Read Online A Big Sky Christmas by William W. Johnstone, J. A. Johnstone - Free Book Online Page A

respected than Mr. Ralston. And probably much more capable of leading the wagon train to Montana, I suspect.”
    â€œNo offense, MacCallister,” Hendricks said grudgingly. “I’m not aware of your reputation.”
    â€œI never asked for a reputation,” Jamie said. “Just to be left alone to live my life. But I don’t control what folks say about me. I can tell you one thing—setting out for Montana this late in the year is a mighty foolish thing to do, and I’d bet this old hat of mine on that.”
    â€œWe have no choice.” Hendricks’s voice was as stiff as his back seemed to be. “We can’t afford to wait for spring. Besides . . . I promised everyone that we’d be in our new homes in Eagle Valley by Christmas.”
    â€œMaybe you shouldn’t make promises you can’t deliver.”
    The air of tension between the two men was thick. Moses stepped in. “In your opinion, Mr. MacCallister, what would it take for us to reach our destination in time?”
    â€œWell, you’d have to leave pretty quick,” Jamie said. “First thing tomorrow morning, if you can.”
    Hendricks shook his head. “That’s impossible. It’ll take at least another day to finish making repairs on our wagons.”
    â€œDay after tomorrow, then,” Jamie said. “And you may wish later on you had that extra day back.”
    â€œWhat else?” Moses asked.
    Jamie’s eyes narrowed in thought. “You’d have to push hard, and I’m talking about livestock and human folks as well. The days on the trail would be mighty long ones, from as soon as it’s light enough to see in the morning until it’s too dark to go on. Under normal circumstances, you could afford to stop and lay over for a few days every now and then, mainly to give the stock some time to rest. If you leave now, you can’t risk doing that. You’ll have to push on every day without any breaks. By the time you get there, your teams will be worn down to a nub . . . and so will most of your people.”
    â€œBut we could do all that if we have to,” Moses insisted. “Couldn’t we, Captain Hendricks?”
    â€œWe’ll do whatever’s necessary,” Hendricks said with a curt nod. “We all knew when we started out that there would be hardships along the way.”
    Jamie said, “You’d need plenty of luck, too. Luck that you don’t run into any Indian trouble, and that the weather cooperates. That last is the main thing. Winter would have to hold off, at least the worst of it. Where you’re going, nothing will kill you quicker than a Great Plains blizzard.”
    â€œWe have faith,” Hendricks said. “The Good Lord watches over us.”
    â€œHe’d have to, for you to have a chance of getting there.”
    Moses turned to Jamie. “But you could do it,” he insisted. “With God’s help, of course. You could make all those things happen and lead us to Montana.”
    â€œI can’t do anything about the weather,” Jamie said.
    â€œBut if it did get bad, you could tell us what we need to do to survive. And then when conditions improved, we could move on again.”
    â€œIt would depend on how bad things got”—Jamie’s brawny shoulders rose and fell—“but yeah, maybe. If anybody could get you through, I reckon I can.”
    â€œThen it’s settled, right?” Moses said eagerly. “Mr. MacCallister has the job, Captain?”
    Hendricks peered at Jamie. “Do you want the job, MacCallister?”
    â€œNot particularly,” Jamie replied, being honest as always. “But this young fella tells me that you’ll be setting out for Montana Territory anyway, whether I go with you or not.”
    â€œThat’s true. We don’t have any choice.”
    â€œAnd I can’t stand by and wind up with the lives of . . . how many in your