Ironhorse

78

I entered the side door of the depot and crossed the corridor to the telegraph office where Virgil was standing with the governor and Hobbs next to Jenny’s desk. When I entered the office, Virgil looked to me and shook his head slightly.

“No word from LeFlore?” I said.

Jenny looked at me and shook her head.

“Nope,” Virgil said.

“Reckon we go at it on our own,” I said.

Virgil nodded.

“That’s right,” he said.

“Just follow the line toward the camps,” I said.

“Yep,” Virgil said. “See where it leads us.”

The governor had his hands behind his back again and a troubled look on his face. He started shaking his head from side to side. I spoke up before he had a chance to say anything.

“Sir, if I may?”

The governor looked at me.

“Deputy.”

“Virgil and I have been doing law work together for over twenty years. There’s nobody better at law work than the man standing right there. Time and time again we have been in situations that have required every kind of can-do there is and we will do our very best to find your daughters and save them.”

The governor looked at Virgil and me for a long silent moment.

“I will, of course, be anxious and waiting. If the circumstances were different and my wife were not with me, I would of course go with you.”

“Me, too,” Hobbs said.

“Shut up, Chet,” the governor said.

The governor didn’t even look at Hobbs.

“Just...”

The governor stopped talking and looked to Virgil.

“I don’t know what else to say or do,” he said.

“There is nothing to say,” Virgil said. “As far as the doing goes, it’s like Everett said. We are gonna do everything we can to get your girls back safe and sound.”

“Thank you, Marshal,” the governor said.

He sat down in the chair by the desk.

“Thank you...”

Outside I saw Sam raise the spigot and say something to Charlie. Charlie hollered back and then ran toward the depot.

Uncle Ted pulled the cable, and two long whistle blasts rang out. Steam built, the brakes were released, and the Ironhorse moved away from the water tower and chugged slowly toward the depot.

Charlie ran ahead of the Ironhorse to the depot, hurried up the steps, and came through the front door breathing hard.

“Excuse me,” Charlie said. “Sam told me to tell you it’s time to go!”