The Golden Stagecoach
by Robert C. Waggoner
Copyright 2012 Robert C. Waggoner
Smashwords Edition
The Golden Stagecoach
Robert C Waggoner
2012
-1-
1860
Golden, Colorado
"Will, you're crazy to take the boy on the stage. We're carrying gold and chances are we'll run into bandits along the way," said Lefty.
"I've no choice Lefty. His mother is gone and I need to look after him. I'll take him to his Aunt Jane in Denver. Hell, it's only 15 miles or so."
"Okay Will, but don't say I didn't warn you."
The stagecoach was being loaded with gold in the booming town of Golden, Colorado. It was destined for Clark, Gruber and Company in Denver. Guarding the gold from bandits was a dangerous and risky job. However, for the times, the pay was good.
Standing off to the side, out of the way, on orders from his father Will Stanten, Joel, age eight looked onto the scene with a forlorn appearance. It was late fall and his mother had died of consumption. To Joel she'd been sick for a long time. Always coughing and had difficult time breathing. His father, Will, buried her in the back yard. No preacher showed up, but their neighbor and father's best friend, Lefty came with his wife and two girls. Lefty told Will, the preacher was drunk and passed out at the saloon.
Now Joel shivered in the fall weather, with an old bag containing all of his belongings. Needless to say, it was a small bag with only a few changes of clothes and the family bible.
Joel counted six men, including the driver and man riding shotgun. Two men would ride topside with rifles and two on horseback also with the latest in repeating rifles from Henry.
Four horses were used to pull the heavy coach. Joel would ride behind the back seat as it was against regulations for passengers to ride with the gold. Will Stanten was aboard his horse and gave Joel the nod to scurry behind the coach and hide in the back. The driver signed for the gold noting that he was carrying almost 700 pounds of gold in the form of dust and nuggets.
Even though it was only 15 miles to Denver, the team of horses would need a rest around half way. On the trip from Golden to Denver a nice creek ran alongside the road. About half way a place to rest the team was had just before a long uphill stretch of road that passed through some narrow gaps. One such place was famous for bandits to ambush stagecoaches. It was called, Gloomy Gulch.
It was usual for two of the riders guarding the stage to inspect the Gulch before the coach attempted passage. Of course the schedule of leaving Golden was always varied, but somehow, word got to the bandits anyway.
Joel was in the boot with the mail. His thoughts, as they left town, were of his mother. He had yet to shed a tear because his father would think him a baby. Now, tucked in the back, under a leather cover, being bounced around, he let it all loose. It wasn't a sudden death thing and he'd been aware she would probably not make the winter. That still didn't ease the pain of losing your mother.
The road was rough and he peeked out the side of the cover. He saw his father with his Henry across his saddle horn looking left and right. With that comfort of seeing his father he thought about what it might be like in Denver at his Aunt Jane's place. She was his mother's sister, but he'd never heard his parents talk much about Aunt Jane. He didn't even know if she had any children or was even married. Well, like his father would say, "You'll see soon enough."
Joel adjusted the mail bags to make a place to lie down. His father had given him some venison jerky to chew on. It tasted good but only made him thirsty. He closed his eyes and went to sleep.
Will was a little worried, as he rode along just far enough back to stave off the dust from the coach. He really didn't know much about Aunt Jane as she was five years younger than his wife. She was married, but that was all he had been told about the family. Little Joel needed a home and family, not a father who was gone most of the time. He reached up and tightened his coat collar as the wind seemed to have freshened and the temperature dropped. Fall, at over a mile high was winter in most places.
Letting the reins drop; he stuck his Henry under his arm and pulled up his sheep skin gloves. Lefty was riding alongside him. Will said, "I've a bad feeling about the Gulch Lefty."
"Yeah, me too pardner. We're almost to the rest area. I'm sure Ted will want us to ride up the Gulch and check to see if any bandits are in the area."
"Before we go, let me check on Joel. I'm sure he's fine, but can't help but think about what a nightmare it must be for a little kid to lose his mother. He has no idea what he's in for; and neither do I for that matter."
"Will, I'm sorry we couldn't take the boy, but with our growing family, we just couldn't do it."
Will looked over at his friend seeing real compassion in his face. Lefty was a good man and a good father. This riding guard over gold was a dangerous job. Both had decided to give it up when spring came. When he looked back, Ted was slowing the team for a rest break.
-II-
Joel woke up when the stage came to a stop. He rubbed his eyes and wondered where he was. It was dark under the cover, but then he remembered the smell and where he rode. He peeked out and saw his father walking up to the stage with Lefty. Both had their Henry's over their shoulders. Around their thin waist colt pistols rode in their holsters. Both had on sheep skin lined short to the waist jackets. The usual blue jeans, chaps, worn out cowboy boots and a well used hat were a picture of a cowboy or a stagecoach guard.
Will asked, "You doing okay Joel?"
"Yeah pa, doing fine. A little thirsty though," said Joel in a little boy voice.
Lefty had a water flask in his jacket pocket. He handed it to Joel. Joel drank greedily and gave it back telling Lefty thanks.
Ted, the stage driver and boss man, had just relieved himself and was walking back to talk to Will and Lefty. The two guys on top came down to stretch their legs. Walt, riding shotgun, was just finishing his job of relieving his bladder when he heard a horse coming. He hollered out, "Someone coming. Be alert boys!"
The stage was parked on a corner that was at the beginning of an uphill grade. It was a blind corner so each guard took a place to shoot from. Joel stuck his head back in and covered himself in mail bags. From around the corner came an old Indian riding bareback on a horse breed known as paint. A paint was easily recognized by having large white spots with either brown or black spots.
The old Indian raised his hand in peace and stopped beside the stage. Joel peeked out seeing an ancient grey haired Indian. He turned a little, pointed back up the road and said, "Bad men."
Ted said, "How many?" He raised his hands and counted off showing the Indian what he was asking for.
"The old Indian thought a second and raised two hands with six fingers. Ted said, "Thanks old man." Joel watched the Indian ride down the road and then it was like he disappeared. Joel blinked and his mouth fell open. It was like the road swallowed him up. He started to tell his father, but looked to see all of the guards were in a huddle talking.
Ted said, "We're sitting ducks. With a full load and going uphill, we could walk faster. Any suggestions boys?"
Five guys kicked the dirt never looking up. It would seem no one had any ideas. Lefty said, "Well, we could----------now it's only a suggestion, mind you, we could ditch the gold in that cave up yonder to lighten our load. Then we could go like hell…….."
"What the hell cave are you talking about Lefty," Asked Ted.
"Yeah'" echoed all the rest except Will. Will knew about the cave.
He and Lefty had discovered it one time deer hunting when a heavy snow storm drove them to look for a place to hide. They thanked their lucky stars. It wasn't big but large enough to
get out of the weather.
Will said, "That's a good idea Lefty. We could come back and get the gold later after the bandits see our rate of speed. They would know we are empty of a load."
Ted said, "Okay, let's be quick about it." The cave was about 100 yards off the road on the uphill side. A large rock sat in front of an even larger rock wall. One had to slide sideways in-between the two rocks to get in. A fat man, like Ted, with a big beer belly, couldn't squeeze through. He took a ribbing about his size all too often he thought.
A half hour later they were sweating but feeling better about making it through the Gulch. Will told Joel to keep his head down and no matter don't peek your head out. Joel nodded that he understood.
Ted looked around seeing everyone ready. He nodded to Walt; Walt nodded back patting his shotgun. Ted gave a shout to the team and sent his whip snapping over their heads. Everyone realized that it was about a half mile to the narrowing of the road through Gloomy Gulch. Ted kept the pace slow to have fresh horses when they approached the likely place the bandits were hiding.
At a half trot, Will looked over at Lefty grim faced. Lefty pulled down his hat against a gust of wind and nodded to his friend. Will nodded back both saying good luck and God speed.
All six men, were rubber necking the hill sides that could hide an army if need be. It was common for the bandits to hide amongst the rocks and fire down on the stagecoach and guards. However, unknown to Ted and company, only two men were among the rocks at the narrow part of the Gulch. Four others were just off the road ready to jump out and start shooting.
As Ted bellowed out to his team, he snapped the reins on horses. The team gained speed with Will and Lefty bent low over their saddles. Soon shots rang out from the hillside. The guards on top of the stage fired back, but accuracy was difficult from a moving bouncing stagecoach. Both Ted and Walt saw four men jump out in the middle of the road firing at the stage. The first two horses of the team went down and all hell broke loose after that.
A firefight ensued. The stage was stopped with four horses dead. Among the dead were both Ted and Walt. The two guys on top were still firing away, but they were sitting ducks. Will and Lefty were hiding behind the stagecoach as the four men on the road moved closer and closer.
Lefty took out one bandit and wounded another. Will fired at both the road bandits and the guys hidden in the rocks above them. Will got lucky when one bandit stuck his head out to take a look. That was his last look at life. That left one guy up on the side of the hill. All was quiet from above for a minute as the bandit moved to a better location. Unfortunately for the two guards on top, both took hits from the shooters new position.
Will took time to ask Joel if he was okay. Joel answered back he was fine. Will reloaded and that's when one of the bandits had sneaked around to the side and bushwhacked Lefty. Will spun around and shot the bandit. However, while doing that another bandit put a well placed shot into Will's belly. He went down in a heap.
All was quiet as the smoke from the guns quickly dissipated in the stiff breeze. Joel was afraid to peek out of the cover. Soon he heard voices and rough talk. Then all of a sudden the cover was thrown back and Joel was starring into the barrel of a six gun. The guy grinned with yellow teeth and said, "Look what we got here boys. We got a youngin stowed aboard the coach." Another bandit quickly came up to take a look.
He said, "He's just a boy. Let's get the gold and get the hell out of here. Old yellow teeth started to pull the trigger when the other guy said, "Hold off their Bart; were not baby killers. He's no threat to us." Yellow teeth slapped the cover back down over Joel. Joel thought he was going to die. He'd heard the click clack of the pistol cocking. He would dream for years to come of seeing the man slowly start to squeeze the trigger.
The next thing he realized it was dead silence outside the coach. He'd heard the horses ride off. Joel slowly looked out from the back of the coach. He saw his father laying on the ground on one side of the coach and Lefty the other side. Joel quickly jumped down and struggled to help his father turn over.
Amazingly Will was still alive. However, Will knew that a gut shot takes time for the person to die. He said, "Is Lefty dead Joel?"
"I think so pa. He's not breathing or moving."
"Get the bible son," he said to Joel. After he got the bible he said, "Get the pencil from Ted so I can write. Joel ran around to the side of the coach where Ted lay dead on the ground. Joel carefully reached into his shirt pocket and found the pencil. He ran back to his father. "Son get a mail sack to put under my head please."
Once he had his head up a ways, Will wrote on a piece of paper he had in his shirt pocket. When he was finished he struggled with his jean pocket for a knife. Then he sliced the back inside of the cover and slid the paper inside. Then he said, "When you get to Aunt Jane's house, find some glue and glue this page back down so it looks like it's never been cut. When you are twenty five years old, read the paper. It's a map son of the gold. Tell no one. You don't know nothing, understand me?"
"Yes sir. I'll do as you tell me, but why won't you come with me pa?"
"I'm dying son. There's nothing you can do for me. Now is my horse still here?"
Joel looked around and saw his father's horse nearby grazing some old dried grass. He said, "Yes he's here pa."
Take the dust in my saddle bags and put it in your small bag. Tell no one and show no one. A year from now gives one bag to your Aunt Jane. Tell her you forgot you had it from me. After that you do what you think is best. Tell no one what you know. Be careful how you spend the dust son. Always keep your eyes and ears open. Now take my horse and your bag to Denver. Someone will meet you at the stage depot. I'm in God's hands son and will be seeing your mother very soon. Have a good life and learn all you can. Go now as I feel the end coming. I love you Joel."
By then big alligator tears were flowing down his cheeks. If there was a God and his mother had told him yes, there was a God, then why would He take both of his parents and leave him an orphan? Joel would not leave until his father breathed no more. He sat on the ground holding his father's rough callused hand. His breath was raspy and then no more. Joel took off the back cover of the boot and covered his fathers' body.
He took the reins of his father's horse and led him to where he could mount him. Finally he found a big rock, and after a fashion, got on the horse. Then, after he calmed the horse down, he turned around and faced backwards struggling with the saddle bags. They were very heavy. He looked inside and discovered many pokes of gold dust. He put four in his small bag and when he was about a mile from Denver found a place to stash the saddle bags. Then he rode to town trying to sit tall in the saddle.
-III-
Denver with a population of just over 2500 seemed like a big town to Joel. As the sun was going down so did the temperature. He was freezing cold. He found the sheriff's office located next to the stage line. Joel slide down the side of the horse, tied it up, went inside the stage lines to report.
From the site of the holdup, seeing all the dead men and horses, almost being shot himself, then watching his father die, made Joel grow up in a hurry. A pot belly stove was working well as the room was nice and toasty. An old man stood behind the counter reading a paper. Joel wished he could read. He stood by the stove. The old man looked up at him and then back down to the paper. Joel decided to wait him out. Even though his stomach was growling and he still had not warmed up, he waited patiently.
The old man closed the paper and looked at Joel. He said, "Sonny what can I do for you?"
"I want to report a robbery of your stagecoach and the killing of my father and his friends."
The old man had a roll-your-own in his mouth and it fell to the counter. His eyes narrowed and he raised the bill of his green accountant's hat. "Come again sonny. What's your name and where do you come from?"
"My name is Joel Stanten. I'm from Golden. I hitched a ride on the gold stage because my mother died. I'm coming to live with my Aunt Jane. At Gloomy Gu
lch bandits attacked us and killed all of the stage coach guards, driver and the guy that sits beside him. They almost killed me too, but one yellow tooth guy was told not to kill babies. I'm not a baby. I'm eight years old."
"That's what I thought you said. Now you just wait her while I get the sheriff." And off he went slamming the door on the way out. Joel warmed his hands and took a seat by the stove. He was nodding off when the old man and sheriff came in. Joel had to tell the story again, but the sheriff was all ears.
Later Joel was told a posse was formed. As he was leaving the stage office with Aunt Jane, a group of riders with lanterns rode off towards Golden.
Joel would not leave his horse. Consequently Aunt Jane made arrangements at the stable to have the horse taken care of. Joel thought she was rather nice and her hand was warm walking to her house. By the time they arrived at her house, he was freezing cold. An icy wind was blowing. As soon as they walked through the door, it was a lot warmer. Joel kept his coat on while they walked to the back of the house where the kitchen was. It was much warmer as the wood stove was putting out some real heat. Sitting at the table were two girls who looked the very same. Both had blonde curly hair, blue eyes and were about six years old.
One said, "I'm Beth and this is my twin sister Bessie. My father is a banker and he will be home very soon. We heard your mother died. We're sorry and hope we can become good friends."
Joel felt a little better as he said, "I'm Joel. I'm eight years old. My mother and father are both dead. I'm an orphan. I learned that word from our pastor at church. My father said to tell Aunt Jane that I don't eat too much, track mud in the house, and never sass my elders. I take a bath every Saturday night. I hope I will be happy with you."
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