For the first part of the day, Jane was responsible for washing clothes. The task was simple, but time consuming. She scrubbed each shirt on the soapy washboard, then clipped them up on the clothes line. Her pruney fingers were sore as she clipped a blue shirt on the line.
The one good thing about this job, though, is that some people would leave coins, and occasionally, dollar bills in their pockets. Jane would claim them as her own. So far, she had found $5.26.
Although there was a nice morning breeze, the hot sun beat down, and she had just about sweat through her shirt. The thick skirt wasn't giving her much ventilation either. She had fifteen dollars in her sock from her father, so maybe she would invest in a pair of pants when Arthur and her went into town.
Over the course of the day, she had also met a few new people as they dropped off their dirty clothes. She had met an older man, named Hosea. He appeared gentle and kind, and she immediately knew that she liked him. A young woman with a strong southern accent also introduced herself. Jane discovered that her name Sadie, or Mrs. Adler, and Jane liked her a lot too.
Dutch visited her too.
"How are you settling in?" He asked. His loud voice disrupted the peace, but Jane didn't mind the company.
"Fine," she answered. "Of course, I want to do more than wash clothes, but I like it here."
He laughed. "Oh, don't worry, Miss O'Hare, you'll move up. We just don't want to throw you into a shootout on your first day."
She smiled. "Well, that makes sense. Arthur said that he's going to take me to get a horse after he gets back from Emerald Ranch."
Dutch nodded and rolled back on his heels. "That's a good idea." He paused, the tilted his head. "So, do you have an idea of what you want to do? You're welcome to stay here, but we won't keep you here if you don't want to."
She fiddled with the button on the shirt she was washing. "Um, well, I guess I'll stay for now."
Dutch grinned. "Well, then, Jane O'Hare, welcome to the family!"
She smiled and clipped the shirt on the line. "Thank you,"
He nodded and turned the other way. "Well, I've got work to attend to. Oh, and it appears that Arthur just got back."
Jane glanced to where Dutch was looking. Arthur rode his horse into the camp, then dismounted and headed over to a man, handing him a bag of money.
She then remembered that she was staring. Quickly adverting her gaze, she continued to work on her seemingly endless pile of clothes.
She found two dollars in the pants pocket. It isn't quite stealing, she thought. If they really wanted it, they wouldn't have left it there. And, it's kind of like payment for washing their clothes.
As she stuffed it in her sock, Arthur approached her.
"You okay there, Jane?" He asked, looking confused.
She hopped, trying to catch her balance. "Yes, I just- I just found money in these pants, so I figured I'd pocket it, or put it in my sock, since they don't make skirts with pockets. I'm sure they won't care, right? It's not like-" She suddenly cut herself off. Massaging her nose, she said, "I'm talking too much, aren't I?"
A flicker of amusement crept on to his face. "Maybe, but I surely don't care."
She sighed and tossed the pants on the ground. "Thanks. So, how'd debt-collecting go?"
"Pretty good. Got into a fight, but I got the money. I always can't help but feel bad. It was woman, and I'm not about to hurt a lady, so her beau, or something, is the one that took the heat."
She hummed. "Well, that's good, I guess. Loans and debts are a dirty business."
"Oh, I know. The whole damn ranch was accusing me of assault, so I had to get out of there fast, before any lawmen showed up and shot me dead." While he was telling the story, he looked to her.
Her messy hair was pulled back into a bun, and the front of her shirt and skirt were wet with soapy water and sweat. Her cheeks were rosy from the heat, and a few loose strands of hair framed her face. Her eyes seemed to shine in the sun. Specks of gold were visible, something he had not noticed before.
"So, are we going?" She asked, rubbing her hands together.
"Yeah, we'll take my horse." They crossed camp, and he helped her up after getting on.
She gripped his shoulders, but he laughed and corrected her. "Woman, do you know how to ride a horse?"
She bit her lip. "Um, I've rode on with my cousin when I was kid, but no."
He chucked and got off the horse. "Here, scoot up, onto the saddle. It's time for a quick riding lesson."
He hopped up on the horse behind her. He slipped his arms around her middle, so he wouldn't fall off. She grabbed the reins nervously.
"Okay, good now, just pulled the reins which way you want to go, which is right."
She did as he said, and the horse moved.
"Alright," he said. "now, to speed up, hit her sides with your legs. Don't kick her, just a little pat."
Jane also did that. It sped up to a trot. She couldn't keep a smile back as she lead the horse along the path.
"There you go, Jane. Now, since we're not in the forest, you can speed up. And don't worry, this is a smart horse. Even if you lead it into a rock, she'll go around it."
She hit Maple's side again, with a little more gusto this time. They sped up to a gallop.
Jane let out a breath. She had never felt more free in her life. The books really weren't exaggerating when they described the feeling of the wind in her face, and nothing but land in front of her.
Arthur couldn't help but smile. He'd never seen someone so thrilled by riding a horse before. Of course, he had been excited when he had first rode a horse, but he had been a young boy.
"Hey, you're a natural," Arthur said.
Jane laughed. "I don't know about that. You're just saying that because we haven't wiped out yet."
"You're not wrong," Arthur teased. "But it does seem like you've been riding for years."
"Well, thank you."
"Here, turn left here. Then just ride the trail into town." Arthur tightened his grip on her as they turned. He didn't feel like falling off right now.
The afternoon sun warmed then up as rode into town. "Now, to slow down," Arthur instructed, "Just pull back on the reins."
She did- and hard. They both almost went forwards off the horse.
"Jeez, not that much. Just a tug." Arthur said, sitting back up.
Embarrassed, she apologized. "Oh, Arthur. I just thought about this. I don't have any money. I mean, I have about twenty, but that's not enough to buy a decent horse."
He waved his hand. "Don't worry about that. We'll use some of the money from the train hold-up yesterday. Seems fitting."
She glanced back at him, almost running over a man in the process.
"Hey! Watch it!" The man yelled.
"Sorry!" She yelled back. "Anyways," she said, giving her attention back on the way to Arthur. "You don't have to do that."
"Nonsense. Everyone needs a decent horse."
She stopped the horse, much smoother this time. "Well then, Mr. Morgan, you're a good man despite being a crook."
He slid off the horse and offered her a hand. "I don't know about that. You barely know me."
She took it, and hopped off. "Do you usually buy horses for women that you just met, then?"
He shook his head and smiled. "You got me there."
She smiled also and went into the stable, with Arthur hot on her heels.
"Hello," the stable-keeper said, then looked to Arthur. "You in the market for a horse, today, sir?"
"Actually, she is," he said, gesturing to Jane.
"Oh, excuse my manners, Miss." He turned to the stables, and motioned for her to come over. "We've got all different breeds here. Kentucky Saddler, Morgans, and American Standardbred," he pointed each out.
Jane studied each individually. The Kentucky Saddler was a plain brown, and the Morgan was black. She liked how the American Standardbred looked the most, though. It was a fleshy tan color, with a hint of pink. It's mane and tale were long and white.
But, she knew jack about horses. "Arthur," Asked, chewing on her thumb, "Which would you recommend?"
He studied them all himself. Then he turned to the stable-keeper, who was working on a saddle. "Did you say that one was an American Standardbred?" He asked, pointing to the tan one.
He just nodded and turned back to his work.
"I would say that that one is the best choice out of them. It's faster than the other two."
Jane nodded. "Well, I like to go fast."
Arthur just laughed and turned to the man. "We'll take that one."
The man stood up and lead the horse out. "That'll be $130."
"Here you go," he said, placing some cash in his hands. "Can we look at the saddles, too?"
"Yeah, they're back there," he motioned to the back of the room. "On the shelves."
There were more than a dozen saddles. She browsed through them, and after a few minutes, decided on a plain brown one. It's leather was still stiff, but she would wear it down eventually.
She also got a bedroll, and a blanket for under the saddle. After Arthur paid, the stable-keeper put everything on the horse for her.
"So, what are you going to name him?" Arthur asked, leaning against a post.
Jane bit her lip and tried to think of common horse names.
"Um, I don't know. Sam?"
Arthur made a face. "That's not a horse name."
"Fine... Spot?"
He shook his head and laughed. "He don't even have spots. C'mon. Be creative."
"Bessie?"
He put his face into his palm. "You're going to name a male horse Bessie?"
"I don't know!" She laughed. "I'm not good at naming things. Help me out."
He thought for a minute, looked to the horse, then back to her. "How about Apollo?"
She thought about for a second. "I like it." She then approached the horse and gave him a pat. "How about it, Apollo? Do you like it?"
He just neighed.
"I guess so," Arthur said. "Alright, let's go."
She lead Apollo out of the stable and into the small town of Valentine. "Thank you, Arthur."
He pushed his hair back, then placed a hat on top of his head. "No problem. Like I said, everyone needs a good horse."
"Oh, I just remembered. I'm going to run into the general store quick. I have a few things I need to grab."
"Alright," he replied. "I'll be in the saloon."
They parted, and she lead her new horse to a hitching post outside of the shop.
After friendly greeting a woman outside of the store, she entered.
"Welcome, Miss. What can I help you with today?" The cashier said.
"Can I look at the clothing?" She asked, walking up to the counter. There also three people in the store, all talking to each other.
"Yes, M'am. I'm afraid there's not much, but there's the essentials." He motioned to a cabinet on the far wall.
While she looked through the shirts and pants, she tuned in on the trio's conversation.
"-that there were two men, and a girl went with them."
"That's what I heard. And that there was a baby on the cart that they were shooting on!"
"Oh my goodness, can you imagine?"
"I heard that the woman shot first! And that the was going to be robbed, but ended up jumping off the train- with the robbers-into a river! What is this nation coming to?"
Jane's hands began to tremble as she grabbed a pair of dark blue jeans and a long-sleeved white shirt. For when she wanted to look like a lady, she grabbed a navy-blue wrap dress. She had always wanted one, but her father thought that were too immodest. Now, she could do what she want.
The women in the back continued to talk. "Yes, and none of them were caught yet! There's three wild train-robbers running around in this state."
Jane's heart began to race at their conversation. She handed the items to the cashier, who rung them up for her.
"That's $17.25."
Great, there goes most of my money. She thought, then quickly shoved the money into his hand, then grabbed her clothes.
"Is there anywhere I can change?" She asked, her voice slightly shaking. She was a wanted criminal now.
He sighed then motioned behind him. "Yes, there's a back room."
She thanked him, then quickly changed into her new pants, and marveled at how much more she could move in them. With her father trying to preserve her femininity, she had never worn pants before.
Grabbing her stuff, she rushed outside, put it in her saddlebag, and entered the saloon.
It reeked of whiskey and cigarettes. Drunk men were sprawled on table and occasionally, the floor. She spotted Arthur at the bar, and made her way up there.
He had a meal sitting in front of him, and a whiskey in his hand. "I see you changed," he said, eyeing her new outfit.
She leaned her arm on the bar and leaned in close to him, which threw him off. "Now's not the time for fashion advice." She spoke low, so that only he could hear. "While I was in the store, there were three women talking about the train. And with a lot of detail. I don't think it's smart to stick around here."
He just nodded and stood up, tipping his hat to the bartender. "Gotta go. Give the chef my regards."
The bartender nodded as they left.
Jane called Apollo over and mounted him. "Do you know the bartender? You guys seem pretty comfortable."
He got on Maple. "Nope."
"Oh, alright. So, are we going back to camp?"
He began to trot. "Eventually, yes, but I figured we could take the scenic route. Give you some riding practice."
She followed him. "That sounds nice."
They left the town silently, and Jane focused on riding her horse properly. Apollo was pretty easy to control, and she soon became comfortable with him.
The afternoon quickly turned to evening, just before sunset. They rode through the forest.
Jane decided that this was a good time for asking him some questions. "So, how long have you been running with this gang?"
He slowed up his horse a bit, just so that they were riding next to each other. "Since I was a boy. Dutch and Hosea took me in, and gave me a family. Hell, Hosea even taught me how to read."
She smiled. This big, tough cowboy did have a soft spot for his gang. "So you guys just kind of collect people as they need it?"
"Basically, yeah. Most of those people don't have the nicest background."
Jane hummed. The sun was setting by now. The vibrant colors filled the sky, just as they did that morning. She couldn't help but let out a small gasp when she saw it. She would never grow tired of it.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Arthur asked, as if reading her mind. "I could see it for forever and never get tired of it."
"Me too," she breathed.
A few moments later, they rode down into the valley. The sun had set all the way now, and stars began to appear in the sky.
She glanced at Arthur, who was also entranced by the sky.
"I don't understand how something can just be that beautiful," she said.
"Me neither, cowgirl."