Chapter 14

The next morning, Jake and Sue set off for Johnson City. Jake was riding Blaze as normal, and led two saddled horses, one that they would use to bring purchases back with them, the other he was intending to sell.

Sue was riding the black horse she was becoming used too - if she had given it a name, Jake didn't know what it was. She was also leading two horses, and was dressed in her black pants and boots, a blue shirt, and her new hat. Her hair hung down her back in a pony tail, tied with a couple of rawhide thongs, and she was wearing her gunbelt with the single shot pistol on her right thigh and her two knives on the left. Her colt, in its holster and belt, was on the second horse in her pack - she would have it altered to fit her when they were in town.

The journey was uneventful. They stopped for a short break at around midday and camped overnight at the same place that Jake had used on his trip. By the middle of the next day, they were overlooking the town.

This was something new for Sue. She had become used to the cabin they were repairing, but here were many more buildings, all of them larger. It was her first sight of even a small western town and she was intrigued.

As they got closer, not only could she see the town better, she could smell it. Even from a small town like this, the horses and human waste created a noticeable stink the closer she got. Fortunately, being just a few houses, it wasn't too bad - but it was unpleasant enough.

Arriving in town, Jake's first call was at the stables. As the six horses pulled up outside, the stable owner came out to meet them.

He looked at the small group. He recognised Jake as the man who had been asking about selling horses a few days earlier. He had said he would be back, and sure enough he was. The six horses were well cared for. He assumed he would be offered some or all of the unridden ones, probably the two that didn't already have bedrolls on them. One was a big horse, such as a big man might ride, and the other looked good enough.

Of course, the best two were the ones being ridden. The bay stallion with the white blaze on his face was an excellent horse, seeming to have plenty of strength and probably the stamina to go with it. The other was a good looking black mare with one white sock. A bit smaller than the stallion, its rider was also smaller. He seemed to be - no, wait a minute - she seemed to be young as well. That was interesting. She sat the horse well, and seemed to be wearing a pistol. However it was difficult to see her face under the brim of her hat.

"Howdy, I said I'd be back," said Jake.

"That you did," the man replied. "And you said you'd be bringing me some horses to look at."

"We'd like to sell the two at the back," Jake told him, confirming his thoughts.

"Well, let's have a look at them then."

Jake and Sue dismounted and untied the two horses from the back of their strings. They both walked them over so he could examine them. He checked their hooves, and their teeth, and their general condition. While he did so, he got a better look at the girl for the first time. She was young, as he had first imagined, maybe sixteen. She was also quite tanned, almost as though she was Mexican or something. It was interesting that the man had said "We'd like to sell" rather than "I'd like", so they were obviously at least partners if not a couple.

"Nice horse," he said to her. She didn't reply, but looked up at him for the first time. He saw her eyes, and her high cheekbones. She was an Indian! But dressed like a white girl, or rather like a white man. And she was armed. What was going on here?

He turned to Jake with a puzzled look on his face. "She..." he started

"Do you want to buy them?" Jake interrupted. "The saddles go with them, so what do you offer?"

It was obvious that Jake didn't want to discuss his partner's origins, so he swallowed what he was going to say and started dickering over a price. Ten minutes later they had agreed a figure that was satisfactory to both of them or, as is usually the case, slightly unsatisfactory to both but that they could live with.

"I'll need to get the money," he told Jake. "I don't keep that much here at the stable."

"That's fine," Jake told him. "We have other things to do in town so we'll come back later."

With that, Jake swung back up on his horse, followed by Sue. They turned away, still leading one horse each, and rode off to the store. A few people were around, on the street or in front of the buildings, and they watched the two riders and four horses go past, interested to see strangers in town.

Having tied all four horses up in front of the store, Jake led Sue up the steps and into the store. Once again the bell rang, which made Sue jump and look round, and the sound brought Lisa out from the back.

"Howdy Jake, it's good to see you again," she greeted him.

"Howdy, Ma'am," Jake replied.

"Now don't you Ma'am me," grumbled Lisa. "You're buying that old place off us so we should be friends. Call me Lisa."

"Thank you Lisa," Jake answered. "Can I introduce you to my friend Sue?"

Hearing her name, Sue, who had been peering around the store with interest, looked first at Jake, then at Lisa, smiled, and took her hat off.

Lisa was surprised. Not that Jake had someone with him, he had mentioned "we" when she first met him. And not that he had a girl with him, Jake was a handsome young man and that was to be expected. But the girl was fairly young, and obviously an Indian. She was also dressed completely in western style, even with boots, and she was well armed.

"Hello Sue, I'm Lisa," she said by way of introduction.

"Leezah," Sue replied, and smiled. She put her hand on her chest." Suahtaholah" Then she looked at Jake. "Soo."

A bit flustered, Lisa turned towards the doorway at the back of the shop. "George, Dove, we have visitors."

After a moment, George emerged, followed by an Indian woman. She came up to George's shoulder, was quite slight, and looked to be about thirty. Her black hair was pulled back, similar to the way Sue's was, and she wore a buckskin dress with knee-high moccasins.

"Hello Jake," said George, while the Indian woman looked quizzically at Sue.

"Howdy George," Jake greeted him, "It's good to see you again. This is Sue..."

"Suahtaholah," Sue said, looking first at George and then the Indian.

"This is Dove," said Lisa, indicating the other woman. "She makes the buckskin clothing for us. I said I'd arrange for her to be here."

Dove smiled at Jake, then looked at Sue again. She said something in her own language to her, and Sue replied. However, there didn't seem to be much understanding judging by the frown on Dove's face. She tried again, and this time they conversation went backwards and forwards, but didn't seem to get much further.

"I don' speak her language," said Dove eventually. "I can understand a little, but not much."

"How come you don't understand her?" asked Jake.

"She is differen' tribe," replied Dove. "Differen' tribes speak differen' languages."

"What tribe is she?" enquired George.

"Comanche," was the simple reply.

"Comanche?" gasped Jake. "Then what is she doing here?"

"You brought her with you," George stated.

"Yes, but I only met her about a hundred miles away or so," Jake commented. "That's not Comanche country."

"Well, here she is," Lisa broke in, "And you need to look after her if she's so far from home."

Jake looked at Sue, who was still talking with Dove. Judging by the hand gestures, they seemed to be making more progress, so Jake left them to it.

"I brought the rest of your money," Jake told George. "And I need to make some more purchases." He explained the work he had done on the cabin so far, and how much more needed doing.

"Can you afford some help?" asked George. "Winter isn't too far away and it sounds like you have a lot to do. The Munroe brothers are handy with wood and tools - they built several of the houses in town. Why not ask them to give you a hand?"

"It all depends how much it will cost," was Jake's response. "If it's not too much, that sounds like a good idea."

"Let me find out if they are in town," George offered. "You let Lisa know what you want while I'm doing that." George went over to the door and looked out. Not seeing anyone close by he could ask about the Monroes, he went out, shutting the door behind him.

Jake got his shopping list out, and started to go through it. Included on the list were two sets of buckskins for him, and two for Sue. In addition, he wanted Sue's buckskin pants made to fit, a vest for her like his, and a heavy coat for both of them for the winter. He also wanted moccasins to wear around the camp or house.

Lisa interrupted Dove to get her started on the measurements. The two Indian women looked surprised when their conversation was broken into, then realised they had other things to do.

"I understan' her now a little," Dove explained. "We both speak some Soshone so we talk that."

"Well you can talk more later," Lisa commented. "Now I need you to sort out what these people need." She went through Jake's requirements with her. Dove went up to Jake, put her hands on his shoulders and his waist. She walked to his side and looked at him from there, put her hand on his ass with a smile on her face, and then on his back and his chest.

"That's how she measures," Lisa commented. " I don't know how she does it, but she doesn't forget."

Dove then did the same to Sue. When Lisa told her what was wanted, she asked: "Do you wan' short moccasin like she wear now, or long for winter?"

Jake decided: "Both, and a long pair for Sue too."

Lisa and Dove spoke for a moment, then Lisa gave Jake the price. It wasn't as much as Jake had feared. "When will they be ready?" he enquired.

"Take ten day for evertin'" Dove said. "I bring when they all ready."

"You'll bring them here?"

"No, I bring to you. Then I can talk more with Sue."

"That's good. Do you know where we are?" Jake asked.

"I know," was the reply.

Jake went through the rest of his list with Lisa. There seemed to be quite a lot and Jake was pleased he brought the extra horses.

At that stage, George returned. "They aren't in town today," he stated, "But I sent someone to find them and they will be here in the morning."

"I still have things to do," was Jake's reply." And it's getting late so maybe we better stay overnight anyway. Where is there to stay in town?"

"The saloon has rooms," Lisa informed him. "I think they are quite simple though."

"Still, better than nothing." Jake looked at Sue, who was talking with Dove again. "I will go and make sure they have one, then come back for Sue," he said. He left, and Sue was so busy chatting she didn't notice.

The saloon was a short way away, and Jake was soon there. The same miserable-looking barman was behind the bar, and he almost brightened up when he saw Jake again.

"I'll be staying in town tonight," Jake told him. "Do you have a room?"

"Sure do," was the quick reply - so quick that Jake imagined that all his rooms were probably free.

"There'll be two of us, and we'll be along later," Jake let him know.

"I'll hold one for you," said the barman, sounding as though he was doing Jake a favour.

Jake returned to the store, and found Lisa getting his purchases together and Sue and Dove still talking. "As we're staying the night," he told Lisa, "I'll collect everything in the morning."

"That's good," she answered him. "I'll have everything ready for you."

Jake interrupted the others' conversation. "We have some other things to do," he told Sue. Dove seemed to translate for him, and Sue turned to follow. She waved back at Dove as they left.

They got back on their horses, and headed to the blacksmith's forge. Once there, they dismounted again and Jake went to talk with the blacksmith while Sue held the horses.

"I talked with your wife last time I was in town," Jake told him.

"Ya, I remember you," said the smith. "You wanted some leatherwork making."

"That's right, though mainly alterations," Jake replied.

"I get her," and the smith wandered off towards the adjacent house. He was soon back, accompanied by his wife.

"Hello again," she greeted him. "How can I help?"

"Can you alter a gunbelt, or even make a new one?" Jake enquired.

"Of course," came the confident reply. "Please show me what you want done."

"Just a moment," said Jake as he went back to where Sue was waiting. They tied the horses to the blacksmith's rail, and then Jake took the colt and its gunbelt from one of the packs. Indicating that Sue should come with him, he walked to the back of the smithy to where Erica Gundersson was waiting by a bench.

Jake laid out the gunbelt on the bench. "I need this belt altering," Jake told her. "It has to fit Sue here, and the holster should be a cross-draw like mine. Oh, and she needs to have sheaths for those two knives on it too."

"May I see your belt as a pattern?" Erica asked him. Jake took off his own belt and laid it on the bench, feeling almost naked without it. He then reached over and took Sue's belt off her too. "This is a better fit but it's still too big" he said.

Erica looked at the three belts. "The easiest thing then is for me to modify this belt," she said, picking up the one Sue had been wearing. I can also alter the holster so it will fit, but I will have to cut both belts to do that. You will only end up with one."