Chapter 1
It was April 1860, an unusual April, warmer than previous years, and that didn't make things easier in Sweetwater, Nebraska. There was a great drought and the population was affected, because the fields produced less and less. This involved an increase in prices and necessarily discontent among the citizens and to meet the needs, the governor had decided to reduce the food supplies agreed with the Indian tribes. This had caused them to react by assaulting some loads of food and livestock in order to guarantee their survival, but in doing so the relations between whites and reds were deteriorating more and more and the people were in great fear.
On a hot morning, Emma Shannon was drying the freshly washed clothes in the company of her assistant and friend Melissa, a girl of Italian origin, orphan of parents, who had moved to America from some maternal uncles who had died of cholera the year before. Melissa had thus had to look for work and had happened to work with Emma at the Sweetwater Pony Express station. Her job was to help Emma with housework and look after the riders.
Melissa loved to read and write and had managed to finish her studies to become a teacher. The following September she would take over at school for Mrs. Enderson, the old teacher of the city who had decided to leave her position due to her age and the ailments it entailed.
Emma was a woman of a particular beauty, with long red hair and brown eyes always smiling, Melissa was a tall young girl, blonde, with green eyes and a great desire to live. The two women had quickly become friends and doing chores together was a pleasure rather than a duty. Emma saw Melissa as a younger sister and felt compelled to protect her and Melissa was very fond of her.
The station was also run by a former Texas ranger, Teaspoon Hunter, who lived in the barn to leave the house for the women and the bunkhouse for the riders. Teaspoon was close friends with the city marshal, Sam Cain, a handsome man who had an affair with Emma, even though they both tried to keep it a secret because they had difficult marriages behind them: Sam's wife had died killed by outlaws a few months after their marriage and Emma's husband had abandoned her when she was ill and never heard from him again; she thought he was dead now.
"Good morning women", Teaspoon said as he approached Emma and Melissa.
"The new riders will arrive today, do you remember? I am waiting for them in the early afternoon and will examine them to see if we will be luckier this time ", Teaspoon exclaimed.
Unfortunately, some of the previous boys had abandoned their jobs because they could no longer bear the harshness of their task, while others had been killed in Indian attacks, so the Russel, Major and Wadell company had opted to send 6 other new boys, trying to choose among them who seemed better suited to resist.
"Let's hope they stay a little longer this time than the last ones", Emma noted.
"And we also hope they are a little prettier than the previous ones!" Melissa added.
"But listen to it! I remind you that they come to work, not to flirt ", the woman scolded in a joking tone.
"Well, one thing does not exclude the other ...".
Teaspoon and Emma looked at each other and shook their heads. They knew that Melissa was a force of nature and that trying to tame her would be futile. They just hoped she wouldn't get into trouble at one time or another.
Teaspoon had decided to examine the boys by himself as soon as they arrived and to introduce them to the two women later.
As expected, the six young men arrived just after lunch. Teaspoon arranged them in a row next to each other in front of the fence, so that the two curious women, because Emma was too, could only see their backs. The first was called Buck Cross, he was a Kiowa half-breed but Teaspoon, who was used to dealing with his people and who had also married a Pawnee woman, did not disappoint. He tested his ability to recognize the different Indian tribes through arrows and tested their speed and skill. Everything else mattered little. The second boy was bald, wore a bandana and didn't speak. Buck introduced him as Ike McSwain and said he was a friend of his. He expressed himself only with Indian signs that he had taught him because as a child he had fallen ill and had suffered a trauma that had made him mute. Again, Teaspoon paid no attention to it when he could ascertain his prowess in taming the wildest horses. One by one he examined and judged the others too: William. F. Cody, very braggart but skilled with the rifle and impeccable aim; James Butler Hickoch, Jimmy to friends, who posed as superior but was fundamentally in need of attention and was a splinter with a gun; a quiet young man who called himself Kid, very good with horses, and the last, very slender but very fast in his movements and riding, by the name of Lou McCloud.
Teaspoon looked at them satisfied, with the feeling that these would be the right guys and after giving them all the necessary instructions, he accompanied them to the bunkhouse where Melissa and Emma were waiting for them.
They entered one at a time, in single file and positioned themselves in front of the two women.
When Buck entered, Melissa felt a strange sensation: her heart skipped when she saw that he was half-breed, but when she looked into his eyes and met his gaze, she felt a sense of dizziness. Of course that strange boy with magnetic eyes and shy at the same time had upset her not a little. Not to think about it, she quickly shifted her gaze to the others as Teaspoon said:
"Ladies, these are our new riders: Kid, Lou, Cody, Jimmy, Ike, who speaks only in sign language, and Buck who will help us talk to Ike. I have carefully examined and tested them and I really believe that this is the right time ".
Melissa made a shy gesture of greeting, embarrassed because she felt the eyes of the boys on her, while Emma immediately broke the ice:
"Welcome guys, I'm Emma and this is my friend Melissa. We take care of housework and cooking. Melissa will also be the new teacher in September. We welcome you and we hope that you will be happy with us ".
The boys greeted the two women and were urged by Emma and Teaspoon to take a cot each and to arrange their things.
"Before dinner I want to show you around here so you can settle in. Tomorrow we will go to town and I will introduce you to the marshal and to the others we will meet. In a couple of days one of you will have his first run, I still have to decide who. Buck, you will also be very useful for buying horses, son. " Buck nodded, embarrassed to be named.
While the boys settled into their cots, Emma and Melissa resumed their chores and when they were out with Teaspoon, Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. Emma noticed this and asked her: "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just that I felt a little embarrassed. Some of them have stripped me with their eyes and then Buck's presence in this period disturbs me a little, even if his eyes look good. "
Emma replied laughing: "They are young guys and it is normal that they behave like this with a young and beautiful girl who, moreover, will practically live with them. You will see that as we get to know each other better all of this will vanish. As for Buck, if Teaspoon chose him it means he trusts him, so we can sleep peacefully. "
"Yes, maybe you're right, I just have to relax and get used to the new guests", Melissa agreed.
The afternoon passed quickly for both the boys and the two women who wanted to prepare a hearty dinner for the new arrivals and set up the whole hut well.
When they were at the table, Teaspoon asked them to tell something that would help them get to know each other, and the conversation immediately came to life thanks to Cody and Jimmy competing with their jokes. Melissa helped Emma in serving the boys and when she passed Buck she still felt that strange dizziness she had felt in the afternoon, but she became convinced that it was perhaps still a little dread and she noticed that he too was giving her furtive glances when he thought she didn't notice, so much so that Melissa was afraid that her upset would be noticeable outwardly. She tried not to pay attention to it and got involved in the talk of the boys and Teaspoon.
The next day, as decided, they went to town to introduce the new couriers to Marshal Sam Cain.
"Good morning Sam".
"Good morning Emma, Teaspoon, good morning Melissa. Is it a day of provisions? ", Sam replied to Emma's greeting. The two did not stop looking at each other and Cody touched Jimmy with his elbow to make him notice and the two laughed.
"Meet these jokers Sam, they are the new riders of the Pony Express. Guys, this is Marshal Sam Cain "
"Good morning Marshal", Kid greeted cordially, but Sam replied: "Oh, call me Sam guys, Emma's friends are also my friends".
Cody and Jimmy gave a mischievous chuckle again but were yanked on the arm by Lou.
Emma, Melissa and the boys went to shop at Mr. Tompkins's general store, while Teaspoon stopped to discuss the Indian problem with Sam.
"The situation is not the best Teaspoon, people are scared and the attacks on the tanks do not stop. On the other hand, if the army does not provide them with the promised provisions, it is natural for them to react. I really don't know what to do ".
"Yeah damn it, we're at a standstill. We should talk to the army and convince those in duty to respect the pacts but it is very difficult in this period of famine ", replied Teaspoon.
"Or we could try to deal with the Indians. I noticed one of your boys is a half-breed. You can trust?"
"Oh, Buck. I think so, but he's new to here and it doesn't seem like the time to expose him to such danger. If things were to go badly, they would blame him and life would be hard for him, which will happen in itself unfortunately ".
"You are right. It is better to wait a little longer ".
A few days later, when Teaspoon had taught the boys everything, he decided that the first to run would be Kid. All the boys cheered for him and Kid left.
The race went well and one by one all the boys faced their first shift.
Life at the station was pleasant, the boys were beginning to bond with each other and even Melissa had relaxed a bit seeing that, as Emma had said, they treated her with respect and no longer saw her as a possible prey but as a friend or sister. Also towards Buck she felt calmer because she saw that Ike had complete trust in him and moreover the boy was always very kind to everyone and was integrating well. Her strange feeling in Buck's presence didn't seem to leave, but Melissa didn't want to give it any importance.
The young riders had gradually integrated into the city, but the citizens of Sweetwater were struggling to accept Buck entirely. Suspicious or even contemptuous looks at him were not uncommon. He suffered from it but said nothing and Melissa could notice a veil of sadness always present in his deep eyes.
Sometimes she had heard him argue with Ike and declare: "What can I do about it, Ike, they will always see me as a threat, they will never get to trust me completely, especially in this period. Maybe I was wrong to come here ".
Her heart squeezed to hear him so sad and feared that one day or another he would decide to leave.
The other riders treated him as a friend and one of their own, but Jimmy was always wary, perhaps because of his suspicious nature or perhaps because he really struggled to believe that Buck was alien to the mentality of his tribe.
Melissa wanted to talk to Ike about it but didn't know how to communicate with him except for the essential things Buck had taught them all. She would have liked to learn sign language but didn't dare ask Buck to teach her more, so she decided to get a book in town and study alone.
However, she wanted to discuss the subject with Emma. One afternoon, while the boys were out and the two of them were preparing dinner, she took courage in both hands and started the conversation.
"You know Emma, I've noticed that Buck is always sad and struggles to integrate well into town. I also heard him tell Ike that maybe he was wrong to come here. I'm sorry he can't be as peaceful as everyone else and Jimmy always seems to be wary of him too. What do you think about it?"
"If you remember you too were prejudiced. Unfortunately, it is the price Buck has to pay because of his condition. I think that wherever he goes he faces a similar situation. The fact that we are having problems with some Indian tribes certainly doesn't help. He should find a way to show everyone what he's worth but I don't think he's interested in doing it and it's not fair either. Let's just hope things don't get worse. What we can do is try to make him feel as welcomed as possible but we are already doing it. I'll try to talk to Jimmy. ".
Melissa calmed down a bit.
Emma decided not to wait long to talk to Jimmy. She too had noticed that Buck was not happy and was very sorry.
The next day she reached Jimmy who was looking after his horse in the stable and said: "Jimmy, sorry if I dare, but I'd like to talk to you about Buck."
"Buck's? Did he do something? ", the boy asked, stiffening.
"Well, that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. You are always on the defensive towards him, Melissa and I have noticed this for a while and it doesn't seem right. He is doing everything to fit in and feel part of this new family, because that's how we view you, but your attitude doesn't help. Is it so difficult to trust him? "
"I don't know Emma, who can assure us it's not one of them playing the double game?"
"If you talk like this it's because you haven't known him well yet or maybe you didn't want to. I think he is a very good guy, with the misfortune of being torn between two worlds and neither side accepts him completely because one believes that he sides with the other. If everyone always behaved like you he would never find peace. Why don't you give him the benefit of the doubt? Do you want?"
"Maybe you are right, Emma, I have not been an exemplary companion. I should know him thoroughly before judging him. Thanks Emma, your advice is always useful and appropriate "
"You should thank Melissa, she was the first to notice Buck's discomfort"
"Yeah", Jimmy added thoughtfully.
From that day on, Jimmy tried to be more conciliatory and found that Emma was right: Buck was a good guy, he just needed someone to trust him. He decided to be accompanied by him on his horseback rides which he loved to do during his free time and discovered that deep down they had many things in common in dealing with life and that both had not been very lucky with women. Jimmy discovered that Buck knew many things he had learned from his experience or from reading them in books: in his spare time he loved to isolate himself by the river and devote himself to reading.
"In this then you are very similar to Melissa, as soon as she has finished her chores she disappears somewhere with a book in her hand so as not to be disturbed"
"Really?"
"Yes, I heard her talking about it with Emma and I followed her one day. I found her climbing on a rock cross-legged with a book so big that I think that even if I put all the books I've read on top of each other I wouldn't be able to get to that thickness! "
Buck laughed and said: "I didn't think you were so witty James Hichock. But did you really start following her? Why?"
"Because ... well come on, because she is a beautiful girl and I don't hide from you that the first days we were here I thought about her ... Don't tell me you didn't fantasize about her too because I don't believe it"
Buck blushed a little and decided not to answer but to tease his new friend: "The first days, huh? And now?"
"Well now I consider her a sister, she's not my type, too cultured" and he burst into laughter followed by Buck.
"And anyway you didn't answer me ...", he yelled as he had already galloped his horse.
Buck pretended not to hear him, he didn't like to talk about his feelings so openly but he was happy to hear those words from Jimmy.
A few weeks later, Teaspoon, Emma, Melissa and the boys went to a parish ball.
The boys were all dressed up and even the two women had dressed up for their first official outing with their riders. Emma was also happy because she could have spent the whole evening with Sam. Between the man's work and the fact that they didn't want to arouse gossip, they didn't have much time to be together.
Melissa was invited to dance by many young offspring and by Jimmy, Cody, Ike and Teaspoon. Kid and Lou were on their own to talk about who knows what and Buck stood on the sidelines watching the others have fun. He hadn't asked any of the pretty girls in town for a dance.
Melissa decided to get close to him to try to involve him a little and the closer she got to him the more her heart beat faster.
"Is it possible that I am still in awe of him? I don't understand what happens to me in his presence ", she said to herself but decided not to notice.
She approached him and asked him: "Aren't you having fun?"
He almost jumped when he heard her voice because he was lost in his thoughts and hadn't heard her approach.
"Oh these evenings aren't really for me. I came so as not to be scolded by you and Emma but I am not very comfortable ", he replied. It was clear that he was tense.
"Don't you love to dance?"
"It's the girls who don't really like to dance with me"
"Well, let's fix this right away. I love to dance and I got tired of all those stockfish that took me to the dance floor and babbled all evening. Come on let's go "
"No, wait, it doesn't seem the case"
"Why? Are you ashamed to dance with me? " and blushed as she said it.
"No" and here he blushed, "but maybe we shouldn't"
"Sorry, why? I danced with Teaspoon, Sam, Jimmy and Cody and I haven't lost my dignity. Everyone knows that we live close by and that Emma and I run the station together with Teaspoon. Where is the problem?"
"The problem is that I'm not like the others, you know"
"In fact, you are here making absurd excuses while the others would have already taken me to the track. Come on, mouth closed and feet moving. I could also take offense, usually it is the men who insist, not the women. But if you don't feel like dancing with me, then it's another matter and I beg your pardon "
Suddenly Melissa had the idea that he didn't really want to dance with her and she was very ashamed of having been so insistent and inappropriate.
Buck noticed this and hastened to point out: "Oh no, that's not it, I would love to dance with you but maybe it's not the case that you show yourself dancing with me because of my condition"
Melissa understood what he meant and tenderly told him: "Buck, I'd rather dance all night with you than do another dance with those offspring. You have nothing to envy to them, indeed, you are certainly more sympathetic. I have no problem dancing with you if you want it too "
Buck then took courage and led her to the center of the track. Many looked at them in amazement and made some unpleasant comments, but the two of them certainly didn't notice and at that first dance they made others follow. Emma took over from Melissa while she accepted another dance with Sam and Jimmy, but she sure refused to dance with those young gentlemen who bored her so much again.
That evening neither Buck nor Melissa managed to fall asleep: he felt very confused but almost happy and she couldn't understand how she felt about that strange boy. She understood that she was absolutely no longer afraid but she continued to feel upset in his company and while they were dancing and he was holding her to himself she felt her legs give way under her dress.
"What if…", but she didn't dare admit it to herself.
