Blogtober 2020 Day 22 Entry
The lawmen had no way of knowing that the stolen cash had $1,000 less than what Phin and Murphy took from the Swede after he died. Meadow rode for hours to Downingville, a town in Cherokee Territory that did business with whites in the area.
She used the money to purchase saddles and clothing that enabled Storm and the three other Osage men to pass as white. Her own appearance in a white girl’s dress and speaking clear English made it easy to avoid questions.
Her plan had three parts, all equally dangerous, but this first part went perfectly. The lawmen were convinced the boys were picked up by the other members of their gang. If the next part of the plan worked, they would pick up their trail on the Kansas side of the border heading west.
“Your English sounded just like a white man’s,” Murphy said to Storm.
“It’s not difficult,” Storm said. “I tried to sound loud and stupid.”
“Just like Phin,” Murphy said.
“Hey, now!” Phin said, laughing. “Those boys never knew what hit ’em.”
“You made sure the driver could get loose?” Storm asked.
“It should take him a while, but yeah, he’ll wriggle out before sundown,” Phin said.
“Good,” Storm said. “We need to be in place when they pick up your trail.”
“The rain will help,” Murphy said. “The horses leave deep tracks.”
“That makes us look white, too,” Storm said. “They don’t live within nature as much as they collide with it.”
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