The Printers Daughter
Chapter 2

Author's note: The reason I started writing this was because there was no clear ending for Buck. We know, historically, what happened to Cody and Jimmie. And Teaspoon, Rachel, Kid, and Lou. I wanted to give Buck a happy ending and to clear up what happened to Kid and Lou after the honeymoon. I hope you enjoy it. My thanks for the good reviews so far!

Back at the Pony Express station all three of us were in for the usual teasing by the rest. Cody, of course, is a notorious (and unlucky) ladies man. Buck and I don't usually get lucky with the local woman. This time though, the teasing included some words of warning. The father, Mr. Ray, it turns out, is very protective of his daughters. And he and his wife downright hate Indians. Ray had spotted Buck in the shop and was hoping that "the Indian" wouldn't return.

Buck's comment was, "Well, that's a shame, because she and I struck up a friendship." Neither he nor I were going to say anything about Maggie's past. Some secrets are better kept.

It was clear to me at least that Buck was smitten. I don't think I had ever seen him so, well, gone, on a woman before. It occurred to me, as his best friend and brother, that it was my duty to help him in his courtship of Miss Margaret Ray. So we started planning. It seemed to us that the best way to give them time together was to have Buck and I start working at the newspaper. With our riding schedules and all, that wasn't going to be easy, but it was worth a try.

So the next day we were both home, we walked over to the newspaper office. We politely (and avidly I must admit-I really did want to learn how to do this) watched Mr. Ray at work. The girls weren't there (we had made sure) and it was clear he hadn't hired an assistant.

Mr. Ray noticed us finally and rather rudely told us to get out. I started signing my objections and Buck translated. "Mr. Ray," he said, "My partner Ike McSween apologizes, but he and I are interested in learning about what you do. We noticed that you don't have an assistant yet and we'd like to volunteer. Because of our job for the Pony Express we can't be here all the time, but we'd like to come learn when we can. You can pay us what we're worth."

Ray stopped and looked at us. He pointed to me. "Is he deaf and mute?"

Buck responded, "He lost his hair and his voice due to the fever, but his hearing and his mind is just fine. We met at a Mission school."

"So you are an Indian."

"Only half. My mother was a Kiowa, from down south."

"I don't like or trust Indians in any form." Ray appeared to think. "But I do need some help. If my daughters are here, you aren't. Understood?"

We both indicated understanding. "Alright. I'll fire either or both of you if you don't meet my standards or follow my rules. Come over here and get started." He assigned me to putting away the pieces of type, giving me a chart showing where the pieces were to go. It wasn't easy, but I think I got most of them right. Buck was given what Mr. Ray called a "proof sheet" and was asked to look for errors. I think he was hoping to prove that Buck wasn't good enough at English for the job. Buck struggled some, but he only missed one error. I did pretty well too. That surprised Mr. Ray He was sure he could get rid of us right away. I found out later he had already turned down several other men with the same tests. Mr. Ray was stuck. Could he afford to send away cheap, competent labor? Not really. So Buck and I became newspaper men.

At least in our own imaginations.

The reality was that if we weren't riding or doing chores for Rachel or Teaspoon, we were at the Newspaper office. At first it was just plain hard work-cleaning, sorting type, and the like. And that printers ink-it doesn't come off easy! The lye soap we had to use about took the skin off us! But for me, it was worth it. Buck was frustrated. He wanted to spend time with Maggie, but at first, at least, every time she or her sister came in, we had to leave. That was the deal. Finally it got to where Mr. Ray at least let us finish what we were doing if the girls were going to stay a while.

I found out later that Maggie and Buck had found a way to meet secretly. She had a refuge, a place she would go when living with us whites got to be too much. Just outside of town, where the sights and sounds couldn't be perceived. As she told her father, it was better he let her have time with nature than do something foolish in front of the townsfolk. Buck told me that they would use the short time they had there to talk about their lives and to vent their frustrations about living in the white world.

Maggie wasn't sitting idle either. She was doing her best to integrate herself into the Rock Creek community. She had joined the Ladies Aid society along with her sister. She was teaching Sunday School. And she was making friends with most of the ladies in town. Including Rachel. It was funny. though. It was Maggie's sister who was causing eye brows to raise with all the men she was spending time with.