Will was warming up near the stove. “I’m worried about my mother and sister. They’re on that stage. At least they telegrammed the day before yesterday to say they would be.”
“It’s always frustrating when the stage is late. I heard they had trouble with the axle. That can definitely be a problem. If they broke down again, it would take a while to get help. There’s not much out there between us and the last stop. I wouldn’t fret too much.”
Will stretched out his hands. The stove’s warmth seemed to be fading. “I doubt they’d fare well in the cold.” He frowned. If they were stuck out on the front range, it was all his fault. He was the one who’d pushed them to come right away, despite the fact that it was winter.
Will shoved his hands deep into his coat pockets. “I know I should just give it over to prayer. That’s what all my training tells me to do, not to mention my heartfelt beliefs. But it’s hard not to worry when it involves someone you love.”
Edward nodded. “I guess I know that well enough. Look, I’m gonna ride out and see if I can lend the sheriff a hand. I’m sure we’ll be back soon. You should probably go grab some lunch and relax.”
The two men parted company, and Will made his way into Ford’s Restaurant. He didn’t feel much like eating, but it was better than standing around with nothing to do. The place was packed, even though they charged a dollar for a meal. At this point, Will figured it was worth the money. The restaurant was close to the stage office, and if he could get a front window seat, he’d be able to see if the stage arrived or the sheriff returned.
He found a table where three men were just leaving. He pushed their dishes aside and took a place where he could watch the street. It seemed that the entire world went on asusual. He wondered how many folks even knew about the stage’s delay.
“What’ll ya have?” a rather harried woman asked.
Will glanced up and met her questioning gaze. “I guess the special.”
She nodded, then gathered up the dirty dishes. “Want coffee?”
“Yes.” Will eased back in his chair. “Please.”
She returned with a cup of coffee. Will thanked the woman and focused on the drink. He tried not to imagine his mother and sister sitting in the freezing cold. Surely the stage was prepared for problems like that. He knew they carried lap blankets in the winter, and given there were probably quite a few travelers, the shared body heat would do a great deal to keep them warm.
He thought of what he’d do when they finally made it to Cheyenne. First thing, he’d get them installed at the hotel and let them rest. They’d be exhausted after a night on the road. Later, he had plans to take his mother and sister to Jake Landry’s restaurant for supper. The place had once been a dance hall and saloon in the front half of the building with a restaurant in the back. As things settled down in the town, Will learned that Landry decided to refine his place, and now they only served meals. He knew the meals there were a little pricey, but they were also of the best quality. Jake had brought in a chef from New York City who was well received and highly regarded. Anyone who was anyone in Cheyenne knew that to eat at Landry’s was a gastric delight.
The waitress arrived with a large bowl of beef stew and a plate holding two biscuits. Will picked at the food while watching the street. When an hour had passed, he paid forhis food and made his way back to the stage office. By now they must have had word on the progress.
“We haven’t heard a thing,” the stationmaster told him. “But we ought to know before too long. They couldn’t have been that far out.” The man seemed to regret his comment and gave Will a smile. “I wouldn’t worry, mister,” he added. “Things like this happen all the time. Could be a storm blew up and they had to wait it out. Winds sometimes come down off the mountains and cause all sorts of havoc.”
Will tried not to worry, but when more time passed, and there was still no word, he couldn’t help but begin to fear the worst. He paced the small stage office hoping to hear something, but no news came in. Even Jim stopped trying to offer reasons for why they hadn’t arrived.
Finally, a commotion grew in the streets outside the office. Will grabbed his hat and followed the stationmaster outside. The stage team was being led by two riders with a half dozen other mounted men bringing up the rear. They were all carrying their rifles as if worried about an attack. There was no one in the driver’s seat of the faded red stage, making it look rather ominous. When the men came to a stop in front of the office, Will could see that one of the riders was Edward Vogel.
As Edward dismounted, Will went to him. “What happened? Driver get hurt?”
“Driver’s dead,” Edward replied. He tied off his horse. “Will, there’s no easy way to say this.” He turned to face him. “They’re all dead.”
“What do you mean? Who’s dead?”
“The folks on the stage. They were attacked by Indians. Driver and his guard probably got hit first. Then the folks inside the stage were attacked. The Indians killed everyone,scalped the men. They took what they figured to be of value and left the rest. Surprisingly enough, they didn’t take the horses. I suppose they could have been frightened off when we came along.”
Will struggled to form words. His thoughts were muddled in the confusion of what he was being told. “My ... my mother? Sister?”
“There are two women in the stage, along with all the men.” Edward put his hand on Will’s shoulder. “You’ll have to identify them. Their personal items were taken, purses and jewelry and such. One woman is older—probably the mother of the other. The younger woman has hair about the same color as yours.”
Will met Edward’s gaze. Identify them? The truth was beginning to dawn on him. How could they be dead? They had only just sent a telegram the night before.
“I ... uh...” He looked to where the men were unloading the bodies from the stage and lining them up on the boardwalk.
“The undertaker is on his way to collect them all,” Edward said. “It’s best to just get the identification done with and not dwell on it too long. I’ll be with you.”
The deputies quickly laid out the driver and guard, along with five other men on the boardwalk. Their faces were smeared with blood, and the tops of their heads had been sliced off to take their hair. Will thought he might lose his lunch and looked away to draw a deep breath.
He steadied himself and looked back at the bodies. The women had been wrapped in blankets and were very reverently brought to lie a little way apart from the others. They were small, and their feet stuck out from the blankets. Will didn’t recognize their shoes. Maybe it wasn’t his family.
Edward drew Will over to where the covered bodies waited. “I’ll lower the blanket from their heads. Just nod if it’s them.”
Will couldn’t make sense of anything going on. He stood frozen, unable to even move. He hadn’t had time to process any of this. It was surely all a mistake. They couldn’t be dead. It was just a mistake. It had to be.
