Jesse James, former soldier and renegade, stood out on his porch watching
the world begin it's day. He
figured that Jerome Coleman the cook for his ranch hands had all ready started breakfast. Elbows leaning
against the railing, a cup of coffee held in his hands he wondered if Cole had decided to rest during the
night. Lord knew the night had been unkind. 'Looks like it'll be a good day though' Jesse thought
glancing around. Standing, he turned to make his way back into the house when he heard the approach of
riders. Abandoning his coffee on the railing he walked down the steps and jogged towards them. From what
he could see there was about twenty riders. A smile broke out on his face as they stopped next to him.
Frank James, Jesse's older brother swung down from his horse and enveloped his younger brother in a bear
hug. "You're choking me Frank!" Frank laughed and released him. "We've brought you some more men to
work on your ranch, if you'll have them" Jesse smiled and pointed towards the stables "you guys can
unsaddle your horses in the stables, you can find some grub in the cook house and a bit away from that is
the bunkhouse. I'm sure your all tired." The men nodded or said "thanks" and made there way to the
stables.
Now Jesse faced six, all of them good hard working men who would die for one another. They all
got down off their horses, except for Cole and greeted Jesse with hugs and handshakes. "Where's that wife
of yours?" Loni Packwood asked, he was a thin man with a streak of bad luck. Jesse laughed and motioned
to the large house "inside, if you fellers unsaddle your horses and go say hi you might be able to convince
her to make you breakfast" a smirk graced his lips "seeing as how I didn't tell her you'd be here for another
week!" Bob Younger laughed as Loni, Tom and Clell Miller, another man who had lost a lot, hurried towards
the stable. "Where's Jim?" Bob asked of Jesse. Jim was Cole and Bob's younger brother and had been
injured almost fatally when he rode with them. Now a year and two months later the rest of the gang were
back and ready to settle down for a while. "He's probably by the corral, we've got a new horse, Spitfire.
Wild and dangerous, it's in one of the smaller rings alone. I practically had to tie him down to keep him from
trying to ride it!" Bob shook his head and got on his horse, riding towards the stables. 'And then there were
three' Jesse thought and blinked as he watched Frank take a bundle of something -of someone!- into his
arms from his cousin. Cole, now burden free, dismounted and pulled Jesse into a hug before nodding
towards the person in Frank's arm. "Found her on our way here, she was being robbed or something" he
frowned "she woke up a few times mumbling but then she fell back to sleep, took a knock to the head I
think." Jesse walked closer and peered at the girl. Wisps of dark hair fell into a mud splattered face. The
dress she wore was obviously not some cheap garment made for wandering the countryside. "How'd a girl
like this end up out here?" he thought aloud. He leaned forward and blinked in surprise. The parts of her
face that weren't covered in mud, were a darker shade than most. She had Indian blood in her.
figured that Jerome Coleman the cook for his ranch hands had all ready started breakfast. Elbows leaning
against the railing, a cup of coffee held in his hands he wondered if Cole had decided to rest during the
night. Lord knew the night had been unkind. 'Looks like it'll be a good day though' Jesse thought
glancing around. Standing, he turned to make his way back into the house when he heard the approach of
riders. Abandoning his coffee on the railing he walked down the steps and jogged towards them. From what
he could see there was about twenty riders. A smile broke out on his face as they stopped next to him.
Frank James, Jesse's older brother swung down from his horse and enveloped his younger brother in a bear
hug. "You're choking me Frank!" Frank laughed and released him. "We've brought you some more men to
work on your ranch, if you'll have them" Jesse smiled and pointed towards the stables "you guys can
unsaddle your horses in the stables, you can find some grub in the cook house and a bit away from that is
the bunkhouse. I'm sure your all tired." The men nodded or said "thanks" and made there way to the
stables.
Now Jesse faced six, all of them good hard working men who would die for one another. They all
got down off their horses, except for Cole and greeted Jesse with hugs and handshakes. "Where's that wife
of yours?" Loni Packwood asked, he was a thin man with a streak of bad luck. Jesse laughed and motioned
to the large house "inside, if you fellers unsaddle your horses and go say hi you might be able to convince
her to make you breakfast" a smirk graced his lips "seeing as how I didn't tell her you'd be here for another
week!" Bob Younger laughed as Loni, Tom and Clell Miller, another man who had lost a lot, hurried towards
the stable. "Where's Jim?" Bob asked of Jesse. Jim was Cole and Bob's younger brother and had been
injured almost fatally when he rode with them. Now a year and two months later the rest of the gang were
back and ready to settle down for a while. "He's probably by the corral, we've got a new horse, Spitfire.
Wild and dangerous, it's in one of the smaller rings alone. I practically had to tie him down to keep him from
trying to ride it!" Bob shook his head and got on his horse, riding towards the stables. 'And then there were
three' Jesse thought and blinked as he watched Frank take a bundle of something -of someone!- into his
arms from his cousin. Cole, now burden free, dismounted and pulled Jesse into a hug before nodding
towards the person in Frank's arm. "Found her on our way here, she was being robbed or something" he
frowned "she woke up a few times mumbling but then she fell back to sleep, took a knock to the head I
think." Jesse walked closer and peered at the girl. Wisps of dark hair fell into a mud splattered face. The
dress she wore was obviously not some cheap garment made for wandering the countryside. "How'd a girl
like this end up out here?" he thought aloud. He leaned forward and blinked in surprise. The parts of her
face that weren't covered in mud, were a darker shade than most. She had Indian blood in her.