The Unexpected Request - Part 58

What a Wonderful Western Wednesday Readers!
I hope it is as wonderful where you are as it is here. Right now it is in the 50s and supposed to get to 73 degrees while being mostly sunny.:) Ah, delightful.


I get to start teaching writing class today!!!! Yay! I've missed teaching. This fall I will only have three students, but that is better than none.:) We are going to have so much fun! It would probably make you jealous if you knew all the fun we were going to have. 


Yes, I have been writing. I'm getting back into it. Sometimes I just have to make myself write a little. Other times I write best when I'm really tired. Go figure that one out if you can.:}


Hope you enjoy this weeks western.

Part 58

    “Shall we go ta the liv’ry an’ check on Starlight?” Ty asked as the three were eating their breakfast the next morning.
    No objections were raised and before long Ty, Carson and Sally were in the street heading for the livery. As they reached the jail, Sheriff Owen hailed them.
    “What’s up?” Carson asked. “Don’t tell me ya let them birds fly the coop.”
    “Hah,” the sheriff scoffed. “They’re not getting out of this jail in a hurry. At least not on their own. I just have some news.” He beckoned them all in.
    “What kind a news?” Ty asked questioningly, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.
    “Well,” began the sheriff, offering a chair to Sally and then perching himself on the corner of his desk, “I got a wire from the U.S. Marshall. It turns out he’s only on the other side of Rockslide Pass and should get here by the middle of the week. He doesn’t think it’ll be hard to get the evidence we need the hang them all, but he was wanting you,” and he looked at Ty, “to tell me exactly where the cave is you mentioned. That is, if you can remember.”
    “I reckon I can recall it, but what good’s it goin’ ta do with the Marshall here an’ that stuff back there?”
    “I don’t know for sure, but I think he’ll either go there himself or contact the closest law to those parts and look for it. Now, can you tell me where it is?”
    “Yep, long’s I ain’t got ta write it.”
    The sheriff smiled. “I’ll write and you talk.”
    Ty nodded and for several minutes thought while the sheriff gathered paper and pen and seated himself at the desk.
    At last Ty began, “Jest ask any a the town folk a Mel’s Ridge how ta get ta Pine Draw. I reckon it’s ‘bout four miles inta it ‘fore ya reach a rock ‘bout the size a that saloon ‘cross the street.”
    Rapidly the sheriff’s pen scratched across the page. Having had a good education, he was well used to writing and as the pause from Ty grew in length, he looked up. “Then where do you go?”
    “Ya got that writ already?” Ty looked astonished.
    “Yep.”
    “Well, I’ll be! I ain’t never seen no one who could write that fast. Now, lemma think, ya got ta turn north jest after that rock an’ folla the trail. It ain’t a large one, but the local trappers can find it for ya. Once ta the top a the draw, ya’ll come ta woods. Jest take a straight north course an’ when ya reach the other side ya’ll find the side a the mountain. It’s mostly jest rock, but ‘bout the middle of the cliff there is, or least there use ta be, a snarly old pine an’ jest behind it and up, oh I reckon, ‘bout three feet’ll be the cave. Course if’n they ain’t uncovered it, it’ll still be piled with rocks.”
    “It sure sounds like you know what you’re talking about, Ty,” remarked Sheriff Owen after he had read the directions aloud and Ty had confirmed them. “Were you ever lost in those mountains?”
    “Only once when I weren’t more’n eight years old.”
    Standing up, the sheriff held out his hand to Ty. “Thank you for helping clear our town of four undesirable residents. You sure you don’t want to stay for a few weeks and help clean up the rest of the town?”
    “Sure,” Ty replied, shaking the sheriff’s hand. “We’re goin’ ta check on the horse now an’ I’m wantin’ ta be gettin’ on today.”
    “Where are you heading?” questioned the sheriff, as he followed the three companions out of the door.
    Carson answered, “Thorn Holler.”
    “Well, if I don’t see you again before you leave, good luck and God speed.”
    “Thanks.”

    “Ah, mine Herrs and Fraulein, you have come to see about your horse, nein?” Herr Rohbar came out of his shop wiping his hands on his large apron. “Vell, I have good news. Ze horse, she ish ready to have ze new shoe put on. Zees days of rest ver vat she needed. Now she get ze new shoe.”
    “What about the other shoes?” Carson asked.
    “On zis horse?”
    Carson nodded.
    “I shecked them. I vill put in a new nail in vone of them, but ze others, zey are fine.”
    Ty turned to Carson, “I reckon it wouldn’t hurt none ta have ‘im check the other horses. I ain’t want’n ta lose another shoe.”
    “Sounds like a mighty fine plan ta me. Gonna take Sally with us?”
    Ty glanced around, but Sally was not to be seen.
    A chuckle came from the blacksmith. “You are looking for ze fraulein, nein? Mine kindders, zay come to ze door to see who their papa talk to. Ven zay see their freund, yer schwester, zay fraulein, zey shmile an’ she go to zem. Ah, ze kindders, zay vill be sad to see ze fraulein go, an’ my Frau Senora Juanita vill too. It ish not many freunds she have here.” The good blacksmith ended his talk with a sigh.
    Carson and Ty exchanged glances. Then Ty spoke. “Mr. Rohbar, if’n we brought our other horses, would ya mind checkin’ their shoes?”
    “Nein! Nein! Bring yer horses an’ I vill check zem.”

    It was shortly after noonday that the travelers, Sally, Ty and Carson rode at last out of Dead Horse, heading for Thorn Hollow. All the horses were in fine spirits after their unexpected rest and pranced and tossed their heads in the warm sunshine. Ty had mixed feelings. Though most of the weight had been lifted from his shoulders when he turned Mason, Poker, Shorty and Duffer over to the sheriff, he still wondered about Bartram. Would he, too, show up at an unexpected time? Must he always wonder and watch? Would he never be able to truly put that experience behind him?

Questions before next week?