"What do you mean she isn't here?" Daniel fought panic.
"She didn't come here." Isaac Tavison said. "You're the only one."
They shouted at one another to be heard over the clanging of the alarm bell, as well as the sound of people coming into the fort.
"Maybe she got lost." Isaac said thoughtfully.
It was times like this that Daniel missed Cincinnatus. They had laid their oldest friend to rest just over a year ago. He had died as he had lived; strong, independent, stubborn. He had been hunting a bear, at least that is what it appeared when he had fallen down dead. It seemed his heart had beat its last.
Standing next to Becky at his grave that early winter, he had held tightly to her hand as she wept. Cincinnatus had purchased Becky, a bondslave, a lifetime ago, but never had any return for his expense; unless you counted a lovely, devoted daughter and a grateful and loyal son-in-law. The frontier did not require blood to make families. And so, he too had wept, unashamed of his tears, at the loss of the old man, thinking how much his family would miss him. He missed him now. He would never have to explain to Cincinnatus that there was no way on God's green earth that Rebecca Ann Boone would get lost on her way to the fort. He turned away from Isaac too frustrated and worried to explain it.
"Isaac," Tom Walker said patiently. "We named the dang fort after her! I keep telling you that. It ain't a joke. It's true. She'd never get lost." He turned and walked away, facing Daniel.
"You think the Chickasaw got her?" He asked him.
"I don't think so. They look to be about a half mile back still. She wouldn't come across 'em." He rubbed his chin.
"Unless they sent a scouting party." Anna Walker put in. "They might have sent a small band ahead."
"Maybe." Daniel glanced around. "Is everyone inside? I can't tell any more. I feel like I don't know half these people. Have you seen Katie and Peter?" He glanced around.
Anna put a hand on his arm. "She's right beside Rose. Do you see her?"
He nodded, and exhaled.
"Pa, let's you and me go out. Dawn will break in a few hours. We can at least cover the area close to the fort 'til then. Maybe she tripped or got hurt or something." Israel said. He held his youngest daughter Katie-Elizabeth in his arms. The toddler stretched her arms out to her grandfather. Distracted, he ignored her.
"You should stay here son, you got Anna and the girls to think of. I can go out alone."
Walking over to them, Anna lifted Katie-Elizabeth out of her father's arms. "Oh, we are all snug as can be." She said looking up at her father-in-law. "And I would appreciate if you would go and bring my Ma home to me. I'm gonna need her help pretty soon." She grinned and rubbed her swollen stomach. Baby number five was due in a few months. Israel and Anna had accepted the fact that it was mostly likely daughter number five.
"I don't mind being surrounded by beautiful women one bit." Israel had said after their last daughter had been born.
"Alright, then, let's get going." Daniel said.
"Pa, why don't you put on a pair of pants first." Katie-Grace said looking up into the eyes of her tall father. Her husband Peter stood beside her, his arm wrapped around her shoulder. She held their first born Daniel James Anders still a tiny baby in her arms.
Daniel glanced down and realized he was still dressed in his long johns. He grinned at Katie.
"I suppose you're right. I don't imagine you got anything in my size, Isaac?" He asked.
"Nope, but we'll see what we can do.
***DB***
If he hadn't been so worried about his mother lost in the snow, Israel could have laughed at the sight of his father. His pants were a good three inches too short and you could see his red long johns hanging out the bottom. The snow had covered any tracks that she may have left. They moved quietly hoping not to be seen.
"Pa," Israel said and turned towards his father. He held in his hand a tattered piece of blue cloth. "Did Ma have her robe on?"
His father nodded his head slowly. "Where'd ya find it?"
"This tree here." He said. They scoured the ground.
"Look," His father said and Israel could hear the fear in his voice. He pointed at a spot on the ground just underneath a bush.
"Bear tracks." Israel whispered.