Hogtied

by Coleman, Lynn A.

Urias smiled. “Good memory. Yes, they are. I was just a naive kid and didn’t realize they knew I was sleeping in their barn. Dad pointed out the obvious to me and let me know how it was that I just so happened to find some food around the place.” He chuckled at the memory.

  “We’re through the hollows,” he continued. “And tomorrow we’ll be traveling on a much larger road.” Urias had admired the beauty of the hills, but his appreciation dissipated a little each day with the strenuous march and concentration on the animals. He’d had to help more than one hog out of the briars.

  “I should be fine by morning,” she argued again.

  “Let me take care of you, Prudence. If I have to, I’ll simply order you, and you, being my wife…”

  “Men,” she huffed.

  “Women,” he huffed right back at her. “Look, I appreciate your willingness to help and all the hard work you’ve done, but your feet are injured. They need to heal, and we have many more days on the road. If we don’t take care of them now, they’ll get infected and you’ll get sick. We can’t afford the time for that. I’m merely being practical.”

  “I see,” she acknowledged, her voice strained.

  He held the lantern up to get a clear view of her face. “Prudence, I didn’t mean to offend you.” Urias felt certain this had to be one of those times when men say one thing and women think another. He’d experienced it a time or two watching his parents. They would be trying to explain themselves to one another while neither understood what the other was saying. Eventually they’d work it out, but Mom would tend to get weepy during the process and Dad a bit touchy.

  “I’m fine, Urias. I’m just tired and my feet hurt.”

  “All right.” He lowered the flame in the lantern. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll make some bandages for your feet in the morning, if they need it.”

  “You’ve done enough.”

  “For being a rich girl, you sure don’t like being pampered, do you?”

  “Nope. But you’re not a poor boy, are you?”

  Urias let out a nervous chuckle. “No, I guess not. The MacKenneths own quite a spread, and Dad taught me how to hunt. Before Grandpa hurt himself, Dad used to spend the winter trapping. But the real money came from Mom. I don’t know exactly how much it was, but her inheritance seemed substantial. Mom has a real mind for business, quite like yourself, as I mentioned a few days ago. Anyway, she and Dad work out their business affairs together. She’s been encouraging me to get into horse breeding, mainly because I like working with horses. But she also sees it as the means for me to make my own way in the world.”

  “I can’t imagine it. My mother doesn’t even know what she spends on household expenses. I think Father prefers it that way.”

  “The MacKenneths are good people.”

  “They sound it. Kate will like living with them.”

  “I hope so. Of course, I’ll want to build our own house so Katherine has a place of her own as soon as possible.”

  “She deserves it.”

  “You best get some rest and let your feet heal. Good night, Prudence.”

  “Good night, Urias.”

  She lay down and pulled the blanket over herself. Urias thought back on the image of her cracked and bleeding feet. He should have noticed sooner. What kind of a husband am I?

  I’m not, he reminded himself.

  It would be too easy to forget what happened to force them to marry. How could they possibly make a marriage out of something so wrong?

  Urias took up his sentry post. The hogs slept quietly beneath the black sky filled with more stars than a man could count. The moon gave a sliver of a smile. They were getting close. Soon he’d be able to sell the livestock and return to Hazel Green, rescue Katherine, and put an end to this bizarre marriage.

  He inhaled the crisp night air and walked closer to the fire. A twig snapped from behind the tent.

  Six

  Prudence savored the memory of Urias’s touch. He’d been so gentle, so loving, and yet she meant nothing to him. What would it be like to feel his touch if he truly loved her? She shivered just thinking about it.

  “Prudence,” Urias whispered. “Stay down; we have some company.”

  “Who goes there?” Urias bellowed in the darkness.

  Prudence stayed in the tent.

  “Just passing through.” A strange male voice came from the edge of the woods behind the tent. “Saw the fire, wondered if you wanted company tonight!”

  “You’re welcome to warm yourself by the fire,” Urias offered. “Where you from?”

  “Hazard. How about yourself?”

  “Jamestown,” Urias answered.

  “Hauling hogs, eh?”

  “Yup. What about you?”

  “Just making my way over to the ford.”

  “I have some friends who live around Hazard. Do you happen to know the Fugates?”

  “The blue people?”

  Blue people? Prudence didn’t understand the conversation these men were having.

  “Yes,” Urias answered.

  “Can’t say that I know them. Know about ’em, but I don’t know them myself. Ain’t never had no reason to bother them. How’d you know ’em?”

  “My father and I were doing some hunting one year and stumbled into their hollow.”

  “Folks don’t pay them much mind. They stay to themselves.”

  Prudence’s curiosity was up now. But she was under orders to stay put. Yet she wanted to know about these blue people. The test of will began. It had always been hard for her to sit and not speak when she wanted to know something.

  “They’re good folk. Takes a bit to get used to their color, but after a while you don’t seem to notice it.”

  “Ain’t never had an interest. Folks say they’re cursed. Personally, I stay away. I’m not saying they’re cursed or nothing, but it ain’t natural for a man to be blue skinned.”

  Blue skin? This was too much. She had to know. She opened her mouth, then abruptly closed it. She placed one hand over her mouth to keep from speaking. She thought of all the possible reasons Urias would want her to stay hidden. The stranger might kill her. That’s a good reason. She removed her hand from her mouth.

  Prudence heard the click of a gun.

  “Tell your man to step back from the tent,” Urias ordered.

  Prudence watched the man by the fire raise his hands into the air.

  “Tell him,” Urias ordered a bit firmer.

  “Come on over, Oren.”

  “With your hands in the air, Oren,” Urias added.

  Prudence watched with fascination as her husband handled the strangers. Perhaps they’re robbers, Prudence wondered. She’d never seen a real criminal before.

  “Hope you men don’t mind sleeping side by side.” He ordered the men to lay down beside the fire and tied their hands and feet to one another.

  “Sorry to put you through this, boys, but I need to protect my wife.”

  Prudence’s heart fluttered.

  “How’d you know he was out there?” the first stranger asked.

  “There were two of you when I first called out. But besides that, I could smell ya. Ever heard of soap?”

  “We didn’t mean anything.”

  “Let’s just say I’m an overprotective husband who can see in the dark.”

  ❧

  Urias let the guys loose in the morning. Once he exposed their plan, they probably wouldn’t have robbed him, but he wasn’t taking any chances. He’d leave Prudence with the Campbells and finish hauling the hogs over to the Cumberland Gap without her. With those two out there, he needed to protect her. Mac had trained him well on how to listen and watch the signs of being tracked. All morning, he’d watched to see whether the men had doubled back or continued their way north. Thankfully, they’d continued north.

  He’d set Prudence on the mule this morning. She seemed nervous. They didn’t talk about what happened last night until they stopped for lunch. Urias heated up some beans and a cou
ple hunks of bacon. “Sorry.” He offered her the poor substitute for a meal.

  “I should be able to make our dinner this evening.” She glanced down at her plate and back up to him. “Urias, who were those men last night?”

  “Two lazy men looking for a quick way to earn a dollar.”

  “Bandits?”

  “Not yet. Hopefully, they’ve learned to stay away from folks traveling on the road.”

  “How’d you know the other man was in the woods?”

  “There were two distinct movements when I called out, but only one man came forward. Which meant the other would circle around and try to sneak up on me. First, they wanted to see how many were in our camp.”

  “I was terrified.”

  “I’m sorry about that. We should be traveling with two rifles, one for you, as well. I’m a fair shot, though not as good as my father. He’s taught me a lot about traveling in the wilderness. Most of the time you’re safe, but the closer you get to the towns, the more you tend to run into bandits.”

  She took a small bite of her beans.

  “It will be all right, Prudence.” He laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I’ll make certain nothing happens to you.”

  “You said something strange last night, and the stranger seemed to know what you were talking about. What are blue people?”

  Urias chuckled. If you’ve never heard about them, it’s hard to believe at first, he reminded himself. “There’s a family—the Fugates—in the hills around Hazard. Anyone who lives there knows about them, even if they don’t know them. Their skin has a blue tinge to it. Some folks are afraid of them, and the Fugates keep pretty secluded up in their hills. If you’re ever in the area, don’t mention someone being blue in referring to depression. They’ll fear you’re cursing them.”

  “How strange.”

  “I’ll admit it took a bit to get used to seeing them, but they’re really fine folks. Nothing different except the skin color. Have you ever been in cold water too long and your lips turn purple?”

  “Of course.”

  “Well, it’s something like that. We all have blue in us. If you look at your arms and look at your veins, you see it. For some reason, their skin’s just blue.”

  “Very peculiar.”

  Urias finished off his beans. “We best get a move on if we’re going to make it to the Campbells’ by nightfall.”

  “What about the hogs? Do they have room for all them?”

  “Since it’s past harvesting time, I don’t think there will be a problem with the hogs sleeping in one of the fields.”

  “A real bed would be nice,” Prudence sighed.

  He couldn’t fault the woman. She’d never lived on the road like this. She’d been treated with a life of luxury. Yet, she never complained. His admiration for her and her strong will increased each day. She’d make a man a fine wife one day. Urias shook off the thought. No need to go thinkin’ like that, he chided himself, then went straight to work. With everything set to go, he went over to Prudence to carry her over to the mule.

  “I feel so useless. Can’t I walk?”

  “Indulge me. Let’s get those feet healed.” Urias lifted her. Prudence’s unique scent overwhelmed him. “You’ve got pretty eyes,” he blurted out.

  Her eyes widened and searched his own. A gentle smile rose on her face. “You and your sister have the same eyes. Not quite the same, actually. Yours seem to have little flecks of gold around them.”

  He began walking slowly, fearing he would be unsteady on his feet. How is it that she affects me so?

  Prudence chuckled. “Your ears get red when you’re embarrassed. Hasn’t anyone told you how beautiful your eyes are?”

  “My mom has told me on more than one occasion that my wife…” He wouldn’t finish that statement. Not to Prudence. This situation was getting awkward, to say the least. He placed her on the mule, forcing himself not to drop her out of sheer embarrassment.

  ❧

  Prudence kept replaying in her mind Urias’s touch, his words, his kindness, and his embarrassment. Truthfully, she found herself thinking about him most of the day. She watched how he worked with the animals—how he watched the trail, always alert. He was a true mountain man, or rather one very comfortable in the mountains. There was little more than a path most of this trip down to the Wilderness Road. He took his time herding the pigs through some of the narrow spots.

  But mostly her mind kept drifting back to his words: “You’ve got pretty eyes.” A girl could go a week with no food on that compliment. At least this girl could. No one had ever paid her much attention. Father claimed it was because of her constant blabbering about finances. No man would be interested in a woman who spoke on such matters.

  But not Urias. He didn’t mind. He actually appreciated her business sense. Her heart sank. By forcing this marriage, Father had ruined any chance of her and Urias ever getting to know one another. Urias would never be content to love her. He’d do his duty, but the freedom to love had been stripped away. And, truthfully, she’d never know if he was just doing his duty or truly loved her. More than anything in this world, Prudence wanted to be loved. Her parents loved her in their own way, but they were always trying to force her to be something she wasn’t, never appreciating her for what skills came naturally. Will I ever have my own life?

  “Watch out!” Urias yelled.

  Prudence startled from her musings. She jerked the reins. Slippery rocks covered with morning dew sprawled out just down the path.

  Urias ran over to her. “Are you all right?”

  “Fine. Sorry. I wasn’t paying close attention.”

  “Prudence, I was going to tell you this later, but you’re going to have to stay with the Campbells while I finish bringing the hogs.”

  “I don’t want to stay with the Campbells. I want to finish going with you.”

  “You’re not able. By the time I come back, you’ll be able to walk again.”

  “I can walk now,” she protested. She didn’t mind taking it easy for a day, and her feet were in bad shape, but she could still walk. Painfully, but she still could do it.

  “No. Your feet are a mess. I won’t be responsible for you injuring yourself. Katherine is my sister and my responsibility,” he argued.

  “I love your sister and I want to help.”

  Urias closed his eyes and waited a moment before he spoke. She felt certain he was collecting his thoughts. “Prudence, I know you care for Katherine, and I appreciate all you’ve done. But, honey, your feet are in serious need of healing.”

  “Then wait for me. Perhaps we can take a day or two, feed the hogs at the Campbells’ farm, then continue on.”

  “Look, you’ll do as I say. You’re my wife, and if I say it’s going to be this way, then that’s it.”

  Prudence clamped her mouth shut. All the warm feelings she had for Urias had just rolled down the hollow. She would get the annulment and earn her freedom. She would not live under another tyrant.

  Seven

  Urias glanced back at Prudence. By the set of her jaw, he knew she was still angry with him. Ordering Prudence to do anything was not the right course of action. He knew better, but he didn’t know what else to say. She was too stubborn for her own good.

  The sun was low on the horizon by the time they came up to the Campbells’ farm. He ran ahead and knocked on the old farmhouse door. Mrs. Campbell opened it.

  “Urias?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Well, come on in. It’s been ages. How are you?”

  “Fine, fine. I need a favor. I’m herding some hogs down to the Cumberland Gap, and I was wondering if my wife and I could spend the night.”

  “Wife? When did you get married?”

  Urias felt the heat rise on his cheeks. “Fairly recently.”

  “Of course, you can stay.”

  “My wife has injured her feet—from her new boots. I’ll bring her in, then take care of the hogs, if that’s all right with you.” />
  “Of course. Bring the poor child in. I’ll warm some water and get out the salts so she can soak ’em real good.”

  “Thank you.” Urias turned and ran back to Prudence and the hogs. He explained what was going to happen as he led the mule toward the house.

  Prudence simply nodded. Apparently she still wasn’t ready to speak with him. He lifted her off the mule and carried her to the front door. Mrs. Campbell had him set her on an overstuffed chair in the living room, and, after a brief introduction, he left the two women and rounded up the hogs. He set them in the fenced-in area to the right of the barn and noticed something was wrong. There was little feed for the winter, and the wood supply wasn’t fully stocked. It then occurred to him he hadn’t seen Mr. Campbell. He walked behind the barn and found a grave and tombstone. Urias choked down a sob.

  He stood there for a moment, then went into the house. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know about Mr. Campbell.”

  Mrs. Campbell’s eyes filled with tears. “He died just after planting the west field.”

  Urias stepped up to Mrs. Campbell and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m so sorry. I’d like to do some chores for you while I’m here.”

  Mrs. Campbell stepped back and wiped her eyes with her white apron. “I’d appreciate that. I’m going to sell the place and move in with my daughter. She and her husband live in Barbourville. The farm is too much for me, and the boys aren’t interested in the place.”

  In all the years he’d known the Campbells, he’d never seen her sons. He’d heard them talk about their daughter on several occasions. “I’ll set you up with enough wood for the winter. It’s the least I can do.”

  “Thank you. Neighbors came around and harvested what there was of the corn. I’ve gotten rid of most of the livestock, except for a cow, a horse, and the chickens. I can handle chickens just fine.”

  “Write a list of things you need done. I’ll go to the Mercers’ place and purchase some grain for the hogs.” He turned to Prudence. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay here for a couple of days and help Mrs. Campbell out.”

  Prudence’s face brightened. “I don’t mind.”

  Didn’t think ya would. “Great. I’ll be back later. May I borrow your horse, Mrs. Campbell?”