The Trek: Darwin's World, Book II (The Darwin's World Series 2) (20 page)

"I'll give it a try, Margrette. Any other ideas you come up with, just let me know.

"Sure, Matt. I'll tell the cooks too. Those three pigs will feed all of us, but only just. Don't expect a lot of leftovers."

"As long as people are well fed tonight, I don't care. We can get more meat day after tomorrow. Were you able to collect any vegetables?"

"I've got some greens. That river; does it have cattails or reeds?"

"It's got reeds, I don't know about cattails. I didn't see any. But I'd be surprised if there weren't some, maybe a little farther upstream or down. The tender shoots coming up from the roots are edible.

"Another thing, as soon as we're set up in camp tomorrow, put out some hooks. There are likely to be fish in the river. It'll be nice if we can have fish as well as pork to break the monotony of having bison every meal."

"I'll see to it, Matt. Thanks for the pork."

Matt circulated through camp as people settled into evening routine. Some headed for the cookfire after they finished arranging their beds, others looked for Elizabeth. A couple of people had blistered feet, and she'd become adept at lancing the blisters. There were no bandages, of course, but draining the fluid kept the blister from spreading.

Matt found Lee while he waited for supper to cook.

"Lee, I found a campfire and a track. The track was from a fairly-large foot, probably a man and a careful one too. He bedded down under a tree he could climb in a hurry. His camp looked well set up and he'd built his fire in a pit he'd dug a few inches below ground level. I guess he stayed there three or four days, maybe a week, judging by the ash level in the fire-pit. And he may not have moved very far after leaving that camp on the ridge. We don't know if he's friendly. He's not one of the slavers. He'd have had no time to get here ahead of us, and we changed course a couple of times to get around brush and thickets of trees. A slave raider couldn't have known which direction we'd go when we did that. Instead, I think he's probably in the same situation I was, dropped here by the futurists and surviving on his own. Warn your scouts, OK?"

"Thanks, Matt. I'll pass the word. They're watchful anyway, but warning about the tracks you found won't hurt."

"We'll have our hands full tomorrow, getting the carts safely down that hill. I'll be working with Colin until the job's done. Unless someone comes up with a better place, we’ll follow the ravine down, the same one we came up while dragging the pigs.

“I don't think it's worth looking for a ford. That river's too wide and it looks deep. The little ones can't swim and maybe some of the adults can't either. Even with safety ropes, we'll lose people. A ferry would be better.

"We've got the high ground right now, but no water except what we brought with us. Sending people down to fill the small containers we’ve got, it will take too long and we’ll tire our people even more. So we need to get down to the river as soon as we can.

"The most dangerous time will be while we're moving down that slope. Everyone is going to be busy, and if we’re raided we won't be able to just drop what we're doing and fight. The women will be on security, the cooks will be setting up the kitchen, Millie or Cindy will have the children. Six men will have their hands full controlling a cart, six others will be on the way back resting. That’s just about all of us.

"I estimate the carts weigh about half a ton. We may have to offload the heaviest ones before we can get them down to the river. If we do, the men will be backpacking heavy weights, things like those steel blades we haven't had time to make into spears yet, the tools we stole from the mine, everything.

"I'll look at that slope again, Matt. I can put the women along the top of the ridge. They could delay the raiders until you can bring the rest of the people up to help. Is there any chance you could be up there with that rifle you took from Pavel?"

"Good idea. I'll carry the rifle, but remember I've only got one magazine for it. The original owner fired it before he was killed and Pavel fired it twice more during the Riverbend fight. There are only twenty-three rounds left." Matt held up his fingers, closed them and then opened them again to indicate twenty, then held up three fingers more. "I cleaned the rifle, but I don't want to waste ammo testing it. It might jam again. I won't know how reliable it is until I use it, and I can't practice because there's no replacement ammo.

"But the bows are dependable. Make sure everyone's quivers are as full as possible. Collect any spare arrows, even the practice ones that are a little crooked, so they’re available if we need them. We can make more later, but we can't make anything if the slave raiders win.

"If we can get across the river without being attacked, I think we're done with the slavers. It's just as well. I feel sorry for the people they captured, but I'm not risking our tribe by attacking a large force to free people we don't know. If there were fewer of them I'd consider it. It’s dangerous to leave them behind, they might spread their poison to others. But for now, I won't take the chance.

Chapter 18

Matt slept later than usual. Perhaps he was becoming accustomed to others sharing the responsibilities of leadership. Perhaps Lilia had influenced his sleeping pattern.

He found a bush east of camp that needed his help and provided it. Refreshed, he looked for the kitchen and something to eat. Reflexively he looked for Robert as he approached the kitchen, but Robert was gone, his body abandoned miles behind the tribe. In time, Matt would stop looking for his reassuring presence out of habit, but that time had not yet come.

Colin was there, helping his wife provide food as yawning tribespeople arrived. Lee had been there, but left soon after eating. Lilia had followed Lee to the fire while Matt visited the bush, but she too had gone about her business.

People were working and preparing for the day’s main task, getting the carts down the steep slope. Having nothing better to do for the moment, Matt went back to his bed and rolled up his furs, tying them in a long sausage-shaped bundle for easy packing.

Carrying the furs, he joined the group following Colin to the carts. All the rope in camp had been pressed into service this day, lighter ones braided together to provide three long pairs of heavy rope to attach to the cart axles. A thoughtful person had tied a series of knots near one end of each rope. One of the pairs would be in use, another ready for the next cart as soon as the first was down, the third was reserve in case one or two ropes began showing signs of failure.

True to his word Matt now carried the rifle, the unfamiliar weight slung over his right shoulder. His quiver rode at his hip and the unstrung bow slanted across his back, held in place by the bowstring. It would be the work of a moment to remove the bow and string it if that appeared necessary.

Matt missed the weight of his steel-tipped spear.

That spear held memories; it had never failed him. From first employment, helping to kill the bear that mauled Lee, to the execution of Pavel, the spear had been his go-to defense for close work.But the spear was now tied with his bedding on the cart. Hopefully he could reach it in time if it was needed.

Matt and Laz each grabbed a pole extending from the front of the cart and pulled south toward the ravine. Others lifted poles and followed. Soon all the carts formed the familiar parade they'd established since converting the travois.

#

Lee was looking over the weapons carried by the women he would use for security. Sandra had been offered the job of caring for the children, but declined.

"Use Cindy. I'll get enough of children later when we begin teaching. I'll be more useful here."

"So be it. Mom...uh, Lilia...will you take charge of the left side of the defense? Take Marja and Shani with you. Sandra, you take the right side. I'll leave Millie with you and distribute the rest of the women as they show up. I'll keep Elizabeth and Bella in the center with me. If they're needed to care for someone, I'll decide whether I can release them from security duty.

"I want to set up our defense in a shallow half-oval and center it on the top of the ravine. I want the two ends about a half-bowshot north and south, the center of the circle a little less than two hundred yards in front. I'll take Elizabeth and Shani and move out a few paces in front of the line. Keep everyone close enough to the next in line to signal if they see anything suspicious. I'd rather have to deal with a false alarm than have danger get too close. Questions?"

Lee had adopted Matt's manner of ending a discussion. If the others noticed, none mentioned it. There were no questions, so Lee took his two charges and looked for a place he could watch while remaining concealed.

His efforts were not good enough.

#

"You expecting company, boy?"

The words took Lee by surprise. Reflexively he started to raise his bow.

"You point that thing at me, boy, I'm gonna stick it up your ass sideways. If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn't have said nothin'. Use yore head if you plan to live long enough to learn better."

Lee lowered the bow, recognizing truth when he heard it.

"Who are you?"

"Call me Tex. We ain't got much time to jaw if them people over east of here ain't yore friends. I reckon they're an hour away at most."

"Okay, Tex. We don't have any friends in that direction. What did you see?"

"About thirty people, maybe a few more. Maybe two dozen of 'em are packin' spears, rest are carryin’ packs."

"Nice bow, Tex. Where'd you get it?"

"Made it. Been with me a fair spell now. What're you gonna do about them people?"

"First, I'm gonna...going to talk to my mother. I'll leave her in charge here. I need to talk to Matt after that. Will you come with me?"

"I reckon. Matt's that tall drink o' water?"

"I reckon." Lee felt a flash of irritation...he was beginning to talk like this stranger!

Lilia was equally surprised. She hadn't seen Tex slip between her line and Lee's forward observation point, but she took charge after the two left. It was time to shorten the defensive line, assuming the strange man was correct. The task had changed, from warning the tribe to holding off an attack until Matt could reinforce them.

"Howdy, Matt. This kid yours?"

"Next best thing. Consider him an adopted son. You the one that's been camping on the ridge a little north of here?"

"I'm the onliest one I know about, and I don't miss much as do say it myself. The kid says the people I spotted ain't friends of yore'n? You can call me Tex, by the way."

"Not friends. They might be slave raiders."

"That fits. Two dozen of 'em with spears, maybe half that many carrying packs. The ones with packs are roped together. Slaves, I reckon."

"We'll fight. You feel up to a scrap, Tex?"

"Wal, they chased off the camels I was hunting east of here. That's how I spotted 'em, the camels took off and I knowed I hadn't spooked 'em. So I looked, and here they came, bold as brass."

"Anybody every mention you've got an accent, Tex?"

"Nope. Not since I got here, anyway. Come to think on it, I ain't talked to anybody since that happened."

"We can talk later, then. I'll take the center and Lee will command the front. Feel like staying with me?"

"Nope. I'll get on up front with the kid. Lee, you said? Maybe I can shoot me one or two of them slavers from up there. Never liked working for most bosses, and I surely would hate to work for one if I couldn't up and leave. Nossir, I think it might feel purty good to stick an arrow from Ol' Slick here," Tex patted the bow he carried, "into a few of them people."

Matt looked appreciatively at the bow. In thickness it was a virtual twin of his own and it might have been an inch or two longer.

Matt nodded to Tex and went to find Colin; he was already on the way to where Lee had left Lilia with the other women.

"Y'all let your women do your fighting, Lee?"

"Nope. We all fight, men, women, for all I know the babies would bite if you got close enough. We've got a few women that can hold their own with anybody.

"You don't say! Well, this place is shore different, so maybe women warriors are natural-like here. They ever kill one of them saber-tooth tiger things?"

"Maybe. Not since we joined the tribe. Matt and I did, once. Matt said there were likely others with bigger fangs than the one we killed."

"Reckon he's prob'ly right. Once you see one with them long fangs, you won't wonder any more. It's plumb difficult for them to open their jaws wide enough to use them teeth for chewin’, but they can cock their head and once them fangs are stuck in, they use their neck muscles to rip an animal open."

"Tex, I've got to say, I never heard anyone talk like you. I never heard of anyone called Tex, either."

"Bunches of people with that name where I come from, back before Saint Peter picked me up and dropped me here."

"Saint Peter? Matt doesn't have a name for the one that brought him here. I was born on this world, what Matt calls Darwin's World."

"I figgered it had to be Saint Peter. Plumb magical, it was. He didn't make much sense when he talked to me, but I never talked to no angel before so I just let it slide. I was just glad I could walk ag'in! That hoss purely messed me up."

"We can talk later. If you're right, the raiders are maybe half a mile from here?"

"Might be a tad less. But you're right, no sense lettin' 'em know we're hidin' in the weeds. That woman you called Mom, she taken?"

"Matt thinks so and she does too. We're here, I’ve got to get my people ready."

Lee looked around. He spotted Matt and Colin moving up, now about a hundred yards back. Matt was carrying the rifle in his hand, bow now strung but still hanging behind his back.

Matt left Colin to arrange the tribe's men and joined Lee and Tex.

"Any sign of them yet?"

"Not yet. Tex thinks they're half a mile or less. You leave anyone with the carts?"

"Just Cindy. She's got the kids. I didn't think a reserve would be worthwhile. We can't retreat, nowhere to go, so we'll fight right here. Everyone's got a bow, and Colin will have them drop their spears by their feet so they'll be easy to grab. It'll be spear work after we run out of arrows.