Synopsis: Jess Harper, a Civil War vet,was traveling through the west trying to make a life for himself after the war. Jess was robbed by three traveling companions. He found them, killed two, retrieved his possessions, then let the third one, Charlie, leave. Charlie later caught up with Jess, shot him in the back, then aimed a gun at him as he was lying on the ground. Jess was saved by a settler, Abe Klein, and his daughter Helga. While recovering with the Kleins, Jess fell for and marries Helga. When Helga became pregnant, Abe and Jess tried to find someone to help Helga with the baby. The person they found did not work out well so Helga stated she would find someone on her own. She disappeared one morning and was gone for most of the day before returning with an old Native woman who takes charge of preparing for the birth.

Due to Helga's increasingly restless sleep, I had taken to sleeping outside on the porch. It was the only way I was going to get any rest these days. Just before dawn one day  I woke to the sound of screaming. At first I thought I was back at Shiloh, laying among the dead, listening to the screams of the dying. As I shook off the dregs of my dream, I realized where I was and rushed inside the cabin. My way was blocked by Abe and Oota. I heard the Oota telling Abe he was not needed, that he should go outside. Than she turned to me then and said sharply,

“Baby come. You, outside. Both you, outside. You no good here.”

I could still hear Helga screaming behind the curtain where our bed was. I stood, frozen in place, not sure which way to go. Then Abe seemed to shake himself out of his own paralysis, and took my arm.

“Jess,” he said. “Maybe it'd be best if we saw to the livestock.”

There was a worried, almost scared look to his face. I wasn't sure what to make of that. He'd always seemed so calm and sure of himself. Except, of course, when it came to dealing with Helga. Oota gave me a push about then, just as I heard Helga curse for the first time in my hearing.

“Damn you Jess Harper, this is all your fault, where the hell are you? I'm gonna kill you!”

I made up my mind right then and there that I did not want to be in that cabin. Abe and I made tracks for the door at a smart pace.

After seeing to the stock, Abe and I waited on the porch, trying to ignore the noises and screams coming from inside, and pretending we weren't worried. It had been twelve hours since Helga's water broke and we were both praying everything was alright. I'd heard too many stories about women who'd died in childbirth, and many more about how the baby didn't make it either.

Suddenly the screaming stopped and the sudden quiet was interrupted by a loud, long wail. After a few more minutes, Oota appeared in the doorway,

“Mr. Jess, come see you bay-bee. Miss Heel-ga good.”

I was apprehensive walking inside. After all the screaming I'd heard earlier, I wasn't sure what to expect. To my surprise, Helga was sitting up and smiling. She looked like she'd been through the wringer, but I'd never seen a more beautiful sight. She asked,

“What should we name her?”