by Clay, Verna
The women answered in turn.
"Sure did, Clari. Used the water over the campfire to get the temperature just right."
"Yep. Miz Wells is gonna love your soap and I see Bessie returning now with her clothes."
Suddenly, Clarissa was pushing Hallie to a blanketed-off area and two ladies began unfastening and helping her out of her muddy dress.
Sadie said, "You're gonna feel like a new woman after you soak in our tub. That ol' captain wanted us to leave it behind, but we voted and said there was no way we was gonna do that. No way!"
Before Hallie could voice her approval, she was undressed and pushed into a tub overflowing with bubbles. After the hell of the quicksand, surely she was in heaven. With her eyes closed she relaxed in the warm water. When she peeked from beneath her lashes, Clarissa was pouring water onto her mud caked hair.
"I got the nicest soap for yer hair. You're gonna love it. It's called Lovely Lavender and one of my men bought it for me afore I left on this train. He was right sorry to see me leave. I kinda liked him, but he was a might old for me, bein' in his sixties."
Clarissa prattled on and Hallie inhaled the enticing fragrance while the girl scrubbed her hair. She was suddenly brought out of her lethargy, however, when Clarissa said, "You lied to me, Miz Wells."
"Huh? What? What do you mean?"
Clarissa lifted a bucket of fresh water sitting next to the tub and poured it over Hallie's head to remove the soap and mud. Wiping the water out of her eyes, Hallie repeated. "What did I lie to you about?"
Clarissa smiled conspiratorially. "You said you didn't have feelins' for Mr. Jerome. If me and the other ladies had known the truth, we would'a stopped tryin' to get his attention."
"No, Clarissa, you're wrong. I'm recently widowed and Cooper is just helping me and Tim cross to Oregon. After that, he's returning to his farm in Missouri and we'll never see each other again."
Clarissa rocked back on her heels. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that the heart can't be tamed. Yer brain might be thinkin' one thing but yer heart another. Havin' feelings for Cooper ain't nothin' to be ashamed of. He's a rightly good man and one of the handsomest I've had the pleasure of lookin' on. That's a combination sure to make any woman lose her heart. Besides, any husband in his right mind would want his woman to find a good man after his demise. I bet yer dead husband would want you and Mr. Jerome to hitch up."
Big tears welled in Hallie's eyes. "No, Clarissa. It just wouldn't be right with Thomas being dead so recently. Besides, Cooper wouldn't give me a second glance. I'm too plain and skinny. You…you go after him if you want." The events of the day and Clarissa's ability to hone in on the thoughts troubling Hallie caused her to stifle a sob.
Clarissa clucked. "Nope, Hallie, you got it all wrong. Mr. Jerome's got feelins' for you. Why, when me and Sharon tried to entice him into our bed the night of the hoedown, he just looked in yer direction and excused hisself." She grinned widely. "There ain't no man right in the head that's gonna turn down me and Sharon lessen' he's got another woman on his mind."
As if saying her name had conjured her up, Sharon slipped behind the blankets with a towel. "Here's a towel, Clari. I got some hot water going for tea so Miz Wells can relax when she gets out."
"Thanks, Sharon."
Sharon glanced at Hallie and grinned. "I gave it my damndest and he wasn't budging." Without a word of explanation, she winked and slipped back outside the blankets.
Later that night, the toddler’s parents entered Hallie's campsite and introduced themselves as Paul and Charlene Ludlow. Sitting atop his father's shoulders, Little Paul pointed at Tim and said, "Candy?"
They all peered at Tim, who laughed. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Excuse me a minute." He returned shortly with a huge lollypop that his father had given him and handed it to the child.
Hallie was shocked that he was giving away something so precious to him, and that he was doing so without first receiving permission from the child's parents. But before she could chastise him, he explained, "The only way I could get him to stop struggling when we were sinking in the quicksand was to promise him the biggest lollypop he'd ever seen."
The boy whooped when he grasped the lollypop and his parents brushed tears from their eyes. With a heartfelt tremor in his voice, Mr. Ludlow said, "Thank you, Tim. We are forever in your debt." He turned to Hallie, "And in yours and Cooper's too."
Chapter 20: Descending Windlass Hill
Over the next several days, Hallie reflected on her experience and felt a growing sense of the unpredictability of life. One minute life was rolling along fine, and the next, a life or death situation reared its head. Tim also seemed reflective for a boy so young. He often discussed the rescue with his mother and Cooper, and on one occasion broke down crying. "I didn't want to die, Ma, but I could feel the mud sucking me under. I was so scared."
Hallie tried to comfort him. "I know, son. I was scared, too. But I think it's during times of fear that we find our greatest strength. Something else I've learned is that we can never take our lives for granted." Hugging him tightly, she whispered, "We've got this one life; let's enjoy it to the fullest. That's what your pa did. He loved life and even though his was cut short, he appreciated every day."
Cooper, meanwhile, never mentioned Hallie's impulsive kiss and kept mostly to himself. At times, Hallie found herself wanting to bring up the subject and apologize for embarrassing him in front of everyone, but something held her back. Apologizing almost made the kiss seem wrong, and deep in her heart, she couldn't make herself believe that.
They reached Fort McPherson almost two weeks later and after that traveled along a stretch called O'Fallon's Bluff. Again, they had to trek single file because of rocks butted so close to the Platte River. At a place known as the Lower California Crossing they forded the Platte with only minor damage to a few wagons.
That night Captain Jones explained at an "Important Particulars" meeting that the next twenty-five miles would be high plains. He warned, "There's very little wood, so collect buffalo chips for kindling. Also, your wagon wheels are going to shrink. They expanded during our travel along the banks of the Platte, but the dry plains wreak havoc on the wood. Have lots of shims ready to keep the inner and outer wheels tight."
Before ending the meeting, Captain Jones scratched his beard and said, "Folks, just so you know, we're over four hundred miles from Westport."
A happy shout arose among the pioneers and they hugged each other.
He continued, "It's good to be happy, but don't become lazy. We're not even halfway to Oregon and disasters can strike in the blink of an eye, like what almost happened with Tim and Little Paul."
It took two full days to cross twenty-five miles of plains and although rumors ran amok that their next destination was a treacherous place called Windlass Hill, Captain Jones neither verified nor denied the rumors when asked flat out. All he said was, "One day at a time, folks."
When they reached Windlass Hill, those at the head of the train sent runners back to the others describing a place of dread. It was no wonder Captain Jones hadn't elaborated on what was to come.
Calling the pioneers together, he chuckled, "So, ladies and gents, as you can see, it’s decision time. I'm going to lay out our options and let you vote on what to do because either decision is fine with me.
"First, we can descend the three hundred feet of Windlass Hill, which means our oxen or mules will pull the wagons as far as possible, then we'll release them to find their way to the bottom while we tie ropes to the wagons, set the brakes, and with men holding the ropes in back and other men in front steering the tongue, guide the wagons to the bottom. And let me assure you, it's been done many times over the years without mishap. Our other option is to continue on about seventeen miles out of our way and then backtrack. Of course, if we take the longer route, we lengthen our travel time and chance meeting the winter snows if we encounter other hindrances. Lowering the wagons will take less time than traveling the lo
ng way," he paused and glanced from face-to-face, "unless we have a serious accident."
The pioneers glanced uncertainly around at each other. Hallie wondered how Cooper would vote.
Captain Jones said, "Okay, I need a showing of hands and women can vote since their lives and the lives of their children are on the line. Only those over seventeen can vote unless you're already married. Ya'll spread out so's I can count."
Nervously, the emigrants fanned out and Captain Jones asked, "How many think we should take the long way?"
Hallie looked around and watched hands lift. She felt Mrs. Pittance's eyes on her and glanced over to see her hand raised halfway, but once Cooper lifted his hand, the woman lowered hers, causing some of the folks in her group to do the same. Pastor Pittance stood to the side observing.
Following Cooper's lead, Hallie raised her hand.
Captain Jones counted and then said, "Okay, all those in favor of following the trail down Windlass Hill, raise your hands."
Mrs. Pittance lifted her hand high, which encouraged others in her group to raise theirs also. Hallie looked at Pastor Pittance. Again, he only observed.
Captain Jones counted and said, "It's a close call. Only three votes difference." He glanced around the group and his eyes settled in the Pittances' direction. "Looks like, folks, ya'll better secure your wagons."
Under Captain Jones's direction, the wagons were prepared for the steep descent down Windlass Hill. Below the hill, the place called Ash Hollow with beautiful trees and tall grasses could be seen. It was as if hell had to be overcome before they could partake of paradise.
As the crowd of emigrants huddled at the top of the hill—watching and praying—the lead wagon, belonging to Frank Jensen, descended. The incline became too steep for the oxen about halfway down, and the men in front position, which included Cooper, unhitched them. Two of the men followed the oxen to the bottom while Cooper and three others, holding the tongue, guided the wagon, and men in back held ropes tied to the frame. When the schooner touched level land, a unified shout arose from those watching atop the hill.
The next wagon moved to the descending point and again, breaths were held and prayers offered. After the successful descent of ten wagons, many of the emigrants lost interest and went to find other diversions until it was their turn.
With twenty wagons still ahead of Hallie’s, she walked back to double-check everything. She gave permission for Tim to accompany a family with six boys to their wagon and play, wanting him to have a diversion other than watching the precarious descent of wagons and animals.
After making sure everything was secure, she walked back to the crest of the hill and sat on a boulder just as another wagon began its descent. She thought about her fellow travelers. Since the incident with the toddler, several emigrants had approached her, Tim, and Cooper in a friendly manner, offering their help with anything they might need.
When Harley and Stubby's pitiful wagon and animals moved to front position, Hallie’s attention was quickly returned to the present. Unbidden resentment filled her heart.
The men secured the wagon in the same fashion that had successfully lowered the ones before, and for all of Stubby's and Harley's outward appearance of sloth, they attacked their duty to lower their wagon with gusto.
About twenty feet into the descent, there was a loud cracking sound and one of the men guiding the mules yelled, "Runaway wagon!"
Hallie's jumped to her feet and stared in horror as the wagon slid sideways, tilted precariously, and then careened down the hillside, pulling its four mules with it. Several of the women watching from the top of the bluff screamed when Harley, unable to jump clear, got tangled in the reins and tumbled with the mules and wagon. As if in a nightmare, the emigrants watched Harley being dragged down the precipice. Stubby yelled and attempted to descend the grade, but the men held him back.
When the wagon and the animals and Harley finally hit the bottom, a deathly quiet rang out, its silence louder than any noise would have been. Everyone stood frozen in disbelief, until Stubby's heartrending scream, "Harley!" goaded people into action.
The men at the bottom of Windlass Hill rushed to the scene and others started descending. The sound of mules screaming floated to the top of the hill.
By now, word of the disaster had spread and emigrants ran to the edge of the bluff. Gunfire suddenly blasted, once, twice, thrice, and then once more; the mules ceased their screams.
There was a shout from one of the men at the bottom. "Harley's dead! Neck's broke!"
Another heart wrenching cry erupted from Stubby and some of the men had to pull him back atop the bluff where fell to his knees and wailed, "He's my only kin and friend."
Seeing the pioneers' mouths agape at the dreadful happening, Hallie’s gaze fell on Mrs. Pittance. She looked impassive. She even shook her head as if to say, "You had this coming." When she turned and walked away, some of the others in her group did the same. Pastor Pittance only observed, but did not follow them.
Any resentment Hallie had toward Stubby evaporated, at least for the time being. Looking back at his crouched and weeping form, Hallie took a step toward him, but he was suddenly surrounded by the fancy women. Mrs. Martinique was the first to kneel beside him and lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. Within minutes, the ladies had coaxed him away from the scene, his sobs tearing at Hallie's heart.
* * *
The rest of the day was incident free except for some broken wheel spokes, a few sprained ankles and shoulders, and some gashes to arms and legs. Finally, at dusk, the last wagon safely reached the bottom and all of the emigrants had maneuvered the steep decline to the lush grasses and trees and crystal clear water below.
Cooper collapsed onto a rock in exhaustion, but was soon called upon to help move Harley's body away from camp and dig his grave. As night deepened, the pioneers, carrying lanterns, gathered respectfully at the last resting place of a man lowly regarded by them.
Captain Jones asked Pastor Pittance if he wanted to say something, and the pastor simply said, "We know not the heart of this man; only God does. He has been sent to his final reward. Amen."
In the lamplight a frown could be seen on the captain's face. He glanced around and asked, "Does anyone else have anything to say?"
After a silence, Stubby's voice cracked when he said, "Harley was me older cousin and we growed up tagather. He weren't always upright, but he always looked out fer me. If'n you were raised by a pa that always beat the hell outta ya and taught ya to steal and cheat, ya would'na been so upstandin' yerself." Stubby choked on his next words, "Harley was me friend."
Clarissa placed her hand on Stubby's shoulder and with the innocence of youth, said, "You'll make new friends, Stubby."
Stubby rubbed his nose with the back of his fist and nodded.
Captain Jones said in his loud voice, now tempered with compassion, "I'm callin' a meeting. Everyone gather in the center of camp pronto."
Cooper gave one last glance at Harley as men shoveled dirt on him, pondering what Stubby had said.
Back at camp, a subdued atmosphere hovered while everyone waited to hear what Captain Jones had to say. He stepped to the center and boomed. "We got a situation now of a man without a wagon, animals, or supplies. We salvaged what we could from his goods, but it weren't much. So…pioneers, who'll be the first to help Stubby?"
Uneasy fidgeting and silence accompanied the captain's request. Mrs. Martinique was the first to speak. "Stubby can join with my gals."
A gasp arose among the crowd and then Stubby said, "I thank you ma'am, but I'll not live on the skirts of women. I'm not–"
Hallie interrupted. "I have an extra ox that Stubby can have and food to share."
Cooper blinked in disbelief.
Stubby frowned and started to say something, but Captain Jones looked pointedly at him and ordered, "Don't say anything!" Then he turned his gaze on Hallie. "Now that's right neighborly of you, Miz Wells." He sent a hard stare around the gathering. "Any
one else?"
Mr. Liverman yelled from the back of the group, "I got a small cart that could easily be pulled by one ox. Stubby can have it."
After that, pioneers from every direction began calling out what they had to offer.
Captain Jones finally lifted his hand and said, "Okay, looks like we got Stubby outfitted quite well. Tomorrow morning, bring your offerings to the back of Mrs. Martinique's wagons." He glanced at Cooper and said, "Cooper, you can help Stubby get his ox harnessed and his supplies readied for the journey. We'll rest here for another day."
Cooper simply nodded and said, "Yes, sir."
Chapter 21: Eyeful at Ash Hollow
Hallie decided that Captain Jones had been wise in not pushing the emigrants to leave Ash Hollow immediately. The descent down Windlass Hill and Harley’s subsequent death had placed melancholia over the group, not to mention the fact that exhaustion played a major factor in their depressed state.
Soon, however, the beauty of their surroundings performed magic in renewing their spirits. Shade trees, which made for abundant firewood, covered the landscape, plentiful grass fattened their animals, and pristine waters flowed.
By noon of their first day of rest, Cooper had Stubby's cart loaded and ox ready to be tethered. From across the camp, Hallie watched Stubby call to Cooper as he turned to leave. Cooper paused and listened to something Stubby said and then the two men shook hands. When Stubby started toward Hallie’s campsite, she wanted to run away. She may have given him an ox and supplies because it was the charitable thing to do, but she surely didn't want to talk to him.
She said, "Tim, run over to the Hankersons and see if they need help gathering firewood."
Always ready to visit Sam, Tim said, "Sure, Ma," and took off running.
