At the sidewalk in front of Val's office, they dismounted, and Scott handed off the puppy he'd been carrying to Charlie.
"Why don't you stay out here with the pups?" he suggested.
Charlie gathered the wriggling balls of fur up close and gave Scott a beseeching glance. She'd just made the vow to herself
to behave, not to be argumentative, or contrary. But, darn, she wanted to go inside the jail, too, to hear what Val had to say!
Scott paused, turning back, and gave her another quick look. "Alright, come on inside," he said, shortly, and Charlie moved
quickly to obey and follow him.
Val was sitting, his feet propped up on the desk, whittling at a piece of wood.
"Hey, there," he said, in greeting, taking his feet from the desk.
"Hey, Val," Scott said.
"What have you got there?" Val asked, getting to his feet and coming around the desk to stand beside Charlie, and
petting one of the pups.
"They're Burl's puppies," Charlie burst out. "We had to take them!"
Val exchanged a look with Scott over the top of Charlie's head. "Is that so?" Val asked.
"Yes!" Charlie said, winding up to fill Val in.
"Charlie, go find something to put some water in," Scott said. "I bet the pups are thirsty."
"Okay," Charlie said, and Val told her there was a bowl she could use. Charlie put the puppies down, and went
off to fetch the bowl, and then poured water from the pitcher that Val kept near the gun cabinet. She set it down, and
both pups came to drink greedily.
Scott was telling Val about what had taken place at Burl's shack, and Charlie stood up from the puppies, waiting anxiously,
to hear what Val said.
"Blaine's his name," Val was saying. "Charles, I think it is. He was in here, this morning. Has the deed and all."
Charlie felt her heart sink. She'd held out hope, that somehow, it was all a big mistake, or something.
One of the puppies came to sniff at her boot, and Charlie leaned down to pick him up, snuggling him for comfort.
"What about Burl, though?" she asked, in a small voice.
Both men turned to look at her, and Charlie saw that there was regret on both of their faces.
"Well, sweetheart, Burl has no claim to the property, not that I can make out, anyway," Val said. "He'll have to find
another place to live, unless this fellow, Blaine, agrees to let him keep stayin' there."
"Can you ask him if he'll do that?" Charlie pleaded.
"I did do that," Val told her. "This morning, when he came in here, waving his papers around at me."
"But he said no?" Charlie asked then, afraid to hear the answer.
"I doubt if Burl could pay the rent that he's going to ask every month."
Charlie came to stand beside Scott, feeling hopeful again. "If Burl sells some of the brocade, then he'd have money
to pay the rent! Right, Scott?"
"What's this about brocade?" Val asked, before Scott could answer Charlie.
Scott told Val briefly about the contents of the trunks in Burl's shed.
"And I talked to the lady at the millinery shop, and she said she would buy some of it to sell!" Charlie said, triumphantly,
still snuggling the puppy.
"You did, huh?" Scott asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. On Friday, when I was with Rebecca," Charlie said swiftly. "I hadn't had a chance to tell you about it yet."
Both of the men were looking at her as though taking her measure, and Charlie said, "Teresa thinks it's a great idea!"
They went back to talking about the shack then, and the men working there.
"They're bringing Burl's things here, they said," Scott said.
"Right. I'll put all of it in one of the cells-" Val said. "Keep it for him until he can figure something out."
"I thought I might go and take a look around for Burl," Scott was saying. "See if he's up in the hills behind the shack."
"I'll come along with you," Val said. "I'll get Dan to come over and sit here while the men are bringing the wagon of stuff in."
"Alright. I'm going to take Charlie home first," Scott said. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Can't I go with you to look for him?" Charlie asked, distressed.
"No," Scott said. That was all. Just 'No'. "Come on," he said, ushering Charlie out.
Outside, beside the horses, Scott untied them from the hitching post, and then took one of the pups from
Charlie. They both mounted, and began riding.
"What if you can't find Burl?" Charlie asked.
"We'll look until we do," Scott said.
He sounded definite and Charlie took comfort in that.
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After Scott had deposited Charlie and the two pups at the ranch, filled Murdoch in on what was happening, and
loaded some sandwiches that Maria packed up, he set out again. Charlie stood outside, cuddling one of the pups, watching
him disappear into the distance.
Murdoch appeared beside her, and laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Come inside and have your supper," Murdoch said.
"I'm worried, Murdoch," Charlie said, still looking at Scott's figure in the long distance.
"I know, darling," Murdoch said, sounding regretful.
"If Scott does find Burl, where will he stay tonight? I forgot to ask."
"He'll bring Burl here," Murdoch said, sounding certain, and Charlie swung her brown eyes up to his face.
"He will? Is that what he said?"
"No. I just know that he will, if he needs to."
"Burl can have my room-" Charlie began.
"That won't be necessary. We'll figure it all out. Now, come inside and have your supper."
The puppies were shut in the kitchen, while Murdoch, Teresa and Charlie ate their supper in the dining room.
They washed the dishes, and then took the puppies to the library, where Charlie and Teresa both sat on the floor
with them.
As it began to get dusky outside, Charlie went to the window to look out.
"Try not to worry," Teresa said.
"It's dumb to think I won't worry," Charlie said, without thinking.
"Charlie," Murdoch said, and Charlie turned to look, and saw his frown. "There's no reason for you to be rude."
"I'm sorry, Teresa," Charlie said, and she was.
"It's alright," the older girl said. "It was a silly thing to say." She stood up. "I'll go up and make sure there are clean
sheets on the bed in the spare room."
"Thank you, sweetheart," Murdoch told her.
After that, the pups went to sleep on the rug, and Charlie sat with Murdoch in the large chair, in the quiet of the room.
As the room darkened even more, Murdoch said, "We can read for a bit. I'll light the lamp."
"Can we just sit here?" Charlie asked him.
"If that's what you want."
"I wish Johnny would come."
"He'll be along soon."
"If Burl comes here tonight, can he stay for awhile? Like a few weeks?" Charlie asked.
"I don't know what's going to happen, darling. We'll have to see."
Charlie turned her head to look up into his face, not totally clear in the duskiness of the room.
"What about the puppies? Can they stay? You need a good dog or two here at Lancer. They can be
protection," she said.
"We'll see what happens with the puppies as well," Murdoch said, noncommittal. And, then, he gave Charlie a gentle
push and stood up, going to light the lamps.
"Let's find a box and some blankets for the pups to sleep," Murdoch said.
"I could keep them in my room," Charlie said, hopefully.
"A warm box in the kitchen will be better," Murdoch said, sounding firm.
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Charlie was determined to stay awake until Scott came home, hopefully with Burl in tow. After Murdoch had tucked her
into her bed, she went so far as to get out of it again, and move to the window seat. She covered herself up with the quilt, and
stayed sitting up. That was more conducive, she thought, to knowing when Scott returned.
Try as she did, though, she slipped into sleep, and was only awakened when she felt she was being lifted, and put
back into her bed.
The only light was that coming in from the hallway, and Charlie could only see Scott's profile.
"Scott?" she said, sleepily.
"Yes, kiddo."
"Did you find Burl?"
Scott laid her on her bed, and covered her with the quilt.
"Yes. We found him."
"Did you bring him here?" she asked.
"No. But's he alright. He's safe."
His hand brushed her hair. "Go back to sleep."
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When Charlie woke the next morning, she could tell it was later than was usual for her to get up. Even on a day without school. She
dressed hastily and tore down the stairs, but the only person still sitting at the breakfast table was Teresa.
"Good morning," Teresa said, turning another page of the newspaper she was reading.
"Morning," Charlie returned. "Is everyone gone out already?"
"Mostly. I think Murdoch is still around somewhere."
"Darn it," Charlie muttered. "Why did I have to oversleep for?!"
"Scott said to leave you be, and let you rest," Teresa said. "Sit down and eat."
Charlie slid into her customary chair at the table. "What happened last night? What did Scott say? Why didn't he
bring Burl here?" She began to scoop eggs onto her plate.
Teresa began to fold up the newspaper. "He said they found him up in the hills, and that he had his rifle with him, and he'd shot
three rabbits. And that he was thirsty and scratched up."
"Scratched up, why?" Charlie demanded.
"I don't know. Thorns, I guess. So they took him to town, and to Val's office."
"Why didn't he come here-" Charlie interrupted.
"Will you just listen for a minute?" Teresa said, sounding impatient, and Charlie subsided, taking a bite of her eggs.
"Val was going to watch him there at the jail, and then have the doctor come 'round again to examine him sometime this morning."
"For the scratches?" Charlie asked.
"I think more because Burl was so confused. Scott said his confusion was really prominent last night."
"Oh," Charlie said, thinking as she chewed.
After a few minutes of silence at the table, Charlie said, "Well, where is he supposed to go tonight to stay?"
"I don't know," Teresa said, sounding regretful.
"Why can't he come here to stay for awhile?" Charlie asked. "I asked, but-" she hesitated. "They act strange about it-like
they don't really want Burl here for more than a couple of days."
"It's not that at all," Teresa reproved. "You shouldn't think that."
"Well, what is it, then?" Charlie persisted.
"They're being cautious. Because he's so unpredictable."
Quiet again, and then Charlie said, impulsively, "Let's go to town!"
When Teresa looked up, Charlie went on. "We can go see Burl, and maybe we could take him out to lunch! I have some of
my allowance saved. And then, if his trunks are there at the jail, we might be able to go thru them, and convince him to
sell something!"
"I have some things I have to get done here-" Teresa began. "Maria isn't coming today-"
"I'll help you! Right now, and then when we get back! Please, Teresa?"
"I'll see what Murdoch thinks," Teresa said, and though she wanted to protest, Charlie refrained, and, instead,
began to pick up the breakfast dishes.
"I'll clear the table," she said.
Teresa went off in search of Murdoch, and the suspense was entirely too much for Charlie to bear. She stacked the dishes,
and then went, to stand silently just beyond the library door, so as to be able to hear the conversation.
She could hear Teresa outlining the plan for visiting Burl, even mentioning the lunch.
"I'm sure Val would enjoy a break from Burl, by the time we get there," Teresa said.
"No doubt he would," Murdoch said. "But, I don't want you having to attempt to keep Burl under control. If he's as
disorientated as Scott said he was last night, he's likely too much for you to handle. No telling what he'll take it into his
head to do."
"Well, we could bring lunches over to the jail, then," Teresa said.
Teresa heard Murdoch sigh, and when she peeked into the room, she saw him leaning back in the chair behind his desk, while
Teresa half-sat on the desk in front of him.
"And, if he's seems better today, then we might be able to choose some brocade to sell," Teresa was saying.
"I'm thinking there might be a better time to do that," Murdoch said.
Charlie took a couple of steps into the doorway. "He doesn't have time, though, Murdoch," she protested.
As Murdoch and Teresa both gave her their attention, Murdoch's eyebrows drew together.
"And have you been standing there listening the entire time, young lady?" he asked.
"Not the whole entire time, No, Sir," Charlie said.
"Well, come in," he told her, and Charlie came to the other side of the desk, so that he was between she and Teresa, in his chair.
"What is it you have to say?" Murdoch asked Charlie.
"He doesn't have time, really, because he has no where to go," Charlie said. "If he'd only just sell even a little, he'd have
money to have a place to live."
"He's not going to be homeless, darling. He can stay here for a few days, if necessary, or he can stay at the jail."
"He shouldn't have to stay at the jail, though," Charlie protested.
"She's right," Teresa said. "If he has funds, there's no reason he couldn't have his own place. Someplace better, even, than that
old shack."
"Yes!" Charlie said, with enthusiasm, looking at Murdoch pleadingly.
"Alright," he said. "You two go on along into town. See what you can get done with the old fellow."
"Yay!" Charlie said, as Teresa smiled, and leaned forward to kiss the top of Murdoch's head.
"One thing," Murdoch said, holding up a stalling hand. "If he's not there, if he's taken off somewhere, you two don't go
looking for him. Understood?"
"Understood," Teresa said, and Charlie nodded.
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