“Abner Stone is a bully and a bigot and a liar,” Matthew said. “He had it out for Brady right from the get-go—and to say this now.”
“Keep your voices down,” Elizabeth urged them, nodding toward the wagon behind them.
Now Dr. Nash held up his hands. “I’m not trying to get in the middle of this feud. I only stopped by to check on your…uh…your man. Did you say his name is Brady?”
“Yes,” Clara told him. “Right this way, please.”
As Clara led him to the wagon, Elizabeth exchanged glances with her brother and father. “Can you believe that?” she quietly demanded.
Matthew shook his fist. “It makes me want to go over to unit four and straighten that man out.”
“That’s not how we handle our problems.” Asa sat down with a perplexed expression.
“Are you saying we should take this lying down?” Matthew demanded.
“No.” Asa removed his hat and rubbed his temples.
“Well, I won’t go looking for trouble, but if it comes knocking on my door, I’ll answer.” Then he stormed away.
“Oh, dear.” Elizabeth returned to slicing bacon. She was thankful that Jess and the children had gone out gathering kindling and buffalo chips. She sure didn’t want JT and Ruth seeing any of this. And it was convenient that Mrs. Taylor was traveling and dining with Ruby and Doris today. She hadn’t even protested when Elizabeth let her know that was the plan.
“Matthew will cool down,” Asa assured her. “And I do understand his frustration. As a younger man, I might have gone over there to talk some sense into Abner Stone myself.” He chuckled. “With my fists.”
“Oh, Father.” Elizabeth shook her head. “You’ve never been a violent man.”
He stood now, coming over to see how their midday meal was faring. The beans, which had soaked all night, were bubbling, and she’d just begun frying up the bacon. “Do you think I have time to run down the captain and get his opinion on this situation?”
“Sure.” She handed him a leftover biscuit from last night. “And don’t worry, we’ll keep your food warm till you get back.”
She gave the beans a stir and then turned the bacon, trying to figure out what made some people so mean. To tell bald-faced lies about Brady! Why would someone do that?
“Keep giving him fluids,” the doctor said as he climbed down from the wagon. “And lots of rest.”
“What do you think it is?” Elizabeth asked him.
“I’m afraid he got some water in his lungs,” Dr. Nash grimly informed her. “It could turn into the old man’s friend.”
Elizabeth frowned. “You mean…”
“I mean time will tell.”
“Do you want some dinner?” Clara offered. “In exchange for your time?”
“No, thank you. The wife has some soup waiting for me.”
As she tended to the cooking, Elizabeth couldn’t stop Dr. Nash’s insensitive comment about “the old man’s friend” from running through her head. She knew he was really saying that Brady’s lungs might become so congested that he would never recover—that he would quietly die in his sleep.
“Don’t worry,” Clara told her. “I think Brady is improving. I’ve been giving him my garlic and honey remedy. And now I’m going to make him some chamomile tea. We’ll get him back to his old self. You’ll see.”
Elizabeth forced a smile. “If anyone can help him, Mother, it’s you.”
After a couple days of Clara’s thoughtful treatment and remedies, which even included an occasional tablespoon of Ruby’s spirits, Brady became strong enough to get out of the wagon and walk in the sunshine for a few minutes at a time. He even offered to go back to his old sleeping arrangement of the hammock underneath Elizabeth’s wagon.
“I just hate putting Mr. and Mrs. Dawson out of their wagon,” he told Elizabeth as she walked alongside him. “Just don’t seem right.”
“Don’t worry about it. Father says he’s enjoying sleeping outside. And my mother is perfectly content to sleep with Ruthie and me.” She lowered her voice. “And believe me, it’s much better than when I had Mrs. Taylor sleeping in my wagon.”
He made a weak smile and then coughed. “I sho’ appreciate all you folks has done for me. Treatin’ me almos’ like family. I am truly obliged.”
“We are your family,” she told him.
“I been dreaming ’bout my farm in Oregon while layin’ there in the wagon.” He paused to catch his breath. “How I’m gonna plant me some peas and corn and collards and okra.” He rubbed his stomach. “Just thinking about it makes me hungry.”
“That’s a good sign, Brady. Getting your appetite back. Maybe you’re ready for something besides soup tonight.”
He nodded but then bent over coughing and hacking so hard that Elizabeth gave him her arm to balance himself. Then, knowing he was getting tired, she waved to her father, calling out that Brady had probably walked enough for the time being.
As she and Asa helped him back into the wagon, she was glad that she hadn’t told Brady what Will had shared with her a few weeks ago. Just hearing how Brady was dreaming of his own farm, how it was helping him to grow stronger…well, she just didn’t think she’d ever be able to tell him the truth. Not while they were on the road anyway. And maybe it didn’t matter so much. If they settled far enough from others, who would be the wiser as to Brady’s true status?
Naturally, this reminded her of the other thing they were keeping from Brady—Abner Stone’s mean-spirited claims that Brady caused his son’s accident. Just thinking of this made her feel angry inside. But Asa had explained the situation to the captain, who also listened to both Eli’s and Elizabeth’s accounts of what had really happened that day and then offered to intervene on their behalf.
“Robert Stone seemed a bit confused,” the captain explained to them yesterday morning after he took the two of them aside for an update. “All the boy remembers was crossing the river with all the livestock and Brady and JT. After that, he’s unclear. I suspect that his pa has filled his head with his own stories and now Robert isn’t quite sure what actually happened.”
“Would it help if we spoke to him?” Eli offered. “Elizabeth and I could testify to him regarding what we saw that day.”
“I suggested that very thing. But Stone claims his boy isn’t ready for that. Says he’s still getting over the blow to his head.”
“I think Mr. Stone’s the one who’s not ready for that,” Elizabeth said. “He doesn’t want to know the truth.”
“I did give Stone a stern warning,” the captain told her. “If he goes around starting rumors or stirring up trouble against Brady, he will have me to answer to.”
Elizabeth just nodded. However, she knew that it was impossible for the captain to be in all places at all times. And this was a big wagon train. Just the same, she thanked him for his help.
After the captain continued on his way, Eli remained. “If I get a chance to speak to Abner Stone, I will have no problem attempting to set him straight in regard to what happened to Robert that day.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that. And I’m sure Brady would too, although he’s unaware of Abner Stone’s attempts to sully his name.”
“That’s probably good.” He tipped his hat. “Please give Brady my best. Tell him I look forward to making music together again.”
She smiled. “I’ll be sure to let him know.”
“Today we’ll make it to Devil’s Gate,” Asa told everyone over breakfast.
“Devil’s Gate?” Ruth got a worried look, and Elizabeth understood her concerns.
“I hope it’s nothing like Devil’s Backbone,” Elizabeth said quickly.
Asa just laughed. “Don’t fret, girls. Devil’s Gate is just a big ol’ rock. Nothing to get worked up about.”
But as she stood there at the end of the day, looking up at the giant arched piece of stone with the sun behind it, she knew it was more than just a big ol’ rock. “It’s beautiful,” she said quietly.
“Nobody made it,” JT told her. “It just happened.”
“How did it happen?” Ruth asked. “What made the big hole?”
“The river,” Elizabeth explained. “See how it flows right through? Hundreds of years of the powerful water have worn away at the stone, carving a hole right through it.”
“Why didn’t the river just go around it?” JT asked. “Wouldn’t that have been easier?”
“That’s a good question,” Elizabeth pointed out. “I’m not sure myself. I think rivers normally do go around things like this.”
“But I’m glad it didn’t,” Ruth said happily. “I like it just how it is. I think it’s very pretty.”
“So do I,” Elizabeth agreed. “And it reminds me of us.”
“Of us?” JT looked confused.
“How?” Ruth asked.
“We wanted to go west,” Elizabeth began. “Some people said it was too hard. But we really wanted to go…so we just pressed onward. We have pressed on and on, just like this river. And like this river, we’re carving our own way through the wilderness.”
“I wish they’d change the name of this rock,” Ruth said suddenly. “Instead of calling it Devil’s Gate, they should call it God’s Gate.”
“I agree.” Elizabeth nodded. “Much better.”
“Because God is getting us to the West,” Ruth proclaimed. “And this is like his gate.”
So the three of them agreed, from that point on, they would refer to it as God’s Gate. And that night, when Elizabeth insisted they all write in their journals, she described God’s Gate in detail. And JT drew a nice picture of it. And Ruth wrote a sweet little poem.
“We should make it to Split Rock tomorrow afternoon,” Eli announced a few days later. It was the first day that Brady had felt well enough to walk for most of the day—and the family and Eli were celebrating his recovery with a little music. Asa had let others in the unit know it would only be a small gathering. And when Matthew noticed Brady getting winded on the harmonica, he suggested they take a break. Now Clara was insisting that Brady drink some tea and honey.
“Is Split Rock like God’s Gate?” Ruth asked Eli.
“God’s Gate?” Eli tipped his head to one side.
“We renamed Devil’s Gate,” Elizabeth explained. “After suffering Devil’s Backbone, we were weary of the ‘devil’ name.” She laughed. “God’s Gate just seemed more appropriate.”
“I have to agree with you on that.” He chuckled. “Well, Split Rock isn’t nearly as spectacular as Devil’s—I mean God’s Gate. But it is interesting for other reasons.”
“What is it?” JT asked.
“It’s a notched rock in the Rattlesnake Range.”
“Are there lots of rattlesnakes up there?” Ruth looked concerned.
“Not any more than most places. Do you remember my warning about rattlers, Ruth?”
She nodded soberly. “Watch out around rocky places. And they like shady holes on hot days. And if you hear a rattler, don’t scream or jump. Just slowly move away.”
“Very good.” He nodded.
“So what’s special about Split Rock?” JT asked him.
Eli held his fingers like a V then peered through it. “It has a notch kind of like this, and if you look out of it just right, you will have South Pass in your sights.”
“South Pass?” JT’s brow creased. “Isn’t that in the middle of the Great Continental Divide?”
“Sounds like someone’s been doing his geography.” Eli winked.
“Mama makes us,” he told him.
“Yes. South Pass is in the easiest place to cross the Great Divide.”
“Does that mean we’ll be in Oregon then?” Ruth eyes grew wide.
Eli nodded. “We will officially enter Oregon Territory soon.”
“But it’s still a long way to where we plan to settle,” Elizabeth reminded her. “You’ve seen the place on the map—near the Pacific Ocean.”
“But we will be in Oregon.” Ruth danced with excitement now. “Really truly in Oregon. Will it be beautiful there like Malinda wrote us?”
“I better warn you,” Eli told her. “South Pass is not nearly as pretty as some of the territory we’ve just gone through. It’ll be mostly flat barren land, with some sagebrush, bunchgrass, and lots and lots of sky. Although it can be a good place to hunt sometimes.”
“Oh.” Ruth nodded, trying to take this in.
“Also, there’s a town up there.”
“A real town?” Elizabeth felt hopeful. “Not a fort?”
“South Pass City is a real frontier town. They discovered gold in those parts a dozen or so years ago,” Eli explained. “Naturally a town sprouted up.” He frowned. “To be honest, it’s not the best sort of town. And they’ve had their share of troubles.” He went on to explain how the mining was said to have ruined the river and how that had angered the Indians. “As a result there’s been plenty of skirmishes round those parts.”
“Is it dangerous?” Elizabeth asked.
“I don’t reckon you need to worry much. But just to be sure, I’ll be scouting around for the next few days. Want to make sure the Indians are acting friendly to emigrants.”
“The best news about South Pass,” Asa told them, “is that it’s considerably flat up there. We’ll still be at high elevation, but it’ll be fairly easy traveling for the next week or so. We should be able to make good time.”
The next day, they began their ascent into Rattlesnake Range, and late in the day, they stopped at Split Rock, where just as Eli had said, similar to a big stone gun sight, they could spot South Pass right through the notch. They all took turns looking and then, eager to make camp, continued on their way.
During the first couple of days traveling over South Pass, Elizabeth tried to hide her disappointment for the sake of her children. As Eli had said, this country was not nearly as attractive as along the Sweetwater River. Though they were now in Oregon Country, which was often referred to as the Promised Land, everything for as far as she could see looked bleak and dry and hot. Certainly, it was not as bad as Devil’s Backbone, and there was water to be had at regular intervals, but other than the flatness, which made for smoother traveling, it was not very enjoyable.
However, by the third day, she began to see this place differently. She began to appreciate the vastness of the sky, the formations of the constantly changing clouds, and the occasional herd of buffalo or antelope moving across the land. She decided that in its own way, this landscape was beautiful too. However, she was extremely thankful that she and her family were not settling in this part of the country.
As usual, Elizabeth either walked or rode Molly in the cooler part of the morning. Today, she was walking with several other women friends again. Up ahead of their group, Jess was walking with Fiona and, it seemed, enjoying an animated conversation. It was nice seeing those two young wives forming a friendship. And Paddy and Matthew seemed to get along as well. So much so that Elizabeth secretly hoped the McIntires might consider settling along the southern Oregon coast too. But as usual, she wasn’t going to mention this. Everyone needed to make their own decisions.
“Look at those rugged looking mountains.” Flo pointed toward the northwest.
“That’s the Wind River Range,” Elizabeth told them. “Father was just talking about them at breakfast.”
“But just look at all that snow,” Flo continued. “It must be frightfully cold up there. Just like winter.”
“What does that mean?” Lavinia frowned up at the mountains. “Is winter coming early? Are we in danger of being snowed in? I’ve heard stories about—”
“No, no,” Elizabeth assured her. “It’s not like that at all. My father said that snow is perfectly normal. He said that some mountains out West have snow on them year-round.”
“Oh, my.” Flo sighed. “It makes me cold just to think of it.”
“I certainly hope I’ll be able to purchase
a few more blankets and things in South Pass City,” Lavinia said. “To make up for the ones I left on the other side.” She shook her head. “What a foolish thing that was.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Elizabeth told her. “That extra weight could have meant the difference between a serious breakdown and being here right now.”
“Yes, don’t forget Mr. Taylor,” Flo reminded her.
“And a number of other unfortunates,” Elizabeth said.
“Hugh told me that more than a dozen emigrants have been laid to rest on our journey so far.”
Already aware that the death toll had just reached fifteen, Elizabeth simply nodded.
“Hopefully, the worst is behind us now,” Flo said with optimism. “Bert said we have lots of downhill traveling ahead. I reckon that’ll be much easier on everyone.”
“Not necessarily,” Elizabeth warned. “Going downhill can be hard on a team, and it requires great concentration and expertise on the part of the driver. I’m not sure I’ll allow JT or even Brady to do much of the driving when we start going down.”
“I didn’t realize that,” Lavinia admitted. “I do hope that Hugh and Will grasp this. Our boys have been doing a fair amount of driving too. But they have no experience going down a mountain range such as this.”
“I’m sure my father will give our unit a good lesson before we begin our descent,” Elizabeth told them.
“Thank the good Lord for Asa,” Flo said. “Speaking of Asa, I’ve a mind to ask him to speak to my Mahala for me.”
“Mahala?” Lavinia asked.
“I’m afraid she’s caught the eye of a young man in unit one.”
“That’s not surprising,” Elizabeth said. “Mahala is a very pretty girl.”
“And eager to wed,” Lavinia said.
“Well, she is eighteen,” Elizabeth reminded her. She looked up past Jess and Fiona to where the younger girls in their unit were all walking together, scurrying about and stooping down at regular intervals to collect buffalo chips. Hearing that some folks were running short on fuel, Asa had announced a contest this morning. “The youngin who finds the most chips wins a prize.” Of course, no one knew what the prize would be, but Ruth had borrowed Elizabeth’s old apron to collect the chips in. “It’s like an Easter egg hunt,” she’d said with enthusiasm.
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