LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter One

      Tanners Ridge, Wyoming, July 1883

      “The Devil Wind is blowing and it’s going to make all those circus folks go mad.”

      William English pressed his hat to his head. The wind was blowing devilishly, but he doubted it was going to push anyone over the brink of sanity. Unless, maybe it was the elderly woman leaning on her cane and frowning intently up at him.

      “I’m sure they’re no more likely to go mad than anyone else, Mrs. Peabody.”

      “If you’d seen the things I have, Mayor English, you would be running for the hills.” She pounded her cane on the boardwalk in front of Tanners Ridge Community Bank. Twice. No doubt the extra thump was to make sure he was paying attention.

      A third thump might have been in order, given that he really was paying more attention to keeping his dearly priced bowler hat on his head than to her unrealistic fears.

      “I’m sure you’ve seen some interesting things—”

      “The skeleton of a three-headed dog,” the woman declared, cutting off his attempt to ease her fear. “And a man swallowing a sword—a flaming sword—and a fellow putting his head in the mouth of a lion! And that happened without the wind blowing. Who knows what might happen tonight.”

      “Everyone will have a fine time. Just you wait and see.”

      “What I’m waiting for, is for you to hire Tanners Ridge a sheriff.”

      William smiled, his lips pressed tight. As mayor—and hopefully future governor—of Wyoming, it would not do to let his emotions show.

      The fact that Tanners Ridge had no sheriff was no one’s fault but the good folks living here. He had presented no less than four candidates and they had all been voted down or refused the job because of low pay.

      “Will you be at the meeting this afternoon? I’ve another candidate to introduce for the job.”

      “Of course—unless I’m murdered by a fat woman with a beard who has gone raving.”

      “Would you feel better if I went down to take a look at things?”

      “Why, that would be a good idea.” Mrs. Peabody’s smile brought out the charming wrinkles in her cheeks. Her look of relief made the trip down the hill to where the circus was camped seem worth the effort.

      He tipped his hat to her, nodded. “I’ll see you this afternoon at the meeting, then.”

      “Be careful,” she warbled after him.

      Chances were, the only danger in going down had to do with walking the steep, rocky path, not circus folks gone wind-mad.

      A quarter of a mile down the path the ground leveled out, giving the traveling circus plenty of room to set up their big tent.

      Even buffeted by wind, the huge structure barely moved. Still, it couldn’t hurt to have a look around and make sure folks would be safe inside tonight.

      A fair distance from the tent there was a circle of colorfully painted wagons. He supposed this was where the performers and other employees lived.

      The scent of baking pastries and simmering stew came from one of them. Had to be the chuck wagon, or the circus version of it.

      On the way to the big tent, he passed by a circle of large, wheeled cages. A dozing leopard lifted one eye when William passed. In another of them, dogs of all shapes and sizes barked at him. Other dogs roamed freely about, so he imagined the ones who were confined were not pets but performers.

      Within the circle of cages, a pair of elephants were tethered to a pole.

      This was something he’d never seen! True-to-life elephants. All he could do was stare in amazement while dust swirled around their big feet and their swaying trunks.

      Because he wasn’t paying attention, his bowler blew off. It rolled over the ground toward the big tent.

      On a run, he snatched it up. He secured it to his head with a thump, straightened his bow tie, then brushed off his lapels before stepping inside the canvas tent.

      It was an impressive space. For all its size, it didn’t sway overmuch in the wind. Perhaps if the roustabouts who raised the tent had used a few more ropes it wouldn’t sway at all. If William had been in charge of things, he would have—

      Done nothing different. Even though his mother lived twenty-five miles away and he hadn’t seen her in months, her narrowed eyes and firmed lips appeared in his mind. Her voice whispered as clearly as if she had been standing beside him.

      “William Byron English, you do not need to be in charge of everything.”

      Maybe not, but still he wondered if heavier wood should have been used on the risers where folks would sit.

      Letting go of control was a lesson he’d been trying to learn since the time he was a boy and had decided that the fire in the hearth would be better with six logs rather than the two the butler had put in.

      It had taken a week before his mother would smile at him and a week after that before the stench of smoke cleared out of the house.

      Gazing at the two brightly painted rings used for performing, William couldn’t think of a way to improve them. That was a relief, and good enough to send his mother’s voice home to Cheyenne where it belonged.

      He’d heard that P.T. Barnum had three performing rings, but Tanners Ridge was not a big enough town to attract that man’s attention.

      Hell, it wasn’t even big enough to attract a reliable sheriff.

      “Halloo!” came a voice from the far side of the tent.

      He turned toward the voice to see a short man, his belly round as a ball, step from behind a curtain. The fellow waved his arm, indicating that William should cross to where he was.

      The crossing took some time because the tent was large.

      While this circus production was not as grand as some, it was the most exciting thing to come to Tanners Ridge in a long time, so he’d been told. Having only been mayor here for six months, there was much he was still learning about his new home.

      “Halloo to you, sir.” The man extended his pudgy hand. “I’m Frenchie Brown, owner of this fine production.”

      “William English.” He shook Frenchie Brown’s hand, surprised to find so much strength in that soft-looking fist.

      “Ah, the mayor!” The man nodded vigorously. He had no hair and the smooth skin of his head glistened in a ray of sunshine that cut through a gap in the tent. “I ought to have known who you were by the fine cut of your clothes. Welcome, Mr. Mayor.”

      Back home in Cheyenne no one ever remarked on his wardrobe. Gentleman ranchers of the area dressed the same way.

      “I just came down to see how you folks were faring in the wind. It’s blowing like the devil outside.”

      “We’ve held up fine in worse than this.” His grin was wide, exposing a gold front tooth. The stench of strong cologne trying to mask the scent of cigars and clothes that hadn’t been washed in some time made William back up a step. “Come, I’ve something special to show you. Tonight, folks will have to pay to see her but being that you are the mayor—well I’ll give you a peek at her for free.”

      A free

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