Coal Black (Book 5)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Leaving the Ranch

Cooper slept through the night on the cot in the wooded cabin without a nightmare. On Saturday morning, he woke up refreshed. He had smoked the last of the cigar and sipped on the whiskey last night. The bottle still had whiskey in it, and it was going to stay that way. He was sober and felt stronger every day, eating fish, walking the woods, and fishing every afternoon.

He knew she wouldn't be bringing any breakfast this morning, and he sliced the rest of the bread and fried it in excess lard from his fish fry last night. He reheated the coffee and sat by the fire, eating fried bread with butter and jam, drinking coffee. After breakfast, he saddled his horse at the rock shelter and walked her to the cabin.

When he arrived at the front porch, Cooper tethered the mare to a grass area within sight of the cabin. He took off the saddle and set it on the porch. The escaped prisoner spent the morning packing to travel and cleaning the cabin. When he finished, he knew he had time to fish until noon. Cooper scrambled into the woods with his new fishing rod to fish for his lunch before leaving the cabin.

Alice was a nervous wreck Saturday morning. She cooked up a storm and wrote an extensive list for Joe to replace the items she took with her for cooking. The boys didn't waste any time eating lunch. They were ready to ride to town, which was about an eight-mile ride.

She had tears in her eyes as she clear the table. Her tears made the boys uncomfortable, and they cleared out of the dining room, blaming it on her time of the month. Alice blocked it out of her mind and went about her business. She finished the dishes and stirred the two pots of soup on the stove. It was time to leave.

Alice dressed in layers, wearing her skirt, petticoat, white blouse, and vest. She slipped on her tall riding boots and ran to the barn to retrieve her horses. She walked them to the back of the kitchen and started packing. Within the hour, her pack horse was loaded and covered in a tarp, and Alice placed her belongings on her horse.

She grabbed her hat and the few coins she had possessed from doing laundry and finding coins the men had left in their pockets. The last thing she did was lay the letter to her father on her pillow.

Nobody stopped her or questioned her as she closed the door for the last time. She blinked back the tears and held her head up high as she rode to the cabin. She knew Cooper would be happy to see her. Alice's excitement grew when she saw him on the porch waiting for her. He was smiling and waving when he saw her. Next to him, his horse was saddled and packed.

She dismounted with a giant smile on her face. He showed her the new fishing poles and told he had made her a pole for the trip. His thoughtfulness overwhelmed Alice. She had received so few gifts in her life from other people.

"How thoughtful of you. You did a marvelous job. At least we won't starve. We'll fish for all we can eat."

Alice remove the hat and coat that she brought for him along with a rifle and a box of bullets. Her generosity took him aback.

"It wouldn't look right if you were riding without a hat, and two guns are better than one if we must keep bears at bay."

"That is a fact. I sure feel better having a weapon," said Cooper as he tried the hat on for size.

It was an old felt hat, and it was a little big, which was better than being too small. He added the coat and gun to his pack.

"You sure brought an awful lot. Are you sure we need a pack horse? Won't that slow us down being on the run?"