The Shirt On His Back - By Barbara Hambly Page 0,69
out tonight and meet Shaw and Clarke - Dry Grass, you said? There's just a few too many Blackfeet wandering around the hills, and the thought of them catchin' the plague from scalpin' the burial party somehow isn't enough to console me for their loss.'
January said quietly, 'Thank you.'
After that it was only a question of making their way in secret among the cottonwoods and wading out - breast deep in the fast-flowing black water - to the island, which January guessed would be easier still to attain in a day or two, barring another storm on the mountains. Wallach went to fetch January's 'plunder' from Morning Star's lodge; Titus donated a small tent for shelter, and Seaholly even contributed a few bottles of whiskey that January wouldn't have touched on a bet. Frye protested - he had assumed when he left the camp a few days before that he was going to find himself a partner in a miraculous secret beaver valley - but was told to shut up. 'Less you say, the better,' McLeod informed him grimly. 'In fact, come to that, if Ben has to be free to give advice on matters medical, that means that you, Frye, are the one who got a crack on the head—'
'God damn it, Mac!'
'—and is being looked after here by January,' approved Stewart. 'I like it. It's got -' he made a gesture reminiscent of young Mr Miller framing a scene to sketch - 'symmetry.'
The shelter was set up on the backside of the island's ridge, where a fire would not be seen from the camp, and Titus supervised the driving of a ring of stakes about twenty feet in all directions from the shelter. 'Any man comes across, I'll send a man with him, to make sure he doesn't get closer to you than ten feet,' promised the Controller. 'It's nothing personal, I hope you understand, Ben . . .'
'I understand.' And I understand you're pretty pleased to rob Gil Wallach of two clerks without having to hire them yourself. . .
'We'll see you're provided for. Hell,' the big man added, 'I'll even send one of my clerks up to Wallach's to help out, him bein' short-handed . . .'
January kept his thoughts to himself as Morales and Sharpless - both newcomers to the trade - exclaimed at the generosity of this gesture and Bridger and Carson exchanged trenchant glances.
By this time the lemon-rind moon stood high overhead. Here on the rear of the island, the noise from Seaholly's - fifty yards upstream and about that distance back from the water's edge - was softened by the intervening cottonwoods, and the smell of the camp's waste dumps mitigated by the river breeze. January debated whether to point out that establishing the shelter on this side of the island not only hid their fire from the curious in camp, but also exposed it to whatever tribes might be wandering around on the east side of the river, but decided to keep quiet about this. This campsite would give Morning Star and Hannibal a much better chance of coming and going unseen.
Only a few of the ad hoc Committee of Public Health still lingered when Wallach returned to the island shortly after midnight, carrying January's blankets, clothes and shaving gear and followed by Hannibal and Pia with a pot of Veinte- y-Cinco's stew. 'Don't cross the stakes,' said January - for the benefit of Titus and the ever-inquisitive Morales - and added in Latin, 'I need to have someone who can come and go in the camp.'
In the same language, the fiddler replied, 'That's not all you need,' and taking a camp kettle, picked his way over the moonlit rocks to fetch water. He took his time about it, only returning when the defenders of the camp's health had all sworn each other to secrecy again and started back toward the AFC camp. Wallach, January noticed, kept Pia under his wing and firmly away from Titus, who ignored the child as if she were a pane of glass.
'You let me know if there's anything I can get you,' called Morales over his shoulder. 'I have a couple books up at the tent, if you're inclined that way: an almanac and Robinson Crusoe.'
The offer being put off until the morrow, the trader quickened his steps to catch up with the others and disappeared into the trees.
'And left the world to darkness and to me.' Hannibal stepped