CHAPTER NINE
Becky’s lower back was already beginning to hurt. The worst part of her captivity was the fact nobody knew when she was. She had found the trail by accident, and neither Julia nor Miss Pryor had a reason to suspect anything had gone wrong.
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Amanda Pryor had problems of her own. Her biggest challenge was to get into her “masculine” clothes and slip out of the boarding house unnoticed. Although all they tenants left for the day, either Hanna or Mrs. Dalton were always present. Her opportunity came when Hanna was busy baking bread in the kitchen and Mrs. Dalton was at the general store. Amanda quickly donned her disguise and slipped out to the barn.
She was surprised by the nature of Becky’s captivity as she was at discovering the other woman. She quickly undid the ropes and pulled out the broomstick. Becky had to move slowly and carefully to avoid the pain. “Hurry!” Amanda urged. “We don’t have much time.”
“Emma Dalton did this,” Becky said.
“I’m sure of it, but it doesn’t prove her to be the thief. She can claim that she thought you were the thief. Your captivity was a bit severe, but some people accused of stealing horses have been lynched.”
Later, back at the ranch, Julia repeated what Amanda had said. “You two are both overlooking one important fact.”
“Which is?”
“Emma Dalton made no attempt to common the sheriff.”
“Be that as it may, she can always make the claim she thought you were the thief and made a mistake.”
“You’re right with that one. We’ll need either to catch them in the act or with stolen horses.”
Becky was naked to the waist, lying prone on her bed, with a towel applied to her lower back. “My back feels better already. Where’d you get this idea?”
“My stepfather says sitting close to the fireplace helps dull aches and pains,” Julia said. “So there must by something to this.”
Magda entered the bedroom with another towel that had been boiled in hot water. “I have some liniment too, Miss Becky.”
“Thank you, Magda,” Becky said.
“Catching them, of course, will be difficult,” Julia said. “I’m not sure if they’d risk a second try at our horses.”
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Amanda watched the boarding house and waited for Emma’s return. When the landlady returned, Amanda gathered the ropes and gag that were used on Becky. Next, she masked herself with her own bandanna and moved toward the boarding house.
When Hannah answered the knock, Amanda produced a Colt revolver and pointed it at the harried housekeeper. She was admitted to the parlor without hesitation, where Amanda quickly bound Hannah’s wrists. “Hannah, what going on out here?” Emma asked as she entered the parlor at the same time Amanda knotted the gag behind Hannah’s head.
Amanda pointed the Colt at Emma and said, in a low voice, “Tear off a couple strips of your petticoat.”
Emma did as she was told. Amanda crammed one piece into Emma’s mouth and secured it in place with the other. Next, she secured Emma’s wrist then moved her toward a closet. She pushed the landlady inside then pushed in Hannah. After she closed the door, Amanda propped a chair against the door so as not to be disturbed.
Amanda unmasked herself and began to search the house, putting emphasis on Mrs. Dalton’s bedroom and the root cellar. The former yielded nothing, but the latter clearly had an inordinate amount of rope. Further inspection produced an old valise filled with what appeared to be hoods with eyeholes cut into them. She had found what she was looking for.
Amanda then rushed upstairs to her room. Once there, she collected her “feminine” garb and hurried out the door, stopping only to put the mask back over her lower face.
Frances James and Roberta Parker saw a masked figure leave the boardinghouse and started to pursue, but thought the better of it. “Something might be wrong with Emma,” Frances reasoned.
As soon as they entered the parlor, they noticed the chair against the closet door. Presently, Hannah and Emma were released, though Hannah was visibly shaken by the whole affair. Emma suspected something to do with her prisoner, so she hurried out to the barn. As she had feared, Becky was gone. “Her cousin?” Roberta suggested.
Emma shook her head. “I don’t think Miss Sterling would be so bold, she said. “There is somebody we’re overlooking. Somebody who turned up quite unexpectedly.”
“Miss Pryor?” Frances wondered aloud.
“It’s possible. Hannah thinks she may have slipped out earlier”
“She certainly didn’t do anything to help, if she’s still here,” Hannah said.
Shortly thereafter, Amanda returned to the boardinghouse. “Did you see anything strange, Miss Pryor?” Emma asked.
“No, nothing,” Amanda replied. “What happened?”
Emma told her about the masked intruder and Amanda feigned shock. “Good heavens! She exclaimed. “I thought all those stories of Western bandits were the products of hack playwrights and tawdry novelists.”
“They’re regrettably true,” Emma said.
“Well, I saw no pack of masked men today, so I can’t help you there.”
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“Flash.” Becky said between bites of Magda’s cherry pie.
“I beg your pardon,” Julia said.
“The horse we sold to Henry back in April.”
“What about him?”
“We use him as bait to lure the horse thieves.”
“There are two problems with that theory.”
“Namely.”
“Number one, Henry might not let us use Flash. Number two, the thieves have never taken just one horse any time they’ve struck.”
“It’s worth a try. It might work if we make the plan irresistible.”
“To both Henry and the thieves.”
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While Emma kept most of the boarders occupied with the parlor piano, Michelle Cassidy searched Amanda’s room. She was convinced there was nothing suspicious about Amanda’s belongings when on impulse she decided to look under the mattress. The mattress presented no problems, and underneath were men’s clothes. She smiled at the discovery then replaced the mattress and carefully remade the bed.
As luck would have it, Amanda was at the piano when Michelle came downstairs. Michelle glided next to Emma and whispered into her ear: “There’s something interesting in Miss Pryor’s room.”
“We might find something interesting when Harriet returns tomorrow,” Emma said.
The next morning, Harriet Longabeau appeared at the boarding house. “Are you sure it’s safe for me to return?” she asked Emma.
“The search for you should have spread to the adjoining counties,” Emma explained. “Besides, we might have somebody here who might interest you.”
“Who might that be?”
“You’ll see.”
A few minutes later, Amanda came down the stairs in a blue and white checked dress, followed by Roberta and Michelle. “Who is this?” Harriet asked.
“Her name is Amanda Pryor,” Emma replied.
“She’s the one who captured me and tied me up.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Roberta and Michelle grabbed Amanda. Emma said to them, “Take her to the root cellar, then bind and gag her.”
The two ushered Amanda down to the root cellar.
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Becky and Julia laid out their plans. Becky rather than Julia would try to convince Henry to go along with the plan, while Julia would reveal it to Amanda. When Becky revealed the plan, Henry looked straight at her and asked: “Did Julia put you up to this?”
“Oh no,” Becky said. “It’s my idea.”
“But with my horse.”
“We’ll be waiting for the thieves to strike. There’s a Pinkerton agent over at Dalton’s boarding house, she’ll by waiting too, along with sheriff Burke.”
“Pinkerton hires women?”
“Are you with us or are not?”
“If you insist on that, yes, but only as long as the sheriff is involved. Some of the things you and Julia do worry me.”
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Julia knocked on the boarding house door and Hannah answered. “What brings you here, Miss Sterling?” she asked Julia.
“I’m wondering if Miss Pryor would like to go riding with me,” Julia stated.
Emma entered the parlor and took note of the fact Julia wore trousers. “I regret to say Miss Pryor is indisposed,” she said.
“How so?” Julia wondered.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
Julia turned to see the source of the voice. Descending the staircase was Harriet Longabeau. When Julia turned back to Emma Dalton, she saw the landlady pointing a Colt revolver at her.
“Down to the root cellar,” the young widow ordered.
By the faint glow of a kerosene lamp and what light came through the cellar door, Julia discerned a figure in the cellar. Amanda Pryor was bound at the wrists and ankles, with a long strand of rope around her chest and upper arms. A red bandanna was wound around her mouth.
Julia felt her hands being placed behind her back, and secure bonds around her wrists. A gag was secured over her mouth and she was compelled to sit down beside Amanda. Emma secured a strand of rope around Julia’s ankles while Harriet bound the knees.
With that chore out of the way, Emma gazed on the captives and said, “I may have to curtail my activities, but when I resume, you won’t be around to interfere.”