Chapter 2

The next morning after a hearty breakfast Jimmy led Pip to the area behind the bunkhouse that was often used for target shooting. He had gathered two discarded cans and set one on each fence post. He stood beside her before his can and then drew the revolver from his holster as fast as he could and shot from the hip using a fanning technique with his left hand to cock the gun. The can went flying off the post. Pleased with himself Jimmy smirked, "Let's see you do that." He then holstered the weapon.

She winced to herself unsure she could draw as fast as Jimmy Hickok could but knew she had to put on a tough guy act or her reputation in the new town would be absolutely destroyed. She took a step and lined herself up with the post and then reached across her body and drew as fast as she could, cocked the revolver with her thumb as she lined up the sight picture and fired. She hit the can dead on and in the same amount of time that Jimmy accomplished in his test.

The mute rider, Ike walked out and gathered the two cans. He brought the cans back motioning which can was hit by Jimmy.

Kid picked up the first can that Jimmy shot from Ike's hand. He found Jimmy barely hit the top edge of the can and most of it was left intact. He then looked at Pip's can which had a hole straight through the middle. He concluded, "Pip beat ya, Jimmy."

"He did not!" he argued. "I was faster."

Kid disagreed, "You two about the same but Pip hit dead-on, Jimmy." He looked to Pip, "That way you draw is different. You just leveled the sights on the target." he stated impressed.

Jimmy pouted looking at the two cans, "He's that much better."

Lou grinned to herself for she knew Pip was not a boy and she just beat Jimmy at a mock dual. She wanted to jump up and down and rub it in Jimmy's face but could not. Jimmy Hickok was beaten by a girl and she said nothing.

Jimmy noticed Lou's amused face. He barked, "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing," she tried to keep a straight face. Lou understood what it must be like for Pip. She assumed her new friend snuck into the Pony Express for the same reasons she did.

Jimmy scowled, "This little pipsqueak cheated."

Pip asked befuddled, "How did I cheat?"

He didn't know how she cheated and just stammered, "You did somehow!"

She removed the cummerbund from her middle and handed it to him, "Here! Put this on and you try it."

"Fine!" he huffed and took the article. He removed his belt rigging and then put the cummerbund around his middle adjusting it for Pip had a smaller waist. He removed his Colt from the holster that he handed to Kid to hold. He placed the weapon in the cummerbund like Pip had donned as Ike placed another tin can on the fence post. When Ike was clear Jimmy turned toward the post, cross drew the weapon and found the sight picture lined up perfectly. He paused and then put the revolver back in the cummerbund. He then drew it again but as fast as he could and fired the weapon hitting the can dead center. The result was faster than his normal draw and more accurate.

Kid gasped, "Damn, Jimmy! You can shoot even faster than Pip and you hit that can right in the middle."

Jimmy looked down at his middle and then at Pip. He looked at his middle once more for he discovered if he utilized the cummerbund in the fashion Pip had that he would be faster and more accurate than before. He debated if he wanted to keep his very expensive rig or trade for the cummerbund that Pip used.

Pip's cummerbund also aided her in keeping her true gender a secret and she wanted it back. She pointed, "Can have my cummerbund back now?"

"Looks pretty good on me," Jimmy smirked.

Her mouth dropped as she assumed he was about to take it from her. He chuckled amused for he like getting a reaction out of Pip and then removed the cummerbund. "Here," he tossed it back to her, "Not really my style anyways." In the back of his mind he knew the cummerbund style of carry would give him a tactical advantage but for now he would make do with his holster rigging.

She caught the cummerbund and applied it around her middle once more. She then tucked her revolver into the makeshift rig. She looked up as Jimmy had finished buckling the belt around his middle and tied off his holster to his leg. She asked, "Still think I cheated?"

He shook head amused, "Nah! You figure that rig out on your own?"

"I did!" she proudly proclaimed.

"That's pretty clever. Just don't let it go to your head." He walked up to her and looked right in the eye and mentioned, "I'm still faster than you." He waited for her response.

"Congratulations!" she smirked. "Would you like a cookie?" she asked sarcastically.

Jimmy heard Lou laugh out loud. He scowled, "Not funny, Lou."

She pinched her lips tight and tried to not laugh but to Lou, Pip was getting the better of Jimmy and he obviously liked Pip but he did not seem to realize Pip is a girl. For Lou the two were hilarious. It was the classic cowboy meets the city slicker and Lou found it entertaining.

Jimmy warned Pip, "Watch yourself or I might just take that cummerbund." He then walked by her still upset that Lou thought the whole situation was funny.

Pip huffed back, "For five dollars a week pay you can afford your own!"

Jimmy ignored the comment and walked back inside the bunkhouse. The other riders filtered in behind him. He found Teaspoon and Rachel sitting at the table sipping coffee.

Teaspoon asked, "How were target practice boys?"

Ike tossed him the cans.

Kid mentioned, "Jimmy nearly missed the first time. But after he shot like Pip showed him he really nailed it."

Jimmy shrugged it off, "It was nothing." He plopped down at the table next to Pip. He wasn't aware that he was sitting rather close to her. He smirked at her, "Ya know, Pipsqueak…for five whole dollars a week you can afford a nice holster."

"I'm saving up my money." she shook her head.

Lou asked curiously, "What for?" she sat across from Pip and sipped a cup of coffee.

"To go to college." she told her.

Teaspoon perked up and wondered, "What are you gonna go to college for, Pip?"

"Engineering," she informed, "Minor in chemistry. I got accepted but I need the money for tuition."

Kid wondered, "You finished grammar school then."

"I graduated from High School in New York City." she nodded. "I got an associate's degree in accounting…" she winced and tailed off. Darn it, she wasn't supposed to tell anyone she was an accountant.

Rachel gasped, "If you have a degree in accounting then why on earth are you riding for the Pony Express?"

She puckered as she thought of a good excuse, "Because I make more money riding than as an accountant. I can get money for tuition in just a few months of riding verses years of accounting." The excuse was plausible but wasn't truthful as to her motive. She was hired as an accountant for Russell, Majors and Waddell and found her father's name on the payroll and asked if she could come out west to meet him after explaining the situation to her bosses. The investors allowed her to ride so she could meet her father who she thought had died in the Alamo when she was a baby.

Lou figured, "So you know how to really save money!" She wondered if there was a better way for her to save up the money she needed to buy a home for her and her siblings.

She cocked her head, "Accounting is more for running businesses. You mean investing?" she wondered.

"I'm saving my money to buy property." she told her. "I got a little brother and sister and I'm gonna buy us a little place…" she started.

"Then you don't want to speculate. You just want a savings account." she agreed.

"Speculate?" Lou asked.

"That would be the stock exchange." she explained. "You can get large returns on an investment but you could also lose it all too. Property is actually a very good investment for it always goes up in value over time." she glanced around the table. "Um…" she wondered if she said too much.

Jimmy asked with a cocked eye, "So…what did ya do with your money from delivering newspapers?"

"I went invested it in the stock market and went to college with the proceeds." she explained. "That's how I got associates degree." She then added, "I'm real good at math and seeing patterns."

Jimmy wondered, "Then why not just uses this stock market thing to make more money for college?"

"Um…" she had to come up with another excuse. "I cashed it all out and used it already…" Her excuse was a lie and Teaspoon could tell when someone was lying by someone's body language. He knew she lied but didn't know why or what part she lied about.

Pip changed the subject, "So…what's in town?"

Lou told her, "I'm going into town today and I can show ya around."

"I appreciate that," she gave a warm smile to Lou grateful. She wanted to help Lou and figured she could look at the local bank saving rates. Maybe she could help Lou during her stay in town.