“This won’t take but a minute.” Uriah stepped into the classroom, leaving his two friends by the door. “I think you know why we’re here. We come for Prince.”
“Prince,” Christy repeated. She cast a glance at the children. They were sitting erect in their seats, silent as stones.
“We know he come here. Word got back to El Pano. Somebody out thisaways said he come runnin’ here.”
Christy cleared her throat. “Well, you’re right, actually. He did come here. He must have followed Miss Alice and me home.”
“Broke outa his pen.” Uriah started to spit, then thought better of it. “Confounded horse is more trouble than he’s worth, if you ask me. But Mr. C won’t give up on him. Don’t ask me why. He can’t ride him, that’s for sure.” He rubbed his hands together. “So where is he?”
Christy looked at her students. Their faces were grave. No one said a word. No one moved a muscle.
“I wish I could tell you, Mr. Wynne,” Christy said, “but the truth is, Prince disappeared not long after he got here. The Reverend Grantland was able to follow his tracks for about a quarter of a mile, but then he lost them in the woods. We haven’t seen him since.”
Uriah strode toward Christy, his eyes blazing. “Looky here, little lady. I ain’t got time for no games. We been lookin’ for this horse for way too long, and Mr. C’s like to fire us or worse if’n we don’t bring him back.”
“I’m telling you the truth, Mr. Wynne,” Christy said, “and now, if you please, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave my classroom. We have a spelling test to complete.”
“Why, I oughta—” Uriah lifted his arm as if he were going to strike Christy.
Instantly, Lundy leapt from his desk. He grabbed Uriah’s arm and easily pinned it behind the man’s back. “Don’t you be threatenin’ Teacher, hear?” he growled.
“Git him offa me!” Uriah groaned.
“Lundy, that’s enough,” Christy instructed. “You may let Mr. Wynne go now.”
Reluctantly, Lundy released the man. “Ain’t polite to threaten a lady,” he muttered.
Christy almost smiled. It wasn’t so long ago that Lundy himself had threatened Christy. She supposed this was progress—of a sort.
“I will pass your concerns along, Mr. Wynne,” Christy said. “I’m confident that if anyone in Cutter Gap knows of Prince’s whereabouts, they’ll inform Mr. Collins.”
Uriah narrowed his eyes. “We’ll be back,” he said, shaking a finger at her. “Mr. C ain’t the kind to let somethin’ like this go. And believe you me, lady, you don’t want to go troublin’ Mr. C.”
When the men had left, Christy straightened her skirt and forced a smile. “I’m sure you were all hoping I’d forget about the spelling test after that little interruption. I’m afraid you’re not going to be that fortunate.”
The children didn’t respond. They were staring at the doorway where Uriah and his friends had just departed.
“Your next word,” Christy said forcefully, “is secret.”
“I’m thinkin’ on another word—” Ruby Mae muttered softly, “afeared.”
Fifteen
Howdy, Miz Huddleston!”
Christy peeked past the wet bed sheet she was hanging on the clothesline to dry. “Mr. Pentland! How are you this afternoon? It’s nice to see some sun for a change.”
“Yes’m. Reckon you’re right about that.” The mailman reached into his bag. “Got a letter for ya. Don’t look like it’s from your ma, though. Not, of course, that employees of the U-nited States Postal Service would ever snoop into a person’s mail, mind you.”
“Of course not.” Christy accepted the long, white envelope. It wasn’t her mother’s stationery, and the ink on the return address was blurred.
She started to open it, then hesitated. Could this be from Mr. Collins? More than a week had passed since Uriah had come to Cutter Gap. But Christy felt certain that the threatening visit hadn’t been the end of things.
“Any sign o’ Prince?” Mr. Pentland inquired.
“No. Nothing. Have you heard anything?”
Mr. Pentland shook his head. “Heard some talk about Jared Collins sendin’ his men over to these parts.”
“Yes. They did pay us a visit.”
“I reckon they weren’t too friendly, neither.”
“That would be a fair statement,” Christy said as she removed the letter from its envelope.
“Good news, I hope?” Mr. Pentland asked.
“Oh, my!” Christy scanned the address at the top of the letter. “It’s from the Asheville Courier! This is good news! They want to buy an article I wrote!”
“Well, I’ll be. Ain’t that somethin’? A real live writer, right here in Cutter Gap.”
Christy kissed Mr. Pentland on the cheek.
“Thank you, Mr. Pentland. This is wonderful news!”
She left the blushing mailman and ran into the mission house. “Miss Ida! Miss Alice! Ruby Mae! David! Come quickly!”
They all came running. Christy waved her letter in the air triumphantly. “They’re going to publish my story about Prince in the Asheville newspaper!”
“Christy, that’s wonderful!” David cried, giving her a hug.
“I’m not the least bit surprised,” Miss Alice said.
Christy passed the letter to Miss Alice. “See? The editor said my article will bring smiles of joy to his readers. And he’s going to pay me, can you believe it? We can use the money for medicine, or maybe some books for the school.”
“Miz Christy,” Ruby Mae asked, “am I in the story?”
“Yes, you are, as a matter of fact. I talked about how you’d learned to be responsible and disciplined, caring for Prince.”
“Me, in a big-city newspaper!” Ruby Mae said, shaking her head. “Imagine that!”
“The editor even asked if I had more stories about Cutter Gap that I wanted to send along,” Christy said. “But I’ll have to think about that.”
Ruby Mae sighed heavily.
“What’s wrong, Ruby Mae?” Miss Alice asked.
“Oh, nothin’. I was just a-wishin’ Prince could be here to see all the fuss. He’s goin’ to be famous, and he won’t even know it.”
“I’m sure he’ll hear about it, one way or another,” David said with a tolerant smile.
“Maybe,” Ruby Mae agreed. “I s’pose anything is possible.”
“Miz Christy?” Ruby Mae asked that evening. “You mind some company?”
Christy was sitting in a rocker on the porch, a shawl around her shoulders. “Of course not. Come join me.”
“Whatcha doin’?”
“Looking at the stars. And thinking.”
“I been thinkin’, too,” Ruby Mae said. “Which I generally try not to do, what with it makin’ my head hurt and all.”
“What have you been thinking about, Ruby Mae? Maybe I can help you and your head won’t hurt so much.”
“Well, first off,” Ruby Mae said, rocking back and forth in the chair next to Christy’s, “I was thinkin’ on how that big-city editor asked you to write more stories for him. Me, I got plenty o’ stories about Cutter Gap folks saved up. I could help you out, if’n you got stuck.”
“That’s a very generous offer, Ruby Mae.”
“And then, if you sold him a passel o’ stories, you’d make a heap o’ money, right?”
“Well, some, anyway.”
Ruby Mae paused. “Probably enough so’s you could buy Prince back from the mean folks at Great Oak Farm.”
“How could we buy him back, Ruby Mae, when we don’t even know where he is?”
Ruby Mae cast a nervous look at Christy. “Well, I meant s’posin’ we found him—you know, way up in the woods somewheres. Then, when you got your money, we could buy him back, right?”
“Well, that presumes a lot. I’m not sure Mr. Collins would be interested in selling Prince.”
“Oughta be. That Uriah man said he can’t even ride him.”
“I would ce
rtainly write those articles to help buy Prince back. But you can’t buy a horse that isn’t there. Besides, it would take a long time to earn enough money to buy Prince.”
“Oh.” Ruby Mae stopped rocking. She gazed up at the mountains, looming black shadows against a starlit sky. “How do you fight back, Miz Christy? I mean, when you ain’t got nothin’ to fight with? How do you beat a man like Mr. Collins?”
Christy sighed. “I don’t know the answer to that question.”
“But you’re the teacher. You’re supposed to know the answer.”
“I do know this. It’s something Miss Alice told me when I first came to these mountains and I was frightened by all the feuding and violence. She said that evil is real and powerful, and God is against evil all the way. She said we can try to persuade ourselves that evil doesn’t exist, or keep quiet about it and say it’s none of our business. Or we can work on God’s side.”
“But how? What if you don’t know how?” Ruby Mae asked in a pleading voice.
More clearly than ever, Christy realized that if the children were hiding Prince, it wasn’t just a game. They were protecting something they loved in the only way they knew how. Christy and David and Miss Alice knew it wouldn’t last forever, that eventually Mr. Collins would track Prince down. But that didn’t matter to Ruby Mae and her friends. What mattered to them was that they were fighting evil in the only way they could.
“Even a man like Mr. Collins has weaknesses,” Christy said. “Perhaps, if he finds Prince and takes him back, he’ll grow bored with him. Perhaps he’ll get frustrated and embarrassed when Prince refuses to let him ride.”
“Maybe.”
“Sometimes even the most complicated story has a happy ending, Ruby Mae. You just have to have faith that with God’s help we’ll be able to change things.”
“I’ll try,” Ruby Mae said softly. “One thing I do know how to do is pray.”
Christy smiled. “I can’t think of a better time to get in a little practice.”
Sixteen
Miz Christy! It’s Mr. Collins a-comin’,” Ruby Mae called the next day. “And he’s brung the sheriff with him!”
It was the noon break, and the children were spread out on the lawn outside the schoolhouse in small groups, eating their meager noon meal. Christy was sitting on the schoolhouse steps, grading the children’s arithmetic tests from that morning.
She set the tests aside, watching as Jared Collins and three of his men approached on horseback. They pulled to a halt just inches from the steps.
“Afternoon, Miss Huddleston,” Mr. Collins said, giving her a tip of his hat.
“Sheriff Bell, Mr. Collins, Mr. Wynne.” Christy nodded curtly. “Is there something I can do for you?”
“Let’s not play games, Miss Huddleston.” Mr. Collins dismounted. “There are plenty of rumors floating around that Prince returned here. The only question is where you people are hiding him.”
Christy cast a glance at the children, who were listening solemnly. “I honestly do not know where Prince is,” she replied. “But if I did, I wouldn’t want to return him to your men. Not after the way we saw him treated.”
Mr. Collins tapped his riding crop in his palm, his dark eyes gleaming menacingly. “If you did know, then you would be in possession of stolen property. That’s why I’ve brought along the sheriff today.” Mr. Collins lowered his voice to a whisper that only Christy could hear. “And my guess is he’ll pay a lot more attention to a wealthy landowner like me than to a poor mission worker like you.”
Nearby, the children were murmuring amongst themselves. “I’m sorry I can’t help you,” Christy said firmly.
“I’d really hate to see anyone in this little backwater place have to go to jail,” Mr. Collins continued. “What would these poor, unfortunate children do with their teacher locked up?” He clucked his tongue. “That would hardly be setting a good example, now, would it?” The sheriff, a lanky man with a serious air about him, cleared his throat.
“I’m afraid Mr. Collins here has a mighty good point, Miss Huddleston. I can’t overlook the crime o’ horse-stealin’. Around these parts that’s a mighty serious offense.” Christy gulped. Suddenly the gravity of what was happening hit her. But what could she do?
After a moment, Ruby Mae stepped forward. “S’posin’—now, I’m just s’posin’, mind you—that a body did know where Prince was? Would there be any kind o’ reward for his capture?”
Mr. Collins grinned. “Why, of course, young lady. How about . . . hmm . . . how about a nice gold coin for your trouble?”
“Truth to tell, I had somethin’ else in mind.”
Uriah nudged Mr. Collins. “Told ya they know where he is.”
“I’m not sayin’ I know, and I’m not sayin’ I don’t know,” Ruby Mae said casually. “I’m just sayin’ what if.”
“What is it you’d like for a reward?” Mr. Collins asked. “Just name your price.”
Ruby Mae smiled, just a little. “I want a competition.”
“A—a competition? I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.”
“I mean a fair-and-square, you-and-me competition.”
Uriah laughed loudly. “How about it, Mr. C? Maybe you could arm-wrestle her!”
Mr. Collins was not amused. “You’re wasting my time,” he snapped at Ruby Mae. “Two gold coins. That’s my final offer.”
“You and me, ridin’ to see who gets Prince. If’n I wins, the mission gets to buy back Prince. May the best man—or gal—win,” Ruby Mae responded. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave Mr. Collins her most determined look. “And that’s my final offer.”
“B—but—” Mr. Collins spluttered. He turned to Christy. “Can’t you do something with this urchin? She’s obviously in possession of my property. Tell her to hand over the horse, or I’ll have her arrested.”
“To begin with, Mr. Collins, I think that’s exactly what Ruby Mae is proposing.” Christy winked at Ruby Mae. “You know, Ruby Mae,” she said, “if I didn’t know better, I’d say this accomplished equestrian is afraid to compete against you.”
“Yellow-belly,” one of the older boys muttered.
Lundy made a noise like a squawking chicken, and soon the other children were chiming in until the schoolyard sounded more like a barnyard.
“That’s enough, children,” Christy said, trying to quiet her students.
“You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of your own employees, now, would you, Mr. Collins?” Christy asked sweetly. “I’m sure you can beat Ruby Mae in a simple competition. What do you think, Ruby Mae? Three clean jumps over the fence in the pasture?”
“Bareback,” Ruby Mae added.
Mr. Collins cleared his throat. “What on earth is the point in this? He’s my horse, you fools!”
“Ain’t no point in ownin’ him, if’n you can’t ride him,” Ruby Mae pointed out.
“Aw, go ahead, Mr. C,” Uriah said, with a wink at his fellow stable hands. “She’s just a mite of a girl. If you can’t handle that stallion, ain’t no way she can.”
Mr. Collins gazed at the sky and let out a frustrated groan. “Oh, all right. We’ll let the country bumpkins have their fun.” He shook his riding crop at Ruby Mae. “But we’ll do it on my terms. You have the most clean jumps over that fence, little lady, I’ll let you have the right to buy back Prince for the same money I paid for him. I’ll give you three months to raise the cash. You lose, he’s mine, and you never go near him again.”
“Mr. Collins, we can’t possibly raise that kind of money!” Christy protested.
Mr. Collins shrugged. “I’m giving you the chance to get your stallion back. Take my offer, or I’ll have the sheriff arrest you.”
“It’s all right, Miz Christy,” Ruby Mae said nervously. “It’s the best we can do.”
“At least give us this much,” Christy pleaded.
“If Ruby Mae wins, we get three months to come up with the money. During that time, Prince stays here at th
e mission, not at your farm.”
“Fine. Whatever,” Mr. Collins said with a dismissive wave. “One way or another, he’ll be mine, soon enough.”
Ruby Mae held out her hand to Mr. Collins, and after a moment, he shook it. “Wait here. Lundy and me’ll go get Prince. In the meantime, you might want to practice up. Oh, one other thing. When we get him back, we want Prince’s bridle and his blanket back, too.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mr. Collins snapped.
“I’ll take care of that matter, Ruby Mae,” Christy said.
Ruby Mae nodded. “Then it’s settled.”
Christy followed Ruby Mae to a spot out of Mr. Collins’ earshot. “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked.
“He was goin’ to find him eventually,” Ruby Mae said with a sigh. “It was just a matter of time. We all knew it.”
“But even if you win, you have to understand that we won’t have the money to buy Prince back, at least not right now.”
“At least we’ll have the hope o’ buyin’ him. That’s somethin’. Thanks to you.”
“To me?”
“For givin’ me this idea. Last night, you were talkin’ about how even powerful people like Mr. Collins have their weaknesses. So I got to thinkin’ what his were.” She chuckled. “And I said to myself, ‘I can ride Prince and he can’t.’ And that’s how I come up with the idea.”
“You do realize we’ll have to come up with some kind of punishment for your horse-napping,” Christy said with a tolerant smile.
Ruby Mae considered this for a moment. “You know what, Miz Christy?” she said. “Even if’n you punished me with a hundred spellin’ tests, it’d be worth it, if it meant I got to protect Prince from gettin’ hurt.”
Lundy joined them. “Guess we’d best be gettin’ on,” he said.
“So where has Prince been all this time?”
Christy asked.
“Over to Lundy’s,” Ruby Mae said. “Safe and sound.”
“I guarded him best I could,” Lundy said.
Christy patted Lundy on the back. “Prince is lucky to have such good friends.”
Stage Fright / Goodbye, Sweet Prince / Brotherly Love Page 13
