Mountain Woman Snake River Blizzard

by Johnny Fowler

  Kate took the animals to the loading area while Man went inside the depot to get tickets. He arranged for a cattle car for the animals. He also sent a wire to Chief Meek and the sheriff in Boise they were on the way.

  He met Kate at the pens and led their horses and mules into a cattle car. Kate helped unsaddle them as he pulled the packsaddles from the mules. They heard the train whistle, jumped down, and went to the coach car.

  The conductor was standing at the door and took their tickets. Kate found a seat and slid over to the window. Man joined her. It was cold in the car so they left their coats on. The stove at the end of the car hadn’t had time to heat the inside yet.

  “It’s snowing harder,” she said as she looked out the window. “I hope we get through the pass before it closes again.”

  “We will,” Man said. “It’s not that far and the heavy snow has melted since the last blizzard.”

  Kate put her head on his shoulder and he reached for her hand. “It starts again,” she said. “I hope they’re easy to find and we can get this over in a hurry. I’m not looking forward to spending too many nights sleeping on the snow out in the open.”

  “Me, neither,” he said. “I’m glad we have the buffalo robe to put down first and the bearskin over us with a lot of blankets in between.” He gave her hand a squeeze and offered a smile as he added, “And a warm woman to sleep with.”

  She pinched his thigh, but grinned up at him. “I wouldn’t do this job without you. I couldn’t stand it. All the running, fighting and hard living. It’s only worth it because you’re with me.”

  Man dropped her hand and put his arm around her. “Same for me, honey.”

  “I have an eerie feeling about this trip.”

  “It’s just the snow,” he assured her, “and leaving Dan the way we did. It’ll pass once we’re on the trail.”

  She looked out the window when they neared the cut in the hill where they were stranded before. It was clear of snow now, but it was collecting on the sides of the cut. “They need to make it wider,” she said.

  He followed her gaze. “Tons of rock would have to be moved. I expect the cost would be prohibitive.”

  They both napped until the conductor came in the door and shouted, “Boise next stop.”

  Man stood and reached for Kate’s hand and she slid over and stood. They were ready when the train stopped.

  “Fifteen minutes for those going on,” the conductor said.

  Man and Kate walked to the pens and climbed up the ramp where their animals were waiting. Man put the packsaddles on the mules while Kate saddled the horses.

  Man took the reins of the horses and Kate grabbed the lead rope for the mules and followed Man down the ramp.

  A brakeman came by and Man asked, “Where would we find the sheriff’s office?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never been into town.”

  The train whistle sounded and began to move. “I expect we can find it,” Kate said. They turned toward the main part of town. Man pulled Arabian to a stop when they spotted a policeman.

  “Where can we find the sheriff’s office?” Man asked.

  The police officer pointed. “Stay on Emerald Street and turn left on Allumbaugh Street. And then, turn right on Barrister. You’ll see the sign.”

  “Thanks,” Kate said.

  “Would you be Marshal Manchester and Deputy Marshal Kate?” the police officer asked.

  “Yes,” Kate replied. “That’s us.”

  “We heard you were coming. I hope you catch those skunks after what they did.”

  “Did they do something here?” Man asked. The policeman’s remark pointed in that direction.

  “Yes, it was awful. But, I better keep my mouth shut. I’ll let Dave Updike, the sheriff of Ada County fill you in on the gory details.”

  They found the sheriff’s office without a problem. They stepped down and tied the animals to a hitching rail near the side of the jail. They went to a door with ‘Office’ printed above it.

  Man opened the door and stepped back for Kate to enter first. A man with a deputy sheriff badge on his vest saw them and stood from behind a desk. “Can I help you?”

  “We’re here to see Sheriff Updike,” Man said.

  “May I tell him your name?” the deputy sheriff asked.

  Man pulled his heavy coat open and showed his badge. Kate did the same. Man made the introductions.

  “We were notified you were coming,” the deputy said. “Follow me.” He walked down a hallway and tapped on a door.

  “The two federal marshals are here to see you,” he said.

  The door opened and an older man with a pistol on his hip stood in the doorway. He sported a handlebar moustache that was turning more gray than black. Tobacco juice stained the lower portion.

  “You made damn good time getting here. I sent the wire this morning. I’m Dave Updike, sheriff of Ada County.”

  “Marshal Homer Manchester and my partner, Deputy Marshal Kate,” Man said. “But, I prefer to be called just Man. I’ve had that nickname since I came on the Oregon Trail.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about you two,” Sheriff Updike said.

  “We stopped a policeman for directions and he told us that Al Valdez and Bob Engledow did something here, but said you would give us the details.”

  “Pull a chair to the table and I’ll fill you in on what we know,” Updike said.

  Kate and Man removed their coats as the big stove in the corner of the office was giving off a lot of heat and the office was warm.

  When they were seated, Updike brought cups and a pot of coffee. He poured and put the pot back on the stove.

  “We got a report last night from a small community south of here, called Mountain Home. Two men went into a store and walked to the counter. The larger of the two men pulled his pistol and shot the owner of the store in the chest. His name was Tom Carbon, his wife Clarice was in the back and came running. The smaller man grabbed her and put his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. The two men tied her hands and legs and put a gag in her mouth. They carried her out to a wagon parked in front.”

  “How do you know this?” Kate asked. “I mean, if they shot Tom Carbon in the chest?”

  “He was severely injured, but he wasn’t killed. I’ll get to that part in a moment. Tom had seen the wagon when they arrived. He said they came back inside and looted his cash box and searched for more money. The one called Al was complaining that if Bob hadn’t shot him, he would have talked and told them where he hid the cash.

  But, it didn’t matter. They found the stash, anyway. It was hidden in the back room. Back to what happened. Tom said they went through the store and loaded supplies in the wagon. Mostly food, blankets, ammunition, and they took Tom’s rifle, a new Henry. They also loaded all the horse feed he had in the back room.

  Tom was lying behind the counter and heard them talking. He heard them call each other by name, Al and Bob. But, in addition to that, he heard them talking about his wife Clarice. Bob said she wasn’t as good a looker as Lucille was, but she would do until spring. I had read about the kidnapping of Lucille Shobert in Coeur d’Alene and by them using the names Al and Bob and Lucille, it was easy to put together that the men were Valdez and Engledow. I sent a wire to Chief Marshal Meek.”

  “What happened to Tom Carbon?” she asked.

  “A customer came in and found him. He was taken to a doctor in Mountain Home and the constable was called. Tom told him the information I gave you. But, he died when the doctor was operating on him to remove the bullet.”

  “Where is Mountain Home?” Man asked.

  “Take the main road south and it’s a three or four hour ride. I wouldn’t try it tonight. From the information I’m getting, it’s snowing hard north of us and moving south. I expect the front will roll in here soon. The reports
say the temperature will drop drastically after it moves through.”

  “Where is a good place to sleep tonight?” Kate asked. “We want a hotel with a stable for our horses and pack mules.”

  “I would recommend the Boise Hotel. It has a good café,” Updike said. “Go back toward town and you will see it. It’s not far.”

  “One more question,” Kate said. “How do we find the store in Mountain Home?”

  “It’s about a mile or so out of town. You’ll go by it on the way in. There’s a sign, Carbon General Store. But, I doubt it will help any. The tracks of the wagon are covered with snow. Constable Blake tried to follow them, but they were already covered. He said they left the store going west.”

  Man and Kate stood to leave. Sheriff Updike stood and walked toward the front door with them. Before they got there, he asked, “Could I look at one of the Walker Colts I was told you carry? I’ve heard so much about them.”

  Man pushed his coat back and handed one of his pistols to Sheriff Updike. The police officer handled it as if it were a piece of fragile glass. Several deputies joined him to see the weapon and Kate pulled one of hers from her holster for them to inspect.

  “How did you happen to be fortunate enough to have four of them?” Updike asked.

  Kate went through the familiar explanation, which they had often relayed.

  “I hope you have the opportunity to put them into use when you catch up with those killers,” one of the deputies said.

  Man nodded as he dropped his Walker in his holster. Kate took hers from the deputy sheriff who was holding it up for a better look at the workmanship.

  They left the sheriff’s office and rode toward the hotel. Man spotted the telegraph office and reported to Chief Marshal Meek.

  The hotel clerk was startled when the two marshals walked into the lobby wearing their deerskin clothes with two pistols on their hip and a rifle on each shoulder. They didn’t want to leave them on the saddles in a strange stable.

  Man opened his coat and showed his badge. The clerk smiled and said, “Welcome, marshals. I hope you’re here to arrest the two men that killed Tom Carbon and abducted Clarice. We’re all surprised that happened. She was quite handsome once, but is closing in on the double nickel.”

  “That makes me realize we need a description of her,” Kate said.

  “Well,” the clerk said, “I suppose I could say she’s tall for a woman, thin, only a touch of gray in her brown hair. Plain, I’d say. But she does always wears a gold necklace she says was given her by her grandmother.”

  “We hope to find them,” Man said, “but with the snow, it’ll be difficult to find their hideout.”

  “There are a lot of abandoned cabins in the area,” the clerk said. “I do a lot of hunting in that area. A lot of trappers and prospectors built them, but soon moved on when they found no ore and the fur market faded.”

  “A report said they left the Carbon Store and went west,” Kate said, “but that means nothing. They may have circled and gone in any direction.”

  “If I was you,” the clerk said, “I would go west out of Mountain Home and scout out the Snake River Basin.”

  “Thanks,” Man said.

  The clerk handed them a key to a room. “How long do you plan to stay with us?”

  “We have no idea. It depends on what we find, and of course, the snow,” Man said. “If we leave, we’ll do our best to let you know. If the snow is too severe, we may be forced to stay a few days. However, it’s possible we’ll get a lead and be out for a spell.”

  “We’ll have a room for you. We’re never full this time of year. It’s not like we have a waiting list for rooms.”

  They went into the café to eat before going to their room. The food was simple, but flavorful and they enjoyed elk stew. They found the room adequate, not plush, but not a dump, either. It had been a long day. The two marshals were tired and went to bed.

  Kate woke first, slipped from the bed, and lit the lamp. Man woke when she slid out of the bed and was sitting up when she struck the match. They dressed in a hurry and went down to the café for breakfast.

  The animals were eating oats and hay when they went to the stable. An old man was sitting by a stove watching them eat. “Nice animals you two are riding,” he said. “I gave them a generous amount of good clean oats and choice hay. I heard you were in town and going to Mountain Home. If so, they’re going to be put to hard use. The snow’s over knee deep if you hadn’t noticed.”

  “We noticed,” Kate said.

  “Good luck out there,” he said.

  Kate and Man warmed their hands by the stove as they let the horses and mules finish eating.

  “Mighty fine rifles you two are carrying,” he said.

  “Winchester ‘73,” Man said.

  Man unbuttoned his coat to find a coin in his pocket for the holster.

  The old man spotted the Walkers and said, “Oh my lord, Walker Colts.”

  “You seem to know weapons,” Kate said.

  “I packed a badge for a lot of years, but finally got too old to do it anymore. A reliable piece of hardware can be the difference in dying and living.”

  The two marshals saw the animals had finished eating and Man went for the heavy packs for the mules. Kate saddled the horses and put both of their rifles in the scabbards.

  “Good luck,” the old man said as the marshals left the barn.

  Man acknowledged with a wave.

  They rode south toward Mountain Home. The horses were fresh and handled the snow with ease. The Carbon Store was easy to find. No one was around and the door was locked. Neither saw any need to go inside the store. From the report by Constable Blake, there would be nothing inside to give them an insight on where the killers were hiding out.

  Man took the point and headed west with Kate leading the mules behind him. It was well into the evening when they reached the bank of the Snake River. It had snowed all day and the drifts were chest deep on the horses.

  “We need to find shelter for the night,” Kate said. “I’ll go north, you go south, and we’ll meet back here.”

  Man turned Arabian’s head and went downriver. Kate tied the mules to a tree and turned Red Bird’s head upriver. They were looking for an abandoned cabin or an overhang of rock to shield them from the wind and offer a dry place to sleep.

  Kate rode for a mile and didn’t see anything. She turned back and found Man waiting for her. She shook her head.

  “I found just what we need as a home base,” he said. “A cabin that can’t be more than five years old. It has a barn, of sorts, and a fireplace. The barn is not the best, but it’ll beat leaving the animals out in the wind and snow.”

  Kate rode to the mules and untied them. Man took the lead and followed his tracks from his earlier trip. It wasn’t but a half mile until she saw the top of the cabin. He rode to the front of the cabin and carried the two packs inside. There was nothing inside but the fireplace, which was already burning.

  She smiled at him and said, “Thanks.”

  “I thought the cabin could start heating while I went for you. If you had found anything better, it would have burned down and no harm done.”

  Man went outside and led the horsed and mules into the barn. He unsaddled them, put them in a stall, and went back to the cabin for oats. The grass was covered too deep with snow for them to graze. He opened the pack with the oats and carried them to the barn. The horses were anxious for their supper.

  He found Kate cooking supper when he went back to the cabin and closed the door.

  There was no place to sit but on the floor. He found the buffalo robe, laid it on the floor, sat, and leaned back against the log wall.

  “I hope the snow stops tonight,” he said. “Searching for them will be difficult if not impossible if it gets much deeper.”

  Kate brought him a b
owl of hot stew and went back for hers. She placed a canteen beside him, sat beside him, and began to eat.

  When they finished, Kate took the bowls and went to the fireplace. She handed Man a pan and said, “I need water.”

  He went outside, packed it full of snow, came back, and put it beside the stove to heat. He pulled the rest of their bedding out of the packs and made their bed, placing half a dozen blankets between the buffalo robe and the bearskin.

  He pulled his coat, clothes off, and slid inside the bed. Kate finished with the dishes and put more logs on the fire. Man had taken the time to bring them in from a pile beside the house. She went to the bed and placed her clothes on top with his.

  She found her place and used his shoulder for a pillow. He rolled over, kissed her offered lips, and whispered, “I love you.”

  She snuggled closer and kissed him again. “And I love you,” she said.

  Morning came much sooner than either wanted, but Kate reached for her clothes and dressed under the covers. She stood and pulled her heavy coat on then went to the fireplace and built a fire. When she had it burning, Man was up and dressed.

  “I’ll feed the horses and mules,” he said.

  He opened the door and groaned. She ran to look. At least another foot of snow had accumulated during the night. He went out and she helped close the door against the strong wind.

  She had the food ready when he came back. “What do we do?” she asked.

  “We might make one circle this morning and see how rough it is. If the snow is too deep, we can only wait it out here. I feel for the horses and mules. Our supply of oats is limited and with no grass to supplement it, the oats we brought will last no more than four days.”

  They went out and saddled the horses. There was no need to take the mules today. They would be back later in the day. Before they rode out of the barn, Man said, “Which way? Circle to the right or left first?”

  Kate flipped an imaginary coin and pretended to put in on the back of her wrist. “Heads right and tales left, call it.”

  He said tails.

  She removed her hand and said, “Tails. We go left first.”