Montana Snowfall, page 11
part #7 of McCutcheon Family Series
He searched the crowd for the culprit, ignoring the chuckles directed his way. One woman hid her smile behind her hand as her small son pointed. The train had arrived ten minutes ago, and sightseers were plentiful. People milled in and out of the buildings. Nothing looked unusual. He wondered who in the world would target him.
Turning on his heel, he began his way back the way he’d come, toward the livery, unwilling to just let things be. Someone needed a lesson in polite behavior. He’d paid good money for this hat and he wasn’t ready to forgive and forget just yet.
Gabby stood across the street in front of the Willow Tree Restaurant, dressed for work. He waited for three riders to pass, and then a wagon, before stomping in her direction. “Did you see what happened?”
“Sort of.”
“Someone thinks slinging mud is funny.” His gaze roamed the crowd around him. “I don’t agree. Especially when my new Stetson is the target.”
She took a closer look at the hat in his hands and wrinkled her nose. “Did you see anything?”
“No.” The way her gaze cut away from his made him suspicious. “You wouldn’t happen to know the culprit, would you, Gabby?”
Her lips twitched in amusement. “I just might, but I can’t be sure. I didn’t actually see—”
“Spit it out,” he responded irritably. “I’ve got things to do, but not before I’m reimbursed for my property. Mark and Matt are waiting on me as well. I don’t have time for this tomfoolery.”
“My best guess is it was Hickory.”
“Hickory?” Luke dug deep for some patience. “He got a last name?”
“Nope. Lives behind the China Doll establishment next door. He’s to blame for most of the mischief that happens around here. At least, people seem to think so.”
That was all Luke needed to hear. “Thanks.” He strode toward the alley. It wasn’t right to destroy someone’s property just for sport. This Hickory was going to pay up. Luke liked this hat, and now he’d have to have it cleaned before departing tomorrow. He rounded the corner of the China Doll and pulled up short. There wasn’t a house. There wasn’t anything that he could see. Was Gabby getting in on the fun too?
The back door to the China Doll opened and a man stepped out of the building. He descended three rickety stairs and dumped a bucket of liquid in a ditch running alongside the building. He eyed Luke suspiciously, and then hurried back inside. It was then that Luke saw a row of boards leaning up against the brick foundation. Could that be the place he was looking for?
He walked up quietly, leaned over, and stuck his head inside. In a snap, he grasped the skinny arm of a boy and hauled him outside into the sunlight. About ten years old, the boy stank to high heaven. His raggedy clothes were covered in dirt, and his flaxen hair, if you could call it that, flowed all the way to the middle of his back, matted and snarled in fist-sized knots.
“You Hickory?” Luke growled, still thinking about the dark spot on the back of his new Stetson. He stayed the temptation to pull away from the odor.
The little urchin’s eyes widened in fear, then narrowed instantly. He sealed his lips tight.
“I asked you a question.”
The boy nodded.
“Did you throw mud at me a minute ago and hit my new hat?”
Hickory’s chin came up in defiance and he tried to pull away, reminding Luke of Colton on the cattle drive all those years ago when he’d first met Faith. Her adopted son had been a handful who needed a firm hand from someone unafraid to give it.
Luke grasped Hickory’s hands and turned them over, seeing the telltale sign of dried mud. Just because this child was poor didn’t give him the right to destroy any darn thing he pleased. If he didn’t learn some lessons now, he might end up dead before his time.
“Say it,” Luke said firmly. “You threw mud and hit my hat. Say it or you’ll get a whupping you’ll not forget.” He didn’t intend to do any such thing, but he had to get the boy to admit his wrongdoing so he could give him a good talking-to, as well as a chance to make things right. “Don’t test my patience, boy.”
“I did it,” the boy spat out. His eyes fairly crackled with animosity.
Luke loosened his grip, but didn’t let go. “Good. I’m glad you’re smart enough to know I mean what I say. Why did you do it?”
Hickory wrenched and twisted so hard Luke had a tough time hanging on. The boy lashed out, catching Luke off guard. His boot connected with Luke’s shin. Letting go a painful curse, Luke pulled him up close to his body, where the boy didn’t have room to sneeze, let alone kick.
He mentally counted to ten and took a calming breath. “You’re making things worse for yourself. I asked you why you singled me out?” Luke glared his most frightening stare, the one that could make men run, but only made Faith laugh. “I’ve never done one little thing to you. I’ve never even seen you before.”
“’Cause I’m mad!”
“Mad? At what?” he asked, but Hickory merely glowered. “You’re testing my good nature, boy.”
The child’s nostrils flared.
“At me?”
Hickory’s gaze dropped to the ground, and his breath whooshed out in a body-racking shudder. “No. I’m mad at the world.”
Luke’s anger evaporated in a single breath. Mad at the world? Yeah, he could understand that. Maybe the kid even had a right to his feelings, living outside all by himself like an animal. Ranchers took better care of their stock.
Suddenly the child’s anger returned. “Let me go!”
“Not on your life. You owe me. Where are your parents? I want to speak with them.”
Hickory laughed. “You’re talkin’ to ’em. I’m my own parents! You’ll have ta take it up with me!”
At his smart reply, Luke glared until the smile on Hickory’s face faded away. No parents. Luke should have realized that when he’d spotted the few boards that the boy called home.
“Fine. This hat cost me five dollars, and now you’re going to have to work that off before I leave in the morning. We’ll begin right now with your first chore. I’m walking you straight to the bathhouse. You’ll work off two dollars by taking a bath and washing your hair.”
Hickory’s eyes grew larger than the barn owl’s that lived at the ranch. “No!”
“Yes.”
“I ain’t takin’ no bath! You can’t make me.”
“I can and I will.” His gaze hardened. “Like I said, you owe me. Or would you rather I take this up with the sheriff?” Luke started for the street with the boy in tow, but Hickory dug his heels into the mud mixed with the melting snow in an effort to stop their progress.
At the end of the alley, Luke stopped and got as close as he could without gagging and spoke softly. “We’re going out on the boardwalk. If you walk along nicely with me, no one will notice I’m dragging you against your will. If you make a scene, it will only reflect on you.”
“Mister, if you let me go I’ll walk along with ya—nicely. I promise. I don’t want ya holdin’ my arm like I’m some baby.”
“You think I was born yesterday?”
Hickory’s face turned red and he jerked one more time, trying unsuccessfully to get away. “Pretty much, you big, stupid cowboy! You don’t know nothin’!”
“That may be true on some accounts, but I do know how to get back what’s owed to me. Now, let’s go!”
With a jerk, they went out onto the boardwalk in a full struggle. People stopped and pointed. Hickory was like a feral tomcat, clawing and kicking for all he was worth. From the corner of his eye, Luke caught Matt and Mark watching from across the street. Their mouths hung open like the door of the barn.
Luke didn’t care. It was either Hickory or him, and he wasn’t going to lose out now. The bathhouse was across the next street. Dragging the stinky brat was worse than trying to go six seconds on a broomtail mustang. Men cleared the way so they could get through without knocking into anyone. Women covered their mouths with their hankies.
“That’s enough!” Luke barked. They halted in front of the bathhouse. The boy had worked up a sweat, making Luke’s breathing problem all the worse. He called inside the door for the operator to come outside.
A fat bald man appeared. His eyes went wide when he saw Hickory. “Oh no. You ain’t bringing him in here.”
“Yes, I am. Go get a tub ready, and make it good and hot.”
“Let’s see yer money.”
Damn. He was tired of Waterloo. His return to Y Knot couldn’t happen fast enough. He pulled out two bits and tossed it to the worker.
“Soap’s extra.”
Holding back a curse, Luke fished in his pocket. “How much?”
“Nickel.”
“Fine, but make it enough to get him clean.”
Luke fished out a dime, and tossed it over. “Make it fast and you can keep the change.”
The man’s face lit with pleasure. “Yes, sir. Comin’ right up.”
He and Hickory stood there in front of the door, waiting. Luke didn’t want to go inside before he could get the boy into the water; being in the close confines would make his smell insufferable.
A gang of boys across the street laughed and pointed while pinching their noses closed. “Hey, Hick! You’re stinking up the town.”
“Shut your mouths ’fore I come shut ’em for you!” Hickory hollered back. “I’ll whip the lot of you with one hand tied behind my back till you all cry like a baby!”
“Ha-ha, I don’t think so. That bloke has a hold on you good and tight. Looks like you done crossed one fella too many,” the tallest boy shouted. “He gonna give you a baffie like you were some baby? Maybe he thinks he’s your mommy.”
The gang of boys laughed with gusto and pointed all the more.
Luke felt a shiver run through Hickory’s arm as the boy’s bravado waned. He didn’t have an easy go of things here in Waterloo, that was plain to see.
Luke turned on the bullies. “Which one of you wants to be next? I have a whole handful of change I’m dying to throw away. The next one to open his mouth will be in a tub before he can say, ‘Not me’!”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Luke paced back and forth across the water-stained floor of the bathhouse. The sad fact was a good number of children grew up homeless, he repeated to himself, realizing it had grown very quiet behind the door where Hickory bathed. Just because the kid reminded him of Colton didn’t mean Luke was responsible for his welfare. If he set out to help each and every orphan living on the streets, he wouldn’t have time for ranching, or for his own family.
Feeling uncharitable, he stopped in front of door number one and pressed his ear to the cool wood. His eyes narrowed at the lack of sound. “Hickory?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t forget to scrub behind your ears.” There was enough dirt caked there to plant a garden.
“I won’t.”
“And wash your hair three times.” Disgruntled grumblings came from inside, but couldn’t make out the boy’s words. “Hickory?”
“I know!”
The bald man was back, finished with filling the tub of room number two for a cowboy who’d entered right after Hickory closed Luke out with a frosty glare and slam of the door. The new customer had paid the operator, saying he’d be back in five minutes when the tub was filled, and left.
Luke met the worker in the middle of the room. “How well do you know this kid?” he asked, keeping his voice low. He hooked his thumb over his shoulder toward the room Hickory occupied.
“Everyone knows Hickory,” the man replied. “Been livin’ on the streets for about three years now. If I remember correctly, he come west with his family or somethin’. Leastways, that’s what he claims. They died somewhere somehow, then he bummed a ride with a wagon to get here. Those fellas dropped him off and kept goin’. Waterloo was as far as he got.”
The boy was pretty darn young now. How had he managed all those winters outside? “He must have been just a small tyke. I can’t imagine he’s been on the streets for that long.”
The fellow nodded. “Don’t let him fool ya. He can cause more damage than three boys put together. He’s tough as nails—and cagey like a mountain cat. He ain’t welcome much anywhere. People tried to help along the way, but he always ends up runnin’ away.”
A strange thump, click, thump, click sounded just outside, making Luke pivot to the entryway. Was a herd of goats on their way inside?
A wiry old woman charged through the door and halted when she saw him. She took several large breaths, and then rested both her palms heavily on her ivory cane handle. Her face was ruby red, so Luke prepared himself to catch her in case she fainted. Her animosity toward him radiated about the room.
“What have you done with Hickory?” she cried, looking behind the operator’s desk and peeking into an alcove. She turned to face Luke. Angry sparks fairly flew from her eyes. “I was all the way down the street when I witnessed your assault on the poor child!” She turned back to the owner. “Mr. Dungeness, where is he?”
Swiveling back to Luke, she pinned him with her gaze. “What have you done to him?”
The entryway darkened again. When Matt and Mark entered, Luke felt a moment of relief for the backup.
Her eyebrow arched. “My patience has almost run out, Mr. Cowboy.”
Luke hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “He’s in there, ma’am, taking a much-needed bath. And my name is Luke McCutcheon. My brothers and I reside over in Y Knot.”
She calmed and the angry scowl melted off her face. Maybe she’d heard their name before. Using her cane, she went to the door and knocked. “Hickory?”
“Yes’m?”
“Are you all right? Did this man hurt you?”
The weight of the old woman’s stare still had Luke on edge. A prolonged moment of silence passed. That boy knew exactly what he was doing. Finally he said, “I’m fine, Mrs. Margaret. No one hurt me.”
She blinked several times and then pulled a blue-and-white tatted handkerchief from her sleeve and pressed it to her forehead, and again to her lips. “Well, I’m very relieved to hear you say that, Hickory. Take your time…and don’t forget to scrub behind your ears.”
When Luke chuckled, she swung back toward him with a scowl, making it plain that he wasn’t off the hook just yet.
“He’s just a boy. You needn’t have handled him so roughly.”
“That boy had me jumping through hoops to stay away from his feet and nails. It’s him you should be scolding, not me.”
Luke couldn’t believe his eyes when her lips wobbled and a small smile appeared. “Maybe you’re correct,” she said. “Hickory can get carried away. I just can’t believe you actually got him into a bathtub. He hates that worse than eating green beans.”
She studied his silent brothers for a moment, then said, “My name is Mary Margaret.”
“Ma’am,” Mark responded.
She looked between them again as if taking their measure. “You’re all married, with homes over in Y Knot?”
“Oh yes,” Matt said. “With children too.”
Luke tried to send Matt a silent message, but it was too late. The old woman’s eyes practically lit up the room. Luke stepped forward. “Ma’am, I’ve learned that this boy, Hickory, lives on the street behind the China Doll all by himself. Doesn’t Waterloo have an orphanage?”
“The sad fact of it is, young man, Waterloo does not, but it’s in great need of one. The citizens feel it more important to have four saloons, two card rooms, and two houses of ill repute. I’ve voiced the need for one for a good ten years, but each election the measure gets voted down.” She shook her head, and Luke could see her sincerity to do good. “But even if it did boast a home for orphaned children, they would not be able to keep Hickory there even if they locked him away. He’s very smart and resourceful. I’ve invited him to live with me, where he could have a bedroom of his own with clean sheets every week.”
She shook her head sadly, and the operator of the bathhouse came closer, wanting to hear what happened. “He lasted one night. Actually, not even a full night. I worry about him sleeping alone in that alley day after day, month after month. He’s vulnerable to many ill fates that could befall him.” She pressed her hanky to one eye.
Luke dropped his gaze to the floor. Lucky and the bunkhouse had proved to be a refuge for Francis when Flood had brought him home as a young orphan. Look how well that had turned out. Francis was one of the family now. Hickory was awfully young, though, to be living in a bunkhouse full of men. He’d need to live with one of the brothers.
“Think about it,” she went on. “Freezing in the winter and broiling in the summer. Scrounging for food. Going to bed with an empty stomach when there was none to be found in the garbage. It’s enough to break your heart.”
“Just what are you suggesting, Mrs. Margaret? I think you have an ulterior motive to your lengthy oration.”
She pulled up, affronted. “I should say not, Mr. McCutcheon, but I can see from the look of you three that you come from good stock—and are affluent.”
“You can tell that how, ma’am?” Mark asked, his head tipped in curiosity.
“In the way you dress, and the way you speak. In addition, the fact that you saw Hickory’s need of a bath, and then paid so he could have just that. I’m sure that giving him a safe place to sleep and food to eat would be easy for any one of you.”
The three of them just stood there staring at her, surprised at her forthrightness.
Luke folded his arms and leaned against the wall. The stove heating the large pots of water had the establishment toasty warm. Or maybe it was the life-changing decision he was actually considering. “And an education too, ma’am?”
“Why, of course.” She blinked in surprise. “Everyone needs to know how to read, write, and do arithmetic.”
The door to bathing room number one opened. Hickory stood under the door frame, redressed in his dirty rags. He had to tip his head back to see all the way up into Luke’s face. The boy had removed most of the tangles from his lengthy hair with the comb provided inside. Now clean, he looked much smaller, younger, and uncertain of where he stood. At closer scrutiny, his scrawny arms looked like branches of a tree. Luke was amazed he’d been so strong. Everything the woman had said was true. The Heart of the Mountains could easily provide for the scamp.
