Chapter 42

Cassie had moved off to the side as the boy and I talked. I looked over at her and winked. I didn't think this young man meant anything he was saying.

"We'll be glad to give you some food, son, but we need our money. Why don't you put your gun away and we'll see what we have left over from breakfast."

"I..."

"I'd do what he says, young man," Cassie said.

The boy looked over at Cassie and she had her revolver centered on his chest. His eyes got wide, so Cassie said, "Just to prove to you that I can shoot this thing, do you see that big hickory nut hanging on the tree there from last year?" she gestured toward the nut.

The boy looked over and saw the nut she was talking about. He nodded. Quicker than the eye could follow, Cassie swung her revolver toward the nut, fired one shot, and again centered the revolver on his chest.

"Do you see it now?" she asked with a sweet little smile.

"Uh, no, ma'am."

"Holster your gun and we'll see what we can find for you to eat," Cassie told him.

"Yes, ma'am," he said as he holstered his gun.

"What's your name, son?" I asked.

"I'm Billy Walker, sir."

"I'm Ed Hill and this is my wife, Cassie," I said. "Please call me Ed."

"Why are you out trying to rob people, Billy?" Cassie asked.

"Ma'am, I haven't eaten in three days. My belly is growed to my backbone."

"Why haven't you eaten, Billy?" Cassie asked. "Please call me Cassie or Cass. I don't answer to ma'am."

"My pa kicked me out. If I had a rifle, I'd have been eating. A pistol ain't much good for hunting."

"Why'd your pa kick you out, Billy?" I asked as Cassie rode back to the rest of our group to see if she could find him something to eat.

"Pa has slaves. We got into a big fight over them."

"We don't believe in slavery," I told him.

"Well, I don't either. Ma died about six months ago. Pa had two male slaves and a little girl about ten years old." He looked around to see if anyone else could hear him, then he said, "Pa told me he was going to start taking the little girl into his bed. That's what brought on the fight."

"I can't blame you for that," I said. "Where does your pa live? Maybe we should go and visit him."

"Won't do no good. The slaves ain't with him no more. After he run me off, I sneaked back that night and stold them."

"Where are they now?"

"They're hiding back in the trees yonder."

"Bring them out. We'll get a fire going and feed all of you."

He grinned and said, "Thank you, Ed," then he rode back the way he'd come.

"Guys, we need to get a fire going," I said when I was back with our group. "We need to feed four people." I went on to explain what was going on and everyone pitched in to set up a temporary camp.

A few minutes later, we saw Billy coming back with two large black men and a little girl who looked to be about M&M's age. All three of the black people were barefoot, even though the weather was still chilly at times. The girl was wearing a homespun dress and the men were wearing short pants that came down just below their knees and no shirts.

Billy said the men were brothers and he introduced them as Zeb and Jeb. The little girl was called Tizzy. "Is this all of the clothes you have?" I asked Zed.

"Yes, suh."

I looked down at their feet and said, "I have a spare pair of moccasins, but I don't think they'd fit either one of you. I know my shirts wouldn't."

"That's okay, suh. We never had no shoes nohow."

"Can you men ride a horse?"

"Yes, suh. We be good riders."

"Billy, we're on our way to St Joseph. We'll meet the rest of our family there, then we're going on to Oregon. Would you all like to go with us?"

"I'm kind of afraid to go to St Jo, Ed. That's the first place my pa will be looking for us."

"If we run into your pa, we'll take care of it. What do you say?"

"I think you should let your wife take care of him, Ed. I think she could shoot the eyes out of a gnat at fifty feet."

I got a laugh out of that and Cassie blushed. "I'll be glad to help," she said.

"Then, I guess we would. What do you say, Zeb, Jeb?"

"Yes, suh," both of them answered.

"How about you Tizzy?" I asked.

Tizzy nodded and squirmed around.

We spent about an hour, eating and getting something fixed up for them to wear. I had the girls make enough that we could eat in the saddle at noon. Sally got out some blankets and made the men some ponchos to wear until we could get to where we could buy them something. She also fashioned footwear for all of them from blankets.

We didn't have any saddles, but we did have a couple of extra horses. Both Zeb and Jeb said they didn't mind riding bareback. Tizzy rode behind Billy.

When Sally came over to ride beside me after a while, I said, "Thanks for getting them fixed up with something to wear. I know they had to be cold."

"Not a problem, Ed. How are we going to work out sleeping arrangements?"

"That I don't know. Do you have any ideas?"

"Well, our tent is a big one. Jason and Billy and Zeb and Jeb could all sleep in it. Cindi and Tizzy could both sleep in with Tina and Su Li. That just leaves me. Could I sleep in with you and Cassie and Kate?"

I had to laugh and then the devil took hold of me and made me tease a little. "That would be fine, Sally. I should warn you. We all sleep in the nude."

Sally grinned and said, "That wouldn't bother me."

"I guess I should tell you about Cassie too. When Cassie is in a confrontation, she gets all fired up. She may attack me sexually tonight."

Sally laughed. "You mean she might have a wet saddle right now?"

"Probably so."

"I've never seen a live sex show. That might be interesting."

While Cindi was riding beside me, she asked, "How old is Billy?"

"I'm not sure, hon. I'd say he was about your age though."

"Do you know anything about him?"

"Not really. He does seem like a nice young man, even if he did try to rob us."

"He only did that to try to get food for the black people," Cindi defended him.

"I think you're probably right," I said. "He certainly isn't a hardened criminal."

Cindi giggled and said, "He looks like he's had to work hard all of his life though."

"Are you saying he has a nice bod?"

"Well, yeah. Not that I'm interested or anything."

"No, I'm sure you're not. Just be careful, Cindi. Don't give your heart away too fast."

"I wouldn't think of it," she said, then she rode off at a gallop.

Kate came riding up just as Cindi left. "You might lose a potential wife there," she said.

I had to smile. "Cindi is a pretty girl, but she isn't nearly as mature as you or Cassie. I think you're right. She seemed to have her sights set on me, now she seems to have them set on Billy."

"I think she just needs sex, Ed. She's at an age when her body is telling her she needs to mate, NOW."

"That sounds like a voice of experience."

"Sure it is. When I was her age I made cow eyes at every pimple faced boy in the neighborhood. Luckily, they were all too dumb to notice it."

I reached over and ran my hand from her shoulder to her elbow. "Their loss is my gain," I said.

Evidently Billy saw the procession of people come to talk to me, so eventually he rode over to where he could have his say. "Ed, I know you don't got no reason to trust me, but, if'n you could see your way clear to let the four of us go to Oregon with you, we'll work for you until we get there."

I looked at Tizzy, who had been watching me and asked, "Would you like to go to Oregon with us, Tizzy?"

"I don't know where no Oregon is, Massa," she said.

I looked back at Billy and said, "You can go with us, but it has to be understood that from this time on, these people are not slaves. I want your word on that."

"You have my word on it, Ed. These people are no longer slaves," Billy said.

"Did you hear that, Tizzy? You are no longer a slave. You are a free woman of color."

"What if Massa Walker comes and takes me back," she asked in a small meek voice.

"We won't let him do that, honey."

"Thank you."

"Honey, one of my wives is a free woman of color. I had to kill a man who tried to take her away from me."

"One of your wives?" Billy asked.

"I have four wives, Billy. Where we're going, there are no laws about marriage. A man can have as many wives as he can support."

We ate bacon and johnny cake sandwiches for lunch as we rode. Even with the stop for the new members of our party, we made around thirty-four miles for the day. I wish we could have made fifty. I really miss Sam and Delia.

We ended up arranging our sleeping as Sally had suggested. It was still light enough to see each other when we went into our tent. Cassie and Katie immediately started stripping. "Take them off, Ed," Cassie said. "You don't have anything Sally hasn't seen before."

I took my clothes off and watched Sally as she removed hers. She is still a nice looking woman. Her breasts are high and firm. She has a trim waist and nice wide hips and a beautiful butt.

We laid down with Cassie on one side of me and Katie on the other. Sally was behind Cassie. After a while, Sally said, "Cassie, Ed tells me that after you've been in any type of confrontation, you get all fired up. Don't let me stop you if you need to do something about that."

Cassie giggled. "Be careful what you ask for, Sally," Katie said. "Cassie isn't a bit bashful."

"It wouldn't bother me a bit, Kate," Sally said.

Cassie got up on her hands and knees and pulled the covers off of me. I was a little embarrassed, so I was only semi-erect. Cassie didn't let that slow her down. She lowered her head and took my cock into her mouth.

"I always loved to do that," Sally said.

It was only seconds before I was as hard as a steel bar. Cassie raised up and mounted me. As my cock slid inside her, she moaned. When she was all the way down, she rocked back and forth for a minute or two.

Sally's eyes were glistening as I looked over at her. She gave me a big smile and watched unashamedly as Cassie started moving on me.

Cassie rode me to three climaxes before I emptied into her. She collapsed on top of me and said, "Thank you, sweet husband of mine."

I kissed her and told her she was welcome. When she rolled off of me, she rolled toward Katie and whispered, "Hold Sally. She needs it."

I reached out an arm and pulled Sally to me. She laid her head on my shoulder and put her left knee up on my thighs. Cassie mirrored her on the other side of me.

"Thank you, Ed," Sally whispered. "You make me wish I wasn't such an old woman."