Jasper’s long strides carried her into Great Bend in a matter of seconds. The first building she came to was called “Torrid’s Hotel and Restaurant”. A warm bed and a hot meal sounded like heaven. And by the looks of things, there was a big barn out behind the hotel. The rain had settled into a light but steady pace, and as bad as she hated to, Jessie tied Jasper up in front of the hotel and went in to see where she could put him. Up the steps and into the big hotel Jessie went. A young girl stood at the desk that set right inside of the door, and with a smile on her face, asked “How may I help you today miss?” “Miss? Thank God, I still look like a “Miss”” Jessie thought to herself but quickly remembered the question. “I was wondering how much a room for me and a place in the barn for my horse would cost?” She asked the girl. “A room is $1.00 a night, including a hot bath. The dining room is still serving dinner, a meal is .75 cents. As for how much a stall in the barn for your horse would be, I’ll have to go ask Charlie, he takes care of that stuff. Oh and by the way, I’m Opal Torrid. Me and my sister own this place.” Jessie was impressed at the way the Opal rattled off the prices without even looking at a chart of any kind. Jessie had $87 with her, and she still had to get supplies and a pack horse. But she figured that she swing spending a little money on herself. “I’ll only need a room for one night, I’m planning on leaving tomorrow if the weather clears. And I’ll pay whatever it costs to get my horse in a dry barn with some feed for the night.” Jessie told her. “Alrighty then, I’ll need to know your name so I can put it down in our book, then we’ll get ya settled in.” Opal said pulling a thick black book out of her desk. “Jessica Starr, but I usually just go by “Jessie”” she told her. Opal scribbled Jessie’s name down into the book then she got up and stuck her head through what looked to be a small kitchen and called the man named Charlie into the main room. Charlie stuck a weather hand out to shake Jessie’s hand, giving a smile and asked her how many horses she had and how long she would need a place to keep them in the barn. “Just one horse and just for tonight.” Jessie told him. He nodded, turned to Opal and said “That’ll cost her $2.00, that’s including feed and hay.” He asked Jessie where her horse was, and that he would take him into the barn and unsaddle him for her if she wanted him to. “He’s is the big sorrel horse standing out front tied on the hitching post.” Jessie said as she got the money out to pay Opal. “That’ll be $3.00 even Jessie” Opal told her as Charlie headed out the door. “And one more thing, my sister don’t like people carrying guns in here, so you probably oughta stick them in your bag” Opal said and nodded towards Jessie’s guns. Jessie unbuckled her gun belt and put it in her bag. Her other two guns were hid in the waist band of her pants under her shirt. She’d wait till she was in her room to put them in the bag. She saw Charlie leading Jasper around towards the barn through the window. Normally she wouldn’t have trusted anybody with her horse, but Charlie seemed honest enough and if he did lay a mean hand on Jasper, all hell would break loose. Opal led Jessie up the stairs to her room. “I’ll have Mindy bring you some bath water in about 15 minutes, the covers on the bed were just washed yesterday and there’s a lock on the door. If ya need anything else, come down to the front desk or if there’s not anyone there, check Ruby’s office behind the stairs.” Jessie thanked Opal as she left the room, shutting the door behind her. The room was filled with only a bed, a wash stand and a small chest that set at the end of the bed. A old bath tub set in the corner. Not bothering to put anything in the chest, Jessie laid her bag on the bed. The oval mirror that hung over the wash stand looked freshly cleaned but was showing its age around the edges. As was the girl that stood in front of the mirror. Jessie couldn’t remember the last time she looked so bad. Her gray eyes had black circles around them and her naturally wavy hair looked as if she had been fighting with a bear. The bath that was coming would help the way she looked a lot. Hopefully the old bush that used to be in the bottom of her bag was still in there, if it wasn’t, she might go to dinner looking like she did right now. A girl that looked to be about 15 knocked on the door carrying two buckets of hot water. “Mizz Opal said that you was gonna need a bath. I brung ya some hot water” she said as she set the buckets down on the floor and stretched her back. She didn’t look like she had been fed anything but bread and water for the last 4 years. Compassion for the girl caused Jessie to hand her 2 silver dollars that she had in her pocket. “Take these and go buy you a hot meal somewhere, I’ll pour the bath water myself” she told Mandy, who looked half thankful and half ashamed for taking the money. “Thank you Miss Starr, thank you so so very much” Mandy said and slipped out the door. Jessie smiled, compassion didn’t come easy to her, especially if it was somebody who didn’t deserve it, but Mandy seemed to have a heart of gold. Now, back to her bath. Jessie poured both buckets of water into the tub and found a bar of soap laying on the wash stand. Not bothering with staying in the water longer than she had too, Jessie quickly washed and got out. She put on a clean pair of pants, a dark blue shirt and brushed her hair back into a braid. Not even thinking, she tucked two of pistols in her belt. Looking in the mirror at herself, she thought “Good enough” and went out of her room to dinner. As she walked down the stairs, she spotted the dinner room/bar. Through the door, she saw people eating quietly at tables, but somewhere in the back of the room, someone was shouting. “Jake settle down, she’s the sheriff’s daughter for cryin out loud.” A older cowboy said, still eating calmly. “I don’t care who she is, she said she would…” Jake’s squalling was drowned out by Charlie’s loud voice. “Whatever ya’ll are yammerin about, you need to take it somewhere besides in here. We’ve got nice people eating here, not bothering a soul. So leave. Now.” Charlie told them. The people who were eating started to leave, getting scared. A woman’s raspy voice sounded off, “Now Charlie, Clim and Jake are paying costumers too. They’ve dumped $62 dollars into my poker table tonight. And Allie did promise Jake….” “Belle you’re lying through your teeth, you know I don’t act like that” A girl said, standing with her hands on her hips, clearly mad. Jessie stood in the door, until Charlie walked back towards the door and muttered something about how this whole hotel is a train wreck. Only when Jake grabbed the girl’s arm did Jessie step into the wreck. Allie squalled and cussed Jake with all her might. Jake had his back turned to Jessie and never saw her pull a gun out. “Mister, let her go” Jessie told him calmly. “Mind your own business missy.” Jake said. Jessie pulled the hammer back on her gun, the sound of it caused everyone to eye her nervously. “I said, let her go now. Before I blow your brains out.” The feller named Clim pulled out a .45 and aimed it at Jessie. “Like he said, mind your own business miss.” Brown eyes as hard as stone looked down the barrel at her. Allie’s screaming caused Clim’s eyes to leave Jessie for a split second, giving her enough time to pull out her other pistol and point it in Clim’s direction. Belle pointed a small pocket pistol in Jessie’s direction. Everybody stood, with guns cocked. Clim got shifty eyed, and finally, instead of shooting, grabbed Jessie’s arm. Jake started to drag Allie out the back door, but Jessie shook Clim loose long enough to shoot Jake in the shoulder. His squalling, rang out through the room, and Charlie ran into the train wreck. Clim’s grubby hand grabbed Jessie’s arm from behind, but she spun around and cocked her gun in his face. “I will blow your head into. Do not temp me, because I will. And you best tell the gal to quit trying to sneak up behind me, cuz I can hear her. I’ve got 6 bullets in this gun, one of ya’ll might kill me, but I will put up a hell of a fight.” Jessie told him. Before Clim or Belle could react, a woman’s high pitched voice came. “ENOUGH! Everyone, leave! Now!” She said. “well there goes my nice room for the night.” Jessie thought. “And Miss Starr, I expect you to be out of your room in 10 minutes, if you’re not, I will throw your belongings out into the street.” She said, and walked back out of the room. Another town down, save a girl from unwanted attention, and no bed for the night. Jessie un-cocked her guns and walked out of the room, ignoring Belle’s laugh, Charlie’s apology, Jake’s squalling, and Allie’s half crying/half cussing. Jessie marched up the stairs, into her room. Stuffing everything into her bag, she put on her hat and jacket. She buckled her gun belt back around her waist, and made sure that all four guns were fully loaded. And without another word, she walked out of the hotel. Mandy surprised her, by standing in the barn, holding saddled Jasper’s reins, and a bedroll. “Ruby will be mad, but I got you a bedroll out of the supply room. She’ll get over it though. I saddled your horse for ya too” she said and handed Jessie the reins and the bedroll. “Many thanks Mandy” was all Jessie could think to say, nobody had ever risked getting in trouble just to help her. Mandy just smiled and nodded before walking out of the barn. “Well ol Jasp, looks like we’re gonna be doin a little more riding tonight.” Jessie told her horse as she tied the bedroll and her bag down behind the saddle. Without even stepping in the stirrup, she grabbed the saddle horn and jumped up onto Jasper’s back, Indian style. She rode by the general store, and thought “Oh Crap, the supplies”. She would have to find another little town, somewhere between here and Dodge City. Either that, or find some unsuspecting person’s smoke house that was full of meat and she would “borrow” some from them. It was about 75 miles to Dodge City, she could be there by tomorrow morning if she rode hard all night. For some reason, Jessie felt that she NEEDED to be there as early as possible. It was like there was something calling her there. Only time would tell why she felt that way……
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