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Chapter Two
The Stranger at My Side
1836, in what would later become Yellowstone National Park.
"The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also
the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife."
~ 1 Corinthians 7:4 ~
 hen
Josiah awoke the next morning, he found Emma still clinging to his buckskins. Satisfied
the one blanket had done its job, he considered tussling Emma. However, since the
sun was already so high, Josiah concluded he didn't have time.
"Emma," he nudged her awake, "we gotta git moving."
Groggy with slumber, Emma buried her face deeper into her cozy pillow. As a groan
of satisfaction rumbled beneath her head, Emma suddenly remembered where she was
and quickly let go of Josiah's hunting shirt.
Amused, Josiah watched Emma awkwardly retreat to her side of the buffalo robe. "Daylight's
burning," he informed her. "We need to move on." Automatically reaching
for his Hawken, Josiah checked the percussion cap on his rifle. The trapper jumped
to his feet, and then went to see to his horses.
Nervously, Emma checked herself beneath the blanket, and breathed a sigh of relief
when she found her clothing still intact. She hadn't remembered anything happening
during the night, but it had frightened her to find Josiah still in her arms when
she awoke.
"I ain't waiting fer you all morning!" Josiah called to her impatiently.
Emma poked her head out from under the blanket and saw that Josiah was staring at
her from beside the horses.
"Pack up the bedding," he ordered. "We're clearing out."
"What about breakfast?" she asked hungrily.
"There's no time fer eating," Josiah urged. "Now git up, afore I come
over there and pull you off'a that buffalo hide!"
Scrambling to her feet, Emma hurried to roll the heavy robe and pack it away.
Before loading the packhorse with his belongings, Josiah checked the wound on Emma's
leg. After declaring that it looked to be healing as it should, he dressed it and
bound it with a clean blue handkerchief.
After everything was in readiness, Josiah placed Emma on the sorrel and then mounted
his own horse. He maintained tight control of Emma's reins, and never once let them
out of his hand without first securing them to his saddle.
For all of that morning, they continued to ride in an ever Northerly direction. The
territory around them grew increasingly majestic, and Emma wondered if this was the
land of the Yellowstone she had heard Josiah mention the day before. Whatever it
was, she knew they were nearing Blackfoot country, and dearly wished they were headed
in any direction but North! To her, this was an act of insanity, for even though
Josiah was part Blackfoot, he didn't seem to be on very good terms with his own people.
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