It had been three years since Ike’s wedding. Three years of happiness and contentment for Ike and Rick. They had been blessed with a new baby boy in their second year of marriage and another was on the way. Basically there was not much that could have made the two of them any happier. Ike had a small ranch, paid for partly by Ike’s savings and the rest from Teaspoon, who was absolutely adament that they take it. Ike had been slowly paying it back, his horses were well treated and fetched a fine price. In fact the only blight on their happy life was the problems of their very good friend Buck.
Buck never had found a life he liked. After the express shut down he went from one job to another. He worked for Teaspoon for a while, but found he didn’t like some of the laws he had to enforce. He also was called upon far to often to contend with a renegade band of his own people. He could see what his people were going through but as an officer his duty had to stand over his own feelings.
He even thought about the military but the infrequent letters from Cody letting them know what he was up to did not speak for the glory that Cody had been looking for when he left. Buck had also taken turns helping out at both Kid & Lou and Ike’s ranches, but his heart wasn’t in it. He even pondered the idea of starting one of his own, but one big difference was, he had no one to share it with. Not that it was a woman that his life lacked. He himself would have been the first to deny that, but no one was sure WHAT he was looking for when he rode out one morning promising to return “when I find what I am looking for”.
They hadn’t really heard from him in months. Oh they got letters but they might as well have been talking about the weather. Buck never mentioned what he was doing, where he was or even when he was coming back. Ike considered going to look for him when they didn’t get a letter or a message for over two months but before he could another three-line letter arrived.
Dear Everyone,
I am fine and very healthy. I am sorry for the delay in letters but my life has been fairly hectic lately. I have been enjoying the fine weather we have been having lately. Tell Rick and Lou, yes I am eating well. In fact I had a great dinner just last night.
My love to you all,
Buck
Buck sat against the wall of his cell finishing off his letter. He was technically telling the truth. He was fine, a minor cough and a stiff leg from falling from his horse were nothing. Even the bruises on his face were healing nicely. He very much enjoyed the weather and was very thankful for it after his long walk back to town when his horse was stolen. He had also had a fine dinner last night. Then again maybe it had just seemed that way since it was his first in days.
“How the hell did I get here?” He spoke aloud.
“You beat up a man in the saloon,” the marshal answered still peering at a dime novel.
“I was speaking in more broad terms.” Buck said smiling as he noticed the cover of the book. It was another Wild Bill Hickok story. He wondered for a moment if it would help his case any if the man knew that Buck was friends with ‘Wild Bill’ he decided against mentioning it, after all he only had 2 more days in this cell, they weren’t going to hold him long for beating up a ranch hand. Especially since Buck got most of the beating from the ranch hand’s friends.
The marshal harrumphed and put his feet up on the desk.
That must be one of the rules of marshaling Buck thought as the man was sitting in a very Teaspoon like position. He replayed the events in his mind from the time he had left Ike and his family behind. He had worked more short-term jobs then he would ever have imagined. Everything from shoveling manure to herding cattle to clerk in a general store but he never found a job that would suit him, especially considering how few would hire him in the first place. Soon his money had nearly run out. He didn’t bother spending it on food, that didn’t take the anger away. A good bottle now and then did though. But he wasn’t a drunk, at least not yet. He couldn’t even afford booze after a while. Now that his horse was gone he supposed that this would be his final destination. Ten days in jail had been his punishment for trying to set down stakes. He had asked about a position as bar tender and the ranch hand had to go and flap his mouth. Buck would normally have shaken this off as nothing and just left. For some reason though, he didn’t want to shake it off this time. Buck swung first, the next thing he knew he woke up in jail. His face only slightly the worse for wear. Buck was finally able to catch up with some of his long awaited mail since really there wasn’t much else to do in jail. Unless a man wanted to think, and Buck certainly hadn’t been doing a lot of that lately.
“Alright I am going to let you go now. I don’t think the townspeople much care about what happened anymore. I wouldn’t have locked you up myself if’n it hadn’t been necessary.”
Buck looked again at this strange marshal. He reminded Buck a lot of Barnett in his manner and speech. They certainly could have had a duel in intellect. They had some differences though. This man had managed to end up as marshal. Buck wondered if maybe Barnett would make a good marshal. He saw the man trip over his own boots heading for the cell door with the keys. He fell against a jug of water spilling it’s contents all over the papers on his desk. Definitely Barnett Buck thought shaking his head. The marshal ignored the disaster for the moment, testament to the fact that it probably happened all the time, and opened Buck’s cell.
“Good luck to you,” the man said offering his hand. “I wouldn’t recommend staying around here if’n you don’t have to. This town don’t curtain to strangers. Especially one that’s…”
“I know, thanks. I plan on staying a little while at least. My horse was stolen on the way into town so I got to get me a new one before I’ll be going anywhere.”
“You got any money?”
“No.”
“Then that’s going to be tough.”
“Yep.”
The marshal handed Buck back his knife and gun. “You could always sell one of those…” The marshal said pointing to his weaponry. “But then again I suppose you probably NEED both with how much trouble you seem to get into.”
Buck almost smiled thinking how a man as accident prone as the marshal thought Buck was the one to get into trouble, almost.
“Well if you plan on staying in town for awhile I got a couple horses out at the stables they don’t belong to me so I can’t give you one, but no ones going to come looking for ‘em for awhile. I had to shoot their bank robbing owners just last week. You can use one of ‘em ‘til your ready to leave town.”
“Thanks again.” Buck answered leaving the office. As he stepped out into the sunlight he stretched a bit. He couldn’t understand why since there was plenty of room to move around, but stepping out of that cell was almost like stepping out of a tiny box. You HAD to stretch just to get the feeling back into yourself.
“Morning.” He said tipping his hat to a lady that passed in front of him. She was almost beautiful if she didn’t have such a digusted look on her face. Buck didn’t figure she had a right to have that look. Her long light brown hair was neat but not overly cared for. Her dress was clean and neat, but you could see it had been repaired several times. She turned her face away from him as she passed as if he smelled. He didn’t smell!! He had just taken a bath.. well… he sniffed, maybe I DO smell. He glanced around the town but it wasn’t really necessary, almost all towns were the same. He could even have described it to you with his eyes shut. They all had the same, a General Store, Blacksmith, Saloon, Hotel, and a couple of random buildings. Sometimes a doctor sometimes not. Even the people were the same. Women leading their children to and from the stores. Men standing around outside the saloon or the general store. The marshal patrolling just to make sure there was no one like him around to disturb the boring flow of life in the sleepy town. No one took much notice to him as he walked along to the edge of the town. He stepped into the stable looking around. It was easy to spot the two horses the marshal mentioned, because they were the only two there. Buck supposed the most of the town folk had a place to keep their own horses, and the way they treat strangers around here I doubt they have many, Buck thought. He stepped up to the larger of the two horses. It seemed a strong enough horse. At least good enough for his purpose. That being to find himself a place to take a bath and hopefully find something for dinner. The last eight days he had gotten used to eating and he was hesitant to stop again.
He pondered for a moment if he would have to ride bareback since he didn’t have a saddle either when he saw one laying across a bench.
Buck rode out of town just then noticing the name on the sign. “Hope,” ya right.
