Mount: A Mountain Man's Adventure by Arlen Blumhagen

Author:Arlen Blumhagen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: western, historical, adventure
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Published: 2022-07-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

We stayed at Fort Laramie for nearly two weeks. The Worthingtons had been there only two days when Andy and I pulled in. We all needed a good rest in the relative safety of the fort. The four of us stayed in one of the buildings beside the trader’s store. It had two rooms, Mr. and Mrs. Worthington stayed in one and Andy and I stayed in the other. We slept on small, hard cots, and they felt like sleeping on a damned cloud after so many nights on the ground; even with my feet hanging over and having to rest on a chair.

We were hoping a group of settlers would come through headed our way and we could ride along. Unfortunately, the Oregon Trail was just brand new and travelers were still few and far between. It could’ve been months till the next group, and Mr. Worthington wasn’t gonna wait anywhere near that long.

I ain’t real sure how it works, but the fact that Mr. Worthington was rich back in St. Louis meant he was rich there in Fort Laramie too, even though he didn’t have any cash money. I don’t understand it, but I’m damn glad it’s so.

When Sandra first offered, I’d refused, feeling uncomfortable taking what I figured was a handout, but she and Andy both raised a ruckus and made such a fuss about me not getting paid more than a horse for my services, that finally I agreed. I got new britches and a shirt that I was needing awful bad. They could’ve been a little bigger, and they were heavy wool, so not nearly as comfortable as my deerskins, but at least they were in one piece and I wasn’t peeking out all over. When I came out with my new duds on Sandra and Andy were waiting.

“Wow, look at you, Mount.” Andy laughed and pointed. “Those are some mighty fancy clothes. You’re looking awfully debonair.”

Now, I didn’t know what that debon...whatever meant, but I did know that I musta looked nothing but ridiculous with my legs stickin’ outta my new britches, and the shirt stretched to near ripping across my chest; the sleeves halfway to my elbows.

I decided Andy was making fun. I stepped over and snatched him up over my head and looked for a watering trough or maybe a fresh pile of horse droppings. Andy was laughing hard and trying to squirm free. I looked over at Sandra. She was smiling that real tender kinda smile that I’d seen the day we rode in. It made me feel warm and happy; and guilty as hell.

“You look just fine, Mount.” She continued to smile up at me, her eyes slowly changed till they held only friendship. “Don’t let Andy tease you.”

“If it wasn’t such a damned long walk down to the horse’s watering trough, I’d cool the little troublemaker off some.” I shook Andy a little and he laughed harder. “Maybe I can throw him that far.” I brought him down waist high and made like I was gonna pitch him through the air; he screamed like a little girl.

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