Serious now, Tully listened and paid close attention to what Shin was telling her. It made sense, when he had her grip his arm, that the weak spot would be where the fingers met. And while it seemed so logical, she'd never really thought about it before.
Then it was her turn to try breaking away, and when he took her arm, she hesitated, not because she was afraid, but because she was studying, thinking it through. A moment later, she twisted her arm as he had showed her, and with little effort, she was free.
"It works!" she exclaimed, grinning. "Try again, tighter, don't be afraid ta hurt me, I gotta know..." If she really could escape someone bent on doing her harm.
"Of course not," Weedy insisted, without needing any help from the older boy, "I don't even know her." Farley seemed to have a different opinion as he snuggled in the big girl's lap. "She's got no folks and I...well, I have Addy." Sure, being orphans was a common thread, but Weedy wasn't alone or abandoned.
"Anyway, I have chores to do," Weedy declared, although there wasn't actually anything pressing, but the curiosity was cured, and it was time to escape before there was more chatter that he didn't understand. "Miss Cisly, Farley has to go now, but he can come back and visit." With Jane!
"It would fit my needs, dear lady." He said with a smile, "And I would not think of doing anything to disturb you or your guests, let alone break your rules. That would be unthinkable of me. Now I believe that I will take the accommodations as presented and be happy to pay you in advance for the week if that would be suitable?"
"Well, those are my normal terms." Mrs Wigfall confirmed. "Now do come and look into the parlour, I would love you to meet my son, Hector. He is something of a local hero" she boasted. "Last week two women of the town were savagely attacked by armed hoodlums and my Hector and the gentlemen he was with stepped in to help them, both were gunned down by the cowards. Poor Professor Browne was killed, but by some miracle my Hector was preserved, tho' shot right through the chest; but thanks to Divine Providence he has pulled through. Do come, it is just across the hallway..." she led the rotund man out of his new room, but stopped just before the parlour door.
She whispered to him discretely.
"His nurse may be there with him. Don't be alarmed, Mr Lyle, but she is one of the ugliest women I have ever known: I hired her especially: I didn't want my son to fall in love with his nurse and elope or anything!"
They entered, but the lad was alone, propped up by the fire in his dressing gown, reading The Telegrapher
He put it down as his mother and Mr Lyle entered.
"Oh" he sounded disappointed "I thought it was Trudy" But then he saw Mr Lyle.
"Sorry not to rise to greet you, Sir, but my nurse would kill me if did."
"This is Mr Lyle, Hector, he's taking the box room and you must refer to Nurse Armentrout by her proper name!"
"Ah, Trudy doesn't mind. How do you do Mr Lyle, are you with the Circus?"
There was a spare room next to the room where the patient was, so that would be convenient. "The room only has the basics just yet," she told Angie as she led the way, "but the bed is new and there are plenty of quilts. Would you like me to grab you a nightdress?"
"Yes, that would be just fine," Referring to the room. "And a nightdress? That would be splendid. I'm afraid I didn't think to bring anything with me. It's not like Chicago, where I could catch a carriage to take me home. I think I'll need to have a bag along with me for these house calls that they want to offer." She admitted. "Such things are commonplace in the cities and out in the countryside. I'm sure that it's nothing new out here either; I was just not as prepared as I should have been."
"Not an imposition, been a real pleasure once we got past the unpleasantries of the thing. I'll look forward to seeing the three of you and not to worry about a thing." Speed replied. Then he turned to Branabas, "So far as that new County Sheriff is concerned, like I said, I haven't even met him yet. But I'm sure he's a good man if Sam Houser sent him, anyway, Pard, see ya when you get to town." With that, he showed himself out when Em said,
"If you could get him settled, I'd appreciate that. I'll just be a minute while I get Angie set up."
"Oh sure, 'mon little man." He said as he took his son. It had been a day to remember, a busy, fretful day, but all was right in their world now.
"Thank you for coming out on such short notice, Speed." Se gave the man a light hug. "Be safe and give Alice our greetings."
Then she handed Wheeler to Barnabas. "If you could get him settled, I'd appreciate that. I'll just be a minute while I get Angie set up."
There was a spare room next to the room where the patient was, so that would be convenient. "The room only has the basics just yet," she told Angie as she led the way, "but the bed is new and there are plenty of quilts. Would you like me to grab you a nightdress?"
Shintaro nodded, understanding her desire to avoid life and death situations. It wasn't often women were put in such positions but it happened. Most samurai women had a knife to protect themselves or to end their own life to spare them the dishonour of being abused by attackers.
"When you are grabbed by the arm like that thug did, there are a few things you can do," Shintaro explained, "Grip my arm like that man did the other day."
He waited till Tully grabbed his arm then before she could get a really tight grip he turned his arm slightly and pulled free of her grip with a quick movement. He didn't really pull his arm back just found a way to easily slip free of her grip.
"It doesn't take much strength to free yourself," he explained, holding his arm out again. "Grip me again, this time I will explain how I got free so easily."
"You see how the hand wraps around my arm, especially the gap between your thumb and fingers?" He touched the area he meant. "That is a weak point, where the grip strength is the weakest. The thing to do is rotate your forearm if the grip is there, so the narrowest part of your arm faces that space then pull in that direction. If you are quick enough he won't be able to grip tighter before you're free."
"Here, you try it," he said, then waited till she was ready to make the attempt before reaching out and grabbing her by the forearm, keeping his grip firm but not too tight. He wanted her to get the hang of the movement before practicing with a tighter grip.
Once they stopped at the porch, Phin had something akin to birds in his stomach as opposed to butterflies. But he was here, and he would just have to make the best of the situation.
"Climb on down there, Newspaperman," Logan said, none of the three dismounted, "Gwan up an' knock, the Chinaman'll answer the door, an' good luck to ya." The riders turned and headed back to where they had been stationed, he supposed, so he did as he was told, stepped up onto the porch, and knocked on the door, firmly. It only took moments for the door to open.
"Hello. I see you coming. What you want?" Ling asked,
"I'm here to interview Mister Steehgrave if he is amenable to that," Phin stated. The butterflies had stopped.
"Come in. I tell him you here, come, wait in parlor. not be long." Ling led him to the parlor and then disappeared.
'Well,' Phin thought, 'so far so good.'
"I'll be fine wherever there's room. I don't mean to be an imposition." Angie replied as they all began to get up from the table. It was late, and there was a big day ahead for all of them, especially Big Sis
"You ain't no imposition, Doc, you're a blessing. I thank you for making the trip out here. Not at all what was expected, thank the Good Lord for big favors. Hon, you need help with Wheeler 'er anything?" Barnabas asked once they were all on their feet.
"I can ride on back, Alice knows where I am, but she's liable to be some worried if I don't show up, andthere's a good enough moon for me to make it back in pretty good time, but thanks for the offer, and we'll meet up when you get there. How's that?" Speed responded to the offer.
"Sure, sure, we'll be there with bells on, count on it!" Barnabas said with a grin.
It was small, yes, not prohibitively small, but small enough. However, it would suffice until he got himself settled in. He could move his truck of materials to Wus' place, though he was not altogether sure about the shoemaking situation, although it would bring in some cash, and help reduce the bleeding of his funds.
"It would fit my needs, dear lady." He said with a smile, "And I would not think of doing anything to disturb you or your guests, let alone break your rules. That would be unthinkable of me. Now I believe that I will take the accommodations as presented and be happy to pay you in advance for the week if that would be suitable?"
This just might be what he needed for the long term, even if he should open his own shop. Of course, he would need to get back to the Patterson Forde tribe about the cobbler's tools and if they were for sale. There could be good money in shoes and boots, even working for them and not on his own, but it was a possibility.
