Chapter 17

We decided to press on, as long as it was light enough to see. Twilight was setting in and we were looking for a good camping spot, when I saw movement ahead. I told Tess to stay with the horses. I dismounted and made my way toward the movement, my rifle in hand.

There were four deer grazing in a little meadow next to a nice stream. I was within a hundred yards of them, when I saw one of them look up suddenly. I froze in place, and waited until he had started grazing again. I slowly got down on my hands and knees, and moved forward until I could see them clearly from a prone position.

I calmly lined up on the one closest to me, and fired one shot. The deer went down, and the rest of them vanished. I was walking toward the downed deer, when Tess caught up to me. I put my rifle back in its scabbard and mounted Sin.

When we got into the clearing, we saw that the deer I had shot was a doe. Tess told me to get a fire started, as she started cleaning the doe. By the time I had a good fire going, Tess had cut out the loin. We roasted big chunks of it, and ate them as though we were starved.

When we had eaten our fill, I hobbled the horses and gave Sin and the one Tess had ridden a good rubdown. When I got back to the fire, Tess had laid our blankets out and was already lying down. I snuggled up behind her, and put my arm over her.

I figured we'd made over thirty miles for the day.

June 14, 1848

When we had fixed and eaten some breakfast, we tied the two hindquarters of the deer together. We draped them over the back of one of the mustangs. He didn't even flinch.

At noon, we didn't stop. We ate some of the venison Tess had roasted for breakfast, and kept on (except for a couple of short stops to take care of the necessaries). When we finally made camp for the night, we had made over thirty-five miles for the day.

June 16, 1848

Tess and I rode over a sixty miles in the next two days. It was starting to get dusky-dark, and I was looking for a good place to camp, when we saw a campfire far in front of us.

"Do you think it could be them?" Tess asked when she saw it.

"It might be. Their trail was looking awfully fresh. We need to be cautious, though. It could be someone trailing the herd."

We did approach cautiously, but it turned out to be our people. When we could see from some distance away that it was our herd, we stared yelling "Hello" to the camp, so that someone wouldn't shoot us as we rode in.

Lettie, Wanda and Jo were ecstatic to see us. They kept hugging and kissing me, and hugging and kissing Tess. Then Ab and Pris came over and repeated the process. All of them wanted to hear our story, so I said we'd tell them, if someone had some leftover Johnnycake.

The women said they'd make us a full meal if we'd tell them all that had happened while they cooked. Tess and I went over and sat by the fire while they started supper.

"Well, it's like this," I said. "After the Indians had killed John, I rode until I caught up with them. Then Tess and I killed all five of them. Then we rode until we caught up with you. Isn't that about it, Tess?"

"Yep. That's about it."

Lettie stopped what she was doing and put her hands on her hips.

"If you don't tell us more than that, Jason Tackett, you're not going to get any supper."

I believed her and I guess Tess did too. We took turns telling her about all that had happened to us.

"Then we caught up with you guys, and Lettie and Jo fixed us a very nice supper. Then we retired to our tent, and I slept for twelve hours," I said.

Lettie hit me on the arm, then kissed me and said, "Okay, into the tent with you guys. I'm telling Ab we're laying over tomorrow."

We didn't even argue with her.

June 17, 1848

A day of rest was nice. Tess and I had been riding hard on short rations for eight days. My wives did everything they could to make it easier on us. Along about the middle of the afternoon, Lettie, Wanda and Jo came over to where Tess and I were sitting.

Lettie held out her hand to us and said, "Come on."

"Come on, where?" I asked.

"None of your business. Just come on."

Lettie knows I'll do anything for her, so she just waited. I looked at Tess and nodded. We got up and followed them. We took off down stream and I figured I knew what Lettie had in mind.

We hadn't gone more than a couple of hundred yards when Lettie pointed to the stream and said, "Strip."

Tess was actually grinning as she started to remove her clothes. I know I was, too.

All five of us washed each other. It was almost as though we were washing away the past, and starting the future afresh. At least, it felt that way to me. I hoped it felt that way for Tess.

.oO~Oo.

The rest of the day was peaceful and calm. Tess insisted she help with the evening meal, and Lettie let her. Later she told me she thought it was 'good therapy'.