Brides of the West-Part One

by Hestand, Rita

  "Buck…I feel I must ask you something." Rachel watched him put the turkey on the spit.

  He wasn't paying much attention. "Sure…what's on your mind now?"

  She glanced up at him, wide-eyed. "I guess I have asked a lot of questions. But the more I know, the easier things will be when I get there. Don't you agree."

  "I guess so…"

  "Buck, did you write those letters?" She asked.

  Buck stopped what he was doing and whirled about to stare at her penetrating glance.

  "Well…I had to. Hershel can't write." He answered not looking directly at her.

  She nodded slowly. "I thought so."

  "Was it also your idea that he write them in the first place?"

  "Well, when I found your club, I sent a letter of introduction. Then your first letter came… After I wrote to you his address, and I delivered it personally to him. I read the letter to him, you introducing yourself and all. I told him it was high time he was finding himself a wife, and that he ought to write to you."

  "And what did he say?"

  "He said he couldn't write." Buck chuckled lightly.

  Rachel smiled. "So what happened then?"

  "I told him I'd write for him."

  "Why…why did you feel so strongly about him having a wife, you don't have one."

  "That's true. But I'm not quite as isolated at Hershel. You see he's been cut off from the world up here. He's a great trapper, hunter, mountain man, but he needs company. Despite what you might think, everyone needs someone. I couldn't be there all the time for him. Why when I'd come up to visit he'd talk my ear off all the time I was there. That told me he was lonely. So when you're letter came…I thought maybe he should answer it."

  Rachel nodded quietly. "You were worried about your friend then. Did it ever occur to you to just write to me yourself?"

  "No ma'am, but I had to admit, your letters were interesting, and I enjoyed them as much as he did," Buck answered his back to her now.

  "Well, thank you for that." Rachel gave him a curious glance.

  "Has he ever…had women friends?"

  Buck turned around and sat down beside her on the log they were using as a chair. "Well, let's see now. There was Roberta, she was born up here too, but she was a might too old for Hershel. They were good friends, but she died last winter, got stuck out in a terrible snow storm and froze to death. Hershel felt real sorry about that. He even cried at her funeral. I thought maybe there had been something between them at one time or another. She was some company to him off and on, but there was no romance between them at the time of her death. Still, when you have little people contact and something happens to someone, then it probably affects you more than it would others. When I could get him down the mountain, he'd indulge in some of Lilly's friends. So I reckon he knows what to do, if that's what you are asking." Buck eyed her. "I wouldn't put it past him to have had a squaw or two. The chief of the Cheyenne likes him a lot. And he visits them regularly when he's in the area."

  "I can see why you were worried about him," Rachel said quietly.

  "Don't get me wrong. Hershel never acted lonely. He talked to the birds, and squirrels and deer. He had some Indian friends he'd go see every now and then. He can even speak their language. But the problem was most of the days of winter, he'd hold up in that cabin until it thawed. By spring, he'd be pretty randy."

  Rachel bowed her head.

  "What about you, missy. Have you had a fella or two? I mean a gentleman that would call upon you? Besides this Frank fella?" Buck rephrased the question.

  Rachel smiled reflectively. "Only the one I told you about, and he wasn't my fella. In fact, we had nothing in common. I guess he was just too prissy for my liking. That's what attracted me to Hershel was he seemed to be a man's man. A lot of the men in the east are more worried about manners than doing something active, like building a fire, or hunting a bear even."

  "Oh yes, ma'am he is a man's man. He sure isn't one to worry about manners. And I'm afraid you'll have to overlook some of that." Buck assured her.

  "The closer we get, the more I wonder if this wasn't some big mistake, though." Rachel murmured. Buck raised his eyes to hers. "Forgive me, but it seems as though this was all your idea, not his. And I feel as though I might be intruding on his privacy. Perhaps I should have waited for him to invite me to his mountain. Perhaps I’m the one without manners."

  "You don't think you'll like it up here?" Buck asked.

  "No-no it isn't that. I'm sure I can adapt. But marriage is holy, or it should be. Not to be taken lightly. I want to please him if I can. Make him happy. And yet, I really know so little about him. I know you've tried to tell me, but it's hard to get an idea of what kind of man he really is."

  "Now don't you fret. He's gonna love having you with him. I can tell you that he's a fair man, an excellent fella, and forgiving of a fault."

  Somehow Rachel never doubted that.

  "Tell me something. In the letters, was it his idea to talk about the beauty of the country and how he loved it?"

  Buck saw her staring at him for an answer. He squirmed. "Sure it was…he told me to talk about nature and how nice it was here."

  "But you put his idea into words, didn't you?"

  "Uh…I guess I did." He muttered. "Look, you bundle up good, the weather is turning colder. Best you stay warmed up and not get a chill. And it's all going to be fine, once we get there and get you settled in."

  "Okay…Buck, do you have a place…I mean a home?"

  "Me?"

  She nodded.

  "I got some land, never did much about making it a home. I usually travel around a lot and saw no need to make one. I work where ever there is work to have. I've mined some, dug for gold some, trapped, even done a bit of ranching before. But I guess you might say I've never actually settled down to a home. The last few years I've been more of a guide through the mountains than anything else. You might say I'm on the move a lot."

  "Why not?" She asked boldly. "Why didn't you settle down. Don't you get tired of traipsing all over the countryside."

  He shrugged. "I don't know. I don't have a wife or nothing, never saw much need for one."

  "You never saw a need for a wife?"

  "No, the need for settling down, because I didn't have a woman."

  "Then you are a self-made man. And happy living the vagabond kind of life." She assumed.

  He slanted her a look at that assumption. "Never thought about it much. It's just who I am. No woman would live the kind of life I do."

  "She would if she loved you!" Rachel declared.

  "Well, I don't expect I'll be finding one that loves me." He admitted.

  "Why not? You're attractive, young…Surely you don’t want to spend your entire life alone." She insisted.

  "Haven't given it much thought, until of recent."

  She finally hushed, and they sat listening to the fire crackle. He added wood to it every now and then.

  As they settled back and watched an Indian celebration dance, Buck would glance at her off and on. One thing he was sure of. He was gonna miss her, more than she'd ever know!

  Chapter Ten

  Before leaving the next day, Summer's Dawn gave Rachel a beautiful necklace. She looped it around her neck.

  Buck smiled. "This makes you friends, now you should give her something."

  "What?"

  "Anything you feel like." Buck said watching the Indian woman with a curiosity.

  Rachel grabbed her bag that she had somehow saved from all the plights they had and pulled out a mirror.

  "It's all I have…" Rachel apologized.

  "It's enough." Buck assured her.

  The Indian woman took it, looked at herself and smiled.

  "Now you have a friend for life." Buck smiled at Rachel.

  She waved at them as Rachel and Buck took off once more.

  "That was a lot of fun…" Rachel said as they kept climbing upward. "They really are a friendly people, aren't th
ey?"

  "Yeah, all but the bath, I'll bet."

  "Yeah…"

  "They are good people. Give you the shirt off their backs." Buck said with satisfaction.

  The next day, they made it almost to the top of the mountain and Rachel got a big view of the mountains around them. "My God, you were right, Buck, it's the most wonderful country I've ever seen. The description in your letters…that's what I saw…this!"

  "This is a beautiful place. I own some land not far from here, I wanted to build a house once, in a spot where you could look out the window and see those mountains for miles. I thought it so peaceful."

  "Do you still own the land?"

  "Yeah…I kept it. It's so danged pretty there, I couldn't sell it or trade it away."

  "I've never seen anything like it. And you should build that house, Buck. You're young enough to find yourself a wife."

  "You really think a woman would want to live with the likes of me?" He asked her.

  "Why not? I wish I could draw a picture of the view here…" She said breathlessly. "It's the most beautiful place I've seen on the mountain."

  "I reckon I could sketch you a picture. You like this view, do you?"

  "Oh yes, would you? I mean if it's not too much trouble."

  "Sure, why not. I guess we don't have to be in too big a rush since Hershel's probably still chasing the bear."

  He brought out some supplies and he had a piece of coal in his hand. In a short while he had managed to sketch the scene out. She watched, fascinated by his hidden talent.

  "You're magnificent at this."

  He shrugged. "Comes from making maps and things."

  It took him most of the day to finish it and she watched, fascinated.

  When he was done, he handed her the paper.

  "It's gorgeous. Thank you, Buck, I will treasure this forever." She cried aloud.

  He smiled. "Glad you like it."

  "We've had quite an adventure, haven't we?" She asked.

  "I guess we have."

  "I-I hope…well, you'll still come and visit regularly, Buck…" She said quietly as she stared into the firelight.

  "What do you mean?" He slanted her a look.

  "When you go back down the mountain. Don't forget us. Come see us, often, will you?"

  "Oh sure, sure I will." Buck promised, but he secretly doubted he would. He'd done a good job of finding Hershel a wife. Too good. He envied him in a lot of ways.

  She's one beautiful woman!

  Two days later, they made it to the cabin, without incident. But Hershel wasn't there. Buck saw the disappointment in Rachel's eyes. She did her best to hide it, but sadness stared back at him.

  Rachel's eyes widened when she first walked inside the cabin. He didn't know what she expected, but he reckoned it was best this way. If she couldn't tolerate the way Hershel lived then she needed to know it now.

  Inside it was full of hides stacked up all over the place. There was sparse furniture, and no decorations whatsoever. It was drab and had an odor she couldn't identify.

  Her nose itched the moment she stepped inside.

  Most of the windows were covered with old newspapers.

  "Needs a woman's touch, doesn't it?" Buck murmured near her ear.

  "Yes…it does. Among other things. I guess I could clean it for him."

  "Looks like he's still out chasing that bear." Buck said quietly as he began taking his coat off and loading the fireplace with wood. Buck was never one to put off the mundane chores, she noticed. He took care of things. He built a fire in no time and they were both warming themselves.

  "I hope he's not in any trouble." Rachel glanced at Buck for a reaction.

  "Aw…he's probably just having a bit a trouble with catching him. He'll be home in no time. Don't you fret. I guess I forget how Hershel does visit all his friends when he's out and about. And he's in his element with that bear, let me tell you. Nothing like a new tale to be able to recall to friends."

  "You aren't going to leave me up here, alone, are you?" She asked with genuine concern. "I mean… Well, I'm sure I'll learn to make do, but…I need to get accustomed to it first. Right now, I'm feeling a bit out of place. Like I don't belong. It's strange, I had the notion that the minute I stepped into his place, I'd feel right at home, but…"

  His expression was sympathetic, yet puzzled.

  "A lot out of place. This isn't the kind of place I was expecting from a man who sent such letters. But then…I keep forgetting you are the one that wrote the letters, aren't you?"

  "I'll stay for a while." Buck assured her.

  "Good. I hate to ask it of you, you've been very understanding and gone out of your way, with the wedding and all. But, just until we sort of get used to each other." Rachel sounded uneasy. "I mean a man can change his mind and if he does I need to get back down the mountain and I can't do it alone. Unless you have business elsewhere or something."

  "You mean you know he might change his mind about this marriage thing. And you came anyway?" Buck stared at her. "You know Rach, I understood the importance of you getting married before you came up here. Especially since you might not get a chance to get a preacher for a long while, but…you are actually gambling, aren't you?

  "I understand the risk I took, Buck. And believe me, I don't take marriage lightly. I'm committed to him…but…he might not want me. And I doubt I could change that if I wanted to."

  "I'll stay…a while." Buck stared at her. "Look, you are married now, and you got to make the best of it, if you can. You and Hershel will hit it off okay, ma'am." Buck assured her.

  "I hope so." She murmured her voice unsteady. She glanced around the place and despite all her brave talk, she began to have her first real doubts of her wisdom to marry.

  "Well now, let's see what kind of food we got to eat in here," He encouraged.

  ~*~

  Buck could tell she was having second thoughts already. He understood too. No woman would welcome the kind of home Hershel offered. He wished he could make her more comfortable, but even he had to admit the cabin was a mess. Looking at it through her eyes, he guessed it was pretty bad. He could understand why she'd want to run for cover and not face this. But they were married and Buck figured she owed him as his wife to stay and try to make a go of things.

  Despite the primitive cabin that had no curtains on the windows and no fancy frills, it was substantial. But when Rachel saw the pantry off to the side she gasped.

  "My goodness, where did all these canned goods come from? He's got beans, and corn and all kinds of greens. Sacks of flour and sugar that should last through the winter. And look at the honey!" She was astonished, taking a jar of beans into her hand and looking at it.

  "Well, you see, sometimes Hershel does odd jobs for people here on the mountain, and they repay him with food. He found out it pays to trade like that as he's had enough food to keep anyone from going hungry. Through a hard winter, you'll be glad of it. Lots of stragglers stop off during the winter for a meal."

  "Really? What kind of odd jobs does he do?" She asked scanning the shelves of home canned goods.

  "Cuts firewood for a lot of the people, hunts and gives them meat for vegetables. You see there are several widows up this way, and if not for Hershel they might starve during the winter months. That kind of thing. It's pretty common for people up here. There aren't any stores about. Nearly everyone has something different to offer for trade. Some have quilts and stuff like that. He borrows hunting dogs when he needs them, sled dogs too. So if a man needs meat, he comes to Hershel, who is one of the best trappers in the area, if he needs vegetables, he goes to them. There's a fella he knows that gives him a big jug of honey every year, he's a beekeeper. It's all just tradeoffs. But it keeps everyone in the food, especially during the cold months."

  "What an excellent trade-off too. He must have a lot of friends, then." Rachel smiled.

  "I reckon his fair share of them." Buck agreed.

  "It speaks well of a man, to have l
ots of friends." She smiled at him. "I'm afraid I can't boast as much."

  "You don't have many friends?"

  "No…not really. Just one or two. Even they at times would frown on some of my ideas. And we had no such trading values either, I'm afraid. If one didn't make their own money, then they did without. Of course, there were the local churches that helped them out, but some didn't go to the churches. Those people had it extremely hard. One of my best friends was just such a person. Ellen. She married early in life, and her husband, he was chopping wood for the fire and someone called out to him, the ax hit him in the shin. She doctored him for days, but gangrene sat in, and he died. Her folks died of the cholera years before. She was all alone with two children to feed. I'd take her food, some of my old clothes, and she did manage to get by, but it was rough going."

  "Your friend…she was lucky to have a friend like you." Buck checked the kitchen stove for her so she could cook if she were a mind.

  "My folks didn't see it that way."

  "I don't understand?" Buck's brows knitted.

  "In Philadelphia there was a particular class that didn't mix with what they considered trash. Ellen was not trash. She was unfortunate, but she wasn't trash. I loved her."

  "What happened to her?"

  Rachel's face turned very red, and a tear escaped down her cheek. "She died…"

  "Of hunger?"

  "No…small pox. I wanted to take her children in, my father refused to help support them. Just another reason we no longer got along with each other. Father wasn't the charitable kind. When mother died, he got little help from anyone, and I think it made him a bit bitter."

  "I'm sorry Rach…" Buck put his arms around her for a moment to comfort her.

  "I hadn't thought of her in months…but I guess it's another reason I just couldn't get along in Philadelphia. My step-mother was such a society woman. I grew to almost hate her smugness. And my father went right along with her, on every matter. So, we grew apart."

  "Then you are better off here, Rachel. Hershel will be good to you. I know that." Buck assured her, pulling away and looking into the tear stained face.