Off To See The Wild West Show Part 1, Chapter 6 (1/6) By Frank Beill 1886: Hull, Yorkshire

(1/6), (2/6), (3/6), (4/6), (5/6), (6/6). Part 1 Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Part 2 Prologue, Chapter 1, 2, 3.

Two years passed and the routine of the orphanage became my life; that is until one dinnertime -that's how we always referred to our midday mealtime. It was Tuesday and Tuesdays meant Mrs G's special meat soup with huge doorsteps of crusty bread to dip in it. There was always lots of meat - though she never said what kind - and large chunks of potato and carrot. For once we were late joining the dining room queue thanks to Jolly Rodgers' foul humour. Sal was already there helping to serve, ladling hot soup into mugs held out in anticipation of the best meal of the week.

When she saw us her normal staid demeanour changed completely. She glanced towards Mrs G and back at us. I'd never seen her so agitated before. She gestured for us to come closer to her but we knew breaking ranks would bring swift retribution. Jolly Rodgers was close behind us.

I glanced at George for his opinion. He shrugged. We kept our place in the slow moving line. She continued waving us to her. This was not Sal; she never got overexcited - this was our role in life. She was always the calming influence. Mrs G's soup may have been enough cause for excitement in George and me but it was no reason for Sal's animation. 'He's coming!' She was shouting to us. Sal never raised her voice in the dining room or anywhere come to that - unless she was arguing with her brother, of course.

But who was coming? We were still well down the queue, not even halfway to being served and hear what she wanted to tell us. 'Selina Smith!' Mrs G turned to Sal and fixed her with a withering stare. 'What's come over you lass?' 'He's coming, Mrs G! I mean Buffalo Bill! I mean Mrs Grainger ... ma'am.' I 'd never seen Sal get into such a tizzy before, but she said 'Buffalo Bill'. I was always the one who brought up his name in conversation, usually to groans of tedium from anyone within earshot. 'Be that as it may, lass ... we've got all these dinners to serve!' Mrs G adopted a stern face and Sal went back to doling soup into the large tin mugs held out by a line of bemused looking children. I wanted to get nearer to Sal. I needed to find out more about the reason for her excitement. She'd said "Buffalo Bill." The boy in front of me got a push in the back. The queue had to move faster. Unfortunately, it was Edward Snelgrove. 'Stop shovin', Sambo!' A sharp elbow jabbed into my ribs and I stumbled backwards into George. 'Pack it in, Smelly!' George tried swinging a punch in my tormentor's direction, but luckily for both of them his target was out of reach. All he made contact with was air. The commotion attracted Jolly Rodgers' attention and he left his supervision of children at the dining tables.

Continued Next Page

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