Page 20 of The Gold Rush Bride

“All right I’ll look.”

He shrugged. “It’s easy. Every week, I add about one-third of a cup of water and a tablespoon or two of flour and mix it all together, usually by shaking the jar.”

“And that feeds the starter?”

“Yes. I don’t know the whys and wherefores. It just does.” He put his hands on his pillow behind his head and stared at the ceiling.

“So, what’s for supper?”

He sat up on the cot and swung his legs over the side. “You brought canned meat and milk. I figure to make a gravy to go over those biscuits you’re about to make.” He grinned.

“All right, I get the idea. I’m on my way.” She stood and pulled on a clean wool shirt and rolled up the sleeves, leaving her long johns to protect her arms from the cold. She’d given up trying to wear a corset with her mining clothes. It was too difficult. Then she went outside, started a fire in the fireplace and retrieved the Dutch oven.

By the time she’d settled the Dutch oven in the fire with hot coals on the lid, she could smell the meat cooking. She imagined that several of the cans of meat would go into the gravy in order for it to be enough food for Barnaby. Goodness, that man was big.

She imagined how surprised Cook would be that she was applying what the woman had taught her. If it hadn’t been for her, Sadie wouldn’t know anything about cooking.

Now that she knew about the altitude, she thought it would take about fifteen minutes for the biscuits to bake and went to tell Barnaby.

She opened the tent, and the wonderful aroma flooded her senses. “My goodness, why is it food smells so much better out here in the wilderness?”

He sat by the stove and stirred the gravy. “You’re hungrier, I expect.”

She sat on her cot to wait for the biscuits. “I am that. I haven’t been this hungry in ages. Of course, I’ve never worked so hard in my life. Is every day like this? Do you ever take a day off?”

“It is, and I do. When I go to town is a day off. I try to make it down and back in one day. I don’t like to leave the claim for long because of the claim jumpers.”

She crossed her legs and leaned back with her arms supporting her from behind. “Well, now that I’m here, we don’t have to worry about claim jumpers. You go to town, and I’ll stay and work the claim.” She grinned. “Or maybe I’ll lie about all day eating bon-bons.”

“I’m not leaving you here alone. You could get hurt or worse once the claim jumpers learn you’re a woman. That won’t happen.”

“I know how to shoot the pistol now, and I’ll wear it all the time. If I have it and the shotgun, I’ll be fine. You’ll leave in the morning and return in the evening as usual. I’m not spending the night up here alone, but you won’t have Homer trying to take our property for his own.” She stood, went to him and patted his head. “Trust me. I’ll be okay.”

Barnaby shook his head, knocking away her hand. “That won’t be happening. I won’t need to go to town for a couple of months now that you brought all these supplies and maybe not even then. I only went for potatoes and a few other supplies. Eggs, if I can find them. One time, I saw some man with chickens for sale. They were gone before I could even get close.” He stirred the gravy. “Are your biscuits ready?”

She stood. “They should be shortly.” She pulled a pocket watch out and checked the time. “They’ve got five more minutes.”

“I’ll take the gravy off the stove until you return with the biscuits, so it doesn’t overcook.” He removed the skillet and moved it over to the table.

“Thanks. I’ll check them and see if they are ready. I’m only guessing the time to bake them up here.” She left the tent and walked back out to the baking area.

Sadie brushed the coals from the lid of the Dutch oven back into the fire. Wearing her leather gloves, she picked up the pot and set it on the table, where she removed the lid. While the biscuits cooled a bit she walked back to the tent and got a plate.

When she returned with the plate piled high with fresh hot biscuits, she saw Barnaby had dished up the gravy into their pie tins.

They sat at the table with the quick bread between them and ate.

Sadie didn’t think she’d ever been so hungry. The gravy was delicious, it was smooth and savory, and she ate her fill.

Silence reigned while they ate with both of them too hungry to talk.

Barnaby cleaned the gravy up using several more biscuits and probably could have eaten more than that.

“I really need to bake a cobbler or something for after dinner.”

He licked his lips. “I’d be mighty grateful if you did. I don’t normally get sweets except if I go to town and then it costs so much, I usually don’t. But I noticed you brought cans of fruit.”

“Actually, I’ve got the time right now. They’re really easy to do and I left the fire burning. Plus the Dutch oven is empty.” She stood and started to leave but turned back. “We should think about getting a second Dutch oven, then I could bake the biscuits and the cobbler at the same time.”