Page 22 of Wagon Train Melody
Not that it mattered. All that mattered was getting to the fort.
They climbed a small rise.
Dust rose in the distance.
She gasped. Had the murderer backtracked? How long before he overtook them?
CHAPTER 5
Rudy saw the trail of dust. At the same time, Alice gasped and gave him a look so full of concern and fear that he wondered what had alarmed her.
“He found you.” The words were hoarse.
It took him a second to realize what she meant. “No. It’s a bull train on the Whoop-Up Trail.”
The air went out of her so fast that her shoulders fell forward. “Oh, thank goodness.”
Was she that concerned for him? Of course not. What was he thinking? Her concern was for the safety of herself, her brother, and the little girls.
They drew closer and were able to see the lengthy teams of oxen trundling along in the cloud of dust pulling long lines of wagons.
The girls pressed to Alice’s back, fascinated with the scene.
As the distance narrowed, they could hear the snap of the whips and the calls of the drivers.
Rudy made out some of the words. They weren’t fit for the ears of ladies and little girls. Nor did he like hearing them. He reined in. “I think we should stay away from the trail.” He looked to Alice for her agreement.
She nodded. “I was told to head south here so we’ll be going the opposite direction.”
He turned to the side, and they traveled south, staying a distance from the uproar of the bull train.
The girls were quiet, fascinated at the fellow travelers. It seemed to take forever to see the end of the deafening bunch. And even longer for the sound to fade and the dust to settle.
Sissy let out a long sigh. “They were noisy.”
“They have to control a lot of animals. There are often twelve teams pulling several wagons.”
Kitty squinted at him as if doubting his word. “Why so many people movin’?”
Rudy looked to Alice for clarification.
“Honey, the wagons are for carrying goods to sell. They aren’t carrying people.” She smiled at Rudy over the child’s head.
“Oh.”
With nothing more to entertain them, the girls returned to playing with their dolls. Bo still slept. Rudy didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.
Alice looked at her brother as well. She brought her gaze to Rudy’s. She didn’t express her concerns, but she didn’t have to. Her expression informed him.
Wanting to offer some encouragement, he said, “Sleep is probably good for him.”
“If he’s only sleeping.”
He nodded. After all, there wasn’t much he could say to dispute it. “Tell me about Clint.” Maybe doing so would help her not to worry about Bo.
She sat back, a smile on her face. “Clint is the oldest. He’s twenty-five now. Six years older than me.” She paused to consider him. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-three by the calendar. Closer to forty by experience.”
