The Two Sams: Men of the West. F. M. Worden

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       Jake said, “Come I’ll show you around.” He took her by an arm and to each working station to show her how the guns were made.

      Hal the lock maker leaned over to Sam and said, “Ain’t that the God damn best looking woman you ever seen?”

      Sam said, “Mighty pretty.”

      She could hear them, turned and smiled. Jake walked her to the door, every eye in that shop was on her until she left. Jake turned to his workers and said, “Hope she don’t come back, her presence could destroy this shop.”

      That evening most of Hawkins workers were eating at Miss Sarah’s Café. She was at the shop with a tray of food for Sam. They sat at his bench and talked as he ate the meal. She asked him to come to her apartment. He refused. Said he had work to finish.

      “I’ll come up soon, soon as I get rested.” They both had a good laugh. She took the tray and left. He followed her out the door and watched until she entered the back door of her café, he returned to his work.

      The next day a man came to the shop. He was well dressed, with a well-groomed beard, looked to be in his fifties. He had a younger slightly built man with him.

      Jake asked the workers to come look at the guns this man had brought with him. On the counter lay several revolver pistols. The man introduced him self as Colonel Sam Colt owner of the new Colt firearm’s company. “This pistol is our latest make, an 1847 model .44 caliber Colts Army Revolver. I’m on a trip looking for dealers for these fine pistols. Mr Hawkin would you be interested to be a dealer for me? We sell them for 28 dollars a piece, in a case with accessories delivered to your shop, we have orders for one thousand from the Government. Soon we’ll have another model we call the Dragoon. How about it Mr. Hawkin?”

      Jake rubbed his face with a left hand said, “We make guns here, never thought about being a dealer of some other gun maker.”

      “These pistols are selling for thirty-five to forty dollars in Texas. You can make a handsome profit.” Sam Colt was some salesmen. “How many can we send you?”

      Jake asked his brother, “What do you think?”

      Sam Hawkins said, “We don’t even know if they’ll shoot.”

      “You got a place to shoot? My man here will show you how well they shoot,” returned the Colonel.

      Jake told him he had a range out back where he could shoot the pistols. Colonel Colt turned to the young man with him and said, “Let’s show-em how well these pistols shoot.”

      They all went out to the range behind the shop. Jake had Sam set up six metal, six inch round trip targets. They stood thirty yards away. The young man had loaded one pistol.

      “Go ahead Henry-hit em.” Henry fired six times hit one target.

      Jake said, “Not very good, let my boy Sam here try.”

      Colonel Colt agreed. Henry loaded the pistol again and handed it to Sam. He cocked the gun and in rapid fire, cocked, fired and hit all six. Handed the pistol back to Henry.

      “My God,” said Colonel Colt, “this boy can shoot.”

      He asked Sam, “How ya like a job with me?”

      Sam shook his head no, turned and went back in the shop.

      Jake told the Colonel, “We’ll take twenty to start, so we can see how well they sell.”

      Later in the day George came to see Sam. “Miss Sarah wants you to come to supper tonight, will you come?” Sam told him to tell her he would.

      It was after dark when he knocked on the kitchen door. Sarah opened the door. She was a beautiful woman even in the dim light. “I’ve been waiting supper on you, come on in.”

      Sam followed her up the stairs to her rooms. The table was set with lighted candles. She turned to him said, “After supper I have a surprise for you. Please set and let’s eat.”

      Sam did as she asked. The meal was baked turkey and mashed potatoes, gravy and all the trimming. After supper they sat on the settee and had coffee. They talked for over an hour.

      Sarah then said, “Want to see my surprise for you?”

      Sam told her not to spend her money on him. She went into the other room and returned with a wrapped box, handed it to Sam. “Open it,” She insisted.

      In it was a new blue wool suit with a vest and two pairs of pants, also a pair of high button shoes.

      “Now,” She said, “you gotta have a bath. I’ve new underwear for you too.” Sam shook his head no.

      She said, “Look I have a tub waiting for us.” She took his hand and led him to a tub in the bed room. Three foot deep, four feet across it was steaming with hot water.

      Sarah said, “It’s big enough for two.” She undressed so did he, they both took a nice warm soapy bath.

      Next morning Sam had over slept. He jumped out of bed and dressed and ran to the shop. He did his chores as fast as he could before anyone would come. He sat and waited. No one came. He had forgotten it was Sunday.

      Sarah knocked on the back door. “Are you in there Sam?” she called.

      He opened the door. “Let’s have breakfast and go for a buggy ride. I want to take you on a picnic.” Sam had one of the most pleasant mornings he could remember.

      She had a new single seat black buggy and a fine stepping bay gelding to pull it, she let Sam drive. They stopped in a small grove of willows and had a picnic of fried chicken.

      While they were eating, Sarah asked if there was any thing in the world he would want? It didn’t take long. He told her he always wanted a horse of his own.

      She said, “I own a farm not far from here. It has lots of horses. You want a’ go look?”

      He told her, “Lady, you are full of surprises. You own a farm?”

      “Yes, let’s go look at horses.”

      As they drove, she told Sam that her Pa had the café and the farm. When he died, he left them to her. She told him she never went out there.

      “A man runs it for me and brings the money after the harvest.”

      “What do you grow on your farm?”

      She said, “I don’t know, some corn, and all kinds of things, but I know we have lots of horses.”

      Soon they turned into a lane with large cottonwood trees on both sides. The trees hung over the lane and covered the sun from sight. In about a mile they drove into a farm yard. A large old house with two stories stood before them. An older man came out on the porch. He had long white hair and a long white beard. As he approached the buggy, he walked kinda stooped over. He looked to Sam to be in his early sixties. When he saw who was in the buggy, he said with a big smile, “Miss Sarah what brings you to the farm today?”

      “Mr. Cartwright, meet my friend Sam Duncan.”

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