Read Online A Private War by Donald R. Franck - Free Book Online

would stop by the time they had to leave in the morning. As thick as the snow was outside, Gaylon decided the pirates would be holed up in their camps that night and told Kate to get some sleep as she would need all her strength for the next day. Then he sat by the light of a 100 hour burning candle (said to burn continuously for 100 hours) and worked with his Gerber Mark II, cutting and shaping branches for two pair of snowshoes for Kate and himself. Using pieces of tough nylon cord he tied the ends of two branches together and cutting a small notch on the inside of both of them, fitted a small spacer between them and tied it down very tightly. Then he tied the other two ends together and looked at his work. The spacer between the two branches gave the snowshoes their classic shape and using several long pieces of nylon, began weaving a supporting lace work between the two sides of the shoe. The snowshoes would not be as good as the former manufactured ones, but Gaylon thought that they would last till they could get to Austin. Finishing the last one, Gaylon placed it with the others and pulling one of the Kimber CQP II's from its holster, placed it near at hand in case of trouble. Then blowing out the candle, he lay in the darkness and listened to the wind as the snow blew against the side of the tent. Early in the morning hours, he slept.
     

Kate slowly stirred as the sun peaked above the tops of the trees. Rising the tent flap, Kate looked upon the white drifts of snow and slipping on her boots and coat, she stepped out into the completely white world. At least two feet of snow had fallen and there were drifts more then five feet high at the edge of the tree line. Kate turned and looked back at the tent. All she could see was a mound of snow and her tracks leading to it. Suddenly Gaylon's head and shoulders appeared at the center of it and he slowly crawled out and stood up right. Thick streamers of mist were coming from his nose and mouth. Kate laughed as he brushed against a tree branch and a huge pile of fresh snow fell on his head. Grabbing a handful of snow Gaylon tried to make a snowball, but the snow was too dry to stick together so as he threw it at Kate, he watched it blow away in the wind. Kate laughed harder.
    "You may think it's funny, but I'm the one with the with the snow down his neck, Smart Ass!  How about some breakfast and then we hit the trail. We still have a long way to go and we slept half the day away already. Think you can do anything with those damn powdered eggs to make them eatable."
    "I'll do my best, but I can't do much with them either. How about we just make some coffee and munch on some of the jerky in my pack?"
    "Well, it would be quicker, you make the coffee and I'll start taking down the tent. Don't forget next time to bring your gun with you as the pirates could be out and about too."
    "Yes, boss!"
    Gaylon crawled back into the tent and began to repack the sleeping bags and the placed the snowshoes he made outside where they would be handy when they were ready to leave. Finished packing, Gaylon dragged the packs out of the tent and placed them on top of a snow drift. Then he cleared the branches off the tent and began breaking it down. Brushing snow off the tent, he folded it back up and placed it, and the rain fly, back in it's carrying case and secured it to his pack frame. And putting the branches on top of the others, he covered them with snow to try and cover up any sign of their being there. Kate hummed a tune to herself as she sat near the small pack stove and watched the snow as it slowly melted and then added more. They say it take ten inches of snow to make an inch of water, she believed it. When there was finally enough, she poured the hot water into two cups and added instant coffee and sugar. A lot of sugar! They would need all the energy they could get for the trip ahead. Reaching into her pack, she pulled out some jerky and two candy bars that Sally had placed there.