Chapter Nine
Heath and Andrew traipsed up one hill and down another, going around a number of small boulders, though more than one clump of trees and even crossed a small stream checking one trap after another. The whole time Heath was keeping an eye open for signs of any other man, something he had been doing for the past four weeks. By noon they had found a couple of animals in Andrew's traps, and Heath's feet were killing him; he needed a rest. Fortunately, Heath was spared having to ask for a break when Andrew found a shady spot underneath a tree near the river and suggest Heath sit down.
"Sorry, I know the pace we've keeping since you've been here must seem fast to you, only it ain't. Believe me." Andrew handed Heath some dried jerky and then went to the river to fill the canteen that he always carried with him. Most of the time it still had a bit of water in it when noon rolled around, but with an extra mouth it had gone faster.
"I realize that and appreciate it." Heath answered as he again glanced over the surroundings.
"I told ya before," Andrew walked away from the river, stepped over a couple of small boulders and handed Heath the canteen. "Mr. Hansen, he don't make himself known iff'n he don't want to. Best thing you can do, seein' how ya refuse to go back to your family," Mr. Phillips had tried to talk some sense into Heath only to find out just how stubborn the man could be, "is make sure yer outside every day. He doesn't have much use for men who stay indoors, or hardly leave the land they think they own."
"It's been nearly a month. How much chance do you think I have?" Heath asked as he took a swallow of water, thinking on the man he desperately wanted to talk to before he got to the point where he couldn't. That is, if he didn't beat this disease inside him.
"Man always has a chance," Andrew said after a while. "Big or small, he has one."
If Andrew Phillips thought he and Heath would have a simple lunch and then go back to trapping, he was wrong when Heath spoke again. "You said you know Marvin's uncle. Did you ever really talk to him? I mean enough to know exactly what happened between him and Marvin?" Heath usually wouldn't ask such questions considering it none of his business, only he really wanted to know all he could beforehand, should he bump into the man.
Andrew sat down on one of the large sized boulders that sat nearby and, leaning forward, rested his arms on his knees. "Why do ya ask? Didn't Marvin tell ya?" The fact that the man wondered if Heath was being honest with him could be seen as clear as the noon day sun over their head.
"No, he didn't." Heath said as his own eyes sent a message to the mountain man, one that said 'If you say I lie, we'll have it out right here and now!"
Slowly a smile crossed the older gentleman's face as he stood up. "I can't sit here talkin' all day. I'll tell you what I know as we check the rest of my traps." Andrew started walking away; Heath quickly caught up.
As the two started going up and down the hills once more, Andrew told Heath that Marvin had worked alongside his uncle, learning all about trapping. He explained how the two, along with Mr. Hansen's son, had stumbled onto what looked to be a possible gold mine.
"It wasn't." Andrew said as he ducked to miss a low hanging branch; Heath did the same. "But his uncle didn't find that out until after Marvin got it into his head to join the north when it came to the Civil War." He went on to explain that, thinking the mine as still a possibility, the two men had gone the rounds on when Marvin should actually join the fight. "His uncle had nothing against him fightin' for what he believed in," Andrew said as he bent down and reset a trap that had been tripped only to have the animal escape anyway. "He just wanted Marvin to wait a little bit, ta at least help him see if the gold could be verified first." He then told of what he called 'the biggest fight' of the century took place. "Marvin lit out after that, might not have been so bad only Marvin took his cousin with him leavin' his uncle ta do the work by himself."
"So that's what Marvin meant when he said he was wrong, and that he wished he could start over. The last words he said was 'Howard had no business bein' out there' and that 'I should have listened'" Heath stopped as they came to a small creek and knelt down to fill his canteen with water once more.
It was all Andrew could do to keep the shock he felt as he heard Heath's words from showing. "He said that?"
"Yeah, along with something else, something that I'll only repeat to his uncle, I…" Heath stopped as he heard someone approaching. Andrew, who had heard the footsteps also, whirled around prepared to shoot only to start grinning from ear to ear as a short, white haired, slightly heavy set man who looked to be a good ten years older than Andrew Phillips came into view.
"You old coot! What ya tryin' to do, get shot?" Andrew laughed as he looked over at Heath. "Heath, meet Jackson, the only man in these mountains older than the man you're looking for."
"Hello," Heath nodded as Jackson looked him over while shooting Andrew a quizzical look that lasted a split second.
"Hello," Jackson returned Heath's greeting and then looked at Andrew. "Are you aware we've had someone stealing furs from our traps? They might still be around." He wasn't surprised when shock appeared on his friend's face, nor was he shocked when Andrew exploded. The man, like anyone else, was protective of what was theirs…and any animal caught in their traps belonged to them.
"No, I wasn't." He turned to Heath, "Ya might have a bit more excitement than ya want iff'n you stay with me. You sure I can't talk some sense into you, get ya to go home to yer family?"
Heath gave Andrew a lopsided grin as he shook his head and chuckled. "Just might be worth staying around."
Jackson took a step forward. "Before I leave the two of you, mind if I talk to Andrew for a minute? In private," he stressed the words 'in' and 'private'.
Heath was more than happy to oblige and walked down the river a ways, the whole time keeping his eyes wide open…only now he kept them open not only for Marvin's uncle, but the thief, or thieves, as well.
"What's going on?" Jackson turned to his longtime friend and demanded the moment Heath was out of hearing range. "You and I both know that you are the only man that I'm older than when it comes to any of the mountain men living in this area, and he can't be looking for someone he's already with!" He looked at his friend as if Andrew had gone and lost his brains.
"He's lookin' for Jeremiah Hansen." Andrew answered in a very flat voice as he put his hands on his hips and looked in the direction Heath had gone. He had to hold in a roar of laughter as a look of utter shock came onto his friend's face.
Once Jackson got over his initial shock, he asked, "What's the story? I mean, if he's looking for you why not just tell him about that nut of an ex wife of yours? Why not tell him about the name change and see what he wants?"
"I know what he wants," Andrew rubbed his forehead, "And believe me, after what he just told me, I want ta hear everythin' only it's like this..." Andrew went on to tell his friend about Heath's condition. "If I tell him who I am right now, he'll tell me whatever the last thing is and then go who knows where. I can keep an eye on him here. I know these mountains like the back of my hand."
"His family doesn't know he came up here?" Jackson asked with a look of disbelief on his face.
"Not from what he's told me," Andrew thought a moment and then took a chance, knowing he could trust his friend. "I want you ta do me a favor." He went on to tell Jackson what he wanted and why.
After what he'd been told, Jackson wasn't surprised by his friend's request; still, he let the man know what he thought about it. "Do you know what will happen when he finds out what you've asked? And there's a high chance he will find out, you know that as well as I do."
Andrew wasn't going to deny what his friend said was true only it had to be done. "Please, just do as I ask." He said as he reinforced how important he felt it was. Finally his friend consented to do as Andrew asked.
"Just keep a close on eye him." Jackson told him. "If he does have hydrophobia or rabies as most people call it, you won't be sleeping much. I mean, he could turn on you."
For a split second, Andrew could saw the previous night flash in front of his eyes. "I told you I wasn't going back, and it would be better if you left!" Heath had flown off the handle and turned on Andrew after the man had again tried to ask about the Barkleys. He had never once mentioned Heath going back to Jarrod or Nick, or his sister and mother, but Heath had taken Andrew's words the wrong way. Andrew had simply sat back, prepared to defend himself if he had no choice. As it was, he watched as Heath, who was unsettled at flying off the handle yet again, turned and disappeared into the bedroom. Heath didn't come out of the bedroom the rest of the night and it was a couple of hours before Andrew laid down on the cot in the living room.
"Don't worry 'bout me," Andrew smiled at his friend, "Just do as I asked." He then turned and started walking toward towards Heath, who he could see standing on the bank of the riving approximately a hundred yards away.
A/N Due to comments on another site, please let me clarify one thing...Andrew is NOT a man who simply ran into the mountains to hide from a lunatic of an ex wife. He has been living in the mountains FOR YEARS. He simply changed his name and started living at more than one cabin...and wherever he chose as a way to avoid the woman. That is, on the occasions she would come into the mountains. Is she still doing that or has she stopped will be come out in another chapter. I really should have clarified that one better, sorry.
