Chapter 5

Sam took a ship from DC to Port Arthur, TX. He was going to buy a horse and ride the few miles back to his home from Port Arthur. He didn't know what to do with himself. Every since his arrival downtime he had been busy. The trip home had only lasted part of one day so far and Sam was bored. He knew he could find a card game in the main passenger lounge but wasn't interested in that. He went topside and walked to the bow to watch the sunset. Sam walked around some canvass covered cargo and heard a slap then a young sounding female voice said, "You slimy cretin. Keep your hands off me Mr. Diggory or whatever your name is. I told you in Washington I wasn't interested in you and I'm still not."

A man's laugh came from the same area. He said, "Oh, I know what you said my dear but you really don't have much choice now do you? It seems your husband has died and you lost almost all your money and property paying his gambling debts. You really don't have much to live on now do you my dear? You need a man to take care of you and I'm willing to do that."

The female voice hissed, "You seem to think I need a man but even if I did it wouldn't be you. I know you had my husband killed and you know as well as I do that he didn't lose everything in any poker game. He never played for large stakes like you said he did that night and he never played with Senators and other high rollers either."

A disgustingly sinister laugh came from the man. "You say that but I have two Senators that will back up my statement to the contrary. Now who do you think they'll believe my dear? Come on. Make it easy on yourself. Let's go to my cabin tonight and we'll have the Captain marry us tomorrow. You should have just come with me in DC when I offered. Who knows, you might have saved me some trouble and your husband's life if you'd just been a little friendlier."

Sam heard a scuffle and the woman cried out. He stepped around the tarp covered cargo and rested his hand on his pistol. He said, "Is there a problem here ma'am? Do you need some help?"

The man looked over at Sam and snarled, "No asshole she doesn't need any help. If you know what's good for you you'll disappear right now. We're just discussing what we'll do this evening and that discussion doesn't include you."

Sam looked at the woman once more. Her eyes were pleading with him. She licked her lips and took a breath to talk. Sam saw the man flex his arm and tighten his grip on her. He glared at her and said, "Careful my dear. We wouldn't want anyone else to get hurt would we?"

Sam saw the woman grimace from the pain. She slumped in defeat and she whispered, "No."

Her assailant smiled and turned once more to Sam. "There, the lady has said she doesn't want your help. Now get out of here before I have to take action." He began pulling the woman toward the passenger accommodations once again.

Sam decided to take action. He just hoped he had really read the situation correctly and the woman did need assistance. Sam took the remaining three steps he needed to be in front of the man. His fist flashed and he sank his hand into the man's belly. His other fist slammed upward and hit the dandy on the chin. When he fell backward Sam stepped in and kicked him once in the head. The man groaned and slumped to the deck out cold.

Sam stepped to the now silently crying woman. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. He began helping her toward the main salon. As they rounded the corner heading down the passageway the First Mate stopped them and asked, "Is there a problem sir?"

Sam looked at the woman. She gave him a pleading look and shook her head no. Sam thought a moment and then said, "No real problem Sir. My friend and I were accosted by a man on the other side of that cargo. I'm afraid I had to be unkind to him Sir. I left him lying on the deck contemplating the error of his ways."

"What was his name Sir? We'll get to the bottom of this."

"I'm afraid I don't know his name sir. I've never seen him before. He just came out of nowhere and began making inappropriate comments. My friend and I really don't want to see him again either Sir. Now may I take her inside? She feels unwell after the excitement."

Sam took the young woman inside and helped her into a seat in the passenger lounge. He got them both a cup of coffee and returned to the table. Sam found out her name was Virginia Blodgett. Her husband had been a young attorney working in Washington DC. She had been a Storekeeper's daughter from Beaumont, TX. Her mother died in childbirth with her. Her father raised her. He was killed in a robbery attempt. She sold the store and went east to college where she met her husband. They were married less than two years when the man who Sam fought came up to her at a party she and her husband were attending.

She had seen him at three or four parties previously and had even danced with him a time or two. She found him boorish and crass. He made inappropriate comments to her at the parties so she began refusing to dance with him. At the last party she and her husband attended he asked her to take a walk outside with him. She refused and returned to her table. He followed her and told her she was making a mistake. The man's name was Vincent. He told her she should be nice to him. If she was he promised her husband's business would prosper. He also said if she wasn't her husband would suffer. Virginia slapped Vincent and returned to her husband.

Three weeks later her husband was killed. He supposedly became angry about losing everything they owned betting on a losing poker hand and attacked the winner. The day of the funeral Vincent came to her and told her she now had no choice. She had to be nice to him or he would put her out in the street.

Virginia turned him out in the street at the point of a pistol. She spent the night trying to decide what to do then decided to return to her old home in Beaumont. She still had some friends there even if she didn't have a job. She sold some of her personal property and jewelry. She took what she got from the sales and money she and her husband had hidden at home when she left. She bought her ticket and left DC. She had no idea how Vincent managed to follow her onto the ship.

"Well Virginia I live east of Nacogdoches. It looks like we are both disembarking at Port Arthur. If you would like I can escort you to Beaumont before I return home."

Virginia smiled and placed her hand on Sam's forearm. "Oh, thank you Mr. Pritchard. I would appreciate that."

The remainder of the trip Sam spent in Virginia's company except for the time she was alone in her cabin sleeping. They never saw Vincent again. They both wondered how he managed to hide so well on the small ship.

After the ship dropped anchor in Port Arthur Sam knocked on Virginia's door. She opened it and fell into his arms. Her cabin was a mess. It had obviously been ransacked. Many of her clothes were torn and soiled. Many of her other possessions were ruined. She said, "Oh Sam. When I returned from breakfast I found this. Whoever did this found my money and jewelry. It's all gone Sam. I have nothing except the money that was in my reticule. I don't know what I'm going to do now."

Sam stepped into the room. He gently moved Virginia to the bed and helped her sit. Sam knelt at her feet and said, "Well, the first thing we do is pack your belongings and get off this ship. Then we find some lunch and I will purchase a horse and buggy for our journey. I'm sure I can help you somewhat until you find your friends." Sam bent and began picking up Virginia's clothes. When she saw him handling her unmentionables she blushed and quickly moved to take them from him. She gathered the remainder of her things and repacked them. She and Sam took her carpetbag and trunk to the railing for lowering into the boat. Sam also carried his one carpetbag. They took the same boat into Port Arthur.

Sam hired a buggy to take them to a nice hotel the First Mate recommended. They obtained two rooms and Sam helped Virginia into hers. He said, "Virginia I'm going out to buy our buggy now. Would you do me the honor of waiting to sup until I return? I would feel better if I could enjoy the meal with you."

Virginia smiled and said, "It would be my pleasure sir."

It took Sam two hours to purchase the horse and buggy. He then walked back to the hotel after making arrangements to pick it up early the next morning for their trip home.

Sam and Virginia were seated in the dining room when her face turned white. She gasped and Sam asked what the problem was. "I thought I saw Vincent in the lobby."

Sam stood and walked rapidly into the lobby. He didn't see Vincent and walked to the front door. He looked both ways on the walk and didn't see him either. Finally he returned to the table where he found a very upset Virginia. Vincent was sitting in a chair he had pulled from another table. He once again had his hand wrapped around Virginia's wrist and was talking to her quietly but urgently. She was pulling against his hold.

Sam walked up to Vincent and said, "Let her go now and get out of here. If I see you around her again I'll kill you."

Vincent stood rapidly and pushed Sam away. He yelled, "How dare you make those comments about my wife." Vincent reached into his waistband and pulled out a small derringer. He pointed it at Sam. Just as his finger began to tighten on the trigger Virginia pushed him. That disturbed his aim just enough to almost miss Sam. Sam, however didn't miss. He pulled his pistol and gave Vincent a double tap to the chest right over his heart.

Sam sat on the floor then slowly stood. He opened his coat and looked at the blood slowly seeping from his side and coloring his shirt red. He moved to the chair he had been using to eat. Virginia quickly opened his shirt and looked at his wound. It was almost a clean miss. The bullet merely gouged a deep furrow in Sam's side just under the skin. She grabbed a napkin and pressed it to the wound.

Before Virginia had the wound taken care of the city Marshall arrived. When the other patrons told him Sam killed the woman's husband after being warned off he was going to arrest Sam. It took several minutes for Virginia to convince the Marshall Vincent was not her husband and was, in fact attempting to kidnap her before the Marshall would leave.