Read Janet McNulty - Mellow Summers 06 - Where Trouble Roams for Free Online Page A

but found nothing.  How do you accuse a ghost of harassing you?
    The sky was starting to cloud up when we arrived at the Old West town two hours later.  He explained that it was built by the ranch owner so that guests could get an idea of what life was like back then.  People dressed in pioneer clothes moved about doing their chores; actors hired for the moment, but it did bring a sort of reality to it.
    “Feel free to wander around,” said Joe, “There’s stores and a saloon.  Have yourselves a good time.”
    Aunt Ethel, Jackie, and I dismounted our horses.
    Jedidiah took the reins.  “Meet me by the General Store in an hour,” he said.
    “Oh look,” said Aunt Ethel, “A clothing shop.”  She went in.
    “Get your hands up,” said Rachel pointing a fake gun at me.  “You stole my cattle.  Now you gonna pay.”  Click!  She pulled the trigger of her cap gun and laughed hysterically.
    “I think you’re having a little too much fun,” I said.
    “And you’re not having enough,” said Rachel.  “Let’s check out the saloon.”
    “No,” I said, “remember the last time we entered a bar?  Come on.  Let’s grab Aunt Ethel and meet Jedidiah.”
    Just then, Aunt Ethel walked out with a coat made almost entirely of feathers.  “Isn’t it wonderful?  The lady in there said that a real Indian Chief wore this.  Should keep me nice and warm on our trip.”
    “Meet your Aunt Ethel,” whispered Jackie, “The most gullible tourist with money.”
    We found Jedidiah who waited patiently.  “Ready?”
    Yeah,” I said.
    “Then let’s go before anyone notices us.”
    Each of us mounted a horse and galloped off with Jedidiah in the lead.  No one paid any attention to us.

Chapter 7
     
     
     
    Small snowflakes marked the beginning of our journey through the South Dakota wilderness.  Jedidiah told me that we were not far from the North Dakota border.  Of course to him the entire territory was Dakota Territory.  The gray sky loomed over us and the temperature dropped a few degrees as we made our way northward to the Badlands.
    To anyone who might have happened to observe us, we would look like three women with five horses.  Though we could see Jedidiah and Rachel, no one else would have.  Ghosts tend to decide who sees them and who doesn’t.  However, if you do not believe in such things then you will see nothing.
    Aunt Ethel and Rachel passed the time singing some drinking song.  The fact that my Aunt Ethel joined in amazed me.  Or that she even knew a drinking song.
    “Damn,” said Jackie, “There really are such things as dead zones.”
    “Please tell me you did not bring your cell phone,” I said to her.
    “Because you never know when you might need to call someone,” said Jackie.  A sheepish expression crossed her face when she said it.  Jackie put her phone back in her pocket and snapped the reins of her horse.
    “Oh, I wish I were a pirate,” sang Rachel.
    I gaped at her.  “Pirate?”
    “Wrong kind of song?” asked Rachel with an innocent expression.  “We might as well be pirates since we are looking for buried treasure.  But I guess we could sing Home on the Range.”
    “No thank you,” I said.
    Most of the afternoon passed uneventfully as we rode through the wilderness.  Snow flurries continued to plague us threatening to turn into a storm.
    “Even in March, it has been known to blizzard,” said Jedidiah when I had voiced my concern about the snow.
    I cinched my coat even tighter.  I hoped this treasure would be worth it.
    “But think of the glory that lies ahead,” said Aunt Ethel.
    Leave it to my aunt to try and make an adventure out of something.
    We rode until dark, which happened quickly with all of the cloud cover.  Jedidiah had us stop near some lonely brush to which we tied our horses.  He instructed Jackie on how to build a fire.  It wasn’t big, but provided some warmth.  Jackie also grabbed the kettle and one of the many cans of beans we