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"It seems to me as though everything is up North," lamented Emma. "The beaver, your cabin, and the Blackfoot Indians."

"That's about the size of it," grinned Josiah. He tossed the last bite of his buffalo meat into the fire and then climbed to his feet. If he stayed any longer, he was afraid Emma might be able to talk him out of leaving.

Going to his packhorse, Josiah pulled a rifle from a leather bag. "You can shoot with a flintlock, can't you?" he asked, tossing Emma a glance over his shoulder.

"I can," she assured him.

As Josiah turned to give her the weapon, Emma cried in shock! "Pa's rifle!" she exclaimed, running to Josiah and eagerly taking the heavy double barrel shotgun into her small hands. "Where did you get it?"

"The Blackfoot left it by the wagon, after they were finished with yer pa," he answered.

Stunned, Emma looked at Josiah with renewed fear in her eyes. The rifle raised, and Josiah suddenly found its barrel leveling with his belly!

"What are you doing that fer?" he protested. "I didn't kill yer pa!"

"You're a Blackfoot, aren't you?" Emma cocked the rifle in readiness to shoot.

"Kill me, and you'll be out here by yourself," he reminded her.

"I don't care!" she shouted. "You killed Pa!" The rifle trembled as Emma raised the weapon to Josiah's chest.

"Your pa was scalped and left fer dead when I found him, Emma! He told me them Blackfoot had taken you and sent me after you!"

"Then take me back to him," Emma declared resolutely. "I want to go back!"

"Back to what?" Josiah tried to reason with the frightened woman. "To a corpse that's been got to by wild animals?"

Horrified, Emma wasn't aware of her hand tightening around both triggers of the shotgun. "You didn't bury him?" she screamed. "What kind of savage are you?"

Before Emma knew what hit her, Josiah had rushed her and pinned her against the ground.

"I'm the savage who saved yer life!" he bellowed. "If you ever point a weapon at me again, I swear--" Josiah stopped short with a groan. "Emma, stop yer crying! I ain't going to hurt you!" He rolled off of Emma and then helped her to her feet. She was weeping uncontrollably, and for once in his life, Josiah felt helpless.

"I didn't hurt yer pa," he assured her. "You believe me, don't you?"

Unable to speak, Emma's head bobbed up and down. She believed him. Then she turned and ran to the buffalo robe to shed her tears in private.

Unsure what to do with himself, Josiah retrieved the unloaded rifle still laying on the ground. He had forgotten the weapon had belonged to her pa.

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