by Clay, Verna
Hallie wished she hadn't shown her distaste for the blended fragrance, for surely it was to become part and parcel of their journey. Removing her handkerchief, she hoped to redeem herself by appearing indifferent.
Cave Spring was located two miles outside of Westport and many of the pioneers, including the Hankersons, had already arrived. Cooper followed the hand signals of one of their fellow travelers and pulled their schooner to the backside of the one ahead of it forming the wagons into a circle.
Tim asked, "Why are we making a circle? Why can't we just camp where we want?"
Hallie listened to Cooper's reply. "Because forming a circle encloses the animals when necessary and keeps them from escaping. Also, it's protection from wild animals. It's also great for gatherings and holding meetings, which I suspect Captain Jones will do after everyone's arrived."
It was late afternoon before the last wagon completed the campsite, making a total of fifteen in an inner circle and twenty-seven in an outer one, with somewhere around two hundred and fifty people. Just as Cooper had predicted, Captain Jones, looking as fearsome as ever, walked around the wagons and boomed, "Listen up, pioneers! Finish whatever you're doing and meet me in the center of the circle in one hour!"
Hallie and Lydia, who had fried bacon and warmed beans in a pot hung on a tripod over the fire at Hallie's wagon, hastened to pack a loaf of bread away and clean dishes while the men continued readying for the following morning’s departure.
In exactly one hour, all the pioneers gathered to hear what Captain Jones had to say. Hallie noticed that Stubby and Harley's dismal looking wagon and pathetic animals were almost directly across from where she was standing, and when she glanced at Stubby, he quickly averted his gaze. Unexpected rage suffused her heart and she wanted to stomp over and slap him. How dare he treat a woman the way he had treated her!
"Listen up, pioneers!" the captain called.
Muffled sounds of talk and laughter suddenly ceased and everyone directed their attention toward Captain Jones. So intimidating was his presence that even children halted their antics and quieted.
"I've called ya'll together to appoint some leaders. I've been checkin' ya'll out, talkin' amongst ya, and here are my decisions." He lifted a paper and began calling off names. "Theodore Tackman, Frank Jensen, Hardy MacIntosh, and Cooper Jerome, please step to the center."
The men stepped forward and Hallie smiled inwardly. She just knew Cooper would be one of the men chosen.
Captain Jones pointedly scanned the crowd, causing some folks to shrink backward when he stared directly at them. Loudly, he announced, "These men are my right-handers and I'll be choosing several more in the next few days. When I give my leaders instructions to give to you," he paused for effect, "you will obey. Have I made myself clear?"
As they had become accustomed to doing, the crowd responded collectively, "Yes, sir."
Captain Jones smiled, but it did little to soften his stern countenance. "Good." He repeated, "good." After that, he instructed everyone to be ready to leave one hour after daylight on the following day. Then he gave specific instructions regarding safety precautions. He finished by saying, "We'll travel as far as the Shawnee Mission and then camp for the night. Now, except for the men whose names I called earlier, ya'll can return to your wagons and continue your preparations."
Tim tugged on her skirt. "Ma, can I go with Sam so we can look at the pictures in the book again?"
Standing beside Hallie, Lydia said, "I don't mind. In fact, I'd welcome his company to keep Sam distracted."
Hallie gave her permission and watched the Hankersons and her son walk in the direction of their schooner. Cooper was speaking with the captain. Mentally ticking off tasks she still wanted to accomplish before sunset, she started toward her own campsite. She had to pass several women and paused when one of them introduced herself. "Hello, my name is Sarah Jackson and I couldn't help but notice that your husband was chosen by the captain to be a leader. I'm pleased to meet you. Let me introduce you to the rest of these ladies."
Hallie smiled in return, happy to meet other women who would become her traveling companions for over two thousand miles. She stuck out her hand. "I'm pleased to meet you, Sarah Jackson. My name is Hallie Wells, but you must call me Hallie, and Mr. Jerome isn't my husband."
A confused expression passed across Sarah's face. "I'm sorry. I just assumed you two were married."
Uh oh. Hallie hadn't considered the effect her introduction would have on the ladies. "Uh, Mr. Jerome is driving my wagon to Oregon because of the recent passing of my husband."
Relief washed over Sarah's face and Hallie thought, That was simple enough.
Unexpectedly, another woman in the group stepped forward, her face seemingly frozen in a sneer. "So, you're traveling with a man who isn't your husband?"
Hallie blinked, surprised at her hateful tone. "Yes, ma'am. But as I just explained, my husband recently passed and…"
Ignoring Hallie's explanation, the woman snorted, "Proper women do not travel with men they are not married to, no matter the explanation. My name is Prudence Pittance and I am the wife of Pastor Pittance. These ladies are part of our congregation and until you are properly escorted, we will not associate with you. Come, ladies."
Hallie watched the women's expressions, so welcoming at first, transform into pity on some and hostility on others. Mrs. Pittance lifted her black skirt and, with exaggerated movement, turned her back on Hallie and stomped away. The other women followed her example. Sarah was the last to leave, giving Hallie a tiny, apologetic smile.
So shocked was Hallie by the event that she remained motionless, attempting to process what had just transpired. Her first reaction was a desire to cry because she had never been treated thus in her life. In another instant, anger welled up in her heart. How dare she judge me!
Lifting her skirts in indignation, Hallie turned toward her wagon and saw Cooper watching her from the center of the circle. Had he witnessed that horrible confrontation?
Chapter 11: "Westward Ho!"
Cooper walked to Hallie's wagon and turned his attention to checking the wheel spokes. Unfortunately, he had heard prune-faced Mrs. Pittance chastising her. Damn, I knew this was going to happen.
Not wanting to embarrass Hallie further, he pretended ignorance of their encounter. In just a short time around Hallie, he'd come to realize that for all her bravado, she was a sheltered woman, not familiar with the unkindness of people—well, at least until now. Cooper, however, had learned to shrug off the bitterness that clung to holier-than-thou contentious people like a creeping vine, having been raised around them.
He felt a protective streak wanting to sprout and tried to kill it. Safeguarding Hallie physically was one thing; shielding her emotionally was out of the question. Helping her because of Tim he could handle. Allowing her to get under his skin was absolutely unacceptable.
Walking away from the wagon, he resolved to remain detached and decided to check on Sweet Pea.
* * *
Hallie woke long before dawn and waited to hear the first stirrings of pioneers before rising. Dressing quickly and slipping from her wagon, she was grateful she had harkened to Cooper's wisdom and not overloaded it, leaving plenty of room for herself and Tim. Unless absolutely necessary, she had no intention of sleeping on the ground. Besides, she didn't want to give the gossip mongers more to wag their tongues about.
Turning her gaze away from Prudence Pittance's wagon, she prayed quietly, "Lord, give me patience. Keep my tongue from speaking evil and my heart from being bitter against that woman." But even as she prayed, Hallie knew she was fighting a losing battle. She already harbored bad feelings. Forcing her thoughts to more important matters, she stoked the fire Cooper had already started.
The sun crested on a beautiful, chilly morning. With campfires sprouting around the circle, the camp began to hum with excitement as women prepared breakfast, men prepared their modes of transportation, small children played, older children ca
red for their family's animals, and Captain Jones circled inside and outside the camp on his gelding, his sharp eyes on constant alert and his tongue calling out orders.
A frisson of excitement skated up Hallie's spine. Like herself, this was the day many of the pioneers had been anticipating for months, possibly years.
Pulling the reflector oven, cast iron skillet, and necessary utensils from their crate, she instructed Tim to unpack a pound of salted bacon from its storage in the wheat barrel. Cooper said he'd learned on cattle drives that bacon preserved longer and less fat melted on hot days if stored in that manner. Again, Hallie felt thankful for his presence and wondered about his life before joining the military.
Before long, she had biscuits baking, bacon sizzling, and eggs frying in bacon grease. Pleased with her efforts, she asked Tim to find Cooper and let him know breakfast was ready.
From sunup until departure, the time taken was about an hour and a half, and when Captain Jones made his final check, he called, "We're half an hour behind schedule. Look lively, people!" Trotting his horse to the lead wagon handled by Hardy MacIntosh, one of his chosen leaders, he boomed in a voice as loud as a foghorn, "Westward Ho!"
Standing behind Cooper, Hallie laughed and turned to Tim beside her. With tears of joy, mingled with tears of sadness that Thomas hadn't lived to experience his dream, she whispered, "Tim, we're on our way."
Her son's eyes clouded with his own tears. "Pa would be right proud, Ma."
Hallie allowed herself one last sniffle, smiled at Tim, and asked, "Son, can we hold hands just this once as we begin our journey?"
Without hesitation, Tim grabbed his mother's hand. "I'd like that, Ma."
Cooper turned around and winked. "Here we go." Lifting his whip, he cracked it in the air above the oxen and shouted "Giddup!" Hallie squeezed Tim's hand and they both laughed as the train started forward.
For the next three hours Tim and Hallie speculated about their land in Oregon, played word games, and teased each other. Then unexpectedly, the wagons in front of them came to a halt. Captain Jones rode the length of the train informing everyone that a mule had thrown a shoe. During the interim to re-shoe the animal, husbands assisted family members from their schooners, though most of the pioneers had walked alongside their wagons so as to not overtax their animals. After a half hour's stopover, the train resumed its plodding progress.
At the noon hour, Captain Jones halted the wagons again, but did not motion them into a circle. He simply rode the length calling out a two-hour break for lunch.
Cooper glanced at Hallie. "When we leave, I think you should ride in the wagon and save your feet. It's best to begin slow."
Hallie paused in slicing bread, attempting to keep her weight off her foot that now had blisters. "If you think so, okay."
Cooper stared pointedly at her feet. "I think so."
After warming beans over the fire that Cooper had started, she handed him a plate of food, but he said, "Feed Tim first." Hallie called to Tim visiting the boys in the wagon ahead of theirs and then dished Cooper's plate. While she scooped beans for herself, several ladies led by Prudence Pittance stomped to her wagon. Hallie recognized two of the women from the day before, but three more were new to her.
Cooper had stepped to the back of the wagon and now rested his hip on the tailgate. Mrs. Pittance glanced toward him and her lip curled into a snarl, but she said nothing, choosing to turn her gaze on Hallie. With a sniff that stuck her nose in the air, she announced, "Mrs. Wells, my ladies and I have a request to make of you."
Her words surprised Hallie. What could they want from her? Keeping her dislike for the woman out of her voice, she responded, "What is that, Mrs. Pittance?"
The distasteful woman lifted a haughty eyebrow, glanced at the women surrounding her wearing the same haughty expressions, and said, "We would like your wagon to travel at the rear of the train, as well as the wagon with the strumpets. Since you are currently in sixth position, your wicked ways are visible for all to see. If you traveled at the rear, the God-fearing folk on this journey would be spared from watching your sinful living with this man."
Hallie's mouth gaped and her eyes widened. From the corner of her eye she saw Cooper push off the wagon and step forward.
The voice of Captain Jones startled everyone. "Well, now, Miz Pittance, when did you become the leader of my train?"
Prudence turned her hateful gaze from Hallie to the captain, seemingly invincible. She sneered, "I was going to speak with you privately, Captain Jones, but since you are here, I will take you to task now." She paused for effect and pushed her tall, stiff frame into even more ramrod straightness before continuing. "I find it appalling, sir, that you have allowed such audacious behavior to run rampant on this train of families traveling west to continue their God-fearing, decent lives, and promote the Good Word." Her voice rose in volume. "Not only have you allowed this man and woman to travel together unmarried, without a chaperone, you have…" she paused again with a face so red and contorted it was frightful, "…you have allowed strumpets and forty-niners to mingle among the good folk. I simply cannot…"
Hallie saw Cooper return to lazing against the wagon. She blinked. He was almost smiling as he glanced back and forth between Mrs. Pittance and Captain Jones.
The sudden boom of the captain’s voice sounded like a clap of thunder. "WOMAN! I'VE HEARD ENOUGH!"
Hallie gasped; even Mrs. Pittance's austere expression wavered for a second. She opened her mouth, most likely to lambast Captain Jones again, but he said, "I am the leader of this train! In fact…" he craned his neck toward her, "you can call me God as far as that leadership is concerned!"
Mrs. Pittance and her group of ladies gasped and placed their hands over their hearts. Two of the women appeared about to swoon and were steadied by the others. For once, Mrs. Pittance looked dumbstruck.
Staring first at Mrs. Pittance and then at each woman in turn, Captain Jones said in a softer voice that in some ways was more frightful than his booming one, "If you accost Mrs. Wells again, or anyone traveling on my train, you and your group will be the ones bringing up the rear." Shocked silence hovered like fog, and then the captain shouted, "DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"
Hallie's own hand covered her breast, not only because of his words, but because of his commanding personage. Sliding her gaze to Cooper, she saw an out-and-out grin plastered across his face.
The captain pointed to the two women unsteady on their feet. "Cooper, help these ladies back to their wagons."
Cooper's smile vanished, but he did not argue. Mrs. Pittance, with eyes as round as saucers, opened her mouth to speak, but Captain Jones raised his hand to stop her. "The rear of the train eats the most dust." He then turned his horse and galloped away.
Mrs. Pittance sputtered and when Cooper stepped forward to assist her ladies, she said, "Don't touch them! We take care of our own!"
Cooper raised his hands in mock surrender and backed away.
Dumbfounded by the events of the past five minutes, Hallie stood rooted to the spot. Then she thought about Tim and scanned the area. He stood off to the side, his eyes as wide as hers.
* * *
In Cooper's estimation, nothing could top the showdown he'd witnessed that day. He'd been so angry at the preacher woman that he'd intended to give her an earful. However, when the captain stepped in, he knew the fiery Mrs. Pittance was about to get burned.
Neither Hallie nor the other pioneers knew that Cooper had served under Captain Jones's military command for a short time. Cooper didn’t see any reason to advertise his previous acquaintance with the captain, and obviously Captain Jones felt the same way. After the captain had selected him as one of his leaders they'd met later at the saloon in Westport and reminisced old times. Captain Jones had noticed Cooper drinking sarsaparilla and commented, "I'm glad to see you quit drinkin' that rot gut."
Cooper took a draw on his drink and replied, "If I hadn't, I'd be six feet under right now."
"Ain't that
the truth. I gave it up years ago, meself." The captain laughed. "Shall I order us another round of sissy drinks?"
It was late afternoon when they reached the Shawnee Mission and camped south of several buildings built by Methodist missionaries. While Cooper cared for the animals, Tim pulled pots and pans from their crate at his mother's direction. As she was laying firewood, Cooper watched her movements to see how she was faring after the afternoon's confrontation. Her countenance seemed none the worse for Mrs. Pittance's words and he breathed a sigh of relief when she laughed at something Tim said.
Leaving the care of the animals, he joined Hallie and Tim and teased, "You two are having quite a laugh. Is it anything I can be privy to?"
Hallie placed a hand over her mouth, covering her giggle, and pointed to the milk canister hanging on the side of the wagon. "We've got butter churned into a ball in the center of the can from all the jostling of the wagon."
Tim pointed toward the chickens in their cage. "And I said I sure hope we don't have loco chickens after all that jostling." He moved his finger in a circular motion beside his head for emphasis.
Cooper laughed loudly and slapped his leg. He added to the fun, "Loco fried chicken and biscuits dripping with wagon churned butter."
The three of them laughed so loudly that families in the wagons closest to them looked in their direction.
Cooper reached in his pocket for his match tin, got the fire started, and then went back to tending the animals and brushing his horse. While he was checking Sweet Pea's shoes, he heard a woman's concerned cry from across the circle. "Oh, my! There's Injuns!"
Cooper glanced up to see Captain Jones escorting four middle-aged Shawnees to the center of camp: two women and two men. The captain called out, "Listen up, folks. This here is Big Bear and his wife Falling Star, and Red Wolf and his wife Little Elk Sees." He pointed to each person as he named them. "Now, I been friends with them for years. The women make jewelry to sell to pioneers passing this way and their prices are reasonable, so if you've a mind to buy somethin', now's a good time. Charges for everything gets higher the farther west we travel." He turned a meaningful stare toward the Pittance group. "I expect my friends to be treated with the utmost respect. Does everyone understand?"
