Just Another Trail Town

[Camille Eonich]

It was a clear night with a full moon that shone almost as bright as the sun.  Camille had banked the fire and was lying back with her head against her saddle sipping whisky out the bottle and smoking her last cigar.  As she watched the smoke curl up she thought about the day to come tomorrow.  It was always an adventure going into a new town.  People didn’t like to see women traveling alone.  Especially a woman dressed like a man with six-shooters on both hips and a rifle in the saddle scabbard.  It couldn’t be helped though, any woman traveling alone better look like a man from a distance and better be ready to shoot when and if needed.

Camille had not always traveled alone but most women didn’t travel under the open sky on a horse and traveling with a bunch of men had been more trouble than being on her own.  Seems she had to draw her guns on more of her “friends” than she had strangers.

Oh well, that was all in the past and she had tomorrow to worry about.  The trip into town the next day was a necessary one.  She still had a long way to go to get to El Paso and her money and supplies were running out.  She had run across the trail of a man with a bounty on his head and the trail led straight into town.  If she could catch him there she could turn in for the bounty.  If not, well then the town was known for gamblin’ and Camille was known to be lucky in cards.

Camille squinted her eyes and took another sip of whisky then puffed on her cigar while mentally checking her gear, guns and ammo.  Yep, tomorrow would be an adventure alright.  She rolled over and dozed off to a light sleep.  Whoa pawed the ground and snorted softly behind her.

[Stump Water]

The Dry Gulch Saloon; El Paso:

Stump Water eyes the cards in his hand, three kings and a pair of fives.  Then he eyes each of the drovers around the table.  It’s a winning hand. But he’s already accumulated a pile of money.  One more winning hand like this and these drovers are going to be angry.

Stump pours a shot of rotgut and tosses it back, then studies his cards seriously.

“I’m gonna hafta fold on this one boys.”

Stump tosses his cards in.

“And I’m gonna take my leave.  You gents have a good night.”

As Stump reaches for his winnings one of the drovers stands abruptly, his hand on the butt of his pistol.

“Not so fast mister!” he says, “You got all my money!”

Stump flips a bill on the table and says, “You lost it in a fair game.  I’ll buy this round.”

The drover says, “I don’t take no handouts!”

Another at the table says, “Siddown Lloyd.  He beat ya square and yer drunk.”  Then grabs up the bill and calls to one of the girls.

Lloyd plops back down in his chair, indignant.

Stump stands and nods at the other drover. “Thanks.” Then moves to the stairs.  After a last look around he retreats upstairs to his room, locks the door and places the chair under the doorknob.  He glances at his pocket watch. “3 am” he mutters, and lies down on the bed.

“I reckon it’s time to move on.”

Stump Water draws his pistol and, with it in-hand, folds his arms across his chest and tries to sleep.

[Arcey]

“HEY LOOK, FELLA….”

“Calm down, yer drunk…”

Chairs and the table go crashin’ as the two men stand quickly.  Other folks in the small saloon scatter ‘n one of the girls screams.

The loser wasn’t fast enough.  He’d tried to flip the loop off’n his hammer but found himself starin’ at the stubby barrel of a Sheriff’s model held rock-still by an ex-law man.

“Ya know, ya should ah left when the others did.  Put the table back on its legs, pick up the pot, put it on the table then get yer stinkin’ ass out of here!”

“Tinhorns don’t go long in this place, Mister.”

“Quit talkin’ ‘n keep pickin’ up money.  I didn’t play yer cards er make yer bets.  Ya lost it all by yerself.”

“But, ain’t by myself here.  I got pards.  Yer gonna see.”

“Ya don’t shut up, get done ‘n get out, yer gonna see some what passed before ya real soon.”

With that, the cowboy slams a stack of bills on the table then turns and leaves.

The new man in town folds the money and puts it in his pocket the walks to the bar.

“A bottle of what ya have, sir.”

“Ya got business here?

“Maybe.”

“Gottah name?”

“Maybe.”

The bottle and money changes hands and a tired man walks thru the saloon ‘n out the batwings.  Droppin’ the bottle in his coat pocket, he pulls a tin ‘n gets a cigarette thens heads for the hotel.

“Evenin’, sir.”

“Evening.  The room in the corner, second floor.  Open?

“Why, yes.”

“I’ll take it day ta day.  Bath tub in here?

“Just down from the kitchen, sir.  Close to the hot water.

“Here are the keys, #23, sir.  Your payment is in order.

“The register, please sir.  Please sign the register.”

*ARCEY*

“Full name, please.”

“That’s as full as it gets……………………”

[Advertising]

[Tensleep]

"Shore know how to draw attention don't ya lil' brother?" The bearded blonde man in the dirty trail worn duster walked through the hotel's open door and over to Arcey. His hand went to the younger man's shoulder. "I watched ya draw that pistol from the corner an' couldn't help notice that yer still slow as mud."

Turning to the counter he wrote "Tensleep" on the ledger. "Gimme the room next to his."

"Got ah drink o' likker for yer brother?"

[Arcey]

"Yeah, bro.  Just fer you.

"C'mon up.  Let's talk 'bout whut kindah trouble we kin get inta this time.........."

[Tensleep]

Tensleep slowly lets his chair rock down onto all four legs.

"So......... I found them two youngsters safe an' returned 'em home. Decided to take me a few days off."

The two brothers were half way down the bottle and had talked for three hours.

"How about we turn in lil' brother? Tamarra is another day."

"Suits me, see ya in tha mornin'. "

Tensleep stands and heads for his room as Arcey prepares for bed.

[Camille Eonich]

Camille wakes to the sound of something rustling in the bushes.  She opens her eyes and looks around without moving, always wary.  A small rabbit sticks it’s head out of the brush and looks at her curiously.  “Stupid Rabbit” she thinks to herself.  She starts to stoke the fire and make coffee and realizes that she’s really not in the mood for it.  She’s ready to get saddled up and get on with the day.

Camille packs up her gear and throws it over Whoa’s back then she climbs up in front of it.  Whoa and Camille have a bond between that only two that have rode many miles together can have and Camille trusts him to know where she wants to go so she eases back in the saddle and lets her mind wander.


It’s pretty certain that not only is the man she is hunting for the bounty in the town ahead but also Tensleep and Arcey are sure to be there.  She wonders if that feller Stump Water is still traveling with them or if he has wandered away on his own.  That one is a unique one she thinks to herself.  But he makes her laugh and she likes him.  If that bunch is in town there is sure to be a ruckus going on.  That could either help her or hurt her.  No matter, they are all friends and it will be good to see real friends again.  The frown of concentration on her face turns to a grin and she sits a little straighter in the saddle and spurs Whoa up just a bit.

[Arcey]

Arcey stands at the window 'n looks at the dirty little town.  The tin cup in his hand is empty.  Thinkin' 'bout the bottle, 'e decides agin it.  Ain't no tellin' whut time it is - watch stopped.

"Well, if it ain't no money in it, won't put up with it long.  Got places ta go." he thinks.

Makin' sher 'e knows exactly where his pistol is, 'e lays out for a few hours sleep.

[Tensleep]

Tensleep stood leaning against a post on the boardwalk in front of the hotel packing his pipe. The sounds of El Paso waking up were all around him. Roosters crowing, the sound of the blacksmith's bellows huffing as it fanned the flmes of the forge, the low whinny of a horse as it greeted the sun were the same as one would hear in most towns... But El Paso was ALIVE!

Shopkeepers were opening doors and sweeping away yesterday's dust. The smell of cooking filled the air. A few words of Spanish could be heard from down the street, a recently freed slave drove a wagon load of mesquite down the rutted track in front of the hotel. Anything could be seen in El Paso from European royalty to ragged indians, buffalo hunters to soiled doves. People on the run, from the law or themselves, seemed to find their way to El Paso. In 1878 nothing much surprised the citizens of this west Texas town.

"Wonder where that worthless brother of mine is? Stump Water was in tha saloon, he must be sleepin' on his coattails. Dammit! I shore don't wanna eat breakfast alone agin............. Mebbe I'll jist git coffee an' wait an' see who shows up."

Turning back to the hotel Tensleep strides into the dining room and sits at a table in the far corner, his back to the wall. The waiter sets a cup on the table in front of the big man. "Breakfast?"

"Naw.... not yet. Bring that pot back an' fill tha cup agin.... I got ah thirst." Tensleep growls as he drains the hot liquid.

As he sits and watches those around him his mind goes to a certain redheaded gal. "Wonder where she is now..........."

[Stump Water]

Stump Water’s eyes open.  A wagon is rolling down the street. Stump stands, drops his pistol in its holster and moves to the window.  The first light of day is showing on the horizon.  There are lights in the mercantile already.  Stump turns to the small dresser, lifts the globe off of the lamp and reaches for a match.  He pauses, replaces the lamp globe and puts the match back in his pocket.  After a splash of water from the basin, Stump reaches into his saddlebag and withdraws a small, oily cloth.  He takes up the Winchester that’s leaning in the corner beside the bed, wipes it down with the cloth and lays it across the bed.  Then he pulls the pistol and unloads it, letting the cartridges fall on the bed.  After the pistol is wiped down with the cloth Stump reloads the pistol, rolling each cartridge in his fingers before it’s dropped in the cylinder.

After the saddlebags are checked, Stump places them over his shoulder.  He dons his hat, moves the chair from under the doorknob, takes up the Winchester and eases out of the room.  Despite his best efforts the door latches with a loud “click”.  Stump shakes his head at his clumsiness. And moves down the hall.

A floorboard creaks in the hallway behind.  Stump stops, listens briefly and turns.  Nobody there.

[Stump Water]

Stump Water stepped out of the saloon and glanced up and down the street.  Things were starting to move.  Stump scratched a match on the wall and lit a cheroot, all the while surveying the street for anything out of order.  He’d been here for three weeks, so every window, door and alleyway was familiar. Satisfied, Stump stepped off the boardwalk, crossed the street and went in to the hotel.

Once inside Stump turned to go into the dining room and pulled up short.  Stump leveled his eyes at the big bearded blonde man leaning against the back wall drinking coffee.  The big man gazed back across his coffee cup and slurped deliberately.  Stump Water's right hand went slowly to his pistol butt and his left held the Winchester lightly. 

With the cheroot clamped in Stumps teeth, “I’ve been in this town a fortnight ‘n a half.  I’ve taken breakfast in this café every monrin’.  But this is the FIRST time I’ve seen a buzzerd in here.”

Stump rolled the cheroot on his lips and clamped down again, staring at the big man.

[Tensleep]

"Yeah? Well buzzerds know their own kind on sight from what I hear. Take yer claw off that pissol an' drag up ah chair. We kin drink coffee er somethin' stronger an' wait ta see what kind o' carrion this town holds."

Tensleep watches the lanky younster move to the table and slide into a chair. The rifle stands where he can lay hands on it quick if need be. 'Sleep pours a cup for Stump and refills his own.

"So, what brings a young buzzerd to El Paso?"

[Stump Water]

Stump threw his hat in a nearby chair and took a sip of coffee.  With a grimace on his face he dumped two heaping spoons of sugar in the cup.

“Ack.  Never could stand that stuff straight-up.  Rolled in three weeks ago… was trailing a cold wanted poster… man goes by Sam MacCreedie.  Got word he’s gonna be through here but I ain’t seen ‘im yet.  Reckon he’s done in Old Mexico.” 

Tensleep snorted and rolled his eyes.  “Thought you looked awful ‘trail weary’.”

Stump grinned. “Aaannnyyyway… I found a poker table or two to pass the time.  And it’s been good.  That is, until that drover almost threw down on me last night.”

“You too?”  Tensleep asks.

“Yeah.  Made up my mind to get shut of this town after that.  Figger my luck was dryin’ up.  Whadda ya mean ‘me too’?”

“Down the street at tha Sweet Water, Arcey had ta back a feller out tha door with his pistol.”

Stump set down his coffee with a thump, slumped forward and hit his head on the table with a thud, feigning a faint.

Tensleep chuckled and sipped his coffee.  Deliberately slurping again. 

After a pause Stump looked up at Tensleep, “Arcey’s in town too?!”

[Tensleep]

"Fraid so................. all we seem to be missin' is tha lil redheaded gal. I was thinkin' about her this mornin'. Heard from her?"

'Sleep took another long pull from his cup. Stump's eyes were hooded as he pictured Camille Eonich.

"I always figgered she fancied you boy."

[Stump Water]

Stump Water coughed & spat coffee on the floor, then wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve.

“Damn, Buzzerd.  Fancied me?!  Well if she did she never let on.  I mean… she was nice enough… weren’t hateful ‘er nothin’…. but fancy?”  Stump waved his coffee cup at Tensleep and squinted one eye.  “Yer a few oats short of a full bag.”

Tensleep smiled and leaned forward, “I been called a lot worse’n that.”

“And I reckon that’s why you thought I might’a heard from her.  Which I ain’t… not since we all split up down in Bisbee.”

[Arcey]

"Well, well.  Good mornin', gents.............."

Arcey strollls in 'n slaps Stump on the shoulder.

"I see you've found this town's esteemed guest, my much older brother.  Must say he don't gag most folks causin' 'em to lose their coffee tho 'e is right ugly."

Arcey shoots 'Sleep a wink then pulls out a chair 'n sits it the table.

"Couldn't help but o'erhear.  That hell fire l'il redhead is headin' this way, huh?"

[Tensleep]

"Doan know thet she is...... jist askin' Young'un if he had heard from 'er. Yanno, think she kinda took ah fancy ta him down in Bisbee." Tensleep puffed his pipe. "Damned if I kin understand what she might see in him." The wink 'Sleep gave Arcey told him to pile it on.

[Arcey]

"Ain't sa much whut she sees 'in' 'im iz it iz whut she sees 'thru' 'im, the boys sa damned thin."

Cup of coffee is set down in front of Arcey by one of the maids.  He grimaces at the taste of it.

"This stuff mustah been boiled up from ole seegar butts.  Damn, that's bad!

"Been pokin' 'round early.  Talked ta the sheriff.  Careful whut y'all say 'round 'im, likes ta talk.  Tells me yer lookin' fer sum Sam McCreddy er McCruddy er sumthin', Stump.  Heard some talk awhile back.  Sam ain't real healthy namore.  Still, a yap runnin' sheriff kin get ya shot in the back.  Ya come 'cross sumthin', holler 'n we'll do it tagether."

[Stump Water]

Stump pushes the sugar bowl toward Arcey.

“Good ta see ya ol’ farts again.  Now, if yer done with yer gee-hawin’, how ‘bout some grub.  Edna!!”

An old woman totters in and Stump orders ham, eggs and biscuits for the three.  They chat idly. Directly the food is brought in and they eat in silence. 

Arcey drops his fork on his empty plate with a clank, pushes back from the table and stands up.  “I’m gonna poke around some more.”

Tensleep jabs a fork in the last piece of ham, “I’m with you brother.”

Stump grabs his hat and slaps it on, takes up the saddlebags and retrieves the Winchester.  “This outta be interesting.”

Out on the porch, Arcey digs out his tin and makes a smoke, Tensleep packs his pipe, and Stump lights a new cheroot.

After a moment Stump offers quietly, “Arcey.  I ain’t all hell-bent to find this MacCreedie feller.  And… yer dead-on about that Sheriff.”

Tensleep draws on his pipe, “It’s a good day!”

Stump blows a smoke ring, “Yep.  If ya doan let an ol’ ex-Lawman and an ol’ ex-Ranger git ya inta trouble.”

Stump glances at Tensleep and Arcey.  Together they shrug and blow a puff of smoke.

[Camille Eonich]

As soon as Camille passes the Welcome sign in the small trail town she realizes that it’s way to quiet, even for this early in the morning, for Arcey and Tensleep to be there.  The smile vanishes from her face and is replaced by a frown.  She reins Whoa in a to a slow walk.  “Wonder where in the heck the old goats got to” she thinks to herself.  Oh well, no  matter there’s business to be took care of and they would just slow her down with all their rabble rousin’ anyway.

She pushed her hat back out her eyes just a bit so that she can see better and takes in every inch of town that she can see.  Picking out the stores and the alleys, taking note of each person and how they are dressed.  She can tell what part each person plays in town by the way that they move and the clothes that they have on.  Traveling through so mamy towns has taught to take notice of such things.

Skipping out on coffee and breakfast has left her with a thirst and a hunger but she decides to wait on that and seek out the sheriff.  Once she finds out if he’s seen Sam MacCreedie she can satisfy the growling in her belly.

Whoa stops himself right in front of the sheriff’s office, he always knows, and she lets out a low chuckle as she bends forwards and pats him on the neck.  “You could read my mind from day one couldn’t ya ol’ feller?”

She hears the turn of the door knob and sits back up in her saddle, waiting for it to open.  The door swings wide with a squeak and a big man saunters through.  “And that would be the sheriff” she thinks to herself.

“Howdy sheriff, nice quiet town you got here,” she says in a low tone.


The sheriff stops in mid step and looks up at her on her horse.  She can see the immediate curiosity on his face and his attempts to control it and hopes that there won’t be any trouble from him. 

“Maam, it is indeed a quiet town.  We have nothing here but good law abiding citizens and I am to see that it stays that way.  What brings a young filly like yerself into town all alone like you are”

Camille manages to keep the heat of anger from her face and ignores the “young filly” comment.  Best just to get this over with and get back on the trail to El Paso as quick as possible.

“Well Sheriff, I came across the warm trail of a man named Sam MacCreedie on my way into town.  Ya ain’t seen him here about have you?”

“Now what’s a little girl like yourself doing looking for a man like Sam MacCreedie?  He’s a man with a bounty on his head.  Hear tell that he’s been rapin’ and killin’ all the way from Arkansas.  You ain’t his woman are ya?”
Camille gets control of her emotions again before they can show on her face.  She grins broadly at the sheriff and hopes that he’s as easy as she thinks that he is.

“Nossir Sheriff, I aim to catch him and collect a bounty on him”

“Now, now little lassie, you better leave the bounty hunting up to men what can handle it.  ‘Sides that Sam McCreedie is long gone from here.  He tried to sneak into town a day or two ago and one of my deputies spied him.  We gotta posse out after him now.  Last I heard they were heading straight for El Paso.  Just a few miles out.”

Camille contains her rage again and watches the big man stick his chest out and loop his thumbs in his bracers.

“I hear tell that Miss Lucy over at the bordello has an empty room.  You should just run on over there and she if she can put you to work.  Heck, pretty little thing like you, I might even be your first customer” he says and breaks into raucous laughter.

Camille grins broadly again, playing the idiot that he thinks she is and replies, “Bounty hunting ain’t real easy at that.  Maybe I will just settle in at Miss Lucy’s.  Thankee kindly for your help sheriff.  Maybe I’ll see you real soon.”   She casts what she hopes is a shy grin at him as Whoa starts backing up from the hitching post.

Camille is seething as she walks Whoa slowly down the street.  “Damned old fool, bet he don’t know a woman from a sheep” she thinks.  Time for plan B.  "Hope that the hostler is a bit of a fool and ain’t too nosy" she thinks to herself.