August 22, 1869

Amiville. 

In front of the marshall’s office this morning, Stacie held her gun out at an old man and Avery who seemed to be arguing about something. Michael stood by and said, “Thought the marshal told you about that.” 

“Ok Avery. You were warned.” 

“Hey old man, she just draw ya there,” Avery said. 

“I must say,” the man said and drew his own gun, aiming at Stacie’s head. 

“I guess our dueling is over, Sir,” Avery said to him. 

“Come on Marshal. That young man was only fooling.” 

“Michael?” I asked from the sidelines. 

“Yes, Ms. Trin?” 

“What’s going on? How the heck did that all start?” 

“They were drawin weapons in town, the marshal warned em.” 

“Wow, now I see why ya wanted ta get arrested,” the old man said to Avery then as Stacie dragged them both into the marshall’s office. 

“Why on earth were they...” I saw his badge on his shirt and my eyes widened. “You're a sheriff now?” 

“Yes em,” Michael nodded. 

“Wow... you go away for a day and everythin' happens. Why were they pullin' guns?” 

“Think they was playin’, Ms. Trin. But the law’s the law.” 

“No unholstered guns,” I nodded. “You sure they were just playing?” 

“Hope so anyway, Ms. Trin.” 

I looked over at the horse in the distance and then over to Michael, wondering if he was telling me the full story. “I’ve had to move out of town, Michael. It wasn’t safe for me to live here anymore,” I told him. I walked over to the marshall’s office to hear better and I saw Michael shake his head. “I’m a reporter. Ya can’t blame me for wanting to know what’s goin’ on in there, can ya?” 

“How’s your arm, ma’am?” he asked me. 

I looked over and rubbed the forearm where the knife cut from the weekend was turning into a scar. “Seems to be healing Michael, thank you. I had an awful dream about that last night though.” 

“Think you might reconsider movin’, ma’am?”

“No, I don’t plan on moving back into town . It’s not wise.” 

The old man walked out of the office then and greeted me. “Howdy ma’am.” 

“Hello Sir... Getting a little early morning gun shooting in are ya ?” 

“No ma’am. That young man in there was just testing ta see how fast on the draw I was.” 

“Oh was he...” I said and thought to myself, Well this ain’t no headline. 

“Almost got arrested myself.” 

“Mmhmm Stacie don’t fool around, Sir.” 

From inside the office I could hear Avery say, “The welcome to Amiville sign is past the marshal’s office. I was well out of the city limits.” 

“Well I guess I should get into the saloon and open up that bar, unless Gramps is already there. You comin’ in for a drink, Sir?” 

I wandered back to the saloon and smiled to Gramps who was already behind the bar. He greeted the old man as he came into the saloon as Ezra, and I looked over at him. “Ezra, was it? My name’s Trin Paige.” 

Ezra ordered a coffee and Gramps got to work fixing the drink. 

“Well I gotta say Sir, that was an anticlimactic morning...” I started. 

“Anti!!!” he exclaimed and I chuckled. “I am plumb tuckered out for it.” 

“From a gun dueling? Sir, what started the dueling? Avery just said ‘Hey, let’s pull out our guns and see which one of us gets arrested first?’” 

“What name does you go by, Miss? I am Ezra.” 

“Oh, I am Trin Paige. I run the newspaper for Amiville.” 

“Oh I have read that. Might fine paper.” 

“Ah why thank you! I’m glad that you enjoy it. I have quite the remarkable team.” 

“Well how do you do miss Trin a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” 

“Sir if you don’t mind... I want to write an article about this morning. There’s been an issue with the unholstered guns and I wanted to use it as an example of how seriously the law takes it.” 

“Nothing ta write,” Ezra said as Gramps set out a cup of coffee for me and I thanked him. 

“Sure there is... It’s been becoming an issue ‘round here. Good to know the law don’t take it lightly.” 

“What’s that? Ok here’s how it went,” Ezra started and I took out my notebook. “I asked The Marshal for a deputies Job. She said they was all taken. And that nice young fellow was just testing ta see how fast i could draw ma gun. Ya see, I am as fast as lightning,” he said and I nodded for him to continue. “Well sometimes I is. Tha marshal was right there.” 

Avery walked in after a while and I asked, “Avery did you and Stacie settle on where the city limits are in the town?” 

“Naa... Ami said by the livery first so I guess its there.” I nodded to him, writing in my notebook. 

Bravo walked into the saloon and I greeted him, “Hey there handsome! Nice of you to finally get out of bed!” 

Bravo grinned and came over to hug me before ordering some coffee. After a while I started dancing on stage as people came in and out of the saloon. We continued to talk about the article and how there were so many people in town who were trigger fingers. I asked Avery if he knew the punishment and he said that most of the time it’s just a fine. Will commented that it was twenty minutes in the cell and I said that I should ask Stacie about the actual punishment. Will promised to look into it for me. 

“Well darn, looks like you will have to consult stacie. doesn’t seem like this has the service times. I can just go on what the report said that avery served twenty minutes,” Will said after looking at his notes. 

“Ah twenty minutes then... Guess I will confirm that with Stacie, though she doesn’t always like to talk to me... Maybe one of you guys could confirm that for me?” I winked at Michael and Will. 

“I just went off from what the sheriff’s report said, Trin,” Will said. 

“Okay . Guess that’s the only punishment then.” 

“Twenty-five minutes or twenty-five dollars,” Michael put in. 

“Ah, thanks, Michael,” Will nodded to him. 

“You guys are the best!” I smiled to them as Michael came over to me and handed a page with the fines and bails for various crimes on it. 

I continued to dance for them and kept gazing back to Bravo, who seemed to have ignored everyone else was around. People came in and out of the saloon and I greeted them while I danced and Gramps served them drink. 

After a while I heard rain outside and looked at Bravo, “We forgot to put Cleetus in the barn this mornin’... We should head back to the stables before the rain gets really serious!” 

I stopped dancing and went behind the curtain to change before following Bravo out of the saloon. 

***

Later this morning I went back to the saloon and continued to dance and serve drinks, greeting people as they came in and out of the saloon. I met a lawyer named Del from Boston and then I heard someone shouting about the bear being back in town. 

“Any juicy gossip?” Dulci asked about the newspaper. 

“Well if I told ya that now that would ruin the fun, wouldn’t it Dulci?” I winked and she laughed. “A few good articles in there... Not nearly as many as I’dve liked, but I had to cut some things out.” 

“Cut them out or taking them out for fear there would be reprisals Trin?” 

I nodded to her and said, “It was for my safety that I didn’t include them. “ 

Kitty came in and then eventually Chels entered the saloon. I continued to greet other people as they came into the saloon. After a while Chels greeted Raven as she came into the saloon. I kept my eyes on Will as she took a seat and tried to dance without showing any reaction to her presence. She made a hissing expression when looking towards me but then changed her look to appear innocent. 

Raven seemed to be annoyed with the men in front of her, blocking her view of me on stage. “Ya’ll mind moving?” she asked eventually. 

“What’s it to you? You like women or somethin’?” Will asked her. 

“Perhaps,” she grinned and shrugged. She looked over at Chels and slid some coins across the counter. “I couldn’t help but wonder.... if you missed us yet?” 

“Do ya miss me at all?” Chels chuckled. “Who else would sing for ya’s, jump on the bed...” 

“I found you quite amusing and was curious of maybe buying some more of that entertainment,” Raven laughed with a nod. 

“Well now, I’m not for sale,” Chels replied. 

“Perhaps I should leave a message for my dear Buck, hmm?” she said just above a whisper. 

“Ya need some paper to write on. I can give him the message,” Chels said. 

“I know he loved your antics... surely. Give it here,” Raven replied. 

Chels gave her a pen and paper and said, “There ya be.” 

I looked over at Chels and couldn’t help but think that she was signing her name off to the devil. Raven wrote out a long note and I wished that I knew what was on it but I had a guess that it would be something about Raven playing with Chels again in that cave of theirs. Chels came up to dance beside me after promising to Raven that Buck would get the note. I looked over at Chels, half amused and half thinking that she was crazy. 

“Ya best be keeping an eye on me,” Chels told Will after Raven left. 

“Between the two of us, Chels, Will’s gonna have his hands full,” I looked at Chels. 

“Sure thing,” Will nodded. “You and Trin both.” 

We continued to dance and listen as people chatted in the saloon. Chels and I talked about men and work while we danced beside each other and talked about how we had moved out of town. 

Maryam came in to sell some more bread and I slipped her some change while I danced, taking the bread and putting it in my bag behind the stage. 

***

That evening Bravo and I moved back to the cabin in Amiville since we couldn’t run the newspaper and not live in the town. It felt good to be home but I was still nervous about living in town. 

Bravo and I played dice with Sean and then greeted Jake and Chels as they came into the saloon. We talked with people as they came into the saloon and just relaxed for the evening. I heard a man say that blowing something up was hard to do and then Rosa shouted about the bear running around again. Chels said that it must have come from the circus that came around a while back. I began to write in my notebook and drank whiskey, occasionally rubbing my foot up Bravo’s leg as he worked on his memoirs as well. Eventually we decided to call it a night and I followed Bravo out of the saloon and back to the cabin.