Chapter 4

We made good time on the road to Meridian. We found a nice camping spot and stopped. I had gotten a piece of canvas to make up a tent using the wagon as the main portion, so we set that up and washed up and fixed supper.

It was still daylight and I wanted to teach Naomi to shoot. She had said that she could shoot a rifle. She didn't lie. She was a fine shot with a rifle, and an adequate shot with a pistol. I told her the second revolver was to be her main pistol, so she made up a belt and holster for her slim waist, so the gun rode in her lap.

During supper she mentioned that she liked to ride, and asked if she could ride Bob.

"Sure," I answered. "Bob needs to be ridden enough to keep him sharp anyway. You ride him as much as you want."

We slept under the wagon that night. I awoke the next morning with her snuggled up next to me and my arm around her.

I tried to move my arm without waking her, but she was already awake. "I'm sorry, Naomi. I didn't mean to take liberties with you."

"James, you are my best and only friend. Everyone else threw me away. I know you care for me. I also care for you. I enjoy sleeping near you."

We worked together fixing breakfast and getting the stock taken care of. I saddled Bob and rigged a scabbard up for the rifle, powder, caps and shot.

She took the job of outrider for our short wagon train, but usually stayed in sight.

The second afternoon, I saw her stop and get down from Bob. I clucked the team up into a trot and hurried to get closer. I had my revolver in hand when I saw her shoot.

She immediately reloaded and mounted up. I got there about the time she mounted. We rode across a meadow and got to a large buck deer that Naomi had killed. It must have been over a hundred and twenty-five yards away. A fine shot by anyone's standards.

"I certainly don't want you shooting at me," I teased.

"Thanks," she answered.

We dragged the deer over to a convenient tree and skinned it and cleaned and prepared the meat.

By the time we had finished with the deer it was time to camp. We found an acceptable place nearby and had some roasted venison for supper. Naomi cleaned up her gun while I fleshed the hide.

We set up to dry the meat to be able to use as much as possible.

That took a couple of days, but we weren't really in a hurry.

Naomi was putting on some weight from our regular meals. I guessed that she was more like nineteen or twenty years old than my original guess of sixteen. I decided to ask.

"How old are you Naomi?"

"I will be twenty on my next birthday," she answered with a smile.

"I was just wondering why a girl as sweet and pretty as you are isn't married."

"I had a beau, but he was killed in a farming accident three summers ago. You are the first man to take a good interest in me since."

I definitely had a good interest in her. I enjoyed waking up with her in my arms and I really enjoyed her friendly company on the road.