But Greystone would not let her have her way and stopped her before she could launch into a full-blown tizzy. “I will not have you out here! Even with our new protection, this is no place for a woman.”
Catalina instantly questioned Greystone’s last statement, “You sure haven’t heard a lick about me and my sisters!” she chirped at him.
He took some seconds to catch his breath before he could utter anything again. He eventually, spoke reluctantly,” I suppose there are exceptions for every rule, but I will take no further argument from you, Sadie.” He shook his head firmly while his two hands grabbed his waist as he moved around aimlessly. He yelled once again, “I have enough irons in the fire with the destruction of the trestle and the loss of these men. I can’t be worried about my baby girl.”
He stared balefully at Sadie, "You should NEVER have been out here to be in danger in the first place," he said disappointingly.
Blue River welcomed the opportunity to be in the continued company of Sadie Greystone with her compelling figure and beauty.
He said calmly, “I will see that she gets into town safely. You have my word.”
Still not convinced that it was the best decision, Sadie interrupted, “But …”
“Darling, I will brook no further discussion,” Greystone halted her objection immediately.
Blue River concluded the one-sided argument by assuring Greystone, “I will let you know what I find.”
And just to make sure the attention moved away from the topic, Greystone responded, “Very good. We shall bury our dead and start planning the trestle anew.”
He quickly urged Sadie to round up whatever horse she came out there on so she could ride back to town. Her father’s statement played back a gory memory and she responded sadly, “The horse I got from the livery took a stray bullet in the fight. I watched it die in the pool of its own blood.”
Blue River consoled her briefly and turned towards one of his men, a brave. “I will be needing one of your horses.”
Running Bear, a young Brave about the same age as Blue River, swiftly stepped down and dismounted his horse. Blue River nodded appreciatively. He knew Running Bear was a warrior he could always count on. He only wished it could be true of all of the men. It was true they had followed him and fought honorably, but there would always be a gulf between him and some of these men.
Right from the onset, Blue River knew full well that his brave's absolute adherence and cooperation with him wasn't proof of a guarantee that they all accepted him as one of their own. It didn't matter that nature had made many of his prominent features completely the same as his Indian brothers. His crystal blue eyes which he shared with his father and brother, would always betray his white blood. Indeed, it was a detail that would forever set him apart from others in the tribe. After some seconds of a warm embrace with Running Bear, he grinned as he exclaimed, "Thank you my, brother."
Soon after, he mounted the horse skillfully and extended his hand towards the indifferent Sadie. “Miss Greystone, you shall ride with me.”
Roger Greystone stepped forward immediately, a move that seemed to say he might have an issue with the two sharing a horse and riding so closely together. Whatever his intentions were, they died stillborn as Catalina, raised an eyebrow at him, which he took as a cue to keep mute and table any objections he might have.
Sadie, on the other hand, had seen the young man’s strength before back at the caboose. She was wholly convinced he could protect her on the ride back and was looking forward to the close proximity with the attractive half breed. Hence, she didn’t hesitate to grab his outstretched hand. Blue River further demonstrated his strength as he pulled her up with little effort, directly in front of his position on the healthy brown horse. Sadie quickly turned her head towards the opposite direction, where no one could see her face. She smiled as she felt very comfortable within his legs.
As soon as he was sure that she had taken a good position, Blue River kicked the horse with his legs and exclaimed, “Heeyah,” simultaneously.
The horse instantly turned and galloped away as the others watched.
CHAPTER 4
After a lengthy ride through the rocky paths they, at last, arrived at the boundary of Casper's Crossing. Sadie's back occasionally rubbed Blue River's tender chest as the gallop of their horse tossed her back and forth. Blue River's lap also experienced some form of comfort as Sadie's moderate buttocks landed softly against him at some intervals. The periodic symbiotic collisions spiced up the rather boring journey.
Their borrowed horse continued to trot along close to the rail tracks that led directly into and through the town. Blue River slowed the horse down as he stared at the houses and businesses he passed. It seemed like nearly every other western town he had been to in his life, only this one had a little more bustle to it. Casper’s Crossing was a junction point leading the railroad lines to the four different points of the compass. At least it would be when the planned southernly route for the new line was established, and the key to that would be bridging Devil’s Canyon.
He eventually brought the horse to a stop just in front of a big building on their right. His attention was drawn by the signpost on its roof. It read "Hotel" even though the letter "e" had fallen off, possibly indicating how old the sign was or the lack of maintenance on the part of the hotel.
The pair however hurriedly dismounted from the tired horse and after catching their breath, Blue River spoke affirmatively. “Surely this is the place you have been staying,” he said.
“Yes, sir. The only lodging in town,” Sadie responded rightly.
She adjusted her rich scarlet hair to its natural position as she explained, “I’ve been here ever since joining my father during his work on the trestle project. I don’t have any idea how Daddy will explain to his superiors at the railroad headquarters in Denver about the loss the trestle and all those men,” the dejected young lady fretted with a sigh.
Sensing her much-depleted mood, Blue River spontaneously encouraged Sadie. "At least he will have good news once we end the menace that has been plaguing the line."
A grin blossomed on Sadie’s face. She found his confidence to be as attractive as his chiseled good looks. “Do you really think it can be done?” she asked finding his gaze.
Blue River smiled a bit before he gave her the response she expected as well. She merely wanted a validation of his promises since he had arrived at the trestle site.
"My family is no stranger to taking on those who would spread their evil in Arizona," Blue River spoke boastfully. As a Wilde, he had no shortage of pride in their family's many entanglements with those who would defy the law, usually for their own benefit.
“The first blood that was drawn was those of our people and those working for us.” His determined and vengeful eyes were still glued to hers. “We will see it ended before Catalina and I return to Half Breed Haven.”
Surprised by his last choice of words, Sadie stood across from the staunch man and asked immediately, “Half breed what?”
Blue River grinned after her question, as the expression on her face showed she had no clue of what he had meant.
“Cedar Ledge, Miss Greystone.” The young Wilde clarified just in time.
Sadie partially raised her eyebrows to express her discontent with the way Blue River had just addressed her.
“Please, it’s Sadie.” She implored frankly.
Blue River quickly mended his error with a smile and said, “Very well then Sadie. Now after my business with Mr. Taylor would you like me to stop by the livery and explain the fate of their horse?”
She was very pleased with the way he addressed her this time and found herself surprised at his kind gesture. Sadie stared blankly at him for several moments before she inquired again.
“You would do that for me?”
In turn, Blue River tried to downplay the value of what he had just promised her. "Think nothing of it. I will check in with you later after the livery," he murmu
red.
Sadie reached out and grabbed his hands. She fondled them with her two hands and began to utter words of gratitude.
“Thank you for getting me out of that inferno,” she exclaimed. The pair shared a little smile as their eyes met once more before she pressed further. “I know everyone must die someday, but that would have been a most horrific note to end my life on.”
Blue River was already overwhelmed with her compliments. He continued to smile until he eventually had the opportunity to mention his joy having been just in the right place at the right time.
“I am glad I was there Miss Sadie,” he said mildly.
After they had successfully exchanged a few nods and stared into each other's eyes, Blue River watched the beautiful sight of Sadie's hips as she turned abruptly and walked towards up the steps of the hotel. He then remounted the horse and rode down the street. He only rode a short way before he pulled the horse into an alley. After leaving the destroyed trestle, they had made a stop to retrieve a bag with his Indian garb from his wagon before continuing towards town.
He swiftly shucked off his ruined suit and slipped on buckskin leggings, preferring to go bare-chested like many of his braves. He did keep on his cowboy boots which he always found preferable to moccasins, which he left in the bag. Ruefully, staring at the suit now, Blue River shook his head at the heap of his tattered clothing. The suit had been a gift from his father. More, unfortunately, he had only worn it just once before then; at an honorary ceremony for Bright Feather, whose meritorious service to Fort McCallister and the US army was being recognized.
Blue River jolted back from his reverie and hurriedly stuffed the ruined suit into the bag. Walking clear of the alley, he remounted his borrowed horse and maneuvered back towards his left on to the main street. He continued to stare around with acute concentration. The very slow pace of the horse he rode gave him ample time to read the signs on every building along his way.
Eventually, he found what he sought without needing to read any signs. A stage parked outside of an unimpressive looking storefront signaled he was at the right place. As he walked passed the stage, he noted its deplorable condition was nothing short of a mess, looking like it needed a good washing from the grit and grime that came from service on the dusty trails of the West. Peering through one of the windows to find there was no distinction between the shabbiness outside and inside, he shook his head forlornly as he thought of the stages that were run by his sister, Honor Elizabeth's, on and off again boyfriend, Quillan Dodge.
The man certainly took pride in his coaches. He knew it was partly because he was a black man operating the business, meaning it needed to be perfect in every way. However, one could say his professionalism was also because that was the kind of man he was. He was always sorry that he and Honor never appeared to be on the same page, which meant the relationship seemed likely never to reach its natural conclusion. Blue River often wondered if any of his sisters would ever get married.
In this world, he knew a woman was expected to marry at a point in time and bear children, but he also knew his Wilde sisters had defied every convention of what was expected from a modern woman of the 1870s.
He chuckled silently as he snapped out of the brief reminiscence.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he thought inwardly, turning away from the stage and walking briskly towards the entrance. His movement came to a halt as he noticed two small cannons, positioned at opposite sides of the door. He stared briefly at them before he returned his eyes to the door, and without further delay, pushed it open and entered.
Leaving the door wide open he stepped majestically into the office, which to no surprise turned out to be as untidy as the stage parked out front. His eyes quickly scanned the office landing on a sign on the wall that read: “Cannonball Express Stagecoach Company. President—T. Tucker Taylor.” Inhabiting the office were a trio of rough looking men.
The closest man to Blue River’s position appeared to be startled by his sudden arrival. His back was to the door, and he spun around, going slack-jawed at the sudden appearance of an Indian. To Blue River, the man with the curly brown hair appeared to be in his late twenties. The brown vest the man wore over his blue shirt appeared a couple sizes too small; the buttons holding it together looked like they were about to pop right off it.
The second, much older man, standing near Taylor’s desk swiftly adjusted his grey hat which had been dangling at an angle on his head. For a moment, Blue River wondered if this was Taylor, but then he remembered the stage man had been described as fat, a qualifier this man lacked. Taylor or not, his frown suggested he had no love whatsoever for strangers.
The last man in the room, sitting in a chair in front of Taylor’s desk, seemed to be the most daring as he swung his feet off from where they had been propped up on the desk. His black shirt was a perfect complement to the man’s ebony hair and even blacker eyes. His hand casually dropped to the butt of a pistol strapped to his waist as he leaned forward in his chair.
“I am Blue River of the Yavapai. I would speak with Mr. Taylor,” he said calmly, noting by the look in the men’s eyes that he was in a hostile environment, but he remained unconcerned.
Almost immediately, the young man in the snug brown vest adjusted his wooden chair to face Blue River and angrily said, “No Injuns allowed in here! Vamoose before we ride you out of town on a rail!”
Equally bemused by Blue River's seeming effrontery, the hardscrabble-looking man in the black shirt frowned. "Yeah, you've either got nerves of steel or shit for brains coming into Casper's Crossing," he said, his hand still resting on his sidearm. "There's rumors going around." his eyes taking on a flinty look as he continued, "Folks think the railroad got hit again, and everyone in town has seen a huge cloud a smoke to the west."
Coming exactly from where the man had just spoken about, Blue River interrupted. “That was the trestle,” he said, his voice perfectly measured, “It has been completely destroyed.”
Stunned, the man in the brown vest instantly shouted, “Holy shit, Carnahan! Did you just hear that?”
Carnahan screwed up his face in annoyance, “Sure as hell did, Jolie. I got me a pair of ears, don’t I?” his narrowing eyes fixed on Blue River. “I reckon you know this because you and your red devil brothers are the ones that gone and done it?” He cursed under his breath as he jumped up from his chair. “How many scalps did you take boy!?” Carnahan demanded to know in anger. “I’ll beat the tally out of your red hide!”
He charged furiously at him with his fists raised. Blue River spontaneously hopped backward onto small table positioned along one of the walls, knocking a deck of playing cards to the floor. He had hardly landed when he raised his feet and launched a savage, crushing kick into Carnahan's chest, sending the man flying through the still open door where he hit the stagecoach and bounced forward, forcefully propelling him towards the ground. His head struck the edge of a horse trough knocking him into a semi-conscious daze.
The elder man, aghast at the swift takedown of their companion, looked at Jolie with eyes as wide as saucers. "For Christ's sake, Jolie! Give him a beat down he's going to remember!” With his command complete, he slipped behind Taylor’s desk hoping to avoid the fray.
Jolie took up the call to battle and raced towards Blue River, who had already sprung back from the table he hopped on earlier. He skillfully grabbed Jolie's arm and swung his body mightily towards a window that was next to the door. Glass, splinters of the wooden frame between the panes, and Jolie's body all exploded outward onto the clapboard sidewalk, just as a portly figure was hurriedly making his way towards the office.
T. Tucker Taylor’s strides ground to a halt as Jolie’s body came to a rest half on the sidewalk and half off it. The young man just lay there with a stunned look on his face. Shell-shocked by the sight of two of his men lying prone outside his office, Taylor roared angrily, “What in the name of Mary and Joseph is going on around here?!” His eyes were on the prostrate
form of Jolie.
The young man didn't bother to answer, instead, he was reaching for his holster with the intent of liberating his Smith and Wesson pistol when Blue River had appeared in the window drawn by the sound of Taylor's voice. He held his Colt .45 rock steady on Jolie.
“Don’t even think about it, Mr. Jolie,” he said, as his ears picked up a sound behind him. The man in the grey suit was attempting to sneak up on him, wielding a large book that he intended to bring down on the back of Blue River’s head, but he never had a chance. Blue River introduced his left hand to the man’s face as he swung it behind him without taking a look back at the man.
His concise swing struck the man in the nose, thrusting him backward in a wave of agony. He dropped the large book and shrieked with pain, crumpling to his knees holding his nose desperately as blood began to gush out uncontrollably.
After watching the last of his companions defeated effortlessly, in dismay, Taylor charged into the center of the office.
“You! Stop this now!” he bellowed at the top of his lungs, causing his jowls to shake in response.
Blue River responded as if he was discussing the weather, “Stopping this is up to your men. Hopefully, they have had enough for one day.” He paused for two seconds before he said, “Mr. Taylor, I am guessing.”
Still, in fury, Taylor yelled back. "Yes! T. Tucker Taylor! That's me."
He walked towards Blue River and inquired, “Now, just who in the blazes are you?” Blue River holstered his gun to his side, extending his right hand to shake, a gesture that went ignored, so he simply answered the question.
“As I was telling your men, I am Blue River of the Yavapai … among other things.”
Still incensed over the beaten men and damaged window, Taylor admonished him, “Well, Blue River of the Yavapai, you’ve done a fine job on my associates, not to mention the window, Injun!”
A sarcastic smile found its way to Blue River’s face as he explained, “You can thank the men you choose to associate with for that matter. Besides, the window was dirty anyway. Looked like it hadn’t seen a washing since before the War Between the States.” He drew himself closer to Taylor and continued, “I seek you out this day because I have just come from the railroad camp.”
Disaster At Devil's Canyon: Blue River Wilde Western Adventure (Half Breed Haven Book 7) Page 7