Trail to Shasta (9781101622049) by J. R. Roberts Read Free Book Online

she said after a few moments, “he is a miner. You are the Gunsmith. Wouldn’t it be better if you taught me?”
    â€œWe have a long way to go,” Clint told her. “We’ll see.”
    The same thing parents told their kids when they asked for some rock candy.
    After a while Bridget stuck her head between them and asked, “Will we be stopping to eat soon?”
    â€œWe have about an hour of daylight left,” Clint told her. “We’ll stop then.”
    â€œI found some sort of hard meat back here.”
    â€œBeef jerky,” Clint said. “You can chew on that if you like.”
    â€œBeef jerky?” Bride asked.
    â€œIt’s dried beef.”
    â€œOh, beef!” Bride said excitedly. “Bridget, may I have a piece?”
    Bridget withdrew her head, then reappeared and gave Clint and Bride each a piece, and kept one for herself.
    Bride took a bite, yanked and yanked until a piece came off in her mouth, and then chewed enthusiastically.
    â€œIt’s very good,” she said.
    â€œA little chewy,” Bridget said.
    â€œI don’t care,” Bride said. “It is better than potatoes.”
    Clint had always thought what he’d heard about the Irish and potatoes was a myth, but in listening to these two girls, and watching them eat, apparently that wasn’t the case.
    â€œWon’t be any potatoes on this trip,” Clint said. “And that’s probably the only beef you’ll be getting.”
    â€œWon’t we be eating when we stop?” Bride asked.
    â€œYes, we will.”
    â€œIn a restaurant?”
    â€œNo,” Clint said. “For most of this trip we’ll be making camp on the trail, and eating over an open fire.”
    â€œWhere will we sleep?” she asked.
    â€œOn the ground,” Clint said.”
    â€œWhat if it rains?”
    â€œThen under the wagon,” he said, “or in it.”
    Bride gave her sister an outraged look, but Bridget didn’t say anything.
    â€œHey,” Clint said, “you girls wanted to see the way we live in the West.”
    â€œWhat will we eat?”
    â€œBacon and beans,” Clint said, “for as long as it lasts.”
    â€œB-But . . . what if we run out of food?” Bride asked.
    â€œWe’ll try not to,” Clint said. “We’ll restock when we do come to a town.”
    Bride apparently decided to stop asking questions she didn’t like the answers to, and stared off into the distance.

FIFTEEN
    As darkness began to fall, they camped. Clint dispatched the girls to find firewood while he took care of the horses.
    â€œMake sure it’s something that will burn,” he said.
    They returned with an armful each, and he built a fire and then put on a pot of coffee. After that he took out a frying pan for the bacon and beans.
    As they sat around the fire, Clint noticed that Bride kept looking around, as if expecting to be attacked at any moment.
    â€œI assume you ladies didn’t spend much time in Ireland sleeping outside.”
    â€œWe may not have had much,” Bridget said, “but we did usually have a roof over our heads, and a bed of sorts.”
    â€œWell, there’s nothing to be worried about,” Clint said.
    â€œWhat about animals?” Bride asked.
    â€œThey won’t come near the fire.”
    â€œAnd outlaws?” she asked. “What if they sneak up on us while we sleep?”
    â€œThey won’t be able to sneak up, because I’ll be watching.”
    â€œAll night?” she asked.
    â€œYes,” he said.
    That didn’t seem to soothe her very much.
    â€œHere,” he said, “concentrate on this.” He handed each girl a plate of bacon and beans, and then offered them a cup of coffee.
    â€œI don’t like coffee,” Bride said. “Don’t we have some tea?”
    â€œNo tea,” Clint said. “You can drink water from the