The Cogan Legend (16 page)

“That would be great,” Ann said with a smile.

A few minutes later, Phillip came back with two buckets of hot water and poured them into the wash bowls.

“Thank you, Phillip,” Rachel said.

Ann grabbed his arm as he was heading toward the door and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  “Thank you, Lieutenant. You're so kind.”  When the door closed behind him, Ann commented, “He's so thoughtful and considerate.”

“I don't think Lewey realized how scared I was today.  Those weren't renegades or Indians you saw behind the coach; it was him.  He's been following us from Sunbury,” Rachel said.

“I guess I should've taken the incident on the trail more seriously; instead we laughed about it.  I'm sorry if I scared you.”  Ann stepped toward Rachel and offered a hug.  

“I wish Tom were here to protect me.  I guess I just want to go home,” Rachel said with a frown.

As Rachel undressed and washed, Ann said jokingly, “It won't be long until you put all that to good use.”

“Don't talk so dirty,” Rachel snickered.

“You're so funny, Rachel. You never stop entertaining me.”  Ann said with a smile.  “Do you think Tom misses you?”

“I know he does, and I know he loves me.”

Realizing it was well over an hour, Ann admitted, “I'm hungry, my stomach is growling.”

“I don't care if you're hungry.  I am too, but we're waiting for Lewey or Phillip to come and get us.  We're not going down that hallway by ourselves,” Rachel said.  

She had no sooner made the comment when a knock came on the door and Phillip said, “He just left.  Are you ready?”

“Yes,” Ann said as she turned.  “It's okay.  Let's go, Rachel.”

Walking through the narrow hallway to the dining room, each girl had a grip on Phillip's jacket.  Rachel quickly glanced into the saloon as they passed the doorway.  “Ann, I didn't see him, thank goodness.”

Lewey stood and informed them, “He left about ten minutes ago and on his way out the door he gave me a nod.”

“I should've confronted him today,” Phillip said.

“Perhaps, but he hasn't really done anything wrong.  He just frightens us, like what he did to Rachel today and the incident with his horse.  There was no need to do that, yet he did it anyway,” Ann said.

“This is my last trip to Sunbury, and I won't miss him or the other guy.  I'm never coming back,” Rachel informed them as she looked at Ann.  “This is it, Ann.”

Lewey said, “I want to get an early start in the morning.  We should be on the road by eight o'clock that should put us at the lodge around three when there is still plenty of daylight.”  

“The sooner we get out of here the better,” Rachel said.  “Don't you agree?”  

Everyone nodded their heads.  

After eating Rachel asked, “Lewey, could you please look in the saloon and see if he came back?”  

“Sure,” Lewey said as he put his napkin on the table, pushed his chair back and stood.  “I don't see him; I think he's gone.”

“I still don't feel safe,” Rachel admitted.  “Would it be okay if Ann and I walk between you and Phillip through the hall?”

“Absolutely,” Lewey said.

In the hallway, they moved aside allowing Lewey entry to his room first.  Before closing his door, he lifted his hand, pointed his finger and reminded them, “Eight o'clock.”

Phillip grabbed Ann's hand as he opened his door.

Passing them Rachel whispered, “Not too late and not too loud.”

He couldn't resist pulling Ann into his room while kissing and embracing her.  “I know you can't stay long, but I want to be with you a little while.”

“I want to spend a little time with you, too,” Ann admitted as the two fell onto the bed.

When their passion became too intense, Ann pushed him away and pulled herself from the bed. “I have to go or we'll both regret it.”  Fluffing her dress and looking at him, “I love you.” she whispered.  “See you tomorrow morning.”

When Ann entered the room, Rachel was putting the finishing touches on her final letter to Tom.  “Back so soon?  I thought you'd be gone for hours.”

“Well, if Lewey's room was down the hall instead of next to Phillip's, I would've been gone for hours.”

“That never stopped you in the hospital where there were lots of people listening,” Rachel blurted out.

“How did you hear about the hospital?” Ann cocked her head and stared at Rachel, surprised she had heard about that incident.

“Things like that get around, Ann.”  Realizing she shouldn't have mentioned it, Rachel apologized. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything.”

“That type of behavior is behind me,” she said in an angry tone which ended their conversation.

 

CHAPTER 11

 

Unable to sleep Rachel heard a noise on the window and whispered, “Ann, Ann, are you awake?  I hear something against the window.  I think someone is out there.”

A sleepy Ann rolled over facing Rachel. “I don't hear anything.”

“Listen,” she whispered. “Did you hear that?”

“Yes, you're right.  I hear something.”

“What should we do?”

“I'll go wake Phillip.”

She snuck quietly next door and knocked,   “Phillip, Phillip.  Wake up.  There's someone outside our window.”

He heard Ann's voice, pulled the covers back and jumped out of bed.  Phillip then tripped over his boots as he grabbed for the doorknob.  “What's the matter?”

“We heard a noise outside our window.  We think it's those men.”

Phillip pulled up his trousers, put on his coat and quickly reached for his pistol. “Go back to Rachel.  I'll be right back.”

He rushed through the lobby and grabbed a lantern off of a table as he headed outside. With cocked pistol in one hand and lantern in the other, he jumped off the steps and quietly snuck around the corner of the inn to investigate.   Just as Phillip lifted the lantern higher to illuminate the area, he saw a shadowy figure.  Shivers ran up and down his spine as he took a deep breath.  A few seconds passed before he decided to pursue the figure, but by that time whoever it was had disappeared.  Phillip walked back to the window and light from the lantern revealed large, but indistinct boot prints.  He suspected who had been there.  

He knocked quietly on the girls' door.  He realized he had to tell them a lie if he didn't want to frighten them further.  “It's the wind blowing a tree branch across your window.  Don't worry about it.  Try and get some sleep.”  

No one slept through the night except Lewey.  At seven o'clock in the morning, he knocked on their door.  

Today there was no hesitation as Rachel crawled out of bed.  “Get up, Ann, I'm anxious to leave, and you must ask Phillip to check the dining room.  I'm not eating if that man is there.”  

They packed their belongings and waited in the hall as Phillip checked the dining room. Still concerned about last night's incident, Phillip took his time studying the patrons.  When he returned he assured them, “It's safe.”  

Lewey motioned for them when they entered the dining room.  As they sat down, Lewey said, “I want everyone to eat a full breakfast.  We're not stopping again until we get to the lodge.”

“How long will it take to get to the lodge?”  Rachel asked.  

“About six hours, depending on the weather and the road,” he said.  “I'm going to hitch the team.  Please be ready.”

When Lewey pulled up in front, Phillip assisted the ladies into the coach and couldn't help but kiss Ann.  It was quite cold again, and they immediately reached for the blankets.  Phillip was bundled up in his coat, gloves, cap, and woolen cape with a scarf around his face.  Lewey was also dressed for the extreme cold as he sat on the cab.  

Today Phillip knew he had to be more cautious and observant than the previous day.

Not long after they left, they came upon the rundown farm, and Lewey saw the stranger from the Herndon Inn standing on his porch.  When they passed he nodded his head, and Lewey nodded back.  The stranger had his horse tied to a post supporting his porch, and the rear of the horse took up half the lane.  Lewey had to move the coach to the other side of the road to avoid contact.

Rachel felt the coach swerve, looked out the window, and saw the ugly stranger on the porch.  “Oh, my!” was the only comment she could muster.

With her eyes closed, Ann heard Rachel's comment and asked, “What's wrong?”

She didn't want to tell Ann. “Nothing, it's only my stomach.  It's a little upset.”  

Phillip glared as they passed but didn't acknowledge the stranger.  Phillip was sure the man had spied on the girls last night at the hotel and had run off when he came outside.

When they were beyond the house, the stranger went in and grabbed his musket.  Aware of a shortcut to the Cogan Road, he got on his horse and headed toward the mountain.  He knew exactly where he was going and what he was going to do.  The lone soldier's presence didn't bother him at all.  

In less than a mile the coach would approach the Cogan Road so Lewey stopped and motioned for Phillip to come forward.  

The stop scared them and Ann opened the door and asked, “What's wrong, Lewey?”

“Don't worry.  I just want to tell Phillip that we're going to pick up the pace.  I know you don't like this road.  Matter of fact, I don't either, but I want to get through as quickly as possible.”

“If this road frightens everyone, why are we going this way?” asked a puzzled Phillip.

“Remember, I told you that this route is the shortest way to the lodge.  If we go to Millersburg it would mean another day's travel.  Our first encounter on this road was a little uneasy when we stopped at a dilapidated stable.   That's where we met those two men who frighten the girls.  I want to get by as quickly as possible, so I'm going to pick up the pace.”

Satisfied with the explanation but still cautious, Phillip fell in behind the coach and smiled at Ann as she looked out the window.   Lewey was glad to have Phillip escort them.  He felt safer with Phillip present and never readied his pistols for the ride through the Cogan.

The snow on the ground seemed to box in the cold as the sunlight disappeared in the shadow of the mountain.  Lewey grew uneasy as he saw Poll Soll's house and the stable come into view.  

Rachel realized they were about to pass the stable and muttered, “Don't ask me why, but I want to get one last look at that place.”  She turned to Ann and added, “No amount of begging will ever get me back here again.”

“I agree; I never want to come back here either.”

A shiver went through both as they looked out the window and then sat back in their seats.  

After they passed the stable, Lewey's fear subsided and he slowed the coach to rest the horses.   The girls felt the coach slow and relaxed.  Phillip breathed a sigh of relief.

A shot rang out and resonated through the Cogan.

“What was that?” Rachel demanded.

“I don't know!”  Ann said with a look of fear.  She threw off the lap robe and blankets then peered out the window.  “I can't see anything!”

Lewey glanced over his shoulder just as Phillip's horse reared.  He watched in horror as Phillip fell off the horse and collapsed into the snow like a puppet whose strings had just been cut.  Lewey pulled hard on the reins, and the horses slowed to a stop.  Ann looked out the back  window and screamed as she saw Phillip lying motionless on the ground.  

When she turned to scramble for the door, Rachel grabbed her arm.  “What happened? What's going on?”

Unable to speak, Ann pointed out the back window and began to cry.  

Rachel moved Ann to the side and looked out the back window. “Phillip!  Why is he off his horse?  What's he doing on the ground?  Was that a shot we heard?”  She grabbed Ann's arm.  “Did he just fall off the horse, or was he shot?”

Feet racing across the top of the coach caused the girls to huddle in each other's arms.

“Something horrible is happening, isn't it?” Rachel said.  She pulled Ann down, and they huddled against the back of the coach, fearful that the door would spring open and the ugly stranger would drag them out into the snow.  

Rachel's face was as white as the snow on the ground when she grabbed Ann by the lapels of her coat.  “What are we going to do?”  Rachel pleaded.

Lewey heard the footsteps and rose to turn and face the attacker but before he could stand, a foot caught him in the head, and he fell backwards off the cab and into the snow.  The world and sound dimmed as he struck his head on a rock.

“Someone just fell off the coach!” Rachel whispered.  “Maybe Lewey knocked him off.” An eerie silence filled the space around the girls.  Rachel and Ann practically stopped breathing as they waited for Lewey to shout that everything was okay.  They clung to each other.  Outside the window they saw a boot as someone climbed down the side of the coach.   Rachel grabbed the handle of the door on the opposite side of the coach, tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

Ann shook her head and barely able to whisper.  “Don't!” she said as she grabbed Rachel's coat.  “It's him, the ugly stranger.”

Ann and Rachel fell back against the far wall of the coach.  They screamed as the door handle turned and the door opened.  The ugly stranger grinned.  “I've been waiting for you.” He brandished a huge knife that seemed to be as long as a sword.

Ann and Rachel were paralyzed by fright.  Neither could move nor speak. The man pointed his knife at Ann, “You're first, missy.” Then he pointed the knife at Rachel, “and you're next.”

Ann screamed and tried to kick the man in the head as he stepped into the coach. The robe tangled in her feet, and she fell backwards onto the floor.  Rachel grabbed for her as she fell.  He grabbed Rachel and threw her against the opposite wall.  Rachel collapsed, temporarily stunned when her head hit the wall.  The man grabbed Ann's arm and pulled her, dragging her to the center of the floor.  Ann screamed, and the man slapped her across the face, taking her breath away.  He shouted, “Shut up!” He grunted in satisfaction when Ann's screams suddenly died.  He looked at Rachel.  Don't you move either.”  He grinned when he saw she was dazed. The man grabbed Ann's blanket and pulled it off her.  He put the knife on the seat behind him and grabbed Ann's coat.  With one powerful jerk, he ripped the buttons free and exposed her dress.  He grabbed the bottom of her dress with one hand and his knife with the other.