Rotedrachen's Page

Chapter Three

Will took Carrie's advice, and invited Becky to go hunting. After she agreed to go with him in the morning, he pondered on what rifle to let her use. Two things decided the answer. First, it would have to be a weapon that he felt she would like. Second, he wanted to make sure there was plenty of brass for it. With her temperament, he didn't want to be the one to tell her that she couldn't use the weapon after she became attached to it.

Frank had assured Will that he could make more cartriges. The smith spent over an hour dismantling and studying a couple. He seemed to think that he could make molds well enough to duplicate them exactly. Will hoped so, he didn't want to think about what would occur if they didn't fit the weapons correctly.

Will chose an 1876 Winchester .45-70 for Becky. It was an original, and he had always liked it himself. The rifle was made in 1896, and was one of the last produced. For his own armament, he decided on a model 1886. It was also a Winchester, but was a .45-90. He often used this rifle for hunting. It was also an original, manufactured in early 1887. This was the first lever-action repeater designed by John Browning. Will always believed it was the finest of all the early Winchester rifles. Reloading cartridges was also a snap. It was just one more reason to like the weapon.

He and Becky left at sunup, and she seemed to be in a much better mood than last night. It hadn't started out that way, however. She had seemed a bit surly when Will had her try the winchester.

She began by complaining, "Ain't a damn thing that you can teach me 'bout shootin' a gun!"

Her tune had changed quickly after only one shot. "This is one fine rifle!" she had said. "I could take down a darn Buffaler with this!"

Will had assured her that was 'doable'. In fact, though he couldn't mention it, the weapon she was holding had been a favorite on the plains for just such an activity. They didn't expect to see any, though. This wasn't Buffalo country.

Will took the same pistols he had been using from day one. The 544's just'felt right', somehow. Choosing a sidearm for Becky turned into an adventure. First, he had to overcome tradition.

Her first response had been, "You want me to wear what? The men around here would have puppies!"

"Last time I checked," Will responded, "I was a man. I don't feel a litter comin' on quite yet."

His deadpan expression brought a momentary smile to her face, but it didn't last long.

Look, Will. Folks just don't do that around here. They don't like to even see a female with a long gun. A pistol would set 'em off for sure!"

He still had a hard time understanding the mentality of men in this place. He scratched his head and asked "Why the hell is that?"

"Most men are probably afraid they'll shoot the bastard that owns them. master.

"You can knock that shit off about right now," Will calmly replied. "In case you ain't noticed, I'm not most men. If there was any way I could get rid of the whole 'slave' thing between us, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Will could have sworn she was tearing up when, in a soft voice, she said "So, you don't really want me then?"

He was nearing the end of his patience. Perhaps that was why he said what he had been avoiding since he laid eyes on her.

"Oh, I want you all right. I want you very much. What I don't want, is to own you."

"Damn it!" Becky whimpered, "There you go again, being all sweet and shit! I wish you didn't own me, I like you too much!"

An idea occurred to Will, and he asked. "Is there any rule against a woman working for pay?

Becky looked confused, but after a last sniffle, said "No, but the men usually take all the money they make. Why do you ask?"

Will smiled. "Well, since I'd like to have some cuttin' horses, and you're a horse breeder, I figgered I'd give you ten golds for five good un's, provided they're trained. I'd be happy to pay in advance, so you could have the cash you need to get started."

What are you, some kind of sucker? It would only cost a..."

Will could have sworn he saw a light bulb over her head about then.

"I could pay you back! That's what you mean, isn't it?"

He just nodded, and she asked "What then? Are you just going to turn me loose and send me on my way?"

"If that's what you want, you'd be free to do it" he answered.

"What do you want?" was her reply.

"You, with no strings attached," He answerd.

Before he knew what hit him, his arms were full of redhead. He managed to catch her without hitting the ground, if barely, and kissed her.

She seemed very surprised at first, and also woefully lacking in experience. Her enthusiasm more than made up for it. When they finally parted, he felt like he'd been kissed about as thouroughly as possible.

She looked up at him like the cat that ate the canary. "You really shouldn't have done that," Becky smirked.

After Will asked why that was, she smiled. "Around these parts, if you kiss a free woman, it's a proposal."

He couldn't resist. "How do they answer?"

"Well, in my case... You're still breathin' ain't you?" She added an exclamation point with another kiss.

It took a while, but they managed to get back to the business at hand. Will tried Becky out on several different handguns. She eventually decided on one he liked a bit. It was an Uberti reproduction of the old Colt single-action Army, also chambered for .44/40 rounds.. Becky preferred this over the double-actions that Will liked. 'To each their own,' Will thought.

After twenty rounds or so, she was reasonably profficient. She claimed to have only fired a pistol a couple of times. If that was the case, she did damn good!

They travelled five miles or so before hobbling the horses and moving on foot. They had hoped to find a deer. They ended up with nuch more than they bargained for.

Becky was at least as much at home in the forest as Will was. As they moved silently through the trees, they heard some unusual, but familiar (at least to Will), sounds.

The first was an angry womans voice yelling "Git, you varmint! Skeedaddle!"

The second was the unmistakable sound of a bear that was not pleased. After checking to make sure they were upwind, they crept closer.

It was an awesome sight to behold. It also scared the bejeebers out of them. The largest Grizzly Will had ever seen seemed to have 'treed' someone. The only thing saving her was the fortunate fact that an adult Grizzly can't climb. They're just too fucking huge.

Unless Will missed his guess, this one had to be sixteen hundred pounds, if it was an ounce. To make matters worse, the wind shifted.

Naturally, the bear caught their scent. He (or she), evidently decided that two on the ground were better than one in the tree. With a hungry snarl, it loped their way. It was only thirty yards away when they fired so closely together that it sounded like one shot. After a couple of stumbling steps, it fell.

Will kept an eye (and his rifle) on it, as Becky went to check on the grizzly's would be dinner. By the time she returned with the thirty-something year old woman, he was pretty well convinced that it was dead. He prodded a couple of times to be sure.

The rescued woman was thankful. She was also pissed off at herself.

"If I hadn't of dropped my damn gun like some tenderfoot, when it snagged on that fuckin' bush! Anyway, I be thankin' ye. Slidin' down that monster's gullet woulda' ruined my entire evening!"

Becky and Will both cracked up. After a second, so did the woman.

She introduced herself as Nancy, and told them she lived a few miles west of where they were. She had been hunting, the same as them. By the time she figured out the bear was stalking her, it had almost been too late. She walked about twenty feet and picked up a musket. On the way back, she was studying their weapons.

"Don't think I ever see'd a rifle-gun like them you got," she observed. "Ah'm right glad to see em' now, though!" She studied the bear for a minute and observed "Y'all seem to know how to use 'em, too! One 'pears to be a heart shot, but the other one is right square betwixt his beady little peepers!"

Becky looked pleased. 'As well she should,' thought will. The head shot had to have been hers. He was sure where his had gone.

Nancy's mount had run off, for obvious reasons, and it took them a while to track it down. She offered to help them 'pack the critter home', and they quickly accepted. Even with the tools Will had brought, it was sundown before they headed back.

Nancy told them a bit about herself, but not until she found out through the conversation how they felt about the slavery issue. It was a revelation to her.

"I never heard o' no man not wantin' to own somebody," she admitted. I gave up hope a long time ago findin' me a man like that. That's why I moved way out here where there ain't no people. I swore a long time ago that there ain't no man ever gonna call me 'property', I'll shoot 'em first!"

She looked at Becky, and shot a thumb towards Will. "Is there any more like that where he come from?"

"Depends," Becky said with a smile "on how you feel about older men."

"How old we talkin'? Can he still sit a saddle and chew his own meat?"

Becky laughed befor saying "That and more. He's fifty-three, and danged handsome. Until I met this critter here, I figgered to never know another man that good."

"That ain't old," Nancy said. Sounds like you know this feller pretty good. Who is he?"

"My pa. He's the best judge of horse-flesh I ever seen, and one of the hardest workin' men, too. I think he's what a man ought to be. If'n Will here don't let it go to his head, I'd even say that they're a lot alike."

They caused quite a stir upon their arrival. After the story was told, the four brothers volunteered to take care of the meat and the skin, while they got cleaned up. The bear had been some messy work. They had so much blood on them that it looked like the grizzly had won the fight!

After they got presentable, Nancy proved that she was about as subtle as Becky. She grilled poor Jess all evening. He didn't seem to mind much. Will couldn't blame him. Nancy was an attractive woman. She was built strong and solid, but that didn't mean all the curves weren't right where they belonged. The outfit of cotton pants and flannel shirt, served to paint an outline of a fantastic figure.

If Jesse was pleased, Carrie was ecstatic. She squealed and rushed to hug the redheaded cutie. While they were occupied, Will made a trip to his safe. When he emerged, he started playing 'paymaster'.

First, he gave two golds each to Wei, Lian, and Gengi. He explained that it was their pay for doing the chores and housework. Then he handed ten golds to Becky. She immediately gave five back.

She turned to Jess and said "Now I can make it official, since I'm a free woman!" She gave Will a toe curling kiss to seal the deal.

The three chinese girls looked uncertain, but after a long consultation with Carrie, they each proceeded to give Will one gold in return for their freedom. The brothers would be happy soon. Very soon, probably. Amy was already headed for the door. Before she made it, Will stopped her. He gave her two golds of her own, with the same excuse. He got a hug from her, as well, when he said that he was pretty sure Amy had 'something' she would surely want to buy with it.

Will broke out some beer, along with some of his 'good stuff'. Jess about fell over when he got his first sip of good Kentucky bourbon. Carrie and Becky had to break them apart after an hour had passed. Jesse was determined to find out every little bit of information he could about the way it was made. Half of that time was explaining the 'sour mash' process and why charred oak barrels worked best.

When Will learned why the girls were so impatient, he was, also. Carrie had learned another interesting little fact about this place. It turns out that all you had to do to get married, is say that you were! He and Carrie hadn't been 'living in sin' after all!

In mere moments, Will and Becky were also married. No sooner than that happened, a 'thundering herd' stampeded through the door. It turns out they weren't the only newlyweds in the bunch. From the way Nancy was snuggled up with Jess on the recliner, there would be another pretty soon!

Carrie insisted that Becky and Will sleep alone the first night. As it turned out, Will figured nobody in the county slept. Maybe nobody in the whole state!

Some women are bold and outspoken in public, but meek as a lamb in private. Not Becky. As soon as the door closed, she was getting naked. That wasn't a problem for Will. He happily joinded her in nudity. In fact, he was getting happier with every stitch she shed. The red-headed woman was quickly nude and ready to pounce in moments.

She was hotter than a two dollar pistol! Will took in her naked splendor and smoldering eyes. He wisely refrained from mentioning any reference to a 'burning bush', but it would have been a valid statement. He could swear he saw smoke coming from her neat, flame colored, pubes.

She was a vision, but the tan lines were so stark that it was almost comical. Women here didn't exactly run around in bikinis. Becky's arms and face sported a dark tan. The rest of her was white enough to blind him! The freckles stood out prominantly, but in no way detracted from her beauty.

Will didn't know about Becky, but the quick wipe-down after they got home didn't suffice to make him feel clean. Thankfully, he had a nice bathroom attached to the main bedroom, complete with a large shower. This was (after some cajoling), enough of a novelty to entice her to join him there. She had never had a shower before.

He didn't think even cold water would help, but almost turned it on to see. She didn't want to stop kissing long enough to get clean. Washing her himself only made it worse, especially the lower parts! The only time her lips seemed to leave his was when he attacked the nipples that were doing their damndest to bore twin holes in his chest.

Finally, they were semi-clean and almost dry. She ran to the bed. Will almost asked if she had been comparing notes with Wei, but wisely refrained from doing so. She assumed the same 'my legs are spread, so fuck me already' position that the small china doll had.

Will was a creature of habit. When an invitation like that was presented, he had but one response. Becky never knew what hit her. With her eyes closed, she had no idea until Will's tongue attacked her delicious red furred snatch. She went absolutely ape-shit!

The first discovery Will made about his new bride was that she was a screamer. If this girl was having fun, then by god, the world was gonna know it! From the sound of things, she was enjoying herself quite a bit.

His second discovery was that she absolutely loved to fuck. He was thankful that he hadn't attempted to force himself on her. She probably would have killed him. She was coming pretty close now, and she was willing! After five minutes, her screams rose at least three octaves and she started biting and clawing. Her ass was going wild, too. Will was having trouble staying mounted!

In self-defense, he threw her legs over his shoulders and began to do a little 'power fucking'. She seemed to love that even more. Then he gave her a good whack on the ass. Big mistake!

That sparked an orgasm that caused the walls to shake, and she screamed "Do it again! Beat my ass, you brute! Don't slow down, neither!

One more smack broght a FuucckkMeeee!!! as she had the best one yet.

Will watched her eyes roll up in her head as he collapsed next to her. She was out cold. He shook his head and wondered what he had gotten himself into. He went to the bathroom to check his back.

Sure enough. she had drawn blood in several places. There would be some bruises on his shoulders from her teeth, too. 'Damn!' he thought, 'I'm either gonna have to put her on her hands and knees every time, or tie her up! Hmmm, now there's a thought... I wonder if she'd like that?'

Becky was awake again by the time he got back to bed, and ready for more. She wasn't a bit apologetic about being loud. "I don't care who knows how fantastic my husband is in bed!" she explained. "Let 'em be jealous!"

When she saw what she had done to him, however, she was sorry as could be. "I swear I had no idea! I was so out of it, I just went wild! Nothing has ever felt that damn good before. All I could think about was that big thing in me, and how I wanted more of it!"

Will had a suggestion for round two that sounded safer. It might help her burn off some of her seemingly boundless energy, too. She loved it on top. After she let the world know that, and they had recovered some, she whispered in Will's ear "Do you think you could do it to me from behind again?"

"If there's anything left, Id be happy to" He replied.

Her voice lowered even more, as if she was embarassed. "Would you spank my ass some while you do it? I really liked that."

This was the only time he'd heard Becky sound even remotely meek. Her request must have touched something in Will that he didn't know was there, his dick knew though. The damn thing perked right up!

Before they started that, She decided to return the favor for what he had done in the beginning. There are some situations where enthusiasm is not a good thing. Giving head is at the top of that list. Will was patient though, and Becky was a good student. He didn't let her finish, however. He wasn't sure he had four in him tonight, especially with Becky!

In four strokes, the headboard was playing a tune on the wall. Becky let everyone know she liked the song it was playing. The high notes followed every slap on her ass. The lyrics were a little monotonous. Will didn't think "Harder," SLAP, "YEesss!" repeated twenty times before a scream, would ever make the top forty. It sounded fine to him though. It felt even better!

Will was up before Becky in the morning, or more precise, later that day. She hadn't been completely sated until after four O'clock. It was six-thirty when Will stumbled into the kitchen. Carrie, Jess, and Nancy were there already. Will thanked whoever was responsible profusely when he discovered there was coffee.

As he got a cup, he heard two women gasp, and Jess say "Damn!, that girl o'mine really is a wildcat! She done clawed you to ribbons!"

He knew that he should have worn a shirt. He had tried, but it felt better without one.When Will turned around, Carrie was gone.

Nancy noticed his concern, and said "Don't worry. She just went to get some salve to put on what's left of you." She shook her head. "You must be somethin' else in the sack. Y'all kept the whole danged house up. at least those that wasn't doin' the same dance! Them others led the boys to their doom once they heard the racket."

She took Jesse's hand, and the rancher actually blushed. It got deeper when she added "Poor Carrie was all by her lonesome after a while. I know it's quick, and I s'pect you and your 'wild child' had a thing or two to do with it, but me an' Jess done got together, too. Can't say as I'm complainin' or anything, though. I done found out where Becky gets it from! I jus' be glad I hain't got no claw marks on me!"

Jess was rescued by Carrie's return, and lightened the mood as she spread the soothing substance on Will's back. "Your new wife asked for breakfast in bed. Seems she can't seem to walk this mornin'. We ain't got no salve for that particular spot, neither."

Will's new father-in-law shook his head. "That girl never did nuthin' half-way. It's a wonder she didn't kill y'all both. It did kinda sound like somebody was mortally wounded fer a while there, though."

"That's enough, pa," we heard from the doorway. Becky walked gingerly into the room and sat on Will's lap. She pulled Carrie in for a three-way hug and groaned. "Darn good thing there's two of us to satisfy this brute. I'm sore all over! Most fun I ever did have workin' though. How come you never warned me 'bout things like that, pa?"

Jess looked solemn as he replied "Because most men are a lot more like Zed, than the man you got. If you was tender after a night with that sorry excuse for horse leavin's it'd most likely be from a busted jaw."

I'd guess you're pa is right on that, honey" said Nancy. That's why I was way out in these parts. Never expected to find good'un, much less one to find me. I ain't no expert on your predicament. I got a touch of it myself, in fact. Best hurt I ever had though, and worth every bit of it.

"I don't doubt it a bit," chuckled Becky "but just the same, He's all Carrie's tonight. Maybe all week! Once I git rested though, I think I'll be right back in the saddle."

The rest of the crew stumbled in then. They all looked just as happy. Amy was positively glowing, and never left Hap's side. Will suspected she had never been treated the way Hap treated her. It looked like she was almost as pleased as the young feller was.

After the flapjacks were gone, everybody got busy. There was the bear skin to deal with, a forge to build, a still to tend to, and a multitude of other items. Becky wanted to look for breeding stock, but couldn't possibly sit a saddle. That pissed her off, but once Nancy reminded her of the reason, she smiled again.

One big reason Frank was so anxious to get the forge going was to make a saw blade. He thought he could make a small sawmill capable of providing the lumber for the houses and outbuildings we would need. Will wished him luck, and cornered Carrie.

He wanted to make a couple of more trips to the gold deposit, figuring they could use all they could tote to the cabin. Sooner or later, the others would find out about the gold. Will and Carrie both hoped they would show a little common sense about it. Gold did strange things to people. Will also wanted to take a closer look at the creek behind his cabin.He couldn't recall hearing if there had been gold found there before, but it sure was a likely spot.

Carrie found indications of where they should dig first. Amidst the roots of a bush growing out of the hillside, she found some significant color. They began to dig, using the tools they had brought with them. The tools in Will's shed were not exactly made for the job, but would have to do. Neither of them wanted to buy tools that were obviously made for mining in town.

Will managed to uncover enough room to work with a pick, and they began to use hammers ans chisels on the vein Carrie had found. It seemed to be rich in gold, and actually increased in size as it went deeper. They worked all day at it, stopping only for lunch. By then, another hundred pounds or so was bagged and ready. After covering up as much of the activity possible, they headed homeward.

These bags joined the rest without notice from anyone. After getting cleaned up, it was time to eat. The menu included bear steaks, and they were quite tasty. Will had never even considered eating a bear before. 'All in all', he thought, 'I'd rather eat him, than the other way around!'

After supper, they all discussed the workload. Running around helter-skelter wasn't proving productive. Much of what each man was doing was not a one man job. As a result, things were moving slow. Fortunately, they had common sense enough to realize it. The list was prioritized.

Will discovered that the others had already figured it out. First, they would help Frank with the forge. Since the saw blade would come from there, this was a necessity. After that, would come the sawmill. That alone would be time-consuming. In order to create the power needed, the creek would have to be dammed, and the water diverted to the wheel. They would build the dam slightly downstream from Will's hydro plant.

None of them knew a thing about how the electricity was generated, so the mistake was easy to make. Will explained that if the creek was dammed, the water flow through his turbine would slow down, at best. There wouldn't be any more electricity if that happened.

He suggested an alternative. They should dig a diversion trench for the mill. When it was almost complete, and the mill structure built, it would be opened at both ends. This way the flow wouldn't be disrupted. If they needed more power, they could dam the creek afterwards to increase the speed of the flow.

Will had another secret to reveal. The wonders of the electric saw. He didn't have anything remotely large enough for a log, but he had a table, band, jig, and circular saw. These would be helpful. It was too bad he didn't have an electric chainsaw. He did have a couple of good gas powered ones, but when the hundred gallon tank of fuel he had stored was gone, they would be useless.

Theoretically, it was possible to convert his gas powered equipment to ethanol. Will thought he might be able to pull it off, or at least increase the blend to stretch the fuel supply. One of his chainsaws was almost new, and he had bought it on a whim. It ran on straight gasoline. He may have bought it for the novelty factor, but that small fact could prove to be beneficial. It would be possible to convert it. He hoped that he could do this for his tractor, also. It wasn't huge, but it sure made planting the garden easier!"

From what Will understood, this involved boring out the main jet in the carb by twenty to forty percent, as well as adjusting the mixture and timing. The tractor and saw already used plastic instead of rubber hoses. They could even use the sawdust from the mill to distill the alcohol.

The plan was to install the forge in Will's garage, but first it had to be emptied. This required even more explaining. How do you make someone understand what a 4x4 pickup is? Much less, where it came from.This, the tractor, and all the other gadgets were just too much. Carrie suggested that they confess, and Will agreed. 'Hell', he thought', with all they've already seen, it shouldn't be that hard.'

He turned out to be mostly correct. No mention was made of the how, or why of their trip. That was left as a mystery. A lot of head scratching went on, but the Dodge 1500 four wheel drive pickup cinched it.

It also caused another idea to percolate to the surface of Will's mind. One of the reasons he had bought it, was because it had been one of the first E85 Flex Fuel pickups. Eighty-five and a hundred percent weren't all that different, and the climate was mild in the area, so...

Will discussed the possibility of pulling the engine, and powering the saw blade. It wouldn't be a permanent solution, but it would sure make construction easier until the mill was finished. Heck, they could use it to build the sawmill!

This idea caused some rescheduling. While the brothers were close, the close quarters in the barn had caused some embarassing moments, once their new wives joined them. It was decided by all that they'd build some small cabins. This would be done before the mill, but after the saw was ready. Frank thought he could make everything work, if he only had that blade, so a trip to town was planned to order one. He figured that we would have it faster that way.

This time, everyone except for the Lian, Genji, and Wei wanted to go along. They still preferred to avoid horses whenever possible. They all went armed, even Amy. Her weapon was a .22 caliber Ruger, and small enough for even her to hide. Jesse was just plain awful with a handgun, but the twelve guage Mossburg pump he was carrying (loaded with double ought shells) would suffice.

Will had been worried about Artie. He chose the Smith and Wesson Model 460XVR. This was the most powerful handgun in existence when their impromptu trip had occurred. I would fire a 200-grain bullet at a speed of 2,330 feet per second.Will had only fired it a few times. The damn thing would take a man out at two hundred and fifty yards! He made sure to enforce that no shots be wasted, and all brass saved. The 'hand cannon' used a .460 magnum cartridge, and Will only had a little over five hundred of them.

Frank wasn't much better. He chose the Smith and Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum. The famous "Dirty Harry Special" was second only to the XVR in power. Carrie and Nancy both had a .32 hidden under their vests in shoulder rigs, to remain as inconspicuous as possible. This time, trouble slapped them in the face as soon as they arrived.

The first words Will said were "What the hell is it with these people? Do they do this shit every day?"

Everyone else was just as mad. Another fucking auction! Will supposed it was a 'sell 'em as you get 'em' type of thing. One young girl was on the block, and the poor thing couldn't have seen her twelfth birthday yet. She was shaking, and had tears running down her face, as the auctioneer made his lewd and suggestive comments about her 'tender, young, and untouched body'. To top it off, their old friend was there.

Will was bidding even as he tied his horse to the post. "One gold!"

That had roughly tripled Zed's bid, but he upped it a silver. he and Will went back and forth like that for quite a while. Zed must have come to town better prepared this time. Not as well as he should have, though.

When Will bid ten golds, the asshole stormed off in a huff. He used the last of his "official" money to pay for the child. That created a bit of a problem for them, since they were here to spend it. That was resolved by sending Artie and Frank to the bank with some more nuggets to cash in. It was reasonably safe, since not many people around town knew them. Hopefully, the 'just passing through' routine would work.

The two brothers rejoined the rest, and they headed towards the mercantile. When they were all facing that way, a shout of "Look out!" was heard behind them.

They all spun around, and the fun began! Zed, along with five others were spread across the street and lining up on the group. Will dove to the ground, and that probably saved him. The unmistakable sound of a bullet whistling over his head convinced him of that. He fired before he landed, targeting the guy closest to him. With that one down, he looked for Zed.

He wasn't a problem any more. If Jess's shotgun hadn't about cut him in half, Becky's would've done the trick. His shirt pocket had a neat little hole about where his heart would've been, if he'd had one.

Other than a crease on the inside of Cal's thigh, they were unscathed. That was bleeding like a bitch, though.

He was carried into the hotel, and the girls were given some privacy, so they could tend to him. Figuring there was no point in going to the store without them, since they'd just have to go back, The men and the young girl waited in the bar. They got some beers, along with a glass of milk for the youngster.

After a bit of reassurance that no one was intending her harm, they got her story. She (Janie) had been travelling with her folks, when they had been ambushed. Her ma and pa had both been killed, and the attackers had sold her for what they could get. They also found out that her folks had been all the family she had.

"Not no more," Artie assured her, "You got all the family you'll ever need, now."

"You mean you're not going to...?" she squeaked, unable to complete the thought.

"Ain't nobody gonna hurt you now, not if'n we have any say in it, noways!" chimed in Jess.

About that time, a man walked up to them and said "I hope that was enough of a warnin'. How's the other feller?"

When they found out that he was the one who yelled, there was almost a fight over who would get to buy his drink.

"Name's Hank," he began. "I worked fer the critter y'all just rid the world of fer about a month now. He was some piece o' work. I was ready to up an' quit anyway, but that bushwhackin' done it. I quit on the spot, but if'n I'd have tried to stop 'em... Well, you know. Best I could do was to warn you, and hope for the best.

He looked at Jesse. "They's some friends of yours at Zed's place" he said. All of 'em got four legs. He done rounded 'em all up, but ain't sold a one. I been takin' care of 'em. That's some mighty fine horseflesh you raised there. I got the whole story the other day. That's what had me thinkin' about drawin' my pay. You might want to head on over there as soon as you're able. When word gets back about Zed, I expect they'll pack everythin' up worth stealin' an' head on out. I'd be obliged if you'd let me tag along, in case you need a hand. I suppose I'll drift on,after that.

Cal came limping out, and assured everyone that he was fine. The bullet had barely nicked him, but had cut the skin like a knife. He bragged on Becky's skill with a needle and thread for a bit, and swore he was ready to ride. There was no time like the present, so they headed out to collect some horses.

Hank gave then the specifics on the way. There were only four hands left who might fight. Two others were just as likely to join with Will's group. At worst, he believed, they'd stay out of the fight. Two of the problems would most likely be in the bunkhouse, he figured. The others would be watching the herd. Zed ran around five hundred head of cattle.

Will sent Jess, Carrie, Artie, and Hap to check the house. He, Frank, Becky, Hank, and Nancy took the bunkhouse. Cal, Amy, and Janie were to watch and keep an eye on the horses.

Not a shot was fired. Hank identified Three of them as some of the ones likely to cause trouble, and they were tied up securely. Hank kept an eye on the other, but he seemed friendly enough. When they met back up with the other half of their party, they were surprised to see them leading several people. All of them, of course, had been slaves. There was a mixed bag of men and women, but the women seemed to outnumber the men three to one.

One of the young women ran to Hank. she launched herself into his arms. He looked back at them almost defiantly. Will figured it was because the girl happened to be black. He seemed to loosen up some when his gaze was met with smiles. They then headed out to find the other three hands. There was some nervousness as they approached, but the news of Zed's sudden demise was met with approval by at least two of them. The other one didn't seem to care much one way or the other. He said that if it was all the same to them, he'd just grab his gear from the bunkhouse and go. Will was kind enough to ask him if he was owed any pay. It turned out to be two silvers, and Will gave it to him.

Jess figured his box canyon would support the horses and beef both, at least for a while. Will had no idea how they'd move them, though. Five hundred head of cattle and fifty horses seemed a bit much, at least until Becky whistled. Every damned horse came running to the girl. She swore they'd follow Jess and her like puppies. The beef were less of a problem with that news. Hank and the other two hands that seemed agreeable took the job that was offered them.

Zed didn't have a wife. It surprised none of them. From the gratitude of those that had been captives when told that they were now free, it had been obvious what most of the women (and girls) had endured while he owned them.

Hank had known where Zed kept his money. It was now the property of Jesse and Becky, since it was hard to tell who killed him first. Three wagons were on the ranch that looked like they might make it, and they were loaded with anything that looked useful. The first items loaded were the clothes of the captives. There weren't many of them.

"Knowin' Will" Nancy remarked, "that feller at the store will be retirin' soon!"

That reopened the visit to town that had been so rudely interrupted. The men wanted to put it off. Four women (Becky, Carrie, Amy, and Nancy), wanted to go to town. Naturally, the men were outvoted on this.

Many of the former slaves could ride, and those that couldn't said they were capable of driving the wagons. The horses belonging to the two potential problems were left five miles from Zed's place. If they managed to get free, they'd probably find them. Even the one they hadn't tied up thought that it was a good idea. Frank got his saw blade ordered when they got to town, along with some other items he needed for the forge. The women just about cleaned the mercantile out of everything. Will found some cross-cut saws, sledgehammers, picks, and chisels he needed. They had some gold pans, too. Will thought about it, but decided it would be too obvious. There was screen in the barn, and plenty of wood scraps. They'd make do.

Wei made such a fuss over Cal's 'scratch', even he almost believed that he'd been mortally wounded. After much assurance to the contrary, she made him promise that he would teach her to both shoot and ride, as soon as he recovered enough to do it.

She stammered a bit when he said "Tomorrow soon enough?"

Wei gathered her determination and replied "Tomorrow fine. You see! I shoot gun good! I ride with you, man shoot at you, I kill him! No one shoot at my husband! Not ever!"

Her sister and cousin joined in the cause. They insisted their mates also teach them, so they could protect their men.

Amy just smiled. Will wasn't sure if she had actually hit anything, but her .22 was sure empty after their little fracas.

Tomorrow, they would start cutting trees and dragging them in place to let them start to season a bit. They were really cramped for space, now. Every one of the freed slaves, along with the hands that had helped drive the stock, wanted to stay on. That night, Frank proved he could read.

Everyone in the house was still up at around ten when he came rushing in with one of the old magazines Will had stored in the barn.

After they got him to quit yammering "I can build this, I know I can!" along with similar phrases, he showed them what he was so excited about. He had found the plans for a portable chainsaw sawmill, and thought the thirty-two inch Husqvarna 3120XP saw Will had would do the job just fine. He had seen the leftover aluminum rails left over from the construction of the garage, and thought they'd work for the frame. Will had never even heard of a portable mill, and thought it sounded interesting.

Will thought it was funny. "With all we got on our plate, somehow we got more ways to cut wood than you can shake a stick at! Maybe you should plan on squarin' em off with the chainsaw rig an' cuttin the boards with the regular saw. They'd be a bit smoother and less likely to sprout splinters."

Hopefully, Frank would wait for sunup. He looked that anxious.

Two other people did, too. Carrie and Becky informed him that his bed was now large enough for three. Those left behind hadn't just sat around, and had worked their magic again.

Becky may have been too sore to participate, but after watching a while, that changed. Will noticed the look in her eyes, and invited her in as Carrie rode him. He didn't have to ask twice. She surprised him a bit by facing Carrie as she lowered her dainty red snatch to his lips.

Carrie was surprised, too. Once Becky got warmed up, she went nuts again. She must have been gaining some control, though. It didn't seem like she was biting Carrie's nipples that hard. In fact, his blonde passenger seemed to be enjoying it immensely.

The act seemed to set all three of them off. Before long, they were in a tangled heap and gasping. Becky was embarassed and tried to apologize but Carrie stopped her.

It wasn't that she stopped Becky from complaining that shocked Will. It was the way she did it. Other than in a porno flick, Will had never seen two women kiss. He decided that live action was far more entertaining than a movie. He felt like the luckiest guy in the world as he dozed off nestled between them.