LEON CHAPTER 8

The ship had A New Captain
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Leon felt a little empty after Thomas left and the whole atmosphere seemed different somehow.

While Nellie busied herself  doing things that she needed to do, and telling him things he needed to do - - it allayed the strange feeling somewhat; but when they were not busy he could see Nellie was feeling the same.

As the days went by he and she began to get along better, and they actually began to enjoy each other's company.

They were beginning to run low on some things, and Leon had brought most of the stock from the storage and put it on the shelves.

The ship would be back in a couple of weeks, and they were looking forward to that.  Leon expected that they would sell most of the miners gear once again to the new bunch of hopeful miners coming by ship.

It seemed like a long time ago since he arrived in Nome, and by now he had become a pretty good merchant. Their troubles had been minor for which they were thankful.

When the ship arrived in a few days with their new supply of goods, they were going to be very busy.  They had made ready with some wagons and gathered some extra help from men trying to get enough money to sail back home having failed as miners.

Once again Nellie had the new list made out and the money in an envelope ready for the captain. When the ship docked and unloaded Nellie's goods there was a new captain, and when Leon and his hired men started to load their wagons the captain said, “Stop loading those wagons. This stuff will be sold to the highest bidder.”

Nell told the captain, “This merchandise belongs to me and I have paid for it in advanced.”  He said, “Here is you money back and you don't own anything.”  

To Leon's surprise Nell just smiled and sidled up to the Captain, slipped her hand in his pocket and said, “If you say that those aren't my goods again this little pistol in my hand will start firing.”  

   
The captain felt the gun pushing against his groin and yelled out, “Start loading her stuff.”  

She pulled her hand out and pushed the gun into his stomach and warned him, “Don't ever try to cheat me again for I will surely keep you from enjoying your ill gotten gains.”

The captain didn't dare touch Nellie because she was a young girl and second he believed that she would shoot him on the spot.

She stood near him while they finished loading her supplies and then gave him her new list and money for the goods she wanted on the next trip.

She said, “If you wish to bring goods to sell to the highest bidder I have no objection, but you can't use my money to buy it with.”

Leon was amazed at the gumption Nell had, and couldn't help admire the way she stood up for herself.  As for him he would have used his pearl handled pistols if the captain or anyone else had touched her. It was then he realized what an unruly place Nome could be.

They went to the store and unloaded the goods into the storage room and paid off the wagon master and other help and did an inventory of what the captain had brought her.

Neither of them mentioned the events of the day that evening, and went about their business of getting ready for the crowd tomorrow. There would be a lot of hopeful miners wanting supplies so they could head for the hills.  

Finally after a week Leon had to ask, “Would you have shot him?” She smiled and said, “What do you think?”  Leon said, “I don't know but if I had been the captain I sure wouldn't have risked it.”

Again she smiled and said, “I knew you would have backed me up, and that is where I got my courage from.”  

Leon thought, “Well can you beat that?”  He thought, “It looks like I have me a little sister to take care of.”     

 

To be Continued