Chapter 9
Buck, Jimmy, and Kid were in town helping Teaspoon pick up a special shipment he had ordered. After Kid and Buck each picked up an end of the long box they started carrying it to the waiting buckboard.
"What's in here Teaspoon?" Buck asked struggling with the cumbersome box.
"If I told ya, then it wouldn't be a surprise." Teaspoon answered.
"Is it for us?" Jimmy asked looking like a kid in a candy store.
"It's for all you boys. Sort of a thank ya for all your hard work." Teaspoon replied with a grin.
"Well let's open it." Kid said getting excited.
"Now hang on boys it's for everybody." Teaspoon said trying to get them to settle down.
"It's only fair since we came in to help ya with it." Jimmy said arguing their case.
"Alright go ahead." Teaspoon said giving in.
The boys quickly sat the box in the buckboard and opened it to reveal a couple of small balls, two long wooden club looking things, and some strange looking hats. Jimmy picked up one of the hats and put in on Kid's head while Buck grabbed one of the balls.
"What do you hunt with this?" Jimmy asked holding up one of the clubs.
"Nothing, that there is a baseball bat. You use it to play baseball." Teaspoon explained.
"What's baseball?" Kid asked.
"It's a new game I read about, thought we could play it." Teaspoon said with a cheesy grin.
"How do ya do it?" Jimmy asked curious.
"Well you take that there bat and you hit that there ball." Teaspoon said.
"And then what?" Kid asked.
"You run around the bases." Teaspoon explained.
"Why?" Buck asked with an expression that clearly said it seemed like a waste of time.
"To score a point, every time you pass home base you get a point." Teaspoon said his voice losing some of its excitement.
"So you just swat a ball with a stick and run around in a circle?" Kid asked.
"Don't think I left anything out." Teaspoon said scratching his head.
"And people do this for fun?" Buck asked, his expression saying exactly what he thought of this hair brain idea.
"Well yeah…ya don't got to play if ya don't want." Teaspoon said the disappointment he felt clear in his voice. He had thought they would enjoy this.
The three riders looked at each other and shrugged. It might be more fun than it sounds they thought. They put the things back into the box. Teaspoon went back to the station while they stayed in town for a little while.
Kid decided to buy a new hat. Buck and Jimmy decided to play catch with Kid's new hat. After Jimmy tossed the hat into the dirt Kid kicked Buck playfully and Buck returned it. Kid picked up his hat and put it back on. When he did he spotted a very familiar looking soldier.
"Excuse me mister is your name Jed?" Kid called over to the soldier.
"Have we met?" the soldier asked moving closer to Kid.
"I reckon we might have." Kid replied.
The soldier looked Kid up and down, "Sorry don't recall."
"Do you recall cursing a plow mule by the name of Jeremiah who liked to wallow in the mud by the creek?" Kid asked a slight grin on his face.
"Kid?" the soldier asked. At Kid's nod the soldier pulled Kid into a hug. "Look at you; ya finally got some meat on your bones!" Jed exclaimed.
Jed turned back to his men, his arm slung around Kid's shoulder, "Boys I got someone I want ya'll to meet. This here is my little brother."
Buck and Jimmy looked at each other and smiled and then went forward to meet Kid's brother. Kid invited Jed back to the station to meet the rest of the boys, Teaspoon, and Emma. They all liked Jed immediately, he was quite the charmer. Emma especially liked him. The next evening Jed took the boys to the saloon.
"Welcome to the Silver Spur boys. Home of the best whiskey, luckiest cards, and prettiest ladies." Jed said.
"I thought we were going to dinner." Lou said to Jed.
"Personally I like having my dessert first." Jed replied. "Have fun boys." He said before walking over to the bar.
Buck and Ike had to laugh at the look on Lou's face as the boys wandered off engrossed by the dancing girls. They of course stayed close to Lou. Two of the working girls came over to their little group.
"Your friend told us to show you boys a good time." One of the girls said draping herself around Ike's shoulders causing him to blush.
"Normally we're supposed to let the little one's go but I might make an exception for you sugar." The other said sashaying up to Lou. Lou's eyes got huge.
"You're wasting your time." Buck said to the woman with a grin on his face.
"Oh and why's that?" she asked.
Buck leaned in close and whispered something in her ear. She reared back and looked at Lou closely a smirk forming on her lips.
"So you fancy men do ya? Well I think me and my friend can change your mind." She said pulling Lou away while her friend followed with a curious expression.
"No really ma'am, I'd rather not." Lou said slightly panicked. She looked over her shoulder at Buck and mouthed 'Help'.
"What do we do Buck?" Ike signed to Buck watching Lou being led away by the girls.
"I don't know." Buck said as he watched in horror.
"Really sweetheart I'm sure we can offer you something that you might be interested in." the working girl said to Lou.
"No, no I'm fine really." Lou said trying to pull away.
"You sure about that honey? I mean if you rather not get a nice warm bath without those boys around, I can just send you back down there." The other one said.
"A bath? That's what you have to offer me?" Lou asked confused.
"You're cute sugar, but I fancy men too. Not girls dressed like men." The woman replied.
Lou looked back over to where Buck and Ike still stood looking worried and smiled at them. 'They know' she mouthed. Buck and Ike grinned and went about their business knowing Lou was fine.
Once the two ladies of the night had Lou in a room they started laughing.
"I'm Sandy and that's Molly. What's your name honey?" Sandy asked.
"Louise McCloud." Lou replied with a grin.
"Well now Louise why exactly are you pretending to be a boy?" Molly asked.
"Well…I …uh …it's …" Lou stammered, she didn't want to offend these girls.
"I see you didn't want to end up like us." Sandy said. Lou nodded.
"I don't blame ya hon. If I could have had the guts to do what you're doing I would have. This ain't no kind of life." Molly replied shaking her head.
"So how about that bath, bet you don't get much chance to get one." Sandy said changing the subject.
"A bath would be great. And no I don't get much chance to get one." Lou said with a genuine smile.
"Well you're welcome to come here and get one whenever you like." Molly offered.
"Thank you." Lou said truly grateful to these two women.
"Did those two you were standing with know that you're a girl?" Sandy asked.
"Yes. All the boys I work with do. My boss doesn't though." Lou said with a smile on her face.
"You know Louise your friends were kind of cute. Would you mind if I go back down there and try to get one of them to take me up on my offer?" Mandy asked eyeing Lou carefully to see if her suspicions were correct.
"Which one were you thinking about?" Lou asked eyeing her warily.
"The half breed." Molly said with a sly grin.
Lou just glared at the woman, "I much rather you try one of my other friends."
"Oh but he was so much better looking than the others." Molly said teasing the girl.
"You listen here. You stay away from Buck or I might just forget we're both ladies." Lou said as she started to lose her temper.
The two women started laughing.
"Yup I was right those two are together. I was just teasing you Louise." Molly said still giggling.
Lou blushed and muttered an apology. An hour later she went back downstairs feeling like a new woman. The bath had been heavenly. When she walked up and stood next to Buck he looked over at her and smiled before leaning in to whisper in her ear.
"You smell just like the wild roses that grow on the prairie, but you sure are a lot prettier." Buck said with a sly smile.
Lou blushed and shoved him away before the others noticed.
When the riders returned to the station the sun was just raising. Emma was furious because every single one of them was blind drunk.
That afternoon Teaspoon taught them to play baseball. Cody was pitching and Jimmy was at bat. After Jimmy managed to hit the ball he started running the wrong way around the bases. When he got going in the right direction Buck grabbed him as he passed the base he was guarding. After Teaspoon said Buck couldn't do that Jimmy continued running to be tripped by Cody. He staggered to his feet and kept running. Ike finally got the ball that Jimmy had hit and threw it to Cody who threw it at Jimmy hitting him in the leg.
"You're out!" Teaspoon yelled.
"He cheated." Jimmy yelled back pointing to Cody.
"Frogging the runner is legal." Teaspoon claimed.
"Show me the rules!" Jimmy yelled getting in his face.
"I made the rules." Teaspoon said back.
"Ah Jimmy don't be a sore loser." Cody said coming up at that moment.
Jimmy punched Cody and a fight began.
"This is supposed to be fun!" Buck yelled trying to break the fight up.
"Boys stop!" Emma hollered getting in the middle of the boys.
In the end all the riders including Emma ended up in a pile in the dirt. Teaspoon and Jed joined in as they all wrestled around.
The next day Jed joined the riders for lunch and Sam came out too. Something about Jed's story wasn't adding up in Sam's mind. After Jed refused to answer Sam's questions he left the bunkhouse for Kid to follow.
"You ain't got no cause to doubt my brother Sam. I think you might just be jealous because Emma seems to have taken a fancy to him." Kid said to Sam.
Sam shook his head, "Kid that ain't got nothing to do with this. It's my job to ask questions and I don't like it when people don't answer them."
"He can't if his orders say he can't talk about it." Kid argued.
"That may be Kid, but I for one want to know why his horse doesn't have an army brand on it." Sam said as he pointed to the mark on the horses' flank.
Sam rode away leaving Kid standing there. On his way back to town he came upon Teaspoon.
"Leaving already?" Teaspoon asked.
"I need a favor. Who's the fastest rider you can spare to take a message to Fort Laramie?" Sam asked Teaspoon.
"Kid." Teaspoon said.
"It can't be Kid." Sam replied.
"I'll look at the schedule." Teaspoon said.
"Thanks Teaspoon. Send him to see me as soon as possible." Sam said before riding back to Sweetwater.
Teaspoon returned to the station and found out Lou would be the best choice so he sent 'him' into town to see Sam.
"I sure hope you're wrong about this Sam." Lou said stuffing the letter Sam had handed her into her coat pocket.
"So do I Lou." Sam said as Lou mounted Lightning and rode towards Laramie.
When she returned a few days later she went directly to the marshal's office.
After drinking a dipper full of water and splashing water on her face and neck Sam asked, "Well?"
"You were right." Lou replied looking up at him.
"Damn." Sam muttered leaning back against his chair.
Together with Lou he rode out to talk to the other riders minus Kid who was out on a run. Once they were all gathered around on Emma's porch he told them the situation. There was two-hundred thousand dollars in gold in the bank in town. Jed and his men were after it.
"Fort Laramie is sending soldiers in to arrest Jed and his gang but they won't be here for at least another twenty four hours. That leaves me to defend it. I need ya'll to help me." Sam said pacing in front of the boys.
"You're asking us to go against Kid's brother." Buck stated not liking this situation.
"If it comes to that yes. Can I count on you boys?" Sam said; he didn't like this situation either.
After a few minutes of silence Jimmy spoke up, "I guess you can."
At this point Kid rode in from his run, "I'll talk to him." Sam said.
"Let me Sam." Lou replied thinking he might take it better coming from a friend instead of Sam.
Lou got off the porch and went over to Kid. A few minutes later Kid rode off.
"If he warns Jed." Sam started.
"He won't." Jimmy said cutting him off as the riders walked past him and went to get their gear.
Jed and his gang rode in and found that they had been found out. During the ensuing gunfight most of his men were killed. Jed managed to slip into the livery to steal a horse. Kid showed up before he could get away.
"You ain't going anywhere Jed. You killed people out there." Kid yelled at his brother.
"Get out of the way Kid. I will kill you." Jed warned.
"No! You want to leave you'll have to go through me." Kid shouted back at him.
Jed shot Kid in the arm. "I'm warning ya Kid, the next one will kill you."
"Don't do it Jed." Jimmy called coming in the other door.
Jed whipped around to fire at Jimmy but Jimmy was quicker. Kid rushed over to where his brother laid bleeding to death.
"Hang on Jed. We'll get you some help." Kid said to his brother, his hand over the gunshot wound trying to stem the blood flow.
"I couldn't have killed ya Kid." Jed said just before he died.
"No!" Kid cried sobbing against Jed's chest.
"I'm sorry Kid." Jimmy said squatting down next to Kid as the other riders arrived at the scene.
Buck put his arm around Lou's shoulders when she gasped upon seeing Jed dead. Ike and Cody pulled Kid to his feet and led him from the barn leaving Buck, Lou and Jimmy with the body.
"He said he was going to kill Kid." Jimmy whispered.
Lou moved to his side and put her hand on his shoulder, "You did what you had to do."
"He would have killed you Hickok." Buck said from his other side.
"I know but I just killed my best friend's brother." Jimmy said staring at the body.
"Come on Jimmy lets go home. There's nothing we can do now." Lou said as she and Buck pulled Jimmy to his feet.
That night dinner was a very somber affair. Nobody knew what to say to either Kid or Jimmy. After everybody had finished eating Kid looked up at Jimmy.
"Jimmy. You did what you had to do. You thought he was going to kill me." Kid said to his friend.
"I'm sorry Kid. If I could go back I wouldn't have shot him." Jimmy said not looking at him.
"He would have killed you Jimmy." Kid stated.
"Better me than you." Jimmy replied.
"No Jimmy. Jed was my brother but he broke the law. He got what he deserved. Even if you hadn't been the one to do it, the army would have." Kid told Jimmy.
Jimmy just hung his head in shame. "It's alright Jimmy. I'm not mad at you. He was my brother and I will always love him and miss him but he was no longer the brother I knew." Kid said before getting up from the table and leaving the bunkhouse.
Jimmy still felt horrible for killing Jed but he was relieved that Kid didn't blame him. In time they both would be alright and their friendship would survive this, of that Jimmy was certain.