stood in the aisle smiling down at Ingrid. ‘If that still meets with your approval?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said, playing along.
‘Momma!’
Ignoring Raven’s angry protest, she added:
‘I’ll have to think about it.’
‘Sounds reasonable.’ Gabriel set Raven down and wiped the rain from his eyes. ‘Now if you ladies will excuse me, I’ll go make sure Brandy doesn’t kick nobody while they’re loadin’ him on the train.’ With a polite tip of his hat, he turned, opened the door and stepped out into the rain.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
It was mid morning when the train carrying Gabriel, Ingrid and Raven finally pulled into the Central Pacific Railroad depot alongside the Sacramento River.
At that hour the stationhouse, freight yard and bustling waterfront were at their busiest. Mule-drawn wagons were lined up twenty deep as the drivers waited their turn to unload their cargo onto the decks of the paddle-wheel steamers tied up along the riverbank. Wranglers shouted and cracked their long whips as they herded sheep and cattle up ramps leaned against the vessels. The bleating and bellowing of the animals, mingled with the clanging of streetcars and whistles from arriving and departing steamers was deafening.
Opposite the station was a shack with a rooftop sign that advertised: ‘California Steam Navigation Company – Steamers for San Francisco. Cabin $5 – Deck $2.’
Nearby, a rival steamship company sign invited visitors to take an ‘Exciting steamer ride up the Mighty Sacramento River.’ Below, a barker dressed in a flashy striped suit waved tickets in the faces of passers-by, urging them not to miss thetrip of a lifetime!
As arriving passengers poured from the stationhouse, urchin newspaper boys swarmed around them, shouting the latest headlines. In the street fronting the station horse-drawn streetcars run by the City Railway Company waited to carry arriving passengers into Sacramento. Adding to the traffic jam was a long line of carriages and buckboards filled with impatient passengers, all anxious to board the departing trains and steamers.
Raven couldn’t believe her eyes. As Gabriel helped her and her mother off the train, she just stood there on the crowded platform, gaping at the spectacle.
‘Mite different than the desert, huh?’ Gabriel said to her.
She nodded, speechless. ‘Are all cities like this?’
‘Some are much bigger,’ her mother said. ‘As a little girl, when I came over from the old country with my folks, I remember landing in New York and thinking that all the people in the world must live there. Have you ever traveled back east?’ she asked Gabriel.
‘Nope. Likely never will either. I like my crowds to come one at a time.’ Carrying their valises to a bench, he told them to wait for him while he unloaded the Morgan from the boxcar.
‘Want me to help?’ Raven asked. ‘Brandy won’t bite me.’
Gabriel ignored her and continued on along the platform to the first of several boxcars that were attached behind the last passenger car. As he approached he saw the conductor standing beside a loading ramp. Two depot workers were on the ramp trying to rope the stallion which was snorting and kicking in the boxcar. A third man stood nearby nursing a bleeding hand.
‘Mister,’ the conductor said as Gabriel joined him. ‘You got just ten seconds to get that muckraker out of there. After that I get someone to shoot him.’
‘Do what you gotta do,’ Gabriel said. ‘I’ll do the same.’ His hand strayed to his gun. As the conductor jumped back, alarmed, Gabriel signaled to the workmen to get down. They quickly obeyed.
Gabriel walked up the ramp into the car and looked at the Morgan. Eyes blazing red, nostrils flared, it lunged at him.
Gabriel stood his ground. The stallion stopped a few inches from him and bared its teeth. Gabriel felt its hot, rancid breath on his face.
‘New territory, new rules,’ he told the horse. He dug into his Levi’s and pulled out
‘I don’t know,’ she said, playing along.
‘Momma!’
Ignoring Raven’s angry protest, she added:
‘I’ll have to think about it.’
‘Sounds reasonable.’ Gabriel set Raven down and wiped the rain from his eyes. ‘Now if you ladies will excuse me, I’ll go make sure Brandy doesn’t kick nobody while they’re loadin’ him on the train.’ With a polite tip of his hat, he turned, opened the door and stepped out into the rain.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
It was mid morning when the train carrying Gabriel, Ingrid and Raven finally pulled into the Central Pacific Railroad depot alongside the Sacramento River.
At that hour the stationhouse, freight yard and bustling waterfront were at their busiest. Mule-drawn wagons were lined up twenty deep as the drivers waited their turn to unload their cargo onto the decks of the paddle-wheel steamers tied up along the riverbank. Wranglers shouted and cracked their long whips as they herded sheep and cattle up ramps leaned against the vessels. The bleating and bellowing of the animals, mingled with the clanging of streetcars and whistles from arriving and departing steamers was deafening.
Opposite the station was a shack with a rooftop sign that advertised: ‘California Steam Navigation Company – Steamers for San Francisco. Cabin $5 – Deck $2.’
Nearby, a rival steamship company sign invited visitors to take an ‘Exciting steamer ride up the Mighty Sacramento River.’ Below, a barker dressed in a flashy striped suit waved tickets in the faces of passers-by, urging them not to miss thetrip of a lifetime!
As arriving passengers poured from the stationhouse, urchin newspaper boys swarmed around them, shouting the latest headlines. In the street fronting the station horse-drawn streetcars run by the City Railway Company waited to carry arriving passengers into Sacramento. Adding to the traffic jam was a long line of carriages and buckboards filled with impatient passengers, all anxious to board the departing trains and steamers.
Raven couldn’t believe her eyes. As Gabriel helped her and her mother off the train, she just stood there on the crowded platform, gaping at the spectacle.
‘Mite different than the desert, huh?’ Gabriel said to her.
She nodded, speechless. ‘Are all cities like this?’
‘Some are much bigger,’ her mother said. ‘As a little girl, when I came over from the old country with my folks, I remember landing in New York and thinking that all the people in the world must live there. Have you ever traveled back east?’ she asked Gabriel.
‘Nope. Likely never will either. I like my crowds to come one at a time.’ Carrying their valises to a bench, he told them to wait for him while he unloaded the Morgan from the boxcar.
‘Want me to help?’ Raven asked. ‘Brandy won’t bite me.’
Gabriel ignored her and continued on along the platform to the first of several boxcars that were attached behind the last passenger car. As he approached he saw the conductor standing beside a loading ramp. Two depot workers were on the ramp trying to rope the stallion which was snorting and kicking in the boxcar. A third man stood nearby nursing a bleeding hand.
‘Mister,’ the conductor said as Gabriel joined him. ‘You got just ten seconds to get that muckraker out of there. After that I get someone to shoot him.’
‘Do what you gotta do,’ Gabriel said. ‘I’ll do the same.’ His hand strayed to his gun. As the conductor jumped back, alarmed, Gabriel signaled to the workmen to get down. They quickly obeyed.
Gabriel walked up the ramp into the car and looked at the Morgan. Eyes blazing red, nostrils flared, it lunged at him.
Gabriel stood his ground. The stallion stopped a few inches from him and bared its teeth. Gabriel felt its hot, rancid breath on his face.
‘New territory, new rules,’ he told the horse. He dug into his Levi’s and pulled out
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