“True enough.Thank you, kindly,” I said.
Clarence smiled.“And that way we can check on your place and make sure everything’s all right while you’re gone, so it’ll be standing right where you left it when you get back.”
Irene stood and came o’er to hug me, then Oscar, while Clarence offered his hand to us to shake.
“You two are a wonderful addition to this town.And we hope you come back as soon as you’re able,” Clarence said.
“We surely will,” Oscar said.“Won’t we, Jimmy?”
“Port Essington is our home now, and ’twill always be our home, I reckon.So, you can count on us returning.”
* * * *
Back home that night, we sorted out what we needed to take with us.We’d pack up the mule in the morning and head out by noon.I was glad I’d taught Oscar to shoot.He had his revolver, and I had the rifle.
I didn’t want to think about the wolf attack outside of Port Essington last fall—or what had happened with Spook and Whitlaw on our way to Whitehorse.Well, we didn’t have to worry about them outlaws since they were dead and gone, and nobody else from my gang possessed the motivation or the skill to track us down.’Twas true that traveling through the wilderness was dangerous, and unexpected things could happen.We’d have to keep our wits about us.But Oscar was a better rider now, he had a horse that understood him and he could protect himself, so we were in a better position than we’d been on our way here.
I only had to keep telling myself that.
* * * *
We had our packs and the animals ready when we’d planned to.One of the great things about Oscar was that, if he had specific instructions and a defined goal, he worked hard to get there.
Of course, now he was saying his goodbyes to his cat, and we might be delayed.
“She’ll be fine, Oscar.Let’s go.”
“Hold on,” he said, giving me an irritated look.He scooped the gray-and-white cat up from the porch and cuddled her to his chest, like he had when she had been a tiny kitten.She flicked her ear as he whispered something to her.She made a little mewl, and Oscar threw me another look.
“Oh, I know it,” he said out loud.“But he has other, better qualities.”
I rolled my eyes.“Come on, now.We gotta go.”
“Fine,” he said, and put the cat down gently.She ran toward the barn, and I reckoned she’d be hunting for her supper now.There were lots of mice and birds around for her to get.
Oscar grabbed the reins and the pommel of Onyx’s fancy, tooled saddle, and swung himself up.
“All right.I’m ready.”
“Hold on a second,” I said, taking a look at our brand-new house where it rose up in front of us.
“Really?Nowyouwanna wait?”He followed my gaze and saw where I was focused.“It truly is a beautiful house, Jimmy.I’m sorry to leave it.”
“I reckon I feel the same.But she’ll be here when we return.”I gave him a smile.“Now, let’s go.”
The smell of the fish canneries hit us hard when we got close to town.As soon as the ice on the Skeena had broken up, business had gone back to normal, and the docks had become chaotic and congested.There were already more people here than there’d been all winter, and more would come all summer long.
We stopped to say goodbye to Carson and Tim, and they expressed their dismay at how we had to leave right after our house went up.
Tim said he had some goods in the back we could have for the trip, and Oscar went with him, while Carson touched my elbow and gestured to a spot out of the way of customers.
“I need to ask you something, Jimmy,” he said, in a hushed voice, and a chill crept up my spine.
“Sure.”
Carson’s gaze followed Oscar and Tim, then returned to me, with eyes that sparked with intelligence.His cheeks flushed and he stumbled o’er his words.“I’m sorry, but I noticed how…close you are to Oscar, and he to you, and I wondered…”
He seemed to be searching for something, and I wasn’t giving it to him.Not yet.
