THE Prairie DREAMS Trilogy

by Susan Page Davis

  “Dear God, whatever You want for me, I’ll accept,” she whispered. “Just please, don’t let me be the one to leave Eb heartbroken by the trail again.”

  Thomas was hanging over a cliff, tied to a framework of tree limbs. Eb Bentley thought he could get him up over the rim of the drop-off by having his horse pull the travois contraption up. It had seemed like a reasonable idea at the time, but now it seemed insane. Every step that horse took raised him higher off the bottom of the ravine and shook the travois until Thomas was sure it would go to pieces. Pain lanced through his leg and up his entire body.

  They must be almost to the top. He could hear Eb talking to the horse.

  “Easy, Speck. Just a little more.”

  The strain on the rope increased, pulling the branches up and away from the edge. Thomas ground his teeth together to keep from screaming. He was helpless, strapped to this thing. A moan escaped through his teeth.

  Eb said something low to the horse. All movement stopped, with Thomas suspended vertically over the edge, fifty feet above his dead horse.

  “You all right, Costigan?” Eb yelled.

  “Yeah. Just get on with it.”

  Eb’s horse snuffled, and the frame shivered again. It inched upward, a bit at a time, then a big jump. At last it crashed backward, and Thomas was lying on his aching back, staring up at the sky and gasping for breath. The pain in his leg nauseated him.

  “Good boy.” Footsteps approached and then Eb was beside him. “Costigan? You with me?”

  “Yeah. Lost my hat.”

  “I ain’t going to get it.”

  “Didn’t think you would. Just get me off these sticks.”

  “I’ll have Speck pull you over to my camp spot first.”

  Thomas swore. Eb had used another short rope, his dead horse’s reins, and both their belts to secure him to the travois, and he wanted nothing better than to have the straps removed.

  Eb walked away and made some adjustments to the rope. He lifted the ends of the branches so that Thomas’s head was higher than his feet. Excruciating pain washed over him.

  “My leg!”

  Eb lowered the travois to the ground. “Sorry about that. We’ll have to drag you over the ground. That’ll be rough.”

  “Can’t you just camp here?”

  “Too close to the edge.”

  Before they’d gone ten yards, Thomas let himself fall into blackness.

  When he woke up, stars shone overhead. He heard snapping and turned his head. Eb was crouched near a small campfire.

  “Musta passed out,” Thomas muttered.

  “Good thing we splinted your leg before I moved you, I reckon.” Eb raked at his fire and set a small coffeepot on the coals. “If nobody comes along by morning, I’ll take you down off this mountain. Don’t want to, but I will if I have to.”

  Costigan grunted. How long would it take to get him to the nearest house? He was sure Eb wouldn’t take him farther than that.

  “You still with the wagon train?” Thomas asked.

  “Yup. They’ll be here day after tomorrow.”

  “Whyn’t you just keep me here until they come?”

  “Oh no.” Eb opened a little cloth bag and peered into it. Coffee, Thomas surmised. “Your leg’s bad. I looked at it while you were unconscious. Other than that, I’d say it’s mostly bruises. But you need to see a doctor—someone who can set it right, or you might never walk on it again.”

  Thomas grimaced.

  “Be thankful you didn’t break your neck,” Eb said. “Look, I’ve got jerky and some crackers and a couple of biscuits. I’ll make us some coffee. Wish I had something to kill the pain for you, but I don’t.”

  Thomas nodded. “I appreciate it, Bentley.” A cool breeze blew over him and he shivered. “You got a blanket?”

  “Yeah. I brought your bedroll and saddlebags up earlier.” He walked out of the small circle of firelight and returned a moment later with a dark wool blanket. He draped it gently over Thomas.

  “All right?”

  “Yup.” Thomas didn’t tell him how even the weight of the blanket made his leg scream with pain. What was the use?

  “I’ll tell you now,” Eb said, “I’m turning you over to the law.”

  “What for?” Thomas knew he was at Eb’s mercy, but it didn’t seem fair.

  “Where should I start? Horse stealing?”

  Thomas said nothing.

  “And then there’s the little matter of Mr. Stone.”

  “What about him?”

  “I figure you heard about him in Independence from conversations between Miss Stone and Miss Finster. Just bits and pieces, but everywhere they went, they were asking about him. You got curious and followed them. You signed on with them under false pretenses—told them I’d recommended you, but I hadn’t. And somehow you came to understand that Miss Anne’s uncle might be worth some money. You stole her letter to see if you could piece together the story.”

  Well, he had it partly right. Thomas closed his eyes and tried not to think about the pain.

  “At first I thought you were just a petty thief looking for an opportunity. But you made a mistake at Schwartzburg.”

  “What was that?” Thomas asked.

  “More than one mistake, actually. First, you told Schwartz about Miss Stone. Bad business. Schwartz is slipperier than a greased eel. Then you got him to help you try to convince Miss Anne her uncle was dead. You hoped she’d turn back so you could find David Stone on your own.”

  He was close to the truth. But Bentley thought he was on his own mission and had no clue about Peterson.

  “Then there’s Rob’s horse. Taking that mare was a big mistake. We might have overlooked it if you’d stolen a mule. Not one of the wagon master’s horses.” Eb came over and held out a piece of jerky. “Can you eat?”

  “I’m starving.” Thomas took the jerky and held it to his mouth. He wasn’t sure he had the strength to take a bite.

  Eb sat down and chomped off a piece of his own strip. He chewed for a minute. “You wanted to get to Stone before anybody else did. I’m not sure how that would help you. Not yet, but I’ll figure it out. I mean, David Stone doesn’t have any money to speak of. Not now.”

  Thomas chewed on the tough jerky until it began to soften. Just let him talk. Maybe he’d reveal something useful.

  Eb froze with his strip of meat partway to his mouth. He sat perfectly still for a moment then scowled down at Thomas.

  “You were going to kill him, weren’t you? Because he might not be worth anything right now, but to somebody he’s worth a whole lot if he’s dead.”

  CHAPTER 28

  Eb stood on the mountainside, watching the wagon train approach. The sun was still low behind them, barely peeking over the next row of hills. The oxen looked as small as mice. He could easily pick out Elise and Anne’s wagon by ticking off the teams in the order they always used, minus the families who had left them at The Dalles. Between Abe Leonard, with his ox team, and the Adams boys with their two wagons, were the ladies and their six-mule team.

  It was going to be hard seeing her again, but he wouldn’t let anyone else take her over this mountain. He thought about riding down to meet them, but he hated to make Speck climb back up here again.

  Instead he walked back to his camping spot. Speck grazed in the meadow. The pinto had had a good rest and plenty to eat the last few days, without having to fight for it. Eb went to the fire pit and poured the bottom half of his morning coffee into his tin cup. He’d cut it close on provisions. Hadn’t counted on having to feed Costigan for a day. But he’d have something good tonight, he was sure. The ladies on the first few wagons down the chute would start baking for the men who would work long into the night.

  He felled a couple of medium-sized trees at the top of chute to use as drag anchors behind the wagons and hiked back to his lookout. The wagons were much closer now, nearly to the steepest part of the upgrade. He left his gear at the campsite and headed down the mountain, carr
ying only his rifle.

  Rob spotted him and waved his hat. Eb raised his hand and went on down. Landon Clark’s wagon was first in line, with a double team of oxen. Rob was checking over the wheel hubs and fittings as Eb approached.

  “I think you’ll be all right, Landon. We’ll get you up, let all the cattle rest awhile, then bring them back down to take the Binchleys’ wagon up.”

  “Where do you need me most?” Eb asked.

  “I’m still trying to convince Mrs. Libby to lighten her load. And Dan and Hector won’t give up any of their tools. They’re both planning to pack a few loads up on their backs, but still…”

  “We could use them better to help other people.”

  “I know, but they think they’ve pared down to the barest necessities. Oh, and the Redmans and Strothers are going to double up their teams. They might need help.”

  Eb gazed down the line of wagons and nodded.

  “They’re number twelve today,” Rob said.

  Eb didn’t have to ask who. He’d already figured that out from his lookout. He’d have to pass Elise and Anne’s wagon to get to Josiah Redman’s.

  Anne was inside the wagon, handing a wooden box down to Elise. Eb sprang forward and took it from her.

  Elise stared at him with eyes big and round. They were bluer than the tranquil sky above. He couldn’t look away.

  “Eb.”

  “Elise.”

  “We missed you.” She looked down then, her coral lips pressed into a thin line.

  “Thanks. Where do you want this stuff?”

  “Anywhere. We’ll likely leave it.”

  He glanced at the contents. Another kettle, four china cups and saucers, two more books, five pounds or so of bacon, and something made of green cloth.

  “I’m sorry.”

  She shrugged. “We cooked up a lot of bacon last night and gave away most of it.”

  “Wish I’d had some yesterday.”

  She smiled at that. “I’m glad you’re back.”

  With the six mules pulling and Anne driving, Elise got behind the wagon and pushed, with four strong men helping.

  “Go on, Miss Elise,” Hector Adams said, scowling at her as he shoved his shoulder against the frame below the tailboard.

  “I’ll do my bit, so long as I’m able.”

  They’d agreed that morning—Elise would drive up the first part of the slope, and Anne would walk. Anne took the reins halfway up. It took three hours in all to get up the mountain. When they finally reached the crest, Elise flopped against a tall fir near the trail and panted, not caring if she ever stood again.

  “Elise, dear, eat this.”

  She opened her eyes. Anne hovered over her with a cup of water and a slab of johnnycake.

  “Have you looked down the chute?” Elise asked.

  “Not yet.” Anne’s face betrayed her anxiety.

  Elise took the cup and the cornbread. “Thank you. Get some for yourself.”

  Eb found them a few minutes later. He hunkered down beside them and cast a critical eye over both women. “We’ll take your wagon down in about ten minutes.”

  Elise set down her cup and arranged her skirts so she could rise modestly. “I’ll help.”

  “No, the other men and I will take it down. There’s a path you ladies can walk down that’s away from where we’ll be working. It’s steep, but you should be all right if you go slow and help each other. You can take your tinderbox if you want and go down to the meadow and start a cook fire. When we bring you your wagon, you’ll have a nice bed of coals ready for baking.”

  Elise met his gaze steadily. “What about the mules? I can drive the team down.”

  “You will not.” He spoke quietly, but he stared down at her with eyes of steel.

  Elise’s heart tripped. Was this too much like the conversation he’d had with Jeanie a few years back? She drew in a deep breath. “All right.”

  He held the gaze a moment longer then nodded. “Thank you.” He glanced over at Anne. “Might as well tell you ladies now. Some freighters came through here yesterday.”

  “They passed us on the trail,” Anne said. “Seemed in a big hurry, and they muddied the water at the creek.”

  “They’re a brash bunch,” Eb said. “But they seemed like honest men. I…entrusted them with a man I’d found injured near the trail.”

  “An injured man?” Elise asked. “What happened?”

  “His horse went off the edge of a bluff in the dark. His leg was broken.” Eb hesitated and added, “It was Thomas G. Costigan.”

  Anne gasped.

  “Thomas?” Elise eyed Eb closely.

  “Yup. He said he’d been lying there three or four days when I came along. Heard him yelling. I got him up to my camp. Those freighters came the next day, and I asked them to get him to a doctor if they could. They had a ledger, and they let me use a sheet of paper from it to write out a letter to Marshal Nesmith in Oregon City. They’ll give it to him when they get there. I put in it what I know about Costigan, and what I suspect.”

  “What do you suspect?” Elise asked.

  Eb gritted his teeth and looked at Anne. “I believe he was out to murder your uncle.”

  “What?” Anne’s face went white.

  Elise reached for her hand. “Why would he do that?”

  “Well, I don’t like to say it or even think it, but you told me once that if David Stone was proved dead, somebody else in England would profit.”

  Elise and Anne stared at each other.

  “It’s true,” Elise said. “But how—”

  “I don’t know how, but Costigan was going to get something out of it. He’d told Schwartz he’d get paid to fool you two into giving up hunting for Stone, didn’t he?”

  “Something along those lines.”

  Eb nodded. “I think someone paid Costigan to find out if Stone was still alive, and if so to…to change that.”

  “It makes me ill to think of it,” Elise said.

  “It makes me furious.” Anne balled her hands into fists. “Are you sure he won’t get away again?”

  “His leg was busted up pretty bad, and I think infection had set in. But I put all I knew down on the paper and impressed on the freighting captain that it was vital to get that to the marshal.”

  “Thank you,” Elise said.

  “Just doing what seemed right. Maybe the marshal can make him tell who really employed him.” Eb stood. “Now, let’s get your wagon ready. We’ll tie four ropes to the frame and loop them around trees. Four men will let the ropes out slow. Shouldn’t be any problems.”

  Elise swallowed hard. Suddenly she was sure she didn’t want to watch. She was glad Eb had given her other instructions.

  “Let’s get a few things out of the back, Anne. We’ll go down and bake some biscuits.”

  After a harrowing descent along a rudely blazed path through the woods, they came into a pleasant meadow where the first eight wagons were already aligned to make the beginnings of a circle. Anne carried their tinderbox, mixing bowl, and a jar of sourdough starter in a bucket, while Elise brought the flour and other ingredients for their biscuits in a sack. They hurried to Mrs. Foster, who had a fire going.

  “There’s good water not far away, ladies,” Mrs. Foster called.

  They left their supplies near the Fosters’ wagon and hurried along another path, to the little stream spilling down over the rocks.

  “You need to speak to Eb tonight,” Anne said as they started back to the camp.

  “What about? Thomas?”

  “No. About your future.”

  Elise pulled up and stared at her. “Whatever do you mean?”

  “You need to tell him that you’ll marry him as soon as we locate Uncle David—which I’ve no doubt we’ll do within a few days. Thanks to Thomas’s accident, I expect we’ll find him in good health.”

  “We’ve no assurance—”

  Anne cut her off with a sweep of her hand. “No, we’ve none whatsoever, but if God wills,
you and Eb Bentley can have a happy life together. The sooner you tell him that, the better.”

  “But, my dear! What will you do?”

  “Do? Why, go back to Stoneford with Uncle David of course. While I shall miss you, my heart will warm each time I think of you and Eb on your ranch. And you will write me long, news-filled letters, telling me about the cattle and the weather and what you’ve baked for your husband’s dinner.”

  “I can’t just go and tell him…that.”

  “And why not? If you need a little assistance, I could tell him for you. Elise, you love him. This is your chance for happiness. Don’t let him go off again without knowing you’ll have him. Please don’t do that to him.”

  Eb came into camp with the Harkness men, driving their last wagon—the small one that had been their prison wagon. Elise watched as they maneuvered into place and completed the circle. The boys who had been guarding the livestock bustled to help them close the gaps.

  Anne came to stand beside her, holding Elise’s shawl.

  “Go tell him. I’ll have a plate of hot beans and biscuits ready when you bring him here after.”

  “But—”

  “No buts.” Anne laid a hand on her arm. “Don’t fail me, Elise.”

  Elise frowned at her. Their relationship had changed so drastically in the last six months that she knew she could argue with her mistress now, and she could probably browbeat Anne until she won. But she didn’t want to.

  She walked toward the Harkness camp, around the big circle. The men were still unhitching the teams.

  “I’ve got everything ready,” Rebecca shouted.

  “Good, ’cause we’re hungry,” Orrin said.

  Elise sneaked past him and Ben as they worked on the first team of mules. Wilbur saw her as she passed him and called, “Hello!”

  Elise nodded to him but didn’t stop. Eb was peeling the harness off the last team. She stood back for a moment, watching his swift, efficient movements. When he turned away with the harness in his arms, he spotted her and stopped in his tracks.

  “Evening.”

  “Hello.” She stepped forward. “May I speak to you?”