The Amen Trail

by Sharon Sala

  It had been a long, lonely winter, and there were days when he’d thought he would go mad. But the Chinook thawed him out, just as it had Eulis and Letty, and he’d come to town with a winter’s worth of stored-up frustration, looking to hump a few women and fight the good fight.

  When he saw the raggedy woman perched on the wagon seat, his instinct for trouble led him straight to her. He rubbed the front of his pants in a suggestive manner, and then pointed at her.

  “I been waitin’ for you all winter,” he said, and stepped off the curb.

  Letty swung the rifle straight at his belly.

  “You in a hurry to die?”

  When she cocked the hammer back on the rifle, he stumbled. In an effort to steady himself, he reached for the mules. The unexpected slam of his body weight made Rosy and Blackie step sideways, and in doing so, moved the last obstacle from Sean Clancy’s path. He went face first onto the frozen ground and came up with a busted lip, a sore nose, and a handful of fresh mule manure on the front of his coat.

  “Son-of-a-holy-bitch!” Clancy roared, and reached for the barrel of Letty’s rifle.

  Tempted to aim for the mule shit he was wearing, Letty changed her mind at the last second, swung the rifle up and fired it off in the air instead.

  The gunshot stopped Clancy dead in his tracks, and brought Eulis running out of the land office, with the agent not far behind him.

  “What’s going on out here?” Eulis yelled, then saw the determination on Letty’s face. “Are you all right?”

  “So far,” she said. “Fat-ass here, seemed to think I’d been waiting out the winter just for his arrival.”

  Eulis eyed the mountain of a man with a calm that came out of nowhere. He doubled up his fists, ready to wade into the man, while accepting the fact that he would most likely take a whipping.

  “That’s my wife, you insulted,” Eulis said. “Apologize to her now, or I’m gonna have to whip you where you stand.”

  Sean Clancy started to laugh and then remembered the rifle aimed straight at his chest.

  “Hell, mister… ease up. I didn’t know she was yore wife.”

  “You do now,” Eulis said. “Apologize to her.”

  Clancy gritted his teeth as he turned around. Once again, he was face to face with the woman, only she didn’t appear as raggedy as she had a few minutes ago. There was a fire in her eyes and a jut to her chin that should have warned him she wasn’t one to mess with.

  “Look, Mrs… If I offended you…”

  Letty didn’t blink.

  “You did.”

  His face turned as ruddy as his hair, but the bore of that rifle she kept aimed at his face spoke loudly.

  “Then I’m sorry,” he muttered.

  “Time to move on,” Eulis said shortly.

  Clancy kept his head down as he quickly moved past.

  “Are you done in there?” Letty asked, as the land agent went back inside.

  “Yeah, we’re done,” Eulis said, then winked and grinned as he got up in the seat. “For better or for worse, that claim is ours.”

  Letty turned around to make sure that the red-headed man was still walking away. She watched until he disappeared around the corner of the street.

  “Now the assayer’s office,” Letty said.

  Eulis clucked to the mules and the wagon rolled on, taking them and their future a little farther down the street.

  “Assayer’s office,” Eulis said.

  “I’ll wait here,” Letty said.

  “No, darlin’… this time it’s your turn.”

  Her eyes widened. “What are you saying?”

  “You found it. It’s only fair that you get to be the one to see what it’s worth.”

  Letty handed Eulis the rifle, and hugged him something fierce before jumping down from the wagon.

  Eulis tossed her the small bag of ore they’d kept back.

  “I’ll be here when you’re done.”

  She clutched the bag against her chest and headed into the office.

  The bell over the door jingled as Letty walked in, but the assayer didn’t bother to look up.

  “Be with you in a minute.”

  “Take your time,” Letty said, and plopped the sack of ore on the counter.

  It was the female voice that changed the assayer’s focus. Immediately, he set aside a set of scales and jumped to his feet.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. How can I help you?”

  She shoved the bag of ore toward him.

  “Kinda curious as to what this might be worth.”

  He hefted the bag and then grinned.

  “Well, little lady… let’s see what you’ve got here.”

  He was still smiling as he dumped the contents out onto the counter. It lasted just until he picked up the first chunk of ore, then his smile changed to respect.

  “This looks promising,” he said. “Give me a few minutes and we’ll see what we have here.”

  Letty nodded, watching carefully as he laid some of the ore on large piece of leather. He took a small hammer and began hacking at the dirt and rock, separating it from the color, muttering as he worked. Letty couldn’t tell if that was good or bad, but when he dragged out some chemicals and a set of scales, Letty caught herself holding her breath.

  Not once during the entire process did she take her eyes off him, although he could have been making bear stew and she wouldn’t have known the difference. Once, she glanced out the window, making sure Eulis was still there, and wondering if he should be here instead of her. If the assayer decided to lie to her, she wouldn’t know the difference.

  Then the man turned around, and the look on his face made her heart skip a beat. His hands were shaking as he began sacking up the ore that he’d dumped.

  “Ma’am…”

  Letty braced herself for disappointment.

  “What?”

  “Is there any more of this?”

  She thought of what was in the wagon bed as well as what they’d left behind.

  “Yes.”

  He started to grin.

  “This is without doubt the purest color I’ve seen since I came here. Have you filed a claim?”

  “Yes… but what do we do now?”

  “We? You mean your partner?”

  “My husband,” she said, and as she pointed out the window, realized that was the first time she’d had occasion to lay claim to him in this way.

  “Well, ma’am, let me be the first to tell you that, if what you say is true, then you are a very rich woman.”

  Letty heard the words, but couldn’t believe what he’d said.

  “Say it again,” she said.

  The assayer grinned. “Lady… you and your man have just struck it rich.”

  “So, what do we do now?” Letty asked.

  “Ore like this has to be taken to a smelter.”

  “Is there one in town?” she asked.

  “Actually, there are a couple,” he said.

  “Are they honest?” she asked.

  The little man hesitated, then handed her the bag.

  “I didn’t tell you this, but if this was mine, I’d be doing business with Brian Moody.”

  “Where’s his business located?” Letty asked.

  “Follow the road to the end of town, then look to your right. You’ll see it there.”

  “How much do we owe you?” Letty asked.

  He pointed to the bit that he’d used for testing.

  “That will do me just fine,” he said.

  Letty headed for the door. She reached for the doorknob, then stopped and turned around.

  “You’re sure… about this being good, I mean?”

  “As sure as my name is Edward White.”

  “Then, Mr. White, I thank you.”

  He followed her to the door. “Tell your man to be careful when he brings the ore into town. There are people here who’d kill you without a second thought, just for what you got in that bag.”

  “Then they’d have them
selves a real heart attack if they knew what was in our wagon, wouldn’t they?”

  Edward White frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “The wagon is full of ore.”

  He looked past her, saw Eulis sitting in the seat with a rifle across his lap, and then stared at her in disbelief.

  “You brought it with you… in that wagon… loose?”

  “Yes.”

  “Lord have mercy.”

  “Oh, He already has,” Letty said. “Thank you for your help. I’m sure we’ll be seeing you around.”

  ***

  Eulis saw her coming, and he knew before she said it, that the ore was good.

  “Are we rich yet?” he asked.

  “Yep,” Letty said. “Only we got to take this to a smelter.”

  Eulis nodded. “I know.”

  Letty sniffed. “Well, I didn’t. Edward says that Brian Moody is an honest man.”

  Eulis frowned. “Who’s Edward?”

  “Edward White. He’s the assayer.”

  “And who is this Brian Moody?”

  “The owner of the smelter.”

  Eulis tried not to feel jealous, but he was beginning to think he should have been the one to take the ore into the assayer after all.

  “Do we know where this smelter is?”

  “Follow the road through town, then look to the right.”

  “All right, then,” he said, and handed her the rifle. “I reckon we’d better get on down there before someone figures out what we’re hauling.”

  She laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  “Us. We look like the tail end of hard times, and we’re hauling enough gold to set the whole town into a riot.”

  He clucked his tongue as he flipped the reins across Rosy and Blackie’s backs.

  “Just a little bit farther and then it’s oats and water for the both of you.”

  Rosy’s ears twitched as the wagon rolled on through town. Lots of people saw the bedraggled looking pair, but paid them no attention. It would be the last anonymous day of their lives.

  ***

  Brian Moody was working on a cigar when he saw a team and wagon pulling up to the smelter. He took a last puff, laid the cigar in the ashtray, and brushed the ashes off his vest. Being one of two smelters in a town when only one would have served, he didn’t want to miss any business. He smoothed his hands over his head, straightened his suit coat, and then hurried outside.

  “Hello, to you, Sir,” he called, and then hurried down the steps. “I’m Brian Moody. How can I help you?”

  Eulis nodded to the man.

  “I’m Eulis Potter… this is my wife, Letty. We got some ore for you.”

  Moody glanced toward the wagon and saw elk skins and bedrolls, as well as cooking pans, and imagined a sack or so of ore to be had. It probably wouldn’t amount to much, but it was why he was here.

  “All right then,” he said. “Glad to be of service.”

  Eulis got down and began untying the ropes. Letty followed, with the rifle at the ready.

  Moody nodded politely to Letty.

  “Ma’am, there’s a chair in my office if you’d care to wait there while we carry in your ore.”

  “Thank you just the same, but I think I’ll stand guard,” Letty said.

  Brian stifled a grin and tried not to stare at their ragged appearance.

  “I doubt that’s necessary, ma’am.”

  “Sir. I assure you, it is,” she said, and pointed to the wagon just as Eulis was tossing the elk hides and the last of their belongings to the ground.

  Moody grinned as he peered into the bed, and then he actually grunted out loud.

  “Good God, man! What have you done?”

  Eulis pointed. “My wife hit pay dirt. I reckon we’re rich.”

  Moody looked up, struggling to find the words to speak.

  “Is this all of it?” he asked.

  “Shoot no,” Eulis said.

  Brian Moody stared at the both of them as if they’d suddenly grown horns, then he started to grin. He slapped his leg, whooped and hollered out loud, then shook Eulis’s hand and tipped his hat to Letty.

  “Ma’am… Sir… it’s gonna be a pleasure to do business with you.”

  Eulis nodded. “What do we do first?”

  “Come with me to the office. We’ll handle the paperwork while I get the men to come unload the wagon.”

  “I reckon I’ll just stay with the wagon,” Letty said.

  “Ma’am… it behooves me to be honest with you if I want to continue to do business with you, right?”

  She frowned.

  “Having said that, I can promise you, that both you and your gold will be safe with me.”

  And when she saw the size of the men who came for the wagon, she thought he was most likely right. Except for that big red-headed man who’d accosted her on the street, they were three of the biggest, grizzliest men she’d ever seen.

  Moody pointed at Eulis and Letty as he addressed his workers.

  “Men, this here is Mr. and Mrs. Eulis Potter. Mark their faces, because we’re going to be in business together for a long, long time.”

  It was to their credit that the men took the wagon away without much comment, but Letty saw them talking among themselves and gesturing wildly as they drove away.

  She watched the men going into the office, but instead of immediately following, she looked up, toward the mountains.

  The air was sharp, but the warmth of the sun felt good on her face. She lifted her chin as she stood, remembering where they’d been, and how far they’d come, and knew that from this day forward, their lives would never be the same. With a heartfelt sigh, she shifted the rifle to her other hand and followed her husband into the office.

  ***

  By the time they came down from the smelter, it was obvious that the word was out. People came out of their businesses, waving and shouting, while others ran beside the wagon, begging for money, or to be put to work.

  Eulis was oddly non-committal, but Letty felt threatened, and let it be known by setting the stock of the rifle against her leg with the barrel pointing skyward as a reminder that they were armed.

  When a man grabbed at Rosy’s harness, Letty flinched.

  “Eulis…”

  “It’s all right, darlin’,” he said quietly. “They’re just excited, is all.”

  But Letty saw more than excitement in their faces. She saw the fever burned as bright in their eyes as it had burned in Eulis’s body—only this fever was a fever without cure or end. All around her, she felt danger and death.

  As they grew nearer to the livery stable, she saw the red-headed stranger who’d accosted her at the land office. He was staring at them without waving, as most everyone else had been doing, and she felt an odd shiver of foreboding, as if they weren’t finished with each other, yet.

  Still, she couldn’t let a loser like him ruin the joy of this day. She drew her gaze away from Sean Clancy and looked to Eulis.

  “What are we going to do?”

  “For starters, I reckon we’ll need to stable the mules, get us a room, and something to eat.”

  “And after that?”

  “Mr. Moody said to open an account at the bank.”

  “Yeah, right,” Letty said, then grinned. “I never did that before.”

  “Me, either,” Eulis said. “But there can’t be all that much to it. They get the gold outta the ore, sell it at market price, and put the money in our account at the bank.”

  “What about all the rest of the gold up in the mine?”

  “Brian suggested we buy some wagons, hire some men, pay fair wages, and dig for all we’re worth.”

  She wanted to giggle. Instead, she kept her eye on the crowd that was following along behind.

  “Then we can spend it?”

  He grinned.

  “Yeah, then we spend it. What do you want to buy first?”

  Letty looked past the people running with them, to
the city itself. It was rough and raw, but the possibilities were endless. Law was still hit and miss, and society had yet to set up a hierarchy of social status. There was a doctor in residence, and a barber who’d gone from a tent in the street to his own building, complete with a red and white barber pole hanging out front. There were too many men and not enough women, but Letty knew that would change. One day there would be schools and churches and places where women met for tea to discuss works of literary merit, and Letty wanted to be a part of that metamorphosis like she’d never wanted anything before.

  Eulis stopped at the livery and looked at his wife.

  “What’s wrong, girl… cat got your tongue?”

  “No.”

  “Then tell me. What do you want to buy first?”

  “Propriety… and a good name.”

  It was the last thing he would have expected her to say, and yet he understood immediately where it had come from.

  “How you reckon to do that?”

  Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at the hill overlooking the main part of town. It was covered in trees without a path in sight, and yet that was where she knew she should be.

  “We’re gonna lay claim to that hill up there,” she said. “And we’re gonna build a fine house with a large veranda so that we can sit out in the cool of the evening and watch the city grow. And we’re going to wear nice clothes and have someone clean our house, and someone else cook our food, and when the first preacher comes to town and sets up shop, we’re going to sit in church every Sunday and listen to him preach. Even if he’s not as good as you,” she added.

  He grinned.

  Letty was wound up now and ticking off the plans on her fingers.

  “And when the bankers bring out their wives, and decency comes to this place, we’re going to be ahead of the game. That’s how we’re going to do that.”

  “Hey Mister! Mister! Did you really strike it rich? I need a job. Do you need someone to work in your mine?”