The Hooky Playing Fiasco

Chapters 1-10

by MagdalenMary

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program "Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the author. The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.

Part 1

“Ya, see, Barkley,” Billy said, “how easy it would be.”

“I don’t know,” Jenny Barkley answered, looking over at the schoolhouse that she did not want to spend this warm, spring-like day inside. Even though the sun hadn’t been up too long, she was already sweltering in a red plaid dress. She’d left off all her petticoats but her legs were roasting in long, white stockings and her feet were hot and damp inside her snug boots. Lifting her dark curls away from her sweaty neck, Jenny sighed. “Most probably we’d get in trouble if we did.”

Billy grabbed her arm, dragging her toward the horse corral. “I tell ya, it’d be easy. We play hooky and get the teacher to say we can!”

“I don’t know,” Jenny repeated. “Last time you said you had a great idea we got in big trouble. You hadta dare me to take a short cut through Mr. Wilkins orchard an’ you know what happened then! I had to do extra chores for a month....a whole month, Billy! And you said it was such a great idea. I had blisters on top of blisters. All on account of we left a stupid gate open and that dumb old bull got loose in those cows.”

“So, an old bull got in with Mr. Wilkins purebred cows,” Billy sneered. He could sneer now that they were finally back in everybody’s good graces, except maybe Mr. Wilkins. “I tell you, Barkley, this is a great idea.”

“Nope.” Jenny made up her mind. It seemed like a mighty fine idea. Still, Billy’s ideas had a way of turning into trouble with a capital T.

“C’mon, Jenny. Dontcha wanna see that circus train?”

Hopping up on the corral fence, Billy took out the Stockton Eagle, carefully folded to a brief mention of the circus train. Jenny climbed up to sit beside him, dangling her legs over the fence in unladylike fashion.

“A circus train will bypass Stockton Friday afternoon, stopping in Willoughby to take on water for the tigers and other wild animals from Mr. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.” Billy read for the fiftieth time.

“No,” Jenny told him a little more vehemently. Skipping school and riding over to Willoughby could only spell trouble. Trouble, trouble, trouble.

“Sure is gonna be a scorcher,” Billy grumbled, trying another tactic, “sure do hate to spend it in that hot old schoolhouse.”

Jenny agreed. But to skip school? Even if they got Miss Fisher, temporarily filling in for Sister Patience, to agree. Trouble. Trouble. “What if we get caught?”

Taking that as a sign that Jenny’s resolve might waver, Billy pressed on with his arguments, “Who’s to know? You said yourself your Pa won’t be back from San Francisco for another week.”
“So, my Uncle Nick and Uncle Heath are home. What if Miss Fisher tells one of them we played hooky from school? You think they won’t give me what for? You think they won’t tell Daddy when he gets home and I’ll catch it from him too?”

“Aw,” Billy dismissed this with a wave of his hand, almost upsetting his balance on the fence, “your old uncles are too busy getting ready for the round up to care about what you’re doing today? An why would Miss Fisher say anything if she lets us go?”

It sounded like a good idea. Like it might even work. Still, Jenny had been on the bad end of some of Billy’s ideas before. “Even if my Daddy doesn’t find out or my uncles, what about your Pa and Ma?”

“I done told you three times,” Billy said exasperated. “Pa’s already gone to my brother, Robert’s to wait for some of my cousins who’re going on round up with their cattle. He won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon. Ma’s at home getting ready to go visit her sister until after the round up. Won’t nobody care what time we get home from school today. Only...” Billy took this moment to rub it in about his momentous news, “I gotta make sure I’m not late or anything. Pa told me to make sure I get enough sleep so’s I can go on round up too.”

A stab of pure, red hot envy coursed through Jenny’s veins. Dirty darn! Life sure wasn’t fair to girls. Billy got to go on round up and she didn’t. Probably never would either if Uncle Nick had his way. Sure was so unfair.

Jenny tried to act nonchalant about Billy’s joy in going on the round up, trying to take him down a peg or two. “Round up, round up, that’s all anybody talks about. I don’t think it’d be so much fun.” Not much fun, Jenny sighed, like it wouldn’t be pure heaven going on a round up. Like she didn’t want to go so much she’d pull her own teeth out for the chance to ride round up.

“Maybe so,” Billy raised his eyebrows, knowing she wanted to go so badly she couldn’t stand not going. To change the subject, he got back on his idea for skipping school, “So, do you wanna go see the circus train or not?”

Jenny wanted to, she really did. Not that she hadn’t seen circus trains before, she had. But to not have to sit in that stifling, stuffy classroom all day sounded tempting. Even if it was Billy’s idea.

“What if we get caught? Maybe we shouldn’t even think about it?”

“Woulda, shoulda, coulda!” Billy snapped, losing his patience. “You wanna waste your whole life worrying you’ll get caught?”

“Not really.” Jenny jumped off the fence, the red plaid flipping up to show a good portion of her drawers as she did. She pointed a finger sternly at Billy, “You let me do all the talking, you hear?”

Billy jumped off too, grinning from one jug handled ear to another. “You’re gonna? Really?”

Jenny stopped, pushed him hard in the chest saying, “I said I would didn’t I? You just better not say a word to Miss Fisher. You just moan and groan a little like you’re in pain.”

Happily, Billy nodded. “Ain’t it a good thing Sister Patience had to go visit her Mother’s house so we got Miss Fisher this week? We sure couldn’t fool Sister Patience.”

Jenny groaned. This was who she trusted to come up with a trouble free way to skip school? “It’s not her Mother’s house. It’s the Sister’s MOTHER HOUSE. Daddy says it’s where the nuns all go so they can rest up from us kids. They even got ten foot walls around the building so no kids can get in and bother ‘em.”

Uneasily, it flickered through Jenny’s mind what Daddy had threatened her with right after the bull episode. He’d sure been furious over that, having to pay Mr. Wilkins for damages to his purebred cows having just plain old calves. After he’d got done yelling, almost like Uncle Nick, he’d told her that if she didn’t behave he’d send her to live with the Sisters behind those ten foot walls. Jenny still couldn’t figure out if he was serious or just angry. She wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.

Billy reached in the pocket of his faded overalls, pulled out part of a biscuit and stuffed it inside his jaw. Jenny rolled her eyes. “Billy, you’re suppose to have a sore tooth, not look like a chipmunk with a jaw full of nuts.” Looking around on the ground, Jenny picked up a good sized pebble, brushed it off and handed it to Billy. “Here, stick this in your jaw and don’t talk.”

“Wook wetter?” Billy mumbled after he’d spit out the biscuit and substituted the stone.

Jenny rolled her eyes heavenward again. How on earth had she let him talk her into this? Sure enough she’d be in big trouble if Daddy found out she’d skipped school to go see a circus train. Well, she wouldn’t think about it now. She’d think about it tomorrow...if she got caught.

“There’s the bell, c’mon.”

Leading Billy by the arm, Jenny hurried to join the other children shoving and talking as they pushed their way unwillingly into the hot school room. Miss Fisher smiled pleasantly at each student. “Good morning, Billy. Jennifer.”

“Morning, ma’am,” Jenny said politely. Billy moaned, convincingly.

“My goodness, Billy, why is your face so swollen?”

Billy held a hand to his cheek, giving another convincing groan.

“Miss Fisher, it’s his tooth,” Jenny hastened to explain. “It’s hurt all night long so his Ma said he had to get it pulled right away.”

Miss Fisher gave a quiet gasp of sympathy. “Poor child. You’ll want to go right away, of course.”

Billy nodded, looking stricken at the possibility of having a tooth pulled. He pointed at Jenny, a pleading look on his face. “Oh, Miss Fisher, Billy wants to know, it will make him feel ever so much better, if I could go with him.”

“Well, “ Miss Fisher looked doubtful. Jenny thought Sister Patience would never have let them get this far without discovering their deception. “I suppose that would be alright. It shouldn’t take you long to go to the Dr. Peterson to have the tooth extracted.”

Billy shook his head. Vehemently, pointing at Jenny to do the talking. “What’s he trying to say?”

Jenny motioned for Miss Fisher to lean closer, when she did Jenny whispered in her ear, “It’s just his Ma wants him to go to Willoughby instead of to Dr. Peterson.”

Miss Fisher’s brown eyes widened. “Really? I know I haven’t been here very long but I was told that Dr. Peterson is an excellent dentist.”

“Oh, he is, ma’am,” Jenny tried to look as honest as possible which was hard considering she had to lie like a puncheon floor. “It’s just,” she whispered, “when he extracts a tooth he uses whiskey to deaden the pain.”

Miss Fisher looked a little too pleased at this tidbit of information. “Really?” She pushed a strand of her dark hair back into her usual tidy bun on the back of her head. “Well, perhaps if it’s medicinal..”

Frantically, Billy shook his head and drew a hand across his throat. “Oh, no, Miss Fisher,” Jenny interpreted, “Billy’s mother belongs to the Temperance Society! She’s first cousin, twice removed to Miss Eliza Jane Thompson. She wouldn’t want Billy to have anything to deaden the pain and certainly not whiskey!”

Miss Fisher patted Billy’s head. “Then, of course, Billy must accede to his mother’s wishes and go to the other doctor. I shall pray for you, Billy.” She turned to Jenny, “I trust you children know the way to Willoughby.”

It was working! It was working! “Oh, yes, ma’am,” Jenny assured her, “I’ve been there lots of times with my Uncle Nick. He buys horses from a man who lives there.”

“Then go on.” Miss Fisher smiled sadly. “I hope things go well.”

“Thank you, he says,” Jenny said to explain Billy’s nod.

Turning their backs on the teacher, Billy got that foolish grin on his face. “You better act like you got a sore tooth until we get out of her sight,” Jenny warned from the side of her mouth, “or even she’s gonna know something’s wrong.”

Jenny saddled Fancy, then got Billy’s saddle while he leaned against the corral fence moaning. Miss Fisher stood in the doorway a few minutes, looking hot in her blue chambray skirt and light blue cotton shirtwaist. Jenny figured she dreaded having to face the stuffy classroom and restless students herself. Even from that distance, Jenny could see Miss Fisher sigh, stiffen her back and turn to walk into the school.

“You could have saddled Pancho yourself,” Jenny snapped as she cinched the saddle on Billy’s horse. “She’s gone on inside.”

“Oh, I’m in pain,” Billy moaned, clenching his jaw with a hand as he looked over his shoulder. When he saw Miss Fisher had gone inside, he spat out the stones. “Told ja it would work.”

Jenny mounted Fancy as Billy climbed on Pancho. As they rode out of the school corral turning the ponies toward the main road to Willoughby, Billy grinned over at Jenny like a cat with a bowl full of cream. “Now, ain’t this a good idea? Who’d ever thought we could skip school and the teacher told us we could?” Slapping his knee, Billy chortled in glee. Noticing Jenny’s unsmiling face, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know about this, Billy.” Didn’t Daddy always tell her that things that seemed too good to be true usually were? Was this one of those times she should think before she acted? Could they really get away with this?

“What could go wrong?” Billy asked smugly.

Jenny hoped she wouldn’t find out.

Part 2

The ride to Willougby was long, hot and dusty. Jenny began to wonder if they might not have been cooler in school after all. Both of their canteens were empty well before the hour long ride was over. While Billy chattered on happily, Jenny began to think that maybe this hadn’t been quite a good idea after all.. The closer they got to Willoughby, the surer Jenny was that it was not a good idea at all. In fact the whole plan was fuller of holes than an old feed sack. Dirty darn. How could she have listened to Billy again?

“I don’t think we should have done this, Billy?:” Jenny finally shared her fears. “What if Miss Fisher should say something to Daddy about me coming here? What if Uncle Nick should stop by the school today to ride home with me? What if...”

“What if? What if?” Billy mocked. “Turn around and go home if you wanna. I’m not gonna let a few worries bother me. Sides..it’s a perfect plan. If your Uncle Nick stops, Miss Fisher tells him you went with me to get a tooth pulled.”

“ What if he asks her why we went to Willoughby when Dr. Peterson pulls teeth just fine?”

No, this was not a good plan at all. If she just had to deal with Uncle Nick it might not be too bad. Uncle Nick loved to tell stories about the times he played hooky with his friends. Even Uncle Heath wasn’t too keen on having to go to school every day. Daddy now was a different, story. Daddy, Jenny knew, would have a fit if he knew she’d lied to a teacher, skipped school and gone off to Willoughby to see a circus train. Daddy would never let that go unpunished. Ever.

“Look!” Billy pointed in excitement, “Here comes the train!”

“I see it,” Jenny grumped, following Billy’s pointing finger to the cloud of black smoke rolling through the sky east of Willoughby.

“Hey, Billy! Stop!” Jenny figured she’d better stop worrying and start thinking ahead. Billy’s sudden burst of speed as he headed toward the town sitting over the hill spurned her into taking charge. “Just where do you think you’re going?”

“Into town, what we come for.”

“Billy, when the good Lord gave out brains you forgot to stand in line.”

He looked puzzled. “Whatcha mean?”

“What do I mean?” Jenny pulled of her hat, reached over and smacked him in the head with it, “We can’t just ride into town and leave the horses out in plain sight. Are you plumb loco?”

“Why not?”

Exasperated, Jenny spoke each word slowly, “Because, Billy, what if someone who knows our horses comes riding into town today? Someone like Uncle Nick? He’s still trying to find extra hands to ride round up. What if he comes here asking around for help? What do you think would happen if he saw Fancy and Pancho?”

Billy looked confused.

“If he sees our horses, where they don’t belong, he’s gonna wonder where we are, Billy. And he’s gonna look around and see where we are. Do you know what will happen then?”

“Dunno.”

“You don’t wanna either!” Jenny hit him with her hat again. And Daddy said she had a hard head! “Come on.”

Jenny grabbed Pancho’s reins tugging him to follow as she led Fancy to a stand of trees by the side of the road. It looked like a good enough place to hide the horses. Close to town if they had to make a run for it, yet far enough from the road no one could see them hidden in the brush. As she dismounted, Jenny looked around. Tying Fancy to a nearby tree she felt satisfied that the horses were out of sight completely. Billy followed her lead, tying Pancho nearby. Both horses began to munch on fresh, green leaves happy to be out of the sun.

“Guess Uncle Nick won’t spot them here, if he comes along this way.”

“I ain’t a scared of your old, Uncle Nick.” Billy said showing off. Showing how dumb he really was Jenny thought.

“I am,” she whispered as she followed Billy over a small rise toward the back of the town. At least he wasn’t trying to go in on the main road. Maybe there was hope for Billy after all. Maybe...but Jenny doubted it.

“Here comes the train!”

“I see it, Billy.” Jenny stood on the station platform tense with fear. Like she couldn’t draw a deep breath. She kept looking around warily like a spooked horse. Waiting for someone to clamp a stern hand down on her shoulder any second. Someone was going to catch them, she knew it. Even the chugging of the train wheels warned, “you’ll be sorry, you’ll be sorry, you’ll be sorry.”

Playing hooky wasn’t as much fun as Jenny expected it to be. When she thought of lying to Miss Fisher, she felt kind of sick to her stomach. Sadly, she remembered Sister Patience’s words, “I’m sure all of you will treat Miss Fisher just as you would me.”

The train pulled into the station hissing and puffing clouds of eye watering steam. Billy ran excitedly down the length of the train, looking for the tiger cages. Jenny followed slowly, holding her arms across her aching stomach. When they reached the end of the train without seeing the tigers, Billy stopped and scratched his head.

“Hey, Mister,” he asked the conductor who swung himself off the stairs of a compartment, “where’s the tigers and wild animals from Mr. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show?”

“I wouldn’t know, sonny,” the conductor, pressed and polished in his blue serge uniform with shiny gold buttons, patted Billy on top of his head. “Best be asking the station master.”

“Let’s go home, Billy.” Jenny thought if she just got home now and confessed to Uncle Nick he might not be too hard on her. She could hope anyway.

“No,” Billy got that mule stubborn look on his face, “I’m gonna ask the station master.”

Jenny followed along reluctantly. The station master, sweating in his blue uniform with his shirt buttons undone as far as decency allowed, paused at Billy’s question to take off his cap and wipe the sweat off his brow. He nodded. “Yup, sonny, they was here. Two weeks ago.”

“Two weeks!” Furious, Jenny turned on Billy. “I thought you said the Eagle said this Friday!”

Billy fumbled in his pocket, pulling out the paper and pointing with a dirty finger to the article. “Ain’t this what it says? Friday!”

The station master took the paper, “Sure, is, sonny, but look here...” He unfolded the paper to point to the date on top. “This here paper’s two weeks old.”

“Of all the dumb!” Jenny stamped her foot, “William Christopher Duncan, you are the stupidest boy I know! Can’t even read the date right.”

Billy blushed. “Boy howdy,” he said hanging his head, “I sure did want to see those tigers.”

The station master, feeling sorry for Billy, sat down on a trunk and began to talk, “They was something alright. Ferocious, snarling creatures...magnificent beasts of the wild.”

Over the pain in her stomach and the fear of being caught, Jenny found herself listening with interest. Might have been exciting to see those tigers after all. If that stupid Billy had read the paper right she might have even asked Daddy to bring them to see the tigers. “Yup,” the man continued as he stood up to tie a ticket on the handle of the trunk, “one of ‘em, the most fiercest one, leaned out of the cage and snapped up a boy...just about your size. Ate him whole.”

Billy gulped. Jenny turned pale at the thought, blue eyes wide in alarm. Then she saw the teasing twinkle in the man’s brown eyes. She nudged Billy who jumped about a foot into the air. “He’s just teasing.”

The station master patted them both on the head, guffawing, “Can’t fool the little lady, can I?”

Little lady indeed! Jenny grabbed Billy’s arm, “C’mon, we better go home.”

“Don’t seem right,” Billy complained as he reluctantly let Jenny lead him away from the station. “I come all the way to see the tigers and missed ‘em.”

“We gotta go home.”

Billy shook her arm off stubbornly. “No. I ain’t going back yet. You go if you’re so scared of your old Uncle Nick. I bought money to buy candy and I’m gonna.”

“Candy!” Jenny couldn’t keep the scandalized tone out of her voice. A mistake that made Billy that much more determined to have his own stubborn way. “They got a school here too, Billy. You think nobody’s gonna wonder why we aren’t in it?

“I’ll say I don’t live here,” Billy retorted, “and it ain’t a lie cause I don’t.”

Nothing Jenny said could persuade him any different. Well, she wouldn’t be caught going in any General Store where they’d be trapped if anyone from Stockton walked in the door and recognized them. Dirty darn. This was not a good idea at all. Why, why, why? Jenny thought frantically as she waited for Billy to buy his candy and come out of the store. Why had she listened to Billy Duncan again? Jenny bit her bottom lip, chewing in agony until Billy came out, unharmed, and she could lead him away. Looking around in alarm like a cornered rabbit.

“I gotcha some lemon drops,” Billy seemed unconcerned about being caught.

“I don’t care, I don’t care. Let’s just go home.”

Billy got that mule stubborn look again. “I ain’t. I’m gonna find some place cool to sit down and eat my candy.”

Jenny was sorely tempted to just leave him and his lemon drops. To get on Fancy and ride on home. But it seemed cruel somehow to abandon somebody as dumb as Billy. Probably if she left he couldn’t find his way back to Stockton.

Throwing caution to the wind, Jenny followed Billy. They each had a refreshing drink of cold water out of a convenient tin cup at the town fountain. When Billy found a wide mounting block big enough for the two of them to sit on, Jenny relaxed a little. From their vantage point, she could see the road into and out of Willoughby’s main and only street. If Uncle Nick should happen along, they’d have plenty of time to recognize him and hide. Jenny let down her guard a little more. The lemon drops did taste good after that hot, dusty ride. Maybe this hadn’t been such a bad idea after all. Miss Fisher had given them permission to come. Jenny quickly brushed away the nagging thought that Daddy would not approve.

“They got a bigger bank here than in Stockton,” Billy commented. “See, it’s got more windows.”

Glad of the diversion from her guilty thoughts, Jenny studied the Willoughby First National Bank across the alley from their seat. They could see the bank from a side angle and had a direct view of the front door and the back stairs. As they watched, a heavy set man with a scant covering of black hair came out of the back door.

“He sure looks nervous,” Jenny noticed. “See how he keeps wiping that kerchief across his forehead and around his neck?”

“Naw,” Billy contradicted around a mouthful of lemon drops, “he’s just hot. It’s hotter an blazes and he’s wearing a black suit. Looks like pure wool too. I got a blue suit like that an’ I sweat buckets when Ma makes me wear it.”

Jenny watched the banker run his finger around the inside of his collar as he paced up and down the stairs peering off in the distance. “He’s waiting for someone.” She insisted. “It’s making him nervous.”

“Hot.”

“Nervous.”

“Hot!”

“Nervous!”

Billy swallowed the candy, red faced he shouted, “He’s hot!”

“He is not!” Jenny stood up ready to punch him if she had to which turned out to be a good thing. “Coco!”

“Huh?” Billy stood up too. Only to have Jenny push him back toward the alley and the bank.

“Coco! It’s Coco and Uncle Nick is riding him!”

Frantically, Jenny looked around for a hiding place. No way, no how did she want to get caught standing here when Uncle Nick rode by. Dirty darn! She knew this wasn’t a good idea.

“We gotta hide, Billy! Now! He’s riding right toward us!”

Part 3

Jarrod Barkley signed his signature to the last letter placed in front of his by his secretary with an enormous feeling of relief. At last. His business in San Francisco was finished for awhile and he could go home. He’d missed Jenny. It would be good to get back to her.

“Well, Miss Montgomery, thanks to your able help these past few days I’ll be able to make that Stockton train today. I’ll be home a week earlier than I expected.”

Miss Montgomery blushed. “Oh, you’re entirely welcome, Mr. Barkley. It was my pleasure to help. I’m sure your Jenny will be thrilled to see you home so early.”

“Let’s hope so,” Jarrod said bluntly, having no illusions about his daughter. “I suppose it all depends on how she’s behaved since I’ve been gone.”

“I’m sure she’s been a perfect angel,” Miss Montgomery said, picking up the portrait of Jenny Jarrod kept on his desk. “She looks so sweet and innocent. And she wrote such a touching essay about you. She must be the most well behaved child.”

Jarrod arched an eyebrow, “You don’t know my daughter very well.” He stood up, stretched and reached for his grey suit coat. Putting it on, he smiled at Miss Montgomery. “With Jenny, looks can be deceiving. It isn’t often that she’s as angelic as she appears.”

“Oh, now, Mr. Barkley, I’m sure you’re just being modest. She probably never gives you a moment of trouble.” Miss Montgomery, who prided herself on knowing Jarrod’s schedule even better than her own, reminded him, “Don’t forget, Mr. Barkley, you promised to bring Jenny a present.”

“I did indeed. If she were good while I was away. Just on the hope that she was well behaved, I’ll have to buy her something. “ Jarrod picked up a portfolio and began to fill it with several contracts and briefs he’d need in Stockton. When he finished he put on his hat, tipped it gallantly at his loyal secretary and told her, “I’ll leave the office in your capable hands for now. If I hurry I’ll be able to do some shopping before time to catch the train this afternoon.”

“Have a safe trip, Mr. Barkley. I’m sure you’ll find Jenny’s been as good as gold while you were away.”

Jarrod paused at the office door. “I hope you’re right, Miss Montgomery. But, I can’t shake this strange sense of foreboding that Jenny is up to some mischief this very second.”

Frantically, Jenny grabbed Billy’s arm looking for a hiding place. Uncle Nick must not catch her here! Making a couple of quick promises to the Almighty if she ever got out of this predicament, Jenny pulled Billy back into the alley whispering feverishly, “I promise I’ll be good for the rest of my life. I promise I’ll be good for the rest of my life.”

At the last possible second, Jenny saw the broken slats under the boardwalk by the Dressmaker’s Shop. Because all the businesses in Willoughby were set up a story, they all had a nice open space under the board sidewalks. Most had a lattice covering painted a dust covered whitewash. Jenny thanked Providence for the broken slats as she pushed Billy into the dark, glancing fearfully over her shoulder as she crawled in beside him. They both breathed a little easier as they watched Coco’s hooves pass by without stopping. Safe! Just barely. Now the next problem was waiting for Uncle Nick to leave or getting back to the ponies without him seeing them.

“How long you think we gotta stay under here?” Billy whispered as they stretched out flat on their stomachs, arms folded in front of them. Neither of them could sit up without bumping heads on the boardwalk above. Jenny hated the cramped, trapped feeling. But dirty darn. She’d sure hate running into Uncle Nick worse.

“I don’t know,” she snapped. “But I sure ain’t going out there until I know Uncle Nick won’t catch me.”

“I ain’t ascared of your Uncle Nick,” Billy said again.

“Billy, if you stop talking won’t anybody know how dumb you really are.”

Billy took that as an insult and stuck out his tongue. Jenny noticed he made no move to leave though. Turning her head, Jenny tried to still the wild thumping of her heart. It was dark. Scary. Jenny felt something soft and tickly skitter over her arm. “Billy!” She grabbed his arm, digging in her nails, “There’s a spider or something in here! I hate spiders!”

“Naw,” Billy teased, probably still stinging over her last remark, “It’s probably just rats or scorpions.”

“Rats? Scorpions!” Panicky tears wet Jenny’s eyes, spilled out to drip into the dirt as her fear and sorrow grew. “Why didn’t I just go to school? Why?” She laid her face down on her arms, weeping softly. “I wanna go home. Why’d I ever come with you anyway?”

“Crybaby,” Billy taunted. “Why’d I have to come with a dumb, stupid girl anyway. All you wanna do is cry.”

Enraged, Jenny lifted her dirty, tear washed face, “Cause I’m the only one stupid enough to come with you, that’s why! Because the only person stupider than you is me!”

Billy stuck out his tongue again with a mouthful of half chewed lemon drops.

Jenny’s face flamed with fury. “Oh! You are disgusting. This is the last time I listen to you, Billy Duncan!”

“Aw, shut up!”

“You shut up!”

Footsteps on the boardwalk above shut them both up temporarily. Jenny’s anger cooled with a sudden wave of fear. What if Uncle Nick found her under here? While Billy crunched the last of the lemon drops, Jenny weighed her choices and made a quick decision. Sooner or later, she’d be punished for this. Might as well get it over with. Turning toward Billy, she told him.

“I’m going to find Uncle Nick so I can tell him what I did. He’s gonna punish me anyway. Anything’s better than hiding here with all these spiders. Besides I can’t hardly breathe it’s so hot under here.”

Having made up her mind, Jenny began to crawl out. Billy grabbed her ankle yanking her back.
“You can’t!” He sounded scared. “If you do, he’ll tell my Pa!”

“So?”

“Pa won’t take me on the round up if your Uncle Nick tells him what I done! It’s my first year, Jenny,” he pleaded with tears in his eyes. “I wanna go so bad. If Pa finds out I lied to a teacher and skipped school I might not ever get to go on a round up. Not in my whole, entire life.”

Jenny thought, meanly, that it served Billy right if he didn’t get to go on round up. She didn’t get to go. Maybe Billy deserved to miss the round up. If it hadn’t been for his dumb idea, they wouldn’t be in this trouble. Hiding under the boardwalk in the sweltering heat scared silly that Uncle Nick might find them.

“Please, please, Jenny,” Billy begged, squeezing out a few tears for her benefit, “I promise if you won’t tell we’ll only wait here a little longer. I’ll sneak out and see where your Uncle Nick went. Maybe we can make it back to the horses without him catching us. Please?”

Dirty darn. Jenny couldn’t find it in her heart to let Billy suffer. Missing a round up would near about kill her too, if she were ever allowed to go.

“I was only foolin’ about the rats and scorpions,” Billy tried to ease her mind. “Please, Jenny?”

Mollified, Jenny agreed unwillingly, “Alright.”

It got hotter under the boardwalk as the sun rose higher. Jenny’s dress and chemise clung damply to her back and thighs. Most probably the front of the red plain was covered with the dirt she lay on. Grandma would not be happy about that. Her hair fell limp and sweaty around her hot face. Drowsy with the heat, the waiting, Jenny closed her eyes.

“Hey, Jenny,” Billy nudged. “Look at that. You were right. That banker man was waiting for someone.”

Lifting her head, Jenny stared between the slats as a farm wagon with three men pulled up by the back stairs of the Willoughby First National Bank. The heavy set man, now mopping his face more frenzied than before, came down the stairs toward the wagon. Looking fearfully around as he paced beside the wagon.

“What took you so long?” He asked, clearly annoyed at being kept waiting. “Did you have any trouble?”

The man on back of the wagon jumped down, shotgun in hand. A tall, skinny man in a black hat with a band of gray silk he looked uneasily around. Dressed all in black except for a pair of magnificent spurs, he reminded Jenny of a spider. Creepy. Two more men sat on the wagon seat, both dressed as plainly as possible in dark homespun trousers and simple cotton shirts with the sleeves rolled up due to the heat. Both carried guns in full view guarding whatever the wagon held.

“No trouble,” the man with the shotgun said in a hard voice, “just takin’ our time so’s not to arouse any suspicions.”

“Hurry then,” the Banker motioned them to get a move on, “before someone sees you.” He mopped his red face again, “Why I ever agreed to this I don’t know.”

The black hatted man laughed. “What’s to see? We’re just bringing a shipment of gold into the bank. Ain’t that what it appears, Banker?”

“Sh, sh!” The Banker whispered hysterically, running back up the stairs in an effort to hurry the men along. He peered up and down the street as nervous as Uncle Nick when we wanted to dodge Miss Angela from the orphanage. There wasn’t another soul in sight on this hot, humid day.

Instinctively, Jenny and Billy scooted further back in the protective darkness. Something about the furtive way the men searched the streets, looking for trouble, frightened them. The Banker hurried back inside the bank. Two of the men, one in homespun and the spider man, laid their guns in the back of the wagon. The third man sat on the wagon seat, gun ready, glancing around while the other two began to pick up muslin bags in both hands and carry them into the bank. After their second trip in and out, Jenny began to notice something odd.

“Billy? How come they carry in two bags and then each carry out one? If they’re bringing in a gold shipment how come they bring anything out?”

“Now how should I know? You want me to go ask?”

Peculiar, Jenny thought ignoring Billy’s scoffing. “Funny. They each carry in two bags one in each hand. But when they bring a bag out they have to use both hands to hold it. Must be awful heavy.” Jenny pondered that a few seconds, “Billy, remember when Uncle Nick let us try to lift those bags of gold dust from the mine? We couldn’t lift them even with both hands. Uncle Nick could though. I don’t think they’re carrying gold into the bank. It don’t look heavy enough. Even Uncle Nick can only carry one bag of gold at a time.”

“Yeah,” Billy’s eyes widened. “You think they’re bringing gold dust out of the bank? Maybe robbing it?”

“ Maybe. They sure are awful nervous. Wish I knew what was in those bags they’re taking into the bank,” Not that Jenny was willing to go look. Dirty darn even she wasn’t that dumb.

Billy thought on that a minute or two his brain working out a plan. “I’ll go see.”

“You can’t!” Grabbing his arm, Jenny hung on tight. “That man on the wagon might catch you! If they are robbing the bank, you could get killed.”

Billy shrugged her off. “I’ll sneak around from behind. He keeps looking down the street anyway. Betcha he’d never even know I was behind the wagon. See, now he’s taking out cigarette makings. He ain’t even paying attention.”

“You’ll get caught!”

“No, I won’t,” Billy contradicted, mule stubborn as usual. “If they are robbing the bank and we stop them, we’ll be heroes. Might even get our names in the Stockton Eagle. Betcha we wouldn’t get in trouble for skipping school if we stopped a bank robbery.”

Jenny trembled with fear. She couldn’t let Billy go out there! Without warning, her thoughts tumbled backward to Salinas, lying under her bed, trying to hold Nicky. Terror overwhelmed her as she felt Billy pulling away just as Nicky had....right before he died. No, no, no!

“I’m going to get my Uncle Nick.” Panicky, it was the only solution she could think of at that terrifying second. Uncle Nick who was big and strong and brave would know what to do.

“Go ahead,” Billy sneered, “get your backside tanned. I’m gonna go find out what’s in those bags.”

Before Jenny could make a move, Billy slipped out from under the boardwalk when the two men started back into the bank. Carefully, he crept along the side of the bank timing his stopping and starting by the progress of the men from the wagon and into the bank. The angle of the bank allowed him to be hidden a little although Jenny could see plainly. Heart in her throat, she kept her eyes tight on Billy, knowing it was only a matter of seconds until someone caught him. Why did he have to be dumb?

“Hey, kid!”

Just before Billy jumped up to look over the back of the wagon bed, the man in the black hat came out of the bank sooner than Billy expected. Billy tried to run but the man grabbed the back straps of his overalls, holding Billy off the ground as Billy kicked frantically trying to get away. “Let me go! Put me down!”

“What are you doin’ snooping around?”

In horror, Jenny pushed herself further back in the dark, her heart threatening to push right out of her chest. Her legs and arms trembled uncontrollably. If she had to make a run for it, she knew she’d never manage it. Fear pinned her into the dirt even though she wanted desperately to help Billy.

“I...I thought I saw my kitten jump in here,” Billy lied with more good sense than Jenny thought possible. “Honest, Mister.”

“I never seen no kitten,” the man on the wagon seat startled by the commotion growled, “You’re just plain bein’ nosey, ain’t cha?”

“No,” Billy gulped. Jenny could see his adam’s apples bobbing up and down as he swallowed hard. “No, sir.”

“What’s your name?”

“Billy. Billy Duncan.”

Jenny groaned over his stupidity.

“Where do you live, kid? I’ve got half a mind to take you home to your Ma and Pa and tell ‘em you been snooping around where you don’t belong. Why ain’t you in school anyway?”

“Please, mister, don’t do that!” Even dangling by his overall straps, Billy kept the hope of going on the round up in the front of his mind. “I played hooky from school today an’ I don’t want ‘em to know.” The man gave Billy a couple of shakes until Billy yelled out, “Stockton! I live in Stockton!”

Oh, Billy, Jenny grieved, you are so dumb. The one time you need to lie and you don’t.

The man stood Billy back on the ground but kept tight hold on him. The second man came out of the bank as well as the nervous looking Banker. “What’s going on here? What is this boy doing?”

“Says he’s playin’ hooky from school an’ don’t want us to tell his Ma and Pa,” the black hat man laughed a mean laugh. “Whatcha reckon we should do with him for tryin’ to have a peek here in our wagon?”

The Banker began to mop his face frantically again. “I knew this was a mistake. I knew it! We can’t have witnesses. None!”

Watching from her hiding place, Jenny saw that even Billy got the full intent of what the Banker said. His face blanched pale as he started to struggle fiercely to get out of the man’s grasp. “Let me go! I’ll tell my Pa!”

“Hold on, now! You stop that!”

Later, Jenny tired to remember just how everything went so awfully wrong so suddenly. One second Billy and the spider man were struggling, the next another man appeared out of nowhere An Eastern dude, Jenny noticed with the part of her mind not consumed with fear. Wearing a pin striped suit and a tall, funny shaped top hat.. He had time to shout, “What’s going on here? You, let go of that boy!” before Jenny saw the man on the wagon seat jump down, gun cocked.

Before anyone could do anything, the Dude grabbed for the gun his eyes wide with alarm. A muffled retort shattered the peaceful stillness of the street. Jenny couldn’t tell where the Dude had been shot but heard him say in disbelief, “I’ve been shot.”.

The Dude crumpled slowly to the ground while the Banker hovered around moaning. “Why did I ever agree to this? Why? Shooting people? No, no, no, no, no.”

Both the men who carried the bags stared in stunned belief from the man with the gun to the Dude lying on the ground, bleeding profusely from his arm. Almost by unspoken consent, the spider man holding Billy let go and both men leaned over, picked up the Dude and with the Banker rushing to and fro beside them, carried him toward the bank. Jenny couldn’t hear all of their confused whisperings but she heard enough to know they were frantically deciding what to do, how to explain the shooting. Billy stood there, face pale with a dazed look on his face. Run, Billy, run! Jenny tried to think the idea to him. Run now! Forgetting about Billy and leaving their wagon of gold unguarded, the men struggled up the stairs with the limp Dude in their arms. The Banker moaning and groaning “Why? Why?”

“What an awful accident,” The Banker groaned. “Quickly, get him inside the bank before someone else sees something! Hurry!”

Billy finally got enough sense to sprint away. Jenny couldn’t ever recall seeing him run that fast as he rounded the corner by the bank and disappeared. Still hiding, Jenny waited shaking with fright as she watched the men all disappear into the bank. Go! Run! Jenny wanted to but she couldn’t seem to make her legs or arms move. Fighting back the terror, she pulled herself slowly forward almost reaching the slats when two of the men came back out on the stairs of the bank.

“Where’d that brat go?”

“He took off running when you let him go! We gotta find him an’ make sure he don’t tell anyone what he saw. You better go follow him. Scare him off for good or we’ll all be sorry.”

“I ain’t killin’ no kid. Robbing gold from them high and mighty Barkleys is one thing but I ain’t killin’ no kid.”

Jenny whimpered, pushing her fist into her mouth to quiet any sobs the men might hear.

“Just scare him good!” The wagon sitter told the spider man, “Make sure he don’t even think about telling anyone.”

Swearing, the spider man took off in the direction of the street. After watching him for a minute, the other man went back into the bank closing the door firmly. Jenny waited for what seemed an eternity before she slowly pulled herself out from under the boardwalk.

Uncle Nick, I want Uncle Nick. He’d holler plenty at first. He might even give her a couple of swats for skipping school but he sure wouldn’t let anybody kill her or Billy. Only trouble was, Jenny couldn’t go look for Uncle Nick. Not with dumb, stupid Billy running off with the spider man right on his trail. Dirty darn, it was hard being Billy’s friend.

As careful as she dared, Jenny ran out of the alley. Thankfully, she didn’t see Uncle Nick although she did see Coco tied up outside the saloon. The spider man she did see...walking calmly toward the train station. Maybe he thought Billy had come in from Stockton on the train. It gave them a head start if he did.

Jenny got out of town as fast as she dared. Panting for breath, she ran into the stand of trees startling Billy half out of his wits as he tried desperately to untie Pancho from the tree. Billy’s hand shook so violently, Jenny had to untie both ponies. Tears spilled out of Billy’s eyes blinding him so that Jenny had to help him put his feet in Pancho’s stirrups. He fumbled so much Jenny wanted to just run away and leave him behind. Any second the spider man might find them.

“Billy,” Jenny gasped, “we gotta get out of here. Now!” She quickly filled him in on what had happened after he ran away.

Spurned on by fear, looking over their shoulders, Jenny and Billy were finally mounted up and pushed the ponies hard riding away from Willoughby. Every few seconds one of them looked back. Breathing a little easier to see the road behind them clear. No sign of the spider man. Jenny almost wouldn’t have minded seeing Uncle Nick.

“Jenny,” Billy finally managed to spit out, “Don’t you ever try to talk me into playing hooky again. You near about got me killed.”

Dirty darn. Just see if she didn’t punch him once they got out of this mess. She’d give him another black eye even if it did make Daddy madder than a nest of hornets. She got Him near about killed!

I should have listened to my Daddy, Jenny thought sadly slapping her reins against Fancy’s side to hurry her along. He told me to be a good girl while he was gone. Why didn’t I listen?

Part 4

“What are we gonna do, Jenny? What are we gonna do?”

They were still three quarters of the way from home but the ponies were being pushed too hard. Pancho and Fancy needed water and rest. A small creek ran off the right side of the road so Jenny motioned Billy to head toward it.

“The horses need water. We have to stop.”

“Stop!” Billy shouted, “We can’t stop! What if that man catches up with us?”

“If we don’t stop,” Jenny reasoned, feeling the same sense of urgency, “one of these horses is going to drop over dead. Then where will we be? You want to try to outrun him riding double?”

Billy shook his head vehemently. Hurrying, they both jumped down leading the eager horses toward the clear stream to drink. Billy paced around, turning this way and that as if he expected to be jumped from any direction at once. Although Jenny felt the same sense of eyes boring in her back, she managed to lie down and scoop up enough water in her cupped hands to quench her thirst. With a bravado she didn’t possess, she filled her canteen and Billy’s. They were still a long way from Stockton and the afternoon heat was merciless. It would be stupid to hurry off without water.

“Don’t take so long,” Billy urged her on, “We gotta get out of here.”

“The horses have to have enough water,” Jenny repeated trying to sound as forceful as Uncle Nick might in the same situation.

“Maybe he stopped following us,” Billy asked hopefully, looking eagerly at Jenny to agree.

Jenny doubted that. The spider man said he didn’t want to kill a kid. But he sure had sounded positive about keeping Billy quiet. Just how he planned to accomplish that, Jenny didn’t care to find out. “We saw them shoot someone, Billy. And rob the bank. They won’t want us to tell.”

“Ya mean me! They never saw you. I’m the one they’ll come after!” Billy wailed sitting down suddenly, dropping his head on his knees as began to cry. “Why’d I have to tell them my name and where I lived? Why?”

At that point, Jenny could have given him a piece of her mind. She’d been screaming silent imprecations at him ever since they rode out of Willoughby. That he should never have tried to look in the wagon. That he should have lied about his name. She could have even reminded him cruelly that it was his idea to play hooky. But, being Jenny, she just sat down beside him and put her arm around his shoulders while he sobbed. “It’ll be okay, Billy. We’ll go back to the ranch and tell Uncle Heath everything. He’ll know what to do.”

“Tell your Uncle Heath!” Billy jumped up, shoving off her comforting arm. “No! If you tell him, he’ll tell my Pa and I won’t get to go on the round up!”

Jenny stared at him astonished. “The round up!” She screamed back at him, “Is that all you care about? We’re being chased by bank robbers! They even shot someone! Maybe he’s dead. Now they’re coming after you and all you care about is not missing the round up? You are the dumbest boy I know!”

“Call me all the names you want, “ Billy hollered back, “but you just better not tell anybody.”

Jenny stood up just as angry. Hands on her hips, she glared at Billy. “I am! I’m going right home and tell a grown up. I don’t care if I do get punished for skipping school but I sure ain’t planning on getting shot by any bank robbers. You do whatever you want!”

Billy stared back with a mean look on his face. Thoroughly disgusted, Jenny grabbed Fancy’s reins and mounted. Leaving Billy by the stream, she turned the pony toward home and began to trot away. After a few minutes, she heard a rider thundering up on her right. Jenny spun around, heart jumping, to see Billy riding fast to catch up.

“Wait, Jenny!” He rode up next to her, stopping Pancho who danced around in angry circles until Jenny reigned Fancy to a stop. “You just better not tell.”

“Or what, Billy?” Jenny chafed at the delay, wanting to race home so Uncle Heath could take care of it all. “What are you going to do if I do tell?”

A sly look came over Billy’s face. One Jenny knew well and feared. The trouble with being friends with Billy was that he knew too many of her secrets. Knew them and had no qualms about using them against her. “If you tell now and make me miss the round up, I might just have to tell your Daddy where you were last Saturday.”

Jenny’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t be that mean? “You wouldn’t.”

“Maybe I would if I had a reason.” He glanced sideways at her, afraid to meet the anger in her blue eyes. He had her right where he wanted her. Like a fly under his thumb and he knew it. He’d tell in a second, Jenny knew. Billy had talked of nothing but going on the round up for months. Missing it would near about kill him. He planned to go even if it meant getting her in trouble.

“You wouldn’t,” Warm tears burned down Jenny’s wind chapped cheeks, “You wouldn’t tell Daddy I was there after he told me not to go.”

“Yes, I would,” Billy declared stubbornly. “If you make me miss the round up, I’m going to go up to your Daddy and say, Mr. Barkley? Remember how you told Jenny you didn’t want her anywhere near that old swinging bridge again? Well, guess where she was because Emily Parker dared her to cross it?”

Jenny started to cry. “You aren’t my friend anymore, Billy. Not if you get me punished.”

“It’s up to you, If you don’t tell, I won’t. But if you do...” Billy said callously, “well, I wouldn’t wanna be you when your Daddy finds out about that swinging bridge.”

The idea of being her if Daddy found out about the bridge didn’t appeal much to Jenny either. She still remembered quite well being punished the last time. “This is blackmail! It’s against the law. I could tell my Daddy on you...”

Whatever Jenny planned to say vanished in the sudden, sharp retort of a rifle. Startled, Fancy and Pancho began a wild dance that kept both Billy and Jenny fighting to keep their seats. Another bullet whizzed over their heads. It hit a tree nearby splintering a gash in the trunk. Another followed in rapid succession and then a forth. Billy’s face bleached white. He panicked and let Pancho loose into a dash down the road. Fancy needed no urging to follow.

Looking frantically over her shoulder, Jenny saw nothing. She knew enough about guns to know the shots could have come from anywhere. They’d been in full sight, arguing on the road, but there were several stands of woods and one rocky outcropping where the shooter could have been hidden. Whoever it was, he hadn’t planned to kill them. All the shots had gone way over their heads. He’s just trying to scare us, Jenny thought. And he did.

Where the idea came from, Jenny never knew. Around the terror that squeezed her heart and the crazy swarm of “helps” screaming in her mind, a plan popped calmly into place. “Billy,” she shouted over the thumping of the horses hooves on the dirt road, “When we come to Calvary Pass, go on into the woods toward the secret cave. You go right. I’ll go left. Keep going until the road forks by the tin cup spring then come back up the hill behind the cave. We can hide.”

Billy nodded, too winded to speak.

The cave was wide enough to ride the ponies right on inside. It wasn’t hidden enough to suit Jenny but because of all the underbrush and tangles of berry vines, it would be hard for a full grown horse to ride up on them without their hearing. For a few minutes, they could stop, catch their breaths and decide what to do next.

Jenny gulped water from her canteen, glad of the chance to sit down and rest her quivering legs. Water sloshed all down the front of her dress her hands shook so badly. If she’d ever been this frightened before, she couldn’t remember it.

“Looks like I won’t be going’ home tonight,” Billy mourned. “I was just gonna go home and wait for Pa to get ready for the round up. Now what am I gonna do? If that bank robber’s followed me this far, what’s to stop him from following me home?”

“You shouldn’t have told them where you lived. All he’s got to do is ask anyone in Stockton to tell him where your ranch is and he can come right to your door. That sure was dumb” Jenny said firmly. “You won’t be able to go home until the Sheriff knows what we saw and he arrests those men. Come home with me. We can tell Uncle Heath. He can tell the Sheriff and we’ll be safe.”

“I’ll tell your Daddy,” Billy threatened again. “You want a worse spanking than you got last time?”

“No,” Jenny answered sadly, hanging her head. “But probably he’ll find out anyway. He always does.”

“You ain’t telling,” Billy told her again, “If we don’t tell, won’t anybody know we were even there today.”

“But we have to tell, Billy. They robbed the bank! And it was Barkley gold they stole. I need to tell Uncle Nick and Uncle Heath they robbed our gold.”

“No you don’t. Sooner or later some grown up will figure out the bank got robbed. Your family’s got enough gold anyway.”

Jenny stared at him scandalized. “But what about the man they shot?”

“Maybe he ain’t dead,” Billy answered callously. “Your Daddy and Uncles been shot lots of times and didn’t die. Maybe he was just wounded real bad.. Even if he is dead, we’re just two little kids, what are we suppose to do?”

“I don’t know.” Jenny didn’t. “Something. We should tell someone.”

Billy took a slug from his canteen. Wiping his sleeve across his mouth, he said, “Look, I got another plan anyway. I’ll just hide somewhere tonight. Then tomorrow I’ll go back home. My Pa is suppose to come home from my brother, Robert’s, about four o’clock. If I wait till he gets home there’ll be twenty to twenty-five men around the ranch. Ain’t no bank robber that’ll want to fool around with that many guns. Besides, betcha they don’t want to hang around anywhere near Willoughby or Stockton. Not once someone finds out the banks been robbed.”

“You could hide at our ranch,” Jenny suggested, knowing before he shook his head no that he didn’t want to do anything that easy. “Maybe in the barn.”

“No, I was thinking. The safest place I know is Lost Miner’s Canyon. Maybe in No End Cave.”

“No! I’m not allowed to go there!”

“You weren’t allowed on that swinging bridge either,” Billy sneered, “that didn’t stop you. I ain’t allowed to go to the Canyon either but I will...especially if it means I might still be alive in the morning.”

Jenny shook her head back and forth, trying to persuade him not to even think about hiding there. “No, Billy, no. It’s too dangerous.”

“Not since Ben Parker and his friends put that rope through some of the caves. I been there once an’ he showed me how he’s got lanterns in there too. It makes a great hiding place for the bigger boys. All I gotta do is stay there tonight. Sides, it’s more dangerous for me to go home with just me and Ma there. Pa and Robert won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon. You think I want that man coming there and hurting my Ma? If he does find the ranch and just sees Ma, maybe he won’t hurt her. It’s me he wants, not Ma.”

“No, Billy, no.” Jenny grabbed at possible deterrents, “Besides, won’t your Ma wonder where you are? Why you didn’t come home from school?”

Billy had a ready answer. “Not if you ride by and tell her I went on to Robert’s. I do sometimes so she won’t think nothing of it.”

Jenny doubted that. “Maybe I don’t want to get yelled at by your Ma. And even if I did, how are you planning on getting all the way over to the Canyon? It’s miles. The horses are already too tired. Fancy’s ready to drop now and Pancho’s been limping for the last half a mile. He won’t make it to the Canyon.” So there, she thought. You can’t go.

Billy got that sly look again. “We need a faster horse. We’re close to your ranch now, maybe you could go get us a fresh horse while I wait here. You can take Pancho and tie him up alongside the trail somewhere. Maybe if that man sees him he’ll think I got shot and fell off my horse and crawled somewhere off in the woods. Tomorrow you can just bring me a fresh horse or get Pancho and meet me. You better shut your mouth, Jenny, you’ll catch flies.”

“No!” Jenny clamped her lips together after she shouted at him. Of all the stupid, stupid boys! “I won’t! You can’t make me!”

“Your Daddy sure was hopping mad the last time he caught you on that old swinging bridge. Boy howdy, he sure yelled and carried on about how rotten it was, how it was ready to fall in at any second and dump you on those sharp rocks down below. Bet you couldn’t sit down for days once he got through with you that day. An’ I heard him say myself that you better never get on it again or else.”

“No!” Jenny repeated only not as forceful. Dirty darn. Billy had her cornered for sure. She didn’t need any reminders of that awful day Daddy caught her. Or what he’d told her would happen if he caught her there again.

“You better hurry,” Billy urged her on, “And get a fast horse like....like Charger.”

“Charger!” Jenny sprang up, ready to run. He was crazy. “No way am I going home to get Charger and take you to the Canyon! Not even if you tell Daddy about the swinging bridge!”

“You want me to get killed, Jenny?” Billy yelled back, tears in his eyes, “Is that what you want? Cause that’s what’s gonna happen if I don’t hide somewhere.”

“But, Billy...Charger.” Billy’s tears took the starch right out of her objections and fears. He was just as afraid as she was. “Uncle Heath would never let me take Charger. Besides, he’s probably got him out somewhere.”

“No, he ain’t,” Billy told her promptly, wiping the tears away with the back of his hand. “Cause I saw him yesterday riding Jingo an’ asked him where Charger was. He told me he’s resting Charger up cause he’s the best round up horse you all got.”

Jenny knew that was true. Charger would be right in the barn waiting.

“Please, Jenny,” Billy begged. “I can’t go home. You don’t want me dead do you? If you just get me hid tonight I promise, cross my heart, never to tell your Daddy about the bridge.”

Dirty darn. It sure was hard being Billy’s friend. And she sure didn’t want Daddy finding out she’d disobeyed him about the bridge...

Riding off alone, Jenny fought to still the frantic beating of her heart. Even though the Spider Man hadn’t seen her, what if she ran into him? Would he try to hurt her? She found a sheltered spot to tie Pancho where he could reach some water and greenery. Fancy looked as if she’d like to stay there too. Snorting disapproval, she let Jenny heel her back toward the road. Thankfully, Jenny saw no one on the ride back to the ranch. In the drowsy heat of late afternoon, the house and barn felt empty, quiet. Relieved not to have to explain, Jenny saw no one around. She tied Fancy near the water trough. Sooner or later someone would take care of her, Jenny didn’t have time.

“Hey, Charger,” Jenny crooned to the big horse. Charger whinnied a greeting knowing that Jenny often had an apple hidden in her skirt pocket to share with him, While he nudged her hand hopefully, Jenny thought about what to do. Saddling Charger was beyond what she could attempt. So was riding him bareback. He was too strong, too willful to handle without a bridle. Even Uncle Heath had a hard time controlling him when Charger made up his mind to be contrary.

Jenny could have cried. Wasn’t any way she could take Charger out of that barn. And what other horse could get her to the Canyon and back by dark? Dirty, dirty darn.

“What are you doing?”

“Jack!” Jenny’s heart jumped a startled beat or two at being caught in the barn. Ciego’s new helper was only fifteen but Uncle Nick said he knew horses as well as any man. He gave her dirty dress and disheveled hair a quizzical look but didn’t ask any questions. “I’m not doin’ anything. Just coming home from school.”

“You sure are late. Your Grandma’s been out here twice to see if you’re home yet. Best get on in the house.”

Dirty darn. Jenny hadn’t given the time an instant of thought. “I got something to do first.”

Jack shrugged, picked up a sack of grain to carry on into the tack room. Jenny followed him hoping Grandma didn’t take that opportunity to come looking for her again. “Jack, Where’s Uncle Heath?”

“Far as I know he’s out in the South Pasture rounding up those cattle with most of the hands.”

Jack, easily lifted the heavy sacks of grain without a grunt. Following him back into the main part of the barn, Jenny wondered how she could get Jack to saddle Charger. “Jack,” she tried to use the same calm, ordering tone Grandma used with the hands, “I need you to saddle Charger for me.”

Jack laughed. “Ha! Like your Uncle Heath wouldn’t have my hide if I let a little girl like you ride out of here on his horse.”

“You better!” Jenny stamped her foot. “I need to go somewhere right now!”

“Oh, Miss Barkley,” Jack teased, not in the least in awe of her , “I don’t think I have to take any orders from you.”

Jenny fumed. Mad at Jack and even madder at that stupid Billy and his dumb idea to play hooky. Look at all the trouble he’d caused her. “You’d better saddle Charger or I’ll tell Uncle Nick to fire you!”

“And what would he be firing me for, Missy? I ain’t done nothing wrong.”

She hated to do it. Even thinking of doing it made her feel squirmy and mean inside because she knew it was wrong. There wasn’t a soul in this family who’d ever let her get away with being rude or disrespectful to anyone who worked on the ranch. Still, she had to do it because that stupid Billy needed her help. She was already in so much trouble now, what was one more naughty thing added to the list?

“If you don’t, Jack, I’ll tell Uncle Nick about you smoking in the barn and starting those horse blankets on fire.”

Jack’s face paled. “That was an accident! How’d you know about it?”

“Me and Billy were in the hayloft.”

“Spying little brats!”

Pressing her hold over Jack, Jenny spoke words she was instantly sorry for, “Bet your mother and sisters wouldn’t like it if you lose this job.”

He called her a mean name under his breath. Looked at her with pure hatred. Having a job meant the world to Jack because he had to support his Mother and three sisters. Angrily, he jerked Uncle Heath’s saddle off the stall railing and began to saddle Charger. Jenny wanted to tell him right away she was sorry. That she knew how it felt because it was the same thing Billy had done to her but she didn’t quite dare.

“There’s your horse all saddled, Miss Barkley,” he sneered her name as mean as could be, “and when your Uncle asks me who took him out of this barn I’m going to tell him.”

Struggling, Jenny managed to climb up the slats of Charger’s stall and get her legs stretched wide enough to sit astride. She hadn’t remembered him as being so high, so big. But the only times she rode Charger, she had Uncle Heath behind her holding her on. Uncle Heath. He wouldn’t be happy about this. In fact, he might be downright furious.

“The stirrups are too long,” Jenny complained. Jack jerked them up short, fixing them until she could get her boots inside. Mad, he opened the barn door for her and led Charger out. “You can’t even handle a horse this size. I hope you fall off and bust that smart mouth of yours.”

“I’m sorry, Jack,” Jenny told him sadly. Deeply sorry. Once Uncle Nick found out she’d threatened Jack, she knew she’d be ever sorrier.

From the first Charger was more than she could handle. Her arms ached so badly after the first mile that Jenny despaired of ever riding all the way to Lost Miner’s Canyon. Charger was so much wider than Fancy her leg muscles screamed with pain. Tears flowed as she struggled to keep control of the horse. Almost she hoped that someone, Uncle Heath, Uncle Nick, someone would see her and stop her. No one did.

Dirty darn. Would this troublesome day never end?

Part 5

“Mother, where’s Charger?’ Heath asked as he came in the front door that afternoon.

“Charger?” Victoria paused on her way down the stairs, one hand still on the banister. Her mind shifted momentarily from preoccupied annoyance at Jenny to Heath’s horse. “Isn’t he in the barn? I’m sure I noticed him just awhile ago when I went out to look for Jenny.”

Heath shook his head negatively. “His stall is empty. I didn’t see Jack or Ciego around or I would have asked them. Maybe Jenny knows.”

Coming on down the stairs, already dressed for dinner in a pink brocade dress, Victoria shared her irritation with Heath. “Jenny isn’t home from school yet. That little lady has some explaining to do when she gets here. She’s over two hours late already,”

“Jenny isn’t home?” Heath felt a prickle of unease. “I just saw Fancy in the barn. Are you sure she couldn’t be in the house?”

“Fancy? I know she wasn’t there just half an hour ago.” Victoria’s brow creased with concern. “I don’t think Jenny could have come in without me noticing her. I can’t imagine that she wouldn’t just tell me she was late.”

“You don’t think..” Heath began, then stopped at the look of fear that crossed Victoria’s face. “No, never mind.” No point in borrowing trouble.

“What, Heath? You’re worried about something, I can see it in your eyes. Don’t try to keep it from me.”

Heath swallowed, “Maybe it’s nothing but I’m just wondering if Jenny didn’t take off somewhere on Charger.”

“Charger?” Victoria asked shocked at the very idea. “Why would she do a thing like that? She’s too little to control a spirited horse like him.” When Heath didn’t seem to be forthcoming with an answer fast enough, she prodded, “Tell me, Heath!”

“Aw, Mother, “ he drawled, not quite hiding the tinge of fear in his voice, “it’s just something Jenny said last week. You know how she’s been pestering Nick for a horse of her own? Well, Chet Parker has a filly Jenny just about drools over anytime we go past his place. Nick and I took her over there last week. Boy Howdy, she just about drove Nick out of his mind telling him how well she could handle that horse.”

“Yes, she told me about the horse,” Victoria stared at her blond son, wondering where this might be leading. “But I don’t understand what that has to do with Charger.”

“Nick told Jenny he wanted to make sure she could handle a horse before he bought her one of her own. He said a pony wasn’t the same as a horse and he didn’t think she was ready to ride one like that filly.” Heath hesitated, remembering that afternoon. Nick’s stern words. Jenny’s stubborn pout. Inwardly, for just a second he smiled. They were two of a kind, those two. “Jenny didn’t like that one bit. She told Nick she could ride any horse on the ranch just as good as he could. Even Charger.”

“Oh, Heath, she wouldn’t!” Victoria cried out, not at all certain Jenny wouldn’t try. “Surely Nick told her not to even think such a thing.”

Heath nodded assurances on that point. “He did. But Jenny got that determined look on her face when Nick finished setting her straight. I’m just wondering. If Fancy’s here and Jenny and Charger are both gone....would she have tried it? “

“That child!” Victoria said angrily more worried now than annoyed at Jarrod’s daughter. “Let’s look around first just to make sure she didn’t sneak in the house. Maybe she’s hiding. It’s possible she feels guilty for not coming straight home.”

“I’ll look around outside,” Heath suggested as they parted paths in the foyer. Heath almost knew that they wouldn’t find Jenny. He knew his niece too well. Fear lodged like a fist in his chest as he searched the yard, the outbuildings and went back into the barn. It didn’t take long to be certain Jenny wasn’t nearby. Neither was Charger.

Walking back to the house, Heath noticed Jack dodging back behind the barn. As if he’d been seen and wanted to hide. Heath thought a moment and then reversed his direction. Whistling, he walked without a care in the world aiming his steps to come up in the opposite direction of where Jack might be waiting. Just as he’d figured, when he came around the back of the barn, he saw Jack peeking around the other end.

“Jack!” Heath called. Jack jumped half a foot off the ground, turning around quickly. As Heath approached, Jack paled. His fingers began to twist the shovel in his hands around nervously. The boy looked scared enough to bolt any second. “Have you seen Jenny?”

“Well...um...” Jack licked his lips, his eyes not meeting Heath’s but sliding away in guilt. “Jenny? Yes..um...I saw her a little while ago.”

“Where is she now?”

“I’m not sure, Mr. Barkley,” Jack hedged.

Heath stared at Jack, uneasily shifting his feet. The boy was hiding something. “Jack, was she riding Charger?”

“Charger?” Jack’s voice quavered, giving it away completely. “Well, um...yes, I think she did ride Charger.”

“Are you a fool, boy?” Heath shouted, angered by Jack’s stupidity. “How could you let a little girl ride a spirited horse like that? What if she gets hurt?” Or killed, Heath thought in horror. Fear for Jenny’s safety enraged Heath. He grabbed the front of Jack’s shirt roughly, jerking him forward. “Where did she go?”

“I don’t know.” Tears moistened Jack’s eyes at the rough treatment. “She just said she had somethin’ to do.”

“Why, Jack? She couldn’t even have saddled that horse by herself. Who did? You?” Still holding tight to Jack’s shirtfront, Heath shook a reluctant nod from the boy, “Why? You got sisters of your own! You had to know how dangerous it was to let her ride out of here on her own!”

“She made me!” Jack defended himself. “She said she’d get Mr. Nick to fire me!” Sobs shook Jack’s body. He’d been afraid ever since he let Jenny ride away, struggling to control that feisty horse. For the past hour, he’d endured tormenting thoughts about Jenny getting hurt. He sure wouldn’t have a job then. “She made me!” Jack wailed again, looking up into Heath’s hard, angry eyes.

Disgusted, Heath let Jack go shoving him roughly away. He’d deal with Jack later. Right now, Jenny might be in danger. Quickly, Heath saddled Jingo again as his anger rose. First at Jack, who should have known better and then at Jenny for taking Charger. Heath’s lips tightened. Thoughts raced through his mind that this was his fault too. He’d always been too lenient with Jenny. Preferring to let any real discipline come from Jarrod or Nick. Maybe it had been wrong to let Jenny think she could get away with something like this. Well, from now on things would change. Little Miss Jennifer would not be getting off easy for this infraction of the rules.

“Jack!” He shouted at the boy who stood in misery beside Fancy’s stall, “Go tell Mrs. Barkley that I’ve gone to look for Jenny. If Jenny comes back here, keep her here!”



By the time Jenny had ridden back to the secret cave, she hurt in so many places every breath was sheer torture. Charger, who could be gentle as Soot with Uncle Heath, fought her almost every step of the way. When she got to the path by the cave, Jenny slid off Charger’s side. She wouldn’t be able to take him as far as the ponies so it meant tying him up. Dragging her feet, Jenny pulled herself up the path through the brush, almost too weary to push aside the thorns that yanked her hair or scratched her arms.

“Billy?”

“Jenny?” Billy came out of the cave, wiping tears off his face with the back of his hand. “I thought maybe you left me for good.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Jenny plunked down on the ground, too tired to walk another step. “I thought about it, but I didn’t.”

“Did you tie Pancho up somewhere?” When she nodded yes, he asked, “See anyone?”

“Just Jack..but I didn’t tell him anything.” She made sure she said before Billy could start asking more questions Jenny was too tired to answer. How she’d ever manage to ride all the way to Lost Miner’s Canyon, back over to the Duncan’s and then home, Jenny had no idea. All she wanted to do was lie down. Even right there in the dirt. Just lie down and sleep. “We better go. I want to try to get home before dark. If I don’t I’m in worse trouble than I am now.”

“You won’t tell when you get home, will ya, Jenny?”

Jenny shook her head, too worn out to speak.

“Cause if you do...” he threatened. “I just might have to tell your Daddy.”

“I don’t care,” Jenny found enough strength to answer. She didn’t care. All she wanted was for this to all be over with once and for all. Get Billy off on his stupid round up and then she’d tell the whole family how naughty she’d been. If Billy got in trouble when he got home, that was just too bad. “Let’s go. Charger’s at the bottom of the path.”

Billy had to boost her up on Charger’s back. Jenny’s leg muscled shrieked in pain at being stretched taut again. Her arms began to quiver at the idea of having to pick up the reins. It took Billy three tries to scramble up on Charger while Jenny struggled to hold the big horse still. Charger was not happy. With both of them holding the reins, they dared to let him run a little to make up for lost time. There was no doubt he was faster, more sure footed than either of the ponies.

They were both forbidden to play in No End Cave, but both children had been there before. Most of the children in the valley had although their parents were not let in on the secret. Ben Parker and several of the older boys in the valley had taken over the cave as a secret hideaway. Jenny and Billy had both been there with Ben while he showed off his handiwork. They could be sure of finding lanterns, blankets, some jerky and canteens of water. Ben believed in being prepared.

By the time they dismounted at the hidden entrance to the cave, the sun had begun it’s downward slant. Long, purple shadows crossed the canyon floor. They lay dark and forbidding over the pile of brush that concealed the cave. For all his show of bravado, Billy hesitated afraid to go in alone.

“C’mon in, Jenny,” he pleaded before jumping off Charger’s back, “just while I light a lamp.”

“I have to go, Billy. Now!”

“Please?”

Reluctantly, after three more pleas, Jenny agreed. Sliding off Charger’s back, she made sure to tie him tight to a sapling nearby. She could barely place one foot in front of the other. I ache all over, she thought. My stomach hurts from not eating anything today but breakfast and lemon drops. My head feels fuzzy. I want to be home.

Billy pulled the brush away from the entrance. When he finished, Jenny followed him inside loathe to move far from what little light came in the entrance.

“See, here’s a lantern,” Billy said brightly from ahead in the dim cave. He lit the lamp. Well, Jenny thought, that’s one sin I haven’t committed today. Not that Daddy would be happy when he found out how many other rules she’d broken.

“It’s not so bad,” Billy tried to convince himself. “I just have to stay here overnight. I can do that.”

“I couldn’t. Not in a million years,” Jenny told him. Ben Parker said there were spirits in No End Cave. That they came out at night to devour whoever was dumb enough to stay there after dark. Even Ben and the bigger boys had never stayed inside the cave after the sun set. The fear in Billy’s eyes told Jenny he remembered the same stories. “I better go, Billy. I’ll catch it now for sure.”

“Well,” Billy hated to see her leave and didn’t mind showing it, “don’t you want to stay too, Jenny? Maybe we could pretend we got lost or something. Your folks would be so glad to see you they wouldn’t punish you. Or hey...” Billy’s eyes shone as he thought of a plan, “we could tell them the Spider Man kidnapped us and we got away and hadta hide.”

Jenny shook her head vehemently. No way was she listening to another plan! Look what had happened when she listened to Billy this morning with his foolproof plan to play hooky. “Nobody in my family would believe that. Even if they did, they’d hug me cause they were glad they found me, then spank me. You can stay if you want, but I’m going home.”

At that point, Jenny didn’t care what happened when she got there. Uncle Nick would surely be back from Willoughby by now. Uncle Heath. By now Uncle Heath knew Charger was gone. Probably that she had taken him without permission too. Grandma. Grandma would be riled because Jenny hadn’t come straight home from school. About the only people in the house who might not be flaming mad at her would be Aunt Audra and Silas. Thank goodness Daddy wouldn’t be home from San Francisco for another week. That made Jenny feel a small crumb of comfort. By the time Daddy got home, everybody would’ve had a whole week to get over being angry at her. Maybe Daddy would never find out...

“I sure hate to see you leave, Jenny,” Billy said as he followed her back outside the cave. “Make sure you go by Ma’s and tell her I went to Robert’s for the night.” He boosted her up on Charger’s back, waited until she’d settled herself and picked up the reins before he enjoined her further, “And make sure you bring me a horse sometime tomorrow afternoon. If I time it right, Pa will be gettin’ ready to go on the round up and Ma won’t have much time to ask nosy questions.”

There was something wrong with Billy’s plan. Part of Jenny’s mind tried to pin down just where the wrongness lay. She couldn’t. All her thoughts were like dandelion fluff, floating off toward the sky while she tried slowly to grab them back. “Okay, Billy, “ she agreed around a yawn. Billy, reluctant to let her leave, ran alongside Charger shouting further instructions. Jenny promptly forgot them all. I’m so tired, so tired, her mind chanted to the rise and fall of Charger’s hooves. I want to go home, go home...

Home.

Jenny’s eyes were half shut, sandy from crying when she saw the ranch house ahead in the dusk. As she rode closer, she whimpered in frustration. It wasn’t home. It was the Duncan’s ranch. Jenny couldn’t remember the ride there. Briefly, waking up, her heart thumped at the dark shadows around the corral. The Spider Man? Neither she nor Billy had seen him or felt his presence since the shots hit the tree. Had he come here to lie in wait for Billy? Jenny rode closer, fear pressing her chest tight. Breathing in relief to see the shapes were just some horses and Angela, a patient old milk cow.

Mrs. Duncan came out on the porch of the yellow farmhouse, wiping her hands on a dishtowel as Jenny rode up. “Why, Jenny Barkley! I thought you were that naughty son of mine. He hasn’t come home from school and I know his Pa warned him to be here early. He hasn’t been with you has he?”

“Yes, he was with me.” Jenny realized suddenly that she’d have to lie to Billy’s Ma. Until that second, it hadn’t occurred to her. Too sleepy to care, Jenny thought, what’s one more lie? How many others have I told today? “Billy wanted me to tell you he went to stay at Robert’s tonight.”

“He did!” Mrs. Duncan’s hands went to her broad hips, “That boy! He was suppose to come home. Him with chores and me with supper keeping warm on the stove for him. He’s got his mind so befuddled with this round up he can’t think straight. I’ve half a mind to tell his Pa not to let him go.”

Jenny yawned. Beyond caring if Billy went on the round up or not.

Mrs. Duncan quite her ranting to notice. “Goodness, child! You’re almost asleep. You’d best get on home.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jenny turned Charger around although it took all her strength to do it. Her arms ached so it was almost more than she could attempt. Which didn’t go unnoticed by Mrs. Duncan.

“Jenny? Does your Uncle Heath know you’re riding his horse? Seems he’s a mite too much for you to handle.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jenny answered, certain it wouldn’t be a lie by now. Uncle Heath most certainly knew she’d taken Charger. Especially if that Jack tattled.

Riding off, Jenny noticed Mrs. Duncan shaking her head as she mumbled, “Those Barkley’s. Never did have much sense when it came to horses! Letting a little girl like that Jenny on that big horse.”

The shadows had lengthened on the road. In some places under the trees, Jenny rode in total darkness. The night birds began to call, twittering and rustling as they went to bed. From far off, Jenny heard the train whistle as the night train came into Stockton. A pale moon rose, shining bars of light across the road. It was later than Jenny had ever been out alone before. She knew she should care but she was too sleepy to care about much of anything.

Charger was close enough to home that he knew where his warm stall and oats were. Apparently, he’d had enough of the little girl on his back and wanted off. Jenny held the reins loosely. As she rode along, she wept and dozed, jerking awake when the reins began to slip through her fingers.

Jenny never knew what happened next. If Charger stumbled or hit a chuck hole or if she dozed and did something to make him trip. One second they were trotting along, Jenny pulling until her arms screamed with tension as she tried to hold him back. In an instant, the big horse stumbled, went down on both front legs and fell heavily. Jenny pitched forward, tumbled over his head. She slammed into the dirt road hard enough to hit her head and knock her breath out with an “ooof!”

In the split second before Jenny fell into a dark, black tunnel of nothing, her last thought was, “I killed Charger. I killed Charger.”

Part 6

Charger?

Jenny’s first conscious thought was the horse. Was he hurt? Had she truly killed Uncle Heath’s favorite horse? Don’t be hurt, Charger. Don’t be hurt. Dear God, if I killed Charger please just kill me right now.

As she tried to sit up, Jenny’s hand went to the throbbing pain in her head. It came away wet and sticky. Blood. She was bleeding. No wonder her head hurt so much. Trying to stand Jenny fought off waves of dizziness. Her stomach rolled. Any second she expected to be sick right there in the middle of the road.

Charger? Where was Charger?

“Charger?” Jenny called. Blinking back tears of relief as Charger neighed in answer.

A pale moonlight shone down on the horse standing a little way up the road. Jenny’s hope rose as she walked toward him, stumbling a little on legs full of pins and needles. “You okay, Charger? Bet you didn’t get hurt at all, huh?”

“Oh, no, oh, no.” He was hurt. Jenny could see the nearer she got that Charger was limping. Limping! “Don’t be hurt, don’t be hurt.”

Jenny ran, pushing down the nausea that rose in her throat. Seeing her rushing toward him, Charger spooked a little, limped a few feet away. Stopped. He was hurt. Jenny didn’t know how badly. Was he hurt so badly he couldn’t be healed?

For the first time ever, Jenny was afraid to go home. Always before, even if she’d been scared about what punishment awaited her, she’d never dreaded going home. There was one certainty Jenny could always count on no matter how naughty she’d been. All the Barkleys from Grandma to Aunt Audra were fair. She might have to face the music and take her punishment but it would be a fair and just . Afterward, she’d be forgiven. But not this time, Jenny thought, not this time. Nobody’s gonna forgive me for this. Not if I killed Charger.

How could she go home and tell Uncle Heath she’d hurt Charger? How? Jenny began to cry, big gulping sobs that shook her whole body. What am I going to do now? Folding her arms across her chest, Jenny sat down right in the middle of the road, crying. She couldn’t go home. Not ever. And if she couldn’t go home she didn’t know where she could go.

Nowhere, Jenny wept inconsolable, nowhere.



Nick Barkley started back from Willoughby later than he’d planned that evening. As he road along, content with a good day’s work, night fell. A chorus of frogs and insects filled the night with melody. After the heat of the day, the welcome cooling breeze made riding pleasant. A feeling of peace and satisfaction filled Nick. He’d hired ten extra hands to ride round up, checked in with Mr. Ferguson at the bank to see if that shipment of gold dust had arrived from the mine. Mr. Ferguson, busy moping his brow and the top of his balding head the entire time, had assured Nick that the gold would be on the train to San Francisco Monday morning. After his visit to the bank, Nick had enjoyed a few pleasant hands of poker with an old friend, Charlie Peterson, coming away with $40 more than he’d had in his pocket arriving in Willoughby. Afterwards, he’d treated Charlie to a fine steak dinner at the Wilson Hotel. All in all, it had been a pleasant break from the routine of ranch work. Nick planned to finish out the day with a hot bath and an early bed time. Until he saw the little girl sitting in the road.

At first, he blinked to make certain his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. Could he be seeing what he thought he saw? A little girl sitting in the middle of the road? As he rode almost on top of her, Coco shied away, ears laid back leaving little doubt that the child wasn’t a figment of Nick’s imagination.

“Who’s there?”

“Uncle Nick,” a voice quavered. A voice he didn’t expect to hear.

“Jenny? Jenny what happened?” Nick jumped off Coco, running to his niece. “Are you hurt?”

“I don’t know,” Jenny cried, hurting in so many places she couldn’t begin to tell him each one. “I hit my head.”

Glancing up at the whinny of another horse, Nick saw Charger standing off to the side of the road. Assuming that Heath would have been with Jenny, he looked around but saw no sign of him. “Jenny, where’s Heath?”

Jenny began to cry harder, putting her hands up to cover her face. Nick’s heart sank imagining one dire circumstance after another. “Where’s Heath?” He asked her again firmly.

“I don’t know.” Jenny repeated through her hand. “He isn’t here.”

Nick hadn’t forgotten Jenny’s boast last week that she could ride Charger. Had she? “Wasn’t he with you? You weren’t trying to ride Charger alone were you?”

“I had to! I had to! They shot him and they shot at us! The bank robbers were going to kill Billy too!”

“Who? Tell me who shot at you?” Nick felt as if he were trying to battle his way through cotton batting. What had happened here? Had Heath been shot? Wounded? He paced around, peering into the woods by the road trying to see if Heath might be nearby. “Answer me, Jenny.”

“The spider man!” Jenny pulled her hands away from her face. “Don’t let him get me, Uncle Nick. Please!”

She’s delirious, Nick quickly reasoned. She did try to ride Charger, must have gotten thrown. His next step, he knew, was finding out how badly she’d been hurt. “Jenny, do you hurt anywhere? You said you hit your head? Were you thrown?”

Jenny started to rock back and forth, crossing her arms over her chest sobbing. “Charger’s hurt. I hurt Charger.”

Nick’s concern wasn’t for the horse at that second. Quickly, he ran his hands over Jenny’s arms and legs feeling for any breaks. She whimpered a little but didn’t protest. Nothing felt broken. Feeling her head for bumps, his hand came away wet and sticky, touching blood. She’d hit her head alright.

“We need to get you home.” Nick picked her up, careful not to jostle her anymore than necessary.

“No! No, Uncle Nick!” Jenny wailed, pushing against his chest with her fists, struggling to get down. “Charger’s hurt! You have to make him all better.”

“Let me get you home. I’ll come back for Charger.”

“No! No! We can’t leave him. I won’t go with you if you leave him!”

Nick got her up on Coco, kicking and screaming and fighting him every inch. Once he mounted and got a good grip on her, Jenny settled down to a low moaning. She leaned back against him, too weary to do much of anything else. All the fight seemed to drain out of her. Nick hoped she wasn’t hurt too badly. “Sh, little one, it’ll be alright. We’ll be home soon.”

Halfway to the house, they met up with Heath. Heath had spent the afternoon on a wild goose chase across the North Ridge. One of the hands thought he recalled seeing Jenny and Billy riding that way earlier in the day. What they would have been doing going in that direction, Heath didn’t hazard to guess. When he’d ridden far enough without picking up their trail, he’d cut back across the Ridge coming out on the road to Stockton.

Seeing Nick, with Jenny in his arms, Heath’s heart stopped until he got close enough to see she was still alive. “Is she hurt bad?”

“I think she got thrown,” Nick explained, “Her heads bleeding pretty badly. Best ride on into town and get Doc Merar.”

Heath nodded, turned toward Stockton, praying all the way.


Jenny wept, slept and jerked awake all the way home. Uncle Nick’s strong arms held her tight as she leaned back against his chest. The whole time, Uncle Nick kept talking. Soothing words. When she began to cry harder, he even crooned a little of her favorite songs until Coco snorted in anger.

The lights glared from the windows, hurting Jenny’s eyes. The door flew open as Grandma heard a rider stop outside. She came running up to Coco.

“Nick, is she hurt?”

Everything blurred, the lights, the voices, the sounds. One second she was still outside, the next she’d been laid on the parlor sofa. Concerned faces looking down at her, asking questions that buzzed insistently at her ears.

“Jenny, what happened?”

Her mouth wouldn’t work. What happened? Jenny couldn’t remember. Something happened. Her hand went to her head.

“ Was she thrown? She’s busted her lip too. And look how filthy she is! She’s covered with dirt.”

Mumble, mumble. Voices. Voices. Warm water wiping her forehead. Daddy’s voice.

“Mother! How badly is she hurt? I just passed Heath on his way into town for the doctor.”

Jenny roused enough to open her eyes. Looked to see Daddy kneeling by the sofa, felt him pushing her dirty, limp curls away from the cut on her head. “Tell Daddy what hurts.”

“I didn’t mean to, Daddy. I didn’t mean to.”

“Sh, sh. It’s alright. Don’t worry about it now.”

Jenny’s weeping ebbed as Daddy kept soothing her. Struggling to sit up she held out her arms- feeling safe when Daddy wrapped her in his own , holding her close to his heart. “Daddy, I’m scared.”

More voices . More mumbles. “Let’s try to get her cleaned up before Doctor Merar gets here.”

Exhaustion kept tugging Jenny back into a restless doze. She feel asleep, woke to find herself in the bathroom sitting on Daddy’s lap. Aunt Audra pulling off her boots as gently as she could while Daddy unbuttoned her dress and pulled it over her head. Warm water easing some of the twinges from her arms and legs. Sleeping again until she felt the water gush over her head while Grandma and Aunt Audra washed all the mud and blood out of her hair.

“That’s the third time we’ve rinsed it,” Grandma said. “Start trying to towel it dry, Audra.”

Sleep, voices, being carried somewhere else, a nightgown slipped over her head, a warm quilt, Daddy holding her. Sleep, peace, then Doctor Merar poking and prodding. “Well, Jenny, what have you been up to now?” Jenny couldn’t answer except to cry weakly. Tired. So tired. “Just watch her closely. She should be fine by tomorrow.”

Someone built a fire in Daddy’s bedroom fireplace. Wrapped up in a quilt, snuggled cozily in Daddy’s arms, Jenny felt the warmth on her face. Sometime later, she remembered Charger. Cried and complained and threw a tantrum to know what happened to Charger. Finally, Uncle Heath came to tell her that Charger had a bad gash on his leg but he’d live. Jenny wept in relief, kept telling everyone, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Daddy?”

“Sh, try to sleep. I’m here.” A few tears leaked out the sides of Jenny’s eyes, warm across her face. Slowly, the whole awful day began to fade away. Jenny fell asleep sinking into it’s depths gratefully.



My head hurts.

Before Jenny opened her eyes the next morning, she reached up to touch a bandage on her forehead. She tried to sit up but her muscles screeched at the movement. Pain. Pain . Aching, aching pain. Jenny dropped back on the pillow realizing her lips felt bruised too. Running her tongue over her lips, she felt the cuts and loose skin. The inside of her mouth tasted like the iron pump handle in the stable yard. There wasn’t a single part of her that didn’t hurt. Even her teeth throbbed.

She was lying in her own bed. Jenny wondered briefly if she could just stay in bed, pretend she was sick. Last night everyone had known she was hurt. No one had been angry or yelling. As long as she laid in bed she was safe from having to face anyone. Wasn’t she? Jenny remembered Doctor Merar saying she’d be fine by today. Most likely she wouldn’t be able to get away with pretending. Dirty darn.

“Good morning,” Grandma said cheerfully, coming into the room with a breakfast tray in her hands. “I thought you’d be awake by now. You were trying to wake up when I went downstairs.”

Jenny laid still, not certain how Grandma felt about her this morning. She looked happy enough. But Jenny knew better than to believe Grandma had forgotten her misbehavior of the day before.
Grandma sat the tray down on Jenny’s desk. Jenny couldn’t keep her mouth from watering at the smell of those delicious hot cakes with butter and maple syrup. Sure had been a long time since she’d eaten anything. Why...it was yesterday morning! Before she’d let that stupid Billy get her into all this trouble.

“Let’s sit you up,” Grandma said before she scooped Jenny into a sitting position, propping pillows behind her back. Jenny groaned at all the twinges this caused her aching arms. “How do you feel?”

“I hurt a little.” Jenny kept her voice quiet, sick. Hoping for sympathy.

Not that it made any difference to Grandma who took her answer matter of factly as she put the tray onto her lap. “That’s to be expected. Eat this and I’m sure you’ll feel much better.”

Jenny obeyed quickly. Starving for something to fill her stomach she ate as fast as she dared with her Grandma watching. Trying to figure out if Grandma was angry or not. Grandma could be very sly. Just about as bad as Daddy. You wouldn’t know they were angry and ready to scold until they pounced.

As she ate, Jenny’s thoughts turned to Billy. Wondering if he’d been devoured during the night. With her luck, he hadn’t. He was probably sitting right there in No End Cave waiting for her to bring him a horse. Bow howdy he was stupid! Just see if she ever listened to him again. Not after all the trouble he’d gotten her into this time. But even if she didn’t play with him again, she had promised to help him this time. Which caused a problem? Would she be able to get a horse to Billy?

“Do I have to stay in bed?” Jenny hazarded the question, watching Grandma tidying the room, picking up clothes and toys. Putting things away as if she hadn’t a care in the world. A very dangerous sign, Jenny thought. Grandma hardly ever tidied her room.

“No, Dr. Merar said you should get up when you feel ready?”

“Could I get up now?” Jenny asked. Realizing a second later how stupid that had been. Maybe staying in bed would have been a better choice. If her head still hurt, even Daddy wouldn’t holler at her, would he? You are so dumb, Jenny Barkley, it must be catching from that Billy.

Grandma picked up a doll and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Yes, but first I’d like to say something to you.”

Jenny waited, dreading what she knew would come next. “I’m sorry I didn’t come right home from school. I knew it was wrong but I had to do something really, really important.”

“I’m disappointed in you, Jenny,” Grandma said as if she hadn’t heard a word of Jenny’s apology. “You did a very foolhardy thing by trying to ride Charger. Heath told me that Nick told you not to ride him. You gave us all quite a scare last night, young lady, just because of your stubborn insistence that you could ride any horse as well as your Uncle Nick...”

“But, I...” Jenny tried to explain. How could Grandma think she’d be that stupid? To ride Charger after she’d been told not to? She remembered boasting to Uncle Nick and the tongue lashing she’d gotten afterward. No way would she have ridden Charger for that reason. If she hadn’t been trying to save Billy’s life, she’d have never ridden Charger.

“Don’t interrupt me, Jenny! Because I know you’re going to be punished for riding Charger, that’s all I’m going to say about that.” Grandma looked stern, inflexible, “What I am going to say is that because you didn’t come home on time yesterday, you’ll have a list of extra chores to do today. Just as a reminder that rules around here are not to be broken. Is that understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jenny mumbled. Dirty darn. How could she get a horse to that dumb Billy if she had to do a bunch of extra chores? And who was going to punish her for riding Charger? That sure didn’t sound like good news. Especially since Daddy, Uncle Nick and Uncle Heath were all home today. Maybe they would all take turns, Jenny thought in horror, wishing for just a second that she’d been hurt badly enough to have to stay in bed awhile. A person sure didn’t get much sympathy in this house after being thrown from a horse and almost killed. Jenny stuck out her lower lip. What if her head hurt too much to do those stupid chores?

“I want you to finish your breakfast and get dressed,” Grandma said heartlessly. “And that’s enough of that pout, missy. You brought this all on yourself by your disobedience.”

Having gotten her scolding out of the way, Grandma stood up and walked to the bedroom door. Turning back, she gave Jenny another reason to want to stay in bed. “Your Father is waiting for you in the study.”

Jenny leaned back against the pillow, hoping she looked pale and weak. “Grandma, I don’t think I feel like getting up.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Grandma sounded a little sympathetic as Jenny’s hope rose. Then she spoiled it by the rest of her words, “Maybe I’d better go get that medicine Dr. Merar left here. The nasty tasting one you don’t like. I’ll have to go get your Father too because we both know someone always has to hold you down to make you swallow it...”

“Maybe I feel okay,” Jenny sat up quickly. Doing extra chores was nothing compared to that foul tasting medicine. And if Grandma got Daddy and she pretended to be sick, chances are he’d see right through her sham. Daddy would not be happy. She was in enough trouble already.

Grandma smiled, as if she knew Jenny’d been pretending the whole time. “I’ll see you downstairs in a little while.”

Dirty darn. Dirty, dirty darn. She hadn’t even gotten out of bed yet and the whole day was starting out as bad as it could get. Darn that Billy!

Part 7

Jenny, still aching all over, flounced out of bed. Dirty darn grown ups! Thought they ruled the world. Which, Jenny decided sadly, they did. Just because they were bigger. It sure didn’t seem fair.

From force of habit, Jenny began to make her bed. As she pulled up the sheets, Jenny grabbed her shoulder when it twinged in a painful reminder of last night. Who cared if the darned bed got made or not? Maybe she didn’t want her bed made first thing in the morning. Looking around at the carefully tidied room, Jenny took the time to stage a small revolt by shoving some of her toys on the floor, unfolding two dresses Grandma had just picked up and flinging them in a heap on the floor. Maybe she liked her room messy. It was her room wasn’t it? Not that Grandma would agree with that argument, Jenny knew. But it made her feel better just the same.

Jenny took her time choosing a light blue dress with a drop waist and long sleeves. The dress had a pattern of tiny white daisies that always made Jenny feel happier. Probably about the only thing that she’d have to be happy about that day. As she dressed, she thought of maybe putting on a couple of extra petticoats, just in case. Then decided against having to do extra chores with all that hot fabric bunched around her waist. If somebody decided to spank her, extra petticoats wouldn’t help anyway.

When she tried to button up the back of the dress, Jenny’s arms ached so badly she had to stop leaving most of them unbuttoned. Grown ups invented buttons up the backs of dresses. Just so you couldn’t do anything, not even put on your own dress, without them. They liked being boss of everything. Just thinking about the unjustness of it made Jenny a little sick to her stomach. Sure would be a long time until she was a grown up. Dirty darn.

She sat down on the floor, pulled on her stockings and shoes. While she buttoned the shoes, Jenny worried about all her problems. Daddy. What was he doing home a week early? Sure was inconvenient of him to come home when he wasn’t expected. Jenny’s stomach rolled a little more when she thought of telling him about yesterday. Somehow she didn’t think that riding Charger was what he had in mind when he told her to be a good girl while he was away.

Then there was Uncle Heath. Last night, when he’d told her Charger would be alright, he hadn’t sounded angry. Still, Jenny knew he wouldn’t be too pleased that she’d ridden Charger. Maybe he wouldn’t scold too much. Usually, she could count on Uncle Heath to be understanding and gentle. Usually. Letting Charger get hurt was one of the worst things she’d ever done to Uncle Heath.

And that darn Billy! Just waiting there for her to bring him a horse. So he could go riding off on a round up happy as a pig in a mud puddle. Talk about unfair! Jenny had half a mind not to even try taking Billy a horse. Until she thought of how he’d threatened to tell Daddy about the swinging bridge. Jenny buttoned the last shoe button sighing sadly. Wasn’t much chance she could not help Billy. Not without putting herself into worse trouble.

Jenny hadn’t quite figured out how she’d help Billy. If Grandma said “extra chores”, she meant extra chores...lots of them. Each Saturday, Jenny had regular chores that had to be finished before she could go out and play. How long would regular chores and extra chores take? What time would it be before she could sneak away with a horse for that stupid Billy? Could she? Jenny realized that she hadn’t been punished yet. What would she do if she had to stay in her room or wasn’t allowed to leave the house? What if Uncle Nick or Daddy decided to take Fancy away for awhile and told her no riding? Maybe it would be better to just tell Daddy the truth about yesterday. Or maybe not. He always liked to be home a few days before she told him about all the awful things she’d done while he was gone.

Leaving her bedroom, Jenny gleefully closed the door on the mess she’d made. Careful to keep quiet, Jenny walked down the hall and started down the stairs to the foyer. Partway down, she stopped, hearing voices from the study. Daddy and Uncle Heath. Looking at the daisies on her dress didn’t help to make her happy then. Her legs quivered slightly so Jenny sat down on the stairs dreading the moment she’d have to face either of them.

Uncle Heath came out first. Walking toward the front door without seeing her sitting on the stairs. Jenny almost let him leave then thought she might as well get it over with. She'd have to face him sometime.

“Uncle Heath?”

He turned, hat in hand, as he walked up the stairs to sit down beside her. Waiting for her to speak.

Jenny couldn’t tell if he was angry or not. It was hard to tell with Uncle Heath. He kept so much inside.

“I’m sorry Charger got hurt.”

“I am too.” He spoke quietly.

“Will he be able to go on the round up?”

“No, Jenny, he won’t be going anywhere for awhile. He’s got a bad gash on his leg that needs time to heal.”

Tears wet Jenny’s eyes. “I never meant for him to get hurt.”

Uncle Heath sat his hat on the stairs next to him, put his hands on his knees and looked back at Jenny with an expression she’d often seen on Daddy’s face. Vexation. Annoyance. He was mad and Jenny had a feeling he planned to let her know. She’d seen the same angry look in his blue eyes when he dealt with a wayward hand on the ranch. Jenny felt the same fear she did when she knew Daddy was going to punish her.

“Jenny,” Oh, yes, he sounded madder than a hornet, “You might’ve never meant for Charger to get hurt but he did. Which is bad enough. What’s worse is that you could have been hurt or even killed trying to ride a horse you had no business riding! You knew it was wrong but you did it anyway.”

“But, I had to..” Jenny started to explain. She’d have to tell Uncle Heath everything, even about playing hooky. He’d understand why she had to take Charger. He always understood. If she just told him about the bank robbers...

“Keep quiet!” Uncle Heath didn’t shout but the words were as forceful as Uncle Nick’s roar. Squelching Jenny into immediate silence. He wasn’t even going to listen? Not one word?

“But, Uncle Heath...” Jenny tried again, disbelief on her face. Uncle Heath had to at least let her tell her side. He always had before.

“I told you to keep quiet!” He said a little angrier than before. “I know why you rode Charger. You wanted to prove to Nick that you could. Stop shaking your head no because I remember exactly what you said last week. You just had to show us you were grown up enough to ride him didn’t you? You never gave a thought to what might have happened. You could be laying in bed this morning with your back or your leg or your neck broke. Charger could be dead.”

Jenny couldn’t stop the tears that began when she thought of Charger being dead. “I’m sorry,” she repeated because she truly was repentant. Even if Uncle Heath wouldn’t let her explain she hadn’t been stupid enough to ride Charger just to prove a point. Why did he think that? Why did Grandma? It hurt to think they didn’t think she had more sense than that. Jenny just couldn’t stand for Uncle Heath to think so badly about her. “I didn’t ride Charger because of what I said. I rode him...”

“I know why you rode him,” Uncle Heath condemned her with his unbelief, “and I want you to know right now you will never do it again. It’s true you might be sorry. But you’re going to be a lot sorrier when I tell you how Nick and I decided to punish you.”

Uncle Nick and Uncle Heath? This sounded bad. Very bad. And she couldn’t even explain.

Sniffing hard, Jenny tried to stem the flow of tears by swiping at her face with the hem of her blue dress. Crying more because Uncle Heath wouldn’t listen than anything else. This was the worst thing of all, if Uncle Heath was so angry with her that he wouldn’t try to understand. He had to listen!

“You know that filly of Chet Parker’s you’ve been wanting?”

Jenny nodded, knowing as dread filled her heart.. No, no, no..

“We aren’t going to buy it for you, Jenny. By your antics last night we can both see you aren’t responsible enough to own a horse. To have your own horse, you got to have some sense and you must not be old enough to have any. You don’t ride a horse you’re too young to handle. You don’t take a horse you been told not to ride. And you sure don’t disobey Nick or me just to get your own way.”

It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair.

“And Jenny, don’t think we’re going to change our minds about this later. Nick rode over to Chet’s this morning. Chet had a good offer from a man who lived in Modesto so Nick told him to go ahead and sell her .”

No, no, not her horse. “She already knew me,” Jenny told him in a voice thick with tears, “me and Billy use to go see her and she’d come to the fence when she saw me. She wanted to belong to me. You could have talked Uncle Nick out of telling Mr. Parker to sell her.”

“It wasn’t Nick’s idea, Jenny.” Heath told her, hating himself for having to break her heart. “It was mine. I didn’t want you to have the horse.”

Shocked, Jenny just stared at him while tears dripped across her cheeks. Heath had to turn his head from the disbelief and woe on her face. It hurt too much to look at her knowing he’d been the one to cause her distress. He couldn’t tell her that only the picture of Jenny lying dead or crushed beneath Charger’s hooves gave him the hardness of heart he needed to discipline her. In his heart, Heath knew he could never be like Jarrod if he had children. It hurt too much to be firm with her. How did Jarrod do it so effortlessly?

“I didn’t want to do it, Jenny,” Heath tried to soften the blow a little, “but I’d rather you not have a horse if it means you’d be safe. Do you understand why we’re doing this?”

Because your both mean, mean, mean and I hate you. Jenny sobbed to herself. You let Mr. Parker sell my horse, my horse that I already named. I won’t ever forgive you. Ever.

“Jenny, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” she answered as frostily as she dared. I will never love you again, Uncle Heath.

Heath’s heart quailed at crushing her spirit a little more but he knew it had to be done. He’d just been round and round Jenny’s behavior with Nick. If he didn’t want Nick to speak to her about her blackmailing Jack, then he had to be the one. Nick had some definite ideas about how the family treated anyone who worked on the ranch. He couldn’t condone Jenny’s intimidation of Jack. It wasn’t the Barkley way and if Heath didn’t handle it, he would. Heath hoped a scolding came a little easier from him. Judging by the glower on Jenny’s face, he had his doubts.

“Another thing we need to settle is the way you treated Jack yesterday.”

“He smoked in the barn an’ set fire to two horse blankets, then he tried to hide them so Uncle Nick wouldn’t see,” Jenny tattled to her own defense. If he wouldn’t listen about Charger, she’d make sure he heard about Jack.

Heath stared her back into silence with as stern a look as he could manage. “I know about all that, Jenny. Jack told me. He told me a week ago when he offered to pay for the blankets out of his pay if I wouldn’t tell Nick. He didn’t think Nick would understand.”

Jenny’s lip puckered. That stupid Jack. Making himself look good.

“What you did to Jack is called blackmail, Jenny? I’m sure you’ve heard Jarrod talk about that enough times to know what it is. I’m sure you know it’s wrong too. Don’t you?”

“Yes, sir.” Especially when Billy did it to me.

“Then I think maybe you better apologize to Jack, don’t you?”

Jenny’s pout became more pronounced, her disdain obvious. “Do I have to?”

“Yes, you do.” Heath strived to soften the harsh words, “you know, Jenny, when I was a little boy I had to work to help my Mama too. Lots of times I had to work for people who were really cruel. It’s hard to work some place where you gotta worry every second that one little mishap and you’ll lose that precious job. That’s how it is for Jack. He’s got a Mama and sisters to look out for now. He don’t need to worry that somebody’s just spyin’ on him waiting for him to make a mistake. I’m real ashamed of you, Jenny, that you’d be so mean to somebody working on this ranch.”

“I’ll say I’m sorry,” Jenny answered. Heath heard the surly tone and didn’t like it at all. He and Jarrod had just talked about this. Clearing his throat, Heath dreaded having to punish her for this too. He and Jarrod had both agreed that this behavior had to be stopped at once. Jarrod had seen enough spoiled, heedless little rich girls who treated the Jack’s of this world like dirt under their feet. Having been the dirt, Heath agreed. Jenny would not be one of them.

“You’ll do more than say you’re sorry, missy. I told Jack you’ll be giving him a hand with mucking out some of the horse stalls for awhile.”

Jenny looked up at him with a stunned expression. “You want me to clean out horse stalls for Jack?” Uncle Heath giving her an Uncle Nick punishment? When he knew how much she hated it? I won’t ever be happy again.

Heath almost broke down as Jenny’s face crumpled. When she bent down to hide her face in her lap, weeping broken heartedly, he had to clench his hands into fists to keep from picking her up and telling her he hadn’t meant any of it. She didn’t have to clean the horse stalls. He’s go right that second and buy the filly from Chet Parker. Heath could hardly stand hurting her like this. Jarrod had said he had to love her enough to be firm and stay firm. Easy for Jarrod to say....or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe Jarrod hated to punish her as much as he did. Which might be why Jarrod was only too happy to tell Heath that because Charger was his horse, he’d step aside and leave it all up to Heath. Thanks a lot, big brother, Heath thought.

“You did a real bad thing, Jenny.” Heath wished she’d stop crying so hard. He knew how she felt about the horse, that taking it away would be the most severe punishment they could think up. Yet, he knew if they planned to keep her safe, to get her to think before she did something so fool hardy again, she had to have hard consequences to remember. It had to hurt or she’d do it all again. “It’s just a..”

Heath’s next words were drowned out by the sudden, frenzied pounding on the front door. He and Jenny both jumped up startled. As fast as he could, Heath ran down the stairs reaching the door just as Jarrod came from the study, Mother and Silas running in from the kitchen.

He opened the door to Robert Duncan, the sheriff and Mr. Duncan who stopped, his fist raised to slam into the door again. “Mr. Barkley! Jenny, where’s Jenny?”

“What’s wrong?” Jarrod asked.

Mr. Duncan spied Jenny standing on the stairs. He ran toward her like a crazed man, grabbed her arm and started to shake her. “My Billy! Tell me where my Billy is!”

Part 8

“Where’s my Billy? You saw him last.”

Jenny paled, eyes wide with fright as Mr. Duncan grabbed her arm in a tight clench. Mr. Duncan’s steely eyes pinned her down demanding answers. Any words Jenny might have spoken were frozen by his intense gaze. It frightened her so badly she began to tremble.

Quickly, Jarrod ran up the stairs, pulling Mr. Duncan’s hand from its hurting grip on Jenny’s arm. “Let her go, Ben!” He commanded, seeing how scared Jenny was at the sudden assault. In an instant, Heath had caught Mr. Duncan from behind and was pulling him away too. Robert, Billy’s brother, grabbed his Pa on the shoulder trying to defuse the situation. “Don’t scare the little girl, Pa, or she won’t be able to tell us anything.”

Mr. Duncan let go finally. Shrugging Uncle Heath and Robert both off him. He staggered back down the stairs, leaning against the banister as if his feet would no longer hold him up. Jarrod picked Jenny up protectively, not certain what any of this was about. Still overwrought from her scolding from Heath, Jenny began to cry again, wrapping her arms tightly around Jarrod’s neck as she pressed her face into his shoulder.

“What’s going on, Ben?” Grandma asked, taking charge of the situation, “What’s happened to Billy?”

It was Robert who answered. “I’m sorry for Pa, Mrs. Barkley, ma’am,” nervously Robert pulled his hat from his head, “it’s just that Billy was suppose to go home yesterday afternoon. Pa and me got home earlier today than we planned and Ma said Jenny here came by and told her that Billy had started out for my ranch last night. Said Jenny came by on that big horse of Mr. Heath’s just about covered in dirt an’ so tired she could hardly stay in the saddle. Ma figured that the two of them been up to something. She even had it in mind to ride over here and make certain Jenny got home alright. Then figured it was too late....” Robert stopped as Mr. Duncan stood up and took over in a ragged voice.

“Billy never got to Robert’s. This morning we went out looking to see if he’d got hurt on the way and we found....” Mr. Duncan covered his face with his work hardened hand, trying to hide the raw fear on his face.

“Ben here found Billy’s horse tied up near Calvary Pass,” the sheriff explained further. “There was no sign of the boy anywhere. Just...”

“What is it Fred?” Heath asked, noticing the man’s hesitation to share all the details.

“Blood on his saddle,” Robert answered softly. “Just a little, but blood.”

Crying against Daddy’s shoulder, Jenny heard that. Stunned, she tried to think how Billy’s saddle could have gotten blood on it. They’d both been scratched and bleeding after struggling up to the secret cave and back. It could even be her blood from when she’d tied up Pancho. Or maybe Billy was standing too close when the Dude was shot. Just thinking of that Jenny’s stomach heaved. Could the spider man have shot him? Was Billy really injured and dying in No End Cave?

“Jenny?” Daddy knelt on one knee, peeling Jenny away from his shoulder. Standing her in front of him, Daddy looked right into her eyes. “It’s very important that you tell us if you know where Billy might be right this minute. He might be hurt. Tell me everything you know about where he planned to go last night.”

Looking around, through tear filled eyes, Jenny saw a ring of grown ups staring at her. Blurry faces. Daddy’s questioning. Grandma, her brow puckered with concern. The Sheriff looking stern. If Billy did die, would he put her in jail? Mr. Duncan. Robert. Sacred and hopeful she could tell. “I don’t know,” she whispered the only words she could safely answer. All those eyes were too daunting for her to tell the truth. Jenny broke out in a cold sweat, tensed with the fear that she might give Billy’s hiding place away.

“Honey,” oh, why did he have to be so gentle now? “Just tell us what you know. You and Billy were off playing somewhere...”

“He told me to tell his Ma he was going to Robert’s,” Jenny gulped out, shaking so badly Jarrod had to hold her steady. “I did. That’s all I know! That’s all!”

Jarrod didn’t say that he knew she’d probably been somewhere she was forbidden to go. He’d heard all about Jenny’s misbehaviors from Mother and Heath. From the state of her dress, her dirt streaked face and all the scratches and bruises on her arms and legs, Jarrod had figured out Jenny and Billy were up to some mischief. The business with Charger proved it. Jarrod wasn’t convinced that Jenny had just ridden Charger to prove a point to Nick. She wouldn’t have dared. He had an idea that Jenny knew exactly where to find Billy. She was just too frightened or too stubborn to tell. He also knew Jenny well enough to know he’d get nothing more out of her until she’d had time to calm down.

“He didn’t say nothin’ else, Jenny?” Robert asked quietly.

“No! No!”

“She can’t tell you anymore,” Grandma put a stop to the questioning coming u p the stairs to take Jenny from Jarrod. Turning Jenny around, she pressed her granddaughter’s face into the folds of her green morning dress. Jenny hid from the questioning eyes gratefully. Wanting them to just go away.

“I’m sorry then, Mr. Barkley, Mrs. Barkley,” Robert apologized. “It’s just we thought if the little girl knew anything.” Taking his father by the arm, Robert gently pulled him toward the door. “C’mon, Pa. Let’s go back and search some more.”

Victoria nodded acceptance of the apology. Jarrod ignored it, standing up to follow Heath’s lead as they both went to the hatrack for their hats and gun belts. He’d deal with Jenny later if need be. Billy couldn’t be that well hidden.

“We’ll round up some of our men,” Heath drawled,” and help you search.”

Audra had come out of her room at the sound of Mr. Duncan’s loud rapping on the door and watched the whole scene from the top of the stairs. As the men all went out the front door, she leaned over the railing to call down. “I think I’ll change and go help search too, Mother.”

“That’s a good idea,” Grandma agreed, noticed that Jenny’s dress hadn’t been buttoned and turned her around to take care of it. “Jenny and I will take some sandwiches and coffee and ride out to Calvary Pass. I imagine the men will need some food if they don’t find Billy soon.”

“Oh, Grandma,” Jenny begged frantically, twisting around before all her buttons were done up, “please, let me go look too.” If she could just get to Billy before his Pa did...

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Grandma snapped as she turned Jenny sharply around to finish up the buttons. “One missing child is enough. You come finish up the breakfast dishes while Silas and I make sandwiches.”

Dishes? Dishes? The world could start and end and Jenny knew she’d still be doing dishes. Billy might be lying out there in No End Cave bleeding to death but, Boy Howdy, you had to have the dishes all washed before you could go rescue him. “Please, please, Grandma, please let me go with Aunt Audra. Maybe I can help find him...”

“Jennifer Victoria Barkley, do you know where Billy is hiding? Because if you do...”

“No, no, I don’t!” Jenny lied, shrinking inside. Dirty darn. What was that line Daddy liked to quote when he’d caught her in a lie? “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” It was a tangled web, sure enough. Jenny had roped and hog tied herself in a few doozies since yesterday. All because of that stupid Billy. Just wait till she got to him and told him the cow pats had hit the side of the barn. It sure would serve him right if he didn’t get to go on the round up now.

“Then go on out to the kitchen and start on those dishes.” Grandma sure was relentless when it came to work. Must be where Uncle Nick got that hard driving attitude about any job. “And Jennifer, I’ll expect you to go make your bed before we leave this house.”

Dirty darn. The woman had eyes in the back of her head. Either that or she sneaked up the kitchen stairs to check up on her room while she was getting scolded by Uncle Heath. Jenny felt fresh tears threaten to fall when she remember HIM. Telling Uncle Nick to sell her horse. Just see if she ever spoke to that Heath Barkley again. Noticing Grandma’s questioning eyes watching, Jenny turned quickly, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand.

“Don’t worry,” Grandma tempered her taskmistress words with what she thought might be a crumb of comfort. “I’m sure they’ll find Billy.”

I sure hope not, Jenny worried. If they do, we’re both in big trouble.

At Calvary Pass, all the adults who stopped by the Barkley wagon for sandwiches and coffee wore grim faces. One grizzled old man accepted a ham and cheese sandwich gratefully, then gave Jenny a friendly pat on the top of her dark curls. “Bet your Pappy is glad you aren’t lost too little one.”

This was awful. Jenny’s stomach twisted in knots. Each man who came, sad faced at not finding Billy, shot a pang of guilt in Jenny’s conscience. It was wrong, wrong, wrong to let everyone keep searching when she knew exactly where Billy was right that minute. Jenny stood by the wagon, remorse gnawing her insides. Maybe she was so bad that when she died she’d go to the bad place. Maybe the devil was down there right now counting up all the lies she’d told, starting with the ones to Miss Fisher. A loud guffaw as two men let off a little steam by some good natured ribbing about who got the biggest piece of ham, startled Jenny. The blood drained from her head and she felt dizzy. For just a second, she thought that old Beelzebub had come up here to laugh at her. Rubbing his hands together in glee.

Guilt stricken, Jenny ran to her Grandmother, ready to confess everything. “Grandma, I have to tell you something.”

“Jenny,” Grandma reprimanded her, “you almost made me spill this gentleman’s coffee.” Jenny hadn’t noticed until then that Grandma had a hot coffee pot in one hand, a cup in the other. Or that Mr. Peterson, who worked at the Livery was waiting for a hot cup. “Stay out of the way until I’m done.”

Jenny mumbled an apology backing away. Kneading her hands in the skirt of her dress, she paced away from the wagon going to stand in a grove of oak trees. Waiting impatiently while the man drank his coffee, Grandma chatted and asked about every member of his family from the new baby to the Old Grandpa who walked with a cane. Hurry, hurry. Go away. Go away. Jenny thought about then that she would almost welcome any punishment just to have this all over.

Good...he was handing back the cup, walking away. Fear planted her feet to the ground as her thoughts pushed the man to take his horse’s reins, mount and ride away. Grandma was alone. Now, go now. Tell her.

Dirty darn! Here came Daddy.

Jarrod came riding up on Jingo. Dismounted and hurried over to the fragrant coffee simmering on a small fire. “Mother, I think I’ll have a cup of that coffee.”

“Any sign of him yet?

“Not yet.”

Jenny’s resolve to tell her Grandmother vanished at the sight of Daddy. A few minutes ago, she’d been ready to accept any punishment just to have an end to all this. Now, seeing the firm determination on Daddy’s face, Jenny changed her mind. As Daddy drank his coffee, he noticed her standing by the trees. Motioning Grandma to follow him, they walked out of Jenny’s hearing. Wonder what they were talking about? Had they found something too awful for her to hear? Or worse, were they talking about her?

Worry puckered Jenny’s brow as she tried to lip read the conversation between Daddy and Grandma. Daddy looked most unhappy. He had a very stern expression on his face when he looked in her direction. His mouth moving steadily in what Jenny thought of as his courtroom lecture voice. But he wouldn’t be lecturing Grandma. Uh, oh. Grandma sent a few startled glances her way, once her hand covered her mouth in absolute shock. This did not look good. They must be talking about her.

Jenny waited in trepidation. Why did I listen to that stupid Billy? Why? He always gets me into trouble.

It didn’t take Daddy long to say whatever he wanted to say. He left Grandma by the wagon and walked toward Jenny stiff with anger. “We’re going back to the house for awhile.”

Not having a choice, Jenny followed him back to Jingo where she was tossed on the saddle. She had to grab the saddle horn to keep from slipping off the right side but wisely kept her complaints to herself. Looking at Daddy’s fiery eyes, Jenny knew anything might send him into a rage. He was ready to flare up about something. After he’d mounted behind her, he started Jingo in a steady pace toward the house. Usually, Jenny enjoyed riding double with Daddy. Not this time. His arms reached around her waist to hold the reins trapping her from escape. He rode tensed with anger. Jenny didn’t have too wait long to find out what had infuriated him.

“You know, I heard a very interesting story in Stockton a little while ago.”

Stockton? He’d gone into Stockton? Uh, oh....what had he heard. “About me?” Jenny squeaked, glad he rode behind her and couldn’t see her face.

“Oh, no,” he contradicted, calmly, in that ready to pounce voice he used on a stubborn witness, “this was a story about Mrs. Duncan.”

“Mrs. Duncan?”

Jenny got a bad feeling in her stomach. “I was told that Mrs. Duncan is a second cousin to Miss Eliza Jane Thompson, once removed.”

Uh, oh. Dirty darn a hundred times. He’d talked to Miss Fisher!

“Don’t you wonder who told me that, Jennifer? Or aren’t you asking because you already know?”

Jenny kept still. Might as well not hang herself.

“Miss Fisher told me another interesting story. She said that Billy had to skip school yesterday to have a tooth pulled. You should have heard her sing your praises, Jennifer. How helpful you were to Billy. How you offered to go with him in his hour of need. All the way to Willoughby!” He said with barely controlled fury. “I also heard another interesting story from Billy’s father. He said as far as he knew, Billy’s teeth were fine. Which leads me to a question I’d like you to answer. Why did you go to Willoughby?”

Jenny dared not tell the truth. “Billy saw in the Stockton Eagle about a circus train stopping there. He wanted to see the tigers so we went. It was his idea to play hooky by pretending he had a toothache. It was all his fault.”

“You didn’t have to go with him! Why did you?”

“I didn’t think ahead,” Jenny suggested timidly.

Daddy roared, just like Uncle Nick. “That seems to be a common failing of yours doesn’t it, Jennifer.”

“Daddy,” Jenny’s voice trembled, “could you please not call me Jennifer?”

“No!”

They rode awhile after that in silence except for the creaking of the saddle and an few brief sniffs from Jenny. Tears filled her eyes but she blinked them back, biting the inside of her jaw to keep from crying. Dirty darn. Seemed like she’d spent most of the day crying and it wasn’t over yet. Waves of fear washed over her the nearer they rode to the house. Daddy knew she’d lied to Miss Fisher, played hooky, not come home on time and taken Charger. He was already fuming. What would happen when she couldn’t tell him where to find Billy?

Daddy slid her off Jingo in front of the house with orders to wait for him in the parlor. By the time she’d walked in the front door of the empty house and sat down in Grandma’s favorite chair, Jenny gave in to nervous tears. A scene that did not soften Daddy’s heart when he came in sitting down on the marble table across from her.

“I want the truth and I want it now. Where is Billy?”

“I don’t know,” Jenny lied again, sure she felt the flames of the bad place under the soles of her shoes. Her eyes slid from Daddy’s stern, demanding eyes to the interesting pattern on the oriental rug.

“You’re lying, Jennifer.” Taking her chin in his hand, he lifted her face forcing her to look straight into his eyes. “ You know and you will tell me. His mother and father are frantic with worry. Half the valley is out searching for him, most of them losing a day’s work. You and Billy have put a lot of people to a great deal of trouble. Right now I don’t care why he is hiding or why you feel it’s necessary not to tell anyone where he’s hidden. We’ll discuss that later. I just want you to tell me where he is.”

“I can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t?” He let go of her face then slapped his knees with both hands. Jenny jumped at the smacking sound. Her heart leapt into her throat. Keeping silent seemed the wisest choice as he glowered at her. Jenny shrank back into the velvet cushions, wishing she could sink away into a secret world behind the chair. Anywhere away from her father’s condemning eyes. Darn that Billy. Wait until she got close enough to punch him.

“Alright,” Daddy said finally, “Go to your room. You have one hour to make a choice. Either you come tell me where to find Billy or ...”

He left the or unfinished but Jenny had an idea she wouldn’t like any part of it. “What if...what if I still can’t tell you?”

“Then something else will happen, Jennifer.”

“Oh.” He sure didn’t have to spell it out for her.

“What if..well, maybe I can’t tell you then either.”

Standing up, Daddy looked more forbidding as he glared sternly down at her. “When I am done with you, Jennifer, you will be only too glad to tell me. Go to your room and think about which choice you’ll make.”

Jenny sat on her bed, weeping, her mind in a turmoil. She’d promised Billy she wouldn’t tell Daddy. And didn’t Daddy always tell her not to break a promise? But if she didn’t tell, well, she didn’t like to think about what would happen then. And didn’t she owe it to Billy to let him know that just about everyone in the valley was out looking for him? Wouldn’t he do the same for her? What would happen if she took the hour to ride to Lost Miner’s Canyon to tell Billy? Daddy was already so angry. It hurt to have him unhappy with her. Maybe if she found Billy he wouldn’t be so awful mad.

Trying not to think too hard about consequences, Jenny opened her bedroom door and stole quietly down the kitchen stairs. Once outside the door, she ran to the barn and Fancy’s stall. With almost everyone gone to search for Billy, she didn’t meet anyone as she saddled the pony looking over her shoulder nervously. If she got Billy to come home, they’d have to ride double. Getting one pony to the canyon without being stopped would be all she could manage. Wiping tears off her cheeks, Jenny rode out of the gate hoping she’d made the right choice. Probably not.

Jarrod watched her ride off, waiting for Jack–as he’d arranged earlier–to bring Jingo so he could follow her. Knowing his daughter as he did, he’d known that Jenny’s misguided loyalty would prevent her from telling him the truth. He knew too that if he gave her the time and the opportunity Jenny would lead him right to Billy’s hiding place. After that, he’d try to figure out just what this fiasco was all about. With a tired sigh, Jarrod faced the brutal truth that Jenny would have to be punished too. Dirty darn, as Jenny would say. Some days he sure hated being a Father.

Part 9

Jarrod had no trouble keeping Jenny’s blue dress in sight as he followed Fancy. It never seemed to have occurred to his daughter, with her single minded determination, that anyone might be trailing her. She made it easy to tag along as she led him toward Billy’s hiding place. Because there were men and several woman out searching, Jenny carefully skirted any area where she might cross paths with anyone. It amazed Jarrod to see the short cuts and devious routes Jenny took to wherever she was going. Not that he should be surprised. From the time Jenny could keep her seat in a saddle, she’d ridden off with anyone who’d take her. Jarrod had no doubt there were places on the ranch that Jenny knew as well as or better than he did.

After about three miles, Jarrod began to have a suspicion about the direction Jenny headed toward. No End Cave. Jarrod sighed heavily, wishing for a few futile seconds that he’d stayed in San Francisco that extra week. Surely by the time he’d gotten home all this would have been resolved. Jenny properly chastised by Nick or Mother and order restored to Jarrod’s world. How could one little girl manage to stumble into so much trouble in just two days? Why did he have to be the father of the little girl who did? If he had just stayed longer in San Francisco...

Sadly, he was right in the middle of it. What, he had no idea. None of this fiasco made sense. After talking with Miss Fisher, Jarrod’s confusion deepened. Miss Fisher was unaware that she’d been shammed by two pint sized con artists. Because she would be leaving early Saturday afternoon on the stage for Denver, Jarrod hadn’t the heart to enlighten her. Miss Fisher had been too busy packing and cleaning the classroom for Sister Patience’s return to have heard that Billy was missing. When Jarrod told her, she’d expressed concern but couldn’t tell him anything other than the facts as she knew them. Singing the praises of his “sweet, considerate” daughter.

Jenny had told him the reason why they’d gone to Willoughby. He could understand the lure of a circus train, he could even see how the two might have gotten away with the whole thing. With Miss Fisher leaving town by stage and Sister Patience returning by train, chances were excellent that the two would never compare notes about the hooky players. If they hadn’t tipped their hand by hiding Billy away, if they had just both gone home from school at the regular time, no one would have known. Why had they? Jarrod puzzled over that. Neither of them were stupid, yet they’d done something so noticeable it almost guaranteed they’d be caught. And why hide just Billy when Jenny was up to her ears in the same trouble?

Jarrod held Jingo back as Jenny rode down into the canyon, giving her a chance to get to Billy before he came on the scene. There was no doubt in his mind where they’d be. As boys, he and Nick had sought out the lure of No End Cave too many times. Even after they’d both been forbidden by Father. Just as countless other children in the valley no doubt had, did and would in the future. Jarrod had heard that Ben Parker and several of the older boys used the cave as a secret hideaway. No doubt Jenny and Billy had followed the boys, pestering them for a chance to go inside. Jarrod gave her enough time to reach the cave before he began the descent into the canyon.

Fancy was tied tightly to a sapling near the entrance of the forbidden cave. Jarrod dismounted, tied Jingo next to the pony and walked as stealthily as possible into the cave. Some loose shale slid from the cave walls as Jarrod put his hand up to steady his steps. His anger began to rise at the thought of the two children trapped inside the cave if there were a cave in. After he got the two of them out, he’d have to make sure they didn’t come here again. It had been dangerous enough when he and Nick were children. More so now.

By the sound of their voices, arguing heatedly, the two culprits were in an offshoot of the cave hidden from Jarrod’s sight. Jenny, no doubt, filling Billy in on the search.

“You gotta!” Jenny’s voice, raised in entreaty, reached him first. “I’m not getting into any more trouble for you, Billy Duncan!”

“So, go on home and tell your Daddy where I am!” Billy shouted back. “By the time he gets here I’ll be gone someplace else!”

“No, Billy,” Jenny begged , near tears, “please just come home. We’re both going to be punished anyhow...”

“No! I might still get to go on the round up if I think up a good enough story to tell my Pa. Maybe I’ll even tell the truth. Might be he’ll be glad to take me if he thinks them bank robbers are coming back to kill me.”

Jenny had begun to cry. Jarrod heard it in her voice as she plead, “Please, please, please just come home. We can both tell them about the bank robbers.”

Bank robbers? What falsehood had the two of them planned to tell now to explain Billy’s hiding. Saddened by Jenny’s discouraged tears, Jarrod stepped around a corner of the cave into their line of vision. Billy saw him first. Saw him as the color drained from his dirt streaked face.

“You brought your Daddy here!” He shouted in a rage at Jenny. “After you promised!”

Jenny turned, saw him and her face crumpled. “I didn’t! I swear!” As realization hit, Jenny cried out, “You tricked me. You followed me.”

“I did indeed,” Jarrod answered sternly. Jenny seemed to cave in, sitting down on a rock, a little heap of misery. It was hard to resist her woe. Jarrod ached to just pick her up, cradle her in his arms and make it alright but knew he mustn’t. “Now why don’t you tell me why the two of you arranged this little escapade? Why are you hiding here, Billy?”

Billy’s face looked petulant. Shifting his weight from one boot to the other, he tried to judge just how much he should answer. Jarrod could almost read the thoughts that raced through Billy’s mind as his face went from fear to defiance to reluctance to admit to anything. Pressing his lips together in stubborn silence.

“I’m waiting for an answer.” Jarrod turned to his daughter, surely the weakest link in this duo, “Jennifer?”

“We had to hide Billy here,” she wept finally, “so the bank robbers wouldn’t find him.”

“What bank robbers?”

Jenny looked at Billy. Billy glared back at her, shaking his head. “We have to tell.” Jenny whispered. Billy shook his head stubbornly, “No,” he hissed at her.

“I want an answer now!” Jarrod roared, ready to turn them both over his knee if it would give him some answers. “What bank robbers?”

Jenny took a deep breath, ignored Billy’s continued veiled threats as he rolled his eyes and spoke in a timid voice, “When we were in Willoughby yesterday...”

“Jenny! You promised!”

Turning to him in exasperation, Jenny shouted, “He already knows we played hooky! He found out everything!”

“You said you wouldn’t tell.!”

“I didn’t. He talked to Miss Fisher and she told him.”

“We weren’t really playing hooky, Mr. Barkley,” Billy tried to explain, “she said we could go.”

Jarrod stared incredulously at the pair, “After you lied to her.” Surely, they didn’t believe they’d done no wrong?

“But she did tell us we could go,” Jenny agreed, “so we really didn’t play hooky. The only wrong thing we actually did was fib about the toothache.”

“The only wrong thing you did? And what would you call riding off to Willoughby, where no one but Miss Fisher knew where you were? You didn’t have permission to go there did you? Or to ride Charger? Or to come here? In fact, little lady, you’ve committed quite a few wrongs since yesterday morning beyond a fib. Your ability to twist rules to your own bizarre principles astounds me.”

“Is that good?” Billy leaned over to ask Jenny.

“It don’t sound like it.”

Jarrod had to turn his back to hide the quick, quirking of his lips. It would never do to let them know he found anything amusing in their banter. When he could again press his lips in a firm, unrelenting sternness, he turned. “Now, then, I want the whole story. After the lie and the hooky playing and the little side trip to Willoughby. How did the two of you end up making the choice to hide Billy here? Why did you hide him?”

Billy sat down on a rock, slumping his shoulders in defeat. “Ya , might as well tell him the rest. Bet I ain’t goin’ on any round up this year.”

“ No, Billy, considering how angry your father will be when he hears about this, I’d say you won’t be going on any round up. Now, one of you start telling me what is going on here or you’re both going to be sorry.”

“When we were in Willoughby yesterday, after we didn’t see the train because somebody read the wrong date on the paper...”

“Hey!” Billy protested, “You could’ve read the date anytime you wanted. Think you’re so smart, Jenny Barkley. Like you don’t ever do nothing wrong...”

Jarrod’s head throbbed already. Oh, how he longed to be back in quiet, peaceful San Francisco. “Stop bickering! Jenny tell me what happened.”

Slowly, without hesitation, Jenny told him how they’d had to hide from Nick under the boardwalk, the bank robbery they’d witnessed, the shooting of a man and how they’d run away. Jarrod stared at the two of them, wondering when his daughter had become such an accomplished liar. If he hadn’t known better, he’d almost have believed every word she spoke. Every few seconds, Billy would nod agreement to something Jenny said or put in a few choice words about his feelings as the “Dude” was shot. When they got to the part in their story where they were shot at by the “Spider Man,” Jarrod had heard enough.

“That’s enough, Jennifer.”

Jenny stopped, “But don’t you want to hear why we had to take Charger, Daddy? It was just so we could get Billy hid and then the...”

“I said that is enough.” Jarrod put his hands in the pockets of his brown vest, paced a little away from the two and fought for control of his anger. He didn’t quite manage before he turned on her, “That is the most preposterous story either of you have ever told! It’s slanderous!”

“But, Daddy,” Jenny’s eyes grew wide, “it’s the truth. I had to get Charger cause Fancy and Pancho were so tired we couldn’t get them to ride all the way over here...”

“Don’t lie to me, Jennifer.” His voice, hard as granite made them both cower a little away from his wrath. Jenny scooted closer to Billy for protection. He put a protective hand across her shoulders.

“We aren’t lying,” She whispered, as Billy nodded agreement. “Don’t you believe us?”

“No, I don’t.” Jarrod stared hard at the two, wanting them to be honest enough to tell him they’d concocted the whole story to explain...well, he wasn’t sure what it explained. If they’d been trying to hide their shenanigans of hooky playing and lying to their teacher, they’d gone about it the wrong way by drawing more attention to themselves. If they’d hidden Billy to keep their mischief over joy riding Charger a secret, well, what was the purpose in that? None of it made sense. And this ridiculous story about bank robbers....it was the only thing that might make sense to the two. If it were true. Jarrod knew it couldn’t be.

“Why?” Jenny’s voice faltered but she reached for more courage and forged ahead, “why don’t you believe us, Daddy?”

“I don’t believe you, Jennifer, because I know for a fact that the Willoughby bank was not robbed yesterday. How do I know that? For the simple reason that your Uncle Nick was in the bank yesterday, he spoke to Mr. Ferguson, the bank president, who assured him that our gold had been delivered and everything was fine. The same Mr. Ferguson who has been a trusted family friend for more years than I can recall..”

“Boy howdy, Mr. Barkley,” Billy interrupted unwisely, “you sure do pick some bad friends. Somebody who’d steal your gold..”

“The gold was not stolen! Nick saw it!”

Hands on his hips, Jarrod glared at the two of them. Both of them scared steadily back at him unwilling to back down on their story. Jenny dared rekindle her father’s fury by saying to Billy under her breath, “Maybe Uncle Nick saw somebody else’s gold.”

“That’s enough, Jennifer! Both of you come along, we’re going home. Billy’s parents are frantic.”

At the mention of his parents, Billy looked as if he’d like to dig in his heels and resist. That or dart off into another tunnel of the cave. Jenny just sat there looking up at him with a pitiful expression on her face.

“Both of you get up. Now!”

Standing up, Billy stared fiercely down at Jenny unleashing his anger on her, “This is all your fault! You let him follow you here. You can’t do anything right!”

“I can so!” Jenny jumped up, fists raised ready to punch Billy. Jarrod stepped forward, grabbing tight hold of her although she struggled to get free and punch Billy just once. Blaming her! “This whole dumb plan was your idea. Just like tellin’ me to take Charger and hide you here. I hope you don’t get to go on round up either!”

“That’s why you led your Daddy here, so’s I wouldn’t get to go on the round up!” Billy shouted back, “Cause you’re jealous you can’t go! Well, you broke your promise so I’m breaking mine...Mr. Barkley, bet you don’t know...”

“Don’t tell,” Jenny screamed at him, still struggling to get out of Jarrod’s hold, “I didn’t break my promise, I didn’t!”

“Bet you don’t know where Jenny was last Saturday,” Red faced, Billy rushed the words out spurned on by his anger at Jenny, “she was at the swinging bride. She walked all the way across too.”

Jarrod turned Jenny around, looked at her aghast, “After I told you not to? Why would you disobey me like that?”

“Emily Parker dared her,” Billy was only too glad to tattle when Jenny began to cry, hiding her face in her hands. Too ashamed to look at him.

“You aren’t my friend anymore, Billy,” Jenny lifted her eyes to glare at him, “Ever again.”

“Who cares?” He sneered back, “Ha, ha on you. Bet you get spanked now too...”

“I wouldn’t gloat over what happens to Jenny, Billy, “ Jarrod put an end to Billy’s deliberate spiteful tattling, “not when I’ve heard your father uses a strap. Which I’m sure you need a good does of for this stunt. The two of you have put yourselves into several dangerous situations this weekend. Both of you need to be punished severely. It’s just a miracle neither of you were hurt or lost playing around in this cave, or killed trying to ride Charger. You, Jennifer Barkley, I will deal with when we get home. First, we need to take Billy home where I plan to share all your recent escapades with your father. Let’s go.”

Billy gulped, frightened into silence. Mournfully, he followed Jarrod and Jenny out of the cave.

Jarrod put Jenny on Jingo and helped Billy up on Fancy. Neither child spoke, they were too busy wiping fast falling tears off their cheeks. Once out of the canyon, Jarrod fired three shots into the air to let everyone know Billy had been found alive. By the time they got to the Duncan Ranch, most of the searchers would be gathered there to meet them.

They rode into a crowd that rejoiced with hats thrown in the air and glad shouts and cheers.
The Duncans were so glad to see Billy that Mr. Duncan pulled him off Fancy in a big, crushing hug. His Ma gathered close with hugs and kisses of her own while Robert kept clapping him on the back in jubilee.

They sure probably wouldn’t be happy long, Jenny thought, not once they heard the whole story.

“Stay here,” Daddy told her as he dismounted. Uncle Nick was standing nearby. Jenny watched as Daddy led Fancy over to Uncle Nick, spoke to him and handed over the reins. A lump came up in Jenny’s throat when she realized what that probably meant. She’d be doing without a pony for awhile. Dirty darn.

That taken care of, Daddy moved over to the Duncan reunion like a thundercloud. Most of the searchers, happy to see Billy safe with his family, were riding out, shouting and laughing at one another. Mr. Duncan clasped Daddy on the back, his mouth moving in grateful thanks. Jenny knew by the looks on their faces just when Daddy told each part of all her and Billy’s “crimes”. Their faces went from smiling happy to disbelief, stunned, shocked and from there to mad and downright furious. Sure didn’t look like Billy would be going on any round up this year.

Billy’s Pa grabbed him roughly by the arm and began to drag him toward the house. Now that sure was disgusting, Jenny thought, the way Billy started bawling like a baby before he ever had a hand laid on him. At least she believed in kicking and screaming like any respectable child would. Ha, catch her crying like that before she actually had anything to cry about. Which might happen soon enough.

Dirty darn. Here came her own very angry Daddy...

Part 10

“Shooting at children, shooting at children, oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear.”

Mr. Ferguson, President of the Willoughby National Bank, mopped his forehead with a blue silk handkerchief as he shook his head at a situation spinning out of control. Shooting at children! Injuring an innocent bystander! Where would this end? Bank robbery was serious enough without shooting at children.

“This has to end,” Mr. Ferguson said sternly to Doug McGraw, whose idea it had been to steal the Barkley gold in the first place. “It’s gone far enough. A man with a bullet injury is hard enough to explain . What would we have done if you had hit one of those children?”

“I never aimed to hit them, just scare the beejeebers out of that boy. How was I suppose to know there was a little girl with him? I aimed high enough to miss. You should have seen the two of them hightail it outta there. Bet they didn’t stop til they got to Stockton.”

“Are you certain it was the same boy who saw the shooting?” Mr. Ferguson did not like this, any of this. He did not condone it at all. Frightening children? “What if the boy went straight to his parents and told them what he saw? What if the Sheriff is even now preparing to arrest us? I tell you we have to stop it here and now.”

Doug McGraw, who’d had to coddle the banker all the way along, leaned over the desk inches from the man’s face. “Listen, if you want that little girl of yours to stay safe in her fancy eastern boarding school, you’ll do what you’re told.”

Mr. Ferguson’s chubby cheeks drained of their ruddy glow. Truly frightened, he mopped the sweat pouring profusely from his balding head. “But what if the child told? He might have told the little girl something. What if she told her parents? Someone might come here asking questions?”

“Now what kid do you know who’d tell his folks anything after he’d played hooky? And who’d believe a kid anyway? You did your part yesterday by showing that high and mighty Nick Barkley his gold. You just keep on doing what you’re told and no one else will get hurt. You sure he wasn’t suspicious?”

“I don’t think so,” Mr. Ferguson was quick to answer. “It’s just so unusual that I make a point of opening the bags for him to see inside. The Barkley family have been my friends for years. Nick trusts me. I’ve been handling their shipments from the Nicolas Heath mine for six years, sending the gold onto a larger bank in San Francisco.” He finished lamely, “They trust me.”

“You just see they keep on trusting you.” Doug McGraw threatened. “Or else.”



Dirty darn. Was that Billy yelping from the house? Sitting up on Jingo, Jenny flinched a little just imagining what might be happening to Billy at that very second. Wonder if Daddy is that angry at me too? I sure don’t want the same thing to happen.

Looking back, Jenny saw Daddy striding toward the horse. Here he comes. Here he comes. He sure looks vexed with his forehead all creased like that and his eyes all squinty mad. This is probably the wrong choice but I sure ain’t staying here to find out just how mad he is.

Swinging her leg over the saddle horn, Jenny slid down Jingo’s side and dropped lightly to the ground. The second her feet touched down, Jenny began to run. Anywhere. Nowhere. Just away from Daddy and whatever punishment he had planned.

“Jenny!”

You just go ahead and yell. Because if you want me, you’ll have to catch me first.

It would have been easier to make a get away if the yard hadn’t still been crowded with searchers standing around jabbering and slapping one another on the back as they spun yarns about round ups, hold ups and every other subject men standing in a crowd lied about. Hampered by legs in homespun, chaps and denim, Jenny dodged here and there with no clear direction in mind. Anywhere to get away, maybe hide for a little while until Daddy cooled off some. If he ever did. Jenny looked back once to see him pushing through the crowd with a very determined look on his face.

“Jennifer! Stop!”

Uh, oh, he sure was getting closer. Jenny put on a fresh burst of speed, determined now to reach the barn. There were lots of places to hide in a barn. She might have made a clean escape if she hadn’t come to a thudding halt against a pair of legs in familiar tan trousers.

“Hang onto her, Heath!” She heard Daddy shout as she looked up into the face of her enemy. You might know it would be HIM who caught her.

“Let me go! Jenny struggled as Uncle Heath grabbed her wrists and held tight. As he turned her to walk back toward Jingo, Jenny pushed her boots into the dirt resisting all the way. Like she’d go without a fight. Ha!

“You’d best just come along,” he drawled like he didn’t care he was leading her back to sure and certain punishment.

“Let me go!” Jenny shrieked, jerking away and kicking at his legs as he pulled her along. She got him good, right on the shin, heard him “oof!” in pain as she took off again. Not that it got her very far. He caught up with her instantly, picked her up around the middle like a sack of grain and started back toward Jingo. Kicking and swinging her arms and legs, Jenny made it a fight for him to keep hold of her. Carrying her upside down like that! With everybody seeing her petticoat and drawers. He’d sure be sorry if she could kick him again or bite him. With her fists she managed to pound the backs of his legs some. Not that it slowed him down any..dirty darn.

The crowd of men parted to let Heath through. He walked right up to Jarrod joking, “This wildcat belong to you, Jarrod? You want her back?”

“I suppose so,” Daddy answered sounding uncertain. Uncle Heath turned her back upright, stood her down on her feet laughing. Sure, he could laugh. He wasn’t about to face Jarrod Thomas Barkley in a foul mood. Jenny stared down at her dusty boot tips hating that Heath Barkley more every second. He could have let her get away.

Jenny took a step away, maybe she could still get away. No chance. Not with both of them surrounding her. Daddy reached for her wrist, jerked her close enough to land a sharp smack on the side of her leg. “Don’t you ever run away from me again,” he reprimanded leaning down to whisper.

How mortifying. What if someone had seen her get smacked like that? Jenny kept her head down, pressing her lips tight to keep from giving anyone the satisfaction of seeing her cry. If she could have just gotten away...

Daddy picked her up, plopped her back on Jingo. While he was busy telling Uncle Heath he’d see him at home and mounting the saddle behind her, Jenny rubbed at the stinging spot on her leg. Hoping that wasn’t a taste of what might happen when they got home. His arms went around her waist as he reached for the reins, shook them for Jingo to start and started out the Duncan’s gate.

“Why were you running off like that?” He asked in a peeved way. “Haven’t you caused enough trouble this weekend?”

Jenny’s determination not to cry fell apart as she burst into tears. “I don’t want to go home with you! I don’t want to be your little girl anymore!”

Glad that Jenny couldn’t see his face, Jarrod indulged himself with an amused grin. He could remember saying almost the same words to his mother once, “I don’t want to be your little boy anymore.” He could also recall the shock he’d felt when she offered to help him pack a valise so he could go live with someone else. The utter terror and abandonment when she’d seen him to the door, waved goodbye and shut it firmly in his face. Jarrod tried to remember if it had taken one minute or two to change his mind and start pounding on the door. Funny, he couldn’t even call to memory what had angered him in the first place. Just the love and acceptance he’d felt when Mother opened the door and welcomed him back inside. Victoria Barkley had been a wise parent. He hoped he measured up half as well.

“Well, Jenny, if you could think of anyone else who might want you, I’d be glad to draw up the necessary legal papers for your adoption.”

“Uncle Nick would adopt me!” Jenny spoke with spirit, sniffing back tears.

“If you’d rather be Nick’s child, I’d have no objections,” Jarrod kept his voice matter of fact, “but, of course you’d have to talk it over with him. Then, there is the matter of a fee. I’d have to charge you a sizable amount you know.”

“I don’t have any money. Could you give me some?”

Jarrod shook his head, struggling to keep a straight face as Jenny turned her head to look him in the face, blue eyes wide with hope and tears. “No, I wouldn’t dare do that. If I gave you the money so Nick could adopt you that would be a conflict of interest. No, no, that wouldn’t be legal at all.”

Jenny’s forehead wrinkled, trying to figure out another solution. “Couldn’t you do it for free, since I’m your little girl?”

“But if Nick adopted you, you wouldn’t be mine.”

“Maybe, maybe Uncle Nick would pay for it?”

“You’d have to take that up with him. He might not want a daughter right now. Although, come to think of it, he is always telling me he could do a better job of raising you than I do.”

Jenny thought that over. Uncle Nick sure did holler a lot more than Daddy. He was always telling Daddy he wasn’t strict enough and if Jenny were his she’d sure toe the mark or else. Come to think of it, maybe having Uncle Nick for a father wasn’t such a good idea. And she sure didn’t plan to ask that Uncle Heath to adopt her. Not when he was turning out to be meaner than Uncle Nick.

“Maybe I changed my mind,” Jenny decided, “maybe I don’t want to be adopted.”

“I’ve glad to hear that, Jenny, because I’d be very sad if you weren’t my daughter.”

Jingo tossed his head, shaking the reins. Jenny reached forward to pat his sun warmed neck, smoothing down the fur. It must be nice to be a horse. They never had to worry about going home or what would happen when they got there.

“Daddy? Billy’s punishment. Is that going to happen to me?” Maybe, if she didn’t say the word he wouldn’t think of it either.

“I hadn’t planned on it, Jenny.”

“Then you aren’t going to punish me?”

“Oh, yes, little lady, you are going to be punished.”

Dirty darn.

“It’s obvious I can’t trust you. As soon as I’m gone to San Francisco, you deliberately disobeyed me by crossing that bridge. You lie to your teacher, skip school, go off to a town over an hour away from Stockton, take Charger without permission and ride him and then to top it all off, you make a little trip to No End Cave where you’ve been forbidden to go. It all leads me to one conclusion, you have too much freedom and too much time for getting into mischief. I think the only way to keep you out of trouble for awhile is to take away that time and freedom.”

That sounded bad. More than dirty darn bad. More like some of the interesting words Uncle Heath said bad.

Didn’t take him long to spell it out either. Once he did, Jenny almost wished for the spanking instead. She’d lost her pony for a month, maybe longer. “And don’t let it enter that devious little brain of yours to think you can ride anything else. You are not to ride any other pony, horse, mule, cow or anything else with four legs on the ranch.”

“How’m I suppose to get to school?” Jenny asked, knowing already and dreading the answer.

“You’ll be riding back and forth with me so I can make certain you stay out of trouble.”

Yup, definitely Uncle Heath words awful. Riding to town with Daddy wasn’t so terrible. It was having to wait around his office or that dull, stuffy courthouse while the clock hand dragged slow as molasses to the time they could go home. And boy howdy, let him hear one peep of complaint and he’d find a chore for her to do. Dust the books. Sweep the floor. Wash the windows. Dirty, dirty darn. Then it got worse.

“I’m also confining you to the house for the next three weeks.”

Three whole, entire weeks! Buried in that gloomy old house for three weeks!

“You can go to school or church or somewhere with the family but other than that, you’ll be inside. And if I were you, I’d find some way to keep busy. Mother can always find extra chores for you if you need something to do.”

Jarrod felt a few tears drip on his hands. Knowing she thought he was being too harsh. Three weeks was a long time for a little girl. And having to do without her pony was cruel and unusual punishment. Jenny would rather ride than eat. He had to remind himself that he had to do something to make her mind. Seeing her lying on the sofa after Charger had thrown her, he’d known it could have been much worse. He could be burying another child.

Trying to temper his firm stand, Jarrod spoke gently, “You know right from wrong, Jenny. Even if playing hooky was Billy’s idea, you went along with it. I know you know better than that. Don’t you?”

Jenny nodded.

“Then you know it was wrong. Everything you and Billy did...from playing hooky to hiding out in that cave. And then making up a story about bank robbers...”

“It wasn’t a story!” Jenny protested. “It was true. There were bank robbers and they shot the Dude and then the Spider Man chased after me and Billy and he shot at us...”

Any tenderness Jarrod felt vanished. “Jenny, I want you to stop lying right now. That is slander! Your words could seriously harm Mr. Ferguson’s reputation. They could cause people to lose confidence in his bank...”

“But, Daddy, I don’t think anybody outta have confidence in a bank if the President is one of the robbers.”

“Jennifer!” He warned sharply. “Not another word! As a lawyer’s daughter you cannot go around making slanderous, untrue statements about people. I won’t have it!”

“But it’s true.”

“It isn’t! Don’t you dare say it again or you will be soundly spanked. I’m not going to stand for your making up stories just to get yourself out of trouble. Do you understand me?

“Yes, sir,” she said grudgingly, “you want me to lie.”

Jarrod’s face flamed, heated by a rising anger at his stubborn child, “Do you want that spanking now?”

“No.”

“Then I don’t want another word about bank robbers or spider men or dudes! There was no bank robbery. No one was shot. You and Billy made that up to stir up some sympathy for yourselves, didn’t you? Didn’t you, Jenny?”

Jenny clamped her mouth together, crossed her arms over her chest and refused to answer. If he didn’t believe her, she’d never talk to him again. Nobody believed her...not even when she told the truth. Just wait until Daddy and Uncle Nick found out all that gold was gone. Just wait...then they’d be sorry they didn’t listen.

Very, very sorry.

To be continued…