"Near as I can tell, the foreman, Frank Teal, said with him there'd be somewhere between eleven and fifteen if he didn't lose anyone He has a full chuck wagon, but most all drives have one. So he's got him a cook an' a 'sister mary,' cooks helper." Was what he remembered of the conversation via the telegraph.
"I sortta figured that there'd be a chicken coo an' alla' that build, guess we'll see when we get there, but then what good is a ranch without a chicken coop and a rabbit hutch?" He added, "What kinda rancher would I be was we not ta have all'a the modern conveniences? 'Course we'll need to get the chickens an' rabbits, or so I figure, lest someone was there to tend to 'em." Which made sense.
"All that little stuff, we'll get taken care of, not to worry." He smiled, "Guess all'a that's gonna come together nicely once we're ta home. I'm beginnin' ta really love that word!"
"I agree, 'home' has a good ring to it!" Emeline grinned widely, then commented, "I'm sure we can buy some chickens from one of the farmers, or even Dr. Danforth, if he's been paid in them lately, I'm sure he'd be happy to have cash instead." It wasn't uncommon for a country doctor to be paid in goods such as chickens, preserves and whatnot when people were short on cash, and Jonah Danforth didn't seem the sort to appreciate those sorts of things!
"Well, we'll be that much father ahead if those are already built." And since he had mentioned it, she was certain that Barnabas had made the arrangements. "There will be times in the winter that we are snowed in, so it'll be nice to at least have eggs and milk available, maybe twenty chickens to start. I always bought my eggs from the mercantile, so we'll have to see how it works out."
There was a lot they were going to have to see about, but she was happily excited at the prospect!
"Danforth! Yeah, I know, and he has been for some time. Maybe he's got him some rabbits as well, wouldn't doubt it. Give us a good start." Barnabas responded to an idea that he should have had. The Doc had to take whatever payment he was offered. "I'm thinkin', maybe that hospital if the town council ever gets around to approving the deal they agreed to, it'll be a real payin' job." He grinned at her as they moved along northward, except when they had veered off one way or the other.
"Could be everything'll be ready when we get there, they oughtta be done with the place by now. I'd be for sleepin' on the floor if it ain't. But I'm sure it is, an' I'm sure that the furniture's in an' set up, that was the agreement I had with the men, and with the Andersons." Pike related, "You know how Mary Agnes Anderson is about such things and the stickler John Anderson can be. I'm sure it's set up all nice an' proper."
"Of course we can sleep on the floor if we have to." Emeline smiled. "After all, we've been doing that anyway, with just the wagon over our heads, and with Clara and her husband using the apartment, that isn't an option. But you're right, there's been plenty of time to get the house built, and there are good people overseeing it."
Not that she really knew how long it would take to build a house! "The only thing might be that window, whether or not it's been delivered yet." There was yet another thing she couldn't wait to see, the sun coming in that beautiful stained glass!
"And there's the waterfall, too, the stream..." She sighed, smiling wistfully. "It's like a dream, all of it, including the handsome prince!"
"I ain't real sure about this Prince business, but that house'll be ready, mark my words." He guaranteed. "Maybe we'll need a carpenter out to install the stained glass, but that's no big deal. I never took up a hammer an' nails so I ain't the one to be tryinj' to put that window in. Likely bust it after I cut the hole too big. Can't have that, can we?" Which was truse, there was nothing in his background to suggest he could do any of that type of work.
"And what's more, I don't intend to roust the Lutz's out of that apartment, o matter what, so that's not even a possibility. "'Sides, you're right, sleepin' on the ground's no big deal, 'specially by the waterfall." He paused, "Fact is, I sorta look forward to that, 'cept you'll want to spend that first night in our house, and I do too. Be the perfect end to this here trip we been on. Don'cha think?"
"Sleeping by the waterfall?" Well, there was something she hadn't thought about, but the idea was intriguing. "I might just hold you to that in the Spring, when the weather starts to warm, and the snow melts." And by then, the baby would be a few months old, and she'd be able to drag a cot out to the falls, and for a night...
"And I agree about the window, glass is expensive enough, and the stained glass..." Well, it was very costly, and it would be tragic if something happened to it. "I'm sure one of the men working on the house will know how to install it properly." She raised an eyebrow, looking at Barnabas. "Never hammered a nail? We'll have to fix that, I was hoping you'd build a cradle."
Of necessity, she could do basic repairs, painting and whatnot, and she enjoyed the sense of accomplishment when she finished a project.
Well, there ain't no worries about that stained glass getting put in right." He said. There was just no reason not to have a carpenter install it. It was a prize, and it needed to be done right whether or not either of them thought they might be able to do it.
He looked at her and grinned, "Ain't much call for that sortta thing cowboyin', or lawdoggin'. I wouldn't be opposed to givin' it a whirl though. Never know, could turn out to be jest what you wanted." Then he grinned. "Ya know, we've started to make good time, and we keep it up it won't be long to Flathead Lake, I think that's what their callin' it, a' a real bed."
Once there. they would be days from Kalispell and home.
Indeed, the elements favored them, and in a few short days they were pulling into Flathead Lake, where there was a small trading post, consisting mostly of simple wood frames covered with canvas that served as easy roofs and sidings, and the place reminded Emeline of the 'town' where she'd first set up her cafe in South Dakota.
But they could get good provisions, let the horses rest, let themselves rest -- a cot in a tent beat the ground under the wagon -- and get a good, basic meal.
"Being on the trail alone so long makes this place seem like San Francisco!" Emeline chuckled as stopped in front of what served as a livery and corral. "We've got the better part of the day, still, so we can get an early start tomorrow and push through. Hopefully, I can get us some canned goods, some bread and eggs, so that we won't have as much work making camp."
She was more than willing to stick to simple these last few days, what with home so close.
"Be good, airtight's seems it weren't long ago, I always carried a couple cans of fruit in my saddlebags. Supper on the trail, or with something I had to eat. Get a couple if ya can, but there's towns along that lake. Polson be the first, then there's some others, Big Arm, Elmo, Dayton, Rollins an' Sommers sittin' at the top." He explained with a smile, "From there, be about four miles to the fort, and another five ta town. Trail along the lake, maybe forty some miles, make that in a day easy."
They were close, and getting closer as each hour passed. all they needed was good weather, and no blocked routes, not that there were actual trails to follow in some places, others, there were actual tails, and the closer they got the more likely they would catch onto a trail, a dirt and dust highway that would take them the rest of the way home.
Two days?
The thought invigorated her, and Emeline took Barnabas' hand excitedly. "We can get all we need here, can't we? It can't be much, and we're so close, there's no need to stop once we leave here." Heck, if it came down to it, they could go a day without food, if it meant getting home, and there really was no chance of that. And perishables like bread and eggs would still be good for a couple days.
"I mean, unless you have some sort of business along the way, I'm all for getting things prepared today, and just getting there...as much as the animals can do, of course." They could even get a couple bags of grain, so the horses would have better feed than just grass.
Then she looked up at him, batting her eyes. "Pleeeeeease?"