Nan's Journey by Elaine Littau Read Free Book Online Page B

the men wouldn’t know that there might be more than one new person living with Fred. She wiped off the table and used the makeshift broom to clean up the floor.
    She had learned from Fred how to sweep a dirt floor to make it clean. He had showed her to sprinkle water on the dirt and then sweep lightly. The loose dirt would sweep away leaving a hard packed dirt surface.
    He said that his wife, Claire, was just beginning to crochet a rag rug when she died. Her plans had been to put the colorful rag rug on the hardened dirt floor to make the room cozier. Nan had never learned to crochet, but she had a nice rag rug at home. She had to agree with Claire, they did make a room cozy.
    Without warning, tears were streaming down Nan’s tanned cheeks at the thought of her home and mother. Mama had made such a wonderful home for her and Elmer and Dad.
    Why did it all have to end so soon? Nan could hardly remember the details of how her mother looked. Actually all she could remember was the photograph that Mr. Dewey had made Mama put in the big trunk the day they were married. Nan snuck in and looked at it whenever Mary Dewey was in town getting supplies. She and Elmer just stared at the happy family inside the four walls of the picture frame.
    Nan scolded herself, “Well, girl, quit crying. You are safe and Fred treats you and Elmer pretty fine.”
    “What’s wrong, Nan” whispered Elmer as he looked into the cabin. Nan had left the door open and hadn’t heard Fred and Elmer walk up. She jumped in alarm, afraid that the trappers had returned. “I was just thinking about how life has as many bends in it as a little mountain creek.”
    Elmer smiled, he liked the way Nan strung words together like a storybook. “I still don’t know what you mean, but I hope it was happy thinking, sister.”
    Just then Fred ducked into the doorway. “How were things while we were gone, Nan?”
    “Well, some trappers came by while I was at the creek and ate a good portion of our supply. I stayed hidden in the brush and didn’t try to stop them.”
    “How many were there?”
    “Three. A tall lanky man and a short red headed younger man and…”
    “I know those men. They will leave us be. They probably went into Silverton to get some supplies and sell their pelts. They will probably stay on Blair Street until most of their money is spent on drink and…” Fred had forgotten that he was talking to naïve children and just let the words trail off. He knew that nothing good could come from hanging around Silverton’s Blair Street. He had tried it when Claire and Joy died and their memory still refused to be blocked out.
    Fred looked through the remaining supplies and mentally estimated the amount of food it would take to survive the winter. Elmer and Nan were sensible eaters and understood the need for discretion. Still, he made the decision to go hunting at first light tomorrow so that he could restore their meat supply and have time to get it made into jerky.
     
    *****
     
    It was still dark when Fred got together his bedroll and food to take with him on his hunt. He would be gone for no less than three days. He knew he would be going up farther than his trap lines ; t he deer would be thick in the area that he was going for the hunt. H e hoped to get a quick kill, dress the meat , and get back to cabin before the snow started falling.
    There was plenty of food for the children while he was gone, but he didn’t know how they would get along without an adult to watch over them. Those trappers shouldn’t be back by the place for a good three to four days and he would be back before then. Those scoundrels, they meant him no harm, but he knew that they could be trouble when they wanted to be.
    The faithful dog was all keyed up to travel with him, but he looked back at the cabin. Duty toward the children beckoned him. “Rufus, why don’t you stand guard over Nan and Elmer? They need you more than I do right now.”
    Reluctantly, Rufus walked