Becky lowered the bucket into the well and started pulling it back to the surface. She was tired and had had a fairly productive day, but there was still much to do. The children had remained at the fort yesterday and were now staying with the Anderson's, hoping to spare them some of the trauma. Jemima and Israel were very fond of their Cherokee friend and his current condition would be frightening for them. However, it also meant that there was no one to help with the chores.

Cincinnatus had been to the cabin earlier and had said that Mingo was doing better. The wounds appeared to be healing and his fever had come down. He seemed to be breathing and resting easier, but was still in and out of consciousness from the pain.

So needless to say the redhead was more than a little shocked when she entered the cabin to find her patient standing a few feet from the bed. "Mingo! What in heaven's name are you doing up?"

He grabbed onto the back of the chair to steady himself. "A Cherokee warrior must rise the day after battle or he may never rise at all."

"So I've heard," she said curtly. "Well, you have risen, so get back in that bed right now or you may not rise again." She was more concerned than angry.

Even as she watched, he became more wobbly. He was shaking with the effort of standing and had started to pant. She could see that he was contemplating how he was going to make it back to the bed without falling flat on his face.

Becky set the bucket down and came to his side to help him. He sat down heavily on the bed and looked up at her with chagrin. "Perhaps I have somewhat overestimated my current physical abilities."

She smiled despite herself. "Perhaps. Well, let it be a lesson learned." She pulled back the quilt and helped him swing his legs up so that he could lie down.

"Do you think you could eat something?" Becky asked as she pulled the cover over him. "You haven't had anything in more than a day."

"I can try," he said, feeling the need to appease her.

She patted his shoulder. "Give me a few minutes to heat some broth."

The Indian closed his eyes, settling back into the pillows. "Rebecca?"

"Yes?" she answered from the kitchen area.

"What happened?"

Dan's wife stopped what she was doing and turned toward to their friend. "You don't remember?"

Mingo shook his head. "No, not really."

Becky sighed, not really wanting to remember the events of the previous day. "You were shot."

"That I gathered," he said with a nod. Unconsciously he rubbed the bandaged spot a few inches below his collar bone on the right side. "Who and why?"

"The man's name is Saul Gorman," she explained. "He and his wife are acquaintances from Philadelphia. They are thinking of moving to Boonesborough."

"And?"

Becky took a deep breath. "And it was a misunderstanding. He thought you were going to harm me."

"Did I appear so?" the Cherokee asked with a deep frown, fearing that maybe he was more unaware than he realized.

"No," she said quickly. "As I said, it was a misunderstanding. They had just left Dan at the fort and knew I was here alone. I think they were surprised to find an unfamiliar man in the cabin."

"An unfamiliar Indian, you mean," he corrected.

Becky grimaced at the accusation. "No, I don't think so Mingo. They are not accustomed to the wilderness. Things are different in the city."

He seemed unconvinced. "It seems to be a rather extreme reaction to an innocuous situation."

…..

"You ready to go?" Daniel asked Saul.

His guest nodded vigorously, looking at the two natives that had been guarding him. "They are not much for conversation."

The two men left the village with a couple of sentinels trailing behind them. When he was fairly certain that they were indeed alone, the older man turned to the tall woodsman. "Well, how did it go?"

"About like I thought," Dan answered honestly. "Menewa is not a happy man. They plan to exact Cherokee justice."

The other man started. "Cherokee justice? What does that mean?"

Dan sighed. "Pretty much how it sounds. The chief doesn't understand how one of his own can be shot on accident. He expects satisfaction."

"Satisfaction? What do they plan to do?"

The tall man shrugged. "According to Cherokee law, punishment will be decided by the injured party. It will be up to Mingo to decide what he thinks is fair." Considering the man's distress, he decided to leave out the part about what would happen if Mingo didn't survive.

The Philadelphian stared at him. "You can't be serious. You agree with this archaic logic?"

Dan shook his head. "I wouldn't worry. Mingo's usually a reasonable man."

"Usually?"

"Well, he does have a stubborn streak, depending on the situation," he replied. "But I reckon I can talk him out of anything too farfetched if he has a mind to head that way."

…..

Esther Gorman sighed with relief when she saw Dan's wife outside doing the laundry. She had become bored staying at the inn by herself and decided to walk to the Boone's cabin. "Mrs. Boone..Becky," she greeted.

The redhead looked up from scrubbing sheets on the washboard and smiled. "Esther, it's good to see you. I trust you are feeling better?"

The older woman nodded. "Yes, although I am worried about Saul. He and your husband have been gone for some time."

"Well it is a fair trek to the Cherokee village. I'm sure they will be back soon." Becky brushed her bangs from her forehead. "I was just about to take a break. Would you like some tea?"

Esther nodded. "That would be lovely," she said and then hesitated. "Is he still in there?"

The frontierswoman paused."He? Do you mean Mingo?"

The other woman nodded.

Rebecca sighed. "Yes. He's still too weak to get up, but he will probably be asleep so we won't disturb him."

Esther shook her head in disgust. "I thought your husband could have found other accommodations. I don't understand how you can stand to still have that heathen in your home. They are all dirty and ignorant."

Becky blanched, fighting to hold back the angry retort that popped into her head. "It's obvious you don't know Mingo," she said coldly. "He's a very cultured and highly educated man. Maybe you should get to know him before you make those kinds of judgments."

…..

Rebecca ran her hands across the sheets hanging on the line, satisfied that they were dry. As she pulled the first of the clips from the clothes line, she felt a familiar set of arms wrap around her waist.

"You sure are a welcome sight," Daniel said kissing the back of her neck.

The pioneer woman turned in his arms and pushed him away. "Dan," she said both delighted at his return and embarrassed at his outward display of affection. "What if someone would see?"

"And just who would see us out here?" he asked in a teasing voice. "In case you have forgotten, Rebecca Bryan Boone, we are in the middle off the wilderness. Who's here to care if I go kissin' my wife?"

She slapped him on the shoulder and kissed him in return.

"How's Mingo doin'?" he asked, momentarily putting his light mood aside.

"Better," she said with a smile.

"He been awake at all?"

His wife nodded."Several times today and at least once, long enough that I found him completely out of bed."

Daniel raised his eyebrows in question.

"Cincinnatus gave him a good tongue-lashing when he came by this afternoon," she chuckled.

"Well, maybe I'll see if he's awake now," the woodsman replied. "I got a couple things we need to discuss."

…..

When Saul returned to Boonesborough, he found his wife pacing in the courtyard in front of Cincinnatus' establishment.

"Oh thank goodness," the dark-haired woman replied when she saw him. "I was afraid that you weren't coming back."

Saul removed his tricorn hat and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. "For a while I had doubts myself."

"Well, what happen?" Esther asked impatiently.

The man took his wife's arm and steered her toward the tavern. "Let's go inside. I could use an ale."

They picked a table in the corner and Cincinnatus brought him a mug of ale and his wife a cup of tea.

"So?" she prompted again. "What happened?"

"Boone took me to the village, but the chief wouldn't talk to me. He'd only speak with Boone. They left me in the middle of the camp with a couple of native guards." Saul sighed, "I don't exactly know what was said, but apparently the chief didn't care that the savage was shot by accident. He's demanding, as Boone put it, 'satisfaction.'"

"Satisfaction? How?" His wife was staring at him with disbelieve.

He threw his hands in the air in a gesture of frustration. "Something called Cherokee justice. Apparently the Indian that is injured gets to decide the punishment."

Esther gaped. "You can't be serious. Surely Boone isn't going to let that happen."

The Philadelphian ground his teeth. "That's exactly what he is going to do."

"Excuse me," said the man in buckskins who came up to the table. "Name's Will Taggert." He held out his hand.

"Saul Gorman," he said, shaking the stranger's hand. "My wife, Esther."

Taggert nodded his greeting to her, then turning back to Saul and said, "Don't mean to bother ya, but I heared ya nearly kilt Boone's Injun yesterday."

Gorman flinched. "I..I assure you it was an accident."

The other man laughed. "Don't rightly care if'n it was or not. There's more than one man in this room who's thought about doin' it for themselves. Sometimes that fancy talkin' half-breed don't know his place."

"I see," Saul said, clearing his throat. "Actually, my wife and I were just saying that we really don't know much about Indians. We've heard they can be barbaric, especially if they capture a white man, but cannot fathom what they would actually do."

Taggert nodded and sat at the table. "Their crafty, they are." He stopped. "Uh, maybe this ain't fit talk for your wife to hear."

Saul raised his hand. "It is fine. We are both quite interested." Esther nodded in agreement.

"Alright," Will said. "Well most of 'em do some manner of burnin' at the stake. Tie a man to a pole and light a fire all the way around and watch him burn up. But they got other ways too. They ain't above tossin' folk off a cliff or holdin'em under water 'til they drown. And…"

The couple must have had a shocked expression on their faces and Taggert stopped. Gorman nodded for him to continue.

"Another thing they do is stake a man down out in the woods, cut 'em or pour blood on 'em a wait for the animals to tear 'em apart," he grimaced. "They even sometimes stone a man, like in the Bible."

Saul nodded. "Very interesting." He pretended to stifle a yawn. "We thank you for enlightening us, Mr. Taggert, but if will excuse us, we have had a long day and would like to rest before the evening meal."

They rose from the table and headed up the stairs to their room.

"Did you hear what he said?" Esther whispered, grabbing he husband's arm. "They will torture you, if not kill you."

Gorman sighed. "Maybe it won't be that bad. Boone seemed to think he could talk the Indian out of anything too outlandish."

"And what if he can't?" she hissed. "You said that savage at the Boone cabin is the one who decides?"

He nodded.

"What happens if isn't alive to make that choice?"

Saul shook his head. "Cincinnatus seems to think he will survive."

Esther smiled. "Maybe that is the case right now, but who is to say that he might not take a turn for the worse."

"What are you saying?"

"Nothing, dear husband," she said patting his hand. "Simply speculating out loud."