He bowed pleasantly to Joe.
"So you are going to Short Creek? You can have one of my horses; but
first come inside and we'll talk over you expedition."
The afternoon passed uneventfully for Joe. His brother and Mr. Wells
were absorbed in plans for their future work, and Nell and Kate were
resting; therefore he was forced to find such amusement or
occupation as was possible in or near the stockade.
Chapter IX.
Joe went to bed that night with a promise to himself to rise early
next morning, for he had been invited to take part in a "raising,"
which term meant that a new cabin was to be erected, and such task
was ever an event in the lives of the settlers.
The following morning Joe rose early, dressing himself in a complete
buckskin suit, for which he had exchanged his good garments of
cloth. Never before had he felt so comfortable. He wanted to hop,
skip and jump. The soft, undressed buckskin was as warm and smooth
as silk-plush; the weight so light, the moccasins so well-fitting
and springy, that he had to put himself under considerable restraint
to keep from capering about like a frolicsome colt.
The possession of this buckskin outfit, and the rifle and
accouterments which went with the bargain, marked the last stage in
Joe's surrender to the border fever. The silent, shaded glens, the
mystery of the woods, the breath of this wild, free life claimed him
from this moment entirely and forever.
Pages:
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118