The Course of True Love - Book l

Beaver Hollow - Favored Sons

"I think we got a pretty good take, Charles." Arthur admitted as he and the fellow outlaw had begun to make the long drive back to Beaver Hollow from New Hanover, taking advantage of the vast landscape for a well-needed hunting trip. The men were out the whole day, deciding to travel back to camp shortly after dusk, expecting to be there by mid-morning or early afternoon.

"I do too. We needed it, that's for sure. I'm going to take a left up here and take a shortcut through Cumberland Forest. It'll be a longer ride, but it avoids all the main roads. I heard there's been patrol everywhere along the main road around Cornwall's place."

"Yeah, I have too," Arthur sighed, lighting a match by striking it along the sole of his boot, bringing it up to his lips to light his cigarette. "I wonder how things are back at camp... Since we've been gone."

"Well, if I had to guess, I'd say Dutch is probably thinking of some way to cause another so-called distraction, Karen is probably putting a hurting on the bottle, Mary-Beth and Tilly are reading a book, Pearson is surviving off of vegetables, and Minnie and Sadie are probably plotting to start some trouble." Charles chuckled.

"I think you might be right," Arthur chuckled along. "I told her to not go anywhere, but I wouldn't be surprised if she did anyway. That woman ain't no picnic and she makes me want to jump off a cliff sometimes." He admitted.

"Ah, don't say that. Nobody wants to jump off a cliff. You know you love her."

"No doubt I do, it's just that we're so much alike we bump heads almost too much. I can't suggest anything to her without her getting all riled up. Once she sets her mind to something, ain't nobody changin' that, not even me. I've been even more worried about her now that she's pregnant and runnin' around shootin' guns and ridin' her horse. It just ain't right."

"I understand, but I don't think she's that way because of selfishness. I think that's just her instinct."

"What do you mean?"

"When I spent some time at the reservation, Rains Fall told me about her. She's known to the tribe as Akicita, which is a name for a warrior. He told me that she helped them move to the new reservation in Wapiti when the last peace treaty went sour. After she did that, Rains Fall was told she was killed over conspiracy by the Army."

"Shit. Small world."

"That's for sure. What bothers me is that Dutch has suddenly taken sides with Eagle Flies, dropping everything he stands for to practically use him and his men to his own advantage."

"Yeah, I've noticed that too. That, and Micah bein' so close to him now. It's like he forgot that John and I have been closest to him. He has no idea that Hosea is still alive. Hosea told me himself that he didn't want Dutch to know because he knew he had changed."

"Micah is going to cause everything to go down much faster."

"Stick 'em up, cowboys." A gruff voice said alongside the wagon. Arthur paused, his right palm hovering over his revolver as he dared to look at the agitator, seeing the curved head of a familiar Arabian horse. "Very funny, Dutch." Arthur grumbled.

"I always think so," Dutch chuckled, putting away his revolver.

"You're gonna end up getting shot one of these days."

Dutch scoffed, "Nah, I'd make sure I'd die at the hands of myself before someone else kills me. What're you two doin'?"

"Heading back to camp. We got a lot of game from where we went hunting at."

"Looks to be so. Meet me up on the cliffside just ahead, the both of you." Dutch ordered, kicking The Count into a canter ahead of the outlaws, both of them looking at each other in frustration.