Rose's Pledge (41 page)

Somewhere behind her twigs snapped. She and Robert both halted and whirled around. He raised his musket to his shoulder.

Rose caught her breath as the clatter intensified, growing closer. Nate? Was he being chased?

Then, a few yards in back of them, a doe leaped out of the brush, its eyes wild with alarm as it crashed on and vanished into the forest growth, a young fawn clattering after it.

Something had frightened the animals. A shudder went through Rose as she detected the yipping of wolves echoing in the distance.

“Come along,” Robert ordered, his voice low and sharp.

Her pulse still throbbing, Rose cast a fearful look around. Then she started up the hill after Robert and Star with a longer stride, dodging snags and whips from brambly bushes she pushed past.
Oh Lord, please don’t let Nate get caught. Keep him safe
.

Nate grimaced as he half jogged, half walked, following the broken twigs and footprints the threesome had left in their wake. He’d done his level best to cover their tracks from the river so the Senecas would be unable to detect the point where they’d emerged from the water. Then he buried the campfire and cleared a good fifty-yard radius around the cave, hoping the sharp-eyed trackers would be unable to decipher signs of their resting place. Hopefully they’d be long gone before anyone stumbled upon this fresh trail.

It was taking him longer than expected to catch up to Bob and the others. But that was good. Obviously his friend had set a rapid pace as the party headed for Gist’s Trail, a trace that would lead them back toward civilization. Both he and Bob knew they’d have to keep off the actual trail, but by staying within close proximity of it, they’d at least be going in the right direction.

He stopped now and then to cock an ear in the direction of the cave, listening for any signs they were being followed. So far he’d heard nothing unusual.
And don’t let there be none, Lord
, he prayed for the dozenth time.

Nate had to concede that prayer was becoming the best weapon he and his friends had in these dire circumstances. He could no longer discount the amazing way they’d managed to elude capture thus far. The gut-wrenching fear that had clutched his insides through the first part of the day had gradually eased, and a sense of peace had taken its place. If it really was God looking after them, Shining Star had been right about the Lord being powerful. And Rose was right that He took care of His people. Surely God’s hand had helped them cross that river, and it had to be Him keeping Rose and the others safe now till Nate could catch up to them. That was a mighty comforting thought. And quite humbling.

Continuing to follow the trail for an hour or so, Nate caught the scent of smoke in the air. A terrible sense of foreboding tightened his chest. The others couldn’t be more than a mile this side of Gist’s Trail. Why in the world would Bob start a fire? He had to know the smell would lead the Indians right to them!

He broke into a run. The blaze needed to be put out before the trackers behind them caught wind of it.

Suddenly someone darted into his path. Nate dove off to the side in reflex.

“Partial to dead ferns, are ya?” Bob asked quietly, a grin broadening his dusky cheeks.

It was quite tempting to illuminate his pal on his partialities, but Nate rolled his eyes instead as he picked himself up and dusted himself off.

Bob held a warning finger up to his lips and motioned for Nate to follow him. Not far away, he parted the low, straddling limbs of a fir. There beneath an evergreen canopy sat Rose and Star, sharing one of the blankets Star had brought, with Jenny Ann between them.

All three girls favored him with smiles, but Rose’s was the one that warmed Nate’s heart.

He was about to crawl in and join them, when Bob released the branches and motioned for Nate to go with him several feet away from the others. There Bob spoke under his breath. “There’s some Senecas up on the trail. They must’ve figgered we’d head for it. But thank the good Lord they decided to make camp before we accidentally stumbled into their nest.”

Nate clamped a hand on his friend’s shoulder and gave a squeeze. “Aye. He’s been watchin’ out for us today. That’s for sure.”

“I figger we’re far enough away from ‘em here that even if the baby starts to fussin’ they won’t hear her.”

“How close are we to the trail, anyway?”

Bob gave a casual shrug. “I snuck up a ways. I’d say ‘bout half a mile.”

As they turned and strode back to the fir tree, Nate checked the sky, gauging the remaining light. The day was almost over. Finally. This had been one of the longest of his life. He stopped near the tree and turned to his friend. “We need to save the cornmeal for Jenny. For now, I reckon we can get by on what cracked corn’s in my haversack. Plus I found two small pieces of jerked meat. How much you got?”

“None.” Bob winced. “Me an’ the gals ate what little cracked corn I had. Baby’s been fed, too. Tomorrow mornin’ we better snare a critter of some kind.”

“Right. Can’t afford to make noise shootin’ somethin’.”

Pulling aside the floppy limb, Bob motioned Nate inside. “I’ll take the first watch. You get some rest. The women already piled up a goodly amount of needles for beds.”

“Ain’t you tired? You been on the trail as long as me.”

Bob gave a snort. “I already had plenty of sittin’ time, waitin’ for you to git your lazy self up here. Go ahead. I’ll wake you in an hour or two.”

Sleep
. The very thought made Nate yawn. He let the branch swing back into place, effectively closing him inside the small haven.

He met Rose’s gaze as she patted a welcoming pile of needles. “Here.” Her sweet whisper lulled him even further. “Lie down and rest.”

She was here. She was safe. He could rest now. He dropped down to the makeshift bedding and closed his eyes, warmed by her presence.

A long, miserable night dragged by. The bitter cold intensified when freezing rain began to fall from the heavens, drenching the branches of the fir tree and dripping relentlessly over the limited shelter. If not for the three shared fur robes, they’d have been soggy messes. In the wee hours the sleet turned to snow, whipped about by a sharp wind. By the time morning dawned, not a hint of a smile graced a face in the bedraggled group. Even Jenny squirmed restlessly in her cradleboard.

“Think I’ll make us a fire.” Forcing a note of optimism into his voice, Nate scanned the area for something that might burn.

Rose glanced up in alarm. “But—won’t that give away our position?”

He shrugged. “Naw. At first light, I hoofed out to the spot where Bob an’ me figgered the Senecas made camp, an’ it was deserted. We’re pretty safe now.”

“You mean they returned to Muskingum?” Giving his sodden moccasins a cursory glance, she released a slow breath.

Shaking his head, he took the bundled-up baby from her when Jenny grunted and looked at him with rounded eyes. He nuzzled the little darling. “They left tracks in the snow. Headin’ east.”

Bob unwrapped a few pieces of dry wood from his haversack and knelt down with his knife and flint to coax a blaze to life. “That’s what I expected. They’ll prob’ly go up several miles an’ wait for us to come to them.” His gaze gravitated to Shining Star as she stepped past Rose, tying the end of her ebony braid. He said something to her, and she gave him a shy smile. “I should have a fire goin’ in a minute or so,” he said to no one in particular.

A concerned frown drew Rose’s brows downward. “Are you quite sure a fire won’t be dangerous?”

“Trust me,” Nate said, drawing her attention to him. “The Senecas had a pretty good-sized one goin’ through the night. They’ll think any smoke that drifts their way is leftover from theirs.”

Her gaze clung to his for a heartbeat before she let it slide to the babe in his arms.

As Rose wrapped her hooded cloak more tightly around her, Nate couldn’t help but glimpse the muddied, ruffled edge of her flannel nightdress. Though at times she wrapped in one of the two blankets Star had brought, the nightdress and her damp cloak were all she had to ward off the morning’s bitter cold, while the rest of them wore thick fur robes. He had to do something about that.

“Ya know …I’ve been covetin’ that cloak of yours,” he told her.

That brought her eyes back to his as she looked from him down to her limp wrap. “I can’t imagine why.” She gave a wry shake of her head.

“Well, think about it.” He handed Jenny to Shining Star and tried to sound earnest as he nonchalantly stooped down beside Bob to help with the fire. “This here heavy robe of mine sorta gets in the way times when I need to be movin’ real fast. Your cloak I could belt down good an’ tight an’—” He watched a slow smile of disbelief add a twinkle in her eye. “What’s so all-fired funny?”

She snickered. “The sleeves wouldn’t even reach halfway down your arms.”

The woman was making it hard for him to maintain a straight face, especially when he pictured himself in it. Without cracking a smile, he gave particular attention to feeding dry needles to Bob’s tiny flame. “See? That’s what I mean. They’d be outta the way for sure.”

“You’re right.” Bob’s lips twitched at the corners as he made an effort to quell his own grin. “Mebbe I’ll outbid you for it.”

Nate slanted him a meaningful glare. “It was my idea,” he blustered to keep from laughing out loud.

“Well,” Rose said ever so innocently, “if you’re positive you must have it, then I’d welcome the extra warmth of yours.”

“It’s a deal.” Managing to control his features, Nate stood up.

Rising, Rose pushed the burgundy-colored hood from her head. Her hand went to the messy night braid uncoiling down her back. “I really must do something with my hair. Perhaps if we’ve time before we leave.”

“I’d be willin’ to help out,” Nate blurted. The teasing provided him an excuse to stop trying to hold back his grin.

She arched her brows. “Yes, I’m sure you would.” She slipped out of her cloak and held it out to him.

Nate’s heart crimped as she shivered before him in nothing but a loosely draped flannel nightdress. Wasting not a second, he whipped off his fur robe and wrapped her in its warm confines.

“This,” she sighed, “is so much better.” She lingered within his arms for several seconds before easing away.

Nate gulped. The way he felt right now, he doubted he’d need to put on her pitiful wrap for some time to come. He flicked a glance down at Bob.

His partner stared back, all trace of his former humor gone. Bob the chaperone was back.

Nate shifted his gaze away while he shoved his hands through the wide sleeve holes of Rose’s cloak then strode off. “I’ll go break through that pond ice down yonder and bring us back some water.”

Chapter 36

R
ose had never been more deeply thankful than she was the moment Nate wrapped her in his warm robe. Chilled to the bone, she’d begun to fear she’d never be able to keep up with the others on one more day’s journey in this cold, much less ever reach civilization. But in the heavy fur wrap, she felt herself beginning to thaw. After taking care of her morning needs and getting Jenny tucked inside the cradleboard, she finger-combed her hair as best she could and fashioned it into long braids that would cover her cold ears.