Trego, page 7
“I tell you what, the race doesn’t always go to the swift.
But who says he’s on the prod, maybe he’s just passing through.”
“Well, you just be careful, they say he isn’t above shooting someone in the back.”
As I came through the doors, my eyes swept the room, Sam was setting at the same corner table that Brie and I sat at for lunch yesterday. He seen me, his eyes had a surprised look. I ignored him and went to the bar. Bayard said, “What’ll be.”
“Just a cup of coffee, Brie is making breakfast for me.” As he went to get it, I turned my back to the bar, looking at Sam, I said, “Howdy Sam, what brings you to Coolidge?”
“I didn’t know for sure, till you walked in. That’s a mighty shinny badge you have on there.”
“Yep, it sure is. If you didn’t know why you came here, what ill wind blew you here?”
“This letter, with money in it.” He held the letter up with his left hand. “It just says that the Wise River Mine is having some varmint problems. I just bet that varmint is you?”
“Could be Sam. But I don’t take too kindly at being called a varmint.”
“Whoa, there Trego. I’m not after you, yet. Cause that cash was just a teaser, the deal ain’t been cinched yet. The letter also said something about riding shotgun on a silver shipment. You might not even be the burr under their saddle.”
“Am I the burr under your saddle Sam?”
“Nope, not yet. But I’ll tell you when you are.” He said, as he tossed some money on the table and hitched up his pants, careful not to get his hand near his gun. He walked to the door and started to go out. He stopped, turning he said, “someone stole my horse.”
“Nope, they didn’t. You’ll find it at the livery, you owe me two bucks. You know Sam, I just can’t abide a man who looks after his own welfare; before taking care of his horse, how did you live so long doing that?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well Sam, you know if your horse gives out on you in the middle of the desert or even when being chased by a posse, you’re in deep shit. Hell, even a greenhorn knows that.” His face was turning red, “take it easy Sam, remember, you haven’t been paid yet.”
Bayard broke the tension, “Here’s your coffee Trego.” I didn’t turn around, “Thanks Bayard.” I said. Sam was losing some of his steam, he turned and went out, slamming the door behind him.
“That was about the smoothest job of needling that I have ever seen done.” Bayard said. “It looked like he was going to draw on you.”
“Yep, I thought he might also. Sort of wished he would of, I don’t like postponing the inventible.” I said, as I sipped at my coffee.
“How come you always talk so fancy, some of the words you use, I’ve never heard of before.”
“My Dad was pretty strict, I guess he figured if it was worth saying, it was worth saying well. Of course sometimes I fall back on the colloquial.” I said as I finished my coffee and tossed him a dime.
I was debating which door to go out, the front or the side, wondering if he was going to try and dry gulch me. Knowing how devious his thinking might be, I decided to go out the front door, figuring he would be looking for me to go out the side door.
I was right, he wasn’t watching the front door. I peeked around the edge of the building, he was watching the side door. He didn’t see me. I stepped back, should I confront him? I peeked back around the corner of the building. He was gone. Damn, I should of braced him. He was sure enough a bad man, but he was a coward. And they were the worst kind.
“You took your time, where have you been?” Brie said, as I came into the kitchen.
“Oh, I didn’t like seeing that horse suffer, so I took it to the livery. Sam wasn’t the least bit appreciative.”
“I don’t imagine that he was, you did it just to piss him off, didn’t you?”
“No, not entirely, but some, yeah.”
“Why are you doing this. Are just trying to make him mad?”
“Yeah, I guess I am. You see when someone loses their temper, they lose their reasoning. I need any edge that I can engender.”
“Why, your faster than he is, aren’t you?”
“Maybe, but he’s a back shooting coward, I need him so mad he can’t see straight. I need him to draw on me, face to face.”
Brie stood there with the hotcake spatula in her hand, thinking. “Honey, let’s just leave, let’s go somewhere else.”
“Huh! What are you talking about? Running away? We can’t do that, this town is depending on us. Yes, that’s right us. You and me. We’re a team.” I said.
“I know that, it’s just that I’m scared for you. You said that we were a team? Do you mean that?”
“Of course I do.”
“Did you know that I can shoot? My Dad taught me, both with a revolver and a long gun. I just have to brush up a little. In fact I have my own pistol and holster, I never showed it to you. Would you take me out of town so I can practice?”
I sat there thinking, me and my big mouth, what if something happened to her, I would never forgive myself. “Alright, but let’s keep it a secret, I don’t want anyone to know that you can shoot.”
“Good we can saddle one of the mares for me this afternoon, if that’s alright?”
I didn’t see anymore of Sam Benbow the rest of the morning. He was probably holed up with that bunch at the Wise River Mine. I figured they would lay low for awhile. They had the funeral coming up, plus getting that silver shipment out of town. I had that creepy feeling in the middle of my back.
Her gun was a .41 caliber Navy. Well oiled and kept. You could see that it had plenty of usage. Brie was wearing her pants, she strapped the gun belt and holster on and twirled the gun on her finger and put it smoothly in the holster. I looked at her; she hadn’t told me her whole story.
“Put on your long coat, I don’t want anyone seeing you with that pistol.”
We rode out of town right after lunch; we used the reason of going to visit the Specter ranch. Everyone was looking curiously at us. Why wouldn’t they, this was the first time that we left town since I got here. Jake was running ahead of us. Happy to be going somewhere. Tied to my saddle horn was a sack of empty tomato tins, to use as targets.
We stopped far enough away from town so no one could hear our shots. I went out about fifty yards and lined up six cans about ten feet apart.
We dropped reigned our horses. I told Jake to keep an eye on the mare. She might spook at the noise. I knew Jim wouldn’t.
“Alright Honey, see if you can hit those cans.” Brie held her Navy loosely in her right hand, then she shot once. It hit close to the first can on the left. The can flew, not because she hit it, but the dirt did. She sat herself again. The second can was a direct hit, she did the same with the remaining four. You could see her confidence building at each shot.
She reloaded. I went and sat more cans up. I came back. “That was some good shooting sweetheart. But let’s try something different. Put your gun in the holster and try drawing and shooting.”
Brie twirled the gun, just like she did back in her room. She pushed her coattails back, then before I could blink, she drew and fired, the can flew, she shot again, hitting the can still in the air, she did it four more times.
“Oh, you are the devious one aren’t you? It’s your turn to set the cans up.” I said. Brie went and reset the cans. She came back, “I’m sorry Honey, I should of told you. But my first husband when I showed him, he sulked for days.”
She was still talking when I drew both guns, emptying them in succession, keeping the cans in the air all of the while.
“Wow! I’ve never seen anything like that.” Brie said, as we both reloaded. I looked at her, “How did you learn to shoot like that?” I asked her.
“My Dad showed me some, but most of it I learned on my own. I’d go out of town on my own and practice for hours. My brother went with me sometimes, but he never really got the knack.”
“What about you?”
“About the same, hours upon hours. But remember what I said, don’t let anybody know about how good you can shoot. We want it to be a surprise. Can you shoot with your left hand also?”
“Sure, but I only have this one gun.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get you another one. In fact I think I might have one just like that at the jail, it would be nice to have matching ones.”
Brie mounted up, she sat a good saddle. I rode along side of her. “So Brie, have you ever shot anyone?”
“Goodness no. Just mainly target practice, but I used to hunt.”
“That’s about the same, only thing animals don’t shoot back at you. Well let me clarify that, there are men who are worse than animals, they do shoot back at you.”
We rode on for a little bit in silence. Brie glanced at me, “Are we going by the Specter ranch, like we told everyone we were?”
“Sure, if you want to, we have a couple hours of daylight left.”
“Yes, I would like to see Molly, I haven’t seen her all winter.”
We weren’t too far from their ranch, it only took us less than an hour to get there. All of the snow hadn’t melted yet, and sticking up through it was the first green grass of spring. There were cattle that were hunting for the new sprouts all along the way. Of course they were still being hayed. There were very few ranch’s that put up hay, but I was glad to see that the Specter’s did. That made me think, “Brie where did you get your hay last fall?”
“From the Specter’s. That is one of the reasons that I want to see them. To see if they had any extra, and also to contract for some this fall.”
“I’m glad to see that you’ve been thinking ahead. You know a lot of those ranch’s in the eastern part of the territory, don’t put up hay. One of these years there going to be sorry.
We’re due for a bad winter, when it does hit, they’re going to lose a lot of stock.”
“When do you think Montana will become a state?” Brie asked me.
“I don’t know, maybe in a few years. I heard some rumblings in Helena about that last year, I spent a week there.”
“What did you do there for a week?” Brie asked me with a sly smile.
“Not much, played some poker, drank some, you know.”
“I hear they have some fast women there, is that right?”
“I don’t know, I never seen them run. I don’t think they could be too fast, not with those fancy shoes they wear.” I said, while trying to keep a straight face.
Brie popped me with her quirt lightly on my arm. “You know what I meant, did you sleep with any of them?”
“Sleep? Nope, I didn’t sleep with them.” She popped me again.
“I’m sorry, that is none of my business, what you did before we were married. But you know how women are. If there is a loose thread, they have to pick at it till it unravels.”
“That’s alright Brie, I never did anything that I was ashamed of and I also believe that is true of you.” I said, she started to reply, but we had just rode into the ranch yard and several dogs came out to greet Jake, he whipped the leader, then they all became friends.
Molly came out, drying her hands on her apron, “Land Sakes, this is a surprise, come on in, supper’s almost ready, turn your horses into the corral, there’s hay and water there.”
Molly said, as she and Brie were heading into the house. I took the horses to the corral that was hooked onto the barn. I pulled their bridles and bits out of their mouths and hung them on the saddle horns. I loosed the cinches so they could eat and drink. The ranch dogs were showing Jake around the place.
Brie had hung her long coat on a peg in the entranceway, I hung mine beside hers. There was a big dinning room just off the kitchen, where everyone ate, including the hired hands. Charles and Robert Ringer were already there, as well as those two ex hands of Evan Blythe, that I sent out here. When I walked in everyone ignored me, they were looking at Brie. Not only her pants, but the gun and belt that she was wearing. I had forgot to tell her to take it off.
Harold looked up at me, “Set down Marshal, glad you folks dropped by. And I want to thank you for sending Clint and Chunk my way, they’re good hands.”
“No need to thank me, I was just glad that I didn’t have to shoot them.” I meant it as a joke, but I seen some at the table didn’t think it was so funny, my wife among them.
She said, “Come set beside me, Tre',” I started to sit down, but I had to untie my tie downs on my holsters, or it would have been awkward setting down. Brie had already untied hers. Strange thing, me being alone most of my life, at times I didn’t know how to socialize. In fact, since I came to Coolidge it was the first time I had been this long around so many people. I looked up from untying my tie downs, everyone was looking at me, they hurriedly averted their eyes.
The food was brought in by two Indian girls. They looked at me and nodded. I could tell by the design on their moccasins that they were Blackfoot. I guess they recognized my breed by just looking. They were nice looking girls, twins.
We all fell to, eating in silence. I was alright with that. Cause Dad and I never talked all that much when we were eating. I think Brie was a little uncomfortable with the silence. When we ate at home, she always yakked as much as she chewed.
After we were through, the hands left to do chores. The Blackfoot twins brought us fresh coffee. I pushed back my chair a little then said, indicating the girls, “How did you come by them?”
Harold said, “You mean Jane and Mary?”
“I reckon, if that’s their names?” I said.
“The last time we drove some cattle to Helena, on the way back we found them walking along the trail all by their lonesome. Turns out they ran away from the Black Robe’s. They didn’t take kindly to them trying to make Apple Indians out of them. They liked their own customs.”
Brie said, “Apple Indians? What’s that?”
“I can answer that,” I said. “it’s when they become red on the outside and white on the inside. Now me, I’m what’s could be called a Plum, the same color all the way through, not white or red.”
“That’s alright with me Honey,” Brie said, “as long as you don’t turn into a prune.” Everyone got a good laugh out of that. Even me. But I still had a question or two. “So why didn’t they just go back to the ‘res’?” I asked.
“Well, with winter coming on, we didn’t have time to get them there. We’ve been paying them a wage. That way they would have enough money to get there, come spring.” The girls had been listening. The one called Jane spoke to me in Blackfoot.
“We know the white man’s language, both what you call English and the French, we have talked, we want to go with you and your wife to town. The men here are sniffing around our flanks. We are afraid they will fight over us pretty soon.”
“What did she say?” Brie asked.
I looked at Harold and Molly, “It seems they want to go to town, if that’s alright with the both of you.” I said, making it a statement and not a question.
“Well of course they can, their not slaves, anytime they want to.” Harold said. He was looking a little green around the gills. Was he perhaps one of those that was doing a little sniffing? Or was I the cause of his discomfort?
Molly spoke up, “Yes, we would be glad to take them to town, if that’s what they want, the Lord only knows though, that I will surely miss them.” I was somewhat of a student of human nature. I think I noticed a little sense of relief in her demeanor.
I hadn’t paid too much attention to the girls, but as they cleared the table, I noticed some very womanly curves under those buckskin dresses.
Harold said, “But where will they stay? We can’t just dump them off in town.”
Brie spoke up, “I know, Trego’s Uncle lives in town, I noticed that they have a spare room. And his Wife, Garnet is a Blackfoot. I’m sure they will take them in.”
I looked at Brie, she looked at me and her face turned pale, “Oh, I’m sorry, no one is supposed to know that Lambert is his Uncle. Please don’t let that get out of this room.”
I looked at Harold and Molly, “I’m sure they will not repeat what you just told them, will you?” I gave them both a long searching look.
“Of course we won’t. We realize how that information might hurt Lambert.” Harold said.
“Good, then how about bringing them in around noon tomorrow? We’ll give Lambert and Garnet the news, I’m sure they will agree.” I said. Not knowing really if they would or not. But knowing my Aunt Garnet, she wouldn’t turn away two members of our tribe.
On the way back to town Brie spoke up, “Honey are you mad at me?”
“No, of course not. They only know that Lambert is my Uncle, they don’t know that Garnet is not only my Aunt through marriage, but also my Aunt through blood. There a lot of people that are prejudice against Indians. As you know, not too many people know that I am half Blackfoot; since I can pass for white with my complexion. A lot of people in town are as dark complexioned as I am.”
“What did Jane tell you?”
“She said that the men are sniffing around their flanks. They think that the men are going to start to fight over them. They want to leave before any trouble breaks out.”
“Really? Who exactly?”
“I think she meant all of them, even including Harold. Did you notice how relieved Molly was when we talked about them leaving?” I said.
“Yes, I did notice that. It’s rather peculiar how man’s basic instincts come out when they are trapped in close proximity to each other.” Brie said.
“Yes, sweetheart, I think that’s called ‘cabin fever’, in laymen’s terms. I see you are falling in the same pattern as I. Using an expanded vocabulary. We both will have to watch that. Bayard called me on that just the other day.”
“You mean we have to ‘dummy down’?”
“NO! Never say that. We are not dummy’s. And we will never act the part. Just use smaller words. People don’t like to feel inferior. And if we use words that they don’t understand, they think we are putting on airs.”
There was a lull in the conversation, as we watched Jake sniffing out rabbits along the trail. Brie spoke up, “I don’t think that we should ‘dummy down’, people should be what they are,” She said.
