Chapter 21

I introduced Mei and Krista. Just then Earl, called me to the stage office. I jumped up and retrieved my Burgess shotgun from the box. I was loading the magazine with slugs as I stepped up on the boardwalk and into Douglas Gansevoort.

I said slowly and distinctly, "Hello, Douglas, you are the dumb cocksucker who nearly got me killed and the gold stolen."

I cycled the pistol grip as I said, "Now I'm gonna gut shoot you."

Douglas was pale and sweating as he blurted, "You'll hang."

I replied calmly, "You won't live to see me drop."

I pointed the barrel between his feet and let one drive into the boardwalk. In the sudden intense silence I said, "Next one's higher."

He said, "My brother."

I said, "Good point. I'll shoot him too. Only hang once. As it is, a jury of people who know you might very well acquit me."

He was trying to breath. He was nearly strangling on his tie. He finally rasped, "They'll lynch you."

I replied, "Don't kid yourself. You ain't that well liked."

A very deep voice behind me said, "Gentlemen. If I might have a moment of your time."

I buried the muzzle of my shotgun in Gansevoort's belly.

I glanced up at the 'voice' to see a huge individual. In an age where five foot was a median this fellow looked like seven feet, easy with immense meaty biceps and forearms visible in the rolled up sleeves of his dress shirt. His watch chain was decorated with a fist sized gold nugget. Okay, a baby's fist, but still a very nice size.

I said, "And you are?"

He replied smoothly, "Edward Halliday. President of the miners committee."

I said, "Oh. You're the other stupid cocksucker I have to shoot tonight."

He nodded sagely. "I take it you are unhappy with Douglas's handling of the last shipment."

I nodded. "Yes. Indeed. Unhappy. I nearly died and lost the fucking gold. If you stupid bastards would have told me GOLD -- I would have taken special steps, and you could have moved more in greater safety. Do you Sonsabitches understand, the only one who did not know, was ME your guard?"

He perked up. "Special steps?"

I replied, "Wagon, guards, horsemen."

He asked, "How much?'

I answered, "One hundred thousand plus ten thousand a person plus expenses."

He asked, "Guaranteed?"

I chuckled. "Make it or die trying."

He nodded, saying, "Good point. Do you have my receipts?"

Earl tossed him a bank bag that had receipts for each strongbox. Halliday looked through it, smiling. He signed for the bag. Then he gestured, and two unsmiling gunmen joined us, carrying their own bank bags. He said, "Bonus from the miners committee for safe delivery. Twenty-five thousand in gold coin for each of you. We will be in touch before our next shipment."

The two gunmen tossed their bags, one to me, one to Earl. They quickly turned to follow big boss man.

I caught my bag with my left as I prodded Douglas again with my shotgun barrel. I made my decision. I said, "Earl."

Tossing him my shotgun, dropping my bag, and reaching down, I grabbed a chair that I swung at Gansevoort's jaw. No Hollywood breakaway, this was an oak captains chair, and it made solid contact. Douglas dropped like a poleaxed steer.

I picked up my bank bag, and we walked out of the stage office. Earl handed over my shotgun. He asked, "Driver?"

I shook my head.

Earl pointed at himself. "Me."

I smiled. "You're hired!"

We were laughing as we were back in the crowded noisy street. Suddenly, I was scooped up into the air. I realized Dan had found me. I pounded him on the back in greeting. Much like pounding on one of the granite outcroppings I saw in my travels. Dan set me down just in time for Jan to hurtle into my arms. She held me tight, with her legs wrapped around me, while she kissed me. Dan unpeeled her as he asked, "Are you ready to unload the coach?'

Earl shook his head emphatically. "Emma's."

I said, "Then let's do it."

Earl climbed up in the box, unwinding his lines from the brake. He whistled loudly, but in the bedlam few noticed. I climbed up next to him still carrying my shotgun. Earl nodded. I held it over my head pulling the trigger. In the gathering silence I yelled, "We're unloading the coach at Miss Emma's. Watch yourselves."

In an instant, Krista was sitting in the box next to me with Hannah and Gaby behind us on the coach roof. Bea, Jaci and Mei were inside. Dan was leading Duke, who would be following Emma's limo.

Earl turned the coach team in the crowded street. As they straightened, Earl spanked them into a slow trot as he took them around the corner to Miss Emma's. Earl took the stage through the gate, pulling up in back of the house next to the barn.

Dan halted Emma's limo carriage just inside the gate, plugging the entry. The following crowd took the hint, funneling inside the bar of the sporting house. There to buy a celebratory drink.

Miss Emma put all of us to work immediately. Dan was back to bouncing, with Jan covering. Gaby and Jaci were circulating in the public bar, still dressed in their jeans and cotton shirts. Hannah and Beatrice took over the kitchen, freeing up 'Emma's girls'. Mei was behind the bar, using the skills from her college part time jobs bartending in San Jose.

Caitlin brought me a black suit. I dressed in the small parlor. Belting on my twin speed holsters with their short Colts, I walked out into the bar, joining K in playing doorman.

I introduced Earl to Miss Emma, telling her, "Emma love, a big reason your gold got delivered and Gaby and Jaci made it home is because Earl was driving. I leave it to you for a suitable reward for a HERO!"

Shortly, I saw Earl, smoking a cigar, sitting in the company of one of Emma's lovelies, with a bottle of whiskey in front of him.

The citizens of Deadwood were having the party at Miss Emma's in celebration of our stage's safe arrival. The player piano and parlor organ were playing loudly as the crowd swelled, filling the bar. The drinks were flowing, and traffic to the private rooms was steady. Gaby and Jaci were, before long, only partially dressed and looking lovely in just their cotton shirts, mostly unbuttoned. All the girls were wearing less and less as the party wore on; soon, all were in a state of dishabille.

All the while, hefty trays of food were being delivered to the tables from the kitchen. During one of her stops to refill my coffee cup, Emma confided that the kitchen never operated that proficiently before. Tonight, food flowed one way, and only money and compliments the other!

It was brighter outside than inside Miss Emma's. Emma passed the word. Finally, the party wound down. We began to move people toward the door. They were good-natured in their evictions. Dan shut the door behind the last guest as we all collapsed.

Hannah and Beatrice delivered breakfast for all of us workers. They pushed tables together in the bar, and served our meal family style. Every person at Miss Emma's fit around the joined tables for the meal.

Some of the girls had thrown on cover-ups; most just dropped into their chairs, exhausted and naked. I'd like to claim that after awhile you don't notice, but the quality of pulchritude at Miss Emma's was so fine that I always had to stare. Even when tired, most had enough energy to preen and pose a tiny bit, just for me.

Mei and Krista flanked me as I sat. During a lull in the conversation, Mei asked how the tips worked?

She said, "I was bartending, and got a shitload of tips. I've never been tipped like that anywhere I was bartender. Do we pool the tips or what?"

I glanced over and dryly said, "Your English is so much better, love."

She turned beet red, putting her head down on the table. Krista giggled. I looked around; nobody but Gaby and Hannah noticed and they were being circumspect. Gaby responded, "Whores are paid two hundred fifty dollars a month, from that we pay a fee, rent if you will, every time we use a room. Above that, we give twenty percent of our tips to the house and ten percent to our particular 'girl', Caitlin in my case. Plus another ten per cent to be shared by any staff who do not get a chance for tips."

Mei nodded, clearly fascinated, as Gaby continued, "We receive a percentage of any food and drink ordered to one of our rooms. We receive a lesser percentage of any food or drink delivered to a table we're working. Our best cut is for the drinks bought for us by customers."

Mei nodded. She had seen the special rack filled with the expensive liquors to be served whenever drinks were bought for any of the girls. Those pours were tallied separately, and now she understood why.

Gaby continued, "Anyone in contact with the customer is likely to be tipped in a place like this. The answer for you is that twenty percent goes to the house and ten to be shared by the staff who do not have a chance at tips."

Emma nodded in agreement, then she spoke up. "I watched you Mei. You are a very good bartender. I am well pleased, you sold more liquor than I ever imagined even with this vast crowd. No one sat with an empty glass. You were very attentive, plus you flirted and teased. No wonder you were well rewarded."

Mei shrugged, but I could see that she was pleased at being praised. The conversation picked up again, as the women discussed their customers, in very frank and singularly unflattering fashion. It was fascinating, and yet I was ill at ease at the same time to be privy to these comments.

We finally ate our fill, with many compliments to our newest kitchen crew. Emma stood up, announcing, "This was another record setting night for us. We have had nothing but fair weather since our four bright stars joined us. I send all of you off to bed. We will be closed until tonight. Rest well, with my love."

Emma stood up. Taking Dan and Jan by the hand, she walked out of the bar. The group broke up as exhausted damsels wearily made for their beds. One not too tired for a bit of companionship, stopped to invite Earl along to hers. They left hand in hand. We weren't too dead beat to laugh at that little display.

The room was emptying fast; soon it was down to Gaby, Jaci, Caitlin, Hannah, Beatrice, Mei, Krista and me.

As I sat back with my coffee, Mei was leaned forward, explaining to Krista her good fortune at being purchased by me in Cheyenne. Mei went on to tell K ALL about her experience with our claw foot bathtub. Of course, Gaby and Hannah were drawn into the conversation, sharing their bathtub stories with K as well.

Krista finally took pity on me, turning so that I could see her expansive grin. She asked, "Do we need a claw foot tub?"

Before I could answer, Gaby, Hannah, and Mei all quickly said "YES!" I nodded. K mused aloud, "One here and one at our cabin."

I nodded again.

She said, "I think I know where one or two are stored not too far from here."

I nodded again in understanding. Stored on the other side of our portal, perhaps.

K brightened as she said, "Dan has a surprise for you, W. In the barn. Come along."

We followed K through the kitchen out on the back porch. I noticed that the stage was completely empty and the horses unhitched from it. Then I saw four identical hitch wagons lined up. Each was eight feet tall by six feet wide by sixteen feet long, with fifth wheel steering. The wheels were over four feet in diameter on the back, and three feet on the front. They even had coach lights next to the high driver seat. Large tarpaulins to cover the wagon box were rolled up behind the seat.

An exasperated Krista said, "No, over here."

A white rock walkway extended from the back porch to the muddy driveway. Beyond it, another walkway of the same white rocks followed around the barn and out of sight.

Now that horse traffic behind the house had ceased, a 'bridge' of planks connected the two walkways. With this innovation, a person could walk from the kitchen around the barn with clean and relatively dry feet. Even in our near constant drizzle.

K grabbed my hand; with a delighted giggle she led me out in the drizzle and across the makeshift bridge. The rest followed behind, some stopping for parasols or macs. At the back of the barn, K pointed to an apparatus in a fire ring, then pushed me through the door into a converted feed room. Dan had been busy.

In the center of the room was an eight-foot diameter wooden stock tank with three foot sides mounted on one foot high legs. More crushed rock and thick planks surrounded the tank.

The steamy atmosphere clearly indicated the tank contents were hot water. A tripod suspended the metal tank outside over a fire ring. A pipe ran from the open heating tank downhill into the stock tank. One pipe from the nearby well ran to the top of the metal heating tank, and one directly to the stock tank. A large drain valve under the tank fed a sluice that carried the drain water away into a shallow pit near the back of the property.