Squire's Quest (3 page)

Before he'd left home, Pa had warned him of things he'd rather not even think about.
Now he recalled some of them. "It's O.K., kid. I'm not going to lay a hand on you. But I've been
sleeping in my clothes for a while and I'm plumb tired of it. You can use my bedroll, spread it on
the floor, if you choose. I'm planning on sleeping in that nice soft bed."

Cal relaxed a little, enough to set down his little bundle and take off his coat. He averted
his face when Merlin removed his britches and stretched. His scrawny shoulders tensed again
when Merlin used the thundermug.

It was too early to go to bed, but Merlin had made up his mind to stay in his room, even
before he'd acquired a traveling companion. His brief assessment of Eagle Rock had told him the
only place to go after supper besides the hotel lobby was the small tavern. And he wasn't ready
yet for that step.

His pa and his uncles had told him too many tales of the troubles a man could find in
drinking establishments.

He pulled out the one book he'd brought along. It wasn't as thrilling as he'd hoped, but
since it was all he had to read, he went at it. If only he'd been able to find a copy of his favorite
book, Tennyson's poems about King Arthur. No matter how many times he read it, it was still
new and exciting.

"What's that?"

Merlin sat on the other side of the bed from Cal. "
Five Weeks in a Balloon
.
Ever read it?"

The boy shrugged, something he did a lot of. "I don't read much."

Can't, I reckon.
"Well, then maybe you wouldn't want me to read it out loud,
like I was planning to do."

Another shrug. "I wouldn't mind."

It was a hard thing to hold back his grin, but Merlin managed. He opened the book to his
marker. "'Chapter Thirteen. Change of Weather--Kennedy has the Fever--'"

He read until he was hoarse. By then Cal had shed his shoes and crept under the
covers.

"That's the best story I ever heard," the boy said, sleepily. "Can you read more tomorrow
night?"

There was something caught in his throat, so Merlin just nodded.

He was almost asleep when the boy slipped out of bed. Merlin lay still, wondering if he
was going to try to get away, and not sure what he'd do if Cal managed to get the door open. The
key was on the dresser, but he might not have noticed.

The room was dark, with the window a faint rectangle scarcely lit by a torch outside. He
listened as Cal edged his way around the bed. After a minute, he heard with relief the scrape of
the thundermug across the wood floor. He'd been a little worried he might wake up in a wet bed
when the boy had said he didn't need to use it before Merlin extinguished the candle.

A rustle of clothing, another scrape, and then the expected sound of liquid hitting heavy
porcelain. But it didn't sound right. Slowly, carefully, Merlin turned his head. Cal was little more
than a dark shape hunched on top of a pale one, but Merlin could still see enough to make him
realize he had a bigger problem than he'd counted on. He watched as Cal stood and pulled up the
raggedy britches.

He still couldn't see much, but Merlin had sisters. Cal was a girl. He'd bet his bottom
dollar on it.

Great God, what am I gonna do now?

He closed his eyes, lest Cal see them gleaming. After a while, when the bo...Cal's
breathing settled into a slow rhythm, he let himself relax. But he didn't go to sleep for a long
time.

* * * *

There was new snow on the hills to the east, only a slight dusting, but a sure sign that
sooner or later they'd be fighting their way through drifts. Merlin wiped the fog from his breath
off the window and tried to see to the north, but the angle was wrong. There was at least one pass
between Eagle Rock and Virginia City, but he didn't know how high or how difficult it was.

I reckon I could ask one of the teamsters. Probably missed them this morning, but
we'll catch up.

He'd slept poorly, after his surprising discovery and it was late, well after sunup. For a
long time last night he'd fretted about what he should do, before making the only decision he
could. Now he was waiting for Cal to awaken.

I wonder what her name really is. Something close to what she told me, I reckon. It
came out too easy for her to have made it up. But her other name? Pa always said there was
more folks named Smith out here than ever left the East.

He heard the rustle of bedclothes, but didn't turn far enough to see the bed. "I'm goin'
down for some coffee. If you're here when I get back, we'll talk about how we're goin' to get you
to Virginia City." Without giving her a chance to reply, he slipped out the door.

Callie breathed a sigh of relief. She was nigh to bursting, and had been pretending to be
asleep for the longest time, wondering how she was going to manage. There was some things a
girl just had to do different from a boy.

Quickly she scrambled out of bed and used the chamber pot. She cleaned her teeth with
her finger, but there was still a nasty film on them.
Wisht I had me a toothbrush.
She
eyed the washcloth Merlin must have used, but decided to let it be. Sure as shootin', soon as she
got her clothes off, he'd be at the door.

She found her boots and socks under the bed. The socks were smelly and threadbare.
Just like her coat. For the hundredth time she regretted the pack she'd left behind when she ran
away from the man who'd caught her in the railroad yard down there in Ogden. It had held extra
socks, a good wool shirt and nearly ten dollars in coin. She'd figured to pay her way on a freight
wagon once she got off the trains, but after her money was stolen, all she could do was
hitchhike.

Not every freighter wanted a kid riding for free. She been lucky to catch a ride from Box
Elder to north of the Bear Lake. From there she'd mostly walked, sleeping wherever she could
find a sheltered spot. She'd stolen food every chance she got, but had gone hungry more often
than not.

Her empty belly was the biggest reason she'd let Merlin bring her up here. He had
money and food, and he seemed inclined to treat her decent. All she had to do was keep him
believing she was a boy.

And that ain't gonna be easy, livin' cheek by jowl.

He'd left the door unlocked. She could take off and he'd never find her. Her belly spoke
about then, and she decided she'd wait 'til after breakfast, at least. If he was plannin' to feed
her.

I sure hope so.

* * * *

The freighters had departed. "Afore daybreak," the hostler told Merlin.

"A-huh. You happen to know where they were heading?"

"Most of 'em was goin' south. Not much traffic this time of year. Likely the passes'll
close soon enough." A rangy bay stuck its head over the stall door and nipped at the hostler's
shoulder. "Here now, you cut that out!" The hand that swatted the horse was gentle, though. "A
train went through here three, four days ago. Headin' for Bannack. Or was it Alder Gulch?"

Not too far ahead. Even if they were using mules instead of oxen, he could travel faster
than freight wagons. "What're my chances of pickin' up another horse? I'm thinking I'd like to
carry extra feed, given the time of year."

The hostler scratched his head. "Well, now, I ain't got no spare stock. Unless..." He
looked off toward the mountains, gleaming white in the slanting morning light. "There's that
molly--" His chin aimed toward the last stall. "She's not much good on the trail. Blind in
one--"

Merlin saw him redden as he realized what he'd said. He forced himself to grin. "Which
one?"

"Uh. The right one. Freighter rolled his wagon. Killed couple of mules. We had to shoot
the third. Only hurt she took was her eye. I can let you have her for twenty dollars."

"I'll give you fifteen. Between us, we'll see both sides of the trail."

Still red in the face, the hostler didn't even hesitate. "Done. I ain't got no spare saddles,
though."

"A blanket and a strap will do."

"I can fix you up there. You want extra feed, too."

"Another thirty pounds of oats, maybe."

Shortly they settled on seventeen dollars for oats, a rope halter, a buckled strap, a
moth-eaten saddle blanket, and fifty feet of slightly used hemp rope. "One thing I forgot to bring,"
Merlin admitted. He wasn't sure what he'd use it for but he knew if he didn't have rope, he'd
surely need it.

"I'll be back in an hour or so to settle up. I'd take it kindly if you'd give all three an extra
portion of oats before then. And water 'em good."

His next stop was the general store. They didn't have any blankets as good as the thick
Hudson's Bay in his bedroll, but those were hard come by these days. He bought portable soup,
another five pounds of cornmeal, a good-sized wedge of cheese and a flitch of bacon, and two
pounds of coffee. As he was waiting while the storekeeper--a lot friendlier than he'd been last
night--toted up his bill, he thought of something. "Got any good wool socks?"

The storekeeper pointed. On the shelves was also a stack of wool shirts. He took one,
along with two pair of socks, thinking as he did that pretty soon he'd have to find work.
At
the rate I'm spending, I'll be broke before Christmas.
Maybe he should have taken the five
hundred dollars Pa had offered him.

With his purchases in a gunnysack, he went back to the hotel, wondering if he'd find Cal
still there. He'd been gone longer than an hour, and she was probably starting to think he'd
abandoned her, even though his saddlebags were still in the room.

He opened the door to an empty room. Or he thought it was until he stepped inside and
heard someone behind him. Turning, he saw her just slipping a small knife into her pocket. "You
figuring on fighting me off with that little toy?"

"It's sharp, and don't you forget it." A fierce scowl accompanied the brave words.

"No sense in carryin' a knife that's not sharp,'" was all he said, and tossed the gunnysack
on the bed. "Sit. We've got some talking to do."

Callie glared at him for a full minute before moving to the bed and slowly lowering
herself on its edge. "What about?"

Merlin leaned back against the closed door. "First off, you're a girl."

She jumped to her feet, fists clenched at her sides. "I ain't neither!"

"Sure you are. It doesn't make any difference to me, except I want your promise that'll
be the last lie you'll tell me. I don't hanker to travel with someone I can't trust." He returned her
stare until she more or less wilted. "Sit."

She sat. "I'd'a been dumb to let anybody know," she muttered, almost too low for him to
hear.

"Yes, you would've. What else did you lie about?"

She glanced up quickly, surprise writ plain on her face, at his agreement. The next
moment her expression went sullen again. "Nothin'."

"Your pa really is in Virginia City?"

She stuck out her bottom lip and nodded slightly.

"Where's your ma?"

"Dead." Barely a whisper. "Last summer."

He swallowed the words of sympathy. Sometimes they hurt more than was good for a
person. "Where?"

"Iowa. We were livin' with Ma's brother. I could've stayed, but..."

"But you wanted to be with your pa. I can understand that. How'd you get this far?"

"I took the train." She looked away, then back at him. Her chin went up. "Far as
Evanston, when somebody stole my valise. After that I rode in the freight cars. Sometimes there
were tramps and I had to hide. It was..." She shuddered. "I was scared." The last words were a
bare whisper.

Just thinking about what could have happened to her sent cold chills down his backbone.
Merlin tried to imagine his sisters doing what Cal had done. After a moment, he chuckled.

"It wasn't funny!"

"No, it wasn't. I was just reminded... Never mind. Look, we need to get going. There's
socks and a shirt in the bag. Too big for you, but you can make do. The shirt's probably long
enough to be a skirt, but your britches are baggy enough that won't matter. "

"For me?"

"They're too little for me." He'd bought the smallest of everything the store had. "I'll be
down in the eating house. Wash your feet first."

She was already digging into the gunnysack when he pulled the door closed behind
him.

* * * *

The eating house was surprisingly big for such a small settlement, but this late in the
morning it was empty. When he shut the door behind him, the same woman who'd served his
supper stepped out of the kitchen. "Breakfast's over."

He removed his hat and smiled his best. "I was afraid of that, ma'am. I had some
business to take care of this morning and it got late. Any chance of getting an early dinner?"

"I suppose we could oblige you, if you'll settle for beef and beans."

"That sounds just fine. My partner will be along pretty quick."

"Coffee's on the stove. Help yourself and take a seat." She stepped back into the
kitchen.

The coffee was hot and strong, like Pa made it. He shed his coat and leaned back so he
could look out the fly-specked window. Not much going on in Eagle Rock this morning. Two
women, neat and tidy and not too young, went past, carrying baskets on their arms. Headed for
the general store, he guessed. A skinny fellow in a sheepskin coat strolled along the opposite side
of the rutted street, carrying a shotgun.
The law? I'll bet.

He'd finished one cup of coffee and had just poured a second when Cal appeared. She
hesitated before opening the door, until she saw him. He almost laughed aloud when she came
in.

The too-long shirt was stuffed into her britches, but its tails were all wadded up and
made a bulge around her middle. She'd slicked her spiky hair down with water, but already some
was standing on end. Her boots were unlaced and
clumped
with every step. But her face
was shiny clean and her coat looked like she'd tried to wipe the worst of the stains from it. He
hoped she hadn't left it so damp it wouldn't keep her warm.