The sound of children laughing and playing outside woke Cooper. He opened his tired eyes and went to stretch his hands over his head. Cooper stopped halfway. It had been two days since they had returned to Mercy Plantation, but his muscles and joints still hurt. He swung his bad leg out of bed and reached for his crutches. Cooper dug out his pocket watch and saw he had been asleep for two hours. The mouthwatering aroma of freshly baked biscuits wafted up from the kitchen. He hobbled to his bedroom door and opened it. As best he could, Cooper limped downstairs.
In the kitchen, he found Thomas and Stone sitting at the table with Hawkins. They all looked beaten up and in need of a long rest. Thomas wore an eyepatch over his missing eye while Stone sat there with a bandaged arm. Hawkins sat there sipping a cup of coffee with a bandage around his head. His left arm was in a splint to give his collarbone the time to heal properly.
"Let me," said Stone, pulling out a chair for Cooper to sit on.
"Thanks," said Cooper as he took his seat.
"Cup of coffee, sir?" asked Mrs. Jackson.
"Yes, please, ma'am."
A fresh cup of coffee was placed on the table. Cooper smiled and picked it up. He took a quick sip before leaving it to cool. He smiled when he looked over at his sorry-looking comrades. Cooper had slept so much that he hadn't had much of an opportunity to speak with his colleagues since the fight on the boat.
He looked over at Stone. "Sir, how on earth did you manage to make it back to Mercy Plantation ahead of us? When we parted ways, you and Thomas were so badly injured I was sure we'd never set eyes on one another again."
"When we didn't return two days after we left to arrest Maclean, Horace, God bless him, formed a search party to try and find out what had happened to us," responded Stone. "They found our horses wandering the woods. After that, it didn't take them long to find the heads of the men we left behind."
"May God have mercy on George and Vincent's souls," said Thomas.
Stone continued. "Once Horace knew we were in trouble, he sent riders to the nearest crossing. They discovered Cole, Thomas, and me on a trail a mile or so from O'Doul's farm nearly dead from dehydration."
"I guess the sheriff was right," said Hawkins.
"Yes. The trapper's cabin was only a couple of miles from O'Doul's farm," said Stone. "From us, Horace learned the fate of the rest of the group. No matter how bleak it may have seemed, Horace refused to give in and rode the riverbank daily looking for survivors. When the Bragg caught fire, he took that as a sign and raced there. He found Joe, Mrs. Melancon, and the pastor a few hundred yards inland, exhausted and unable to take another step."
"I'll have to thank Horace for saving my life when I see him again," said Cooper.
"I've asked him to join us for supper. You can thank him then."
Cooper asked, "Has anyone heard how the pastor is doing?"
"Yes, the doctor was here this morning and said he'll make a full recovery. All he has to do is keep off his feet for few more days and he'll be his old self again."
"That's good news. What bout Moses? Is his father coming to pick him up and take him home?"
Stone shook his head. "I sent him a note, but the man wrote back that he wants nothing to do with his son. The Melancons, however, have taken him under their wing. They have forgiven him for his past behavior and are trying to turn the youth's life around."
"I have no doubt those two can give him the proper attention and support he's been lacking his entire life."
"You should see the boy," said Thomas. "They scrubbed him clean from the bottom of his toes to the top of his head and gave him a new set of clothes to wear. He follows Mrs. Melancon around like a puppy dog, but he acts more civil and friendly toward people now."
"Perhaps some good can come from this horrible affair," said Cooper.
Hawkins nodded and said, "Amen to that, Captain."
"How are the families of the dead farmhands taking things?" asked Cooper.
"It has been a terrible blow to them, and there's nothing I can do or say that will change that," replied Stone. "However, I have made a few changes which have been received positively by all of the people working here at the plantation. Thomas is now my head overseer and at his suggestion, I burned all the old contracts and drew up new ones which didn't unfairly tie anyone to the plantation for a set number of years. I also increased the wages paid to them. It's not a huge increase, but it's a far sight better than anyone else is willing to pay in this parish."
"We done got people looking to come here," said Thomas with a proud look on his face. "I'm gonna be talking with some young couples tomorrow morning."
"I'm sure the pastor and his wife will be pleased to hear that," mused Cooper. "The more, the merrier in their line of work."
"Speaking of work, I received a telegram from New Orleans while you were sleeping," said Stone as he reached into his pocket and brought out a piece of paper. He handed the note over to Cooper and sat back in his chair.
Cooper read over the message before giving it to Hawkins.
"What's the word, Captain?" asked Stone.
"As far as my boss is concerned, our work here is done. We're to report back to New Orleans as soon as we are well enough to ride."
"Have you given any thought about what you're going to say when you get back there?"
Cooper took a sip of coffee before answering. "Sir, I'm going to tell the truth. The people living in and around Williamstown were preyed upon by a gang of outlaws pretending to be animals to frighten and scare the local populace."
"People will never believe there are cannibals in the United States in 1865. Some country in Africa maybe, but not here. They'll call the story preposterous nonsense and bury it along with you two gentlemen's careers."
"So be it. We're both just biding our time until our terms of service with the army expire. If they let us go a few months early, I won't be too upset."
"What will you do if they do let you go?"
"I don't know," replied Cooper. "Head back east, I guess."
Mrs. Jackson coughed to get everyone's attention. "I'll have to ask you gentlemen to step out of the kitchen if want me to make you your dinner."
"What's for dinner?" asked Hawkins.
"Beef stew and dumplings. But there won't be any unless you all clear out of here."
The four men stood up slowly and hobbled out. Cooper and Hawkins walked outside and took a seat on a wooden bench.
"Sergeant, you never said what you would do if we suddenly found ourselves out of a job," said Cooper.
"I don't rightly know what I would do. The only two things I've ever done were being a slave and a soldier," replied Hawkins.
"Why don't you come to Washington with me? If it gets a little too dull for us, we can always take a ship across the Atlantic. I can show you where I was born in Scotland."
Hawkins smiled and nodded. "I guess I could give that a try."
"Please don't take this the wrong way since you grew up on a plantation like this one. I have to ask, at any time in the past few days, did you buy into the legend of the Rougarou?"
Hawkins sat there for a few seconds staring out at the empty cotton fields. He turned his head and looked Cooper in the eyes. "Captain, I didn't have Thomas and Cyrus' conviction, but some things happen out in the bayou that you can't explain from time to time. Until I found that bone in the ashes of a fire, I had my doubts if it was a man or something else we were up against. I should have trusted your assumption that it was men behind these killings."
"When it's all said and done, I'd rather it had been a monster and not a gang of crazed killers behind all of the troubles."
"Why would you say that?"
"Because, an animal kills to eat and survive. It acts on instinct. It doesn't do it for fun or to terrorize the innocent. Those deranged souls did what they did for fun and sport. They convinced themselves it was right to eat the flesh from another person's body. Their behavior was far more terrifying to me than any legendary beast ever could have be
en."
"Captain, do you think there could be more of them out there in the swamp?"
"God, I hope not. I don't think I could go through this again."
"Afternoon, gentlemen," said Joe as he walked toward them. A pretty young lady in a gray dress was on his arm.
"Afternoon, Joe," said Cooper. "Are you going to introduce us to your friend?"
"Sorry, I done forgot my manners. Captain Cooper and Sergeant Hawkins, please meet Miss Rebecca Legrand."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, gentlemen," said Rebecca. "Joe has told me all about you and the tribulations you all faced in the swamp together." It was obvious by the way she spoke and carried herself that the girl had been educated and was probably a house servant, not a farm worker.
"Joe's the real hero," said Cooper, winking at Joe. "Without him helping Mrs. Melancon escape we would have all been captured and killed."
Rebecca's eyes lit up. "Joe, is that true?"
The young man, not expecting praise, was flustered. Finally, he said, "I done some to help out."
"Well, wait until I tell Father all about you," said Rebecca, smiling at her beau.
Joe turned to leave. "Before I go, Mister Thomas he done told me to pass on to you there be a full moon tonight."
Cooper felt his stomach turn. He let out a tired sigh and sat back on the bench and looked beyond the fields out toward the trees. Cooper closed his eyes and prayed for a quiet night. In his battered state, Cooper knew there was nothing he or Hawkins could do if something were to happen. Only when the light of a new dawn arrived to chase away the night would they find out if they were truly safe.
END
Mercy Page 27
