Chapter Three

The Only Cowboy in New York

Nicolette kept running until she felt that horrid little pain in your side that always come from running too long. She felt that if she didn't stop the pain was going to cut her in two. That's when a boy stepped out from behind a building, grabbed her and pulled her back behind it with him.

She tried to fight him because she thought he was part of the gang but he was strong and in less than two seconds he had his hand over her mouth and was holding her still with both arms. She couldn't move. She could hear though and she heard the welcome sound of the men running past, oblivious to her surprise rescue.

After a few second the boy turned her lose. She whirled to face him and was surprised to find that it was the same boy that had tried to sell her a paper that morning. Except, "boy" wasn't really the correct thing to call him. He wasn't a boy and he wasn't a man so she settled on "young man".

"Thank you young man. You've been most helpful." she said then wasn't sure what to do so she started to walk away but he reached out and grabbed her arm, gently.

"Wait a sec." He said pulling her back toward him. "Whadda ya runnin' from anyway? Da police?" He had a big grin on his face which somehow irritated her.

"No. In fact I'm running to them! Those men just robbed me of everything I own." The young man started walking with his hand still on her arm in an escorting-like way so she had to follow along.

"Wheah ya been' stayin'?" He asked completely ignoring her last remark. She didn't understand this young man at all but she answered anyway.

"A boarding house run by a Mrs. Kathleen Travis." He laughed in a sarcastic kind of way.

"Heh, if youse wanna tawlk robbery, den let's tawlk her prices! Two bits could sta'ta poyson on a new road to life if'in youse was like me." Nicolette was getting impatient.

"Where are we going? And what are you talking about? I demand to see a constable and tell him to find the men who stole my things!" The young man laughed again.

"You ain't neva gonna find nothin' goil. Trust me." She noticed that he didn't answer her first two questions. She was getting quite tired of this now. She tried to pull away but the young man's grip only tightened.

"Let go of me." Nicolette hissed at him. He just smiled.

"Yeah, dis is a loivly day."

"Is your brain addled? I said let me go. Wait a moment," She asked suddenly, "are you trying to kidnap me?" With a smile still on his face he answered without a trace of it in his voice.

"No, I'm trying to protect ya. Do youse see any suspicious-like characters watchin' us? Well, I do and if'in youse wasn't with me, dey'd be all ova ya." Nicolette took a quick glance around and saw that her escort was right. Here and there she saw dirty men sitting in doorways and windows watching them as they made their way down the deserted street.

"Yes, now I see them,. Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I's found that goils usually get hysterical when youse tell dem t'ings like dat."

"Yes well... I suppose if we must keep walking then we might as well get acquainted. I am Nicolette Anne Estes. And you, sir?" He smiled again.

"Jack Kelly, but a lota people call me Cowboy. Take yer pick."

Authors's note: There! Jack is in the story! Please keep checking back! :-)

~Jessie