We made a big push over the next three days and finally got to Kansas City. You can always smell the city when you get close; it's hard to miss the stench thousands of head of cattle produce. I breathed a little easier for a minute or two. Even if Jed and Dickie followed us into town, the place was so big and spread out it'd take them a while to find us. And we didn't intend to be here long.
We went to a small hotel right off the cattle pens that I've stayed in before. This time of year you didn't have to worry about open windows and the stink, so it was just as well. The place was quiet, clean, cheap and private. Very private. And they had the biggest beds I've ever seen, which is what interested me and Bret the most right now. We didn't waste any time and it was about one in the morning when I woke up and found Bret already out of bed, sitting in my normal spot by the window.
"Don't tell me you've caught it, too," I told him.
"Caught what, son?"
"The I-can't sleep-anymore-so-I'll-sit-and-stare-out-the-window disease. I thought I was the only one that got that."
"Naw, I only been up a few minutes," came his answer. "You had enough sleep or you need more?"
"I'm good. Can we get a real meal before we pack up?"
"Does this place serve real food?" he laughed.
"No, but there's a little café right down the street that caters to whoever's up at this time a night. You game?"
"Yep. How long is it - " he started to ask, then stopped when he realized I already had my boots and coat on. "How'd you learn to get dressed that fast?"
"Not by sneakin' out bedroom windows," I told him, alluding to his one encounter with a woman who insisted she wasn't married, until her husband came home.
"You couldn't get up and dressed like that when we were kids?"
"Heck no," I told him. "Why would I wanna get up when you did all the chores while I got an extra few minutes sleep?"
He threw his hat at me, so I threw mine back at him and put his on. Again, I wore it down low over my face and he practically chased me out the door. Down at the end of the street 'Casey Sue's' was open and had half a dozen men in various stages of inebriation in it. They made the best apple flapjacks here I'd ever tasted.
"Well, long time no see," Sue told me as we settled in at a table. "And just who is this you've brought with you this time?" Her eyebrows had gone up about three inches when she got a look at Bret. Sue is a connoisseur of good-looking men.
"Down, Sue, this is my brother Bret. Bret, the owner of the place, Casey Sue."
Bret, of course, decided to be charming. He stood and kissed the back of her hand. Sue turned about six shades of red and almost fell over when she caught a look at the dimples. "Oh my," was the extent of what Sue could say after that.
I glared at Bret. "Could ya not do that till we get fed?" I asked him, and he just grinned at me. That, of course, made it worse. Eventually Casey Sue decided to take our order and rushed off to bring us coffee.
Actually, part of the reason I brought Bret down here to Casey's was that very reaction. I knew Sue would fawn over my brother, and his ego could stand a little attention right now. If I knew him, he was gonna be skittish around women for a good while, and I hated seeing him in pain. I know what it's like to get your heart walked on.
Bret had to agree with me when we finally got served; the apple flapjacks were outstanding. Even Lily Mae's weren't that good, and that's saying something. We were there for the better part of an hour, and about half of it was taken up by Casey flirting and Bret flirting back. My work done, I just sat back, drank coffee and smiled.
Finally we had to leave, and I don't think I've ever seen Sue quite so sad. Bret, however, was in a much better mood and even started whistling as we walked back to our room. "Ready to head out?" I asked while looking up and down the street to make sure there was no sign of Dickie or Jed. Besides being worried about those two finding us, I was concerned about the rapidly encroaching winter. It was usually dry in Sioux Falls, but Lady Luck had a way of looking at me that I didn't like . . . . . .
"I'll go get the horses," Bret said and brought me back to the present.
"No back door at the hotel."
"Take your jacket off and wear my black one till we get outta town. Don't come out until I get here with the horses."
"Yes, Pappy," I told him, and slipped inside to get our belongings. I was waiting inside the front door when Bret rode up with the horses; it was still dark out, but there was a faint light from the full moon. I walked out under the cover of the horses and tossed him his war bag, then threw mine over the saddle again and mounted. Just as I started to pull myself up into the saddle Noble got skittish and stepped sideways, pushing me back down onto the street just as a shot rang out. If I'd been in the saddle I'd have a bullet in the back.
Bret rode around behind me and Noble took off running with my boot halfway in the stirrup. Getting on that animal is hard enough sometimes, much less trying to mount and hold on for dear life at the same time. It had to be Dickie and Jed, but how had they found us so fast? I wasn't gonna stick around and find out.
We rode like the Union Army was chasing us. For once Bret had a horse that kept up with Noble, who'd just saved my life. Damn, why had I insisted on eating before we left? Now that they'd seen us it'd be easier to track us.
We rode like that until, for the horse's sake, we had to slow down. We finally got to talk, and the conversation was none too pleasant. "Damn it, Bart, how'd they find us so fast?"
"How should I know? I was just as surprised as you were. And you aren't the one that was almost shot."
Bret shook his head. "For once I'm ready to kiss that horse a yours. If he hadn't acted up - "
"Maybe that's why he acted up. He's never like that."
"Doesn't matter why. I'm just glad he did." Bret thought for a minute. "That telegram you sent – who'd you send it to in Shreveport?"
"The marshal."
"Did you stay in the telegraph office until the clerk sent it?"
"Yep."
"Did you get the telegram form back from the clerk after he sent it?"
"Yep."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. I've got it right here." I reached into my coat pocket to show him the form. It wasn't there. Then I remembered – I had on Bret's jacket. "It's in my coat. I'll show ya when we stop next."
He was quiet for a minute, and I could just hear the wheels turning in his head. "I think we better take turns sleepin' for a while," he said, and I don't know if it was a suggestion or an order. Either way, I wasn't gonna argue with him right now. We needed to get to Sioux Falls, and we needed to get there in a hurry.