Winter Love Part 13

"Don't worry about that, b.u.t.terfly." Laura knelt down beside the bed of furs and laid her hand on the sick woman's forehead. "Whites are used to catching it in the winter and have cures for it. You have a fever. Do your bones ache?"

b.u.t.terfly nodded. "Every one in my body."

"Are any of your people down with it?"

"Yes, and they are dying like flies. Even Chief Muga is sick. The medicine man is spending all his time with him."

"When did you eat last, b.u.t.terfly?" Laura asked.

"I'm not sure," b.u.t.terfly answered weakly. "Two days ago, I think."

Laura shook her head. The woman should have been drinking a lot of meat broth. "b.u.t.terfly, after I build up your fire I'm going back to my village to bring back some food and remedies that will help you get better." She knew she must get help to b.u.t.terfly and the village as soon as possible.

"Well, that was fast," Fletch said, surprised when Laura returned so soon. "Didn't your new boyfriend want to be bothered with you today?" Again he received no answer from Laura. She had no time to exchange insults with him today.

Taylor's face turned as white as the pillow his head lay on when Laura said, "Pa, b.u.t.terfly has influenza. As you know, Indians have no inborn resistance to it. I won't lie to you, Pa. She is very ill. Many of her people have died from it. I guess Chief Muga is at death's door."

When Taylor pushed himself up to a sitting position, cursing his inability to go to the woman he loved, Laura said, "I'm going back as soon as I can gather up a piece of beef and the remedies I need to fight the virus." She paused, then said, "I don't know what to do about Jolie. I may be gone for some time."

"While you get everything together, I'll take Jolie to Maida," Fletch said from the doorway where he had heard everything that had been said. "She's old enough now to be put on cow's milk. Send Elisha over to Agnes Morse to borrow a bottle and nipple."

Laura nodded her thanks and was halfway out of the store when Fletch said, "I've got a young doe hanging in a tree outside. We'll bring that too. Venison broth is stronger than beef."

We? Laura paused for a moment. Was Fletch going with her to the Indian village? She remembered then the friends.h.i.+p between him and Red Fox and wasn't surprised that he would be concerned about the Indian and his people.

Hurrying up the snow-trampled path to the cabin, Laura burst into the kitchen. It took her but a few minutes to whip up a poultice of kerosene, turpentine, and lard to place on b.u.t.terfly's chest to break up the congestion there. She placed it in a basket, along with a square of woolen cloth to put under the mixture so that it wouldn't burn her skin. To help the concoction along, she put a handful of rock candy in a pint of whiskey. She would give b.u.t.terfly several spoonfuls every couple hours.

To help cure the influenza, Laura added to the basket a small bottle of quinine. A teaspoon of it added to a gla.s.s of water should also help bring down the fever. The last thing she put in the basket was a pot of clear beef broth she had planned to make soup with.

Laura didn't know how the word had spread so fast, but when she stepped outside, Fletch was waiting for her, a dozen of Big Pines' population with him. She knew from the women's pale faces they were frightened of an epidemic that could take half, or all, of their families.

"Don't go bringin' their sickness back with you," Milly said sullenly, angry that Fletch was going off with Laura.

"What are you talking about?" Fletch glared at her. "Two of our trappers are already down with it; have been for a couple weeks. They probably took it to the Indians."

The mothers' pinched faces looked more frightened at this piece of news, and they huddled together when Fletch and Laura struck off toward the Indian village.

Laura deliberately led the way along the narrow path in the high snow. Had Fletch been in front with his long strides she'd have had to practically run to keep up with him.

They hadn't gone far when the threatening skies that had hung overhead all day opened up and great white flakes of snow began to fall. There was a stillness in the air as it fell silently and straight down. Neither broke the silence with talk.

When they arrived at the village, the dogs were waiting. Laura had the feeling they were in the same spot where she had left them earlier. Again, no one appeared at their wild barking. Was Red Fox ill, she wondered, or was he with his father, Chief Muga?

b.u.t.terfly was in much the same position in which Laura had left her. Laura hurried to feel her forehead, then the pulse in her wrist. The pulse was fast and her brow burning hot. Taking off her jacket, she looked at Fletch. "Will you please add some more wood to the fire, then bring in some more? You'll find where Pa stacked it behind the wigwam."

After Fletch had stirred up the fire and left to bring in more wood, Laura placed the tin pail of broth on some red coals to heat, then returned to b.u.t.terfly.

She drew the covers down to the sick woman's waist and laid back the blanket-robe she wore. When she had placed the woolen square and poultice on b.u.t.terfly's chest, then covered her up again, she found that the broth had warmed. She filled a small gourd cup from the pail, then added a teaspoon of quinine.

Laura had lifted b.u.t.terfly's head and was holding the cup to her lips when Fletch entered, his arms full of wood. "How is she?" he asked quietly.

"She's very ill and burning up with fever. Will you please bring me a pail of snow? I'll rub it on her face and hands, try to keep the fever down. There's quinine in this broth. It should start working in about half an hour."

Fletch picked up a wooden bucket, recognizing it as coming from their store. He stepped outside and within seconds had it packed full of snow. "I'm going over to Red Fox's wigwam now," he said, placing the bucket next to Laura. "I want to see if everything is all right with him and his family."

Laura nodded and began to smooth the snow over b.u.t.terfly's face. It melted almost immediately on touching her burning-hot skin. She next formed a small, firm s...o...b..ll and laid it on b.u.t.terfly's dry, cracked lips. b.u.t.terfly lifted a hand and eagerly held it there, sipping at the water that thawed and dripped from it.

Laura lost count of time. The snow had melted in the pail and she was now able to dip a piece of cloth into its icy coolness and properly bathe the hot flesh.

She had given b.u.t.terfly a second dose of quinine when Fletch and Red Fox entered the wigwam. The Indian looked tired, but not unwell. So far he hadn't been hit by the virus.

"How is your father?" Laura gave him a tired smile.

"His fever has finally broken and the congestion in his chest is loose now. The medicine man says he will not die."

"I'm sure that you, and your people, are happy about that," Laura said, wringing out the cloth and bathing b.u.t.terfly's arm. "Are your wife and children well?"

"Yes. All is well with them so far." Red Fox knelt down beside her. "How is my sister responding to your care?"

Surprise flickered in Laura's eyes. She hadn't known that Pa's lover was related to Chief Muga. "She's no worse." She dropped the cloth back into the water. "I think she may be a little better. Her skin doesn't seem to be as hot as it was before."

Fletch picked up the bottle of whiskey with the rock candy in it. "I see you've given her several doses of this."

"Yes. It seems to calm her."

Fletch and Red Fox exchanged amused grins, thinking to themselves that unknowingly Laura was keeping her patient half drunk. "How are the other sick ones?" Laura asked.

"Not so good," Red Fox answered. "Fletch has been doing what he can for them. I'll be giving him a hand now, and so will the medicine man now that my father is recovering."

Laura looked at Fletch. "We need more help. There are too many sick ones."

"It's not so much that we need more help as we need some of what you've been giving b.u.t.terfly," Fletch said.

"Look!" Red Fox broke in on them. "My sister's fever has broken."

Laura jerked her gaze to the sick woman and gave a glad little cry. Beads of sweat had broken out on b.u.t.terfly's forehead. "I can start giving her the broth now, build up her strength."

Mopping at the smooth brow, Laura started issuing orders. "Fletch, go back to the house and get my bottle of quinine. It's in the cupboard next to the drysink. Then pick up a quart of whiskey and a pound of rock candy from the store. And Red Fox, you can dress out that doe Fletch brought and set the women to making broth out of it." Neither man stopped to think that they were taking orders from a woman as they hurried to obey her. Within an hour pots were boiling throughout the village, sending out the delicious smell of cooking meat. Fletch had made record time in returning with the items Laura had requested, taking only the time to tell Taylor that it looked like Laura was going to pull b.u.t.terfly through.

The Indian women who hadn't succ.u.mbed to the virus were spooning Laura's remedies down dry throats, and pails of snow were being used on fevered bodies.

It was around two in the morning when Fletch stepped into b.u.t.terfly's wigwam and found Laura, her head bowed, sound asleep. He gently eased her down on her side and covered her with a bright Indian blanket he found folded on top of a pile of furs. He knelt beside her a long time, stroking her hair and wis.h.i.+ng he hadn't gone off to Canada last spring. Had he stayed, things would be different now.

Before he left, Fletch felt b.u.t.terfly's forehead and found it cool. He noted that she was also breathing easily now. Pa's love was going to live, thanks to Laura who had worked so hard to make it so.

Laura and Fletch stayed on at the village three more days, helping to attend the sick. They congratulated each other that no more patients had died.

In the late afternoon of the third day Fletch came to b.u.t.terfly's wigwam. His eyes were red-rimmed from not enough sleep, and his jaw was dark with unshaven stubble. "I think we can go home now, Laura," he said. "Everyone is recovering and no one else has come down with the virus."

"Yes, you must go, Laura," b.u.t.terfly urged. Although weak, the Indian woman was now able to take care of herself.

"I would like to see Jolie," Laura said and looked up at Fletch. "If you think it's all right, then let's get going. I notice that it has started snowing again. We don't want to get caught out in a blizzard."

She took b.u.t.terfly's hands and they looked deeply into each other's eyes. A firm friends.h.i.+p which nothing could break had formed between them. Only b.u.t.terfly's eyes thanked her for all that she had done. It was not the Indian custom to speak aloud their grat.i.tude. The favor received would be returned someday.

Red Fox was waiting for them outside the wigwam. Two vicious-looking dogs sat at his feet, a rope tied around their necks. He handed them over to Fletch, saying, "They're mean devils and won't let any wolves attack you." He and Fletch gripped hands; then Red Fox laid a hand on Laura's head as though in blessing.

"I'll drop by tomorrow," Fletch said, then led off down the path.

They had walked but a short distance when the snow thickened and a wind came up. It became so violent that a nearby tree, stiff with frost, came cras.h.i.+ng down. The snow seemed to blow in all directions, stinging their faces and blinding their eyes. Fletch knew that he must find shelter for them, and soon. They could not battle this storm.

He peered through the slas.h.i.+ng white curtain until he spotted a huge, low-spreading pine only feet away from the path. "Come on." He grabbed Laura's hand. "Let's get under that tree."

Laura's eyes were so tear-filled from the wind and snow, she couldn't see the tree, but she blindly followed Fletch, once stumbling into one of the dogs whose rope Fletch still held on to.

They finally crawled beneath the interlacing boughs, and Fletch immediately began sc.r.a.ping the snow away and piling it into three walls. Then, while Laura waited in the small enclosure, no larger than three feet by three feet, her teeth chattering uncontrollably, Fetch took one of the dogs and went searching for broken boughs and limbs beneath other trees.

It seemed like hours to Laura, but only about 15 minutes had pa.s.sed when Fletch returned, dragging a good-sized lightning-blasted tree and carrying an armful of spruce boughs he had cut from a tree.

He quickly built a fire, and Laura and the dogs huddled around it while he spread the fir branches on the ground. When he had them placed to his satisfaction, he lay down on them and said, "Come on, let's try to get some sleep." Laura hesitated only a moment before scooting away from the fire and crawling onto the makes.h.i.+ft pallet. They lay spoon fas.h.i.+on, her back curled up into the nest of Fletch's chest and drawn up knees. He put his free arm across her waist and pulled her close to him.

Night had fallen, and as Fletch's body heat and the warmth of the fire seeped into Laura's body, she fell asleep.

The dogs, curled as close to the flames as it was safe, growled and snarled a couple times, but only Fletch knew that wolves were smelling around. And he was barely aware of it, he was so firmly fixed on having Laura in his arms.

Chapter Thirteen.

Laura roused to a silent world. The wind had ceased to blow and the snow had stopped falling. She lay in a fuzzy state for a moment, gazing at a pile of red glowing coals which the two dogs curled close to. It was several seconds before she became aware that her jacket was unb.u.t.toned and that a hand was thrust into her bodice. Her eyes widened. Lean fingers were stroking her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

She jerked fully awake and flipped over on her back, slapping Fletch's hand away.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded sharply.

Fletch came up on an elbow and leaned over her, desire in his dark eyes. "You know what I was doing," he said huskily, "and don't bother to deny you liked it." He rubbed his thumb across her lips. "I did not! I was asleep!"

He looked significantly at her hardened nipples pressing against her bodice. "See, you even desire me in your sleep."

"I wasn't desiring you." Laura sat up and reb.u.t.toned her jacket. "I was dreaming about somebody else."

"Who? Hunter O'Hara?" Fletch grabbed her wrist when she started to stand up and demanded, his eyes blazing, "Was he making love to you in your dream?"

"Look, I'm cold and hungry and I want to get home to my daughter. I'm not going to sit here in the snow and answer questions that are none of your business."

Jerking her wrist free and standing up, she looked down at the hard ridge riding the front of his buckskins and said coolly, "I suggest you get hold of Milly as soon as possible. You look in a bad way."

As Fletch looked at her, half amused and half angry, she wheeled and walked around the fire that had warmed them through the night, and then struck off through the deep snow that half covered the path.

"Wait for me, you little fool." Fletch came hurrying behind her, the dogs trotting at his heels. "The wolves are still out hunting." Laura stilled her steps until he caught up with her, but the trip back to Big Pine was a silent one.

Elisha had just arrived at the store a short time ago after pus.h.i.+ng his way through the new foot of snow. He looked up from adding wood to the fire that had burned all night and stared when Laura and Fletch stepped inside.

They were a sorry-looking pair. Their hair was in snarls, full of pine needles. Their clothes were wrinkled and their faces pinched and strained. "Did you two get caught in the blizzard?" Elisha asked after running his gaze over them.

"We did," Fletch answered shortly, following Laura to the stove and holding his hands over the heat emanating from its top. "Along with a couple of Red Fox's dogs. They're tied up outside. Would you give them something to eat and then turn them loose?"

Elisha's lips curled in his toothless grin. "Widder Louden brought over a pot of stew last night. It was so tasteless me and Taylor ended up eatin' cheese and crackers for supper. Maybe the dogs will eat it."

"Do you think Red Fox would mind if I kept that one that looks half wolf?" Laura asked Fletch as she pulled off her jacket. "He and I became friendly during the time I spent in the village."

"I doubt if he'd even miss him, they've got so many dogs, always raising a racket," Fletch answered as he removed his jacket also.

"Hey, is that you, Laura and Fletcher?" Taylor called from his bed. "Come on in and tell me how everyone is at the village."

Laura smiled to herself as she hurried into what used to be the storeroom, Fletch following her. Pa had said everyone, but he meant how was b.u.t.terfly. She sat down on the edge of the cot and Fletch took the chair.

"The influenza is finally licked, Pa." Laura smiled down at his concerned face. "Nineteen people died, though, before it was over," Fletch added.

"b.u.t.terfly was awfully sick for a while but she pulled through," Laura told Taylor. "She sends her regards and says she will come visiting as soon as she gets her strength back."

Taylor's chest heaved in a sigh of relief "I was awfully worried about her. I was worried about you two also," he quickly added. "The womenfolk wouldn't let anyone go to the village to find out how you were doing for fear they'd bring back the sickness. Hunter said he was going anyhow, but the mothers put up such a howl I told him he'd better not go."

Taylor looked at Fletch. "You were lucky no one saw you when you came back for Laura's remedies. Them scared mothers might have driven you away."

"How are the two trappers who were down with the influenza?" Laura asked. "They're fine. Big Bertha wouldn't let anyone near them, so the sickness didn't spread."

Laura leaned over and kissed Taylor's cheek. "I'm going to fight my way to the cabin now to take a bath and get into some clean clothes. Then I'm going to get my daughter. I can't tell you how much I've missed her. Is she all right? Does cow's milk agree with her?"

"According to Daniel, she took to the bottle without any trouble." He grinned. "Daniel also said that Maida has spoiled the little one rotten. Claims his wife holds her all the time."

"I've kept a fire going in your cabin all the time you was gone, Laura." Elisha walked into the room. "We didn't know when you'd get back and we didn't want you returnin' to a freezin' cold cabin."

Fletch shook his head as he thought to himself that it didn't matter to these two men that Laura had brought shame to the Thomas name. They still doted on her, treated her like a princess.

It didn't occur to him that he was doing much the same thing when he said, "There's no need for you to go fetch Jolie. I'll send Maida over with her."