Miss Morgan

Forty-Two

June 1899
-Ivy-

I wake up the next morning to a commotion outside my tent. Pearson's fighting with that widow again for the third time this week, lord knows how many times she's gotten into it with Susan too.

Arthur told me I should talk to her. I might as well get it over with. When I walk out of my tent I see Sadie with a large knife in her hand yelling at Pearson at his table. "... Say whatever you damn well please... but I tell you, if I don't get out of here soon, I'm gonna kill somebody."

"And if you don't stop hissing at me, I'm gonna kill you." Pearson yells back.

"Come near me, sailor... and I will slice you up!"

"You put that knife down or you're gonna be missin' a hand, lady!"

"What is wrong with you two?" I yell over them both.

"I ain't choppin' vegetables for a livin'." Sadie tells me. "I ain't lazy, I'll work. But not this." She crosses her arms. "My husband and I, we shared the work... all of it. I was out in the fields, I can hunt, use a knife or carry a gun. But I tell you, if they keep me here, I'll skin this fat old coot and serve him for dinner."

"Watch your goddamn mouth you crazy, goddamn fishwife!" Pearson yells from behind me.

"Enough!" I yell over both of them again. "You wanna ride with the men, so be it. But we do more than just huntin'. We're hunted, and the things huntin' us got guns of their own."

"I ain't afraid of dyin', Miss Morgan." She frowns at me. I'm surprised she knows who I am. I haven't really even met her yet.

"Alright then, come on. Let's go." I wave her along behind me. "Pearson, she's ridin' with me today and that's the end of it."

"Whatever you say. Can you mail a letter for me while you're out?" He asks.

"Sure, but just this once. I ain't your errand girl." I take the letter from him and walk over to the horses.

"You goin' somewhere?" John asks from his spot on watch.

"Takin' Mrs. Adler with me to go run some errands." I tell him. "Why?"

"You shouldn't ride that horse into town. Take Old Boy. I ain't got anything goin' on."

I watch Sadie mount up on her beautiful golden Turkoman and turn back to John. "Alright, if you're sure. I'll keep him safe."

"I know you will." He smiles at me.

I climb up onto Old Boy's back then Sadie and I hit the trail toward Rhodes. "How do you do it?" Sadie asks me.

"Do what?"

"You're one of the men, they respect you. You don't do chores or wear dresses like the rest of the women." She explains.

"I don't know. Dutch, Hosea and Arthur raised me since I was two years old." I shrug. "I wanted to be like them. I guess I just pulled my weight and did what I wanted and they eventually just accepted the fact that I'm not a delicate little flower."

"I see." She mutters.

"Just show them what you're willin' to do and they'll be fine."

"I will." She smiles at me. "Thanks Miss Morgan."

"Ack... call me Ivy." I laugh.

"Sorry. I guess we haven't actually met. I'm Sadie."

"It's nice to finally meet you." I smile.

"Where's that letter?" She grins at me.

"You wanna read his mail?"

"Oh robbin' and killin' is okay but letter readin' is where we draw the line?" She smirks at me.