The Saga of Miles Forrest

Funny how situations and circumstances can change things. I had planned on riding up to Silverton, but heard that the passes were still closed. Some who crossed said that I would need snowshoes, but neither Hawk or Star walk well in them. I suppose they were strong enough to break through the snow, but then I didn’t hanker to be camping in it either. Over the years I’ve had plenty of camping in the snow. The bones were getting too old for that.
So I sat in the railcar on the train. Sure missed the stove and coffee they used to keep, but the clamor out there said that it was too dangerous to have a stove in the car. Now I sit, bundled up and still cold. There is talk that next summer they might add a car where we can eat and get coffee, but that sure don’t help me none now.
The rackety rattle of the train moving up toward Silverton did hurt my pondering though. Sure was thinking about the move to Denver. Most likely I would make more money, but then it would cost more to live there. Molly would be around more people, but was that really important as she had good friends in Durango? Plus that ate at me as well. Too many people. Here I was in a people-oriented job, but I really didn’t cotton much to having a lot of folk around me.
As soon as I arrived at the station I went to the Wells Fargo office. I figured they would have coffee on the stove. It may be April, but it was still rather cold, and I knew that at night the temperature would really drop. All of sudden I was glad I wasn’t on Hawk and camped out along the trail in the mountains. A shiver went through me just thinking about it.
I wasn’t to be disappointed. The guys at the office had the coffee sitting on the stove, and it was freshly made as they had already finished off one pot. We did our pleasantries and then I asked if they had seen a one-eyed man.
One clerk, Dobbins, I think was his name, said that he hadn’t but that Radcliff might have as he sometimes frequents that part of town. I didn’t have to ask what part for there was a well-known section of Silverton that dealt with the devil’s devices. Trenton wasn’t the type of man who would normally be caught in that evil-den, but being an outlaw will force a person to do and go places he wouldn’t normally.
“Not sure, Miles, but I thought I saw a man up there with a patch over his eye,” said Radcliff.
“Guess I’ll go get my room and get something to eat and then wait for night and take in the view myself.” I disliked the thought of going up to the devil’s playground, but then, that’s where I find most of the vermin I was looking for.
Evil, desperate men and women, and darkness seem to always go together. I checked into the hotel and the first thing I did was to check my weapons. I wiped them off and checked the loads. Silverton was not a place that you walked around without being alert and prepared. “Hmmm,” I thought, “Walking into the devil’s territory it didn’t pay to be nonchalant and careless.”
Whatever the sinful nature wanted could be found. There were saloons, gaming dens, dance halls, and brothels. Around any darkened corner might be lurking someone waiting to crack your head and take your hard-earned gold. I really disliked this part of my job; it always made my stomach queasy.
I stuck to the gaming halls and saloons. It was down the street when I walked into one saloon and spotted, sitting in the corner, a one-eyed man. He had his hat on, but his hair was long and flowed over his shoulders. Sighing I took the Greener out of the crook of my arm, cocked it, and walked to the table where he was sitting.