Mount II: The Next Adventure by Arlen Blumhagen

Author:Arlen Blumhagen [Blumhagen, Arlen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Western
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Published: 2015-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

And that’d be how I found myself mounted up and headed out on a crisp autumn morning before the sun was even a promise of pink in the eastern sky. Headin’ to Oregon City and the beautiful woman that I could finally admit I was in love with. Shoot, I figure I’d probably been in love with that high society lady ever since I first laid eyes on her in St. Louis when she and Andy rode up to me on their wagon along that dirt street.

My love for both Ma and son grew as our cross-country journey progressed. With every test and each life threatening challenge that confronted us, Sandra and Andy proved that they were made of tougher stuff than I’d figured. Again and again they rose up and met each ordeal head-on, and did what needed doin’ to survive. I’ve even gotta admit that Mr. Worthington came thru once or twice along the way.

When Andy and I were mounted and ready to ride Buck stepped up beside Goldfire.

“I know I don’t have to tell ya, Mount, but I’m a gonna.” He almost whispered, like it was a damned secret or something. “Winter’s comin’. And you know she can strike faster than a damned rattler and get meaner than a momma bear.” Buck pointed up, in case I’d forgot where the sky was. “Watch the sky. Read the signs like your pa taught ya. If your goin’ wasn’t so danged important, I’d advise against it this time of year.”

“Thanks, Buck.” I reached down to give my friend a handshake. “With luck we should have a little time yet. My plan is to get through the mountains before the heavy snows fly, but you’re damn sure right, if our luck runs sour we could be in three feet of snow, and deep trouble, by tonight.” I nodded to the large bedrolls we each carried. “We’ve both got buffalo robes and coonskin hats. We each got a fire-steel and we’re carryin’ four big water skins. We should be just fine.”

* * *

Andy and I made real good time in the beginning.

There was no headin’ west from the cabin, not with the mountains there. They were a steep and rugged wall that climbed up to over ten-thousand feet. Instead, we followed Sweetgrass Creek downstream until it emptied into the Yellowstone.

Then we followed the Yellowstone River upstream for two days until it turned and disappeared up into the valley. We’d stayed on the north side of the river because I knew it’d be turning south where it ran down from the high country. We traveled through mostly rolling hills covered with dead yellow grass, sagebrush, juniper bushes, and cactus.

The smaller rivers and streams that fed the Yellowstone were mostly nothin’ but dried up channels, being late in the year like it was. Some of the shady spots, higher up in the foothills, had a light coverin’ of snow already.

Watching that river meander down from that valley got me thinkin’ about how

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