by Ginny Dye
“They can be very dangerous,” Captain Marley said.
Carrie soothed Celeste as the mare pranced away from a strong gust of wind. Her head was high and her ears pricked forward; it was obvious she knew something was coming.
Whether Captain Marley was oblivious to Carrie’s fear, or simply determined to make sure she was prepared, he was not done with her education. “A blizzard is formed when cold air from the north meets even larger amounts of warm air and moisture from the south. We don’t know where we will be when the two fronts actually meet. If we are on the southern edge of the blizzard, we may have severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, but actually miss the snow.” He paused as he eyed the clouds. “My guess is that we are farther north. I won’t be surprised if we have more than a foot of snow, but the real danger is how cold it can get with the wind-chills. There are times when the temperature plummets to twenty below.”
Carrie shuddered. She thought she had been cold already on this trip. She couldn’t imagine cold like that. Even wearing everything she had brought with her, it would be miserable.
“You and your friends might do better sharing a wagon, using each other’s body heat for warmth.”
Carrie nodded and reached for humor. “Matthew and Janie will be glad to hear that.”
Captain Marley smiled slightly, but met her eyes with a steady gaze. “I want you to tie ropes to your wagon on the outside. Once the storm hits, you are not to go outside that wagon without holding onto the rope. For any reason,” he said sternly. “The snow can swallow you in seconds, and you’ll have no idea how to get back to your wagon. Death comes quickly.”
Carrie’s eyes scanned the horizon. Blank, flat sameness rolled toward the darkening skies. They had spent two nights at Fort Larned a week earlier, but she knew they were still a week or so out from Fort Dodge. “There is no shelter in sight.” She tried to keep the quiver from her voice, but she wasn’t sure she succeeded. If Captain Marley was attempting to scare her into compliance, his plan had worked.
“Which is why we aren’t stopping yet,” Captain Marley said. “There is a thick grove of trees a few miles ahead. I’m hoping we can make it before dark. I don’t think the snow will hit until later tonight, but we’re going to need the windbreak the trees provide, and we’re also going to need the wood. I’ve sent a group of my men ahead to start gathering firewood.”
“I see,” Carrie murmured. “Is there anything I need to tell my friends?”
“We will circle the wagons when we reach the grove of trees. All the animals will have to go inside the circle. It’s the only way to keep them alive through the storm. As soon as we arrive I want everyone to gather as much wood as they can. That can be hard to come by on the trail so we may have to cut down a tree or two. Whatever is cut, I want it put in the wagons so it stays dry. My men will be doing the same thing, but there’s no such thing as too much wood. We’ll leave behind any extra for the next wagon train that needs it. If the storm hits before we get there, we’ll have to focus on getting dead wood that will burn even if it’s wet.” He paused. “We have no idea how long the blizzard will last. I’ve seen them peter out in hours, and I’ve seen them rage for days. We also don’t know how deep the snow will be, or when we will be able to get moving again. We’ll have to have enough wood to build fires for heat and cooking once the storm ends.”
Carrie nodded, glad to have a focus to diminish some of her fear. “We’ll do our part.”
“I know you will,” Captain Marley agreed. “The last month has proven that. I’m surprised we haven’t had a storm before now. I’m hoping this one isn’t going to make up for the ones that didn’t happen,” he said.
“My research said that early spring blizzards can sometimes be the worst.” Carrie had read that in the book Felicia had made for her. Somehow, they had gotten through February with nothing but endless frigid days. She had hoped March would signal the advent of spring, but instead, it looked like winter was determined to deal another blow.
“Your research was correct.” Captain Marley’s smile was more natural this time. “I’ve scared you on purpose, Carrie, because blizzards are not something to take lightly, but my men have all been through them before. If we do the right things, we’ll all be fine.” His smile disappeared. “If anyone gets careless, though, someone will die. I don’t want that on my watch.”
Carrie nodded. “I’ll go talk to my team now. I’ll make sure everyone knows what needs to be done.” Captain Marley nodded and then turned to talk to one of his men who had just ridden up. Carrie cantered over to the wagon Matthew was driving. She was aware he had been watching her and Captain Marley closely.
“News?” Matthew asked casually. His eyes, however, said he knew exactly what was going on.
Carrie smiled. “You’ve been in a blizzard before?”
“More than one,” Matthew replied grimly. “Captain Marley believes one is on the way?”
“He does,” Carrie confirmed. She told him everything the captain had told her. She was glad when she saw Nathan and Randall move close enough to hear the conversation.
Matthew couldn’t help his grin when she got to the part about all sleeping in one wagon. He and Janie had been given private quarters at Fort Larned for two brief days, but he missed his wife badly. “I suppose I can make that sacrifice. And, as the only married couple in the wagon, we’ll make sure the rest of your honor isn’t compromised.”
Carrie smiled but her heart was pierced by his words. Being on the plains had separated her more from her past, but the pain could still strike easily.
“I’m sorry,” Matthew said, instantly realizing the impact of his words.
Carrie managed a smile and then turned to ride up to the women’s wagon. Janie, certain she would go crazy if she continued to ride in the back, had insisted she be able to drive the wagon. She was doing a fine job and didn’t mind the constant comments from soldiers who rode by. In fact, she had made many friends among the men who were not used to independent women.
Now she was watching the sky anxiously. “Is there a storm coming?”
Carrie beckoned Carolyn and Melissa to come closer before explaining the situation. “Everyone will stay in this wagon tonight because we have more blankets and pillows.”
“Do you think we’ll make it to the grove of trees?” Janie looked again at the sky that seemed to be stalking them like a famished cougar. “The wind seems to have picked up.”
Carrie had noticed the same thing. “I don’t know if we’ll make it,” she said honestly. “Captain Marley believes we have time, but he also admitted it is impossible to predict the weather out here. We’re not to let our oxen teams stop until we receive orders.” A sudden, sharp gust of wind made her pull her coat tighter and push her hat down more firmly on her head. The temperature was dropping. She patted Celeste’s neck as the mare became more agitated. “It’s all right, girl. It’s all right.”
“Will it be?” Melissa asked, her voice high-pitched with fright. “I knew a blizzard was a possibility, but after a month with nothing but cold, I thought we would miss the experience.”
“I thought the same thing,” Carrie acknowledged. “We were wrong,” she said. She hastened to reassure them. “Captain Marley said he and his men have survived blizzards before. If we do what they tell us, we will be fine.”
At least she hoped so.
*****
The wind was blowing viciously, but the snow was still clinging to the menacing clouds when the grove of trees appeared in the distance. Carrie drew a deep breath of relief when they reached the trees and maneuvered their wagons into a tight circle on the south side of the wind break. She could hear the sound of axes chopping wood as men swarmed into the woods. Enough men stayed behind to unharness all the teams of oxen and turn the horses loose into the center of the circle. Matthew, Nathan and Randall joined the woodcutters, while Carrie, Janie, Carolyn and Melissa carried the wood back to the wagons. They had been cautioned to move slowly so they wo
uld not perspire. Wet clothes would only increase the danger of hypothermia.
There would be no tents set up because the wind would tear them down. Soldiers would have to be jammed into wagons together for safety and warmth. The camp cooks had come ahead to build large fires; now they were hanging huge pots of soup-makings over the flames, hoping to get a good meal into everyone before the storm hit.
The work continued even as the first snowflakes began to fall. Carrie blinked her eyes fast to keep them clear from the driving snow. Her face was covered by a thick scarf, leaving just enough room for her to peer out. Once the men had stopped cutting, they joined her and the rest of the women in loading the wagons. They had left one wagon exclusively for firewood. When it was full, they started loading wood into the other wagons, making sure to leave enough room for the occupants. The wood was stacked around the perimeter of the wagon interior to help cut the wind as much as possible. Once it was stacked, it was covered with tent canvas and then roped securely to the sides of the wagon to create more of a barrier.
Janie asked the question in Carrie’s mind. “What happens if the wagons tip over in the wind?”
Carrie looked at her but chose not to answer. Being crushed by a stack of firewood was not something she wanted to contemplate. The wood should weigh the wagons down enough to keep them stable, but she was also aware the tall canvas sides created a large target for the howling wind.
A group of men approached, coils of rope in hand. “We’re going to tie your wagon off to some of the trees in the grove,” one of them yelled. It was impossible to identify anyone because of the thick clothing and face coverings. “The ropes should keep you from tipping.”
Carrie caught the meaning of should. There were no guarantees.
“The night is going to be long,” another man yelled, “but you’re not to light any candles or lanterns. The fire danger is too high if your wagon tips.”
Carrie caught the look of terror on Janie’s face. She knew her friend was back at the site of the Angola train wreck. “We’ll do just as you say,” she yelled back to be heard above the wind. She reached into the wagon and pulled out more rope, and then secured it tightly to the outside. It would make sure that anyone who found it necessary to leave the wagon would be able to make their way back. She couldn’t imagine any reason that would make her leave their sanctuary once they were allowed to stop working, but she knew they had to be prepared for any contingency.
Captain Marley appeared from the deepening snow. “Are you all set here?”
Carrie smiled up at him before realizing he couldn’t see her face. “We are,” she called back, nodding her head for emphasis.
Captain Marley nodded back. “Each of you go over to the cook fire and get a big bowl of soup and several biscuits. The cooks will prepare food as long as they can, and then bring more by your wagons. Eat all you can. It will help you stay warm, and I don’t know when we can cook again. Wrap your biscuits in a bandana and place them inside your clothing against your body so they don’t freeze.” He paused. “Once you have your food, get back into your wagon. Don’t come out until you hear someone call for you,” he added. “We’ve done all we can. Now we just have to ride it out.”
*****
It was possible to pretend for the first few hours of the storm that it was a big adventure. It was fun to all be inside the wagon laughing, talking and exchanging stories of other snowstorms. Even though it was pitch black inside the wagon, the knowledge that they were together held the fear at bay. As the night lengthened and as fatigue from all the hard work cutting and hauling wood set in, conversation petered out and then died.
Carrie hunkered into her cocoon of blankets as the temperature plunged and the frigid air seeped its way through cracks in their wall of wood. The howling of the wind increased. She hated the feeling of alienation that came from no more conversation, but it would have been impossible to talk above the noise now, anyway. She had never experienced wind like this. The wagon shuddered and heaved against the ropes, making sleep an impossibility as she waited for the wagon to overturn and entomb them under an avalanche of firewood.
She tried to reason her way past the fear, but she had seldom felt so alone. She envied Janie in the warm protection of Matthew’s presence. Memories of Robert consumed her. She blinked back tears but didn’t bother to swallow the moan of pain. No one could hear her over the noise. She had put on Robert’s coat over every layer of clothing she could find. She snuggled into it, praying it would be a refuge.
The storm raged on all through the long night. There were a few times when she felt the wind diminish just a little, but within minutes it would start its howling again. She was certain the night would never end.
*****
Janie wrapped herself around Matthew, grateful for his strong arms encircling her. They sat on a nest of pillows, with tented blankets around their bodies. There was not room for everyone to lie down. They all had to content themselves with having outstretched legs as they leaned against the wood. After so many nights of sleeping alone, she was grateful just to have him close.
At first, she thought having him close was going to be enough to hold the fear at bay, but as the wind increased, it sounded more and more like a locomotive barreling down on them, mixed with a shrieking that turned her blood cold. The memories began to swallow her.
She heard the people screaming. She saw the blood. She smelled the flesh burning.
Janie could feel herself trembling and shaking, but she was no longer aware of where she was. As the memories grabbed ahold of her, they blotted out the snowstorm and put her back in the wrecked train car outside Angola. Her breath came in gasps, and she fought the constrictions of the blanket threatening to suffocate her. The wagon swayed and she was once more on the brink of the bridge, teetering into an empty void. She wasn’t aware of the scream that ripped from her throat, lifting above the relentless howl of the wind.
As she plunged through nothingness toward her death, she became aware of being shaken, and then felt warm, whiskered kisses landing on her face. She could hear and see nothing, but somehow the love pierced her terror and broke through the memory to land her back in the present. Gradually, the howling and shrieking became a blizzard once again, terrifying in its own right, but it felt good to be aware she was in Matthew’s arms. The trembling and shuddering subsided and then gradually stopped. Her husband continued to hold her close and kiss her forehead, eyes and cheeks.
Finally, she slept.
*****
The blizzard had not relented the next morning. The only reason they were aware a new day had dawned was that the darkness abated enough to enable them to see each other’s shapes against the gray light filtering in through the logs and cracks in the canvas siding.
Carrie had heard Janie’s scream during the night and knew the cause immediately. She didn’t know when she had finally drifted off to sleep, but she was exhausted. Every muscle and bone ached, and the continual bellow of the wind made her want to scream. She bit her lip and remained silent. It would hardly be helpful for her to start screaming in time with the wind. The image made her smile just a bit. She pulled back Robert’s coat enough to reach under several layers of sweaters to the packet holding four bacon biscuits. She separated one and ate it slowly, not knowing how long the food needed to last. Then she pulled out the water skin she had pressed against her body, grateful to have liquid that was not frozen into ice. She took several swallows and then corked it carefully before replacing it.
She was vaguely aware of Nathan disentangling himself from his blankets, but the continuing darkness and noise made everything slightly surreal. She watched him as he crawled around the wagon, stopping to peer into everyone’s face. He would stay in one place for a few moments before he continued on to the next person. When he stopped in front of her, Carrie lowered her face covering long enough to give him a small smile, and then nodded her head to indicate she was all right. She felt far from all right, but she knew all
of them were feeling the same fear, boredom and aches. Nathan met her eyes with an encouraging smile and then returned to his mound of blankets.
Moments later, the storm seemed to increase even more in intensity. Carrie wasn’t sure it was possible to be colder, but her shivering increased. All of them were in danger of hypothermia and frostbite, but she knew shivering was a good sign because her body was trying to warm itself. If she was hypothermic, the shivering would have stopped because her body would be trying to conserve all the energy it could. Nathan, she realized, had been checking to make sure everyone was responsive. She could only assume that since he had returned to his coverings everyone was, but she knew they needed to take extra measures to stay warm.
Janie and Matthew were safer because they were sharing body heat; the rest of them needed to do the same thing. Now was hardly the time to consider their reputations. None of that would matter if they succumbed to hypothermia. She waited until Nathan turned his head toward her, and then she lowered the blankets enough to wave him over.
Nathan unearthed himself and crawled closer. “We need to share body heat,” Carrie yelled. Most of her words were swallowed by the wind, but Nathan understood. He reached back for his blankets and motioned with his hand for Melissa to join them. Moments later Carrie and Melissa were both huddled into Nathan, an even thicker layer of covers holding in the heat they generated.
Randall and Carolyn quickly followed their example.
Carrie breathed a sigh of relief as the shivering slowed. She lay her head on Nathan’s broad shoulder and fell into a deep sleep.
*****
The blizzard raged for two entire days. Night became confused with day. Thirst and hunger warred with fatigue and muscle aches. Carrie slept, woke to more of the howling darkness, and counted the moments until she could escape into sleep again. Nathan’s solid strength beside her provided the courage she needed.
