“It can’t be a baby.” Dinah held her knife out in front of her.
Caroline had a firm grip on her weapon, but she held it at her side. “What could it be then?”
“Maybe it’s a deserter trying to draw us outside where he can rob us….” Her voice faded away into nothingness. “Maybe we ought to leave while we can.”
Caroline turned back to look at Dinah. She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “I’m not going to run away like a coward.” She stopped whispering, but her voice was still a little shaky. “This is my home. As long as Luke isn’t here, it’s my responsibility to make sure we’re protected.”
Dinah’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “Or we could go back out the front way and get help.”
It was tempting to listen to Dinah’s suggestion, but Caroline knew in her heart she could not shirk her duty. She might not know much about running a plantation like Shady Oaks, but she ought to be able to scare off a vagrant before he caused any trouble.
Caroline looked at Dinah as she pulled the back door open and stepped out onto the narrow porch. “No, there’s no time. But you stay inside. If I don’t come back in a few minutes, you run back to the big house and bring the overseer back here as fast as you can manage.”
“Stay in here? By myself? While you go out there and get yourself killed…or worse? I can’t do that.”
Caroline didn’t answer. Her attention was on the grounds behind the house and the line of trees several yards back. She could see some evidence the area immediately behind the house had been cleared at some point in the past, even noticing the outline of what had to be an old flower garden. Lack of attention, however, had given nature the chance to reclaim most of the yard with weeds, creeping vines, and thorny bushes.
The noise came again, and from where she stood, it sounded even more like a baby crying. She caught a movement from the corner of her eye and whipped her head around to see a dark shape prowling among the trees at the edge of the woods. She held her breath. The figure weaved in and out of the brush, indistinct even in the bright morning light. Finally she made out its shape. It was a large, obviously anxious animal. As she watched, the coal-black shape leaped to a branch that had to be at least ten feet above the ground. Her breath caught at the grace of the smooth move, and she knew it to be a cat…a large cat. It made her think of the caged lions she had seen the year her parents had visited a traveling circus in Natchez. Except this animal was as black as midnight.
“Can you see anything yet?” Dinah had joined her on the porch. “What is it? Is it a deserter?”
“Shh…no, it’s not a deserter. I think it’s a cat.”
“A cat? Like a housecat?”
“No, more like a lion.” She pointed to the shadowy branches where it had taken refuge. “See, up there. Its fur is so black I almost can’t make it out, but if you look real close, you can see its green eyes shining.”
“It must be a panther.” Dinah’s voice was calmer now.
“A panther? I’ve heard about those, but I’ve never seen one.”
“They’re secretive.”
“This one doesn’t seem to be very secretive. I wonder why it’s staying so close to the house even though it knows we’re here.”
“It’s come to eat us up, that’s what.”
“Don’t be silly, Dinah. Panthers don’t eat people.” Caroline’s heart sped up a notch. Did they?
“I’ve heard stories of big cats that can sneak into a baby’s room and take him away before anybody knows what’s happening. They said it happened a few years back over at the Devereaux place. The next morning, the mother went to get her poor baby and it was gone. The only thing left in the crib was a few drops of blood and a patch of fur as black as night.”
Caroline shuddered. She’d never heard of a panther taking a baby, but maybe it happened to people who lived so far from civilization. Just then the noise that had attracted their attention in the first place returned. It was much closer than the panther sitting so quietly on the tree limb. It seemed to come from right beneath her feet.
Dinah must have heard it, too, because she grabbed Caroline’s free hand and squeezed it tight.
At least they knew it wasn’t a deserter. But Caroline was beginning to wonder if the true answer was going to be even more dangerous. “What do you think is making that noise?”
Dinah looked at her. “Do you think it could be a baby panther?”
She nodded. “That’s what I think, too. But I wonder where it is.”
“There may be a root cellar. You know, where the missus of this place kept her canned fruits and vegetables.”
Caroline glanced around the overgrown yard. What Dinah was saying made sense. A young cub could have somehow managed to get itself trapped, and that would be its mother out there, waiting to see what they were going to do.
“We’ll have to find it,” Caroline said. “The mother obviously can’t help it, so we’ll have to free the cub.”
“What if it’s not a cub at all?” asked Dinah. “What if it’s the father panther, and we get eaten up when we find him?”
The noise started again. “I don’t see any way that could be a full-grown panther. It’s got to be a baby crying for its mother.”
Although the look on Dinah’s face was still full of doubt and fear, she took a deep breath and nodded her agreement.
“Good.” Caroline pointed to her right, away from the area where the panther watched from the woods. “You start over there, and I’ll start on this side of the yard. Just be careful to stay away from the woods. We don’t want her to feel threatened. I’d hate to try to outrun her.”
The two women stepped off the porch and searched quietly in the yard. Several tense moments passed before Caroline spied a pair of old wooden doors that looked like they were lying on the ground. “I think I’ve found it.”
She moved closer and noticed that the wood on the doors was weathered. She could even see a wide gap where one of the boards had rotted away. This must be where the young cub had gotten in trouble. He’d probably just been exploring when the old board gave way underneath him. The space was far too small for the mother panther to get in and rescue her baby.
Caroline could hear the frightened yowls clearly now. She looked over her shoulder in time to see the mother panther standing on the branch, watching every move she made. The animal’s wail sent shivers chasing down her spine. Caroline wondered whether the sound was to calm the little one or to warn her away.
Dinah walked over, her face showing a mixture of relief and fear. “Did you hear that?”
“Yes, but she’s still out there in the woods. I hope she’s trying to calm her cub.”
“What do we do now?”
Caroline studied the area around them. “We’ve got to find a way to open those doors.”
The cries from the other side of the doors were louder now and continued without pause. Caroline wondered if they should abandon the cub to its fate. It would certainly be the easier answer. But she knew she couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t try to do something to help the poor animal. She wanted to send Dinah back inside to safety but knew it was unlikely the other woman would desert her. With a nod to the mother cat, she bent over and grabbed the wooden handle on one of the doors, pulling with all her might. It didn’t budge.
“Here, let me help.” Dinah leaned over and grabbed the wooden edge just above Caroline’s hands.
The two women pulled and strained. Caroline was beginning to believe they would not be able to get the door open when the old hinges groaned and began to give way. With renewed strength, the two women redoubled their efforts and were rewarded when the door opened fully. The second door didn’t give them as much trouble, opening as if its hinges had been more faithfully oiled. Or perhaps their renewed hope gave them extra strength.
Dinah took two steps back. “Are you going down in there?”
“Why else did we work so hard to get the doors open?”
“I don’t know.” Dinah glanced toward the woods. “Maybe we could just leave it like this and let the mother come rescue her cub.”
Caroline shook her head. “What if the poor thing is hurt?”
“We can’t do anything if it is.”
“I cannot stand here and let that baby cry. It could be hours before the mother feels it’s safe enough to come this close to the house.” Caroline took a step down into the cellar. It was dark, but not nearly as musty or dank as she imagined it might be. In fact, it had a rather pleasant smell, as if someone had used the cellar to dry herbs.
Three steps took her to the well-packed earthen floor, and she waited for her eyes to adjust to the gloom. It was a small room, bare of furniture except for a table and bench in one corner. After a moment she also noticed the shelves lining the other three walls. Most of the shelves were empty, but here and there she could see jars still packed with fruits or vegetables. The panther cub had quieted when she entered the cellar, so Caroline had no idea where to look for the animal.
“Do you see it?” Dinah’s voice seemed far away.
Caroline’s gaze searched the gloomy room. “No, not yet.” She leaned over the bench. Emerald-green eyes peered at her from under the table, eyes as bright as those of its concerned mother outside. “Oh wait, here it is. Come here, little cat. I’m going to take you to your mother.” She approached the cub slowly, unsure of its reaction, and held her hand out in what she hoped was an unthreatening gesture.
“Be careful, Miss Caroline.”
Caroline jumped at Dinah’s hoarse voice. A giggle tried to work its way up her throat, but she fought it. This was no time to get hysterical.
Something wet brushed the fingers she had extended. It took every ounce of determination she had not to jump back as the panther cub sniffed cautiously. Then it rubbed its head against her fingers, and she felt its soft fur tickling her skin.
“There, there. I know you’re scared, little fellow.” Her voice was calmer than she would have thought possible. It must be the touch of God’s grace. Gaining more self-assurance as the animal allowed her to stroke its head and neck, she closed the distance between them. “Why don’t you come here and let me help you get back to your ma? I know you must be missing her something awful. And aren’t you a smart kitten to make such a noise?”
A low, rumbling sound issued from the young panther’s throat, and it butted its head against her hand. She had gained its trust.
“That’s it, little fellow.” She carefully picked up the cat and held it in the crook of her arm. The cub rubbed its head against her arm, apparently content to let her carry it away from the dark corner where it had taken refuge. She walked back up the stairs and into the daylight.
“Praise the Lord.” Dinah’s admiration was plain to see. “You got him.”
“Can you see the mother cat?” Caroline peered toward the woods.
“She’s over there now.” Dinah pointed to a clump of bushes and weeds. “She jumped down from her perch about the time you went into the cellar. She hasn’t moved any closer to the house, so I hope she’s not planning to attack us.”
“I rather doubt that, or she would have done it by now.” Caroline looked down at the ebony cat. “Look at this little fellow. Isn’t he adorable?”
“If you say so, Miss Caroline.” Dinah didn’t look convinced. “But you’d better put him down before he decides to start crying again. I don’t like the idea of you holding a wild animal, especially since its anxious ma is standing right over there.”
“I will, but I need to pick a good spot. A place far enough away from us so his mother can come and see about him. And far enough from the cellar doors that he won’t get into trouble again.” She looked around, remembering the old flower garden. It should be a safe place to set down the adventurous cub. “I’ll take you over there, little guy, and then Dinah and I will wait to make sure your ma comes to get you.”
While Caroline walked slowly across the yard, Dinah closed the root cellar doors. “I’m going to wait for you on the back porch.”
Caroline nodded. She continued petting the cub as if he were a housecat. As she approached the garden area, she could hear movement in the grass behind her. “It’s probably your ma come to get you.” Her heart pounded, but she kept walking forward with even, measured steps.
When she reached the garden, she carefully placed the cub on the ground and turned around, her breath catching in her throat. The mother panther was only a few yards away. She took a step to her right, hoping the mother would see she had not harmed the cub.
Although the animal was poised as if to spring, she didn’t move. Her bright-green gaze followed Caroline’s movements until she was a few feet closer to the house. Then she transferred her attention to the cub, which was unhurriedly licking its front paw.
Caroline continued her slow movements backward, praying she would not fall over an obstacle. After what seemed an eternity, she bumped up against the back porch. Safety was within reach. She moved up the stairs, keeping her attention glued to the panthers.
The mother panther walked over to the cub and sniffed him. She put out a large paw and pushed the cub onto his back, sniffing its stomach. Then she used her head to push the cub back onto his feet. Apparently satisfied, she grabbed the cub by the scruff of his neck and began to walk toward the woods.
Caroline breathed a sigh of relief as mother and babe returned to the wilderness where they belonged. She felt a great deal of satisfaction in knowing she could stand her ground. With God’s help, she could overcome her fears and doubts, conceive a plan, and make it work. Maybe one day she would be able to take on the duty and responsibility of running Shady Oaks. Perhaps she could even improve things on the plantation. With the grace of God, she could do some good in this little corner of the world.
“Come on inside.” Dinah stood at the back door.
“I’ll be there in a minute.” Caroline wasn’t sure why she wanted to remain out here on the porch. The cub was safe. Dinah was safe. She was safe. But she stood caught up in a sense of wonder, watching the powerful, graceful movements of the big cat as she loped away.
Just before the panther disappeared into the woods, she turned, the cub still dangling from her jaws. Those piercing green eyes looked at her, and Caroline felt a chill dance across her skin. For a moment she felt the full force of the panther’s stare. Was she grateful to Caroline? It might be a fanciful idea, but in her heart she knew she and the mother panther had connected on some level.
God’s hand was in the events of the afternoon. Besides the remarkable coincidence that the cub had picked this day to fall into the root cellar, it amazed her to think that they had been able to hear the cub all the way from the root cellar. And the mother panther had never threatened them, even though she was a fearsome creature with teeth and claws that could have easily torn them to shreds.
God, You are so awesome. You used this encounter to teach me to rely on Your strength. A feeling of tranquility filled her heart, just like the peace beyond man’s understanding that Paul promised in his letter to the Philippians. No longer did she feel all alone in facing her problems. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding them, God would see them through each day.
Chapter 11
Luke took a deep breath and raised his left hand. His right held a loaded pistol. His rifle lay beside him on the limb of the cottonwood in which he perched. He waited for the precise moment of attack, every muscle in his body tense as he watched the enemy soldiers mucking their way across the shallow bayou. Closer, closer, closer…With the lethal swiftness of a striking copperhead, his arm fell.
Simultaneously four shots rang out in the predawn gloom. Four Yankees fell into the water, leaving the men behind them, still wading in water above their knees, at a disadvantage. They reached for their weapons, but it was already too late. Luke led the second volley with his rifle. Shouts and screams of confusion and pain filled the area. The icy water of the little river was turning red
with the blood of the fallen men.
In between his small troop and the river, some cattails rustled and shook. Luke heard the whoosh of a breath and a quiet splash. The pointed snout of an alligator headed for the wounded and dying men, its keen sense of smell leading it unerringly toward a floating body.
When the surviving men in the river saw the gray shape swimming toward them with deadly intent, they broke rank. It was one thing to face the chance of catching a bullet, quite a different danger to become breakfast for a voracious reptile. They pushed each other out of the way in their haste to escape. After a few minutes, the sounds of their retreat had faded into the distance.
Luke reloaded before he signaled to the others to join him on the riverbank. His face was frozen into a grim mask. He hated this—ambushing unsuspecting men, the death, the thrashing of gators as they completed their grisly feeding.
For nearly a month his days had been filled with too much death and destruction. How he longed for a respite, for the sweet smell of fresh earth and the new cane that should have sprouted by now. Even in the swamp, the signs of spring were all around them. The oak trees and hickory trees had put on their new leaves, bringing to mind his grandfather’s words about planting various crops. He must have known even then that his grandson would one day need the information. “The smart farmer plants corn when the leaves of a hickory tree get as big as a squirrel’s ear.”
Those days were long gone, the happy memories fading as the horrors of war filled Luke’s heart and mind. The world had become a wicked place. He hoped Shady Oaks was still untouched. He needed to believe he could one day return to the security of hearth and home. Once again feel the steady gait of his powerful stallion, Spirit, as they toured the fields. Hug his wife and tell her how much he loved her.
Luke stretched his senses to their most sensitive, listening for the return of the Union soldiers. He didn’t expect it, but he must remain alert as an officer might manage to turn the troops around and send them back in this direction. He heard nothing but the croak of a bullfrog, the calls of birds, and the slap of water against the bank.
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