March 7, 1870

Colorado. 

This afternoon I talked with Lou in front of the blacksmith office. We talked about how she’d explored the mines and how since it was Thursday the Natives would probably attack. She got very nervous and wanted to know why the law weren’t around. We went over to the sheriff’s office but no one was there so we headed over to the saloon in Devil’s Ditch. Lou wanted to look at a small crevice in the mountain but I was reluctant to check it out. She told me Chet had given her a blanket to sleep on in the saloon and I told her he wasn’t exactly my favourite person. 

When we got inside the saloon I asked, “What can I get ya?” 

“I’ll take a whiskey...and an explanation..” Lou smiled at me. 

“Okay... Well you should know somethin’ about me and Chet. We used to date back in Georgetown. Like, months ago and not for very long. his was before I met and started dating Tom, who I’m still with now. I had a few runins with the Cherokee out there after I thought I could trust them. I guess he became vindictive and vowed to get revenge on them for treating me the way they did.” 

“I remember our encounter in Georgetown.you were telling me to stay quiet by that indian..I figured something up with that,” Lou said. “So why would you not want Chet looking after you?” 

“Out here though... It’s a fresh start again. I left that tension and started to make good relations with the Apache, since I knew a lot of my stories would involve them. Anyway…” I sighed. “Stuff starts happening and Chet instantly blames the Apache, though it wasn’t necessarily always their fault. Between you and me, though it’ll be public tomorrow, most of the tension’s been caused by the soldiers at the outpost. I got all upset at him for goin’ up there with no proof. Stood between him and this here door. He stood behind this counter and said that he would shoot me out of the way if he had to.” 

“I’ve herd tales on the soldiers stirring up things myself.. befriended a solider,” Lou said. 

“Tom and Josh practically had to block his path. Josh even punched him for sayin’ somethin about our parents that tipped him off.” 

“What about your parents?” Lou asked. 

“This was all over the thing that happened to you. Chet thought the natives were responsible, Tom said it could’ve easily just been a scrape on something,” I said, ignoring the question about my parents. 

“Oh well.. it was the indian in a way… scaring me like that, and I ran… but no physical touch or harm to me.” 

“Exactly. That’s what I tried to tell Chet but he was so passionate about gettin’ revenge… Anyway... we talked yesterday and he kinda apologized though I don’t really know if he meant it. He near set me off with dynamite when I came into DD. Said he was doin’ construction work out here.” 

“He had some wild talk the other night too...I didn’t know what to take of it.” 

“I’m worried about him, Lou. He’s not the Chet I remember. Ever since that drama with the Cherokee... He’s changed,” I sighed and drank another sip of whiskey. “At least I’ve got Tom on my side with this one... and you it seems.” 

“Well darn.. Tom is friends with him..maybe he might talk sense of him.” 

“I’ve tried to get him to do just that. Don’t know where it’s gone. And then there’s my brother,” I sighed. 

“Well what is it, you want him to do..? Your brother?” 

“I hadn’t seen him for over six years, not since he moved from our home in Canada and went to Pennsylvania. For him to show up here, now... Something had to be wrong. He came to tell me our father had been killed. Shot in the ranch by a gang while he was workin’ with the cattle.” 

“Oh my goodness… Trin…” she frowned. “Are you ok?” 

I set the whiskey bottle on the counter and shook my head, finally admitting the feelings to Lou that I hadn’t been able to share with any man. “No, I’m really not. I saw my parents when I was in Georgetown a couple months back... Things were fine. They never mentioned anything about a gang. ’Course I never told them about what’d been goin’ on down here…" 

“Was it outlaws.. what about your mom… maybe you could bring her here?” Lou asked. 

“I’ve been trying to forget it, Lou. Just pretend that it didn’t happen. But..” I started to get emotional. 

Lou reached over and put a hand on my shoulder and I let myself cry, leaning on her shoulder, crying for the first time since Josh had told me the news. “There there…” Lou hugged me. 

“It’s all messed up, Lou…” I cried. “Josh doesn’t trust Tom... Tom and Chet don’t trust Josh... All I want is for them to get along and I…” 

“Well listen honey.. Maybe we should set them all down and tell them how you feel about this..make them knock the crap off with all thats going on with you.. and the town.. we need each other for support.” 

“Josh got so protective... Told Jake and Chels about what happened with me and Chet in the saloon. I got so upset at him ’cause I’m so used to fending for myself. I’d already talked to Adder earlier in the day... It wasn’t like I was doing nothing about it.” 

“Well what does Tom say about it..he should just stand up to Chet and tell him how it is.” 

“I know he should. I need to talk to him again. He told he he would deal with it but I just... I don’t know if they’ve talked since before I woke up this morning. I didn’t really ask. We got home last night and he’s been at the clinic ever since.” 

“Well…” Lou took another sip of whiskey. “I say.. wait till they’re both together…” 

“Thanks for this, Lou. I don’t really have a lot of girlfriends I can just talk to about this stuff... I think we’ll become good friends.” 

“Of course…” she hugged me tight. “I’m glad we are.” She clinked her glass to mine and said, “To us.” 

“To us,” I clinked my glass against hers with a smile finally. 

“Well… friend… how’s about offering me that same job that was in Georgetown..when you left, I was wondering if I’d ever run into you again.” 

“That writing job?” I smiled. “You got it. I need the help.” 

“Ok..sounds good And its a good idea..we keep it between us..that way, no conflicts amongst our friends..Tom..Chet etcetera.” 

“Good idea,” I nodded. “I use this place for my meetings a lot with people... It’s away enough from town no one will overhear confidential sources. Feel free to use it for that too. Unless you wanna use that cave,” I winked at her. 

“Okay, good idea…” she laughed. “If I could lay claim on it I will.”

“Strange I ain’t heard any shooting yet. Kind of expected them to start soon,” I said. 

“You feel better now..well best as can anyhow?” 

“I do... Thank you for letting me cry and vent... I haven’t really been able to do that yet.” I took my medal out from my father and showed it to her. “Josh gave me this when he came. He said dad wanted me to have it.” 

She reached out and took it, taking it over in her hand. “This is honourable. You had a great dad, I see.” 

*** 

A few hours later I was working in my office when Lou walked back in. She looked nervous and I asked, “Lou? What’s goin’ on?” 

“Oh my gosh!! There was an indian right behind me.. I had to crawl under that barbed wire!” 

“Hon you’re safe now. Let’s go upstairs and talk.” I led the way upstairs and when we sat down on the couch I looked at her. “Talk to me... what happened today?” 

“Well I come into town about an hr ago. I was headed for Chet’s cabin..all of a sudden there were indians.everywhere… the town folks running about. I ran in the cabin and bolted the door. I peeked out the boarded window… gun fire.. shots… I seen a maiden fall in a pool of blood on the bridge.” 

“Wow…” 

“I heard a townsman holler… Third round. Oh my goodness...the barrage was in its third attack. I looked out the front window and they were retreating up the hill where you showed me.” 

“It was the Apache then…” I sighed and looked at her. 

“I thought I saw a Cherokee..but I don’t know how to tell.” 

“A Cherokee too?” I sighed. 

“A squaw, on a horse.” 

“Not good news,” I sighed again. “I guess I’ll go out and find out some information. Thanks hon,” I hugged her and headed out. 

I walked towards the saloon and saw the group sitting inside drinking and talking. “Heard we had some activity this afternoon,” I looked around.

“Ya can say that again!” Jake pointed to his head dress and picked up his guitar. 

“Aye, we had fun,” Adder nodded. 

“Glad to hear that?” I raised my voice as if it was a question and Adder just grinned, drinking some more beer. 

“The town did a hell lot better than last wee,” Jake nodded. 

“Heard there was a cherokee here too…” I looked at Adder. 

“Cherokee? I saw Cheyenne,” Adder said. 

We talked for a while about the paper and I told them the next paper would be out on Saturday and that it was going to be ‘colourful’. I told him that I had six articles in the paper this week and he was curious about it. 

“Well... I was wondering about one of them actually. Danny mentioned that he’s got a shipment of gold and silver coming on a stage... The citizen’s money will be returned by the end of the week. Do you know if it came?” 

“He told me the money was replaced already,” Adder said. 

“Oh was it Taurus? I hadn’t had that update,” I said. 

“So Mr. Mosely was drunk, huh?? I bet he ran his mouth of tried to impress some woman by tellin’ those stories,” Jake chuckled nervously. 

“Didn’t seem drunk. Came into the office looking for mail about it and the letter was in his box,” I shook my head. “This was back about five days ago. Gonna go see if Danny’s in his office,” I said and headed out of the saloon, but not without a glare towards Private Short who was watching and listening intently. 

I went to the bank, but Danny wasn’t there so I headed back to the office. Lou came into the office again and I told her, “Had to go out and get some information. Now just gettin’ some writing done.” 

“Did you find out if it was Apache or Cherokee or both?” she asked. 

“Apache and Cheyenne apparently. But the paper’s so full this week I don’t think I’ll write anything about it.” 

“Ahh…Cheyenne...that's what I meant. So the paper...where does it post..or how do you publish?” 

“I just send it out as a telegraph but really could use a paper boy or girl.. if you could find a child who wants to do that for us.” 

“So they would just stand out and hand out newspapers ?” 

“Right. Or go through town talking to people and making sure they got it.” 

I gave her a copy of the first issue of the paper and she headed out to read as I got more work done.