by Steven Gray
‘Isn’t it lonely?’ Sarah said with a little shudder. ‘I wouldn’t like to live here.’
As the stagecoach came to a halt, a broad-shouldered young man hurried up to the stage, pulling open the door.
‘Howdy, folks, you made it then! All in one piece too.’
‘Just about,’ Lewis muttered.
‘Name’s Matt Digby. Go on into the house. My wife has coffee and soup ready that’ll warm you up nicely. Hey,’ his smile died as he saw Norton’s handcuffs. ‘He ain’t going to be a bother is he?’
‘No,’ Greeley said. He gave Norton a poke in the back. ‘Hurry up.’ Then offering Sarah his arm, he said, ‘Here, Miss Fuller, let me help you so you don’t slip.’
While the passengers trudged through the heavy, clinging mud and disappeared into the shack, Digby went to help the driver and guard with the horses.
‘Hi, Bill, wondered if and when you’d get here. You’re well and truly late.’
Brown didn’t look pleased; he prided himself on always being on time. Now he said, ‘Storm started pretty soon after we left Talbot. Made it real tough going.’
‘Who’s that?’ Digby looked at the guard, who was inspecting the luggage.
‘Ray Daniels,’ Brown grimaced. ‘Of all times he’s new to me. He usually works further south.’
‘What happened to Pete?’
‘Not sure exactly. Took sick or something. First time Ray’s been this way.’
‘And it could be the last,’ Daniels added with his own grimace. ‘Didn’t think anything could be this bad.’
‘No,’ Brown agreed. ‘Even in winter we usually have a pretty clear run. Still the worst is over, I reckon.’ He looked up at the sky.
‘Down in the desert maybe,’ Digby said. ‘But I dunno what you’ll find the higher you get. Reckon there’ll be a flash flood or two and some trees are surely down. You sure you want to go on? Wouldn’t it be better to wait until tomorrow at least? Way things are I doubt you’ll make it to the next way station before nightfall.’
It was a tight enough schedule normally when the weather was good. Now they could be stuck in the hills in the dark. That wasn’t a prospect Brown relished. But he said, ‘Lost enough time as it is. Can’t afford to lose more.’
‘Up to you. Go in and see the wife. Get warmed up. Have something to eat. I’ll look after to the horses.’
‘Thanks. C’mon, Ray.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
‘Come on in, folks.’ Mrs Digby stood in the doorway to welcome them. She was a big and buxom young woman, with calloused hands and a sunburnt face. ‘Make yourselves at home.’
The room into which the passengers went was dim and gloomy due to light coming from just one small window; the place having been built at a time when protection from attacks by Indians and outlaws was more of a consideration than comfort. And it was barely furnished, with benches either side of a long plank table. None of that mattered. What mattered was the stove blazing away in one corner.
Two large dogs, who were also relaxing in the warmth, eyed them warily but otherwise took no notice.
Greeley pushed Norton down onto the end of one bench. ‘Sit there and keep quiet.’ Then he joined everyone else at the stove. He hadn’t realized quite how cold he was till then.
‘Help yourselves to grub,’ Mrs Digby went on. ‘I baked the biscuits first thing this morning and the soup is good and hot. We were getting real anxious about you. It’s real bad out there. What sort of journey have you had?’
Predictably it was Lewis who answered, telling her about the hazards on the trail; exaggerating them, too.
‘Wish you could stay here longer ’til the storm passes over, but I just bet Bill’ll want to be on his way soon as he can. He’s a prideful man and likes to say he always keeps to the Wells Fargo timetable,’ Mrs Digby smiled. ‘You’ll be safe enough with him. He’s never had an accident all the years he’s been coming this way. He’ll get you through all right.’
‘She must be very lonely don’t you think?’ Sarah said to Greeley as she took her place at the table by his side. ‘Stuck out here on the edge of nowhere with just her husband and the dogs for company. No neighbours within miles. What happens if one of them takes ill?’
Greeley helped her and then himself to some of the biscuits and filled their bowls with the vegetable soup. ‘From the look of her, I think Mrs Digby is the type of woman who takes everything in her stride and can deal with any sort of emergency. There are a lot of women like that who live on the frontier.’
His mother was one. She’d helped her eldest boy hold the family farm together, even after her husband’s killing and one of her other sons leaving, against her wishes, to take on the precarious life of a bounty hunter.
‘It’s lonesome enough on the farm sometimes when we don’t see anyone for days,’ Sarah said with a little sigh. ‘But at least we’re not that far from Talbot and I have my family for company and support. Mrs Digby reminds me of Mary. She can cope with more or less anything, but all the same I wish Tom hadn’t taken her so far from us.’
Mrs Digby bustled around, making sure everyone had everything they needed, even Darren Norton, although otherwise she took no notice of him. Doubtless he wasn’t the first outlaw in handcuffs that she had seen or fed.
Finally Greeley put down his spoon. ‘Mrs Digby, that soup was delicious.’
‘Thank you, dear, would you like some more?’
‘Wouldn’t say no.’
‘What about you, dear?’
‘Oh no I couldn’t,’ Sarah said. ‘I’m quite full, thank you. Mr Greeley,’ she added in a whisper as Mrs Digby began to dish out soup to those who wanted another bowlful, ‘Mr Lewis keeps staring at me as if he suspects me of something. It’s making me real uncomfortable.’
‘I’ve noticed him looking at you too.’ Greeley glanced across at the farmer. ‘Would you like me to have words with him?’
‘Oh no, I don’t want to cause trouble or make things difficult for his wife. It’s just that he seems to think he knows me from somewhere and is trying to decide one way or the other. But I’ve certainly never met him. How could I have? I’ve never been to Serenity before. And I don’t think he believes I’m going there to visit with Mary, just because he doesn’t know her and Tom.’ She put a hand on Greeley’s arm for a moment and raised her eyes to his. ‘You believe me though, don’t you? Please say you do.’
‘Of course I do,’ Greeley smiled. ‘Why would you lie? How could Lewis possibly know all the people who live in and around Serenity? I bet you don’t know all the farmers and their families near you in Talbot.’
‘No, I don’t.’
‘He keeps staring at Anderson too. And you heard what his wife said. He believes he’s met everyone before.’
‘So she did.’ Sarah sounded a little relieved. ‘That’s silly of him, isn’t it?’
‘Yes. Quite honestly I wouldn’t take any notice of him. Lewis is a busybody and a bit of a nuisance, who wants to know everybody’s business.’
Sarah drank the rest of her coffee, eyeing Lewis over the rim of the mug. ‘I don’t like him very much or the way he treats his poor wife, when she is such a nice kind lady.’
‘She must be used to it by now and she doesn’t seem to mind.’
‘Or perhaps she doesn’t have a choice.’
Brown stood up from where he and Daniels had been sitting at the far end of the table. He said, ‘Stage is almost ready to leave, folks.’
‘Anyone who wants to stay here can do so,’ Mrs Digby said. ‘We’ve got room and you’re more than welcome.’
But despite the perils of the journey no one elected to remain behind, although Ruth looked as if she longed to suggest they do so to her husband.
Brown said, ‘You’ve just got time to use the privy out back if you have the need.’
‘I’ve made sure everything is nice and clean out there,’ Mrs Digby said. ‘Would you two ladies like to use it first?’
‘Thank yo
u,’ Sarah said and left arm in arm with Ruth.
Almost as soon as the coach left the way station, it started the climb up into the hills. The road snaked round boulders and dense stands of trees and, as they got higher, crossed over high ridges to plunge down the other side of the hill before climbing again. It would be uncomfortable and slow going at the best of times and was now made much slower because of the constant rain and mud, the stage jolting them about as it slipped from side to side. Several times they almost came to a stop and Brown had to encourage the straining horses to get the stage moving again.
‘We won’t reach Serenity by Friday afternoon, will we?’ Sarah said.
‘No,’ Greeley agreed. ‘I doubt it.’
If the road got worse, they might not make it by Friday at all. They might have to spend two nights out on the open trail rather than one.
Thankfully, so far, they hadn’t met any obstructions in the road and he didn’t know what would happen or what they would do if they did. There was no other route through the hills as far as he was aware, at least not one suitable for a stagecoach. It might mean turning round and going all the way back to the way station.
‘Look!’ Sarah cried, pointing out of the window.
‘Oh my!’ Ruth added in a shocked voice. ‘Oh, Clarence! See the river! Oh, it’s awful.’
Normally at this time of the year the water would be sluggish, trickling over the white stones in the middle of the riverbed. Today it was a roaring and raging fury, pouring down the hill in high, wild waves and crashing into the banks in a never ending white foam, threatening to overspill them. It carried with it tree branches and rocks that tumbled helplessly this way and that in the rushing tide.
Everyone stared at it in horrified fascination. They were right to be scared for it was here that the accident happened.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Without warning the coach struck an unseen rock in the road. It rose high in the air and came down with a heavy bump, badly jolting the passengers. Across from Greeley, Lewis hit his head on the roof of the stage and Ruth almost fell off her seat, only staying upright by grabbing her husband’s arm. As the wheels landed, they slipped in the mud and the coach threatened to topple over.
‘Hell!’ Greeley yelled. ‘Hold tight!’
From above they could hear Bill Brown shouting encouragement and comfort to the frightened horses.
Even then Greeley thought they might be all right. The coach had righted itself. Brown was an experienced driver and just about had the animals under control.
And at that very moment the wheels hit a deep hole caused by the incessant rain. The coach rocked. The horses panicked. Brown pulled hard on the reins in an attempt to stop them. It was no use. The by-now terrified animals took off at a gallop. The coach was about to be involved in an accident. Nothing could prevent it.
With the wheels unable to get a purchase on the road’s slick surface, the coach slew around, this way and that. It careened hard into a tree, denting its side.
Amidst frightened screams and shouts, the helpless passengers were flung about in their seats. There was a jumble of arms and legs. This time Ruth did fall to land on top of Anderson. The guard was thrown from his seat.
The stagecoach slid along the road scraping against rocks and trees, whose branches were snapped off and whipped away, before suddenly its wheel hit a boulder with such force that it broke in two. Lopsided, the coach scraped along the ground for a few very long seconds, sparks flying out from underneath it, until its weight forced the horses to a halt. As they came to a shuddering stop, everything went quiet.
Greeley allowed time for his heart to stop its frantic beating before taking a deep breath. At least they were still on dry land and hadn’t landed up in the river, where they would have been lost for sure.
‘Everyone OK?’ He was dismayed at the tremor in his voice.
He seemed to be almost at the bottom of a pile of bodies, with only Anderson beneath him. No one answered him and for a ghastly moment he was sure everyone else was either dead or badly injured. Then above him, Lewis shifted and managed to pull himself back up onto his sloping seat. And Greeley was suddenly aware of Ruth sobbing while Norton was swearing under his breath.
He sat up, holding his elbow, which he’d bashed hard, and said, ‘It’s all right. We’ve stopped now. Can we get out? It’ll have to be on your side, Mr Lewis. We’re stuck right up against a rock here.’
‘I don’t know. I’ll try to open the door.’
‘Where’s the driver?’ Ruth had panic in her voice. ‘Help! Help!’
‘Hush, Ruthie.’
‘We’re stuck in the middle of nowhere. Mr Brown is dead. I know he is. We’ll never be found.’
Supposing Brown had been killed in the crash. If he, like the guard, had been flung from his seat he could have landed under the horses’ hoofs, even beneath the stagecoach itself. And what had become of Daniels? Wisely Greeley didn’t voice his fears. Instead he helped Ruth and Sarah to their seats, where they perched uncomfortably, trying not to slide off again.
Then he stood up as best he could and reached across Lewis to help him turn the door handle and push. At first nothing happened, but suddenly the door opened and fell backward with a bang. The stage rocked with the sudden movement and rain blew in soaking them within moments.
‘Folks! Folks, you OK?’ It was the driver, peering in on them. Brown was filthy dirty, covered in mud, and he had a bloody cut down one cheek. Otherwise he appeared unhurt.
‘We’re coming out,’ Greeley said to Brown. ‘I’ll go first. Harry, can you help the others out after me? Don’t worry, folks, me and Mr Brown will be here to catch you so you won’t fall.’
The coach lay at an awkward angle, making it difficult to climb up to the door. There Greeley had to scramble through the opening and down the other side, reaching for Brown’s hands as he did so. He landed in the mud and slipped to his knees.
‘Steady,’ Brown said.
‘Lewis, come on, help your wife. Don’t be scared, Mrs Lewis. There’s a bit of a jump that’s all.’
Ruth nodded bravely. The two men caught her as she slid down the side of the coach.
‘Will you manage, Miss Fuller?’ Greeley called up to her.
‘Yes.’ Sarah hitched up her skirt slightly, letting Greeley glimpse her shapely ankles. She climbed out of the stagecoach agilely, without the need for much help.
Lewis and Norton came next, followed by Anderson last of all.
Greeley was then able to look round and take stock.
Sarah and Ruth huddled close, arms around each other for comfort. The others were too stunned to do much more than stand where they were. Sarah’s coat was torn along one sleeve and Norton had lost his hat somewhere. They were all mucky from the mud and rain and both Norton and Lewis had bruises and cuts on their faces and hands. Greeley doubted he looked any better. But while it didn’t seem like they had much to be thankful for, they were alive when they could so easily have been killed.
Brown had cut the horses free from their harness before he’d come to find out how his passengers were. Now he went back to them and was stroking their necks and talking softly to them while they stood, shivering and agitated. They, like the passengers, looked unhurt.
Not so the coach. That clearly wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.
‘Mr Greeley, I’m sorry to be a nuisance, but can you get my bag down?’ Sarah said. ‘It’s got the clothes ma and me made for Mary’s baby in it. I don’t want to lose them.’
‘In a minute.’ Greeley didn’t feel up to climbing onto the roof of the stagecoach. ‘In fact it looks like we’ll have to go on by foot and it might be best to leave our bags here. Carrying them will only slow us down. They can be retrieved later.’
‘Oh no, please, I must have mine with me.’ Tears came into Sarah’s eyes. ‘I can carry it myself. Please.’
‘All right. I’ll get it for you once we decide what to do. Don’t worry.’
�
��Where’s the guard?’ Anderson suddenly asked.
‘There!’ Greeley pointed to where Daniels lay some way back along the road, attempting to sit up. He was perilously close to falling in the river. ‘Quick!’
As Greeley and Anderson hurried towards him, Daniels sank back down, holding his arm. His face was covered in scratches.
‘Is your arm broken?’ Greeley asked as they reached him.
‘Don’t think so. It hurts like hell though. So does everything else. Get me up.’
Greeley caught him round the waist and helped him to his feet.
Daniels groaned then said, ‘It’s OK. I’m OK. That is . . . God! What a mess.’ He’d just seen the coach. ‘Hell, we ain’t getting out of here on that, are we?’
‘Nope.’ Greeley shook his head. ‘Let’s go and see what Mr Brown has to say. Harry, stay with the others. Try to calm Ruth down.’
Brown grinned as the two men joined him. ‘Hell, Ray, you sure ain’t had much luck on your first journey out here. You sure you ain’t a jinx?’
‘It ain’t funny. I’m giving up this job and getting one that keeps me inside!’
‘Mr Brown, can the horses be ridden? Can I take one and go for help?’ Greeley eyed the animals doubtfully and wasn’t surprised at Brown’s answer.
‘No, sir. They ain’t riding horses and they’re too het up to be handled safely right now. As for my coach, there’s no way we can fix the poor old thing up. Far as I see it, there ain’t no choice but for me to stay here with the horses and the stage, as they’re my responsibility, while, Ray, you go on with the passengers and get ’em to safety.’
‘Go on?’ the guard echoed. ‘Where to? Wouldn’t it be best if we stayed together? Surely we’ll be missed and someone’ll come looking for us.’