#328b
"Ma, Dad, I have a favor to ask, may I bunk here? I'm kinda stuck for a place to stay. I'm not going any where near Tess and Dory, and Milo and Toby have housefulls." Gary looked hopeful, other wise it was a stall in the barn if he wasn't welcome.
Mark didn't have to look at Clora, he knew all their kids were welcome, but he was trying to ease Clora's work.
"Sure," Mark agreed, "I think Tess and Dory have some of their things in a couple of rooms; so those are taken; but the rest is open for you."
"Are they in the West wing? If they are, I'll take a room in the East wing. That's an easy choice to make," Gary chuckled at his own cleverness, as he hoisted a rucksack and went down the hall.
Gary chose the room furthest down the hall, the one Tess had used growing up. Small, barely larger than the queen bed and dresser, it suited him fine. Like all the rest of the clan, he didn't have much in the way of personal belongings; besides, he wanted a long way away from the suite of rooms he had used with Jainy. He could finally think about her and his kids with out feeling berserker rage, but it was still better to let them fade away.
Gary had put the horses away, and now he needed to help with the butchering. He had work to do.
Pricilla drove down toward the ferry, stopping at the small shack to deal with the ferry operator. Able Anderson took one look at the strong, well matched team of six up horses and admired the horseflesh, and the driver was interesting also.
Big sat easy on his horse, close to Tilly on the wagon seat. "Do you think she vill need any help?"
"No, she knows her mind, more than any person I have known. Mr. Big, which pair of horses would you suggest we barter with?" Tilly asked.
"The big wheelers are the pair that the man will be interested in. They are bigger and in better shape than any I see here. The ferry is smaller than the St. Louis one, and a team would have to be unhitched and a second trip made. So, if he will barter, it will be beneficial to us in the long run." Big watched the river, it seemed to be down in volume, so this would be an optimal time to cross.
"Is she throwing her weight around?" Bruce asked from the canopy, "I've never seen a more bossy woman that won't listen to any other opinions beside her own. One of these times she's going to endanger us all with her stupid stubbornness."
"She is talking to the ferry operator, she will let us know when she comes out." Tilly felt as frustrated as the two men, over Pricilla's autocratic behavior.
Big shook his head to clear the image of Miss Pricilla cracking the whip over them all.
Pricilla came marching out with a stubborn look on her face. "He wants the wheel horses as the fee to cross, I have a good notion to tell that black hearted jerk to take a long walk off a short pier." She stomped over to the horses to pat them gently.
"Miss Cilla," Big started to say, "that is a reasonable fee. You vill do nothings to endanger Miss Tilly and Dr. Bruce. If you want to cross, that is the barter that he has set as the price of passage. Miss Tilly and I and Doc Bruce want to cross and ve vote to trade the wheelers to the man. You can either go with us, or stay here."
There was such a finality in Big's voice, Cilla realized her tenure as the wagon master was over. She had been out voted.
"Fine," Pricilla snapped in anger, "go ahead, trade him the horses and take yourselves across the river and get gone. Good riddance to you all. I'll get my things and you can do the un-harnessing if your so gol darn smart on how to get yourselves to the retreat."
Words spoken in anger, are bitter when you have to swallow them later; but Cilla's temper got the better of her. She watched from the shack as the teams were rearranged and the pair of heavy bodied Bay wheelers were driven into Able's corral.
Able instructed Big on how to guide the ferry raft; as his teams of horses pulled the cable that inched the raft across the deep, placid appearing river.
Scared, Tilly prayed every prayer she had ever known about as they inched across the current that was deceptive in it's strength.
Bruce was standing by the teams, helping to keep the horses calm; and he didn't mind saying a few prayers himself. Big kept the guide rope taut, and said prayers to match Tilly's.
At last they creaked into the shallow dock, and Big led the team and wagon off. He waited for Bruce to get up in the seat to control the horses; while Big went back to collect Tilly and his saddle horse.
Tilly was white with fright and had to lean heavily on Big. He kinda liked that.
Once they got to the other side, the track that Mark had used became visible. "We need to go South until we get to the next big river and then turn East. It will take about three weeks to get to the retreat from here. Considering the weather, I believe we should go with all speed possible." Bruce seemed to be confident and personable with out the sour, over bearing personality of Pricilla.
Big looked at him and said, "ja, let us be going then."