Chapter 3

Somewhat elated by the escape from leaving their bones for the wild folks to collect, Mudge led the way to the Lakeside hotel for a real dinner. May took the order for baked pickerel, fresh from the nearby inland sea; when she reappeared with the beautifully garnished platter of a steaming five-pounder, her beauty and deportment seemed comparable to an angel serving St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. May had come from a New England town with Pat McSweeny and Maggie, and while Pat was erecting a home two blocks away, May had taken employment at the hotel, and Pat had been appointed Chief of Police because of his popularity, fine appearance and expertness with a six-gun.

May's parents were dead and she had been reared by an aunt of New England Puritan philosophy. Maggie had been her nurse through childhood and was still her guide and girlhood disciplinarian; she helped in the culinary department while May was waitress and chambermaid and had a room on second floor back. Suave Billy Osburn, fellow-passenger on the way from the big city in the east, had lost no time in establishing himself as proprietor of the Gem Saloon and stud-poker room next door to the Lakeside; he had a room on the second floor front and boarded at the hotel where he was waited on daily by the beautiful May at the table, with choicest delicacies prepared by Maggie in the kitchen. And Billy had money; his parents were rich and they had sent him to the frontier in the effort to wean him away from Alice Gray, of moral standing not wholly approved by Mother Osburn; and it was big jolly Pat, the policeman and protector of Maggie and May, who had piloted Billy to the hotel and carried his heavy suit cases the half-mile from the end of track, and daily visited the Gem in the name of Law and Order to see that Billy was not imposed upon by reckless gun-toters and cheaters at the poker tables.

Springtime made of the prairies an endless flower bed and the myriad lakes were black with wild ducks, geese and brants, and filled with fish, if of sizeable area. Sunday was hunting and fishing day. A team and light wagon, lunch and plenty of shells made up the outfit for a party of four for a day's hunt, and the invariable result was a wagon-bed full of dicks, geese and brant, with sometimes, an antelope for good measure. Fishing was usually confined to the big lake where muskelunge of 24 to 32 inches could be landed readily from the steamer wharf but a few rods below the railroad track.

A famed Missouri River steamboat captain had brought overland by ox-teams the boiler and engine to be installed in his side-wheeler steamboat for transporting supplies from the rail-terminus to the Government military reservation the fourteen miles across the big lake. It was initiated by giving the population of the town and the fort a free trip around the lake on a beautiful moonlight night, forty miles to the west end and forty miles back, with a brass band, plenty to eat and drink, and dancing on the forward deck. It was Mudge's introduction to the genial Captain Heerman, which lasted for many years, and for many a boat trip thereafter.

May was aboard. And May was queen of the party; she was the one person who held the gaze, and got the quiet comment of all the young men. Billy was observed to try his hand at seeking her for a partner in the dance, but Pat and Maggie were her companions and chaperones and saw to it that she did not engage with the saloon proprietor but she was introduced to certain army officers for informal chats only.

Mudge was in the wheel-house with the captain listening to tales of boating on the Big Muddy when suddenly a knock came; and when the door opened, there stood Pat with Maggie and May, come to pay their respects to the old steersman and pilot of the beautiful steamer. There was room to stand and time to talk. The old captain turned to Mudge and said: "You young folks belong down on the dance floor; g'long 'n gie us room to steer", and on board the ship the captain's orders meant just what they were; this order was quickly obeyed, and willingly.

Mudge was a fairly good dancer, but May was not only expert as a dancer; she was shy only of wings to make her like an angel! One waltz, and she was besieged by dozens for the next one. They were already taken; Mudge had them all, for it was moonlight on the lake, and sitting out a number was to tell each other the story of their lives, their ambitions and hopes for the future, and enjoy the glorious voyage on the glassy waters of the forest-bordered inland sea.

Midight brought the lights at the fort in view on the hill on the south shore, where the steamer docked to discharge its guests of officers and troopers; thence to the home port, an hour, gave Mudge and May chance to become better acquainted before accounting to Maggie and Pat for the time devoted to obeying the captain's order. To properly do all this it was necessary for Mudge to join in the half mile walk to the hotel. There Maggie and Pat went in, leaving the two in the hallway, and as they disappeared around the cross-hall Mudge said 'good night', and drew May gently to him and,---well, it was only a kiss!

Mudge was feeling the need for employment; he could not remain idle as limited funds were going fast. As Johnny Bell's livery was a common meeting place for newcomers, Mudge called regularly to learn who had arrived last. Johnny was obliging. Mudge appealed to him to help find a job, and got the response: "Why don't you see Sam Dodge?" Sam was a dealer in live stock and Indian trader's supplies; had a store up town, owned a race horse which he kept at Johnny's stable; he would be in after supper. And so was Mudge. Johnny pointed him out as he came into the barn. Mudge approached Sam with the following: "Are you Mr. Dodge?" "Yes sir, what can I do for you?"

"I want a job; have you got one for me?" was the reply. "Where are you from, and what can you do?" came the next question from Mr. Dodge. To this the youth replied: "I'm from Pennsylvania and can do anything you may have to do." "All right, I'll give you a job taking care of my racing mare; she will enter the race on the Fourth of July, if you know how to care for horses; I want her exercised every day, carefully rubbed down, fed and watered regularly, and you can begin right away." They walked to the box-stall where minute instructions were given, while the youth began his work of rubbing the mare's shining hide. At seven thirty the same Mr. Dodge poked his head in the stable door to see if the young man was really doing his job; he found him busy polishing as he had been instructed.

"Been around horses before you came west?" Dodge asked this with a smile. "Yes, sir, raised 'em." "What was your business where you came from?" came the next query from Dodge, and the reply was prompt---""running a bank." "Then maybe you know how to keep books---double-entry books?"--Dodge now ventured. "Yes, sir, that's my business, I have a diploma at home, if you have book-keeping to do, I can do it." By this time the polishing straw was tossed into the bedding; the 'boss' commented on a good job well done for the night; and as he turned to leave, he said, "Come up to my office at seven in the morning."

It was a two-story brick building; the rear and one side of main store room was a modern meat market; the office occupied the other half and the front and was neatly partitioned off in manner and style of a bank; there was a safe, pay-window and desks, and counter for a book-keeper. Appraising the convenience and equipment, the combination of the safe was taken, and then a visit to the bank was made and the youth introduced to the officer there, with Dodge's comment: "This young man is going to sign checks for the firm, take his signature and give him what he wants when he wants it."

Back to the office the young man was introduced to the partner, smiling Johnny Moore, who operated the store; then he was told that his salary would be fifty dollars a month until further notice; that he was to board week about at the various hotels and boarding houses; he was to have charge of the office, pay all bills, do the collecting, and have general supervision over the inside and outside employees of which there were from six to a dozen or more, depending on condition of trade, and he was to conduct the trade with the military garrison at the fort, and last but not least, he had the responsibility for all dealings with the Indians. This meant buying buffalo bones at the office, and furnishing supplies to the Mission across the lake at the Sioux Reservation.

And so, Mudge found himself graduated from stable-boy to a quite responsible position within twelve hours. It was the way of the west!