#44
The trio was near half way home, when the first spatters of rain started to fall. Facing into the wind with hats pulled low, they rode silently into the leading edge of the storm By the time they reached the river, it was dark twilight. Splashing across the ford, they made for Milo's barn. Cold numbed fingers were only slightly colder than the wet clothes of the riders.
"That is the dumbest thing I've done in a long time, I'm never going out without my slicker again; I don't care if it's August and in the middle of a heat wave." Gary was mumbling as he tried to untie the leather strips the bound the deer carcass to the back of his saddle. All three men had purposely left slickers and gloves home to conserve weight. That was a mistake they wouldn't repeat, ever.
They had the three deer hanging, when the barn door opened and Milo and Toby came in with their horses and a pack horse with three deer. The two men were cheery and warmly dressed, snickering under their breath at the poor showing Gary, Chuck and Don made with their chattering teeth and stiff clothes.
"Chuck, Don, you guys are invited to my place for chili," Gary mentioned. "Especially if you grab some of the first cut slabs from the mill pile as you pass by." Chuck and Don agreed and all three went to the slab pile and each grabbed three or four of the long strips and drug them across the road to the dark cabin.
It was so dark that it took three matches for Gary to find the oil lamp, get the chimney off and get wick lit. Soon the wood stove was going, and the promised supper was heating. The wind drove ice pellets against the windows, and when the wind shifted just right, there was a spooky sounding moaning whistle that settled over the dark night.
Don was actually hurting. The cold had caused his arm and shoulder to ache fiercely. After the bowl of chili, he excused himself to get back over to the clinic. "I need a couple of aspirin, my arm is bothering me more than it should. Thanks guys for having me go along, I was getting stir crazy, but I don't fancy the scolding that I'm going to get from Doc. Tricia."
"Good luck trying to dodge that one," Chuck called out as the door shut on Don. "I'll bet he isn't as healed as he wishes he was," Chuck told Gary. Both men had another bowl of chili, pulling their chairs close to the stove and absorbing the heat before it got out into the room.
"I discovered a jug in the small hole of a tornado cellar, it's pure fire on the inside," Gary went to the cupboard and brought back two glasses and a glass jug.
"Cheers," and the glass of moonshine was everything that Gary said it would be.
Donny did the night chores, and went to check on Tess as she hadn't come for her boys. He knocked and when she didn't answer, Donny went into the cooling house and stoked the stove and lit a lamp and put it in the middle of the table.
He checked the barn, and her horse was still gone. He made sure the water was full and hay in the manger for the goat and horse. He looked at the goat and she stared back, and he finally said, "you need milked, don't you."
It looked like the goat nodded yes, she certainly did. Donny went back to the house for the pail and set about milking the antsy goat. "I'm not going to apologize for being me and not Miss Tess," he stared at the nanny until she settled down and agreed to be milked.
He was almost done, when the barn door opened and in walked Tess, leading her horse. Over the saddle was a giant buck, and Donny swallowed hard. He didn't want it to be the buck he had seen , and out of the corner of his eye, he only counted ten points. Giving a sigh of relief, he was definitely friendlier, as he helped Tess untie the deer and helped hoist it to bleed out.
They trudged through the ice storm to the house, the warmth a welcome to the cold and miserable Tess. "Miss Tess, I think you should come to the house tonight, Your boys are anxiously waiting to see you. Tell you what, I'll take you to the house and I'll come back here and keep the house warm."
Tess didn't want to agree, except she knew Donny was right, so she nodded and they stoked the stove, and Donny grabbed the lamp and the milk pail, and they went out into the night and the storm.
Clora had lights in the windows, a guide for the stragglers to find the back door. Mark was busy pacing the floor, stepping around the triplets as they played cars with matchbox toys as their mother and uncles had done so long ago.
"Grandad," Daniel complained, "your stepping on our road." The other two looked up at Mark and nodded. Mark rounded the table for the fiftyish time, and abruptly sat down at the end of the table.
Ivory woofed that people were coming in, and Mark tried to look nonchalant, and unworried.
Donny and Tess came in ice crusted and with a woosh of cold air. There was the usual hubbub as the triplets Mom got out of her wet coat and went to wash her hands. Donny put the pail of milk on the counter, and sniffed appreciatively at the scent of supper.
"I told Miss Tess she should stay here tonight, I'll go back up to her place and keep the house warm." Donny looked over his shoulder at Mark and smiled at his agreement.
"Good thinking," Mark praised "It's too cold to take the boys out. Fill up on supper, it's really good stew tonight. Donny ate four bowls and five thick cut slabs of bread and jam, three cups of coffee and a huge piece of cake with jam topping.
Tess ate a bowl full and sat back in her chair with a cup of hot coffee to warm her hands. "I'm too tired to eat anything more, Donny can have my seconds."
Donny flashed her a look of thanks and helped himself to another two bowls of stew.
"Good grief," Tess sputtered, "do you ever get full?" She was staring at Donny's spoon as it glinted in the lamplight.
"Sometimes," Donny ducked his head shyly. "Just wait until you have three of them eating like I do."
"Oh heavens," Tess moaned, "don't remind me, I'm not ready for that."
On cue, three little boys yawned in unison. "Sleepy Ma, we go to bed now."