September 19, 1869

Amiville. 

This morning I walked into town and greeted Trax, who was standing in the street. He greeted me and we saw a woman come over towards us, who he introduced to me as his cousin, Tabby. We chatted about how there were no rooms available and Stacie and Mel walked over. Trax noted that there were those lazy marshals I had talked about the night before and I gasped, giving him a look that told him to shut it. Stacie looked at me with curiosity and I explained that all I’d said was that it was convenient the people she needed were for once actually there when she needed them. Trax apologized for the comment, saying he had a bad sense of humor, and Stacie told him that they didn’t take kindly to that sort of humor. I looked over at Tabby and asked her if she wanted a drink and led her into the saloon. 

It was a while before we realized we should probably check on Trax, as we hadn’t heard from him in a few minutes. We decided we should look at the sheriff’s office first, as it probably was where he would be. We went there and knocked on the door, and Stacie came to the door saying that Trax was inside. I asked her if there was some sort of bail we could pay and she said there wasn’t really much, he was just going to wait out the fifteen minutes and then he’d be free. 

I looked at Tabby, wanting to teach Trax a better lesson for ratting me out, and she suggested that we make him wear a dress so we went back to my cabin to give him a dress and I went into the cell with Stacie to give it to him, taking a picture to remember the moment. 

I walked back into the saloon and waited until Trax was released and he came back to find me. I said “I guess we’re even then, huh?” and he nodded, saying he guesses so. 

That afternoon James and I were standing outside the saloon talking when I saw Icca ride in with the hearse. He started to call for Fritha, who finally came, and I asked if I could come along with them to the examination. Icca no at first but then agreed to it, saying that yes, I had to come. I got in the carriage and we rode to the office in Georgetown to do the examination. 

Georgetown.

I waited in the front lounge while Fritha and Icca examined the body. When she was finished, she declared that the evidence proved that the gunshot was in fact pre-mortem, and that the hanging was post-mortem, so therefore it was actually the gunshots that killed Sayler, and then they hanged him after he was already dead. I felt better knowing these answers and wandered back to town, feeling some closure at last. 

After dinner I went to the saloon to write and then wandered out into town and found Trax, who was out looking for a house to rent. We walked up the mountain and found a great place for him and Tabby to live in and while Tabby furnished the house, we decided to go Kansas and see if we could find Hawk’s new village.

Kansas.

When we got there we approached quietly as a woman named Tea came over. I told her I was a friend of Hawk’s and we walked over to where he was standing with some other native women. I told him that Trax was a friend of mine from town and then I handed him the latest edition of the paper, telling him to pay attention to the front page. He read the article and looked at me, saying that he was proud of me writing the truth. He said hopefully people would start to fight against the outlaws now that they know the kinds of things they are doing. 

We talked about how busy things had been and how I had intended on coming out to the village sooner, and he said that things had been busy there at the village too. I looked at the sky and noticed it getting dark, then realized I should head home before it got too dark to see my way. I said goodbye to Hawk and headed home.