The Devil's Rope by Tim Washburn

Author:Tim Washburn [Washburn, Tim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Published: 2020-10-14T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 34

After finally arriving in Wichita Falls, Seth and Marcie had elected to stay with the trunk and bags while Chauncy ventured over to the livery stable to hire a buggy and driver to take them to the ranch. Now sitting on a bench in front of the train depot, Marcie was looking the small town over. “Not a very big place, is it?”

“Well, it depends on your perspective,” Seth said. “It’s not a bad start considering this part of the country was still ruled by the Comanches only ten years ago. Back then you’d have been lucky to have ridden through here and still be alive to tell about it.”

Marcie unfurled her fan and began fanning herself. “How’d your family survive? Didn’t you say the ranch wasn’t far from here?”

“It’s just a ways east of here. And they, I guess we, survived through ingenuity. Ask Chauncy to show you the war wagon.”

“What’s that?”

“A verbal description wouldn’t do it justice. You have to see it to believe it.”

Before their conversation could continue, Chauncy arrived in an old spring wagon with a pimply faced kid on the reins.

“They didn’t have no buggies,” Chauncy said as he climbed down. “This is the best I could do.”

Seth eyed the wagon and the two large draft horses and knew they were in for a slow, hot, dusty drive. He was curious to see how Marcie would hold up.

After loading their bags and the trunk, the three sat at the back of the wagon, their legs dangling over the edge as it rolled out. The driver worked his way through town and picked up the road to the ranch. Although well traveled, it was jaw-jarring bumpy, and Marcie was forced to link arms with the men to keep from being tossed from the bed.

“How far did you . . . say . . . it was?” Marcie asked.

“Not far,” Chauncy said.

Marcie frowned, but didn’t say anything.

The horses and wagon kicked up a cloud of dust that hung in the still air, coating their sweaty faces with a layer of grime. The large horses, bred for brute strength, weren’t exactly fleet of foot, and the trip took a full two hours. By the time the wagon turned up the lane to the houses, all three had sworn off wagon travel for the foreseeable future. To her credit, Marcie never once complained.

Chauncy directed the driver to his father’s house and he and Seth unloaded the trunk and carried it inside. After retrieving the bags, Chauncy sent the driver on his way and the three spent an awkward moment talking before Seth took his leave.

Marcie stood in the front yard and took a moment to orient herself. Marcie pointed at the large house in the middle and asked, “Who lives there?”

“My grandma,” Chauncy said.

Marcie nodded. With the sun now hovering on the horizon, lanterns had been lit in most of the homes, casting a golden glow over the entire scene. Marcie felt a sense of warmth or contentment or something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

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