Hawkins sat in a high-backed red
chair looking out the second floor window facing west. It was nearly 2am, and he
could hear the music coming from the first floor saloon and gambling hall. He
and Cade had arrived in Wickenburg almost a week ago. The Tall Texan and
Rooster had led them north from Tucson to the Stage Station at Picacho Peak and
then north to Wickenburg.
Caed and Hawkins had rode into the town of Wickenburg at dawn
and followed the directions that Rooster had handed to them on the note from Cole Dakota.
The note had said to ride into town and go
to the rear door of the Desert Rose Saloon, they were to tell whoever answered the
rear door of the Saloon that they had a package for Ms. Klondike Kitty from Cole Dakota. A young Hispanic
boy about 10 years old had answered the rear door of the Saloon when Caed had knocked on it. When
he told the young boy that they had a package from Cole Dakota, the boy looked around
quickly and passed the two men to see if anyone was watching them, and then led
the two men thru the rear door and into the Kitchen where he had been sweeping
and washing dishes. “Ms. Kitty said to take you two upstairs as soon as you got
here and not to tell anyone” the boy had said, as he led the men thru the
kitchen to a set of stairs and up to the second floor. “Ms. Kitty said to put
you in the corner room and to bring you anything you need” The boy led the men
down a long hall to the last door on the right and unlocked it with a key from
his pocket. “Ms. Kitty says for you to stay here, and when she wakes up she will
come to see you, I am Marcus and if you need something, pull the string on the
wall and the bell will ring in the Kitchen and I will be right up, OK?” Hawkins
and Caed followed the boy into the room and Hawkins thanked him handing him a
silver dollar. Marcus took the coin and put it in his pocket, smiling he closed
the door locking it. Caed and Hawkins stood in a large room almost 500 square
feet in size. It was located in the south west corner of the two story
building, and was decorated with dark red wall paper. There were two windows on
each side of the exterior walls with heavy red drapes hanging over white lace
curtains. The room had 2 queen sized beds, a small round table with a pitcher
of water and two glasses, surrounded by four red high-backed chairs. A second
door in the east wall led to another room with a flush toilet and brass bathtub,
which also had a ceramic bowl placed next to a pitcher of water on a washstand
and mirror.
It had been a long ride thru the
desert, and Hawkins took a seat in one of the chairs, pouring himself a glass
of water and sipping from it. “Caed, you best you get some rest. I'm not sure when
this Ms. Kitty will show up and I want you to be sharp.” Caed nodded in
agreement and undressed placing one of his pistols under the sheets as he
climbed into the bed closest to the door, and drifted off to sleep. Hawkins sat
in the red high-backed chair for a few more minutes sipping the water. He read
thru the letter from Cole Dakota one more time, and then undressed and climbed
into the second bed placing his pocket pistol under the pillow and his bowie
knife under the sheets and closed his eyes.
Asdis Dahl aka Ms. Kitty was a robust, friendly, intelligent and finely
dressed woman, whose family had hailed from Norway in the early 1800’s. She owned
most of the property on the south end of Wickenburg Arizona up to and including the main cross roads
that headed west to California and north to Prescott. Her headquarters had
originally been the two story building called the Desert Rose Saloon located at the
North East corner of the crossroads. She had made the room, where Hawkins and
Cade where staying, on the second floor her home when she had first bought the
property, but now lived in large home overlooking the Hassayampa River. Asdis had made extensive changes to the first floor of the Desert Rose Saloon building, which
was originally a hotel, creating a large space for a gambling hall and saloon
with a stage. A kitchen was built at the rear of the building and a dining room
on the east side. From the first day she opened the doors of the Desert Rose
Saloon miners, travelers, and cowboys filled the place looking for good food,
entertainment and companionship.
Asids had originally come from Minnesota
after her Father and Brother had both been killed in the Civil War and after her Mother
had remarried. She had always been intelligent and loved to read books and would move to
Colorado where she made a good sum of money working in the Brothels on Market
street and would became Ms. Klondike Kitty, where she learned quickly that she could quadruple
the money she made in the Colorado Brothels by helping to fund other women. She would help
them to purchase supplies and to make the things that men needed to survive in the American West
such as food and clothing. She would also teach the ladies to read and write, so that they would have the ability to assist in the reading and writing of letters and other documents. After almost ten years in Denver and after making a good sum
of money, she headed south to Tombstone Arizona during the big Silver Rush in
1878. After setting up a small shop she began to once again help fund other woman in
the community and to make money. She would witness the famed shootout between
the Earp’s, Clanton’s, and McLaurys and soon after would leave Tombstone
as the violence escalated in the city. She had met Cole Dakota and his wife
Mrs. Lilly while living in Tombstone and the pair had invited Ms. Kitty to move
to Wickenburg with the intent to have her invest in a safer community. With all
the bloodshed in Tombstone, it had only made since for her to move north. She had now been
in Wickenburg for almost four years and had grown to love the community in the
high desert, with all its beautiful flowers and expansive opportunities. Cole
and Mrs. Lilly would often come to town and have dinner at the Desert Rose Saloon. They enjoyed listening to the live band and the wonderful food. Things in Wickenburg had been going very well until Miles
Andrews had purchased one on the mines just south of town and his thugs had began to
extort the business owners for protection money. Several head of Cole
Dakota’s cattle herd had gone mysteriously missing as well. Cole, Rooster and the Tall
Texan had originally wanted to face Miles and his thugs head on, but Mrs. Lilly
and Ms. Kitty had talked them out of it. One of Miles men, Dallas, was a cold
blooded killer and had already proved his skills with a
knife and pistol when someone got in his way. The town Sheriff was also now on
Miles pay role as well. One night Ms. Kitty overheard a pair of men talking about
an Ezra Hawkins in the Saloon and how he had helped his family down in Mississippi, she
bought the men a meal and drinks to learn more about this man Hawkins and soon after
Cole and Mrs. Lilly were headed back east to find Ezra Hawkins.
Hawkins awoke to the smell of stew and hot baked
bread. Caed was sitting at the table with a woman eating and talking. Out of
the corner of his eye he could see a tall blonde man standing near the door
with his arms crossed. He was nearly as tall as the door frame and his muscles
bulged under his shirt. “Oh, I see you are awake Mr. Hawkins, Cade was just explaining
to me your trip here from New Orleans. Very exciting I must say, and how
fortunate of you to meet Cactus Jack and Santee, two very lovely gentleman.” She
had said. “Well, I take it you are our host Ms. Klondike Kitty I presume” he
answered in reply, running his hand thru his hair and sitting up against the
headboard of the bed. “Yes, and this is my assistant Angus, he cares for my
horses and such. Marcus sent one of the girls up to the house to inform me of
your arrival this morning. Once Angus and I had finished up with the horses, we
decided to see if you were up and ready for company.” Ms. Kitty explained. Hawkins
sat in the bed talking with Ms. Kitty and Caed about the situation. She explained
the goings on since Miles Andrews arrival in Wickenburg almost a year ago, and
about the situation they were in. The three agreed that Caed would be introduced as a
new Faro dealer and would collect as much information as he could in the
saloon. Hawkins would remain hidden in the room and await the opportunity to
face miles and his thugs. Cade finished his meal and headed down to the saloon
with Ms. Kitty and Angus. Hawkins arose from the bed putting his shirt on and
sat at the table to eat some of the stew and bread that had been prepared.
There was a slight knock on the door and Marcus lead seven boys into the room
carrying Hawkins chest and several bags. He had Marcus remove two books from
the chest and laid them on the table to his right. Hawkins than laid eight silver
dollars on the table in front of Marcus, who picked up the coins and handed
them to the other boys as they left the room, leaving Hawkins alone sitting at
the table eating stew and thumbing thru one of the two books.
