Chapter Two
"Mike ? Do you need to..."
"No, Aunt Daisy," the youngster replied.
It was early the next morning and the little band of strays known as the Sherman Family was getting ready for the trip to Evergreen.
Slim was giving last minute instructions to Ben and Jud who would be managing the relay station while they were gone. Jess was double checking the team's harness and the buckboard while Daisy fussed that all their luggage was secure and Mike had taken care of a visit to the outhouse.
Finally everything was done, Slim and Jess mounted their horses and Daisy took up the reins to the team. At last they were on their way.
It would take them a couple of days to get to Evergreen. Because the whole family was going they would spend the night in Cheyenne and catch the train to Red Bluff in the morning. They'd leave the buckboard and team at the stage line's stable but were taking Galway and Rocky with them since the McAllisters only had two horses - a buggy horse for Doctor McAllister and a riding horse for Gordon. Slim had written ahead to make arrangements with the McAllisters to have a buckboard for Daisy and Mike and their luggage.
After supper, Mike had been put to bed. Daisy wasn't far behind and neither were Slim and Jess. It had been a long day of last minute chores, packing, instructions and travel - especially with an active nine-year-old to keep track of. A very excited nine-year-old boy who couldn't seem to sit still for more than five minutes at a time.
The group ate an early breakfast in the hotel dining room. Slim took charge of Mike while Jess helped Daisy when they boarded the train a little over an hour later. The reason, or reasons, being that Slim had the height and reach to keep the youngster in line while Jess was too much an overgrown child at times. He wasn't always a good influence on the boy.
The two young men settled their companions and stowed Daisy's three hat boxes in the overhead rack.
"Why three hats Daisy?" Jess asked, clearly not understanding how the older woman's mind worked when it came to clothes.
"One for church and the others in case one doesn't go with whichever dress I wear later - for shopping or visiting or for that fair we're going to."
"Oh," was all Jess could say. He would never understand women, no matter how long he lived. He'd never tell Slim that though. His partner would never let him live it down.
About six hours later the train pulled into Red Bluff. Slim stood and stretched before reaching for Daisy's hat boxes which he gave to Mike to give the youngster something to keep him busy and out of trouble while they waited for their baggage to be unloaded.
It was while they were at the baggage car that a buckboard pulled up and a tall, red headed man dressed in brown pants and a yellow shirt, topped by a brown Stetson jumped out.
"Mattie - I mean Slim! Welcome to Red Bluff. Next stop Evergreen and the McAllister homestead."
The driver was Gordon McAllister. He was Cam's cousin and probably the only person in the world that called Slim by that particular nickname. Gordy, as Cam called him, had grown up with Slim somewhat. Their mothers had been best friends from the day they met until the day Mary Sherman died. Hannah McAllister considered Slim to be one of her own children and treated him such.
"Oh, no! Not you again!" Slim groaned.
"Slim! That's no way to greet a friend," Daisy scolded her eldest.
"It's the only way to greet this one," Slim grinned as he and Gordon shook hands.
"Jess," McAllister offered his hand to the Texan.
Mike was next. The youngster beamed as he was treated like the other men.
"Last, but not least, Mrs. Cooper," Gordon McAllister said as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "My family is looking forward to this visit very much."
"We're looking forward to it as well," Daisy smiled. "Did you come alone? I thought perhaps Cam would come with you."
"She would have but Mother has her helping with some last minute arrangements for the fair and your visit.," he explained. "Once we have all your luggage loaded we can be on our way."
That being said he grabbed one of Daisy's trunks that Jess pointed out to him and put it in the back of the borrowed buckboard. Slim and Jess loaded the others plus the carpet bags containing their clothes and Mike's.
While Slim and Gordon secured the luggage, Jess retrieved Galway and Rocky. Once Daisy and Mike were settled McAllister climbed aboard, clucked to the team and started them on the last leg of their journey - the one that would take them from Red Bluff to Evergreen - a distance of five miles.