The door of the bunkhouse slowly creaked open. Jimmy poked his head inside, looked around, then slowly tiptoed through the door. He was holding a large bowl of water, and was followed close behind by Lou, carrying the sole of an old shoe. Silently they approached Cody, who was bundled up in a million blankets and fast asleep.

“It’s a shame, really.” Remarked Lou in a whisper. “He looks so peaceful and angelic.”

“A shame!” Jimmy exclaimed. “After what he did to us? He deserves it! And I don’t see no halo floating over his head.”

Lou giggled. “It is hard to imagine. Now get on with it before he wakes up.”

Jimmy tucked his long hair behind his ears and stood over Cody, who had a big smile on his face. He won’t for long, Jimmy thought. He dipped his finger in the bowl and held it over Cody so one drop at a time fell on his forehead. He kept dripping the water on him until he began to squirm.

“Get ready,” Jimmy said to Lou. She smiled and held up the shoe sole, flapping it at her friend.

Cody started to toss and turn as Jimmy dripped more water on his face. Then he began to whimper, then yell.

“Help!” He said. “Help!” He said it louder. Jimmy smiled evilly and sprinkled more water on Cody’s face. Lou had a big smirk on her face, too, and watched their friend closely for her chance. “Help! I’m drowning!” When it looked like Cody was about to wake up, Jimmy dumped the contents of the bowl on Cody’s head.

“Ahhh!” Cody opened his eyes, sat up and yelled some more. Just as he opened his mouth to give another yell, Lou shoved the shoe sole into his mouth.

“Does this taste like my roast?” She triumphantly hollered at him. Then she ran out of the bunkhouse in a fit of both anger and laughter.

“Mmmph,” Cody tried to say.

Jimmy looked at Cody drenched in water with a remnant of a shoe stuffed in his mouth and calmly said, “Got you back.” He left the confused Cody in the bunkhouse and ran to the barn. Only when he got inside did he start to laugh. Lou was pounding the wall and laughing so hard that she had started to cry.

“Did you see the look on his face!?” Jimmy asked.

Lou gasped for air. “Yes!”

They laughed over it some more and Jimmy finally said, “I wish we had one of those camera things so we can always look at that expression he had.”

Lou pondered that for a while and said, “The others are going to wonder what happened to him.”

“Let’s go tell them, then!”

Jimmy and Lou, still laughing, ran out of the barn to find the other pony express riders and tell them the tale. --------------------------------------------------

For a few moments the two men stood silently in the Marshal’s office. Then Joe broke the silence.

“Excuse me?” He curiously looked at Teaspoon.

“I said, ‘not another one.’” Teaspoon repeated.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that we have, er, had a girl rider.” Teaspoon wiped his hand across his face and muttered, “a girl.”

“Really?” Joe brightened up. “Then it really won’t matter that Sky’s a girl?”

Teaspoon sighed. I can’t believe I’m saying this, he thought. “No, it doesn’t matter one bit, Joe.” Teaspoon said.

“Good. Now I won’t have to find you another rider. And frankly, Teaspoon, Sky is the best one I know. I guess you know that girls can ride and shoot too and-.”

“I ain’t stupid,” Teaspoon interrupted.

Joe ignored him and continued, “And with another girl rider, Sky should be able to fit right in.”

“Actually, Sky’s replacing her. That rider just got married.”

“Oh.”

“But that isn’t important right now.” Teaspoon pointed out. “Shouldn’t we go find Sky?”

Joe sighed. “I guess so. But I’ll stand behind you. She won’t be too happy with me.”

“Whatever you want.” Teaspoon shrugged as they walked out of the office. He noticed that her horse was still there. “Now where do you think she went?”

Joe looked up and down the street, then confidently said “The saloon.”

Teaspoon stepped off the sidewalk and headed towards the building. Joe crept closely behind him. The Marshal entered the saloon, which had just begun to get filled with the afternoon crowd.

“There- there she is,” Joe pointed towards the bar and cowered behind Teaspoon.

“Aw, don’t be such a baby. She won’t hurt you.” Teaspoon pushed Joe ahead of him.

“Yes, yes she can.” Joe insisted.

“Not while I’m here.”

Joe pondered that for a minute, then emphatically said, “You can still talk to her first. Oh, and Sky likes to be called ‘he’ in public. I guess you know why.”

Teaspoon nodded and walked up to his new rider. The bartender had just given her a shot of whiskey, and she was about to toss it down when Teaspoon moved beside her.

“You really want to do that, son?”

Sky slowly put down the drink and suspiciously eyed Teaspoon. “Huh?” She said, confused.

“Didn’t I just tell you it’s against company policy to drink?”

“Yeah.” Sky looked off to one side. “But I figured…” She trailed off.

“Well, you figured wrong.” Teaspoon said. “I said you can be an express rider, and that’s what you’re going to be. You all ready took the oath. It’s not my fault Joe has bad timing.”

“Joe!” Sky turned to look for him. Joe hid behind Teaspoon and tried to become invisible.

“You- you wouldn’t shoot an unarmed ma- man, would you?” Joe stuttered.

Sky looked at Teaspoon.

“A- an unarmed friend?” Joe tried. The once tough lawman was reduced to a quivering little boy hiding from a ‘big bad bully’.

“You sure it’s okay?” Sky asked Teaspoon. “I can still ride for the express?”

He nodded.

“You won’t tell the others that I’m a girl?”

Teaspoon nodded again. “If that’s what you want, but you know they’ll find out sometime.”

Joe tried again, “You won’t hurt me, will you, Sky old buddy, old pal.”

Sky turned up a corner of her mouth and smiled. “Relax, Joey. I ain’t gonna shoot you. I guess he would’ve found out anyway.”

Joe heaved a sigh of relief, grabbed Sky’s whisky and drank it in one gulp.

Sky started to protest, and Teaspoon said, “Oh no you don’t. Remember what I told you. How ‘bout I buy you a nice sarsaparilla?”

“Sarsaparilla!” Sky was shocked. “I might as well drink water!”

“You should get used to it. That’s the only thing the other riders drink.”

“Yeah, well, let me take you up on that offer a little later, okay?”

“Okay.” Teaspoon replied. “Well, now that that’s all settled, how ‘bout you come and meet the other riders?”

“All right.” For a second Sky looked nervous, then she put on her expressionless face again.

Sky followed her new boss towards the door. She turned to Joe who was a few paces behind her and pounded her fist into one hand. When he stopped and looked for someplace to hide, Sky grinned and reassured him. “Come on, Joey. It’s all right. Really, it is.”

“Come on, Joe. You look like a fool.” Teaspoon hollered from outside. “Git out here. We ain’t got all day.”

Joe rushed outside and the three walked to their horses.

“You realize that if you can’t do what Joe claims you can, I’ll have to fire you.” Teaspoon told Sky.

“Yes, I know.” Sky replied.

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Teaspoon!” Joe was offended.

“I know, I know. I just have to let her- him know, that’s all.”

“Don’t worry, Teaspoon.” Sky said as she mounted her horse. “I can do it. I won’t let you down.”

“I have a feeling you won’t.” Teaspoon answered.

With that, Sky followed the two men rode towards the Pony Express waystation, where her future awaited her.

On to Chapter Four

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