“Finish your drinks, boys,” he said. “The train’s a’comin’.”
Relieved that the whistle of the train had interrupted a conversation that was growing increasingly more uncomfortable, Billy finished his beer, then followed his father and brothers out of the saloon.
“Looks like you just lost four of your customers there, Hank,” one of the men standing at the bar said.
Hank, the barkeep, wiped the bar in front of where the Clintons had been standing. “Wouldn’t bother me if they didn’t never come back in here,” he said. “There ain’t a one of ’em worth the powder it would take to blow ’em to hell.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Billy’s all right,” the customer said.
“Yeah, he’s not bad if he’s by himself. Trouble is, he ain’t ever by himself,” George said.
Down at the depot, Ike, Ray, Cletus, and Billy stood on the wooden platform as the train pulled into the station with hissing steam, squeaking brakes, and a clanging bell.
“Ray, I’m countin’ on you to see to it that we get top dollar for our cows,” Ike said to his oldest son.
“All right, Pa,” Ray said.
“And Billy, you seem to have the most sense, so I’m countin’ on you to keep the other two out of trouble long enough to close the deal.”
“I’ll do what I can,” Billy said.
“What about me, Pa?” Cletus said. “What do you want me to do?”
“You’re the worst of the lot,” Ike said without regard as to how Cletus would take that comment.
“What do you mean I’m the worst of the lot?” Cletus asked. He seemed genuinely hurt by Ike’s words.
“You are good with a gun, you’ve got a temper, and you can’t stay away from whiskey or women,” Ike said. He shook his head. “Boy, that ain’t a good combination. I want you to keep your mouth shut when Ray is doin’ business, and listen to what Billy is sayin’ when you’re drinkin’ or messin’ with the whores,” Ike said.
Cletus glared at his father. “You don’t think much of me, do you, Pa?” he asked.
“Not all that much,” Ike replied, again oblivious as to how the words may have sounded to Cletus. “Get on the train now,” he ordered.
Ray laughed. “Pa, you goin’ to get on the train with us to see if we get the seats we’re supposed to?”
Ike shook his head. “I’m hopin’ you got enough sense to do that on your own.”
The warm afternoon, the rocking motion of the stage, and the rhythmic sound of horses’ hooves and rolling wheels had combined to put Rachael asleep. She didn’t wake up until the coach came to a stop.
“Higbee, folks!” the driver called down. “This is Higbee.”
“Oh,” Rachael said. “I must’ve fallen asleep.”
“Yes, ma’am, you did,” her fellow passenger said. He was a traveling preacher. “Ordinarily, I get into a good conversation with whoever is riding with me when I make this trip. But you were sleeping so soundly that I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“I’m sorry I was so rude as to fall asleep,” Rachael said.
“Oh, no need to apologize, ma’am,” he said. He pulled out his pocket watch and checked it. “I guess I had better get on down to the church,” he said. “Reverend Owen and the board of deacons are having a meeting and they asked me to come.”
The preacher stepped out of the coach, then reached his hand back to help Rachael down.
“Thank you,” Rachael said.
Rachael stepped up onto the porch of the depot and looked around.
“Can I help you with somethin’, ma’am?” the driver asked. He was standing at the boot, unloading packages as well as Rachael’s suitcase.
“No, I suppose not,” Rachael said. “Someone was supposed to meet me and I was just looking around to see if I could see him.”
At that moment, there was the crash of glass, then a burst of loud raucous laughter from a building across the street.
“What is that building?” Rachael asked.
“Oh, that’s the saloon,” the driver said.
“The saloon?” Rachael replied in a weak voice.
“Yes, ma’am. Here’s your luggage, ma’am.”
“Driver, do you suppose I could keep my grip in the depot for a while?”
“I reckon they’d let you do that,” the driver said. “How long would you think it might be?”
“I don’t know,” Rachael said. “Perhaps only until the next stage returns to La Junta.”
“That would be tomorrow,” the driver said. “Would you really come all the way out here just to spend one night?”
“That might be the case,” Rachael said. “If you would, please, put it in the depot.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the driver replied.
