Read Online Woman of Courage by Wanda E. Brunstetter - Free Book Online Page B

would follow in his father’s footsteps and take up farming, too, but Jim had other ideas. He loved being in the great outdoors and wanted to do something that could earn him money without having to rely on the right kind of weather to produce good crops. He wanted to live in the mountains, where the air was clean and a man could survive off the land. Jim had dreams of adventure, and his enthusiasm for it had led him in that direction.
    Jim ended up going west, where he’d taken up trapping and trading. During those early years, he’d done quite well, and when he wasn’t setting or checking his traps, he’d built a small but cozy cabin, nestled deep in the woods. A river flowed nearby, making it an excellent place to trap beaver, fox, otter, and rabbit. A multitude of deer, elk, and bear roamed the area, as well, and barring anything unforeseen, Jim figured he’d have a good many years to enjoy trapping, trading, and selling his furs.
    Once the cabin was finished and Jim had enough money saved up from two years of trapping and trading, he left the mountains and returned to Missouri, where he married Lois. Three days later, they headed west. Jim was filled with excitement and eager to show his new bride the rustic home he’d built for her. Lois’s folks had been against the move, saying they were worried about their daughter living in the rugged wilderness. But like Jim, Lois was adventurous and daring, so she’d eagerly agreed. Being the good Christian woman that she was, she’d quoted some scripture to her folks about cleaving only unto him and said in no uncertain terms that her place was now with her husband. Then she’d looked at Jim and, quoting something more from the Bible, said, “ ‘Wither thou goest, I will go: And where thou lodgest, I will lodge.’ ”
    Jim drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. His beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed Lois had taken sick before they reached the cabin, halting their journey. Jim did his best to bring her fever down, but it raged on for several days. Jim begged God to save his wife, and it felt like a spike had pierced his soul as he stood by helplessly, watching her slowly slip away. His young heart nearly broke when she died and he had to bury her beside the trail. He returned to his cabin in the Rockies alone, crushed of spirit, and for weeks that was where he stayed, until he had to get back to the task of living. Jim had vowed never to love another woman. He blamed God for taking Lois and determined in his heart that no matter what situation he faced in the future, he would never call on God, for He obviously did not answer prayers—at least not his, anyway.
    If God is truly loving, as Lois often said, then how could He take her from me? Of all people, Lois, who fully trusted in God, should not have died
, Jim fumed. It had been ten years since Lois’s death, but there were times like now when it felt like only yesterday. He’d thought he had pushed the memories aside—until he discovered that woman on the bed he’d made for Lois. Even Mary didn’t sleep in that bed; she slept on a mat in the loft overhead. However, it was getting harder for her to climb the ladder now that she was heavy with child, so it wouldn’t be long and she would need to bring the mat down and sleep on the floor near the fireplace, which was where Jim spent most of his nights when he needed to be alone.
    Jim and Mary had been married a year, and he had to admit, she was a good wife, always eager to please and obedient to his wishes. He felt no love for her, though; just a healthy respect. But then, he was sure the feeling was mutual.
    Jim still couldn’t figure out why he’d let that preacher man at the Rendezvous talk him into marrying the Indian woman. For that matter, he’d never really understood how he could have made the deal with the Blackfoot Indian to trade two blankets and a gun in exchange for Mary.
    “I had to be outta my mind,” Jim mumbled. “Either that, or