Innocence Lost

Chapter 4

Arthur Morgan walked from his cabin. He shivered slightly. He really hated the snow. He would be glad to leave this place.

Pearson was starting to pack up.

Arthur looked across at Pearson. "Any coffee," he asked.

Pearson nodded towards the fire, "you'll have to hurry though."

Arthur poured a cup of coffee, and walked across to the other side of the camp. Most of the supplies had already been piled onto the convoy of wagons. It was just a case of getting everyone ready to leave.

Bill Williamson came out of one of the far cabins, dragging the O'Driscoll boy. Arthur thought he might have felt a bit sorry for him, if he hadn't seen the ghastly scene in the cabin, at the O'Driscoll camp. He was really only a kid.

But he had seen it, and no one had really had time to interrogate the boy. What with robbing the train, and rescuing John off the mountain. Not to mention Dutch being distracted, with the girl they had rescued.

There would be time enough for that, when they got down off this mountain. If the kid had anything to do with it, he would make sure he died, and slow.

Bill shouted across at Arthur, "where shall I stow him?"

Arthur pointed to the nearest Wagon, "chuck him in the back of that one."

He chucked the dregs of his coffee on the ground, and put the metal mug back in his bag.

He looked towards Dutch's cabin, and walked across. He was about to open the door, when Miss Grimshaw came up behind him. She handed him a thick coat.

"Here," she said. "Give this to Dutch, for the young lady. She'll need something warmer than a shirt, while we travel out of this snow."

Arthur took the coat, and nodded thanks.

Arthur walked into the cabin, and glanced across at the bed. The young woman was still fast asleep.

Dutch had already put his heavy coat on, ready for travelling.

He passed Dutch the coat. "Miss Grimshaw reckons she'll need this out there."

Dutch looked at Arthur. "Can you give me a hand, Charles gave me a sleeping draught to give her last night, she hasn't stirred this morning. I think we just need to get her into one of the wagons."

Arthur nodded, "lets get this coat on her first," he said.

Both men managed to get the coat on the sleeping girl. Arthur, picked her up, and carried her to the front wagon. He still couldn't believe how little she weighed, he wondered if she was younger than he had originally thought.

He placed her in the back of the wagon, it was covered so he though it might give her some extra protection from the cold.

Dutch followed, with a couple of extra blankets to cover her with.

Arthur looked at the girl, and then at Dutch. "I might ask Charles for some of whatever you gave her last night!" Both men laughed.

Dutch looked at Arthur, "We'll all sleep better, when we see the back of this god-damn mountain."

Hosea walked towards the two men, "I think we should head to a little place called Horseshoe Overlook, near a town called Valentine."

Dutch looked at Hosea, "Ok, I guess any place has got to be better than this. You two take that wagon. I'm gonna keep an eye on the girl."

Dutch headed off towards the lead wagon.