by Phil Dunlap
Rachael’s pretty smile turned to sadness. She sighed and looked longingly over her shoulder at the cabin, as simple as it was.
“I reckon I’ve known all along I couldn’t stay here, what with my pa gone and all.”
“Yeah, and we need to figure a plan for our travels, too. First off, you can’t walk in bare feet for long. You’ll cut yourself to pieces. We’ll have to find something for you to wear.”
“We still got one rabbit, the one you got this mornin’. I’ll get to lookin’ around for travel duds if you’ll get the rabbit ready for the skillet. Fair enough?”
“You bet, Rachael. I’ll get right to it. You go ahead.”
He watched her go back inside the dark one-room cabin. He thought to himself as she disappeared inside, I could sure get used to spendin’ all my time with her. We got along like the best of friends from practically the moment I laid eyes on her. And she’s darned purty, too. I am one lucky fellow.
* * *
After they’d eaten every last morsel of rabbit, Rachael began dragging out the various items she thought might be helpful for their inevitable trip to find help, or a more permanent place to stay. She piled what few clothing items she could find in one pile, along with things like leather straps that might suffice as belts and a couple of old bonnets her mother had brought when they started out for the frontier. She’d also found several more bullets for the Springfield rifle, which she handed to Johnny, items he was mighty happy to see. She’d dragged out a pair of old shoes that she’d used mainly for working in the garden. They were pretty badly worn, but she proudly tossed them on the pile, too.
“Gosh, Rachael, looks like you’ve found enough stuff to get us on our way in style.”
She gave him a sad smile. He could see it in her eyes: she really didn’t want to leave her home, the only one she’d known for quite some time. Probably not all her memories were good ones, but they were her memories. Johnny was wise enough to see her struggling with abandoning the crude cabin. His history on the frontier wasn’t much different. In fact, he’d still be in Whiskey Crossing if that damnable Carp Varner hadn’t burned the place to the ground. He, too, had some sadness about leaving wherever you call home, but in his case, catching up to Varner was more than an impulse, it was a mission. And he planned to track down the hateful snake and blow him into the next century if it was the last thing he ever did.
As the two of them went through the pile of odds and ends, Rachael separated those items she figured she’d need, with Johnny’s help in deciding, especially since he likely knew more about the terrain to the west. He didn’t dare tell her he hadn’t been any farther west than she had. This was his first time, and he was a little uncertain about traveling with a young lady to defend. But he dared not let on to her that he had any doubts whatsoever. He watched her try on one of the bonnets. She was giggling at the very thought of being seen outside in such a ratty thing. But Johnny had convinced her that fashion couldn’t come into play when they might be out in the blazing sun for days on end. He had no idea how far they’d have to go to find another ranch or if borrowing a horse was even possible. He also had no idea of whether there’d been any Indian sightings recently, and if so, were they hostile?
After about an hour of picking and choosing what they should take with them, keeping only those things that would prove invaluable to their safety and well-being, Rachael had been able to find a canteen in addition to Johnny’s two whiskey bottles. He had his revolver and the Springfield rifle, now with about seven bullets. Rachael had stuffed rags in the shoes so they’d fit better, and she was going to wear a long denim skirt, the only other piece of apparel she owned, to help protect her legs from burrs and smaller cacti.
They stood outside for some time, wondering if they’d forgotten anything. As far as he could conjure, they were about as ready for such a trip as anybody could have been given the circumstances. He tried not to show his anxiousness to get on the road, because he knew Rachael was having a hard time letting go. But if he didn’t push her, he was certain she’d soon get it settled in her mind that she had to move on.
That’s exactly what she did.
“Okay, Johnny, I’m ready to follow you wherever the path leads.”
His heart jumped at her words. To him, anyway, they seemed to hold an even larger meaning. He reached over and took her hand, and they started down the road side by side like two kids.
* * *
As evening drew near, he began to think about making camp for the night. Just as he was about to suggest the desirability of finding a place to sleep that would bring shelter and a modicum of safety, she spotted a light, maybe a campfire, she couldn’t tell. He strained to see what she was pointing out, then it popped into view like a star from behind a cloud.
“You have good eyesight, Rachael. But there it is, either a lamp or a campfire. I can’t tell which, but I suggest we head in that direction. We best be as quiet as possible in case whoever made the fire isn’t friendly.”
“Okay, Johnny. I understand. You can count on me not to get all giggly and silly like other girls.”
Johnny got the point. He was being subtly chastised for not giving her credit for using good common sense. “I apologize. That was rude of me. It’s not like you’re some schoolgirl.”
“No, I’m not. And I hope you won’t forget that, either.” She gave him a look he couldn’t really decipher, but he knew instinctively that he’d better pay closer attention to whatever she said from now on.
Within about a half hour they were inside of a hundred yards of the light they’d been following. It was an oil lamp hanging from the roof of a porch on a ranch house. The two looked at each other with relief that their fears had been for naught. When they got to the fence gate, Johnny stopped and called out to anyone in the house. The door opened and a man stepped out with a rifle in his hands.
“Who is it and what do you want?” the man asked.
“We’re just two weary folks who’ve been walkin’ since early this mornin, hopin’ to find a friendly face and a warm place to rest. A little food wouldn’t be bad, neither.”
A woman’s voice could be heard coming from inside.
“Seth, sound’s like young folks. They couldn’t mean us harm. Ask them in.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Johnny said as he stepped inside behind Rachael.
The woman took one look at her and said, “Land sakes, Seth, it’s Rachael Winslow from down the road. Mercy, child, whatever are you doin’ out here?”
“My pa left some time back, and I’d like to find him. Johnny here is trailin’ a man for killin’ a passel of folks in Whiskey Crossing. So we’d be beholden to you if you was to let us sleep in your barn for the night, and if it ain’t too much trouble, we sure could use a bite to eat.”
“You two come right in here and set yourselves down at the table. I’ll cook up some grits and a steak and drop a couple biscuits on the griddle. Got some fresh eggs for your breakfast in the mornin’, too. And I’ll bet you won’t turn down a drink of milk, neither.”
That brought a grin from both of them.
After they’d eaten their fill, the lady’s expression turned dour. She was wringing her hands, and Johnny got the feeling he was about to hear some bad news. It came within seconds.
“Rachael, honey, I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’ll just blurt it out. Seth was goin’ to set out for your place to tell you, but he fell off a fence and broke his leg. He’s just now gettin’ fit to work again. I had to stay here and tend to the animals. But now that you’re here, I can’t hold off any longer, now’s as good a time as any.”
“What is it, ma’am? Is it my pa? Have you seen him?”
“About a month ago, Seth was goin’ to the barn to feed the cow when he noticed a horse trottin’ up the lane. There weren’t no rider. He recognized it as your pa’s. He followed the trail left by the horse, and
he come upon your pa lyin’ in the ditch about two miles south of here. Looked like the poor man had been shot, although it was hard to tell for sure. Shot and robbed is what Seth says. Been there for a spell from what I gather, too. I’m so sorry, honey.”
Johnny could see how hard Rachael was trying to hold back the tears. He wanted to grab her and hold her so tight she couldn’t talk. But he wasn’t sure how the lady would take to such a display of affection, so he put his hand on her arm and gave it a pat. She didn’t shed one tear, though, much to Johnny’s amazement. His feelings for her soared at that moment more than ever before. This was no girl-child. This was a woman, full-blown, and a pretty tough one at that.
Chapter 14
The next morning, at breakfast, the lady must have figured it was all right once again to speak of Rachael’s father. She brought up the subject as she placed two plates in front of the visitors.
“We buried your father, child. Gave him a good Christian burial, too. And the horse, which is yours by all rights, is in the corral. You can take him whenever you’ve a mind to.”
Johnny and Rachael looked at each other. This was the break they had been hoping for; a horse would aid their travels mightily. Johnny didn’t say a word, but he was thinking that finally good fortune was beginning to smile on them. He felt a twinge of guilt over thinking that Rachael’s father lying dead in the ground had in some way provided them with a good omen, but the thought was there and he couldn’t deny it. What he could do was keep his thoughts to himself, which he did with difficulty.
“Ma’am, would it be possible to go see the grave?” Rachael asked.
“Of course, child. Seth laid him to rest under a tree on the far side of yonder hill,” the lady said, walking to the window and pointing to a sloping stretch of grass that rose from the edge of a creek. “I’ll ask Seth to take you over there, so he can show you himself.”
“Oh, that’s all right, ma’am, Johnny and I’ll just mosey on over. I’m sure we can find it. No offense, but I think it would be fitting and proper to pay my last respects more private-like. That is, if you don’t mind.”
The lady gave an understanding smile, nodded, and opened the door for her. Rachael turned to see if Johnny was coming, and noticing him fixing to get up from his chair, she walked out the door and across the yard, confident he’d follow.
When they got to the fresh mound of dirt covered with stones large enough to assure that wild animals wouldn’t be digging up the corpse for a meal, Rachael stopped short as if she wasn’t certain she really wanted to do this. Johnny gave her a questioning look.
“There’s somethin’ I didn’t tell you before, Johnny. I hope you won’t think badly of me, but I have a terrible secret.”
“You? How could someone as sweet as you have a terrible secret? I don’t believe it.” Johnny frowned to fully show his doubt of her statement. But as soon as he did, Rachael turned away from him and began wringing her hands. She wasn’t looking at the grave of her father but, instead, was staring off into the distance.
“That . . . that monster a-lyin’ under yonder mound of dirt wasn’t my pa. I hope you’ll forgive me, but I lied to you. My real ma and pa are still livin’ in Illinois on their farm. Things weren’t goin’ so well, and they were all but busted, about to lose everything they’d worked so hard for. One day, this man came along and offered to buy me. My folks aren’t bad; they were just in dire straits. So I was sold into slavery, even if it ain’t legal. The man wanted a young girl to do his cookin’, cleanin’, and tend his garden. He was hopin’, I suspect, that after I got used to him, I’d want to get married even though he was a lot older than me. I never did get to thinkin’ that way. So, on occasion, he’d take a willow stick to me, maybe bloody my face, too, whenever he got a snootful of hard liquor.” She hung her head after spilling her story. She shuddered and hugged her arms.
Johnny was stunned. He’d never imagined a person could do such a thing to a lovely young girl. Then his thoughts turned to Carp Varner and what he’d done, and the reality of a harsh existence no longer escaped him. To his great satisfaction, he realized that he only cared more for Rachael, not less. After all, it wasn’t her fault her parents were callous and uncaring.
He took two steps toward her and put his arm around her shoulder. They would stand there for another hour, silently gazing across hills that looked like an unmade bed. He hoped she understood that he found no fault in her.
* * *
Cotton was leaning on the bar at Melody’s saloon talking to Arlo, when Carp Varner strolled in and, spotting the sheriff, came over carrying the Sharps. He ordered a whiskey and asked Cotton if he’d like one, too. The sheriff declined, saying it was too early in the day for him.
“I dropped by and the deputy said you’d be here. I finished the work on this rifle. You can tell the owner to come by and pick it up.” Varner held the rifle up for Cotton to see. The sheriff took it, looked it over good, and handed it back.
“That’s good work,” Cotton said. “I’ll ride out and tell the owner to pick it up and pay you. By the way, did you get a chance to look over any of the others that seemed like they were also needin’ some sort of attention?”
“I did indeed. I’d say there’s another dozen or so that need major fixin’, and another three or four that just need a good cleanin’ and oilin’.”
“That somethin’ you think you’d be interestin’ in takin’ on?”
“Well, yes, if you think folks around here would take to a stranger workin’ on their hardware. I would even be interested in takin’ over the old man’s business if you had a hankerin’ to discuss such an arrangement. I might could even pay a little somethin’ for the business.”
Cotton thought about that for a second. “I’ll talk it over with the mayor. As far as I’m concerned, it sounds like an answer to a need, at least temporarily. The legal aspects about the whole thing would have to be worked out, however, once I’ve had a chance to try trackin’ down any living relatives of Mr. Burnside, since I have no right to sell someone else’s business. You go ahead with some of the others that need attendin’ to, and I’ll get back to you on the particulars of a deal. I’ll be sure you get paid for whatever work you do. That all right with you, Mr. Varner?”
“Sounds fine. Mighty fine.” Varner drank his whiskey in one gulp and strolled out the door as nonchalantly as he’d walked in.
Arlo had a suspicious frown as Cotton rejoined the conversation they had been engaged in when Varner came in.
“Looks like you got somethin’ on your mind, Arlo. Care to share it with me?”
“I can’t put my finger on it, but to be honest, I don’t completely trust that feller.”
“You’ve always been a pretty good judge of character, so I’d appreciate anything you’ve got to say on the matter.”
“I got no evidence of wrongdoing, or anything like that. It’s just that his attitude since he first hit town has been overconfident. Claimed he’s bound to be beddin’ Melody afore long, and he made it sound like a sure thing.”
“First of all, Arlo, you do know that Melody is a whore. That’s what whores do. Secondly, Varner’s goin’ to have to tangle with Jack first. And that won’t be easy.”
“That’s what I told him. He didn’t seem impressed. In fact he snickered at the thought, kinda like he fancied himself as somewhat of a shootist.”
“He wouldn’t be the first one.”
Cotton gave Arlo a wink and left the saloon, smiling to himself and thinking, I wonder how Melody is gonna handle two fellows vying for her affections. She’ll be damned tough to live with. This I gotta see.
* * *
When Johnny and Rachael returned to the ranch house, Seth was sitting on the edge of the porch whittling on a piece of wood. He looked up, carefully placing the wood—which resembled a crude rendition of a horse—on the step and gave them a nod.
“I see you�
��re back from visitin’ your pa’s grave, young lady. Hope you liked where I laid him. I figured any man would appreciate the view from that knoll.”
“I, uh . . .” She paused before continuing, obviously feeling awkward about her response. Johnny saw her hesitation and jumped in.
“Your location was perfect, sir. He’d be pleased, I’m sure. We were impressed with what a beautiful piece of land you got here.” He quickly looked over to see what Rachael’s reaction would be. She was still noncommittal, choosing to offer a weak smile instead.
“You were gone a spell. I wasn’t sure a pack of wolves didn’t choose you for their lunch,” Seth said with a cackle. “Well, it’s about time for some vittles. Better wash up out back.”
“Thank you, sir,” Johnny said, as he took Rachael by the hand and led her around the side of the house.
“I, uh, couldn’t speak. I’m sorry, Johnny, but the thought of saying anything nice about that awful creature turns my stomach.”
“I understand. We won’t speak any more of it. If questions come up, let me handle them. That way you don’t have to lie or make up stories about what a fine man he was.”
“Thank you,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze. “I figured I could count on you from the moment we met, even if I wasn’t in my right mind just then. Still, in my heart I knew.”
As they washed their hands, the lady of the house stepped outside. “You two best hurry up afore Seth gobbles up everything on the table.” She chuckled as she went back inside.
Chapter 15
Melody was sitting on the edge of the bed when Jack came into their room in the early afternoon. He removed his gun belt and dropped it on the chair. He walked over and sat next to her, bending down to tug his boots off. He tossed each in turn on the floor, then fell back onto the thick feather bed with a groan; all the air seemed to go out of him.