Ft. Uncompahgre was not a fortified fort in the sense that it had big thick adobe walls like Old Bent’s fort down the trail a ways. It was mostly a place where trading could take place, things could be stored, families could live in the surrounding area while the men were off doing a job of work, and due to its good relations with their neighbors a pretty safe place to live.

Which meant that there were mothers and children there much of the time. When you added their small voices and activities to the work-a-day mix you had a lively place whose bustle and excitement were constant. There were quiet times too, times when you just grabbed one of little ones and took a rest from everything around you. That’s what Abigail and Issac are doing at this moment.