It was but a poverty-stricken little handful, to
be sure; still, they were unmolested; the valley was large; their
stock ran free; the few white settlers, one at the upper end and two
or three on the south side, had manifested no disposition to crowd
the Indians; the Ravallo brothers were living on the estate still, and
there was protection in that, Alessandro thought. And Majella was
content. Majella had found friends. Something, not quite hope, but
akin to it, began to stir in Alessandro's heart. He would build a
house; Majella should no longer live in this mud hut. But to his
surprise, when he spoke of it, Ramona said no; they had all they
needed, now. Was not Alessandro comfortable? She was. It would
be wise to wait longer before building.
Ramona knew many things that Alessandro did not. While he had
been away on his hunts, she had had speech with many a one he
never saw. She had gone to the store and post-office several times,
to exchange baskets or lace for flour, and she had heard talk there
which disquieted her. She did not believe that Saboba was safe.
Pages:
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606