He laughed. "'Course, that means without her cooking it!" But Clara was right, there were things Addy could do that a lot of other ladies couldn't (or didn't), and there were plenty of things regular ladies did that Addy didn't (or wouldn't!).
"But I'm glad you and Mrs. Emeline can cook, so sometimes there's good food! Maybe I should learn to cook?" That way, Addy wouldn't have to worry about it.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Weedy declared that Addy had given the bear carcass to Indians so they could eat it. Wyatt frowned and looked to his sister.
"Can people eat bears?" was his simple question.
"Indians can it seems," Clara even said the word 'Indians' with distaste. She despised Indians, they murdered her mother and almost killed her.
"But I'm glad you and Mrs. Emeline can cook, so sometimes there's good food! Maybe I should learn to cook?" Weedy wondered aloud.
"When I grow up I am gonna marry a woman who is a good cook. Let her do that kind of thing," Wyatt had it all figured out.
"How romantic," Clara just rolled her eyes.
"But seriously, Weedy, learning to cook is a useful skill to have. Might want to wait a couple years yet but then perhaps give it a go?" Clara suggested.
Even though there was conversation, like most boys the two youngsters were eating rather fast. They had important treasure hunting business to take care of yet.
"Yes, Miss Clara!" Weedy quickly replied, grinning brightly. "If I can cook on my own, I won't need no wife to cook for me, so I can just stay free!" That was a great plan, and if he had to learn to cook, it was a small sacrifice to make. "Besides, then I can cook what I want to, when I want to, and I don't have to listen to some girl nagging me to wash up and make the bed!"
Sounded like a good deal to him! "Just so long as you can make me cook this good, Clara, I'll be happy!"
Clara just shook her head, "Well, it certainly seems you have it all worked out then. Your bachelor futures I mean. But just a word of advice, as you get older you may well think differently."
"Oh but I never said I would be the one to teach you - simply that learning would be a smart idea. I also suggested you put that off for a couple of years til you are a bit older," she pointed out, bemused by the boy. She was also quite certain Addy would get a laugh if she ever had a chance to tell the woman about this conversation.
"Oh, oh...all right." Weedy had thought she was offering to teach him cooking, but now he'd have to find someone else. Maybe MIz Emeline, but now that she was married she seemed pretty busy. Or Miz Jemima? She cooked pretty good, and she had helped him help his Ma, and besides, she lived just behind their house.
But that could wait! There was good food here, and now that they'd been fortified, there was treasure to free!
"Thank you, Clara," he remembered that time! "may we be excused now?" He glanced at Wyatt and grinned. Time for some fun!
Storyteller / Shared NPC
The boys had practically inhaled their lunch and now were wanting to get back outside for their ..whatever it was they were doing? Clara nodded, she would handle the cleaning up and dishes. Let the boys be boys.
"Go ahead then, be good," she waved them off as they then raced out of the house.
Wyatt headed straight for the barn then, they had a treasure chest to open! The trick was how to do it. Shooting the lock was a bad idea, in his opinion. But if they could use a hammer and maybe a chisel to break the lock open, yes, that might do it.
And then they'd be rich.
Moments later the pair knelt beside the mysterious box. Wyatt had a hammer in one hand, he would try that first. He just needed to hit it in the exact right spot.
"Here goes!" he declared then swung down hard.
He missed the actual lock by a fraction but other than a loud thunk, nothing.......... Wyatt frowned.
"That was just a practice swing," he excused his miss.
Weedy nodded, certain that he could do better, but not wanting to point that out just yet. Let Wyatt try a few more times, then it wouldn't be so bad when he failed!
"Here, let me hold the chisel so you can use both hands." Stepping in, Weedy took the tool and wrapped both his hands around it, putting the end against the lock. It never occurred to him that this might not be a very good idea.
"Give it all you got!"
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Weedy sure was willing to help. Though Wyatt did have a bit of doubt the other boy was not taking too much of a chance holding that chisel while he swung at it. His first swing was...obviously ...not a very good one.
"Give it all you got!"
"Well, alright but ...." Wyatt took another swing but in reality it was only half a swing as he was too worried he'd smash the boy's fingers. Addy was not a woman he wanted mad at him.
It hit with a thunk and was better placed than before but...........the lock remained strong. Let's face it so far the chest was winning this battle. Why couldn't it just be easy?
Frustrated, Weedy sat on his heels, studying the lock. There had to be a way to get in.
"Maybe we could go back and look for the key?" Well, that was more of a needle in a haystack kind of thing, he figured, if the key had even been with it. But chances of that were pretty slim, whoever had dumped it out there probably had done that after he'd gotten as frustrated as they had trying to get it open.
"Or...do you think maybe we could turn it over and get in through the bottom?" If the lock was that stubborn, maybe they needed to turn their attention to another part of the chest.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
While Wyatt knelt there pouting silently, Weedy was still trying to come up with something that might work.
"Maybe we could go back and look for the key?"
Wyatt blinked, "Huh? In the lake? That's an awful big lake to look for something as dinky as a key."
"Or...do you think maybe we could turn it over and get in through the bottom?"
Now that made a whole lot of sense, much better than searching underwater for a key. Wyatt nodded, hope spring anew.
"Say, you might have something there. It's only wood afterall," he nodded.
"Hmmm, wait...we could set the bottom on fire, burn it enough so as the wood can be smashed easier then," Wyatt snapped his fingers. Genius!