encircling veil of darkness. “The mountains are as they have always been. They have beauty, and they have perils. We can admire the beauty, but we must watch out for the perils.”
Erleen was suddenly there, her hands on her hips. “I will thank you not to scare my daughter. We have made it this far without mishap. It puts the lie to all those tales about savages behind every tree and beasts behind every bush.”
“All it proves is that you and your family have been very lucky But no one’s luck lasts forever.”
Erleen patted Tyne’s shoulder. “Don’t listen to him, dear. He’s lived in the wilderness for so long, he has forgotten how to behave in polite company.”
Nate resented the accusation, but he bit off a reply. He reminded himself that Erleen Woodrow was used to the tame and peaceful East. He sincerely hoped she made it back there without having to learn that her world and the West were not the same. It could be a painful lesson.
The aroma of boiling stew filled the clearing. Everyone settled down, making themselves comfortable. Nate remarked that if all went well, tomorrow they should learn the fate of Sullivan and his family.
“I pray to God they are all right,” Peter said.
“They will be,” Erleen predicted.
“I hope we can talk them into coming back with us,” Peter remarked, adding for Nate’s benefit, “That’s another reason I came in person. I would like to convince Sully that enough is enough. He should buy property near mine so we can be like we were before he got it into his head to live in the Rockies.”
“He loves the outdoors too much,” Aunt Aggie said.
The stew was mostly water with bits of squirrel meat and some flour for thickening, but it was hot and it was filling. Nate poured coffee into his tin cup and sat back on a log to relax, but just as he raised the cup to his lips the night was shattered by a howl to the southwest.
“A wolf!” Tyne exclaimed, jumping to her feet. “I have yet to see one this whole trip.”
Nate wasn’t so sure. He listened for the howl to be repeated, and it was. A long, high, wavering cry, shrill and piercing.
The next moment Ryker was at his elbow. “Have you ever heard a cry like that?”
“Never,” Nate admitted.
“Me neither. It wasn’t no wolf, though. And it wasn’t a coyote or anything else I can think of. What the hell?”
Other howls rent the night. There was more than one of the beasts, whatever they were.
“Mr. Ryker, you swore again.”
“Sorry, ma’am. I will stop cussing when I stop breathing. Until then you’ll just have to put up with it.”
Erleen looked mad enough to smack him. “I am sorry to say this, Mr. Ryker, but you frontiersmen are a scurvy lot. Some of you, anyway.”
“And I’m not sorry to say this, ma’am, but I ride a horse and not on a ship, and my name isn’t Black-beard.”
Aunt Aggie chortled.
“Had I known you could be so petty, Mr. Ryker, I would have hired someone else to be our guide.”
“Begging your pardon, ma’am, but there aren’t many who will come this far in. Bridger would do it, but last I heard, he was guiding wagon trains. Walker would do it, but last I heard, he was in California. Jedidiah Smith went and got himself killed by Comanches. That leaves King, here. You’re getting two for the price of one.”
“Was that a barb, Mr. Ryker?”
“Perish the thought, ma’am.”
Peter broke in with, “As soon as everyone is done eating, we should all turn in.”
Fitch raised his face from his soup. “But I’m eigh-teen. I should get to stay up as long as I want.”
“I want to get an early start, son, and we all need rest.”
The howling stopped. Whatever gave voice to it had gone quiet.
“We should take turns keeping watch,” Nate proposed. “Two hours each. I’ll take the first turn. Then Fitch, Harper, and you, Mr. Woodrow. That will leave an hour or so for Edwin.”
“Don’t call me that. I hate that name.”
“Very well, Mr. King,”
Erleen was suddenly there, her hands on her hips. “I will thank you not to scare my daughter. We have made it this far without mishap. It puts the lie to all those tales about savages behind every tree and beasts behind every bush.”
“All it proves is that you and your family have been very lucky But no one’s luck lasts forever.”
Erleen patted Tyne’s shoulder. “Don’t listen to him, dear. He’s lived in the wilderness for so long, he has forgotten how to behave in polite company.”
Nate resented the accusation, but he bit off a reply. He reminded himself that Erleen Woodrow was used to the tame and peaceful East. He sincerely hoped she made it back there without having to learn that her world and the West were not the same. It could be a painful lesson.
The aroma of boiling stew filled the clearing. Everyone settled down, making themselves comfortable. Nate remarked that if all went well, tomorrow they should learn the fate of Sullivan and his family.
“I pray to God they are all right,” Peter said.
“They will be,” Erleen predicted.
“I hope we can talk them into coming back with us,” Peter remarked, adding for Nate’s benefit, “That’s another reason I came in person. I would like to convince Sully that enough is enough. He should buy property near mine so we can be like we were before he got it into his head to live in the Rockies.”
“He loves the outdoors too much,” Aunt Aggie said.
The stew was mostly water with bits of squirrel meat and some flour for thickening, but it was hot and it was filling. Nate poured coffee into his tin cup and sat back on a log to relax, but just as he raised the cup to his lips the night was shattered by a howl to the southwest.
“A wolf!” Tyne exclaimed, jumping to her feet. “I have yet to see one this whole trip.”
Nate wasn’t so sure. He listened for the howl to be repeated, and it was. A long, high, wavering cry, shrill and piercing.
The next moment Ryker was at his elbow. “Have you ever heard a cry like that?”
“Never,” Nate admitted.
“Me neither. It wasn’t no wolf, though. And it wasn’t a coyote or anything else I can think of. What the hell?”
Other howls rent the night. There was more than one of the beasts, whatever they were.
“Mr. Ryker, you swore again.”
“Sorry, ma’am. I will stop cussing when I stop breathing. Until then you’ll just have to put up with it.”
Erleen looked mad enough to smack him. “I am sorry to say this, Mr. Ryker, but you frontiersmen are a scurvy lot. Some of you, anyway.”
“And I’m not sorry to say this, ma’am, but I ride a horse and not on a ship, and my name isn’t Black-beard.”
Aunt Aggie chortled.
“Had I known you could be so petty, Mr. Ryker, I would have hired someone else to be our guide.”
“Begging your pardon, ma’am, but there aren’t many who will come this far in. Bridger would do it, but last I heard, he was guiding wagon trains. Walker would do it, but last I heard, he was in California. Jedidiah Smith went and got himself killed by Comanches. That leaves King, here. You’re getting two for the price of one.”
“Was that a barb, Mr. Ryker?”
“Perish the thought, ma’am.”
Peter broke in with, “As soon as everyone is done eating, we should all turn in.”
Fitch raised his face from his soup. “But I’m eigh-teen. I should get to stay up as long as I want.”
“I want to get an early start, son, and we all need rest.”
The howling stopped. Whatever gave voice to it had gone quiet.
“We should take turns keeping watch,” Nate proposed. “Two hours each. I’ll take the first turn. Then Fitch, Harper, and you, Mr. Woodrow. That will leave an hour or so for Edwin.”
“Don’t call me that. I hate that name.”
“Very well, Mr. King,”
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