by Diane Darcy
Annora grabbed her skirt from her mother and replaced it in the trunk. Time to employ the strategy she’d already planned. “At twenty-four, Father, a woman is on the shelf. Wyoming may have three times as many men as women, but I’ve no need for a husband. And the Indians have been moved off that land and put on reservations.”
“Even so—“
Surging to her feet, she forestalled her father from finishing. “I’m going, and that’s that! It’s my calling, don’t you understand that? The mistreated animals of Sheridan need me.”
Mother and father looked at each other. His shoulders slumped, but Annora detected the new light in her mama’s eyes.
Eleanora restrained her husband with a hand on his sleeve and shook her head. “It’s no use, Osgood. You know how she is about animals. She brought three pigs home today, and they tore the house to shreds before Helga caught them all.”
Annora had won.
July 1898, Sheridan, Wyoming
She had made it. Despite the smoke and soot blowing in through open windows and soiling her clothes. Despite the constant clackety-clack of the wheels on the tracks. Despite the noise of the locomotive and chattering foreign voices. Despite the hard, wooden seat and lack of sleep. Despite the poor food that left her feeling ill, Annora Lee Bostwick had arrived safely in Sheridan, Wyoming.
Her parents would be expecting a wire. Eleanore Bostwick loved nothing more than fretting over one thing or another, and her daughter occupied the top of her list. Her father, Osgood Bostwick, on the other hand, took matters as they came, usually with calm and efficiency. But he, too, would be eager to hear Annora had reached her destination in one piece.
Cradling the kitten in her arms, which she’d rescued from the train conductor who was about to throw it off a moving locomotive, she turned in a circle to see everything.
“Mountains!” she whispered to the kitten. “Oh, look at them.”
Massive peaks such as she’d never seen before, growing up in New York, and streaked with white rose in the distance beneath a sky with no end. Beautiful majestic mountains.
She grinned as she stepped down onto the depot’s wooden platform. People moved around her, jostling, cursing, banging their luggage into her. Mesmerized by the mountains, she didn’t move. Gradually, she noticed the lush green of the land surrounding the town, acres of it, and the town itself. Wooden, false-fronted buildings with boardwalks, and muddy streets.
“Annora! Annora!”
A small, gloved hand waved above the sea of passengers and families clogging the depot. Annora waved back.
The crowd parted, and she spotted Lissette Brownell. A wide, feather-strewn hat perched on blond hair, a petite face with a slightly large nose, and a plump figure, hurried toward her. Her cousin, daughter of a second-cousin to Annora’s mother.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve missed you so much.” The girl, close to her own age, began to hug her, saw the kitten and simply kissed her cheek. A man with her claimed Annora’s luggage. “How was your trip? Oh, I love your dress. You look wonderful in that shade of blue.”
“Thank you. This is Buttons,” she said, indicating the kitten. The name had barely come to her as she considered its button-like eyes.
“Oh, she’s beautiful. I adore cats.” Lissette took the arm of the man next to her. “Annora, you remember my husband, Chance.”
“Of course.” On impulse, she kissed them both on their cheeks.
Chance chuckled. “It’s good to see you again too,” he said. As if deciding he was a friend, Buttons climbed up his arm to his shoulder. Annora reached for her but he shook his head. “She’s fine. Leave her.”
“Thank you.” Remembering her cousin’s questions, she said, “The trip was gruesome but wonderful. So much country between here and New York. I was amazed.”
Hooking their arms together, Lissette guided her from the platform. Chance, loaded down with luggage and with a calico kitten climbing onto his shoulders followed. A pleasant appearing man with kind brown eyes, a high brow, and a nice smile he walked on Annora’s other side as if to protect her. She found him charming.
“I’m sure you’re exhausted,” Lissette rattled on. “Our wagon is over in front of the mercantile. We did some shopping while waiting for the train. But we’ll take you straight home where you can have a hot bath and rest up.”
“I would like that, but first, may we go and see the store you rented for me?”
“Of course.” Lissette led her to the corner of Grinnell and Gould Streets. “Here it is. But we didn’t rent it. Your mother bought it for you.”
“Bought it?” Annora’s gaze took in the thumbprint-sized building, with large windows facing the two streets. A vacant lot stood next to it, which she immediately decided to buy. The space would make a perfect yard for keeping animals in.
She assumed the unmarked door between her office and a haberdashery shop led to the apartment overhead. That the location wasn’t on the main thoroughfare disappointed her, but all in all, it appeared suitable.
What she could see through the dirty glass panes gave little encouragement. A few broken chairs, piles of litter and dirt. So much for her hope of moving in right away.
But, thanks to her mother, she owned it. She wouldn’t have to worry about meeting the rent each month. She must write to her mother today to thank her. This was more than she had hoped for.
“It needs some work,” Chance said, handing her back the kitten. “But I can help with that.” The depth of his voice surprised her, though she had no idea why. A large man, muscular and fit, he wore a sack coat over a plain chambray shirt with no collar or tie, denim trousers, boots, and a wide-brimmed hat. He handed her back the kitten.
“I hope so. Do we have time to go inside?”
He glanced toward Main and shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I’ll be needed to help my boss before we leave town.”
“Very well. I assume I will be staying with you tonight?”
“And for as long as you like,” Lisette assured her, linking arms and tugging gently toward Main.
Juggling the calico, Annora shook dust and soot from her skirts and fussed with her hair, tucking loose wisps into the bun at the back of her head beneath her hat. The kitten climbed onto her shoulder and then her hat. “Oh, my, isn’t she adorable?”
Lisette plucked Buttons from Annora’s hat, careful not to allow the cat’s claws to damage the fabrics, and they returned to Main Street. Annora found the town rather quaint, but a bit dirty, noting the trash piles here and there.
As they crossed over to where the Brownell wagon waited, the ground trembled beneath her thin-soled shoes and a rumbling sound grew closer. Startled people looked up and down the road. Several hurried to reach the boardwalks. Drivers atop wagons did their best to move to the side. Annora turned to determine the cause of the concern.
“What on earth?” Lissette muttered, as she too gazed up the broad expanse of the dirt street.
From around a corner, surrounded by a cloud of dust, galloped a herd of mounted horses, a huge brown beast in the center of them. Mud flew out from under their hooves, peppering anyone within reach. Ladies reached for hankies to cover their noses. Annora tightened her hold on the cat.
“It’s the race,” Chance said, and muttered, “Thunderation. Must be later than I thought.”
The riders drew closer. Fighting to keep hold of the frightened cat, Annora stared at a huge, shaggy, brown animal at the front of the galloping herd. A large man rode a saddle on its back.
A buffalo, the first she’d seen. It’s long shaggy face looked forlorn, its tongue lolling out over its lower lip. Why was a wild animal being forced to carry a man on its back in a race like a horse? She reached out a hand, wanting to rescue him. The buffalo’s sad eyes met hers and slowed as though it might come to her—until the man jabbed it in the belly vicious looking spurs, and yelled for it to speed up. Within seconds, they had passed by, but more horses and riders followed at full gallop, barely vi
sible through the cloud of dust all those hooves raised.
“A horse race on a crowded thoroughfare?” she said, waving her hand to blow away the dust as the turned to Lissette and Chance. “Have they no care—“
She broke off as a little boy darted past her into the road still crowded with racing animals. Annora sucked in a breath knowing he couldn’t see all the horses hidden by the dust and the pounding hooves that would crush him to death. He had to be stopped.
She shoved the kitten at Lisette. Could she reach him on time? Or would she be trampled too? Blinded by dust, she threw herself at the boy, a prayer echoing in her head.
Annora easily imagined the feel of those hooves slamming into her own body and thought of the damage they could do to a little boy. Heat from all the furry forms rushing past her sent sweat dripping down forehead and neck. The animals’ grunts and snorts, the shouts of the riders, sounded only inched away.
Her hands reached out, searched for a small body, and brushed something woolen.
The boy!
She’d found him. Her knees struck earth as her arms closed around him. Instinctively, she rolled to the side away from the sea of sharp, death-dealing hooves that thundered past them.
It happened so fast. One moment she’d been standing with her Lissette and her husband, the next instant she found herself on the ground wrapped around a squirming body.
Then Lissette and Chance were there. “Annora!”
Chance grabbed hold and lifted up both her and the little boy she refused to let go of.
When they were standing again, she opened her arms and bent to look at the child to determine if he were hurt.
“You saved me,” he said, grinning.
A woman with a shawl flapping behind her like wings broke through the throng of onlookers. “Jeremy!” She snatched the boy from Annora. “What were you thinking running away from me like that? You could have been killed.” After giving him a good shaking, along with the scolding, she cradled him to her breast, kneeling in the mud.
“I wanted to see, Mama,” the boy said.
“Next time, ask your father to boost you onto his shoulders. Do not run out like that.”
“That lady saved me, Mama.” He pointed to Annora.
“Oh, thank you.” She grabbed both Annora’s hands and squeezed them. “Thank you so much. My boy is everything to me.” The father rushed up then, and the family was reunited.
Annora stared at them as they walked away. She felt dazed, bruised, and filthy. What had happened? Dirt covered her new silk dress and matching slippers. A ragged tear showed in her skirt. Fear, flying horses, and thudding hooves flashed into her mind.
Chance guided her to the boardwalk where the air had cleared slightly. Annora’s head spun, and she thought she might faint.
“Are you all right? I was so frightened.” Lissette hugged her, then brushed furiously at Annora’s silk skirts. “Oh, look at your pretty dress.”
“What happened?”
Lissette stared at her. “Don’t you remember? You saved that little boy’s life.”
“You were lucky,” Chance said. “That was a brave thing you did, Miss Bostwick. You could have both been killed.”
“I don’t... I didn’t think. I simply...acted.” Heat rose to her cheeks. She felt more foolish than brave. Her dress was ruined. People stared and pointed at her. She wanted to hide, hating being the center of attention.
“Well, I’m sure the parents are grateful,” Lissette said.
Annora’s mind cleared slowly. “The men racing. Was there a bison with them?” Annora asked, straightening the hat she’d nearly lost when she dove for the boy. “I didn’t realize they were so huge. And there was a man riding it.”
“Yes,” Lissette answered and handed her the kitten. “That was Birch, Chance’s boss, who rode it.”
“Buffalo Birch is what he’s called.” Chance grinned. Obviously, he approved of the man’s strange pastime, but Annora found it outrageous. Riding a buffalo, of all things.
“Bison are wild animals. Were the rest of the riders trying to rescue the man?”
Chance chuckled. “Birch doesn’t need rescuing. He raised and trained that animal. Hezekiah is as tame as could be, and he’s the fastest critter in the county. Birch is always being challenged to a race.”
“Hezekiah?” The man actually named a wild animal?
“The buffalo,” Chance clarified.
“Whoever the man was riding him should know better than to race on a public street.” The more Annora thought about it, the angrier she became. Did he not care at all for the people he might have injured? “He should be arrested. If not for the insane stunt he pulled today, for the cruel treatment of that poor bison.”
“Cruel treatment?” Chance echoed.
“Yes. It’s unnatural for a wild creature to be ridden like a horse. I’m quite sure it would prefer to be out grazing the grasslands where it belongs.”
Lissette put a hand to her husband’s broad chest. “Annora is here to open a branch of the new American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Chance.”
He roared with laughter. “Good luck with that, Miss Bostwick. You’ve got your work cut out for you. Excuse me, ladies, I need to go take care of Hezekiah.” He tipped his wide-brimmed hat and walked away, still chuckling.
Bristling with indignation, Annora brushed at her skirts one last time and glared in the direction the riders, and Chance had taken. “Well,” she muttered, “I’m with the ASPCA. There won’t be any animals mistreated while I’m around.”
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You can reach Diane at www.DianeDarcy.com
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