by the pot bellied stove. Jake opened one eye and looked at me. I only had to get up once during the night to feed both stoves.
It was still snowing when we woke the next morning at six. I fed the stock and then Jake and I headed for the boarding house. We knocked at the back kitchen door. Brie opened it. She had a wide smile on her face, but not as big as mine.
I was the first one there. I sat in the kitchen sipping a cup of coffee, while the women bustled around. Brona and Caitie were taking the food into the dining room as fast as the cook could serve it up.
Brie said, “Trego, would you like to join the rest in the dinning room?”
“Could I just eat here, with Jake?”
“Yes, I guess. I usually eat with the borders and guests, you don’t mind eating alone?”
“I wouldn’t be alone, Brona and Caitie would be here, plus Jake.”
“Alright, Randy Fuller is here, his face is a little swelled, plus some cuts. At least he is keeping his hands to himself. I suppose I should give him his gun, what do you think?”
“Yeah, sure. But first let me take the cartridges out. He might still be a little mad at me. I wouldn’t want to get his blood all over your floors.”
“Are you sure it would be his and not yours?”
“Are you anxious to find out?” I said. She stopped in her tracks and turned pale.
“I didn’t mean that.” She said, as her hands flew up to her face, “goodness no, I don’t want you to get hurt.”
I stood up and took her in my arms and kissed her. It was the same thing as last night. As we came up for air, Brona, Caitie and the cook was staring at us. Brona said, “It’s too early in the morning for that.”
I looked at her, “It’s never too early.” I said, I shucked the shells. Brie took the gun and belt and went into the dinning room. I heard loud voices, then we heard “Where is that son of a bitch, I’ll kill him.” I stepped behind the door to the dinning room. The door flew open, Randy came through holding his .45. “Where are you at, you Bastard.” He yelled.
“Right behind you Randy.” I said, as I stood there with one hand on the door and the other hanging loose at my side. He whirled around, raising his gun he fanned the hammer, of course it went click.
He stared down at it, dumbfounded. I could of killed him right there, but I didn’t. Which of course was a bad decision. Instead, I stepped forward with my left hand gun and bent it over his skull. He hit the kitchen floor like the sack of manure he was.
Brie came in, I looked at her distressed face and said, “I’m sorry Brie, but now you seen why I took the shells out of his gun. Otherwise I would have had to kill him.”
“I’m not mad at you Sweetheart, I was afraid for you.” Again she was in my arms.
Brona said, “I’ll get some of the men to pack him back to the saloon.”
When they packed him out, I noticed the snow had stopped. It wasn’t all that cold out, maybe in the twenty’s. The real cold weather really didn’t hit till January. I looked out of the kitchen window. Children were starting to come out to play in the new snow.
Henry’s kids were with them. Looked like they were playing Fox and Geese. I remembered that game from when I was a child and still living among people.
Jake whined, he wanted to go out and play. I opened the door, he bounded out. At first the children were scared of him. But they came around. It wasn’t long till they were all best buddies.
I turned and sat down at the kitchen table, Brie poured me a new cup of coffee, then sat a plate of flapjacks covered in butter before me. Then she sat a pitcher of Choke Cherry Syrup in front of me. I poured as much as my plate would hold.
She sat down with me, only she had a smaller plate and ate daintily. I got a chance to study her face. She was beautiful, she was in perfect proportion. Everything fit like the creator meant it to. She glanced at me, “What?” She said, laying down her fork, “do I have butter on my face or something.”
“No, it’s just that I have never seen a woman as pretty as you. What happened to your husband?”
“How do you go from complimenting my looks, to asking about my dead husband?”
“I don’t know, it just jumped into my mind. So how did he die?”
“You don’t give up do you? What are you part bull dog?”
“I guess you might say that, I’m sorry, forget about it. How is Henry and his family doing?”
“I am a little concerned, I don’t know where he can find work. The same people who stole his homestead run the mine. They have the territory around here under their thumb.”
“So, how come they haven’t moved in on you?” I asked.
“You remember that I said Randy Fuller was trying to get me to marry him. That is their way of getting me on their side. They’re really terrible people.”
“Hey, I have an idea, why don’t I get Henry to run the livery stable, I’m sure the Blacksmith wouldn’t mind. What’s his nationality anyway?”
“Klaas Bleecker? He’s Dutch. They’ve been hassling him, but you know how the Dutch are, stubborn. Also he’s the only Blacksmith around. Do you really think he will let Henry run the livery?”
“Yes, I do. The living quarters aren’t all that big over there, but they could expand some. They would only lose a couple of stalls. I think it would be a good business for him. Why don’t you ask Henry if he would like the job. I’ll go over and talk to Klaas.”
And that’s just what I did. Klaas was a little leery at first, but when I told him I would hang around and make sure no one bothered them, he acquiesced.
I had noticed that Brie had a small barn where she kept her horses and buggy. Plus a chicken house and a milk cow. I figured I’d ask her if Jim could stay there. I walked back over. I didn’t bother knocking at the kitchen door this time.
Brie and Henry’s family were setting at the kitchen table. Brie said, as I walked in. “Henry is willing to do that. But Mary and the children would have to stay here till the remodeling was done.”
“Good, Klaas is all for it. So Henry, as soon as I move my plunder over here. You can start. Brie, I was wondering if there was room in your barn for my horse?”
Sure, Daisy would like the company. Do you know how to milk?”
“I reckon, doesn’t everybody?”
“No, not really. But Caitie said she does, so if you wouldn’t mind trading off with her, it would be nice.”
“Sure no problem, come Henry, I’ll walk with you. I have to get my stuff, and of course my horse.” As we went out the door, Jake was setting there, I guess he got tired of playing with the children.
“Come on Jake, we’re moving over here, how do you like that?” I couldn’t read
