Once Bitten: Twice Mad

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty: Life Had Just Gotten More Difficult

June 1887

Charlotte dished fried potatoes onto plates as they were placed in front of her. The group had camped the night before beside a rocky outcropping that, thankfully, kept the roaring wind off of them a bit.

This weather was horrible. The heat was nearly unbearable already this morning and Charlotte knew it would only get worse the further into summer they got. Add to that the blazing sunshine that seemed to beat down from the moment the sun rose until the second it set and the gusting winds and it was safe to say that everyone was at least a little miserable.

Charlotte missed their town. She missed her bed. She missed having a roof over their heads and food without dirt in it. She didn't voice any of this though, simply kept a smile on her face as she served everyone the meager breakfast she had prepared.

They had been traveling for a week and were down to two small meals a day. With twelve people in their traveling party food had to be limited or it would never last. Everyone seemed to understand this but that didn't mean they were happy. Poor Ox was constantly clutching at his roaring stomach and Frankie, (the skinniest woman among them), was surprisingly the biggest eater and of course not afraid to voice her complaints about the lack of food whenever the occasion presented itself.

"Potatoes again?" Frankie sighed as she began to pluck the greasy morsels off her plate.

"I'm afraid so." Charlotte replied sadly. "I can heat some canned apples and boil some oats if you'd like."

"Naw," Frankie shrugged. "We'll save that for another day."

"Twelve people use a lot of food." Silas observed as he looked at the dwindling supplies of food stores in one of the two carts they'd brought along.

"We should be to those tracks within the next day or two and then it shouldn't take too long to find some kind of little town." Colt assured everyone.

Charlotte saw Colt slip a few of his potatoes onto Evangeline's plate while the woman wasn't looking and she smiled. Evangeline had insisted on Colt getting a larger portion than herself at nearly every meal. Colt had gone along with her suggestions but clearly it had only been to placate the southern belle as he'd been slipping food onto her plate every time she looked away for days.

"I miss biscuits slathered in butter." Frankie spoke up again.

"I miss meat." Katherine added. "It's been days since we've had any meat other than jerked beef."

"I can fix that." Frankie assured as she pushed herself away from the tree she'd been leaned against, shoved her final chunk of potato into her mouth and handed Charlotte her empty plate. "Colt, can I have some time to go huntin'? I might just find us some good meet for dinner."

Colt seemed as if he were about to say no but Evangeline leaned sideways and bumped his shoulder gently. Charlotte saw her nod discreetly when Colt glanced at his wife and then the man turned his attention back to Frankie and nodded.

"You have an hour." He replied.

"That's all I'll need." Frankie assured him. "I'll have to fire a shot." She added.

"We haven't seen a single rabid all week." Ox shrugged. "And meat sounds real good."

A half-smile curved Colt's cheeks and he nodded. "I reckon it should be okay."

Charlotte was surprised as Frankie started off into the woods alone. Colt was usually very strict about everyone having partners.

"Someone go with her." Colt spoke up as if on cue.