Miss Morgan

Twenty

June 1895
-John-

I quietly place the letter on the crate by Ivy's bed, fighting the tears in my eyes. I softly kiss her forehead and say my goodbye to her while she sleeps. I know if she wakes up she'll only try to stop me.

I saddle up Bourbon in the dark night and hit the road. I don't know where to go but I just keep going north.

As the sun comes up, a bad feeling sinks in the pit of my stomach. Surely Ivy's read my letter by now. I'm sure she isn't taking it well. I wonder what Dutch and the others are saying. It almost makes me sick to my stomach thinking about how betrayed they must all feel. I just can't stand Abigail or seeing Ivy around camp any longer.

I camp out in the wilderness every night for the first few months, lucking out with an empty cabin every now and then, but as November and December come around I decide to take a train from there. Bourbon is getting too old to spend all winter traveling like this.

I take him into Deadwood and leave him at a farm near the train station. I give him a goodbye treat before walking to the station and purchasing a ticket. I don't care too much about where I'm headed, as long as it's far away from here.

The rumble of the train lulls me to sleep and I awake some time later. I eat some food and smoke a cigarette while I read a newspaper. It's nothing exciting, I'm just bored.

"Where you headed?" The man in the seat across the aisle greets me.

"Wherever this thing takes me I suppose." I answer. "I'm just lookin' to start over somewhere new."

"Jeffrey." He shakes my hand.

"John." I nod.

"I'm headed out to Emerald Ranch, in New Hanover." He explains. "I do work there in the summer with my son, Cooper helping out with Eugene, the rancher. He's a grouchy old bastard but he pays well."

"That so?"

"Mhm. It's quite a ranch. Even has a store and a saloon." He tells me.

"That's real impressive."

"He has housing onsite for employees too. I could put in a good word for ya if you're interested. Eugene needs all the help he can get this time of year."

"Sure. That would be real kind of you sir." I'm not sure why this man seems so eager to help me out but I'll take any opportunity I can get. I left the gang with no plan and I've used up all the money I had saved along my journey.

"What's got ya in search of a new life anyway? If you don't mind me askin'." Jeffrey pulls me from my thoughts.

"Just some drama with my ex wife and a job that didn't pan out." I answer vaguely. "Nothin' exciting but I needed a fresh start."

"I hear that." Jeffrey chuckles. "Well, why not give Eugene a chance? I'll put in a good word for ya."

"Why would you do that? You don't even know me." I question.

"Sometimes it just feels good to help out a stranger down on his luck." He shrugs and picks up his book.

I take him up on his offer and decide to at least go see Emerald Ranch and when we finally arrive, the train drops us off right at the ranch. It's not really a town, but like Jeffrey said, it does have a store and a saloon.