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Authors: Kathleen Y' Barbo
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Pittsburgh next week.”
There was nothing to do but rise and tip his hat to the quartet of ladies and trio of gentlemen seated at a table center stage. “Forgive the lateness of my arrival,” Daniel said, hating the requisite kowtowing. “I was otherwise detained. Please do not let me interrupt these important proceedings.”
Only the marshal met his stare. From the lawman’s expression, he wasn’t thrilled to be here either.
As he returned to his seat, Daniel discreetly searched the room for Tabor. Horace, Colorado’s lieutenant governor, was well known in Leadville as a patron of the arts and a shrewd businessman. Today, however, he was absent from the proceedings. Absent as well was any interest Daniel might have had in the discussion of how to improve the morals of Leadville’s citizenry. While he tried as hard as the next fellow to live right and appreciate what the Lord had given him, turning thatinto a set of rules to impose on others chafed at him. Perhaps it felt too much like the life he’d left behind.
Or worse, the one he’d found, then lost.
“So, Mr. Beck, can we count on your support with this measure?”
Daniel jolted to attention. Again, all eyes were on him. Again, he rose. “I’d need to know more before I could say.”
Like what I missed.
“What more is there to know?” Minnie Strong, wife of the livery owner, asked.
“You do realize I’m only a part-time resident of Leadville. My home and family are in Denver.”
“What does that matter?” Mrs. Strong’s eyes narrowed. “Somebody’s got to start acting right, else we’ll all fall to ruin.”
He offered his best smile to the elderly woman. “Indeed,” he said, “and on that, you can count on my full support. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve another appointment.”
In truth, he’d just decided his appointment was with a train headed to Denver. A quick visit, and he’d return in better humor. In the meantime, there was nothing here in Leadville that Hiram couldn’t handle. Unfortunately, he returned to his office to find his hopes of leaving Leadville anytime soon dashed.
Not only had there been a flood in the eastern shaft that nearly cost him half a dozen men, but in the ensuing chaos, a wagonload of firewood had gone careening downhill when the mules pulling it got spooked.
Daniel took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Tell me, Hiram, how long was I away?”
His second-in-command shrugged. “Half hour, forty-five minutes, maybe.”
“And all of this…”
He walked to the window and looked past the traffic on Leadville’s main thoroughfare to the mines situated on the easternmost range. Smoke billowed from chimneys, touching the low-hanging clouds, and the smelters belched enough foul scent to cover the town. To all outward appearances, there was nothing out of the ordinary happening at Beck Mines.
A commotion across the way caught Daniel’s eye. From saloons on either side of the narrow frame building, men swarmed into the street. “What’s going on over at the jailhouse?”
“I’ll go see,” Hiram said, his chair scraping against the already-worn wooden planks.
Barely nodding, Daniel turned back to his work. While Denver called, so did the Beck Mines.
A few minutes later, Hiram bolted through the door. “Someone let the Sanders brothers out of jail, and it wasn’t the deputy,” he said, struggling to catch his breath.
Daniel let a production report fall to the desktop. “How do you know this?”
“The sheriff found him heels up next to the empty cell.” Hiram let out a long breath. “A single bullet sent him on to glory. Looks like he never saw it coming.”
“And Jeb?” Daniel asked.
Hiram shrugged. “Jumped aboard the firewood wagon up at the mine and kept it from going over the edge. Got banged up a bit but nothing permanent. That’s all I know.”
“So unless he somehow slipped away during the excitement, it’s likely these boys had someone else helping
There was nothing to do but rise and tip his hat to the quartet of ladies and trio of gentlemen seated at a table center stage. “Forgive the lateness of my arrival,” Daniel said, hating the requisite kowtowing. “I was otherwise detained. Please do not let me interrupt these important proceedings.”
Only the marshal met his stare. From the lawman’s expression, he wasn’t thrilled to be here either.
As he returned to his seat, Daniel discreetly searched the room for Tabor. Horace, Colorado’s lieutenant governor, was well known in Leadville as a patron of the arts and a shrewd businessman. Today, however, he was absent from the proceedings. Absent as well was any interest Daniel might have had in the discussion of how to improve the morals of Leadville’s citizenry. While he tried as hard as the next fellow to live right and appreciate what the Lord had given him, turning thatinto a set of rules to impose on others chafed at him. Perhaps it felt too much like the life he’d left behind.
Or worse, the one he’d found, then lost.
“So, Mr. Beck, can we count on your support with this measure?”
Daniel jolted to attention. Again, all eyes were on him. Again, he rose. “I’d need to know more before I could say.”
Like what I missed.
“What more is there to know?” Minnie Strong, wife of the livery owner, asked.
“You do realize I’m only a part-time resident of Leadville. My home and family are in Denver.”
“What does that matter?” Mrs. Strong’s eyes narrowed. “Somebody’s got to start acting right, else we’ll all fall to ruin.”
He offered his best smile to the elderly woman. “Indeed,” he said, “and on that, you can count on my full support. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve another appointment.”
In truth, he’d just decided his appointment was with a train headed to Denver. A quick visit, and he’d return in better humor. In the meantime, there was nothing here in Leadville that Hiram couldn’t handle. Unfortunately, he returned to his office to find his hopes of leaving Leadville anytime soon dashed.
Not only had there been a flood in the eastern shaft that nearly cost him half a dozen men, but in the ensuing chaos, a wagonload of firewood had gone careening downhill when the mules pulling it got spooked.
Daniel took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Tell me, Hiram, how long was I away?”
His second-in-command shrugged. “Half hour, forty-five minutes, maybe.”
“And all of this…”
He walked to the window and looked past the traffic on Leadville’s main thoroughfare to the mines situated on the easternmost range. Smoke billowed from chimneys, touching the low-hanging clouds, and the smelters belched enough foul scent to cover the town. To all outward appearances, there was nothing out of the ordinary happening at Beck Mines.
A commotion across the way caught Daniel’s eye. From saloons on either side of the narrow frame building, men swarmed into the street. “What’s going on over at the jailhouse?”
“I’ll go see,” Hiram said, his chair scraping against the already-worn wooden planks.
Barely nodding, Daniel turned back to his work. While Denver called, so did the Beck Mines.
A few minutes later, Hiram bolted through the door. “Someone let the Sanders brothers out of jail, and it wasn’t the deputy,” he said, struggling to catch his breath.
Daniel let a production report fall to the desktop. “How do you know this?”
“The sheriff found him heels up next to the empty cell.” Hiram let out a long breath. “A single bullet sent him on to glory. Looks like he never saw it coming.”
“And Jeb?” Daniel asked.
Hiram shrugged. “Jumped aboard the firewood wagon up at the mine and kept it from going over the edge. Got banged up a bit but nothing permanent. That’s all I know.”
“So unless he somehow slipped away during the excitement, it’s likely these boys had someone else helping
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