Granny B waited until everyone had taken their turn. “I know you have a ton of questions. The original builder found the cave’s entrance and built the cabin over it back in the 1840s. This is the second cabin. The first was burned during an Indian attack. The family just went down in the cave and let the cabin burn after moving as many of their possessions as possible. The cabin was handed down in the same family until my dad purchased the land. I found the opening to the cave during a storm. Air rushed in from around the log wall that hid the opening back then. We replaced it with a door that sealed and couldn’t be found.”
Tom asked, “Did you ever stay here?”
“Yes, but Jonas hated being away from the ranch. Getting him to stay more than a couple of days was like pulling an impacted tooth.”
Tom had always thought his grandpa Jonas had been a gentle and respectful person. “That doesn’t sound like Grandpa.”
“I love your grandpa more than my own life, but he started out as the kind of man who thought the woman’s place was in the kitchen and bedroom. It took thirty years to round off the rough edges. He was worth the trouble, though.”
During the ride back, Granny B picked up several different kinds of plants for their supper. Tom grimaced to Kate and then whispered, “Yuck.”
On the way back, Granny B explained the waste disposal situation. Horse dung and human waste were pitched into the pit. Five-gallon buckets became the toilets and were emptied often. Granny B gave them a thorough tour of the cave and placed glow in the dark signs that warned of danger, marking the pit and other hazards.
Jackie asked, “Why did you wait until now to put those up?”
A wicked grin spread across Granny B’s face. “Unwanted intruders quickly meet their fate without the signs.”
*
Chapter 14
Granny B’s land – The cave
The cold fried Spam, crackers, and apples were filling, but Tom liked a hot meal for breakfast and supper. The cave was cold, and they hadn’t brought their sleeping bags, which made for a miserable night. They’d slept on top of crates and bags of rice and beans to avoid contact with the rock below. To say the least, it wasn’t very comfortable.
Tom stretched to work the kinks out. “If we’re staying here another night, I’m fetching my sleeping bag and a blow-up bed. Last night was pure torture.”
Rick had asked Jackie to massage his aching back. “What’s the plan? My back didn’t like those MRE boxes.”
Tom yawned again and finished stretching. “I say we start a second camp here for as long as it takes to run off or kill the rest of the rustlers. We need to get this place ready to be a bugout location, so let’s kill two birds with one stone.”
“Sounds good to me. I was getting a bit bored at the ranch.” Kate said.
Granny B smiled and then said, “Tom’s right. The rustlers have based their operations over here, so we need a camp over here. Remember, I brought you over to show you my secondary bugout place. Let’s get it up to the task. We need sleeping, eating, and sanitation covered.”
Tom said, “Real food! Granny B, I appreciate your survival knowledge, but real food is so much better.”
“Son, we have many more supplies put away than the average person, but even our supplies will eventually run out. I’m just trying to push the run-out time as far forward as possible, so we’ll have crops plus our livestock in good shape to meet our needs.”
“Ya got me there. Twig, leaves, and bugs it is.”
“Tom, even I don’t do bugs. Bugs are a last resort. Think of the twigs and leaves as a good food extender like Hamburger Helper.”
“I don’t like that either, but I get what you’re saying. I’ll shut up and support your efforts,” Tom said.
Jackie surprised the others. “Tom, do you trust Bill now?”
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Tom. The cavern was silent until Tom spoke. “I think so, but I don’t know. I trusted Betty, and we all know what happened there. I want to trust him.”
Rick nodded. “Same way here. I only trust my life with the people with us now. I think we can trust the others, but until we put them to the test, who knows?”
Tom saw the confusion and doubt on their faces. “We can’t solve the trust issue any time soon, so we’ll keep the cabin and cave a secret and just let the others know we’re setting up a short term camp over this way.”
Kate ran her fingers through her hair. “Bill won’t be happy because he’s tired of being cooped up at the ranch. We don’t want him here, but maybe we can trust him to go on missions with Jack or James to satisfy him?”
Tom nodded. Then he turned to Rick. “I want Jackie and you to stay behind with Granny B while Kate and I go back for supplies. I agree with Kate, and we’ll find him a windmill to tilt away at until we can figure out if he’s trustworthy. We’re gathering our things and leaving. I’ll bring some pack horses on the way
