Dan peeked around the curtain of the bedroom alcove. His friend appeared to be asleep, so he tiptoed in to sit in the nearby chair.
"Daniel," Mingo said with his eyes still closed. "As I have told you before, when an Indian moves that quietly into a camp, he usually is looking for an enemy scalp."
The frontiersman chuckled. "And as I told you, not bein' Indian, I'm not much interested in scalps." He shook his head. The last time they had had this conversation Mingo had been laid up after almost being whipped to death by his brother. "So how are you feelin'? I heard you got yourself in a little trouble with Becky and Cincinnatus."
Mingo smiled. "Merely testing the waters, Daniel."
"And?"
"The seas were a little rougher than I anticipated. I have felt better." he replied honestly, "but I am just as sure that I have felt worse. I will survive."
"Glad to hear you say that, Mingo." He paused. "I went to Chota today."
The Cherokee opened his eyes and turned toward his friend. "Chota? Why?"
"To talk to Menewa; to tell him about you," Dan said. "I didn't want him to hear about it from someone else."
Mingo nodded.
Dan cleared his throat. "I told him it was an accident. He was still pretty unhappy about you being shot."
"Well, that makes two of us," the native responded, shifting uncomfortably. The movements made him wince.
"Dan," Becky called. "Can you come and help me?"
"Duty calls," he said, rising from the chair. "We'll talk later."
Mingo's eyes were already closing.
…..
"What'cha need?" Dan asked his wife. She was standing in the space under the loft where the guest bed was situated.
"Help me hang this curtain," she said pointing to the rafters that were the base of the loft floor.
Dan looked at her with puzzlement and grabbed one end of the material. "What's this for?"
"Some privacy; to block off the bed from the rest of the cabin. I'd like to move Mingo in here before tonight," she whispered.
The woodsman frowned. "You think that's good idea? I don't mind sleeping out here."
"I'm not doing this for you or me," she said holding up the other end of the curtain for husband to hang.
"Eventually, Mingo's going to realize that he's putting us out of our bed. Then he's going to become concerned that he is being a bother, which will lead to him attempting something foolish, like moving into Israel's lean-to or walking back to his village. I'm just trying to plan ahead. If he's in here, none of the other arguments will hold water."
Dan stared at his wife, marveling at her innate intuition. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"
"You might have," the redheaded beauty teased. "But you can say it again."
The tall frontiersman leaned down and kissed her.
…..
Mingo bit his lip and held his breath to keep from crying out as Daniel helped him stand. All his muscles were stiff and sore from the lack of movement; in addition, the blood loss from the gunshot had left him weak and the injury to his lung made breathing both difficult and painful. He swayed for a moment and Dan gave him some time to steady himself.
"Alright, I'm ready," the native said with determination.
The tall man held his friend about the waist and allowed him to lean into his side. The Cherokee was breathing heavily by the time they were half way across the room. "You wanna stop for a minute?" he asked with concern.
Mingo shook his head. "No…. keep….going."
By the time they reached the guest bed, the Indian was sucking in air like a fish out of water. He plopped down heavily on the bed, wheezing badly. Dan glanced worriedly at his wife and she came to his side.
She sat on the bed beside their friend. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.
He nodded. "A…moment…please. Still…hurts…to…breathe," he panted.
The Boones waited patiently as Mingo's breathing began to normalize. "Do you want to sit up or lie down," Becky asked, preparing to settle him into the bed.
He indicated that he wanted to sit for a while, but was asleep with his head on his chest in a matter of minutes.
…..
As Daniel opened his eyes, he noticed that the pre-dawn light was dimly filtering into the cabin. He yawned deeply and stretched his arms over his head. Glancing to his side, he saw his beautiful wife still soundly asleep. She had gone to bed exhausted from acting as both homemaker and caretaker, without compromise or complaint.
He rose as quietly as possible, doffing his nightshirt and pulling on his usual daytime attire. After stirring the fire, he prepared the coffee pot and put it to boil in the fire.
As he waited for the coffee to be ready, he decided to check on his friend and was surprised to find him awake.
"Mornin'," Dan greeted. "I've got the coffee on. You up to a cup?"
The Cherokee's eyebrows shot up in a familiar gesture and a playful grin graced his face as he chuckled. "Your coffee is risky on the best of days, but I am feeling ready for the challenge. Help me up."
The woodsman hesitated. "You sure? I'd be glad to bring it to you."
Mingo shook his head. "I'm tired of being an invalid. I want to get up."
After the native pulled himself slowly to a sitting position on the edge of the bed, Dan grasped his left arm and hauled him to his feet. When Mingo pushed him away, he turned back to tend the coffee. He knew the Indian was growing weary of being coddled and decided to let him do things his way.
His friend shuffled slowly to the high-back bench by the fire. Daniel's only concession was to pull the blanket from the guest bed and put it about his shoulders. "Becky would kill me if you took a chill," he explained.
Dan poured two cups of coffee and handed one to the Cherokee, who sniffed it before cautiously taking a sip. "Not too bad," he said with a smile. "Must be because it has come from Rebecca's pot."
The frontiersman gave him a lopsided grin. Mingo must be starting to feel better.
"What are your plans for the day, Daniel?"
"I'm gonna take Mr. Gorman on a little hunting trip," he said taking a swig from his cup. "He's come to Kentucky to see the land and maybe settle here. And I need to put some meat on the table or Becky's gonna have my hide. I figured this way I can do both."
"Watch your back," Mingo said, only half joking.
"Did I hear my name mentioned?" Daniel's wife inquired, exiting from their bedroom alcove fully dressed and ready for the day.
She stopped short when she saw the native sitting next to the fire. "Mingo. What are you doing out of bed?"
"It is not my fault, Rebecca. Daniel tempted me with coffee and I had no power to resist," he said innocently.
"Dan," the redhead scolded.
The woodsman realized that he had just been thrown under the wagon by his friend. "Whoa now. As I recall, I offered to bring it to you."
The Indian just grinned mischievously.
…..
Mingo had remained seated by the fire as Becky bustled about kitchen making preparations for the day. He had eaten half a slice of bread, but had refused anything more. The lack of activity had decreased his appetite. She had warned him that he needed to eat to get back his strength and would be fed small meals more frequently instead.
With some cajoling and promises not to overdo things, Mingo finally convinced his caretaker to let him wash up and put on his clothes. She had reluctantly agreed, but had traded his doeskin shirt for one of Daniel's that buttoned down the front to make it easier to change the bandages. After he restored his feathers to their usual place on the back of his head, he felt almost normal.
He had then returned to the settee with the book of short stories he had given Jemima last Christmas, determined not to let the fatigue he was feeling overtake him.
Becky eyed the Indian carefully and then grabbed the broom to begin sweeping the front porch. As she pushed the last of the dust off the edge, she spotted a figure coming down the trail from Boonesborough. It was Esther Gorman.
The redhead took a deep breath and asked the Almighty for patience. Their last meeting had ended in a less than civil manner. She stepped off the porch and walked toward the other woman.
"Mrs. Gorman," she greeted formally.
Esther nodded. "Mrs. Boone." She licked her lips as she built up her courage. "I've come to apologize for my remarks yesterday. You are correct; it is unfair of me to make generalized judgments about a man I have not met. So I have come to get to know…."
"Mingo," Becky supplied.
"Yes, of course, Mingo," the dark-haired woman continued. "That is if he is up to receiving visitors. And I'd also like to do what I can to help you around the house. To be honest, I'm getting rather bored just sitting around in my room at the inn."
Becky smiled and laid her hand on the woman's arm. "Apology accepted. I know this cannot have been easy on you or your husband. And I'm sure that Mingo would be glad to meet you both. He was awake the last time I checked."
The redhead led Esther to the cabin and inside. "Mingo," she called out to let him know she was back. "There is someone here who would like to meet you."
The lady from Philadelphia walked to stand in front of the settee where the Indian was sitting. "Esther Gorman," she said holding out her hand.
When he saw that it was a female, he struggled to stand as was proper in the presence of a lady, but she stopped him. "No, please don't get up."
He smiled. "Forgive me. My name is Caramingo, but most shorted it to just Mingo. I am happy to make your acquaintance," he greeted, taking her hand.
Esther stared at Becky and then back to the Cherokee, the shock not well disguised. She had thought that perhaps Becky had been exaggerating when she had said the Indian was cultured and educated.
"My father is English and I was educated at Oxford," he explained, as he had to do almost every time he encountered someone new.
Becky went to the fireplace and grabbed the kettle. "Why don't I make some tea and the two of you can get to know one another."
…..
"So have you talked to the Indian about this Cherokee justice that they want to enforce?" Saul asked.
Daniel shook his head. "No, I really haven't had the chance. I want him to meet you first, and I was waiting until he felt better. I don't want him to brood on it while he's feeling poorly."
"What?"
"As I said, he can be sorta stubborn at times," Dan explained. "Especially if he thinks that the situation is unfair. It's usually when he thinks someone else has be treated unjust, but I've seen him do things I wouldn't expect if he feels threatened."
The older man stomped his foot. "It was a misunderstanding, by God! I can't believe this is even an issue. I was protecting your wife. I thought you would be on my side."
"I am. But I have to respect the Cherokee laws as well if we are to remain at peace," Dan said calmly, trying to defuse the situation. "You are worrying too much about this. It's gonna be a spell before Mingo's gonna be able to travel to Chota. That's where this will take place. By that time, Mingo will have healed and the emotions will have past." The frontiersman smiled. "Now let's get to the hunt. If I come home empty-handed Becky's gonna be more than a mite upset."
…..
Becky could tell that Mingo was getting tired. He was starting to have difficulty following the conversation and was beginning to pant.
When Esther excused herself for a moment, the redhead sat next to him on the settee. "Would you like to lie down for a while? You promised not to over-exert yourself."
The Cherokee shot her a sideways glance and sighed in frustration. "Alright, Rebecca. I did agree to abide by your terms. I admit, I am fading somewhat."
She patted his arm in gratitude and empathy. "Do you need help?"
He shook his head. "No. Please let me have the satisfaction of putting myself to bed."
Becky smiled as he tottered toward his bedroom area.
When Esther returned, Dan's wife pulled her to the side. "Were you serious about wanting to help me?"
The woman nodded. "Absolutely. What do you need?"
"My children have been with the Anderson's for the past two days," Becky explained. " I'd like to spend some time with them and assure them that everything is okay and that Mingo is on the mend. I didn't want to leave him alone," she said, gesturing toward the guest bed. "Would you be willing to watch over him while I'm gone?"
Saul's wife nodded. "Whatever will help. I see he has retreated to bed."
"Yes," Becky agreed. "At my request. Let him rest for about an hour and then give him some of the broth that's simmering over the fire. He needs to eat, but don't force him if he's not agreeable."
"I think I can convince him," Esther smiled.
Becky smiled in return. "I'm grateful for your help. I should only be gone a couple of hours."
"Take as much time as you need," the woman replied. "We'll be fine."