by B. K. Birch
Jordan couldn’t help but show his disappointment when he didn’t see any horses out front. Pa, Jim, and Grandma were already eating by the time he got to the kitchen and Ma was fussing over a broken string on her apron.
“What did Sergeant Hummel want?” Jordan asked as he washed his hands.
Eamon, Gunner, Jake came into the kitchen before Pa had a chance to answer. Willow and Selie arrived moments later.
“Ewww!” Willow said. “Who got the water all dirty?”
She tossed the water out the back door and filled the basin from the bucket Gunner brought in earlier this morning.
“So, what’d he want?” Jordan asked again.
Pa shoved his plate away and leaned back in his chair.
“Might as well tell them Finnian,” Ma said. “They ain’t going to let you alone until you do.”
Everyone got quiet and waited for Pa to say something. He took his tobacco out of his shirt pocket and plugged a wad in his cheek. It was the quietest it had ever been at the table and all their eyes were fixed on him.
“Sergeant Hummel stopped by to tell me there’s been a Federal spy hiding in the caves up on the mountain,” Pa said. “Asked me if I knew anything about it.”
“Did you?” Jordan asked.
“No,” Pa said. “The only time I go up there is when one of the cows wanders off.”
“What was going on up there?” Eamon asked. “Jordan and me saw soldiers.”
“When?” Pa asked.
Eamon looked at Jordan. Jordan swallowed hard.
“We went up there after we ate this morning. Jordan said he knew where the shot came from.”
“You boys ought not be running off like that without telling anyone,” Ma said. “What if you’d have run to Luke or some other fool with a gun?”
“You boys best stay close to home,” Jim said and cast a firm eye at Gunner. “No telling what you’re going to run into the days.”
“Pa,” Jordan said. His voice was soft and nervous. “They was looking at something up there. What was it?”
Pa got up and spit out the back door.
“They shot of them Federal boys early this morning and killed him,” Pa said. “So if you see anyone lurking around, you better get back here and tell me about it.”
“Yes sir,” they all said and finished eating.
Jordan regretted being the first one to finish eating. That meant he was the first one back to work. Willow and Selie eventually showed up but none of the others came back to help. He was tired of the strawberry patch and pulled only the tallest of the weeds to get done faster.
Gunner came running through the pasture, opened the gate and headed straight for Jordan.
“Come on,” he said and pulled at Jordan’s arm.
“Where are we going?” Jordan asked.
“Finnian said we was riding over to the old home place,” Gunner said. “Come on or they’ll leave us.”
“I thought we had to finish this first?” Jordan asked.
“They’re loading the wagon now with lumber and cedar,” Gunner said. “They’re going to fix the holes in the roof.”
“Go on,” Jordan said. “I’ll catch up. I need to tell Willow I’m leaving.”
“I know you’re leaving,” Willow scoffed, as she walked up behind them. “You always manage to get out of work.”
“I’ve been here all afternoon,” Jordan whined and waved Gunner on.
“Are you not going?” she asked as she watched Gunner sprint back to the house.
“Willow,” Jordan began. “Yesterday Luke Vander was talking about you. Right after he shot at me. You need to go on back to the house until someone can come out here with you.”
“I ain’t afraid of no Vander,” she said. “He’ll get his teeth kicked out if he comes around here.”
“Willow,” Jordan said. “Please, go back to the house. It’s not safe.”
“Go on Jordan,” Willow said. “Don’t you think I’d know if I was in danger? I ain’t been spending time with Grandma for nothing. I’m going to be a healer . . . and a seer, just like she is.”
“But you ain’t yet,” Jordan protested.
“I’m more of a seer than you know.”
“Then tell me something I don’t know.”
“You only pulled the high weeds on that last row,” Willow said and stuck out her tongue.
“I know that,” Jordan said. “I said tell me something I don’t know.”
“They are leaving without you!” Willow hollered.
Jordan looked back towards the house and sure enough, the wagon rolled down the path to the road. Jordan took off after them.
Chapter 16
Jordan was out of breath by the time he caught up with the wagon which had just turned onto the main road. He jumped in the back, tripped and nearly impaled himself on one of the sharp scythe blades.
“Careful,” Jim said. He’d turned around just in time to catch him by the arm.
“Why’d you leave without me?” Jordan hollered.
“You were lollygagging,” Eamon said. “We figured you weren’t coming.”
He resisted the urge to punch Eamon as he knew the retaliation would be swift and severe.
“I told them you was coming,” Gunner whispered when Jordan sat down beside him.
The road was dusty and they passed no one as they headed south towards the old home place. The path was overrun with weeds and ruts and the horses strained as they pulled the wagon past the barn and over the hill to the house.
Eamon used to tease Jordan that Uncle Abe’s place was full of spooks. He didn’t want to believe in ghosts, demons, or yahoos anymore, but living with Grandma kept these fearful images alive in his head long after most children had outgrown their worry of these supposed myths.
“Is that yours?” Gunner asked his pa. His eyes were wide as he took it all in.
“I guess so,” Jim answered.
Jordan wondered if Gunner was angry at his Jim for making him work in the mines instead of coming back here to live and farm. He certainly would have been. Even though no one had lived here for years, it was still in better shape than their other house.
“There’s the house,” Jordan said to Gunner, and pointed in the direction of the building. It was hidden within a cluster of tall oaks and Gunner didn’t see it until Pa stopped the wagon.
“Get everything unloaded before you run off,” Pa yelled and walked around to the other side of the wagon to where Jim was sitting.
“I can’t believe I’m back here,” Jim said then shooed Pa’s hand away and eased himself onto the ground.
“Ain’t changed much, has it?” Pa asked.
“No, it ain’t,” Jim answered and grunted to clear the phlegm from his throat.
Jordan and Gunner laid the last of the lumber on the ground and ran off.
“Let’s go inside,” Jordan said and pulled Gunner towards the porch.
“Watch out for them steps!” Pa called. “They’re probably rotten.”
“No they’re not!” Jordan yelled back and bounded up and down on the top one. He heard the board crack and scrambled to the porch before it broke. If Gunner heard it, he didn’t say anything.
Pa did a pretty good job at looking after the place. He used the fields closest to their place for hay and sometimes he’d make Jake and Jordan cut down the grass around the house. One time they found a nest of baby rabbits and brought them home to Willow and Selie. They’d also see baby mice on occasion, but didn’t figure Willow would want any of those to raise.
It was dark inside and Jordan stopped for a second to allow his eyes to adjust. The windows had been boarded up ever since Jordan could remember, but a few of the panes got broken anyway. He heard something scurry across the upstairs floor and hoped it was a squirrel and not a rat. A stale odor of dust and rot filled the air but it was nothing a few open windows and a brisk mountain breeze couldn’t get rid of. The curtains that remained on the windows were so faded that it was imp
ossible to tell what color they were originally.
The massive stone fireplace in the front room was still intact and there was a small pile of acorns and dead leaves in the back corner. The fireplace in the kitchen still had charred wood in it, from a final meal cooked ages ago. The furnishings were sparse, with only a few homemade chairs and a wobbly table. The place needed a good sweeping as pine needles, animal droppings, and dead leaves littered the floor. There was a pie safe sitting in the corner but both of the doors were off and propped up against the wall.
“It has an upstairs!” Gunner said and ran for the staircase. “And it’s not all fallen in!”
Jordan followed him. The rail was a little loose but that could be easily fixed. There were three rooms upstairs, all of ample size. Jordan walked into the first room at the top of the stairs. The mice had destroyed the old mattress, but the iron bed frame looked sturdy enough. The mirror on the dresser was so filthy that Jordan couldn’t even see his reflection.
“Jordan, come here!” Gunner shouted.
Jordan rushed to the next room but Gunner wasn’t there. He ran back out and entered the last room.
“What?” he asked.
“Looks like someone’s been here,” Gunner said and picked up a small canvas satchel.
“Yeah,” Jordan said. “I ain’t never seen that lying around here. What’s in it?”
Gunner unbuckled the latch an acted as if the bag would jump up and bite him any moment. He hesitated before he put his hand inside and when he did, he pulled out a handful of papers and tossed them to Jordan as if they were on fire.
Jordan stooped down and spread the papers out in front of him. Some of the words he didn’t understand and his eyes were drawn to a map crammed inside one of the larger papers.
“What are you doing?” Jake asked.
Jordan jumped up and tried to hide the papers behind him.
“Nothing,” Jordan said and shot a look at Gunner.
“Pa wants you and Gunner to help cut the grass,” Jake said.
“We’ll be down in a minute,” Gunner said.
“What do you got?” Jake asked and pointed at the bag.
“I said nothing.”
“I’m telling Pa you found something,” Jake said and ran out of the room.
“What is it?” Gunner asked. The floor creaked beneath his feet as he walked over to Jordan.
“It’s a bunch of maps and other papers,” Jordan said and spread one out on the floor. “Look. . . Here’s Lewisburg.”
“Where do you suppose these came from?” Gunner asked.
“Maybe that spy they killed up on the rocks,” Jordan said.
“Jordan! Gunner!” Pa yelled up the steps. “Quit messing around and get on down here.”
Jordan stuffed the papers back in the satchel and buckled the strap. They ran out of the room and down the stairs.
“Jake said you found something,” Pa said. “Let me see it.”
Jordan handed Pa the canvas bag. Pa shuffled through the sack and handed it back to him.
“Go put this in the wagon,” Pa said.
“What are you going to do with it?” Gunner asked.
“I’ll give it to Sergeant Hummel the next time he visits,” Pa said.
“Jordan said it belongs to that spy that they killed,” Gunner blurted out. Jordan was standing close enough to him to give him a hard elbow jab in his ribs.
“Sometimes Jordan’s imagination gets the best of him,” Pa laughed. “Get on outside.”
Jordan picked up one of the scythes and headed over to a clump of all grass and commenced to swinging. The blade hit something and the handle stung his hand. He dropped the scythe and pulled back the grass to see what it was. It looked like the outhouse but the entire building was shorter than he was. He peeked through the window cut in the door just to make sure he wasn’t mistaken. It seemed the whole structure had sunken into the same hole in the earth it was meant to cover. The wood seat was still intact but now it sat two feet or more below the ground. He’d never seen anything like it.
“Hey Pa!” Jordan called, and started giggling. “Jim’s going to have to build a new outhouse!”
No one answered. He rushed out of the grass, fearing he’d been left behind again. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Jake and Gunner near the house. Jim sat on the front porch steps and stared out over the farm. His blue eyes didn’t blink and he seemed to be deep in thought.
He decided not to say anything about the outhouse and go over to help Jake and Gunner. He heard mumbling coming from the back of the house, near the root cellar. He crept around the corner and saw Eamon and Pa standing over someone sitting on the ground but Jordan couldn’t see his face because Eamon was in the way. He inched closer until he could hear them. Eamon stepped out the way and Jordan saw the side of the boy’s face. It was Isaac!
He was supposed to have left a few days ago to enlist in the army. What was he doing here? Jordan forgot all about eavesdropping and walked right over to where they were standing. No one noticed him.
“Have you eaten anything today?” Pa asked him.
“I boiled some potatoes last night,” Isaac said.
“Where’d you get potatoes?” Eamon asked. “There ain’t been no garden around here for years.”
“I. . .I. . . I got them from your cellar,” Isaac said. “I’m sorry Uncle Finnian.”
“No need to be sorry son,” Pa said. “We’re all family. Your pa’s going to be real upset when he finds out you didn’t make it to Lewisburg.”
“You ain’t going to tell him, are you?” Isaac asked.
“I can’t keep this from him,” Pa said. “But I ain’t seen him for a few weeks now.”
“I don’t want to go fight,” Isaac said. “I ain’t like Nealy. Can’t you talk to him?”
“Lord knows if I thought he’d listen I would,” Pa said. “But you know how he is and you can’t stay here.”
“I can’t go home either,” Isaac said.
“Eamon, you run on home and get a sack of food and don’t let anyone but your Ma know Isaac’s here.”
“Can’t Jordan go?” Eamon said.
“I said get!” Pa said.
Eamon turned around to run, but ran into Jordan and knocked him over. He then mashed his boot into Jordan’s shin and grinned at him before he headed for the path. Jordan got up, brushed himself off and walked over beside Pa.
“Has there been anyone else around here?” Pa asked.
Jordan knew the answer by the look on Isaac’s face.
“I seen two boys . . . Soldiers . . . Federal ones,” Isaac said.
“Did they see you?” Pa asked.
“Yes sir,” Isaac said and stared at the ground. “They didn’t talk much. One of them left the next day and the other one was gone this morning when I got up.”
“You got to get out of here son,” Pa said and paced back and forth. “Them boys was spies. Home Guard killed one of them. . . Up on the rocks.”
Isaac’s face turned pale.
“If they find out you was with them, they’ll come after you.”
“But I didn’t do nothing,” Isaac protested.
“That’s the problem,” Pa said. “You should have done something.”
“Where will I go?”
“Head for Princeton,” Pa said. “Find Nealy.”
“I’ll go in the morning,” Isaac said.
“You go as soon as Eamon gets back,” Pa said and then looked at Jordan. “Get back to work and don’t tell Gunner or Jim that Isaac is here. No use having everyone lying to the Home Guard.”
Jordan walked off around the house and grabbed his scythe.
Jordan didn’t get much work done as he kept looking over his shoulder for Eamon. He should have been back by now. The sun was heading west and they’d have to leave soon or they’d be late for supper.
Willow emerged from the trees running as fast as she could and carrying a sack over her shoulder.
“Where’s Pa
?” she asked in between gasps. “You got to come home.”
“He’s over at the cellar,” Jordan said. “What’s wrong?”
“Sergeant Hummel’s at the house talking to Eamon,” she said. “The soldier they shot this morning said that he was with a local boy. They’re asking him a lot of questions.”
“Let me have the sack,” Jordan said and snatched it out of her hand. “Stay here.”
Jordan ran around to cellar and found Isaac sitting inside with Pa.
“Where’s Eamon?” Pa asked.
“Willow brought it,” Jordan said. “She said Sergeant Hummel’s back at the house. The spy they shot this morning told them he was with a local boy. They’re asking Eamon questions.”
“The Home Guard?” Isaac asked.
“Yes,” Pa answered. “You get on out of here now and pray they don’t shoot your cousin for your foolishness.”
Chapter 17
“I want to come with you,” Jordan whined.
“No,” Pa said. “I need you to pick up everything and help Jim get the wagon back home. We’ll have to do this work another day.”
Pa was right. Neither Jake nor Jim was strong enough to handle the team, especially on the turnpike. He watched Pa race down the path towards home and disappear into the trees. Willow ran after him, but she was unable to keep up. Jordan didn’t move until he lost sight of Willow’s blue skirt in the shadows of the forest.
“Jake!” Jordan called out. “Get this stuff picked up. We got to get going!”
“What’s the hurry,” Gunner called.
“There’s Home Guard at the house,” Jordan said. “Pa ran ahead to see what they want.”
It seemed to take forever to gather up all the tools and put them back on the wagon. Jim was unable to do much and Jake was no help at all, as he kept checking the same places where he didn’t find anything the first time he looked. Jordan got so angry that he made Jake unload all the boards they’d brought with them and stack them inside the house. He cried the whole time and threatened to tell Ma, but Jordan didn’t care. Only Jordan and Gunner were left to find everything and load it up.
Jordan’s worry loomed over him, heavy like the dark storm clouds that approached from the west. His heart pounded and his stomach churned when he thought about the Home Guard back at the house questioning Eamon. He hoped Pa made it home in time to stop Eamon from saying anything stupid.
