Dream Car

She had to laugh, after saying goodbye to Peter, when she signed for a modular based online teaching course at an American University, whilst sitting at her lounge diner table over a cup of drinking chocolate!

She checked that her father's ashes were resting on the seat beside her, put her father's old Stetson on and closed her eyes, to awake blinking but refreshed in the Sweetwater Valley Stagecoach. Since she had gone, the vehicle was somehow turned around, now pointing towards Sweetwater instead of away. The driver and the shotgun rider were slumped sleeping, exactly as she remembered them as she tried in vain to stay awake. She knew that as soon as Chuck and Dale awoke, they would move off towards the Valley without ever looking back behind them in the direction of Carson, where there was simply an empty nothingness.

This time she gave them time to wake up naturally, which only took a few minutes, giving her time to put the small urn of Pop's ashes into a valise she had left the Sweetwater Hotel with and remained where she left it on the hard wooden stagecoach seat. It would have looked odd if she was going away for two days without carrying a small bag.

When she climbed down off the Stagecoach in front of the Grand Hotel at High Noon, she noticed a number of trunks on the top of the stagecoach, marked with the owner's name, 'Holywell, MD".

"Hey, Chuck, where's the Doc?" she asked. "We didn't leave him behind when perhaps he wandered off for a break at Wet Patch Gulch?

"No, Ma'am," Chuck laughed, which Dale joined in, "them trunks wus waitin' in the Stagecoach office in Carson. They'd bin left there an' we wus asked ter bring 'em in the next empty coach. You, Ma'am wus sleepin' like a baby, when we loaded up them trunks."

"Least ways," Dale said, scratching his week-old chin whiskers, "Ah assume ya wus asleep cos we never heard no peep from ya and we wus a mite reluctant ter disturb ya'll."

"Where will you store them?"

"We'll teke 'em straight down ter his rooms, above Hoo Wang's laundry."

"Do you have a key to his offices?"

"Dang, no, Ma'am, there ain't a single lock on any door in Sweetwater, 'ceptin' the jailhouse an' the Courtroom!"

Chapter 9

Caroline watched Chuck and Dale carry the Doctor's trunk towards Doc Holywell's offices, above the Chinese laundry. She was curious about the Doctor, but didn't feel it prudent for a lady, of some considerable standing in these parts, to display her curiosity.

"Howdy, Miss Caroline, how are yah today?"

She turned to see that Marshal Tom Denton had walked down from his office to meet her as she arrived on the Stagecoach.

"I am very well, thank you, Marshal. What about you?"

"Why Ah'm fine, considerin' Ah wus out on the range fer more'n a week, tryin' ta track down them pesky rustlers."

"Poor man, you must be exhausted. Did you make any progress with your investigations?"

"Ah'm a mite bit tired, but that comes with the job, Ah guess. Kin Ah have a quiet word with ya Miss Caroline?" the Marshal bowed his head, leaned in and whispered, "in mah office where we cain't be overheard?"

"Why of course, Marshal," she smiled, "lead the way and I'll surely follow."

She held out her arm for him and the Marshal took it before they moved off towards the Marshal's office.

Their boots clumped crisply upon the wooden sidewalk, the Marshal's silver spurs jangling in addition. She had to take two steps for his every one, but he slowed the progress of his stride to a funereal pace, so she did not have to increase her normal walking pace. She had already noticed how well suited he was turned out, as usual, in his official capacity as the lawman and peacekeeper in the Sweetwater Valley territory. Tall and lean, the Marshal was resplendent in his dress, from his polished black boots up to his tall black hat and silver band, with silver-buckled gun belt and twin pearl handled Colt 45s, black string tie, white starched collar shirt, grey waistcoat with watch and chain, and long black coat. Caroline thought that he looked every inch the township's protector of the peace, a catch for any self-respecting woman looking to carving a life out of a growing community on the very edge of civilisation.

The Marshal turned the handle and swung the door open to usher the lady into his office. She had never been in here before. It looked quite typical, the unpainted wooden walls the same as all the walls in town were. There were a few wanted posters on one wall, a map of Sweetwater Valley Territory on another wall. An ornate wooden desk, clearly shipped in from Back East, with a captains chair on castors behind it and a couple of plain wooden chairs set in front. A few drawers behind the desk and against the wall, were no doubt for file storage. A closed door on the back wall must lead through to the single cell in the jail. She remembered Judge Justice Makepeace saying that Sweetwater was too small for much of a jail, so it was impossible to lock the three desperadoes who gunned down her father separately; it gave them opportunities to agree their stories before questioning and again before the actual trial.

"Would yah like ta take a seat, Miss Caroline?" The Marshal asked, scraping back a chair and indicating that she take a seat. The words shook her out of her momentary reverie.

"Thank, you, Marshal," she sat in the chair, while he moved around to the other side of the desk, while throwing his black hat onto the hatstand in the corner.

"Please call me Tom, when we are on our own, Miss Caroline, like ya'll did a couple o' times last week back at the Lazy C. Ah would like us ta be friendly."

"All right, Tom. Now, what is it you wanted to speak to me about?"

He eased himself into his chair, "Ya half-brother, now, Samuel "Red Coyote" Pinner Junior, do ya know how often he visits the Injun Reservation?"

"No, not exactly, maybe a couple of times a week?"

"Don't ya think that that's excessive, fer someone with a huge ranch to run?"

"Well, other then the mountain being in the way, they are the ranch's closest neighbours, and both his mother and grandfather live there. I would have thought it natural to maintain contact with his family. Other than myself, they are all the family he has. So what are you getting at, with this line of conversation, Tom?"

"Ah believe that Sam is involved in this rustlin' business, replacing the cows he's given to the Injuns with cows from other ranches. The Lazy C has so many cows he can easily hide fifty more on the ranch."

"You can't be serious, Tom, Sam has plenty of cows as you know, he loves the ranch and he wouldn't do anything to—"

"Yeah, a ranch that he would've expected to have bin all his outright, if'n it weren't fer ya'll comin' here from Back East."

"He's my brother. As far as I am concerned he could have the whole ranch. He's worked all his life for my father and he's earned every penny that the ranch is worth. I have done nothing to deserve a penny. Now, if we're talking Marshal business here about my family members, then I'm back to calling you Marshal. Now what grounds do you have for these scurrilous suspicions?"

"Why, ain't it obvious?" the Marshal spat, "it's because he ain't nothin' more than a damned Injun!"

Caroline was fuming as she stomped from Marshal Tom Denton's office. 'How dare he cast such accusations on my brother,' she thought, 'all based on the Marshal's prejudices against Native Americans. And, as for our Injuns, they're not even proper Indians!'

Gripping her valise tightly, she stormed down the sidewalk, but being early afternoon, and the Stagecoach no doubt bringing back packages for various citizens, as well as the good Doctor's trunks, the sidewalk was crowded with townsfolk, and she was forced to slow down.

Then everyone was being so polite to her, nodding their heads to her, or doffing caps, smiling nervously at her, that her foul mood couldn't help but change for the better. Her frown unfurled and this made her more approachable. One lady, who Caroline didn't know, asked her if the rumours about the school house opening up were true. Caroline stopped to reply.

"I hope so, ma'am. My father built that school house to be used and, until we can find a qualified teacher, I will be holding classes for children from five through to thirteen."

The woman began crying and, with all the other women around, took it in turns to embrace Caroline. Soon a crowd of women and children thronged around her, introducing themselves and their children. The general storekeeper came out onto the sidewalk too, holding a two page list, covered in names scrawled in pencil, which he handed to Caroline.

"It's a list o' children who want ta come ter study in yah school, Miss Bradshawh," said Baker, the shopkeeper, "folk have bin askin' 'bout it all week, an' a few of the common folk would like ta learn ta read'n'write, too."

"I will post on the door of the school house, the date when I will be starting classes," asserted Caroline, "we'll probably start next week."

"Straight after Christmas, then!" they all chorused.

"Yes! Straight after Christmas!" Caroline agreed, to more cheers.

Her next call was the Liberty Livery Stables and Jerome Maclean, who ran the stables.

"Howdy, Miss Bradshawh," said Jerome, "I take it ya'll want Dotty an' the gig agin?"

"Please, Mr Maclean."

"Joshua an' his boys, they should be back in Sweetwater Valley by the end o' the week, in plen'y o' time fer the start o' school lessons."

Caroline shook her head and laughed, "Does everyone know my business?"

"Ain't nothin' else ta talk about round here, Miss Bradshawh," he laughed, which only made the very last tooth in his jaw wobble even more.

"Mr Maclean, I've hired Dotty and the gig three times now, and Alice arranged it once, yet you haven't asked me for any money yet," Caroline asked, "nor has Joshua for the scholastic supplies, he told me that everything would be taken care of. Will you be sending me an account?"

"Oh, don't ya'll worry about the account, Ah does the monthly account fer the Lazy C at the end of the month, an' usually Clint or one o' the other boys collects it from me. Same applies ter Josh's haulage account. We all keeps accounts, so's we knows who owes what. But money on'y changes hands round here after the big drive to Colby in the spring. Besides, with Sam an' you owning half mah business, Ah always owes you at the end of the month."

"And you're happy with that?"

"Sure, if Ah ever bought you an' young Samuel out, you'd maybe open up another livery stable, an' Ah'd be out o' business."

"I'm sure Sam wouldn't do that!"

"An' Ah'm purty sure too, but Ah'm more'n happy with the arrangement, the Lazy C ain't never let me down."

In the gig, with Dotty leading the way, Caroline reached the Lazy C ranch gates by the middle of the afternoon. It was colder than the week before and there was a smattering of snow on the ground. She opened the gate and rang that bell as loud as she could. She felt on passing through those gates that she was home at last.

Within a few minutes' ride into the ranch, a single rider came over the rise and waved his hat in the air.

"Hello, Clint, has my brother had you continually riding this range waiting for me this last week?"

"Hell, no, ma'am, Ah've had mah fair share o' bunkhouse shuteye, an' that's a fact. But bein' out here in the wide open range with the sky as big as this." He waved his hat in all directions, "Well, there ain't nothin' better than this job of bein' a cowboy, other than being a cowboy on this here ranch."

Caroline smiled, "I agree, it is lovely out here. Do you want to tie up your horse to the gig and ride with me, Clint, so we can talk?"

"Sure, Miss Caroline. Do you want me to take the reins from yah?"

"No, I can handle it, Dotty's a sweet mare who seems to know the way."

"So, what do ya want to talk to me about, Miss Caroline?"

"Firstly, how long you worked here on this ranch, Clint?"

"Nearly twenty-five years. Your Pa gave me, wet behind the ears, a chance, an' Seth trained me ter do a better job at cow pokin'. An' at $20 dollars a month all in, and double pay on a drive to market a couple o' times a year, Ah reckon Ah've ended up in clover an' that's no mistake. Ah tell ya'll straight up, Ma'am, on'y don't tell Sam, but Ah'd do this job fer nuthin'."

"So where is Seth? I thought you usually ride in pairs."

"Yes Ma'am, Sam always insists on it, fer our own safety, jus' like yah Pa allus did. Your Sam's a real chip off the old block all right."

"He's so young, is he really a good boss?"

"The best, an' not only me thinks that, Seth and all the boys do. Ah left Seth's watching the herd to keep the wolves away till Ah got back. An' he does that because he loves this place, we all do."

"You said wolves?"

"Yeah. They come down hungry from the hills, but on'y at this time o' year."

"Will he be all right on his own?"

"Yeah, the wolves'll smell the horse before the rider an' they've learned to associate the smell o' horse with hot lead."

"Sounds as though you could just leave the horses out there while you sleep in a warm bunkhouse."

"Well," he laughed, "that may well work for a night, mebee two, but them wolves ain't dumb and when they get real hungry ... well, let's just say that in the morning all we'd find is a horse's bridle and four horseshoes!"

"Now, about this rustling business, is there anywhere on the Lazy C that you could keep fifty head of stolen cattle, where nobody could see them?"

"Plenty o' places, it's a big spread. I kin think o' three or four little dips an' canyons right now off the top o' mah head. What'yr gittin' at, Miss Caroline?"

"This morning Marshal Denton asked me into his office for a quiet word, and told me he suspected Sam had stolen his sister's cows. I think he might be trying to frame Sam for rustling."

"Mmm, Ah don't think we better say nuthin' ter Sam 'bout this. Ah'll quietly round up a few o' the boys an' head out ta check them places out, as soon as we get ter the ranch house."

"So, you think there might be something in this, Clint? I mean what would the Marshal have to gain?"

"I dunno. But they is all crooked, them Dentons, ceptin' young Alice, o' course, she's a sweet child that Miss Pinner virtually adopted an' bin a good influence on her. Ah know the Marshal appears ter be the perfect lawman, but his Pappy were a murderin' killer with a badge. When he was deputy sheriff, before we ever had any real law here, he gunned down more cowboys or gunmen than most. An' he robbed them bodies, too, Ah heared, cos none o' 'em ever had any money on 'em, 'ccordin' to the warrants. His daughter, Connie Denton that was, well Ah reckons she murdered her husband a few years ago. No way he woulda run off. The Marshal sure never made no fuss back then. Ah know she told everyone that her Frank Wells ran off an' left her, but well, Ah guess anything could happen as she sure has a hot temper."

"Poor Alice!"

"Yeah, she's a sweet gal all right. Miss Pinner saw that in her right enough and took her on when she wus twelve, mebee thirteen. Brung her ter the ranch house an' taught her readin'n'writin' an' how ta serve a lady right properly."

"She is a sweet girl, and she's certainly sweet on Sam."

"Yeah, and he don't knowed it yet, but she'll reel him in some time, sooner than later, like as not. Ah reckon if Alice weren't about Sam'd miss her."

"So, you wouldn't have a problem working here if she was the mistress of the Lazy C?"

"No, ma'am! An' she's a mite sweeter than that Miss Duggan!" Clint laughed. "But serious now, Miss Caroline, things is comin' ta a head, Ah reckon, over this rustlin' business, an' that usually ends up with plenty o' flyin' lead. Now your Pa always said with pride that his daughter was the finest shot with a pistol or a Winchester that he'd ever seed, when ya wus Back East."

"And I am equally convinced that father's always exaggerate when it comes to the supposed accomplishments of their sons and daughters. Besides, it's been years since I fired a pistol or a rifle."

"When you have a talent, yah never loses it completely. Stop the gig."

He leapt to the ground before the gig had completely stopped and ran round the other side to hand her down to the ground.

She held the Winchester rifle in her hands, in her young Sweetwater hands, and it was as if all the years since she was a teenager just melted away. She felt comfortable with the weapon, the weight and balance just seemed so familiar, so right.

"So, Clint, you got any firewater bottles you can line up for me to shoot at?"

"Better than that, Miss Caroline," he put his hand in his pocket and pulled it out, his fist wrapped around something in his hand, "you ready?"

She set the gun stock firmly into her shoulder, "I'm ready!"

He threw a bright shiny object almost vertically in the air and she aimed and fired, she heard the two objects collide in mid air and drop to the ground about ten feet away. Clint fetched it back. It was a US Silver Dollar, with a hole in it, plumb in the middle of the coin.

Chapter 10

"I assumed it was a nickel you threw in the air, Clint, I am so sorry, I will get Sam to replace it as soon—"

Clint laughed, "Don't you fret none about that Miss Caroline, Ah told yah before, Ah ain't jus' workin' here fer the money, Ah love this life and wouldn't want to spent mah time doin' nothin' else. No, when the time is right, Ah'll show this ta mah kids an' grandkids an' tell 'em that even after layin' off shootin' fer thirty years, she plugged this dollar with her fust shot!"

"Thirty years?"

"Ah beg yah pardon, Miss Caroline, it mus' be on'y ten years since yah fired a Winchester repeatin' rifle, when ya wus a bitty kid. Ah dunno what Ah wus thinkin', Ah bin out on this range so long, countin' cows in thirties an' fifties, that Ah've lost the ability ta count numbers, Ah reckon. Mebee Ah should inroll in yah school like mah kids."

"Your children live here?"

"They live with mah wife in Sweetwater township at Ma Baldwin's boardin' house in Cross Street, that's why Sam sends me into town regular so Ah kin get see 'em all. Ah got 'em put on that there Charlie Baker's list soon as he put it up in the gen'ral store!"

"Well, I look forward to meeting them, Clint."

"In the meantime, Miss Caroline, we won't say nuthin' 'bout yah shootin' ability, because Ah reckon things are comin' to a head, an' any edge we got is worth kept hid 'til we needs it."

***

That night Caroline fell asleep at the Lazy C ranch house, having not had a chance to speak to Samuel about her conversation with the Marshal and his suspicions about Sam rustling cattle from Alice's mother. With the value of the ranch and his involvement in virtually every business in Sweetwater, she knew that Sam would have no reason to steal from anyone. He was generous in helping the Indians eat through the winter, and Caroline had long ago told him she had no opposition to any decision he made where the ranch's interest was concerned.

She woke up in her familiar garage. It was Monday morning. Time to give one more chance to her kids, thinking that, if they came with her they would probably be young boys. She loses some thirty years off her age back in Sweetwater, so if they came back with her, the boys may be too young to attend school like Clint's children. Curious, that in the thirty-odd years since she last fired a Winchester at the Western Enactment Society, she had been 19 or 20, single and still living at home. Counting back, it must have been thirty-three years ago, so Clint's saying she hadn't fired a gun in thirty years hadn't been far out!

While she was waiting for the pot to boil for a cup of tea, the doorbell rang. A bouquet of flowers was waiting for her at the door, delivered by a local florists, with a message from Peter thanking her for Sunday tea. She smiled broadly all through the unwrapping and putting in a vase of water, then called him, but her call went to voicemail.