by Clay, Verna
Cooper came to a sudden halt and slowly turned around. Hallie prepared herself for his wrath at her unreasonable, biting words. Instead, laughter lines creased the sides of his mouth and eyes.
Still feeling indignant, she scowled at him.
"Yes. I've been married." His mouth quirked, "and divorced."
Hallie's mouth formed a circle. "Oh. I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to pry. I just wanted to make conversation."
Cooper laughed loudly. "Is there anything else you want to know?"
Embarrassment in the shade of deep pink crept up Hallie's complexion. "No. No. Nothing." Liar.
Chapter 18: Platte Incident
After the monotony of rolling hills and grasslands, the train finally arrived at Fort Kearney. Hallie expected a grand military fort, but instead, found several unpainted wooden structures encasing a center square, with a scattering of trees surrounding it. In contrast to many long sod buildings haphazardly fanning out from the wooden ones, the first sorry buildings actually appeared inviting. Between the trees, various artillery equipment sat sentinel. Facing each other on opposite sides of the square were the commander's home and the soldiers' barracks, both two stories high. The other wooden buildings turned out to be officers' quarters, a hospital, and a sutler's store.
Captain Jones called camp a short distance outside the fort and many of the emigrants took the opportunity to visit and replenish supplies. At dusk, the captain called a general meeting to discuss current "Important Particulars."
Excitement fairly sizzled when he boomed from the center of the gathering, "May I have everyone's attention!" The buzz of voices ceased while they waited to hear what he had to say. "Reaching Fort Kearney has brought us to the three hundred mile mark in our journey and not quite a month on the trail. Now, so as to stay on schedule, we'll be picking up the pace after leaving the fort."
He pushed his hat back, changed his mind and removed it, slapped it against his thigh, and scanned the circle. He continued matter-of-factly. "Other than a few broken axles, one river crossing incident, and several disagreements among ya'll, we've had no serious setbacks. But our travels are about to get tougher. We're only a few miles south of the Platte River and we'll be following it, which includes the North Platte, for over three hundred miles. Just so you know, the Platte is not a gracious river. It's muddy and unpredictable. So don't let its shallowness fool you. Its currents and quicksand are treacherous.
"As for using the water, you're gonna have to sift the mud out. I sure hope you took my advice and stocked your barrels with good water at our previous stops."
Again, he dusted his hat on his thigh and Hallie slid her gaze sideways toward Cooper, thankful they had done everything requested by the captain.
After breaking camp the next morning, Hallie fortified herself emotionally for the coming journey. Her body already felt strong from all the walking, but she wondered if she was emotionally ready for what lay ahead. I can do this. I can face whatever lies ahead. Hearing Cooper's crack of the whip and cry of, "Giddup," she suddenly felt invincible. With Cooper's guidance, Tim and I can do this.
It didn't take long to reach the Platte and Hallie's first glimpse revealed a broad, muddy, slow moving river occasionally interspersed with islands. Although the captain had said it was only four inches deep in some places, the depth was impossible to determine through the murky water. Hallie shuddered at the possibility of quicksand, remembering an incident from her childhood.
She and her sister had traveled with their parents several miles from their home to bring supplies donated by their church to a widow and her teenage son. While Hallie and Lilah played pick-up-sticks with the son in front of the fireplace, the widow had conversed with her parents at the table and described her husband’s death in quicksand on their move from Tennessee. Her descriptions had been highly detailed and when the woman cried, "My boy barely escaped the same fate trying to rescue his pa," Hallie had seen tears in his eyes. Then the woman sobbed, "Quicksand is the gate to the pits of hell!"
Hallie shuddered again and turned to Tim, admonishing him to never go near the river without her or Cooper. She finished with, "Promise?"
"I promise, Ma."
After a long day of following the Platte, they reached a much used campsite, which they shared with another train. The pioneers from both groups welcomed the opportunity to mingle and before long about a half dozen men had pulled out fiddles, and several others—including a woman—harmonicas. The musicians started a lively tune and were soon joined by a large-boned woman with frizzy gray hair, carrying her guitar. One of the older couples in Hallie's group, quiet and unassuming, joined the festivities and stood in front of the musicians, surprising everyone with their beautiful voices and rich harmonies. A few jugs of whiskey were privately passed around, which loosened the limbs of several couples, and soon young and old were dancing country jigs.
Hallie smiled at the festivity and glanced around for Cooper. Her gaze landed on Mrs. Pittance with her perpetually sour face and disapproving glare. Sighing, she looked beyond her and saw Cooper leaning against a wagon, the tip of his cigarette glowing as he took a draw on it. Sensing she was watching him, his eyes shifted to hers and he tipped the brim of his hat in a friendly gesture. Hallie nodded slightly, feeling embarrassed that he had caught her seeking him out.
A tug on her arm brought her around. Tim asked, "Ma, will you dance with me?"
Hallie hadn't danced since the last barn raising she and Tim had attended with Thomas, and the memory of that lovely day brought a wave of sadness. Tim loved dancing so, not wanting to disappoint him, she said, "I'd be proud to dance with you."
He grinned, lightly encircling her waist with one hand and holding her hand with his other. They had only danced a few seconds when the song ended, but another one quickly took its place. The lively tune brought laughter from Hallie, and Tim said, "Ma, I'm always going to remember this night."
* * *
Cooper took another drag of his cigarette and watched Hallie dancing with her son. When she tilted her head back and laughed at something Tim said, he admired her long, graceful neck. In the firelight, her skin glowed pink. A few escaped tendrils of hair, the color of sandalwood, lay possessively over one breast, the same breast he had seen the night of her bath; the breast he wanted to smooth his rough palm over to feel its softness. Slow down, Cooper. Change the direction of your thoughts.
A nearby sound pulled his gaze away from Hallie. Oh hell!
"Hello, Cooper," Clarissa practically purred. She wasn't alone. "I'd like you to meet Sharon."
Sharon, closer to Cooper's age and showing the toll of her profession, ran a finger across her lips and down her neck to the swell of her breasts. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Cooper. We've spoken a few times when you checked our wagon for mechanical problems…but that's not the same as a personal chat, and there's nothing like a hoedown for getting to know someone." She reached a hand and stroked it across Cooper's chest, leaving no doubt as to her meaning.
Cooper took a final drag on his cigarette, almost burning his fingers, before flipping it to the ground and grinding it with his boot heel, studying the movement. Glancing back up, he decided truthfulness was his best line of defense. "Ladies, I hope you don't take this the wrong way because I'm right honored by your attention, and you and your companions are mighty desirable, but I'm not inclined to partake of any distractions while on this train. I need to keep all my faculties about me." He paused before finishing, "Are you gettin' my meaning?"
Clarissa frowned, looking petulant, but Sharon smiled, cast a glance in Hallie's direction, and said, "Oh, yes, I'm seeing your meaning."
Now it was Cooper's turn to frown.
Sharon stepped closer until her breasts grazed his chest, giving him a look he figured was intended to show him all he was missing. In a husky voice, she said, "It's your loss, Cooper. But if you change your mind, me and Clarissa are only a few wagons away."
Cooper returned her stare without flinchi
ng. "I'll remember that, ma'am." He stepped backward and tipped his hat politely. "Excuse me, ladies."
* * *
When the music ended, Hallie said breathlessly, "Tim, thank you for the lovely dance!"
"I had fun, Ma." Already his attention was directed across the camp. "Can I go play with my friends?"
"Of course. Check back with me soon, though."
"Okay, Ma."
Hallie waved a hand to cool her burning face, not sure if it was from the exertion of dancing or having been caught by one of the fancy ladies watching Cooper. The fancy woman had shifted her gaze from Cooper toward Hallie and smiled, as if they shared a secret. Embarrassed, Hallie had returned a quick smile, not wanting to appear rude.
* * *
By the third day of following the winding, sludgy, Platte River through treeless rolling hills, Hallie distracted her boredom by mentally preparing her land for planting and laying out the floor plan of her new cabin for the thousandth time. The noon break interrupted her daydream and after lunch cleanup, she settled into the back of her wagon to rest before Captain Jones again called for departure. However, restlessness soon had her up again. She decided to join Tim, who was visiting the Hankersons. Cooper had left earlier for a meeting with the leaders.
As happened during the mid day rest, the wagons were not circled, but ran parade style along the Platte, and the Hankersons were at the opposite end of the train from Hallie. When she reached their wagon, no one was around, so she continued her walk a little farther down the banks of the river. The warm sun and gentle breeze soon had her daydreaming again.
The river meandered around a hillock and before she realized, she was out of sight of camp. Just as she was about to turn around, a woman's scream shattered the peaceful day. The terror in the scream jolted Hallie into action and she bolted forward, searching for the source. The woman screamed again and her words sent chills up Hallie's spine. "Someone help me! My baby's in the quicksand."
Rounding the far side of the hill, she came upon a scene that turned her blood cold. A toddler had wandered about thirty feet into the mire of Platte quicksand, his flailing arms only sending him deeper into the mud. His mother, at the edge of the pit, twisted around frantically looking for help, but didn't see Hallie. The poor woman sobbed and started forward to save her child. Just as Hallie started to yell at her not to enter the mud, Tim appeared at the top of the hill, shouting, "I'll get him!"
Now it was Hallie's turn to scream. "No, Tim! Don't go in the quicksand!"
By now the child was up to his tummy and crying pitifully. Tim glanced over his shoulder, saw his mother, but didn't slow his progress. He waded in toward the child.
Hallie reached the mother and jerked her around. "Run to camp and get help!" The woman appeared not to hear and continued her hysterics. When she attempted to break free of Hallie's grasp and rush into the mud again, Hallie was left with no option but to slap her hard across the cheek. She knew there was little time. "Run to camp and get help!"
The young mother gulped air, focused on Hallie for a second, and then took off running like the wind.
Hallie lifted her head to the heavens. What now?
Bringing her gaze back to the children, she yelled to Tim that help was coming. He was now beside the child and lifting him into his arms. But as the boy's body came out of the mud, Tim sunk to his thighs. Frantically glancing along the banks of the river, Hallie searched for anything in the treeless land to assist in saving them. On her second pass, she blinked to be sure she was looking at a miracle—a partially buried tree limb. Running to retrieve it, she tugged, but it was stuck in the reeds and mud.
She yelled at Tim. "I found a tree limb. Hang on. Make your body relax. If you fight the mud, you'll sink faster."
Vaguely, she saw Tim trying to calm the terrified child. On her knees she clawed at the sludge holding the limb fast and used all of her strength to try to tug it from the mire. Her muscles burned, but she wouldn't stop. Finally, with a sucking sound, it broke free and she fell backward. She quickly regained her footing, but determined the branch wasn't long enough to reach the children. She pushed her petticoat down to her knees, but she was shaking so bad, and her skirt so mud laden, she had trouble stepping out of it. She cried, "Help me, Lord. Help me, Lord."
Using all of her strength yet again, she ripped a side seam from top to bottom and jerked the fabric from her body. Next, she tied one end of the petticoat around one end of the limb. Even as she worked, she waded deeper into the Platte, praying she could get within tossing distance of the children before reaching quicksand herself. She swung the limb forward hoping the cloth would reach the children. Her first attempt fell short. Drawing the limb and fabric back, now muddy and heavier, she inhaled, held her breath, glanced at the heavens, prayed again, and tossed again.
This time the end of the petticoat was close enough for Tim to grab onto. She yelled, "I'm going to start walking backward. Hang on tight."
Slowly, she retreated until a taunt line was created between herself and her son. The toddler screamed and started fighting, so she paused and waited while Tim attempted to quiet the boy. The child threw himself backward and Hallie's body shook with fear. Tim and the child both sunk to their waists.
Cooper, I need you!
Suddenly, the child stilled and reached for the fabric himself. Now both children hung on for dear life. Hallie began walking backward again and the children began sliding out of the quicksand. Slowly. Slowly.
Without warning, the fabric snapped off the branch and Hallie fell onto the muddy bank. "No!" she screamed. The quicksand was just below the children's chests. She tried to scramble to her feet, but fell again. Finally, lifting her soggy skirt and regaining her feet, she ran toward them. There was nothing left but for her to go in after them, even though she knew in her heart they would all die.
Suddenly, she was clasped around the waist by strong arms.
Cooper yelled. "No, Hallie, I've got them!"
Relief beyond anything imaginable flooded Hallie's heart and she sobbed, "I knew you'd come!"
Other shouts rang out and within a heartbeat Cooper was wading toward the children with a rope tied around his chest. Grabbing a child in each arm, they clung to him while men from their camp pulled the rope and hauled them all out of the mire.
Immediately, they were surrounded by helpful pioneers and the child's mother grabbed her son to her breast, sobbing. Dazed by the encounter, Hallie finally came to herself and rushed to Tim, clutching him and weeping. He clung to her and softly cried. No words were necessary. Then he pushed back and said, "Ma, I'm sorry for disobeying and leaving camp. I saw a baby deer and I was chasing it." Wiping a hand across his face and slinging mud aside, he sniffed and gave a little smile. "We need to get the mud off before it dries and we can't move."
Hallie nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She looked toward the bank of the river and saw Cooper watching them. In that moment, nothing existed except his blue gaze and her gratefulness. Covered with sludge, he slowly smiled, his teeth gleaming in the midst of the mud. Without stopping to think, Hallie ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. He hesitated for only a second before returning the kiss, snaking his arms around her waist and pulling her close. Finally breaking away, he glanced past her. "Hallie, we've got an audience."
When she realized what she had done, Hallie gasped and placed a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. "I'm so sorry, Cooper! I-I just wanted to kiss you…I mean thank you." She lifted a muddy hand to her burning cheek, recognizing the import of what she'd just said. Staring at Cooper's solemn expression on a face as smudged as her own, she didn't know how to fix her blunder.
Cooper looked past her again and said, "Clarissa, can you help Hallie clean up?"
"Oh, yes, of course."
Hallie turned around and was immediately pounced on by the fancy women.
* * *
Cooper watched Clarissa and the other ladies surround Hallie and lea
d her back to camp. Emmett approached Tim, whose questioning expression was fixed on Cooper, and guided him toward Lydia and Sam.
Beyond them, Cooper saw Mrs. Pittance piercing him with a gaze that said, "I knew it."
Obviously, even a life and death situation would not deter her from her purpose. And he was sure her purpose was to discredit Hallie. He almost laughed in her face. Good luck. Hallie is now a hero among these people. Her quick thinking bought enough time for help to arrive.
Slinging mud off his arms, as if ridding himself of Mrs. Pittance's judgment, he turned away.
Captain Jones came up behind him, "That was a close call. Another couple of minutes and we'd be havin' a burial instead of a celebration."
"You got that right."
"That Wells woman's got some guts."
"Yeah."
"Ever think about settling down, Cooper?"
"Jeremiah, don't even go there."
Captain Jones chuckled. "Sure was entertainin' seeing two clumps of mud kissin' like that."
"I'm warning you, Jeremiah."
The Captain only let loose with a belly laugh. "I'll see you back at camp, Cooper."
Chapter 19: Fancy Girlfriends
Absentmindedly, Hallie listened to Clarissa issuing orders and watched the fancy ladies hurrying to carry them out. She held Hallie's hand and talked incessantly, seemingly oblivious to the mud being smeared on her own clothing as she pulled Hallie toward camp. "I just have to say, Hallie, you are the bravest woman I have ever met and I'm mighty proud to know ya."
Hallie only half listened because she couldn't stop thinking about kissing Cooper. What had she done? Now the whole camp would be buzzing with gossip and the thought of it affecting Tim almost had her in tears.
Clarissa kept up her one-sided conversation until they reached camp and the other ladies surrounded them, several speaking at the same time. She suddenly held up her hands and they quieted. "Molly, did you pull out the tub? Sadie, did you unpack my special soap? Is Bessie back from Miz Wells' wagon with a change of clothes?"
