it over my brother-in-law for a while.”
“That’s right. Don is your brother-in-law, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, he didn’t have any more sense than to marry my sister.”
“She’s going to be upset and some worried, I reckon,” Greg said.
“I reckon so.”
The train beat its way back down the track toward Buena Vista, leaving behind an impenetrable wall of snow and the Red Cliff Special.
Every passenger on the train, plus the crew, were now gathered in the last car, making it very crowded, but Matt was convinced they had enough fuel to last for a while. He’d already decided wood pieces from the car would have to be the next fuel supply. Of course, he would dismantle the car ahead.
Again, some of the men were playing cards. Bailey was napping, the three porters were talking together, the five active children—Becky remained on her mother’s lap—had found a game to play, Ed Webb and his wife were sitting quietly, while Senator Daniels sat in the seat facing his wife and daughter. The scowl had not left his face. Luke and Jenny were cuddled together in the front seat, and looking at them, Matt smiled. He could almost believe they were enjoying the situation.
Matt was still smiling as he looked out the window, then the smile left his face, replaced by an expression of surprise and hope. Alongside the car, in the area right by the track, was a coyote, probably looking for food and to get out of the snow.
He pulled his pistol and started to raise the window, thinking to shoot the coyote, but changed his mind. A gunshot outside the car might bring down more snow. He quickly devised a plan and looked back into the car. He was going to need help, and had to figure out which of his fellow passengers would most likely be able to help him.
Looking over everyone, he decided and called, “Julius. Julius, come here.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Look out the window, right down there,” Matt said, pointing.
“It’s a coyote.”
“No it’s not. It’s a small deer.”
“Mr. Jensen, you done gone crazy from not eatin’? That ain’t no deer. That’s a coyote.”
“Shh,” Matt hushed. “Once when I was very hungry, I barbecued a coyote, and it tasted like deer meat. As far as these folks are concerned, it’s a small deer, and by the time they see it, they won’t be able to tell the difference.”
“You goin’ to shoot it?”
Matt shook his head. “I’m afraid if I shoot, it might bring down a lot more snow. I’ve got another idea, but I’m going to need your help.”
“Yes, sir,” Julius said enthusiastically. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“I’m going out on the back vestibule. You go out on the front. Then I want you to chase the coyote toward me.”
“Yes, sir, but what if the coyote runs under the car?”
“Let’s just pray that he doesn’t,” Matt said.
“Yes, sir. I’m a prayin’ man, sir.”
“Good. We better get started.”
“Yes, sir,” Julius said again.
Matt went out onto the back vestibule, then leaned around just far enough to see the coyote. It was still there, sniffing around. He pulled out his pocketknife and flipped it open
Julius climbed down from the vestibule at the front end of the car and slowly walked toward the coyote. Matt watched and, as he had hoped and planned, the coyote started in his direction.
Matt moved to the edge of the vestibule, then, timing his jump, leaped off, landing in a belly flop into the snow. That he was successful was evidenced by the fact that he could feel the coyote under him. The coyote was moving rapidly, squirming around trying to get free, and Matt knew he had to be very careful that it not get away.
Carefully, Matt lifted his body just far enough to reach his hand under, grab the coyote by the back of the neck, and cut its throat. He lay on the creature until it stopped moving.
“Praise the Lord, Mr. Jensen! You got ’im!” Julius shouted.
Still holding the coyote, Matt rolled under the car to prevent anyone inside from seeing what he was doing, then he cut off the head and legs, and skinned it. When he rolled back out from under the car, he was holding an unidentifiable carcass.
Julius carried the carcass into the car and held it up. “Mr. Jensen kilt him a small deer!” he shouted, to the joy of the others in the car.
“How big is the small deer?” Don asked.
“He’s about this big,” Julius said, demonstrating with his hands.
“Oh, my, that is rather small, isn’t it?” Clara asked.
“Yes, ma’am, I reckon it is. But we’re goin’ to cook him up and ever’one is goin’ to get some of it.”
“I hate to deflate everyone’s joy,” Senator Daniels said. “But there are thirty of us. How is a deer that small going to feed all of us?”
“We’re going to make a soup,” Matt said, coming into the car just in time to hear the Senator’s question. “And we aren’t going to waste any of it.”
“It’s going to be an awfully thin soup,” Senator Daniels complained.
Matt smiled. “Trust me, it’ll be the best thing you’ve ever eaten.”
“It won’t be all that good,” Bailey said. “We don’t have any vegetables. We don’t even have any salt.”
“Oh, yes, we have salt.” Matt smiled. “I learned from an old mountain man friend of mine to never be without salt.” He pulled a little cloth bag from his pocket.
“And I’ve got some pepper I brought from the diner,” Pete offered.
“All we have to do now is gather up some snow, melt some water, and start cooking.
“What are we going to cook it in?” Purvis asked.
Bailey smiled. “I have the perfect stew pot for it. There is a brand-new chamber pot in the toilet that hasn’t even been put out yet, so it hasn’t been used. It’ll be just right to cook this in.”
“A chamber pot? We are going to make soup in a spittoon?” Barbara Lewis made a face.
“Trust me, it hasn’t been used, not one time,” Bailey said. “It’ll make a fine pot for cooking.”
“It’ll be all right, honey,” Anita said to her daughter. “Why, if it’s never been used, what is the difference between it and a stew pot?”
“I guess nothing.” Barbara looked at her brother and Timmy. “But don’t either of you dare ever tell anyone we cooked soup in a chamber pot and actually ate it,” she demanded.
“Why not?” Steven replied. “I think it’s funny.”
“Oooh!” Barbara thumped her thigh in frustration.
“They aren’t going to tell anyone, are you, boys?” Matt looked the boys straight in the eyes.
“All right,” Timmy agreed. “We won’t ever tell anyone.”
“All right, so we can cook,” Purvis said. “But how are we going to eat it? We don’t have bowls or spoons.”
“I have a knife, a spoon, and a collapsible cup,” Matt said. “We’ll pass the cup around, and eat one at a time. The children will go first.”
Using his penknife, Matt began to cut up the carcass.
Troy also had a knife, so he went to the back to help. He started to make a cut, then looked up at Matt with a questioning expression on his face. “Mr. Jensen, I have to tell you, this don’t look like no deer I done ever seen before.”
“You don’t say.”
“It looks more like a dog.”
“In some cultures, dog is a delicacy.”
