Brides of the West-Part One

by Hestand, Rita

  "Where are we?" She asked, glancing around the cabin.

  "An old mine shack. How do you feel?"

  She stood up and walked around, glancing out the dirty window at the white yard.

  "I guess better. What happened?"

  "You don't remember?" He frowned at her.

  "No…"

  "You almost fell off the cliff. I had to pull you up, then carry you until we got to the clearing. You were so out of it, I wasn't sure you didn't need a doctor. You got pretty beat up on those rocks."

  "I feel like it. What are you eating?" She glanced down at the tin cup where he had poured some broth.

  "Rabbit stew…want some?"

  "Yes, I'm starved." She cried. "I'm sorry I've been a lot of trouble to you, haven't I?"

  "Naw…don't fret. We made it, didn't we?" He smiled.

  She stared at him now. He wasn't looking directly at her, and she felt he was hiding something. She said nothing.

  He poured her some stew broth and she sipped it. "This is pretty good." She murmured, sipping it slowly because it was so hot.

  "Rabbit is always good." Buck explained. "It's a clean, white meat."

  "So you've been hunting?" She asked twisting her head and trying to get him to look at her.

  "Yeah, this morning."

  "How long have I been out of it?" She asked.

  "Since yesterday about this time." He glanced at her now.

  With her hair plastered to her head, her clothes drenched, she looked incredible to him. But again, he couldn't tell her that.

  "I guess I look pretty wretched." She muttered.

  "I'd say you look pretty healthy for a gal that's been through a heck of a storm and almost fell off the mountainside." He chuckled.

  She sniffed. "We stink!" She frowned.

  "I reckon we do…at that." He sniffed himself.

  "What I wouldn't give for a tub of hot water right now." She sighed heavily.

  He almost laughed. "Don't think I can oblige you there. We don't have a tub for one thing, and it would take a heap of hot water to make a bath."

  She looked at him and smiled. "Thank you, Buck…"

  "For what?" He frowned.

  "For saving me. I guess I tried to block that out. I was so scared. Did I faint or something?"

  "No, you kept swinging around down there and beat yourself against those rocks. You might be bruised a bit." Buck suggested.

  "You got me off that cliff by yourself?" She asked.

  "Yeah, I had to. It was coming a big storm. We had to find some shelter." He chuckled.

  "You're quite a man, Buck Daggett." She smiled directly at him.

  His heart bounced against his chest and he had no words for a moment. But he was so happy he could have done a jig.

  "How far away are we now?" She asked, putting an old pan she found on the floor out to catch more water, she hoped.

  "About a day or so and we'll be there. Getting anxious?" He asked, masking his own feelings.

  "Just want to get somewhere so I can get cleaned up and feel good once more. I probably don't have the right, but I’m tired." She sat down once more on the bench that Buck rigged.

  "Well, you won't have to wait long." Buck told her, exuding more enthusiasm than he was feeling.

  "Great…" she murmured.

  "Can we leave now?" she asked.

  "Now? I don't think it's a good idea until it dries up a bit out there. Rocks are hard to deal with, but we could have an avalanche come down on us. We got to wait until the weather lets up." He glanced outside once more.

  "But that could be days…" She objected.

  "It's already clearing some, maybe tomorrow." He suggested.

  "Where did you find the coffee?" She asked as she washed her cup outside and came back in to pour herself a cup of coffee.

  "Well, when people leave a place like this, they usually don't pack up. They just head out, for better places, like home. So they tend to leave scraps of stuff in the shack. It's kind of an unwritten law that you leave some coffee for the next fella." Buck told her.

  "Is that true?" She smiled.

  "So help me. We lost our mules though, when you fell. So you don't have no change of clothes or nothing." Buck frowned looking around the old shack for other things they could use. "Looks like some miners stayed here last, they got some men clothes."

  "Oh my God. Did I kill them?" She wailed.

  "Kill what?"

  "The mules, when I fell." Her face went white as a sheet.

  "It was an accident. That's all." Secretly it tickled him that she was more worried about the mules than her clothes.

  "Well…what will I wear when I get there. My clothes are filthy." She protested.

  "Hershel isn't the kind to mind. And I got some clothes up there, maybe you could make do until we can get you something proper."

  "I guess I have no choice. I just wanted to look nice, when Hershel sees me."

  "Of course you do. And rightfully so. But he'll understand once I tell him what all has befallen us." Buck explained as he opened up a drawer to a chest of drawers.

  "Anything in there?" She cried.

  "There're some duds, but not for a woman. I guess if you want to try some pants and a shirt on, you could." Buck threw the clothes on the table for her to inspect.

  They smelled almost as bad as she did now. But she rummaged through them.

  "If you'll go gather us some firewood, I'll change…" She suggested when he eyed her.

  "Oh, sure….sure." He moved away toward the door.

  She looked at the clothes once more and shrugged, at least they were clean and dry. She shrugged out of her skirt and shirt and laid them on the chair next to the stove to dry. She took her boots off and then her soggy socks.

  The pants were too baggy, but she found a piece of rope to tie them on with. The shirt was too big too, but she tucked the undershirt in and tied the flannel shirt under her breast she even found some dry socks.

  By the time Buck came back inside, she was dressed once more. "Well, what do you think?" she whirled around comically.

  He laughed. "I don't think you'd fit in no ladies club…but you are dry."

  She laughed.

  Her hair was almost dry now and she combed her fingers through it. "I'm going to look like an idiot when Hershel sees me."

  "Don't sell yourself short, those clothes can't hide a beautiful woman…" Buck blurted before thinking.

  "You think I'm beautiful?" She gasped, staring at him.

  "Well, sure you are. Hershel wouldn't be marrying an ugly gal." He moved away from her.

  She smiled shyly now. "Did he get my picture?"

  "Uh…yes ma'am, he did."

  Buck remembered the day Hershel got the picture. Hershel took it out of the envelope and stared at it. Finally, he lamented. "She looks a might citified for me, don't she?"

  "A might." Buck had agreed, but the minute he saw the picture he was dumbstruck. "But she sure is pretty. She looks like a real lady."

  "Here, you keep it. I don't know what to do with it. You keep it in a safe place for me." Hershel instructed him.

  "But it's your picture…" Buck tried to hand it back to Hershel.

  "You know me Buck, I can't keep something like that."

  Buck had tucked it in his back pocket. Hershel never knew that he took the picture out regular like to look at her. No one knew his loneliness. Now as he thought of it he realized it was he that was lonely, not Hershel. Why hadn't he seen it? It was he that wanted someone to spend his nights with, someone to share his life with. And it was he that carried her picture everywhere he went.

  Buck squirmed now. He thought her the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. And nothing had changed…

  "Did he say anything?" She asked quietly, almost shyly.

  "He said you were prettier than a spring day." Buck offered her a lie, because Hershel never said anything of the sort.

  ~*~

  Rachel considered his words. She wondered ho
w much of the letters came from Buck's heart, and how much belonged to Hershel. She wondered if she'd been too hasty in her proxy marriage.

  "I don't ask to be vain, Buck. I don't really know Hershel and I need to know more about him. I mean if I'm going to be living with him…"

  Buck frowned and looked out the window again. "Course you do. Well, don't you fret, Hershel is gonna love being married to you."

  "I'm not so sure of that. Not from what you've told me and others have said. I mean he's a man's man, he doesn't really seem to need me as much as you think. He's a loner, you've as much as said so yourself. Why would he need or want a woman, if he's happy the way he is. The more I think about it, the more I wonder if I've been too hasty."

  Buck set his coffee down and started for the door again. "I'll be back in a few minutes, I gotta check on some things out here."

  He had to get away. She asked too many questions he couldn't answer.

  A month ago, he would have sworn Hershel would be thrilled with the idea that he was going to have a wife. He'd been lonely last winter and Buck caught him at his weakest time. But now, in his element, chasing a bear over the countryside, maybe he wouldn't be as happy as Buck had thought.

  What if Hershel didn't want her? What was he gonna do with her then?

  "I'd take her and be proud to," he mumbled to himself.

  But that was wishful thinking. Hershel would fall in love the minute he looked into her warm eyes, heard her soft voice, or smelled her sweetness. Like any red-blooded American man.

  Naw, the deed was done! Buck had helped her marry Hershel by proxy and that was that. Now all Buck had to do was accept it.

  Chapter Nine

  It was another two days to the cabin and the closer they got, the more she asked questions.

  Buck wasn't prepared to answer most of them.

  They were nearly out of food, so he decided it was time to go hunting again.

  "Look, we need food, so I'm gonna see about rustling us up something. You stay close to the fire. I'll be back…"

  She looked doubtful. "Can't I come with you?"

  "No…but don't fret, I'll be back soon. I won't be far off."

  Rachel walked around the area they had camped, looking for something to do. She decided she would be most useful if she picked up firewood and brought it back. If Buck did get anything, he'd need a good fire.

  She traipsed about when all of a sudden from out of the forest of trees came a skunk. Rachel saw it, blinked and didn't have any idea what to do.

  "Oh no!" She hollered, and that was all it took to get the little fella stirred up. His tail went up and she got sprayed good.

  She screamed.

  Evidently Buck heard her, as he came running out of the woods at her.

  "What's wrong?" He shouted, coming towards her. But one sniff and he knew what had happened.

  "Don't come any closer."

  "Well, I don't have to ask anymore. You got yourself in a real fix now, didn't you?" He laughed.

  She wrinkled her nose and stood there while Buck laughed.

  It had taken him over an hour, but Buck came back with a wild turkey in his hand. He'd gotten lucky and she was overjoyed to see him.

  Rachel was excited. "Oh, that will be good. Can we roast it on a spit?"

  "Sure. I'll gather up some wood and stuff." He smiled.

  "Oh, I already gathered the wood. That's what I was doing when that polecat came along…" She shivered with fury.

  "Well, now just hold on. We got to get you cleaned up and fast. There is an Indian Village not far from here, we'll go there."

  "An Indian village! You know where an Indian Village is? You are taking me there?"

  "Relax Rach, they are peaceful Indians, nothing to worry about but if we don't clean you up and fast, you're gonna smell like a skunk for a long time. Now let's go."

  "What about the turkey?"

  "We'll take it with us. They can cook it for us." He laughed.

  "Oh for heaven's sake." She shrugged her shoulders and followed him. She mumbled and fussed for what seemed like miles. But really was only about a mile away.

  The Indian camp was just over the next ridge. He didn't have to tell them what was wrong. They all smelled her and turned their heads away.

  Buck asked for help and the Indian women took the turkey right away.

  They came back and took her away.

  She looked back at Buck, but he nodded to her that it was going to be alright.

  Before she knew what they had planned to do with her, they dumped her into a big tub like structure, made of hides. Then one of the squaws leaned over her and washed her body with a big brush. There was something red in the water, but she had no idea what it was. The brush nearly took the skin and all.

  They left her clothes on and washed her from her head to her toes. She was screaming. She didn't need them scrubbing her, she could do it herself, but they were having none of that.

  Buck knew exactly what they were doing, and he sat quietly waiting for them to finish, listening to her scream and holler all the while. He laughed.

  When she did come out, she didn't smell and she looked so pink he had to look twice.

  They had given her a deerskin dress and leggings to put on.

  "Well, now, you look better. Do you feel better?" He asked her as she squat down beside him.

  "They practically peeled my skin off, with my clothes on. I've never been man-handled so roughly in my life. Did they have to be so brutal?"

  "But it worked, didn't it?" Buck smiled with understanding.

  She sniffed herself and looked at him with wide-eyes. "It did. What did they use on me?"

  "There's no telling about that. But be grateful. I never ask questions when something works, I just accept it."

  "I may never wander into the woods again." She almost laughed.

  "And look here…our turkey, cooked to a golden brown." Buck showed her where they cooked it.

  "I guess we'll have to share it?" She asked.

  "It's the least we can do. Don't you think?"

  "I suppose. Who are these people?" She asked as her eyes wandered about the campsite.

  "They are Arapaho. These particular ones live here under a peace treaty. They won't harm you."

  "They already have." She shook her head.

  "Tose," one of the women said as she sat by the fire and cut the turkey into pieces. She handed them some and they ate.

  "What did she say?"

  "It is a female greeting."

  "Tose." Rachel spoke back with a smile.

  "How do you say thank you in Arapaho?" Rachel asked.

  "Ha-ho is thank you." He smiled at her.

  "Ha-ho." Rach looked at the woman.

  The Indian woman smiled. She had no teeth, but she was very friendly and helpful.

  All the women ate at the same time, and afterward they were busy taking care of the children.

  "How long have they been at peace here?"

  "Close to fifteen years, right after the civil war ended." Buck told her. "The blue coats came in and gathered them, took them to reservations. This is one of them. These are the peaceable Indians."

  "Do you know this tribe?"

  "I've been here before…yes. They are good people. Always given me a place to sleep, something to eat, and treated me fairly."

  When it came time to sleep, she was taken to a tipi, where it was nice and warm. Buck went elsewhere. Rachel was a little upset, but the woman Buck called Summer's Dawn brought her fur blankets to sleep with. Rach was tired and although the women had been rougher than she liked, she did feel much better as she snuggled into the fur skin.

  "Ha-ho!" She repeated.

  It was a new experience for Rachel, one she intended telling her grandchildren about someday. If she had any.

  But with that thought came her uncertainty of her marriage. She had such a strange feeling about it now. Would she get along well with her husband or not? Could she learn to love him? Buck was r
ight, she didn't know Hershel any better than she knew Frank.

  Too many questions made her fall asleep quickly.

  ~*~

  Next morning she joined Buck at the campfire once more.

  "Did you sleep well?" He asked.

  "Actually, better than I've slept since we left civilization."

  He smiled, "That bath they gave you, might be rough, but it tends to relax you too."

  "Have you had that kind of bath before?"

  "Oh sure, most people that live on the mountain have."

  She flipped her hair behind her shoulders and stretched. He stared at her for a moment.

  "You know that Indian was right." He murmured.

  "What Indian?"

  "The one that wanted to take you. You've got the prettiest hair I've ever seen."

  Rachel smiled shyly. She hadn't expected the compliment. "Summer Dawn combed it for me. I tried to stop her, but she insisted on doing it." Rachel said. "You'd think I was some kind of royalty or something."

  "They usually provide all the comforts. Like I said, they are a good people, Rach." Buck said with conviction.

  "Yes, I think you are right about that. They've actually been more than a little kind. Summer's Dawn brought fur blankets for me so I wouldn't get cold last night. She didn't have to do that. Does Hershel know these people too?" She asked.

  "He's been here before. But he hasn't been among them much. He has more to do with the Cheyenne tribes. They live sort of northwest of here. I think he thinks the Arapaho are too tame for him."

  "So, when are we leaving?" She asked.

  "In a bit. There's no hurry. Hershel probably isn't back yet so we don't have to rush now. We'll be there in a couple of days. We've made the worst of it."

  "Oh…it will be nice to have a bath…" She murmured.

  He glanced at her and smiled.

  "I mean a real bath." She laughed.

  "Oh…yeah. I can fix the washtub for you to take a bath once we get there. But I'm afraid your clothes…I mean…they are great for this environment, but probably not what you are used to."

  She bowed her head. "I'll make do…After all, he's a mountain man, isn't he? And he likes Indians."

  "Yes ma'am, he is and he does. I don't think Hershel will mind at all." Buck smiled.