A Rocky Mountain Christmas

Luke cut the wire as Bailey instructed, then tossed it down. Matt caught it and handed it to Bailey, who attached the cut end to his instrument.

Luke came back down the pole about halfway, then leaped into the snowbank. Again, he disappeared, but reappeared a moment later, covered in snow.

“I’m going to have to quit doing that,” Luke teased as Jenny helped brush the snow away.

Bailey got the wire attached, then sent a BV signal.

“Is it working?” Matt asked.

“I don’t know. I haven’t gotten a reply.” Bailey sent a BV signal again.

There was no reply.

He tried it a third time, then, with a sigh, looked up at Luke. “I’m sorry, Mr. Shardeen. It looks like I sent you up the post for nothing. We may as well get out of the cold. It was—”

Clackclackclackclackclack.

“We’re through!” Bailey shouted excitedly. “We’re through!” He listened to the clicks for a moment, then chuckled. “Bernie is apologizing because he was away from the key. He wants to know who is calling him.”

Bailey began sending a message, his fingers moving rapidly as the clicks went out over the line.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Sugarloaf Ranch

Once breakfast was on the table, Sally joined Smoke and Duff. “I just hate to think of Matt being on that train. I was so looking forward to having him join us for Christmas.”

“Matt’s younger and resilient,” Smoke said. “I imagine he can get through just about anything. But I would have enjoyed having him here for Christmas. Christmas should be with family, and we’re the closest thing to family he has.”

“We aren’t just the closest thing to it,” Sally said. “We are it. We are family.”

“You’re right. We are family.”

Their breakfast was interrupted by a knock on the door. Sally started to get up, but Smoke held out his hand. “I’ll get it.”

He hurried to the front door and opened it to see Eddie standing on the porch.

“Eddie? Don’t tell me the train is in?”

“No, sir, it ain’t in. And it’s worse ’n we thought.”

“Worse how?”

“We got a telegram from the train. It’s been sent out all over. Mr. Wilson thought you might want to read it.”

SITUATION DIRE STOP PROXMIRE DEAD STOP

GUNMEN IN DINER STOP NO FOOD STOP

COME SOONEST STOP BAILEY CONDUCTOR

Smoke’s expression was grim as he read it, then he looked up at the messenger. “Why don’t you come on into the house, Eddie, have some breakfast?” Smoke invited.

“Thank you, sir!” Eddie said as a wide smile spread across his face.

Smoke led Eddie back into the dining room.

“Eddie,” Sally said. “It’s so nice to have your company. I’ll get another plate. Smoke, you . . .” Sally stopped when she saw the expression on Smoke’s face. “Smoke, what is it? What’s wrong?”

Smoke showed the telegram to Sally, who read it quickly. “Oh, no.”

Duff reached for the message and she gave it to him. He looked up after reading it. “What can we do?”

“I’m going up there,” Smoke decided. “I’m going to load a sled with as much food as I can get on it and I’m going up there.”

“Smoke, if a train can’t get through, how are you going to get there?”

“I will get there because I must get there,” Smoke said emphatically.

“I’ll be going with you,” Duff said.

“No need for you to go,” Smoke protested. “This isn’t going to be easy.”

“Smoke, what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t go with you? And what kind of friend would you be, if you didn’t allow me to go?”

Smoke smiled, then nodded. “All right. Let’s get ready. We need to get as much under our belt as we can while we’ve still got light. I’ve no doubt but that it’ll be well dark before we get there.”

“Aye,” Duff said. “I’ll find some warm clothes.”

“Eddie?”

“Yes, sir?” Eddie replied, his mouth full of biscuit.

“I hate to interrupt your breakfast, so just grab yourself a couple bear claws. I want you to get back into town as quickly as you can and go by Ebersole’s Bakery, and get as much bread as he has available. Then go to Dunnigan’s store. Tell him to pack up as much jerky as he can get together. Tell him we’re going to have to feed a lot of people. We’ll be in to pick it up before we leave.”

“Yes, sir,” Eddie said, getting up quickly.

Sally handed him two bear claws and he left immediately.

Big Rock

Bob Ward was having lunch at Little Man Lambert’s cafe and reading a special edition of the Big Rock Chronicle. It had only two stories, and as it happened, both were of intense interest to him.

No Clues on Murder

Sheriff Monty Carson told the Chronicle he has no leads on the murder of Corey Calhoun. A well-known and well-liked young man, Calhoun worked as a cowboy during the season and was spoken highly of by all who knew him, employers and fellow workers alike.

Calhoun’s body was found Friday morning by an employee of the livery stable.

Train Passengers in Peril

The conductor of the Red Cliff Special has sent a telegram in which he says Deputy Sheriff Proxmire is dead and gunmen occupy the dining car, denying food to the starving passengers.

That someone could be so evil in this Christmas season defies all understanding. We can but pray for the safe delivery of those unfortunate passengers, and the ultimate capture and execution of the evil men responsible for this reprehensible act.

With eight crates of bread loaded onto their sled, Smoke and Duff went to Dunnigan’s for jerky.

“I don’t have near enough jerky to do you any good, Smoke,” Ernest Dunnigan said. “But I tell what I do have. I have forty tins of sardines. And because they are in tins, it’ll be pretty easy for you to carry them.”

“All right,” Smoke said. “Sardines it will be. Get them out here, and Duff and I will load them.”

“Yes, sir,” Dunnigan replied.

While Smoke and Duff were loading the sled, Ward left the restaurant and hurried to the livery where he was boarding six horses and tack to be used for the getaway.

“How much longer you plannin’ on leavin’ them horses here?” Ike asked. “Reason I ask is, they’re takin’ up a lot of room, and folks that’s comin’ into town are wantin’ to board their horses to keep ’em out of the cold while