Sourdough Creek (26 page)

It was a full minute before he finally grew quiet. Cassie dropped to her knees but was apprehensive about touching him, fearful she would cause more pain.

“Uncle, what happened?”

One eye slowly opened. Then the other. Spittle had collected on his beard, and he was drawing deep, shaky breaths.

“I couldn’t wait another minute. You’ve been gone so damn long a turtle could crawl to town and back.” He reached for Cassie’s arm, but his arm fell back onto the earth with a thud. “I just couldn’t wait no more, honey. I hope you will forgive me for being a foolish ol’ man. I thought I could make it on my own. On my way back my wobbly legs gave way and I fell. Now, every dang limb I have has gone numb again.”

Cassie looked around.

“Can you get Sam to come help me back to my bed?”

“I can’t. He’s gone hunting. We’ll have to make it on our own.”

His bottom lip wobbled as his face beseeched her.

“We can do it, Uncle.”

“I don’t think so. It’ll hurt too much.”

“I can’t just leave you here,” Cassie said softly.

He stared at her for a moment. “Give me a stick to bite on like Sam did yesterday. Then when you lift me I won’t scream in your ear and break your eardrum.”

“Okay.”

Cassie found a strong stick and placed it between his teeth.

“Well, let’s get going,” he said with difficulty, gripping the branch in his mouth. “If it hurts I’m sure it won’t kill me.”

“Please, don’t talk like that.”

He spat the wood from his mouth, and glared, fairly shaking with anger. “Geez, girl! Just get moving and get me to my bed.” His tone wasn’t soft and sorry anymore, but irritated and impatient.

“Yes, of course.” Her defiance wanted to rear its head, tell him to be quiet, but she beat it back with a mental shove. He was hurt! He had a right to be short with her. How heartless could she be?

Cassie bent down, and with surprisingly little effort on her part, helped her uncle stand and regain his balance.

“Here we go.” She tried to smile.

Arvid hobbled next to her as she held his arm. Every once in a while his foot would drag, causing him to teeter dangerously to one side.

“Almost there, thank goodness. I bet you’ll be glad to be back on your bed.”

Before he could answer, he cried out sharply and spun out of her arms. He landed in a heap, screaming in pain. “See what you done to me, girl! See what you done! I’m never gonna be the same. I’m gonna be a cripple. A cripple!”

The tears that had been pooling behind Cassie’s eyes since finding her uncle on the ground now came out in force. She sobbed once, then pushed the tears away with the back of her hand as she went to help him up.

“No! Get away. I’ll crawl in on my own.”

Cassie stood in silence as Uncle Arvid creped inside slowly on hands and knees until the flap closed behind him. There was a rustling sound and then nothing more. She stood for ten minutes just staring at the flap and listening to the sounds of the wilderness. The rushing river. The call of a hawk. A dark cloud of gnats passing over her head and were gone. She wished Sam was here. She felt completely alone.

Chapter Forty-Three

“E
asy, girl,” Sam soothed. The small deer carcass draped across the back of his saddle made his mare more skittish than a youngster at bath time. Dangling on both sides of her flanks, the young buck’s legs jiggled with each step Blu took. Eyes wide with apprehension, Blu flicked her ears back and forth, and she snorted repeatedly. Sam smiled to himself at the thought of her trusting him so implicitly and reached down to scratch her withers. The mare slowly made her way through the trees and came out of a copse, just over the rise from the camp.

The stallion, once again, crept into Sam’s mind. From what he’d seen, the animal’s conformation was flawless. He’d make any ranch an outstanding foundation sire. Plus, his intelligence was evident, outwitting the number of men trying to capture him so far. Wouldn’t he love to have a horse like him?

Cassie would be pleased with the deer. The thought of fresh venison, thick and hot straight from the fire, made his mouth water and his stomach clutch with hunger pangs. After it was smoked, would keep them well fed for days to come.

Sam had had more luck than just bringing down a buck, too. He’d also run into a miner who was pulling up stakes. Tired of living like an animal, the man was heading back to civilization. Besides providing some helpful information, he’d sold Sam the remainder of his provisions.

The two large bags hanging from either side of his saddle horn contained beans, salt pork, bacon, oatmeal, some moldy white cheese, flour, and the like. He’d even procured a small bag of sourballs, a pouch of tobacco, and small jug of apple brandy.

Tonight, they’d celebrate. Their first flake of gold from the mine, lots of fresh deer meat to last them for days, and a sip of apple brandy to delight the taste buds before retiring. He was looking forward to it.

He pulled up in a quiet camp. Dismounting, he looped his reins around a scrub oak, and looked around. It was still light enough that he could see Cassie down by the river’s edge, sitting on a rock.

Gosh, he’d hoped there would be at least a
little
something cooking. He hadn’t eaten since morning and his stomach was achingly hollow. But the fire was out and there was no sign of Arvid.

Sam untied the leather straps holding the deer to Blu and slipped it off over her rump. She gave one last hump of her back and, with plate-sized eyes, sashayed to the side, snorting her protest at having to carry such frightening cargo. After laying his kill out nearby, removing the bags of food and loosening Blu’s cinch, Sam started toward Cassie to see what he could find out.

“Cassie?”

She looked around. In the dusky light he couldn’t see her expression. Scrambling off the big rock, she fairly flew into his embrace.

“What is it?”

She wrapped her arms around his middle and buried her face against his chest. “I’m so glad you’re back, Sam.”

This was a huge change for Cassie. He wondered what was behind it. “What happened?”

“Uncle Arvid tried to come out on his own. He fell. When I was trying to help him back, he tripped again. He’s really hurt. I’ve ruined his life, Sam, forever. He’s going to be a cripple now, and he hates me for it. I can’t blame him in the least.”

Sam took her face in both of his hands and looked into her eyes. “He doesn’t hate you, Cassie. That’s silly. You’re his niece. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that accidents happen? And besides, if I remember correctly, he was much better this morning and I’m sure if he had a set-back it’ll just take a day or two longer before he’s better. It’ll teach him not to go venturing out on his own anymore.”

She pulled from his arms and turned back to the river. “No. It’s really bad.” Her voice was small. Hurt.

“I believe you. But I think you’ll feel better when you get out of those dirty clothes from this morning, and get something hot into your belly. Come with me right now.”

Sam took hold of her hand, almost smiling when she didn’t resist, and started up the path to the camp. They came to where Blu was tied and the new provisions sat nearby on the ground, still the focus of the horse’s attention.

“Look at what jumped out and bit my bullet?”

“Why, he’s only a yearling.” She knelt by the deer and ran her hand down its long neck. “You did well. Thank you.”

Her words sounded hollow. Whatever dad-blasted Arvid had said to her had cut her to the quick.

“I have another surprise, too,” he said. “Close your eyes and open your hand.”

“Sam…”

“Just do it.”

She did. She stood in the near dark with her eyes closed and palm upturned. He was tempted to take the opportunity to kiss her, but knew she’d be fuming mad if he did. And he was too tired to fight.

“Keep ’em closed,” Sam warned. “This might take me a second. No peeking.” He went to the bags and dug through the first one as fast as he could. Unsuccessful there, he opened the second. He heard Cassie shift her weight from one foot to the other.

“Don’t be impatient. You’re gonna like this.” He fished two candies from the small bag, tied it again and put it back.

“Sam?”

“Here.” At the same time he placed one sourball in her hand he slipped another between her lips. Her eyes popped open.

“What?” Surprised, she opened her mouth wider; then, getting a taste, she closed it, and started savoring the treat. “Mmmm. Oh, that’s good. What is it?” A little laugh slipped out. “It makes me feel like puckering up.”

He laughed too, happy that this was making her feel a little better. “It’s a sourball.”

“Where on earth did you find sourballs out here in the wilderness?”

“I came across a disgruntled miner who was packing up and going home. He sold me his provisions for next to nothin’. A bag of candy was among my spoils.”

Blu snorted loudly and pawed the ground, making Cassie and Sam laugh again. “Poor horse has been traumatized by having to carry the dead deer on her back. Horses don’t like the scent of death. I need to get her out to graze and the deer strung up and bled out. Will you be all right on your own for a while longer?”

“Of course. Now that you’re here I—”

He gaped at her, surprised at what she’d almost said. “Yes?”

“…feel so much better. I do. I’d be a liar to deny it. I’m going to get you a lantern to work by. After that I’ll take care of your horse. If you don’t mind bacon and biscuits again I can have that ready pretty quickly.”

“That sounds good, Cass. Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine, and that includes Uncle Arvid.” Sam couldn’t believe he’d just called that stinkin’, slimy snake uncle, but he’d do it for Cassie.

She smiled. “I’ll be right back with a lamp.”

“I’m going to make a fast trip over to my camp before I start the butchering, and haul the rest of my things over to this side of the river. That might take a few minutes.”

He might be seeing things in the evening light, but he thought he saw her eyes light with pleasure.

“Can I help you?”

“You sure can. By fixing me somethin’ hot to plug this hole smoldering in my gut.”

Sam circled the hind hoof of the deer with his lariat and looped the rope over a sturdy branch. Hand over hand, he pulled until the carcass, hung nose down, just inches from the ground. He tied the rope off on the tree trunk. To ward off nocturnal hunters that might smell the kill, he roughened up the earth beneath the buck to make it accepting of the blood and fluids that would come from the incision he was about to make.

By now it was dark, but the lamp Cassie brought over to him cast just enough light to enable him to see what he was doing. She was busy over by the campfire, mixing her biscuits and frying the bacon. The smell was tauntingly aromatic, distracting him all the way over where he was working.

Sam wondered about Arvid. What the heck was the man doing in that tent? No one could sleep hour after hour, even if they were hurt. Sam wiped his hands on a cloth Cassie had supplied, done with the deer until morning, when he’d skin and butcher it. It was time to get washed up for dinner and check on that uncle of Cassie’s—whether he wanted to or not.

Chapter Forty-Four

C
assie was just taking the frying pan off the fire when Sam walked out of the fringes of darkness and into camp. His hair was damp and he was dressed in clean clothes. He looked extremely handsome, with a little smile and twinkle in his eyes. To think this had been her husband—for a few minutes—at least. Cassie breathed a tiny sigh, telling herself to get her head out of the clouds and back to work. A towel was slung over his shoulder. The two white bags he’d gotten from the other miner were in his arms.

“You bathed,” she said softly, standing up.

“Didn’t want to come to supper covered in blood.” He put the bags down on the makeshift table and held out his hands to her as if he were a youngster, turning them over for her to inspect. “I’ll say, though, that river is dang cold. Pretty near froze my—” He stopped and gave her a funny look. “Well, I think you get my meaning.”

“Perfectly, cowboy.” She glanced at him mischievously. “How did you manage?”

“I’m just tough, I guess.” He crossed his arms and ran his hands up and down his sides, to warm himself. “Supper done?”

“Almost. Do you want to go and see if Uncle Arvid is able to join us? I know it’s late, but he must be hungry.” She felt bad about asking Sam to do it, but after the accident earlier today she dreaded seeing her uncle. How was she going to get through the month?

“Reckon so.”

When Sam walked off she dished up three plates of the same bacon and biscuits they’d had this morning and poured three cups of coffee.

Within moments, Sam was back. “He’s hungry but said he wants to eat in his tent. You have his plate ready? I’ll take it to him.”

“Yes,” she said, handing him Arvid’s dinner and cup. “Is he feeling any better? Will he be able to eat this on his own?” She forced the questions out past her apprehension. Even if he hated her forever, she needed to see that he was well cared for.

Sam held plate and cup. “He looks pretty good, besides needing some attention to his, er, toiletries. Said he’ll be able to eat on his own.”

“If he’d let me I could warm some water and help him shave and clean up after he’s finished.”

“I’ll ask him.”

Cassie watched Sam leave. What on earth would she do without his help?

Without
him
, her conscience corrected. Yes, he was the thing she would miss most when the competition for the claim was over and they parted ways.

Sam ambled back into camp and went straight to where his plate sat on the troublemaking log. “Looks great.”

“It’s the exact same thing you ate this morning.”

“Food is food. Besides, I thought it was good then, too.”

Cassie hid her smile behind her coffee cup. You’d think he was eating a chocolate truffle by the look of pleasure on his face. “What did Uncle say?” She hoped he was ready to make up and forgive her.