SEPTEMEBER 11, 1861

Jacy was giddy from the beer she had, and she was just going along with the man because she wasn’t in her right mind. They had went out the back door of the saloon, and over to the hotel. Jacy had a hard time walking. She stumbled several times, and the man had to help her up.

They entered the hotel from the back door and the man was pulling Jacy along by the hand. As he turned the corner Jacy waved to Jennie, “Hi Jennie,” she slurred her words.

Jennie was surprised to see Jacy with a man other than Cody, and she sounded different. Jennie realized as she replied to Jacy that she was drunk. “Hi Jacy.”

The man pulled Jacy up the stairs. Jennie wasn’t sure what she should do. Jacy was drunk, possibly heading for trouble.

Meanwhile over at the saloon, “If they had left by the front way, someone surely would have seen them.” Aaron stated the obvious.

“That’s true.” Ted said and Richard nodded.

“Richard you stay here just in case she comes back. Ted you come with me.” Aaron headed towards the back door with Ted and Ike right behind him.

Over at the hotel, “Who was making all that noise?” Marta inquired as she came out of the dining room and looked up the stairs.

“You won’t believe it.” Jennie replied.

“Try me.”

“It was Jacy and some man that I don’t know.” Jennie came out from behind the counter. “What should we do? Jacy was drunk, and she might not know what she’s doing. She doesn’t seem the type to just go to a room with any man. That man was drunk to, he hit the wall every third step up. Should I get help?”

“I think that might be a good idea.” She said as she heard Jacy whoopin’ and hollerin’ upstairs. Walter and Ted aren’t here though. I think Ted went over to the saloon, and Walter went over to the bank.”

“I’ll go see who I can find.” Jennie said and then left the hotel to seek help. The saloon was closer so that’s where Jennie headed, but before she got there, she saw Ted, Ike and Aaron through the alley on the other side, so she called out to Aaron. The fellas stopped and walked through the alley over to Jennie. “I just saw Jacy in the hotel with a man.”

“What did you just say?” Kid asked as he walked up to them.

“Jacy’s in the hotel with a man.” Jennie repeated.

“What?” Cody exclaimed as he stopped his horse near the five of them. “What do you mean Jacy’s in the hotel with a man?”

“Well, they’re both drunk, and they went upstairs.” Jennie explained.

Cody was furious. He jumped down off his horse but Kid grabbed his arm.

“It’s not Jacy’s fault. I put her up to it. I needed her to go into the saloon and tell Teaspoon something. So she had to dress like a saloon girl, and she must have had too much to drink and went off with that fella. Jacy’s doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

“And that man is taking advantage of my girl, I’ll kill him.” Cody shook Kid loose and took off for the hotel.

“I have to get out there and help Teaspooon.” Kid was torn between leaving town and going to stop Cody from committing murder.

Aaron came to Kid’s rescue. “Kid, you and Ike go help Teaspoon, and Ted and I will make sure Cody doesn’t go off half cocked.”

Kid nodded. “Come on Ike.” Kid and Ike mounted their horses and rode out of town.

Aaron and Ted hurried to the hotel, closely followed by Jennie. They ran into the hotel, and Aaron and Ted went upstairs while Jennie decided to stay below. “I saw Cody run upstairs.” Marta stated. “Oh, I hope there isn’t any trouble.”

“I hope not either.” Jennie didn’t want her employer and friend, Jacy, to get hurt.

Cody heard Jacy scream, and he busted in the door and ran in with his gun drawn

When Jacy felt the man pawing her, and trying to take her clothes off, that’s when she screamed. She was beginning to sort of understand where she was and what was going on, and she no longer wanted to be here with this awful man. She tried to free herself from his grasp, but even though he was drunk, he was very strong. She screamed again, and this time her scream was heard because Cody came busting in. Jacy was relieved to see her rescuer. Upon seeing Cody, the drunken man let go of Jacy. Jacy fell over onto the floor. She was glad Cody was here, but she was also frightened of what might happen.

She saw two figures standing behind Cody. Aaron eased his way into the room. “You yellow bellied varmint, trying to take my woman are you.” Cody yelled as he walked closer.

“Now how was I to know that she was your woman? He looked at her, “Hey wait a minute, she’s a saloon girl. She’s anybody’s woman.” He reached out to grab Jacy again.

But Cody put his boot into the man’s chest and pushed him away. Cody then held out a hand to help Jacy up but as he was doing so the drunken man ran into him, knocking him to the floor. There was a struggle, and Cody being younger, agile and stronger soon was the victorious one, and it also helped because the man was drunk.

Seeing the drunk laying unconscious on the floor, Cody took Jacy’s hand and led her out of the hotel with Aaron and Ted following behind them. They stopped in the lobby. “Maybe I should throw that man in jail.” Cody stated as he turned back towards the stairs contemplating if he should or not.

“Oh no Cody, please don’t.” Jacy said. “It was probably my fault, too. I shouldn’t have had so much beer. I just want that horrible man out of town, not in a jail cell where I have to relive this awful nightmare every time I pass by the jail, knowing that he’s in there.”

“Well, alright. Let’s go get you into some decent clothes.” Cody said as he put his arm around his gal, and they started out of the hotel.

“I need to get back to the saloon.” Aaron said.

“Are you just going to leave that man up there?” Jennie asked.

Cody stopped and answered. “I’ll deal with him as soon as I’m done helping Jacy. He’s passed out, and he’s not going any where at the moment.”

Meanwhile upstairs in the room that the foursome had just left, the drunk started waking up. He groggily got to his feet. He looked around and then he remembered how he had got laid out on the floor. A man had taken his woman. He went to his window. It faced the front of the hotel, so he could see the street. There they were. That man was with his woman. He went over and grabbed his rifle and stumbled back to the window.

Down in the street, Ted and Aaron had joined Cody and Jacy in the middle of the street. Caller Bob had been riding down the street and had stopped when he saw Cody and Jacy. He was shocked to see Jacy wearing saloon clothes. That he didn’t understand. “Cody, Jacy,” he had called. “What’s going on?” Cody and Jacy walked down off the boardwalk and walked over to Caller Bob. Jacy started explaining why she was wearing a saloon dress. Ted and Aaron walked over. Aaron wanted to ask Cody if he would need some assistance with the drunken man, and Ted wanted to hear the story as to why Jacy was dressed in a saloon dress.

“Kid asked me to go inside the saloon to give Teaspoon some information, so I had”; Jacy never finished her sentence, because a shot rang out.

The drunk pulled the trigger on his shotgun. The bullet found a human target, and shocked and surprised the drunk’s victim fell to the ground and lay still as a scream rang out, bringing people from other establishments outside to see what the commotion was all about.

Aaron turned around and shot up at the open window. Then he rushed into the hotel while others gathered around the still body.