Six months later
The entire town turned out to welcome the arrival of the first commercial train to run on the newly laid tracks of the Cheyenne and Fort Laramie Railroad. Cong Sing and the Chinese workers whose physical labor had built the railroad were honored guests of Lu Win.
“Here she comes!” Fred Matthews shouted, but no human announcement was necessary as the approaching train made its presence known by the two-tone whistle.
The locomotive that rolled into the station was a 2-2-0 Baldwin with a green boiler, brass banding, red driver wheels, and a cab of polished cedar. The first car behind the coal tender was a private car, the Emma Marie.
“Oh, look!” Meagan said. She took hold of Duff’s arm. “Duff, wasn’t our time in there the most elegant of anything we have ever experienced?”
“Aye, lass, that it was.”
When the train stopped, the first person down from the Emma Marie was Preston Poindexter himself.
His arrival was applauded by all, even by the ranchers such as Dale Allen, David Lewis, and others whose initial setbacks with the C&FL had been made good by Jake, once he took over and started the actual construction of the railroad.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Pete said. “I appreciate the welcome, but now I would like introduce the man who oversaw the building of the C and FL, my new executive secretary, Jake Poindexter.”
Everyone looked expectantly toward the car, but Jake didn’t appear.
“Pa,” Jake called from within the car, “you didn’t finish the introduction.”
“Indeed, I did not,” Pete replied with a little chuckle. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce my son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Poindexter!”
Jake and Kay stepped down onto the brick platform of the brand new Chugwater Depot of the C&FL Railroad.
“Oh, Duff, isn’t she just the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?” Meagan asked.
“Nae, lass, ’tis yourself that’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
She tightened her grip on his arm.