“Maybe so,” Cade replied, “but I ain’t ready for you to see it.”
A compromise was reached with the two women agreeing to leave the cabin while Cade used the bucket. “It’s not fair,” Elizabeth complained, joking. “The ladies have to go outside and freeze our behinds when we get nature’s call, while you get to go inside where it’s warm.”
By nightfall, Cade was tired and more than ready to sleep. Elizabeth checked the bandage around his torso as Dr. Bates had instructed, then tenderly tucked the blanket around him. Feeling his eyes searching her face as she tended him, she met his gaze and smiled.
“I don’t know how your daddy would feel about this,” he said softly. “I reckon maybe with White Moon here to look after you, he wouldn’t get too upset.”
She didn’t answer at once, continuing to smile down at him. Then she glanced over to see that White Moon was tending something on the fire, and leaning close, kissed him lightly on the lips. “It wouldn’t matter if he did, would it?” she whispered. “You’re going to see a lot more of me, Cade Hunter. Now close your eyes and go to sleep.”
She left him then to lie awake wondering what her remark really meant. Was there a promise implied? Or was it just wishful thinking on his part? When he finally drifted off, his dreams were filled with visions of Elizabeth and the grassy plains between Big Timber and the Crazy Mountains; Luke Tucker, and Levi Crabtree and Willow.
He awoke the next morning feeling stronger and hungry. From the kitchen section of the cabin, he could hear White Moon complaining that the spit she had tried to fashion had loosened two of the fireplace stones, causing the spit to collapse and spill water from the pot suspended from it, almost putting her fire out. Elizabeth went to help her, but discovered the stones would not stay firmly in place, so she removed them and was surprised to discover a hole in the stone hearth. Puzzled to find what appeared to be dirty canvas rags stuffed in the bottom of the hole, she then realized that what she had uncovered were leather pouches, eight in all, each one filled with gold dust. Speechless, she turned to Cade and held up one of the pouches for him to see.
It was surprising to Cade that Snider still had eight of the original pouches. “Luke’s gold,” he murmured softly as Elizabeth brought it to him. “So that’s what’s left—there were sixteen to start with.”
“Maybe half of it’s gone,” she said with a mischievous smile, “but it still looks like enough for a man to plan his life and maybe start a family.”
Uncertain as usual when around her, he replied cautiously, “I reckon, if a man could find a woman who would have him.”
Elizabeth shook her head and struck a pose of exasperation. “I swear, Cade Hunter, you might be the dumbest man I’ve ever met.”
“I reckon,” he said.
“You hurry up and get yourself well,” she said, taking charge as usual. “I can see you’ve got a lot to learn about calling on a lady.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, happily, “but I can learn pretty fast when I set my mind to it.”
Standing by the fireplace, listening to the conversation between the two young people, White Moon rolled her eyes heavenward, sighed, and shook her head.
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