The Incoming Caravan is Late

Barr was out among the traders to the south of the settlement yesterday morning when he was first of us to hear news of the imminent arrival of a caravan.  We've been waiting for this for several days - and it was due in this afternoon.  He'd met some of the early scouts, who normally ride in to let the people here prepare for the huge influx of trade, and they were reporting that it should be expected this afternoon.

We're now worried - as it hadn't turned up by nightfall tonight, and we can only speculate about what has happened to it.  The scouts seem a little agitated now, they were talking about returning down the path to find out what has gone wrong; that will not happen until first light now - and we're considering travelling with them.

I've been urging the others to go out down the trade route for a couple of days before these scouts arrived - I was getting quite bored sitting here among the traders preparing to leave in a few days time.  The others were intent on exercising caution, though.  Hopefully by first light we'll have agreed to go and investigate.