Yet another time jump haha! But since there's still a ton of fic left to go, especially when we get to 1899, so I wanted to focus on the big events.

Chapter 26: Montana

"How does that new scope feel?" Arthur asked Isaac. They were crouching near a river, and Isaac was hoping to take down an elk. They were certainly plentiful near the Canadian border in Montana. After nearly four years of robbing and wandering, they were so close to their ranch. In fact, Dutch was telling the gang not to rob for the moment in case he found the land he was looking for in Montana, so Arthur and Isaac were the ones keeping the gang fed.

"The scope is fine, I guess. Takes some getting used to," Isaac whispered back.

"Which one are you aiming at?"

"The bull."

Arthur grinned. Of course Isaac wanted the prize animal for himself. His kid was learning well. "That makes it easy. I'll grab one of the others. Ready?"

"Yeah."

Arthur let out a sharp whistle, and the herd looked up. He released the air from his lungs, hearing Isaac do the same. As soon as Isaac fired his rifle, he pulled the trigger, and two of the elk went down.

"Alright, let's get them!" Arthur said, patting Isaac on the shoulder and calling for Boadicea and Rory. Isaac was going through a growth spurt at the moment, and they found that Daisy was getting too old to carry both him and the many pelts they were collecting. Hosea ended up talking to a local farmer looking for an older, calm pony to teach his young children how to ride, and Hosea knew that Daisy would be perfect. It was sad to say goodbye to her after so many years, but even Isaac had to admit it was time. Arthur promised to buy Isaac a horse of his choice once they knew what was going on with Dutch's latest ranch idea. Plus, Arthur figured Isaac should wait to see how tall he ended up being before he picked a horse. For now, Isaac was fine with riding Rory.

They skinned the animals and wrapped up the meat, riding back to the old farmhouse they were occupying. Copper barked and lazily wandered over to them. He was rather old now, too. His muzzle had turned grey and he slept most of the day, but he still greeted Arthur and Isaac whenever they returned to camp. "How did you get on, Mr. Morgan?" Susan asked.

"Got some elk meat," Arthur said. "Should last us a bit."

"Good," Susan said. "Do you need help unloading?"

But Isaac just grabbed the pelt and hauled it over his shoulder, taking it over to Arthur's wagon. Susan's eyes widened, and she said, "When did he get so strong?"

"About two pants adjustments ago," Arthur joked. "All my money is going to clothes for that boy."

"I think he's already taller than you were at that age. And more muscular."

"He is eating better than I did at that age."

"That does help," Susan said. She leaned down and rubbed Copper behind the ears as the dog sighed and settled back down. "Is Copper alright?"

"I think he's just old," Arthur replied. He did notice that the dog was slowing down, and wasn't eating as much anymore.

"We've had him for what, ten years now?" Susan asked.

"More than that."

"But he still manages to cause trouble," she said, giving him a pat on the head and going back to her work. "Give that meat to Pearson so he can get some of it salted."

Arthur made his deliveries and got to work tanning the pelts. He looked over the pelt that Isaac got, wondering if it would make a good set of clothes. Besides a horse, Arthur wanted to make Isaac a good coat once he stopped growing, or at least stopped growing so quickly.

"Need any help, Arthur?" Tilly asked.

"I can always use an extra hand or two," Arthur said. "I've got more supply than I know what to do with these days."

Elk, deer, ram, a black bear or two… Arthur didn't have time for all the pelts and orders he received. Isaac helped him some, and Tilly, Karen, and Mary-Beth were joining in, too. "Grimshaw leaves us alone if we're helping you," Karen said.

"What? Don't want to do the laundry?"

"Not Sean's laundry," Mary-Beth grumbled. "How he gets so much mud on his clothes, I'll never know."

Arthur laughed. "I don't know half of what that boy gets up to."

"He ain't as bad as Bill," Karen said.

"You're just saying that because you've got a crush," Mary-Beth teased.

"Do not! You just think that because you're always reading those stupid romance stories. Real life is different!"

Mary-Beth winked at Arthur, and he laughed. Arthur wouldn't be surprised if Sean was openly flirting with Karen. After all, he was full of unearned confidence.

He looked over the elk pelt again. He didn't think it would make a good coat, but it could make a few pairs of gloves, maybe some chaps or a hat. Arthur had made himself a nice scout jacket out of a coyote pelt and ox hide, though Marston kept stealing it. Apparently Jack liked how soft it was, so Arthur was on the lookout for another coyote and ox to make one for John, but he wanted to make something unique for Isaac.

He looked over his supply again. Maybe he could do something with the beaver pelts they hunted earlier that year.

"Hi, Uncle Arthur. You making something?" Jack asked him, wandering up to him.

"Hey there, Jack," Arthur said. "I'm going to make something, just not sure what yet. Does your ma know you're out here?"

"Jack!" Abigail shouted.

"Something tells me that's a no," Arthur said with a slight chuckle. "He's over here, Abigail!"

"Oh, thank you!" Abigail said, coming over with Isaac. "I was talking to Isaac about your hunt for two seconds and he wandered off."

"He probably got bored or distracted."

"I told him to stay put."

"Like I said, he got distracted and forgot. It happens. Just breathe, Abigail."

She did, deep and shaky. "I'm just tired, I guess. I feel like I'm watching him constantly."

"I can watch him," Isaac offered.

"Are you sure?" Abigail said. "If it's not too much trouble."

"It's fine."

"What's that?" Jack asked, pointing at the pelt.

"It's an elk pelt," Isaac said.

"What's an elk?"

"Sort of like a big deer. Here, I'll draw you a picture," Isaac said, pulling out his journal. Isaac didn't draw as much as Arthur did, preferring reading like Hosea and Dutch, but he did pick up Arthur's talent for it. With Jack settled with Isaac, Abigail left to get her work done.

"Wow!" Jack said when Isaac was finished.

"And here are the antlers." Isaac pulled them out of the bundle.

"They're huge!"

"Yeah, and so was the elk."

"What are you gonna do with them?"

"We could hang them up somewhere. What do you think?"

"Yeah!"

"Let's find a good spot," Isaac said, following Jack into camp. Arthur watched him go fondly.

"Arthur! Good, you're here. Got time for a ride?" Dutch asked.

"Sure," Arthur said, putting down the pelt and joining Dutch by the horses. "What's going on?"

"Just have something I want to show you. Get your opinion on it."

Arthur straightened up. "You find some land?"

"Maybe. There ain't nothing on the land just yet, unlike some of the other places we looked at," Dutch said. "We'd have complete control over the houses and the barns, but building everything could get expensive."

"That's what we were saving for, though," Arthur said.

"True. But if we buy the land, I don't think we will be able to build enough housing by the time the snows come, so we'll have to stay in camp for the winter."

They mounted their horses and headed out. "Have you shown Hosea or Annabelle yet?" Arthur asked.

"Anna went with me the first time. She's checking out the nearby town with John right now."

"The one you told us not to cause trouble in?" Arthur asked. "You've been looking at this one for a while, haven't you?"

"There's a lot of land for sale in this area. They are trying to develop the region, but I figure if we can grab a good amount of it a little far out, we won't have to deal with neighbors."

They took their time riding out to the property. Boadicea was a little tired from hunting, and the Count didn't mind the slower pace. They made their way down the hill into the valley, and Dutch pointed out a large section of land. It spread from a small creek back up a gentle slope covered in grass and wildflowers, plateauing slightly before rising sharply up the mountainside. All around the creek, Arthur could see elk and deer grazing. "What do you think?" Dutch asked.

"It's gorgeous," Arthur said with a whistle. "All that would be ours?"

"Yep. This land isn't valued as high because you have to go up that road we just came down to get to town, but I think it would be perfect for us."

"We'll have to be careful during the winter, then. We could easily get snowed in."

"We'll plan for that."

"And in the spring when the snows melt, the creek will probably swell. We'll need to build out houses and barn up higher."

"Do you not like it, Arthur? You're finding faults awfully fast."

"I do like it, Dutch. Just trying to get an idea of what our ranch will look like," Arthur reassured him.

"Good," Dutch said. "Because I like it, too."

"So, what are we going to buy? Sheep? Cows? Not goats, please."

"I was thinking cows," Dutch said. "What do you have against goats?"

Arthur ducked his head. "I don't want to say."

"Arthur…"

"Goat attacked me once," he muttered.

Dutch burst into laughter, almost collapsing off the Count. "Really?"

"Knocked me over in a pasture!"

"It's settled. We're getting a goat."

"Dutch!"

Over the next few days, Dutch and Hosea made a trips into town to talk to the local bank about the land. At first, the bankers didn't even know what plot of land Dutch was talking about, since it was much farther from town than their other properties, so they agreed to take a trip out with Dutch to survey the area and create the paperwork in a few weeks.

"We could have just settled there," John joked when they told him. Arthur, John, Hosea, and Dutch were all on a fishing trip together, enjoying some time to themselves down at their future property.

"It's better this way," Hosea said. "If we have the deed from the beginning, we won't run into any problems later."

"I guess."

"What are you going to do on the land, John?" Dutch asked.

"I think I'll build a little cabin for Abigail and Jack," he said. "Nothing too fancy, but it might be nice to have our own space, you know?"

"Oh, I do," Dutch said. "I'm thinking we could have a main house with a big kitchen, a place where we can all eat and spend time together. Maybe a few rooms as well, for those who don't mind sharing or want company. We'll put it right in the center, near the barn. And then the rest of us can build little houses around the woods. Arthur, I figure you'll want a little workshop near your cabin."

"Of course. Might be a good idea to keep it a bit farther from the main house, just in case it attracts wild animals."

"I'll probably take a room in the main house. I don't need a whole cabin just for me," Hosea said, pulling out his second large salmon of the day. So far, Arthur hadn't caught anything, and John and Dutch hadn't caught anything worth keeping. "Look at this beauty! Now if only other folk could pull their weight."

"You know I ain't a good fisherman, old man!" Arthur said.

"You would be if you didn't move that lure so much."

"I thought you said to keep it moving!"

"Moving gently! You are supposed to attract the fish, not scare them off."

"Fine," Arthur said, reeling in the lure. "I'm just going to leave the fishing to you, then."

"Maybe we'll actually catch something now," Dutch said, nudging John with his elbow. They both laughed as Arthur waved them off and sat down on a rock with his journal. It was only about a year old now, his previous one being filled with pictures and stories of Isaac growing up. Before his son was born, he usually threw away his old journals, figuring there wasn't much use in reading over old thoughts. But after, he slipped the full ones in his trunk, hoping to share them with Isaac one day.

He drew Hosea, Dutch, and John fishing, their new home in the background. Hosea ended up getting several huge salmon by himself, and they rode back to their camp triumphantly.

"We're having a feast tonight!" Hosea said. "Mr. Pearson, let's get these cooked up!"

"Right away, Mr. Matthews," he said, grabbing his large cooking pot.

"Where's Copper?" Arthur asked, looking around the camp.

"He was here somewhere," Tilly said. "You know, I'm a bit worried about him. He hasn't been eating all that much."

"Yeah, I know," Arthur said. "I'm worried, too." He whistled for the dog, looking around his tent and checking with Isaac.

And then…

"Copper! No!"

He turned towards Pearson's yell, jaw dropping as Copper raced across the yard, the bundle of fish in his mouth. He shook them vigorously and spun away from his pursuers. Dutch lunged for the dog and ended up falling on his face when Copper ducked under his arms and under the wagon, where he began eating his prize.

The camp was speechless, staring at Copper and the mess at Pearson's table. Then, they heard laughter. Hosea was hunched over, wheezing. Slowly, the rest of the camp started to laugh, too. Arthur crawled under the wagon, petting Copper as he wagged his tail. "You enjoying that, boy?" Arthur said.

Copper's tail thumped on the ground, and he kept eating.

When Copper passed away a week later, they couldn't help but smile at the memory. "He certainly kept up his antics until the end," Susan said.

"I must say, I really liked that dog," Dutch said. "Even if he did chew up my favorite pair of boots when you first got him."

"He was teething!" Arthur said.

They buried Copper under a tree near the farmhouse, where he'd like to lounge since they arrived in the area. It was a beautiful spot, but already Arthur could feel Copper's absence.

"He was a good boy," Hosea said. "When he wanted to be."

"I'm going to miss him," Isaac said.

"Yeah, me too," Arthur said, wrapping an arm around Isaac's shoulders.

The entire gang was upset about Copper's death. Jack didn't really understand at first, and it took a few conversations for the news to really sink in.

"That was a tough talk," John said afterward.

"Yeah, but you got through it," Arthur said. "The boy okay?"

"He's taking it hard," John said. "He's got a lot of questions."

"Well, let me know if you need any help."

As it turned out, Jack had a lot of questions about everything. Death, flowers, horses… he'd ask questions one right after the other. Abigail was flustered and tired of it all. "I don't know!" she snapped every once in a while, and Arthur could see she needed a break.

"What's going on?" he asked her.

"Can you watch him for a minute? I just need a bit of time for myself."

"I can watch him for more than that," he said with a chuckle.

"You know what I mean."

"No, seriously," Arthur said. "I'll keep an eye on him this afternoon. Take a break, maybe spend some time with John."

"From one child to another," Abigail groaned.

"Hey, he's grown up a lot these last few years," Arthur said.

"You're right," she said. "He's good with the boy."

"Oh, I know you love him, Abigail," he teased. "Enjoy your day, I've got him."

"He takes a nap in the afternoon."

"I know."

"He'll try to tell you he doesn't need it, but he gets cranky if he doesn't get it."

"I know, Abigail. Relax, he'll be fine."

"Okay," she said. "Thank you, Arthur."

"Don't mention it," he said. "Hey, Jack! How about you and me hang out together?"

"Sure!" Jack said, running over to him.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm good. Hey, do you know anything about turtles?"

"Uh, not much."

"Because I saw a turtle down by river yesterday and Mama said it's shell was it's home and how does it find a shell?"

"Uh…"

"It's neat that it can carry it's home with him, too. He can sleep wherever he wants."

"We carry our homes with us, too, you know," Arthur said.

"But his shell is always on his back!"

"Would you really want to carry a tent around all day?" Arthur asked.

"I guess not," Jack said. "But where does the shell come from?"

Arthur understood why Abigail was so desperate for a break. After a few hours of similar questions and conversations, Arthur said, "I think it's time for your nap."

"But I'm not tired," Jack yawned.

"You sure?"

"Yeah!"

"Let's take one anyway. Maybe I need one."

John and his family were one of the few who got rooms in the house itself. Susan, Pearson, and somehow Uncle managed to get the others, but it meant that the house was nice and quiet. Arthur carried Jack up to the second floor and tucked him into bed, despite the boy's insistence that he didn't need the nap. "What if I read you a story?" Arthur said. "If you think you can stay awake for it."

"I can!"

Jack was asleep five minutes after Arthur started reading. Arthur closed the book, taking out his journal and writing a bit. Soon, he was yawning, too. He put his feet up, settling in for a nap.

He woke up with a jolt some time later to a loud noise outside. More shouts followed, but that wasn't what concerned him the most.

He smelled smoke.