The youngster wandered down to the rill, and stooped swiftly to catch a
green frog in his hands. He cupped it there, and the rest gathered
around to marvel at this prize. Tad said impatiently,
"Let's make camp, Pa."
Joe warmed to his freckle-faced son, so unpredictable and wild one hour
and so dependable the next. He reflected with a sense of gratification
that Tad had been no trouble whatever on this trip. Maybe the trek was
already beginning to take some of his wildness. Joe looked around at the
camp site.
Since they were going to be here for some time, and not just overnight,
they could have more comfort than overnight camps afforded. There were
stones lying around and a good fireplace might be fashioned from them.
He said,
"How about gathering stones for a fireplace, Tad?"
"Sure."
The youngster went willingly to work, and after she had tied the cow
securely, Barbara helped him.
Joe unhitched the mules and staked them. His eyes lighted on two chunks
of wood that had been cut from a felled apple tree. He pointed them out
to Emma.
"Suppose I borrow some boards from Jake Favors and lay them across those
chunks? We'd have a passable table. Plenty of wood around. Might make us
some benches, too."
Her heart leaped at the thought of a real table again, but she subdued
it quickly. "You don't want to take time for that, Joe. A table's the
last thing in the world we need to bother about."
He looked at her sidewise and winked solemnly, and she was caught
between laughter and tears. His look told her more plainly than words
that he knew what the small domestic comforts meant to her, and that he
didn't intend to be prevented from wasting an hour for her comfort.
Barbara and Tad had collected a good heap of stones, and Joe started
building a fireplace. Emma knelt beside him.
"Let me do this."
"Aren't you tired?"
"I've done nothing except ride for three days," Emma said scornfully.
"You can leave the camp to us."
"Well, if you're sure you can make it--"