by CJ Quincy
Two women wearing heavy rouge and low cut dresses crossed their paths, perfumed with gin and curls slipping out of dangling bobby pins.
“...and I love YOU!” Benjamin emoted and pointed both index fingers at their startled faces. The women giggled softly and kept their wary eyes on Benjamin as they scurried past and into the casino.
“I guess we need to find a place to sleep.” said Samuel, as he sat down on the side of the road.
“I'll sleep right here.” Benjamin replied, pulling his hat down over his eyes and laying on the street, his legs crossed and hands behind his head.
Samuel rubbed his temples and pushed gravel around with the tip of his foot. When he looked up to his left, he saw a large, brightly painted sign reading “The Strater Hotel.”
“Get up, Ben. There's a hotel a block away, looks pretty nice.” He took Benjamin’s hand and sagged under the weight of his friend’s leaden body. They scrambled together in one blurred moment and then Samuel hefted Benjamin’s weight down the dim and dusty street.
*
By five a.m. the next morning, Samuel had already woken, retrieved their mining uniforms from a safe box in the train depot that Mr. Kingsley had dedicated for them, and returned to rouse Benjamin.
When Samuel entered the hotel room, he interrupted Benjamin’s watery snores with a loud slam of the door. As Benjamin gazed blearily at him, Samuel tossed the rolled up uniform at Benjamin’s face.
“What the hell?” Benjamin mumbled, barely reacting to the uniform. Samuel walked over and pulled the curtains, revealing the pre-dawn darkness.
“Get ready for work.”
“Work? It's five in the morning.” Benjamin groaned as he fell back into his pillow.
Samuel fought to suppress his irritation. “If we’re going to run a silver mine, we need to know how to work at a silver mine.” He kicked Benjamin’s bed and Benjamin sat up, rubbing his eyes. “The train leaves in 10 minutes.”
*
Samuel and Benjamin boarded the mining train with the other miners, and Samuel felt every sideways glance they gave them due to their spotless uniforms. As the train began to lurch forward, Samuel politely introduced himself to all of the miners and shook their hands. They warmed to him quickly and the surprise in their voices told him they weren’t used to seeing their boss on the same train and in the same uniform, or even at all. In the lines of their faces and the grime and rips of their uniforms Samuel read a message of dedication, back breaking work, and long suffering. His clean and pressed uniform also told the story of his life, of privilege and relative ease, and Samuel wrestled with self-consciousness.
While he watched Benjamin talking with one of the younger miners, a boy who couldn’t have been more than 15, he vowed to himself that their toil would no longer be invisible or alone. He’d work himself into the ground if it meant making not only a profitable business out of this mine but a positive environment for his employees.
*
The crush of miners carried Samuel and Benjamin forward as the train pulled up to the mine. Benjamin almost rushed ahead, but with a soft tug Samuel held him back a moment. He wanted to watch and let everyone grab their gear and get positioned for work before joining in.
Once all of the men disappeared into the mine, Samuel nodded to Benjamin and they set forth to begin their first full day as miners. They walked up to a man who had already extracted some small chunks of silver.
“Kenneth, was it?” Samuel asked.
The man looked up and gave him a strained smile. “Why, yes, sir. The name’s Kenneth.”
“Well, I hope you don’t mind, Kenneth, but my business partner and I could use some training.”
Kenneth put his pick down and rubbed his scruffy beard. “You, sir? Training?”
Samuel bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. “You don’t think that we’d purchase a mine and not help out with its function, do you? What kind of men would we be?”
Visibly flustered, Kenneth shook his head and said, “Oh, I didn’t mean nothing by it. It’s just we never really saw Mr. Kingsley round here much. I’m happy to help train you, though, sir.”
“Great!” Benjamin said. He yanked a pick axe off the ground and nearly lost his footing. Both Samuel and Kenneth laughed.
“Oh, sir, you’ll want to be careful with that. Sometimes the first time using one of these isn’t easy and you can overdo it. Take a few practice swings, first, before to take that tip to the rock.”
Samuel and Benjamin eyed each other nervously and spread out, making sure no one or nothing was in their path for the practice swings. Samuel had always considered himself to be in solid shape, but the weight of the pick and the force of the swing caused his shoulders, sides, and upper back to burn.
He huffed a little and said, “You weren’t kidding, Kenneth. I’d hate to meet you in an arm wrestling match!” Kenneth laughed again and warmth entered his smile that hadn’t been there before.
“You can handle, it, sir. Just takes getting used to.” He stood a little straighter and guided the men over to the wall. “Let’s give this a shot, eh?”
“Why don’t you go first, Sam?” Benjamin asked. His face was red and glistening with sweat. Samuel knew he needed to save face.
“All right, what do I do now?” Samuel asked.
“First, lift the pick over your shoulder and focus real clearly on what you’re trying to hit.” Kenneth patted Samuel’s back a little to move him closer to the wall. “Swinging that thing right into your leg or foot won’t be pretty, and that train ride seems a good sight longer into town with a pick sticking out of your thigh.”
Samuel took a deep breath. “I’m sure.”
“Now grip the handle as tight as you can. You also don’t want to pitch this thing at the wall because it will bounce back and bite you. Just let the weight do the work and not your shoulders, because if you try too hard this beast will rip those right out of joint.”
“Got all that, Sam?” Benjamin asked.
“Yeah, thanks, Ben.” Samuel said, giving his friend a withering look. “Ok, here goes.”
Samuel brought the pick back and thrust it forward, at the last minute closing his eyes when shards of rock flew toward the three men.
“Great start, sir!” Kenneth said. “And look there, a little reward for you.” Kenneth reached into the small hole and wiggled a silver nugget free.
“This is amazing, Ben. Look at this silver–it seems so easy to extract.”
Benjamin whistled. “We need to take this into town and see how much we'll get for it.”
Samuel couldn’t believe his good fortune. If only his father could see him now! He was a risk-taker and a businessman, and he and Benjamin were going rise out of his father’s shadow and leave their own mark on the West.
*
As the train pulled back into town, Samuel clutched the satchel he and Benjamin were going to get appraised. Calculations were already swimming through his head and he was making a mental list of all the expenses that would have to be covered before they’d have an honest profit.
A soft, dry breeze welcomed them to town, and Samuel’s heart caught in his throat when he saw Penny’s shock of red hair shining among the bright fruit stands of the local open-air market.
“Ben, stay here for a moment.” said Samuel, his eyes fixed on Penny.
Ben laughed and patted Samuel’s back. “You got it.”
Samuel jogged across the crunching gravel to Penny, who turned toward him startled.
“Hello.” Samuel said, smiling wider than he ever had before.
“Hello.” Penny replied. Her eyes were hard and cold, a stark contrast to the warm russet dress she wore, and Samuel’s stomach sank. “Enjoying my Uncles’ mine?”
“Uh... yes,” Samuel ran a hand through his greasy hair, “we got a pretty good load of ore for our first day.”
“Well, sir, good for you.” She grabbed a few apples and nestled them in a basket dangling from her elbow. “I'll be on
my way now.” She turned and took a few steps away from Samuel. The breeze caught in her hair and it blew behind her, a delicate banner of her beauty.
Samuel stumbled forward. “But wait!” She stopped and turned. He looked down at the ground. “I was wondering–would you like to get together with me someday?”
Samuel gingerly raised his eyes to hers again, but his longing was piqued when she only raised an eyebrow in scorn. “You have my family's mine, and that will be the only thing you get from us. Save your advances for the women at the brothel.”
His ears must have been red as hot coals because he could feel them throbbing in embarrassment. “I don’t patronize any brothels.” Her glare made him feel two inches tall, and suddenly his exuberance over their success at the mine evaporated under the heat of her gaze.
“Only the casinos?” Samuel’s eyes widened. “Don’t look so surprised. Being from New York, you’ll have to get used to word spreading quickly in a small town. Good day, sir.” This time she turned away for good and Samuel stood paralyzed, watching her laugh and smile with the grocer with envy.
Benjamin’s heavy mining boots thudded and crunched across the dirt road as he approached and places a heavy hand on Samuel’s shoulder.
“Not like New York women, huh, Sam?”
“Not at all. That's what I like about her.” Samuel sighed as her red hair disappeared into the distance.
“Well, Sam, I'd say you may need to give her some time.” Samuel turned to face Benjamin and nodded.
“Yeah, she's not too pleased about me buying her family's mine.”
“It's your mine now, Samuel. She can't fault you for that.”
Samuel huffed out another sigh. “I guess you’re right. Let’s go ahead and see what we can’t get for this load, eh?” Samuel forced on a smile and turned his thoughts to his business once again.
Chapter VII
Samuel entered the mining train the next morning with spirits as high as the treetops. He and Benjamin began learning more about the miners, their families, and their lives beyond the dark and dusty mine, and Samuel warmed to their smiles and brushed off any discomfort that flitted across their eyes as the natural response of fraternizing with a boss. They even felt less self-conscious: their uniforms had begun to get dirty with the best of them on their first day.
However, after several hot hours of toil, Samuel and Benjamin were restless with frustration. Near the start of the morning, some chunks of silver had loosened and sprung free, but by mid-afternoon their picks were doing little more than digging holes. A grumble of confusion and annoyance rippled through the miners, but Samuel tried to keep spirits high with encouraging words and wide smiles.
However, on the third day of getting nothing for their trouble but aching muscles, buckets of sweat, and chunks of worthless rock, Samuel left Benjamin working and approached Kenneth once again.
Samuel leaned against the wall and dropped his pick in exhaustion, making Kenneth jump. “Is this normal? We've had no luck for three days now?”
Kenneth’s sorrowful eyes met Samuel’s. “No, sir.”
“Has this happened here before?”
“Yes, sir.” Kenneth nodded. “If Mr. Kingsley would go three days with no silver, he would go to town and hire the blasting crew to blow a new shaft.”
Samuel wiped his face with his already dirty handkerchief, rubbing the grit and grain across his forehead. “Well, I guess we should go to town. Where can I find the blasting crew?”
“The general store owner in town can put you in touch with them.”
Samuel nodded and stepped back. He took his stinging and sore hands out of their gloves and raised his voice to call to the other miners. “Take the rest of the day off men. We're going to town to hire the blasting crew for tomorrow. You can all ride down with us now.”
The clanking of gear and the loud conversation of the men echoed through the mine as Samuel and Benjamin walked shoulder to shoulder out into the cool shade from the bright afternoon sun.
*
As the miners spread out past the train depot and through town, making their way to the general store, the fruit stand, or home, Samuel and Benjamin passed Penny again on their way to find the blasting crew.
Penny’s blue dress was a cool oasis against the brown and beige road and surroundings, but when her eyes turned from the sudden rush of miners to meet Samuel’s, he only gave her a simple nod as they passed.
At the general store, the locked front door displayed a paper sign that said "Will Return in One Hour."
“Well, I guess we have to wait.” Benjamin said. The two men sat two of the rocking chairs on the porch of the store, and Samuel’s restlessness quickly manifested in a steady thumping rhythm.
“Guess so. Ben, does it seem strange to you that we have had no silver in three days?”
“I guess so. But Mr. Kingsley did say that this could happen.”
“I guess.” Samuel knew Benjamin was right, but it didn’t sit any easier with him. The avoided glances and low mumblings of the miners in recent days didn’t help, either.
However, Samuel’s spirit rose, just briefly, when out of the corner of his eye he spotted Penny’s red hair shining against her baby blue dress.
“Giving the miners a day off already?” She asked as she tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear. “I guess you two don't know how to run a silver mine.”
Samuel stood and responded. “We've had no silver for three days now.” Benjamin stayed seated and rolled his eyes.
“Well you must be doing something wrong, because my uncle found silver there every day.” Her superior tone irked Samuel and he shared a knowing glance with Benjamin.
“Well maybe we aren't working hard enough,” he said, showing his hands, caked in dried blood and covered in blisters.
“Oh my gosh,” for the first time since he’d met her, something like concern for him crossed her face, “that looks painful.”
“Not as painful as not finding any silver.” Penny’s crinkled brow smoothed as her gaze snapped up from Samuel’s hand to his face.
“They're open Sam–we can hire the blasters,” said Ben, as he noticed the store opening from the inside.
Penny squared her jaw and glanced toward Benjamin. “Blasters? My uncle had hired them shortly before you bought the mine. We spent a whole morning watching them; you shouldn’t need them again so soon.”
“Oh he did?” Ben said as he stood and put his hands in his pockets.
“He did?” Samuel echoed. “Well it seems he left that bit of information out of our deal.”
“Are you accusing my uncle of misleading you?” Penny’s indignation slipped out through the squeal in her voice.
“Not yet,” Samuel said through gritted teeth, “but he'd better pray we find silver with this new set of blasts.”
Penny’s back straightened and she clasped her hands together. “I don't appreciate your threatening tone, sir. My uncle is an honest man.”
Samuel cocked an eyebrow and huffed. “We'll see about that.”
Benjamin smirked, and Penny pursed her lips. “Good day to you, gentlemen.” Her heels clicked sharply across the porch as she stormed off.
“Let’s go get some blasters, Ben. No matter what she says, it looks like we have a mine to salvage.” Samuel tried to push Penny’s cold, narrowed, and beautiful eyes out of his thoughts and focused on the task at hand.
*
Penny had retained her composure after leaving the general store. As she made her way back to her uncle’s mansion, the entire situation pricked at her conscience. Those smug men didn’t deserve the self-righteous looks on their faces, or did they? She’d spent so much time seething over the loss of the mine that she’d never considered how strange it was that her uncle had sold it so quickly and willingly. Until now.
Her anxiety had boiled in her chest until it reached overflow when she slammed open her uncle’s office door.
“Uncle! Did you know the mine was empty?” Penn
y gasped, a little winded from her near stampede through the house. Her uncle scraped his feet off the desk and leaned forward in alarm.
“Darling, what are you talking about?”
“The mine, uncle. I just saw Samuel and Benjamin in town–they say that they've struck no silver in three days.” She walked up to his desk and leaned on it, towering over Kingsley.
“Three days? Maybe they need to blast.” He shrugged and leaned back in his chair. The smirk on his face told her that he was trying to make light of a situation he didn’t take lightly.
She pressed on. “You just blasted before they arrived in town.”
“Penny, the mine is no longer my concern. This is a problem they will have to deal with, as proper owners.”
“Just tell me that you did not knowingly sell these men an empty mine.”
“I did not.” Kingsley replied, scratching the top of his head. “And I am shocked that you would think I could do such a thing.” He put his hand over his heart to display his wounded nature, but his eyes betrayed him. The intensity with which he watched her wasn’t due to reproach as he’d have her believe. It was fear. Desperation.
To hide her trembling, Penny removed her fingertips from the smooth desk and clasped her hands behind her back. “Okay, uncle. I believe you. I just feel sorry for these men.” She immediately regretted her last statement.
Her uncle clicked his tongue in protest. “Remember what happened last time you felt sorry for a city slicker, Penny.”
“I remember all too well.” She looked down and took a few steps to her right, to hide her burning cheeks. “But Samuel and Benjamin may not be the same as Frederick.”
“I'd prefer it if you stayed away from these men, Penny.”
She looked up and met his eyes with a glare. “I'm a grown woman. I'll decide with whom I socialize.”
He smiled and chuckled. “So be it.” He said, waving his hand in the air as if shooing a fly.
Penny couldn’t believe that he’d alluded to Frederick. He knew that would rattle her, and she knew he did it on purpose. Without a word, Penny turned her back on her uncle and left his office.