Chapter 35
It was now Friday morning, and the sun started to peek over the horizon. It was September 28th, 1883.
At the Stagecoach campsite…
Dalton, Billy, Mickey, Ernie, James were all up.
They took turning taking their morning pee in the desert while the others watched to make sure another escape attempt wouldn’t happen.
Charlie woke up. Dalton and Billy escorted him away so he could take his morning pee.
Ernie and James got a fire going and made a pot of coffee.
After the coffee was ready, they drank and ate some beef jerky for breakfast.
Breakfast was soon over, the campfire was out, and they were loaded back in the Stagecoach.
“Yah!” yelled out Billy snapping the reins. The horses moved and started pulling the Stagecoach away.
The Stagecoach headed off in the desert and went down the old Butterfield Overland mail route.
At Blue Earl’s hideout…
Blue Earl, Bo, and Deke sat around, drinking their morning cup of coffee.
The sound of horses was heard in the desert. Blue Earl, Bo, and Deke jumped up and whipped out their pistols from their holsters. They were ready to protect their domain.
They put their pistols away the second they spotted Hank and Frankie ride upon their horses.
Hank and Frankie stopped their horses by the other two and got out of their saddles. They tied the reins to the bush.
“Where’s that Jimmy guy?” said Blue Earl.
“Dead,” said Hank.
“Dead? What happened?” said Blue Earl.
“Well, we snuck that Charlie Chandler away from their campsite last night,” said Frankie while he poured a cup of coffee.
“Jimmy had him on his knees ready to kill him,” said Hank while he poured a cup of coffee.
Frankie nodded while he sipped his coffee. “Then that Town Marshal of Oak Creek came up with four other guys.”
“We skedaddled, not wanting to get shot,” said Hank.
“Got that right,” said Frankie.
“They shot Jimmy,” said Hank.
“We figured he was belly up in the dirt,” said Frankie. “So we didn’t figure we should hang around.”
“Well, we don’t need him anyhow. I’m glad you two didn’t shoot it out with them. I need you for our upcoming jobs,” said Blue Earl.
“Yeah, I’m not ready to be belly up in the dirt just yet,” said Hank.
“I agree,” said Frankie.
“Hopefully, that Oak Creek Town Marshal didn’t recognize you two,” said Blue Earl.
“Naw, don’t believe he did,” said Frankie.
Hank nodded in agreement. “He didn’t.”
“Enough of that. We have some business to tend to. Today we’re going to check out,” said Blue Earl, and he glanced down in the dirt at the drawing Jimmy made the other day. “We’re going to check out Rattlesnake, then we’ll check out Stone Valley the next day.”
“When’s our next job? I’m running out of whore and beer money,” said Deke.
Hank, Frankie, and Bo all nodded in agreement with Deke.
“Make what you have last. We’ll hit Rattlesnake on Monday then start hitting the other towns after that,” said Blue Earl.
Deke, Bo, Frankie, and Hank grinned as they were getting bored and needed the excitement of robbing again.
They all sat down and drank their coffee.
Way southeast in the desert, the Stagecoach rode along a trail not too far from the Gila River.
Dalton was getting used to the bumps and dust during the ride. He, for some strange reason, was still thrilled with experiencing this part of American history.
Back in Oak Creek, Chrissy taught school. The subject at the moment was Mathematics, and she was still in awe of how well-behaved her students were as compared to 2016. But she knew that the parents of these kids would whip them if they found out they misbehaved.
Off in the desert, Blue Earl, Hank, Bo, Deke, and Frankie rode off on their horses. They headed toward the town or Rattlesnake.
Off in another area of the desert, the Stagecoach stopped in the desert. Everybody took a piss break. After that, they stretched for a few minutes, got back in the Stagecoach, and rode away.
An hour passed, and Blue Earl, Hank, Bo, Deke, and Frankie rode their horses into the town of Rattlesnake.
Blue Earl, Hank, Bo, Deke, and Frankie rode past the Bank of Rattlesnake and eyed the surrounding buildings. They noticed the Marshal’s Office was a safe distance away. Blue Earl smiled over that fact.
They continued their ride through town and stopped at the Dusty Trails Saloon. They got out of their saddles and tied the reins to the hitching post.
While they went inside the saloon, they eyed the bank.
They went through the café doors of the Dusty Trail and headed straight to the bar for some beers.
The bartender gave them their beers and knew better and didn’t ask any questions about these strangers entering Rattlesnake.
Back in Oak Creek, Chrissy dismissed her students. They all ran out of the schoolhouse and headed back to their homes.
Chrissy gathered up her books and left the schoolhouse.
She headed off down the street to her house.
Once she got inside her home, she rested on the couch.
Blue Earl and his guys rode out of Rattlesnake and headed back to their hideout.
The sun started to drop below the horizon across the territory.
Chrissy walked out of the restaurant.
She looked down the street at the Marshal’s Office. She missed Dalton.
Elsewhere off in the desert, the Stagecoach pulled into the small town of Agua Caliente when the sun started to settle below the horizon.
This was about the halfway point for their travels to Yuma. Dalton, Ernie, and James placed Charlie in one of the jail cells of the Agua Caliente Marshal’s office. They monitored the town for any sightings of those two guys that rode with Jimmy when he tried to kill Charlie. So far, the coast was clear of any sightings of those two scoundrels.
The Stagecoach stopped.
They got out and escorted Charlie into a small restaurant for something to eat.
After dinner, Dalton, James, and Ernie escorted Charlie to the Marshal’s Office. They placed him in a cell for the. This was a common occurrence for the Aqua Caliente Marshal’s Office for prisoners heading to their new home in Yuma. Billy and Mickey tended to the horses while they were in the Marshal’s Office.
Dalton, James, Ernie, Billy, and Mickey headed over to the hotel in town and got rooms for the night.
Chrissy retired for the night with thoughts about Dalton and wondered where he was at this exact moment.
Blue Earl and his gang sleep under the stars.
Dalton was under the covers in a bed at the hotel in Agua Caliente. He wondered where Chrissy was at this exact moment.
It was now Saturday morning, and the sun was just peeking above the eastern horizon. It was September 29th, 1883.
Dalton and everybody woke up in their hotel beds. After filling their bellies with breakfast, they had Charlie back in the Stagecoach.
The Stagecoach rode out of Aqua Caliente and down the dusty trail heading to Yuma.
It was now mid-afternoon.
Chrissy left the restaurant after eating lunch. She headed down the street and went inside the Lincoln Dresses and Suits Shop
Edith was working on a new dress at a table when Chrissy entered. She saw her. “Hello,” said Edith. “Can I help you?”
“Hello,” said Chrissy. “I’m just browsing,” she said and started to look at a few dresses that hung on a small rack.
“Take your time and let me know if there’s anything you need,” said Edith. Her eyes lit up when she remembered something. “Like a wedding dress,” she added with a smile.
It took a few seconds for what Edith said for it to sink in Chrissy’s head. “Ah yes, a wedding dress,” she said and smiled, knowing that she would one day marry Dalton, but not for a couple of years. “A wedding dress would be nice.”
Edith put down her work. “Let me show you a catalog of wedding dresses. You can pick the one you like, and I can make it,” she said while getting up from the table.
Chrissy thought that browsing through a catalog of old western wedding dresses would be cool.
While Chrissy was browsing in the catalog of wedding dresses, Dalton was still in the Stagecoach. They just finished with a piss break in the desert and were getting closer to Yuma.
While the Stagecoach headed down the trail, Dalton suddenly had thoughts of his recent proposal to Chrissy and her acceptance. He smiled at the idea of marrying her in a couple of years.
Back at Lincoln’s shop, Chrissy finished looking through the catalog, and she actually picked out a dress design. She agreed to let Edith make it, as she figured she could take it back with her to 2016. It would be a unique one of a kind dress in 2016.
Chrissy left Lincoln’s shop and headed off down Main Street to Master’s General Store.
She entered the General Store through the double doors.
She scanned the store for a few seconds while she stood at the doors. Definitely not Wal-Mart or Target. She thought while she studied the store but still found it quaint. But she’ll do.
She found that the store was dimly lit. There was a long counter to the left where stood Gus Masters.
“Hello, ma-am,” said Gus the second he spotted Chrissy at the door. “Holler, if you need any assistance,” he said, then coughed a little.
“I will,” said Chrissy while she headed to the counter.
On top of the long counter, she saw stacks of overalls, denim and khaki pants, candy jars, and tobacco.
She also saw a coffee mill, scales for weighing grocery items, and a wrapping paper unit with string attachment.
This countertop was filled with other merchandise, leaving only enough room for purchases, and the wrapping of the items.
She got to the end of the counter, she glanced up at the ceiling. Hanging from the ceiling, she saw buggy whips, horse harnesses, lanterns, pails, and various ropes.
She walked down one wall and saw bins of produce, nuts, beans, and nails. She also saw bins of pickles, crackers, potatoes, mincemeat, and candies for the kids.
She walked down the other wall and on the shelves saw that it contained fabric and sewing notions, household items, soaps, medicines, spices, crockery and dishes, cartridges and shells, and small farm implements.
She grabbed a piece of cloth off one of the shelves to use as a cleaning rag at her home.
She walked a little farther down the wall and saw six books for sale on one of the shelves. She stopped there and glanced at the available books.
She saw the book titled Heidi, written by Johanna Spyri. I loved that story. She thought while she remembered seeing the Heidi TV mini-series in 1993. She had to have that book.
She walked away and headed back to the counter with that book in hand.
“Is that all, ma-am?” said Gus while Chrissy set the book down on the counter.
Chrissy saw the coffee mill. “I would also like some coffee and a coffee pot.”
“How much coffee?”
Chrissy thought for a few seconds. “Half-a-pound would do.”
Gus grabbed a coffee pot off the shelf behind him and placed it on the counter.
He proceeded to scoop up some grounded up coffee beans into a tin can and covered the opened top with a small piece of paper and tied it with string. “Is that all?” he said, placing the tin can on the counter.
“No, sir.”
Gus added up everything in his head. “That’ll be one dollar.”
Chrissy opened up her purse, reached inside and removed a silver dollar. She handed it to Gus.
He put it in his cash register. “Thank you,” he said, then paused for a few seconds “I hear you’re our new school teacher?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Well, welcome to Oak Creek.”
“Thank you,” said Chrissy, then she gathered up her items.
Gus watched her leave the store. He coughed into his handkerchief. He looked at his handkerchief and saw more blood.
He walked to the door and left the store.
Chrissy walked down Main Street and headed home.
Gus walked down Main Street and headed straight to Doc Bartholomew’s office, coughing a couple of times.
As soon as she got home, she made a pot of coffee, and after it perked, she sat down in the chair in the living room and opened up her book.
She read Heidi, drank her coffee, and her thoughts often drifted to Dalton between pages of her book. She wondered how he was doing on that Stagecoach.
An hour had passed. The sun just dropped below the horizon.
Chrissy was asleep on her chair with her book in her lap.
While she was sleeping in the chair, the Stagecoach pulled into the front gates of the Yuma territorial prison.
Two Yuma guards were standing by the gate from inside the prison grounds. They were ready to accept their newest tenant.
The Stagecoach stopped.
Dalton, Ernie, and James escorted Charlie out of the Stagecoach.
Billy and Mickey climbed down off the Stagecoach.
The guards unlocked and swung open the iron gates.
Charlie saw them, and he got scared. “No, I can’t go in there,” he cried out.
“Sorry, then don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time,” said Dalton.
Ernie and James looked at each other. “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time,” they both said in unison.
“I like that,” said Ernie. James, Billy, and Mickey all nodded in agreement.
Charlie dug the toes of his boots into the dirt while Dalton and Ernie grabbed his arms and walked him into Yuma. He peed his pants with fear of prison life. Pee ran down his legs and then onto his boots.
The two guards swung the gate closed and locked it.
They escorted everybody to the Warden’s office.
Ten minutes had passed.
Charlie was escorted with the toes of his boots dragging on the ground while the guards escorted him to his new home.
Dalton and everybody was escorted out of the prison grounds.
They all got back in and on the Stagecoach.
Billy snapped the reins, and the horses pulled the Stagecoach away.
Ten minutes had passed.
Billy stopped the Stagecoach by the hotel in Yuma.
They all got out and off the Stagecoach and headed into the hotel. They each got a room then had a bath to wash off the dirt from the dusty trail.
After some dinner at the nearby restaurant, they all retired into their rooms and were soon fast asleep.
Later that night, Chrissy woke up in the chair. She headed off into her bedroom and got under the covers. She was soon fast asleep.
Back at Blue Earl’s hideaway, Deke was restless and started pacing.
Blue was on his back on his bedroll near the campfire. “What’s your fucking problem, Deke?” said Blue Earl noticing Deke pacing.
“I’m thirsty,” said Deke. “Thinking of riding into Oak Creek.”
Blue Earl sat up. He looked concerned. “Now, don’t go doing anything stupid. We can’t afford to attract unwanted attention,” he said with a deadly serious tone.
“I won’t. Promise,” said Deke.
“You know what’ll happen if you disobey,” said Blue Earl with a glaring stare.
“I know,” said Deke while he headed off to his horse.
Blue Earl was still concerned while he watched Deke mount his horse and ride off into the dark.
A while later and Deke rode his horse down Main Street of Oak Creek. Nobody was milling about town. The street was quiet.
He stopped his horse at the Prickly Cactus Saloon.
He looked at the Prickly Cactus then at the entrance to the residential area.
He rode his horse off toward the residential area.
He rode his horse down the residential area then over to Chrissy’s home.
He rode his horse off to the side of her house. He stopped his horse and got out of the saddle.
He gingerly walked over to her bedroom window. He peeked inside and saw her sleeping soundly in her bed. He passionately licked the window glass showing his affection for her. Chrissy was not aware of the peeping pervert at her bedroom window.
Deke stepped away from the window, recalling Blue Earl’s stern warning. He got back in his saddle and rode his horse off into the darkness.
Deke rode his horse out of the residential area and headed straight to the Prickly Cactus.
Deke rushed through the café doors of the Prickly Cactus.
He spotted saloon gal Nancy by the bar.
He made a beeline to her.
Deke whispered in Nancy’s ear. She nodded in agreement, and they headed upstairs to a room.
“Have we met before?” said Nancy the second they entered the room.
“Yep, I’m Deke,” he said while he gave her the twenty-dollar fee. He quickly removed his clothes. And was ready while Nancy stripped naked.
Nancy got on the bed on her back. Deke got on top of her.
He was finished in three minutes.
Ten minutes had passed, and Deke was back in the saddle on his horse riding out of Oak Creek.
Later that night, Deke rode his horseback to the hideout. He got out of the saddle and tied the reins to one of the bushes by the rock wall.
Blue Earl opened his eyes. He had always been a light sleeper, and the sound of Deke’s horse woke him up. He placed a hand on his pistol in case the visitor was hostile. He removed his hand the second he saw that the visitor was Deke returning to the hideout.
“I hope my brother didn’t do anything stupid,” said Blue Earl.
“Naw. Had my way with Nancy at the saloon,” said Deke with a satisfying smile while he got down on his bedroll. “When are we going to get back in business? I’m out of whoring and beer coins,” said Deke.
“Rattlesnake on Monday. Get some sleep,” said Blue Earl closing his eyes.
Deke closed his eyes.
The sound of snoring from the outlaws filled the air at the hideout. This was a sure giveaway for anybody wanting to locate the hideout.
The sun rose above the horizon across the area. It was Sunday, September 30th, 1883.
Everybody in Oak Creek started to wake up when the sun began to peek through the windows of the homes.
Way over in Yuma, Dalton and everybody woke up from their hotel room beds. They got dressed and headed to the restaurant for some breakfast.
Over at Blue Earl’s hideout, they woke up, got the campfire going again, and started to make a pot of coffee.
Back in Oak Creek, Chrissy woke up. She flung the covers off her body and got out of the bed. She stretched, and while she stretched, she glanced at the bedroom window. Something appeared odd with the window.
She walked over to the window and saw a giant smudge on the glass. She hated dirty windows, so she left the bedroom and headed into the kitchen.
She walked over to the counter and grabbed the cloth she bought at the store.
She went back into her bedroom and back to the window.
She rubbed the glass with the window. The smudge didn’t go away. She opened the window a little and reached outside with the rag. She rubbed the outside of the glass with the rag. The smudge disappeared.
She pulled her hand back inside and closed the window.
She started at the glass and wondered what could have made that smudge. She thought that smudge had been there all along, and she didn’t notice it until now.
She left the bedroom with the cloth in hand and forgot about the smudge.
She went into the kitchen and made some coffee.
After her coffee, she got dressed and headed off to the church. She didn’t want to be the only one from Oak Creek, not attending church, so she decided to attend. Besides, it would be interesting to hear an old western preacher.
Chrissy left her home and headed to the church.
She found a spot in the wooden pew in the back of the church.
Sixty-year-old Pastor Kyle Norris started his serum.
Chrissy listened.
Thirty minutes and Pastor Norris’ serum was over. Chrissy was surprised that he wasn’t totally a fire and brimstone type of service. It was surprisingly enjoyable.
Pastor Norris did his usual routine and headed outside the front doors of the church. He was in a position to greet everybody.
Chrissy stood in like to greet him.
“Hello, I take it your our new school teacher,” said Pastor Norris, the second Chrissy, walked up to him.
“Yes sir, I’m Chrissy Barron,” she said, shaking his hand.
“Welcome to our church,” said Pastor Norris, then he paused, recalling something he heard yesterday. “I hear you’re engaged to be married. To the Town Marshall,” he said.
“Yes, sir.”
“I take it you’ll let me do the honors of performing your wedding ceremony?”
“Yes sir,” she said, then cringed inside, knowing that this was a little lie.
“Have a date in mind?”
“Not at this time. My fiancé is away on Marshall business.”
“Ah, yes. Taking that prisoner to Yuma. We’ll talk after you decide on a date, and we’ll pray for his safe travel home.”
“Yes, Pastor Norris.”
He smiled at her then turned his eyes on the couple behind Chrissy. He greeted them while Chrissy walked away.
She headed straight to the restaurant for some breakfast. While she walked there, she thought about Dalton. She knew what he was doing at this moment.
Way off in the desert, Dalton sat in the Stagecoach while they headed back to Oak Creek. Dalton thought about Chrissy and wondered what she was doing at this moment.
Back at Blue Earl’s hideaway, they sat around cleaning their pistols. After that, Blue Earl wanted to go over their plan for Monday’s job.
Sunday passed, and the sun was long gone over the horizon.
Hours had passed. The sun rose above the horizon for the signal that another day arrived over Arizona. It was Monday, October 1st, 1883.
Chrissy woke up with the rest of Oak Creek. She got ready for another day of teaching.
Dalton and everybody woke up from their desert campsite and prepared for another long ride on the dusty trail. He couldn’t wait to see Chrissy. He missed her.
Chrissy sat behind her wooden desk at the schoolhouse. She watched the kids enter, but her thoughts started to drift off to Dalton. She missed him.
Back at Blue Earl’s hideout, they got in their saddles and rode of