Chapter 7 - Brief Interuption

The cowboys are briefly interupted in the saloon in Sacramento.

“Mr. Meyers headed for town at sunrise.  By noon he still hadn’t returned.  The family wasn’t worried but Caleb was afraid Mr. Meyers wasn’t comin’ home.  He was scar’d he’d have ta take the family ta New York.  Mrs. Meyers didn’t know about anything that had happened.  She didn’t know her husband was mixed up in any trouble an’ she didn’t know her family could be in trouble too.” 

The doors to the saloon in Sacramento swung open as a couple of men staggered drunkenly out into the darkened street.  A roar of laughter rose up from a large group of gamblers seated at a round table near the front of the saloon.  The wind outside had picked up as a storm rolled in, the sky flashing.  The wind blew in the doors and the lantern flames flickered threatening to leave the saloon occupants in darkness.  The old man wiped his mouth with his hand.

“Well, did he come back or not?” Boots asked impatiently.

“I’m gettin' there,” the old man replied calmly.  He motioned to the bar for Charlie to bring a drink to the table.  A moment later Charlie made his way to the table with a fresh bottle of whiskey and four glasses.

“He ain’t drinkin’,” Boots told him, nodding at Duke.

Charlie took one glass up and returned to the bar. 

The door of the saloon swung open again and the wind rushed in dimming the lights and bringing in the smell of rain.

“Well, looks like we’re gonna be here a while,” said Joe looking out the doors across the bar.  It had begun raining hard outside now.

The old man poured each of the others a shot from the bottle and passed the glasses around the table.  The three sat watching the old man as he drank one down.  He caught their impatient glares and continued with his story.

“Well, where was I now…