Straightening her shoulders, Czanna glanced up at Mr. Henrik's sunburned face and murmured, "I heard it said, when we were at Fort Benton, that the gold fever is a fearsome disease."
"'Tis true, Mistress Fehér, and worse. 'Twould appear the fervor came upon all our companions last night. Whiskey flowed freely, and I became afeared at what might happen. I set me sights on guardin' me own daughter and thine own brother and sister. Ne'er did I sleep until the camp became quiet in the wee hours of the mornin'; only then did I rest. But, when I awoke, the other wagons were gone. I failed thee, Mistress. I have failed me own master, also."
"You have not failed us, so set your mind at ease, Mr. Henrik. Though this is bad news, indeed, we can overcome it. After all, we never expected to stay with the entire wagon train for very long, since they are going farther south and west while we are bound to travel north and west. We should be able to go on alone, should we not?"
"Be that not the case, Mistress. I do not know the way into the Glacier Mountains. That rascal, Hanson, knew not only the trails and passes into the mountains, he knew thine own cousin, Mr. Tom Johnson, and where he lives in the mountains."
"Oh, yes, I remember this detail about it now. But, take heart, we shall hire another scout. We can return to Fort Benton—we arenot so far away from it—and, once there, we will be able to seek out and hire another."
"We cannot, Mistress. I fear that no-good scoundrel took all the silver I paid him, amountin' to two hundred Yankee dollars."
"Oh no!"
"The rascal was gone with them before daylight."
"Do you have more coin? I fear we will need it if we are to return to the fort and hire another man who knows the trails."
"I do not have more coin, Mistress. 'Tis what is worryin' me own self. Thine own elder brother ensured me-self and ye would have enough silver to hire coaches and ships and scouts. He has trusted me-self to safely see thee to thine own cousin, and I fear me own self has failed me master's eldest son. Been waitin' for thee, Mistress. Indeed, 'tis no choice for me-self but to go after the rascal and get back me own silver. I beg thee to understand; I must go after the ne'er-do-well. There be no other choice. I must needs apprehend him, for I dare not fail thy brother."
"No! Mr. Henrik! Surely you must see that if you do this, you will leave us here alone! Please do not leave us."
"And, the silver, Mistress? What will ye and me use for coin to hire another? Forgive me, Mistress Fehér. I must go after him. I have been given no other choice. Gave me own word to thine brother, I did. While thou was gone, I got to thinkin'. Four horses ye have and the wagon. Thou must take the wagon and three of the horses back to Fort Benton and there wait for me own self to return to thee; the fourth horse shall carry me to the thief, where I shall retrieve the stolen silver from him. Ye and me will then hire another scout, but I shall, from this day forward, be careful about whom I trust."
"Mr. Henrik, I hear what you say, but you must consider, too, what will happen to us without you. I do not know the way back to Fort Benton. Please, we are all alone here in this, the wild American prairie land. Please do not leave us."
"I am sorry, Mistress, but I must. 'Tis a matter of honor. Here," said Henrik, "take me own compass with thee and the meager silver coin I have left. I do not need either. Tha' scoundrel cannot be too far ahead and, indeed, what need have I of a compass in this land where 'tis sun, mountains and wind enough to guide a man?"
"But, Mr. Henrik, no. I beg you, do not do this."
"Nay, Mistress. I must. 'Tis my honorable duty. Here"—Henrik pushed the compass into her hand—"ye need to go north and east to the Missouri River. Once thou comes to the Missouri, follow it north and east as best ye can. The fort be on the Missouri River. Stay there. Wait for me own self. I should be only a few days. If I be longer than a few days gettin' back to ye, believe I have met me own fate and hire thine own scout to take ye to thy cousin." Handing her the bag he carried, Henrik continued, "I freely give thee all the coin I have—little though it be—to see thee on thy way. Godspeed."
"But—"
"I must go, Mistress. Forgive me own self for hirin' that no good rogue. But, I must be on me way. Have already saddled the mare. Thou must take the wagon and these three horses back to the fort." Henrik gestured toward the roans. "Wait for me own self there."
Stunned into silence, Czanna felt utterly helpless as she watched Henrik turn away from her. Short of running after him, what could she do to stop him?
She watched, as if in shock, as Mr. Henrik took the few steps necessary to bring him to his roan, and, placing his foot into the saddle's stirrup, he mounted up to take his seat. Feeling as though she were living a nightmare, Czanna murmured, "I do not wish you to go, Mr. Henrik, but if you insist you must, Godspeed. I will return to Fort Benton, and there I shall wait for you."
Henrik nodded. "I will be back for thee, Mistress." And, with these few words, he reined in his mount, turned from her andheaded farther west and south, where the snow-capped mountains rising up from the prairie floor looked to be little more than a giant child's toy.
Czanna watched Mr. Henrik until he was a mere speck on the horizon. Then, realizing he would not be turning around and coming back to them, she gazed away.
So lost was she in her own thoughts, she jumped when a feminine voice asked, "Why has me own father left thee and me?"
It was Mr. Henrik's daughter, Lilike, who had asked the question; she had come to stand beside Czanna. Three-year-old Béla was still clinging to Lilike's hip when the child suddenly cried, "Zanna!"
As Czanna looked down upon the babe, she nearly cried. What was to become of them all?
"Here," muttered Czanna, "I'll take the baby."
Lilike seemed happy to give the child over to her mistress.
Positioning the baby onto her own hip, Czanna mustered up a clear voice and said, "The scout, Hanson, whom your father and I hired to help us, has betrayed us all and has left with some gold seekers, who, it seems, left in the early morning hours. The terrible part—and why your father left us—is that the scout took every bit of coin Mr. Henrik had given him to act as our guide into the Glacier Mountains. Because this represents all the coin we have, your father has gone to retrieve the silver and return to us in a few days."
"A few days, Mistress?"
"I fear it is true."
