Adventure in Longwood Day 04

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."

"Well when you put it that way it doesn't sound so bad, why were my parents killed then?"

"I would suppose the soldiers, do an Apache like attack, leave dead take you away have their fun and either give you to the Apache or leave you there to be found later."

"I've heard tale of Apache doing attacks like that with the girl being passed around to the village." Sergeant looks at me as he speaks, the girl turns white.

"Tribe and yes that does happen when one wife raids an enemy tribe they wage war, if the wife they take away tries to resist they all use her to break her enough to stay with one."

"That's horrible." Sally is white along with the girl now.

"The tribe is the important part new wives keep the tribe strong. There is tale of a Cherokee woman taken in such a way she knew her husband was alive so resisted. They tried to break for five days, on the sixth day her husband arrives and takes her away. Apache have a similar tale of an Apache woman, their version he kills many."

"The Cherokee seem peaceful, they largely do not give the cavalry problems, yet the Apache are scared of you." I look at the sergeant with a grin.

"Those Apache are scared of me because I shot one calling for protection, in our faith calling for protection should make one unkillable. The Apache as a whole respect the Cherokee, we are not warlike yet we are stronger. We train fight do not look for but if comes we finish."

"If we can move away from the injun talk, it is interesting but I find my brother and I in a quandary. He is not old enough to do the farm I do not know it well enough to take over for my parents. We could try and hire a man, no money for it." The girl says making us look at her.

"That is a quandary to be sure you could get a man if you be his wife. I suspect you would not like that."

"I don't know, I liked the Apache it was slow, the other's were not. I don't know if I could take a man on as my husband and I would not want to fast like we need."

"Well if you think you can manage it we have an empty room for a whore, two dollars a man for you, after three you can afford to get a man for the week. Your brother may not like it, and you may not but it is the best I can offer, we have a cook and a barman." Sally says putting her hand over the sergeant's mouth.

"Hey if your talking hiring a helper for me I wouldn't mind. It's hard work keeping up with the orders except chili nights." Amanda says she puts the tray on the table.

"Well we can do that, pay is horrible, be oh let's go with fifty cents a day, food free of course. For you and your brother I can give you the room to sleep in, at least until we get a sixth whore, if we do not sure on that. We mostly have enough for now."

"Hey stop trying to talk my help into being a whore." Amanda pulls up the tray and goes into the kitchen for milk.

"If we keep the farm I would need to whore just to afford a man to run it with my brother. Can I try it out and see if I can?"

"Here I got the perfect man to try it on." I wiggle my finger at Ishmael he comes looking a little confused. "Ishmael she wishes to try whoring and see if she can, I still need to take Dan upstairs so would you?"

"Well sure, she is very pretty. Sally do you mind and am I paying you?"

"I don't mind and no I think for this try she gets all four dollars. Remember the second to last door, if you wish you can use the door before, I use that room until Chun stops being bruised I won't mind the smell I put it in myself."

Ishmael goes behind the bar he comes back and follows her up the stairs. She goes to her door pauses then goes to Chun's door and in with Ishmael.

"Janet would you stop that, you keep messing with my eating arrangements." Amanda says with a sigh as she passes out glasses of milk.

"So why was I not included in the people to ask if they would help her try it out?" I look over at Chad, he's colored but not to much.

"You said you were looking for a woman to marry, she wants her farm and needs a man for it, you got a job here already and you don't look the farm type."

"Well yes I also would have liked to help her try it out. Not that I have four dollars, reminds me Dan we never discussed pay for this." Dan looks up and groans.

"Yes well about that, I am getting room and board, and drink. Sally might offer you the same you would have to ask Janet on drink." Chad looks at me.

"I would say no to drink, there is a reason the Apache can not buy it here. You are half round eye I do see round eye full of drink, not nice."

"I'll go around and speak with the other stores, see what we can round up for a pay for you two. Dan shush I know you just use Janet's, in case you leave us at some point be good to have some sort of pay with room and board set up already." Sally says with a smile.

"Amanda if you could make up plates for the Apache, perhaps the soldiers, five of each. I am going to go get my roll, I seem to be due one this morning, unless Janet is just teasing." Dan moves over to stand next to me.

"You are due a roll this morning, I only had one yesterday and I have a need."

Up the stairs we go, my clothes are left on the floor as Dan goes over to the bath and opens the door on our side. Can hear them in the next room, I am smiling she seems to be enjoying herself. Dan shuts the door then comes to the bed taking his clothes off as he goes.

"So Janet out with it, I know there is something." I don't want to answer I'm watching him get undressed, very nice view.

"I'm with child, yours from our last real hunt. You never said if I could not take or not, I know the new month is coming." Dan climbs on the bed with me and pulls me close for a kiss.

"I suppose in that case the bottle is not to be touched. Like you said we are almost done, he only has Barnaby, I have a feeling Barnaby will die when you see him."

I do not get a chance to say anything to that, Dan comes to me our lips locked as he slides in to me. I am called the beautiful mother of his child as he moves in me this sends me to stars quickly. Dan is loving and attentive of me with his hands and movement I am feeling good and seeing stars again and again. He finishes quicker than I would have liked, feeling quite happy with what I was given I just hold on to him.

"Dan, I do not recall being told when my things will be here." I can't help but be happier he is smiling big at me.

"Few days, there is a stage from the south every other day, it came in yesterday, orders are sent by train to Kansas City, it is where most of the things in the catalogues are stored until ordered. I went and asked in the afternoon. They are sent by train then the stage to here, unless his wife picks it up. My concern is where she is going to find a man to hire to do her farm with her brother, along with who will cook."

"You do well enough on morning cook." Dan gets off me then pulls me close to him.

"I can cook on the range that is the problem, men know how to cook on the range, home cook is taught to daughters. We can't do pies and bread besides corn bread. There is no difference between home and range morning, evening is different, why I let you do it and why we stop at towns for vittles. Range cook is not as filling it is just basic, I notice you never seem to care."

"It is no different than what I was fed before the ranch, I recall the drive I was on the men were not as eager to get to town. I suppose that you round eyes do not care bread so much as a gal under you in a bed. I was given a whole wagon with a mattress so they had the roof and the mattress and the gal."

"You might have something there, lets go I want to ask Sally if we can add more rooms anyway, be good to have a hotel in this town."

We get up and get dressed, I am of the notion Dan has heard something. I do not ask just get in my clothes then help him with his. When we get down the stairs we find the girl and Ishmael sitting at the table both smiling big. Her brother and Father Darren are absent which I find odd, Dan sits me next to Sally before I can ask.

"So what did he say?" Sally just leaned right over and is asking with a big smile.

"I'm to keep his child until child decides to come out."

I get a lot of hugs then, Dan gets a few slaps on the back. Everything returns to a more sedate setting when the sergeant enters the saloon with another man wearing a big hat.

"Sorry to be interrupting the celebraty action. This is Captain Longfellow he has a few questions and wants to ask some of the Apache." Captain Longfellow walks closer taking off his hat.

"Really just one question of you good folk, did everything happen like the sergeant was telling me? Four rifles used, we looked no bullets in the other two, you suppose the soldiers did the shooting and they were the ones to rape our victim?"

The girl and I nod along to that, she adds in one Apache started with her as her husband. I explain wife raids to the captain he looks a little upset at the notion of that one.

"Alright I'm not liking the wife raids bit, not my culture. I do wish to ask the Apache a few questions, is the injun the only one here that can translate?"

"I'm Cherokee I speak to them in Spanish." The captain perks up at that.

"I know a little Spanish I was stationed in Mexican heavy lands for a good while. I was not aware the Apache knew Spanish."

"It is a common language to use between tribes. Farther toward the rising sun we had exchanges of men for the summer to learn the language of the other. Before the round eyes, after we are stuck to one place and send daughters to other tribes if there is not a good man for her."

"Well that explains why you see injun girls walking to other reservations. Well if you would please come with me, I don't know enough Spanish."

I get up and go with the captain, the sergeant following along. The soldiers were leaning against the wall until the sergeant snaps at them. They get upright and into a pose until the captain speaks to them, they lean against the wall again as we go inside the sheriff's. The Apache stand up as we get closer, looking at the captain nervously, he tells them no problem and they relax.