the Amishway Homesteaders

       This story takes place in a small town called Homestead in 1882. The first families that settled here were on the Oregon Trail but felt it was too much for them to go on, so they got together and started this town. Things were going pretty good for a town out in the middle of nowhere, until one day when the Stagecoach came in to town. Just by seeing how fast it was traveling, the town folk could tell something was up. Most times the stage would pull up to the Hotel so passengers could get off there. But this time they drove right past the Hotel and pulled up to the Sheriff’s Office. Mathew, the Stagecoach driver, hollered for the Sheriff to come out. But he had just gone out to check up on some commotion going on at the saloon, according to Molly his wife. “Well I’ve got someone on board and they need to talk to him now”, said Mathew. Well, when the sheriff got over to the saloon, all that was going on was a few of the cowboys were celebrating the roundup that was just made for the auction. As he came out he could see that the stage was in front of the Sheriff’s Office. The man from on the stage was just getting to the saloon so he could talk to the sheriff about what was going on. The Sheriff knew just the person who might know who this man was looking for and told him he would walk over to the Hotel with him to find her. Lucky for them as they got near the hotel the Sheriff saw her as she was climbing the stairs. “Emma!” Called the Sheriff, “Someone here needs to talk to you?” Emma said, “I was just going to get a book from my room before I went back to work.” “Well I think you better come down and talk to this man first. Something is wrong and they need your help to find the man they are looking for.” “Why would I be of any help?” Said Emma, “I’m just the school teacher.” “Well, this here man says his name is Mr. Miller, just came in on the stage and is looking for someone who came into town yesterday looking for work. Didn’t your Father say he just hired a new man for the roundup?” “Why yes, he said the man didn’t look like he could ride a horse never mind round them up but he hired him anyway as we needed the help.” “That sounds just like the man we are looking for” said Mr. Miller. “Do you know where he might be now?” “You could check out to the ranch”, Emma said. “Most of the men are here in town for the auction but he wasn’t with them when I walked by just a few minutes ago.” The sheriff said he was going out to the ranch anyway so if Mr. Miller got a horse from the Livery they could go out together. Emma’s family ranch was one of the first farms set up out on the area known as “the Big Flats”. Besides all the farm animals they kept there, her Father had over 260 acres fenced off for his herd of beef. “The number one beef in the whole area” he would tell anyone who would listen. Now most folks in town know he only can say that as his WAS the first cattle farm in town! When they got to the cabin where the ranch hands stayed Emma’s Mother was just getting done feeding the chickens and greeted them by the gate. Mr. Miller explained who he was looking for but Mrs. Miller said that they would have to talk to her husband about matters of the ranch. They might find him over by the horse corral checking on the new baby colt. Everyone was busy getting things ready for the Auction in town but one of the ranch hands talked to Mr. Miller. Yes, he thinks that the man they are looking for is here but not by the name they said? “What do you want him for anyway”, he asked? “That I will tell the Sheriff after I get him”, said Mr. Miller and from the way he said that it didn’t sound good for the man. “Might try Luke he’s been working with him, he may know where he is?” So they went over to find Luke working with the goats and pigs. When asked he said “yes he knew the guy but he went by the name of Hank not Samuel. He remembers him well for in all the years he has worked roundup this guy was mighty strange. He couldn’t figure out why the boss would hire someone like Hank? Why, he could barely stay up on the horse when they went out for the roundup yesterday and now when everyone was going into town to celebrate they couldn’t find him. So maybe you better try back in town, we know he is not around here anymore.” So back into town went the Sheriff and Mr. Miller still without much information about the man Mr. Miller was looking for. The Sheriff tried again to find out what Mr. Miller wanted this guy named Hank or Samuel for. But all he got was “Later Sheriff, let’s get him first!” Just as they got back into town Emma called them over to the steps of the Hotel. She had just seen the guy over at the Auction stables. He was acting real funny just a riding around and yelling. And the funny part was all he kept saying is “I did it!” Over and over “I did it . . . I did it!” “What do you think that means Sheriff?” “I know”, said Mr. Miller, “and that proves he’s the one I was looking for. Do you know where he is now Emma?” “Well the last thing I saw was him riding in to the stables over there.” “Come on Sheriff, I think we are about to get him cornered. Then I will fill you in on the whole thing, but first I want to know that you have him locked up!” Then just as they were getting to the front of the stable, the doors burst open and out driving a wagon at full speed was Samuel! As he drove past them they could hear him shouting, “I did it. . . I did it!” “Sheriff, there goes the man I’ve been looking for all day and now he is getting away. He is the bank robber from yesterday’s robbery of my bank over in the next county! And I bet he just did the same thing here to your bank in town. Sheriff you better catch him while I go see if your banker is locked up in the safe like I was yesterday!” But as the Sheriff looked down the street in the direction the bank robber just went he started to laugh. “Mr. Miller”, he said, “I think my part will be easy. Look!” And so Mr. Miller looked where the Sheriff was pointing and even he had a grin on his face as he saw what was happening. For there went Samuel trying to drive that horse and wagon down the street but the wagon was weaving from side to side and the horse went first one way and then the other. Before anyone knew what was happening there went the wagon right into one of the hitching posts. As it tipped over poor Samuel fell out and landed right into the watering trough in front of the Saloon. As the Sheriff ran and caught the horse and wagon, Mr. Miller pulled Samuel from the trough. “Sheriff”, said Mr. Miller, “This IS the man who robbed me yesterday and we got him!” Just then the banker came running down the road calling out for the Sheriff, “We’ve been robbed! I was locked up in the safe all morning and if it hadn’t been for my worker getting in late, I may still be there. You need to go after him Sheriff he got all the money and the gold from yesterdays delivery!” “WE got him right here and I just checked in the back of the wagon and all the money is still there.” “Looks like all my bank money bags are here too Sheriff”, said Mr. Miller. “Well, I think that is the fastest catching of a robber here in Homestead ever”, said the Sheriff. “And I hope it’s the last time we need to do that”, said the Banker.

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This has been another
lamplight story from the
Amishway Homesteaders