Waking up this day is annoying, Dan or I pulled the blanket up so I can't see the sky. Someone is up first crunching on the snow. Pulling my Colt and uncovering I find out two things, Bia is up, and we got snowed on. Dan jerks and pokes me for dumping snow on us. I stretch over and grab a handful of snow, there's more than I reckoned then drop it on his face.
Bit of sputtering and muttering later Dan sits up with Bia giggling. Dan just looks at me a spell after uncovering his face.
"Janet I think you want a roll." I look down where he is to see my breasts sitting at attention.
"It's cold Dan."
Grinning Dan reaches over and pinches a nipple, that is actually a mite painful, then his lips fasten and he's emptying me. Bia comes over and helps so I'm liking this, the cold and needing my son hurts. Once they finish I'm scrambling to get in my pants, shirt, moccasins, then finding a coat. Bia is fast hopping to the wood to collect enough to make a fire.
Dan follows me then collects a pair of socks that he gives Bia. She smiles about that though doesn't put them on, smart they would collect snow. Over to the fire I go with my Winchester and sit next to Bia to get warmed up before hunting.
"Sorry for not skinning the deer."
"We got enough deer for breakfast and half dinner. I got one coney skin, if you can collect a second I'll have moccasins." I nod then a thought boils up.
"Do you have needle and thread?" Bia nods.
"I brought, I mind you did as well." I nod and grin.
"I always bring, Dan has penchant for getting hat shot."
"I miss the dog hat. Wake up sergeant and see about a coney." I grin at Bia then collect some snow.
Sergeant pulled his blanket up high, but still see some of his face so drop snowball on it. He sits up sputtering about being awake, though his eyes aren't open. I swat him on the head then his eyes open and I get glared at.
"Ach lass, twas rude."
"Get up and help Bia with vittles, I'm on a coney hunt so she has moccasins. Otherwise she has socks but moccasins work better."
"Wake up the lieutenant he wants to come along."
Fresh snow coney hunts are easy so I not mind taking greenhorn. Over to Cucaracha I go and kick him, he groans and rolls over. Well not wishing to do anything else I kick him again, mite harder and he sits up this time. I get glared at until he notices my rifle then gets up muttering about needing a moment.
At least he is dressed quick, though do take him to the fire to warm up. Then he follows me away from the camp and path.
"How do we find a coney?" I turn back and put a finger to my lips, he say loud.
"First say quiet. Coney are cautious, if startled they will freeze and no see in hide."
Cucaracha nods and walks beside me for a spell. I put a hand to his chest when I hear it, a coney is moving about in bush. I point out the bush to him and he nods then looks back at me.
"What do I do?" I roll my eyes.
"Point rifle at bush, no shoot wait for coney, if little coney no shoot we look more." He nods and points his rifle at the bush, he took along the black powder looking rifle.
Reaching down I ruffle the bit of grass about and we get a nice look grey coney. He sucks in his breath like he will shoot so I poke him in leg. He looks at me and I shake my head then point back at coney. We look a bit, and coney seems alone so I say loud to shoot. Coney freeze since I say loud then he shoots.
New rifle is little louder than Winchester and coney squeals, he shot in neck. Offering up prayer for forgiveness I raise my rifle and shoot taking half of coney head.
"Always shoot coney in head." Cucaracha sighs and nods.
"Sorry I should have asked, and rifle seems a mite off." I stand up and sigh.
"Can check at camp, and Winchester I mind you never fired it." He shakes his head.
"I didn't think I would need to." I groan and head for the coney pulling out my Bowie.
"Always test new rifle, and pistol. Colt good pistol, hard to ruin aim, rifles are easy so always test. Do you have tool?" Cucaracha shrugs.
"I'm not sure, I don't have a full complement of equipment."
Saying the prayer of gratitude I hunter cut the coney. Head and insides left for predators we head back to camp. Cucaracha carry the coney since his kill, I only speeded along. Back at camp Bia smiles when she gets coney and I hand over throwing knife. Sergeant looks up then frowns at only one coney.
"There was two shots." I nod.
"Cucaracha not test rifle, do you have tool?" Sergeant crosses himself and nods.
"I have a tool, not sure will work on that rifle but will on Winchester. Do you want to test for him?" I shake my head.
"Cucaracha test shoot, see about two targets."
Sergeant nods and stands up, Dan comes over and hands over the paper again. Sergeant smiles then grabs up the paper and goes for some sticks. I ignore him and go over to Bia who has Chun cooking up the deer with corn and baked beans. Not a good say for breakfast but rolled up in tortilla tastes good.
Bia is busy with making moccasins while her feet are close to the fire. When sergeant whistles at me I glare at him then find a burned stick and blow it cool as I move over to the targets. After placing dots on the targets I walk over to Cucaracha. He looks at me and sighs then brings up his Winchester.
He takes an odd stance, almost full facing the target. I look at sergeant to get a shrug so I poke Cucaracha.
"Stand wrong, turn far shoulder toward target and aim across." He looks at sergeant who rolls his eyes.
"Apologies sir, but what she saying. Rarely do we shoot from horseback which is your stance. It is also the worst one to shoot from, arms are trying to bend in wrong way."
"Janet pivots on the horse with a rifle." Dan says coming over and wrapping me up in his arms. "Didn't you watch him shoot?" I look up at Dan and shake my head.
"I was calling out coney, best to use hand for it."
"A boot works just as well I reckon, hear about it from the soldiers who go out on hunts."
I just glare at sergeant until he turns back to Cucaracha and gives him a few tips on stance. The first shot is about half an inch off the dot so sergeant takes his tool to it. Second shot is closer but not right so I take the tool and adjust it. Dan brings over a new burnt stick and makes a new dot. This shot is dead center so I stick my tongue out at sergeant.
He grins then sticks his tongue out at me so I dart in and grab it. Only pull on it a mite though sergeant covers his mouth and complains about it a spell. Rather fun though Cucaracha ends it too soon, he wants to do his new rifle. His first shot is pretty darn close but not quite right. I get handed his rifle and the tool so I work on fixing it.
This takes a spell, the front mark is offset just a hair. Makes for one tough adjust but finally I think I get it and hand it back.
"Is there supposed to be a gap?"
"Yes, front mark is offset, aim at gap."
Cucaracha looks at me then sighs and aims again. When he shoots he gets close enough to center so we go sit down for vittles. I get handed a plate of two wraps then sit down with Dan who scoots closer. He tenses when I look at him so I lean in and give him a kiss then go back to grabbing a wrap. I get the wrap right to my mouth and Cucaracha chooses that exact moment to speak to me.
"At a distance how good is the aim going to be?" I whimper and put the wrap down.
"Not good, I would not shoot farther than path of town. If can find new rifle with not offset you can shoot farther. Powerful tough shoot farther so best to not. No more say I have vittles."
Sergeant reaches over and pokes Cucaracha when he opens his mouth so I get to go back to vittles. I find egg was added and really good morning vittles. The sweet of beans washed out by egg and corn. All washed in good taste of deer so I am smile while we pack up camp. Dan doesn't get his socks back, Bia hasn't finished with the second skin.
We do have beans soaking so we have good vittles next camp. Finding the right trail proves tough, the snow fell over most of ground. Not fully at least and I do cheat. Brushing the snow aside I find tracks, unsure on how old but there are eight so must be right track. They lead straight for the path so we head there and follow it.
No telling if they go to path or not, but chances are good, round eye predictable. If there is a path to take, they take. Towns are usually not miss, and the next likely is only a stop in for supplies.
"Are you sure we are following them?" I shake my head, not even bothering to look at Cucaracha.
"Round eye predictable, they take path like this when there is. Next town is stop for supplies, no robbing so we can get idea on where they go there."
"If they go there, we have had to backtrack a time or two with new snow." I glare at Dan, no threaten of no roll, I have powerful need for one today.
"Dan, next town then was turn on path, I figure they take turn, they did not take turn. No backtrack." Pinto snorts and tosses his head so I rub.
We ride on for a spell then. Seems no one has anything to say today. Makes sense it is powerful cold, colder than has been for sure. Even get to see breath from horses a little along with more snow, just gentle but more. Then Elan give out cry and we stop so I can look with him. This is odd, large party come to path, at least ten. I look it over then we get back on horse and get under way again. I'm not sure what this mean so move over to Dan.
"Dan, perhaps ten join path." He nods then sighs and shrugs.
"If'n I recall right there is another road that way a spell. Perhaps we have a group that took the rail down there." I can tell not exactly what he thinks so nudge him. "Possible they joined up with our target gang."
"Equally possible this is a different gang, there are scores. We don't always get posters on them in Kansas City." Dan and I look at the marshal then I look at Dan to ask.
"Why no posters for all wanted to Kansas City?" Dan sighs then shrugs.
"Texas prefers to just send one of the rangers. When we moved to Kansas City it was the biggest town not involved in the war so got all posters. It was reckoned that the law breakers farther east would come this way."
"Avoid soldiers, and conscripters." Dan just stares at me then nods.
