him to know until they are freed.”
“Who are the prisoners?” Smoke asked.
Duff referred back to the paper. “Michael Santelli and Luke Shardeen.”
“I hope Santelli isn’t the one who has been pardoned,” Smoke said.
“Na, ’tis Luke Shardeen. Do you know Mr. Santelli?”
“I’ve never had the displeasure of a personal encounter with him, but I certainly know who he is. And he is a bad one. I don’t like to think of him being on the same train, trapped in a snowslide, with a bunch of innocent people.”
“Aye, the longer one has to hold him in custody, the greater the mischief he can create.”
Louis Longmont brought Smoke a cup of coffee without being summoned. “Did you hear about the murder we had here in town last night?” Longmont asked.
“Murder is it?” Duff said looking up from his paper. “I’ve nae heard a thing about it.”
“It happened over at the livery stable,” Smoke informed him. “I was talking to Monte and a few others about it. Corey Calhoun got killed.”
“Och, ’tis sorry I am to hear of it. Did you know him?”
“Yes, he worked for me from time to time. He was a good man, and a friend of Pearlie and Cal. They’ll be upset to hear about it.”
“I haven’t talked to Monte since I heard about it,” Longmont said. “Does he have any ideas as to who might have done it?”
“Only indirect ideas,” Smoke said. “It seems that Corey won quite a bit of money in a card game over at the Brown Dirt. Sheriff Carson thinks someone may have seen him win, then followed him from the saloon. He killed him in the livery stable.”
“That means nobody saw it.” Duff leaned back and crossed his arms.
“Yes, I’m afraid that is exactly what it means. And if nobody saw it happen, I think the chances of finding out who actually did it are rather slim,” Smoke sipped the hot coffee.
“I’ll keep an eye open,” Longmont promised. “Oftentimes, when someone comes into an unexpected sum of money, they’ll come in here and be big spenders all of a sudden.”
A couple of Smoke’s friends came in then and invited Smoke and Duff to join them in a friendly game of poker. They were still playing three hours later when Sally came into the saloon.
Sally smiled. “Thank you, Louis.” She turned to the poker players. “Smoke, Duff, are you two getting a little hungry?”
“Hungry?” Smoke glanced over at the wall. “Oh, oh. It’s one-thirty. Uh, we were supposed to meet you at Kathy’s at noon, weren’t we?”
“That was my understanding,” Sally said, though her response was ameliorated by her smile.
“Sally, you should leave this man who so mistreats you,” Longmont said. “If you had chosen me over him, never would you be disappointed by such forgetfulness.”
“Louis, I would be impressed, but I know you say that to every married woman in town.”
“Only to the pretty ones,” Longmont assured.
“And only to the married ones,” Sally replied.
Smoke laughed. “Louis, she has you pegged. You only carry on so with women you know are safe. You wouldn’t dare say such things to a single woman for fear she would take you up on your offer.”
“Ah, how well my friends know me,” Longmont replied. “Enjoy your lunch at Kathy’s. And tell her that I long for her.”
“You never give up, do you, Louis?” Sally said with a laugh.
Bailey was looking through the window of the car, and called Matt over.
“Yes?”
“I’m sure they’ve tried to reach us, but gave up when they couldn’t get through. They probably aren’t that worried, figuring we have enough food to last. But if they knew our situation, I think they would make more of an effort.” Bailey pointed toward the telegraph wire. “If I could reach that wire, I could send a message back to Buena Vista telling them of our serious condition.”
“You could send a message? You mean you know telegraphy?”
“Yes, before I was a conductor, I was a telegrapher for Western Union.”
“But, how would you send a message? We aren’t connected.”
“I am pretty sure the wire going forward is down. But it looks like the wire going back toward Buena Vista is still up. I can see it over the top of the snowbank behind us, and if it didn’t go down here, I’m sure it is up for the rest of the way. All I have to do is connect to it.”
“Connect what to it?”
“I have a telegraph key,” Bailey said with a smile. “But I don’t know how to get up there.”
Luke had overheard the conversation and he went over to join in. “Did I hear you right? You can send a telegram?”
“If I could connect to that wire I could. But in order to do that, I would have to climb that pole, and it is covered with snow and ice. Climbing it would be impossible.”
Luke looked at the pole for a moment, then he shook his head. “It will be difficult,” he agreed. “But it isn’t impossible.”
“Wait a minute,” Matt said. “Are you saying you think you can climb it?”
“Why not?” Luke replied. “I’ve climbed ice-slickened mainmasts before, and that’s with the ship rolling in the sea. Yes, I think I can get up there.”
“Oh, Luke, no,” Jenny put in. She’d followed Luke. “That’s much too dangerous.”
“Ha! I laugh at danger,” Luke said, thrusting his hand out in an exaggerated fashion.
“I’m serious,” Jenny argued.
“Don’t worry, Jenny. I’ve done this kind of thing before.”
Matt and Bailey went outside with Luke to see how he would attack the pole. Worried about Luke, Jenny trailed behind. They studied the pole for a moment or two, rising as it did from the midst of a huge drift of snow.
“How are you going to even get to the pole?” Bailey asked.
“I don’t know. That does seem to be a problem.” Luke looked at the pole, then looked back at the train and smiled. “I’ll climb up onto the top of the car, then leap over to the pole.”
“Luke, no, you can’t be serious!” Jenny cried.
“I don’t have to leap onto the pole, just into the snowbank close enough to it to be able to grab hold,” Luke explained.
Matt smiled. “You know, I think that might work. I wouldn’t want to be the one to do it, but I think it might work.”
Luke climbed to the top of the car, then stepped to the edge to examine the pole for a moment. Satisfied with what he saw, he moved to the opposite side. With a running start, he leaped across the opening and disappeared into the snowbank at the foot of the pole.
“Luke!” Jenny called in fear.
After a moment of anxious silence, Luke appeared out of the snowbank, his arms and legs wrapped around the pole. They watched as he climbed to the top, threw a leg over the crossbeam, and pulled himself into a secure sitting position. He looked down and threw his arms open with a big smile.
“Oh, Luke, hold on!” Jenny called.
“I’m all right. Why, this pole isn’t even moving. Mr. Bailey, what do I do now?”
“Cut the wire,” Bailey instructed. “And toss it over here so I can get to it.”
“Will I get shocked?”
“No,” Bailey explained. “Telegraph works by direct current. There’s no danger.”
“If I cut the wire, won’t it mean you can’t send a signal?”
“It’ll be fine, as long as there isn’t another break in the wire between here and Buena Vista.”
