CAR #3

As he stepped into the next car, Curry stopped suddenly and glanced around, his brow furrowed.  “Somethin’s wrong, Heyes; why's it so dark in here?”  He sniffed the air. “It smells smokey, too, and this car had people in it before we went into that game.”

“It was a lot warmer, too,” Heyes added, rubbing his hands together briskly.  “We must've climbed higher in altitude.”  He indicated the windows.  “Look, they're fogging up.”

“Brrr.”  The Kid shivered, pulled his coat closer around him, then crossed his arms over it.  “I wonder what happened?  Where'd everybody go?”

The two men could see their breath as puffs in the air as they spoke.

Heyes went over to the stove and stretched out a hand towards it.  “The stove's cold.”  He bent down to look inside.  “Not even one glowing ember.”

At that moment, Lom entered the car from the opposite direction.  There was another man following along behind the lawman.  The sheriff stepped to the side so they could all face each other while they conversed.

“Joshua, Thaddeus.”  He nodded at each one.  “Figured I’d better wait until after the game was over.  Didn’t think our presence would be appreciated by the other players.”  Lom gave Heyes and Curry a cursory glance.  “A star on your chest tends to put a damper on a poker game.”

“Sure does,” Heyes readily agreed as the Kid nodded.  “We kept ours nice and safe in our pockets until the game was over.”

“Uh, huh,” Lom commented dryly.  He took a moment to glance around.  “In case you noticed the cold, and you’re wondering where all the folks went, while you two were playing poker, the conductor let the rest of us know that the chimney flue on the stove in this car broke.  Smoke started to fill it up, so they put the fire out and just moved the passengers into the other two cars until they see if they can get it repaired.”

“Kinda hard not to notice.”  The Kid shivered again.

“This is the man I wanted you to meet, my new deputy, Artie McCain.  Artie, this fella here on our left is Joshua Smith and the other one’s Thaddeus Jones.”

Artie stuck his hand out and shook each man’s hand with vigor.  “It sure is nice to finally meet you both.  Lom’s been telling me all about you.”

Heyes raised a brow at the sheriff.  “Has he now?”

“Well, I–” Lom began.

“Oh, it’s all been good,” Artie hastened to add.  “Like how you helped out in Porterville, and that you’re deputies some of the time when he needs you to do important stuff and–”

“That’s enough about that, Artie.  They know what they’ve done.”

“Yes, sir, Sheriff Trevors.”  The deputy ducked his head and shuffled his feet.  “Sorry, sir.”

“What’d I tell you about the 'sir' stuff?” the lawman spoke gruffly.  “And it’s Lom or Sheriff, okay?”

“Sorry, si– uh, Sheriff, I forgot.”  He looked up.  “It’ll take me a while to get used to it.”  A smile touched the corners of his mouth.

“So, where do you call home, Artie?” Curry asked, changing the subject.

“A little town in Nevada, called Verdi.  Maybe you’ve heard of it?”

“I sure have,” Heyes answered, his expression thoughtful.  “I read a newspaper story a couple months back about the town.  It mentioned that Verdi has the distinction of being the site of the first train robbery on the Pacific coast, right?”

Artie sighed.  “Yep; before that we were just another small town.”  He shrugged, his expression downcast.  “Wish it was a more positive reason for folks to know about it, though.  Those train robbers sure gave us a bad reputation.”

Heyes and Curry exchanged a look.

“Well, we’d better be getting on back to our car and let you two get to yours.”  Lom turned to leave, then paused.  “Oh, almost forgot – Artie’s mother packed us up a basket full of food for the trip and there’s plenty to share.  Maybe you’d like to join us for supper later?  We can grab our stuff and come back to your car; I think there’s more room than in ours.”

“We’d be glad to!” the Kid answered swiftly, a big grin backing up his words.  “I’m starvin’!  Breakfast was a long time ago.  Then, we were late gettin’ to the Express ‘cos the stage lost a wheel and we never had the chance to eat before we boarded.  There wasn’t any time to get anything to bring on the train, neither.”

“Guess Thaddeus summed it all up.”  Heyes grinned at his partner's enthusiasm as he winked at Lom.  “We’ll see you in a bit.”

Lom returned the grin.  “I think that’s the most I’ve heard Thaddeus say all at once in a long time.”  

The four men were all smiling as they entered the second car.  Leaving Heyes and the Kid, Lom and Artie continued on into the first car.

~*~*~*~*~*

CAR #2

“It definitely looks like we’ve got quite a few more folks in our compartment than we did before,” the Kid leaned forward to comment quietly to his partner.

“Yep, Thaddeus, it sure does,” Heyes answered over his shoulder.  “With that chimney flue going out, folks are really crowded together.”

The pair caught snippets of conversation as they made their way past the passengers.
 
Near the back of their car, they passed between two young men sitting on one side, both in army uniforms.  Recognizing their card-playing friend, Heyes and Curry exchanged a friendly nod with Joe as they continued on their way.

Across from the soldiers sat an older male sporting spectacles and reading a book.

Joe swiped at the window with his sleeve so he could look out.  “Hey, Matt, would you look at all that snow!  Pretty wild country, huh?”

“Yeah, Joe, sure does look wild.”  Matt scooted closer to the window, rubbing at the moisture with his hand.  “Betcha it’s great cougar hunting, but I wouldn’t wanna be out there in that snow.  Looks pretty deep.”  He stomped his feet several times.  “Boy, my feet sure are cold!  Funny thing, though.”

“Funny?  How?”

“My head don't feel cold.  It’s nice and toasty.”

“Matt, don’t you remember nothin’?”  Joe gave the other young man an exasperated look.  “That trapper told us that the heat the stove puts out rises, so it’ll keep our heads warm, but our feet don’t get none of it since they’re on the ground.  And since the train's climbing higher and higher, it's only gonna get colder.  He also told us that since it's warmer inside than it is outside, the windows'll get all steamed up.”

Matt pondered all that information a moment, then grinned.  “Maybe I should turn upside-down so my feet are in the air for awhile?  That way they’d get warm.”

Joe rolled his eyes at his friend's logic.  “Sure, you go right ahead and do that.  I’ll just tell the other folks that you’re loco.”  He wiped his window again.  “My feet are staying on the floor where they belong.”

The man in spectacles put his book down, cleared his throat and spoke up.  “I’d listen to your friend if I were you, young man.”

“Yeah?  And just why should I take your advice?” Matt huffed.  “I don’t even know you!”

“Then let me introduce myself.  My name is Doctor Silas Gordon and, as a man of science, I happen to know what I’m talking about.”

“A doc, huh?”  Matt looked the man over, his curiosity piqued.  “What kinda doc?”

“The kind of doctor who makes sick folks well,” the physician stated in a matter-of-fact tone.  “I'm a General Practitioner, which means you’d most likely find me working in any of the small towns we’ve been passing through.”

“Hmm...”  Matt mulled over the doctor's words.  “So, why shouldn’t I turn upside-down?”

“Well, for one thing, all the blood would rush to your head and you would get dizzy as soon as you stood right side up.”

“Anything else?”

“Your feet wouldn’t really get much warmer unless you took off your boots and–”

“Oh no – not that!” Joe cried.  “Then we’d all die for sure!”  He pinched his nose between his finger and thumb.  “Pee-yew!” he added, collapsing backwards on the seat with laughter.

“Ha, ha, ha – real funny, Joe!  Like your feet smell like a bed of roses, huh?  Why, I oughta flatten you...”  He pulled back his arm, but then he, too, started to chuckle.

The physician shook his head, smiling at the young men’s antics and went back to his reading.

~*~*~*~*~*  

Once they reached their seats, Heyes and Curry lowered themselves down into them.  A couple rows in front of where they were, and across the aisle from them, they noticed a man dressed in buckskins and furs.  A coonskin cap covered most of his bald head.

At that moment, the newcomer looked their way, gave them a gap-toothed grin and waved.  “Howdy there, fellas.  Let me introduce myself to ya.  Name's Zeke Jackson, but most folks jus’ call me ‘Hooter.’  You can probably guess what I do for a livin’, can’t ya?” he guffawed.

Heyes and Curry exchanged a look.

“Well, Hooter,” Heyes began.  “First guess is you’re a trapper.”

“Bingo – right on the first try!” he chuckled.

“How’d you get the name Hooter, if you don’t mind my askin’?” the Kid grinned.

“Nah, I don’t mind none at all.  How else ya gonna find out iffen ya don’t ask?  I got the nickname Hooter ‘cos whenever I get to somebody’s place an’ I wanna let ‘em know it’s me, I holler out, ‘Hootie hoot, hootie hoot!’  See, that way they know it’s me who’s a-comin’.”

“That’s a good way to keep from gettin’ shot, too.”  Curry nodded.  “Well, Hooter, it’s nice to meet you.  I’m Thaddeus Jones and this,” he jerked his thumb in Heyes' direction, “is my partner, Joshua Smith.”

“Smith and Jones, eh?” Hooter chuckled.  “Betcha get ribbed ‘bout those names a lot, too.”

“Sure do,” Heyes agreed.  “So, where do you do your trapping, Hooter?”

“Wherever the weather leads me.  Thought I’d try to get away from some of the snow by takin’ this special train through the pass.  Folks say it’s worth seein’ the train do the work of a snow plow.”  He winked.  “I’ll let ya know what I think once the ride’s over.”

The Kid nodded.  “Yeah, we’re kinda interested in findin’ out the answer to that, too.”  

“So, what do you fellas do to keep money in yer pockets?”

After a slight hesitation, Heyes answered.  “We’re deputies; helping out a sheriff friend of ours.”

“Lawmen, eh?  That’ll keep you busy.”

“Oh, it definitely gives us somethin’ to do,” Curry agreed.

“Just ‘cos I’m a curious creature by nature, I havta ask, any chance there’s some kinda trouble on the train?”

“Not that we're aware of.”  Heyes shook his head.  “We’re on our way to Cheyenne; nothing more.”

“You can say that again,” the Kid muttered.

Heyes gave his partner a look.  “What my friend means, is that we’re just enjoying a train ride, not working.”

“I ‘spect you two do a lot of travelin’ in your line of work, don’tcha?  Must get tired of bein’ on the run all the time?”

“We do appreciate getting to stay in one spot once in a while,” Heyes agreed.

“Guess Thaddeus knows how to spend his time on a train.”  Hooter grinned and directed his glance at the seat in front of Heyes.

Heyes peeked over the top of the seat and found his partner stretched out with his hat covering his face.

“Sure does.”  Heyes smiled.  “He's a professional.”

~*~*~*~*~*

His arms once again filled with fuel for the stove, Clancy stoked the fire and added coal and wood to it.  Then, the conductor stopped by the front seats of the car next to the door which were occupied by a middle-aged man and a younger man sitting on seats that faced each other.

“Everything alright, Mr. McAllister?”

The elder man smiled.  “I believe so, Clancey.  Thank you for checking on Sam and me.  You're a man who truly knows his job; we appreciate all the attention you’ve been paying us.”

“No problem, sir.”  Clancey continued on his way.

Charles McAllister turned to his companion.

“You’re sure you checked out all the horses before we boarded the train?  They're doing alright in their new surroundings?”

“Yes, Mr. McAllister, I’m positive.  In fact, I even checked twice.  All four of them looked like they were kings of the castle.  There's no need to worry, I promise.  I'm sorry they couldn't come with us on the Snow Train, but they'll be following us as soon as the weather gets warmer.”

“I hope you don’t think I’m questioning your ability to perform your duties, Sam, but those animals are worth a fortune.”

“Not at all; I completely understand your concern.  I’m not taking it personally.”

“You’re a good associate, Sam Winston.”  The man mopped his forehead.  “I count my lucky stars the day I found you.”

“Thank you, sir.  I consider myself very fortunate as well.”

“Let’s open up that bag of food my wife sent.  I bet there’s all kinds of things to tempt our palate.”

“Won’t get any argument from me!”  Sam grinned as he pulled the bag from under his seat.

~*~*~*~*~*

Lom entered the second car, followed by Artie, who carried a large basket.  They came down the aisle and settled themselves in the empty seats across from Heyes and Curry.  The deputy opened the basket, pulled out sandwiches, and passed them around.

“They’re ham and cheese,” Artie explained.  “We’ve also got some apples, cookies, and my mom’s apple pie.  There’s plenty, so eat all you want.”

“You might regret that last sentence, Artie.”  Heyes grinned.  “Thaddeus believes, like Napoleon, that an army marches on its stomach.”

Curry paused mid-bite to give his partner an annoyed look.  “Now wait a minute–”

“There’s no need to fight fellas, honest!”  Artie grabbed a couple cookies and held them out to the Kid.  “There’s enough food here to feed an army – an army of four!”

Heyes and Lom both chuckled; even Curry grinned.

“Another important lesson: Don’t believe everything these two say, Artie,” the sheriff advised.  “They’re always picking on each other; don’t pay ‘em no mind or else you’ll give yourself a sour stomach.  Take it from me, just let ‘em settle it themselves.”

“If you say so, Lom,” the deputy answered, his expression dubious.

~*~*~*~*~*

INSIDE THE LOCOMOTIVE

The engineer watched from his post at the window as the Snow Train continued to climb at a steady pace, higher and higher into the snow-covered mountains.

“That plow sure is something; it's plowing through the snow like a warm knife slicin' through butter and tossin' it to the sides as if it was the down of a thistle.  Nothin's slowin' this locomotive down!” he cried triumphantly.

“Well, you sure sound poetic today, Ed,” the brakeman chuckled, then turned to his companions.  “But you're right; it sure has been a smooth ride with that plow out front, don’t you think?”

“I couldn’t agree with you more, Bob.  It’s a bit easier for the uphill climb with the Snow Train only pulling the four cars and a caboose.”  The fireman grinned as he shoveled another load of wood into the stove.  He stood up straight, wiped his brow with his bandana and rested his arms on the handle of the shovel.

“You getting a little warm there, Fred?” teased the engineer as he turned away from his vigilant watch at the window.

“Why don’t you try shoveling for awhile, Ed, and see how you feel?”  Fred held the shovel out.

Ed put his hands up in mock horror. “Oh, no – keep that thing away from me!”  He grinned.  “I was just kidding; I think you’re doing a great job.  Besides, you’ve got the callouses built up enough on those hands of yours it don’t hurt anymore.”

“I could lend you my gloves.”  Fred's eyes held amusement.

Ed grinned and shook his head.  “Nope, not even with gloves, my friend.  We should be heading around the bend soon.”  He turned back to the window and stuck his head out.  “Hey!” he shouted a moment later.  “Pull the brake – now!  There’s something across the tracks up ahead!”  He squinted into the distance.  “Looks like there’s some downed trees!”  His face ashen, Ed turned back to look at the other two men.  Eyes wide, his expression a mixture of terror and desperation, he cried, “I don’t think we’re gonna be able to stop in time!”



Fred and Bob both lunged forward, grabbed the brake, and hauled back hard on it with all their strength.  The train gave a mighty backwards jerk, shuddered and shook, then lurched forward again.  The shrill sound of metal against metal as the brakes were applied to the tracks rang out in deafening, ear-piercing squeals.

“Pull harder!” Ed cried out, frantic.  “We’re almost there!”

“We can’t do more!” protested Bob.  “We’re givin’ it all we've got!”

The engineer turned away from his post at the window long enough to glance at the pair of men straining, almost on top of each other, with Fred on the bottom, pulling the brake down as far as it would go with their combined weight.

Once more the train gave a backward jerk, before lunging forward, then backward once again.  The squealing continued, going up in both pitch and volume.

Ed covered his ears, grimacing in pain.

“How’re we doin'?” yelled Fred.

Ed could only shake his head.  “We’re starting to slow down, I’m not sure if it’s enough...”  He leaned further out the window.  “Hang on men, this is it!”

The three men braced themselves for impact, expecting the worst.

Painstakingly slow, the Express ground to a squeaky stop.  There was the sound of splintering wood.  The nose of the snowplow was buried deep into the pile of trees.

Ed pulled his head back in, sagging against the wall of the train and released a deep sigh of relief.  “We did it, men!”

Fred and Bob collapsed on the floor, hugging each other in victory and laughing weakly.

“I thought we were goners for sure!” gasped Fred.

“Me, too!”  Bob rolled to his side and got to his feet, then held a hand out to Fred and helped the fireman to his feet.

The three employees of the Central Pacific Railroad looked at each other first with joy, then in dismay.

“What about the passengers?!” Ed cried out.

~*~*~*~*~*

CAR #1

Sitting across from, and facing each other, Clara was pitched forward into Ida's lap.  The two women screamed and hugged each other, holding on for dear life.

“Oh, my goodness gracious!” Clara cried.  “What’s happening?”

“Why are we stopping?  We’re not supposed to stop here!  Are we getting robbed?  Who would rob us in the middle of all this snow?”  Ida squeezed her friend's hand tight.  “We hit something – didn’t we!?  Did the train derail?”

Clara squeezed Ida’s hand in return and patted the top of it comfortingly.  “No, dear, we didn’t derail.  It’s probably just a thick pile of snow; no need to worry.”

“I’ll try not to,” Ida sniffed.

~*~*~*~*~*

Jack’s parents were thrown forward into their son’s seat.  They squeezed Jack in between them, clung to each other and managed to stay upright in their seats.

“Alice, Jack – are you both okay?” the man asked as he looked them both over.

“I’m okay, William, and so is Jack,” Alice replied a bit shakily.

“What happened?” Jack cried out, excitement lighting up his face.  He struggled to get away from his parents’ grasp.  “Is the train bein’ robbed?  I betcha Sheriff Trevors could use my help!”

“No, the train is not being robbed,” William answered, sharing a look with his wife over the boy’s head.  “If Sheriff Trevors needs your help, he’ll come and ask you.  Right now, we’re all going to sit still until we can find out what is going on.”

Disappointment etched the young deputy-in-training’s face.  He slumped back in his seat and heaved a deep sigh.

~*~*~*~*~*

Preacher Brown picked himself up off the floor, dusted off his clothing, and straightened his collar.  Spying his hat, he picked it up and settled it back on his head.  In the chaotic mess, he located his bag underneath a seat a few rows ahead and bent down to retrieve it.  After a furtive look, he opened the bag and pulled out a bottle.  

“It’s a lucky thing you didn’t break, old chap,” he whispered.  Dropping down into his seat, he quickly bent down, put the bottle to his lips and tipped it up.  Taking a big swig, he swallowed, recapped the bottle, and thrust it back down deep inside the bag.  Pulling out the Bible, the preacher got to his feet and looked around.

“Is there anybody who might be needin’ the assistance of a preacher?” he called out loudly.

~*~*~*~*~*

Andy was kneeling on the floor holding his wife's hand.  “Beth, honey,” he pleaded, “please open your eyes!”  He turned to Mike, who was on Beth’s other side.  “Go get that doctor – he’s in the second car.  Make sure that he’s okay, then tell him to hurry!”

Mike took off like a shot.

~*~*~*~*~*

Trace and Rose had been thrown into each other’s arms and sideways to the floor, with the woman ending up on top of Trace.

“Under any other circumstances I would never ask you to remove your body from mine, but...”  Trace smiled up into the woman's face.

Rose smacked him hard in the chest.  “This isn't funny, Trace!  This is serious!  Now help me up!”

“I’d love to, dear, but as I pointed out, I'm on the bottom.  You’ll have to move off to the side before I can assist you.”

As Rose started to rebuke him, she noticed the trail of blood on the side of his face.  “Oh, Trace, you’re hurt!”  She reached out carefully to touch his head.

“Am I?  I don't feel a thing.”  Trace grimaced as her fingers touched a sore spot.  “Well, now I do!”  He grabbed Rose by her upper arms and scooted her off his chest, then took a deep breath.  Rising to a sitting position, he put his hand on a seat and stood up.

“My lady?”  He held out a hand to help Rose to her feet.  She leaned on him for a moment to get her balance before he lowered her to the seat and sat opposite her.  “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” she answered shakily.

“Am I okay?”

Rose looked at him critically, then gave him a weak smile.  “You’ve been hurt worse; you’ll live.”  She scooted forward, found her purse, and withdrew her handkerchief.  “Here, hold this right here.”  She put his hand on the wound.  “It should stop in a few minutes.”

Trace grabbed her hand before she could lower it, brought it to his mouth and kissed it.  “You make a lovely nurse, Rose.”

“I bet you say that to all the women who save your miserable hide!” she retorted.

Before Trace could reply, the physician dashed into the car.

“Where’s my patient?”

“Right here, Doc!” Andy cried, still holding his wife’s hand.

“I’m Dr. Gordon.”  He looked at Andy.  “How far along is she?”

“A little over six months.”

“Has she been unconscious long?”

“Since right after the train stopped.  She got thrown to the floor.”  Andy looked anxiously at the physician.  “She's gonna be alright, isn't she, Doc?  Both her and the baby?”

“I can’t make any promises until I’ve examined her further.  First things first.  We need to move her to another car for more privacy and quiet.  I believe that last car is empty; that should do.”

“I'll help,” Mike assured him quickly.  “I can carry her and Andy can walk ahead of me to make sure the path is clear.”

“Good; let's get her out of here and settled so I can examine her more thoroughly in private.”  As he passed through Car #2, he stopped by three of the male passengers who were unhurt and standing near the doorway.  

“Would you two mind giving us a hand setting up some kind of a doctor's office in the last car, please?”

The men nodded and fell in behind him.

With Beth wrapped in a blanket, Mike carried her and trailed along behind Dr. Gordon and Andy until they reached the fourth car.  

“Sit down, Andy; I'll put Beth in your lap,” Mike instructed.  “You can hold her while I help the doc.”  He eased his sister down until she was cradled in Andy's arms, then looked to the physician.

Dr. Gordon frowned at the stove and glanced at Mike.  “Get those coals stoked up into a fire,” he ordered.  “I’ll also need hot water.”  He turned to the second man.  “Go back to the first car and get my bag.  It’s black leather, looks just like a doctor’s bag ought to, and should be somewhere near my seat on the right side of the train.”

With a nod, the man rushed off to do his bidding.

The physician eyed the poker table and continued to bark out orders.  “Someone find a longer board, some blankets and make her a bed on that table.  Maybe some kind of pillow we can put under her head – and make it snappy – we don’t have time to waste!”  He paused to think for a moment.  “You there!”  He pointed at the third man.  “We’ll need some kind of pot to boil the water in.  Go find that conductor and see what we’ve got on board that will work.”

The man turned on his heel and left the car.

With the fire started, Mike set about setting up a makeshift bed.

It wasn’t long before a fire was warming the room and a sturdy bed was erected.  Beth was laying with her head on a rolled-up blanket for a pillow.

“Alright, everybody out!” Dr. Gordon ordered brusquely.

“Please, Doc, let me stay!” Andy begged as everyone left the room and the door closed.  “You don’t know everything and Beth sure can’t tell you!  We lost a baby two years ago at almost the same time as this!  Please?”

The doctor looked into Andy's pinched, pale face and relented.  “Okay, son, you can stay.  Guess I could use your help.”  He continued with his exam.  “Anything else important I should know?”

Andy shrugged.  “Only that Dr. Anderson told us he didn’t know why she lost the baby.  Said we’d have to be real careful the next time...”  He swallowed.  “And that’s now.  Her brother and me have been being extra special careful, not letting her do anything, no lifting, no getting excited...”  He looked at the physician.  “At least until what just happened with the train.  Her getting thrown like that, the excitement, I guess that means trouble, don’t it?”

“Why don’t you let me be the doctor and you be the husband?  Hold her hand and leave the rest to me.”

~*~*~*~*~*

CAR #2

At the first backward lurch, Lom, who had been standing in the aisle, was hurled to the floor of the car.  He let out a grunt of pain as his right shoulder connected hard with a seat on his way down.

Deputy McCain was able to hold his ground until the forward lurch pitched him over the seat in front of him.  He landed face first, upside-down with his legs kicking in the air.

The Kid, who had been trying to balance a sandwich in one hand, an apple in the other, and a slice of pie on his leg, slammed sideways into the back of the seat in front of him with the initial brake pull.  As the train moved sharply forward again, he was thrown to the floor, where he slid under the seat and lay wedged between the seats.  He managed to crawl out on his hands and knees, still holding the apple in one hand.  The pie and sandwich were nowhere in sight.  He shook his head.  “What just happened?”

Heyes, who had been reclining with his back against the window and his feet on the seat, was holding his head between his hands. He had slammed forward into the seat back with the first lunge forward, his forehead bearing the brunt of most of the impact, then backwards into the window, the back of his head hitting it hard.  “Guessing from all the noise we heard, and the fact that the train’s not moving anymore, we’re in some kinda trouble.”

“Really?” Curry huffed.  “I could've told–” he stopped short, his eyes narrowing as he studied his partner.  “You've got a huge goose-egg on your forehead.”

Heyes attempted to give the Kid the look, but couldn't quite focus.  “Like you said, I could’ve told you that!”  His head reeling, he gingerly touched it, then winced as he hit a tender spot.  He glanced around woozily as he tried to focus.  “Well, the good news is that there’s plenty of snow outside to help the swelling go down.  The bad news is that I don’t think there’s anything that’ll help me stop seeing double.”

The Kid glanced around and saw the new deputy was upright, dusting himself off.  “Hey, anybody see Lom?”

On his feet, still in-between the seats, Artie glanced to where the sheriff had been and shook his head.  As he stepped out into the aisle, he could see Lom's feet protruding from underneath the seats a few rows back.  “There he is!”  He pointed and hurried to check on the lawman.

Lom was just coming to.  He blinked a few times, then tried to sit up, but cried out in pain and collapsed back down on the floor.

“You okay, Sheriff?”  Artie knelt on the seat, then looked over the top and down at the lawman.

“No, feels like I might’ve dislocated my shoulder.”

“Anything else hurt?”

“Isn’t that enough?” the lawman growled.  There was a moment of silence.  “No, I think everything else is okay.  I’m gonna need your help to get outta this mess, though.  I got wedged in here and need to turn over so I can use my other shoulder.”

Artie looked back over his shoulder.  “Hey, Thaddeus, could you help me get Lom up on his feet?”

Curry was there in a heartbeat.  He peered around the seat and bite back a grin.  “Need a little help, Lom?”

“What do you think?!” the sheriff huffed.  “Of course, I do!  And that grin better be gone before I get up!”

Curry held his hands up in mock defense.  “Sheesh, no need to get proddy, Lom.”  He turned to the deputy with a grin.  “Lesson number two: don’t tease the sheriff when he’s down and out.”

Artie bit down on his lip.  “Sheriff, which shoulder did you hurt?”

“The right one.”

“You need any more help?” Heyes called out, looking in their general direction.

“You still seein' double?” Curry asked.

“Well,” Heyes squinted.  “Now it’s more like things are just kinda blurry.”

“Then you're not gonna be much help, are you?  Just sit there and relax.”

Heyes sat back in his seat, carefully easing his head back against the window and closed his eyes.  “It hurts to relax,” he muttered.

The Kid regarded his partner a moment in silence.  “Must’ve been a real hard hit; you didn’t even argue,” he muttered quietly and returned his attention to the situation with the lawman.  “Best thing to do, Lom, is for you to tuck your hurt arm inside your shirt and hold it there.  Artie, you grab his left arm and I’ll take his feet and slide him out.  Once we get him in the aisle, we can both help him up.  You ready, Lom?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be – take it easy!”

“Take a deep breath and hold it, Lom.”  Curry looked at the deputy.  “On three, okay?  One, two, three...”

Lom was out in the aisle, sitting up.  “Not bad,” he grumbled.  “Now get me off this floor!”

“He gets real grumpy when he's hurt,” the Kid said quietly to Artie.  “Another thing to remember,” he added with a wink as Lom continued to scowl at them.

Between the Kid and Artie, the lawman was up and on his feet within seconds.  They helped him to a seat across from Heyes.

“You want me and Artie to set your shoulder?” Curry asked.

“No, thank you!”  Lom hugged his injured appendage protectively with his good arm.  “There’s a doc on board; he can do it.”

“Uh, he’s kinda busy, Sheriff,” Artie answered.  “He's back in the fourth car with that lady who's gonna have a baby.  I think you missed all the excitement when you passed out.”

“I didn’t pass out – I was knocked out!  My shoulder can wait; I’m not going anywhere.”

“None of us are goin' anywhere,” the Kid retorted.  “We're stopped.  The plow must not’ve been able to get through the snowdrift.  Guess all we can do now is wait.”  He sat down and the deputy followed suit.  Curry glanced up to the front of the car.  “Everything okay up there, Hooter?”

“Yep.”  The trapper grinned as he finished helping Charles McAllister and Sam Winston gather their belongings and get back into their seats.  “Our bones jus’ got a tad rattled up here; nothin’ to worry ‘bout.”

“Th-thank you, Mr. Hooter, for your assistance.”  Mr. McAllister mopped his forehead with his handkerchief.

“No mister to it, just Hooter.  Here's the last bag.”  He handed it to Sam.

“Okay, Hooter.  I’m Charles and this is Sam.  We’re much obliged to you.”

“Aw, t’weren't nothin’.”  The trapper shrugged.  “It’s what folks do when there’s trouble.  They help each other out.”

~*~*~*~*~*

“Boy, howdy!”  Joe stood up, rubbing the back of his head.  “That sure was something!  I ain’t never had a train stop like that!”

“Me neither!”  Matt joined his friend.  “Wonder what happened?”  He knelt down in the seat and rubbed his coat sleeve on the frosty window.  A moment later he turned around.  “I betcha those Injuns out there have somethin’ to do with it!”



“Injuns?  Where?”  Joe jumped into a seat, wiped the window down, then whistled.  “There must be at least twenty-five of ‘em!”  He turned to Lom.  “Hey, sheriff, whatcha gonna do about it?”

Everyone looked at the lawman, awaiting his response.

Lom’s eyes met those of each of his three deputies before he spoke.  “Well, one thing I’m not gonna do is start trouble.  I’ll step outside and see what’s going on before I make any hasty decisions.”

“You want me to go?” Artie asked, hesitantly.  “I mean, with your hurt shoulder and all...”

“No, I want you to stay inside here and keep everyone calm while I go and check things out.”

The deputy nodded.  “Sure thing, Sheriff.”  

As the lawman got to his feet, Curry spoke to him quietly.  “That’s your shootin’ arm, Lom.”

“I know which arm it is!” the sheriff retorted as he grimaced with pain.

“Jus’ sayin’...”  The Kid's eyes never wavered from the lawman’s.

“Maybe you could use a little backup?” Heyes suggested in a low tone.

Lom’s expression reflected his indecisiveness.  “Maybe.”  He picked up his coat and handed it to Curry.  “Help me get into this.”  Once that was done, he turned to Heyes.  “How’s your eyesight now?”

The dark-haired man took a moment.  “Better than my head.  At least I can only see one of you now.”

“Good.  You two follow me outside.”

The three men walked through the first car and out onto the platform.

Lom eyed the long line of Indians at the top of the hill.

“What’s your plan?” Heyes asked.

“Walk out there and talk to whoever’s in charge and find out why they stopped the train.”

Curry turned to look at Lom.  “You really think it’s gonna be that simple?”

“No, I think it’s going to be anything but simple.”  He took the first step down, then turned and handed his gun to the Kid.  “Give him yours, too, Joshua; you’re going with me.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?  To go out there unarmed?” Heyes asked as he gave Curry his weapon.

“No, but maybe if they see we aren’t armed, things will go better.”  Lom stepped down into the snow with Heyes right behind him.

“Better’n what?” the Kid muttered as he tucked the two guns into his waistband, then released the leather strip that held his Colt in place.

Heyes looked back and, as the partners’ eyes met, Curry nodded.

Heyes turned around and caught up to Lom.  “You know–”

Gunshots interrupted whatever he was about to say.

The Indians scattered in all directions.

“Yeehaw!  Think I might've got me one!” a voice called out gleefully.

Lom and Heyes pivoted about to see two of the windows open with rifles pointing out of them.

“Hold your fire!  Stop them, Thaddeus!” Lom yelled.  “They're gonna get us all killed!”

The Kid dashed inside.  He found Deputy McCain wrestling the rifles away from the two army soldiers.

“You can’t do that – we’ve got the right to defend ourselves!” Matt snarled.

“Yeah, we was taught to shoot first an’ ask questions later!” Joe added angrily.  “The only good Injun is a dead one!”

Lom, with Heyes right behind him, came bursting through the door.

“You crazy idiots – the Indians aren’t attacking!”  Fighting to hold his anger in check, Lom eyed them sternly.  “There will be no more shooting – is that understood?”

There was a long pause before both young men gave a reluctant shrug.

“Artie, take those rifles and put them away somewhere safe!”

“Sure thing, Sheriff.”

“And when you get back, make sure nobody else gets nervous with a gun.  The Indians aren’t shooting and I don’t want any of us shooting unless they do!  Everyone stays inside the train – no exceptions.”

Artie nodded, then headed off towards the rear of the car.

“Hope you’re not sorry later that you did that, Sheriff!”  Matt glared at Lom.

Before Lom could respond, the conductor came through the door.  “Sheriff, the engineer says the tracks ahead of us are blocked by a pile of trees.”

The lawman nodded.  “I noticed that when I stepped outside.”  He looked around at the group.  “Clancey, I’d like you to stay here – at least until my deputy returns.  Keep everybody calm and quiet and make sure nobody else tries anything stupid.  I’m going back out there and try to find out what’s going on, hopefully without there being any kind of bloodshed.”

“If it involves Injuns, it can’t be good!” Joe snapped.  “You can bet on that!”

Clancey stepped forward.  “Alright everyone, you heard the sheriff.  Let’s all go back to our seats and wait to see what ‘tis all about.”

Muttering among themselves, the passengers began to move along.

The sheriff turned to Heyes.  “You ready to try again, Joshua?”

“Why not?” Heyes responded dryly.  “The first time worked so well.”

Lom sent the dark-haired man a scowl, then exited the car with Heyes and the Kid following behind.

Once again Curry took up a position where he could watch everything and be ready if needed.  He eyed the long line of Indians.  “Looks like you guys are back where you were before, too.”  He turned to the sheriff.  “What if this all goes sideways, Lom?”

“I hate to think about that possibility.  We don’t have more than a dozen guns on board.  If they do decide to attack, we don’t stand a chance.”  He glanced at Curry.  “Even with your skills.”

The trio took a moment to survey the scene.

The lawman broke the silence.  “Judging by the look of things, they appear to be Miwoks.”

“You’d be right ‘bout that Sheriff.”

They all turned to find Hooter’s head sticking out the window.

“Any of you three speak Miwok?” the trapper inquired.

They looked at each other, then shook their heads.

“Guess not.”  Lom looked up at Hooter.  “Do you?”

“Some.”  He shrugged.  “'Nough to get by.”

“Would you be willing to go with me to talk to them?”

“Beats sittin’ in here,” Hooter chuckled.  “I’ll be right out.”

“Whaddya reckon they want?” Curry asked.

“I don’t know.  One thing I do know is that they’re not shooting anybody or attacking – even after what just happened.  We’re just lucky those idiots didn’t actually hit any of them.  The second thing is that they could’ve done a lot more damage – like taking out a rail – if they’d wanted to.  So far, all they’ve done is stop the train.”

“Hey, Lom, look.”  Heyes inclined his head towards the Miwoks.

The men watched as two of the Indians separated from the group, rode their horses down the hill to a flat spot, then stopped and waited.

Hooter came down the stairs to join them.

The sheriff gave him a cursory glance.  “You don’t have any weapons, do you?”

“'Course I do,” Hooter grinned.  “But I was smart ‘nough to leave ‘em on the train.”  He squinted at the two Indians on the hill.  “I think I know who that one on the right is.  Name’s Soaring Eagle.  He’s the Miwok Chief.  Probably his son, Gray Wolf, next to him.  Must’ve taken a little walk off the reservation.  They go into town sometimes and don’t cause any trouble.  They’re a tough bunch; real tough, but they’re normally pretty harmless.”

The lawman pondered Hooter’s last words a moment.  “Any idea what they might want?”

The trapper shrugged.  “No tellin’ with the Miwoks.”

“Well, let’s go find out.”  Lom turned to Heyes.  “Joshua, a little change in my plan.  Since Hooter will be with me, I’m gonna have you stay behind with Thaddeus.  Hopefully you won’t have to do anything, but watch my back.”

“Won’t get any argument from me.”  Heyes stepped back to join his partner.  “I might even be able to see your back to watch it.”

Curry handed Heyes his gun, which he quickly holstered.

As the sheriff and the trapper walked out to meet the Indians, the train windows were filled with the passengers’ faces watching their every move.

~*~*~*~*~*

THE LOCOMOTIVE

“...It’s not that I’m against the idea,” Bob protested, defending himself.  “I just wish we had a way to let the sheriff know what we’re doing.”

“I’m the engineer on this train and that puts me in charge!” Ed blustered.  “Not the sheriff!  I’m taking full responsibility for getting us all outta here alive.  You both know what we’ve gotta do, so let’s get going and do it!”

After checking that the coast was clear, the three men climbed down from the locomotive cab on the far side, away from the Miwoks.  Keeping low to the ground, they made their way stealthily along the side of the train, heading towards the rear.

~*~*~*~*~*

CAR #4

Dr. Gordon was standing near the stove, scooping broth into a bowl.

The physician lifted his head as Ed, Bob, and Fred entered.  He nodded at them, then walked back to his patient, who was now conscious and more alert.  “I can’t vouch for how good this is going to taste, but at least it’ll be warm and nourishing.”

“Thank you, Doctor Gordon,” Andy nodded.

As her husband helped her to sit up so she could eat, Beth curiously eyed the three men.

The trio went to a cupboard and started taking out firearms.

Beth swallowed a spoonful of soup, then put her hand on the physician’s arm.  “Look, they’re getting guns,” she whispered.

Dr. Gordon turned around.  “Hope you’re not planning on using those?”

Ed gave him a steady look as he pocketed one weapon and put another in his waistband.  “Just keepin’ ‘em handy, Doc; in case we need ‘em if those Indians start any trouble.”

Once they had finished gathering extra bullets, the three men exited the car without another word.

“You think I should go tell the sheriff?” Andy asked.

“No.”  The doctor shook his head.  “Our concern is your wife.  The sheriff can handle those three.”

~*~*~*~*~*

Ed, Bob, and Fred were standing on the small platform between the third and fourth car.  They watched as Lom and the trapper made their way out to the Miwoks.

“Okay,” Ed spoke quietly.  “Get ready... go!”  He tapped Fred on the shoulder.  “Be careful,” he warned.  “And remember to keep low!”

Once Fred was off on his mission, the other two faced the Miwoks again to wait and watch.

~*~*~*~*~*



Having reached the two Indians, Lom and Hooter stopped a respectful distance away.

The lawman spoke in an undertone to his companion.  “You do the translating.”

Hooter nodded.

“I'm Sheriff Lom Trevors, the leader on this train.  You are Chief Soaring Eagle?” Lom asked.

No response.

“Either of you speak any English?”

Again, no response.

“Well, guess if we can’t speak with each other, there's no reason to stand out here and freeze.  We’ll just have to leave.”  Lom waited until Hooter had translated, then, when there was still no reply, he turned away.

The younger Indian spoke.

Hooter translated.  “He says: 'I am Gray Wolf, son of Soaring Eagle.'”

“At least that’s a start.”  Lom turned back.  “Tell him those trees have to be removed.  It’ll be a big mistake–”

“NO!” Gray Wolf thundered.  “Trees stay!  Any who leave train be killed!”

Lom took a step forward, muttering under his breath to Hooter, “Guess they can understand some English after all.”  He spoke to Gray Wolf.  “Tell your men, if anything happens to the people on board that train, you will all be held accountable.”

Soaring Eagle spoke to his son.

“My father say train not move!”

“Troops will be sent out from the fort to punish you,” Lom warned.

“We not afraid of soldiers!” Gray Wolf answered angrily.

“Why are you doing this?” Lom snapped in frustration.  “Why did you stop the train?”

“Only way get justice.  Two white men sell bad poison whiskey to tribe in Auburn.  Many braves die.  Two bad men on train – must be punished.”

Lom shook his head.  “It makes more sense that you come into the next town with me and testify to a judge that–”

Gray Wolf cut him off.  “The men – they will be hanged?”

After a brief hesitation, Lom answered.  “You have my word; if they’re aboard this train, I’ll find them.  They’ll be charged with murder and, if found guilty, will be punished.”

“Two braves come with us.”  Gray Wolf pointed behind him at the line of Miwoks.  “One lost brother.  Other brave, father is blind.  Many in pain.  Many lose someone.  Three dead, five blind.”

Lom's face was grim as he responded.  “I can understand your pain.  Tell your father I'm as concerned as you are that the guilty ones are found and punished.”

Gray Wolf translated to his father.

Chief Soaring Eagle stared into the eyes of the lawman for a long moment, then spoke to his son.

“My father say we give you until sun high in sky tomorrow to turn men over to us.”

“Thank you.”  Lom nodded.  He and Hooter turned around and began to make their way back to the train.  “Don’t know what I’m thanking them for, though,” he muttered angrily.  “That’s not much time to figure things out!  Did Gray Wolf tell his father everything I said?  Did he give us Soaring Eagle’s answers truthfully?”

“Pretty much, far as I could tell,” Hooter nodded.  “You sure got your work cut out for you, Sheriff.  I don’t envy you one bit.”

“That’s putting it mildly.”  Lom scowled.  “I don’t envy me, either!”

~*~*~*~*~*

LOCOMOTIVE

Having made his way to the locomotive, Fred quickly jumped inside, released the brake, then put the train in reverse.  The train gave a mighty lurch, then began to slowly move backwards.

Still watching from the top of the hill and, seeing the train moving, Soaring Eagle made a chopping sign with his hand.  Immediately two braves cut the leather thong holding the half-chopped tree in place.  The tree toppled to the ground, across the tracks, blocking the train's backwards path.

Fred grabbed the lever and yanked back hard.

The Chief made another chopping sign, and the braves released a second tree to fall next to the first one.

The train gave a mighty lurch as the caboose rammed into the downed trees.  The escape route was effectively blocked, unable to go forward or backward.  The Snow Train was now trapped between the two barricades.

From their place on the platform by the first car, Ed and Bob fired their guns towards the Indians, then jumped down and ran.

Left without any other option, Fred threw on the brake, jumped down from the train and also began to run.  Hearing the other shots, he fired his gun in the direction of the Miwoks as he ran.

One of his bullets found its way to Gray Wolf’s right thigh.  The young warrior would have fallen off his horse if Soaring Eagle had not held onto him.  Checking the damage, Gray Wolf spoke to his father.  “It is nothing; only graze.”  He turned back to the train and shook his fist at it.

The incident caused the Miwoks to find safer places to shelter behind.  Some began gathering rocks that could be used with their slingshots, while others fitted their bows with arrows and stood ready to fight, if necessary.

Soaring Eagle and Gray Wolf proudly stood their ground.

~*~*~*~*~*

BACK AT THE TRAIN, BEFORE IT HITS THE TREES

“That little chat with Soaring Eagle looked mighty interesting from here,” Heyes commented when Lom and Hooter were within hearing distance.

“You wouldn’t believe the half of it!”  Lom snapped and shook his head.  “We’ve got a big problem on our hands and an even bigger mystery to solve!”  As he put his foot on the first step to board, the train gave a mighty lurch.  The lawman lost his grip on the rail and fell backwards, emitting a loud grunt of pain and anger as his wounded shoulder hit the ground.

Heyes, the Kid, and Hooter all rushed to help him to his feet.

Once more, shots rang out.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Lom growled.  “Now what!?”

“They’re what's what!”  Curry inclined his head at the three men high-tailing it in their direction.

As the Miwoks began chanting a war cry and drawing their bows, Heyes shouted, “We’d better all get inside that train right now!”  He climbed up first, then turned to give Lom a helping hand.  Hooter was next.

Curry stayed on the ground until Ed and Bob reached him.  “Give me your guns!” he ordered.

Bob and Ed shoved their weapons at him as they scrambled up the stairs.  An arrow flew past the Kid and hit the train.

“Hurry up!” Curry yelled at Fred who was still running.  “Run faster!”

Just as the fireman made it to the rail and put his foot up on the stair, an arrow caught him in the back.  He cried out and slumped forward on the steps.  Heyes and Hooter helped him from above, while the Kid aided him from behind.  More arrows came whizzing past, breaking windows and shattering glass all over the passengers.

“Take him down to the doc in the last car!” Lom ordered as he, Heyes, and Curry ducked down and took refuge in the first car.

Bob and Matt helped the fireman down the aisle.

“Not you!” Lom growled, grabbing Ed's arm as he started to follow.  “I want a few words with you!”

Artie rushed past the engineer and joined the others in the first car.  “I heard shots – what’s going on?”

“More stupidity!” Lom snapped.  He turned back to glare at the engineer.  “Was all that your idea?”

“I'm the engineer,” Ed blustered.  “The train is my responsibility–”

“From now on, your job will be to help Clancey!  The safety and comfort of the passengers will be your only responsibility!  Is that understood?”

Before Ed could respond, rocks hurled from slingshots joined the arrows and came flying through the windows, breaking the glass.  The horrified screams and yells of the frantic passengers could be heard as the shattered glass flew in all directions.

Ed crouched down, then turned and ran down the aisle into the next car.

Lom shook his head.  “We’d better get over to that other car and settle things down before something else happens!”  He went first, followed by Artie and Heyes.

The Kid took a long look at the Miwok Indians that aligned the hilltop before he exited the car.  Just as he reached the door of the next car, an arrow whizzed past, narrowly missing him, and lodged itself in the door.  Throwing himself backwards, flat against the other door, Curry glared at it a second before he cautiously stepped forward to pull it free.  He broke it in half and threw it to the ground, then quickly made his way inside the car.

“I don't see or hear any guns” he muttered.  “All I see are slingshots, rocks and arrows.  Guess we should be glad for that at least.”

~*~*~*~*~*

CARS #1 & #2

“Everyone, get down and stay down!” Lom ordered.  “Cover yourselves with whatever you can to protect yourself from the glass!”

Those passengers who were huddled on the seats, quickly got down on the floor of the train.  Using their coats, shawls, blankets, and anything else at hand, they hunkered down and waited anxiously.

Arrows and rocks continued to rain steadily upon the passengers and shatter the windows.  When one of the objects got too close to its mark, a cry or shriek could be heard from a passenger.

Mike made his way over to Clara and Ida, then leaned down and pulled them to the floor.  He wrapped his arms around them to shelter them with his body.  The two women gave him a look of gratitude.

Rose had dropped to the floor, alone, doing her best to protect herself.  “Thanks for all the help, Trace!” she snapped angrily, then shrieked as an arrow lodged itself right above her head, spraying her with shards of glass.  “Hope you’re as safe as I am!”

Several seats back, Trace huddled in a ball, flat on the floor with his coat thrown over his upper body.  When a rock crashed through the window and landed on his back, he scrunched up even tighter.

~*~*~*~*~*

CAR #4

When the arrows first started flying, Beth screamed and pulled the sheet up over her head.  Dr. Gordon and Andy rushed to her side and leaned over her, sheltering the woman with a blanket stretched between them.

Andy's worried eyes looked into the physician's.  “So much for no more excitement, eh Doc?”  

~*~*~*~*~*

Soaring Eagle called out to his tribe.  One by one they began to disappear until only the Chief and his son remained standing on the hill.  In a loud voice he called out in Miwok to the train.  After he was finished speaking, the Chief and Gray Wolf disappeared, too.

Guns drawn, watching what was transpiring outside, Lom, Artie, Heyes, Curry, and Hooter were all crouched down, gathered by the front of the car near a window.

“What'd he say?” Lom whispered to Hooter.

“Oh, jus’ a li’l reminder that we have ‘til noon tomorrow to turn over those two men.”

“And if we don’t?” the Kid asked.

“Didn’t say.”  Hooter shrugged.  “But you don’t have to use much imagination to figure it out.  If we don’t freeze tonight, we die tomorrow.”

“I don't like either of those two options and, unfortunately, the odds aren't in our favor.”  Heyes stood up, followed by the others, and looked around at all the shattered windows.  “We’d best start getting those windows sealed up.  It’s cold enough in here without inviting colder air to come inside.”

~*~*~*~*~*

CAR #4

Dodging arrows and rocks, Bob and Matt managed to get Fred to the fourth car.

Matt opened the door and called out, “Got another patient for you, Doc.”

“Only one?  With all that ruckus I heard, not to mention those arrows and rocks, I must say I'm surprised.”  Dr. Gordon looked at Fred and frowned.  “An arrow in his back?”  He sighed.  “Better put him over here.”  He indicated the mail counter by the window.

The two men eased Fred face down on the counter, then lifted his feet carefully until he was flat on his stomach.

“Go on now!” the physician shooed them away with his hand.  “Scram and let me get back to doctoring.”  As the men walked towards the door, he called after them, “And tell that sheriff not to send me any more new patients!”

~*~*~*~*~*

CAR #2

“What do the Indians want?”
“Whatever are we going to do?”
“Did anyone get hurt?”
“How long do you think we'll have to stay here?”
“Why are they trying to kill us?”
“We don't have any way to protect ourselves!”
“It's a wonder none of us were injured!”
“We're all gonna die here!”

Amid the cacophony of voices, Lom gave a shrill whistle and held up his hand for quiet.  “I need all of you to sit down and be calm so we can talk things out.  We have some important things to discuss.”

When the passengers had all settled down, the sheriff began to speak again.  “First off, the Miwoks stopped the train because they want justice and–”

“From us?”
“What kinda justice?”
“Who gave them that right?”
“They can’t do that – can they?”

Lom held up his hand again.  “Quit interrupting and listen or we’ll never get through!” he snapped.  “As I said before, the Indians are Miwoks.  Sounds like they’ve run off the Rocky Ridge Reservation.  They claim that two white men sold their tribe some poisoned whiskey – whiskey that has already caused the deaths of three of their braves and five more are blind.”

“Why, that’s horrible!” Ida cried, covering her mouth with her hand.

“What’s that got to do with us?” demanded Trace.

“Well, they say the two men got on board this train in Auburn.   A couple Miwoks were at the trading post getting supplies and recognized them.  But, before they could do anything about it, the train left town.  The Miwoks don’t know who they are–”

“Whaddya mean they don’t know who they are?” Matt interrupted.  “You just said they recognized ‘em!”

“They saw them, but can’t tell me their names.  They want me to turn the guilty men over to them.”

“How do we know they’re telling the truth?” Joe snapped.  “Maybe they jus’ wanna get aboard the train to do some robbin’ an’ get ahold of the women?”

Clara and Ida shrieked and clutched each other in fear.

“Alright, that’s enough of talk like that!”  Lom glared at both Matt and Joe, then looked at the ladies.  “You can rest easy; the Miwoks have no designs on our women.  They’re only interested in justice.  I want all of you to know that I wouldn’t turn the men over even if I did know who they were.  However, there's one thing I do know for sure, and that’s that each of you men are gonna have some explaining to do about when and where you were, and what you were doing before you boarded this train.”

The passengers glanced around, eyeing each other speculatively.

“But what about right now, Sheriff?” Mr. McAllister demanded.  “They’ve stopped our train, shot arrows and hurled rocks at us, and now we’re at their mercy!  What kind of danger are we in right now?”

“If they’d wanted to hurt innocent folks they could’ve derailed the train instead of only putting up a barricade,” Lom pointed out.  “They only started to fight back after the train’s fireman shot at them first, and you all saw what happened to him.”

“So, what you’re really telling us, is that we’re trapped here!?” Rose declared sharply.

“We’re going to have to stall for awhile, but it shouldn’t be too long before the reservation agents will be out looking for them.”

Hooter stepped forward.  “Uh, sure hope you don’t mind none if I put in my two cents worth, Sheriff?”  At Lom's nod he went on.  “I hate to pile on more bad news, but the truth is, those agents you’re talkin’ ‘bout?  Well now, as big as that reservation is, they might not miss the Miwoks for days; maybe even a week – or more.”

Lom frowned.  “Guess we’ll have to keep that in mind as we make our plans.”  The lawman looked into the faces of the clustered group.  “The first thing I’d like the rest of you to do is to help patch up those windows the best you can.  That’ll help to help keep the cold and wind at a minimum – use whatever you can find – blankets, scarves, extra clothing...”

Talking among themselves, everyone set about doing Lom’s bidding.

The conductor stepped up to speak quietly with the lawman.  “Sheriff Trevors, I’m not sure you fully realize what it means to be stranded up here and what we’re up against.  Even without the Miwoks, ‘tis an extremely dangerous situation we’re in.  When that sun goes down tonight, so will the temperature and ‘tis going to get mighty cold.  A drop of forty to fifty degrees in a single night isn’t unusual.  Add to that all the broken windows, and the fact that we have one stove in each car for heat... That sure doesn’t sound very promising.”  He shook his head.  “Oh, and 'tis one more thing I think you should be knowin' about.”

“Only one?” Lom questioned, wryly.

“As you know, folks call this the Snow Train, and for several very good reasons.  It’s not unusual for it to be late.  The cold, hard fact is that no one will worry if it's late or come looking for it for at least a few days.”

“Thank you, Clancey.  For now, let’s keep that to ourselves.  The passengers have enough to worry about.”  Lom lifted his good shoulder in a shrug.  “Despite the odds, we’re just going to have to hunker down and make the best of it.”

~*~*~*~*~*

After wandering through the first car, then the second car, but finding no trace of his partner, Heyes' brow furrowed as he made his way to the third car.  As he entered it, his diligence was rewarded by the sight of the Kid sitting in one of the seats.  His head was down, resting on his crossed arms on the back of the seat in front of him.

“Whatcha doing?”  Heyes shivered.  “And whatever it is, couldn’t you have picked a warmer place to do it?”

Without raising his head, Curry answered, his voice muffled.  “I’d say thinkin’, but you’d say somethin' clever and I’d have to flatten you.  This was the only place that was quiet.”

“Scoot over; it's so cold in here I might need the body heat.”  Grinning, Heyes gingerly eased himself down into the seat beside his partner as the Kid grudgingly slid over, keeping his head down on his arms.  “You’d be right, but I won’t, so you don’t have to worry ‘bout flattening me, okay?  Maybe we can settle this an easier way; why don’t we just talk about what’s bothering you?”

“Maybe.”  The Kid shrugged.  “Think I’ve got things all worked out, but you’re not gonna like it.”

“Why don’t you sit up and tell me.  I’ll be the judge of whether or not I like it.”

Curry huffed, raised his head, then sat back in his seat.  Turning to face Heyes, his eyes stared straight into those of his partner.  “The way I’ve got it figured, someone’s gotta go to that telegraph office so a message can be sent to Cheyenne and to the fort, if we want any kinda help.  It can’t be Lom.  It can’t be that new deputy – Artie’s too green to send out.  And you sure can’t make the trip after the hit your head took.  That leaves me and–”

“Hold on now – wait just a minute!” Heyes objected and raised a hand.  “I think I can speak for myself, and I say that I could make that trip just fine!”

“Oh yeah?” Curry countered, quirking a brow.  “Has your head stopped poundin’?  Has your eyesight returned to normal?  You think you can walk at least five miles each way – in the snow – better’n I can?  Shoot a gun straight at what you're aimin' at?  Honestly?”



“Well... when you put it that way... no,” Heyes admitted with reluctance.

“That’s what I came up with, too.  It’s gotta be me that makes the trip.”

“It’s not your responsibility, Kid!”

“It may not be my responsibility, Heyes, but if Lom was okay, it’d be his.  He’s not.  It’s Artie’s first official day as Lom’s deputy.  We can’t expect any of the passengers to do it, and besides, I don’t think there’s one of ‘em that would volunteer to do it.  I don’t really wanna do it either, but someone has to and no coin toss’ll save me this time.  The passengers know we're deputies, so I figure I’ll check with Lom and Hooter and see if they have any ideas that’ll make the trip easier.”

Silence filled the frigid car.

“That was quite a mouthful there for you, Kid.  I wish it didn’t make sense, but you’ve thought things out pretty well.  As much as I’d like to argue against you going, I can’t.”

Curry rose to his feet.  “Let’s go tell Lom the plan and see what I need to make it back alive and in one piece.”

The two men made their way back to the second car.

~*~*~*~*~*

“There's no way I'm going to let you do my job for me!” Lom blustered.

“And if Sheriff Trevor can't do it then, as his deputy, the job goes to me!” Artie protested, although his worried expression belied his bravado.

“Neither of you are thinkin' straight!”  Curry scowled at both of the lawmen.  “Don't forget that I'm a deputy, too!  Lom, you're arm's busted up and Artie, you're new on the job.  Lom's gonna need both you and Joshua to help him keep peace here while I'm gone.”

The sheriff and Artie exchanged a look.

“Guess you've got it all figured out, huh?”  Lom eyed Curry a moment, then added, “Guess you making the trip does make the most sense, even if I don't like it.”

The Kid nodded.  “Yep.  But I can use all the help and suggestions both of you and Hooter can give me.”

“Let's go find him so we can all talk things over.”

“I'm going to wait right over there while you do your talking.”  Heyes turned to the Kid.  “Come find me when you're done, alright?”

A look of concern crossed Curry's face as he eyed his partner.  “Everything okay?”

“Headache,” he grimaced.

The Kid nodded in understanding and joined Artie, Lom, and Hooter.

Heyes settled down in the corner of a seat, leaned back and sighed.  “It's not just a headache, Kid,” he whispered, watching Curry walk away.  “You're on my mind, too.”



~*~*~*~*~*

An hour later, Heyes forced a smile to his face as his partner returned, his arms full with a coat and boots, a coil of rope and holding a piece of paper in one hand.

“Well, Hooter loaned me a thicker coat and some warmer boots,” the Kid announced as he dropped the articles next to Heyes.  “If I wear an extra pair of socks they fit pretty well.  Said to take some rope, just in case.”  He gave the coil a dubious look, then shrugged.  “It might come in handy, I guess.  He also drew a map of the trail I should take and told me the best route.  It’s a little over a seven-mile trip each way, so dependin’ on how deep the snow is, how fast I can go, and whether I’m travelin’ uphill or on level ground, it should take me about half a day – if everything goes as planned.”

“We both know how often that happens!” Heyes huffed.  “But, on the bright side, we’ve ridden longer trying to stay out of the reach of a posse.”

“Lom even has a plan so that I can get outta here that involves Artie and Hooter.  He told the passengers not to make a big deal of me leavin’; hopes it can go unnoticed by the Miwoks for as long as possible.”

“That makes a lot of sense.”

Curry nodded.  “I’ll feel a whole lot better when I get to that telegraph office and get that message sent off to Cheyenne and the fort.  It’ll be up to you folks to keep things under control here with the Indians ‘til I return.”

Heyes grinned.  “Tell you the truth, I think you’ve got the easier job of the two.”  

“I’ll let you know after I get back,” Curry countered with a grin of his own.

~*~*~*~*~*

Lom stood next to the Kid.  “Get ready to vamoose,” he said quietly, then turned to Artie.  “You ready?”

“Yep, me ‘n Hooter know what to do.”  The deputy joined the trapper on the platform.  Within minutes their voices were raised in anger, shouting and shoving each other as the sounds of their ire escalated.  The passengers clustered around them, filling the windows and doorways as they watched the fight escalate.



Under cover of the altercation, Curry slipped quietly away, ducking out the other side of the train, darting behind some trees as he made his way up the hillside.

“So far, so good.”  The Kid breathed a sigh of relief and quickened his pace.

~*~*~*~*~*

Uphill a bit higher, a Miwok hunting party was returning with their bounty.  Suddenly one of the braves stopped, held up a hand and pointed.  The other two looked in that direction.

Coming towards them, they could see a single man.  Even at a distance, they could see that he was not a Miwok by his clothing.  The three men conversed a moment, then hid behind a group of rocks until the stranger had passed them.  Giving the stranger enough time to put some distance between them, the braves waited long enough for the man to vanish out of sight before they followed in his wake.

~*~*~*~*~*

The Kid stopped long enough to take a drink from his canteen and sucked in deep gulps of fresh, freezing cold air into his lungs.  He was soon on his way again.  It wasn't long before he stopped again and turned to look behind him.

“Gotta funny feelin’...”

Raising a pair of binoculars to his eyes, he scanned the area.  His eyes widened when he spotted two braves stealthily following his trail.  His brow furrowed.  “You’re not far behind me and I sure don’t want you to catch up; I don’t have time to tangle with the two of you!”  Stowing the binoculars, he increased his pace and began to do a slow jog to put even more distance between them.

“Guess maybe I could try that ol’ Indian trick of backtrackin’,” he said thoughtfully and frowned.  “The problem is, with ‘em bein’ Miwoks, it might backfire on me.  I don't have a plan B... I’m just far enough ahead of ‘em that I can at least give it a try!”  He trudged onward a bit further, then stopped and took a quick glance around.  “Well, this looks as good a spot as any.”

He made fresh tracks in the snow for several yards, then carefully walked backwards in the same footprints he had just made.  Making it to the safety of a small group of trees, he leaned back against one to wait.  Pulling his Colt from his holster, he gave it a cursory check.  Hearing the sound of feet crunching in the snow, he edged even further around the far side of the tree to keep out of sight.  A faint smile graced his face when the two braves ran past him.  It quickly evaporated when the two men turned and headed back toward the trees.

Curry cursed, then aimed his gun and fired a warning shot near their feet.  When both Indians stopped in their tracks, he stepped forward.

“Sure hope you understand me, otherwise you’re not gonna live to tell your children the story.”  He gestured with his weapon, pointing it at their bows and arrows.  “Drop ‘em to the ground, nice and easy; no tricks.”

After exchanging a look, the men slowly lowered their weapons, glaring at him.

“I said drop 'em!”  Curry cocked his Colt for emphasis.

The bows and arrows hit the ground.

“That wasn’t so bad now, was it?”  He motioned with his hand.  “Move back.”

They obeyed with reluctance and slowly took a few backward steps.

The Kid took a step forward, then swore, grabbing his arm and grimacing in pain.  Looking down at his left bicep, he saw an arrow sticking through his jacket, blood seeping out on either side around it.  Curry pivoted about and headed back towards the trees. Reaching them, he pitched forward, his right arm braced against the tree trunk, still holding on to his Colt.  He leaned his head against the tree, warily watching the braves as they advanced towards him.



“I can't pass out now!” he whispered as he slid to his knees.  Despite the pain, he managed to get turned around enough to keep an eye on the advancing braves.  

“There's a train full of passengers who are countin’ on me to help save ‘em!”


~*~*~*~*~*

END OF PART ONE


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Oh, a mystery on a train and an injured Kid Curry - what's there not to love! You have a lot of great passengers on this train and helped us keep track of who is who. Great casting and photos! I can't wait for part 2 to see how all of this is resolved.

Love the cast you chose. Nicely described passengers, Ouch poor Kid. Looking fwd to part 2.

What an exciting story. Had to laugh at the mention of Donner's Pass (for reasons I'll explain at a later time). As a Kid fan, this cliffhanger is going to be "making me nervous" for an entire week!. Well done.

A mystery indeed. A great cast of characters. people from many walks of life, stuck together on a train stopped by Indians because of people that sold bad whiskey to them. Heyes and Lom are out of action so it's up to Kid to get help and now he has been shot. What a situation and we have to wait a whole week for chapter two. Looking forward to it.

Great characters! With Lom, Heyes and now Kid injured, how will they get out of this predicament? We have to wait a week to find out. Can't wait for the next "episode."

A two parter with a scary cliffhanger. Can Curry save the day? Who are the mysterious two men who sold the bad alcohol to the Indians? I'll tune in same ASJ time, same ASJ channel next week!

Wow, you gave us a mystery, an adventure story, and a little h/c thrown in for good measure. Nice setting of the scene, I can almost feel the bracing cold of the high alpine surroundings. You did a nice job of casting the large number of characters. Looking forward to part 2.

"It’s what folks do when there’s trouble.  They help each other out.”

Could be the main thread in the first part of your story.
The plot underlines the 'good' part of the two pretty good bad men.
Kid's feeling of responsibility on a larger scale often exceeds Heyes's actions.
"There's a train full of passengers who are countin’ on me to help save ‘em!”
You offer a wonderful characteristic of Kid, including besides his 'good' side his 'bad' side, nothing better than a grousing Curry who builds up a temper...

Also I very much like your description of Lom.
His behavior is really close to the series, including his interaction with the boys.
I could easily visualize his reaction to Heyes' statement,
"We kept ours(badges) nice and safe in our pockets until the game was over.”
In general, Lom certainly is no man to handle Heyes' sarcasm easily.
His relationship with his former gang leaders is always shaped by a certain wariness.

Or his dialogue with Curry,
"Need a little help, Lom?”
“What do you think?!” the sheriff huffed.  “Of course, I do!  And that grin better be gone before I get up!”
Curry held his hands up in mock defense.  “Sheesh, no need to get proddy, Lom.”  He turned to the deputy with a grin.  “Lesson number two: don’t tease the sheriff when he’s down and out."
Also good exchange in,
" Don’t believe everything these two say, Artie,” the sheriff advised.  “They’re always picking on each other; don’t pay ‘em no mind or else you’ll give yourself a sour stomach.  Take it from me, just let ‘em settle it themselves.”

According to the rules, you offer your readers, like on TV, a change of scene starts with a profound description of the surrounding and single scenes.
That's visuable.

Altogether you can say, readers have to use their brain to remember all different names of the passengers at the beginning.
Looking forward to part 2.