The Last Buckaroo (14 page)

“
Another
time, Katie.  Another time
…”
 
He tossed a wave over his head.

Katie
smiled and went back to washing glasses.  Looking back to the open door, she
saw him crossing the street.  With a hand up to stop traffic he never broke
stride the entire way across.

CHAPTER
TWENTY

Striker
’
s
trial, from start to finish, lasted only two hours and he was off to Terryville
by mid-afternoon.  The trial hadn
’
t
drawn much of a crowd.  Everybody knew in advance what the outcome would be.

Business
at the tavern was fairly brisk though.  It seemed the place never had two slow
days in a row. Katie had wanted to read one of the dime novels the sheriff had
dropped off just after opening for the day, but hadn
’
t
the chance, other than to peruse a few of the rather primitive covers.  It took
her a while to realize most of them featured him.  One had a sketch of a
gunslinger resembling Ames in action on the front, both pistols blazing.  It
carried the name:
“
Preston Ames Gets His
Man.
”
 
Another was titled:
“
Sheriff
Preston Ames, Outlaw Killer.
”
 
And yet another had in red
lettering, dripping in blood:
“
No Ropes for the
Barton Gang.
”
 
The
sketch was of several dead bodies with Preston in the background, smoke rising
from his silver pistols. 
“
Oh my,
”
she couldn
’
t
help but say to herself as she put the little books away.

Wanda
came over after her shift at the eatery and begged to help out, so Katie put
her to waiting tables.  Wanda preferred doing that anyway.  It gave exposure to
her ample rear end as she wiggled from table to table, batting her eyelashes to
every stud in the place.  But that didn
’
t
last long.  Within the hour she was headed for the door with a likely candidate
for one of her many weekly romps, not so much as a so long on her way out.  She
’
d
probably be back; it was early.  Often she had more than one man of a night
visit her little room above the eatery.

Katie
thought her conduct distasteful, but was open minded enough to realize she
performed a needed service for young men in the area, who otherwise may prey on
innocent young girls.

Now
her mind went to Yancey, and she wondered how many women like Wanda he had
visited over the years
…
perhaps some of them
prostitutes.  To dash the thought, she put herself under him.  This cast a glow
of sanctity over the scene, and aroused her immensely.  She then pictured the
two of them getting it on in an animal fashion, his spurs jangling all the
while.  This prompted her to do something she seldom did.  She latched onto a
mug, drew it half full of ice cold beer and chugged it down.  Following that
she belched loudly.

“
Are
you all right, Katie?
”
Ralph Longley said from across the bar.

“
Quite,
”
she said, blushed from
embarrassment, and moved away.  But that was why she had left Nashville seven
years previous, and rode the train west until she came to this dusty little
town.  Gentlemen, with their fancy suits and silk underwear, no longer excited
her
…
she wanted to be among real men who carved out a living by the sweat of their
brow, captured their women with lariats and rode them to the ground like wild
broncos.  Of course, she hadn
’
t exactly found
that here
…
but close, in the form of Yancey
Burke.  Why she hadn
’
t collared and taken
him to her bed long ago was beyond her.  Perhaps it was because he was so quiet
…
reserved, sort of.  It took two years before she even knew he liked her.  And
since then she
’
d waited, one long month after
another, for another of his day or so visits, hoping upon hope the day would
eventually come when he made a move on her.  So far that hadn
’
t
happened.  And now he was gone
…
and so should
she be.  She
’
d been thinking a lot lately of
going home to Tennessee.  Screw Yancey, if he couldn
’
t
find it within himself to stick around
…
after all she
’
d done for him.  But she wouldn
’
t
leave here, she knew that.  At least not yet.  What could another month or two
hurt, after all this time?

NEARLY
TWO MONTHS LATER

Last
week
of July, 1919

CHAPTER
TWENTY-ONE

It
was so hot Katie found it necessary to make frequent trips to the ice room to
prevent the cotton dress she wore from clinging to her skin in embarrassing
places.  And to make matters worse, it seemed every man in the area chose this
day to come to town for a few, or more, cold beers.

“
Guess
what, Katie
…”
 
Even
though it was rowdy in the tavern, there was no mistaking that voice.  Katie
looked up and saw him coming toward her.  She swooned a little, then
refocused.  Now he was there at the bar, looking trim and handsome in a tapered
white suit with black trim around the pockets and lapels.  On his head was a
large white hat to match. 
“…
  We
’
re
going to California!
”

“
What
did you say?
”
she
said softly.

He
threw out his arms and gathered her shoulders from across the bar. 
“
I
said we
’
re
going to California!
”

“
We?
”

“
Yes,
we
…
you and me!
”
he
said excitedly. 
“
I have to be there in a
week.  They want me to be in pictures, Katie!
”

“
Pictures?
”
 
Of course she knew about moving pictures, she
’
d
seen a few of them in Nashville.  Little one reel things that lasted only
twenty or thirty minutes.  She liked Charlie Chaplin, she recalled.
 
“
As
an actor
…
doing what?
”

“
Doing
what I do: riding, roping, shooting bad guys
…
 
I
’
ll
be the hero, Katie.
”

“
How
did this happen, Yancey?  Where were you all this time?
”

“
Calgary
…”

“
Calgary,
as in Canada?
”

“
Yeah,
in Canada.  When I left here all I wanted was solitude
…
time to think
…
figure everything out.  So I rode
for weeks, just enjoying the wild
…
 
I didn
’
t
see anybody, Katie.  It was great!  Anyway, once I got it all under control and
was ready to start heading back, I suddenly heard all this commotion coming
from over the next hill.  They were familiar noises so I rode to investigate. 
Cowboys were rounding up some wild horses, so I gave them a helping hand by
roping a few for them.  Well, one thing led to another, and it turned out these
horses are to be used in some expedition to be held in Calgary in a week.  They
wanted me to hire on, not only to help with the horses, but to take part in the
stampede.
”

“
Stampede? 
Isn
’
t
that dangerous?
”

“
It
is, but in this case it
’
s the name of the wild
west show and rodeo they were holding there.  It was put on by this fellow
named Guy Weadick.  So I was working for him even though I hadn
’
t
met him yet.
”

“
What
does all this have to do with you being in pictures?
”

“
I
’
m
getting to that ...  I tell you Katie when we got there I never saw so many
people in one place in my life.  For the rodeo, I rode broncos, I rode bulls, I
roped calves and I even took part in the chuck wagon races.  I can
’
t
tell you how much prize money I won.  And the people in the grandstands loved
me.
”

Hearing
that, Katie smiled.  She was happy because he seemed to be.

“
So
when it was all over after a week and everybody was packing up to go home, this
dude came up to me, said his name was Selig
…
Colonel William Selig.  Said he owned this picture studio in a place called
Edendale
 — 
it
’
s
close to Los Angeles.  Selig said they can
’
t
find real cowboys anymore and says he wants me to come there to be an actor in
Western movies.  He promised me a hundred dollars a week to start, and more
when people get to know me better.  I
’
m
supposed to be there next week to start.
”

“
So,
maybe you are the last buckaroo
…”
Katie said, and smiled
again, remembering what she
’
d called Yancey
sometime back.

Yancey
returned the smile, exposing the deep dimples at his cheeks. 
“
So
how
‘
bout
it?
”

“
So,
how about what?
”

“
Will
you go with me, Katie?
”

“
Well,
I can
’
t
just pick up and run off with you, Yance.  Not without having some assurances
you won
’
t
run away again.
”

“
What
is it you want, Katie?
”

Boldly
she said,
“
Well, you could marry me.
”

“
But
you
’
re
already married, aren
’
t you?  I mean, I
figured he wasn
’
t around anymore, but
…”

Katie
lifted her left hand and swiftly removed the gold band from her ring finger. 
“
Oh,
this old thing
…
  It was my grandmother
’
s. 
When I first came here somebody mistook it for a wedding ring.  I just never
set anybody straight thereafter.  Sorry!
”

“
Well,
”
Yancey said. 
“
I
would have proposed before had I known.
”

“
Is
that a yes?
”
Katie
said, anxiously.

“
Miss
Katie Peck, I
’
d be right proud if you were to
become my wife,
”
Yancey said, smiling
broadly.

Katie
screamed and pulled him over the bar for a sweaty kiss.

With
that the entire place roared.  It seemed everyone had been patiently awaiting
this moment.  Now mugs started to pound tables.  It also appeared some of them
were awaiting refills.

Just
then Wanda came through the door, saw Katie and Yancey kissing at the bar and
said,
“
I
knew it!
”
 
She then went behind
the bar and began refilling mugs. 
“
Why
don
’
t
you take it to the ice room?  It
’
s
too hot in here for that.
”

Katie
and Yancey were married the following day.  There was no time to bring in family,
so Katie asked Helmer to step in for her father.  The wedding was held at Katie
’
s
church to a full to overflowing crowd.  Some of the church ladies had come up
with the dress and Yancey wore his fancy white suit.  Afterward everyone went
to the tavern, men and women alike, for a celebration.  Katie and Yancey,
however, slipped away shortly after dark.

It
was later reported by a few who just happened to be in the vicinity of Katie
’
s
house that night, strange jangling noises could be heard coming from it
periodically, right up until dawn.

The
following day, Ralph from the hotel came with his carriage and transported
them, along with their luggage, to the train station.  Again hundreds were
present for the sendoff.

Even
Sheriff Ames made his appearance.  
“
The
prettiest ones always get away,
”
he said to Katie, and gave her a
fatherly hug.

“
Is
that what happened to you, Sheriff?
”
Katie said.  She knew
he
’
d
never married.

“
She
gave me an ultimatum.  Give up the badge or else.  I guess you know the rest of
that story.
”

“
That
’
s
sad, Preston.  If you had it to do over
…”

“
Nothing
would change, Katie.  I was born to do what I do.  No woman can change that.
”

“
You
stay safe, okay?
”
Katie said and hugged him back. 
“
When
I return someday, I
’
ll expect to see you here.
”

“
Count
on it.  I ain
’
t going anywhere.
”

“
No,
I don
’
t
suppose you are
…
 
This town, this county, needs you
Preston
…
they all know that.
”
  She then saw tears
well up in his old eyes.  He turned and made his way through the crowd.  She
watched him go, until he disappeared among them, before turning back to Yancey.

Once
on the Pullman car platform, having Yancey by the hand, Katie turned to the
people fanned out before her and said,
“
Seven
years ago I came to this beautiful town of yours looking for my very own
cowboy.  Now that I have him, it
’
s
time for me to selfishly say thank you for your hospitality, and sadly bid you
all farewell.  It
’
s been wonderful
knowing you!
”
 
They
then entered the car to an abundance of cheers and whistles. 
Who could ask
for anything better than this
, she thought, and allowed Yancey to guide her
to the seat.

Shortly
thereafter the train lurched and they were underway.

“
I
’
ve
never been to California,
”
Yancey said. 
“
Colonel
Selig said it
’
s paradise.
”

“
Wherever
you are, Yance, will always be paradise for me,
”
Katie said.  She
clutched his arm and laid her head on his shoulder.

Yancey
took one of her hands in his and said,
“
I
’
ll
make you happy, Katie
…
I promise.
”

She
looked to him. 
“
You already have
…
Buckaroo!
”
  She kissed his cheek. 
“
Just
don
’
t
lose track of those spurs, okay?
”
 
She laughed.

“
Never!
”
 
He laughed with her.