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Helen said, looking at him with wonder. I thought I saw tears in her eyes too.
    â€œI wanted it to be a surprise. There’s a lot to be done, but we can do it, if we all work together,” he said, patting her on the knee.
    The boys and I got out of the wagon running toward the old cabin. It was in severe need of repair, but I saw potential, as did Uncle Charles. But I couldn’t help but wonder why the cabin had been abandoned. It was in the perfect location near the river with lots of trees around it.
    We unloaded the wagon, and Aunt Helen and I tried to clean up places for us to sleep, then she and I made another pot of stew for supper. We were tired, but excited, so while we ate gathered around the fireplace, we made plans for how we would build furniture and fix up the cabin.
    Later that night, everyone curled up on the floor near the fireplace on our bedrolls and went to sleep, but during the night I awoke when I heard a noise, far off in the distance. I wasn’t sure what it was, so I lay there and listened keenly. That was the first time I heard the drums since my parents were killed.
    A chill ran through me.
    I pulled the quilt around me tight and scooted closer to Aunt Helen, but I couldn’t go back to sleep. I was too scared. I kept seeing the images of my parents. Tears ran silently down my face, as I realized how much I missed them.
    The next morning, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Aunt Helen was already preparing breakfast, and the others weren’t in the cabin. I guessed they were out looking at the place.
    â€œI’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep for such a long time,” I said, getting up to put away my bedroll.
    â€œIt’s all right, my dear. I knew you were probably tired. Can you go fetch me some water from the river?” Aunt Helen asked.
    â€œYes ma’am,” I replied, and went to the wagon to get a bucket.
    The river wasn’t far, and the morning was a good one, crisp and clear, for the short walk. I was delighted to see all of the wild flowers and take in the sweet scents of nature drifting on the breeze. As I walked, I spotted a small grove of cottonwood trees, and a couple of pecan trees. I was surprised to see the young trees growing there. I had heard of them, but thought they were more common down south. I suspected that the former tenants of the land had brought them there in hopes they would grow.
    They had produced a few nuts, some of which were still lying on the ground, undiscovered by the squirrels. I would have to come back and gather the nuts later, I thought, and began to plan the nice treats we could make with them.
    I walked quite a ways to find a spot low enough for me to get close to the river. I held my dress up and tucked it between my knees, squatting down to fill the wooden bucket with water.
    There was a rustling in the grass near the trees behind me. I turned, but I didn’t see anything, so I went about my task of filling my bucket and hauled it back to the cabin.
    ~~**~~
    The days passed, and we made steady progress on repairing the cabin. Uncle Charles and John worked doubly hard also trying to get the field ready to plant a crop of corn.
    At night, we gathered around the table John had made for us and ate a hearty meal. Then sat around the fire where I would read for a while. Aunt Helen often sewed, John whittled on his latest carving, and Uncle Charles would talk quietly with the boys or tell them a story.
    During the days, Aunt Helen and I were busy cooking or working on the cabin. It was always my job to go fetch water for cooking, and I loved the walk to the river, but more and more often I thought I could hear something in the trees and thought someone or something was there watching me. However, I was never able to prove it.
    When things were quiet at night, I sometimes heard the drums in the distance, but I wasn’t afraid as much anymore. There was a lonely, haunting sound about them, and I often wondered what