Chapter 15

There, lying on top of the stack of cards in front of him, was the only way Waite was going to win the hand. It was the nine of clubs. That gave him the seven, eight, nine, ten and Jack of clubs: a straight flush. Only a few hands could beat it. Among these were the jack high straight flush of another suit, the queen high and king high straight flushes, and the royal flushes (an ace high straight flush). A roar of applause exploded from the onlookers.

Waite stood slowly, and reached onto the table to collect his money. Stoneface was on his feet, and put his hands on Waite's.

"I don't think so," he said to Waite.

Waite just smiled and suggested the man look down. The .410 derringer was pointed right at the man's groin. When he saw the gun, his eyes grew large. He released Waite and raised his hands. Waite asked the dealer to send for the captain. He mentioned the fact that he'd had dinner with the Captain, and that the Captain and Samuel Clemens were probably in the smoking lounge. Two minutes later the Captain, accompanied by two burly deck hands, arrived at the table.

The messenger had related what had happened to the Captain, so he knew what was going on. The gambler accused Waite of cheating. The Captain let a deckhand search the Waite, his chair and the floor. Nothing turned up. The captain then turned to Stoneface and spoke.

"Now, then, turnabout is fair play. We search you."

The gambler made to run. The burly boatman behind latched on, and he could go nowhere. They checked his sleeves and came up with a mechanical holdout. There were no cards in it now, but it undoubtedly had held some during the game. The mate clubbed the gambler with a sap, and he folded.

The boat had a holding cell used for boisterous passengers. This one would be turned over to the law at the next stop. The boats had a very good relationship with all the towns. The towns brought their lifeblood to the river, and the boats took goods to markets up and down the river.

Everyone respected the captains, especially this one. He apologized to Waite, and Waite graciously accepted. The audience applauded and made a fuss for a while. Soon, however, the attention died down as the gamblers returned to their pastimes.

Waite took his winnings to the cage and asked the cashier to give him an accounting, and a chit for the winnings. He would cash in after they arrived in St. Louis, where he would have the company of a Pinkerton or two.

Waite returned to the cabin to find all the women in the big bed. None of the other rooms in the suite were used for adults. The babies were in one small room, fast asleep. He quickly got undressed and crawled in to the space left for him.

"Welcome back, husband" came the whispers from several locations.

Hands started to caress, lips started to kiss. Then he thought of Millie.

"Ahh, where's Millie?" he whispered back, speaking to no one in particular.

"Right here, husband," came Millie's voice at his side.

Peggy Sue's been at it again. But this time she'd made a mistake. Millie had to go to Kirksville to see Dr. Still.

As if reading his mind Peggy Sue spoke up from the far side of the bed "Yes, husband, but just for tonight. You will pleasure our dear Millie one more time. The rest of us will remain in contact with either you, or Millie, the entire time. We shall get our pleasure from that. We love Millie the same as if she were one of us. Now fuck her eyeballs out!" Peggy Sue ordered.

Knowing he must do as ordered, he did just that. He fucked Millie until she dropped. Four of the sister-wives also fainted from the communal orgasms they felt.

Doreen was next to him on the other side. He got off Millie and spread her meaty thighs to gain access to her honey pot. He ate her full on until she came. A sweet-tart fluid filled his mouth. It was not urine, it was her orgasmic fluids. She squirted into his mouth and he had to swallow quickly to take it all in. When the flow subsided he climbed up to her and shared what was left with the fluffy young wife.

She cleaned out his mouth and admitted that Darlene used to have that job. But she never produced as much fluid as she had tonight. Waite filled her cunt full with his rod. Stroking with a passion, he soon filled her full of his sperm. Once finished he turned on his side, put his head on the pillow and knew nothing more until morning.

Today would be a sorrowful departure for Millie. She was prepared, though. She and Waite sat on the deck chairs and watched the land pass by, while holding hands. Occasionally, she would reach over to stroke his face, and every once in a while Waite would lean over and kiss her solidly on the lips. They were touching and fondling and holding each other.

Someone looking closely could see the passion in their eyes as well as the hard nipples straining the fabric on her dress. Every so often one of the sister-wives would come by and sit next to her. They would unabashedly kiss her full on the mouth when they departed. A bystander would have had a very erotic show, if they had stayed to watch. But they didn't so the byplay continued, unnoticed.

At last they reached St. Louis. The starting place for the great western migration and expansion of the union was here. Waite had decided to go overland because the road was so well trekked. It would be an easy haul to get to Dodge City, Kansas. From there it would be almost straight south to Abilene and then the cattle trail from the railhead stockyards to Waco. It should only take six weeks. They would be in Texas the first part of September.

Jesse, Karen, Betsy and June were on the dock waiting for the rest of the family. Two Pinkertons, Derek Flint and Rocky Jordan, were with them. They told Waite the wagons and livestock had been off loaded in the morning. The other two Pinkerton agents, Johnny Dollar and Phillip Marlow were guarding the wagons. Waite thanked the men, and told them to take the family to the wagons. He had to escort Millie to the waiting stage.

They took a hansom cab to the Wells Fargo Line's office. This was not the bank, it was the stage line. Waite had her trunk placed on the back of the stagecoach. The coachman signaled it was time to go. There was a tear in Millie's eye as she hugged him fiercely. The emotions were starting to get to Waite, too. He kissed her with all the passion he felt. He knew she was going there to die. He knew he would never see her again. It broke his heart, but he had to be strong, for her sake.

As she climbed the steps to the coach, she turned one last time and kissed him on the top of his head.

"Goodbye, my love" she said. "I will never forget. For the rest of my life I will cherish the time we've had together. Think of me often, will you? And tell my sister-wives I love them, too, and will miss them terribly."

Waite couldn't think of anything to say that would convey his love and the loss he felt. The lump in his throat prevented him from saying anything at that moment. As the driver signaled the horses to start, Millie heard him exclaim

"I love you! I will always remember you ... Amelia Earhart. Be brave."

Waite couldn't help it. He was crying, and didn't give a damn who saw him. No one would dare say anything. A pretty woman of about twenty came up to him and gave him a hug. Just as abruptly she released him, and was lost in the crowd. A kindly old gentleman patted him on the back, as if to console him. He, too, disappeared in the crowd.

Waite stood there watching the stage, until it was out of sight. He then climbed back in the cab and directed the driver to take him back to the wharf.

Waite dismounted the cab and paid the man well for the ride. He would always remember this ride and this day. It was indelibly stamped on his brain cells. He would remember the joy and the sorrow. He would keep his promise, he would never forget.

When he found his wives, he grabbed them and hugged the breath out of them. They knew he was upset, they felt his pain. It was their pain, too. They had lost a sister, a sister that was loved beyond all understanding.

Later, in Waco, when they were unpacking their wagons, they would find one of her dresses. It was the one she wore the first day she had met Waite. That dress became a treasured heirloom. It would that would be handed down, mother to daughter, for the rest of time itself.

Waite had the four Pinkertons go with him to the Well Fargo Bank. Mr. James Sanford and his son Watson ran this regional bank. They had received the wire from Nashville, almost three weeks ago, and had the gold to cover the check Waite had, and for the stock certificates. It took Waite several hours to count out the one and a half million dollars in twenty and fifty dollar gold pieces. In the end there were four strong boxes, full of coins.

Waite decided to engage the Pinkerton men to accompany the family, until they got a goodly distance away from St. Louis and civilization, with all that entailed.

The head of the St. Louis Pinkerton office, Mr. Samuel Spade, agreed that his men could go. The rate would be one hundred dollars a week for all four, and they would eat and sleep in camp with the family.

Waite hired a buckboard and team from a livery stable down the street. He drove it to the back of the bank. When no one was around, the Pinkerton's transferred the strong boxes to the buckboard. They covered the boxes with some feed sacks Waite had picked up for the animals and headed back to the wagons.

The others made themselves busy so no one could see just what they were doing. The gold was put in the hide out section of the second Conestoga. That was the best they could do until they got on the trail. Then they could spread the boxes out between the four wagons.

The women spread out between the wagons. Brutus, the mastiff, rode with Peggy Sue. Dick and Jane, the bloodhounds, road in the Big Wagon with Waite. Skippy, the beagle, rode on Betsy's lap. The baby and the triplets were in the wagon behind Waite's, with Peggy Sue and Patty. Kenny was again riding with Jesse. He looked up to Jesse like a big brother. Jesse had taken a shine to the boy. He was teaching Kenny how to be a man, as best he could.

The Pinkerton agents were riding nice looking horses, and were ready to leave. It was just after noon, July 8, 1873, when the Phillips' wagon train left St Louis, for Kansas.

They had no problems the first week out of St. Louis. Food was easy to get at the various towns they passed through. Their group just looked like one of the many groups that passed through. In the middle of the second week, the Pinkerton men had stopped to rest their horses. The wagons with their mules kept going. It was expected the guard detail would catch up in twenty minutes or so.

They were about a mile and a half of the Pinkertons, when some Missouri scudders attacked from the woods on the left side of the road. They weren't very good shots because they didn't hit anyone.

Waite and Jesse jumped off the seats and tied their reins to the wheel brakes. If one team tried to move, the brake would hold them. Rifles were passed out of the sides of the wagons. The men took up strategic positions and held their fire. When the firing abated, they got ready.

Waite had drilled the women on what to do in a case like this. He called up to Lisa Marie in his wagon and Peggy Sue in her tag along. They were ready. Jesse checked his wagons and they were ready too. The girls in the wagons had untied the white covers so they were just resting on the stays. Someone from behind (the men) could pull the covering up in an instant.

Eight men rode out from the woods. They had their guns out pointed at the wagons, but didn't fire. The fools rode right up to the wagons and stopped their horses in a line facing the sides of the wagons. The leader of the group called out.

"Surrender, you are only two. Your guards are over a mile back. You don't have a chance. Give up and we might let you live. We want to see what you got from the bank in St. Louie and tried to hide so carefully. We see'd you do it, an know ya got sumthin' worth lookin' at."

Waite let them stew a few seconds, waiting for them to relax a little.

Then he shouted, "NOW!"

Waite and Jesse pulled on the covers and then stepped between the wagons. Greeners went off and the Winchesters followed suit. In just a few seconds, the men were dead or dying.

Suddenly, from the tree line a horse bolted. The rider headed back toward St. Louis. Peggy Sue tossed Waite the Springfield scoped rifle. He took quick aim, adjusted for bullet drop and fired. They waited. It seemed like an eternity, but the rider finally fell.

Jesse jumped on Misty and was off. Shortly, the group heard a gunshot. A little later he came back with a horse in tow. It was another young Morgan mare. Jesse had stripped the body of everything usable, and had then dragged it to the woods. The next task was to rid the immediate area of the dead.

In checking the bodies Waite found two still alive. They were dragged next to each other for questioning. Patty and Lisa Marie guarded them. Patty was also feeding David and she could see the effect her bare breast was having on the men. She kept flashing her tit until they both had incredible hard-ons, despite their wounds.

"Ok," said Waite, "who wants to tell me what I need to know?"

The first man was uncooperative. Patty flashed a tit, and he couldn't take his eyes off of it. Jesse had brought over a pair of pliers. Waite took the pliers and his Bowie and pretended to be Moses. He circumcised the man, right then and there. The cowboy screamed in pain, then fainted.

Waite looked at the next man. He decided to cooperate.

"Mr. Sanford at the bank told us about you. He said you'd have four strong boxes and if we could get to you, we'd all be rich. Honest Mister, that's what he said."