The Bigg Man

It was good to be on dry land. The voyage north had been ugly. He stepped off the ship onto the dock, grateful that the trip was over. Other passengers moved past, all seeming to want to hurry away from the schooner that had taken such a battering. He looked around, taking in the new surroundings.

Dock workers were moving to begin unloading the cargo from the schooner, and he walked toward what was the young, remote town. The town had been a spot on the map for many years but only recently had it begun to grow quickly. Sault Sainte Marie was the gateway to Lake Superior. Minerals had been found along Superior and the only way to get them out was through Sault Sainte Marie. Literally. The river that connected Lake Huron and Lake Superior had large rapids and falls, so no ships could pass without either being completely taken out of the water or its cargo transported from one ship on Superior and then to another below the falls southbound to Lake Huron. Nothing passed by here without going through the town itself.

He thought about all of this as he headed for town. There certainly would be opportunities here. He smiled to himself. McKnight’s docks. He would have to remember that, after he rested up.

Ahead of him, he could see the fort, Fort Brady. The town was centered on the other side. He never did like the military. Better to depend on yourself.

He followed the dirt road around the fort and he could see the plank buildings lining the road that made up the main part of town. A saloon was what he needed. He walked past the fur company warehouse and heard the familiar noise on his left.

The sign said “Small’s Saloon.” It would do. He took a last look down the street at the people moving about doing those things that they thought were important at the moment. He was pleased that it wasn’t him. He went through the double glass doors and walked straigh