to himself that maybe the robbers had constructed a hideout not too far away.
However implausible the story might be, Elgerson had to admit the boy had to have been seriously tested caring for the gravely injured girl and he listened to the boy’s story intently.
When Mark concluded his tale he finished with a serious look directly into his father’s tortured face.
“I’m sorry, Pa. I know I’m not supposed to have anyone else up here while you’re away and I swear I’ll never trap again. I just didn’t know what else to do with her and she was so hurt and I guess it just kinda happened. Then I couldn’t keep her up here for too much longer and I didn’t know when you’d be back.” Mark cut himself short, careful not to shift the blame onto his father’s late arrival.
“It’s alright,” Elgerson told the boy. “There was some trouble with the train. I’ll explain it all to you later.”
Relieved that his father showed no sign of the outburst he had convinced himself he would, and hoping to head off any possibility that he might still be upset, Mark attempted to distract him with questions about the train.
“Not right now, boy, I haven’t slept in days. After I get some rest we’ll talk some more. You have seen no one else?”
“No, sir,” the boy replied.
Elgerson struggled wearily to his feet and made his way towards the sleeping quarters.
“Pa…” The boy was certain he’d forgotten the sleeping woman occupied the bedroom.
Elgerson stood in the doorway, took one look at the girl’s tiny, curled up figure and thought better of tangling with her again. He left the cabin to find rest in the stable and Mark decided he had better check on the woman.
Rebecca was covered with mud once again, and her arm was scraped and beginning to bruise in her torn sleeve.
“I heard,” she whispered, sniffling. “Thank you.”
Mark left her weeping in the bed and decided he was ready to try some coffee himself.
Chapter Thirteen
E lgerson concluded his story of the last few days to his son. “If that shack is a hideout then we should take a look at it. I can’t rest easy knowing there’s someone in the area that might try coming here. I need you to stay here and keep an eye on the place just long enough for me to get an idea where the shack is. Once I get a bearing on it we’ll ride down and I’ll get some men up here to try and flush the thieves out. Where exactly did you say it was?”
Mark struggled with a clear direction and then suggested that Rebecca might help find the location where the building stood and she could show his father.
Elgerson groaned at the thought of encountering the girl at all, but finally agreed that he’d take her along as long as she behaved, just to scout the place out. He was growing concerned over who the girl was and where her family might be and thought he’d best take her down the mountain into town as well, and try to find her folks. Mark had described her as a woman in his explanations of her, but to Elgerson she couldn’t be more than a child and he expected that Mark was just too young to be able to distinguish between a woman and a girl.
In his forthright way he headed into the bedroom and informed the girl she would be riding with him.
Rebecca scrambled to the opposite end of the bed and flatly refused.
“You’re taking me off somewhere and I will no longer tolerate your abuse.”
Elgerson thought her accent and attitude probably made her appear older than she certainly was, fairly swimming in oversized clothing, further evidence that the boy was mistaken about her age.
Rebecca held the torn shirt against her chest and glared at the outlandish beard and massive tangle of hair. His eyes were red and
However implausible the story might be, Elgerson had to admit the boy had to have been seriously tested caring for the gravely injured girl and he listened to the boy’s story intently.
When Mark concluded his tale he finished with a serious look directly into his father’s tortured face.
“I’m sorry, Pa. I know I’m not supposed to have anyone else up here while you’re away and I swear I’ll never trap again. I just didn’t know what else to do with her and she was so hurt and I guess it just kinda happened. Then I couldn’t keep her up here for too much longer and I didn’t know when you’d be back.” Mark cut himself short, careful not to shift the blame onto his father’s late arrival.
“It’s alright,” Elgerson told the boy. “There was some trouble with the train. I’ll explain it all to you later.”
Relieved that his father showed no sign of the outburst he had convinced himself he would, and hoping to head off any possibility that he might still be upset, Mark attempted to distract him with questions about the train.
“Not right now, boy, I haven’t slept in days. After I get some rest we’ll talk some more. You have seen no one else?”
“No, sir,” the boy replied.
Elgerson struggled wearily to his feet and made his way towards the sleeping quarters.
“Pa…” The boy was certain he’d forgotten the sleeping woman occupied the bedroom.
Elgerson stood in the doorway, took one look at the girl’s tiny, curled up figure and thought better of tangling with her again. He left the cabin to find rest in the stable and Mark decided he had better check on the woman.
Rebecca was covered with mud once again, and her arm was scraped and beginning to bruise in her torn sleeve.
“I heard,” she whispered, sniffling. “Thank you.”
Mark left her weeping in the bed and decided he was ready to try some coffee himself.
Chapter Thirteen
E lgerson concluded his story of the last few days to his son. “If that shack is a hideout then we should take a look at it. I can’t rest easy knowing there’s someone in the area that might try coming here. I need you to stay here and keep an eye on the place just long enough for me to get an idea where the shack is. Once I get a bearing on it we’ll ride down and I’ll get some men up here to try and flush the thieves out. Where exactly did you say it was?”
Mark struggled with a clear direction and then suggested that Rebecca might help find the location where the building stood and she could show his father.
Elgerson groaned at the thought of encountering the girl at all, but finally agreed that he’d take her along as long as she behaved, just to scout the place out. He was growing concerned over who the girl was and where her family might be and thought he’d best take her down the mountain into town as well, and try to find her folks. Mark had described her as a woman in his explanations of her, but to Elgerson she couldn’t be more than a child and he expected that Mark was just too young to be able to distinguish between a woman and a girl.
In his forthright way he headed into the bedroom and informed the girl she would be riding with him.
Rebecca scrambled to the opposite end of the bed and flatly refused.
“You’re taking me off somewhere and I will no longer tolerate your abuse.”
Elgerson thought her accent and attitude probably made her appear older than she certainly was, fairly swimming in oversized clothing, further evidence that the boy was mistaken about her age.
Rebecca held the torn shirt against her chest and glared at the outlandish beard and massive tangle of hair. His eyes were red and
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