adults. So long as they are fed and comfortable, they can endure most anything.”
“After you,” Nate said, motioning. He let her go by, then snagged the bay’s reins and led it around front. To his dismay the door was wide open and no one was standing guard.
“Girls! Agatha!” Philberta hollered.
Aunt Aggie came out, holding a rifle. She smiled warmly at the sight of Nate. “You are the first one back. How did your search go?”
“I will wait and say when the others are here.”
Tyne and Anora emerged, Tyne squealing in delight and dashing up to give Nate a warm hug.
“I was worried about you, Mr. King. I don’t want you to disappear like my Uncle Sully.”
The image of Sullivan’s ravaged face floated before Nate, and his stomach churned. “I intend to be on this earth a good long while yet, young one. I have a family of my own I very much want to see again.”
Anora said, “I hope Mother and Father are all right.”
“And Fitch and Harper,” Aunt Aggie reminded her. “Don’t forget your brothers.” To Nate she said, “Are you staying, or are you going out again? I can fix a meal if you are hungry.”
After the horror of the cave, Nate had no appetite.
“A cup of coffee would be nice. Then I have more searching to do.”
They all went in and Nate made sure to shut the door after them. “You shouldn’t leave this open like you did. The things that killed Sully could sneak right in.”
“I left it open in case Philberta needed us and called out for help,” Aunt Aggie explained. “What do you mean by ‘things’? And how do you know Sullivan is dead if we haven’t found his body yet?”
Nate noticed that Philberta had given him a sharp glance. “We don’t know what is behind all this,” he said, angry at his lapse. “But we can’t be too careful.” He bobbed his head toward the girls to stress his point.
“I would die before I would let harm come to them,” Agatha said. “But your point is well taken. Philberta will just have to stay inside with the rest of us from now on.”
“Honestly,” was Philberta’s response, and she turned away.
Nate placed his Hawken on the table and sank onto a bench. Anora brought a cup of steaming coffee and bowed slightly as a maid might do as she set the cup and a saucer down.
“For you, kind sir.”
Nate grinned. “I thank you, gentle lady.”
Giggling, Anora scooted over to Tyne, who was poking a stick at the flames in the fireplace.
“The girls are bored, I am afraid,” Aunt Aggie said. “They don’t think it fair that their brothers got to go out and they didn’t.”
“They’re safer here.”
Aggie pulled out the chair across from him. “I wholeheartedly agree. I am only saying.”
Philberta joined them, remarking, “This is rough on all of us. On me, most of all. I’m the one who lost a husband and a daughter.”
“Don’t forget your three sons,” Nate said.
“Them too, of course.” Philberta placed the knife in front of her, the hilt close to her hand.
Aunt Aggie sighed in sympathy. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t know how you held up so long. The terror of being in this place alone would be more than I could bear.”
“Oh, pshaw,” Philberta said. “You are stronger than you let on. I’ve always thought you were hardier than Erleen could ever be.”
“She is no weakling,” Agatha said in defense of her sister.
“Perhaps,” Philberta said. “But I can’t help think that if it were her husband and sons, she would be in hysterics by now.”
“You never did like her much.”
“And she has never liked me. I overheard her tell Peter once that as a sister-in-law I leave a lot to be desired.”
“Ladies,” Nate interrupted, “this isn’t the time or place for family squabbles. We are all in this together.”
“True,” Aggie said.
Philberta shrugged. “No one asked you to come. Not that I’m ungrateful. But you would be smart to leave while you can.”
“That’s the thanks we get for caring?” Aunt Aggie bristled. “For putting our lives at risk to save yours?”
“You have my undying gratitude. But I don’t want to lose all of you, too. And I mean that sincerely.”
Nate sipped his coffee and felt it burn a path down his throat. “Have you seen any sign of Indians the whole time you were here?”
The question gave Philberta a start, but she recovered quickly. “No. No Indians at all. Why do you ask?”
“The Utes are to the southeast, the Nez Perce to the north. The Shoshones live northeast of your valley, other tribes to the west. A hunting party might have happened by and paid you a visit.”
“If any Indians knew we were here, they never showed themselves. And I am glad they didn’t. I don’t like Indians, Mr. King. They are despicable and mean. But what else can we expect from people who live like animals?”
“Philberta,” Aggie said softly.
“What?”
“My wife is Shoshone,” Nate said. “Maybe you didn’t know that.”
“No, I didn’t,” Philberta said. “But it wouldn’t change my opinion. Perhaps she is the sweetest woman in the world, but she is still a heathen, is she not? She doesn’t believe in God Almighty.”
“Since when did you become so religious?” Agatha asked.
“I am speaking in general.”
Nate held his resentment in check. “Her people call God the Great Mystery or the Great Medicine. Many are as religious as you can ever hope to be.”
“Belief in a false god isn’t religion. Why haven’t you converted her? Don’t you care that she will burn in hell?”
“Philberta!” Aggie said severely.
“I would be remiss not to bring it up. If he loves this Shoshone, he should want her to change her heathen ways.”
Nate’s coffee had lost its savor. He set down his cup, picked up his rifle, and stood. “I should be going. Expect me back by sunset.”
“Finish your coffee, at least,” Agatha urged.
“Yes, please do,” Philberta said. “I am sorry if my strong talk upset you. But it was for your own good. And for your Shoshone’s.”
“Her name is Winona.”
“A pretty name. But I could never marry an Indian, Mr. King. As for loving one, well, to each their own. I would as soon marry a bear as some greasy buck who spends his days lifting white scalps and his nights scratching himself.”
“Philberta!”
Nate headed for the door. He decided he didn’t like Philberta Woodrow. He didn’t like her at all. “I’ll go check on the others.”
“Be careful, Mr. King,” Tyne said.
Aunt Aggie followed him outside. “Pay no attention to Philberta. She has always been that way.”
“I’ve met her kind before,” Nate said. “The ones who think the only good Indian is a dead Indian.”
“There is hate on both sides. It’s deplorable, but what can we do? Too much blood has been shed. I’m not a bigot like Philberta, but I sometimes think we won’t have true peace until all the Indians are on reservations.”
“I hope it never comes to that.” Nate climbed on the bay and gripped the reins.
“What would you do if war ever broke out between the Shoshones and the whites?” Aunt Aggie asked.
“It never will. The Shoshones are the friendliest tribe on the frontier.”
“But if it did. Whose side would you be on?”
“My own. I would do what I thought best for everyone.”
Aunt Aggie smiled. “You’ve chosen a hard path, Nate King.”
