Trego, page 4
“Is that Evan Blythe’s son?” I whispered to Brie.
“Yes, he’s a total bully.”
“And those other three?”
“Gun hands, some of the same strip that you ran out of town yesterday.”
No one was getting up to handle the meeting, everyone was starting to fidget. “Who’s going to run the meeting?” I asked my soon to be wife.
“I don’t know, they are all scared of the Combine.”
“Alright, you stay here.” I said, as I worked my way to the front of the room. The room grew silent as I stood in the front.
I cleared my throat, “Who’s the school Marm here?”
A young woman in her early twenties stood up. “I am.” She said, with a slight tremor in her voice.
“Well Mam, do you know the Parliamentary Rules of Order?”
“Yes, we’ve studied them in class.”
“Good, then you come up here and conduct this meeting. I’ll be the Master-at-arms. No one that isn’t recognized by the Chairwoman, that’s the school Marm here. Will be allowed to speak. The purpose of this meeting, I take it, is to elect a city council and then a mayor, and then the city council and mayor to appoint a new town marshal. And let me say this unequivocally, anyone who tries to intimidate any one else, will be shot by me…” Then I turned and went and stood to the side.
That last part probably wasn’t any part of the rules of order, but it was necessary. The school Marm did a good job, except when it came time to vote. She started to have a show of hands. I stepped forward and said, “Perhaps we should have a secret ballot. Let’s pass out paper and everybody write down who they want, of the one’s who have been nominated, and then the Marm and I will tally them. Any objections?”
Evan Blythe’s son raised his hand. The chairwoman recognized him. “How come you get to count? You’re not even a citizen of this town.”
“Because that’s just the reason why, because I am new here and impartial. Now if you don’t know what impartial means, it’s simply that I don’t know any of you, so I don’t take sides.”
Paper was passed out, along with pencils. As they deliberated, I watched their faces. The Wise River combine, were whispering back and forth, Evan had been nominated for Mayor. Plus his son and been for a council member. There were seven openings for council. Evan Blythe had marked his ballot, then he stood up and stared around the room, trying to catch the eye of anybody who looked up. No one looked up. I said:
“Blythe sit down and keep your evil eye to yourself.” He glared at me, he started to bluster, “shut up also.” I said, loosening my right hand gun in its holster. I had counted the people here, there were one hundred and ten, not counting myself, I didn’t plan on voting.
All of the ballots were passed up front, we sat down and counted them, marking the results on a piece of paper. Then we counted the total votes, there were a hundred and twenty ballots. The school Marm and myself looked at each other. We compared the hand writing, the duplicates had all voted for Blythe or his son. We separated the ten. I took them and went and stood in front.
“Funny thing, there are a hundred and ten people present, not counting me. And we have a hundred and twenty ballots. These ten match the handwriting of ten who voted for Blythe and his son. Now I would say they are trying to cheat, wouldn’t you?”
The place erupted in yells and curses. “Now hold on, I am going to burn these ten false votes. And then we will announce the winners.”
I went over to the big pot bellied stove and tossed them inside. I gave the school Marm the high sign to announce the winners. It turned out that most of the shop owners were on the council and guess who was the mayor? No, it wasn’t Brie. It was Klaas Bleecker, the Blacksmith. Blythe and his son were shut out. They stood up, Blythe said, “This isn’t over!” Then they stomped out.
Brie came over and kissed me, “Well Howdy, I get to kiss a council member.” I said. “I certainly didn’t want it, but I guess I’ll serve, for awhile anyway.” She said.
Most of the people filed out into the snow. The new council members and the Mayor stayed. They came toward me, we’ve decided to offer you the job of Marshal.”
“Me, why you don’t know anything about me. Surely there is someone more qualified.”
Brie said, “You’re right, we don’t know much about you. I guess that’s what makes you the most qualified.”
“Well, I guess I could do it, till you find someone else.” We all left, Brie and I went by the Marshal’s Office and I picked up the badge. And all the keys. I locked the door.
As we walked back to her place, she said, “You know, I wasn’t kidding, we don’t know much about you. Last night we were supposed to talk and tell each other about our past. I told you, but somehow, you didn’t tell me anything.”
“I didn’t? I’m sorry. I’ll try and correct that. But it would just bore you.”
“Let me be the judge of that. For you see when you love someone, anything about them is not boring.”
“Alright, I tell you what, if you want you can shave this beard off of me, then you will be able to see the real me.”
“That’s a deal, I don’t like your beard anyway. But I’m going to leave your mustache. And are those buckskins you have on the only clothes you have?”
“I’m afraid so, I was thinking about buying some new clothes. Would you help me do that?”
“You bet I would. We can do that today.” Brie tried to skip, but the deep snow made that impossible.
“Alright, but I have to get my saddlebags, Jim is watching them for me.”
“Your horse is watching your saddlebags?”
“Yep, he’s better than a bank. If someone would try to take any of my tack, he would kick their heads off.”
We went to the barn, then into the small side door. The main door was snowed shut anyway. Jim nickered at me. I went over and hugged him. Then gave him some oats. My bags were hanging right beside him. Brie said, “here I will carry one of them.”
“I don’t think you can, here give it a try.” I handed her one of them. She dropped it. “What in the world do you have in there?”
“Filthy lucre. That’s all.” I said.
“Lucre? Oh, you mean money. How much do you have?”
“I don’t know for sure. More than I need, and that’s a fact.”
“Where did you get it?”
“I dug it up.”
“You mean, like from a gold mine?”
“Well, not exactly, but it was in the ground. I’ll tell you about later, it’s not that exciting, pretty mundane.”
I left one saddlebag with Jim, we took the other one. Brie was silent. I could almost see her gears go around. We put the saddlebag under her bed. Then we went down to the kitchen and she dug out her ex’s old shaving brush and soap mug, plus his straight razor and strop. I never owned one.
“Have you ever used that razor before?” I asked.
“Sure, who do you think shaves my legs? Take off that shirt.” I did as told….
My beard had never been shaved. I guess I really didn’t know what my own face looked like. She lathered up the soap in that mug to a froth. Then worked it into my beard with the brush. It tickled. I closed my eyes. If I was a praying man, I would of prayed for sure.
“You can open your eyes now, I’m done. Do you want to see yourself?”
I nodded. She held up a hand mirror. I looked then I looked at Brie. “Well, how do I look?” I asked.
“Why, you’re handsome, didn’t you know that?”
“No, I’ve never seen myself before. I mean without the beard. Are you sure I look alright?”
“Yes, do you want some toilet water, I have some.”
“Toilet water? I don’t understand, you mean water from the toilet?”
“No, silly, it’s a cologne. It smells nice. How can you not know what toilet water is, you’re so well read with a fabulous vocabulary?”
“I guess I never paid much attention. Or I didn’t understand what they were referring to. I’m not perfect you know?”
“Sweetheart, to me you are, don’t ever doubt that.” Brie said, then sat down in my lap and kissed me. Caitie and Brona came into the room.
“Who are you kissing now, won’t Trego get jealous?” Brona said.
Brie stood up and spread her arms and said, “Ta-da. It is Trego.”
“Wow! What an improvement.” Caitie said, I threw the washrag at her.
“Come on, get your shirt back on, lets go shopping.” Brie said. Then to the girls, “You two need anything?”
“We both could use some new night clothes. And underwear. Oh yeah, some long john’s, it’s getting colder.” Caitie said.
“Are all of the chores done?” Good, then why don’t you both come with us, you can pick out what you want yourselves.” I said.
Brie said, “Sure, come along.”
The Mercantile and Ladies Haberdashery were overjoyed when they seen how much we were buying. All three of the women were having fun picking out my clothes. Of course they wouldn’t let me pick their clothes.
Brie was still wearing her pants and sweater, under her topcoat. She got stares of course. The stores stock was surprisingly diverse. Brie had picked out a wool suit for me. I had never wore one before, a suit that is. It came complete with vest and two pairs of pants. Of course also a plethora of other stuff.
When it came to their clothes they had a large selection. Brie said, “I need to try clothes on. Where can I change at?” The clerk indicated a privacy screen in the back.
All three of the women took clothes back there. The screen was only about six feet wide and five feet tall. It was little bit comical. Every once in awhile, a naked butt would protrude from either end of the screen. The woman who ran the women’s clothes department put a run on all of the male clerks, she made them go into the mercantile part of the store. Of course I just stood there watching.
It took another hour for them to make all of their selections. I went to the cash register to pay. She rang it up, she gave a small gasp. “My goodness, I have never had a bill so large. It all comes to six hundred and thirty dollars.” She looked at me. I reached into my pocket and paid her in what was becoming known as Greenbacks. Then I gave her a double eagle as a tip. She slipped it into her apron pocket.
“Can you have all of this delivered to Mrs. Stevens house?” I asked.
“Of course, we would be glad to.”
It was around eleven in the morning. We still had time to get the noon day meal ready for Brie’s borders. As we were walking back through the deep snow, Brona said, “What are you rich, or something?”
“No, I don’t think so. I just have a lot of money. Having money doesn’t make you rich. You are only rich, when you are satisfied with what you have. And I won’t consider myself rich till Brie and I are married.” Brie snuggled closer to me.
We were just coming up to the Saloon, when the winter door’s banged open. Out staggered Blythe’s son, flanked by two of those hard cases of his father’s. They seen us and pulled up short. The kid said, “Well, if it isn’t the bum, without his beard, but he has his Cur Bitch’s with him.” The guy on his right, said, “Shut up Kid, I know this guy, just shut up and come on.”
“Nope, not on your life, I can take him.”
“Listen Kid,” said the guy on his left, I also know him, his name is Trego. You’re not going to drag us into this.” Then he clipped the Kid on the chin, he went out like a candle in a blizzard. The Guy on the right caught him. They both took an end and packed him off toward the Wise River Mine Office.
Brie looked at me, “You have a lot to tell me, just who are you?”
“What you see is what you get, isn’t that enough?” Brie looked into my eyes, then leaning forward, she said, “Yes, it is.” Then kissed me.
After lunch, I thought it would be proper for me to make a showing, after all I was the town Marshal. I kept my knee high moccasins’ on. They were so well treated with bear grease, no moisture could penetrate.
I built a fire in the pot bellied stove in the jail. It didn’t take long to thaw out the bucket of water. There was a bar of lye soap in a saucer. I wet a rag and rubbed it on the bar of soap, then I used it to polish the badge. I wanted it nice and bright.
I had left Jake with Brie. I didn’t need him catching a stray shot. I remember a story of a gun fight in the bar at Bannack, somewhere around 6l or 62, I disremember the exact date. Anyway the point being, the only one who got shot was a dog asleep under a table. Most miners were very bad shots.
I pinned the badge on my vest. There was a little trick that my Dad had taught me. Do you remember the chain mail armor, from the days of yore? I thought you might. Anyway, my Dad had some. He said it was good to keep knives out of your hide. So I thought why not bullets? So I took about a foot of it or so and folded it down to about six inches square. I had this under my shirt, pinned behind that star. I figured if I shinned it up right smart, why they just couldn’t help but shoot at it.
One thing the shop owners were pretty good about, was that they had shoveled off the board walk that lined main street in front of their stores and such. The street was not so lucky, the snow had sort of become a muddy mush.
I double checked my .44’s. I made it a point to go in every store or shop and introduce myself. At the Barber shop, I stepped in, the Barber had his back to me, there was no one else in the room. He turned at the sound of the cow bell above the door. His eyes were as gray as his hair. He stared at me, like he knew me.
The funny thing about it, he looked pretty familiar to me also. My mind went back to this spring when I closed the lid on Dad’s casket. We stood there staring at each other. He said, “Come in son, you need a hair cut.”
“Who the hell are you?” I asked.
“My name is Lambert Crane, and if I’m not mistaken you’re the son of Howard Shelby. And I think that would make you my nephew. I’ve heard a lot about you Trego. Some good, some not so good.”
“Now just hold on there. You say Dad and you were brothers, how come he never mentioned you? Or come to think of it, any of his family? Heck, you don’t even have the same name.”
“Well now son, that’s not my fault, your father took his mother’s maiden name of Shelby. You see we were half brothers, we had the same father. Your mother was a Blackfoot, her name was Shelby Tall Elk. She was the one who named you Trego. I suppose your Dad told you all this, right?”
I stood there transfixed. I shook myself, “No, he didn’t. Not one word.” I plopped down in the chair.
“Where is your Dad? Is he doing well?”
“Well, Yes, he’s feeling no pain. I buried him this spring. So what about my Mother, where is she?”
“Your Dad didn’t tell you? Well I guess he didn’t. Your mother was killed by some high binders. Your Dad went on a rampage, he killed all of them, some twenty in all. Then he took you and disappeared. I heard tales about you from time to time. I seen you the first day you got here, figured you’d get around to coming in here sooner or later.”
I sat down and he gave me a hair cut. Brie would be surprised, I think she liked my long hair. But at times it sure got in the way. I felt the back of my head, it felt naked. “Wow! That’s going to freeze, you don’t have a scarf that I can borrow, do you?”
“Yes I do, my wife knit’s them, along with sweaters and stuff, she sells them.”
He proffered me one, I wrapped it around, that felt better. “How much do I owe you.”
“Nothing, you’re kin.”
“No way, I pay my way.” I tossed him a double eagle. He caught it. He looked at it, like he knew that too.
“Ah, you still have a lot of them, I take it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but yeah, I have enough. What are you getting at?”
“Nothing, just a comment. You have change coming, hold on.” He gave me eighteen silver dollars back. “a dollar for the haircut, one for the scarf.”
I took the money, held it for a second, “I tell you what, why don’t you just keep this and put it on my account, that way all that weight won’t weigh me down.”
“Yeah, I can see why you don’t want extra weight, with those twin .44’s you’re packing.” He smiled wryly at me. “That sure is a shiny badge you have. Is it supposed to be a target?”
“How did you know?”
“I remember the days of yore myself. Your Dad and I used to play with that chain mail all of the time. Watch your back son.”
“I plan on it, Uncle, I plan on it. By the way, don’t tell anybody we’re related.” Then I went out on the boardwalk, the wind caught the tails of the bright red scarf and waved them in fate’s eye.
I had more enemies in this town, then friends, or at least that was what I thought. Maybe I was just starting to get paranoid. But I doubted it.
I knew I was half Blackfoot, and that’s why I had a dark complexion compared to Dad’s. So that was why I also had his volatile nature. Over twenty, huh!
As I walked toward the saloon, I was thinking, just what brought me to this town. I don’t remember setting any particular direction. I just sort of let the reins lay on Jim’s neck, he brought me here, him and Jake. As I remembered, Jake was always out in front. Maybe it was Jake who was the guiding force?
I made a mistake that I couldn’t afford to make; thinking. That is being absorbed in thought and not paying attention to the ambient. The first shot slammed into the post that I was just passing, the next one went wide also. It was Junior, the Blythe kid. He had just staggered out of the saloon door, he held the gun in both hands pointing it at me.
I raised my left hand gun and shot him in the leg, I hoped it hadn’t hit an artery. Those same two that had baby sat him last time busted through the door. They had guns in their hands. “Drop them, or I won’t just shoot you in the leg, I’ll give you a new nickname, Cyclops.”
“Huh?” They said, as they complied and dropped their guns. “Don’t shoot, we know how you can shoot, we seen you shoot three guys over at Fort Benton. They were friends of ours.”
