Part 10 (2/2)

Carefully he lifted it up and opened the lid. In it were a number of small items. Broochesa”hankies with lace trim yellowed with agea”a tintypea”b.u.t.tonsa”lacea”little bits of this and that which he did not take time to sort. He closed the lid again.

”The little chestait must have beenayour mother's,” she said softly. ”You shouldakeep it. It's a treasurea.”

He looked uncomfortable. He abruptly put the box down on the floor by his knee.

”Didn't see any pencil or paper in there,” he said gruffly. ”Guess it's not much good to you.”

She reached down into the trunk. Almost tenderly she lifted up the Bible. She could tell from the covers that it had been well used, but she did not open it.

”You must take this, too,” she said in a whispery voice. ”I know your mother would want you to have it.”

He did not argue but watched as she placed the Bible on top of the little chest. She had known as soon as the chest appeared that he would take ita”would need to take it.

Quickly he rummaged through the rest of the belongings, but there was nothing else among the baby garments. An impatience seemed to have taken hold of him.

Ariana understood his mood. She stepped back. ”I'll put the things back,” she offered. She was sure he couldn't wait to carefully study each item from the chest in private.

He nodded and picked up the newly discovered items, clearly anxious to be on his way.

Laramie did not forget about the supplies. Sam brought her meal the next morninga”thumping on the door and calling out in a louder than necessary voice to identify himself.

When she unhooked the latch to let him enter, he came in growling.

”Day not fit fer man or beast, yet he decides he has to run off. He'll freeze hisself to death, thet's what. You'd think there was a train of gold or aa””

He stopped and looked nervously toward the young girl as if he had said too much.

”Said he needed supplies,” continued the man with another growl. ”Don't know what he's needin' thet wouldn't wait.”

He cast a glance at her and Ariana felt embarra.s.sed. Was he blaming her that Laramie had ridden off in the cold? Maybe he was right. She hadn't given any thought to the weather when she had made her request. She had been selfish. She'd had no idea that the food staples would not be obtainable in the camp.

”Yer breakfast,” said Sam more softly.

”Thank you,” replied Ariana.

”Don't know why you'd thank me fer it,” Sam said. ”Thet stuff ain't hardly fit to eat. Ole Rawley ain't much of a cook. Beans an' biscuits. Beans an' biscuits. Thet's all we ever gita”an' they ain't even good biscuits.”

He set the plate on the table with a grimace and turned toward her. ”See yer still readin' thet book. Must have it near worn out by now,” he observed in a lighter tone.

Ariana managed a wobbly smile. ”The pagesa”maybe,” she said, ”but the messagea”no.”

”Message. Thet some secret code?”

Ariana smiled fully now. ”Code? Not to a believer, it's not.”

The old man frowned.

”It's the Bible,” explained Ariana. When there was no response she continued. ”G.o.d's words to His people.”

”I know what the Bible is,” the old man retorted sharply. ”My maa”” He shuffled uncomfortably and said no more about it. ”Wella”ya jest et upa”theta”poor excuse fer breakfast,” said the man, ”an' I'll be back fer the plate. How's yer firewood?”

He turned to study the pile. ”Look's like the Kid got ya enough firewood to last 'til a week from Christmas,” he noted, and Ariana thought he looked relieved. ”Guess ya need some fresh water, though.”

Then he looked at Ariana with some alarm. ”Ya ain't plannin' on bathin' today, are ya?”

”Noa”not today,” she replied, shaking her head.

”Good,” he said with feeling. ”I sure weren't anxious to do all thet haulin'.”

He left with the pail, and Ariana crossed to latch her door before turning to the food.

As determined as she had been to keep her strength up, she found it difficult to make herself eat the tasteless fare.

It wasn't until the next afternoon that Laramie knocked on her door and identified himself.

Ariana hastened to answer. She was relieved to hear his voice and prayed as she lifted the hook that he wouldn't have suffered from the ride in the elements.

He looked fine. She sighed with relief.

He carried a burlap bag in each hand. ”Hope I got what ya needed,” he said matter-of-factly, ”'cause I don't think I'll be welcomed back fer a while.”

Ariana frowned at the words but couldn't sort out his meaning. He deposited both bags on the table.

”Got a couple pots and this here thing,” he said, drawing a strange piece of metal from the closest bag. ”It's a reflector of some kind. Supposed to make biscuits without an oven.”

Ariana had never seen one before. She had no idea how to use it but determined to give it a try.

He had brought a nice selection of basic supplies. There wasn't much in the line of spices or flavorings, but at least she would be able to do her own cooking. Ariana was thankful.

”Nowa”if I just had some meata” she mused.

”I'll git some,” he promised simply and later kept his word, appearing at her door with some venison steak just before the winter sun dipped behind the nearby hills.

Ariana could not believe how good the stew tasted after her weeks of unsavory beans. She even enjoyed a second helping.

The biscuits hadn't done well. They were burned in spotsa”and undercooked in others. She would need to practice with the new reflector. Even so, they were definitely better than what she had been served from the gang's kitchen. Perhaps now she could regain some of the weight she knew she had lost and have more strength when the time came for her to escape from her captors.

For Ariana lived for the day when the weather would improve, and she would find a way to slip away from the four log walls that held her captive.

Chapter Eleven.

An Ally In the privacy of the small cabin he called his own, Laramie lifted the small items from the chest, one by one, and laid them on the rough board table. According to Sam, these were his mother's things. He felt a strange connection with thema”a longing to know more about this woman he had never known. He appreciated Ariana's reluctance to disturb the contents of the trunk any more than necessary for her own survival.

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