Soul of a Gunslinger

by Jim Cox

  As Louise went after coffee, she said, “Sit down everyone and let’s have coffee while Lefty tells his story why he was gone for so long.”

  “We’ll get to that, Louise,” Hide said, “but first we ought to get Lefty caught up on the two letters we received.” Lefty took on a puzzled look as Suzan nodded her agreement and went after the letters. When she returned, she read the one from the mining company first which Lefty already had a concept of its basic content. The second letter was a shock. Suzan reached for his hand when she read the part about his mother’s death, and paused for a long minute before continuing. Lefty heard the remainder of the letter, but his mind wasn’t listening; he was trying to digest the fact his mother was dead. She was full of life and in good health when he left nearly two years ago; it was hard to accept.

  The table was silent. No one spoke. They knew words wouldn’t console Lefty at a time like this. However, during his silence, his mind went from his mother to his brother. I can’t believe Bub is married and lives in town with a baby on the way. He stiffened. A baby on the way, he thought. What about ours? Without thinking, Lefty voiced his thoughts, “How about our baby, Suzan? Is it okay?” She looked around at Hide and Louise’s smiling faces, then answered.

  “The baby’s fine, sweetheart.” Turning to Louise, she asked, “How did you and Hide know I was pregnant?”

  “I knew right off and told Hide. I saw you feeling of your stomach more than usual and watched you slip off to throw-up with morning sickness. Those are normal conditions of an expectant woman and ones I’m trying to avoid.” All eyes quickly jumped to Louise who was nodding her head with a big grin.

  “We’re going to have a baby?” Hide asked excitedly as he quickly went to his wife with hugs and kisses. Then turning to Lefty with a smile, he said, “So far, this has been a day filled with excitement. It’s your turn to tell us what you’ve been doing for the last eight-week.”

  Lefty took a swallow and started telling the highlights. He told about the two men descending the cliff on ropes that he shot, and of the hoodlums slipping away early one morning without him knowing it, leaving three horses for him to take. He told of his long trek down the valley and over the mountains, finally catching up to the hoodlums at the cabin. Hide laughed when Lefty went into great detail about smoking the thugs out of the cabin but became sober when he described killing four men and John escaping behind the woodpile. For the women’s sake, he passed over most of the details of John shooting him but spoke much of the long shot with the buffalo gun that killed John. He hardly mentioned his gunshot injuries and having to stay at the cabin for a few weeks. He left out the life-threatening trip from the cabin to Bert’s livery in Sutter’s Fort but explained in detail his three weeks stay with Bert.

  “Bert told me after I become conscious, that I was nearly dead when I came riding in slumped over Star’s neck. The chest wound was bleeding and Bert assumed the bullet had gone through my lung because red mucus was bubbling from my nose when I breathed. I was also burning up with fever and was shivering from a chill. Days passed and several times Bert thought I had died. However, I opened my eyes six days after I arrived, lying under blankets by Bert’s Potbelly stove, and for the next few days was conscious occasionally.

  “When I became totally conscious and was up and about, I tried to be active and build up my strength, so I could head for San Francisco because I knew you’d be worried. I set a date to leave, and Bert said I wasn’t well enough to make the trip, but I left anyway.”

  After Lefty finished telling his ordeal, they drank another cup of coffee and then Hide and Louise excused themselves and went for a long walk along the Wharf so that Lefty and Suzan could have time to themselves.

  Sometime later, after Lefty had taken a bath and put on clean clothes, Suzan started a conversation when the two were sitting at the kitchen table. “I’m sorry for your mother’s death and the situation of your brother. I know it was unexpected and painful to hear of your mother’s passing and what has happened to your brother and ranch.”

  “I can’t imagine what caused Ma’s health to fail her. When I left her two years ago, she was a healthy, strong woman; most days, she did more work than Bub and me put together.” There was a pause, and then Lefty continued, “The part about Bub getting married with a baby on the way and moving off the range is a surprise, too. Tending cows on the range was a life he loved, and I never knew of him to court a girl. Of course, I never courted one either ‘til I met up with you and I still ain’t figured out how that all came about.” She laughed and reached for his hand.

  “What are we going to do now that you’ve found your gold and have more money than you could ever spend. I’m sure neither of us want to raise our children in this area where thievery and killings run rapid. It seems to me our stay here has pretty much run its course and there’s no reason to stay around much longer. I think it’s time to get on with our lives and get settled in a location suitable to raise our children.”

  Lefty laughed. “You’ve got it all figured out, haven’t you, Sweetheart. But I agree with you completely.” Suzan’s face lit up in a broad smile. “And since we both feel this way, we might as well start making plans to leave. The first thing we have to do is arrange our travel to St. Louis to complete our money transaction with the mining company. I’ve thought on the matter and believe we should hire a guide to lead us who’s familiar with travel through that part of the country. We need to take the easiest trail available, so it won’t over stress you and harm our baby. We might as well head out within a day or two if you can be ready by then.”

  “I can be ready. It won’t take me long to pack my things,” she said excitedly.

  “I’ve had thoughts on something else, Suzan.”

  “What’s that,” she asked.

  “I think we should stay in St. Louis for a couple of weeks enjoying the sights and taking in a few stage-shows, or whatever else there is to do.”

  “That sounds wonderful, sweetheart. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a performance or dined in a nice restaurant.” She thought on the matter and then said, “I’ll have to purchase clothing suitable for the occasions. I imagine there are several stores in St. Louis to choose from.”

  Lefty continued, “After we’re finished with St. Louis, we’ll travel to Boston to visit your mother. We’ll travel the easiest way we can find. Most likely, it’ll be in a stagecoach or on a steamer, but I hear one of those rail-locomotives is finding its way westward. Maybe, we can catch one of those and ride part way.” Suzan’s smiling face turned sober as she hurried to her husband with tears streaming.

  After a long minute with her head buried on his shoulder in hard sobs, she pulled away and with watery eyes said, “Thank you, Sweetheart. You don’t know how much it’ll mean to me to see my mother again. I want her to meet the wonderful husband I’ve married and tell her about our baby.”

  “She’ll probably be happy to hear about the baby, but I’m not sure she’ll be pleased with me. I imagine I’m a might crude for her.”

  “Let’s not get into that status discussion again. She’ll love you after she gets to know you.” Then she pulled him to her for a long kiss. When they separated, she asked, “What are you plans after we leave Boston? Where do we go from there?”

  “I ain’t for sure. I’ve thought some about where we’d settle, but not all that much.” Lefty hung his head and was ashamed of himself for not telling his wife the truth about his real thoughts.

  “I thought you said you’d like to go back home and take up ranching again. It seems to me you have a perfect opportunity to purchase a large amount of land from the Texas government to fulfill your wants. Would you like to live there again and operate a large cattle ranch?”

  Lefty looked firmly into her eyes for what seemed to be minutes, “That’s been in my thoughts ever since I struck the mother lode; going back home and establishing a large ranch with a reputation of having quality stock. Now that I have money, I could buy se
veral head of the new Hereford breeding animals I’ve been hearing about.” Lefty became silent, and the brightness left his face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you that I wanted to go back home, but I didn’t know if you wanted to live a life on a ranch in that part of the country, and I want you to be happy.”

  “I can’t think of anything I’d like better, as long as I’m with you.”

  Lefty nodded and with smiling eyes said, “Thank you, Sweetheart.”

  There was a long silence, and then Suzan asked, “If we did settle on a ranch in that part of the country, what would be your plan? How would you organize the operation? How would you…?” Lefty cut her off.

  “I’d buy the entire valley the government has for sale; the entire one-hundred-thousand acres. Then I’d build three houses along the mountain stream where Ma’s house stands. One for Bub and his new wife, one for Hide and Louise, and one for us. Ours would be the biggest and finest house in southwest Texas with all the frills and pretty furniture available. Like I said, I’d bring in some of those fancy Hereford breeding stock and within a few years have one of the best quality herds in that part of the country; buyers would pay me top price for my beef.”

  “You mentioned building houses for your brother and Hide. What would be their role in the business?” Suzan asked.

  “Bub would be the ranch foreman, and I ain’t sure what Hide’s position would be. I suppose we’d manage the operation jointly. I ain’t even sure Hide and Louise will want to be a part of the ranch, but I’m thinking they’ll want to.”

  Suzan was topping off their cups when Louise and Hide came in. “We were just talking about you two,” Lefty said. “Why don’t you sit down over coffee and let me tell you of a proposition that Suzan and I have come up with.”

  Hide pulled out chairs, and they sat down. “What kind of a proposition do you have in mind?” he asked.

  “Suzan and I have decided to move away from this area for a number of reasons, but especially, we don’t want to raise our children here. So, after we get our money from the mining company in St. Louis, we’ve decided to stay around the city for a couple of weeks to see what it has to offer. After St. Louis, we plan on visiting Suzan’s mother for a spell in Boston.”

  Hide jumped in, “What’s the proposition, Lefty? You ain’t said nothing we weren’t planning on. You and I both knew all along that Louise and me were planning to go along to sign the documents and get our money, and we assumed we’d spend time playing around a bit when we were there.”

  “I didn’t finish telling you our plan; the part where you and Louise come in.” Hide’s eyes beaded a little as Lefty continued, “We plan to buy the valley the Texas government has for sale that includes my Ma’s place, and start up a ranch producing high-quality beef. We want you and Louise to be partners with us.”

  “Are you sure we could get along running a business together,” Hide asked.

  Lefty smiled, “After what we’ve been through together without a hitch, I believe we can agree on most anything. We may not see everything eye-to-eye, but we’d be able to settle on something without matters getting out of hand.”

  There was a long discussion on many of the details and how the ranch would be operated; what each family’s role would be. And in the end, Hide and Louise agreed to the proposition with enthusiasm and agreed to leave San Francisco within two days.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  They rose early the next morning to a day full of jobs. After breakfast, the women started cooking a large variety of pastries and were ready when the customer line started forming. It was a bittersweet morning for Louise and Suzan because they both knew it would be the last time they’d be serving the men. When the final man in line left and Suzan locked the door, her eyes became watery. It was the end of an experience she’d never forget.

  After the kitchen was cleaned, the women gathered and set aside a few small, keep-sake type items along with traveling clothes they’d worn during their mountain trip. They were accustomed to traveling light and knew the man-type clothes they’d be wearing on the trip would be discarded for a new wardrobe when they got to St. Louis.

  After a quick cup of coffee, the women headed for Sam and Betty Arnolds rental residence to explain they’d be leaving the area tomorrow morning because their families were moving to Southwest Texas with plans to purchase a ranch sometime in the near future. Louise continued by saying, her pastry business was in need of someone to keep it going and she thought the Arnolds would be the perfect replacement. Tears came to Betty’s eyes when Louise said she wanted her and Sam to take ownership of her business and house at no cost.

  Meanwhile, Lefty and Hide were making arrangements with a guide who the smithy at the livery recommended. The guide’s name was Snout, at least that’s what he was called for an obvious reason. He had the largest noise Lefty or Hide had ever seen on a man. Snout was around fifty years old, of average size, and wore oversized western clothes that had seen better days. He had a son by the name of Randle who would be traveling with them. Randle was in his mid-twenties and had a nose much like his fathers, but not quite as large.

  Snout shook-off the job when he learned there were two women going along. He said his experience with women on trips wasn’t good and normally caused problems. However, after Hide explained the women’s recent experience of traveling in the mountains with no drawbacks, he agreed to the job. There was no mention of both women being pregnant.

  Snout had turned to leave when Hide called him back. “Don’t you think we ought to talk about the trip a bit? How much food we should take? What kind of clothing is needed? And if we need to take canvas for nightly shelter.”

  Without expression, Snout said, “First off, I don’t allow no drinking or whiskey to be brought along except for medicinal purposes, and I’ll bring the whiskey bottle for that. There ain’t no need for you to bring any food. I’ll buy all the groceries we need and haul ‘em on one of my mules. I even bring the coffee and all the cooking pots.” He paused with a broad smile, showing his tobacco stained teeth. “I’ll bring two tents along… I imagine you young couples will want to be alone at night, but you’ll have to bring your own bedrolls. As for your clothes, wear what you want, but I’d suggest something that’s comfortable in the saddle and a warm coat to wear when we pass over the mountains.”

  Hide nodded and then asked, “Where will we be crossing the mountains, Snout? What kind of a trail will we be taking on to St. Louis after we cross the mountains?”

  The guide thought on the matter for a spell and then answered, “It kind of depends on the weather and if the Indians are on the warpath. If those two things ain’t a problem, we’ll travel by horseback north of here and cross over the mountains at the South Pass to Carson City. From there, we’ll ride for a few days ‘til we come to an outpost stage line that you’ll catch and ride in comfort for several days to Salt Lake City. From there you’ll have to ride horses again ‘til we come to another stage line that travels to Omaha. At Omaha, you’ll catch a riverboat on the Missouri River and travel by water ‘til you get to St. Louis.”

  “How long will the trip take?” Lefty asked.

  “Nigh on to five to six weeks if we don’t run into trouble.” As Snout was turning to leave, he called back, “We’ll be heading out from the livery in the morning at first light. Don’t be late.”

  »»•««

  When the two couples walked down the boardwalk from Louise’s ship the next morning, there was a westerly breeze and a chill to the air, but the sky was full of stars with a bright moon which meant it would most likely be a good day to travel. The men had carried most of their things to the livery the night before but had left their saddlebags and two small bags of personal things at the house which they now had thrown over their shoulders. They stopped when they stepped onto shore. The lapping ocean waves sounded as they turned back for one last look. From the moonlight, Suzan saw tears glistening in Louise’s eyes, so she reached for her hand. It was a long minute bef
ore they started walking to the livery.

  The eastern sky was just starting to turn gray when Snout and Randy rode out of the livery leading three pack mules. Hide and Louise followed but Lefty held-back and didn’t mount Star right off because he wanted to say something to his wife in private. “I’m not quite sure what I’m getting you into, Suzan. I hope you won’t be disappointed how it ends up.”

  Suzan pushed her western hat back and pulled him to her for a long kiss. After they separated, she said, “I have no concerns, Sweetheart. Life with you is always an exciting adventure.” Lefty held her at arms-length gazing into her smiling eyes. Then he nodded with a smile and pulled her to him for a kiss…then another.

  The End

  About the Author

  Jim was born and raised in S.E. Missouri, graduated with a B.S. degree from Purdue University and has lived most of his adult life with his wife, Wilma, in Indiana. Telling stories to his young family members has always been a treasure and resulted in him being asked to write them down for future generations. Jim accepted the challenge and started writing his books after retirement. His writings promote living an exciting good life with high morals as his vocal tales have always conveyed.

  If you enjoyed this book, this author has other works available here:

  Author's Web Site

  Other Books by this Author:

  Esther

  Riding from Memories

  Grandad's Stories

  Rusty Crooked Nails

  Scar series:

  A Man Called Scar

  Scar and the Double D

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