Well, at least you made it back before Christmas,” stated Molly firmly. She looked at myself and Charlie, both us a little dilapidated sitting by the fire. She arched her eyebrow and continued. “Don’t look like you’ll be much use tomorrow for the Christmas dinner. I don’t think there will be as many as there were on Thanksgiving.”
Charlie and I came back on the last train out on Christmas Eve. It was late when we got back to the station. I helped Charlie to his home, then trudged on up to our cabin. I had to bang on the door several times before Molly got up to answer it. Sometimes when she gets to sleep there’s almost nothing that will wake her. The cabin felt warm and cozy after being in that rail car for several hours, then out in the cold and snow taking Charlie home, then sludging through it to get home. I added a couple more logs to the fire and sat down in front of it, slowly taking off my boots and outer clothes.
“Want me to boil some water? I’ll make some tea,” exhorted Molly as she went to the barrel to get water for the kettle.
“Tea?” I questioned, but then decided it sounded good. “Yes, tea sounds good.” I’m normally a coffee drinker whenever it’s available, but once in a while a cup of tea hits the spot. I was shivering when the water started to boil, I added another log to build up the fire. The cold had worked its way into my bones it seemed.
“You look a fright. Let me get some cloth and clean you up some,” she offered, then went to light up the two lamps in the room. “It was bad, then?”
I hadn’t felt my bruises, because I was so cold, but when she put the cloth she had wetted on the gash on my brow, I winced. “Be still, there’s dirt in there, I need to clean it out.” Out gently as she knew how she began to wash out my injury. “How’s Charlie? I do hope you brought him home, Marta has been in a tizzy.”
“He’ll make out. He was already injured when I arrived. I found him on a cot in a vacant warehouse that was being used by miners and their families. He had dislocated his left shoulder and was thumped on the head by someone, but he was conscious and not bleedin’ anywhere.”
“Want to talk about it?” she asked. “They really didn’t evict those poor people just before Christmas and in this horrible weather,” she wondered out loud, not really asking a question.
I gave her a sorta smile before answering. “Well? What happened?”
“When I arrived, I was taken to Charlie. There had been a struggle. It seems that Hoskins and that lawyer, Wilson, had hired a bunch of thugs to clear out the houses. There was quite a fight; Charlie tried to put it down when he was slugged on the head with a blackjack. Welsh miner by the name of Bryn Evans brought me the contract to the house,” I said to stop so I could take several sips of the hot tea. Molly had been able to put just a dab of honey in it. My bones were beginning to warm up.
“There was a clause that read that if the miners were fired or laid off, that they didn’t have to leave their homes for ninety days.”
“But you said, they were forced out!” she interrupted.
Lifting the cup to my mouth I took a long swallow this time as it had cooled off some. “The next mornin’ I went to see Hoskins regarding the contract and was met by a couple of burly men, not miners, but hired men used to fightin’. They let me in to see Hoskins when I showed them my marshal’s badge. That weasel Wilson was there with him. I told them about the clause, but all Wilson did was laugh. He said, ‘that’s intended just like it said, for men fired or laid off, not for those who quit their jobs.'”
I took another swallow emptying the cup. “Molly, it took all I could to not slap him silly. Some folk are just an irritant, and he was one of them. Hoskins hadn’t said anything, and every time he tried he was shut down by Wilson, reminding him that he spoke for the owners. He followed me out of the office, and as I stood between the two burly men I told him, that I was allowin’ the miners to go back to their homes until a court could decide the issue.”
“‘Marshal, this doesn’t concern the federal system. Don’t try to put those miners back in those houses!’ which sounded like a threat to me. I happened to notice him noddin’ so I jammed the barrel of the Greener as hard as I could into the gut of one of the brutes, then brought the stock up catchin’ the other one under the chin, he fell hard off the steps.”
“More tea?” she asked as she reached for my cup. I nodded, then continued with the story.
“I went back to gather the families to tell them to move back in when a miner came runnin’ into the warehouse. ‘Marshal, they’re comin’ for yuh!’ I checked the loads in the Greener then my pistol. I told the miners to stay in the warehouse, that I’d take care of the situation.”
“What I hadn’t counted on was a couple of dozen, hardcases comin’ my direction with Lawyer Wilson in the lead. I started toward them and noticed that Charlie was up next to me. I told him to go back that he was in no condition, but he said that his right arm wasn’t hurt. I smiled at him, and we went to meet them ready to smite them hip an’ thigh which we ended up doin’.”
Molly handed me the cup full of tea. It was a little sweeter this time as she had set the honey jar next to the fireplace and it had softened considerably. “I’m tired,” I informed her.
“Miles Forrest, you’re not stopping until you tell the rest of the story!”
“I lifted the Greener and the crowd stopped. A double-barrel shotgun will have that effect. I told them to go home, told them of the situation, the contract. They didn’t care. They were hired by Wilson in lieu of the owners. Molly, I warned them, I sincerely did. I even told Wilson that he would face the first blast from the Greener. He hollered, ‘Shoot them down!’ My first barrel caught him and those next to him about chest-high. Gun-firing had commenced, and I hadn’t realized that the miners hadn’t obeyed my order for they were behind me shootin’ back at the thugs. I cut loose with the second barrel then pulled my pistol after droppin’ the shotgun. From then on it was ‘Katy-bar-the-door’; it was mayhem. When all was done, probably close to ten people were dead and several others injured. I saw movement from Wilson which surprised me. He raised his arm as I approached. His eyes were glassy, as he opened his mouth, but nothin’ came out, he died lookin’ up at me.”
I handed Molly my cup. “Could you get a blanket for me, please. I’m still cold,” I said looking into her face. “The good Lord was sure protectin’ me and Charlie. Neither of us caught a bullet, and the miners are back in their homes. Joe Hoskins agreed to meet with Bryn Evans to discuss what might be done.
She covered my shoulders with a blanket, then put her hands on top of them…