Chapter Thirteen
A Rain of Blessings
The dawn brought dark gloomy skies with a persistent chilly driving rain. Ethan donned Trapper's leather coat for protection. He rolled up the sleeves and buttoned up the extra-large jacket. Dauber and Nunez wore their dusters with their cowboy hats pulled down on their foreheads to protect from the rain.
The men helped Ethan pack the animals and wrangle them for the ride home. He placed Carl Jensen's mare in the lead. Dolly had proven herself to be a sturdy horse on the deer paths. After the lead horse was John Bartholomew's mare. They laid his body across the saddle, wrapped in the tarp from the campsite.
His work horse, Bart, was next with the rolled tarp of bear meat. They secured the wolf skins on either side of the meat bundle. Next was his saddle horse Sergeant with the bear hide across the saddle and secured to the leather straps with rope. He knew the stallion could handle the weight. Finally, Trapper's mule was packed with the supplies from the camp. Ethan secured the tarp over the supplies.
The cold rain had doused the fire coals, and the early morning dim showed the carnage of carcasses on the shoreline of the shallow river. The three men mounted their horses and left the camp with Nunez riding west down the river followed by Dauber, and then Ethan pulling his wrangle behind him single file. They breathed a sigh of relief as they rode away from the valley toward the outcropping.
Ethan pointed out the caves to the men as they looked up into the dark sky. Nunez continued to follow the path towards the next river. When they reached the bridge crossing, the men knew it was time to part ways.
"It has been quite an evening, Mr. Taylor. One I shouldn't likely to forget," said Nunez.
"Thanks for your help. I enjoyed the company and the extra protection."
"If you decide to send any extra carved horses, I have got a friend, John Webster, who runs a leather store. If he sells them, I'll send you the money," said Dauber.
"Might take you up on that offer. Nice meeting both of you. Safe travels."
Dauber and Nunez led their horse down the river to the west in search of the prisoners. They rode the shoreline into the northwest rain, looking for a trail to the ridge and into the woods for protection. With this rain, the trail would be lost, and they knew in their minds they would eventually turn south to head back to Redwood to protect the town and wait for news.
Ethan turned his horse to the east and began the journey home through the rain. The driving rain was at his back and side. The river valley would have provided more protection, but with this many animals, he needed to stay below the ridge and avoided the woods. He rode east through open fields, hoping to find a wagon road.
When they reached a grove of trees, Ethan dismounted and grabbed his rifle. He led the horses through the large maple trees. It gave the travelers some reprieve from the pounding rain as they walked in silence through the extensive grove. As they approached the edge of the grove, several large toms let out a series of gobbles that sent the hens scurrying into the open field.
Ethan stopped and secured Dolly to a low handing branch. He stepped forward to the edge of the grove and hid behind a large maple tree. He checked his gun and then stepped out in the open, taking aim at the biggest of the male toms. His first shot brought down the enormous bird. When he reached the turkey, he drew his knife and slit the throat. The blood drained out as he carried it back to the horses.
Using a piece of leather, he tied the feet together and secured it on the saddle of his horse. The rain would wash away the trail of blood. He mounted the saddle and urged the horse forward as he pulled his caravan east in the cold, driving rain.
* * *
The canon roar of thunder and bolts of lightning kept the town of Redwood from a good night's sleep. As the wind blew through the town, the rain pelted the buildings. The rain continued into the early morning hours, making Main Street a muddy mess. Officer Weston paced the floor during the early morning hours, unable to sleep.
He knew Dauber and Nunez were in pursuit, but he didn't envy them for being out in this storm. He questioned his judgement of telling Thomas Renshaw. The young man had been faithful to do his rounds every night, and he gave him his word.
The officer felt helpless as he waited for news of the escaped prisoners. It could be days before he hears from Dauber and Nunez. He needed to let his office know in New Ulm, and he needed to talk to Judge Olson and District Attorney Sanderson. He sat down in the chair and drafted brief messages to the men to meet him in his office. Then he sent Deputy Cowan to the hotel and told him to bring back breakfast.
Officer Weston threw on his duster and cowboy hat. He needed to send a telegram to let the New Ulm Sheriff's office know they would need him in Redwood for another week. When he stepped out of the office, the rain stung his face as he scurried towards the telegraph office.
* * *
A strong thunderstorm didn't deter Margaret Wainwright from her errands today. The claps of thunder awoke the household early. Essie packed lunches for each of them. Margaret had carried out Harold's satchel and put it in the back of the carriage her father had brought around to the front of the house.
It was almost eight o'clock when Mr. Wainwright dropped off his daughter, Katie, at the bank. They waved goodbye as she rain through the rain to the front door. Then Jonathan and Margaret rode out to the ticket depot outside of town. They gave the ticket master Harold's ticket and explained the circumstances.
They cashed in the other two tickets, and Margaret put the money in her purse. It gave her a sense of independence as she took another step away from Harold and her marriage. Then, they traveled to the jail. Jonathan helped Margaret out of the carriage, and he carried Harold's satchel into the Sheriff's office. They greeted the men, and Margaret stated her business.
"Sheriff Weston, I need to speak to my husband."
Then Sheriff Weston opened the door to the jail cells. Harold looked worse than Margaret remembered. He had a three-day growth, and he had slept in his clothes that were a wrinkled mess.
"Harold, I brought your belongings to you," said Margaret.
"Bout time you came to your senses, woman," snapped Harold. "Pay the fine, and let's get out of here."
"No," said Margaret. "I left your ticket at the train depot for you to return to Philadelphia. I am staying in Redwood with my family, and I am leaving you, Harold."
She turned to leave the cell area.
"Come back here," yelled Harold. "You can't do this to me."
"Yes, I can," said Margaret. "I just did. Goodbye, Harold."
Margaret stepped out of the jail cell area and shut the door to block the curses that Harold was throwing at her. Jonathan handed the satchel to Sheriff Weston.
"He has the money to pay for damages," said Margaret. "It is his choice on whether he wants to get on that train tomorrow. He is no longer my problem. Thank you, Sheriff Weston."
"No problem, Ma'am," said Sheriff Weston. "We'll see that he gets a ride to the train depot tomorrow and that he gets on that train."
"I am counting on you," said Mr. Wainwright as he shook the man's hand. "I want that man out of my daughter's life."
"I don't blame you. He's a mean polecat from what I've seen."
Then, Margaret and her father said their goodbyes and left to go to the bank. Mr. Wainwright drove his horse and buggy into the new stable behind the bank. He rubbed down the horse, and then they used the new door that led into the land office.
Mr. Kennedy, Albert, and Mr. Hamilton had already arrived at the bank, and the men delivered greetings, with everyone smiling at the beautiful new employee. Margaret felt herself flush with the warmth of acceptance .and empowered with the feeling of independence.
* * *
After their breakfast, Judge Olson and Attorney Sanderson made the trek to the sheriff's office through the rain. The town was quiet, and the roads impassable for wagons. They removed their capes when they entered the office. Sheriff Weston hung up the coats by the stove and thanked the gentlemen for coming.
"I need to speak to you gentlemen about an important matter."
Then he handed the men the telegram and then skim it.
"They escaped?" asked Sanderson in disbelief.
Judge Olson remained quiet as his mind processed the news of Cooper's escape from justice.
"They would be foolish to travel south and come back here to Redwood," said the judge.
"Thomas Renshaw was here when the telegram arrived. My deputies and you gentlemen are the only ones that know."
"Sheriff, I am going to continue with the paperwork, as they have been charged and found guilty," said Sanderson.
"The new reward posters will arrive and that will be soon enough to alert the community. Wait until you hear from Dauber," said the judge.
"I am concerned for you both. You shouldn't be traveling, especially in this weather. Wait until Dauber returns, and I'll ride to New Ulm with you."
"That is kind of you, Sheriff. We are not leaving for a couple of days until the roads are drier for travel."
"Even then, I'm afraid the escaped prisoners will come after you, seeking revenge."
"Don't worry. Escaped prisoners rarely return to the scene of the crime. They flee to the north or the west to start new lives; they take on new identities and leave their past behind if they're smart."
"Thank you, Sheriff Weston, for confiding in us and for your concern. We will let you know when we plan to leave," said Mr. Sanderson.
The men said goodbye and donned their capes. The judge walked to the telegraph office to contact the New Ulm sheriff that he would be delayed in holding court this week. Mr. Sanderson stepped gingerly across the soggy Main Street until he arrived at the Redwood Saloon.
"Good morning, Mrs. Cooper."
"Good morning, Mr. Sanderson. Care to join me for a cup of coffee and a piece of Lupita's warm coffee cake?"
"That sounds amazing. I would love to."
Dwight Sanderson joined Sadie at the back round table near the kitchen. Lupita served him his coffee as he removed his wet cape.
"Sir. I can hang that by the stove to dry."
"Thank you, Ma'am," said Dwight as he removed his hat and straighten his hair over his ears.
"That was nice of her," said Dwight as he sat down in the barrel style chair.
"No. That will cost you. Lupita loves tips. It makes her giggle."
Dwight laughed out loud at Sadie's witty remarks. Lupita brought out two plates with coffee cake and laid the forks on the side.
"Thank you, Lupita," said Sadie. "Now, Mr. Sanderson, what brings you to the saloon so early this morning and during a rainstorm?"
"I have copies of the documents the men signed turning their assets over to you of and Cooper's last will and testament."
Sadie looked over the papers and questions tumbled in her mind.
"What do I do next besides wait for him to die before I am officially a widow?"
"Cooper told me that if you had testified against him, he would have demanded to change his will," said Mr. Sanderson. "But I told him I had already filed the legal papers."
Sadie knew Cooper would try to pull something if she would have spoken against him. She thanked her lucky stars that she listened to her gut intuition. Sadie knew she could never trust Cooper.
With pride in her voice, she explained to Mr. Sanderson that she had paid the bill at Webster's Leather Shop and Campbell's General Store. I paid those bills in full.
Then, Mr. Sanderson informed her that donations had paid for the bills at the feed mill, the hardware store, and the livery. Sadie got tears in her eyes, knowing that people in the community of Redwood had donated hard-earned money to help her. Their generosity overwhelmed her. As Sadie gained her composure, Mr. Sanderson busy himself with the papers, straightening them into an orderly pile for her.
"I spoke with the furniture man from New Ulm. He is buying the furniture from Cooper's office and the bedroom set. I plan to use the money to pay off the liquor bills and possibly an extra payment on the loan."
"Let the bank take care of money transfers to pay the bills. That way, you will have paper receipts to show you paid the bills."
"That is a good idea. Thank you, Mr. Sanderson. You have been such a gentleman to work with. It has been a pleasure."
"Thank you, Ma'am."
Dwight Sanderson fished in his pockets for some coins as laid them on the table. Then Mr. Sanderson shook hands with Sadie and wished her luck. He explained that he and the Judge needed to stay a few days until the roads were passable. She smiled at the news, knowing she could spend more time with Walter before he left for New Ulm.
After Mr. Sanderson left, Sadie asked Tinker to help her carry the saddlebags and the belongings that Officer Weston had dropped off on Saturday. They carried the hostlers, bags, and bedrolls into her office. She thanked Tinker, and he returned to the saloon to finish his morning chores.
Sadie delved into the saddlebags one at a time, laying out the possessions to identify the owner. She found red cards with safe-deposit keys from different banks, along with the bankbooks. They were tied up in a leather roll. She also found money stashed in other pockets. She inventoried each pile by owner, counting the money, the safe deposit keys and recording the clothing.
She recognized Jonas Black's amulet necklace. It had a cougar claw and a wolverine. She remembered how proud he was of those claws. Sadie had heard the hunting stories more than once in the bar. She dumped the gunny sacks out to search their belongings. She found more coins in their pockets along with jackknives. Sadie removed the belts and folded the clothes into piles for Lupita to wash later in the week.
After she finished sorting the men's belongings, she went downstairs with the pile of shirts. Sadie told Lupita not to wash them until later in the week because of the wet conditions. Lupita took the pile of clothes and opened the back door. She stepped out into the rain and threw them in the laundry tub.
"Rainwater good for clothes. I'll wash later."
Sadie smiled at the women's antics and turned to rush back to her office to finish the payroll envelopes for her staff. The details of running the business rattled through her mind. She needed to take care of the men's belongings.
As she climbed the stairs back to her office, in the back of her mind, she knew those safety deposit boxes held stolen money. Sadie knew she didn't have a right to the cash. Her guilty conscious continued to grow as she entered her office. She walked to the large window and watched the torrential rain beat against the windowpane. The money could be an end to her debt.
But did she have a right to it?