Chapter 22
No-Man's-Land, July 20, 1918
- Jinx comes in to show Shady how much money he's made selling Velma T.'s new and improved elixir around town. Sure is popular now.
- Shady makes him hide under the secret panel on his bar because he's having a meeting.
- One or two representatives of each nationality in town start showing up. But one of Lester Burton's mine crew members happens to stop by, too. Uh oh.
- He gets suspicious and doesn't believe Shady's (pitiful) excuses for why all these people are showing up, so he leaves angry.
- A little girl there with her parents notices Jinx through a tiny hole in the wood. She keeps showing him her little wooden doll, and he hopes that no one else will figure out what she's doing.
- Then Mrs. Larkin shows up, ready to yell at Shady about Jinx… until she sees everyone there.
- Mr. Gillen, who called the meeting, tells her she can stay. She sure wasn't invited, though.
- He explains to the group that the miners now finally have a way to bargain for better conditions. See, Devlin needs the Widow Cane's land to keep mining in the area, but right now, it doesn't belong to anyone.
- If the town buys it instead of Devlin, they've got him over a barrel: he'll have to work with them, if he wants to keep mining.
- The problem is that the land costs $1000, and all the miners are only paid in store vouchers.
- The miners consider making things to sell, but they're terrified that mean ol' Devlin will find out and fire them.
- Soon enough, Miss Sadie reminds them of how much their families back in Europe sacrificed to send them to America so they could have a better life. Go American Dream.
- Her words get them excited, and they start trying to think of ways to raise the money after all.
- Poor Jinx has been getting pretty cramped in his hiding spot, so he moves just a tiny bit—and of course, knocks over a bottle.
- Before he knows it, he's yanked out of hiding and being yelled at by Mrs. Larkin, who wants him arrested for selling spiked elixir.
- But then Mr. Gillen realizes they could raise the money by selling the alcoholic elixir.
- Aha.
- He asks Jinx for his advice, and as usual, Jinx has a plan—and it's one that gets the sheriff out of his hair, too. Man, he's good.
MANIFEST HERALD: July 21, 1918
- The Spanish influenza is spreading. Doctors say not to panic, but we know better (we've seen Downton Abbey). Hattie Mae is too sick to write this week.
- Healing Spring Waters: This stuff ain't bottled—you gotta get to Arkansas and soak in it to cure what ails ya.
LETTER FROM PVT. NED GILLEN
- Ned tells Jinx he's at the front and pretty miserable. He, Heck, and Holler have been made runners; they're supposed to deliver orders and supplies back and forth. The last runner was just shot.