there
now.
Directly in front of the largest rock formation, several men were gathered around a campfire. Matt knew
they waited impatiently for Corey's squaw to prepare
breakfast. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee floated
to him, tantalizing his taste buds.
The riders were almost upon the group when the men
looked up, their faces cracking in friendly greeting.
"Where have you been, Matt?" Caleb called. "We was
beginnin' to get worried."
Matt swung to the ground, disclosing Marna to their
view. The men rose as one, gathering around the horse,
staring up at the trembling girl. Corey spat a stream of
tobacco juice at a rock and snickered, "What you got
there, Matt? Is it human?"
The others would have added uncomplimentary remarks to Corey's, but Matt's body stiffened, and in a
voice dangerously low he said, "This is Marna. She
saved my life yesterday."
The men all spoke at once, demanding details. As
they stared curiously at the bent head of tangled hair, Matt explained how the snake had bitten him and how
Marna had sucked out the poison.
When Corey laid a hand on Marna's knee and leered,
"She's a good sucker, eh?" Matt struck the hand away
and blurted out, "She's my wife. I married her last
night."
His announcement left the men staring, stunned and
speechless.
Corey was the first to recover. He opened his mouth
to vent his mirth, but then he glimpsed the dark warning in Matt's eyes and snapped it shut.
Wordlessly the men turned and moved back to the
fire. Matt dropped the reins and followed them. Marna
stared after him, disconcerted. How was she to get off
this tall animal's back? She was used to riding the
sturdy little Indian ponies. From atop this great black
stallion, the ground seemed a great distance away.
There was only one way. She would have to slide
down the horse's side. As she threw a leg over the
saddle and slid to the ground, she caught Corey's beady
eyes fastened on her. She looked away, knowing the
look. Clutching the bundle of clothes to her, she let her
gaze survey the camp.
Dirty bedrolls were scattered about and gear tossed
among the cooking utensils. The men spat tobacco juice
into the fire, where it sputtered and steamed against
the iron pot suspended over the flames. Distaste firmed
her soft lips. She stepped lightly to a tall oak several
yards away and sat down.
The sun had been up a couple of hours before Dove
called the men to eat They trooped over to the dirty
blanket spread on the ground and scooped salt pork
and beans into tin plates. Marna was surprised when
Matt filled a plate and moved toward her.
"Here," he growled, thrusting the unappetizing mess
at her. Then he turned on his heel and stalked back to
the blanket.
Matt began conversing with the men, and Marna
listened intently to the sound of his voice. Already her
husband had entered her wild little heart, where only
before old Hertha had held a spot.
"I'm gonna start it as soon as I finish this pipe,"
Matt answered in response to a question put to him.
When are you men gonna start yours?"
"We started yesterday," one of the men said. Jerking
his head in the direction of the forest behind him, he
added, "Got all the trees chopped down back there in
the woods."
"How you gonna work it?" Matt inquired. "One big
place, or each man his own?"
Corey answered this time. "We ain't fancy, like some
I could name. One place is good enough for us common
folk."
Matt looked over at Corey, holding his gaze steadily.
The man still burned from their first encounter. He
would have trouble from this quarter all winter long,
but he decided to let the remark pass. Matt shouldered
his rifle and picked up an ax.
As he headed into the forest, he heard footsteps
behind him. He turned around and waited for Marna to
catch up with him. When she stood before him, her
fingers gripped nervously together, he asked sharply,
"What do you want?"
"I will go with you," she muttered.
"But I'm going to
now.
Directly in front of the largest rock formation, several men were gathered around a campfire. Matt knew
they waited impatiently for Corey's squaw to prepare
breakfast. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee floated
to him, tantalizing his taste buds.
The riders were almost upon the group when the men
looked up, their faces cracking in friendly greeting.
"Where have you been, Matt?" Caleb called. "We was
beginnin' to get worried."
Matt swung to the ground, disclosing Marna to their
view. The men rose as one, gathering around the horse,
staring up at the trembling girl. Corey spat a stream of
tobacco juice at a rock and snickered, "What you got
there, Matt? Is it human?"
The others would have added uncomplimentary remarks to Corey's, but Matt's body stiffened, and in a
voice dangerously low he said, "This is Marna. She
saved my life yesterday."
The men all spoke at once, demanding details. As
they stared curiously at the bent head of tangled hair, Matt explained how the snake had bitten him and how
Marna had sucked out the poison.
When Corey laid a hand on Marna's knee and leered,
"She's a good sucker, eh?" Matt struck the hand away
and blurted out, "She's my wife. I married her last
night."
His announcement left the men staring, stunned and
speechless.
Corey was the first to recover. He opened his mouth
to vent his mirth, but then he glimpsed the dark warning in Matt's eyes and snapped it shut.
Wordlessly the men turned and moved back to the
fire. Matt dropped the reins and followed them. Marna
stared after him, disconcerted. How was she to get off
this tall animal's back? She was used to riding the
sturdy little Indian ponies. From atop this great black
stallion, the ground seemed a great distance away.
There was only one way. She would have to slide
down the horse's side. As she threw a leg over the
saddle and slid to the ground, she caught Corey's beady
eyes fastened on her. She looked away, knowing the
look. Clutching the bundle of clothes to her, she let her
gaze survey the camp.
Dirty bedrolls were scattered about and gear tossed
among the cooking utensils. The men spat tobacco juice
into the fire, where it sputtered and steamed against
the iron pot suspended over the flames. Distaste firmed
her soft lips. She stepped lightly to a tall oak several
yards away and sat down.
The sun had been up a couple of hours before Dove
called the men to eat They trooped over to the dirty
blanket spread on the ground and scooped salt pork
and beans into tin plates. Marna was surprised when
Matt filled a plate and moved toward her.
"Here," he growled, thrusting the unappetizing mess
at her. Then he turned on his heel and stalked back to
the blanket.
Matt began conversing with the men, and Marna
listened intently to the sound of his voice. Already her
husband had entered her wild little heart, where only
before old Hertha had held a spot.
"I'm gonna start it as soon as I finish this pipe,"
Matt answered in response to a question put to him.
When are you men gonna start yours?"
"We started yesterday," one of the men said. Jerking
his head in the direction of the forest behind him, he
added, "Got all the trees chopped down back there in
the woods."
"How you gonna work it?" Matt inquired. "One big
place, or each man his own?"
Corey answered this time. "We ain't fancy, like some
I could name. One place is good enough for us common
folk."
Matt looked over at Corey, holding his gaze steadily.
The man still burned from their first encounter. He
would have trouble from this quarter all winter long,
but he decided to let the remark pass. Matt shouldered
his rifle and picked up an ax.
As he headed into the forest, he heard footsteps
behind him. He turned around and waited for Marna to
catch up with him. When she stood before him, her
fingers gripped nervously together, he asked sharply,
"What do you want?"
"I will go with you," she muttered.
"But I'm going to
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