arrived at the northernmost starting line down in Indian Territory about dusk. Travis looked up and down the long line of wagons and frowned. “My Lord, there must be thousands of people hoping to get a claim and there aren’t that many available.”
“I got faith in you.” Violet shrugged and climbed down from her seat driving the ox wagon. “All out, kids.”
She felt such relief at being out of Kansas without being caught and returned to the Diamond Horseshoe that she wasn’t too worried about the odds of getting a claim. The big Texas Ranger looked capable and responsible. She was already thinking he’d make a great husband for some lucky girl, even though he did have a few rough edges.
He grimaced as if he was in pain as he dismounted.
“Your wrist hurting?”
He nodded. “It’s better than it was yesterday. I wish I had more laudanum.”
“Oh, Mr. Brown did have one small bottle of whiskey in his wagon,” she whispered so the tired children now clambering out of the wagon wouldn’t hear. “Have a few swallows later.”
His brown eyes lit up. “Young lady, that’s a rip-roarin’ idea.”
She turned to the children. “All right, Harold, you and Kessie pick up sticks for a fire. Limpy, you help me unhitch the ox and stake him out to graze, and Boo Hoo . . .” She looked at the little girl. The baby was already fast asleep under a tree with Growler curled up next to her. “Never mind.”
The Ranger said, “I think I’ll take my rifle and see if I can get a couple of squirrels or a rabbit or two.”
She watched him mount up and ride off. She wasn’t sure how things would go from here, but at least she and the children were safely out of Kansas and with these thousands of people spread out as far as she could see, it would be difficult for the law to find four runaway children and a missing saloon girl. Duke would be furious when he got back from St. Louis, but maybe not mad enough to spend a lot of time looking for her. At least if she made it to the new territorial capital, Guthrie, she had a lot of options. Of course, there was still the problem of what to do with these pitiful ragamuffins.
In less than an hour, the Ranger came back with three fat rabbits and Limpy hurried over to help unsaddle the gray stallion. “I love horses,” he said, stroking Mouse. “I wish I knew how to ride.”
“I’ll teach you,” the Ranger began, then looked at Violet and stopped.
She remembered then that they were all supposed to make their own ways once they got to Guthrie. “Never mind, honey. Just stake Mouse out in that tall grass over there. Once we get those rabbits cut up and roasted, we’ll eat.”
All the children gathered around the small fire, their eyes wide with anticipation as Travis cut sticks and showed the children how to put the meat on the sticks and hold them over the fire.
Even little Boo Hoo came awake and toddled over to join them without crying. Violet made a pot of coffee and everyone ate. Then she gave the scraps to Growler.
Travis leaned back against a rock and sipped his coffee. In spite of his throbbing arm, he felt good that he’d managed to bring in enough meat to feed everyone. This must be what it felt like to be a husband and father, he thought, watching the children beginning to doze off on the grass. Of course, he was a confirmed bachelor, he reminded himself, and he’d be rid of the five when he went into Guthrie to file his claim.
Violet watched him, wishing he was her man. She had never felt so safe and secure as she did at this moment. She wanted to curl up next to him as he sat by the fire, but of course she didn’t. After tomorrow, she reminded herself, he’d go on his way and she’d be on her own as she had been since she was a small child on the docks at Memphis.
As they sat around the fire sipping coffee, she could see hundreds of campfires along the starting line. All these people had hopes and dreams just like she did.
“Young
“I got faith in you.” Violet shrugged and climbed down from her seat driving the ox wagon. “All out, kids.”
She felt such relief at being out of Kansas without being caught and returned to the Diamond Horseshoe that she wasn’t too worried about the odds of getting a claim. The big Texas Ranger looked capable and responsible. She was already thinking he’d make a great husband for some lucky girl, even though he did have a few rough edges.
He grimaced as if he was in pain as he dismounted.
“Your wrist hurting?”
He nodded. “It’s better than it was yesterday. I wish I had more laudanum.”
“Oh, Mr. Brown did have one small bottle of whiskey in his wagon,” she whispered so the tired children now clambering out of the wagon wouldn’t hear. “Have a few swallows later.”
His brown eyes lit up. “Young lady, that’s a rip-roarin’ idea.”
She turned to the children. “All right, Harold, you and Kessie pick up sticks for a fire. Limpy, you help me unhitch the ox and stake him out to graze, and Boo Hoo . . .” She looked at the little girl. The baby was already fast asleep under a tree with Growler curled up next to her. “Never mind.”
The Ranger said, “I think I’ll take my rifle and see if I can get a couple of squirrels or a rabbit or two.”
She watched him mount up and ride off. She wasn’t sure how things would go from here, but at least she and the children were safely out of Kansas and with these thousands of people spread out as far as she could see, it would be difficult for the law to find four runaway children and a missing saloon girl. Duke would be furious when he got back from St. Louis, but maybe not mad enough to spend a lot of time looking for her. At least if she made it to the new territorial capital, Guthrie, she had a lot of options. Of course, there was still the problem of what to do with these pitiful ragamuffins.
In less than an hour, the Ranger came back with three fat rabbits and Limpy hurried over to help unsaddle the gray stallion. “I love horses,” he said, stroking Mouse. “I wish I knew how to ride.”
“I’ll teach you,” the Ranger began, then looked at Violet and stopped.
She remembered then that they were all supposed to make their own ways once they got to Guthrie. “Never mind, honey. Just stake Mouse out in that tall grass over there. Once we get those rabbits cut up and roasted, we’ll eat.”
All the children gathered around the small fire, their eyes wide with anticipation as Travis cut sticks and showed the children how to put the meat on the sticks and hold them over the fire.
Even little Boo Hoo came awake and toddled over to join them without crying. Violet made a pot of coffee and everyone ate. Then she gave the scraps to Growler.
Travis leaned back against a rock and sipped his coffee. In spite of his throbbing arm, he felt good that he’d managed to bring in enough meat to feed everyone. This must be what it felt like to be a husband and father, he thought, watching the children beginning to doze off on the grass. Of course, he was a confirmed bachelor, he reminded himself, and he’d be rid of the five when he went into Guthrie to file his claim.
Violet watched him, wishing he was her man. She had never felt so safe and secure as she did at this moment. She wanted to curl up next to him as he sat by the fire, but of course she didn’t. After tomorrow, she reminded herself, he’d go on his way and she’d be on her own as she had been since she was a small child on the docks at Memphis.
As they sat around the fire sipping coffee, she could see hundreds of campfires along the starting line. All these people had hopes and dreams just like she did.
“Young
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