FetLife
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A friend asked me for my details of a certain period which made up Chapter 1. Then others said "Wait a minute! Start from the beginning!" My beginning actually starts in Chapter 2. Chapter 9 will take off (and fill in) from my lifetime period detailed in Chapter 1 on the 345,000 volt steel tower electric transmission line (345 kV) line being built from Winterset, IA to Omaha, NE. If you haven't read Chapter 1 yet, this will be a good time to go back and read it to able to enjoy Chapter 9.
I will give a short description of how the high voltage conductors are strung on the insulators. A typical "pull" has 2 miles of wire on the wire reels. The wires are wound through a "tensioner" truck that keeps the wires above the ground and keeps any roads or OH circuits clear. On the other end is the "puller" truck that pulls the wires in on the insulators. Usually a "pull a day" is what a Contractor strives for. The wires are connected to the puller's wire cable with a triangular shaped "alligator" that keeps the wires from spinning by having a weighted "tail" hanging down from the middle of the "alligator". This "tail" is put together like a bicycle chain so it is flexible and can slide through the dollies that are mounted on the bottom of the insulators, then flip back down after going through the dolly. There is an Operator on each truck that controls the speed and tension of the wires. Usually the Wire Stringing Foreman follows the "alligator" as it moves through the 2-mile "pull" reporting any problems or asking for more or less speed from the "tugger". If there's a problem or an emergency he calls on the radio to "HOLD THE PULL!!!" and both Operators will instantly lock up their "puller" and "tensioner" bull wheel brakes.
On the 1st few pulls I ran the puller while various other Tramps ran the tensioner. It took some time to learn these and a lot longer for 2 people to learn each other and be able to run these effectively. Especially being 2 miles apart with only radio communications. The GF (General Foreman) Walt Bow was a patient and fair man and he took time going between each end of the pull watching and giving us directions. Once I had put the tugger in the fastest gear and he could hear the tugger straining to get that pull in. He hopped up on the Operator's platform beside me and said to watch the hydraulic oil's temperature gauge and be ready to "hold the pull" if the gauge went into the red zone. If I had to go slower then we would have to stop the pull and start over. It didn't get into the red zone but I never went that fast again. The Wire Pulling Foreman had a hard time with his Helper going through gates and getting them closed behind them as he tried to keep up with the "alligator". The right-of-way area was not very vehicle friendly.
The Contractor (Power Const.) was from Kansas and they had 2 Operators that were good together on these machines. They had finished up on another job in Texas and got cleared out of the Hall to be Operators on this job. They knew they were good and "favored" by the Contractor. They worked together well but if they didn't like the Foreman they could make him look very bad. They went through several Foreman. One day the GF Walt asked me if I would take over the wire stringing as the last Foreman had drug up. I said "Let me talk with the Operators Tugger Ray and Tensioner Virgil first.
I caught them still in the showup yard and called them aside. I told them that Walt wanted me to take over stringing wire. They both said "Yes Billy, we want to work hard for you!!!" I told them that I knew they had ran off several Foremen both here and in Kansas and other jobs before. I told them that if they tried messing with me that I would also drag up and that the next Tramp in line for the job was Tuck Rhodes. They had history with Tuck and there was a lot of bad blood between them. Then they seriously said that they would do their best for me and not play their games. So I took the Foreman job and it went smooth.
The GF Walt guaranteed us being paid 16 hours for every day we completed a 2-Mile pull of conductors. When we finished we could go home. One day we had smooth sailing and completed a pull in 6 hours. One time we made 2 pulls in the day and I turned everyone in for 32 hours of pay that day. The next day Walt said I was driving the Bookie crazy and that I needed to change the timesheet back to just 16 hours. Plus we were pushing up on the Dolly Hanging Crew in front of us and they were short on dollies to hang. The Clipping Crew behind us would remove the dollies, "clip in" (make permanent the conductors by installing a "shoe" to the bottom of the insulators) then send those dollies on ahead. Also, the wire had to be clipped within 24 hours after getting it properly sagged as leaving the conductors in the dollies too long would make the aluminum conductors flatten out. The Clipping Crew was getting too far behind also. So we did some upkeep work and went to the house early. I was really loving all of this overtime!
This job ran pretty smoothly until the cold weather started coming in. GF Walt left for another big job. The new GF decided to change up the Crews as several Tramps had also drug up to follow their favorite GF Walt to the next job. The new GF Brad had decided to let others learn how to run the wire so he moved me back to run the Crew installing the spacers in between the conductors. These spacers kept the wires from slapping together and causing damage. As I had never done any clipping I stepped down and gave the Foreman job to an experienced Tramp and I stayed on the crew to ride those fun buggies on the wires installing the spacers in the mid-spans.
PART 1 Them fuckin’ Armed Services get all the credit, but who gets their asses blown out of the water to get them their crap, for chrissake? Us fuckers in the Merchant Marine, that’s who. Goddamn sub-bait. And then they don’t send nobody to fish us out. Goddamn Krauts. Goddamn war! Cookie bobbed in his lifejacket and watched his ship disappear, a sorry excuse for a vessel, to be sure, but nonetheless, his ship. Sailors deep-six all the time, the risk they signed on for, perhaps. Bad luck,...
Taming the Lineman By J R This is a fantasy work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental and the use of real company names or products is for literary effect only and definitely without permission of any kind. Part One Jeff was really struggling to drag himself awake for some reason. He felt to be drifting out of sleep as usual, but his arms and legs just didn't wanna move like normal. His rough palm refused to rub over his drowsy eyes or to stroke...
Last night I went to the pool late and ended up having a threesome in the showers.Usually, I go to the pool during the day. It feels warmer, I get some work on my speedo tan, and in the middle of the day, the pool is generally quiet. Yesterday (Friday) I was busy with work all day and time just got away from me. The pool closes at nine pm and just before eight pm, I decided to go for a late-night swim. I really wanted to get out of the house and had nothing else planned.The pool was quiet...
Gay MaleLifeguard At A Nudist Camp I could not believe it when I got hired as a lifeguard at a nudist camp. Interestingly I had to wear trunks that identified me as the lifeguard, while everyone else was naked. The job came with food and lodging. I saw women from babies through teenagers, adults, and old ladies. I saw breasts from nonexistent to drooping to their waists. I saw guys too but tried not to look at their cocks, even so I saw some real monsters. I saw all sorts of scars from...
Introduction: First, let me introduce myself…the author. I am a 37 year old divorced career woman, no kids. I am in a serious hetero relationship with an interesting sex life…pretty creative, with role playing and outdoor encounters being the most exciting. I have been lurking here for a few weeks, reading all the hot, sexy stories members have posted. I thought Id try my hand at writing and keep it busy and away from my coochie for a change. Im going to try telling this story as a male, to...
Introduction: Best read the stories in sequence! Lifes Strange Turns, Part 3 Monday and Tuesday came and went, with nothing exciting happening, except that Sandy called to say that she had gotten a nice offer on the house from a couple about 30. Her kids were back from their Dads, so she couldnt come over, but wanted to. Id gone to the gym after work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and chatted with a pretty woman in the my age bracket that was interesting and had no rings or other evidence of...
From the Lifeguard 1 Story:I woke up sometime later with my spent mother on my chest snoring peacefully, my now soft penis still in her anus. My mother was smaller than me, so her weight wasn’t an issue, it’s just that I really needed to pee. So I started trying to wriggle out from her embrace. When I did she stirred. She said, “Don’t move.”She slowly pulled herself off of my penis, did a quick spin where her asshole was in front of my face, and said, “Eat it out.” Before I could even form a...
Incestany of the actresses mentioned below. This story is written down for enjoyment purposes only. Reese witherspoon woke up with a headache. She didn't know where she was. All she could feel that she was blindfolded. Not only that, she was tied to the bed with duct tape, unable to move her hands and legs. She also noticed that she was nude. A duct tape covered her mouth so that she shouldn't shout. All she remembered was going to a producer's home for some script reading of a film they were...
Introduction: Youll want to read Part 1 first! Lifes Strange Turns, Part 2 The phone rang, waking both Karen and myself with a start. Wed slept for only about 15 minutes. Well, it would have been bad to sleep longer, but it would have been almost tragic if the phone had rung while we were writhing around having such marvelous sex. Especially if shed had my cock in her mouth I thought! To give Karen some phone privacy and to take care of some personal hygiene issues, I ran into the shower and...
This is Lifes a bitch and now so am I!!! This is a fiction story!! The people in the story are not real!Please exsuse the puntuation and spelling I'm just a blond sissy!I start of my story with my wife leaving to go bingo with her mum, as soon as the car pulls away I'm up to my secret girl cloth's and sex toys.I am a sissy cross dresser, I can't help it i love the feel and how girlie it makes me look. I have...
My name is Judy and recently I had an experience that has changed how I dress and think about myself. I'm 26 years old, 5'7" tall and very thin. I never grew the shapely hips or breast my other friends did when we reached puberty. After graduating high school I worked for the phone company and eventually became a lineman. I wear heavy boots and jeans to climb telephone poles. To help in my job I keep my hair cut short in a page boy style and don't grow my nails. Because of the way I dress...
When I was eighteen, I got a job as a lifeguard at Cherry Park Apartments, a new housing development just outside Chicago. These days pools and recreation centers are dirt-common in suburban developments, but back then the concept was new and a bit daring, smacking of sybaritic luxury. This was some time ago, and things were a lot different than they are now. A lot different. The Beatles had just arrived, the Pill had just been introduced, and I'd just finished high school and was looking...
From the Lifeguard 4 Story After she was finally done cumming, she pulled her now flaccid penis out of my mouth and proceeded to give me a big French kiss and started sucking the remainder of her cum into her mouth. We started hugging and kissing and kissing and hugging. That was even fun.After a few minutes of doing this, we just laid there giggling and laughing about what we had just done.Caley then said, “You are one sick boy.”I then said the only sensible, normal thing an eighteen-year-old...
Incest“Do you know where I can get some tanning oil?” Chris looked down from his lifeguard post upon hearing the question and found a stunning stud at the bottom. A mere ten feet below Chris was a majestically muscled blonde, boasting firm washboard abs and rock-hard pecs. Chris looked down in amazement as he checked out the rest of the stud’s body, his toned biceps and forearms, his defined thigh muscles and tight calves. Chris got his gaze stuck in the tanned stud’s defining feature, his swelling...
“All right,” I said to the three boys in the room. “Your Mother and I are going for a walk on the beach. We’ll be back in a while. We’ve got our cellphones if you need us. Only call us for fire, flood, or blood- and there better not be any blood, ok?” “Ok, Dad,” said one of them non-commitally, staring at the TV screen. The oldest, my 15 year old, grunted in agreement as he continued to hammer away at his Xbox controller. The other sibling was silent, engrossed in watching his brothers shooting...
Straight SexFrom the Lifeguard 3 StoryIt was a fairly long walk out of the pool, first came her beautiful breasts, her thin waist and her penis…Without touching my dick, I immediately shot my load in just one long shot.I doubled up in pain I had ejaculated so hard.Caley walked up beside me, held my head, kissed me and said, “Now that’s got to be love.”And I then knew what my special opportunity was that my parents were talking about. It was Caley.I kissed Caley back.Lifeguard 4 StoryI was in a daze. A sex...
AnalI was still hard of course. I proceeded to flip her over the arm of the couch and pushed my tongue straight into her anus sending another jolt through her body. I learned later nobody had ever done that to her. I spat on her anus (actually, she was so lubed up from her vaginal flow her butt was already slick) and slowly pushed my cock into her back canal. I found out later she had never allowed anyone to do that to her before.She knew immediately she’d really been missing out. Within a minute...
IncestLifeguard 6Jill was shivering even on a warm summer night. Once Alex had Jill’s clothes off, he turned her slowly around so that now they were both facing his parents, Jill in front, Alex in back. Alex reached around and began to slowly rub her breasts with both hands. Her nipples hardened and extended as far as they could. Her nipples ached. She moaned. He kept one hand on her breast, then slid the other one into her wet pussy and moved his cock so it was sliding up and down the crack of her...
IncestLifeguard 7 RecapSlowly but surely, Alex started rolling onto his back pulling Jill along with him. She could barely control her legs, they were like rubber, and so they splayed on either side of Alex’s thin strong body. When he was finally fully on his back, he was also fully inside Jill’s ass so once he was fully inside of her she started cumming. Not like she’d come before, something totally different. Something totally… divine.She kept cumming and cumming, and along the way, Alex did too....
Group SexLifeguard 8 RecapFriday morning Alex was shaken out of bed with a, “Get up, sleepy-head. We’re leaving to go to Derek and Belle’s in thirty minutes.”Alex jumped into the shower, packed a small bag of clothes, headed downstairs, grabbed a water bottle and some snacks and headed for the garage. He was the last one in the car. When he jumped in he saw his sister Ashley for the first time. He’d totally forgotten that his sister was joining them for the weekend. Ashley was twenty-four, so being six...
IncestLifeguard 9 RecapAlex was poolside with Caley languishing in a kiss, lips locked for the longest time. Their combined hardons were only partly slowing them down. Ashley came over and grabbed Caley away from Alex and started to ravish her, paying particular attention to her penis. Caley’s mother Belle came over and did the same thing to Alex. Fay walked out of the pool and kneeled down, then started kissing Belle as Alex started kissing Belle’s lovely boobs and slid his cock between her legs....
IncestLifeguard 7 RecapSlowly but surely, Alex started rolling onto his back pulling Jill along with him. She could barely control her legs, they were like rubber, and so they splayed on either side of Alex’s thin strong body. When he was finally fully on his back, he was also fully inside Jill’s ass so once he was fully inside of her she started cumming. Not like she’d come before, something totally different. Something totally… divine.She kept cumming and cumming, and along the way, Alex did too....
IncestThe third person I ever had sex with was my husband so you couldn’t call me promiscuous. I lost my virginity aged 18 during a drunken student party and I was not at all impressed with the whole sex thing. The second man came along two years later; he was my first long term love, well a few months anyway. Then there was Paul, we dated; we got engaged and eventually married. I didn’t know and didn’t care if our sex life was good or not, it was good enough for me. We had and still do have sex...
So we went at a nice hotel in town, just a night away for a dinner and some fun. Away from home and the routine. We Rented a suite on the 10th floor and intended to just relax away the day and night We checked out the bar and took a seat in a leather ensconsed booth which was very cozy and private. I got a couple of drinks from, and made some small talk with the bartender. A nice guy about 25 yrs. old. It was early, about 4pm and we had the place to ourselves As I sat in our booth I noticed him...
We fade in in the middle of a quiet street, in the low-rise central area of a small midlands town, with one and two story buildings around us. To one side, a long flat warehouse/factory type unit, stocking and fitting tyres for local drivers, to the other, the town’s train station. Looking like a traditional old station, but rebuilt fairly recently. There’s a small car park between us and the station, and it’s almost full. We watch as a car drives down the road toward us, then turns into the...
As a construction supervisor I meet all sorts of subcontractors. Working on a Saturday is not uncommon and often the subs bring their teenage sons along to learn the trade. This was the case when I met Dillon. Now I am a straight male but even I have to admit this boy was cute. Small boned, brown wavy hair to his shoulders, blue eyes and an engaging smile. At lunch time Dillon found me in the construction trailer and asked if he could talk to me. “Sure,” I said pushing a chair towards him. He...
Part 1 I had already experienced a number of threesomes in the past with my wife, about four I think. They had always excited me, I’d always got harder and lasted longer than at any other time we had sex together. I never analysed it very much at the time, about why it turned me on so much. I just knew it was going to be one of the most arousing nights of sex I was likely to enjoy – apart from one time when Julie seemed to be interested only in the guy we were with and I felt very much...
He was looking forward to going to Verna. It could only be for a limited time but there would be other visits. Even traveling a considerable distance, he thought it well worth the time, there was no sacrifice. Eventually, Verna started to come into view, he slowed his approach and savoured the anticipation, smiling at the butterfly sensation in his stomach. With all the thoughts, feelings and emotions during his advance he neglected to observe one very crucial thing. A mistake was made, a major...
one day i visited my cousin s****rs house. my cousin s****r was three years older then me. all the people in her house went out for a tour. it was 10.00pm. myself and my cousin were alone and we were in one room.my cousin went to change her night dress in bathroom. she came out she was too sexy.her boobs were so tight in the dress. her ass was so sexy.i became so horny.she bent down to take something down i saw her cleavage and i became so horny.we started talking.i thought of touching her...
August 7 th , 8:00 a.m. Los Angeles “Maggie, I want to go over what we have so far,” I said. “Beckey has a warehouse where she is importing dolls filled with pure cocaine from Bolivia. These dolls are not going through customs and are being delivered in small packages and probably to different locations. We don’t know how the money is being transferred but it’s probably cash all the way, and likely being transferred to the ship at the same time the dolls are picked up.” “Alan has gone to...
August 3 rd , 10:05 a.m. “Robert Eyestone, private investigations, this is Maggie, how can I help you?” “Is Mr. Eyestone in?” the voice on the phone asked. “He is not in at the moment, can I get your name and number and have him call you?” asked Maggie. “Please, this is Mrs. Beckwith, of Beckwith Importers. My number is 310-555-7600.” “He will call you as soon as he is able. Thank you Mrs. Beckwith.” “Hello, is this Mr. Eyestone?” asked Mrs. Beckwith. “Yes it is, how did you know it...
Alan picked up the phone and called the front desk and told them he was checking out and asked if they could send someone up right away with the bill. He began throwing his things together almost frantically, his mind racing as he packed. “If they don’t know I’m on to them they won’t be expecting me to leave right away,” he thought. His plan was to pay cash when the bill was brought up and avoid the lobby when leaving the hotel. Then he remembered Savanna. He ran to the door, opened it...
Introduction: It begins Introduction: It begins … Part 1 I had already experienced a number of threesomes in the past with my wife, about four I think. They had always excited me, Id always got harder and lasted longer than at any other time we had sex together. I never analysed it very much at the time, about why it turned me on so much. I just knew it was going to be one of the most arousing nights of sex I was likely to enjoy apart from one time when Julie seemed to be interested only in...
I went back to the office to find out what Maggie had for me. I needed more pieces to the puzzle and without going to Mexico to talk to Alan, Maggie was all I had at the moment. It was not yet 5:00 and Maggie was still at her desk typing into the computer. Without looking up she handed me a folder. “The list of properties you asked for,” she said. I took the file into my office and began to look it over. I discovered that the condo that Alan lived in was owned by Beckwith Importers. ...
August 5 th , 8:20 a.m. I went into the office early the next morning, anxious to get to work on the Beckwith case. As I entered the office I found Maggie at her desk. “Maggie, I need you to do your thing for me,” I said. “Alan Jankowski, we need to find him. Check for arrests, the morgue, hospitals, etc. Check planes, buses, trains, cruise ships, even rental car agencies. I suspect he is not dead but don’t leave any stone uncovered. I’m going to be out most of the day checking...
When they walked in the unlocked door, I froze like a deer caught in headlights. Although Carol was my girlfriend and we had great sex, I still enjoyed my closet dressing. Well one afternoon when no one was around, I took a bubble bath and pampered myself. Then I dressed entirely in Carol’s lingerie and sexiest short skirt. I was feeling sexy when in through the unlocked front door, Carol and her sister walked in, I couldn’t say or move a muscle. Carol and her sister just casually...
I met Missy when we were paired up to study my nursing class and we immediately became friends. On Fridays some of the class would meet up for happy hour and she brought along her room mate Anna. They are both beautiful, dark haired girls with perfect athletic bodies that I envied, as I am more on the thin side. We would always have fun as we got to know each but when my boyfriend and his friends would arrive they would leave soon after. I was telling Missy one afternoon that a couple of BF's...
Growing up in the neighborhood we all had a thing for Mrs. Jansen. Besides the fact that she was unbelievably sweet, she was also drop dead gorgeous. I would often find myself staring at her sunbathe in the afternoon and would often fantasize about her before I go to bed.With Mr Jansen working many hours I would always offer to help Mrs Jansen with some things around the house like carry heavy boxes, rake the yard, and move her furniture around. During my junior year, I was eager to go to the...
Twin Switch Chapter 15 By Cheryl Lynn This is a work of fiction. It is recommended that you read the previous installments as they will provide important background information. This story features extreme female domination and if that offends you do not read. While there is no actual sex in these chapters' sexual activities may be described. Comments good or bad pertaining to the direction of the plot and grammar are welcome as long as they are NOT directed to the nature of this...
... pin drop silence. Ilona sat next to me and pulled my head over onto her lap and began to unlock and unlace my hood. "Excuse me, I need to use the washroom," said the candidate, whose identity I was about to learn. With excitement and a bit of anxiety I breathed in a comforting aroma of linen suit mixed with the dark mystery of Ilona's vagina mere inches and likely no more than two layers of cloth from my nose. To pull the hood off she had to push my face down onto that...
WEDDING BELLS - WITHDRAWL SYMPTOMS Note for Readers: This story continues the adventures of the characters previously featured in my story "Wedding Bells." That story was complete in its own right and, indeed, this one can be read without having to have read "Wedding Bells" first. (However, I naturally hope that some of you will want to read my earlier story!) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Hi, my name is Brian Marchbanks and my wife Mary and I live in the hamlet of Tynewood Parva...
one day i visited my cousin sisters house. my cousin sister was three years older then me. all the people in her house went out for a tour. it was 10.00pm. myself and my cousin were alone and we were in one room.my cousin went to change her night dress in bathroom. she came out she was too sexy.her boobs were so tight in the dress. her ass was so sexy.i became so horny.she bent down to take something down i saw her cleavage and i became so horny.we started talking.i thought of touching her...
Cooking with My Boss My life changed one night when I was simply leaving work with my boss. It had been a good day. I even had a successful flirting session with two ladies, who I supposed where friends. One was an Asian woman, older than me, but very attractive. Her friend, a blond with short hair and pretty green eyes, seemed to be more around my age. My boss had been in one of her moods that day. She ran a small retail store and thought she was queen of the world. I...
Alan picked up the phone and called the front desk and told them he was checking out and asked if they could send someone up right away with the bill. He began throwing his things together almost frantically, his mind racing as he packed. “If they don’t know I’m on to them they won’t be expecting me to leave right away,” he thought. His plan was to pay cash when the bill was brought up and avoid the lobby when leaving the hotel. Then he remembered Savanna. He ran to the door, opened it...
Straight SexAugust 7 th , 8:00 a.m. Los Angeles “Maggie, I want to go over what we have so far,” I said. “Beckey has a warehouse where she is importing dolls filled with pure cocaine from Bolivia. These dolls are not going through customs and are being delivered in small packages and probably to different locations. We don’t know how the money is being transferred but it’s probably cash all the way, and likely being transferred to the ship at the same time the dolls are picked up.” “Alan has gone to...
Straight SexI went back to the office to find out what Maggie had for me. I needed more pieces to the puzzle and without going to Mexico to talk to Alan, Maggie was all I had at the moment. It was not yet 5:00 and Maggie was still at her desk typing into the computer. Without looking up she handed me a folder. “The list of properties you asked for,” she said. I took the file into my office and began to look it over. I discovered that the condo that Alan lived in was owned by Beckwith Importers. ...
Straight SexAugust 5 th , 8:20 a.m. I went into the office early the next morning, anxious to get to work on the Beckwith case. As I entered the office I found Maggie at her desk. “Maggie, I need you to do your thing for me,” I said. “Alan Jankowski, we need to find him. Check for arrests, the morgue, hospitals, etc. Check planes, buses, trains, cruise ships, even rental car agencies. I suspect he is not dead but don’t leave any stone uncovered. I’m going to be out most of the day checking...
Straight SexAugust 3 rd , 10:05 a.m. “Robert Eyestone, private investigations, this is Maggie, how can I help you?” “Is Mr. Eyestone in?” the voice on the phone asked. “He is not in at the moment, can I get your name and number and have him call you?” asked Maggie. “Please, this is Mrs. Beckwith, of Beckwith Importers. My number is 310-555-7600.” “He will call you as soon as he is able. Thank you Mrs. Beckwith.” “Hello, is this Mr. Eyestone?” asked Mrs. Beckwith. “Yes it is, how did you know...
Straight SexHey everyone! My name is Chandni and Im from Mumbai, India. I live by myself in Bandra, and am 27 years old. I am 5 ‘ 9, long brown hair, fair in skin, hazel green eyes, and my figure is 34A- 24 Waist – 36. I have a boyfriend whose name is Raj, and I have been with Raj for now almost 2 years. One night Raj called me, and said “Hey Chandni, Wanna go to a club tonight?” ” Uhm, I don’t know Raj, Im busy and really tired, but i’ll try” I said. I heard a little grunt from him, and I figured that...
IncestA couple or maybe three hours later from the ridge above George-town we could see the dark river, some glowing lamps and a few lighted windows. It must have been after midnight, and Billy had given me the job of counting people and finding Jim Griffith and Mike Ware. We huddled together to keep warm and smoked, chewed some food and stomped our feet. The wind had died down, but it was still very cold. We all breathed out clouds of steam like a herd of beeves. I found the men he wanted and...
Beckwith was putting together a bunch to go down to the bridge and waved to me, "Caleb, he said, "Gus Yore hain't quite thawed yet. Why don't you go with these men and take charge of that bridge." I hated to do it, but I pulled on my coat and wool hat and picked up my rifle. We went out and found our beasts, folded their blankets back over their rumps and clattered down to the creek without seeing a soul along the streets except for our own people. Seemed like the town was empty or...
Then things started happening pretty fast. Mr. Wainright said goodbye to the Swede; then I nodded a farewell to her and durn if she didn't get up on her toes and brush her soft lips against my stubbled cheek. Whooee. I went and called in the bridge guards, and they brought those four extra muskets with them. Somebody fetched the Foster women in their fancy pleasure carriage with the hickory-sprung seats, only one like it in town. Mrs. Foster was wearing a pelisse, plus a red hood with a...
Billy went out into the cold as a couple of farmers came in. Stud explained what was going on to them as people moved around, and the Foster women took up a sheltered position in the high-backed settle near the fire. The cat joined them, purring, and perched on the girl's lap, paws folded inward. Didn't anybody look like they was going to cause trouble so after a bit I asked Annie if she was interested in a quick one while we waited, and she elbowed me in the ribs hard enough to crack one...
The sun was setting behind some pink and gray clouds when we reached Mr. Peter's sturdy brick house. The first floor windows all showed candle light as Beall tied his horse to a weight and set it on the curbstone. "You plan to sit out here and wait?" he asked me. I couldn't figure if he wanted me to say yes so I said no, I'd rather get out of the cold. We went up to the door together and Beall knocked. A well-dressed, old black man answered and said, very polite, that Mr. Peter was at...
"Damn," Billy Beckwith cursed. He jumped up, grabbed Jimmy by the arm and hustled him outside. Some men rushed to the windows and a couple hurried out the back door, but most just stood talking to each other and waiting. In a minute Beckwith stuck his head back inside and yelled, "Caleb!" I went out as Judge Peter said, "Let's have a short recess" and stood up. "Be upstanding," I heard Alex Beall say as the door closed behind me. Griffith had ridden in from the Bladensburg road and...
The front door banged open again, and somebody stuck his head in and yelled, "Billy, they're here!" There was a loud scramble of men grabbing weapons and hurrying out the door while buttoning their coats one handed. Judge Peter said, "Let's take another brief recess. Mr. Morrison, a word, please" before Alex Beall could say anything about standing up. "I would appreciate it very much," Judge Peter said, standing at his desk with his feet planted wide apart and his hands clasped...
"Gentlemen," said Judge Peter. "Enough. I think we will take a short recess here." "All stand," Beall cried too late as there was a mad scramble for the doors. Soon every tree, clump of shrubs and back house in the neighborhood had a crowd of men near it. I helped Judge Peter, robe and all, to the front of the line at the tavern's two-holed jakes, and he emerged gasping. "Haven't been in one that bad in years," he said when he got his breath back. When court resumed, a keg of ale...
Zoe held Alison as she continued to sob quietly. The girl was so upset that her father could read in her thoughts that she would be incapable of following his instructions anytime soon. His connection to Zoe also informed him that she had no interest in him, in fact that was an understatement. His ghostly spirit departed, returning to his body which was lying on the sofa in the family room downstairs. Zoe comforted Alison, continuing to question her softly as to how her little body seemed to...