The Argo Goes West

42, Grumpy Vice President

The Argo left Wichita and headed for Denver. From the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains. The elevation difference was 4000 feet. Through the train window, Theodore Roosevelt saw grasslands stretching to the horizon, cows grazing, fluffy sheep-like clouds in the clear blue sky, sandhill cranes flying in flocks. It was a tranquil scenery that would soothe the soul of anyone, especially those who were tired from work in the city. But it irritated Theodore Roosevelt.

"How slow! Doesn't it go faster? We spent a lot of money, but what is the speed. No way. No way at all."

Miss Craig, who had put the stationery Roosevelt had left on her desk in its proper place, answered coldly. "I think it can't be helped. We're running with a lot of heavy cannons. Even so, if you want us to speed up, we have no choice but to throw the cannons away."

"Then we can't go to war!"

"Then you have to be patient."

Roosevelt couldn't argue with her, frowning bitterly.

"By the way, we only encountered Scylla, Charybdis, and the Sirens. Perhaps the enemy feared the Argo."

"That's not true. The Argo is proceeding on a safe route."

Roosevelt thought Miss Craig was right, but he was still fed up.

"Would you mind letting me complain?"

"That means you're talking to yourself, right?"

"...Yes," Theodore Roosevelt reluctantly agreed.

"Please continue talking to yourself. I won't say anything."

"Enough. I'm done." said Roosevelt. However, within an hour there was no doubt that he would complain again.

Just at noon, Roosevelt began reading a thick volume of ornithology. After that, at 12:30 he would move to the command car and give a speech to the soldiers, and at 1:00 pm he would have lunch.

Miss Craig quietly exited Car No 3 so as not to disturb Roosevelt's reading. She decided to go to the dining car and kill some time there.

Roosevelt and Miss Craig's routine was well known to Argo's vice-captain, Clay Roberts. He waited at the counter drinking whiskey before she came. As Miss Craig sat down next to him, Roberts immediately ordered from the waiter. "The usual. It's my treat."

After the toast, Roberts talked to Miss Craig about various things, but she ignored them and looked out the window. "... So what do you think?" He asked her for an answer, but she didn't listen to him. To cover it up, she asked, "Where are we now?"

"Dodge City soon," Roberts replied . "Wyatt Earp was the sheriff in that town. Under him was the sheriff's deputy, Bat Masterson. Oh yeah, Ben Daniels was there too. He's an ex-convict, but he fought as a soldier under the Vice President during the Spanish-American War. Did you know?"

"Oh yeah," Miss Craig knew. No, that's not all, She was in contact with Masterson and Daniels at the direction of President Roosevelt. She didn't mean to tell Roberts, but they and Pat Garrett had each organized the new Rough Riders and were on their way to Denver.