Danny McCoy

Me and “He laughs” made the rest of our way up yonder to Fort Benton without a hitch. Things still ain’t changed, with him all still hollerin’ at me to fetch this and that and me givin’ him some lip, but not like the other day. I know I need to start actin’ like I’m ace-high, but just got no clue as to how to even start. And I still ain’t got no clue as to why I still got saddled with all this here work, with no never mind from him! And he’s the one callin’ me a deadbeat!

So, we ride on into town and we start lookin’ for a place to hole up. Here we are just ridin’ along, minding our own business when I hear this man shootin’ off his mouth to me.

“Well, if it ain’t little Miss Fortin! All grown and lookin’ as fine as a palomino!”

I stopped short. That voice sounded like a burro with a bad cold! I knew that voice.

I turned my head and sure as shootin’, standing there looking all high and mighty was Mr. Danny McCoy.

Ahanu raised one o’ his big black eyebrows in my direction and continued on down the promenade.

“Well, well, well, Mr. McCoy. Fancy comin’ across your ugly face! You here tryin’ to chisel some lollys outta a youngin’s hand?”

Mr. McCoy was a smooth talkin’ bunko artist that I had the mispleasure of knowin’ soon after my ma and pa passed. He tried to get me in the neck with regards to my ranch. If it weren’t on account of my uncle bein’ such a curly wolf, he’d a gotten it, the whole durn thing! Just seein’ him struttin’ about in his lightfoot clothes really got my blood a’boilin’!

“Now, now, Miss Nina. You still got a grudge against me for all that business a ways back? That’s all it was, darling’, just business. But you sure have come a long ways since then. Why don’t we mosie on down to the saloon and get you something to wet your whistle?” He said all this with a grin as big as a weasel in a hen house.

I turned round to find Ahanu, eyein’ my situation from a few feet back. “Sorry to spoil your attempt to soft solder me outta my wits, Mr. McCoy, but I got some work to do.” All the while, my mind was runnin’ off with all the low-down things he done, I was so mad I coulda bit myself.  

I followed Ahanu to the back of the hotel where the stables were, mutterin’ to myself as I started workin’ on un-saddlin’ the horses and brushin’ them down. Outta the corner of my eye I seen Ahanu with a smirk, shakin’ his head.

“Well, what you all grinnin’ about?” I said.

“Got some work to do, huh?” he said, laughing. Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle! He’s laughing! “I ain’t seen you do work without bein’ told for the past week, and here ya are, just takin’ too it like you been doin’ it without no lip the whole time.” Still he’s shakin’ his head. “What he do to ya, anyway? I know it musta been perty bad. You just fittin’ to bust!”

“He tried to steal the Day Star right out from this here nose o’ mine, that’s what he done. If it weren’t for Uncle, he probly woulda too.” I said this last part a little shamefully. Danny McCoy didn’t just try to bilk me outta my ranch, he tried to seduce me like I was some rich grass widow. I think my face turned all red, and with that Ahanu turned back to the horse. “Well, that’s enough o’ this here chatter. Let’s get them horses lookin’ less like crowbait so we can get them a fair price.”

Without much proddin’, I continued on brushin’. What woulda happened if I lost the ranch? I’m findin’ that I don’t like thinkin’ about not havin’ it. It’s gonna be a long way back to Wet River.