on.
"Cal! Git over here, boy. Got spuds for you to peel."
She stomped over to the grub wagon and sat on the low stool beside the bucket of spuds.
"Where'd they come from?" He'd cooked the last spuds from the grub wagon a week ago.
Peeling spuds for Hiram wasn't near as bad as it had been for Aunt Sadie. He wasn't all
that particular about bits of skin left on, and he didn't insist they be soaked in cool water before
he fried them. "A little dirt gives 'em flavor," he'd told her the first time he'd put her to work.
"Bought 'em here. I was gettin' damn tired of dodgers and biscuits. Nothin' like a good
spud to fill a man up."
She tossed the first spud aside and picked up another. "How long will you be around?"
Maybe if her pa wasn't here, Hiram would hire her on as cook's helper. He'd complained more
than once about his helper who'd broke his leg down around Fort Hall.
"Couple of days, I reckon. Murphy wants to get back soon as he can. We're takin' a
chance on the weather already. I disremember ever coming up here so late." Picking up the
canvas log tote, he strode off toward the pile of firewood by the corral.
She bit her lip as she watched him go. What if I can't find Pa in a couple of days?
What will I do?
I should have thought about that before I came.
Chapter Five
It was full dark when they pulled into the freight yard at Virginia City. The teamsters
made plain their relief at seeing the end of the long journey with cheers and loud boasts of what
they intended to do while in town. Merlin hoped Cal didn't understand half of what they
said.
He only understood about three-quarters, and that was enough to make his ears burn
and his doowhacker stand up, when he thought about doing what they talked about.
"It's too late for you to go looking for your pa tonight," he told her as they were
unloading Cap. Murphy had offered them space in the bunkhouse and he was grateful for it. He
was tired of sleeping under a wagon and bundling with her to keep warm. The bunkhouse had a
fireplace at either end.
"Yeah, I know." She kept her head down, like she was avoiding his eyes. All day long
she'd been real quiet.
"You got any idea of where to start?"
"Uh-uh."
He was starting to get a bad feeling about this. He decided to wait until they'd unpacked
and got their supper before he asked the questions that were forming in his head.
Two hours later he stopped her before she could go into the bunkhouse. "Let's go for a
walk."
"I'm tired."
"Me, too, but a walk'll limber us up before bed. There's no place for private talk in
there."
She stuck her lip out a mile, but didn't argue.
He kept silent as they walked along the road toward town. From what he'd seen before it
got too dark, Virginia City was going to be a disappointment. It was bigger than any of the gold
camps he'd been to, but no livelier. Guess Pa was right. The gold boom is slowing down. I'll
have to find my excitement somewhere else.
About every third place on the main street was boarded up. Those that showed some life
were saloons. He guessed they'd have to do their talking while they walked.
"Where'd your pa work the last you heard?"
He didn't have to turn his head. He could almost hear her shrug.
"Consarn it, Cal. When was the last you heard from him?"
"Last year." She walked on two or three steps. "Ma got a letter from him on her
birthday. In January."
Great God! That's nearly two years ago.
Fed up, he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her back the way they'd come. To his
surprise, she'd didn't resist. By the time they'd come to the turn-off to the corral, he'd cooled
down a bit. He pulled her over to the fence and pushed her down on the edge of the horse trough.
"All right now, suppose you tell me how you know your pa's here and how you plan to find
him."
"I was going to ask at the Mercantile. That's where he said he worked. In his letter, he
said he had a snug little cabin, and as soon as he got some money saved up, he'd send for me and
Ma." She
"Cal! Git over here, boy. Got spuds for you to peel."
She stomped over to the grub wagon and sat on the low stool beside the bucket of spuds.
"Where'd they come from?" He'd cooked the last spuds from the grub wagon a week ago.
Peeling spuds for Hiram wasn't near as bad as it had been for Aunt Sadie. He wasn't all
that particular about bits of skin left on, and he didn't insist they be soaked in cool water before
he fried them. "A little dirt gives 'em flavor," he'd told her the first time he'd put her to work.
"Bought 'em here. I was gettin' damn tired of dodgers and biscuits. Nothin' like a good
spud to fill a man up."
She tossed the first spud aside and picked up another. "How long will you be around?"
Maybe if her pa wasn't here, Hiram would hire her on as cook's helper. He'd complained more
than once about his helper who'd broke his leg down around Fort Hall.
"Couple of days, I reckon. Murphy wants to get back soon as he can. We're takin' a
chance on the weather already. I disremember ever coming up here so late." Picking up the
canvas log tote, he strode off toward the pile of firewood by the corral.
She bit her lip as she watched him go. What if I can't find Pa in a couple of days?
What will I do?
I should have thought about that before I came.
Chapter Five
It was full dark when they pulled into the freight yard at Virginia City. The teamsters
made plain their relief at seeing the end of the long journey with cheers and loud boasts of what
they intended to do while in town. Merlin hoped Cal didn't understand half of what they
said.
He only understood about three-quarters, and that was enough to make his ears burn
and his doowhacker stand up, when he thought about doing what they talked about.
"It's too late for you to go looking for your pa tonight," he told her as they were
unloading Cap. Murphy had offered them space in the bunkhouse and he was grateful for it. He
was tired of sleeping under a wagon and bundling with her to keep warm. The bunkhouse had a
fireplace at either end.
"Yeah, I know." She kept her head down, like she was avoiding his eyes. All day long
she'd been real quiet.
"You got any idea of where to start?"
"Uh-uh."
He was starting to get a bad feeling about this. He decided to wait until they'd unpacked
and got their supper before he asked the questions that were forming in his head.
Two hours later he stopped her before she could go into the bunkhouse. "Let's go for a
walk."
"I'm tired."
"Me, too, but a walk'll limber us up before bed. There's no place for private talk in
there."
She stuck her lip out a mile, but didn't argue.
He kept silent as they walked along the road toward town. From what he'd seen before it
got too dark, Virginia City was going to be a disappointment. It was bigger than any of the gold
camps he'd been to, but no livelier. Guess Pa was right. The gold boom is slowing down. I'll
have to find my excitement somewhere else.
About every third place on the main street was boarded up. Those that showed some life
were saloons. He guessed they'd have to do their talking while they walked.
"Where'd your pa work the last you heard?"
He didn't have to turn his head. He could almost hear her shrug.
"Consarn it, Cal. When was the last you heard from him?"
"Last year." She walked on two or three steps. "Ma got a letter from him on her
birthday. In January."
Great God! That's nearly two years ago.
Fed up, he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her back the way they'd come. To his
surprise, she'd didn't resist. By the time they'd come to the turn-off to the corral, he'd cooled
down a bit. He pulled her over to the fence and pushed her down on the edge of the horse trough.
"All right now, suppose you tell me how you know your pa's here and how you plan to find
him."
"I was going to ask at the Mercantile. That's where he said he worked. In his letter, he
said he had a snug little cabin, and as soon as he got some money saved up, he'd send for me and
Ma." She
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