by Larry Hunt
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The Picnic
Sitting under an apple tree high up on the mountainside Luke and Catherine can see the farm down below; the wind rustles softly through the Golden Russet’s leaves. The air is warm, blowing rippling waves across the sea of grass as far as the eye can see. The ripening apples scent the air with a pleasant, sweet aroma.
They are enjoying a summer picnic.
Spread out on the blanket are fruits and melons recently picked from their garden and the orchard. Savoring the taste of freshly picked strawberries Luke has a far-away look in his eye as he leans back on his elbow gazing out across the waves of wind-blown grass.
“Penny for your thoughts,” says Catherine.
“Oh, just thinking of home and my family. Wondering if I will ever get back to Alabama again.”
“You remember the day you and Sam brought that bear down from the mountain? And you took me in your arms and kissed me?”
“Why, I never...you were the one that did all that kissing stuff Catherine Ann Babb!”
“Didn’t that kiss tell you something?”
“Oh yeah, it told me how cold I was.”
Picking up a piece of fruit and throwing it at Luke, she pouted by saying, “Why Luke Scarburg I ain’t never!”
“You ain’t never what?”
“Didn’t you know right then and there that I loved you?”
“Loved me? Catherine, you’re just a kid. That is just a silly notion on your part. Some day you’ll find an exceptional young man and settle down with him and raise a dozen children.”
Sliding over close to Luke, her long, silky, black hair waved in the breeze. She took his face in her hands, her emerald green eyes looked deep within his as she planted a big kiss on his lips. “I’ve already found that exceptional man I want to settle down with.”
Pulling back, Luke said stammering and stuttering, “Hmm, uh... you just wait a minute, Catherine Ann Babb, like I said you’re just a kid! You’re just eighteen, and young lady I’m thirty-two!”
“I was nineteen my last birthday Luke Scarburg, and if you won’t have me, I guess I’m just going to be an old maid!” Wiping a fake tear from her eye with her dainty embroidered handkerchief, “and besides in only thirteen years I’ll be thirty-two also!”
“Now, now, Catherine do not cry. I promised your father I would see after you, and if that means marrying you then, I’ll do that too.” Slipping back across the blanket closer to Catherine, “I’m just a big liar Catherine, I remember that kiss like it was yesterday. I’ve loved you from that first night I saw you when we stumbled into your house from the blizzard. I thought you were the prettiest thing that I have ever laid my two eyes up on.”
“Truly Luke? And you’re not just saying that because you told Father you would see after me?”
“Yes, I truly mean it, I just thought a beautiful young girl like you would never have feelings for an old, war-weary, soldier like me.”
“Yes, I do care, and I care deeply,” Catherine said throwing her arms around his neck again. “I love you Luke Scarburg, you old galoot.”
As they were finishing their day together Catherine was packing up. Luke took her hand in his, “Catherine it is summer, harvest season will be upon us before we know it, and then we must leave. We must go to Alabama.”
“By ‘we’ you mean me, Sam and Nate.”
Putting his arms around her waist and pulling her close, he kissed her, “Yes you bet I mean we!”
THE MAP
As Luke and Catherine return from their afternoon of picnicking, back at the farmhouse, Nate and Sam sit resting on the front porch. Nate has his boots propped up on the porch railing. He grins as Luke and Catherine walk toward the front steps, “You young’ens have a good time?”
Luke slaps Nate’s boot with his hat, “Yes we did you old coot, besides it isn’t none of your beeswax!”
“Well, it took you long ‘nuff to see them sparklers in Mizz Catherine’s eyes. I thought you had done gone blind, but I thought you might git around to a little sparkin’ sooner or later.”
“Oh, hush up, you old busy body. Now that everyone is here, especially you Sam, I wanted to return that gold nugget and the map to the gold stream.”
“Now wait a minute Luke, you mean that tale you told me and Nate, about those outlaws, old Rufus and that bear, was all true?” Catherine said finding her a chair. “Well, I’ll be, I thought you and Sam made up that story on account of me being so mad at you both for that bear you brought in.”
“Yes, it is all true, and the gold filled stream is also real” Pulling out the hunk of gold from his pocket, “As you can see by the size of this nugget,” said Luke handing her the shiny, gold piece of metal, and giving the map to Sam.
“I am going to carry you and Sam to my folk’s home in Alabama. Once you are of age, Sam you can come back here, find that stream, and become one of Kentucky’s richest men. As far as Catherine Ann, I’ve asked her to marry me, and we intend to make us a good life in Alabama. Is all this fine with you Sam?”
Nodding his head yes, but he could not take his eyes off the beautiful gold nugget Catherine was admiring.
“All right now that’s settled let’s do some planning. It is late spring, Resurrection Sunday has come and gone, and the 4th of July is nearing. We have finished the planting; harvest time should be in a month or two.
““We must dry what vegetables and fruit we can; we need to kill the game and cure it and make jerky. The first cold freeze we will butcher the hog, cure and salt as much of the meat as we can for the trip. The main thing: we must take our provisions with us, we cannot rely on trying to supply our needs from the countryside – this War has ravaged everything. There are no supplies to be had; we cannot forage along our route of travel.
“We must get on the trail in the early fall because winter will be just ahead. We will have to prepare all our provisions and leave before the first snowfall. We can be in Alabama in about a month, give or take. We should be able to get there before Christmas.”