Hootie stirred again, this time by the sounds of metal pans being shuffled in the kitchen. She drew the back of her right hand across her eyes to wipe them open for the morning. The sun was barely showing through the trees and it cast an orange glow through the room. She remembered the old sailor's saying about a red sky in the morning which was a sailors warning and a red sky at night was a sailor's delight. It was funny to her how some of these sayings she had heard through her life always seemed to be right. She smiled and concluded that more winter weather was going to settle in on Dodge.

Hootie pushed herself up from the chair and realized that she was just getting too old to be sleeping in a chair for the night, "oh..." she groaned as she straightened her back.

Richard who was busy making loaves of bread stopped what he was doing, "Aunt Hootie, you okay?" he walked to the livingroom.

"Heavens yes! I'm just not used to sleeping in a chair for the night. Might require a cot tonight," she chuckled.

Richard blushed, "I'm awfully sorry I couldn't make up the guest bed yesterday. I'll do it today," he returned to the kitchen with Hootie following him, "Nonsense, I'll do it myself. After all this was my idea," she smiled as she leaned over the farmer's shoulder. "Sure looks like you know how to make bread!"

Richard further blushed, "Ah, it's nothing really. My Pa was a baker, before he died. I worked with him for a spell."

Hootie patted the young man on the shoulder, "Why don't you seel some of those loaves to the folks in Dodge? After all you could use the money and I bet they could use your bread..." her round face smiled at Richard.

"Ya know...I never thought of that!" Richard smiled in such a way his face was almost separated by his big grin. Even his eyes shone with the idea of making some money in the winter months.

Hootie again pat they young man on the shoulder, "I'll start to gettin' breakfast," she said as she picked up a small basket and headed to the hen house for fresh eggs.

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Doc was not satisfied with Addie's explanation of her father's upper leg injury. There was no way he could have shot himself at the angle the bullet passed through his thigh. But the doctor wasn't going to push for answers - at least not yet.

Doc ticked his head thinking to himself that had Addie Modhercan not come to get him when she did, old Argonaut would not have lasted another three days. At that, he wasn't certain if the buffalo hunter was out of the woods yet, so-to-say. The infection was almost on the verge of gangrene and if it weren't for Addie and her "witch" medicine, as Doc often called it, he would be in far worse shape than he was. Doc pulled the wooly blanket up under the man's chin before he stood and stretched his back.

"Doc?" a small voice asked from behind. Doc turned to face the sooty face of little Piney, "You remember me?" she smiled slightly.

Doc drew his right hand over his moustache and looked down at the young girl, "I sure do, Piney. I see you're all better, just like I said you would be."

Piney's smile broadened the stopped, "Are you going to be able to help Pa, like you did with me?" she peaked past Doc to look at Argonaut sleeping.

Doc placed his hand on Piney's head, "Yeah. I think so." Then a thought ran through Doc's brain. He noticed that Addie had left the shack to start breakfast, "Tell me, Piney. How did your Pa get shot?"

Piney twisted her face, "Addie told me not to say anything about that." She looked to the ground and scrubbed one toe off the other.

"But I'm a doctor. I need to know..." he knelt down to look at the young girl in the eyes.

She ummed and hawed, still not wanting to talk, but she saw the need for an answer in the doctor's eyes, "You promise not to tell Addie nor anyone I told you?"

"Cross my heart," Doc motioned with his hand.

Piney looked around to make sure no one was listening and then leaned to the doctor, "He was stealing a goat..."

Doc straightened and looked at the young girl, "But doesn't he have enough buffalo?"

"Sure he does, but he likes milk too...and when he tried to steal old farmer Strummer's favourite goat...the old ornery on called Patti, that's when he shot my Pa..." Even Piney was embarrassed for her adopted father's actions, "I told you, no one knows I told ya about this...I'll be tanned for sure..." Piney then turned and scurried away.

Doc stood and looked down at the sleeping Argonaut Modhercan, "All this trouble fer an old milk goat named Patti? Shame." He shook his head and pulled his coat on before leaving the shack.

Addie, Herk, Skeeter and Piney stood at the fire and waited for him to emerge with the news, "Don't worry, he's going to just fine. Addie, if it wasn't for those politesse you have been applying, he likely would be dead by now. I'm proud of you..." Doc smiled slightly.

"You stayin' fer breakfast, aint'cha?" Addie stepped closer to Doc.

Doc swallowed hard and looked around. He remembered the looks on those hill bumpkin's faces from before, and the thought better to not be ungrateful and at least eat their food. "I'll have breakfast, but then I have to go."

Addie's eyes narrowed. She didn't like the idea of Doc leaving, just yet.