his buckskins swayed with his gait. He mounted the big Appaloosa in one swift, easy movement, using no saddle, and rode off into the distance to watch for Olin Wales. But there was no sign of the man. What he did see was two more wagons approaching. Abbie paid no further heed; she continued to clean up camp and pack the wagon.
About a half-hour later Zeke’s horse galloped by herwagon, and she watched the ease with which he rode the stallion, as though he were a part of it. He was puffing a cheroot again and was bedecked with weapons as he had been the first time she saw him; plus he had two fancy-looking Spencer carbines secured on each side of the horse. That was the first time she’d noticed what looked like the arm of a banjo sticking out from his pack, but she thought little of it at the time, being more curious as to why he rode by so fast with such a concerned look on his face.
The wagons that had been approaching earlier came closer now. Zeke, who had stopped and dismounted, was talking with Bentley Kelsoe. Jason Trent left his wagon to go and see what was going on, while Abbie, watching the two new wagons, noticed that a man herded about ten shorthorn cattle alongside them. She turned to see some conversation among the men. Then Zeke mounted up again and rode ahead of the train, while Kelsoe and the others began shouting “Gee’s” and “Haw’s” and “Giddap’s” and the wagons began to roll. Trent came back to his own wagon, and after much lashing and cursing, he got the lazy oxen into motion. Abbie walked along beside him, but LeeAnn preferred to ride inside where it was more comfortable. Jeremy ran ahead, excited and full of energy.
“What’s going on, pa?” Abbie asked her father.
“Well, as you can see, we have two more wagons joining us. Tennessee folk, like us. Name of Hadley and Caroline Brown, and their son and daughter-in-law, Willis and Yolanda Brown. They’ve got a herd of cattle along, and four horses.”
“Why’s Zeke looking so upset?” she asked. “We’vegot more people. Isn’t that good?”
“Depends on how you look at it. For one thing, them cattle will take extra watching. There’s the Indians to worry about—and storms. Cattle get mighty skittish in storms. The other problem is that Yolanda Brown is pregnant—about five months along—and she’s only sixteen. Zeke doesn’t think a trip like this is the place for a young, pregnant woman, especially when it’s her first. I have to agree she doesn’t have any business out here, but she’s got her head set and we don’t have time to argue about it. Better to let them come with us than to make them go it alone.”
The first day’s journey was difficult. Most of the people in the train were not yet in shape for such a venture, and soon Abbie’s feet hurt so badly that she stopped talking. She turned her thoughts to Zeke to help ease her pain and smiled inwardly at his kind concern for the pregnant girl. She was sure he must be feeling the weight of the responsibility he had undertaken: ten wagons, fourteen men, five women, and five children; let alone the nineteen horses, thirty-three mules, twenty-two oxen, and the cattle. Besides that, Olin would be coming along with six more oxen. Zeke’s work was cut out for him.
She thought about the others and wondered just how well they would all get along when the going got rough, which it most certainly would as they progressed farther into untamed territory. It was a strange mixture of people: her own family from Tennessee; Quentin Robards, the gambler from who knew where, except that he had a Virginia accent; the suspicious and nervous Morris Connely, who also claimedto be from Tennessee; Preacher Graydon from Illinois; the Haneses from Kentucky; Kelsoe and Bobby Jones, both from Pennsylvania; David Craig and Casey Miles from Kentucky; the schoolteacher, Winston Harrell, and his son from Georgia; and the newcomers, the Browns from Tennessee. Then, of course, there
About a half-hour later Zeke’s horse galloped by herwagon, and she watched the ease with which he rode the stallion, as though he were a part of it. He was puffing a cheroot again and was bedecked with weapons as he had been the first time she saw him; plus he had two fancy-looking Spencer carbines secured on each side of the horse. That was the first time she’d noticed what looked like the arm of a banjo sticking out from his pack, but she thought little of it at the time, being more curious as to why he rode by so fast with such a concerned look on his face.
The wagons that had been approaching earlier came closer now. Zeke, who had stopped and dismounted, was talking with Bentley Kelsoe. Jason Trent left his wagon to go and see what was going on, while Abbie, watching the two new wagons, noticed that a man herded about ten shorthorn cattle alongside them. She turned to see some conversation among the men. Then Zeke mounted up again and rode ahead of the train, while Kelsoe and the others began shouting “Gee’s” and “Haw’s” and “Giddap’s” and the wagons began to roll. Trent came back to his own wagon, and after much lashing and cursing, he got the lazy oxen into motion. Abbie walked along beside him, but LeeAnn preferred to ride inside where it was more comfortable. Jeremy ran ahead, excited and full of energy.
“What’s going on, pa?” Abbie asked her father.
“Well, as you can see, we have two more wagons joining us. Tennessee folk, like us. Name of Hadley and Caroline Brown, and their son and daughter-in-law, Willis and Yolanda Brown. They’ve got a herd of cattle along, and four horses.”
“Why’s Zeke looking so upset?” she asked. “We’vegot more people. Isn’t that good?”
“Depends on how you look at it. For one thing, them cattle will take extra watching. There’s the Indians to worry about—and storms. Cattle get mighty skittish in storms. The other problem is that Yolanda Brown is pregnant—about five months along—and she’s only sixteen. Zeke doesn’t think a trip like this is the place for a young, pregnant woman, especially when it’s her first. I have to agree she doesn’t have any business out here, but she’s got her head set and we don’t have time to argue about it. Better to let them come with us than to make them go it alone.”
The first day’s journey was difficult. Most of the people in the train were not yet in shape for such a venture, and soon Abbie’s feet hurt so badly that she stopped talking. She turned her thoughts to Zeke to help ease her pain and smiled inwardly at his kind concern for the pregnant girl. She was sure he must be feeling the weight of the responsibility he had undertaken: ten wagons, fourteen men, five women, and five children; let alone the nineteen horses, thirty-three mules, twenty-two oxen, and the cattle. Besides that, Olin would be coming along with six more oxen. Zeke’s work was cut out for him.
She thought about the others and wondered just how well they would all get along when the going got rough, which it most certainly would as they progressed farther into untamed territory. It was a strange mixture of people: her own family from Tennessee; Quentin Robards, the gambler from who knew where, except that he had a Virginia accent; the suspicious and nervous Morris Connely, who also claimedto be from Tennessee; Preacher Graydon from Illinois; the Haneses from Kentucky; Kelsoe and Bobby Jones, both from Pennsylvania; David Craig and Casey Miles from Kentucky; the schoolteacher, Winston Harrell, and his son from Georgia; and the newcomers, the Browns from Tennessee. Then, of course, there
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