"The Trip to Regina and a Knights in Shining Armor"
The stage pulled into the next town after the sun had set. It couldn't really be thought of as a town, like Hope Valley or Brookfield. There was a general store, a saloon with rooms to rent, a livery and a couple of other small buildings. The stagecoach stopped in front of the saloon.
"Constables, we're stopping here for a couple of hours. We have a full moon tonight, so the stage will continue on through the night. You have enough time to get something to eat. The saloon has pretty good food. It can be a little rough in there. This is more of a settlement than it is a town. A new driver and fresh horses will take over from here. It will be about ten hours before the next town, except for a brief stop at the way station to change horses again. You need to be in front of the saloon by 7 o'clock," said the driver. "I suggest you take your belongings with you. You'll be traveling on the same stage, but there's no law in this town, and people have had things stolen from the stage; well, no law until you two came. You might not get a warm welcome in the saloon, especially in those uniforms. Just thought I should warn you."
"Thank you. Appreciate the warning. We'll be out here at 7 o'clock," said Nathan. "Well, Gabe, are you hungry enough to chance the warm welcome in this town?"
"I think we've both been in worse places, and I'm hungry, so let's go," answered Gabe.
Gabe and Nathan climbed the steps to the saloon. A player piano was pumping out music. There were only a handful of people in the saloon, and no one was eating supper. A small group was at the bar getting shots of whiskey and downing them in one gulp. Four other men were at a table playing cards. Everyone turned and stopped talking when Gabe and Nathan walked in.
"Gentlemen, do come in. We heard you'd be stopping in our town tonight," said the bar keeper. "What can I get for you?"
"We'd both like a hot supper. Is that possible?" asked Nathan.
"It is. Tonight we have fried chicken, potatoes, corn bread and carrots. My wife cooks, and as you can tell from my nice round belly, she's a good cook." The three men shared a laugh. "She also made pie today. We saved you some."
"That sounds good. We'll each have the fried chicken and a piece of pie. Oh, and coffee if you have it," responded Gabe.
"We have coffee, and your supper will be right out. You won't have problems with anyone in here tonight. These gentlemen know to be on their best behavior while you're here. The troublemakers knew better and stayed home tonight."
"Well, that's comforting, don't you think?" Nathan asked Gabe.
"Yeah. I guess. If we're going to drive all night, we may be able to get into Regina earlier than we thought. I supposed you're used to sleeping anywhere, including a stage."
"I am. I'm sure we've both slept in snowstorms, rain and who knows what else. I may have even fallen asleep on the back of Newton. Luckily it was on the way back to Hope Valley, and he knows the way."
Nathan and Gabe laughed at this and some of their other experiences as Mounties. Their supper came out, and it was both hot and delicious. The coffee was fresh, and the pumpkin pie was a perfect ending to their meal. As the bar keep told them, no one bothered them while they were at the saloon. Gabe paid, as promised, and left a generous tip. They were back outside at 7, and the stage was right on time. They stowed their gear, climbed aboard and were sleeping shortly after.
By Friday morning Hope Valley was covered in a few inches of snow. The sun was bright, and the snow was fresh and gleaming in the sunshine. It was cold though. The children bundled up for the walk to school. Some of the older children pulled their younger brothers and sisters on sleds. Some of the parents brought their children in sleighs drawn by large horses that had jingle bells on their harnesses. The town looked like a picture postcard of Christmas, but they hadn't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet. Before the tower bell and cow bell rang, some of the children were making a snowman, while others were having a snowball fight.
Elizabeth opened the door to the school, and before ringing the bell, she looked at the scene before her and smiled. "Children, come in now. It's time to start school. I promise you can play outside later at recess."
The children ran inside and quickly removed their winter coats, hats, mittens and scarves. They all sat down in the warm classroom, eager for their next lesson on the planets.
"Good morning class. I know you're very excited to learn more about the planets in our solar system, so we're going to start our day there." At that moment Elizabeth had a warm memory wash over her. She blushed, and became lost in her thoughts. She was thinking of Jack and the first year she taught in Hope Valley. She wasn't sure how long she was lost in her memory.
"Mrs. Thornton, Mrs. Thornton, are you alright?" asked Opal. "Mrs. Thornton?"
Elizabeth came back to the present. "I'm sorry, Opal. Were you saying something?"
"Mrs. Thornton, you looked sad and far away. I was worried about you," Opal replied.
"Oh, Opal. I'm sorry. Boys and girls, I'm sorry. Our lesson on the planets brought me back to a happy memory. It was my first year teaching here in Hope Valley. We didn't have this beautiful school then. Classes were held in the saloon. Emily, I think you were the only one who was here my first year. Do you remember that?"
"I do, Mrs. Thornton. It was hard having classes in the saloon, but you always made it fun for us. That was the year we lost the daddies in the mine," answered Emily.
"It was. That was a sad time for the children, but we all worked together and tried to make the most out of our lessons, even if they were in a saloon. I remember we were studying comets then. I drew a comet on the chalk board, and Mountie Jack didn't think much of my artwork, so he drew another one. It was beautiful. If I ever saw a real comet, I would imagine it would look just like the one Mountie Jack drew."
"Mrs. Thornton, I still miss Mountie Jack," said Opal.
"I do too, Opal. When I look into Little Jack's eyes though, I see Mountie Jack's eyes looking back at me. It's alright to miss Mountie Jack. He was a good, kind man, and I know his son will grow up to be a good, kind man just like him." Elizabeth stopped and smiled at her memory of Jack. "He would be so proud of all of you. I know he would. Thank you for sharing that memory with me. Now, I think we need to get back to talking about the planets." Elizabeth took a deep breath and continued with the lesson.
Nathan and Gabe never woke up during the brief stop at the way station to change horses. They arrived in the next town about 5 o'clock. The sun wasn't up yet, but the quick stop woke them.
"Gabe, where are we?" asked Nathan.
"I'm not sure, but I think this is the morning stop." Gabe and Nathan jumped down from the stage coach.
"Good morning, Constables. You must have slept pretty good. You didn't even move when we changed horses during the night. We're about 120 miles west of Regina. If all goes well, you'll be there by tonight. Grab your belongings. We're going to change stages, get a fresh team of horses and a new driver. The next stage will be leaving here at 8 o'clock. You can go to the hotel over there. There will be a clerk at the desk. He'll let you use a room to wash up and rest if you like. You can get some breakfast there. The food is pretty good. Be sure you're back here in three hours. The stage won't wait for you," said the driver.
"Thank you, sir. We appreciate your help," responded Nathan. "Come on, Gabe, let's get our gear and head for the hotel. I wouldn't mind washing all this road dust off me and getting some hot coffee and food."
The school day passed quickly. The children enjoyed their lesson on the planets. Since it was Friday, Elizabeth read to them from The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, by Howard Pyle. Elizabeth loved the beautiful, descriptive language of the book, and the children loved the tales of the knights of olden times.
"I think that brings our school day to an end. I'll be in the back of the classroom to help you get into your warm coats. Please be careful walking home. It's very cold, and it may be slippery. Enjoy your weekend. Class dismissed."
Nathan and Gabe arrived in Regina late that evening. The stagecoach stop was near Mountie Headquarters. They grabbed their gear and headed directly there.
"Mounties Nathan Grant and Gabriel Kinslow reporting for duty," announced Nathan.
"Gentlemen, I trust you had a pleasant trip. I'm Constable Caleb Thornton, Headquarters Clerk. Nice to meet you.
"Thornton? Are you related to the late Jack Thornton?" asked Nathan.
"Yes. Jack was a cousin. You knew him?"
"No, but I know of him. I'm stationed in Hope Valley, in Alberta. Jack's widow, Elizabeth Thornton, is the school teacher there."
"That's right. Small world. Jack wrote to me a couple of times from there. He talked about how much he loved Hope Valley and the beautiful Elizabeth Thatcher. I couldn't make it out for the wedding. It happened so quickly after Jack returned from the Northern Territories. My mother wrote to me about his death. So sad. Jack was a good man. Jack's mother, Charlotte, told my mother that Jack and Elizabeth had a son. I'm glad she has a son to remember Jack by." Caleb stopped to think about the cousin he lost. "I'm sorry. Constables, welcome to Regina. I'm sure you'd like some dinner and a decent bed to sleep in tonight. I'll show you to the dining hall and to your quarters in the barracks. Here's your paperwork. Constable Grant, you'll see that Superintendent Hargraves wants to meet with you first thing in the morning. Constable Kinslow, you are to report to the training facility at 8 o'clock tomorrow. Come with me, gentlemen."
"Just what I need to start my day off right—a meeting with Superintendent Hargraves," Nathan whispered to Gabe.
"Water off a duck's back, Nathan. You'll be fine. You're here because you're a hero twice over. Don't let him rattle you," answered Gabe.
"Yeah, easy for you to say. You got my back, right?"
Gabe slapped Nathan on the back. "You bet."