told him, then turned to Silas. “That all right with you?”
“Hit’s the onlyest thin’ to do.”
“What do you think, Light?”
“Is that not a good place?” The scout pointed toward a narrow strip of land that jutted out from the store. “Waterfowl to rise up if disturbed. A belt of rose thicket on the land side to keep out bear or wolf.” The man’s dark, alert eyes caught and held Jeff’s in unspoken communication.
Jeff nodded. Light jumped off the bank onto the raft and made ready to cast off.
Silas came close and spoke to Jeff in low tones. “These folk ain’t got no river know-how a’tall. Hit’s a wonder they ain’t got them younguns drowned afore now.”
“What do you want to do, Silas?”
“I’m a thinkin’ we ort to help ’em.”
“Are you suggesting we let them come along with us?”
“Hit’s our Christian duty,” Silas said firmly.
“All right.” Jeff waited a long moment before he spoke. “We’ll see them as far as Saint Charles, then they’re on their own.”
The older Gentry brother came hesitantly forward and stood twisting his hat in his hands. “How far air ya agoin’ upriver, mister?”
“From Saint Charles? Quite a ways. It’ll take us the better part
of four days unless we have a mishap.”
Annie Lash listened for a hint of impatience in Jeff’s voice. She could detect none and was surprised because she had heard Zan’s snort of disgust when Silas suggested that they help the ill equipped settlers. Zan didn’t suffer fools easily, and it was plain he considered the men fools for bringing their women and children into the wilderness without the know-how to protect them.
“Is they a settlement thar?” Mr. Gentry asked.
“No.” Jeff nodded toward Silas and Isaac. “Silas and his family are my nearest neighbors. They have a place five miles this side of mine.”
“Is thar decent land what’s not took up?”
“Plenty for those who want to work and clear it.”
“Hiram . . . could we?” The woman with the baby moved
forward hopefully.
The man ignored her. “We needs to git set, git a crop in an’ git up a cabin afore winter sets in.”
Jeff lifted his shoulders. “There’s a Territory man at Saint Charles. He’ll point out the parcels available. We’ll help you get that far.”
“We’d be obliged—ah, beholdin’ to ya. We be hill folk an’ that river be plumb worrisome,” he said with a shake of his head.
“Get ready to shove off. We’ll camp on that land that juts out from the shore.” Jeff lifted his arm toward the timbered island about a half a mile upstream. “The water’s smooth between here and there. You’ll make it without any trouble.” He jumped down onto the raft.
Annie Lash looked around for Zan, wondering how she was going to get down onto the bobbing craft. Jeff was watching her, his eyes darkly amused. He tossed his hat onto the platform and extended his hands. The sun flinted on his white hair. He was smiling.
“C’mon. I’ll catch you.”
“You can’t. I’m . . . too big.”
He laughed. “Not as big as me. C’mon.”
“But I’ll knock you down.”
“I doubt that. Lean forward. I’ll not let you fall.”
“Don’t blame me if we go into the river.” She tilted her body toward him. Just before she leaned so far there was no turning back she closed her eyes tightly and let herself fall forward.
Miraculously, his hands found her armpits and hers his shoulders. She was swung down and her feet struck the floor of the raft. Her shyness gone, she giggled softly, her eyes shining up at him. His face was alive with smile lines that fanned out from the corners of his mouth and his eyes. She took her hands from his shoulders and he let his drop to his sides.
“I told you I wouldn’t let you fall.”
“I didn’t . . . believe you.”
Weakened and made clumsy by the exhilarating experience, she stumbled, and his hands shot out again to grip her upper arms. His dark eyes, as they watched
“Hit’s the onlyest thin’ to do.”
“What do you think, Light?”
“Is that not a good place?” The scout pointed toward a narrow strip of land that jutted out from the store. “Waterfowl to rise up if disturbed. A belt of rose thicket on the land side to keep out bear or wolf.” The man’s dark, alert eyes caught and held Jeff’s in unspoken communication.
Jeff nodded. Light jumped off the bank onto the raft and made ready to cast off.
Silas came close and spoke to Jeff in low tones. “These folk ain’t got no river know-how a’tall. Hit’s a wonder they ain’t got them younguns drowned afore now.”
“What do you want to do, Silas?”
“I’m a thinkin’ we ort to help ’em.”
“Are you suggesting we let them come along with us?”
“Hit’s our Christian duty,” Silas said firmly.
“All right.” Jeff waited a long moment before he spoke. “We’ll see them as far as Saint Charles, then they’re on their own.”
The older Gentry brother came hesitantly forward and stood twisting his hat in his hands. “How far air ya agoin’ upriver, mister?”
“From Saint Charles? Quite a ways. It’ll take us the better part
of four days unless we have a mishap.”
Annie Lash listened for a hint of impatience in Jeff’s voice. She could detect none and was surprised because she had heard Zan’s snort of disgust when Silas suggested that they help the ill equipped settlers. Zan didn’t suffer fools easily, and it was plain he considered the men fools for bringing their women and children into the wilderness without the know-how to protect them.
“Is they a settlement thar?” Mr. Gentry asked.
“No.” Jeff nodded toward Silas and Isaac. “Silas and his family are my nearest neighbors. They have a place five miles this side of mine.”
“Is thar decent land what’s not took up?”
“Plenty for those who want to work and clear it.”
“Hiram . . . could we?” The woman with the baby moved
forward hopefully.
The man ignored her. “We needs to git set, git a crop in an’ git up a cabin afore winter sets in.”
Jeff lifted his shoulders. “There’s a Territory man at Saint Charles. He’ll point out the parcels available. We’ll help you get that far.”
“We’d be obliged—ah, beholdin’ to ya. We be hill folk an’ that river be plumb worrisome,” he said with a shake of his head.
“Get ready to shove off. We’ll camp on that land that juts out from the shore.” Jeff lifted his arm toward the timbered island about a half a mile upstream. “The water’s smooth between here and there. You’ll make it without any trouble.” He jumped down onto the raft.
Annie Lash looked around for Zan, wondering how she was going to get down onto the bobbing craft. Jeff was watching her, his eyes darkly amused. He tossed his hat onto the platform and extended his hands. The sun flinted on his white hair. He was smiling.
“C’mon. I’ll catch you.”
“You can’t. I’m . . . too big.”
He laughed. “Not as big as me. C’mon.”
“But I’ll knock you down.”
“I doubt that. Lean forward. I’ll not let you fall.”
“Don’t blame me if we go into the river.” She tilted her body toward him. Just before she leaned so far there was no turning back she closed her eyes tightly and let herself fall forward.
Miraculously, his hands found her armpits and hers his shoulders. She was swung down and her feet struck the floor of the raft. Her shyness gone, she giggled softly, her eyes shining up at him. His face was alive with smile lines that fanned out from the corners of his mouth and his eyes. She took her hands from his shoulders and he let his drop to his sides.
“I told you I wouldn’t let you fall.”
“I didn’t . . . believe you.”
Weakened and made clumsy by the exhilarating experience, she stumbled, and his hands shot out again to grip her upper arms. His dark eyes, as they watched
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