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"That's where we are headed too. And like you say, they are hard to locate. You are welcome to join our party if you like. These snows are so heavy, people traveling alone can have all kinds of troubles. And I'll tell you now, there's a Cougar on the run around here too."
"Cougar huh, that ain't good news."
"No, it isn't."
"We thank you for the invite, and it would be safer especially in this cold. She's got some cousins married into that bunch and we do some serious trading off and on. We'll take you up on that offer to join you, then. Want to warn you, lots of trappers have wandered up here lately, set bear traps and in this snow, you'd never see them. You got to be careful."
"Can you spot them?"
"Usually, because I know the signs to look for."
"I saw your mules loaded down with furs. Bear traps huh? Glad you said something about them."
"They'll be needing those hides this winter. And I can usually tell where they are set, so I'll be on the lookout for them." He nodded. "You won't have to worry about that."
"Why have we stopped so early in the evening," Mrs. Winters asked when she noticed Aiden camping.
"The animals need rest, feed and taking care of, if we want to survive with them out here." Aiden told her. "In this weather, it's best to see to them regular like if you want to keep riding."
Mrs. Winters looked at Angus and his Indian wife. "My daughter is more important than some animal, sir." She told Aiden.
"We won't be finding anyone if we lose our horses ma'am." Aiden told her, sighing with exasperation. "In the dead of winter, with no animals, we'd soon freeze to death.
Angus stared at the woman, "The Sioux won't hurt her. They teach their children right. They don't ever hurt them. She'll be alright until you find her. After that I don't know about you though. They've taken her as their own, more than likely to replace for their dead."
"What do you mean, as their own?"
"Well, usually when one of their own is killed by whites then they take a white child and make them their own." Angus told her.
"That's what I've been told. I can't imagine my Peggy living the life of an Indian. Can't imagine her becoming an Indian."
"Then you must not be from around here, as many have been taken through the years. She will be Indian before long." Angus laughed. "And there ain't no turning back once that happens."
Aiden stared at her now, she was a lovely looking woman, but her attitude made Aiden angry. "Ma'am how long have they had her?"
"Over a month." She told him, holding a blanket around her to keep warm.
"Did you and your husband try to find her when it first happened?" Angus asked.
Gloria came closer to the fire now, staring into it, as though remembering, "We couldn't, the soldiers advised not to. They wouldn't send a party out for her, and they wouldn't allow us to leave the train, said it was too dangerous. That we didn't know the country. I suppose he was right about that."
"Well, he was right. Look, your daughter is still little, it would take a while to make an Indian out of her. This is going to be a long trip and you need to realize we won't find her real quick like unless we get very lucky. So, try to remain calm."
"It's very hard, she's my baby." Gloria cried her voice going soft now.
"Yes ma'am." Aiden looked at Angus.
"Why didn't she stay at the fort?" Angus asked as she finally walked back to her husband's side.
"Major Marsh insisted they could go with me."
"Lucky you," Angus chuckled.
"Yeah." Aiden tried to laugh.
But with more people it was a bit more tolerable now. Angus did his part with the horses and making camp. Pumpkin tried to help the white woman cook as much as she would let her.
"You haven't washed, I'll do it myself, never mind." Gloria insisted.
