Grinning amicably, the incorrigible old mountaineer rose and went his way, and left the irate goodwife to gather her apron full of plains fuel for herself.
[pg 152]
CHAPTER XIX -BANION OF DONIPHAN'S
Molly Wingate was grumbing over her fire when at length her husband and son returned to their wagon. Jed was vastly proud over a bullet crease he had got in a shoulder. After his mother's alarm had taken the form of first aid he was all for showing his battle scars to a certain damsel in Caleb Price's wagon. Wingate remained dour and silent as was now his wont, and cursing his luck that he had had no horse to carry him up in the late pursuit of the Sioux. He also was bitter over the delay in making a burial trench.
"Some ways, Jess," commented his spouse, "I'd a'most guess you ain't got much use for Will Banion."
"Why should I have? Hasn't he done all he could to shoulder me out of my place as captain of this train? And wasn't I elected at Westport before we started?"
"Mostly, a man has to stay elected, Jess."
"Well, I'm going to! I had it out with that young man right now. I told him I knew why he wanted in our train--it was Molly."