Trapper's Moon

by Gini Rifkin

  This brought a smile.

  “But I would have to kill him if he ever hurt you.”

  She knew this was not an idle threat, still her smile broadened at his concern. “I will be sure to tell him so. Although the way you scowl at him, I have a feeling he already knows. And I will never forget how I was raised, or how we were happy together in the old days.”

  “That is good. But you must make new memories too, ones to make you just as happy. Go and be free. Wherever you are, we will find you. Now I’d best follow our brothers.” He nodded in the directions of the twins. “With money to spend they will surely find trouble at a good price.”

  ****

  Tucket leaped up and grabbed ahold of Kade as he came tearing through their camp. “Where you off to in such a hurry?”

  “Blind Deer still won’t say yes to coming with us to Oregon.”

  “Well that’s darn foolishness. I never see’d two people more fit for one another than you and Blind Deer. You can’t be allowin’ this to happen, Kade.”

  Maggie gazed up at the two of them, her eyes troubled as if such an idea upset her too.

  “Well that’s what I’m aiming to do, old man, if you get out of my way. When we passed through Trader’s Row, I saw a few foofaraws and whatnots need buyin’.

  “If you’re settin’ your trap for love, better bait it with your heart and not your brainpan.”

  Kade nodded and took off.

  Tucket gave a laugh and shook his head. He’d never seen young Kade in such a lather. It truly must be love. He thought back to when he was that age and chasing after a pretty girl was all he could think on. Now he just hoped to find a peaceful place to sit and smoke his pipe while watching the sunset. Of course, if a good woman came his way in the new land, he’d be thankful.

  And speaking of sittin’ and smokin’—he retrieved his pipe and squatted down on his favorite stump. A loud blubbering sound of flatulence followed, sending him leaping back onto his feet. Turning around, he found a limp buffalo bladder on the stump, sewn up with sinew, and filled with the last bit of remaining air. In the woods he heard laughter and saw what he thought were Kinnapa and Kintama running off into the night, Nikota not far behind.

  Consarn it, those two were the most mischievous Indians he’d ever crossed trail with. He knocked the offending item off the stump, then sat and filled his pipe with ’baccy. As he was about to light up, Blind Deer came and took to another stump.

  Maggie wandered over, sat down, and leaned against her thigh.

  “What’s this crazy talk I hear about you quitin’ us,” Tucket asked point blank. “I’ve know’d young Kade nearly all his life, and I ain’t never seen him happier than when you’re by his side.”

  “Where is he?” she asked, apparently disinclined to discuss the matter.

  “He’ll be back momentarily. Here, have some jug,” Tucket offered. “You look a might weak kneed.”

  She shook her head no. “Are you trying to lead me astray, Tucket?”

  “No, gal. I’m a tryin’ to help show you the way back home.” He puffed on his pipe, leaving her to her thoughts.

  ****

  “By hell, Governor Simpson, what in damnation are you’re doing here? And who is this English peacock you deemed to drag along?” Bordering on the brink of his escape to freedom, Captain Sulgrave dared to address his superior with all the years of hate and disrespect he harbored for the man.

  “The tallies at Fort Elise present a problem, Captain.” Issuing a statement of his own, the Governor ignored the questions. “The discrepancies date back months, even years. It’s your responsibility, and I want answers. And this peacock is a decorated war hero, who has informed me you traded blankets carrying deadly disease to the Flathead tribe. You killed hundreds of innocent Indians.”

  “None of these savages are innocent. And those particular ones were getting in the way.”

  “Then how about your own men, several of whom you also killed in the process. Were they expendable too?”

  So, his little deception had come to light. Things were going from bad to worse. “Step aside, old man. Now you’re in my way too, and I have packing to do.”

  “You won’t need much. There’ll be no gallivanting off to Vancouver or anyplace else, other than Montreal for your court martial.”

  As blind rage rushed to the forefront, Sulgrave felt as if his head might explode. Simpson had ruined everything, all his plans gone for naught. He leaped at the man, arms outstretched, hands reaching to throttle his scrawny throat.

  Lord Seton stepped forward, landing a right cross on Sulgrave’s jaw. Taken by surprise, he staggered backward. Then Sir Reginald opened the door and roughly pushed him into the hands of the HBC soldiers waiting to take him into custody. Blows rained down on the Captain from all directions. Apparently, news of how he’d betrayed his men, sending them to their painful death, had already made the rounds.

  His chances of reaching Montreal alive were fading fast.

  ****

  When Kade returned, Blind Deer cautiously gained her feet. The grin he wore pleased her yet made her suspicious of his intent.

  “Come with me.” He took her hand and led her a few steps to the side and away from the light of the fire.

  Tucket reached down to pet Maggie, keeping her from following after them.

  In the darkness, the air smelled sweet and refreshing, making the world feel somehow hopeful.

  “Here.” Kade held something out to her. “Take it. It’s a present whether you go with me or not.”

  Again he offered her free choice, the most precious of gifts, one he had given her when first they met. Examining the object more closely, so light and delicate in her hands, she discovered it was a red velvet rose.

  “Like my love for you, it will never die. And you won’t have to feel guilty for having picked it.”

  His words touched her heart as softly as she touched the petals of the rose. She couldn’t believe he remembered the hill and the flower she’d picked when they’d stayed at the cabin.

  “It looks so real. I can almost smell its fragrance.” How had she ever believed she could so easily leave this man? She never wanted to be without him and was about to tell him so.

  “Oh, there’s one more thing. Close your eyes.”

  Holding back her words, and showing complete trust in him, she did as Kade requested. His fingertips grazed her cheek, then something cool resided on the sides of her face.

  “Take a look.”

  Blind Deer opened her eyes and gasped, stunned by the transformation of her surroundings. Kade had found her a pair of wire spectacles. Her mother had spoken of such wonders. The incredible new world encircled her in crackling clarity.

  Gazing up at the night sky left her dizzy and overwhelmed as she saw what before had been but a dream. “You have given me the moon and stars.” About to lose her balance she reached out, and Kade was there to steady her. Then, as if her ancestors shared her happiness and condoned the new path she had chosen, a shooting star crossed the heavens. The sign from above filled her heart with joy.

  “Go or stay, Blind Deer. It’s your decision. I won’t try to stop you. At least now you can see where it is you’re going.” He made light of the situation, but she heard the sadness in his voice.

  “Thank you for giving me this beautiful new world. I see not only where I’m going, but what I am meant to be.”

  “And what is that, Blind Deer?”

  She threw her arms around his neck. He held her so tightly she could feel his heart beating against her chest and knew he must feel her heart beating just as hard against his.

  “No matter where we are, or how we make our living, I am meant to be the woman in your arms, Kade. When February comes again, and the earth is bathed in the glow of a Trapper’s Moon, I will be with you.”

  He buried his face in the crook of her neck and whispered in her ear. “Then you’ll be my wintertime love too—and that means forever.”

 
Glossary of Terms

  Some of the following terms, while typical of the day, are now considered offensive, and do not reflect the author’s mindset. Also, while trapping was a way of life in the 1800s, the author does not condone trapping of any kind (other than live trapping for rescue efforts).

  Booshway—The leader of a party of mountain men. The word comes from the French bourgeois, used by the voyageurs.

  Boudins—A buffalo gut containing chyme, which was cut into lengths about 24 inches long and roasted before a fire until crisp and sizzling.

  Bug’s Boys—Slang name for Blackfoot Indians meaning sons of Beelzebub which turned into Bub’s Boys and then Bug’s Boys.

  Catlinite—Pipestone used for carvings, especially pipes.

  Capote—A long coat made from wool trade blankets, usually with a hood.

  Child and hos—Words for expressing self as in this child/hos ain’t never seen such doin’s.

  Dogface—Used by Native Americans of various nations for fur trappers, mountain men, or white men in general who wore any facial hair, especially a beard.

  Doin’s—An event or experience, as in “That rendezvous was some fine doin’s.”

  Ephraim—Mountain man term for grizzly bear, usually Old Ephraim.

  Fachan—Scottish ogre.

  Gorget—Usually the French pronunciation, the word means a small piece of armor protecting the throat—often decorative, tied around the neck with leather or cord.

  Hole—A valley such as Brown’s Hole and Pierre’s Hole.

  Kentucky long rifle—The long rifle, also known as longrifle, Kentucky rifle, or Pennsylvania rifle, one of the first to use rifling vs smoothbore. Although the Hawken rifle is more famous, the majority of mountain men carried other types of firearms.

  Kinnikinick—Tobacco and dried sumac leaves, bark, other natural elements.

  Lasts—wooden molds (forms) around which shoes are built.

  Made beaver—A dried beaver pelt, usually scraped and stretched, ready to be bundled. Beaver pelts were folded and pressed. On average it took sixty pelts to make a ninety-pound pack.

  Painter—a corruption of the word panther. A cougar or mountain lion.

  Park—a big valley such a South Park, similar to Hole.

  Plews—Beaver hides.

  Peetrified—In 1807-08, John Colter explored the area now known as Yellowstone National Park, and astonishing tales of geysers and petrified trees soon followed. This was a frequent distortion of the word.

  Parfleche—A hide, especially a buffalo's hide, dried by being stretched on a frame after the hair has been removed and painted.

  Pemmican—Used by Indians and mountain men. Food made by mixing powdered jerky with dried berries, wild peppermint, and hot tallow, then packed and stored in skin or gut bags. This is a high energy survival food.

  Plews—Term for beaver hides.

  Poor bull from fat cow—To know good times from bad, “Them days war Poor Bull for sure.”

  Possibles—The personal property of the mountain man. Such items as a bullet mold, an awl, knives, a tin cup, his buffalo robe or a blanket capote, his pipe and tobacco, flint and steel, sometimes a small sheet-metal fry-pan, and other accouterments he considered necessary. Firearms were considered pieces or guns and not possibles.

  Possibles bag—The bag in which the mountain man carried his possibles. Everything from pipe and tobacco to his patches and balls. What could not be carried in the bag were hung on the shoulder strap. Shooting needs were given first priority and kept where they could be found with ease and speed.

  Pilgrim—Usually immigrants, people moving west. The term was also sometimes used by the mountain men to mean any man new to the fur trade.

  Pull foot—To turn tail and run.

  Siksika—Another name for the Blackfoot Indians.

  Siskeedee-Agie—Local term for the Green river.

  Shining—To shine means to be extra good at something. Thems was shinin’ times.

  Shining Mountains—An early name for the Rocky Mountains, also called the Stony Mountains.

  Short starter—To load a muzzle loader you seat the ball a “short” way down the barrel before using a ramrod.

  Snow eater—A chinook wind quickly melting snow.

  Sprue—Is the little bump on a lead ball produced when it is cast.

  Tanglefoot—Whiskey.

  There go horse and beaver—Meaning to lose everything you owned or have with you.

  Throw smoke—To shoot a firearm.

  Trace—A trail.

  Waugh or Wagh—An exclamation of great emotion, used by both Mountain Men and Indians. Usually denoting surprise, sometimes good, sometimes bad. It is believed to have originated from the sound made by a bear when surprised.

  Westerin’`—Heading even farther into the frontier all the way to the Pacific Northwest territory, now Oregon.

  Whatever way your stick floats—When trapping, a stick was attached to the trap so you could find it. This was an expression similar to whatever floats your boat.

  A word about the author…

  Gini Rifkin writes adventurous romance. Her settings include the American West, Medieval England, Victorian England, and contemporary fantasy. When not reading or writing, she has the privilege of caring for a menagerie of abandoned animals, including ducks, geese, rabbits, goats, donkeys, and cats. Born in Illinois, she was raised by two terrific parents and one very special older sister. When struck by wanderlust, she moved to Colorado and met her husband Gary. They shared the journey for 30 years, spending vacations canoeing, doing Mountain Man reenacting, and traveling around this great country. Although Gary has passed on, he left her with the skills to soldier on alone, and a little bit of him lives on in every hero she creates. Her writing keeps her hungry to learn new things, and she considers family and friends her most treasured of gifts.

  http://ginirifkin.blogspot.com

  ~

  Other books by Gini Rifkin

  THE DRAGON AND THE ROSE

  LADY GALLANT

  IRON HEART

  SPECIAL DELIVERY

  VICTORIAN DREAM

  A COWBOY’S FATE,

  SOLACE

  BLISS

  PORTENCE

  COWBOYS, CATTLE, AND CUTTHROATS

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  Also available from The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

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  by Gini Rifkin

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  Not everybody's gonna make it out alive.

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