Locksmith Ned Kelliher handed Gina the key and she asked would it work. He cackled and said technology was rather unremarkable in those days. "Of course it will work. I like you showing everything in that red dress. It's the one you had on in last night's film on TV, wasn't it?"
"Yes Mr Kelliher. Be careful your eyes don't pop...you are staring."
"Oh I'm sorry Gina."
"No, it's okay. I'm glad you still have an interest."
He cackled and walked over with Gina to meet the mayor and Salty. Ned knew them both.
"Right, let's begin," Gina said. "Walk around the site carefully as there is broken glass on the ground. Mr Daniels could you bring your mother, Robyn you keep with them. Nathan is bringing a chair for Mrs Daniels."
When everyone was gathered Gina said, Mrs Daniels here called me last night and I have a hunch that what she was talking about is here. This hunch is so huge within me I cannot doubt it. If I'm wrong you'll call its Gina's Folly and will hate me. I can only say I hope I'll not be a disappointment to you and if I am I apologize now in advance. Gather around and here what Mrs Daniels has to say."
Mrs Daniels said she was born at 20 Pilcher and lived their till she turned thirteen. Her mother's mother lived with them and was a friend of Mrs Youngerman senior who lived in the house beside the stables, now long gone.
"Old Mrs Youngerman, wife of Silas, wanted a book written for her grandchildren about the Youngerman's arrival and settlement in Palin and asked her daughter to write down what she said. I remember my grandmother talking about it when Carl's wife Elsie died -- probably it was 1937 when I was twelve, about a year before our hour caught fire and we shifted out. She mentioned the book and there was a search for it but nothing was found. Silas was on vacation in Wyoming and I have no idea if anyone asked him when he arrived home. The funeral was held up waiting for him to be located and to arrive home. Gina believes the books could be here in an underground cache."
Gina thanked Mrs Daniels. "Most of you will think this is an amazing coincidence but Robyn here and Harry standing next to Salty and the mayor had talked about the stories in the Post, the TV news mentions and now the documentary film prompting someone to come forward with vital evidence, perhaps the big missing link we've served for, only half daring to find it. But it think it's here. I wonder if it's old Silas talking to me. But please don't be angry if I'm wrong. In so much of this search for the truth we have been sliding on the seats of our pants and I know you will think I'm crazy for being so optimistic but I feel it in my bones than this book is here...probably just recollections written in a school exercise book that is in the strong box under my feet. I've known of the existence of this strong box for almost a month. My grandfather had said Silas used to show him five six-guns when he was a boy. Silas would go away and come back with the guns in a parcel. They were living over at what is now the Blacksmith's Retreat by then. Silas had purchased the guns from the Sheriff, probably the guns of outlaws or even murderers. So I decided to leave the secret laying here but noe I need to open the strong box because the story of tent-town Palin may be here. Ned Kelliher has made this key for me this morning, so here goes."
"I've put penetrating oil down the keyhole. With luck it should turn," Ned called. It did but Gina failed to lift up the lid."
"Leave it guys. It's no use helping Gina. I have a heavy hammer in my trunk; that will break the rust welds."
It did and Nathan and Nick Daniels grunted and finally the lid came free.
Nathan bent in and said, "It was a sealing lid, it's dry down there. He pulled out a big pack.
"That will be the six-guns," Gina said. Everyone pressed forward when she told Nathan to open the pack.
Nick then leaned over the opening. "There are other objects here but I can feel a flat pack."
Gina said that could be great-great-great-grandma Helen account of the first days settlement as told to her daughter Elsie Youngerman who could write. The pack was completely sealed in wax. Gina broke through an extracted a leather-bound folio.
* * *
Gina stood, the chilling breeze blowing through her hair. Her friend's stood in a half circle facing her, with Mrs Daniels in the chair beside Gina. She picked out the extract, right at the front, the information she knew was vital:
'1 January 1872, first New Year's Day in the new settlement of Palin. These are my recollections as told to my daughter Elsie Youngerman who is writing this shortened history for me. Here is what I recall Silas's mother Sarah telling me of what occurred on that day:
Everyone gathered for a church service in the Archibald's tent, their tent being the largest. While the women prepared hot midday dinner the men had a town board meeting. It seemed laughable to call it a town board when there was no town. But Sergeant Palin who was our elected leader because he was the best reader and writer, having gained those skills while serving in the army as a trooper and aiming to rise to become a lieutenant, said the men would ride off with a wagon soon to fetch back timber to begin building a town.
As the day wore on the men became drunk, that is the ten men who were drinking liquor. But none of them got out of line; Sergeant Palin made sure of that.
Mid-afternoon someone called a meeting of the town board. The women were allowed to be present but not to speak, except to correct mistakes. The only item of this unscheduled meeting was a name for the town.
There was a suggestion that it be called West New York but the laughter of the women ridiculed that. Lonely Hill gained support because we did have a bit of a bump in the plains around us we stupidly referred to as a hill. Richard Mellows said let's call it Palin's Folly after Tom rode in here shouting the Indians were coming but none arrived. Sergeant Palin said he'd told them that he'd seen fifteen armed male Indians heading in our direction and came to warn us. But he'd noticed a dust column out to the north and that could have been troopers on the move and they may have seen the Indians and chased them off. Paul Connell said they'd heard that explanation a dozen times and it was becoming boring. Sergeant Palin then took a vote on all names suggested. The other men roared in laughter when Palin's Folly received the highest number of votes. Sergeant Palin said he'd accept the decision of the board but warned people in future wouldn't accept such a stupid name and the laughter of them men drove him from the tent, I feel in fear he'd start wringing the necks of such stupid men.
We women of course agreed Sergeant Tom wouldn't commit a folly. It was sergeant Tom who came to our aid when the main body of our train moved out and we were too weary to continue. He had our men eating out of his hand because he was familiar with the land around for hundreds of miles in all directions and said this was the one of the best sites for a town in the region, beside the river and at a natural crossroads. He shifted us to slightly higher ground because he said where we were camped would flood in the spring thaw and how right he was. In persuading us to move Sergeant Tom established the site of a new town and earned the right to have it named after him. Even the stupid men when drunk knew that.'
"Oh that is so moving," Gina said, dabbing her eyes.
"It's good, as good as we'll probably ever get," the mayor said. "Well done but you must accept it's not proof positive."
