Vermissa

Part two

Chapter one

It was 4th February, 1875. It was evening and the train was travelling to Vermissa, U.S.A., the small town at the top of the valley. The train was full of miners, who had been working all day. In the first carriage there were also two policemen and one other young man sitting alone.

He was about thirty years old, with brown hair and grey eyes. He stared out of the window into the darkness. At one point, he took a large gun from his pocket. It was loaded. He checked it quickly then replaced it, but a miner sitting near him had noticed it.

'Oh!' he said. 'You seem ready for action.' The young man smiled. 'Yes,' he said, 'we need them sometimes where I come from.' 'And where's that?' asked the miner.

'Chicago,' answered the young man. 'You might find that you need it here too.' 'Is that right?' asked the young man, surprised. 'I'm looking for work here.' 'Do you have friends here?' 'No', but I can make them,' answered the young man. 'I belong to the Ancient Order of Freemen. There's no town without a lodge so I'll find my friends there.' The other man's manner changed. He got up, came over to sit next to the young man and held out his hand. The two men shook hands in a special way.

'I see you're telling the truth,' said the miner. Then he raised his right hand to his right eyebrow. The young traveller raised his left hand to his left eyebrow.

'Dark nights are unpleasant,' said the miner. 'Yes, for strangers to travel,' answered the young man. 'That's good enough for me. I'm Brother Scanlan, Lodge 341, Vermissa Valley. Welcome.' 'Thank you. I'm Brother Jack McMurdo, Lodge 29, Chicago, Master, J. H. Scott. I'm lucky to meet a brother so early.' 'But why did you leave Chicago?' asked the miner.

McMurdo nodded towards the policemen.

'They'd be very interested to know,' he said. 'But I don't really want to talk about it. I've my own good reason for leaving Chicago.' 'Okay. Where are you going tonight?' 'To Vermissa.' 'That's the third stop. Where are you staying?' 'With Jacob Shafter, Sheridan Street.' 'Well, I'm getting off at the next stop. But I'll give you some advice. If you're in trouble in Vermissa, go and see Master McGinty. Maybe we'll meet at the lodge one evening.' The train stopped and the miner got off.

The train moved off.

'You're new around here then?' one of the policemen asked McMurdo.

'What if I am?' he answered rudely.

'Just be careful who you choose to be your friends. I wouldn't start with Mike Scanlan and his gang if I were you.' 'What business is it of yours who my friends are?' shouted McMurdo. Everyone looked round at him. 'Did I ask for your advice?' The two policemen were shocked.

'No offence, stranger. It was a warning, seeing that you're new here.' 'I'm new here but I'm not new to you and your kind,' shouted McMurdo. 'You're all the same, giving your advice when nobody asks for it!' 'Well. We'll probably be seeing more of you by the sound of it,' said one of the policemen. 'You're a troublemaker if ever I saw one!' 'I'm not afraid of you!' cried McMurdo. 'My name's Jack McMurdo and if you want me, I'm staying at Jacob Shafter's at Sheridan Street, Vermissa, so I'm not hiding from you, am I?' A few minutes later the train stopped at Vermissa station and McMurdo and many of the other workers got off the train. McMurdo was about to walk off when one of the miners stopped him.

'You really know how to talk to the police,' he said admiringly. 'I'm passing by Shafter's place. Let me carry your bag and I'll show you where it is.' Many of the other miners said goodnight as they left. Before he had even arrived in the town, Jack McMurdo had a reputation in Vermissa. The two men walked along.

'That's the Union House,' said the miner pointing to one of the bigger buildings. 'Jack McGinty is the boss there.' 'What's he like?' 'Haven't you heard of him? He's been in the papers often enough because of the Scowrers.' 'The Scowrers? Aren't they a group of murderers?' asked McMurdo.

'Sssh!' cried the miner. 'You won't last long here if you talk like that, on the street so that anyone can hear you. There are murders but McGinty's name mustn't be connected with them. He hears everything. Now, here's Jacob Shafter's house.' 'Thanks,' said McMurdo. He knocked on the door.

It was opened by a beautiful young woman. She was blonde with dark eyes. McMurdo stared at her, lost for words.

She spoke first. 'I thought it was Father,' she said. 'Are you looking for him? He'll be back soon.' 'I'm in no hurry,' said McMurdo at last. 'But I'm looking for a place to stay and your house was recommended to me.' 'Well then come in, sir. I'm Ettie Shafter, Mr Shafter's daughter. My mother's dead, so I run the house. You can wait by the fire for my father. Ah, here he is now.' An old man walked slowly up the path. The two men talked and Jack McMurdo agreed to pay seven dollars a week to stay with them.

McMurdo quickly became popular at the Shafter's house. Within a few days everyone knew who he was and they liked and respected him. He had also fallen in love with Shafter's daughter Ettie and told her so everyday. He was determined to marry her even though she told him that she had already promised to marry someone else.