“We can go back to the camp again. We know where they are now,” Frederik said and looked at his despairing friend. A cloud of sadness settled over the two households. Ida was proud of her beaded head band, but nobody cared to share in her joy.
“Have the Indians killed them?” Lisa asked, wide-eyed. They sat around the table for dinner. Things got even more quiet. Katrina just shook her head.
“Lisa, we do not say anything about that.”
“Why don’t you go and get them back?” Ida asked, kicking at the box-table in irritation.
“Don’t kick at the table,” Katrina exclaimed wearily. Things went quiet again. All of a sudden, Henry looked up from his plate.
“Yes, by God. We are going over to get them. They must be there!” He slammed his fist on the table so that everything jumped about and a dish fell to the floor.
“Yes. We have got to find a solution,” Katrina said evenly. “We can not stand any more of this tension.”
“Then you will also find out if the Indians have killed them,” Lisa said nodding wisely.
“Lisa! I think it is time for you to go to bed. It has been a long day and you have put many potatoes into the soil.”
“Yes, they are sleeping down in the ground,” Lisa said morbidly. “The dead also are put in the ground, to sleep.”
“Time for bed the both of you,” Katrina said briskly. “That is enough for tonight.”
The girls left the table and went to the box-bed and blankets where they slept. They snuggled down close to each other and Ida whispered a goodnight story to Lisa. She lay there wide-eyed and listened to Ida. The girls were tired after working in the field, and soon they were fast asleep.
Henry got up and walked around and round, before he sat back down at the table. Suddenly he bent over it and started to cry. Katrina got up immediately and sat at his side to comfort him. She spoke quietly and firmly.
“Henry, you have helped us so much! We could never have managed without you. Here we are living in our snug peat house, which you helped us to build. You helped us with money for the stove, for the oxen and the plough and the hens we have walking around the house. We have fresh eggs and milk. We are building a fine life here. Together! And we will do anything to support you. We shall find Rose. And get Stephen back.”
He cried for a while longer, before he looked up with a tear stained face.
“Sorry, Katrina. This will not happen again. I will manage it.”
“You are staying here tonight,” Frederik said. “You can sleep here.”
They helped him to bed, and he lay sighing for a long time before falling into a fitful sleep.
“But just how are we going to find his family?” Anna whispered. She looked sadly at Henry, who was lying facing the wall and trembling from time to time in his sleep.
“We shall have work that one out tomorrow,” Frederik answered. “I have to go to bed before I keel over from exhaustion.”
They all went to their beds and slept immediately.
Later in the night, they were woken by scuffling sounds at the door and a light thumping. Katrina and Anna sat up and stared towards the door, which was slowly pushed open. Katrina lit a candle and held it up to see who was entering. She almost dropped it in surprise.
“Rose!” She burst out, and raced to hug her friend.
“No, please! Don’t touch me, I can’t bear it,” Rose answered quietly and turned her face away.
“Look at the sight of you, Rose, where are your clothes?” But Rose held up a hand in front of her and shook her head.
“Rose!” Henry leaped up and ran to her. “You are dressed as an Indian woman?” He cried excitedly, trembling with shock to see her so strangely dressed.
“What has happened?” He asked and went to hold her, but she pushed him away and covering her face with her hands turned away from him.
“What have they done to you, Rose?” Henry asked quietly. “How did you get away, are they coming after you?” He went to the door and looked out into the darkness. He stepped outside and listened. It was completely quiet except for the wind stirring in the trees. The moon was up and shone with its cold white light making everything stark and naked.
Chapter 61
It never really dawned on Ida, what actually had happened to Rose, and why she had returned in Indian clothing. But Henry knew, and in the end that was all that really mattered. She often came over to Frederik and Katrina in need of comfort and support. And for cream in her coffee. Anna still looked after Bluebell who followed her everywhere. The cow and the elderly milkmaid had found an instant bond.
They did everything they could for Rose and assured her that Stephen would return soon when he was healed and ready to come. Rose merely shook her head and stared ahead emptily.
“Didn’t you meet Stephen at the Indian camp?” Katrina asked again and again. At first Rose would not answer, but then she shook her head.
“What happened in the camp?” Rose shook her head again and looked down at her hands. “Why did you come back in Indian clothing?” Then everything went quiet. The conversation died.
Rose was not of much use in their house, even Henry’s patience began to be replaced by despair. Finally, they all decided, that she should stay with Frederik and Katrina for a while. It meant there were more people to take care of her. Henry ploughed his field alone and the girls came over to help him putting the potatoes in the ground. The weather was fine for potato cropping, even though it was a very hot summer. They remembered to water the long rows in the evenings and the potato plants grew. So did Rose’s belly.
“Is Rose eating too much cream?” Ida asked. “Her stomach keeps growing and growing.”
Anna glared at her and shook her head.
“Can’t you figure out, why her belly is growing?” She muttered.
“Oh, is it because she went to the Indians?” Ida asked, and looked out through the window at Rose, who sat outside in the yard staring down into the valley. “Why does she always look towards the Indian camp?”
“She is probably watching for Stephen to come home,” Anna said.
“What have the Indians done to her?” Ida asked, not letting it go.
“Ida, do not ask about such things, alright?”
“Do you mean to say, I should not know about such matters, right?”
“Children should not ask so many questions,” Katrina said and looked hard at her needlework.
“Is it a little Indian, that lies in Rose’s belly?” Asked Lisa.
“Now, that is enough!” Exclaimed Anna, who understood full well, what was being said, even though the girls were speaking in English.
“I wonder what has happened to Stephen?” Ida said so loudly that Rose outside could also hear it. And she got up dazedly and started to walk downhill.
“Now Rose is running away again!” Ida rushed out the door and ran after her. “Rose, come back, come back. Stephen is coming home soon.” Ida and Lisa ran and caught her before she fell. She tried to free herself, but Katrina came in the nick of time and put her arms around her.
“Come, Rose. Come on inside and have a cup of coffee. It is way too hot for running today. We must take good care of you, alright?”
She simply came back with them and they helped her down onto a box in some shade in front of the house, so she could keep watch down to the valley again. Katrina quickly came out with a cup of coffee for her. At first, Rose did not want it, but Katrina sat with her talked about nothing much and eventually Rose’s breathing became normal again and she seemed calmer. They drank coffee and watched the valley.
In the evening Henry drove up with the wagon. It had not been raining for some time now. The springs down in the valley dried out, one by one. The soil was very dry under the rays of the merciless sun. They were going to start digging a well.
Henry jumped down from the drivers box, and walked to the end of the wagon in order to unload a heavy object. He pushed the thing towards the end of the wagon.
“Look Rose. See what I have brought you!” He called out. “Look!”
“My piano,” she exclaimed and clapped her hands. “Oh, thank you, Henry. I am so happy.” To their surprise, she really did look happy.
Everyone helped unload the piano and positioned it just inside the house, where Rose sat most of the day. Nobody said anything about Rose’s swelling belly. It was understood, she did not want to talk about it. Rose sat at the piano and slowly ran her fingers over the keys. Then she played some cheery Irish jigs and looked happier than she had the whole time she’d been back. Henry winked at Frederik and Katrina, who nodded and smiled at him. This was just what was needed.
Chapter 62
Soon it was harvest time, and Rose found it difficult sitting at her piano. Henry and Frederik became extremely busy, harvesting the potatoes. It was an enormous job to get all the potatoes up from the long rows in the fields on both farms. When they were harvested and put into big sacks, they could all be very happy about the good result.
“Look, how many sacks of potatoes we have got!” Ida shouted and jumped up and down and danced on the spot.
“How many are there?” Lisa asked and jumped together with Ida. They clapped their hands while jumping.
“Such a good harvest
we do love the best!
We have good luck, and good chance.
Now we shall all dance.”
Ida always rhymed in Danish, because that was the language she knew best.
“Oh, do say what it means,” Lisa shouted. “I want to speak Danish one day, too.”
Ida translated for her, then they went and counted the sacks of potatoes. Twice.
The next day they stacked as many sacks as possible onto the wagon, and set off to the little town of Kenmare to sell the potatoes at the farmer’s market. It was quite a long journey. Ida and Lisa kept watch on the passing landscape. Henry and Frederik sat up on the drivers box and talked about prices.
“How much money will we get for the potatoes?” Ida shouted.
“Let us see what they say in Kenmare,” Frederik answered, in happy anticipation.
They sold the potatoes for a very good price. Afterwards, the girls were given sugar candy to celebrate and they sat in the wagon to savour the luxury. Soon their fingers and faces were sticky with sugar candy.
“Look who is walking there!” Lisa suddenly cried. “It’s the Indian boy with the bear cub, isn’t it?”
“What are you saying with your mouth full of sugar candy?” Ida asked mildly.
Lisa pointed with an impatient finger, and Ida stared.
“Yes! It is Bearboy. What on earth is he doing here?”
Lisa took the candy out of her mouth with finger and thumb.
“Look, he is with some of the Indian boys from the camp.”
“Yes, I recognise his friends!” Ida said and looked out to see if her father and Henry were nearby.
“Can you spot Stephen with them?” Ida said.
“No,” Lisa answered. “I’m going to get a closer look and see if we can find him.”
“Suppose the Indians see you?”
“Then I will run away,” Lisa said and jumped down from the wagon. She ran over to the group of young Indians and walked around them. Ida’s heart went to her throat. At first she could see Lisa, but all of a sudden, she was gone. Ida was close to tears, but she dared not leave the wagon. She had promised to keep an eye on all the supplies they had bought at the grocers.
“What am I to do now?” All of a sudden, she saw the Indians were heading straight for the wagon. “No! What do I do now?” She hid behind a drum of salted herrings. The Indians came to the wagon, and peered inside. Bearboy was speaking loudly and Ida saw, he was about to enter into the wagon.
“Hey! You there! What are you doing in my wagon?” Henry suddenly shouted. “Don’t steal anything from us.” The Indians moved half a meter back from the wagon.
“It is Bearboy, isn’t it?” Frederik called out. He ran up to them all, and tried talking to Bearboy, using sign language and mime.
He tried asking about Stephen. He pointed at Henry and looked questioningly at the Indian boy, who smiled, but backed away. The other Indians looked on angrily at the two men and shook their heads.
“What are we going to do?” Henry asked. He went right up to one of the older Indians and pointed at his leg. “Break.” He made a snapping motion. The Indian laughed loudly and pulled away from Henry.
“Stephen!” He shouted, and rushed forward and grabbed at Bearboy, at the same time drawing out his revolver and pointing it at the other Indian. Bearboy was quick as lightning. He knocked the revolver out of Henry’s hand and freed himself from Henry’s grasp. Laughing too, he ran off with his friends and they moved off down the street.
“Lisa!” Ida shouted. “Dad, where is Lisa?”
“I am here,” Lisa said calmly and jumped up into the wagon.
“Did they see you, or try to grab you?” Ida asked staring horrified at her little sister. Lisa shook her head and hugged Ida.
“No, no. I was too fast.”
“What am I to do?” Henry cried in despair. “I’ll never get my son back.” He flung his hands to the sky.
“We can only wait and see,” Frederik answered. “First, we go home and take good care of what we do have here.”
Henry shook his head sadly, he understood there was not anything he could do. The Indians mounted their horses and in a couple of seconds they had vanished out of town. Frederik and Henry climbed up to the drivers box and turning the horses, headed back to the beautiful place they had found out on the prairie. Henry was silent all the way home. Before they went up to the Jensen’s house, he asked them to say nothing about meeting the Indians. They all nodded.
Chapter 63
One afternoon, when the snows began to melt after a long, bitter winter, Rose started to moan. Her belly was so big she could no longer sit at the piano nor the table, nor could she find comfort anywhere.
“It is starting now!” Cried Anna.
Ida was sent to fetch Henry, who was busy finishing a big barn for the potatoes over at his place. She ran all the way. He was on a tall ladder with hammer and nails. The barn looked wonderful. He was really very good at building things.
“Rose is in pain!” Ida shouted at the foot of the ladder. “You must come now.” Henry looked down and nodded.
“One moment,” he said and finished hammering a long board into place.
He climbed down the ladder. “We will take the wagon.” It was parked at the Kennedy’s house. He hitched up the horses and Ida was allowed to sit with him on the drivers box.
“Why is she moaning so much?” Ida asked. “She is crying out so loudly.”
“She must be in pain,” Henry said and flicked the reins.
Rose did not stop moaning even when Henry showed up. She lay back on a box outside in the melting snow, and tossed from side to side. He went to her and held her and tried to comfort her.
“We probably better start boiling lots of water,” Anna whispered to Katrina, who nodded. Ida and Lisa were sent to fetch water from the new well they had dug.
“We have to bring a couple of buckets,” Ida said.
“My mother also cried like that, when she got my little brother,” Lisa said.
“Why do they moan and toss around like that? Isn’t it hard on the baby?”
The girls wandered back toward the house with two heavy buckets, filled with water.
“It goes on for a while, then all of a sudden they stop when the baby comes,” explained Lisa.
Suddenly their path was blocked by a tall young man. They were startled until they realised it was Bearboy. Ida stared at him and shook her head.
“Where is Stephen?” She shouted at him and stamped her foot in the snow so that water slopped from the bucket. Bearboy smiled at them, hoping they would smile back.
“Where is Stephen?”
Bearboy looked down at his leg, and indicated wi
th sign language, that the leg was fine and he had started to walk, with a stick.
“Stephen can walk now?” Lisa asked hopefully, and put her bucket down in the snow. Bearboy nodded and came closer to the girls.
“No,” Ida said firmly. “Go away. We have to get the water back to the house now.”
Bearboy eagerly pointed away towards the Indian camp and started to walk. He turned around and smiled at them encouragingly.
“Why does Stephen not come home?” Ida asked angrily. “His mother is going crazy, because he is gone.”
Bearboy looked as if he did not want to understand a word of what Ida was saying. He simply turned and walked towards the Indian camp. Again he beckoned to them, that they should follow him.
“On no, this won’t do,” Ida said. “We don’t want more parents crying and going crazy.” She showed him the buckets, urgently. “We really must take this water to my mother now.” Ida pointed at Bearboy and further to the camp. “Go! When you get there you must tell Stephen to come home immediately. Immediately! Do you understand what I am saying? His mother needs him.”
Bearboy only understood, that he was to return to camp without the girls. He looked very disappointed, then waved goodbye.
“Oh, what a fool. Now we really have to get this water back to the house.” Ida said. The girls found that Rose was in so much pain she screamed louder and louder. Anna scolded them for their tardiness and pulled the buckets from their hands.
“Where were you? We needed this water ages ago.”
Rose screamed and cried out. The girls were frightened and ready to flee out of the house and down the hill.
“It will stop soon,” Lisa whispered.
However, the birth carried on for quite some time. Henry did everything he could to help Rose. He helped her inside and to lie back on the bed. She resisted for quite a while, because she wanted to be outside. But soon it was clear even to her, that she must move inside. Katrina and Anna both assisted with the childbirth.
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