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It was the flash of green eyes from under light brown hair
that nearly tripped him up. Leaving the train, he saw that look, and his foot
went between the step and the dock.
If the girl saw he was not sure, but she looked directly into
his eyes and smiled. A smile of understanding, as if the two were already one.
Then she boarded the train.
The Turquoise Cowboy was perplexed. He rubbed the stubble on
his chin. He was in no way presentable, but the time was now or never. Nothing ventured, he figured, and he turned back to
the train. His hand was held so the palm was visible only to the conductor, and he
was waved on.
There were two passenger cars in front of the freight cars
taking ore east. There was no sign of the girl in the first, but when he stepped
into the second one, he saw her sitting beside a matronly looking woman.
That one must be a schoolmarm. I pity her students,
thought the Cowboy.
The girl caught his eye and smiled. It was obvious her seat
mate was a stranger. He nodded and returned to the first car.
What could he do now? He had no plan—just seen the pretty
girl’s face and acted. The rear door cracked, and he got a glimpse of her face as she
motioned him out. She was on the deck above the coupling and wasted no time.
“Please, Sir, I can see that you are an honest gentleman,
and I need your help. Two men robbed me of my father’s gold and want the bag
of Eagles that I have left. If you can help me, I’ll be most thankful.”
“First, Ma’am, call me Turq. And if you point out these
men I can take care of them.”
“They are very dangerous. Please be careful.” Then, as an
afterthought she added, “My name is Jessie Lynn.”
“Okay, Jessie Lynn, tell me what they look like and I’ll
take care of things.”
He found them in the last freight car. Their voices gave them
away, for they were in a small corner inventory office.
“You think we ought to get to the next stop before we grab
her?”
“Yeah, she ain’t going to jump with that dress on. And
she wants to get this bag back, something fierce. She’ll stay and try to talk
us out of it.”
“I believe I’ll be the one to talk you out of it,
gentlemen,” The Turquoise Cowboy sounded gruff, and the two men made no moves
toward their guns. “You know, this is supposed to be a separate room. I’ll
just swing the door here, and you will be fine until the next town.”
“Wait, you don’t understand…”
“Shut up, Zeke, that’s the Turquoise Cowboy. He’d just
as soon shoot you as look at you!”
The Cowboy locked them up and went forward to find the girl.
His reputation was bad, and he like it that way. In truth he was an Arizona
Ranger, but he kept the identity secret. A bad rep kept him out of a lot of
trouble.
“Here you go, Jessie Lynn. I’ll see that these fellows
are gone in Mariaville. Perhaps I can ride with you or the rest of your trip.”
“Oh, thanks, but I’m going all the way to St. Louis.”
At his look of dismay she added, “I’ll be staying with my aunt, Virginia
Crumb, on Center Street. Why don’t you take a vacation and come look me up?”
He smiled. “I just might do that.”
When he had rid the train of the bad men he rode one stop
past and then disembarked. Jessie Lynn gave him a big hug goodbye .She added a
kiss, and his head was spinning as the train lights grew dim in the east.
The Cowboy was just heading for the hotel when he noticed
something amiss. His poke with four thousand dollars worth of gold was gone! He
thought of the girl and smiled.
That kiss had been worth it. And he had learned a valuable
lesson.
Through Denver’s streets the big man strode, and at the
tables he won a lode,
But
he was waylaid by emerald eyes, he soon let go his easy prize
Was
he a smarter but wiser man? No, the next one might change the story.
(From the Ballad of the Turquoise Cowboy)
©2004 StoriesByEmail.com
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