Read Online Wild Heart on the Prairie (A Prairie Heritage, Book 2) by Vikki Kestell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Vikki Kestell
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oxen and
led them to a trough under the water tower. Jan hobbled them again. Karl spread
a tarpaulin over their food supplies before turning to the Bailey’s cabin.
On the shaded side of the Bailey’s cabin, in a small pen, the
Thoresens spotted two cows and a calf. “Karl,” Amalie whispered, “Look! They
have cows!” Karl looked speculatively at the cows and calf. He nudged Jan, who
nodded.
Inside, the Thoresens exchanged many comments on the cabin’s
construction. They were especially impressed after they went inside and found
that the back six feet of it was dug into the low hillside.
They enjoyed the soup and quick breads offered to them, but
conversation was stilted. Mrs. Bailey chatted on to the women who listened
attentively and nodded politely, not understanding a word.
Jan asked Søren to thank the Baileys again, and to say they
needed to load their wagons and move on. They likely had four hours of daylight
ahead of them but it would take an hour or two just to load the wagons.
Søren did the best he could. “Tanks you, food. We go
wagons.” He pointed to the northwest.
“Gotcha a claim over there, eh?”
“Claim— ja! ” Søren nodded vigorously. “Yes.”
Søren aided conversation among the men when he suggested
that his father show Mr. Bailey his claim paper. Jan and Karl both did so.
“Why, I’m pretty sure thet’s Han Gloeckner’s old claim,”
Bailey announced, pointing to Karl’s paper. “Ain’t seed it m’self, but he
described it t’ me.”
He looked at Karl and Søren and tried to communicate. “Mr.
Gloeckner. Mr. Gloeckner’s claim,” he said, pointing at the paper.
When Bailey spotted a bit of alarm in Karl’s eyes he added
quickly, “Gloeckner, no.” He shot a look for help to Søren. “Gloeckner, gone. Good-bye.”
“ Herr Gloeckner?” Søren asked.
“Yes,” Bailey answered but quickly added, “He is gone. Good-bye.”
“Good-bye? Go?” Søren was struggling.
“Yes! He go, er, went .”
“I think he means what the land office man told us, Onkel ,”
Søren told his uncle. “A Herr Gloeckner had this claim but did not stay
long enough to prove it up.”
Bailey insisted on helping Karl and Jan to load the
remaining two wagons. The men covered the three wagons with tarpaulins and
roped them securely.
“Say,” Bailey said when they were ready to go. “You goin’ t’
need all them oxen when ya get to’ yer claim?”
The only words Søren caught were “oxen” and “claim.” He
shook his head and looked at his father. Bailey placed his hand on one of the
oxen. He held up a finger. “One.” He pointed at the other ox and held up a
second finger. “Two.”
He pointed down the line and held up a total of six fingers.
“Six,” he said, pointing again at the oxen. Jan and Søren both nodded, and Jan
suddenly smiled.
He pointed to Bailey’s two milk cows and the calf and held
up one finger and then pointed at one ox.
“An ox fer a milk cow, eh?” Bailey scratched his chin and
muttered to himself. “Could use an ox, maybe lease him out. Could sell him,
too. Fer cash money.”
Bailey held up his hand and strode quickly toward his cabin.
Jan and Karl looked at each other.
“Missus! Missus!” Bailey called. “I’m thinkin’ on tradin’
Molly fer one o’ these folks’ oxen. Whatcha think o’ that?”
“I’m thinkin’ we ain’t got no use fer two milk cows, thet’s
what,” she called back, “an’ they got little ones what need milk. It’s all
right with me.”
It took some time and imaginative communication, but another
thirty minutes later, Mr. Bailey hopped aboard one of the wagons and took the
reins. Søren rode with Mr. Bailey; his horse and the Thoresens’ new cow, Molly,
walked along behind them, tied to the back of the wagon.
Bailey had offered to go with them to their claims and then return
on his horse, leading one of the oxen. Since he knew best how to reach their
homestead claims, Jan and Karl asked him to
led them to a trough under the water tower. Jan hobbled them again. Karl spread
a tarpaulin over their food supplies before turning to the Bailey’s cabin.
On the shaded side of the Bailey’s cabin, in a small pen, the
Thoresens spotted two cows and a calf. “Karl,” Amalie whispered, “Look! They
have cows!” Karl looked speculatively at the cows and calf. He nudged Jan, who
nodded.
Inside, the Thoresens exchanged many comments on the cabin’s
construction. They were especially impressed after they went inside and found
that the back six feet of it was dug into the low hillside.
They enjoyed the soup and quick breads offered to them, but
conversation was stilted. Mrs. Bailey chatted on to the women who listened
attentively and nodded politely, not understanding a word.
Jan asked Søren to thank the Baileys again, and to say they
needed to load their wagons and move on. They likely had four hours of daylight
ahead of them but it would take an hour or two just to load the wagons.
Søren did the best he could. “Tanks you, food. We go
wagons.” He pointed to the northwest.
“Gotcha a claim over there, eh?”
“Claim— ja! ” Søren nodded vigorously. “Yes.”
Søren aided conversation among the men when he suggested
that his father show Mr. Bailey his claim paper. Jan and Karl both did so.
“Why, I’m pretty sure thet’s Han Gloeckner’s old claim,”
Bailey announced, pointing to Karl’s paper. “Ain’t seed it m’self, but he
described it t’ me.”
He looked at Karl and Søren and tried to communicate. “Mr.
Gloeckner. Mr. Gloeckner’s claim,” he said, pointing at the paper.
When Bailey spotted a bit of alarm in Karl’s eyes he added
quickly, “Gloeckner, no.” He shot a look for help to Søren. “Gloeckner, gone. Good-bye.”
“ Herr Gloeckner?” Søren asked.
“Yes,” Bailey answered but quickly added, “He is gone. Good-bye.”
“Good-bye? Go?” Søren was struggling.
“Yes! He go, er, went .”
“I think he means what the land office man told us, Onkel ,”
Søren told his uncle. “A Herr Gloeckner had this claim but did not stay
long enough to prove it up.”
Bailey insisted on helping Karl and Jan to load the
remaining two wagons. The men covered the three wagons with tarpaulins and
roped them securely.
“Say,” Bailey said when they were ready to go. “You goin’ t’
need all them oxen when ya get to’ yer claim?”
The only words Søren caught were “oxen” and “claim.” He
shook his head and looked at his father. Bailey placed his hand on one of the
oxen. He held up a finger. “One.” He pointed at the other ox and held up a
second finger. “Two.”
He pointed down the line and held up a total of six fingers.
“Six,” he said, pointing again at the oxen. Jan and Søren both nodded, and Jan
suddenly smiled.
He pointed to Bailey’s two milk cows and the calf and held
up one finger and then pointed at one ox.
“An ox fer a milk cow, eh?” Bailey scratched his chin and
muttered to himself. “Could use an ox, maybe lease him out. Could sell him,
too. Fer cash money.”
Bailey held up his hand and strode quickly toward his cabin.
Jan and Karl looked at each other.
“Missus! Missus!” Bailey called. “I’m thinkin’ on tradin’
Molly fer one o’ these folks’ oxen. Whatcha think o’ that?”
“I’m thinkin’ we ain’t got no use fer two milk cows, thet’s
what,” she called back, “an’ they got little ones what need milk. It’s all
right with me.”
It took some time and imaginative communication, but another
thirty minutes later, Mr. Bailey hopped aboard one of the wagons and took the
reins. Søren rode with Mr. Bailey; his horse and the Thoresens’ new cow, Molly,
walked along behind them, tied to the back of the wagon.
Bailey had offered to go with them to their claims and then return
on his horse, leading one of the oxen. Since he knew best how to reach their
homestead claims, Jan and Karl asked him to
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