Edge of the Wilderness - By Stephanie Grace Whitson Page 0,76

horizon and then back up at Elliot. “The first one who showed me Christ. Instead of preaching Him at me. She saved my life.”

“Yes,” Elliot said softly. “Meg and Aaron told me the story.” He shook his head. “They also told me what they thought was the story of your death. Meg still cries about it.”

“Are Meg and Aaron well?” Daniel asked. He suppressed the question about the blonde-haired child, afraid he would learn too much about Gen. And he wasn’t ready. Not yet.

“They are wonderful,” Elliot said with enthusiasm. “I can’t imagine what they are going to think when they learn I’ve seen you.” He hesitated. “Reverend Dane is over at the hospital. They cleared out a little storeroom for us. He refuses to be considered a patient.” Leighton nodded toward the bundles of supplies hanging off his saddle horn. “We’re supposed to be leaving today.” He gathered up the reins to his horse. “Can you come with me now?”

Daniel nodded and together the men walked across the road, past the guardhouse and the commissary, beyond the stone barracks, and toward the hospital. With every step, Daniel’s heart beat faster, until, when they stepped up onto the porch that ran the length of the log building, he thought surely Simon Dane could hear the pounding as he approached.

He could hear Simon before he saw him—the coughing and wheezing. Frowning, he looked up at Leighton, concern shining in his eyes. Leighton shook his head. “He’s been fighting it for months. Mother Friend helped for a while. Then it came back. But he insists on going home.”

“Home?” Daniel wanted to know.

“St. Anthony.”

As Leighton opened the door, Daniel realized with a jolt that his Blue Eyes might be only two days’ ride away.

Leighton led Two Stars inside the hospital and toward a small storeroom at the back of the building. “The doctor wanted to keep him isolated from the others. To protect his health.” He tapped on the door with his hook. When Simon didn’t answer, he slowly opened the door. “I’ve someone here to see you, Simon.”

The man Daniel saw sitting on the floor looked nothing like the Reverend Dane he remembered. He was leaning back against a pillow half asleep, his mouth sagging open, his cheeks sunken. When Elliot stepped into the room Simon started, rubbed his eyes, and pushed himself to a sitting position. “Ready to go?” he said to Elliot and forced himself to stand up, albeit unsteadily.

With a frown, Leighton grabbed Simon’s arm. “Sit down, Simon. I’ve brought a visitor.”

Simon blinked a few times and looked stupidly toward where Daniel stood beside the open door. Finally, his eyesight adjusted. His expression changed from intense concentration to utter amazement. And then, behind the amazement, a glimmer of something else, something almost animal in intensity.

“You?!” Simon gasped. He sat down abruptly. “It can’t be!”

Daniel knelt before Simon, surprised to feel himself fighting back tears.

Simon put a trembling hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “They told us you were dead! Your name . . .” Simon’s voice lowered and he said with wonder, “Your name was in the paper. The list of men hanged. It was right there!” He lifted both hands to cover his mouth and began to cough and sputter. Daniel hurried out to get the doctor while Leighton made Simon lay back on the cot. It was a few moments before Simon could speak again. When Daniel finally went back into the little storeroom-turned-bedroom, Simon lay on his back covered with several blankets, his head once again propped up on a pillow.

He extended his hand toward Daniel, who went and sat down on the chair Leighton pulled up. Daniel leaned forward, nervously twirling his hat in his hands while Simon just stared at him, still disbelieving. When he finally spoke it was to ask, “How could it be? Where have you been? I looked for you. We all did. We kept thinking the paper was a mistake, but they cut the bodies down and used them for—” He broke off. “I guess it doesn’t matter now.”

“I was in prison at Mankato,” Daniel said. “With Robert Lawrence.”

“But I went to Mankato. I was there for weeks. I didn’t see you.”

“Sacred Lodge came for us in February. He was hiring scouts for General Sibley.”

Simon shook his head. “I went down in March.”

Daniel nodded and pressed his lips together, forcing himself not to ask the obvious question.

Simon took a deep breath. He started to say something, then stopped. Finally, he only asked,