Page 76 of The Hardest Part

He stood there and watched them depart, knowing in his heart it was the last time he’d ever see his friend.

“Don’t be so glum.” Walker slung an arm around his neck and pulled him away. “Didn’t I tell you every man has his own path to follow?”

“You think he’ll make it?” He was looking for some assurance that they could.

“Can’t say,” the mountain man said, and spat tobacco into the dirt. “Come along, now. There’s some folks I want you and Eli to meet.”

He brought them to a wagon. It looked the same, but was outfitted differently than the others he’d seen during their travels. Besides a water barrel, a small chicken coop was affixed to its side. A panel in the back was folded down with a swinging leg that formed a table. A stout man with ginger hair, his arms folded across his chest, propped himself beside it.

“Hank, get over here.” Josiah waved the man toward them. “Meet Levi Gantry and Elijah Brooks. Them here are the young men I was tellin’ you about.”

He traded a wary glance with Eli.

“Boys, this is Hank Coulter.”

“You can call me, Cookie. Most do.” The man extended his hand, shaking each of theirs with a firm grip. “Pleasure.”

“Hank was a cook for the Army, but he’s done with that life, ain’t ya?” Like he was an old friend, Walker drew him to his side. “He’s ready to settle down. Stay in one place. So, he’s agreed to go with you.”

What?

As stunned by this as he was, Elijah raised his brow. Levi could count the number of creases on his forehead.

“My wagon’s empty. Provision it with what I say and I can guarantee no one’ll starve,” the man assured them. “We’ll have plenty to see us through.”

“Take some of the burden off the girls, too,” Walker said, throwing in his two cents.

“How many wagons in your party?”

“Twelve now.”

“Fifty people?” Hank, Cookie, or whatever he called himself, rubbed the red stubble along his jaw.

That sounded about right. “Yeah, give or take.”

“That’ll work.” And his hand came down on the table. “I can take care of ‘em all.”

“So, what do you say?” His head cocked, Walker looked at them expectantly.

Flabbergasted, Levi didn’t know what the hell to say.

Eli, on the other hand, had no such issue. “We’ll have to discuss it with Archer and the others, but I’m guessing it’ll be all right.”

“You hear that, Hank? Yer leavin’ in the mornin’.” Josiah slapped him on the back and motioned to a group of men sitting by the fire. “Tyndall?”

Three men rose.

“Oliver Tyndall, free man from Texas. Cooper Hawkes started off in Kentucky. They know cattle, and they know horses. Yer gonna need ‘em.”

One man was dark-skinned, the other light. Both wore boots, chaps, and wide-brimmed hats. They tipped their chins.

“And this is Taghee Smith. He’s from the Bannock tribe. He knows the land. Very resourceful. Yer gonna need him, too.”

Levi turned to Elijah. He only shrugged. “Why?”

“All in good time, son.” He patted his shoulder. “Now, y’all need to get everybody ready.”

Then he turned around to leave them with these men they didn’t know.

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