by Dee

Part 3

When Kid left Cody he stopped by the saloon and bought a bottle of whiskey. Seeing Lou with someone else, even if she thought he was dead hurt him to the core. Then to find out it was Jimmy Hickok, of all people felt like another slap in the face. "How long had they been together?" He questioned in his mind. "Did she even wait till she had been told that he was dead? Or did she run off to be with Jimmy as soon as he left?" Questions raced through his mind faster than he could find answers.

He looked at the bottle in his hand as he settled onto the cot in the tent that was part of Cody's show. "Just one drink to stop the pain," he thought. "Just one." As he started to lift the bottle to his lips, he realized the mistake he was making. This wasn't going to fix his leg or take away the scars. Or even fix the many mistakes he had made since leaving Rock Creek. The more he thought the angrier he became. He was startled back to the present when he smashed the bottle against the small table beside the cot.

He looked down and saw that the bottle had cut a gash in his palm. He just stared at the blood that had begun to pool there and more memories came back. The battle cries he had heard that April morning so many years ago. The smell of smoke, the gray hazy that had darken the sky. He saw in his mind the pond turn to red, stained by the blood of men and horses. They had destroyed the land there and soiled it. They battled there for two days near a small church. It had been a horrendous battle. He learned later the place was called Shiloh and that the south had lost. But he had lost more.

Kid looked down at his leg the one that barely supported his weight anymore and wanted to scream. He recalled the bullet that had slammed into it and the pain that had coursed through his body. He was lucky that he still had the leg, he knew but he sure didn't feel lucky. He felt he was less of a man and the other scars he had been left with that day were worse.

There were burns on one side of his face. He kept them covered with his beard. The other scars were not noticeable from the outside. They were the nightmares of death and destruction. He remembered waking up screaming in the field hospital crying out for help in his sleep. He couldn't make them go away. Until he discovered that alcohol could make him forget. He had had a friend write Lou, when he realized he would be a cripple the rest of his life, and tell her that he was dead. He cried himself when he posted the letter and wanted to retrieve it. But then he saw his reflection in a window and changed his mind. Lou was better off without him.

A few years later Cody had been passing though the area and Kid had gone to see the show. He'd been half drunk and was surprised that his old friend had even recognized him. They had talked and he had told Cody about the letter to Lou and how she thought he was dead. Then Cody had offered him a job with his show and Kid had accepted. "But," he thought, "if I had known we'd be here I never would have."

He lay down on his cot and thought to himself. "God, I'm sorry Lou. I'm so very sorry." He turned to face the wall and fell asleep, he never even heard Cody come in.

Lou awoke with a start someone was holding her. Panic swept through her like wildfire. Then memories of the previous night came flooding back. The arms around her belonged to Jimmy.

They had talked till almost dawn. They had finally fallen asleep with Jimmy holding her after she had told him of the letter and that awful day that her world in Sweetwater had ended.

As Jimmy started to stir he pulled her closer. And lord, did it feel good, not to mention right. She couldn't remember the last time she was held like this.

"Good morning," she heard him whisper next to her ear.

"Good morning," she said as she turned to face him. "How long have you been awake?"

"A little while." Jimmy looked down into her eyes and saw that they weren't as haunted as they had been the night before.

"I've got to get going," Lou said, " The stage has to pull out soon."

"Get someone else to make the run," Jimmy replied. "Besides Dobbins was saying last night before you arrived, that he needed some extra cash. After I cleaned him out at the poker table last night."

"I still need to tell Hank and make the arrangements."

"No, you stay here. I'll take care of it." And with that he got up and strapped on his guns. He turned before he reached the door and walked back. "I meant what I said last night. I love you, Lou and I'm not going to let you get away this time. You stay put, I'll be back shortly." Then he kissed her and left.

Lou sat there stunned as Jimmy walked out the door. "Lord, what am I going to do?" She asked out loud. Jimmy Hickok had found her. Now she would have to let go of Kid's memory if she decided to be true to her feelings and love Jimmy. Slowly she pulled the covers over her head and closed her eyes. "What am I going to do?!" She asked the empty room.

Back in Sweetwater the town was starting to wake up as a young boy walked into the Marshal's office. "Marshal, I have a telegraph for you and Mrs. Hunter.

Teaspoon looked up. "Now who would be sending us a telegraph?" He asked no one in particular. Then it crossed his mind that maybe one of his "boys" was in trouble. He took the paper from the boy and handed him a nickel. "Now behave yourself Tommy and you can stop by later and I'll tell you about the Express and my riders."

All the boys at school like to hear Marshal Hunter's stories about the Pony Express and the riders that it employed. "Thanks, Marshal. I will." And with that the boy ran out of the office and off to school.

Rachel came through the back door about that time. As she slipped her arms around him, Teaspoon smiled. "Looks like we've got ourselves a telegraph, darlin."

"Who's it from?" she asked.

"Don't know. I haven't read it yet." He opened the paper up. And that was all it took.

"Book the first stage out. I'll have the bags ready by then. And tell Jake Colter not to screw up while you're gone." Rachel called out over her shoulder as she went out the door.

Teaspoon didn't hesitate one minute. He made it to the ticket office right before the agent arrived. "Al, I need 2 tickets to Whippoorwill Canyon, today. Family emergency."

"Sorry, Marshal. But the next stage doesn't leave till tomorrow morning."

"Then I'll take 'em. Have you seen Jake around bouts."

"In the saloon flirtin' with that new girl."

"Thanks, Al. And make sure that stage is on time."

"Will do, Marshal."

As Teaspoon came thought he door, he spotted Jake at the bar. "Jake you have to hold down the fort for a few days. We have a family emergency. So you're in charge till I get back. And Rachel says to stay out of trouble, at least till we return."

"Who is it this time?" Jake asked the sarcasm evident in his voice. "No let me guess Hickok's in trouble again, and needs you to bail him out."

"Shut up, Jake and just take care of things till I return." Teaspoon growled.

"Alright, Marshal. Don't worry everything will be nice and quite." He replied.

"That's why I'm worried." Teaspoon said as he left.

Teaspoon and Rachel didn't sleep a wink that night. They stayed at the jail so that they wouldn't have to ride into town in the morning and chance missing the stage. They held each other close and whispered of what the problem could be. But when it came to Lou and the "boys", only one being knew. And the good Lord hadn't seen fit to clue them in yet.

Meanwhile in the hills near the canyon an army operator handed Buck his telegraph. Buck read it, grabbed his belongings, and went straight to the Major's tent. "I'm leaving."

"You can't leave. We need you." The Major complained.

"No, you don't Little Bears will translate for you and my family needs me. I'll be back when I'm done." Buck answered the Major.

"Family emergency?"

"You could say that. It looks like on of them has come back from the dead." Buck replied as he mounted his horse and rode out of camp.

Next

Send feedback