Book 2, Chapter 16

The storm had passed through during the night, and everyone was up and ready to go, early. They made their way first to the restaurant, and then to the dock. The ship was a fine specimen. It had fresh paint on the hull and the stacks, and the brass fittings shone in the sunlight. The captain's name was Jonas Grumby. He'd been lured away from the riverboat Natchez by the ship's owner. The captain looked to run a tight ship and everyone was pleased that passage was booked on this ship.

Bob and the wives had the large suite on the second deck at the bow. This suite extended the entire width of the ship. There were four large bedrooms and a full size living room. The opulence of the décor was overwhelming to Clementine and Susannah. There were assigned one of the bedrooms, with a huge four poster canopy bed, just for themselves. They squealed with delight and ran to the bed, climbing up on it and throwing themselves out on the wide expanse of bedding. The wives just chuckled merrily at the children's antics. Bob smiled sagely, not saying a word.

They were treated royally, dining at the Captain's table each night. The food was surprisingly excellent. The owner had hired a chef from New York and the dinner fare was just as good as in any restaurant Bob and Dana had ever patronized. The others in the party were in awe of the spread put on by the Captain and ship's owner. On the third day of the trip, the new had worn off. After dinner, Bob decided to sit in on a poker game in the salon. He told his wives he'd probably be late. After pulling a thousand dollars in paper bills out of their supply, he kissed each one good night, and gave instructions for them to not wait up.

The casino was as opulent as the stateroom. Most of the usual games of chance were there. Bob got interested in the blackjack table, since they were not using a shoe. That meant Bob only needed to keep track of 52 cards, something he could do in his sleep. Bob played at the ten dollar table for two hours and was up seventeen hundred dollars. He didn't want to press his luck any further or get caught counting cards, so he moved over to the poker table.

This table was an open table, not run or funded by the ship. Anyone could rent the table space for twenty-five dollars in gold. A character by the name of Erich Weiss was currently running a game of five card stud. There was a spare seat at the table and Bob bought his way into the game. He spent the first hour learning the 'tell' of each player. The first twenty minutes told him there were two professionals playing. One was Weiss and the second was a Mr. Andre Cole who was seated directly across the table from Weiss. It took him two hours to discover Cole was cheating. He was surprised to find out that Hanson was running a clean game.

They had just finished playing a hand with Cole winning. He showed down three aces. Bob collected the cards from the discard pile, and began the process of straightening them out so he could shuffle and deal. Just on a hunch, Bob arranged things so that the three aces were on top of the deck. He felt the edges of the cards and felt the indentations on the cards. As he nonchalantly handled the rest of the deck, he found one other card with the same indentation. Working carefully as he shuffled, he found a different set of indentations on a card. He shuffled it to the bottom of the pile and took a peak with the next shuffle. It was a queen. Again he checked the rest of the pack and found three more cards with the same indentation. As he leisurely shuffled, he found the rest of the court cards with a similar type of mark.

Now Bob knew the deck was marked, he just had to prove it was Cole that did it. Bob dealt the hand and promptly folded, indicating he needed to use the necessary. As he left the casino he was joined by a man in white jacket and top hat who was accompanied by a Pawnee Indian. The man stopped Bob and asked him to step into the room across from the casino where the Pawnee was standing.

Once in the room the man introduced himself.

"My name is Yancy Derringer. I own this bucket of bolts. This is my companion, Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wah. It means Wolf Who Stands in Water. Apropos, isn't it? Anyway, I believe the man sitting to your right at the table is cheating, and I need your help to prove it."

Bob grinned. "I thought the same thing. I was going to find the Captain. I've discovered all of the court cards were marked with small indentations. This means that man is a card mechanic. When he deals, he wins. I've watched the man who set up the game and he's clean. What can I do?"

"Yes, you're right." Derringer continued. "Weiss is an old friend and he does not need to cheat. He's a good enough player that he will win often against honest men of lesser skill. He will lose against a cheat, though. Let me ask you this, have you noticed a pattern where this man gets high cards that were in the discard pile of the game before?"

"Now that you mention it, yes" was Bob's reply.

"I think he's using a holdout as well as the card marking," Derringer remarked. "You see, I use one too."

Yancy made a slight movement with his left elbow and all of a sudden Bob was looking at a four barreled derringer in the man's left hand.

"He's using a card holdout. When he picks up the discards, he saves out one, two or three cards and secretes them in the mechanism."

Bob listened patiently. He knew what a holdout was, and what it could do. He just didn't want to let Derringer know he knew. They talked quickly about their plan and then Bob hurried back to the game. He had only missed two hands. He made his excuses, and was admitted into the next new hand that was dealt. Bob noticed Derringer and the Pawnee enter the casino. Pahoo took up a place behind the table, against the wall. He made himself inconspicuous as possible. Derringer took a spot at the adjoining table so he was on the side opposite from Bob.

The deal ended and Cole was up. Bob memorized the discards as did Derringer. Under the pair's scrutiny, there were three cards marked by Cole as he collected them. The shuffle looked kosher. Bob watched closely as the deal was made. He couldn't detect any false moves by the charlatan. He noted a tweak in the corner of Cole's mouth when he glanced at his cards. The bets went around and it seemed that everyone was pleased with the deal. Bob was certain this hand would have a very high pot involved.

True to his hunch, the betting continued until the pot was over a thousand dollars. Bob watched out of the corner of his eye as the mountebank dealt out the draw. He noticed the slight movement on Cole's left arm and he noticed that Cole tossed more than two cards on the discard pile. No one else noticed. Bob decided to let the play continue. The betting mounted higher and higher. Only the man next to Weiss folded. Bob's own hand was the best of the evening. He had four fives.

Finally the betting was finished. There was a little over three thousand dollars on the table. As the call was made, the cards were revealed. First shown was a small straight. Next was a full house, then a flush. Bob showed his four fives. Finally it was Cole's turn. He turned over a royal straight flush in diamonds. As he reached for the winnings, a sword slashed down. Granted it was only the flat of the blade that struck, but everyone froze. Everyone that is, except Bob who had pulled his Schofield. Pahoo had stepped forward, pulling out a sawed off shotgun from under his serape.

"I don't think so," Derringer said. It was his blade that trapped the man's hand. "I think you have a slight problem, Sir. This is my boat, and I insist on an honest game. I believe that Mr. Weiss there is trying to run an honest game. You, Sir, are a different matter. Do you want to explain how he did it, Mr. Malone?"

"Yes, I've got it," Bob responded. He reached over to Cole's left sleeve and pushed it up the man's arm, while maintaining his gun's bead on Cole's chest. The holdout was strapped to the arm and it was empty. "You see. He partially stacked the deck for that last deal. He put his first card in the last position of the first round of cards and he placed his second card on the bottom. Frankly I didn't see him do it but one of the rounds he bottom dealt that card. The other three cards were in the hold out. He palmed the cards he wanted to discard. He is very slick, but I did catch the moment he used the holdout."

"I saw it, too. I didn't catch the stack and bottom deal, but it's a reasonable conclusion." Derringer said agreeing with Bob. "Pahoo, take this charlatan to the brig. We'll turn him over to the law, once we dock in New Orleans."

Pahoo signed his compliance to Yancy's request, and motioned for Cole to move out. They exited the casino and Bob turned to the table.

"Well, gentlemen, it seems we have a dilemma, here. By rights, the whole pot and the money on the table at his seat belong to Mr. Derringer and myself."

Looking at Yancy and receiving a nod to go ahead, Bob continued.

"However, in the spirit of fair play, I ask that you withdraw your bets from the last pot. But I do warn you gentlemen, I know what each of you bet."

Once that was done, Bob collected the rest of the pot, and the money in front of Cole's seat. He excused himself from the game, and asked Derringer to accompany him to the cashier.

Before he could speak, Derringer stopped him, saying, "You keep the winnings. I'm good with that. Don't worry. I already have everything I need."

Bob found it hard to argue. He could not dissuade Derringer from his stance on the subject. They shook hands as Bob cashed out the chips. He was stuck with the paper and asked Yancy if he could exchange it for gold. It wasn't a problem, as the riverboat had a standing deal with banks all up and down the river. They would be able to exchange the script for gold anyplace.

When Bob started to leave, the thrumming of the steam engine was interrupted by the sound of a shotgun blast. The two men hurried out to the deck. They both catapulted down the steps to the main deck. Yancy beckoned Bob aft at the base of the stair. They rounded the superstructure and encountered a grizzly scene. Pahoo was standing over the corpse of Mr. Andre Cole. Through their sign language, Yancy learned that Cole had attacked Pahoo and had run. Pahoo caught up and fired the shotgun at a range of about fifteen feet. The nine .32 caliber balls in the shell had ripped into Cole's body, ending his life.

As they watched, Pahoo searched the body and came up with a watch, a wallet and a money belt. He turned these over to Derringer, who then turned them over to Bob. He explained again that it was part of Bob's reward for exposing the cheat. By now Bob knew better than try to refuse.

Instead he said, "Well, then, I guess when we get to New Orleans, it's my treat. Any restaurant you choose, all right?"

"You, Sir, are a true gentleman. Of course. We shall dine at the Sazerac Restaurant. It's a quaint place, and the proprietress is a close friend. You will be dazzled by the culinary delights of her place."

With that agreement, Bob and Yancy parted company. They would meet at the restaurant at seven the next evening.

Bob made his way back to his suite. As quietly as he could, he let himself in. Someone had left a lamp burning low as a nightlight for him to see where he was going. He knew he was sleeping in the room at the end opposite Clem and Susannah so he crossed over to that door. Quietly he opening the door and slipped in. He kept the door open just a sliver and undressed by the light that was allowed to leak in from the parlor. There was a lump in the bed but he couldn't decide how many and who. Finding out, now that would be the fun part.

Naked, he crawled under the covers. As he slipped closer, he slowly reached over the woman. Suddenly she turned, pulling him close. She captured his lips with hers as the points on her breasts dug into his chest.

"I've been waiting, husband," Ana whispered to him as her hand strayed down to his manhood.

"I have been waiting, too," Ginger said from the other side of the bed as she rubbed an engorged nipple against his side.

"So have I," Dana added.

She was down under the covers, between Ginger's thighs. When Dana reached Bob to kiss him, he caught the slight taste of Ginger's pussy on Dana's lips. The kiss from Ginger tasted a bit like Ana and the kiss from Ana definitely had a Dana flavor to it. Not wanting to break the rhythm, Bob got in line starting with Ana. Her hard as nails nipples were standing straight up and away from her generous 40 DD globes. His probing hand found her slick slit and so he pulled her over and up on top in one swift movement. Without pause, he thrust his manhood deep into her hot box. Ginger latched onto Ana's magnificent mammary. Dana shifted positions and regained her position between Ginger's legs.

Between the ministrations of Dana's tongue and fingers, Ginger was only a little behind Ana in her orgasm. Ana had exploded with her orgasm and clamped down tight on Bob's hungry cock. He hadn't come yet but was unable to move at the present. As Ana's cunt relaxed, Ginger came. The auditory stimulation got Bob going again. Ana's copious lubrication allowed for unrestricted movement, but also lessened the friction stimulation. Still, it was enough. Ana came again. As she rolled off, Dana moved up to take her place.

Dana slid down on her husband's rock hard cock. As she slid she reflected on both the wonderful feeling and the wonder she had for sharing her husband with these other women. Just the thought of her sister wives caused her nipples to harden even more than they already were. Her slow rhythmic motion caused that special feeling in her stomach to start. It was the beginning of her orgasm and she was wanting this. She rode harder and harder, bouncing down and mashing her clit on his pubic bone. It was driving her wild.

Her gut started vibrating first, as her clit tingled continuously. She started to shiver uncontrollably and then it hit. The fireworks and the bells exploded and rang as her gut wrenching orgasm exploded through her body. Over and again the shock waves rolled through her. Her body involuntarily flexed as each strong wave overwhelmed the small framed woman. Ginger knelt behind Dana, her tits pressed into Dana's back. Dana felt the eraser size hard nubs dig into her skin even as Ginger's hands slid around her torso to caress her own heavy breasts. Ginger's fingers pinched and pulled on Dana's nipples, their direct connection with Dana's clit causing electric sparks to add to the stimulations of her orgasm. She was driving on cruise control as wave after wave continuously washed over her.

To top everything else off, just as she reached the pinnacle of her pleasure, Bob unleashed the fury of his ejaculation on her womb. He sprayed her down, filling her with his sperm. The heat of it jetting against her cervix precipitated another wave of pleasure as she came even harder. She cried out in pleasure, and then collapsed. Ginger gently let her down to the mattress and she arranged Dana's body for sleep, propping it against Bob's supine figure. Exhausted, he had dozed off. Ana wedged her body against his other side. Ginger fixed the sheet over their bodies and kissed Dana's shoulder before laying her head on the pillow. Sleep came easy to her, also.

After breakfast the next morning, the family took to the deck chairs on the third deck. They relaxed and watched the landscape roll by. The boat was making excellent time, and the captain predicted they would dock in New Orleans at around three o'clock. This was two hours earlier than their expected time. Bob talked with Yancy and asked him to recommend a hotel for his family. Derringer offered his home, Waverly to Bob and his family but Bob respectfully declined. Yancy suggested one of several hotels in the French quarter that would be large enough to handle the number of people in Bob's family. Bob thanked Derringer for his suggestions and reminded him of their dinner appointment. Yancy went to his office, and Bob returned to his family.

As predicted the steamboat docked just before three that afternoon. Andy and Rob were sent to tie up some hansom cabs, so they wouldn't be short. It took about a half an hour to disembark. Rob had hired three cabs, plus a freight wagon to carry the baggage. Once the dock cleared enough for the cabs to pull up, Andrew led the first cab to the dock. The other two cabs followed with the wagon Rob was in close behind. They only took ten minutes to get everything loaded up and ready to go.

While they were waiting, Bob had taken the opportunity to check with the local booking agent to find transport to Houston. The three masted schooner, 'Cutty Sark', was leaving day after tomorrow. It would make stops at Houston, Brownsville, Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti and St. Petersburg, Florida. Bob had to pay a premium for the thirty places he needed for the outbound trip. The captain decided to rearrange the schedule because he didn't want to make the trip, mostly empty, after Houston.

Bob and the family could leave for Houston tomorrow morning. The ship would make the trip, then return to New Orleans for the regular passengers and cargo. They would need to leave for the docks at seven tomorrow morning, to catch a ride to the Gulf sailing port. It would take two hours to get to Port Eads on the steam taxi. The Cutty Sark would be leaving at ten AM, and arrive at Galveston harbor at seven, the following day.

The next thing Bob did was look up the Pinkerton's office. It wasn't far. He identified himself. The agent in charge, Agent 99 told him she'd received a wire from agent Johnny Dollar advising them they would arrive in New Orleans day after tomorrow. Bob told them to arrange for shipping for the cargo and stock on a steamer to Houston and they would meet them at the docks. Bob left a hundred dollar gold bar as a deposit against additional charges. He did ask for a receipt. Bob told Agent 99 that he would check in with the Pinkerton office in Houston, to keep communication open. 99 should contact Houston if there were any questions.

His business didn't take much longer than the wait for the docks to clear. Bob rejoined the rest of the family and they proceeded to a nice hotel on Royal Street, in the French Quarter. Malone was fortunate to find the small hotel, the Hotel Pierre. It was able to accommodate the entire family. The hotel was typical of the architecture of the French Quarter. It was two stories high, and all the rooms faced the street and there was a balcony for each upper room. French doors opened out onto the balconies from the bedrooms.

The desk clerk recommended a restaurant at the end of the block. Bob thanked him but instead of that he asked directions to the Sazarac Restaurant. The clerk was hesitant and Bob had to insist. Bob guessed there was a kickback arrangement between the clerk and the restaurant he'd recommended. Bob did get the driections and found the Sazarac was only about five blocks away. They decided to walk since it was such a nice day. Derringer was there when they arrived. Bob allowed Yancy to order since he was hosting this shindig. It was the best food they'd had on this trip. The entire discussion centered on the food.

Bob just smiled and said nothing. He didn't want to get into the discussion, as he remembered his trip to New Orleans two years ago ... in the future timeline. He'd eaten at that very same restaurant. The food had been just as good then as it was now. It had surprised him when they entered the building, and his memory had reminded him he'd been there before. The family restaurant had remained in the same hands for all that time, and the recipes had been handed down, too. Bob didn't mention it to Dana or any of the other wives. He just enjoyed the food and the company provided by his family and friends.

They made it an early evening, since they would have to make it to the steam taxi's platform, early. The steam taxi was actually a narrow gauge rail system that linked the city with the peninsula, where the big sailing ships could dock. They would catch a quick breakfast so they could get to the taxi by seven AM.

Seven orgasms later, everyone settled down to sleep. By placing the mattresses from several beds on the floor in the biggest room, there was room for everyone to sleep together. Each woman was able to snuggle up so that they could at least touch Bob. When he awoke, Denise was holding his rigid cock, April was nestled against his right side and June had her head on his left shoulder. Ana was lying against June, her face resting on June's breast. Dana held on to Bob's leg as she reclined between Denise's legs, her face resting against the young girl's groin. Dana's mouth was less than three inches from Denise's recently fucked cunt, which was leaking juices.

Bob's eyes opened to the false dawn. His internal clock coincided with the regulator clock on the fireplace mantle. It was almost six o'clock and Bob set about waking his wives. He kissed Denise, and she opened her eyes and smiled.

"Good morning, husband," she purred.

"Good morning love. It's time we got up."

Their byplay woke April. She moved and that woke the others. June moved and that woke Ana, who playfully sucked June's nipple into her mouth. She bit down lightly and flicked June's nipple with her tongue. A spasm swept through June as her pussy clamped down against the stimulation.

"No time for play, girls. We have to go. So get to it." Bob admonished, as he glanced out the window at the scarlet streaks in the sky as the dawn was breaking. 'What was that saying ... Red sky in morning, sailors take warning?' He hoped they would not have problems today.

One thing you can say, they were organized. By a quarter after six everyone was ready to go. The same restaurant that was recommended by the clerk last night was the only one in the district that opened at six AM. They had to eat in shifts as there wasn't enough space for the family and the other clientele, but they were finished by six fifty. Rob again did the duty, and had four cabs waiting with the luggage from the hotel already loaded. The Malone crew arrived at the cab station at the appointed time. Bob had purchased the tickets yesterday, and their seats were guaranteed.