“After Lettie seared the wound with a knife heated in the fire, Burwell silently clamped his teeth down into a leather belt and kept his screams inside for fear of attracting any other natives in the area. I will never forget how Dutch treated me during this time, expecting me to take on a man’s work without any question in his mind that I was capable of doing so. It’s what got me thought the next few days while Pappy weakened and finally breathed his last.
“Four days later we buried Pappy on a bluff above the river, disguising his resting place to protect it from desecration from wild animals or Indians. Dutch put his arm around me briefly and then around Ma and Silas for longer. He spoke to her about his last conversation with Pappy, who asked Dutch to look out for us if he didn’t make
