“I want to get cleaned up,” Alex said. “After I’m rested, I’ll stop by your saloon for a drink and tell you the whole story.” Then he added, “Is elsa still working for you?”
“She’s still there, and she asks about you almost every night. She’ll be interested in knowing how you dealt with being betrayed. She said that if you were able to forgive Cindy, she might try returning to the young man she left back home. I’d hate to lose Elsa, but I want her to be happy.”
“Elsa helped me understand how I contributed to Cindy’s problem,” Alex acknowledged, “and I owe her an explanation about how she might get her young man to understand that he did the same thing.”
* * *
Alex checked on Midnight, got cleaned up and rested, then walked to the Trail’s end Saloon. Marl was already at his usual table. Alex sat down and brought Marl up-to-date. When Alex finished, Marl got up. “I see Elsa coming. I’ll leave you two alone so you can talk.”
Elsa wrapped her arms around Alex’s neck. “I’ve been looking for you for weeks. How did it go with Cindy? I saw you get off the train with her. She’s beautiful, and she seems happy to be home. Are you going to marry her?”
“Hey, slow down, Elsa,” Alex said, grinning. “That’s a lot of questions. Perhaps we should go to your room, so we can talk in private.”
“Oh, Alex, I was hoping you’d want to go to my room. I’ve missed you in more ways than one. Come on, I think Cindy needs some help taking care of you.”
* * *
Later, she said, “Now, answer my questions.”
“Let’s see if I can remember them,” Alex responded with a smile as he propped his head up with a pillow. “First, how did I do with Cindy? I rescued her from the man who was holding her prisoner and selling her to the highest bidder four to six times a night. Then we escaped on a riverboat and had a wonderful ride. After that, we had a tiring ride on the train to Timberland. Cindy was happy to get home, and no, we haven’t talked about getting married.”
“What I want to know is did you forgive her? If you forgave her, then Greg might forgive me.”
“Elsa, you helped me to understand that I had contributed to Cindy’s problem, and then she was honest with me. That all helped a lot. I doubt that I will ever feel the same about her as I did before, but hopefully, in time, we might be able to build a life together. I’d like you to meet her. She’s going to need a friend who can understand what she’s been through. I’m also concerned about her living at home with her parents. She’s used to the excitement of a nightclub, and she might get bored.” Alex paused and kissed Elsa's hand. “Would you talk to her?”
“Yes, I’d love to, but where could we meet? She can’t come to the Trail’s end; men might think that she works here.”
“I have my apartment behind my law office. A back stairway leads to it from the alley; but it doesn’t matter what people think. They already know that Cindy ran off with Raphe. So why don’t you have breakfast with Cindy and me tomorrow morning at Ma’s place?”
* * *
Although Cindy and Alex spent a lot of time going to their childhood haunts, it didn’t take long for Cindy to get bored. She missed the excitement of the big city and convinced Marl that she should help him at the Trail’s end Saloon. The miners and the cowboys loved her. They respected Cindy more than they did the prune-faced old biddies who pretended to be horrified by Cindy being friendly with Elsa.
Chapter 19
Alex hadn’t seen his mother in months, so he thought Cindy might want to go with him to the Bar H. He hoped Eva would respond well to Cindy. They had each done things that they knew they shouldn’t have, and neither seemed regretful.
It was midmorning when they arrived. Eva was in her nightgown with a shawl draped over her shoulders when she answered the door. Sounds of someone scurrying away came from the bedroom.
“Come on in and make yourselves comfortable while I get dressed,” Eva said as she hurried back to the bedroom.
“I was hoping she would be up and about already. It seems I’ve embarrassed her again,” Alex said to Cindy. “How am I ever going to establish a relationship with my mother if I keep embarrassing her?”
“Frank must be something special if they’re still in bed at this time of day.” Cindy whispered. “I think I heard the back door close. I’ll bet Frank is sneaking out to the barn.” And who knows that barn better than you do? Alex thought as Eva came back into the room, fully dressed this time.
“I heard you were in town,” Eva said, looking at Cindy. “You look great. Are you living with your mom and dad?” Then turning to Alex she said, “Alex, your father would be pleased that you went all the way to New Orleans to get Cindy.”
Alex ignored his mother’s comment, thinking, Yeah, Father was a chump, too.
"Thank you, Eva, you look well,” Cindy responded. “Ranch life seems to agree with you.”
Quick to pick up on the insinuation, Eva responded with a thinly veiled remark of her own. “One of our cowboys said you’re working at the Trail’s end. That must keep you busy. Do you live in one of the upstairs rooms?”
“I’m living with Mother and Dad,” Cindy said, ignoring the barb, “but I’m looking for a place of my own.”
The ladies were enjoying their banter, and Alex had other things on his mind. “Mother, does Frank own a Henry rifle?”
“He keeps a rifle under the bed. I don’t know what type it is. Would you like to see it? I’ll get it for you. Why do you want to know?”
“I saw two wolves chasing a calf as Cindy and I rode in. I’d like to chase them away.”
Cindy knew Alex was playing a ruse, but she didn’t know why. his quick glance told her to play along. Eva got the rifle—it was a Henry, as Alex thought it might be.
“Cindy, you and Mother enjoy your conversation while I take care of those wolves.”
“We’ll have something to eat when you get back,” Eva said.
Because of the similarity of their situations, Cindy and Eva had a lot to talk about. They used the time to get reacquainted and compare experiences. Eva was eager to talk to Cindy because she knew that Cindy would understand.
“My first sexual experience was with a big, handsome man,” Eva confessed. “I was young and adventurous, and he created a need in me that no other man could fill. He got me pregnant. My parents did not approve of him and sent him away. Vard still wanted to marry me, so they gave their consent. I lost the child soon after we moved here.
“Vard was a better man in every way, and I learned to love him. I thought I had forgotten about my first lover, but when you had the affair with Raphe it reminded me of him, and I wanted to experience that excitement again. Frank satisfies me in ways that Vard never could.” She looked at Cindy. “Was Raphe a good lover?”
“Yes, he’s one of the best I’ve ever been with, and I’ve been with a lot. Raphe is worthless as a man, but he sure has what it takes to satisfy a woman. oh, Eva, I’m so confused. I think Alex will ask me to marry him. Do you think I should?”
“Alex loves you, and he’ll be a good husband, but I doubt you’ll be happy. He’s my son; I changed his diapers. He’s better than most, but if Raphe is as good as you say, Alex won’t be able to make you forget him.”
While they were talking, Alex took Frank’s rifle behind the barn and fired it; then he looked at the hull of the cartridge. The markings on the hull don’t match the one I found. Either this rifle has been repaired, or I was wrong about Frank—but he could have used another rifle. Somebody killed my father, and I’m going to find out whom. The only person who had a reason to kill him was Frank, and I think either he did it, or he hired someone to do it. I’m still wondering what happened to the rifle that belongs to the foreman of the Flying W. After visiting with Eva for over an hour, Alex asked Cindy to go with him to the Indian village to check on Jeffrey.
* * *
When they got to the village, their childhood friends came running. They were grown up now, but it wa
s like old times.
Jeff and Morning Flower had returned from Mesa Verde. Gray Wolf and Soaring Eagle had gone with them to provide food and protection. Jeff had made drawings and written a pile of notes for the dissertation he planned to write.
Although Morning Flower hugged Cindy, she was shy in the presence of Alex. He hugged her closely in remembrance of what she had meant to him. Cindy noticed instantly that Morning Flower was in love with Alex, and she suspected that Morning Flower had met Alex’s needs while she was gone.
Talking Drum knew how much Alex meant to his granddaughter. He liked Cindy, but he had hoped that with her gone, Alex would eventually take Morning Flower as his woman. But that didn’t happen.
Talking Drum asked Alex to speak to the Ute council of elders and invited Jeff and Cindy to join them. He wanted Jeff to understand Indian ways so he could tell their story correctly.
There were no more buffalo, and the Ute were having trouble finding food. Alex was angry when he heard that Frank had stopped them from taking the cattle they had been promised.
He told the council, “The only way you’re going to have food is to raise your own. The buffalo are gone for the Indians, and they’re gone for the white man also, but white men don’t go hungry because they raise their food. The Ute could do the same. You have plenty of land, and I’ll give you enough cattle to start your own herd. I’ll send men to show you how to raise corn, squash, and beans. I know this is not the Ute way, but if you’re going to survive, you’re going to have to produce your own food. I’ll go now, but I’ll return in a few hours with a herd of cattle to get you started. You’ll have fresh beef tonight.”
Then Alex turned to Jeff. “Come with me, Jeff. I may need your help to get the cows across Thunder Creek.” Turning to Cindy, Alex said, “Will you wait for us? We’ll be back soon.”
* * *
Alex and Jeff were lucky. They found Kyle Coulter and a couple of cowboys rounding up stray cattle. Kyle saw Alex and immediately signaled his men to halt the drive.
“Kyle, why have you stopped the Ute from taking the cows I promised them?” Alex asked.
“When your father was killed, Frank took over the ranch and said your orders no longer carried weight. he told us not to allow the Indians to have any more cows.”
“Frank is mistaken,” Alex said scowling. “He’s the foreman, but he doesn’t own the Bar H. I do. I’ll fire his ass if he countermands my orders again; you can tell him that. Turn those cows around and drive them right to the Indian village. I’ll straighten this out with Frank tomorrow. he may be sleeping with my father’s wife, but that doesn’t make him owner of my father’s ranch.”
Talking Drum and the whole tribe were surprised at how soon Alex returned.
“Let’s have a feast tonight and celebrate,” Alex suggested to Talking Drum. “This is a new day in the life of this village. I’ll pay your men to work as cowboys, so they can learn how to raise beef.” Then he turned to Kyle. “Kyle, we’d like you and your men to join us in this celebration. It would be good if you got acquainted with our neighbors. Cindy and Morning Flower will interpret for you.”
Everyone gorged themselves, danced, and told stories. Kyle and his cowboys enjoyed themselves, too. After the feast, the cowboys walked in the moonlight with the pretty Indian girls. When the party was over, the cowboys said goodnight and rode back to the ranch.
* * *
Jeffrey Hamilton was tanned and sinewy from living and working with the Indians. He was so excited about what he had learned of the Ancient ones that he couldn’t stop talking about it. He had all the material he needed and was ready to return home. He had also fallen in love with Morning Flower and had asked her to be his wife, but she was reluctant, and Jeffrey couldn’t understand why. He asked Alex to help him convince Morning Flower that he would be a good husband.
“Morning Flower has read the books I gave her,” Alex said, “but she’s never been off the reservation. If you took her to town and rented her a room, then she could see if she would like to wear dresses and shoes, sleep in a house on a soft bed, and eat her food off of a table. She’s the daughter of a white man, and she might like living the white man’s way. Cindy and Morning Flower have been friends since they were children. Cindy could show Morning Flower how to shop, and you could continue educating her in preparation for living in a white man’s world. You could finish your paper while she’s getting adjusted.”
Alex put his hand on Jeffery’s shoulder. “But before we do anything else, I have something to show you that I think will add to what you’ve learned about the Anasazi. Did you know that the Anasazi told stories of a people who lived here even before they did?”
“Talking Drum tells stories about a city made of yellow blocks, but he has no proof that it ever existed. It’s just a legend,” Jeffrey remarked.
"You’re right,” Alex responded. “He has no proof, but the Ute have been telling stories about the earliest people for centuries, and they have a gold coin that’s been in their possession for longer than any of them can remember. To them, the coin is sacred. It weighs more than a pound, and it’s molded differently than any coin I’ve ever seen.”
“That would be an interesting thing to put in my paper. Have you seen the coin?”
“Talking Drum showed it to me. They found it in a dry cave on Father’s land. I’ll show you the cave. You’ll have to dig around, but maybe you can find another coin. Let’s go see . . . I’ll bring a lantern.”
Alex took Jeff to the dry cave and showed him where to dig. After digging until he was about ready to give up, he found the coin that Alex had buried there just for that purpose. Jeff was ecstatic.
“Archaeologists search a lifetime for a find like this. It will cap my story and give credence to my writing. I’ve heard about coins like these in Europe. I wonder if there could be a connection.”
There is a connection, and I’m hoping you don’t find it, Alex thought, smiled, and nodded his head. “We’ve got to get back to the celebration. Cindy and I will ride back to town, and if you’ll bring Morning Flower tomorrow, I’ll help you find a place for her to live. I’m sure Cindy will help her buy new clothes and tell her what she needs to know.”
They found Cindy and Morning Flower talking to Soaring Eagle. Alex and Jeff discussed with them the idea of Morning Flower living in town and Cindy helping her. It was agreeable to all.
“Come on, Cindy, it’s getting late,” Alex said. “We’ve got to get back to town.” They said good-bye to their friends and rode off into the night.
Looking up at the sky, Cindy said, “That full moon will make the ride pleasant.”
* * *
The sun was coming up when they reached town. Alex dropped Cindy off at her home, took the horses to the stable, curried and fed them, and then went home to bed.
After Alex rested for a few hours, he went to the courthouse and asked to see the envelope his father had left there. The clerk made Alex sign a paper before he would let him see the envelope. What Marl had said was true. he was full heir to his father’s estate. The clerk told Alex that Frank Fadden had been in earlier and asked for the same envelope. Frank had signed the paper, and the clerk showed Frank’s signature to Alex.
“I wonder how he knew there was a will,” Alex commented.
“Someone must have told him,” the clerk replied.
Alex went back to the saloon to see Marl.
“Did you tell anyone about my father leaving a will in the courthouse?”
“No, Alex.” Marl thought a minute. “But Vard may have confided in John Johnson, the owner of the general store. He and Vard were good friends.”
When Alex asked Johnson, he said he knew about the will, and that Vard told him to keep it quiet. The only person he had mentioned it to was his wife. To put Marl’s mind at ease, Alex went back and told him about Johnson telling his wife.
Marl slapped his forehead. “He may as well have published it in the newspaper! Johnson’s wife is head of
the women’s social club, and she’s the biggest gossiper in town.”
Alex then went to Toby, the gunsmith, and asked if he had repaired a Henry rifle lately.
“A man gave me a Henry and asked me to repair the firing pin,” Toby admitted.
“Who was that man?” Alex asked.
Toby shook his head. “Mr. Vanor, I can’t tell you that. I have a family to think of. I knew you were looking for a Henry with a slanted firing pin, but the owner of that rifle meant business when he told me not to tell anyone.”
Alex didn’t want to put the gunsmith in a difficult position, so he went to the stable and saddled Midnight to ride to the Bar H. he had to clear up the misunderstanding about the Indians getting the cattle that were promised, and he didn’t want Kyle Coulter to be disciplined for taking the herd to the Indian village when he had told him to do it.
* * *
Alex tied Midnight to the hitching rail at the Bar H and knocked on the front door. Frank came to the door with an angry scowl.
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