Free Sarah Bishop by Scott O’Dell Page B

seen me before.
    "Is thee settling or passing through?"
    "Passing through."
    "Northward?"
    I nodded, though that was not where I was going. Mr. Morton had cold eyes. They kept glancing at the musket.
    "Thee will find heavy snows in the north. If thee will buy three blankets, I will make thee a bargain."
    "That's all the money I have today. If you would care to trust me..."
    "Cannot if thee is passing through."
    I had the strong feeling that he wouldn't trust me even if I planned to stay in Ridgeford the rest of my life.
    "I note that thee carries a musket," he said. "Ridgeford and hereabouts being peace-loving and God-fearing, I wonder why thee does."
    "That is none of your business," I said.
    At this rudeness Mr. Morton pulled down the corners of his mouth but still kept his eyes on the musket. There was a sudden, loud roll of thunder.
    "Thee will need protection against the storm," he said, "seeing that thee is lightly attired. I can furnish a proper garment, should thee see fit to leave thy musket for bond."
    "Thank you," I said, "but I don't see fit to leave my musket."
    Mr. Morton grunted. It was plain that he felt he was dealing with a mad girl. I think he half-suspected that I would up and turn the musket on him should he say more.
    Rain was beating loud against the windowpane. I heard cursing in the street and a heavy wagon pull up.
    "Must be Sam Goshen," Mr. Morton said. He went to the window and looked out. "It's Sam, all right. Stole himself a couple of cows on the way."
    There were a few other sundries I needed, but I paid for what I had. I said good-bye and walked over to the window. Goshen was getting down to tie up his oxen. I waited behind a clothes rack until he came in. Then
I bundled up and slipped out the door. I crossed the street and stood behind a clump of sumac and waited to find out if he had seen me. When he didn't come to the door, I went on.
    The Negro girl was walking fast, going toward the north. We waved at each other, I holding up my musket. Farther along I stopped and glanced back, looking for Sam Goshen. He was nowhere in sight, but his little blue-eyed dog, asleep I guess when I walked past the wagon, now came slinking down the street. He eased up and circled me and growled. I paid no attention to him and went on my way.
    The rain had slacked. 1 stood under a big maple tree and got myself ready to make a start. When I came into Ridgeford Fd had a glimpse of the land in that direction, the wilderness the Negro girl had spoken of. It was a place where I would find good timber to build myself a lean-to, and game and wild fowl likely for the taking.
    What was more, the King's men would surely lose my trail, never believing that they would find me in this wilderness country.
    It began to rain again, but I started off at a good pace, though the bundle was heavy.
    I passed an apple orchard where there were some windfalls lying on the ground. I picked up seven of them, ate one, and put the rest in my bodice. There was no house or barn around.
    I climbed a ridge thick with pine trees and down the
other side into a meadow wooded with maples that had turned red and looked like flames. As if you could stand beside them and keep yourself warm.
    It was near dusk now, and, being tired and wet, I found shelter under one of these big trees. The faggots I collected were wet, but by using some of my gunpowder I got them to burn. There was a creek nearby with trout in it, which I could have caught had I remembered to buy hooks and line. But I wasn't really hungry. I was too tired to eat.
    The sky cleared and stars came out, but at dawn black clouds were rolling in from the north, and a cold wind lashed the trees. This is as far as I would go, I decided. Timber for a lean-to stood around me. I had water to drink and wood for fire. At the far end of the meadow, wild geese were feeding. Game birds were calling from the underbrush.
    Around me was all that I needed. And yet I had the urge to move on, to climb the