She didn't move out of his rescuing embrace, but stayed and merely looked up at him and murmured: "But you haven't told me your first name yet... Mr Flagg"
Turk looked stunned, he hadn't? Why hadn't he? What in tarnation was wrong with him?
"I didn't.?I apologize, Sally, for that. I honestly thought I had. Well, I do have me a Christian name, Cabot, a name my father liked but no one else in the family did, including me," he now commenced a long overdue introduction.
"But most people who know me just call me Turk. Started as a boy it did. I got used to it and now I even like it more'n Cabot. But you can call me either Cabot or Turk. By now I don't think you need be so formal with that Mr. Flagg stuff."
"It's my fault....I am just not used to going out with a gal or courtship or such things."
"But most people who know me just call me Turk. Started as a boy it did. I got used to it and now I even like it more'n Cabot. But you can call me either Cabot or Turk. By now I don't think you need be so formal with that Mr. Flagg stuff."
For some reason, Sally had the idea that Turks were bad people, Bashi-bazouks and what not, committing atrocities all over the place. And Mister Flagg was definitely not a bad person. Then again, Cabot sounded worryingly like Cabbage. Hmm, not much to choose from there. Still, of the two, she knew which she liked best.
"It's my fault....I am just not used to going out with a gal or courtship or such things."
"You don't need to apologise to me... Cabot." she assured the man.
"So... do I still have my fish on the line?" she asked.
Maybe Sally wasn't as dumb as she seemed.
"It's my fault....I am just not used to going out with a gal or courtship or such things."
"You don't need to apologise to me... Cabot." she assured the man.
It actually sounded nice.........his Christian name coming from her voice and he didn't even much like 'Cabot', Turk smiled.
"So... do I still have my fish on the line?" she asked.
"What? Ohhhh, the fish!" Turk moved quickly then and picked up the pole now almost half into the water then pulled it out. Sure enough there was a fish on the line, tail flipping away. It was a lake trout, common enough in this part of the country, and good eating too. It wasn't that big and wouldn't feed both of them though.
"There ya are, Sally, you got one! So they are biting. Lucky for us, not so lucky for them," he chuckled.
Sure enough the next hour or so they caught three more, a grand total of four, two fish hooked by each. It was fun and they joked and kidded with each other during that time. Cabot Flagg was happy, care free happy for one of the few times in his life. Sally was wonderful to be with.
"There ya are, Sally, you got one! So they are biting. Lucky for us, not so lucky for them," he chuckled.
"Oh, this is so exciting Mister... Cabot! I can't wait to eat it and get all brainy."
They fished and chatted, chatted and fished, and soon it was getting on for home time. They could gut and fry the fish for supper!
"Say, Cabot..." that felt natural now "... where we gonna eat these. I don't want to go back to the Saloon. How about using the Christian Girls' Refuge? Don't worry, there ain't no Christian girls there at the moment, and Miss Mudd says I can use the kitchen there anytime. She used to work at the saloon and knows how crowded it can be there sometimes. It's no wonder Caroline gets kinda testy sometimes, all of us crowded in there: Mammy McMahon, Caro, Mr Ralph, Mister Fortner and Mister Priest. Good job Chubby don't live there too, we'd never fit him in!"
"I know it's kinda selfish of me, but I just want you and me to share what we caught." she added.
As the pair started their slow walk back to town, Sally had an idea.
"Say, Cabot... where we gonna eat these. I don't want to go back to the Saloon. How about using the Christian Girls' Refuge? Don't worry, there ain't no Christian girls there at the moment, and Miss Mudd says I can use the kitchen there anytime. She used to work at the saloon and knows how crowded it can be there sometimes. It's no wonder Caroline gets kinda testy sometimes, all of us crowded in there: Mammy McMahon, Caro, Mr Ralph, Mister Fortner and Mister Priest. Good job Chubby don't live there too, we'd never fit him in!"
Turk chuckled, "Highly doubt that's why Caroline gets...testy as you put it...she loves crowds. But sure, sounds like a grand idea, long as yer sure we can get in? Don't wanna get arrested for breakin' and entertin' now do we?"
"I know it's kinda selfish of me, but I just want you and me to share what we caught." she added.
"It's not selfish, Sally, I feel the same way, I'd like it to be just you n' me," he fully agreed.
"Besides four fish wouldn't feed all those folks, anyhow. Don't think either of us can do what Jesus did with that loaves and fishes miracle of his," he smiled.
"It's not selfish, Sally, I feel the same way, I'd like it to be just you n' me" he fully agreed.
She smiled up at him in wordless concurrence.
"Besides four fish wouldn't feed all those folks, anyhow. Don't think either of us can do what Jesus did with that loaves and fishes miracle of his," he smiled.
"Oh, that's a point!" Sally suddenly realised "We just gonna eat the fish on it's own or do we need some other vittles to go with it?" she wondered.
"Besides four fish wouldn't feed all those folks, anyhow. Don't think either of us can do what Jesus did with that loaves and fishes miracle of his," Cabot smiled.
"Oh, that's a point!" Sally suddenly realised "We just gonna eat the fish on it's own or do we need some other vittles to go with it?" she wondered.
"Hmmm, probably would go best with some other things. Problem is the general store is closed, even the diner is closed...it's a Sunday. Not sure where yer gonna get some bread or vegetables, less you plan on raiding someone's garden in town?" he grinned.
And time of the year it was, those gardens wouldn't have anything yet. Just maybe though...
"What about the saloon, we can get in the side door. The cook might have day old bread about, leastwise we can get us some butter, a fry pan, and salt n' pepper?"
"Hmmm, probably would go best with some other things. Problem is the general store is closed, even the diner is closed...it's a Sunday. Not sure where yer gonna get some bread or vegetables, less you plan on raiding someone's garden in town?" he grinned.
Sally laughed "Hehehe! Course not! You must think I'm a terrible person, Cabot!"
"What about the saloon, we can get in the side door. The cook might have day old bread about, leastwise we can get us some butter, a fry pan, and salt n' pepper?"
The girl screwed up her face. Going back into the saloon, which was both her home and place of work, would somehow break the spell of this special day and bring her back down to dull, dull earth. Also, she didn't want anyone else getting in on the act. She didn't want to share the fish and she didn't want to share Cabot!
"Let's try the Gents Outfitter's first!" she suggested. They were near there anyway. It might not seem the obvious choice, but there was a certainty in her voice and she more or less dragged poor Mr Flagg, toting the fish, down the side alley to the back door of the new store that joined onto the more established Ladies' dress emporium.
A knock on the door brought an anaemic bespectacled flaxen haired face to the door.
"Howdy Patty, is Flo in?" asked Sally. The face looked at Cabot Flagg suspiciously and disappeared.
Then the same face reappeared.
"Howdy Flo, me and Mister Cabot caught some fish an' we're gonna go fry 'em up at the Refuge but we don't got no greens or nothin' to go with it." she explained urgently, hopping about like she needed the toilet.
The face, which was apparently a new face, after all, looked at Cabot Flagg appraisingly and nodded.
"Go gut and fry them and I'll bring you round some steamed green beans" Florence Patterson Forde directed, then looked a Mr Flagg again and added to Sally "I won't be able to tarry, though."
Sally looked grateful.
Sally laughed "Hehehe! Course not! You must think I'm a terrible person, Cabot!"
"No, just the opposite, Sally, just the opposite," he smiled tenderly upon her.
Now the young local did have an advantage in knowing a whole lot more townsfolk than Turk did and came up with the idea to go to a house where they might get some sort of foods to go along with the fish. He agreed of course, it didn't have to be the saloon. She knew best.
A knock on the door brought an anaemic bespectacled flaxen haired face to the door.
"Howdy Patty, is Flo in?" asked Sally. The face looked at Cabot Flagg suspiciously and disappeared.
The tall ex-bounty hunter nodded solemnly, "Miss."
Then the same face reappeared. Well, dressed differently though, a twin?
"Howdy Flo, me and Mister Cabot caught some fish an' we're gonna go fry 'em up at the Refuge but we don't got no greens or nothin' to go with it." she explained urgently, hopping about like she needed the toilet.
The face, which was apparently a new face, after all, looked at Cabot Flagg appraisingly and nodded.
"Go gut and fry them and I'll bring you round some steamed green beans" Florence Patterson Forde directed, then looked a Mr Flagg again and added to Sally "I won't be able to tarry, though."
Turk nodded, "Thank you, miss. We appreciate it."
As the tarrying, neither he nor Sally would want that in the first place.
Sally chatted merrily about their green bean Samaritan as she fairly skipped along next to Flagg on the short walk to the nearby refuge.
"I got Flo a job at the saloon! Well, not in the saloon, but in the back, in Mister Fortner's office, book-keeping. She's got a splendid head for figures, so clever... o' course, the spectacles help. Can you believe Mister Priest asked me if I could do it? Me! He he. So silly." she babbled.
They reached the place and let themselves in the back - all was quiet.
"I need to get the stove fired up" Sally announced looking around for where there was usually a bucket of kindling.
"Then when the fire's goin' I'll gut the fish."