Opening: Day 13

Word Count: 78,008

Summary of Events:
Chapter 25:
Keiller woke up just before noon and ended up having to bathe before he left to get the people in the prison fed. Sophia set about washing Keiller's coat, which couldn't be washed normally due to its material. Keiller then, to get away from Mr. Glanfield's complaints, went to the saloon.
Chapter 26:
Sophia worried about how and where she was going to care for her child once it was born. Keiller sat in front of the fire and did some carving before hearing a strange sound outside and going to investigate it; discovering its source was Geoffrey looking for the money.

Excerpt of the Day:
"Sophia furrowed her brow, why would Mr. Bartlett put out the lantern before coming to the cabin? How was he going to see his way? She waited for the sound of the door opening, but heard nothing.
Finally Sophia dared creep out of the bedroom. Mr. Bartlett wasn't in front of the fire; he wasn't standing by the door. He was nowhere to be seen. Sophia hurried to the door on silent tiptoes and listened.
After a few moments of silence she heard someone call out like they were goading horses to go, and then the sound of more than one horse and a wagon leaving. Opening the door, Sophia looked, but couldn't see anything.
Where was Mr. Bartlett? Closing the door, Sophia hurried and took up the lantern; she managed to light it with a coal and then peeked out the door again with the light. She could see hoof prints and wheel marks on the ground outside the door. Someone had been here with a wagon.
Sophia went over to the east side of the house and held the lantern toward the barn. She couldn't see anything at all. There was nothing. Sophia felt terrified, so terrified she wanted to cry.
Tears came to her eyes; Sophia didn't know what to do, but she didn't want to rest until Mr. Bartlett's location was known. She couldn't rest without Mr. Bartlett. Sophia wanted to scream out his name, but she didn't want to — lest she attract someone else.
Finally Sophia stepped off of the verandah and onto the snowy ground. Quietly and slowly she walked toward the barn, completely terrified, wanting to run away in a million directions the entire time.
Arriving at the barn door, Sophia found she was following a set of footprints that looked a lot like Mr. Bartlett's pointed toed boots, and they continued around the side of the barn, while another pair of footprints in different shoes headed straighter to and from the barn.
Sophia followed the prints around the barn and found Mr. Bartlett sound asleep, his pistol loosely held in his lap by his left hand. He'd been waiting for someone who'd been in the barn and fallen asleep.
Grabbing Mr. Bartlett's shoulder, Sophia shook him roughly. Mr. Bartlett startled, then his eyes shot open, his grip tightened on his pistol, and he turned it toward Sophia for a moment before realizing it was her.
"Is he gone?" Mr. Bartlett asked, looking panicked.
Sophia nodded.
Mr. Bartlett's tension left him, his gun dropping, his face falling into a scowl, his shoulders lowering. He thrust a single, succinct curse word out of his mouth before getting to his feet and looking at Sophia.
"You came out looking for me?" he asked, looking still dejected.
Sophia nodded, and almost confessed that she couldn't sleep without him in the cabin, but held her tongue and said nothing.
"Well, at least I know what I'll be doing tomorrow morning," Mr. Bartlett muttered."