Georgetown.
I saw someone sitting outside the office as I walked outside and smiled seeing Manipi and another dog. I greeted him and then smiled seeing Joe coming up on the porch. “Hey there, Joe. Good to see ya again.”
“Hello Miss Paige. Nice dogs,” he nodded.
“Manipi here seems to follow me around sometimes. I don’t know who this other one is,” I chuckled.
“I was traveling around and just came through.”
“I’m glad ya did. Care to come in for a drink?”
“I lost my way but saw light in your windows. Yes, miss.”
“Ya’ll wanna come in too? It’s cold out here,” I looked down at the dogs.
“Thank you,” Joe said as he followed me inside but the dogs stayed outside.
“My pleasure. I’m glad to see you again. Feel free to make yourself at home. I’ll get ya some beer?” I remembered his drink from yesterday.
“Maybe a coffee or tea.”
“I can do coffee too,” I nodded and put a hand on his arm, reconnecting the contact from yesterday and smiled at him. I made the coffee and we went to sit on the couch but then he reached for my hand and we started to dance in the living room. I leaned my head on his shoulder and asked, “Whatcha thinkin, Joe? You’re thinkin something..”
“I’m sorry. I guess that I have to go off for a short time. Will you be here later?”
“Everything alright?”
“Yes.”
“Well hopefully we’ll see each other soon. Otherwise I hope you have a good afternoon.”
“See you later,” he smiled and headed out.
Wyoming.
I walked over towards the Cherokee village hesitantly and then saw Adahy approaching. It had been over a week since we’d met and I smiled. “How are you, my friend?”
“It has been many suns.”
“Things were ... tense the last time I was out here. I wanted to give it some time.”
“I am well, the Great Spirit has favored my hunting. How are you?”
“I am alright... Not much to report. I’ve been keeping busy though.”
“I have news, you should know.”
“Oh?”
“A red woman came two suns ago. Not from Cherokee.”
“A red haired woman or a red-skinned woman?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Red-skin,” he pointed to his face. “When we asked name, she said was Mai.”
I sighed and nodded with recognition in my expression. “What’d she do?”
“She did not observe custom, walked into village with fire sticks. She made Two Stars feel very unsafe but no blood was shed.”
“I don’t blame her. Mai is not a safe woman.”
“No, Chief has said, if we see here again, we can take her scalp without talk. She went west, towards white man town. If she entered, I do not know, her tracks ended near the General Store.”
I looked west, knowing that meant to Georgetown and I swore under my breath.
“But now I watch for her tracks, and the tracks of the three men that attacked Chief.”
“This is not good, Adahy.”
“No Trin, it is not. She brings discord,” he nodded in agreement.
“If she does anything to your tribe, let me know immediately please?”
“She had look of red-men from west, from Utah. Yes, will send word at once.”
“I had thought I was rid of her when I left Colorado but apparently she has found her way out here as well.”
“Village prepares for happy times. It is not good to have stranger brining angry words.”
“I know. What did she say to you?”
“She spoke with the tongue of a jackal. Many brave words of battle and then gave look of surprise on face when asked to take her words elsewhere. But we are five, she was one.”
“So she threatened you,” I sighed.
“You have seen the brown bear stand on hind legs and raise paws to look fierce?” he asked and I nodded. “Much like that. Lots of talk, lots of brave words, but it felt empty like the wind.”
“Well I hope she does not follow through on her threat,” I nodded.
“Though she has been known to attack Cherokee before.”
“She would be stupid to go up against so many.”
“And Chief has said, if she returns, she will be stopped or killed.”
“I’m glad I found you then,” I shook my head, frustrated at the news.
Adahy looked to the sky and frowned. “Snows come stronger soon. Either should come by fire, or if safe, we go to your Asi, the wood one. I have never seen much the white man town.”
“You could follow me if that would be allowed. I could show you around.”
“I would like this.”
“There was no one on my way here. We should be safe,” I smiled.
“I will make sure no danger comes to you Trin. You are friend,” he smiled as well. “Is long travel?”
“It is not far from here,” I shook my head.
Georgetown.
We walked into town and I stopped in front of the newspaper office. “Well here we are.”
“You make the things here that white men read, yes?”
I nodded and asked, “Do you know how to read?”
“No..only tracks, weather, and sometimes, people.” He gazed around as if studying the surroundings.
“You said you saw Mai’s tracks go to the grocery store?” I looked at him.
“No, just the General Store, where Jules owns. Near mining settlement.”
“Oh I see. Well thank you for bringing me back safely. I think I’m going to go home and get some writing done.”
“I am glad to walk with you Trin. May you have safe paths,” he smiled.
“Thank you for the news as well. I hope that all is safe. I miss going to visit the tribe but I just...” I looked down.
“I will go to family, and give Chief the good news of no news. You come with peace, and have smoked the pipe. When you come you come as friend.”
“That last conversation there I...” I shook my head. “I feel as if it put a riff between myself and the chief and I don’t feel right going there to see him.”
“Still, you are friend of Adahy. If you come, then I will meet you.”
“I appreciate that, and it means a lot to at least have some contact with the tribe still...” I nodded.
“Do you want me to speak with Chief?” he looked at me.
“I just...” I sighed sadly. “Would it do any good? He’d never apologize even if he knew he was in the wrong.”
“I don’t know. But it might come softer to his ears to hear from brother what he didn’t hear that day... and no, he would not give apology, but might understand.”
“That’s possible... He may not even realize how hurtful his words or tone was,” I nodded. “You know what part hurts the most, Adahy?”
“Tell me, Trin.”
“When he asked if I always came to him for help... After that long list I gave him... after all the times I ran to him for protection, for a listening ear... It meant nothing to him. He had completely disregarded it. When I stood with him in front of the tribe that time to explain what I was doing there and that I was there to help... I thought we’d reached an agreement. And then he gets attacked and he acts as if it were no big deal, and as if he no longer needs my input on anything. It’s not about him not giving me information that I knew he didn’t have. It was about him not making me feel included or needed. Or part of the...”
“Trin...I hear the wound in your voice, you carry it like a cut,” he nodded slowly.
I nodded, remembering the only time I’d ever been cut by a knife and knew the feeling was similar.
“You will not get apology from Chief. It is not his way. But with your permission, I would speak to him.”
“I can’t go back there with this hurt between us. I will come talk to you, I’ll help you when I can... And share information so that we are all on the same page. But until he admits that he at least sees the hurt that conversation caused... See... Here’s the thing, Adahy,” I hesitated. “He asked me not to come into the village armed. I didn’t want to go through the City of Mines without any weapons... Or at least without any protections. So I brought Bravo. Who was part Native. I thought they would have been more welcoming as he was closer to your culture.”
“I have an idea...”
“I respected his wishes, I tried to be friendly and safe. I tried to understand him and to work on his level but...”
“I will speak to chief, as brothers. Then you will come to village with me. This wound must be healed.”
I looked at him with doubt and said, “I’ll let you talk to him.... Then come back and tell me what he said. I should carry on... There’s someone in town I need to speak to about some things. I need to see if they’re home. Thank you for listening to this.. and for doing what you can. That means a lot.”
“Very well Trin, walk safe paths, and I will see you soon. And yes. I will bring your words to Chief, and his words back to you.”
“Take care,” I said and headed in the direction of the Washington house.
I went over to the door and knocked on the door. Mrs. Leu invited me inside and led me to the chair.
“Leu... I was wondering if we could chat...” I said with tiredness and emotion in my voice.
“Sure, what’s on your mind?”
“I just finished talking with a friend from the Cherokee tribe... about the attack on the Chief and how he did not include me in the conversation much...”
“We were in the village last evening and nothing was said,” Leu said.
“Of course not,” I muttered. “I went there a week or two ago... The chief had been attacked by three men. He had killed one but the other two are wandering around somewhere.”
“Hmm...”
“The thing is... Even with our agreement that we’d settled a month or two ago..”
“I was not aware of any of this.”
“He seemed very flippant about it.. very ‘it’s our problem, we’ll deal with it’.”
“Well we went to their powwow last evening and they were very distant to us. My wife and I both noticed it and felt very out of place.”
“The thing is... he got upset that I was upset. Basically asked if I came to him every time I had needed help, since I’d started visiting them a few months ago. And I gave him this whole list of times I’d gone to see them for help... Pretty much every time. It was as if none of that mattered anymore. I went there with my friend Bravo, who is part-Cherokee, thinking that they would be more open around him.”
“Well that is that is the way he has been.”
“But no... I went there looking for an apology and I walked out of there feeling like I was the one who needed to give one.
After all that... After trying to develop trust with them...”
“In their words, ‘If you dress like white man you are one of them’.”
“They had welcomed me into their tribe, Leu. There was a time I could come and go as I pleased and they didn’t turn me away. So then I was speaking with Adahy just now... He said that Mai has been threatening them out there.”
“Well they were going to make provisions for a Indian Affairs office that never happened either.”
“I told him how I didn’t feel right going there anymore, to visit the tribe itself... And he said he would try to talk to the chief. I trust that he will but I don’t trust it will amount to anything.”
“That’s what we are told all the time too... ‘Talk to the chief’. I don’t know this Mai.”
“She’s very dangerous.. I dealt with her in Colorado.”
“Hmm... Gunslinger?”
“That would be putting it nicely.”
“Where is this person from?”
“Well none in Chief’s tribe talk much to us. It really makes ya feel good,” Mrs. Leu said.
“She lives in the City of Mines.”
“Oh that place,” Leu understood. “That is a lawless place. Interesting.”
“I just...” I felt a twinge of emotion and sighed. “I thought...”
“Well I don’t know what to say in regards to the Indians. They for the most part are being difficult and their attitudes change day to day. Yesterday was the first in weeks we had visited their village.”
“What brought you out there?”
“They were having a pow wow.”
“Well I should head home... It was good to talk to you though.”
“I really don’t know what to say or how to proceed with them.”
“I’ve got Adahy coming to give me information. Past that... My involvement with them stops there. It’s not like I can really do anything for them since they don’t let me help in a law fashion.”
“I think you will continue to find them difficult, mostly because of the Chief and his ways.”
“We’ll see how this talk with Adahy and him goes.”
“Ok, I would be glad to hear how that goes.”
“I’ll keep you posted,” I nodded.
“Okay.”
“Thanks again. It’s good to have a sounding board for this.”
“Sure, just be careful. I fear they may turn on a moment like a wild animal.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, again,” I looked at them both. “Take care.”
***
I walked into the saloon this afternoon and Leu commented about how I still had my hair. I got some whiskey from Sugar and told them about how I felt like I’d been waisting my time with the Cherokee.I headed home, not feeling much in a social mood.
I went over to Forest Grove and talked with some people over. I helped a woman to the clinic since she was having difficulty breathing and gave her some water to drink. She didn’t remember her name and said she’d been fishing and then suddenly fell on the ground. I went to go find a doctor but there was none there. I got her some whiskey and then I needed to head home.
***
I walked into the saloon tonight and talked with people as everyone danced. I didn’t stay long though, since I needed to get out of town and clear my mind for a night.
Cripple Creek.
I decided to go visit the Solo family in Cripple Creek and went into the saloon there. I found Dutch, Josh and Corri all sitting at the table. “Well there’s a sight for sore eyes!”
“Well howdy there!” Josh greeted me.
“Howdy Trin!” Corri said.
“Josh and Dutch Solo... Feel like it’s been ages! And Corri! Good to see you too!”
“Trin ya lil rascal ya,” Dutch grinned. “How the hells is ya?”
“I finally found where you’re hidin out, Dutch,” I winked.
“Been a while,” Josh said.
“Indeed it has, Josh,” I put a hand on Dutch’s shoulder and squeezed it. “I’ve missed you boys.”
The woman stood but then I said, “No, don’t get up on my account. Don’t wanna break up your game here. Just reuniting with some old... friends..”
“It’s fine,” she waved her hand in the air. “I need o clean up after all those people just left anyways.. please take my spot.”
“Will do then, if ya’ll don’t mind?” I looked at the table.
“Have a seat Trin we be glad to clean ya out,” Dutch grinned.
“Bring it on, darlin’,” I chuckled. “What we playin? 5 card? Hold’em?”
“We were going to play strip poker but decided we would lose because all you women wear too many clothes,” Josh said.
“Ain’t that so,” Dutch grinned.
We continued to play Poker and I asked, “What else is new?”
“Pa taught me when I was Han’s age,” Corri said.
“I knew it,” Dutch muttered.
“Gavin behave,” Dutch said to a boy at the counter. “Stay out of the moonshine. That coon ain’t got good sense. Shoulda named him Gaide.”
“I still haven’t met that brother...” I laughed.
“Who, Gaide?” Dutch asked.
“Ya kept talkin about him but you never introduced him.”
We continued to play and then I said, “So Dutch... Ya may have noticed something different about me...”
“Ya cut your durn hair,” Dutch observed.
“Well yeah that.. Was thinkin something else though...”
“Who’s hair?” Josh asked.
“Something different...” Dutch looked me over good. “Wait... What you doin with a badge? Can you even lift a gun?”
“Hey, I can shoot it pretty well too,” I chuckled. “You’re looking at a Pinkerton Agent, my friend. My ability to seek information is more valuable than the battles I fight. The gun is just decoration,” I winked at him.
“I see. Well that’s fine too. Sometimes that’s all that’s needed.”
“Pretty much the same I did in Amiville, as a Detective, just with an official title/badge now,” I smiled.
“Lord girl, don’t say that word ‘round these parts,” Dutch blinked at me.
“What word?”
“Amiville.”
“Oh that, sorry. Won’t happen again,” I winked. “Oh Dutch... Had to tell you too... I started um, re-writing our book... Figured out a better ending.. Adding more description.”
“Oh did ya then?”
“Includes a scene with Josh at the end,” I winked at him. “Yep it ends with Icca telling me that someone stole the dead body that wasn’t yours.” Corry growled low and looked at me as I said, “Was just a bunch of us hangin out in the saloon in that scene, Corri. Nothin crazy... Who’s turn is it?” I asked nervously.
We continued to play and I stopped talking about the past, since I could sense it was a sore subject. Joshua told me about his and Corri’s son Han. I realized how much I missed them all and they continued to talk about all the kids around. We continued to banter and it felt good to socialize with them again.
“He keeps winning, Trin’s going to have to carry him home,” Josh said eventually.
“You sure that’s not what he’s tryin to do?” I chuckled and winked at Dutch. Just let me know when you don’t think you can walk anymore.”
“Trin, I hope you’re strong enough,” Josh said and I laughed.
A few more rounds continued and a man walked in who they introduced as Jared and met some other people. Josh introduced me and I told him I was a Pinkerton agent. “I’ve known Dutch since... Well... Since I came to the west I guess, if ya count that time.”
“Since she first started stalking him,” Josh giggled and ducked from me as I threw a card at him.
“Can I help it if I didn’t know the man was dead when I first heard his name? ‘Course I knew he was alive the whole time.”
Gaide’s name kept coming up in conversation and I chuckled, saying that I was still not sure Gaide existed since I’d never met him. After a while I said, “I should head home. Good to see ya’ll. Been a long day.”
“Nice to meet you,” Jared said to me.
“Night darlin’,” Dutch said to me.
“You too, Jared. Hope to see ya’ll again soon.”
“Yes, welcome to our town Ma am,” Raylee, Jared’s wife, said.
“I live over in Georgetown, just here visitin’ ol Dutch here,” I smiled. “Might be visiting quite a bit though. Goodnight ya’ll,” I said and headed out of the saloon with a look back at Dutch.
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