"You sit down," Emma urged. "We'll have buffalo steak again for supper."
She spoke a little tiredly, and Joe said nothing. Snedeker had a limited
supply of sugar, flour, salt, coffee, and all the other staples and
these he sold to Joe for just what they cost at Laramie. Joe's own quota
was free, for that had been part of their bargain, but he had to pay for
what his family used. The meat that went with it, for which Snedeker
charged nothing, was buffalo, elk, antelope, bear, and bighorn. Because
there was more buffalo than anything else, they ate it most of the time
and Emma was wearying of it. All they had in addition was such milk as
the cow gave. Emma's chickens, in a shed by themselves, hadn't laid for
weeks.
Emma went back to her work and Joe sank down in a chair. He'd told the
children a story every night, usually centering it on something he had
seen or done while felling trees, and the subject was wearing thin.
Unable to think of any new slants, he assured them that his knee was a
big black horse and bounced each of them in turn. Tad, who had a
supernatural talent for appearing whenever there was anything to eat,
raced in just as Emma and Barbara put the food on the table.
Every night, as soon as the dishes were washed, all of them usually went
over to while away a couple of hours with Snedeker and Ellis. Given a
free hand to do as they wished, the younger children played with
Snedeker's few trade goods; they were few in winter because few Indians
came to trade. They brought their buffalo robes in spring, but by that
time Snedeker would have more goods. This night Joe and Emma did not put
their coats on and the younger children looked questioningly at them.
"Go with Barbara," Emma told them. "We'll stay home tonight."
Barbara, who knew some things that the youngsters did not, winked
knowingly at her parents and dressed the younger children. They trooped
out into the night, and Joe and Emma were left alone. Joe stared moodily
into the fire while Emma waited expectantly. Joe said,
"Ellis wants to marry Barbara."
She bit her lower lip, but did not register the astonishment that Joe
had anticipated. He nodded; probably she'd already known.
"It isn't unexpected," she said.
"What do you think about it?"