hips.
“Suit yourself,” Jim replied and swung up into the saddle. “You can walk for awhile.” He nudged the horse forward and didn’t even look back to see if Pamela followed him.
She did, though. She was angry at Jim for refusing to apologize for his temper and even angrier at herself for losing her ride. She grimaced at each step, feeling the sharp rocks as they cut into her thin-soled slippers. Then the rain began to fall.
First it only misted, making everything damp and cold. Then it fell in earnest, with huge drops that saturated everything in its path. Pamela struggled to keep pace with the horse and finally could take no more. Crumbling to the ground, she panted in exhaustion, near to tears for her folly.
Without a word, Jim got down from the horse, lifted Pamela into his arms, and remounted. Neither one said a thing, and a silent truce was born.
Six
T he rain fell in such a deluge that returning the same way they’d departed from Dawson became impossible. Each mountain stream was rising rapidly as the rains continued throughout the day. Finally, they came to a place where they could go no farther.
“We’ll have to wait it out. By morning it should go down. This is just a cloudburst,” Jim said, his voice laced with uncertainty. “If not, we’ll go back a ways and pick up another trail.”
Pamela nodded. She was weary and cold and hungry. Nothing could have pleased her more than a warm bed and supper but, next to that dream, getting off the horse was second best.
Jim took a small hatchet and cut branches from the pines to form a shelter. It wasn’t much, but it kept a good deal of the water off of them. Eventually, the rain seemed to pass on down the valley and, though the sun didn’t come out to warm things, it was a relief.
Pamela succumbed to her exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep. She was mindless of the cold and hunger. When she awoke, it was morning again, and she was stunned to realize she was alone.
“Jim!” she called, crawling out of the lean-to. “Jim!” Her voice held a frantic tone. She hadn’t realized until that moment that she’d come to depend on the stranger for her own security.
“I’m here,” Jim called, coming from a heavy growth of small pines. “I was catching us some breakfast.” He held out a couple of ground squirrels and laughed at Pamela’s wrinkled-up nose.
“You’ll think they’re grand once I get them cooked and you sink your teeth into them.”
Pamela rolled her eyes. “I can’t imagine feeling that way.” But her stomach growled loudly, causing Jim to laugh even more.
Embarrassed, Pamela excused herself to some privacy and didn’t return until Jim had the monstrous little things skinned and spitted over a small fire.
“Where did you get dry wood?” she asked, taking her seat beside the fire.
“You just have to know where to look,” Jim said with a grin. “The forest is filled with all sorts of wonders, if you know where to find them.” With that, he pulled a handful of berries from his vest pocket.
“How marvelous!” Pamela exclaimed and reached out to take some of the berries. She didn’t concern herself with whether they were dirty or clean and popped them into her mouth with a smile. “Oh, they’re wonderful.”
“How old are you?”
“Eighteen,” she said in surprise. “Why?”
“I just wondered. You look so young, almost like a child.” She frowned indignantly, causing him to add, “No offense.”
Pamela relaxed a bit and nodded. “I understand.”
“I really am sorry,” Jim continued. “I feel bad for all I’ve put you through, and I guess,” he paused, “I just don’t want you to be mad at me. I honestly meant you no harm. I’m not the kind of man who goes around taking women on a regular basis.”
Pamela laughed, “I’m sure you don’t.”
It was the only reply she felt comfortable in making. In truth, she was beginning to notice things about Jim that she hadn’t before. Like the way he
“Suit yourself,” Jim replied and swung up into the saddle. “You can walk for awhile.” He nudged the horse forward and didn’t even look back to see if Pamela followed him.
She did, though. She was angry at Jim for refusing to apologize for his temper and even angrier at herself for losing her ride. She grimaced at each step, feeling the sharp rocks as they cut into her thin-soled slippers. Then the rain began to fall.
First it only misted, making everything damp and cold. Then it fell in earnest, with huge drops that saturated everything in its path. Pamela struggled to keep pace with the horse and finally could take no more. Crumbling to the ground, she panted in exhaustion, near to tears for her folly.
Without a word, Jim got down from the horse, lifted Pamela into his arms, and remounted. Neither one said a thing, and a silent truce was born.
Six
T he rain fell in such a deluge that returning the same way they’d departed from Dawson became impossible. Each mountain stream was rising rapidly as the rains continued throughout the day. Finally, they came to a place where they could go no farther.
“We’ll have to wait it out. By morning it should go down. This is just a cloudburst,” Jim said, his voice laced with uncertainty. “If not, we’ll go back a ways and pick up another trail.”
Pamela nodded. She was weary and cold and hungry. Nothing could have pleased her more than a warm bed and supper but, next to that dream, getting off the horse was second best.
Jim took a small hatchet and cut branches from the pines to form a shelter. It wasn’t much, but it kept a good deal of the water off of them. Eventually, the rain seemed to pass on down the valley and, though the sun didn’t come out to warm things, it was a relief.
Pamela succumbed to her exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep. She was mindless of the cold and hunger. When she awoke, it was morning again, and she was stunned to realize she was alone.
“Jim!” she called, crawling out of the lean-to. “Jim!” Her voice held a frantic tone. She hadn’t realized until that moment that she’d come to depend on the stranger for her own security.
“I’m here,” Jim called, coming from a heavy growth of small pines. “I was catching us some breakfast.” He held out a couple of ground squirrels and laughed at Pamela’s wrinkled-up nose.
“You’ll think they’re grand once I get them cooked and you sink your teeth into them.”
Pamela rolled her eyes. “I can’t imagine feeling that way.” But her stomach growled loudly, causing Jim to laugh even more.
Embarrassed, Pamela excused herself to some privacy and didn’t return until Jim had the monstrous little things skinned and spitted over a small fire.
“Where did you get dry wood?” she asked, taking her seat beside the fire.
“You just have to know where to look,” Jim said with a grin. “The forest is filled with all sorts of wonders, if you know where to find them.” With that, he pulled a handful of berries from his vest pocket.
“How marvelous!” Pamela exclaimed and reached out to take some of the berries. She didn’t concern herself with whether they were dirty or clean and popped them into her mouth with a smile. “Oh, they’re wonderful.”
“How old are you?”
“Eighteen,” she said in surprise. “Why?”
“I just wondered. You look so young, almost like a child.” She frowned indignantly, causing him to add, “No offense.”
Pamela relaxed a bit and nodded. “I understand.”
“I really am sorry,” Jim continued. “I feel bad for all I’ve put you through, and I guess,” he paused, “I just don’t want you to be mad at me. I honestly meant you no harm. I’m not the kind of man who goes around taking women on a regular basis.”
Pamela laughed, “I’m sure you don’t.”
It was the only reply she felt comfortable in making. In truth, she was beginning to notice things about Jim that she hadn’t before. Like the way he
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