Rotedrachen's Page

Chapter Two

They couldn't tell if he was ‘jolly’, but he certainly wasn't green. He was big, though. The doorway was eight feet tall, and it looked like he'd been forced to duck, in order to enter the room.

"Uhh, hello?" Carrie ventured.

"Greetings, travelers," The large being said. "Zeus, at your service. I believe it is time for you to discover why you have been transported to this dimension.

After several attempts at speech, Will managed to say, "Sounds like a plan."

Zeus smiled at that and said, "My father, Chronos and I, worked together to bring you here. Apollo was kind enough to assist in returning both of you to perfect health. You will need it, if you are to survive long in this place.

Will took advantage of the pause, and asked the question they had been pondering since the night of the storm.

"Where, or when the hell, are we?"

Carrie added, "And how did it happen?"

"You have been moved back in time, approximately one hundred and fifty of your years, courtesy of Chronos. I provided the power to accomplish this feat, by providing the lightning, as you may recall. It takes tremendous power to travel through time.

"As to where you are" he added, "It would be easiest for you to think of it as an 'alternate timeline'. It is that, but it’s also in a slightly different dimension than the one you call home."

"The next big question," Will said, "is why? I hope you're not going to tell us that a bunch of Gods were sitting around bored one day and one of you decided you should break the monotony by 'fucking with the natives' to get a few laughs.

"We are not quite that shallow, despite what you have learned to 'teach' in your classes, mortal! This is but one of the realities we oversee. Yours may have abandoned the 'true way' centuries ago, but others have not. We do not take our responsibilities to those that still believe, lightly! You would do well to remember that. Angering a God is not the wisest decision you might make, and could well be your last!"

Carrie held her hands up in surrender. "All right, already! We get the point! You should understand our point of view as well. All our lives we were taught that you were some kind of myth, and here you are in all your big, Godly, hunkiness. In the flesh, no less! I'm not particularly religious, and I'm pretty sure Will ain't either. That makes this even harder to accept! You kind of slapped us in the face with it, y'know?"

Will added, "There's no denying you exist, now. I apologize if I offended you, but the question is still valid... Why?"

"This aspect of reality has always disappointed us," Zeus sighed. "The steady decline of civilization here, eventually causes the extinction of all humans in this plane, due to their short-sightedness and stupidity. War and pestilence plague this land from its beginning. Something must be changed, if it is to survive. It is hoped that by introducing the pair of you to this reality, you might assist in guiding the population onto the path towards a productive civilization."

"What are we supposed to do?" Carrie asked.

"We will give you no guidelines. We may assist you if it is needed, or required. We cannot interfere in free will. Because of this, you are to do as you see fit. We believe that will be sufficient."

Will followed with, "Why us? Surely there were better candidates than a fourteen year old girl, and a nobody like me?"

“Do not underestimate your capabilities or strengths, mortal. Both of you possess the skills and personal traits we have long awaited. One final item made this the perfect time, and you the perfect catalysts, to begin the changes necessary. The times of your deaths were near, in your reality. Both of you would have perished within a month, had we not intervened."

You are also skilled in the use of weapons. This, we believe, you will need. More importantly, you both possess what humans refer to as 'ingenuity'. It might surprise you that many of your beliefs and ethics adhere to our code of conduct. In short, there were no better candidates, and no better time to act."

Will was not convinced. "What possible affect could two people have upon an entire world?" he asked. "It's an impossible undertaking!"

Zeus chuckled, and the building shook. "Have faith in our abilities, mortal. Have faith in your own, as well. One small snowflake may begin an avalanche. One small drop of rain at a time may erode a mountain, over eons. We do not expect to see any results from your actions for quite some time. You will both be dust, before the slightest deviation in this plane’s path occurs. You are to be the snowflakes that begin our avalanche, and your actions are to be as the raindrops of time!"

Will was still shaking his head as Zeus evaporated. When he was gone, they looked at each other and laughed.

Carrie got control of herself first, and quipped, "You know what this means, don't you?"

"Beats the hell out of me," Will answered.

Carrie barely controlled her mirth as she blurted "We can fuck like rabbits without worrying about killin' ourselves!"

Will smiled. "There is that, I suppose. Looks like we've got a lot of work ahead of us, though."

Carrie got serious. "Like what?"

"I think the first thing we should do," he said, "is to stake a claim to the area with the most gold deposits. That is, if such a thing as ‘claims’ exist. Then, maybe we should start another town right around here."

"I bet I know what you're thinking." Carrie said. "There has to be at least a few folks around with a little common sense! If we could start just a little place where slavery ain't allowed, maybe it would grow!"

"Maybe," Will allowed. "I'm thinkin' we'd have a fight on our hands, if we go 'whole hog' at the beginning. What I think, is that we make sure that everybody is treated right. If that’s the case, then the folks that aren't all that happy with the way things are will come to us, eventually."

"The first thing I'd like to do is find out if they have any seed for corn, barley, and hops in town. I also want some seed for our 'truck' garden. I only stocked enough for myself.

"That will have to wait a day or so," Carrie said. "You're gonna be real busy tonight, and very sore tomorrow. Them three’s been pantin' all damn day. Lian even had some dice! They used 'em to see who got to go first."

Will couldn't help it. "Who won?"

He winced when she said "Wei."

Carrie laughed at his expression and added. Don't let 'em wear you out too much, I want leftovers, tonight!"

Will almost did a one-man three-legged race to the cabin, when she informed him that all the other girls wanted to watch, including herself. Carrie seemed almost as revved up about that little tid-bit of information, as Will was.

They were the only two with clothes on, Will noticed upon entering. The three Chinese cuties soon cured that, and led them into the room they had worked so diligently to prepare.

Upon entering, Will and Carrie were both speechless. The little vixens must be some kind of seamstresses! What had been two doubles was now one very large bed. They had no idea how the frame had been managed, but it looked sturdy enough.

It had better be!

Wei was extremely wound up. She seemed to think Will was just going to jump on her, and begin pounding away on her petite little frame. She jumped on the mattress and spread her legs wide.

Carrie was the only one who understood when Will remarked, "Looks like dinner is served!"

They figured it out pretty quick, though. He had Wei babbling incoherently in Cantonese before five minutes had elapsed. She was so short that he had no trouble reaching her pert little breasts, either. The dual action had her creating a veritable flood from her tight and tasty twat.

She did something then that Will had never seen before, though he had heard of it. Wei came, and hard! When she did, a stream shot from her pussy, and it wasn't due to lack of bladder control. She squirted! Will was fascinated, so he decided that he'd like to see it again.

It was just as entertaining, but his erection was getting painful. He decided that he should soak it somewhere warm and wet.

Wei seemed to think that was a fine idea. Will had his doubts about fitting, and had no way to tell if he was hurting her or not. She still wasn't speaking his language. Will stopped halfway home, and looked at the others. Genji's eyes were locked on their midsection, but must have noticed his concern.

She said huskily, "Wei say, ‘Please fuck my little hole very hard, Master.’"

Lian tore her eyes away from their joining and said, "If you care for her, you must do this."

He fit inside of her, eventually. When Will bottomed out, Wei went completely wild. Her cousin and sister translated. After a while, Will was pretty sure what 'please', 'fuck', 'me', and 'harder' sounded like in her language. She did have one very loud and intense orgasm. Will had barely been able to hold out that long. She was so tight that he heard his dick pop out of her when it deflated enough to do so.

These girls were prepared! A basin of warm water, along with several cloths, were nearby. He was quickly cleaned up. A semi-conscious Wei was moved to the side. Three very busy mouths went to work on him. It didn't take much effort to get him ready again. The sight of their efforts alone, would have sufficed!

He was enjoying the sensations immensely, though. Deciding that he'd like to feel them for a bit longer, he moved the taller Lian into a comfortable sixty-nine position. The girl was actually dripping in excitement already. She squealed out her pleasure, moments before requesting the same treatment Wei had received.

'Hell,' Will thought, grinning at his mental pun, 'it might be a rut I'm in, but it's a damn fine one!'

After a slight bit of discomfort for Lian, it was off to the races again. He was tiring a bit, now, and decided to teach Lian a new trick.

He rolled them over to let her do some of the work. She was a very hard worker! Will could sometimes hear the bed springs over her constant vocalizations. She managed two good ones before Will lost control and joined her.

Much to Genji's displeasure, Will was done for a while. Carrie had thought ahead, though. She brought a tray of drinks and sandwiches into the room. Will was hungry, and more than a little thirsty. He managed a snack, and half a beer, before Genji figured he’d had enough of a break.

With all of the visual stimulation, it appeared that she was correct. Will's trusty compass was pointing north again. She wasted no time in taking advantage of that fact. As soon as it was straight enough to do the job, Genji mounted up. Will supposed she thought what Lian had done looked like fun.

Unfortunately, she forgot one important fact. She had a hymen.

Genji must have been in a hurry. She dropped down, and bottomed out, in one move. It sounded like a very painful decision. She froze in place with a look of disbelief on her face.

Her expression seemed to shout, 'I thought this was supposed to feel good!'

The other girls wasted no time explaining the situation to her, and before they had finished, she seemed to have recovered. Genji did go slower than the others, and Will was thankful for that. He was getting a bit sore, himself. She did ask him if he would take over and give her some of what the others had experienced, at the end. By then, he was feeling a little better, and was happy to oblige.

Carrie insisted that he should rest. She told the other girls to get dressed.

"It's about time y'all learned how to take care of the critters," she told them.

They wearily complied. It was almost humorous to watch them leave the room… Wei, especially. She was walking like a Chinese cowgirl.

When they returned, Carrie made good her promise. She was very gentle, though.

"We don't want to break our new toy," she explained to the others. "It's the only one we got, an' it has to last us a long time!"

Wei got a chuckle out of all of them when she observed, "Maybe we should take turn? Four in one night all the time, and he wear down to nothing, ‘fore long!"

After breakfast and chores in the morning, Carrie suggested they teach the new additions how to shoot. The idea went over even worse than riding a horse had.

They did see the necessity, once it was explained to them. It quickly became evident that handguns were completely out of the question for now. When they fired a pistol, the safest place to stand appeared to be in front of them.

Long guns worked out better. Surprisingly, Wei was the best shot of the three. Genji could hit the target close enough to do serious damage, also. Lian was a different story.

'If I were a bird,' Will thought, 'I'd steer clear of her.'

Everything went up in the air. Strangely enough, she took to a ten-gauge shotgun pretty well. He ended up setting her up with that, while Genji and Wei practiced a bit more with their rifles.

Wei was actually using a Sharps .50. She was warned about what the kick would do to her shoulder, but she seemed to handle the recoil fairly well. Genji was using a .44-.40 Winchester, and had no trouble.

That night, Carrie was the Lone Ranger in the saddle. The others were just too sore. Will wasn't complaining. He was still a bit tender himself!

As soon as the morning chores were done, Will headed to town to check on some seed. Carrie protested, but was eventually convinced to stay in the cabin. She gave him a list of things to pick up. The girls, including Carrie, needed more clothes.

Will didn't feel like messing with Jughead's attitude, so he took one of the would-be outlaw’s mounts with him for a packhorse. The trip to town was uneventful, as was his shopping. He was about to leave town when everything went to hell.

Four men stepped into the street and blocked his way. One seemed to be the leader and stepped forward.

"That be Samm'l's hoss. You be th' one done kilt my cuzzin'? We foun' him an' Jeb laid out in th' middle o' the damn road!"

Will was close to the hitching rail and secured both animals before answering.

"If you're talking about the two fellers that tried to rob me, then the answer would be yes. I don't take kindly to folks pointing guns at me. I pointed mine right back at 'em!"

"You be lyin'!" he spat. "I think you be nuthin' but a low-down stealin' hoss thief!"

Will sighed. "I s'pose you expect me to take offense at that and draw. You figure it's four against one, and you can take me easy, is that right? Well, gents, if you're that anxious to die, open the ball, and let's get it over with. I don't feel much like talkin'. I'm a mite hungry and need to get home to supper!"

Will had hoped they would back down, but he guessed they were just too stupid when they reached for their guns.

He had briefly been involved in some "cowboy action" contests. Because of this, Will had become quite profficient with both hands. He used them. The last one might have been a close thing, but before Will could line up on him, somebody beat him to it.

He turned, not sure if the newcomer was a threat or not. Evidently, he was friendly. His pistol was already back in the holster.

He, and three others walked toward Will, but they looked to be smiling. When they got close enough, the one who had fired stuck his hand out.

As Will took it, the stranger said, "Howdy. Name's Artie. These here worthless no-‘counts are my brothers.”

He began pointing, naming Cal, Frank, and Hap.

Will introduced himself, and the three offered to buy him a drink.

Will remembered the saloon and nodded that way.

"In there? Y'all actually drink that stuff? You must be tougher than you look!"

Artie laughed and replied, "You kiddin'? Nobody in his right mind would drink the swill ol' Amos sells! I meant at the hotel. It ain't bad, for these parts. Not good, mind you, but it ain't killed us off, yet.

"Ain't been here that long," Frank volunteered. "Give it some time."

They led the way to the hotel, and to a table. Will was a little surprised when they all got a beer. Two of the brothers looked pretty young.

Artie must have noticed Will's raised eyebrows. "They been doin' a man's work for a good spell. Frank an' me ain't about to tell them how to drink."

He gestured to the first of the younger two. "Cap is nigh on to eighteen, anyway."

"Hap is crowdin' in on sixteen," followed his nod at the other.

Will agreed. "That's the way it should be. It looks as if you need to grow up in a hurry around here, anyway."

"Wouldn't know about that," Frank said. "But it's the case most places. I 'spect it's right, here, too."

Will discovered some interesting things. For one, if you killed a man in a fair fight, everything the dead one owned was then the property of the winner. This included any women he might have had. It was definitely a strange place.

One other item of interest was that all one needed to do to claim land was to put in markers. It was up to the person claiming the land to defend the claim.

Will told them that if the three he had shot had owned any horses, they'd be useful. They seemed surprised when he added that he hoped they hadn't had any women.

He shrugged and said, "One's enough for me, and I have a fine woman. There's three more at my place. To tell the truth, I think it's three too many!"

After they laughed, he continued, saying, "They're sweet girls. They're pretty as all get-out, too. It's a problem I don't have any idea how to solve."

Will explained how he had come across the girls, and found that they were kindred spirits in at least one way.

Cap frowned. "We can't abide ownin' somebody. It just don't seem right to us. I can see why you bought 'em. It sounds like you think like we do on that subject."

He learned that his new acquaintances were originally from Orrville. This would have been somewhere in West Virginia, from what he gathered. The brothers weren't sure if they were going to stay in the area yet.

"First," Artie explained, "We need to find out a little more. It started gettin' too crowded in Waginnie, for our taste. That always starts the feudin' an' fightin'. We sold out, and pointed the hosses west. Less folks out this way."

"Yep," Frank added. "We don't mind a good fight now an' then, but back there, they seem to start scrappin' for no particular reason. We were hopin' folks would have more sense out this way."

Hap said the first thing since 'Howdy'.

"Ain't seen much sign of that, yet. They 'pear to be just as ornery. A might less smart, too. At least judgin' by the four you tangled with."

"Speakin' of that," Frank said. "If you don't mind my askin', what kinda guns is them? We figgered you to be in a fair bit of trouble out there. Four of them, and you with two guns. I was set to take the other one, but you beat me to it. How did you get three with just two pistols?"

Before Will could answer, a young girl entered, and shuffled up to their table. She looked to be in her early teens, so Will was shocked when she spoke.

"One o' you done kilt my man. Who do I belong to, now?"

She sounded like a whipped puppy. Her voice was a monotone, and from the sound of it, she was resigned to whatever might happen. It was as if she didn't really care, either.

Will gave a subtle, but emphatic 'NO!' gesture. Artie smiled as he looked the girl over, and winked as a reply.

"That would be Hap, over there," Artie said to her.

Hap was the most surprised person in the room, but managed not to complain. He did blush, though.

It was hard to tell what the girl looked like under all the dirt. Her dress was little better than rags, as well. She moved over to stand behind, and to the side, of her new 'master', like a dog coming to heel.

That loosened Hap's tongue. He jumped up and grabbed a chair.

"Please, sit down," he said.

She meekly obeyed. He asked her if she was thirsty, and if so, what she would like.

Will could tell the others were getting as pissed as he was.

Especially when she mumbled, "If it's no trouble. Water is good enough for me, sir. I deserve no better."

Will went to the bar with Artie. They were both seething.

Artie said, "I don't know which one o' them skunks she was with, but odds are it was you who done for him. I'd like to buy you another beer!"

They brought back a glass of milk for the girl. Just in case, they had an extra beer, as well.

She looked up in surprise when both choices were put before her, and tentatively reached for the beer. She looked like she expected to be slapped at any second.

Hap was talking to her gently, and the others overheard that her name was Amy. She was fourteen years old. The scum who owned her had bought her a year ago, after her parents had died from some sort of sickness. She was sold to pay off the family debt!

Will asked where they were staying. When he learned they had been camping outside of town, Will invited them out to the cabin. He didn't think Carrie or the girls would mind the company. The brothers were the most civilized people Will had met in this place, including Hattie.

They said it would be nice to get out of the weather for a bit, and accepted the invitation. Sleeping in Will's barn beat camping out any day.

They had Amy lead the way to her place, but found little of value there. There was a pretty decent roan gelding, though. She also knew where the other thugs had lived, and the little group acquired three more horses. Unlike the girl, they all seemed well cared for.

They were disturbed, but not surprised; to discover that the only clothes Amy owned, were the ones she was wearing.

Over everyone else’s protests, Will insisted on buying more for her. He was becoming very popular at the mercantile!

Will cursed as they left the store. Another damn auction was about to start. This one seemed to have only one woman for sale.

The group hurried over, and arrived just as the bidding got underway. The girl being sold looked mad enough to spit nails. She was cute enough, in a long and lean kind of way. She had short, red hair and a tan so dark you could miss the spray of freckles across her face unless you looked close. She might have even been pretty if she smiled.

She wasn't smiling now, especially when there was only one bid. A greasy looking character had bid one silver. When no one else offered a bid, she began to rant.

"Ain't none of you so-called men got the guts to stand up to that low-down polecat? Wasn't it enough that he stole our ranch, and ran us into the poorhouse?"

She got no response, and looked at the sneering bidder. "Laugh now, Zed. The first time you lay a paw on me I'll cut somethin' important to you off, an' feed it to the hogs!"

Will had seen enough. "I bid one gold," he yelled.

Zed turned to him and snarled, "You best back off, stranger. A feller could get hurt interferin' in my business!"

One of the men close to him whispered something in Zed's ear. It seemed to make him reconsider. It didn't make him quit, though.

The bidding got to five golds before he gave up and stormed away.

An older gent approached Will, hat in hand.

I'm right glad you did that, young feller. You done made yourself a powerful enemy, though. Zed's a snake. He'll do his damndest to git you any way he can. I should know. That girl up there is my daughter, Becky. The reason Zed run our stock off and burned the place down was t' get his slimy hands on her. I hope you treat her right."

The girl in question strode up to them. She was obviously no shrinking violet, and started right in.

I appreciate that you had the guts to outbid that mongrel, stranger. If'n you're thinkin' like ol' Zed was though, you'd best think again. The first time you go to paw me, you'd best have somebody close to hand with a roll of bandages. It won't be easy!

Will looked at Becky's father and said, "I think I'm in love with your daughter, sir."

The older fellow looked at Becky and cackled at her dumbstruck expression.

I never thought I'd see the day," he offered "That any man could leave my Becky speechless!"

She gathered her wits and blurted, "What kind of idjit are you? Didn't you understand a word I said?"

She shut up again when Will said, "You remind me of my wife. I ain't much for the 'shy and retiring' type."

He saw her bristle, but beat her to the punch.

"Hold on there, missy. I'm not about to force you to do a thing. I would like to offer you and your pa the same invite I gave these others. Come on out to my place and stay a while. I'm positive that you and my wife will get along just fine. She'd appreciate talkin' to a woman that thinks the same as she does."

"I ain't got much choice," Becky replied. "You done bought me. The law says I gotta go with you. I thank you for lettin' pa come along, but... Don't think that means I changed my mind about nothin' else!"

It looked like fire was about to shoot from her eyes as she said the last part of her reply.

Unlike Amy, she had clothes. She asked to have a chance to change, and did so in the hotel. When she emerged, Will immediately saw why Zed had been so interested. Becky was obviously not shy about wearing whatever suited her. She had changed into a snug pair of pants, linen shirt, and vest. The girl had been hiding a figure every bit as enticing as Carrie's.

She and her father (Jesse) had their own horses, too. They were both fine looking animals. When Will commented on the fact, Becky actually looked pleased.

"It's what pa and me do," she said. "We had a nice herd, until that skunk done for us. Ain't no law to speak of in these parts, and Zed's got twelve hands workin' for him. We didn't stand a chance."

She looked at Will, and actually seemed concerned as she added, "You know he's gonna come after you now, don't you?"

"Kinda figured he would," Will replied. "It's his funeral, I ain't about to dis-invite him."

Becky smiled for the first time. Will had been right. She was very pretty when that happened.

"You seem awfully confident in your abilities. Too much of that ain't necessarily healthy."

"I know," was Will's only reply.

They created quite a commotion when they got home. When the dust settled, the visitors vowed not to reveal any secrets to strangers. The request for the promise surprised them. The reason for it surprised them more.

Electricity was a revelation. Amy got the first hot bath she had been able to take in over a year.

The four brothers were a big hit, but that was nothing compared with the way Carrie and Becky seemed to click. In less than a half hour, they were chattering away like sisters. From the frequent glances his way, Will figured he was the main topic.

Amy emerged from the bathroom, and everyone gawked.

The girl had been transformed. The scraggly and dirty little girl had turned out to be a very pretty young woman. Hap was struck speechless, but managed to pull out a chair for her. She smiled shyly, and sat next to him.

An idea had been bouncing around Will's skull since he had met his new friends. He noticed how the three China dolls were doting on the unattached brothers, and Becky's pa. He reached a decision, at least in his mind.

A short conference with Carrie sealed the deal.

They rejoined the crowd, and made their offer. If they wanted to settle nearby, Will and Carrie would help them out with initial expenses. This included a new start for Jesse's horse breeding; and farms, or whatever, for the brothers.

They discovered that Frank was a blacksmith. Will offered to set him up, also, saying the would need his profession, very soon.

Frank had some valuable skills in metalworking that Will didn't. Once the smith finally got a look at Will's pistols, he was sold. He was sure he could make more just like it, given the tools.

His only concern was a hot enough furnace. When he mentioned this, he also commented in passing, on the way the eastern smiths used natural gas in their forging.

A long forgotten memory surfaced for Will. He dragged Frank out to the back of the barn. The old gas well was still there, of course.

It had played out sometime in late 1999, and that was the reason Will had installed the hydroelectric system. The well had gone into use around 1905 or so, and had been all they’d needed before it ran dry. Frank was happy about the possibilities.

Wei, Lian, and Genji slept in the room they had set up, but Will and Carrie returned to their own. Amy and Becky shared the only other bedroom, much to Amy's surprise and apparent disappointment.

It looked as if Hap was determined to court her, and refused to take advantage of his good fortune. Will was liking him more all the time.

Becky was hard to figure out. First she seemed skeptical, but relieved when Will outlined the sleeping arrangements. That evolved into something else. It was almost as if she was angry that she wouldn't have the opportunity to claw his eyes out!

The three brothers, along with Jesse, bunked in the barn. There were even some cots stowed there, and they were happy to be sleeping off the floor. Even that would have been a great improvement over the ground.

Will outlined the rest of his 'plot' to Carrie after the sex, and before the sleep. She liked it a lot.

"It's perfect!" she said with a grin. "Lian was hanging all over Artie. Wei and Cal were sure hitting it off, too. I think if it wasn't for the slavery issue, Genji and Frank would have eloped on the spot!

"Are you sure about this, Will?" she added. "I thought you liked the girls."

"Like them?" he replied, "Sure I like them. Like isn't enough, though, Carrie. They need someone to love them. I just don't feel that way about them. I want them to find what we have."

"You are so sweet!" she chuckled, "But what about Becky?"

It was Will's turn to laugh. "She's almost a red-headed version of you! Don't tell her this, but I'm crazy about her. It's kind of like when I met you. Don't get me wrong. You're more than enough woman for any three men. If I had to choose a second wife though, it would be Becky."

"Why don't you just come out and tell her that?” asked Carrie.

"Won't work," Will replied. "She can't get past the fact that I had to buy her. The only way it can happen, is if she comes to me. I'm afraid her pride may keep her from that, forever.”

The next day was spent scouting and placing markers. Jesse picked a fairly large blind canyon with a stream running almost in the center. It would be perfect for horses.

The brothers found a large valley and spent the trip back to the cabin arguing over what to plant. I suggested grapes, and that seemed to interest Artie quite a bit. The others weren't so sure. In the end, it looked like there would be three local farms. One would grow grapes, and the others would plant grain.

The women hadn't traveled with them and they had a chance for a little private chat. Will told them that while he may have paid for the girls, owning them was out of the question.

This was considered good news by all concerned.

Will added, "Except for Becky. I don't ever plan to claim ownership over her, but one day soon that woman will be mine, if I have any say in the matter!"

That got a belly laugh out of Jesse, and a warning.

"You'd best be careful what you wish for, Will. That girl's a handful! She's been ropin' an' ridin' since she could sit a saddle, and can outshoot anybody I ever did see. Fights like a wildcat, too! If you manage to tame her, I'd be thankful. I ain't countin' on it much, but I’d be thankful, just the same."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Will replied "But I like her just fine the way she is!"

It was obvious that Carrie had been scheming. When they rode up, Becky was there to see to the horses. She had to know by now, that Will insisted on caring for his own mount. Becky didn't seem to mind when Will told her this. In fact, she seemed to be pleased.

Will noticed her watching him as he groomed the horse, and checked the hooves for any foreign matter. He was watching Becky, too.

Carrie had dressed her, he just knew it. Her shirt was way too tight, and so were her pants. One glance at her was enough to make his pants tighter in some places, too!

He got caught ogling her a time or two, especially when she bent over. The woman had an ass that would stop traffic! When all she did was grin when he was found out the first time, he was curious as to why she wasn't yelling at him.

The second time, she turned to him and he got his answer.

"Carrie is a little plotter. You know that she told me to wear this outfit and to take care of the horses, don't you?"

"I figured as much," he told her. "I'm sorry for staring. I just can't help myself. You're just too damned pretty for me not to."

She shook her head.

"Is that all you men think about? It sure seems like it. If a girl looks the least little bit presentable, the fellers want to own her. I wish I was ugly, I think I'd be a lot happier."

Will was offended. "Hold on a minute, there! Sure, I like to look at pretty girls. I'm a man. We do that. As far as ownin' goes, that's where you'd be wrong. I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not going to say I’m not attracted to you. But the only reason I paid for you, was because I could see what was probably going to happen to you if I didn't. Your looks didn't figure in that idea, at all."

"Was that it? You paid five golds because you felt sorry for me? Do you expect me to believe that you didn't think there was something in it for you?"

"There was something in it for me," he said. "I wasn't looking forward to seeing a spirit like yours broken. I got great satisfaction out of preventing that. I like that spirit and I want to get to know you. I figure I got quite a bit for my money."

She threw her currycomb down.

"Damn you! Why can't you let me hate you!" she said before storming off.

Jesse walked around the corner and winked.

"You got her on the run, Will. Keep a goin', an' she'll come around!"

Will stayed with Jesse for a bit, to let the dust settle inside the house. It seemed that Jess knew more about making whiskey than Will did. When he learned the ingredients were available, he offered to teach Will a thing or two about the process.

After an hour or so, Will decided to chance it, and went to the cabin.

Carrie was wearing her patented 'shit-eating grin', and said, "You really went and did it now, Will."

He asked what it was that he had done.

"You got her to start falling for you, silly! If you want her to go completely ga-ga, take her hunting tomorrow. We could use the meat. When she sees what a real rifle can do, she'll soak her saddle. I'd bet on it!"