"We'll be back shortly, girls, and then we'll have a lot of fun together. I'm sure we can keep you entertained all night long."
With that the oaf climbed down from the driver's seat, calling out to his companion to start making camp. I lay there, swearing quietly, while Sarah was huddled up next to me, trying not to cry. Even if we could get out of our bindings we were still screwed. We didn't know where we were and had no way to escape. We just lay there, feeling miserable.
I don't know how long we were like that. I suppose it couldn't have been too long as I was sure that the two brutes would have been back and ready for their fun as soon as they finished eating. I wondered if they'd bother to feed Sarah and me.
There was a sudden commotion outside, yelling, followed by gunshots. From the sound of the gunshots there must have been more than the two men shooting. They'd had revolvers but there was a shotgun blast plus a couple of rifle shots.
Everything went silent, then I could hear someone moving around outside.
"Dumb-asses," came a grumbling growl. "You couldn't just surrender, could you? Well, I'm not carting your carcases to town."
A few moments later someone slapped the canvas on the side of the wagon.
"If there's anyone in there throw out your guns and come on out. Or come out shooting, for all I care. You'll find the first option the safest."
Sarah and I looked at each other and I gave the semblance of a shrug. We weren't exactly in a position to throw out guns, even if we had them.
"It's just us in here and we don't have any guns," I called out.
"Well, come out anyway."
"Um, we can't. We're sort of tied up. Can you come in and untie us?"
I waited for the stranger to come in and set us free but nothing seemed to happen. Then a voice spoke up, off to the side.
"I see. When you said tied up you really meant tied up. I'll come and get you loose."
I turned to look where the voice was coming from and spotted a small slit in the canvas. Whoever it was had sliced it open a little way and peeped in from an unexpected angle. I was relieved and irritated. I was the one who'd have to sew that shut again.
I had a feeling that the man checked out the interior of the wagon from several vantage points before he opened the back flaps and climbed in, gun in hand and pointed at us. He approached us slowly, checking to make sure we really were tied. Finally satisfied he untied us and suggested that we hop down from the wagon. We were happy to do so.
"If you'll excuse us," I said as soon as we were on the ground, "we're just going to visit that bush for a minute. We're not going to run. This is my wagon. While we're doing that why don't you drag those behind a different bush?"
The those I was referring to were the bodies of the two men who had captured us. I was going to eat and I didn't want to stare at them while I did so.
"Yes, ma'am," he said. "Anything you say, ma'am."
Sarcastic brute. Sarah and I hurried behind the bush I'd selected and made timely use of it. Afterwards we approached the fire. Sarah looked at what the men had been cooking.
"It hasn't been ruined," she said happily. "I can make something with this."
"Well, hurry up and do so. I'm starving. Who're you?"
"Marshal Timmin, at your service. May I know who you are?"
"I'm Alice Adams, and this is my sister, Sarah."
"And how did you manage to wind up in the predicament in which I found you?"
"My husband was driving us back to our small-holding when we met those two men riding the other way. They just waved as they approached and called out hullo and then, just as we were passing they pulled guns and shot my husband. He was dead before he even knew that we were in trouble. The men simply tied us up and asked where we were going. We didn't have much choice but to tell them. One of them said it would be a good place to hole up for a while and that we could keep them company for a few days. They tossed us in the back of the wagon and the rest you know. A very timely rescue, I might say, as they were promising some rather lecherous things after dinner."
"I'd been tracking these two. They were wanted for bank robbery back at Lakeside. Came across what I assume is your husband's body, gave it a quick burial, and followed the wagon. I was assuming that they were now riding with you. Happily I made it here on time."
Seeing it was late in the day and the two outlaws had already setup camp we decided to stay there for the night. I don't know what the Marshal did with the bodies but they weren't in the camp and that was all I cared about. After we'd eaten Sarah and I retired for the night in the wagon while the Marshal bedded down over near the fire.
The next morning we had a discussion with the Marshal. He wasn't in a great hurry to get back to Lakeside and agreed to escort us to our small-holding. It would take us two, perhaps three, days travel to reach home. He recommended that we travel to Lakeside and try to establish ourselves there but we wouldn't be in it.
"We have chickens, a couple of milking cows, a few pigs, and a truck garden. We can make a decent living on what we've got and it's small enough that the pair of us can handle the work. Right now the son of one of the neighbours is keeping an eye on our animals. We can also call on a neighbour if we have to."
We set off. Initially Sarah drove the wagon but after a few miles I pushed her to one side and took over. After another couple of miles the Marshal pushed me to one side and took over, tethering his horse to the wagon.
As we travelled he told us just what we'd been doing wrong with our driving, explaining how to correct our errors. My husband had always done the driving, considering it to be a man's chore. I was quite relieved to get some actual lessons as in future it would just be me and Sarah.
We talked as we travelled, mostly meaningless chatter, but it was nice to have someone new to talk to. The Marshal told us of some of the sillier cases he'd been involved in. Apparently one outlaw, new to being an outlaw, held up a bank, took off his mask as soon as he left the bank, put his loot in the saddle bags of his horse, and then walked across the road to a saloon to celebrate his successful robbery. He was still there when the Marshal came along.
That evening was very much the same as the previous evening. Sarah made dinner being a better cook than me and then she and I retired to the wagon for the night while the Marshal settled down near the fire. A couple of hours later Sarah was sleeping peacefully and I was restless and totally unable to sleep. I quietly hopped down from the wagon and crossed to where the Marshal lay.
