The house felt empty, so he stepped in. As he had suspected, no one was there. The beds were unmade. Mother and Addie’s clothes were still in the closets. They would never willingly move away without their clothes. Things that had been in the family for generations were still in their usual places. Where could they be? According to Beau, no one in town had seen them. I suspect foul play—something is very wrong! Beau said he hadn’t seen them since he came back, so they’ve been missing for several days. I need to find them, and they’re not in the house, that’s for sure. Ty ran to the barn. The corral gate was down, and all the animals were gone. He had kept his tools hanging on the wall. They were all in place, except one: the shovel was missing. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was sure that when he found that shovel, it would give him a clue to the whereabouts of his family.
He looked for the shovel and found it in the pasture down by the stream, leaning against a tree. The shovel looked like it had been there for some time, and there was red dirt on the blade. Topsoil in this area was about two feet deep. A person would have to dig deep to get to the red dirt, and someone had dug that deep, but why? He looked for a place where the sod had been disturbed, and found it just over a little knoll behind the barn.
Afraid of what he might find, he began removing the loose dirt. Then, realizing he needed a witness, he stopped digging. Who can I get as a witness? I can’t go to the sheriff; he’s in on the stealing. Then he remembered that Beau had said he would be hiding nearby. He didn’t want to drag Beau into this even though he knew of Beau’s feelings for Addie. If he found what he was afraid he’d find, there was going to be some killing done before this day was gone.
Ty walked into the open, waved his hand, and almost instantly Beau appeared. Ty called out, “Leave the horses hidden and come here.”
Beau ran to him and Ty led him into the bushes and told him what he had found and what he suspected. Beau’s face glowed with anger.
“If they’ve done this to Addie,” he blurted, “I’ll kill every damn one of them.”
“Let’s dig first,” Ty said. “Maybe it won’t be as bad as we think.”
Beau grabbed the shovel and began removing the dirt. It came out fast. After digging only a few feet, Ty noticed material he recognized as one of Addie’s dresses. Gently, he placed his hand on Beau’s arm and said, “Beau, you don’t have to dig anymore. I know what’s there. Go back to where you were hiding and wait. I’ll confirm what I already know and give Mother and Addie a proper burial. The men should return soon and there’s sure to be trouble. I’d rather you didn’t get involved.”
With tears rolling down his cheeks, Beau responded, “All right, but if you don’t kill them, I will.”
“I know you cared deeply for Addie, and if I were you I would feel the same.”
Beau stumbled back to his hiding place. Ty had to know how his mother and sister were killed, so he opened their grave enough to see that someone had shot them in the back as they tried to escape, and then shot them in the head at close range after they had fallen. This was the work of fiendish cowards.
Ty vowed that he would find their killers, but first he had to give his mother and sister a decent burial.
He took the letter his father had given him, opened it, and with tears rolling down his cheeks, read aloud. His father’s last message to his family was words of love and caring. The letter was carefully scripted on coarse white paper with a quill and ink and began:
"Dear Ruth, I am in a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. About a week before the war ended, I took a minie ball in my right shoulder. The wound was painful, but it didn’t completely disable me. The battle was going poorly, and my men needed me, so I stayed in the fight until the wound festered so badly that I passed out from pain and exhaustion. When I awoke, I was in a hospital bed. Gangrene had set in, and it was too far advanced to treat by removing my arm. I knew then that I would never see you again, but your lovely face is before me when I am awake, and I dream of you when I sleep. I long to see you and sit with you once more in the swing on our porch and watch our children Tyree and Clementine chase fireflies in the twilight. Clementine is almost as beautiful as her mother, and Ty will grow up to be a fine man.
"Our life together is but a dream unfilled. When you dream of me at night while you sleep I will be there, and we will be together again in the great beyond.
"With love beyond measure,
"Your husband,
"Drew"
When he finished reading, he placed the letter in the grave and, while kneeling with his arms reaching to the sky, cried, “Why? Why? We had no slaves, I did nothing wrong, yet I’ve lost everything—my father, my mother, my sister, and my home. Even my way of life is gone, and I’ll be an outlaw on my own land. Why? Why?” He filled the grave with dirt and sobbed as he knelt beside it, knowing that he had to avenge their deaths.
Ty wondered what the future held for him. He might be able to beat the new sheriff and the two men who had killed his mother and sister, but they would have an army backing them up. He couldn’t beat the army, so he would have to run.
He and his father had explored the deep wilderness, and he knew the mountains well. He could hide there, but he would be living like an animal . . . .
Looking up, he saw the two men returning. Picking up the shovel, he walked to the house and waited behind the corner. The men climbed down from their buggy and were walking to the porch. Ty stepped out and while watching the expressions on their faces threw the shovel at their feet. One look told Ty all he needed to know.
The tall man with the deep-set dark eyes went for his revolver. His movements were surprisingly smooth. Bang! Instantly, Ty’s bullet drilled a hole in his forehead and the tall man’s revolver dropped unfired into the dirt at his feet. The heavyset man ran behind the porch and fired from a crouched position. Ty felt a stinging sensation under his left arm, then saw Beau firing his Spencer, and watched the back of the heavyset man’s head explode.
Ty heard someone behind him fire a shot and felt a bullet graze his right cheek. He turned and saw that the sheriff had fired the shot and was preparing to shoot again. In quick response, Ty fired a bullet that penetrated the sheriff’s chest, dead center. The sheriff fell forward, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Chapter 4
Ty felt a trickle of blood running down his cheek, and his shirt was turning red under his left arm. Beau came running to check Ty’s wounds and said, “Your face wound is superficial, but the wound under your arm is bleeding badly. I gotta get you in the buggy. Can you walk?”
“Yeah, I think so, but where are you taking me? No one knows you’re involved, so you gotta get outta here before someone sees you.”
“Lie down in the buggy,” Beau said. “I’ll get our horses and tie them to the back, then drive you into the mountains where my cousins live. They’ll take care of you. They’re descendents of the Cajuns—their names are Fontainne, same as mine. There’s gonna be a lotta Yankees looking for you before morning. After you’re safe in the mountains, I’ll go home. That’s where everybody saw me going, so no one will suspect that I was anywhere near here. If I’m home, I can listen to what is happening and keep you informed.”
“Won’t your cousins get into trouble?” Ty asked.
“Nah, you know those mountain people. They’re like a bunch of squirrels; they can hide behind the branch of a tree. Even the militia will hesitate about going into those mountains looking for you. Would you go there, looking for trouble? I damn sure wouldn’t. Going after one of those mountain people would be like trying to pick a quill off a porcupine—you’d stand a pretty good chance of getting hurt.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Well, let’s get away from these rats and let their own kind clean up the mess. Killing is a terrible thing, but these vermin had it coming. Of course, it doesn’t bring Mother and Addie back. What are you going to do with this buggy?”
“After I get help for you, I’ll turn it over to the mountain people. They�
�ll know what to do with it.”
“Remind me to never get on the wrong side of you. You’re a good friend, Beau, but I sure wouldn’t want you for an enemy.”
“It’s a good thing for us that I know these mountains so well. It’s getting dark, and it’s beginning to rain. The rain is good because it will wash our tracks away. The people in the village are going to be surprised; they were betting that the sheriff could beat you in a gun fight.”
“He damn near did, you know. If his first shot had been one inch closer, I would be lying back there with the rest of them. You saved my hide when you stopped that fat man.”
“Ty, lie down and be quiet. You’re making so much noise the whole valley will know we’re here.”
When Ty lay down, he passed out. When he awoke, he was lying on a wooden table and two women were dressing his wounds. I must have lost more blood than I realized. “Where’s Beau?” he asked.
The older woman replied, “He went home. He wanted to be there should the carpetbaggers come lookin’ for him.”
“It’s awful dark and rainy out there in those mountains. You think he’ll be all right?” Ty asked.
The woman smiled. “Don’t worry about Beau. He knows those mountain trails like a fox. He spent his summers up here when he was a kid. Go back to sleep now. You lost a lotta blood.”
Ty closed his eyes . . . . He awoke to the smell of pork loin frying and coffee boiling. He felt his forehead. Good. I have no fever, he thought, then he tried to get up, but he was still light-headed.
The woman, a little heavy, with a motherly look, said, “You jes’ lie right there. You lost a lotta blood. You gotta rest for a couple of days and get your strength back. Your wounds are doing just fine, but you’re gonna have a little scar on your cheek.”
“That food sure smells good,” Ty said.
“Clare will feed you,” the woman replied.
A girl—hard to guess her age—with brown hair and green eyes, came into the room wearing a dress of homespun cotton. She had a steaming plate of food and a mug of hot coffee. She sat beside his bed and began feeding him. The food tasted good, but she wasn’t giving him enough time to chew. She kept shoving more into his mouth until he had to stop her. She took the plate away and returned with a pan of hot water.
“Thanks,” he said as he tried to sit up. “It’s nice of you to provide hot water for me to bathe. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll get cleaned up.”
She pushed him back down on the bed and said, “You lie still; I’ll do the scrubbing.”
Sitting up again, he said, “No, you won’t! I may be weak, but I’m not that weak.”
“Don’t be silly.” She pushed him back again and threw the covers off. “I’ve seen boys before—I’ve got five brothers.”
Ty was mortified; he was as naked as a salamander and tried to push her away, but another dizzy spell overcame him. When he regained consciousness, Clare had washed him and placed a clean sheet on the bed. These Fontainnes are a surprising people, he thought, and fell asleep again.
When he next awoke, the room was empty, but he heard voices outside. One of the voices said, “I saw some Yankees scouring the countryside yesterday. I jes’ stayed outta sight, and they went right on by. I could’ve picked off a couple of ’em easy, but that would’ve jes’ caused more of ’em to come. I think we’d better hide that boy in the cave until he can travel.”
Another male voice said, “You know Ma won’t let us do that. We’ll keep the buggy and those horses hidden in the canyon. Ty’s a strong young man, and he’ll be able to travel in a few days, and it’ll take more than a few Yankees to enter this house if Ma is standing in the door.”
“Yeah, you’re right, and it looks like Clare’s kinda taken a liken’ to him, too,” the first voice replied. The second man said, “Beau! You’re here early. You must’ve left town before midnight.”
A third voice that Ty recognized as Beau’s said, “Morning, fellows. Yeah, I left early. I wanted to get out of the valley without anybody seeing me. How’s Ty doing?”
“I think he’s still asleep. Ma says he’s comin’ along fine, but he needs a couple' a days to get his strength back.”
“I don’t think he’s got a couple 'a days,” Beau replied. “The Yankee major, in charge of hunting Ty, is the brother of the dead sheriff. The major has sworn to get Ty, and he’s ordered his soldiers to search this area again. We gotta get him outta here, and I think the best way to do it is to take him west, right through the middle of them.”
Ty dressed hurriedly.
“How are we gonna take him through the middle of them?” the first voice asked.
Beau responded with a question, “Have you still got that wagon with a false bottom that you use to haul moonshine?”
“Yeah, we do,” the voice answered. “And I got some hides ready for market. We’ll make him a pallet in that false bottom, and I’ll throw a load of hides on top of him. He’ll be as snug as a possum in a gum tree. But what are we going to do about his horses?”
“He’ll have to leave them here with us. We can wash Blaze in the ink that we make from pokeberries. No one will recognize her, and I’ll ride her. Everyone will think she’s my horse.”
“That should work. Let’s get the wagon ready and get him up. We can be gone in half an hour.”
“You don’t have to get me up,” Ty said, as he walked through the door. “I’m ready to go.”
“No, you ain’t,” a female voice said. “You gotta have breakfast. You ain’t et nothing since breakfast yesterday.”
Ty turned to see who was talking. Clare stood in the doorway, looking pretty in her store-bought dress.
“You’re right, Clare,” Beau said. “Feed him while we get the wagon ready. Come on, fellows. We gotta get him outta here while the getting’s good.”
Clare led Ty back into the house, pointed to a chair beside the dining table, and ordered, “Sit!” The table was set with a breakfast of hot biscuits and gravy.
Ty was amazed at how hungry he was. Clare hovered over him until he finished eating. She took his hand, looked softly into his eyes, and said, “Y’all come back now, ya hear?”
Ty was moved by her tenderness. He kissed her gently on the cheek and replied, “Thank you. Perhaps I’ll be back some day, but I don’t think you ought to count on it.” The softness of her hair surprised him as he touched it on his way out the door. Clare smiled.
A tall, sinewy man with long, powerful arms and kind eyes set in a gaunt face greeted Ty with a nod. He motioned for Ty to climb into a small, padded compartment in the bottom of the wagon. They had removed enough boards to allow him to squeeze in. After wiggling into the compartment and getting comfortable, they nailed the boards back into place. Ty wondered if he would be able to push them loose should an emergency arise. They had made tiny openings in the boards to give him a limited view. He had his revolver, his Spencer, a canteen of water, and some beef jerky. The men piled the wagon high with tanned hides, climbed onto the buckboard, and the wheels began to roll. Ty couldn’t see Blaze, but she snorted, and he knew that Beau was riding her. The men talked casually as they rode.
* * *
Hours passed. Through the tiny peepholes, he saw that they were out of the mountains and that the road had leveled out.
One of the men sitting on the buckboard said in a low voice, “Get ready, Ty, here come some soldiers.”
“Halt! Where you going with that wagon and whatcha got in it?”
“We got a load of hides. We’re takin’em into town to sell.”
“Have you got any whisky?” the soldier asked.
“Yeah, we got a couple of jugs here under the seat. Would you like a swig?”
“Don’t mind if I do. I hear you fellows make some real good moonshine up in those mountains.”
“We ain’t had no complaints lately. Here, take a few swallows.”
The soldier smacked his lips and said, “Now, that’s good white lightnin’. I’ll buy the jug, if
you’ll sell it.”
“Nah, can’t sell it. It’s against the law to sell whisky in these parts, so we don’t take no chances. You seem like a nice fella, so I’ll jes’ give you this jug. Looks like your men might like a taste, too.”
“Well, thank you. I’m gonna have to look through that load of hides, though. We’re looking for a real bad man. We think there might have been two of them. They’re real killers. Have you seen any suspicious looking men around, lately?”
“No, ain’t seen none. You’re welcome to look at our load, if you’d like.”
“Men, pull them hides off and take a look,” the sergeant ordered. “I wanna be able to tell the major that we looked, if he should ask.”
The soldiers began sliding the hides off the wagon one by one and in bundles. They hadn’t taken them all off yet when one of the soldiers said, “Sergeant, ain’t nothin’ here but these hides.”
“Put’em back, and we’ll let these men be on their way. Say, who’s that man riding with you?”
“He’s one of our kinfolk.”
“He don’t look like a hillbilly to me,” the sergeant commented.
“Nah, he ain’t no hillbilly. His ma’s people are from back East. He’s staying with us for the summer. Say, whatcha got against hillbillies?”
“No offense meant,” the sergeant replied in a conciliatory tone. “You men be on your way, and thanks for the jug.”
With a touch of snide, the driver said, “Y’all be careful now, ya hear?”
The wagon wheels began to roll. Looking out through the peepholes, Ty could tell by the shadows that they were traveling west. Just after sundown, the wagon rolled into a draw under a grove of trees.
The driver called, “Whoa!”
They stopped and the men talked in low tones as they unloaded the hides. They removed the loose boards and extended a hand to help Ty get out. He was stiff from being in such close quarters, but other than that, he felt good. Beau said, “Well, Ty, this is as far as we go. One man can hide easier than four. You’ll be better off without us. I think you’ll have a good chance of staying clear of the soldiers if you continue west. You’ll be back some day, and we’ll be watching for you.”
Man Called Ty Page 3
