"Truth be told, Em, it's only as safe as we make it." Pike said, still a bit shaken by the visit. "But we're close, I can say that. A few more days and we'll be out of the wilderness and close to home if I figured right." He said, and not smiling. "I can't gar'ntee nothin', wish that I could. Been not as mindful maybe as I should have been." That was hard to admit, but the trip had lulled him into a false sense of security.
"I'll get down the shotgun for you once yer dried off and dressed. Better yet, I'll hitch up the horses and we'll be on our way, I can catch a bath on further along. Best we high-tail it outta here, just to be safe.No rush, 'cept if yer a mind too." It seemed to be the best thing to do. They had a ways to go yet if they were to be shut of the possibility of facing off with the red man.
"I'm all right, I guess it just startled me," Emeline murmured as she dried off, then started to pull on clean clothes -- a skirt this time, with a linen waistcoat. "I'm just glad you were being vigilant. I suppose I've become a bit complacent."
She was always aware of the dangers, but sometimes, like when she was enjoying a cool dip in the river, it was easy to lose focus. And that was another reason she was ready to be home, where it was at least familiar.
"I say we put our backs into it, and put some miles behind us, get our new lives started!" After all, this had just been the honeymoon!
Pike nodded in agreement. "Yep, we can do that. But we can only push these animals so hard. Though this country has plenty of graze, and plenty of streams, so that won't be a problem. There's probably enough grain and oats to last til the first town or close to it."
"I never saw him, he was in the trees, had us dead to rights," Pronto admitted, which for him was hard. "Time we pushed on outta this wild country. Get ourselves to home!" He grinned, "I'm hookin' 'em up and we're headin' north as fast as we dare push the team!" Of course, they were draft horses, big and strong and up to the task, within reason.
In a matter of minutes they were moving on from the river crossing northward at a good steady clip, he on the bench, her in the saddle, both armed with Winchesters across their laps, just in case.
At least caring for the horses would help them set a pace that wasn't completely unreasonable, and they both realized that they had to take care of themselves as well, especially Emeline, what with the baby and all. While she felt good most of the time, she still had to keep in mind that she was pregnant, and that was taking a toll on her. If she over did it, and didn't rest now and again, then her body really would protest, and that would slow them down, in addition to jeopardizing the baby's health.
"Well, I'm grateful that this particular Indian was a good one," she commented as she rode beside the wagon, "I wonder how long he'd been watching us?" Could have been a few minutes, could have been a few days, either way, the thought was a bit unnerving!
"I'd say we just happened to cross paths." He said of the Indian. "Seemed to me he was anxious to get himself home. He has a ways to go unless I miss my guess." Pike said as they rode along, "He had concern for you, so I'm thinking he has his own family, and that'd be a far piece, maybe in the Dakotas, or Nebraska, I believe. Long way from home."
The brave may well have been involved in the Custer fight, at least he was carrying a Springfield carbine and a Colt Army stuffed in a regulation Army cartridge belt. Though those could have come from anywhere. The Pikes were just lucky!
"We make the most of every day on the trail we'll be home before you know it, and there'll be towns along the way to stop for the night and eat in a cafe 'er restaurant. Can't be all that far now." He smiled at her, riding close enough that he could reach over and touch her arm. "Not long now Love."
"And in a few months I'll be complaining that I want to get out and see the world!" Emeline chuckled, giving his hand a squeeze. "But by then it will be Winter and we'll be snowed in, so it won't matter."
While she was teasing, she did know that she would look back on this time fondly, and on occasion would miss it, but she also knew that there would be so much else to take the place of what was, in essence, frivolity.
"I suppose I'll have to settle for taking care of you, and babies, and the house, and the horses, and cooking, and helping with the cattle, and the crew..!"
She laughed, but then observed, "You said that man was a long way from home? I wonder why he was all the way out here? I wish him a safe journey."
"I think he was at the Little Big Horn, story is that the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho had warriors involved, and he had souvenirs, rifle, and pistol with a cartridge belt. Maybe had enough of killin's why he left us be. Thank the Good Lord. That and he said he seen you was pregnant." Barnabas explained.
" Now, it'll be true we that come winter we'll be snowed in some, but of them many chores you mentioned, working cattle won't be one'a them. I'll have the hands to take care of that. But the coming winter, that'll be a joy in that new house. 'Course I'll be out clearing out deadfall for the fireplace and the stove. Gonna take quite a bit, so layin' it in before the snow flies'll be a priority. But, we'll get 'er done I reckon, 'er freeze." Then he laughed.
"Freeze? Never!" Emeline laughed. "Not when we can cuddle! But don't worry, you bring in the logs and I can hack them down to firewood." It did make sense, though, to have a good supply set in, for the bunkhouse as well as the big house. Maybe even the barn, or at least a section in case an animal got sick, or perhaps there was a birth, although planning could restrict that to Spring.
"We'll have to do our best to keep peace with any Natives who might be near the property. I know some of them are dangerous and can't be reasoned with, but I don't think there's anything to be gained in thinking them all that and inadvertently riling up the ones who aren't. The men should know that, too."
She just hoped it wouldn't be an issue, but she surely didn't need any of the hands just shooting first and finding out intention later. If Barnabas could hold back, so could they.
"I wouldn't worry too much about hostiles. Them that's up that way are mostly peaceful and' keep ta themselves. Wantin' no trouble. 'Sides, by now the Army has them hostiles on the run. The Army won't take kindly ta wipin' out the Seventh, or anyone else for that matter, sides, we got us a fort just down the road, so I figger we're pretty safe." He replied, "But, yer point's well made. I doubt them waddies comin' up with the herd's the kind what shoots whatever moves. "
He was confident that they were safe on that knoll, the land that outstretched from there was mostly open and had both water and grass. It was perfect. Not Lost Lake, or The Evergreen, but fifteen hundred acres off to the east from where the house was built was nothing to sneeze at!
"An' while I share your thoughts on keepin' the barn warm, we'll only be able to gather so much wood with the time we'll have left before the first snow flies, and it'll already be cold." He offered, concerned that it would not be enough for everything, the house and the bunkhouse would be the most important to keep heated.
"Have ta see how many hands I can use to cut and load the wagon here. She's good sized, an'll hold a lotta wood. Anyways, I had 'em insulate everything as best they could, double-walled the barn anyway. Hope it's enough." The crew that built the place said since he could afford it, to double wall the barn and bunkhouse, with the interior walls of the house horsehair plastered. Again, using whatever they could as insulation to hold the heat.
And there was something else Emeline hadn't thought of, that a good number of the things she was planning -- vegetable garden, chickens, rabbits -- would be best to wait until Spring, rather than hoping they made it through Winter without proper preparation so they survived the harsh cold.
"We'll have a milk cow, but it would be nice to have a good coop, we could use the eggs. How many hands will there be? I'll need to know that for ordering supplies." At least she had the advantage of knowing how to plan for multiple people. "I'll have to talk with the cook to find out what he prefers, too." She did hope the man was reasonable and they didn't butt heads!