This morning is the best I have had in a very long time I am woken up by my son. The last time he did that he was crying for food, this time he is banging on the door the sky is not quite awake. I make sure to knee Dan as I climb over him to the floor. Dan follows to get dressed I beat him to being dressed and open the door to Chad.
"Need you and the sheriff, have a contingent of soldiers at the sheriff office. They were looking for missing rifles and soldiers, when they find what we have there was a big hubbub, they sent two off to get the captain, got a sergeant there now."
"Well let's go." Dan ushers me out the door toward the stairs.
"Morning, Chad." I say to him as we go down the stairs, wanting to give him a kiss and not knowing if I can I finally just give him one on the cheek.
"Ugh it's not morning yet and did you have to drool on me." I giggle and give him a hug.
Out of the saloon we see five soldiers standing outside of the sheriff's office. Inside we find two more trying to speak with the Apache who are looking a little frightened. Dan clears his throat getting the two soldiers to turn and look at us.
"Ah sheriff, with a translator I hope, we wanted to ask these men what they were doing with rifles from the cavalry and where our four missing soldiers are."
"The four missing soldiers are dead in an empty house on the south side of the hills over that way." I point in the direction. "There had been an attack on a farm in that same direction, folks dead the daughter taken for a wife, the son saw it happen and got here. Dan got me to track for him, we found them in the house, they were using the poor girl, we shot a lookout then I went in to shoot the rest of the soldiers, one just cause he was trying to shoot me, a second because he was using the girl and a third because he tried for a revolver. Shot one Apache on account he came for me the rest gave up." The soldiers are staring at me.
"All true, the girl talked to us on the way back to town, three of the four soldiers had gotten to her. Asked after the shooting, she is not sure but thinks the soldiers shot her folks, we found six rifles four were warm from firing." Dan adds in what I didn't say.
"Saint's preserve us. I assume you lass are the Cherokee they speak of."
"Yes I am, if you'd like we can go to the saloon for some vittles, I find I am hungry and would be rude to not offer. If your captain is long in show you can speak with the girl, she is asleep in the saloon I think, I did not stay up long after returning."
"Ah now there is an offer from god. 'Twould be rude of me to not accept, perhaps wet me whistle with a beer or three, with coin of course. Franklin, you are in charge of the guard duties here don't let the Apache get away, the captain will wish a word or three with them after he speaks with me." The soldier next to him snaps to attention and salutes.
"Sergeant, yes sergeant."
Chad looks a little uncertain as we head for the saloon I just wrap my arm around his and pull him along. After putting Chad in a chair with the sergeant I head upstairs while Dan bangs on the bar. I find Chun and Amanda in bed together again Chun sits up quick when I move over to the bed.
"Janet I'm starting to think Amanda is right, you get up to early."
"Got some soldiers in town, came to report missing soldiers and rifles, the sergeant is downstairs wishing vittles and beer. I wish vittles so I am getting Amanda." I poke Amanda, she groans.
I poke Amanda again she rolls up into a ball. Chun is giggling now as we pull the sheet off her feet and tickle her. Amanda rolls around giggling then off the bed again.
"Janet go back to bed."
"I can't, we got a sergeant downstairs wanting vittles and beer. I want vittles and Chun might, Dan and Chad want vittles for sure, sorry Amanda we need you up and cooking."
"I'm starting to think letting you come was a bad idea." Amanda gets up and goes for her dress.
"It's paying off in good ways besides the getting up at dawn. Janet I gotta ask, why do you not wear shoes?" Chun gets up also missing clothes.
"Because I want to be heard until I am hunting, why I never wear moccasins until then. This morning I was woken, I think I would have slept another hour otherwise."
We head down the stairs, when Chun sits with us the sergeant looks over at her and drinks half his beer.
"Heavens what happened to you?"
"McCalbane was caught cheating and run off, sent a man to send a message to the whores. He knew one spotted it and told just not sure which, Chun collects the coin for the whores until she looks better." Dan says before picking up his own beer.
"All I saw were the Apaches, what happened to the man?"
"I scared him into saying why he did that to Chun, sent him back to McCalbane scarred with a message. Hoping he will decide to test me, I'd like an excuse to shoot him dead."
"I'd ask on the why of that, I have a feeling be a little much for me on an empty belly. Dan I notice you didn't have to pay for your beer." The sergeant is looking at Dan now.
"Have an agreement with Sally, free food and booze to a point, room as well I don't make money Janet here covers the money part at least for now. She's getting better than she was, talking about not whoring perhaps. I think that one is a little stuck in there, she has a need for men one would be hard pressed to fill."
"Ah methinks that goes back to wishing to shoot McCalbane. I know he had a reservation under his care us soldiers get reports on such things in case we are stationed near to one. I was but a buck private then, missed seeing this uprising judging by your face was not by about six months. Short version on the uprising if you please, I find a bit of curious in me."
"McCalbane was being paid to get cows and use them to feed my tribe he was instead selling the cows. My tribe went to the nearest town to try and get some food, the town panicked called the cavalry and most were killed. I was being held at his ranch for enjoyment, when I got free I found all but seven elders dead." The sergeant empties his beer going pale.
"Ach things like that make one wish to be not a soldier. It is a good beer you got here just I find I could use a whiskey hearing things such as these. Where is Ishmael?"
"Likely in the kitchen I'll get him." I get up and head for the kitchen.
I find Ishmael on the table in the kitchen his head on his arms snoring a little. Amanda looks over at me then Ishmael and giggles.
"He was slow to bed I think, go on and wake him up I know that sergeant wants another, Irish always do."
I poke at Ishmael, nothing I tap him on the head, his head bounces yet nothing. I reach between his legs and fondle him there, Ishmael sighs.
"That is a good wake up call, you get up to early I suppose waking me that way would make up for it." Ishmael looks up at me with a grin.
"I haven't even given Dan any, some other time or spend the four dollars. I need to convince him to let me stay with child."
Amanda comes right over and looks at me she looks up and down me for a moment then gives me a hug.
"Not asking how you know but that is great."
"I drink a little poison to avoid it every month except one a year, last month was the not we went on a hunt right in the middle of my time and I didn't have the bleeding time after. Not told him plan was to use the poison, now I find I wish to not."
"Once you start showing you will get more men." I turn to look, Sally is in the doorway. "Ishmael we have a thirsty sergeant out here, Amanda make lots the girl Janet rescued is up with her brother and Father Darren. Janet I think I should ask, do you have enough of the poison for the rest of us?"
"I have a bottle, should be getting more soon, not sure if my letter got to him in time. He will find out where I am in Kansas City if I was late on the mail. Had a few long hunts recently the bottle is almost full, was two gave one to the lady in the farm off that way, her husband I am sure will stop in eventually for a ride on me."
"Sounds great, you will have to show us how it works of course but Celeste and I have been scared several times. Be nice to avoid that, Chun has never said in the three months she has been here, possible she can't I suppose. Come on let's leave Amanda to cooking and join the sergeant."
I follow Sally out into the saloon the boy is perched atop a stool at the bar with Father Darren. When he sees me he drops down comes over and gives me a hug.
"You are less scary in the daylight. I didn't get to thank you last night, so thank you for saving my sister."
"You are welcome, now go on back to the bar I should be with the sergeant still for a bit."
He goes with a smile he is playing patty cakes with Father Darren. I go over to the table again and sit next to Chad this time, the girl is sitting next to the sergeant to tell him quiet like.
"Right about there these three showed up and ended it. I can't say for sure on the shooting, I do know the soldiers were the ones to just take me, the one Apache was doing me like his wife I suppose."
"He was they were doing a wife raid, not sure if the soldiers started it or just came with, the one to come to you was the one the rest decided would be your husband. We use a different name for it but same premise."
"Injuns just steal their wife?" She has a rather shocked expression.
"In a sense yes, really for the most part wife raids are done when two tribes are near each other and are going to move on. Before then the young men move between tribes get to know the women and see if there is interest. If there is enough they just bond then, if not wife raid will happen and the single women can choose to go or not. Sometimes they are just taken it is usually not very much steal as sneak off together. I have spoken with a number of women who found their man this way, they were quite happy to have been stolen as you put it."
