The Traherns #1

by Nancy Radke

  “He wasn’t close enough. Besides, I didn’t figure he’d make it. He might not of, with my weight on his back. I’d seen cowboys caught in cattle stampedes of just a few hundred head, where their horses tripped. There weren’t much left to bury. So I took my chances on the rock.”

  All of a sudden my plight didn’t seem so bad after all. “Were you far away from help? From a town?”

  “Only about four, five hundred miles. But I knew there was a fort southwest of me and started walking. It was the direction the buffalo had gone, and three days later I found my horse. He was mighty glad to see me, came prancing up, all pleased with himself. I braided some bark into enough of a cord that I could make an Indian bridle, and rode bareback to the fort. We were a sorry sight when we got there, I’m a’telling you.”

  “So the loss of my comb is not a tragedy,” I said. “Or my cases.”

  “You do have water,” Shorty pointed out.

  “And transportation,” I added. “And food.”

  “The necessities.”

  “But I would like my comb,” I said, tugging at my blonde hair. It was long and I liked to keep it from getting tangled.

  “Why don’t we see if Henry’s mother has a comb? For when you need it.”

  “Let’s go have supper first,” I said. “I’ll buy.”

  We turned away and the steward called me back. “If a room opens up, I’ll put you in it first thing.”

  “Thank you,” I said, and walked away behind Shorty.

  We went to the dining car and ate, and I felt fairly content. I had someone who was helping me, who knew what he was doing. If a room didn’t open up, I’d just have to sleep on a bench like the others were doing.

  Afterwards, we walked back to where the people were sitting, all jammed together, some trying to sleep on the benches, others slumped in their chairs. Shorty took one look at the cowboys, half asleep by now, and shook his head. “Sir Galahad has more room than we do.”

  I looked at him and he looked at me. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I said.

  “Fresh hay. Just put in. Can you lock the doors from the inside?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  He looked around the day car, at the people trying to get comfortable. “No one here,” he muttered and walked into the next one. There he found an elderly woman fanning herself, but alone.

  “Excuse me, ma’am, but this young lady here, has had a bit of bad luck.” He explained the situation to her. “Now she could get some needed sleep in that car, on the straw, but would need a female companion with her. If you don’t mind a bull on the other side of the stall, it would give you a chance to stretch out, too. If you wished, I’d stay there and stand guard for you.”

  She stood up. “Let’s see what you’re talking about. That’s my bag,” she said, pointing at a fairly large sack under the seat.

  We marched ahead of Shorty, he carrying the bag, to Sir Galahad’s car.

  She’ll take one look at that bull and scream, I thought, but she didn’t.

  “Nice,” she said. “I’ll take a bull over those crowded cars any day. He is some bull. Where did you get one like this?”

  I explained and she looked at the fresh hay. “We’ll have to brush each other off in the morning, but this is wonderful.”

  “You don’t mind?” I asked.

  “Dearie, I’ve slept in some pretty strange places. This actually is one of the nicer ones. I’ll take cow smell to unwashed humans any day.”

  Shorty scooped up a pile of hay and carried it over in front of the door, made himself comfy, laid his pistol beside him and was quickly asleep. Sir Galahad laid down, and so the lady and I did, too.

  “I’m Phyllis. What’s your name, dearie?”

  “Brynn.”

  “Irish sounding.”

  “Yes. My great grandmother.”

  “Well, Brynn, I think your cowboy had a good idea. Get some rest tonight and things should look brighter in the morning. I certainly wasn’t looking forward to sleeping on those benches.”

  “How long are you traveling?”

  “Three nights. Even one is too much for these old bones. But I can’t afford a sleeping car, even one shared.”

  “The steward thought there might be an extra car at one of the stops, but he couldn’t guarantee it.”

  “To go from ocean to ocean in a week. Who would have ever thought it possible?” she said.

  I thought of telling my friends and mother about the trip and realized they wouldn’t understand. I know I wouldn’t have, just a few days ago.

  The straw was sweet smelling and clean. No bedbugs to worry about. I yawned once and went to sleep, with the rocking, jerking motion of the train somehow soothing.

  The next morning I woke to see Shorty scratching Sir Galahad under the chin. I stretched and walked over to look out the slats on the side of the car. The scenery was passing by, the same as before, except there seemed to be a lot more trees.

  “We’re over the main part of the Rockies,” Shorty said. “We went through last night. I get off in less than an hour. I’ll head out on another train to Virginia City. See if you can find a young couple to come in here tomorrow night. You should be in Baker City the next day.

  “Thank you, Shorty.”

  Our voices woke Phyllis up.

  “The train’s slowing down,” she said, brushing the hay off her clothes.

  “Maybe we’re already there,” I said, doing some brushing of my own.

  Shorty looked through the slats.

  “No, we haven’t got there. We’re being held up.” He turned to Phyllis. “Throw some hay over your bag. Hide it, quick. Your jewelry, too.”

  I had on the ring my father had given me for my eighteenth birthday. I took it and the money I had, except for a few dollars, and put them into Sir Galahad’s feed trough. Then I threw some hay over them.

  Sir Galahad walked over and started to eat. I ran over and grabbed more hay and threw it in, too.

  Suddenly a masked man threw open our door and charged in.

  “What?” he said, looking about, surprised.

  “Just feeding the bull,” Shorty said, stepping aside to let him pass. I noticed he had stuck his pistol in the back of his belt, so I could see it, but the robber couldn’t.

  “Give me your valuables,” the robber demanded. I handed him my purse and he pulled out the few dollars. “This all?” he said.

  “We’re just workers, taking this animal to town,” Shorty said.

  “He’s a fine bull. Worth lots of money,” the thief said, looking Sir Galahad over.

  “But he doesn’t walk fast,” I said. “Look how short his legs are. You can’t hurry him.”

  Frowning, the robber handed my purse back. “You got anything,” he asked Phyllis.

  “Not on me,” she said.

  He nodded and stepped out the end door.

  Sir Galahad was munching away. I hoped he wasn’t chewing up money. I started to walk over to him when Shorty shook his head.

  “Not yet. He’ll come back through.”

  He did and quite quickly. I was glad Shorty had stopped me, or I would have been found out. The thief glanced around the car, then left. I ran over and grabbed the money just as Sir Galahad was sniffing it. I stuffed it into my purse. If Shorty hadn’t been there, the thief would have taken it all, since I wouldn’t have thought to hide it.

  I dug out my ring, put it on my finger, and said, “You had your gun. Why didn’t you shoot him?”

  “I would have if he’d have threatened you. But a gunfight in an enclosed boxcar might end up in you or Phyllis getting shot. Or Sir Galahad.”

  “Oh.” I looked at the bull. “I didn’t think…”

  He laughed. “You’re more concerned with that bull than you are with yourself. But a stray bullet can kill as well as an aimed one. Money is not worth getting killed for.”

  “At least he took your explanation that we were workers.”

  “If you’
d been wearing your fancy Baltimore clothes, he would’ve searched further and found your cash.”

  “So I have this dress to thank for not being robbed?”

  “That’s right. You don’t look like you have more than a dollar to your name.”

  About ten minutes later, the train started up again, and soon pulled into Soda Springs, which wasn’t much more than a few scattered buildings and a place for the train to take on more wood and water.

  I fed Sir Galahad his breakfast, then joined Phyllis and Shorty for breakfast in the dining car. There weren’t as many people there. I wondered aloud what had happened.

  “The thieves took their money,” Shorty said. “They can’t pay for food now. So they aren’t here. You’re seeing the people who hid their money, or at least hung onto some of it.”

  We finished and went into the day cars. Everyone was talking about the robbery. One man had lost his gold watch and looked extremely bitter, while another had had his life savings taken from him. That man just sat there shaking his head. “Guess I’ll just go earn some more,” he said. “Only next time I’ll spend it on my family. I’ve been frugal all my life, then some stranger takes what should have been my children’s inheritance. Doesn’t seem right.”

  Shorty’s cowboy friends had stuffed what money they had with them in their boots. They told the robbers they had been to the big city, spent all their money there, and were going home broke. The fact was that Shorty had made them give most of their money to him before going out on the town, so they had their pay from the cattle drive with them.

  With them, but not on them. Shorty was their bank. He had dropped his money belt under Sir Galahad’s manger and kicked straw over it while we were hiding our things.

  The train continued on to the next stop where Shorty and his friends got off to take another train to Virginia City. We were there for almost an hour as people unloaded from one train and loaded onto the other.

  Shorty got off with a quick, “So long.”

  I wanted to thank him, but he was gone before I could get out a word.

  I stepped outside to watch the goings on. Our train was a long one, and the number of people milling about would have populated a small town. I noticed we had three engines attached at the front, and asked the steward about it. He said it usually took two to get us over the Rockies, but they had put three on because we were carrying a lot of weight this time.

  People had ordered farming equipment, stoves and heavy objects they weren’t able to bring out on the wagons. Now that the trains were opening up the country, folks were growing crops and planting orchards. Their produce was taken to the towns in the east and the money spent on fixing up their farms and homes.

  I had just turned away from talking to him, when Shorty ran up to me.

  “Brynn. There you are.”

  “Shorty. I wanted to say goodbye. And to thank you.”

  “I ran over to the store to get you this,” he said, and held up a woman’s comb.

  I was so happy, I threw my arms around him and kissed him. I don’t know who was more surprised.

  “Thank you. Thank you. I must repay you for all your kindness,” I said.

  “You just did,” he said with a gallant bow. “I can wear that the rest of my life.”

  “All aboard,” the calls came.

  “I gotta go. Our trains are leaving,” he said.

  “Goodbye, Shorty. Thank you for rescuing me.”

  “My pleasure, Ma’am.”

  I watched him sprint for his train, and hastily climbed back onto mine. The trip was going to be a lot longer without Shorty’s cheerful self.

  I stopped to see how Henry’s family had fared during the robbery.

  “Better than some, worse than others,” his father replied. “We were busy with the children and didn’t realize the train had not stopped at a regular stop. They took my wife’s wedding ring and all our money except for what Henry had earned. They didn’t think he would have any, so didn’t bother him. But I had picked up a load of farm equipment while we were visiting our family back in Michigan. I planned on using some and selling the rest. So I still have that.”

  “And we can use my money for food until we get there,” Henry said, proudly.

  “How did you fare?” his father asked.

  “I would have lost everything, except Shorty had us hide it before the robber got to our car. We were with Sir Galahad, and hid it in his straw. I’d like to give you some money, if it will help. At least enough for meals.”

  “No, thank you,” his father said.

  “Yes. Please,” his mother said. She looked at her husband. “It’s all right for us to go without, but the babies don’t understand. She turned to me. “I’ll take enough to feed my three little ones here, if you don’t mind. Otherwise they will be crying and fussing the next two days.”

  I handed her a ten-dollar gold piece. She started to refuse that much, but I told her I was lucky, and didn’t mind sharing the luck. “I could easily be sitting here hungry with you. And since I don’t like eating alone, I’ll share your table, if that’s all right.”

  “That’s more than all right. Thank you.”

  “Now Shorty bought me a comb, and I’m going to find a mirror and use it. I feel like I’ve still got straw in my hair.”

  “I’ll go take care of Sir Galahad,” said Henry.

  “Yes. I’ll join you shortly. He should have finished his breakfast by now. Then we can all go to the dining car. I just realized you weren’t there this morning.”

  “We’ll get the children ready and meet you there,” said Henry’s mother.

  “I’m Brynn Porter,” I told her.

  “I’m Annabelle Parker.” She named off her children, but there were ten of them, including two sets of twins, and I lost the names as she went through.

  We had an enjoyable meal together. I decided I was actually having a better time than I had the first part of the trip, where I had stayed isolated in my private car, hesitant to meet these folks who did not live up to my mother’s dress standard. I’d got my hair untangled, and all the straw out and felt ready to take on the world.

  Mother had said I needed to broaden my horizons. I don’t think she had this in mind. I think she wanted me to look around, find out how wonderful life was back home, and return as soon as I could.

  I gazed outside at the marvelous scenery and realized how immense and beautiful this land was. I could see from horizon to horizon, carried safely though the wilderness by the train. It was an experience I would never forget.

  I helped Annabelle feed the youngest babies. I had never done this before, and found myself having to learn a few tricks to get a baby to eat.

  “They might be hungry, but they still want their way,” she said. “The youngest is a year old, and I had just stopped nursing him before we took this trip. It was a little sooner that I’d like, but he was handling the solid food, so we came. It’s almost impossible to nurse a baby in the day coach.”

  “How do you care for them all?”

  “The older children help. At first it was pretty rough, but each child has his own responsibilities. Henry is our oldest, and he now helps his father exclusively with the farm work. Mary Beth is next,” she smiled at her eldest daughter who looked a year younger than me, “and she is my right hand. She can fix a meal, make preserves, and run a house as well as any woman.”

  Better than me, I thought. Our cook had never allowed me in our kitchen. It was one reason I’d helped with the bulls. It was the only place I could mess things up and not be criticized for it.

  The children ate a lot, and I was glad I had given them the ten dollars. I could see that the money would not last long.

  “How do you manage to feed and clothe them?” I asked.

  “We stay away from town,” she said with a smile. “We’ll probably never make this trip again, at least not with the children. Maybe after they are all married and gone.”

  “Mary Beth won’t last long
,” I said. “Any girl as skilled as she is, should find a husband out here, very soon.”

  “Yes. She has several suitors already. There are about twenty men to every woman right now. That’s changing swiftly, with the railroads making it easier for women to come out. It wasn’t that way when we came. We used a small cart pulled by two oxen. But we came and survived and look at us now.”

  “Where do you live?”

  “Just outside Dayton. It’s rich farmland, and the people grow way more than they can use. We have a train that just carries fresh fruits and vegetables back east. They can do it in less than six days, because they don’t have to stop and load people on and off. It has made our town a boomtown of sorts. Ours, and Walla Walla, and the land around Umatilla. We feed a lot of people.”

  “That’s where I’m taking my bull. Walla Walla. What’s it like?”

  “The first settlers brought seeds in their wagons. Apple seeds. Oak and maple and elm seeds. The town is covered with shade trees, many of them twenty years old by now, so it is a very pleasant place to live. I’m sure you’ll like it there.”

  Her description was at odds with Lizzie’s, who had written of bare plains and dust. Was I going to the same place?

  The steward stopped us as we left the dining car, to tell me he had a sleeper car for me. “I got it from the train we just passed. It took me a while to get it cleaned up for you.”

  I only had two more nights, but it sounded wonderful. I said goodbye to the family and followed him to the car.

  It wasn’t as nice as the one I had had, but it did have a small washbasin.

  “Thank you,” I told him. “This will make my trip much easier.”

  He nodded, pleased, and left me.

  The first thing I did was get clean. I still would have to put on my dirty dress, but it felt wonderful to wash my hair and have my skin clean again. It made me think of Annabelle and her littlest ones. They had grime in the creases of their skin. I looked at the basin. I shouldn’t have used so much water, but I still had enough that we could wash down those three, the twins and the baby.

  I combed my hair, got my dress on again, and walked through the cars to where they were sitting.

  Annabelle had just gotten them to sleep, so didn’t want to wake them. I told her the number on my door, and left them to go see Sir Galahad.