Emma looked at the pemmican warily. Since it was warm from Cora's body heat, the clump she offered looked sticky.

"Eat it," prompted Cora. Politely accepting the food, Emma took a cautious nibble. To her delight, it was quite tasty.

With Cora's pemmican and

"I am a Christian," Emma nodded.

At this, Grandpap harrumphed, but his daughter quickly silenced him. She turned back to Emma. "My son has a Christian wife?" Her tone was one of disbelief, though she obviously believed Emma's statement to be true. "Josiah is not such a person... but I am."

"You will never change your ways," the old Blackfoot sighed in despair. He hesitated before turning to leave. "You still owe me."

"I ain't fergetting," nodded Josiah.

The old man gazed bitterly at Emma, as if blaming her for the fate he felt his grandson was facing. Then without another word, he returned

"What's yer name?" Josiah called out as he blanketed the floor of the lean-to with pine needles.

Pausing, Josiah looked at Emma over his plate. "You figure you love me?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

"It'd be best if you didn't," he advised, "for I'd only break yer heart. I'm a scoundrel, and yer knowing it." "Men can change," she reasoned hopefully. "Even a man like you."

The door opened and a blast of cold air whipped around Josiah as he hurried inside. He dropped a lifeless beaver onto the floor and then lifted the bar back over the door before pulling off his coat. "Back to reading, are you?" he gruffly observed. "As soon as I skin this here beaver, I want the meat cooked up for lunch."

"A Bible!" she cried in hushed ecstasy.

The thought momentarily crossed Emma's mind that perhaps Josiah was going to trade her to the Blackfoot because she was too much trouble. Maybe she shouldn't have sung the hymn? One look at the possessive hand leading the horse, however, and she knew he wasn't about to trade her away.
The smell of smoke told Emma they were nearing people, and before long she could

1836, Southwest of Three Forks, in what would later become the State of Montana.

"And herein do I [Emma] exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men."

~ Acts 24:16 ~

With some consternation, Emma watched as Josiah ascended the rocky slope with the ease of a mountain goat. Her footing wasn't as sure, and more than once she grasped for Josiah's hand whenever the terrain became too steep.

As Emma continued, she noticed her ears pop with the high altitude. The wind became colder, the snow deeper, and the air thinner.

"Emma, keep up,