Chapter 3

Peggy Sue owned the millinery store outright. She arranged with the bank to sell the building for her. It took her two days to pack all her fabrics and notions. Her shop was very well stocked from her inheritance when her father died. She was his only daughter and he doted on her. He left her financially well off. She never told anyone about that. Even the banker didn't know. Her main bank account was in New York City and she could get funds wired to any bank whenever she needed some. She was an excellent seamstress and made out quite well, so she didn't need all that much from the bank. Her operation was so well-equipped, that she even had two of the Singer oscillating shuttle treadle sewing machines. Waite bought lumber from the lumberyard and built some wooden boxes for all her materials. There were six large wood crates loaded on the wagon when they were done. Peggy Sue packed up her teaching supplies and books. They didn't take up much space and got packed in one of the millinery crates. The same was similar with Carol Ann. She owned the furniture in the shared room. It had been a gift from her mother. Mrs. Jordan allowed her to move it in. It was better than the meager furnishings that were in the room. The pride of the room was the four-poster bed. It was large enough for the three girls to comfortably sleep together. It wouldn't be a stretch for it to hold four. Two large dressers and a wardrobe, two side tables, and two chairs were also included. The furniture would be last to load.

Waite had taken a lot of time in the general store. He bought out most of store's food and travel supplies. The Conestoga was mostly filled by the time he was done. The mattress was placed near the front half of the wagon. It turned out to be a cozy place for the semblance of a bedroom with the way the supplies and crates were placed. It was decided that Carol Ann and Waite would be married first here in Sneedville. The local parson was more than pleased to oblige the happy couple. Of course, he was obliged to ask for a gold eagle as compensation before they left town. He especially noticed how the beautiful bridesmaids fawned on the bride and groom. They acted like one big happy family. Little did he know the truth of the matter.

With that out of the way, Waite Phillips, Carol Ann Stratford Phillips, Peggy Sue Watson, and Lisa Marie Thompson got on their way. Ruth and the two keeper horses were tied to the back of the wagon on stringers. They had loaded the weapons in the lockbox and each water barrel was full to the brim. Waite had commissioned the carpenter at the lumberyard to add two more barrels to the wagon. He also had a safe-box hidden in the side of the seat support. Anyone not knowing what it looked like couldn't find it. It held over $20,000 in gold coins. He had kept out a couple hundred dollars worth for expenses. He figured he'd be OK with that amount, and could probably count on getting some more on the trail. The countryside was full of highwaymen and he could count on gaining some loot there, so the brave adventurer and his new wives started out on their trek to Texas. They waved goodbye as they left town. Most of the town turned out to see them off and wish them well. Waite and Carol Ann were riding on the seat and Peggy Sue and Lisa Marie were on the mattress in the back. They were headed west towards Knoxville. It was the nearest big town and they were going to make some purchases there. It was about 60 miles distant and the trip should take 3-4 days. They traveled for several hours before Waite noticed movement in the woods about 400 yards ahead. He sent Carol Ann to the back, and told the girls to get the Greener shotguns out and be ready. He pulled his Winchester 73 up to his side, and took the Colt SSA out of the holster and placed it on his lap. He pulled the team up and waited. A tree shortly fell across the road and four riders emerged from the woods and were soon tearing up the road towards their position.

They were about 200 yards out when they started shooting. These fools didn't know the rule about shooting from a moving steed. Waite calmly brought the Winchester to his shoulder, pulled it in tight, cocked, aimed, and fired. He chambered another round as the first felon went head over heels off his horse. He was dead before he hit the ground. That caused the others to fire more rounds his way. Waite took the big rifle and touched off another round. He took the man's right shoulder out and he fell from his horse. The next shot he made was a bit better, only because of pure luck. Waite shot the man's throat out. He was aiming for the man's chest. Lucky shot! The fourth man reined his horse in and attempted to turn around.

"Oh no, you ain't" he shouted, and he stood up, sighted the gun, and took the last man out with a shot to the kidneys. "They're done for." He called to the women as he dismounted the wagon. He told them to stay put until he got back and to keep the Greeners handy just in case. He carefully started walking towards the one man not dead yet. He had the rifle trained on the man. When he got about 25 yards from him he drew his Colts and laid the Winchester down beside the road.

"Help me, Mister," the man weakly said, "I don't want to die. Help me."

"What the hell do you think you were doing? Hell, anyone with any kind of smarts knows you can't aim while riding a horse at a gallop like you were doing. Now then, what have you got that would convince me to help you. Your partners are all dead. You're the only one left."

"No, there's Jake. He's watching the captured wagon and girl," The man confessed. "They're back in the woods just beyond where we jumped out. We got loot all day. We made a pretty good haul until you came along. Now, you gonna help me?"

"Yep" he said, then he took his Colt and put one right between the man's eyes. One thing he couldn't stand was bushwhackers and highwaymen. He had no cause to keep the man alive now that he knew where the loot was stashed. He caught one of the nags the highwaymen were riding and rode up to where he first saw the robbers. He dismounted the horse and tied it to a nearby sapling. He slipped into the woods and began a search. He soon heard voices.

"You just leave me alone. Don't you touch me. You heard what that other man said, I'm supposed to be his and you're only to watch me. You don't get to touch!" a female voice cried.

"Well, Missy, Bill ain't here to keep me from it, iffn I was to play with you. Once the deed is done, there ain't no taking it back. I think I'll just see what treasure you got under that there dress anyhow."

The man advanced on the girl. She was tied at the wrists to the wheel of another wagon., She started lashing out with her feet when he got near. She knocked him back, which made him mad. He came at her again and she set to screaming and kicking. Waite was getting near enough for a shot, but he needed to be sure with it. He continued to move closer as the girl continued to scream and kick. Phillips crawled a few yards further until he reached a position close enough for a reasonable shot.

From his hiding place, Waite called out. "Leave that girl alone. Raise your hands, you're under arrest."

The man stopped his advance on the girl, pulled out his revolver and yelled out, "Whoever you are, get lost. This ain't none o' your concern. You just hightail it outta here."

Waite was low in the bushes about 20 yards from the man. He tossed a rock off to the left. When the rock landed, it hit another rock and it clattered. The man spun around and fired. This gave Phillips the opportunity he needed. One shot later the man lay dead and Waite was at the wagon wheel untying the young girl. He couldn't help but notice how fine this young lady looked as he worked on the knots. The curve of her torso and the flare of her hips told him she was old enough for sparking, but her face had the look of innocence found on very young girls. He finally got her untied and she collapsed into his arms, shivering and crying.

"There, there, young lady, you're safe now. My wife and I are here. We'll take care of you. He stood up and carried her out to the road. Peggy Sue had driven the wagon to the point in the road that the bushwhacker's horse was tied. Waite carried the scared girl to the back of the Conestoga and lifted her up. Lisa and Carol were there to help. The three of them carried her back to the bedroom and laid her on the bed. Carol Ann took the girl's head and laid it in her lap. She was stroking the girl's light brown hair trying to calm her down. Lisa had stripped the dead men of their valuables as they drove the wagon up. Revolvers, gold, and gunbelts were all in the wagon. The women had gathered the four horses and tied them to the wagon. Peggy Sue cleaned the bags and scabbards off the horses. Two Henrys, a rolling block Remington, and a Sharps carbine were the long guns she found. The latter two were in .45-70. The handguns consisted of two of the Army conversions, a Schofield, two Pattersons, and a Smith. He kept all the rifles and the two conversions. He put the other revolvers in a bag to sell next chance he got. He went back to where the bodies were and dragged them into the woods after stripping off all the clothes. He found an almost new hat that fit. The shirt on the headshot man was clean and he kept that. They all had evacuated their bowels and the pants were worthless without a good cleaning. He tossed them in the woods. He did take the rest of the boots as trade items. He got back to the wagon and found the girl asleep. He then checked the loot that Peggy Sue had collected. There were 240 double eagles, 194 eagles, 63 half eagles, and 2 California Forty Niner $50 gold pieces in the saddlebags. That was in addition to the 55 double eagles found in the varmints' pockets. There were a couple real nice knives, including one made by Jim Bowie. That went into the gun store along with the rifles and extra guns.

After checking in with his wives and finding the young woman still asleep with her head on Carol Ann's lap, Waite went to check out the wagon. He made his way back to the wagon. First there was the matter of the dead man. Shirt, hat, and boots were good, so he took them. He dragged the man further back in the woods by grabbing his legs. As he was pulling, he tripped over something. When he recovered, he found another dead man. This one was dressed differently than the others. He guessed this was another victim of the highwaymen. He left the outlaw, but brought the other body back. The man had been shot with a handgun at close range. The bullet must have hit his heart because there was very little blood. He then checked the seat of the wagon and found a little blood on the seat. The wagon itself was full of supplies, furniture, clothes, and such. There were men's and women's clothing there. He also found clothing sized appropriately for the young girl. His guess was that the robbers killed her parents when they took the wagon. The team of horses was still hitched to the wagon. He rolled the body up in a rug from the wagon and put it in the back. He then drove the wagon out of the woods and onto the road. He had to drive back several hundred yards to get the wagon up with his own. He unhitched the horses and hobbled them in a grassy area. He did the same for his mules. Then he went back into his wagon.