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

canteen.”
    Bridget accepted the coffee, but not Bride. She morosely began to eat her food.
    â€œThis is very good,” Bridget proclaimed.
    â€œIt’s trail food,” Clint said. “I like trail food a lot.”
    â€œIs this what they eat on trail drives?” Bridget asked. Her sister looked at her. “I read about them,” Bridget explained.
    â€œSometimes,” Clint said, “but on a trail drive they have a chuck wagon and a cook with them, so they eat other things.”
    â€œLike what?” Bride asked.
    â€œSoup, stew, some beef if a cow happened to be butchered.”
    â€œI wish we had a chuck wagon,” Bride said.
    â€œHey,” Clint said, “I’m considered to be a pretty good trail cook.”
    That didn’t seem to impress Bride.
    â€œYou ladies have your choice,” he said. “You can sleep inside the wagon, or out under the stars.”
    â€œI will sleep in the wagon,” Bride said quickly.
    â€œI will sleep under the stars,” Bridget said.
    â€œGood,” Clint said to her.
    Bride finished her food and set her plate aside, but Bridget extended her plate to Clint for seconds. Clint wondered how Bride was going to do when she was living with Ed O’Neil at his gold mining camp. Maybe his old friend would build a house for her.
    When they’d finished, Clint showed Bridget how to clean the plates and cups using dirt. Bride got up and went to the wagon, climbing inside. She was moving around in there for a while, probably getting her bedding set up, and then the wagon stopped rocking.
    * * * 
    As instructed by Ahern, Kemper had made a cold camp when he stopped for the night. His supper was beef jerky and water. Thankfully, the fall night was mild.
    He was just starting to drift off to sleep when he heard someone approaching the camp. He drew his gun, got up into a crouch, and waited.
    â€œHello, the camp,” Ahern’s voice came from the darkness, just loud enough to be heard.
    â€œThat you, Ahern?” Kemper asked.
    â€œIt’s me.”
    â€œCome ahead.”
    Kemper entered the camp on foot, leading his horse.
    â€œWhy didn’t you make a fire?” he asked.
    â€œYou told me to make a cold camp.”
    â€œYou’re upwind, Kemp,” Ahern said. He sniffed the air. “All Adams is gonna smell is his own coffee and bacon. Make a fire, I brought some beans.”
    â€œYou don’t got to tell me twice.”
    Once they had a fire going, and were eating beans and drinking coffee, Kemper said, “You got our money?”
    â€œI got it.”
    â€œLemme see it.”
    â€œWhat for?” Ahern asked.
    â€œI just wanna see it.”
    â€œLater,” Ahern said. “It’s in my saddlebags.”
    â€œHow much?”
    â€œEnough,” Ahern said. “Enough to do the job. How far ahead of us are they camped?”
    â€œAbout a mile.”
    â€œThat’s too close,” Ahern said. “Tomorrow night we’ll fall back further.”
    â€œWe don’t wanna lose ’em.”
    â€œWe won’t lose ’em.”
    â€œWhat about when we get to Council Bluffs, and after?” Kemper asked. “When we head west? Neither one of us can track.”
    â€œBy then we’ll have somebody with us who can,” Ahern said. “Don’t worry. I was late gettin’ here because I took the time to send a few more telegrams.”
    â€œTo who?”
    â€œDon’t worry about it,” Ahern said. “Just know that when we get to Council Bluffs, we’ll be all set. We’ll have everything we need to get the job done.”
    â€œI hope so,” Kemper said.
    â€œI’m tellin’ you so, Kemp,” Ahern said. “Just believe me.”

SIXTEEN
    True to her word, Bridget slept outside, under the stars, wrapped in a blanket. During the night Clint could see the wagon moving as Bride was tossing and turning.
    He