Yankton

Chapter 41

Chapter 41 Same Game, Different Century

Colin's shooting disrupted our plans to all come back home to 2014, but I needed to touch bases with Melinda, and Craig wanted to start working out the plans for the boarding house on the computer. Colin seemed to be making progress towards recovery; however Mark and Melonie thought it better to remain in Purgatory. Mark gave me a list of things he needed asking that I contact his father who, hopefully could send these things to us. At first, it looked like just Craig and I would be going, but just before we left, Montana asked if she could go as well,

"You're always welcome to come," I told her, "Maybe you can finally try your luck at a couple of the casinos."

"Perhaps," she replied, "Actually I think I'm due for a good long hot shower, and doing something with my hair."

"You're going to have to put up with my sister," I snickered,

"What makes you think I dislike your sister," she returned.

"Oh I don't know, I've heard you two snapping at each other before."

Montana leaned over and gently kissed me,

"You are not very perceptive are you Brian," she replied, "If I had been born in your time, I would have been just like your sister…Surprised, don't be, I like Melinda, I like her determination, does she play poker? I don't think I have ever asked her." I wasn't sure either, but I was reasonably sure that somewhere in her checkered past someone must have taught her.

I had accumulated quite a number of guns, and related gear that I wanted to sell, so the buckboard was full as we drove south towards Deadwood. Montana was wearing a new traveling outfit, grey wool, with black trim, and one of those miniature top hats women of the day liked to wear. Skirting Deadwood, we took the long way around coming to the cabin from the opposite direction, thus avoiding the main street. The trip to the future was routine, which is the way I like them, one of the reasons I didn't want to postpone the trip was that I was concerned about Jake Howland who was determined to be with my sister.

Neither one was there when we arrived, though I noticed Melinda's car was gone, so we just settled down to wait. Craig jumped right on the computer to start work on the boarding house layout. I called Mark's dad and filled him in on Colin, and Mark's requests. Mr. Sedgwick became very concerned at Colin's condition that I could hear him talking to his wife about it. She immediately came on the phone and introduced herself,

"Listen Brian," she began. "Norm has been telling me all about your, uh, rather unusual situation. If there's anything I can do to help, I can probably beg some time off work."

"Thanks Mrs. Sedgwick," I replied, "Things seem to have stabilized, however thanks for the offer. Right now, it's just a matter of certain supplies which your husband promised to send along, I'll be sure to drop a check in the mail right away." Marks mother indicated that she was eager to come see us, and meet Melonie,

"Well I'll pass the word along to him Mrs. Sedgwick," I said, "We'll be looking forward to your visit."

While I had been talking on the phone, Montana had changed into her "modern" clothes as we called them, a long diagonally embroidered black skirt, with a long sleeved frontier style blouse, with nine inch Victorian dress boots. Melonie wore a similar outfit, as both women felt more comfortable in clothing comparable to what they were used to wearing in 1877. I was trying to get them to move up to short sleeved tops and dressy cowgirl boots, but neither was willing to get that "daring" just yet.

Not long afterwards I heard car doors slamming and the front door opening,

"Ohmygod! You guys are back," squealed Melinda, who spotted Montana and went to hug her. I immediately honed in on Jake, who was wearing jeans, and a plaid shirt.

"Well Jake, how have you been enjoying the twenty-first century?" There was a slight trace of malice in my voice, with Jake picking right up on it. Before he could answer, Melinda injected,

"I've been teaching Jake how to drive, in fact, that's where we were." This was certainly news, Montana then spoke,

"You can drive one of those machines?" Poor Jake was clearly on the spot, and not wishing to be there.

"Yes ma'am," he replied, then turning to me, he apologized for taking advantage of Mark and coming here to the future against my wishes.

"I'm sorry sir, but, well…" This gave my sister an opportunity to launch,

"Jake and I love each other; you had no right telling him he couldn't come here!"

This was starting to get out of hand, so I put my hands up,

"Look Melinda, I wasn't against Jake coming, if you two love each other, more power to you, I'm just concerned for Jake's safety, he doesn't know the dangers. What if the cops had stopped him and demanded identification, or he had gotten hurt, or seriously sick, you have to think of those things." She wasn't hearing any of it,

"I know about all those things mister smarty, in fact we were talking to a couple city cops just the other day when we walked into town, you know the "Days of 76" rodeo starts next week, say, where's Melonie?" I then explained about Colin, and Mark and Melonie's decision to stay behind.

"Is he going to be OK, I like Colin, we talked about playing together next time I come back."

"About Jake here?" I resumed, Jake jumped into his defense with an explanation of his own.

""I've been real careful sir, but after Melinda explained things to me I've been very vigilant." He then looked at Montana and exclaimed,

"Did you know they have got machines that fly, folks actually getting in these contraptions and flying through the air? I thought Melinda was spoofin me, but she took me to this big place where all these things were coming and going, I could have watched them for hours."

"Yes Jake," replied Montana matter-o-factly, "I believe Brian did mention something like that to me."

"So Jake," I said, "How are you enjoying life here?" He grimaced, then replied,

"I ain't used to all these strange noises, everything's too loud, and ridin' in these…Cars, as you call 'em takes some getting used to, but I'm learning."

"What's this about you driving?" I asked,

"Well, yeah, Melinda showed me how, and we drove round and round on this big old wide street."

"It was a parking lot Jake," added Melinda.

According to my sister, Jake was starting to get the steering down, but had a lot to learn about breaking, nearly hitting a light pole. Seeing that the conversation was starting to go south, Melinda changed the subject.

"Everything has been sold on the auctions, we didn't get very good prices on those Winchesters, or those Colts you brought back the last time but that Spencer you had brought close to three thousand dollars, and that 1873 Springfield brought forty-five hundred."

"Dollars!" Gasped Montana, Jake wore a surprised look as well prompting me to reply,

"Yes Montana, dollars, I thought I explained to you what we were doing here. Those rifles were practically brand new, that's why they were worth so much, don't forget, I'm knocking close to a hundred and forty years of wear and tear off them." It was obvious from Montana's expression that further explanation was going to be necessary. I then gave my sister a brief overview of what I had this time, citing a trap-door Springfield that had been captured by the Indians and was thus decorated with brass tacks and rawhide.

"While we're here, I want to go somewhere and put a few rounds through that rifle, and send the cases on to that guy you were telling me about that specializes in "Custer" guns."

"Custer guns?" Asked Jake, "What are them?"

"Any weapon that can be proven to have been at the Little Big-Horn, battlefield," I explained.

"Several years ago, there was a big grass fire on the old battlefield site, here in the twenty-first century, we have devices that can detect any sort of metal buried in the ground. Anyway, they scoured that whole battlefield looking for artifacts, spent cartridge cases, unfired bullets, pieces of guns, hell they even found somebody's wedding ring with a finger bone still in it, as well as pieces from leather boots. All this stuff had been lying out there all these years. They now have the ability to match cartridges to the rifle or pistol they were originally fired in, police departments use the technology all the time. There is a man who can check cartridge cases against known weapons and cases already found at the site, if the cases I fire from this rifle matches, the value of that weapon skyrockets."

This information fascinated everyone requiring further explanation and detail.

I grilled some steaks for supper, along with a great bottle of wine my sister had picked up, we spent an evening at home. Melinda put on a movie she had rented called "Somewhere in time," staring Christopher Reeve, and Jane Seymore. Melinda claimed it was one of her favorite movies which surprised me a little, but it wasn't long before Jake and Montana were caught up in it as well. Both accepted things like radio and TV, as well as computers, as strictly modern inventions. Even though Mark and I tried on several occasions to explain their operation, it always went over Melonie or Montana's heads, Jake wasn't much better. As an example, they saw the television, and understood the basics as to what its purpose was, but how those pictures got there was an entirely different matter. Movies were a little different. By explaining how photography had advanced since their time, and by using props I did a pretty good job of bringing home the concept of moving pictures, however, I left the whole business of digital photography and films for another day.

In the film Reeve somehow travels back in time through some sort of hypnotic spell, which only confused Jake and Montana, who knew we were doing it in a machine. Melinda had to stop the DVD more than once to offer explanations. One thing was certain though, quantities of Kleenex were required, as both women became very emotional, especially at the end, and even Jake was visibly affected.

After we had settled down in bed together, I asked Montana,

I take it you enjoyed that story?"

Oh yes, it was very moving, is something like that possible?"

"No Montana," I replied shaking my head, "cluttering the story up with a machine would have detracted from the story's romantic effect, besides you're not supposed to think a whole lot about how the guy traveled back in time, but that he wished hard enough and a miracle happened."

"That was such a beautiful place, does it really exist?"

"Absolutely, didn't you pay any attention; they mentioned the island in the movie."

"Well I must have missed it," she replied.

"The Grand Hotel is on Mackinac Island in Michigan's upper Peninsula, I hear it's supposed to be quite the tourist destination." Montana snuggled closer, as she kissed me,

"I think I would like to go there sometime." Her request caught me completely by surprise.

"What! When?"

"Our honeymoon perhaps," she purred,

"What! You mean back in your time?" I anxiously replied.

"Well yes, silly. Is there a problem?"

"Well I think there's an army post on the island and a village, but I don't think the hotel is there in 1877, now if you're talking the here and now, I suppose…I guess, we would have to drive, it's a long way, well over fourteen hundred miles from here…I think. Anyway, you're talking two or three days getting there."

"Dows that mean you don't want to go?" This was starting to get serious, so I immediately replied,

"I think it would be a nice place to go, but I'm sure you need to make reservations well in advance, and you, and maybe Melonie as well would have to adjust to a long trip riding in my truck. I'm sure we could also fly, but you couldn't get past security, not having any ID, such as a drivers license."

"Well it was a nice thought," sniffed Montana, I caressed her, and replied,

"It is a nice thought and one that is not impossible, but it might be a good idea for you and Mel to get a little more adjusted to modern life."

The next morning as we were eating breakfast, Craig told me he wanted to check out Lowe's and Home Depot, for prices on some modern items we might need, at which Jake voiced his interest in going as well. I then suggested that the rest of us head for one of the casinos for some poker, and maybe a little Keno.

"It will be interesting Montana, you can see how games like poker, Blackjack, and Keno have evolved, maybe even sit in on a couple games, they don't play for very high stakes in most of them."

"Well right now Montana and I are going shopping, and maybe stop by the place where I get my hair done," announced Melinda." This bit of news was received with much surprise from Montana, but after Melinda explained everything, she voiced no more objections,

Shortly after two everyone returned from our respective quests. Craig and I had lined up a number of supplies we would need for the boarding house project with Jake still talking about the twin fantasy lands of Lowes, and Menards, that had left the poor guy in shock. If it had been up to him, we would have still been wandering up and down aisles marveling at toilets, tools, and general hardware.

About a half hour after we returned home, my sister and Montana came waltzing in the door.

My first reaction was,

"I don't know where my sister took you, but they certainly get top marks in my book."

Montana's hair was a deep brunette styled in what Melinda called a sleek ghignon, but looked to me like a traditional pulled back style. Regardless, she really looked incredible, and I told her so. She also had her ears pierced, something quite unusual for her. For Melinda, the whole experience was routine, but for Montana, the salon experience left her with a whole lot of questions and curiosities. Not being familiar with what goes on in a salon, the best I could offer was,

"Kinda puts a whole different light on being a "painted woman," doesn't it?"

"They wanted me to wear my hair long," explained Montana, but I've never worn my hair long or even liked it that way. This way, my hair is braided a bit but pulled back. They washed, and dyed it as well, I simply could not adjust to that remarkable place and the things they were able to perform."

"Once her lobes heal a little she can wear the earrings she bought," added Melinda. Montana showed me a beautiful set of gold earrings she had bought, and the thing that made them even more special was that they were crafted from Black Hills gold.

That evening, we all headed downtown to one of the better casino's to play some cards. Montana was eager to play, and we were eager to see how she'd do. Since she normally, dealt cards, Montana spent a fair amount of time watching others play, noting the new rules, and modern changes to poker. Along with that, she tried her had at the roulette and Keno tables. One of the big changes that took her by surprise was that no actual cash sat on the table; it was all chips, a feature that intrigued her.

"I find this very interesting, substituting cash for these poker chips would avoid the problem of money lying around asking to be lifted."

"Something else to consider," I added, "Every casino has their own chips, you have to play with only the chips issued by the casino you happen to be in, chips aren't transferable."

She didn't say anymore, but I could tell the gears were turning in her head.

Craig didn't feel like playing cards so he stuck with the slots, while Jake and Melinda went with Keno. Montana found a poker game that was forming, bought a stack of chips and introduced herself. Before long she and four others were deep in the game, while I just stood back and watched. Back in Purgatory, she dealt the cards and ran the game, here it was a casino dealer, and the game was Texas Hold-em. Before we came, I walked her through the basics, so she had a pretty good idea of how things had changed. The first game, Montana lost, the second game, she broke even, before she was ready to go back, we ate supper. No one else was winning anything, although Jake had gotten "hooked" on Roulette, but was almost out of the money I had given him.

"This game has changed so much," exclaimed Montana, "But actually I find the changes to my liking, but the thing I find most refreshing, are my fellow players. Nobody has a gun under the table, or looking for any excuse to kill you, I find that I can relax and concentrate completely on what I'm doing."

"How are you at reading their faces?" I asked.

"Oh about the same," she replied, I'm obviously playing against experienced card players."

Within a short time, she had found another game, and before long, the action was heating up.