I wake early on this day, the sky is only starting to lighten, the birds what few there are have not woken yet. I listen carefully there is movement nearby indistinct on direction, more like twitching. I grab up a revolver anyway and roll over pointing my gun in the direction. Gwen stares at me Martin is twitching a little saying something under his breath. I get up with a sigh and walk over to Martin and Gwen, she watches me come smiling a little.
Putting a foot on Martin's chest I cock my revolver, he twitches then opens his eyes to look up at me. He groans then points a finger at me and shakes it I walk back to Dan giggling and get dressed. Putting his revolver back wakes Dan, he chuckles looking up at me, I smile back feeling silly for leaving mine behind me last night. I help Gwen get the wood set, she does most of it I do not mind Dan does not like my coffee.
I go wake the Apache up they are not yet, both look up at me when I whistle. Silvia wakes when the one she is lying on gets up then starts giggling they are both saying something in Apache. I tell them to saddle the horses in Spanish having an idea on what they are saying. The sky is not yet fully lit the birds are waking, not yet chirping to greet the sun. Silvia is dressed quickly and sitting at the fire with Gwen and I watching Gwen cook bacon and make more fritters.
"Martin what was the dream?" I ask when he sits down at the fire.
"I'd like to say I was dreaming of you or Gwen." Gwen looks up and smiles. "I was dreaming of a man I went after about six months ago. I found him in a home he had grabbed up a boy and was hiding behind him. The boy's mother panicked when the man shot at me and the boy passed out from fright. She took a pin to him and got herself shot he dropped the boy first so I was shooting him in the process. I just was not fast enough, she died and the boy ended up being carted off to his uncle. I get the feeling the uncle was not the best of men, the boy looked frightened when they carted him off." Dan looks ready to say something, having an idea he wishes to share our version of that I shake my head at him.
"I think we have all been there, I do not blame the men we hunt prison is scary I've seen them. I do not understand hiding behind a child like that, I admit if I was being hunted and facing prison I would panic myself. Perhaps I would hide behind a child, I think not now I have one of my own." Dan says getting a nod out of Martin.
"Yeah I can understand the reason behind hiding from the law with anything. The part that hangs with me is the look on the boy when they carted him off, I can't get over if I had just been a little faster his mother would be alive." I sigh and nod with that as Gwen hands out plates with a sandwich on it.
The sandwiches are the fritters cut in half with bacon, they are better the sweet is tempered by the bacon. Dan gets coffee poured in the tin cups and passed around, the Apache look at it oddly. I know why when I take a sip it's sweet, I think my expression clues Gwen in she sighs and apologizes.
"It is fine Gwen, you are not familiar with injuns we Apache and Cherokee are unfamiliar with sweet besides honey. It is a strange thing to have food this sweet judging by Dan's face he likes it I reckon explains why he dislikes my coffee." Gwen looks over at Dan, he nods and smiles.
"Janet does coffee with no sugar, we always have some and she knows I like coffee with sugar. It gets tiring to add sugar to your coffee every morning on a hunt so she hunts and I cook morning vittles." Gwen giggles and looks over at me.
"Tomorrow coffee with no sugar those of us who want sugar will add it to the cup." I smile at her one of the Apache says something to Silvia she nods and looks over at us.
"Govind said that we need to find a grindstone. It seems the soldiers share coffee and it is best when ground up small." Gwen sighs and looks skyward I giggle and pat her on the shoulder.
"Do not worry Gwen this is your first hunt, we will find a grindstone in the gulch and grind up the coffee there."
"I don't suppose you know what we are doing at the gulch if they stop there?" Martin asks as Dan collects the plates.
"I do not know we need to take a peek at the gulch and see how it lays first." Martin nods Dan chuckles.
"That is Janet's nice version of the earth speaks to me. She means shut your trap and follow along." Martin chuckles I kick Dan.
"I think we will make chili tonight, Gwen if you could chop up two or three fingers of the bacon somewhat small and drop it in the bowl Dan is going to make of beans to soak. I think they are in the gulch." I point there is smoke rising up out of the ground ahead where the gulch is, the Apache had already gotten the tarp packed.
"Suddenly I find myself wishing we had brought your bow Janet." Dan says pulling out the beans and getting the pot cleaned.
"Unless Martin insists on Michael alive it is not needed." We all look at Martin, he shakes his head.
"This speaks volumes on guilt for him an innocent man would have stayed put. There probably are wanted posters on some to all of those men, Janet you never said how many there were." I sigh and look down.
"There were twenty at least it's hard to read when they were riding two or three abreast. No telling how many were in the gulch waiting. We are looking at facing twenty to fifty most to all will have guns." Martin sighs, Gwen gulps and looks at us.
"There are only five of you, shouldn't we ride back and get more?" I shake my head Martin and Dan doing the same.
"There are six I remember the warning Sally had I am going up there and shooting. I'd rather be dead than bandit bedmate." Silvia says getting me to smile.
