Chapter 8

It looked like a good home place to me, also. There was a good house site that backed up to a stand of Pines that would keep the north wind from getting a straight shot at the house. There was a good flat place for a garden near the house and a good place for a field of maybe 60 acres straight across the creek from the house.

There was a good place for a pasture above the house, and a good flat place for a field or for hay near the pond. Up the hills from the house all around was a good stand of tall straight pines that would make for a good log cabin.

Even at this time of the summer this place was green. I hoped this would be a place for my wives and children.

The first thing we did was put in the garden. I got out Fred's plough, and made a spot for our garden of about a quarter of an acre.

That night all the girls were very lovey dovey. Having a place for our family must have really gotten to them. Nita, especially, couldn't get enough. I finally had to beg for a rest.

The next day I staked out the places for our house and outbuildings. The girls all wanted to have a bigger house than I had laid out, so I acquiesced and laid out a bigger home. It was just as easy to build bigger now than to add on as the children came.

A house this big would take two fireplaces, and a supporting wall inside, but Wyatt had taught me how to build those, too.

I began to cut the logs for our house. The pines growing around here were very tall and straight, our big house could be built without the many joints that I foresaw needing. I actually made the house bigger than I had originally laid it out due to the availability of the tall trees.

I was glad I had Rocky and Sis. They were able to pull the big logs to the house. After a few trips, they could pull the logs without being driven. The girls would unhook the logs and wind the chains around their collars and send the mules back to me.

After a month of working on the house, notching and chinking the logs and riving the shingles, we had a house. I needed to get some lumber to build the doors and shutters with, but we had a good strong house.

I had made a few trips into the hills and gotten stones to build the hearths and chimneys with, we tamped the floor hard and had a livable place.

Naomi and Breeze had taken over the hunting duties while we built the house. They hunted together at my insistence, due to worries about bears and wolves.

Breeze carried her shotgun and Naomi took the .50, just in case. The shotgun proved quite capable of taking anything they encountered up to and including elk, given close range opportunities.

Nita loved gardening and worked tirelessly in our garden. Eight weeks after planting the garden we started picking squash and beans. They were a wonderful addition to our food supply.

The fall berries started coming in and we picked and ate and dried many to carry us through the winter. We weren't the only ones that liked the berries though. We were all out picking and suddenly a bear, a big one, stood up in front of us about fifteen yards away. I only had my pistol with me, and I stood still. Breeze ran in between the bear and me and raised her shotgun. She couldn't have been more than 7 yards from him. I was shaking like a leaf, I was so afraid for her.

The bear made up his mind, roared and moved toward her. I couldn't believe how fast he was. He couldn't have been more than five feet from the muzzle of her gun when she shot both barrels into his mouth. The shot severed his spine and he flopped. He didn't even kick. He wasn't dead, I could see his eyes following me as I walked up to him; he just couldn't move his body.

I grabbed Breeze and hugged her. I felt her all over searching for a wound. She was perfectly fine. "Thank you, Breeze, you saved us. You are truly a fit mother for warriors," I said trying to give her a compliment that would mean something to her.

I could see that she was glad that I was proud of her.

She calmly reloaded while the rest of us looked at the bear. He had died.

Naomi and Nita both were hugging and kissing Breeze and thanking her for saving me. I almost laughed. They were more worried about me than themselves.

I got Bob and tied a rope from the bear to his saddle and dragged him out of the berry patch. I began field dressing the bear while the girls kept picking berries.

We dragged the carcass back to the house and I skinned him while the girls finished up with the fruit. After they finished, Breeze came out to help me take care of the hide. "This will make a good rug for our home," she said.

"I will have to watch over our children closely," I said. "They will have no fear when they might need some."

"James, I was very frightened, but my love made me try to save you. My first husband was a good man, but I didn't love him. I love you. I would gladly give up my life for you, Husband."