Untamed Journey (6 page)

Jackson gently squeezed the trigger and the
first man tumbled over into the dirt.

The second man didn’t miss a beat, and kept
firing straight into the thundering posse. He caught Abel Wyman in
the upper left arm, causing him to veer off course. When a second
Marshal took a bullet in the chest, his horse stumbled and crashed
into the remaining riders. The posse was stopped in its tracks as
horses and men alike tumbled to the ground and limbs cracked.

Jackson couldn’t get a clear shot at the
second gunman through the dust and smoke. He grazed the man’s
shoulder, but that wasn’t enough to stop him from quickly mounting
one of the Marshal’s horses and riding off at a gallop. Jackson
watched as the man joined five others at a dead run.

Another man veered in from the east in an
attempt to join the escaping men, but a bullet caught his horse in
the hind leg. The fall broke the man’s neck instantly.

Jackson looked in the direction the bullet
had come from and spotted Emmett and Mike pursuing on
horseback.

They ran full out in pursuit but pulled back
as the bandits reached the dense woods to the north and split up.
Jackson had standing orders to pursue armed men in groups of three
or more only.

Now that the immediate danger had passed,
Jackson took a quick inventory of the scene before him. He shook
his head at the railroad hires below him, whistling for their
panicked horses as they shook the dust off their tattered egos.

His eyes lit up in a small smile when he
spotted the young woman who’d watched his back. While every other
passenger on the train was milling about in tears or curses, she
was calmly seeing to the welfare of the old couple, helping them to
their feet now that the gunfire had stopped.

He carefully un-cocked his rifle, then
prepared to climb off the railroad car. As he caught Ruth’s gaze,
he absently wondered where the woman before him was headed. If he
didn’t have five armed men to pursue, he thought regretfully, he
just might take the time to find out.

A
s the barest hint of
sunrise crept over the dusty horizon, Ruth watched in dismay as
Marshal Jackson prepared to ride off, leaving her with one dead
proxy husband to explain. She didn’t think Betsy and her kindly
husband would say anything to link her to Jasper Smith, but if one
of the remaining Marshals were to ask them directly, Ruth would be
in a bind. She might get lucky and the Marshals would just assume
Smith had died at the hands of the train robbers. But then again,
there might be something that gave her away. She didn’t know
anything about how the law worked.

One thing Ruth knew for sure – she was a
rotten liar. Her fair skin gave her away every time she’d tried it
as a young child caught in some mischief, blushing to the roots of
her hair. She didn’t have any reason to think she’d get away with
it this time, either. The Marshals would probably take one look at
her and figure she looked guilty of something.

She had to get away from here. Frank
Masterson was a tragic mistake and she was desperate to start over.
If what her Aunt Kate had told her was true, the scarcity of women
out here meant Ruth had a shot at finding a different husband. She
couldn’t do any worse than her aunt’s choice, so what did she have
to lose? she asked herself, pacing the length of the dining
car.

Ruth screwed up her courage and hurried over
to Jackson, who was saddling his horse.

He turned around to face her, before she came
within ten feet of his blind side. He tipped his hat in silent
greeting, waiting for her to explain her presence.

When Ruth opened her mouth, nothing would
come out. She blushed furiously as she cleared her throat.

Jackson smiled kindly at the woman, figuring
she’d come to thank him again for saving her life. If he had more
time, he might enjoy the attention.

Ruth wasn’t the most beautiful woman he’d
ever seen, but she had amazing green eyes and he’d always had a
weakness for beautiful eyes. The fact that she had the raw courage
of a hardened Buffalo Hunter sure didn’t hurt either. He didn’t
know too many women, much less one straight from back East, who
could hold her own against known murderers.

He took pity on her and spoke first. “Ma’am,
is everything all right? Mike and I are about to take off after the
train robbers who got away, so you’ll be safe on the rest of your
journey. You have my personal promise on that. We’re leaving one of
the Marshals to ride back on the train with you as far as Kansas
City.”

“No,” Ruth shook her head vigorously. “I
mean, no, I don’t want to go all the way back to Kansas City,” she
insisted. “I overhead the conductor say that it’ll be weeks before
they can repair the broken tracks that were damaged and even then,
if the snows come early, I might get stuck there for months.”

“Ma’am, there’s no other choice,” he
explained. “The railroad stops between here and Kansas City are
hardly more than makeshift buildings with a few rowdy settlers.
There’s Fort Wallace, which is closer, but it’s no place fit for a
lady, much less one traveling alone. I’d strongly advise you to
return to Kansas City. I’m sure you’ll find a way to get where
you’re headed.” He reached back to calm his impatient mount, who
was anxious to ride.

Ruth felt her sense of panic grow as Jackson
methodically continued his preparations to leave.

“Marshal, you don’t understand,” she tried
persuasion again. “I can’t afford to wait weeks, much less all
winter. I haven’t got any money for a hotel and besides,” she
hesitated, quickly trying to think up another reason why she could
not return with the other passengers. “My, my fiancé is waiting for
me in San Francisco, but he’s on a ship. I mean, he’s a sailor and
he might leave port before we can marry. Or he might settle for
some other woman. He doesn’t even know me, so he might get
impatient and then where would I be?”

Jackson felt sorry for the courageous woman
before him, but wasn’t sure how she thought he could help her, if
she were already spoken for.

Mike rescued Jackson from the awkward
silence. “I’m sure we could give you a few dollars to tide you
over, Ma’am. And if I might be frank, any man who wouldn’t wait a
few paltry weeks for a beautiful and courageous woman such as
yourself ain’t worth marrying. You’d be better often returning to
Kansas City with the train and sending a telegram to your intended.
If he doesn’t agree to wait, or better yet, do the proper thing and
come fetch you himself, why Miss, a pretty little thing like you
could find herself a good catch right there in Kansas City. I’m
sure the railroad will put you up in a hotel for the time being.
They’re plum short of good women there. Ain’t that so,
Jackson?”

“He’s right, Ma’am. It’s a bit wild still,
but no different than San Francisco. Or so I hear. I know some
good, honest folk there who would help you get on your feet while
you decide what to do. I can put in a good word, so you wouldn’t be
alone in town.”

Ruth fought the urge to tear up at this
kindness from two strangers. “That’s very generous of you, Marshal,
but I had something else in mind. I want to go with you.”

At Jackson’s look of shock, she hurried to
speak over any protest.

“I just mean as far as the next railroad
stop. If I can get to the next stop north of the ruined tracks, I’m
sure I could use my ticket to continue on to San Francisco.” Ruth
gazed imploringly at both men.

“That’s out of the question,” Jackson replied
curtly. “It’s too dangerous. We’re about to follow the remains of
the group which almost killed you less than an hour ago. We’ll be
riding hard and fast in the other direction.” Jackson turned his
back on Ruth, dismissing the request out of hand. He wouldn’t put
any civilian at such risk, much less a woman.

“I won’t slow you down. I’ve been riding
since I was six years old. I used to ride thoroughbreds with my
neighbors - before the War, that is.” She boldly placed her hand on
Jackson’s sleeve, hoping he’d weaken at the direct request for help
from a woman.

Even though chivalry had taken a beating
during the War, Ruth knew in her heart it wasn’t dead in a man like
Jackson, who had already risked his life to save her and the other
passengers.

“Please, I beg of you, this is my entire
future at risk,” Ruth implored. “I can’t go back. After I’ve come
so far to escape the War and the death and ruin of my home, I just
can’t end my journey here. I have a new life waiting for me, but it
won’t wait forever.”

“I’m very sorry, Ma’am,” Jackson apologized.
“Truly I am. I wasn’t raised to ignore a lady in distress. But my
daddy would beat me senseless if I ever agreed to take a woman into
harm’s way - especially when there are sensible alternatives.”

Old Mike nodded his grizzled head in
agreement. “He’s right, Ma’am. As much as we’d like to help you
out, the open trail is no place for a lady. Even if we don’t catch
up with them outlaws before reaching your stop, we can’t just leave
you alone at the next train depot. There wouldn’t be but one living
soul there full-time and he’s not fit company for anyone, much less
a female. You take my word on that.”

Jackson continued right where Mike left off.
“And what happens if the outlaws double back on us? You could find
yourself in the middle of a shootout.”

“I’ve already survived one today. And let me
remind you both, you might be wounded or even dead if I hadn’t
covered your back.” Ruth’s chin jutted out in pure stubbornness but
she couldn’t prevent her eyes from tearing up either, as much as
her pride demanded it.

Jackson’s look softened. He stepped toward
the woman, who had likely saved some lives that day, and handed her
his bandana. “Don’t cry. You’ll be fine. You are one of the
toughest human beings I’ve ever had the privilege to meet, man or
woman. If you survived this experience, you can accomplish
anything. Don’t forget that.”

He pulled a small piece of paper out of his
saddlebag and wrote down the name of a couple he knew and trusted
in Kansas City. He handed it to Ruth. “Take this and go directly
from the train station to this address. Don’t go alone – get
someone from the railroad to walk you there. Give John and Martha
this letter and they’ll help you, with whatever you decide. Good
luck to you, Ma’am.”

Old Mike tipped his hat in farewell. “Find
your happiness, Miss. It’s out there, for anyone with the courage
to follow it, no matter how many twists and turns the path might
take.”

With that, Jackson and Mike rode off at a
hard canter, leaving Ruth, once again, alone in the world.

As Ruth watched their silhouettes get smaller
and nearly fade in the cloud of dust churned up by their horses,
she had an idea. She had the idea that these two rough gentlemen
gave excellent advice, and she was just desperate enough to follow
it.

Her mind made up, Ruth raced toward the back
of the train. Luckily for her, all the passengers and remaining
Marshals were up at the engine, examining the damage done to the
tracks. She hurried to the back, until she found the car she was
looking for. She struggled to slide the huge door open wide enough
to fit through it.

The car she entered smelled of hay and horses
and heat. She nearly gagged. She quickly located Jasper Smith’s
horse and hoped the gelding was nicer than its owner. There was no
time to calm a cantankerous mount. Her luck held as she led the
Paint toward the door. The horse hesitated for a moment at the
unfamiliar jump to the ground, but Ruth’s calming voice persuaded
him to follow her into the unknown.

Ruth felt under her skirt for her newly
acquired pistol. She hesitated for just a moment, reminding herself
that horse theft was a hanging offense. Then she clamped a shaking
hand over her mouth, before a hysterical laugh could escape.

I’ve already murdered a man in the eyes of
the law. And they can only hang me once.

Finding her new pistol secure, she mounted in
a flurry of skirts. “There, there boy – It’s okay. I promise I’m
going to be a much nicer rider than your last. And since I don’t
know your name, I’ll call you Caboose. Hopefully, you’ll help me
follow Marshal Jackson without him knowing. I’m convinced you’ve
had experience sneaking up on people, considering your last owner.
We just need to know the right direction is all, so I don’t get
lost. So stick with me, all right boy? I’ve been having the most
rotten luck with males lately, so let’s hope you can turn that
around.”

Ruth kicked Caboose into a gallop, hoping to
close some distance between herself and the hunters before
nightfall.

F
rank Masterson
closed the distance between himself and the gossipy telegraph
operator before the unsuspecting man could even think to turn and
run. The young man’s eyes nearly popped out of his head in fright
as the barrel chested Masterson grabbed him by the scruff of the
neck and slammed his bony frame into the wall.

“What train?” Masterson asked between
clenched teeth.

“I b-b-beg your pardon?” Dangling as he was
two inches above the floorboards, Milo the clerk could barely catch
his breath to stutter out the question.

“Which train, damn it. You just got finished
saying that the Union Pacific was robbed, and I need to know which
train.” Masterson shook the stuttering idiot roughly when the man
didn’t respond.

“Okay, Okay, I’ll tell you what I know,” the
clerk gulped. “I just passed on a message for the local Sheriff
that the train heading toward Denver was robbed and some folks were
killed.”

“Any women die?” Masterson demanded.

“It didn’t say,” squeaked Milo.

“Who sent the message?” Masterson asked.