Hazel Dream
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The first thing Hazel saw when she woke up was the sun. A red ball of fire burned low in a clear sky, illuminating everything around her. It took her some time to realize where she was. She sat up and looked around. The wagon was gone.
Where had it taken them? The next thing that came into her mind was that if the wagon was there, someone would be driving it. That made her think of the man from the train who had come to take her away.
She remembered the man’s voice. “I’ll see you again soon,” he had said before leaving her alone with Tom. What did that mean? Did he intend to go after Tom and rescue him? Or was it something else? She had no idea what to make of that.
A cool breeze moved over the prairie grass. She realized that she had been sleeping on a blanket, which lay on the ground near her. The blanket was warm so she put it under her chin for additional warmth. A few wildflowers were scattered about.
Birds sang from the trees overhead. The day was beautiful but very different from what she was used to. But not bad, she thought to herself as she gazed at the rolling hills and open meadows.
“This is the most wonderful place ever,” she whispered. “It seems like a dream.”
A horse whinnied nearby and she jumped at the sound. The animal snorted and tossed its head. Was it one of Tom’s horses? If so, where was Tom? She could feel his presence nearby and yet he was nowhere to be seen. She had never been away from him before and she had no idea how to handle this.
When she turned her attention back to the prairie, she noticed that the red ball of fire was much larger than it had been just moments ago. She squinted. It seemed to be getting bigger by the minute.
She stared at the sunset and wondered why such an amazing thing happened each night. Each sunset produced another red sphere burning low in the sky. It had nothing to do with her; God had set this in motion long ago.
Her gaze fell upon a small herd of cattle grazing near the fence line. They were almost as far away as the wagon had been. She had no idea where she was or how far it was to Tom. She didn’t think they would have gone too far.
Maybe the wagon had gone back toward town. If so, it might still be there. But if it weren’t, they’d left Tom behind and she was helpless to go looking for him. She knew Tom would go looking for her, but there was nothing to be done until they found him.
Tom, I’m here, she cried silently. We’re all right and will get out of this somehow. Just trust me.
She tried to convince herself that she believed that, but she was still worried. Why hadn’t Tom come for her if he intended to leave the wagon on this trip? He had made it clear to Tom that he wanted her. Was Tom angry?
Had he given Tom orders to keep her prisoner? Or was it a mistake that she wasn’t on the wagon? Maybe it was nothing more than a simple oversight that had landed her here.
After lying there awhile longer trying to calm herself, she got up and walked around the wagon looking for anything unusual. But there was nothing of interest. It was a typical western wagon, except it was painted a dark red instead of gray.
When she returned to her blanket, the sun was already setting. Another red sphere burned in the sky and she watched it for a few minutes before getting up and searching for food.
“If anyone comes, pretend to sleep,” she told herself as she picked her way through the wagon, picking flowers for dinner and gathering wild herbs.
She returned to her blanket and looked back at Tom’s empty wagon. There was nothing she could do now but wait for him to return. As the first star appeared, she settled down under a bush. In a little while, she heard the faint sound of horses’ hooves moving through the tall grass nearby. She stayed hidden so that they wouldn’t see her unless they got right up close to the wagon.
She kept her ears alert for any sounds that might lead her to Tom. Her heart pounded with anticipation when the horses neared the wagon. A man stepped out of the grass. He was holding the reins of three horses.
“Where’s that woman?” he called to Tom. “I know Tom took her someplace, but where?”
Tom didn’t answer but stood watching the man. Hazel felt a surge of relief that Tom was safe. It seemed like forever since she had last seen him.
The man pulled two horses close to his chest and climbed back on the third. When he turned to leave, Tom stepped out from hiding and grabbed him by the throat.
“Don’t you ever touch me,” he threatened, his voice filled with anger. “You can’t hold your own against me, sonny. I’ve faced a dozen outlaws and never lost. You’re nothing compared to them and don’t try to prove otherwise.”
The man tried to free himself from Tom’s grasp, but couldn’t and the two struggled for control. Tom had no sooner released him from his grasp and let him drop to the ground than the man drew a knife and held it to his belly.
“Don’t kill me!” he begged. “I’ll give you anything you want, but please don’t kill me. I’ll give you everything.”
“How about that little girl?” Tom asked, his hand reaching for the pistol he wore strapped inside his boot.
“That’s all I ask,” he said, lowering his knife.
Tom released the man and he crawled back through the grass. He had to hurry, Hazel realized because the sun was almost directly overhead. Once the sun hit the horizon, she would be completely helpless. She didn’t know what that meant for Tom and her, but she hoped the man would take her with him and keep her safe.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the prairie glowed crimson. The stars began to pop into view, twinkling in their thousands through the blackness of the sky.
She saw the three horses galloping away when Tom came running up. He pulled the man to his feet and then turned and lifted her from the wagon and into his arms. “I thought you were dead,” he whispered, his face flushed and his blue eyes filled with emotion. “I’m sorry I didn’t bring you along. I should have left you in the wagon.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling the warmth of his body against hers.
“What happened to you?” she asked after a moment. “And how did you find us?”
“That’s the other reason I came out to look for you,” he told her, turning to retrieve her clothes. “I found out someone had taken over the wagon. They’re using it to rob the stagecoaches. That’s why I couldn’t find you. I had to stay here to protect these wagons until we figured out where this man went and where else he’d take you.”
She waited anxiously as Tom dressed her. After pulling the shirt over her head, he reached for the trousers to slide them on. Her hands reached for his and pulled them back.
“Why are you always treating me like an invalid?” she demanded, feeling embarrassed.
“Only because you act like one,” he said as he tucked the tails into his boots.
“But I am an invalid!”
“Not anymore, if you don’t mind telling me what happened to you.”
“I just need some rest,” she muttered with a blush.
He took her arm and led her to the wagon. She watched his movements carefully, knowing the slightest motion could give away their hiding place. Once inside the wagon, she felt a wave of relief as she stretched out on the bunk to lie flat on her back.
They talked as they rode. “I had to watch myself so that I didn’t hurt the others. We had to hide ourselves in the grass so they couldn’t see us. I thought about shooting them, but there were too many.”
“You’re a brave man, Tom,” she said. “I don’t think I could have done what you did. How many outlaws?”
“Twelve.”
“Twelve!” She tried to imagine twelve men trying to take her captive. It gave her shivers. “It’s lucky you found them before they knew it and took you as well.”
She felt relieved when he put the horse on a trot and then a canter. In spite of their haste, she managed to sleep soundly.
“Hazel, wake up,” Tom shouted, shaking her gently. “We’re here.”
Her eyes opened reluctantly, taking a moment to focus before she looked up at him. The dim light from the wagon’s lantern made his face appear pale and tired.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“In town,” he answered, sitting her in the seat next to the driver. “The train stopped for the night. We’ll catch a room and spend tomorrow searching for that man.” He helped her climb off the wagon, then followed her into the small building.
There weren’t many people about when they got inside, but she saw several women walking the street in groups. She guessed some of them must be the wives of the men who had come to look for her. She wondered where Dan and Tom were with all those ladies.
“You shouldn’t be alone in here with us,” Tom said, pulling the door shut behind him and locking it.
“I’m not afraid of you,” she replied. “I could even fight him off if I needed to.”
“If you were alone?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go in and talk,” he said, leading her through the building. There were two large hotel rooms that faced each other across the entryway. “We can have a good meal and get some good sleep tonight. Let’s hope your friend comes by and tells us more about what happened. We need to know what the man looks like.”
“I’m starving. I hadn’t eaten since before dinner yesterday. But I’m sure the food will be burned,” she said, looking at the kitchen area where a single waitress stood in front of a stove. A platter of fried chicken sat on a counter, surrounded by a few dirty dishes. “It can’t be any worse than what we served at the ranch.”
Tom ordered two plates and brought them over to the table, handing one to her.
“How far did we travel today?” she asked.
“Thirty-two miles.”
“And how far do you think he went?”
“At least fifty, maybe more.”
She chewed her food slowly, tasting every bite as she thought about where she’d been taken. “So you think he would want to make sure you were out of town before he took me. Why didn’t he leave me somewhere close to the train yard?”
“Maybe he wants to avoid anyone following him. What kind of man does this?” he asked as he shoveled another bite of fried chicken into his mouth.
“I don’t know,” she said. “What if he was just hired for this job? Maybe he doesn’t know the man. All he knows is that someone hired him to abduct me.”
“Or maybe he isn’t after you, Hazel. Who can tell.”
She finished her plate and leaned back to relax. She felt guilty for eating when they hadn’t had anything in twenty-four hours. It reminded her that Tom and Dan were only trying to help her. “Thank you for finding me,” she said, “and for helping Dan look for me.” She looked up at him and smiled through her tears. “You’re a good friend.”
His expression turned somber and he shook his head. “My brother didn’t deserve to die like that.” He looked away and stared at the wall. “And Tom, I hope you find him,” she said, seeing the pain in his eyes.
“I will, Hazel,” he said, meeting her eyes. “I promise.”
He left them to eat and pay the bill, returning to the table. They discussed what they could remember of the outlaws’ appearance with the waitress, who promised to ask around in the morning.
“That’s fine,” Tom said. “We’ll be busy tomorrow. Hopefully, we’ll learn something and get you back home.” His dark eyes held hers. “But until then, try not to worry too much.”
When Tom and Dan returned to the wagon, Tom helped pull her up to sit in the seat, then he climbed up after her. She felt relieved when they rode out of the small town.
After leaving the road, they traveled along the edge of the prairie. The darkness made it difficult to see in every direction. Tom pulled the wagon down a narrow trail to a large oak tree that provided some shelter.
“We’ll stay here tonight,” he said, getting off the wagon and lighting the lantern. “I found a stream nearby, so we can take care of your horse and water all our animals. You can bathe first. I know you haven’t had a bath in a few days.”
The water would be cold, she knew, but it couldn’t be any worse than traveling on the train.
Dan handed Tom an envelope. “I left word with the station that if Tom called, you might show up there. And I told him to give you this.” She recognized the handwriting of the man who’d paid their hotel bill and tipped the waitress, as well.
“Thanks,” she said, taking the envelope. She flipped open the flap and read the letter inside. “This is from Mr. Rafferty.”
“Who’s that?”
“A businessman from Chicago, in the publishing business,” she explained. “He owns several magazines, including The Saturday Evening Post. That’s why he wanted me to write that article about him. But he doesn’t want anyone to know about us,” she added, remembering his request not to include him or his family in the story.
“If he’s so wealthy, then why would he have any interest in a magazine writer?”
“Money isn’t everything. He seems to be passionate about his work. He told me he spends every spare minute writing. He also enjoys reading.”
“I’ll bet he does. Did he ever say he’d come after you if you didn’t meet his demands?”
“No. He gave me specific instructions.” She folded the letter and put it in the pocket of her dress, wondering how Rafferty would react to the kidnapping.
“Well, now you can return to the magazine to finish your story and earn your money,” Tom said. He helped her down from the wagon and carried the lantern as she removed the dirty dress and shoes, placing them in the wagon and putting the horse blanket over them to keep her belongings dry. “It’s time to wash up. We still have a long way to go.”
***
Tom’s hands gripped the steering reins. He’d been driving north all day, but still couldn’t believe they hadn’t run into a single wagon train. Not even a group of riders.
“Where are all the other wagons?” he mumbled. “What happened to so many people heading west to stake their claims?”
They rode along the edge of the prairie. Tom had no idea how far they’d driven since leaving Fort Smith, but it wasn’t much farther to the next town, and there was a railroad station just ahead. He hoped to reach it before stopping for the night.
He drove past several farms on the right side of the road. A few small groups of settlers lived there in crudely made log cabins, and they were busy preparing their farms for winter. One homestead had a large barn in the middle of the field. Others had sod houses and lean-tos.
Tom slowed the horses when they neared the railroad station, pulling the wagon off the road and down the embankment beside a low building with a tin roof.
With the wagon down at the level, his legs felt better. He sat and took the reins. He didn’t think they’d have to hitch up the horses again, but he’d have to check on the water in the trough and add more if needed.
“We need to stop soon,” Hazel said, sitting next to him. “I’m so tired, I could sleep for a week.”
“Maybe we should stay in this town,” he said. “See what the train schedules are like tomorrow.”
She nodded. “You’re right. I hope we can find a hotel.”
He got up and approached the station. An iron pole with telegraph wires attached leaned against the wall. He pulled off the cover and peeked inside. He didn’t recognize the wire, so he opened the door and walked around the counter.
“I heard a train just went through here, but I didn’t get a schedule,” the stationmaster said, looking back at him. “How many nights will you stay, sir?”
“One.”
“Two nights, if you please, sir.”
Tom nodded and turned to leave. It would take too long to explain they wouldn’t stay that long, and he didn’t need to tell the stationmaster why they weren’t staying at a hotel. It was none of his business.
When he returned to the wagon, Hazel pointed out the window. Two men approached. They wore gun belts and hats and were dressed in buckskins and leather vests, as though they’d ridden out of a wild west movie. One man held a rifle and the other a handgun.
“What do they want?” Hazel asked.
“Probably to see if we’re from Texas,” Tom said. “Let’s stay in the wagon.”
Hazel reached for the gun she kept by her seat.
“Don’t!” he scolded, knowing the weapon wasn’t loaded.
The two men rode past the wagon and stopped next to the telegraph pole. Tom leaned outside the wagon and whispered to Hazel, “It’s best if you don’t speak unless spoken to. They’ll probably ask for our papers.”
“I’m not giving them anything,” Hazel said.
She put her finger over her lips, and Tom pulled the wagon back onto the road.
A few minutes later, they saw several riders following behind the strangers they’d seen at the railroad station. As they passed the last group of riders, they heard a woman cry out.
“What’s going on?” Hazel asked.
“Someone is hurt,” he said. “Let’s hurry.”
After they’d gone a few miles they saw three other riders pull off the road and come toward them, riding side by side. Tom pulled the wagon up next to another. The man on the right leaned over and spoke to him. Tom pretended to be listening.
“Who are those people coming down the road?” Hazel asked.
He nodded to the left and said, “That’s a posse after a gunman. It looks like four men are riding ahead of them. They must be searching for a runaway or something.”
“Why are there so many?” Hazel asked.
“I have no idea. It’s unusual for so many people to go after someone, especially when most of them don’t live in the same town,” he said. “But maybe they’re after more than one person. Maybe whoever they’re looking for has friends who want them found.”
“Or they might just be looking for trouble,” she said.
One of the riders reached a hand toward Tom’s horse. Tom pulled away from him with one hand and drew the pistol. The rider pulled his weapon, and Tom fired a shot, killing him before he could fire.
The other two riders had gotten down and were approaching, trying to catch them by surprise. One of them reached toward the reins.
Hazel grabbed the end of the whip and hit the man across the shoulder with it. He stumbled back and fired at the wagon, missing.
Tom shot him, and the other man fell over with an arrow sticking out of his chest. Hazel jumped out of the wagon and ran up to him, pulling the arrow free. She handed the bow and arrows to Tom.
“You killed him,” she said. “It should be a lesson to you. Don’t shoot until you’re sure you’ve got them. We might have killed them all.”
He nodded and got back into the wagon. He had to make sure the rest of the trail riders hadn’t circled around to come after them.
***
“It was just a warning shot,” Tom said. “They could have killed me or both of us.”
“I was only trying to help,” Hazel said. “You did the right thing.”
“We should keep going before they return.”
She nodded and started to steer the wagon again. She kept looking back to see if any riders were getting closer.
“You should try to sleep,” Tom said, reaching down to pat her hand. “I’ll drive as much as I can. Your leg is hurting.”
“Yes,” she said, squeezing his hand back and taking his advice. After a while, she drifted to sleep, and Tom drove for nearly four hours. By the time they pulled into Denver, most of the trail riders were gone, and they could see no sign of riders ahead or behind them.
The city was dark and quiet. A train roared by, its whistle blowing loud enough to shake their wagon. Tom took several turns, heading through the streets and eventually stopping in front of a large building surrounded by brick walls.
“This is our stop,” Tom said. “You take the reins and lead the horses here.”
She nodded, and they went in. Tom paid the driver with money given to him earlier by the stagecoach driver.
As soon as they stepped inside the hotel, they were greeted by a bellboy.
“I’m sorry about the noise out there,” Tom said. “We were attacked by riders.”
“There hasn’t been any news about that,” he said, walking behind the desk. “Have you stayed at this hotel before?”
“No,” Tom said. “It’s the first time we’ve come to Denver.”
The bellboy led them down the hall to a private room. He unlocked the door, and they walked inside.
“You’re new to Colorado,” he said. “You know what to do?”
“I’ve done it before,” Hazel said. “When I worked for the Pinkertons.”
The bellboy nodded and closed the door. “There is a woman on the second floor. She likes to read, and she has a nice smile. She’s always polite to the guests.”
“Thank you,” Tom said, not knowing how to respond. The bellboy left and closed the door, leaving them alone.
They looked around the room, finding a table and two chairs. Tom opened the window to let in some of the nighttime air.
“Is it safe to use the phone,” Hazel asked?
“It will be fine as long as no one asks to use it,” he said. “Let’s get dressed and try to get a message to your friend and to the Pinkerton office. Then we’ll send word to Lila.”
She nodded and turned to look at him, wondering if Lila would even know who Hazel was anymore.
The End