future.
CHAPTER 3
The trip to the ranch took them through gently rolling hills covered in bright green grass and fields full of wildflowers bursting with the colors of the rainbow. A freight train passed them headed to Golden City, the territorial capital of the Colorado Territory, to drop off supplies for the mining towns of Central City and Black Hawk, which according to John were up Clear Creek Canyon from Golden City. The train only carried supplies to Golden City and usually gold, cattle, and farm goods back to Denver. It didn’t carry passengers or Sarah would have taken it all the way to Golden City. Passenger service stopped in Denver.
The road was well traveled and wide enough for two wagons. They passed several headed toward Denver. Some of them carried families others only freight. One carried gold. John said he could tell by the six armed men that accompanied it.
Sarah asked, “Do they get robbed often?”
“Not with a guard like that. Outlaws would have to be crazy or really desperate to try it.”
“Do you have many outlaws here? Is it something I should be aware of?”
“Nah, we don’t get that kind of trouble out here. They stick to the cities. I have ten men working for me. I’ve been having one stay with Katy while I’m out working but now you’re here and can take over those duties. I also have a cook and housekeeper, though I’m hoping you can cook, because she’s terrible and will be the first one to tell you so. Her name is Bertha.”
“Of course, I’ll watch the girls. Katy and MaryAnn seem to get along well. And yes, I can cook. I just hope the trunk that is missing doesn’t have my recipes in it. If it does, then the meals I fix are going to be on the simple side.”
“None of us mind simple. We’re just looking for edible.”
Sarah laughed. “Well, they will definitely be edible.”
She looked back at the girls. Katy still held MaryAnn’s hand while MaryAnn chattered away. Katy nodded or shook her head in response to her questions and she had a million of them.
“Do you have a horse of your own? Can I ride it?”
Katy nodded twice in answer. It seemed to be enough for MaryAnn. She treated Katy as she did everyone. Like a new friend. It didn’t matter that Katy didn’t talk. MaryAnn talked enough for the both of them.
They passed through Golden City. The little city was nestled in a valley between the foothills of the Rockies and a flat plateau. John said his ranch was about three miles northwest of town.
Before she knew it they were pulling off the main road through a gate that read J Bar A Ranch . She could see buildings about half a mile down the road. As they got closer she made out seven different structures. She recognized the house and the barn. What the others were, she didn’t know yet.
“The house. It’s larger than I thought it would be. And I assume the big red building is the barn. What are the others?”
“There’s the ice house, smoke house, chicken coop, bunk house, that’s where the cowboys live, and the outhouse”
Alarmed, Sarah asked, “You don’t have running water?”
“There’s a hand pump in the kitchen but we don’t have an indoor bathroom.”
“Oh, dear.”
He patted her on the knee. “It’ll be fine. You’ll get used to it.”
“I’m sure I will.”
Sarah watched as he flushed a little.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I probably should have let you know that compared to what you’re used to we’re going to seem a mite primitive.”
She shook her head. “I admit I hadn’t expected it to be quite so spartan, but I’m undaunted.”
“That’s a girl. You’ve got some spunk. I like that.” He gave her knee a little squeeze.
No one had ever said Sarah had spunk. She’d always let life run her over. Now she was grasping it around the neck and hanging on for the ride.
There’d been plenty of time to think on the train out here. She’d gone over everything she’d been through, everything she’d done. She
CHAPTER 3
The trip to the ranch took them through gently rolling hills covered in bright green grass and fields full of wildflowers bursting with the colors of the rainbow. A freight train passed them headed to Golden City, the territorial capital of the Colorado Territory, to drop off supplies for the mining towns of Central City and Black Hawk, which according to John were up Clear Creek Canyon from Golden City. The train only carried supplies to Golden City and usually gold, cattle, and farm goods back to Denver. It didn’t carry passengers or Sarah would have taken it all the way to Golden City. Passenger service stopped in Denver.
The road was well traveled and wide enough for two wagons. They passed several headed toward Denver. Some of them carried families others only freight. One carried gold. John said he could tell by the six armed men that accompanied it.
Sarah asked, “Do they get robbed often?”
“Not with a guard like that. Outlaws would have to be crazy or really desperate to try it.”
“Do you have many outlaws here? Is it something I should be aware of?”
“Nah, we don’t get that kind of trouble out here. They stick to the cities. I have ten men working for me. I’ve been having one stay with Katy while I’m out working but now you’re here and can take over those duties. I also have a cook and housekeeper, though I’m hoping you can cook, because she’s terrible and will be the first one to tell you so. Her name is Bertha.”
“Of course, I’ll watch the girls. Katy and MaryAnn seem to get along well. And yes, I can cook. I just hope the trunk that is missing doesn’t have my recipes in it. If it does, then the meals I fix are going to be on the simple side.”
“None of us mind simple. We’re just looking for edible.”
Sarah laughed. “Well, they will definitely be edible.”
She looked back at the girls. Katy still held MaryAnn’s hand while MaryAnn chattered away. Katy nodded or shook her head in response to her questions and she had a million of them.
“Do you have a horse of your own? Can I ride it?”
Katy nodded twice in answer. It seemed to be enough for MaryAnn. She treated Katy as she did everyone. Like a new friend. It didn’t matter that Katy didn’t talk. MaryAnn talked enough for the both of them.
They passed through Golden City. The little city was nestled in a valley between the foothills of the Rockies and a flat plateau. John said his ranch was about three miles northwest of town.
Before she knew it they were pulling off the main road through a gate that read J Bar A Ranch . She could see buildings about half a mile down the road. As they got closer she made out seven different structures. She recognized the house and the barn. What the others were, she didn’t know yet.
“The house. It’s larger than I thought it would be. And I assume the big red building is the barn. What are the others?”
“There’s the ice house, smoke house, chicken coop, bunk house, that’s where the cowboys live, and the outhouse”
Alarmed, Sarah asked, “You don’t have running water?”
“There’s a hand pump in the kitchen but we don’t have an indoor bathroom.”
“Oh, dear.”
He patted her on the knee. “It’ll be fine. You’ll get used to it.”
“I’m sure I will.”
Sarah watched as he flushed a little.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I probably should have let you know that compared to what you’re used to we’re going to seem a mite primitive.”
She shook her head. “I admit I hadn’t expected it to be quite so spartan, but I’m undaunted.”
“That’s a girl. You’ve got some spunk. I like that.” He gave her knee a little squeeze.
No one had ever said Sarah had spunk. She’d always let life run her over. Now she was grasping it around the neck and hanging on for the ride.
There’d been plenty of time to think on the train out here. She’d gone over everything she’d been through, everything she’d done. She
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