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Matt nodded as he and Ferg went inside after grabbing some water from the well for a drink.
Snow Bird had the baby on her back and was dusting the place out with a rag.
"Wants something to eat?" she asked when she turned and saw them.
Matt bent and kissed her cheek then kissed the baby who cooed at him. "There's some trouble up north of here and we wanted to talk to you, but a sandwich would be good."
"I will fix it. What kind of trouble?" she asked as she got out a ham that Doolin had smoked that morning and sliced them both a generous piece.
"Renegades raidin' homesteads."
Snow Bird nodded. "It is to be expected. Some rebel at being thrown to a reservation. Then we will need a big spear, with many feathers."
"What for?" Matt asked.
"It is a show of force, and it will let them know that we understand their people, there is an Indian living among you. Me, namely, and little Matt." She smiled.
"Will that do any good?"
"It might, we will put it in the middle of the yard, so they will see it plainly. It might keep them from attacking, I cannot be sure, but no one else around us would have such a thing and it will tell them that they kill their own, if they bother us."
"Sounds reasonable to me." Ferg nodded, I'll get Colby and Doolin on it right away.
"The better the feathers the better the spear." Snow Bird smiled at him.
"You aren't worried?" Matt asked her.
"No, not as long as we stay. But if we all left, they would burn us out." Snow Bird told them.
"So, none of us can leave?" Ferg asked.
"No, you boys can leave when you want, as long as someone is here, they will not burn us out. If they think we have gone, they would, to keep others from coming and rebuilding."
Ferg nodded, "then if we leave at least one of us boys will stay to help protect you."
Snow Bird lifted her gaze to him, "That would be good."
Ferg nodded.
Coon came in, washed his hands and took the baby and rocked him for a bit as he had just eaten and was getting fussy.
Matt watched him and smiled, "That Coon, he knows how to settle him out fast."
"He is good with the baby," Snow Bird smiled.
Coon was also a little older than the others and a nap in the middle of the day suited him as well. Together him and baby slept peacefully.
After eating, Matt and Ferg went outside to start planning what needed doing. The corral was repaired, and Colby had patched the roof on the house and put a couple boards on the loose porch.
Now they needed to figure what they would need for the barn, and where to put the bunkhouse.
They all gathered around as Ferg drew a plan in the dirt.
They planned to make a big bunkhouse in case others wandered about needing shelter, they wouldn't have to be put in the house. The house, Ferg explained was for Matt, Snow Bird and their children, as it should be, he said.
The barn would have to be big enough to accommodate all the horses, a milk cow and a couple of hogs or so out back.
The shed they needed to build would accommodate any blacksmithing they needed to do, and house all the outside tools. Coon had already told them he wanted to get a garden in for Snow Bird. Then there was one other thing, Ferg told them. "We'll need a smokehouse too."
