The Promised Land (Destiny's Dreamers Book 2) by Kathleen Karr Page B
Authors: Kathleen Karr
Ads: Link
out if we’re real quiet.’’
That’s what they did. Charlotte had fallen asleep in the heat, under the shade of a piece of cloth Maggie had rigged up on her carrier. It was very peaceful lying there with Johnny on one side and Jamie, silent for once, on the other.
Before them spread a vast area of hard-packed dirt, pocked with little creature-made holes and hills. The only sound came from flies droning lazily above. Maggie tried to imagine what it looked like beneath, in the dark tunnels and rooms. She pictured a vast underground city, everyone busy doing his job.
Funny how creatures had jobs to do the same as humans. And these particular creatures needn’t ever pack their bags, load their wagons and move farther on. From the looks of things, they’d been here for centuries and planned to continue for a few more. How nice to be settled down for good and final this way. She closed her eyes and sighed.
Jamie shoved her in the side. Maggie opened her eyes to follow his pointing finger. Not fifteen yards away a little brown sentry had poked his head above one of the holes. Maggie watched with interest as he swiveled his head nervously, this way and that, tiny pointed ears twitching. He finally scurried out to stand on hind legs at the edge of his burrow, black tail a-tremble, alert. Satisfied that the giant marauders had gone, the creature let out a shrill whistle and a half dozen others popped out of holes around him. Soon there were scores of prairie dogs continuing their normal lives before the Stuarts: chatting, scolding, playing. It was fascinating, almost as good as watching actors in the theatre Johnny had once taken Maggie to see in Cincinnati.
But within an instant, they were all gone, scattered back into their underground sanctuaries. There’d been no noise or motion from the four Stuarts. What had frightened the creatures? Maggie silently sought Johnny’s eyes. They were riveted on a hole perhaps six feet from them.
Very slowly a rattlesnake inched his way out. It was engorged. It should not have been moving at all, should have been curled up somewhere for a week to digest. Perhaps it was seeking the sun for this process. Maggie suddenly realized that Johnny’s fingers were reaching for the hunting knife stuck in his belt. Her throat was too dry to cry out for him to stop. In a moment he had the weapon in his grasp. In another, he’d leapt up and pinioned the rattler with the sharp blade through the top of its head. Maggie swallowed, hard. Jamie let out a whistle.
“Nice going, Pa! Guess we get fresh meat for supper!’’
Johnny grinned as he slowly pulled the rest of the body from its hole. He held it up before him, measuring its length with his eyes. “A good two yards. It must be a grandaddy. His skin will make a nice belt for you, son, and maybe enough left over to tie around that hair of yours. It’s growing so fast you’re starting to look like a young Sioux.’’
The thought of getting his hands on his very own rattlesnake skin was too much for Jamie. “Yahoo! Guess we can head on back now, right, Pa? I figure you’ve done the prairie dogs a big favor, but I also figure they won’t be coming out for a while to thank you.’’
Johnny mussed his son’s sun-bleached hair. “You probably figure right. It’s time to move on.’’ He looked toward Maggie for her assessment of his prowess.
She gulped. “ You are skinning and cooking that thing tonight, Johnny Stuart!’’
“I expected as much. It’s lucky you weren’t along on the buffalo hunts, Meg, although a good squaw always trails along with her man to clean up after.’’
“That’s just one of the reasons I chose to come back with you from a certain Pawnee village.’’
He walked next to her, the dead rattler slung over a shoulder. “And here I was thinking it was my sheer strength of character coming through at last.’’
She had to smile. “It was a little of that, too.’’
“What are you talking about,
That’s what they did. Charlotte had fallen asleep in the heat, under the shade of a piece of cloth Maggie had rigged up on her carrier. It was very peaceful lying there with Johnny on one side and Jamie, silent for once, on the other.
Before them spread a vast area of hard-packed dirt, pocked with little creature-made holes and hills. The only sound came from flies droning lazily above. Maggie tried to imagine what it looked like beneath, in the dark tunnels and rooms. She pictured a vast underground city, everyone busy doing his job.
Funny how creatures had jobs to do the same as humans. And these particular creatures needn’t ever pack their bags, load their wagons and move farther on. From the looks of things, they’d been here for centuries and planned to continue for a few more. How nice to be settled down for good and final this way. She closed her eyes and sighed.
Jamie shoved her in the side. Maggie opened her eyes to follow his pointing finger. Not fifteen yards away a little brown sentry had poked his head above one of the holes. Maggie watched with interest as he swiveled his head nervously, this way and that, tiny pointed ears twitching. He finally scurried out to stand on hind legs at the edge of his burrow, black tail a-tremble, alert. Satisfied that the giant marauders had gone, the creature let out a shrill whistle and a half dozen others popped out of holes around him. Soon there were scores of prairie dogs continuing their normal lives before the Stuarts: chatting, scolding, playing. It was fascinating, almost as good as watching actors in the theatre Johnny had once taken Maggie to see in Cincinnati.
But within an instant, they were all gone, scattered back into their underground sanctuaries. There’d been no noise or motion from the four Stuarts. What had frightened the creatures? Maggie silently sought Johnny’s eyes. They were riveted on a hole perhaps six feet from them.
Very slowly a rattlesnake inched his way out. It was engorged. It should not have been moving at all, should have been curled up somewhere for a week to digest. Perhaps it was seeking the sun for this process. Maggie suddenly realized that Johnny’s fingers were reaching for the hunting knife stuck in his belt. Her throat was too dry to cry out for him to stop. In a moment he had the weapon in his grasp. In another, he’d leapt up and pinioned the rattler with the sharp blade through the top of its head. Maggie swallowed, hard. Jamie let out a whistle.
“Nice going, Pa! Guess we get fresh meat for supper!’’
Johnny grinned as he slowly pulled the rest of the body from its hole. He held it up before him, measuring its length with his eyes. “A good two yards. It must be a grandaddy. His skin will make a nice belt for you, son, and maybe enough left over to tie around that hair of yours. It’s growing so fast you’re starting to look like a young Sioux.’’
The thought of getting his hands on his very own rattlesnake skin was too much for Jamie. “Yahoo! Guess we can head on back now, right, Pa? I figure you’ve done the prairie dogs a big favor, but I also figure they won’t be coming out for a while to thank you.’’
Johnny mussed his son’s sun-bleached hair. “You probably figure right. It’s time to move on.’’ He looked toward Maggie for her assessment of his prowess.
She gulped. “ You are skinning and cooking that thing tonight, Johnny Stuart!’’
“I expected as much. It’s lucky you weren’t along on the buffalo hunts, Meg, although a good squaw always trails along with her man to clean up after.’’
“That’s just one of the reasons I chose to come back with you from a certain Pawnee village.’’
He walked next to her, the dead rattler slung over a shoulder. “And here I was thinking it was my sheer strength of character coming through at last.’’
She had to smile. “It was a little of that, too.’’
“What are you talking about,
Similar Books
