"Be a minute, Love." He called. and then he began to uncoil rope around where they would bed down. Which, considering he was on his knees, was not easy. "They say a snake won't crawl over the rope, can't say as I know different, but done it many times, and ain't been bit ta death yet. Remember ta shake out yer boots come mornin', no need of surprises."
Once he was done with the rope, he backed out from under the wagon, took off his guns, pulled off his boots, stepped out of his chaps, then removed the coat, last he took off his hat, and then pistol in one hand, he crawled under the wagon, hat in the other hand. "Seems like an awful lotta work."
"Oh, well, hopefully the reward is worth the effort." Smiling, Emeline scooted over a bit to make room for Barnabas and his gun. "That's good to know about the rope, no need to have snakes sharing our bed!" She did wonder if that theory applied to things like scorpions, too, but she'd slept outside plenty, and had made it this far.
"I think you are just getting soft and spoiled after all those nights in fancy hotels!" She laughed, although there was something to be said for a soft bed, and walls. But they were together, and that was really what mattered.
"Soft? Could be. This ain't like them feather beds we been use too." He agreed. Maybe soft insofar as sleeping in those beds, and carriage rides, the way they were waited on, yes, that may well have softened him up some, but life on the trail, that would toughen him up again.
"Don't know about scorpions, they like ta hind in yer boots, so I always shake 'em out come the mornin'." He said as he settled in to the blankets. "Speakin' of, well make some time tomorrow, eight to twenty miles is possible, likely we'll make ten to twelve, could be more dependin' on the trail an' the weather."
"I'm happy to keep things simple," Emeline said as she snuggled against Barnabas, pulling the blankets up to her chin, "we can make good time, as much as the horses can take." Really, as far as she and Barnabas went, they could get on with the minimum basics, but it was the horses, and how far they could go without getting too worn out that would determine how far they could go.
"Hopefully we'll have good terrain and weather most of the way." She yawned. "Maybe have a chance to stay at a farm or hotel, depending. We'll do fine."
She gave him a little nibble on the chin, then was quickly asleep!
She was breathing evenly before he could answer. Yes, the horses were of concern, and their breakfast would be a feedbag with a ration of oats. The grass they were feeding on might not provide them with all the nutrients that they would need. Pike had thought to get a barrel of oats for just that reason.
Water would not be a problem. There seemed to be a myriad of streams along the way so far, and the trees were getting thicker, but there were natural trails as well made by rain, fire, game, and erosion. Food? There were signs of deer, elk, and buffalo, so meat would not be a problem.
The idea of a farm, or a hotel made him smile, not for quite a ways, if at all. Getting home all in one piece was what was important. And somewhere he dropped off to sleep.
There was a bit of chill in the morning air, but that didn't slow the couple as they efficiently broke camp and were underway as the sun was just rising over the eastern horizon. Even though they had had some experience living on the trail at the beginning of their honeymoon, what really made them efficient was a silent communication, each knowing what the other was doing, what the other wanted or needed, and so the days passed, with the blessing of good weather and reasonable terrain.
It was early afternoon of the fifth day that there was a change. To the northwest, dark, billowy clouds were forming, and before long the smell of rain was accompanied by distant thunder. Emeline, driving the wagon, glanced at Barnabas, who was on his horse.
"Are we going to make camp soon?" Logistics would be different tonight, with rain coming, and they'd need to prepare for it.
"Yep. Maybe find some cover." He said looking at Em and then at the forming clouds and back . "Ain't gonna be a lotta time, she's movin' pretty fast. Best we stop, get the horses in the trees an' us ta cover best we can. Cover on the wagon's 'spose to be waterproof. Reckon we'll find out!"
He stopped got down and one by one led the horses into the trees, tied them to a picket line he had strung, then helped Em into the back of the wagon, following her, and pulled up the tailgate as thunder boomed and rolled across the sky.
Lightning flashed, but off to the west of them, and the smattering of rain became a steady downpour.
Well, her was going to be another new experience! As Barnabas took care of the horses, Emeline made sure that the large tarp was secured over the bed of the wagon, tightening the knots as she fought the growing wind.
"It had better keep my sewing machine dry!" she declared over the rain as Barnabas shooed her into the wagon and under the tarp. It was crowded, musty and dark, but it was dry, and she scrambled around so she could rummage through the crates, fumbling to find something for dinner.
"Looks like it's going to be dried apricots, jerky and bread for supper...and no coffee. But, the company is enchanting!"
"Well that'll just have'ta do, but I've ate worse, and gone longer without coffee." He said, pulling off his hat and tossing it out of the way in the cramped quarters, "If this rain keeps up we'll be sleepin' in here. Fact is, even if it stops, it'll be mud under us. and we'll still be sleepin' in here, and slow goin' till she dries out, which she will. Them draft horses, they'll pull alright, but sap their strength."
He smiled, thinking that if he had to be trapped in the wagon, he could not think of a better person to be trapped with. Rain, mud, whatever, this was just a brief respite in the trip for them, and likely they would get another of these fast moving summer storms unless it stalled overhead as they sometimes did. All part and parcel of traveling the wilderness.
"I don't suppose it will be so bad." Emeline giggled as she fumbled to get out the food then get it to Barnabas in the dark. While it was still daylight outside, here, in their little nest, the tarp blocked most of the light. "Hopefully, this won't last all night, and the mud won't be so deep."
As if it heard her and wanted to be defiant, the rain increased, the sound of the drops pummeling the tarp, and the thunder getting closer, make her have to shout to be heard, and it was easier just to stay quite and munch the food!