The snow was still falling hard and fast, at least the wind wasn’t blowing hard or it would be a real blizzard. I looked back over my shoulder to see if Molly was still following me. I was riding Hawk and we were blazing a trail through the deep snow so that Molly could get to the diner. I had my doubts if anyone would be out, but if so it would be a refuge for those who did venture out in the snow.
A person who didn’t know it was Molly behind me would have thought it some kind of animal following me. She was all bundled up in coats and blankets. Thankfully Hawk didn’t mind real bad that he had to get out of his stall and help me. The train had made it to Silverton, but it was stuck there until who knows when and the telegraph lines were down also. It was a real humdinger of a storm.
I tied Hawk to the post at the back of the diner else he might try to go back to his stall and threw some hay out for him. I’d get him back shortly, but wanted to help Molly get the stoves going. She’d put on a stew and coffee for anyone who might be out. It was cold inside the diner; Molly went to the range in the kitchen and I got a fire going in the stove in the eating area. Soon the room began to warm and there were coffeepots going on both stoves.
While Molly was working in the kitchen, I went around to light the lamps and candles. If the weather wasn’t so bad it would have been kinda cozy. “Miles, see if you can shovel out front,” came her voice from the kitchen. I went to the front door, scraped away the frost to peer outside. There was no way I would be able to open the door from the diner so I headed back to put on my coat and out the back door with a shovel that was sitting next to the woodpile.
For the next hour I worked on clearing the walkway in front of the diner and then a path out to the street. Looking up and down the streets I didn’t see any of the other businesses open except there were lights on at Solly’s, but he had an apartment above the store. Way down the street I did see Moses Vexler out trying to get the door open to the livery. I hadn’t seen snow like this since the time I spent the winter up north of Meeker helping Juanita and her mother through the winter.
With that thought I stopped for a moment to rest on the shovel. I hadn’t thought of her and that winter for a long time. I referred to it as the winter of the wolves, and a lot of other things. It was rough going that winter with the snow, the wolves, and the extreme cold temperatures. Right now I couldn’t recall their names, but I had to kill some renegade men. That was also the time I made friends with Lot Smith. I gave a grunt thinking that I still hadn’t got over to see him to hunt wild horses.
“Miles, hurry up or you’ll be frozen to that shovel,” the sound of Molly’s voice broke into my thoughts. “Finish up and get back inside!”
From what I could see I was finished. I wasn’t about to shovel the road, nor the whole boardwalk. Enough was good enough so I headed back to the diner, this time going through the front entrance. I put the shovel over in the corner at the front entrance as I reckoned I’d probably need it again then headed back to pour me a cup of coffee.
Molly came to join me so I filled her a cup up as well. We both sat close to the stove and I added another log to it. “I’ve got some biscuits in the oven; when they’re ready I’ll make some gravy. We might as well enjoy our coffee.”
“I’ll eat breakfast then take Hawk back up to the stable. He’ll be wantin’ to eat as well. It’s one thing to stand in the cold when sheltered, another altogether out in the open. At least the snow is keeping the temperature from fallin’ too low, but when it stops it could get down around freezin’.”
We sat and chatted for quite a spell when Molly got up to get the biscuits. Right as she left, the door opened and Doc Jones walked in. “Smelled them, did yuh?” I asked.
“Smelled what? Oh, the biscuits…” he replied coming to the table and taking off his coat. “Ever seen a snow like this in December?”
“It’s bad, but at least not terrible cold,” I remarked.
We stared at each other holding the hot coffee cups in our hands. I think we were both thinking the same thing when Doc remarked. “I wonder how much snow they are getting up in Silverton?” What he really meant was, “I wonder if Charlie is all right?”
“It will definitely be a lot more than here,” I replied, then stood to refill my cup from the pot on the stove. “I’m going to check on Marta right after breakfast.”
I had just filled my cup and set down when Molly came out with two plates filled with biscuits and sausage gravy. “Thought I heard Doc out here. I suppose you already ate,” she said teasing him with a plate letting it linger near him.
“Stop it Molly, and put that plate down!” She placed it in front of him then went back to fill a plate for herself.
We had almost finished eating when the door opened and two bundled up creatures walked in. They looked our direction then walked on over to the next table from us that was close to the stove. Worn out, out of work miners from the looks of them as they began to unwrap themselves. Molly was already getting them coffee…