Julia Sterling was still unsure what to believe. Even as the stagecoach rumbled through the Colorado countryside, she still found it hard to believe an uncle she'd never met and heard of only in brief metions had left her a share of a gold mine. She had never really known her father. When she was two years old, her father went off to war and died in Virginia the following year, so the telegram informing her of her fortune came as a tremendous surprise.
However, the prospects were intriguing. Her step father, while kind enough, was an aloof, distant man, and back in Boston she had already been visited by potential suitors, mainly Harvard educated fops and dolts. In all her life, she had never been further west that Philadelphia, and that was for the Centennial Exposition three years earlier. Those experiences, plus the Beadle dime novels she read on the sly, had made her eager the see what the West was all about.
Thus with her mother's blessing -- not to mention a tear or two-- and an ample supply of spending money from her stepfather, Julia had set off on her journey. There was also the matter of the cousin of hers: Rebbeca Carson, the name was. What was she like? She'd soon find out, she decided, then sat back to enjoy the fine late spring afternoon.
"Calm down, missy." the office manager said. "The stage left Denver on schedule and I sent a rider out to see if there's been any trouble."
"I'm kind of interested in seeing what my cousin's like." Becky said.
"You've never met her?"
"No, not once. Pa moved us all west when he came back from the War. I guess he wanted to forget the war, just like ma wanted to forget what it did to her brother."
Before either could say any more, the rider came into town at full gallop. "Stage is a-comin'!" he announced. "Not two miles out when I turned back."
The announcement turned out a bit of a crowd. The stage came slowly down the dusty main street and stopped in front of the office. Despite having never met her cousin, it was easy to find Julia as there were only two other passengers; a married couple. "You must be Rebbeca," Julia said.
"Becky. Good to finally meet you, Julia."
Becky was about three years older than Julia, though the latter's hair was a darker shade of brown, like dark coffe, while Becky's was the color of an old, faded saddle. "Where are we staying?" Julia asked awkwardly.
She's as nervous as I am, Becky thought. "Uncle Josh had a ranch, but it's too far away to reach before nightfall." she explained. "We can stay here for the night, at Burke's Place." She indicated behind her.
"This is a hotel?" Julia asked.
"Hotel, restaraunt, saloon, meeting center, lots of things. You've noticed he's partitioned an area for the stage office? He collects rents on that. Shrewd character, he is."
Burke turned from supervising the unloading of his shipments of coffee, sugar and flour as well as Julia's luggage and said: "None the less, Miss Carson, I expect you and your cousin to pay your bills promptly.
Becky then asked Julia "Do you plan to stay here a while?"
"I do."
"Then I suggest you get some clothes a bit more suitable for this country. That's a pretty dress, but around here we'd save it for a grand ball or something."
"Well, I do have some money.
"C'mon, let's see what we can get for you."
"It does make you wonder," Julia commented "When a place has more lawyers than ministers."
"It depends on who you fear more, God or lawyers."
They retired to their room. "It's quite peaceful." Julia remarked as she unlocked her door by kerosene light.
"You've been reading dime novels." Becky said tartly. "Forget about them. You aren't likely to meet any masked bandits -mmmmmmph!"
Both girls had been seized as soon as they entered the room.
"Don't neither of you scream." A harsh male voice commanded "If ya both want to live." For emphasis, each cousin had a Colt revolver pointed beneath her chin. They both nodded, the hands were removed, and the cousins were released. They noticed the shapes of the two men in the dim light coming through the windows. One kept a gun pointed at the pair, while the other lit the lamps.
"Hey, Zach," the one pointing the revolver at the girls remarked, "they's two of 'em. We only got enogh rope fer one."
"Let's see what we can find, Zeke." his partner said. There was enough light to see by, and both men were masked. He began to search through Julia's luggage.
" Aren't likely to meet masked bandits?" Julia said sarcastically.
"Hush!" Becky returned.
"Got some money, Zach." Zeke noted after taking Julia's handbag. But what'll we do?"
"Tie 'em up, of course." Zach replied,he pointed his Colt at Julia "Starting with her. In the chair."
Julia sat in the high backed chair. Zeke took some rope and began to tie her to the chair. First he tied her hands behind her back, then he tied her ankles together and slid a hand part way up her skirt. He then gagged her with a bandanna that had about six months worth of dust on it.
"What about her?" Zeke asked about Becky.
"Cover her." Zach ordered, then he pulled one of Julia's petticoats from the trunk. Her eyes blazed in fury as he cut the the garment to shreds. He then took four pieces of the white flannel and used a length to tie Becky's wrists.
Becky looked toward Julia, who was turning a brilliant crimson. Either embarassment or rage, maybe both. "You vile--" She was cut off when Zach crammed another bit of the shredding into her mouth He secured it in place with a third. After sitting Becky down on the bed, he slowy, carefully bound her booted ankles with the fourth.
"Good night, ladies." He said as he blew out the lamps.
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