Rotedrachen's Page

Chapter Four

When they got up in the morning, Frank was already hard at work on the portable sawmill, even though the sun had barely risen. Will decided to fell a few trees and drag them in. That way, Frank would have something to test the completed contraption on. His two wives both insisted on going with him. He wasn't about to argue, since he'd appreciate the company. Will knew he had no chance of winning an argument, even if he wanted to.

Figuring to 'kill two buzzards with one rock', they started clearing a road. It had been a royal bitch to get the wagons back home. Will didn't even consider not using a chainsaw. He figured the most work would be at the beginning, so it would be beyond stupid of him not to. He wasn't going to waste gas by using the truck to drag them, though. Jughead and the horses would just have to earn their keep!

They worked until lunch time, with Will cutting and trimming. The girls worked on dragging them to the vicinity of the mill. Not all of the trees would be cut there. They were building cabins, after all. When they took a break to eat, they figured enough had been cut to test Frank's toy. For a while, at least, they'd move the rest to where the cabins were to be constructed.

When they made the last trip, Frank took a break, too. "Will, I been a'thinkin'" he said. "It don't make much sense to go through all the trouble o' wrasslin' with that big ol' engine thing. After I square these off, that other thing...the band saw?, well, that thing looked to be suitable for cuttin' squared off timber into board stock, with a little work on a guide fer it. Won't waste that gas-o-line you was complainin' about neither!"

That sounded good to Will, and he added "Remind me to show you 'bout the planer later, Frank. I been thinkin' too. I plumb forgot it was there! Ain't used the thing in years, but I suppose it still works."

Frank just had to know what that was, and right now, he loved gadgets! Will managed to get him to wait untl they were eating, and described it as they had lunch. Frank was almost as excited by the drum sander, at least until Will told him how long the belts he had on hand would last. Knowing him, Will figured Frank would lay awake at night trying to figure out a way to make more! He was already speculating on it. He knew of a company back east that made abrasive paper, and wondered if he could have them try to make some belts if they were ordered special.

"Probably cost too danged much, though," Frank surmised.

This speculation by his friend got Will to thinking on a subject that had worried him for quite a bit. He figured it was time to 'shit or get off the pot', so he cornered Carrie for a conference. The result was that they asked the four brothers, Jess, and Becky to meet them in the barn.

They led the group downstairs to Will's 'strong room'. There was a small safe there, but that wasn't where Will headed. The safe was much too small for the job. Instead, he unlocked the closet and opened the door. The big nugget, along with a huge pile of smaller ones, grabbed their attention pretty quick.

Becky sputtered "Is that all gold?"

"Yep," Will replied. "'Fraid so. We been a little careful with the find. Some folks lose their sense when they see color. We were hopin' y'all weren't the kind to do that. We just don't know enough about the others to say. We're leavin' it up to you whether to tell the women or not. We figure you know 'em better than we do. The hands and the rest, are another matter. I trust Hank pretty well, but I don't know nothin' about the rest of the folks."

"I'm a mite surprised y'all even tol' us!" Jess said. "If word got out, this place would go to hell in a handcart, and mighty quick, at that!"

Artie proved to be as level-headed as they had hoped. "I see the need to tell us, since we kinda need to know what we got to work with. If'n I was you, I wouldn't tell no one else, though. I'd also make sure the diggin's was hid good, an' do some meanderin' around to cut the chances of any more obvious sign down. Like as not, word'll get out anyhow. You cain't hide the fact that you got it. If you cain't spend it, what good is it anyhow?"

Of course, Frank had the answer to that one! "I say we make a smelter! The mold fer the golds would be a snap! Hell, we don't even need a smelter! The danged forge would work jest fine! Gold melts at a lot lower heat than iron, ye' see. All I need to git started is a bit more clay an' a heap o' charcoal! Nobody need know where the golds was made but us!"

Will was damned glad that they had stumbled on this bunch, but he saw one major flaw in Frank's plan. "You're already doin' the work of three men, Frank," Will said. There just plain ain't enough of you to spread around any more. How do you plan to get all this done?"

He was happy to elaborate. "First off, you can trust our wives jest as much as you do us. Most of the work is 'tote an' carry'. They'd be all I need fer the forge an' smeltin'. Lumber will be a mite harder. Ain't no secrets there, though. The other folks should be able to handle things once they's learnt how it be done. Some o' the folks what was slaves, done asked if they could help me out a bit. They's wantin' a roof o' their own as much as the rest o' us.

That was how things went. First of all, they needed to make yet another trip to town. Will only had tools for one man at a time to use. With only one chainsaw for felling trees, they needed more hand tools. With their past experiences, it was decided that they would travel in a group. Becky and Carrie would go, of course. There was no arguing with them on that! Hank needed a couple of things, as did Frank. They'd travel along, as would Jess.

It was a pleasant trip, all in all. There weren't any auctions or fights, anyway. The tools that they needed were plentiful, also. Will picked up five double-bladed axes, along with a few hatchets. They even ran across a couple of two-man saws, which would come in handy.

Frank had spoken to the town blacksmith about a couple of things. When he understood that the questions weren't something that would cause him to have any competition, they hit it off. Frank got him to order some things for the ranch, such as an anvil and tongs, among other items.

Jesse wanted to see the cooper, and paid up-front for several kegs and barrels. He seemed to think that he'd be ready to set some whiskey to aging in a week or so. He'd been busy on that, as well as making beer as fast as the equipment on hand would allow. He was running out of both ingredients, and things to put the finished product in.

The logs were piling up fast, so some of the help was started on building the actual cabins. Frank would be ready to start cutting planks for the flooring long before they were needed. Cal and hap were working on the vein of gold we'd found, and Artie began to scout around some for more. When things were moving along well enough, Will went with him to get a better feel for the changes in the area that he might have missed.

One of these trips brought the next bit of excitement. They heard gunfire in the distance, and rode in carefully to see what it might be about. They dismounted when they got close, and looked in on the action. There were two wagons being attacked from below Will and Artie's position. It wasn't hard to tell who the bad guys were.

It appeared to be the same sort of ambush that Janie and her folks had run into. The folks in the wagon were barely holding their own. Artie and Will were in perfect position to 'bushwhack the bushwhackers' and wasted no time in doing so. There were six of the assholes, and before they even knew the shoe was on the other foot, all of them were down.

After announcing themselves to the folks in the wagons, they checked on the attackers. Only one was still breathing, and he wouldn't hang on much longer. With that out of the way, they checked on the wagons. It turned out to be a group of settlers.

Once the gratitude had run the course, they discovered that the group was composed of two families. Other than the husband and wife pairs, there were six girls and five boys that looked to range from late teens to eight years old or so. It was hard to understand them at first. They were fairly new to the country and were from Italia. Will supposed that must be Italy. They sure sounded like it.

Once it was discovered that they had immigrated in order to start a winery, Will's interest went up tenfold. He told them of a valley he knew of that would be perfect for grapes. That served to make the settlers perk right up.

The one Will assumed was the leader asked "You know the graps?"

Will ventured "I know a bit, but I'm willin' to bet that you folks know a heap more than I do about growin' the things and makin' decent wine from the squeezin's. I do know this area pretty well, though. That valley is perfect for grapes, the whole area is. I even grow a few kinds around my place. They do real well."

The fellow seemed confused. "You not mind the foreigner for neighbor?"

Artie said "As long as you're good folks, we don't give a hoot where ye hail from! You folks don't abide by ownin' people do ye?"

The oldest youngster seemed peeved at that one, she piped right in. "Barbarians! How could one person own another? This is impossible!" She thought a second and said "This is what those animals wanted?... To take us as slave?"

"I'm 'fraid so, miss. They'd probably have killed your folks, and most likely any of the boys that fought 'em. They would have took you girls to sell and left the boys that were left to fend for themselves, if they were lucky."

That sobered them up a bit. It also seemed to decide them that the valley was sounding better all the time. They were anxious to find a place soon, because one of the wagons was filled with vines that needed to get in the ground before long.

Will and Frank led the group back to the cabin, as it was too late in the day to see the valley Will had in mind. He promised to do that in the morning. When they pulled up, and all the introductions were over, they invited the newcomers to eat with them. It was a good thing some of the former slaves knew how to hunt! Two of the men were keeping them fairly well supplied.

Hoping he might get lucky, Will asked if they knew herbs. The women started right in on the subject, and seemed to know a lot. Will kept a few things, but they seemed to have what they needed to do it up right. He had only planted Bay Leaf, Oregano, and Basil. All the others had been the store-bought variety. With no more stores, he'd be out of luck pretty soon.

Will even broke out some of his homemade wine for the experts to sample. He was pleased with their response, but got the impression that they thought it could be better. He figured they were right. There was even enough time before dark to show them his grapes. That made them pretty happy. It seemed they hadn't ever heard of Riesling or Cabernet Sauvignon before. From all the excitement, it looked like they didn't give a hoot about what the valley looked like, as long as they could get some of those grapevines!

One thing was a worry, though. Gia, the oldest Italian girl, seemed to have a thing for Will. Becky and Carrie thought it was funny, but Will didn't. What really scared him was that after she had rubbed about every part of her possible on him, he noticed her folks smiling about her antics! What made it worse was that the girl was some kind of pretty. She had long dark hair, pouty little lips, and a body straight out of penthouse. In short, she was what he would have termed a 'babe' in his old world.

Just when he thought he might escape, Bianca and Pauli cornered him. They were Gia's parents. He was getting more panicked by the second. Then they started in on him!

First Pauli with "You like my daughter, eh?"

Then Bianca with "She sure lik'a you!"

Bianca obviously wore the pants in the family. "Gia never like man before, this is good! She old maid now, should be married and having grandbabies! I worry for her, you treat good, OK?"

She turned the floor over to Pauli, and Will swore he sounded like a used car salesman, it even seemed like he was offering a 'test drive'. "She good worker, too! Italia woman very hot-blooded, you be very happy with our Gia, you see!"

He felt like strangling his mates. Over the parents shoulders, he saw them laughing their asses off at his predicament! And Gia was between them! He was trapped. Will had no idea how to get out of this without offending these people. He couldn't even use the excuse that his mates would have to approve before he agreed!

He tried using the scamps anyway. "Folks," will said "Gia's a beautiful woman, and I'm sure she's everything you say. The problem is, I already have two wives, and..."

That was as far as he got before Bianca interrupted. "Is custom here, no? There many more women than men here, man need many wife! You no like my Gia?"

Shit!, Double shit! Try as he might, he couldn't come up with anything else. The only consulation he had was seeing that three of the other dark haired beauties had Frank, Cal, and Hap cornered!

His fate was sealed when Carrie and Becky strolled over with a very smug looking olive-skinned and saucy Gia still between them.

"We were just telling Gia what a wonderful husband you are" Carrie said. She's really looking forward to joining us!"

The other culprit added "She really wants to learn how to shoot, but most of all, she wants to ride. Will you teach her how?"

Everybody there knew exactly what she meant. Gia sure knew, even with her dark complexion, Will saw the blush. Her parents thought it was the funniest damn thing they'd ever heard, they were laughing like fuckin' Hyenas!

Will wasn't too happy about being led like a bull with a nose ring, and pulled his scheming brides into their room as soon as they reached the cabin. "What in the hell do you two think you're doing? Do you intend to build me a damn harem, or what?"

"Not a bad idea, Will" Carrie snapped back "but that's not the general idea. Before you get your shorts in any more of a knot, I think you should hear Becky out. She's been teachin' me a few things about how they operate around these parts. It's things you should know, if you want to fit in."

He was still pissed, but managed to say "Alright, before I turn the two of you over my knee and tan your hides, I'll hear you out. It better be a damn good yarn, though!"

He rolled his eyes when he saw the look Becky shot him. He might have known what that threat meant to her, she'd love it!

Becky tried to explain anyway. "It's like this, Will. A man here can take as many wives as he can support. For most men, that's none, or one, at the most. A man has his importance judged by how many women he has, and how pretty they are. If you want to be a leader here, you need more of us. You gotta get the best, and we figure five will do. Every one had best be smart, tough, and drop-dead gorgeous. With Gia, you got two, what will fill the bill. I'll just try an' stay outta sight as much as I can so's folks don't notice me as much."

That did it. Without saying a thing, Will started taking Becky's clothes off. She actually looked scared! The shirt he just ripped off, but he took his time on the pants. The underwear was also ripped from her body. He sat down and yanked her across his lap and began to swat her pretty little ass with gusto.

Each blow was punctuated by "I.never.want.to.hear.you.say.you.are.not.pretty!...you. are.a.damn.fine.looking.woman!"

With just those eighteen swats, Becky's ass was as red as her hair. Will's lap was soaked, too! Her pussy was running like a faucet! He threw her on the bed and yelled at Carrie. "Hold our beautiful wife's arms for me, lover. I'm about to fuck her silly, and I'd like to be in one piece when I'm done!"

Carrie obeyed like never before (actually, she never had), and pinned the other girls arms above her head as Will started pounding her for all he was worth. Becky was so loud that Will was worried everybody in the state would come running to save her. He lasted as long as he could, but when the massive orgasm rolled over her and that tight little snatch locked up on him, he roared as he emptied his balls into her.

He and Carrie both started raining kisses on the sobbing redhead then. He was afraid that he had gone too far, until she sobbed "You do love me!"

When they left the bedroom, Gia was in the hallway. They didn't need to ask if she'd heard Becky's screams. The look in her eyes said it all, as she gasped "Successone! che un uomo!"

They didn't have a clue what she had said. When Will asked, she turned red as a beet, and ran off. It was Will's turn to blush when Becky asked Gia's sister, Lita to translate. The girl gave them a huge smile and told them Gia said 'Wow! What a man!' She also revealed that she knew why her sister had said it.

"We tell each other everything" she said. "I am wondering if perhaps I choose wrong man!" She turned her big, brown eyes to the women and asked "He really make you scream in joy, like Gia say? "

If she was looking to embarass somebody, she was looking in the wrong spot. Carrie laughed and replied "Ask your sister after her wedding night, I'm sure she'll tell you all about it. Maybe you can use the information to train your man the way we have ours." Lita thought that was damn funny!

Will didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings, but he had to ask "Why in tarnation did you girls settle on snaggin' us for husbands al the sudden?"

Lita was happy to let him know. "We have been here three year now. Every time we try to stop, the people, they don't like us. They tell us go, and they steal our things. They call us names, and treat us bad. You are first men that treat us good. Mama and papa, they want us be happy. They want for us to find men that will treat us like papa treat mama. You and others, you are such men. We like you very much. We think you like us very much, too. We will make each other good match. You will see!"

Knowing he had lost the fight, Will went to help Jess. Maybe he had some 'shine ready, so he could get good and drunk. When he showed up, he found out that Artie, Cal, and Hap had beat him to it.

They were all smiling, but it was one of those 'what the hell just happened to me' smiles. Artie shook his head as Will arrived. "I ain't never seen the like of that bunch!" he remarked as Jess handed Matt a share. "They'd purty as all get-out, but I ain't never seen such a pushy crowd in my life. They just ain't no arguin' with 'em. We done figured the fight was lost, so we come out here to lick our wounds. I guess you done the same."

"Yep" will replied, "there sure wasn't anybody on my side in the scrap. When a man's outnumbered like that, the best he can do is run. I just can't figure out whether I'm happy about it or not. Two of 'em are runnin me to a frazzle. Ain't no tellin' what three will do."

"Mebbe you should let 'em find out what they's in fer, afore you take 'em to wife" Jess suggested. They done bragged as to how hard a workers they was. Put 'em to the test! We need more meat, Will. Take the one that fancies you out huntin'. Frank could see how his fancies totin' mud an' makin' brick for the forge. Artie, Cal, an' Hap are workin' on cabins. Test the others out on totin' logs. Mebbe they'll change their minds, once they find out what work is!"

That night, Will was treated like a king by his two brides. He was pretty sure what they were up to, but was enjoying it too much to complain, especially when they went to bed. Both women worked to make him feel like he never had before. They did pour it on a little thick.

When he commented "I can't keep up with two of you, how in the hell do you expect me to handle three?"

He got "We're thinking tou need seven of us. That way, you'd have one for each night. Besides, what with Carrie pregnant, she'll be out of action for a while" from Becky

Will didn't miss that bit of information! He even overlooked the part about the extras! The best part was that the two older Italian women knew all about midwifery. They loved all over Carrie until she was worn out, to celebrate.

The next morning, Will was shocked. Gia was dressed, armed, and ready to ride at first light. She got two large bucks with two shots. After the second one, Will asked "Didn't you say that you wanted me to teach you how to shoot? Looks like you already know what you're doing."

Gia smiled and said "The rifle, yes. I do not know how to shoot the pistol. I have never tried to do this."

She wasn't shy about blood and guts, either. She pulled her weight field dressing both bucks and loading them on the pack animals. On the way back to the cabin, she told Will more about herself and the others. It seems that where they were from, if a girl hit fourteen and wasn't married, her folks began to get worried. Most girls ended up with men at least twice their age, and the majority weren't too happy about it.

Sensing a way out, Will said "You're seventeen and I'm thirty-four. That would make me twice your age, too. Wouldn't you rather have a younger man? I wouldn't want you to be unhappy."

That seemed to piss her off some. "You are a young man, still. We will have many years together. This I know. I would be very happy as your wife, but not unless you want me also. If you do not, then say so! I will leave, and bother you no more!"

Will sealed his fate completely then. "Gia, there is no man in his right mind that wouldn't want you. You're beautiful, that's a fact. More than that though, I think you're cut out to make it around here. From what I've seen, you're everything a man could want in a woman."

She flashed that smile again. "Then you will have me?"

Truth be told, he'd have her right there in the woods. All he said, though, was "Yes."

Her smile got even bigger, but she didn't say anything.

There was a lot of activity when they got back. Carrie and Becky had taken the two wine makers to see the valley, since Carrie knew where it was. All of the other Italian folks were hard at it, except for the two youngest. Will was amazed at how much had been done in their absence. Frank's Chainsaw mill was running full blast, and in the lulls between logs, he heard the bandsaw was busy, too.

One cabin was halfway up, and there was still a good supply of logs ready to be added. The older women wasted no time in taking over the venison, and shoo'd Will and Gia off to get cleaned up.

As soon as they walked into the cabin, the seduction began. Gia was one of those girls who didn't even have to try very hard. The "innocent" brushes against him, the constant touching of his arms, and her attentive nature seemed to come naturally to her. She even insisted on cooking for them that night, and proved her worth in the kitchen, too.

Will wasn't going to make it easy for the schemers, though. It would be hard, but he was determined to hold out as long as he could before he actually asked Gia to join them. He'd be lucky to last a week. Will knew that, but he was hoping the others didn't.

Frank had some good/bad news in the morning. "We were gettin' some clay from down by the crick late yesterday," he told Will. "Genji come and fetched me and showed me somethin' you ought to know about."

He held an old coffee can out to Will, and he looked inside. It was almost full of gold. Will sighed. "How much?"

"I don't rightly know, but this was all pretty much come from the same spot. They's bound to be more. This was at a bend, and was trapped against some rocks."

"If word gets out about this" Will said needlessly, "we're in trouble. There will be so many people come floodin' in here they'll run us ragged. Any ideas?"

"Only one," Frank admitted, "and it's not very good. All of us are just too busy to be messin' with it, 'cept for three. The young 'uns ain't quite big enough to do much work, but they could pan fer gold. We'd have to tell the new folks about the gold, though."

"That might be a good idea, Frank," Will replied. From what I hear, the last thing they want to see is the kind of people that would show up around here. I get the feelin' we can trust them. After all," he chuckled, "It looks like they're about to be relatives!"

"Don't I know it!" Frank laughed in reply, "I'm runnin' out of excuses. Ain't sure I want to be thinkin' up any new ones, either!"

They found the two immigrant patriarchs, Pauli and Stefano, and got them to the barn. As Will had expected, they didn't like the fact that gold was in the area.

"The thieves and the killers, they come here!" Stefano exclaimed. "We have seen this. "If word of this gold is known, we must fight, or leave!"

That didn't sit well with Pauli. "I am tired of running from our problems, Stefano. We have found a good place here. These are good people, I have not met one like them since we leave Italia. The valley, it is perfect for the graps, also. You may leave if you wish. I stay here and fight as long as the people here wish us to."

Stefano was a bit miffed at his friend. "You know me better than this! We will stay, of course. I just point out fact!"

With the ruffled feathers soothed, they asked about having the youngest pan for gold. The two men thought it was a fine idea, and promised to see that it was done. Their youngest were both nine, and Janie was eleven. They all proved to be quick learners, and were soon hard at it.

Whether it was a good thing or not, no one ventured. The trail to the road was almost cleared. By most everyone working on one cabin at a time, they were progressing fast. The hardest part of the whole thing, strangely enough, were the shingles. There were plenty of cedars around, but each shingle had to be made by hand. The younger teeenagers were set to this task, and after they got the hang of it, could almost keep up.

Frank was ahead on lumber, and began to devote his attention to the forge/smelter. Will knew nothing about it, but was told it was an open hearth design. He also had a beehive oven built. Will thought Frank must know a hell of a lot about what he was doing. He turned out to be correct.

"When I found out there was a decent coal seam close by, the whole she-bang I had all figgered out was shot to hell," he explained. Ain't got no burners fer the gas, lest I make 'em. Charcoal ain't quite hot enough fer what I want, neither. With this-here setup I can make my own coke. With that, I can make dang near anything we want."

When Will asked what he planned on making first, Frank surprised him.

"Guns. That an' them bullets they use. All I need now is iron and brass. I suppose I'd best bump the golds up the list some. It'll cost to get it shipped in."

Will asked what kind of guns Frank had in mind. "First off," he said, "I'm takin' a crack at that one you called a M1911-A1. I like the way it shoots, and there ain't that many parts to make fer one. Hardest part is the springs an' the clip."

That one wouldn't work. Will explained the difference between the gunpowder available and the smokeless powder that weapon needed. He didn't know if the Colt would hold up with what they had to work with. It was too corosive.

Before Frank could ask, Will told him "I know the process to make it, but even if we had the stuff it took, I wouldn't try it. You might have never heard of nitroglycerin, but it's a mite touchy to work with, I'm told. We might end up blowin' the place up. I know how to make it, but unless we can find somebody willin' to try, I think we'd best leave that idea alone for now."

Frank went on "Fer the long gun, I like that lever-action 1886 you use. A bit more parts than I like, but still doable. As long as we're only usin' two kinds of them cartridges, I think I can keep us goin', as long as nobody forgets to bring back the empties."

This was good news, and Will hoped he wasn't overestimating what he could do. His shop was pretty well equipped, but he had never considered what was involved in making a weapon from scratch. If Frank could pull it off, the smithy was going to be his full-time job. Hell, he'd need a couple of helpers!

Still, Will had his doubts, and asked "You ain't seen all my guns, have you?"

"You mean you got more?" Frank was amazed. "Mebbe I should take me a look-see."

Frank was the first one besides Carrie to see his collection, and he was like a kid in a candy store. About the time Will convinced him that one cartridge for both weapons would make more sense for the folks doing the shooting, his eyes locked onto Will's most prized weapon.

"What in the hell is that thing?" he wanted to know.

"That, my friend," Will chortled, "Is a model 1881, .45 caliber, genuine, Gatling gun. With the Bruce feeder it has, that thing will shoot until the barrels melt." Will went on to describe what it would do, and his friend was in love.

It looked like Frank had another project. He took the Ruger Vaquero .44 Magnum and the Winchester model 92 Interarms reproduction with him. It was also a .44 Magnum. If those didn't stop somebody, nothing would. The Vaquero was a single-action and at seven and a half inches, the barrel was a little long for Will's taste. Still, it was a nice handgun.

Frank worried about the women being able to handle either of them. Conceding the point, they agreed on a Winchester '73 chambered for .32-30, and a Colt single-action Army of the same caliber.

He left Frank to his work, and feeling useless, went to help build some cabins. Will was beginning to finally put some muscle back on since he and Carrie had arrived. For a couple of years, any strenuous work had brought on a headache that put him in bed for days. Now, he felt like he could work from sunup to sundown without stopping. By the end of the day, a bunkhouse and three cabins were finished enough for people to sleep in. One more was almost ready, and might have been if the women didn't leave to make something softer than floors to sleep on.

The brothers and their mates continued to sleep in the barn for now. At least until the others had a roof over their heads. Tomorrow they'd have to try out the road to take a wagon to town. The women needed more things for their work and wanted some chickens. They needed to order Frank's supplies, too.

After supper, Gia talked Will into giving her some shooting lessons. At first, it was frustrating. In order to get her to hold the pistol the right way, he had to stand behind her and reach around to position her hands correctly. Gia's arms were fairly long, so this resulted in her rear end being firmly planted in his crotch. This had the expected effect on Will, much to the delight of his student. He figured it must be as distracting for her as it was him. She wasn't doing very well. Becky spoiled her fun.

They turned when they heard her laugh, and she spilled the beans. "What an actress! Will, I worked with her earlier, and she can shoot the eyeballs out of a rattler at fifty feet!"

"You spoil all my fun," Gia pouted. She holstered her .32, and let Will move away. She then drew and put all five shots in a circle roughly two inches in diameter on the target Will had set up. Her first shot seemed to have been right on center, and had come so fast after she cleared leather that will wasn't sure he could match her speed.

Becky cracked up again. "Ain't she something? I swear that girl can do anything! Ain't but one thing we haven't seen her do yet that needs done." She poked Will in the chest and got serious. "And your other wives expect to be seein' that done mighty soon, you hear me?"

She walked calmly away, leaving them alone. Gia looked at him and said "I get you in the trouble?"

Will looked at those pouty little lips of hers and gave up. He wrapped his arms around her and found out that they felt just as good as they looked. The kiss lasted quite a while, and when it ended, Gia's eyes stayed closed for a moment. When they opened, she looked at him in wonder for even longer before she screamed "Finally!" and jumped into his arms for another.

The scream must have been louder than Will thought, because when the kiss ended they had an audience. Gia's whole damn family was there, along with most everybody else. They were all laughing their asses off. 'Probably at me', Will thought.

He decided on a little "payback" and threw Gia over his shoulder before calmly walking to the cabin and to the bedroom. It didn't work. The damn crowd cheered, and Gia seemed perfectly happy to accept the lift.

He wasn't really mad. Not only had he known it was coming, but he just didn't have it in him to get mad at Gia. She was a little scamp, and a plotter, but it was all in fun. He figured the other two were just the same, so she'd fit right in.

He set her down gently, and kissed her again. Unlike some others, Gia didn't seem to be in a hurry. She was even happy that Will suggested a shower. They had been working all day, and both of them smelled like it. She was very modest though, and insisted he take his first.

Since she seemed shy, he took a pair of sweat pants with him to wear afterwards. When he came out of the bathroom, she asked him to wait in bed for her. She looked down at the tent in his sweats and smiled as she said "I will not be long," before closing the door behind her.

She took his breath away when she emerged. Will wasn't much on movies, but the last one he had seen was the remake of "Casino Royale". Gia looked remarkably like Caterina Murino, who had played "Solange" in the film.

She slid into bed next to him and lay still. She seemed to be trembling in fear. Will leaned over and kissed her gently, taking his time. Eventually, she relaxed enough to respond. Each time Will explored somewhere new with his hands, he got the same response.

Worried, Will asked "Are you sure you want to do this, Gia? We don't have to, if you don't"

She smiled then and said "I want to very much. I am just afraid you will not be pleased with me. I do not know what to do, and do not want to disappoint you."

Will gave her a smile of his own, and said "Relax, and let it happen. I'll take care of the rest, OK? We have all the time in the world, and I'm sure you'll be just as wonderful as you seem to be at everything else."

Will went to work, then. He didn't miss a single millimeter of flesh as he kissed his way down her voluptuous frame. Her breasts were very sensitive and she seemed to be frustrated when he finally left them. It was obvious that she had no idea what he was up to, until it happened. Gia was extremely worked up by the time he parted her thighs to see her distended clit fully exposed from the little hood.

He sucked it between his lips, and went to town on it. Her scream was deeper than the ones she had heard while listening outside the door of the bedroom, but the volume was close. He decided to go for two. The second one came quickly, and just as loud. She was still panting when he got in position and placed his cock at her entrance. He didn't ask if she was ready, the look in her eyes told him all he needed to know.

Will had been hopeful that something would have taken care of her hymen for him, but no such luck. "This may hurt, babe," he told her.

Gia gasped "After such pleasure, what does pain matter? Please make me your woman!"

It could have been worse, but it was bad enough. He saw her wince, and stopped. "Let me know when you want me to go on, OK?"

A heartbeat later, she moaned "Now, oh, now!"

He made love to her slowly, and it was unbelievable. She fit him perfectly, and was loving every second of it by the third stroke. After a few minutes, Gia gasped "It feels so good! Please go faster, my love? "

Will slowly increased his tempo, and Gia locked her feet in the small of his back as she urged him for even more. When he finally couldn't hold off anymore, he came with a roar. That set Gia off again, as well. Will collapsed on top of her and rolled them over. They fell asleep immediately.

Will woke up surrounded by beautiful women. He almost laughed when he thought 'blonde, red, and black hair. I guess I better watch out for brunettes, if I know what's good for me.' When the girls stirrred and looked at him, he saw the love in their gaze, and added 'or maybe not.' To keep from being too embarassed, he made a hasty retreat when Gia insisted on giving a 'blow by blow' account of the previous nights activities.

He suspected her reply was because her sister, lita was there. "It was more than I could dream of, miei amore! I can hardly wait for tonight to come, so that we may explore our love yet further!"

Lita walked off in a blushing huff, and Gia and the girls laughed their pretty little asses off. Artie was the lone holdout, and it was driving Lita nuts. Will confided to them that he had heard Artie catching forty kinds of hell from Lian last night, and that he figured Lita might be busy tonight.

They saw he was right, when Lita reappeared seconds later with Lian and Artie. They were going along. Lita would travel in the wagon with Lian, while Artie was riding. All of the girls kept their sidearms strapped on, except Lian. She was still using the ten guage shotgun.

Will asked Becky about it and she snorted "The hell with what they think. If they want to try and take 'em away from us, they're welcome to try!"

They were taking some fresh coins with them, too. Frank's first batch was done last night. He had used charcoal for the smelting, and claimed it worked real well. The only thing that worried Will was that the fresh ones looked better than the real thing.

When Hank saw what they were up to, he asked if he and Helen, the former slave he had asked to be his wife, could join them. "Might as well get all the excitement over at once," he opined. "If white girls carryin' a gun don't get their goat, a black one surely will!"

Hank had been working with his new bride. She wasn't the fastest around, he said, but she could hit what she was aiming at. Will hoped Frank's venture into gun making worked out. He was quickly running out of weapons. Helen was carrying a .38 Smith and Wesson 'police special' in a shoulder rig. That was another thing they were short on. You couldn't find holsters to fit what he had, or what Frank was making. They were going to have to either find a tanner for leather, or someone who could make what they needed.

Thinking of this, they made the gunsmith the first stop. There was immediate trouble. As soon as the owner saw Helen, He snarled "We don't allow no niggers in here!"

Will stopped Hank from responding and said "Fine, I suppose I'll just have to spend my golds somewhere else, then. I here there's another town about the same distance the other way. Maybe they want our money a little more than you do."

Ignoring his protests, they went to the mercantile next. The fellow there seemed to be ready to say the same thing before remembering how much money Will had spent there. They purchased a few things, including about all of the cloth he had on hand. They also discovered there was a tanner outside of town who did pretty fair leatherworking. He located outside of town because of the inevitible stench he produced.

The revelation that people used gas here had prompted Will to ask another question. When he got his answer, he was glad that he had. What he had ordered was far from cheap. The copper tubing and fittings would allow the cabins that were close enough to at least have gaslights, though. He ordered several of those as well. The electricity supply would only power so much, even if he had the fixtures to install. There were also two furnaces and a gas stove that might be salvaged. He had moved them to the barn when he switched to electric power.

Will showed the tanner what he wanted, and he said he could do it. He'd never seen a holster or saddle scabbard like the ones Will wanted, but was too happy to get the business to ask many questions. After the last stop to buy some chickens, they headed home.

It's amazing how much you don't pay attention to in the area you live in. Will and Carrie were both reminded of this when Hank told them about Altaville and Vallecita on the way back. These were the towns on the other side of their claim.

Altaville had a foundry, and the could get all of Frank's stock from there. Vallecita was a gold mining town. Hank wisely suggested they steer clear of there.

As soon as Frank heard about Altaville, he was ready to go. They finally convinced him to wait for morning, but it took a while. The rest of the day was spent on construction again. Will figured they'd all be sleeping indoors in a few days.

The evenings were even more interesting than before. The girls decided to alternate nights, but they all slept in the same bed. Will had serious difficulties limiting himself to one a night. The sight of the other two naked beauties kept things fairly rigid, and the girls took advantage of the situation.

This night was no exception. It was supposed to be only Carrie, but with her on top, he found a red furball descending towards him. The fact that Becky was making out with Carrie was enough to ensure that even Gia got a turn. She was also even more enthusiastic about the girl-girl thing than the others! He had his suspicions that it wasn't her first time, either. She sure had Carrie screaming!

Frank and Genji went along with them to Altaville in the morning, with his new bride Mercede. Hank and Helen were taking the trip again, as well. The trip was actually shorter in this direction. They completed their business with no trouble, and headed back with a wagon load of steel.

Just outside town, they saw a girl dart into the bushes at the side of the road. Becky and Gia took off and caught her. They had to drag her most of the way back, and it took all of the girls to convince her she wasn't about to be raped on the spot.

What finally convinced her was when Becky pointed to her gun and said "If I wasn't with these fellers 'cause I choose to be, would I be wearing this?"

The girl broke down then, and wasn't able to tell them a thing until they got to the cabin. After something to eat and drink, she confided in them. Her name was Dominga Montoya. She and her father had a claim outside of Vallecita. A few days ago three men had rode in and jumped their claim, killing her father in the process. She had been far enough away to escape without being found.

"Can I buy a gun" she asked? "I can not let these men get away with killing father. I must return and do to them what they did to him. It is a matter of honor!"

She was obviously of Spanish blood, and was a dark-haired cutie just as Gia was. Before Will's trio got any ideas, he said "I agree that they have to pay for their crime, Dominga. Do you actually think you can manage it alone?"

"I must!" she responded, "It is my duty!"

"How about this? Will said, "We loan you a gun, and teach you how to use it. In return, you let us hide out of sight to back you up. We won't interfere unless it's necessary, deal?"

Dominga had shot the kind of pistols common here, but nothing like what Will's bunch had. She quickly caught on, though. Much to Carrie's consternation, Will even told her what to say when she confronted the men.

"OK, here's what you do, Dominga" he told her. "Step out in the open and say "My name is Dominga Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die."

Everyone thought it was perfect, and couldn't understand why Carrie thought it was funny.

As soon as she got him alone, she punched his arm. "You goofball!" she scolded. "Princess Bride was one of my favorite movies! I can't believe you made me laugh when the poor girl just lost her daddy!" She then admitted "I noticed her name, too. I might have suggested the same thing, but you could have warned me!"

The next day, Dominga led them to the claim, and she caught them flat-footed. They were in a bunch, and their guns were holstered. Either they figured she wasn't brave enough to shoot, or thought she only had one bullet. Maybe both, because they charged her. They were probably thinking to have a little fun with her. The first one was down before the others decided she was probably serious. They never cleared leather, though.

After they gave her father a proper burial, the girls took her aside to talk. When they returned, Carrie explained. "The claim's not really that productive. Some folks thought it was, though. They were just getting enough color to get by on. Dominga is wondering if she could throw in with us. She's got two horses and a mule, plus the three that belonged to the ones she killed. There's some tools, too." She moved to Will's ear, and added "She knows how to mine and pan. I'd say she knows more about gold than any of our folks. She'd come in mighty handy."

Will stepped back in shock. "What in the world makes you think I'd ever turn her away?"

"Because, she likes you!" Gia volunteered.

Dominga blushed scarlet, but Will could only groan. Everybody else thought it was damn funny, though.