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Funny but Snow Bird had no problem getting along with Ferg and his men. They all accepted her without a problem. But then a true trapper would. They lived with the Indians at times, they were no strangers.
They went about ten miles out and made a camp, so Snow Bird could set up for the day. Before they left for the hunt, Matt helped her set up a tent and a big fire she could cook on. He left her a gun in case of wild animals or people who got too overbearing. Ferg also set up a couple of small traps, so they might get a couple of rabbits or something of interest for her to cook up. Matt didn't want anything happening to her, she had become special to him, and he knew that too. The time to talk about his feelings wasn't right yet, he took their vows seriously and he had feelings for her now that even he couldn't explain.
"We'll be back as soon as we can." He told her.
She nodded, but seeing her sad eyes, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She responded to his kiss with a fervor. Her lips were like satin, soft, and warm and moved with his. When he turned her loose, she was smiling. "Keep your gun ready, just in case. Don't take any chances. If you get in trouble fire three shots into the air. We should be able to hear them."
She nodded, but she reached for him once more and kissed him this time. Her hands splayed into his hair, and he crushed her to him. Since they had made love, they could hardly keep their hands off each other. Breathless she smiled when he finally turned her lose.
She sighed happily, and they left.
About noon, she went to check on the traps. Ferg had set them away from the camp, but she found her way easily. Like Matt she found the fresh air better by comparison to Sutton's Place.
When she checked the traps, there were two sad looking rabbits sitting in the small trap he'd made. She smiled. "Sorry little fellas, you will make a good stew today."
She took them out, knocked them in the head with the blunt of the knife and then proceeded to skin them. Rabbit was a good, clean white meat and they would make a wonderful stew. She'd carried carrots and potatoes and some seasonings for it. It would delight the men when they returned from the hunt. She made a flat bread and sat contentedly listening to the noises in the forest.
Although the day looked dreary, it invigorated her to be out in the open again. Indians didn't like living inside, even in the winter. A tent allowed air to flow, but the cabin had become stuffy because there were so many people there.
It was getting on into the day, and she had washed some of their clothes out and hung them on a low branch. Most of the men at Sutton's didn't bath regularly and they stunk the place up badly. The women disgusted her as they never washed either, especially when they prepared the food. She hadn't been around lot of white women, just Naomi and she had been a very clean lady.
Thoughts of Naomi brought her mind back to her Indian husband. Was he still alive, and did he miss her, or did he enjoy this time with her sister? Oddly she didn't miss him any longer, nor worry over him like she did before. Remembering last night was too fresh in her mind, and how well Matt had pleased her. Thinking of Too Tall just didn't seem right when her mind and heart were centered on Matt now. She couldn't change her heart and the funny thing was, she didn't want to.
Matt had pleased her so much, she worried now about the time when she would have to leave him and go back. She knew she did not want to leave him, even now. She wondered if he still was set on taking her back to Too Tall. That could complicate matters. Deep down, she knew Too Tall would never accept a white man's baby in his camp. He would make a slave of it. She didn't want that happening. She looked down at herself now and rubbed her tummy. She felt a movement, and she smiled. "I will take care of you little one, no matter what." She promised.
She loved her baby, even though it was conceived by rape. It was hers, a part of her. But what would Matt think of her if she told him she didn’t want to go back now. She never knew such a feeling as this powerful love she had for Matt. She never dreamed it could be so good between a white man her. Now that they had made love, she wanted him all the time, and he was always obliging. All her thoughts were of him now. Him and her baby that would come late spring, early summer.
Matt was a good man, and she doubted she would find better anywhere else. He was also close to her own age, whereas Too Tall was older, his sister's age who was ten years her senior. She wondered if age had anything to do with her feelings. But the white man loved so freely, so completely, how co
uld she not care for him?
She was so consumed with her feelings that she didn’t hear anyone approaching. Not until she heard the twigs beneath their feet.
But she hadn't expected Toby and Jake to show up late in the afternoon. She got her gun and faced them. "What do you want?" she asked them boldly now, unafraid.
"You ran out on us. We don't like that." Annoyance crossed Toby's face like a dark cloud moving slowly, as his dark brown eyes roamed around the campsite.
Toby started toward her and she aimed her gun at him, "No closer, or I will shoot. You shouldn't have followed, Matt did not take your money, and he could have."
"That's not why we came." He saw her look of confusion and explained. "He ran out on us. We know he's got this religion thing mixed up and we're thinking he'll turn us in. He's the only one alive that can point us out to the law. We can't have that. And we took you for a reason, and you know that as well as we do."
"He will not turn you in. He has said so. He is honest, and he is a good man."
"Man?"
"Yes, a very good man." She replied.
Toby made a strange sound with his voice, like a sarcastic kind of laugh. "Look, we can't take that chance. You don't mind if I don't believe you, do you?" Toby grinned his hand going downward toward his gun, as a sly smile played at his lips to distract her.
Toby wasn't as big as Jake, but he was twice as dangerous, Snow Bird decided. She contemplated his next move, staring into his dark eyes and knew his intentions were not good. He would kill her easily and Matt too. She could not allow it to happen. Would not allow it to happen.
"Do not come any closer," She warned, cocking the gun now.
"Jake said he was fixing to have you when Matt interfered. He shouldn't have done that. We brought you along to be taken, and you know it as well as anyone." He stared, grinding his teeth together with an impatience.
"I know it. But I also knew Matt would not let that happen."
"Oh, you did, did you?" Jake snarled his ugly teeth at her.
