. “What happened?” Isabel Hawthorne seemed genuinely concerned. “You know that Hardin guy, he and his wife bought the old Gambett place on the edge of town.” “Yes William, I’ve met him once or twice.” She concluded. “He came out with a rusty old gun and called Mr. Hickok out with it.” John continued. “Why in heaven’s name would he do that?” She had an awful look on her face as she set down her water glass. “I guess he thought he would have his moment of fame.” John elaborated. I thought to say something, or protest, instead I just hoped the conversation would just change. “Now why would calling out Mr. Hickok do that?” She said innocently. John looked from me to Isabel. He saw the look that I gave him and he decided he had said enough already. “Dunno.” I answered. “Maybe too much to drink.” “Alcohol is nothing but trouble. It’s from the devil’s hand.” She scowled. “He shouldn’t be drinking with the baby at home.” “Baby?” Cody asked between mouthfuls of greasy bird meat. “His wife Claire gave birth to their first son, a boy, just last week. His name is John Wesley. Such a nice strong name don’t you think?” I nodded, glad that I had gotten out of that conversation so easily. Slowly the meal came to an end and Isabel cleared the empty platters from the table. Cody offered to help her but she wouldn’t accept. Libby slipped the last few pieces of bird meat from her plate into her hand where Jackson happily licked them up. She giggled. “After dessert can I show Jimmy and Cody my room?” Libby asked anxiously. “I suppose, but I’m sure they have to get back to their duties at the Express Station.” Isabel explained in a motherly way. She set a small pile of flower design fluted dessert plates on the table beside the pie. “Go ahead, Mr. Hickok.” She offered. She must have seen the way I was looking at the pie earlier. Apple pie is one of my favorite foods. It almost made everything feel better. It was funny watching Libby eat her piece as she systematically cleared out and ate all the filling with her fork, then picked at the edges of the crust, leaving the darkest cooked parts behind on her plate. “I’m done, can I show them my room now?” Libby licked the last crumb off her lips and pushed her plate with the few crust pieces on it into the center of the table. Isabel laughed, and seeing we were done as well, told Libby that it would be fine if it was all right with us. We followed her up the grand mahogany staircase to her tiny bedroom. It was quaint and inviting with flowers on the wall just as Libby had said. She pointed out a small shelf that she intended to keep her dolls on, and showed us a desk where she could practice writing. We came back down the stairwell knowing that it was our time to go. I kept telling myself that Libby had found a good home here, but it didn’t make it any easier to leave. We both said good-bye to her and she gave us both big hugs. She whispered something in Cody’s ear causing him to chuckle. Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne saw us both to the door of the Inn and shook our hands firmly, thanking us for taking such good care of Libby for them. The ride back was strangely quiet. I insisted on driving the wagon the first few miles, as day turned to dusk. Cody rode up beside me on his mount. We made slightly better time on the ride back, traveling faster and making fewer stops. Buck was out on the steps of the main house as we approached. He came out to greet us. Cody jumped down from the wooden seat at the front of the wagon as Buck led the dusty horse team away. I slipped off of Sundancer’s back, sore from a whole day in the saddle. Lou and Kid rushed out. “What was she like?” Lou asked as I had barely come down off the horse. “Who?” I asked, still in a daze from the ride. She punched me in the arm. “The little girl, Libby.” She elaborated. “She’s a good kid.” It was all I could think to say. “She’s got a lot of spunk.” “Yeah, she’ll grow up to be like you.” Cody cut in. Lou laughed and shook her head. “Of all the people to take this poor girl to Laramie it had to be you guys.” Chapter 8 Is there anything better than a glass of Rachel’s cold lemonade on a summer day? If there is, I don’t know about it. Especially since I’ve been working my tail off here lately. It seems like the hotter it gets the more work that Teaspoon comes up with for us to do. I tried to talk Jimmy into switching runs with me but he was being his usual grumpy self and wouldn’t go for it. Seems like since we got back from Laramie, Jimmy has been even more surly than normal. He’s been spending a lot of time by himself and not talking much. I figure it’s just because he misses Libby so much; hell, I do, too. I stopped by Sam Richard’s place the other day to see how they were doing. He said he had gotten a letter from Libby the day before. I guess it came in on Ike’s run. He talks like she has settled in pretty well, what with entertaining the guests at her Aunt’s inn and all. Mr. Richards didn’t mention if Libby had asked about me and Jimmy and I didn’t ask. Kids are funny like that sometimes. She might not even miss us. I’d just as soon not know if she doesn’t. Times are still hard for the Richard’s family. Mr. Sam doesn’t know when they’ll be able to bring Libby back to Sweetwater. He is even talking about moving to Fort Laramie. I told him if he needed someone to help him move I was his man. A few weeks had passed since we had taken Libby to Fort Laramie. I still thought about her everyday, but life was getting back to normal. Or as normal as it could get, considering the ornery bunch I had to put up with everyday. I was sitting on the steps of the bunkhouse late one afternoon when I saw a rider approaching. I knew it would be Lou returning from her run to Blue Creek. I hollered for Buck, who had the next ride, and went to greet Lou. We watched as Buck galloped off into the distance, then Lou headed for the barn to put up Lightning for the night. Suddenly she stopped and pulled something from her saddlebag. “I almost forgot, I got a package for Jimmy. Would ya give it to him for me?” “Sure.” I agreed, easily catching the brown paper wrapped parcel she tossed to me. Lou was still another minute, seemingly thinking something over. “What happened on that trip with that girl, Cody? Jimmy ain’t been right since y’all got back.” I hesitated. Neither of us had said much to the others about Libby or the trip, including the incident of Jimmy being called out by that Hardin fellow. “Oh, you know Jimmy, Lou. He’s always got a burr up his butt about something. There’s two types of people that are going to be in every crowd: a pessimist and an optimist. Jimmy’s the pessimist.” She seemed to accept this, then she grinned wryly. “So who’s the optimist?” “Why me, of course! And a damned good-looking one at that!” I winked at her, then headed for the bunkhouse. As I climbed up the steps, curiosity got the best of me, so I flipped over Jimmy’s package and examined the return address. To my surprise, the parcel was from a well-known book publishing company. Come to think of it, the size of the package strongly suggested a book. I stopped to scratch my head. What would Jimmy be doing with a book? Everyone knew he couldn’t read worth a lick. “It must be a mistake.” I reasoned out loud. Surely the package was meant for me, I was the only one who read around the place and I had ordered that new dime novel by Mr. Baxter a couple of months back. Without any further uncertainty, I began to rip open the brown wrapper. Sure enough, it was a book. I turned it to the front cover to read the title; “Wild Bill and the Princess of the Plains; or Danger in Fort Laramie”. What the heck? I hadn’t ordered any book like this. “What are you doing?” I heard Jimmy’s voice from behind me. I jumped and guiltily tried to hide the book behind me. “Nothing.” He stared at me suspiciously while I tried my best to look innocent. Just then Lou rounded the corner and smiled in greeting at Jimmy.p> “Hey there. Did you get your package?” She asked. Jimmy glared at me even harder. “What package?” Lou looked at me with confusion. “Cody, didn’t you give-“ She never got a chance to finish. I took off running with Hickok in hot pursuit. I didn’t know what was in that book, but I was determined to find out. Especially since Jimmy seemed so dead set against me seeing it. “Give it back, Cody!” He yelled breathlessly as I barely escaped his grasp by dodging around the buckboard. I stood on one side of the buckboard and Jimmy on the other. Whenever he tried to run around to catch me, I just ran to the other side. He leaned angrily against the frame, trying to catch his breath. This gave me a chance to peruse through the pages of the book. It didn’t take me long to figure out the story was supposed to be relating the events of our trip to Laramie. Libby’s name had been changed to Olivia and she was a descendant of a royal family being sent to live with poor relatives because her life was in danger. I read with astonishment, as the events of Hardin calling Jimmy out suddenly became a shoot to the death gunfight to protect Olivia. Just then, a pair of strong hands pulled me off my feet. While I had been reading, Jimmy had crawled under the buckboard and grabbed me. I landed in the dust with a thud that knocked the breath out of me. Jimmy made a lunge for the book, but I was instantly on my feet and after him, grabbing him by the knees and forcing him down. We scuffled in the dust, the book forgotten in our anger. “I thought you didn’t want nobody writing books about you no more!” I yelled as I tried to hold Hickok in a headlock. “I don’t!” He mumbled, evading my grasp and landing a solid punch on my jaw. “I’m trying to set the record straight!” “Set it straight!” I scoffed. My fist connected with his stomach. “That story ain’t nothin’ but a bunch of lies! Libby ain’t no princess and you didn’t even shoot at that man! And I ain’t even mentioned one time! Why if it hadn’t been for me, one of you would have got yourself snake bit!” Suddenly Jimmy dropped his guard and stepped back. I swung, but he had moved so quickly, I didn’t get nothing but air. “What are you talking about?” “See for yourself!” I gestured to the book, lying face down in the dirt. He snatched it up and began to paw through it, his forehead wrinkled as he tried to make sense of the words. I sighed and stood behind him, reading over his shoulder. The more I read, the angrier Jimmy got. “You better not be foolin’ me, Cody!” He warned. “I ain’t!” I whined defensively. “If you don’t believe me, go ask Lou to read you some.” “I should have known better.” He grumbled to himself. Grudgingly he handed the book over to me and explained how he had tried to get this reporter named Sinclair to tell his side of the story. He told me how Sinclair had failed to be impressed by the trip to Laramie, saying his readers would want more excitement. At that moment, Jimmy looked so depressed I almost forgot my anger. “Why did you want to tell this reporter about our trip?” I asked, confused. Jimmy should have known after Marcus that these dime novelists couldn’t be trusted. Jimmy hung his head and looked embarrassed. “I didn’t want Libby to think bad of me. She’s the first person in a long time that treated me like I was normal. I just wanted her to know I wasn’t some cold-blooded murderer.” “She already knew that, Jimmy. Remember? Libby told you in Fort Laramie that she knew who you were all along. Why would that change?” “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I guess I just figured she would get to listening to folks there and change her mind about me.” I just stared at him sadly. I guess for as long as he lived Jimmy would always have this shadow of his reputation hanging over him. I felt bad for him; it must be terrible to always expect people to think the worst of you. “Can I ask you something, Cody?” He mumbled, not meeting my eyes. “Sure.” He was quiet a minute. “What did Libby say to you before we left? She whispered in your ear and you laughed.” I thought for a minute, unsure of what he was talking about. Then it dawned on me. I smiled at the memory. “She told me to take care of you; to make sure you weren’t sad all the time. And she said she knew I had been the one to buy her folks some food that time.” We were both silent, thinking. Then Jimmy chuckled. “Guess that explains why she warmed up to you.” “What are you talking about? Libby loved me; she was just trying to make you feel better!” I protested. “Sure, Cody.” Jimmy agreed, walking back to the bunkhouse. “Hickok, wait! She did! I knew right from the beginning that she would take a shine to me!” I said as I chased after him. “Sure, Cody.” He said again. “Quit saying that! Why anybody with half a brain could see the kid was crazy about me! Jimmy! Jimmy, are you listening to me? I’m telling you Libby was faking! Jimmy?” I found myself staring at the bunkhouse door, which Hickok had slammed in my face. I sighed and rolled my eyes. Jimmy never could handle the truth. *The End* Authors’ Note: Cristy: First off let me say how I excited I was and still am at the opportunity to work on a story with Ladyhawk. Not unlike Jimmy and Cody, I think she and I play off each other well by both challenging the other and thinking just enough alike to have the same goals in mind. The story was a joy to write and came very easily and naturally to me. Cody is probably my most favorite "Young Riders" character to write. His sense of humor and optimistic outlook on life always ensure an adventurous tale! What I wanted to do with Cody in this story was to show more of his personality...I think we saw a lot of how the characters reacted to dangerous situations in the show, but not necessarily a lot about their personal sides. As for Libby, I have to say she is very dear to me. From the very start Ladyhawk and I knew what we wanted her to look like. (The actress in the pictures, by the way, is Hallie Kate Eisenberg, better known as the Pepsi girl). I think she brings out the best in our boys...i.e. their sensitive sides and their insecurities. One of my most favorite parts in this story is when Libby has both the boys attempting to braid her hair. Jimmy tries to be nonchalant about not being able to braid, but I think he really feels upset when Cody manages to do it with such expertise. I want to say thanks again to Ladyhawk for asking me to be her partner. I can definitely say this story was a labor of love and I am proud to have been a part of it. Who knows.... maybe a sequel will pop up one day! Ladyhawk: I too was very excited to be able to partner up with Cristy on this piece. She is one of my favorite fan fiction writers. It was a really neat experience for both of us, as the month went on and we e-mailed story pieces and ideas back and forth, a friendship bloomed. Even though she is in Arkansas and I am in Manitoba Canada, we have found something special that has traveled over the miles, and from it came Libby. The story almost wrote itself, and that’s how I feel the best stories are written. The ideas just came so easily for both of us, and we knew where we wanted to go with it early on. The character of Libby became an important part of Jimmy and Cody’s lives, her innocence and honesty brought out something deep inside both men that made them look differently at themselves and each other. I enjoy writing about Jimmy because in alot of ways he reminds me of myself. He is a withdrawn man who doesn’t want people to know he is vulnerable inside, so he hides it with toughness and bravado. Jimmy is striving to make his mark on the world, to make a difference, to fill that lonely emptiness he has inside. He is a very serious, strong-willed man. Although sullen, Jimmy has a side to him that enjoys humor and sarcasm, he is often the one to get the last word, and the last laugh. Because of his many sides, he is an interesting character to explore. Libby took on a life of her own as we wrote. The story flowed smoothly and the characters were maintained through both of our parts. The editing we did was mainly structural, the content has undergone very little changes. I would say my favorite scene was when Libby has to deal with a mangled ‘Dorothy’. She is trying to cope with how this makes her feel, and she still accepts her beloved doll, even though it is now deformed. Her love for this doll goes deeper than its surface… that’s something I guess we can all learn from. My thanks as well go out to Cristy who made this an exciting and enjoyable experience for me. I looked anxiously toward my e-mail box all month. I hope all the best for her future projects, and yes maybe there will be another visit from Libby one day! Drop Cristy & Ladyhawk a note and let them know what you think!