Edge of the Wilderness - By Stephanie Grace Whitson Page 0,36

the wagon, threw her arms into the air, and ran straight for the approaching riders.

And so it was that Robert Lawrence was reunited with his wife, Nancy. She fell into his arms the moment he jumped down from his horse, wrapped her arms around his neck, and began to weep.

“Do not cry, little wife,” Robert whispered huskily. He held her close and whispered her name over and over again until she had calmed down enough to hear him.

Daniel dismounted and stood at a respectful distance, holding the reins to both their horses. He looked toward the stone building where the captain lived and saw that Big Amos had also found his wife.

“Where are the children?” Robert asked.

Nancy could not look at him. She buried her face in his shirt and shook her head.

Robert swallowed hard.

After a moment, Nancy took a deep breath. Turning her head so he could hear her but still leaning against his chest, she said brokenly, “There was so much sickness. At first I tried to stay away from it. I made Clara stay in the tent and take care of the baby. I told her to stay away from the sick ones. It was so cold. And we never had enough firewood. The missionaries did what they could to help, but there were too many of the people—and too few who cared to help. Clara began to cough.” Nancy broke off and began to sob.

“Shh, shh, shh,” Robert soothed his wife wordlessly, in the rhythm of a Dakota lullaby.

Daniel stepped between the horses and began to rub his bay gelding’s ears, blinking away the tears in his eyes. He looked over his saddle horn and saw Big Amos, who had had no children to lose at Fort Snelling, lifting his wife in the air. He could hear the giant man’s booming laughter as he spun his wife around and around. And he wondered about the blue-eyed girl he had once loved.

Tears streamed down Nancy’s cheeks as she looked up at her husband. “I lost them, my husband. I lost our children.” Her voice broke as she half whispered in Dakota, “Forgive me.”

Robert pulled her to him again. “Don’t,” he said softly. He closed his eyes. When Nancy’s sobs quieted, Robert put one arm around her and together they walked to where Daniel waited. Robert took the reins of his horse and the three joined Big Amos and his wife beside the wagon.

Brady Jensen emerged from the post headquarters followed by Captain Willets.

“I’ve ordered another tent put up near your camp,” Willets said to the men. “We’ll arrange something more permanent if you’re to stay the winter. For now, let me know what you need.” Willets eyed Jensen and then looked back at Robert. “Take a while to get your women settled. Then I’d like to hear what you found down south.”

Ten

A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

—Proverbs 17:17

The sky was just blushing coral-pink when Big Amos roused Daniel early the next morning. “Private Jensen turned his team and a few horses out last night to graze. They wandered off somewhere. Captain wants us to find them.”

Daniel got up slowly. He stretched and twisted from side to side. Running his hands through his tangled, dark hair he looked past Big Amos and grinned. Big Amos turned around to see his wife peering out from the tent’s opening. Motioning toward the tent Daniel said, “You stay here.”

“You sure?” Big Amos said hopefully.

Daniel pulled his boots on. “Just tell Rosalie to name the baby Daniel.”

From inside the tent, Rosalie laughed aloud. Big Amos grinned and cleared his throat. He opened his mouth to say something, but Daniel waved him toward the tent and headed across the road to the stables. He had just mounted a lanky mule named Hank when Brady Jensen appeared from the opposite end of the building. “I told the captain I’d take care of it,” he said gruffly.

“Robert Lawrence and I scouted south of here yesterday,” Daniel said. “We found signs of an Indian camp. As far as we could tell, it’s just a small band of old women. But you shouldn’t go out alone.”

Jensen patted his holster. “Don’t think I’ll have any trouble I can’t handle,” he said and headed out toward the south.

Daniel urged Hank to a sloppy lope and caught up with Jensen at the top of the first rise. He nodded in the opposite direction. “Trail leads that way,” he said. “One of them has