“Think it over, Hudson,” put in Tom Shelton. “Better stay alive in the fort than dead on your claim. Or better yet, go back to Virginia with us. We’ll be leaving in a few days, won’t we, Colonel?” Clark nodded. “As soon as I get the settlers together who want to go back with me. I’ll be back in the spring.” Pa shifted from one foot to the other. “That’s good news, sir, that you’ll be back. Thanks for your advice. I’ll think it over, but I’m not going back to Virginia. We got to be getting along home now.” The colonel shook hands again with Pa and Jim. “Glad to have seen you, Hudson. Good luck. Better get up to Harrodsburg as soon as you can.” He and Shelton moved off along the trace. When the men had gone and Jim and Pa had been trudging along for a while, Jim asked, “Pa, should we go to Harrodsburg?” Pa didn’t reply for so long Jim was afraid he had made him angry. Finally Pa sighed and said, “I know your ma has been mighty upset since Wahbunou disappeared. And Colonel Clark’s not one to be aroused without cause. Maybe we ought to take our meat and provisions to the fort, at least until this Indian scare blows over. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you and Ma.” “But I wouldn’t want to lose our farm, Pa.” “We wouldn’t lose it, Jim. No Indian’s going to squat very long on our land. They’re a roving people. The worst they could do would be to burn our cabin, and we could build another one, I guess. But I haven’t made up my mind yet, Jim. Better not say anything to your ma about our meeting with Colonel Clark today. No use getting her excited.” “No,” Jim agreed. “She’s upset enough as it is.” “If I decide we should go,” Pa continued, “she’ll be glad enough to leave the farm and stay at the fort. So mind now, not a word to Ma.” Jim nodded. “I wouldn’t want to worry Ma.” On the way home they shot a squirrel and several wild turkeys, so when they arrived at their cabin, they were well laden with the day’s trophies. “Oh, Pa!” Ma cried, running out to meet them, her blond hair flying. “I thought you’d never come.” She clapped her hands when she saw the deer hanging from the limb. “Oh, a deer! Now we’ll have plenty of meat.” Pa smiled and pointed toward Jim. “He shot the deer, Ma. Got him on the first shot. We have a squirrel and some turkeys too, so we’ve a lot of work to do these next few days, jerking this meat.” The next morning was quite cold as a north wind had risen in the valley during the night. But the Hudsons began working early anyway. Jim helped Pa cut the deer meat into long strips and spread it to dry in the sun. Pa glanced toward the sun. “I think maybe we’ll have to smoke this meat after all, Jim. This sun isn’t warm enough to cure meat.”