at any age, Gwen.”
“I’d surely love to look on someone the way you look on your Johnny. And have him return the same look.”
“It will happen. A woman who has the appearance you do oughtn’t to be wasted. I hear there’re all sorts of men in the Territory just crying out for good wives.” She laughed. “But they’ll want someone who can cook, Gwen. You’d better throw a little more flour into that batter. You’ve about drowned it out with water.”
Gwen colored, but did as bid.
They were all stuffed into the cabin again, finishing their soup. Maggie squeezed past the men and reached for the platter of pancakes. She’d spread preserves on them, and carefully rolled them up with a sprinkling of sugar on top. She’d known a Frenchwoman in Chicago who did them like that, calling them some kind of a foreign name. She couldn’t remember the name, but it still came down to pancakes, and they did look prettier that way.
Maggie presented the sweet with a flourish. “Gwen made the dessert.”
Sam’s eyes took on a glint of interest, and he reached for two. Maggie and Gwen both waited, Gwen with an anxious frown, as he bit into the first and began to solemnly chew. The surprise in the center startled him, and he let out a slow smile.
“Good,” he pronounced, and reached for another.
Gwen blushed.
Jamie poked his head down from the upper bunk. “How about me, Ma? They look past delicious!”
“Did you finish your soup, Jamie?”
“Sure. That is, all but a very tiny bit, and Bacon’s doing that in right now.”
Heads rose to watch Bacon almost lost in Jamie’s soup bowl, his tail wagging with enthusiasm. Feeding him was to be no problem. He’d eat anything available. Maggie laughed with the rest, and passed around the remainder of the dessert.
Johnny put his empty bowl down first.
“How’s the footprint situation today, Sam?”
It was Sam’s turn to blush. “Must’ve been a figment like I said. Things was clean as a whistle this morning.”
“What footprints?” demanded Jamie.
“This is grownup talk, son. Did I hear anyone invite you to partake of it?”
“No, sir.” Chagrined, the boy turned his attentions back to the pup.
Johnny was taking no chances with little pitchers and their big ears, however. All Jamie had to do was report a few words of the conversation to his friends and those words would spread like wildfire, creating rumors of sneaking Indians or Mormons or both. Time to change the subject.
“I was talking to Max Kreller before supper tonight, showing off the pup to his brood. He spotted a small herd of deer this evening, just before we stopped. There might be some good meat nearby for the hunting.”
The other men looked up in interest. You could almost see venison steaks floating before their eyes.
“How do we get ‘em?” asked Sam practically.
“Exactly. We need a plan.”
SIX
The Kansas River had to be crossed. It was eighty-seven miles out of Independence. As first emigrants of the season the Chandler party’s early arrival had given the swollen river little time to calm itself.
Captain Chandler ordered the wagons to line themselves up when they came to the Pappan Ferry at midmorning. Johnny unyoked and tethered the Stuart’s oxen, and the whole family walked to the river’s edge to watch with the rest of the emigrants as the process began.
Maggie peered over the edge of the bank first. “Johnny! It looks dangerous!” she gasped, and automatically reached to feel for Charlotte on her back, to firmly grasp Jamie’s hand.
Johnny’s excitement at the sight was different. “The Kansas must be two hundred yards wide. And the currents are running mean! Something real is happening at last.” A grin of anticipation spread across his face. “Watch ! They’re testing the waters with Chandler’s wagon.”
The captain’s white top was
“I’d surely love to look on someone the way you look on your Johnny. And have him return the same look.”
“It will happen. A woman who has the appearance you do oughtn’t to be wasted. I hear there’re all sorts of men in the Territory just crying out for good wives.” She laughed. “But they’ll want someone who can cook, Gwen. You’d better throw a little more flour into that batter. You’ve about drowned it out with water.”
Gwen colored, but did as bid.
They were all stuffed into the cabin again, finishing their soup. Maggie squeezed past the men and reached for the platter of pancakes. She’d spread preserves on them, and carefully rolled them up with a sprinkling of sugar on top. She’d known a Frenchwoman in Chicago who did them like that, calling them some kind of a foreign name. She couldn’t remember the name, but it still came down to pancakes, and they did look prettier that way.
Maggie presented the sweet with a flourish. “Gwen made the dessert.”
Sam’s eyes took on a glint of interest, and he reached for two. Maggie and Gwen both waited, Gwen with an anxious frown, as he bit into the first and began to solemnly chew. The surprise in the center startled him, and he let out a slow smile.
“Good,” he pronounced, and reached for another.
Gwen blushed.
Jamie poked his head down from the upper bunk. “How about me, Ma? They look past delicious!”
“Did you finish your soup, Jamie?”
“Sure. That is, all but a very tiny bit, and Bacon’s doing that in right now.”
Heads rose to watch Bacon almost lost in Jamie’s soup bowl, his tail wagging with enthusiasm. Feeding him was to be no problem. He’d eat anything available. Maggie laughed with the rest, and passed around the remainder of the dessert.
Johnny put his empty bowl down first.
“How’s the footprint situation today, Sam?”
It was Sam’s turn to blush. “Must’ve been a figment like I said. Things was clean as a whistle this morning.”
“What footprints?” demanded Jamie.
“This is grownup talk, son. Did I hear anyone invite you to partake of it?”
“No, sir.” Chagrined, the boy turned his attentions back to the pup.
Johnny was taking no chances with little pitchers and their big ears, however. All Jamie had to do was report a few words of the conversation to his friends and those words would spread like wildfire, creating rumors of sneaking Indians or Mormons or both. Time to change the subject.
“I was talking to Max Kreller before supper tonight, showing off the pup to his brood. He spotted a small herd of deer this evening, just before we stopped. There might be some good meat nearby for the hunting.”
The other men looked up in interest. You could almost see venison steaks floating before their eyes.
“How do we get ‘em?” asked Sam practically.
“Exactly. We need a plan.”
SIX
The Kansas River had to be crossed. It was eighty-seven miles out of Independence. As first emigrants of the season the Chandler party’s early arrival had given the swollen river little time to calm itself.
Captain Chandler ordered the wagons to line themselves up when they came to the Pappan Ferry at midmorning. Johnny unyoked and tethered the Stuart’s oxen, and the whole family walked to the river’s edge to watch with the rest of the emigrants as the process began.
Maggie peered over the edge of the bank first. “Johnny! It looks dangerous!” she gasped, and automatically reached to feel for Charlotte on her back, to firmly grasp Jamie’s hand.
Johnny’s excitement at the sight was different. “The Kansas must be two hundred yards wide. And the currents are running mean! Something real is happening at last.” A grin of anticipation spread across his face. “Watch ! They’re testing the waters with Chandler’s wagon.”
The captain’s white top was
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