Oregon Disaster

by Rachel Wesson

  “Tilly Price, you don’t have to accept that treatment. Least of all from Mrs. Morgan, that pig-headed excuse of a woman. She deserves to be slapped.”

  Tilly tried to quell the panic in her stomach. When Becky got annoyed, anything was liable to happen. “Please, Becky. I’m begging you not to say anything. I will deal with Mrs. Morgan if it happens again.”

  Becky looked her in the eyes. “I won’t say a word, but only because you don’t want me to. I still think you should put Mrs. Morgan back in her place. After all, she should be keeping her head down. It’s her son’s fault that Sarah ran away. Well, that’s what Jo believes anyway.”

  Tilly looked into Becky’s face. “And you don’t?”

  Becky shrugged. “Sarah was always headstrong. I’m not sure who led whom away to be honest. Edwin Morgan is a weak-minded lily livered pampered only son. I’m not sure he had the guts to suggest eloping.”

  Tilly gave Willie one last cuddle before she handed him back to his ma. “Do you think Sarah will ever come home?”

  Becky looked down at Willie giving him a quick smile. It vanished when she looked up at Tilly. “As far as that young madam is concerned, she will come back when she needs something and not before. We tried to warn Jo and Rick they were being too soft with her. But they wouldn’t listen.”

  Tilly didn’t know what to say. She didn’t like to hear Jo being criticized but she hadn’t been around when Sarah was growing up. Thankfully, she was saved from commenting by the arrival of Becky’s husband, Scott.

  “There you are, I’ve been looking for you. Jake and Ruthie want to know if they can ride home by themselves? I told them to ask you.” Scott winked at Tilly.

  “Ask me? Are you serious? They aren't old enough to do that. They’ve only just turned seven.” Tilly let herself get worked up, but then noticed the gleam in Scott’s eye. “Wait, you’re teasing me aren’t you?”

  “Yes, darling and it works every time. I love your temper. Have I told you that lately?” Scott said, dodging his wife’s arm.

  “Oh, you,” Becky said but laughed despite herself. “I guess I am so predictable. Please tell me you didn’t just come over to tease?”

  “No, I came to say I think it’s time to go home. I don’t like the look of those clouds. We have been lucky with the weather today, but I would prefer to get you all home now.”

  Becky gave Tilly a one armed cuddle as baby Willie was asleep in the other. “I will see you soon and we can talk some more. Now I best go to find Jake and Ruthie. Scott, can you get Anna and Nathan please?”

  “I’ll help you look for them,” Tilly said. “They’re probably in the kitchen with Bridget begging her for more cake.”

  “They know a good cook when they see one,” Scott said, giving Tilly a kiss on the cheek. “Tell Almanzo we said goodbye. I’m not sure where he is.”

  “He’s gone to rescue Jo from Becky’s children. They wanted to see Aunty Jo but he thinks it was more like Bridget as they know she will give them more cookies.”

  Scott laughed. “Can’t blame them really. I’d sneak off if Bridget gave me cookies too.’

  “Come on dear husband, take me home. I can make you cookies tomorrow.”

  “Thanks but no thanks Becky, I need to keep an eye on my waistline.” Scott winked at Tilly. It was no secret Becky’s talents didn’t lie in the kitchen. She was possibly a worse cook than Tilly and that was saying something.

  * * *

  Later, when the children were asleep, Tilly found Almanzo on the porch, a book in his lap. He wasn’t reading, instead he seemed to be far away in his thoughts. Maybe now would be a good time to ask the question that had been plaguing her since Mrs. Newland first mentioned it.

  “Almanzo, it was a good party wasn’t it?”

  “Yes, darling, everyone had a lot of fun. You were a brilliant hostess.”

  He moved his book aside before he drew her down to sit on his knee, kissing the back of her neck before putting his arms around her.

  “Almanzo, just how close were you and Sarah?”

  “Where did that question come from?”

  “Someone commented on it. Actually, two people just this week,” Tilly said, hating the note of desperation in her voice. She knew her husband loved her, but had he loved Sarah first?

  “Tilly, I love you. I married you. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

  “I know that but I was curious. Did she run off with Morgan because you wouldn’t marry her?”

  Almanzo laughed and tightened his grip around Tilly. “Sarah had her heart set on Edwin Morgan from the minute Rick told her he was bad news. Unfortunately, she was always testing Jo and Rick. Rick in particular. Something to do with the fact he was going to leave her and Carrie in an orphanage.”

  Shocked, Tilly stared at him for a few seconds. She couldn’t believe that Rick would have done something so heartless. She’d only known him a little while, but still… “He wouldn’t have done that. He loved them.”

  “He did, but at that time, their ma had just died and he was a single man with no experience of young girls never mind two who were grieving for their family. They didn’t just lose their ma, their two brothers died on the trail too. I guess Rick was at his wit’s end.”

  “So what happened?”

  “Jo came to the rescue. From what I heard they had some fairly strong words about it. After that, Rick and Jo got married and more or less adopted the two girls. And me.”

  “So you and Sarah were never courting?”

  Almanzo lifted her head up so she could see his eyes. “I won’t lie to you Tilly. There was a time when I thought that was what I wanted but Rick helped me realize I was part of this family without having to marry Sarah. I love Sarah same as I love Carrie. Like two sisters. I love you in a completely different way.” As if to demonstrate the truth of his words, he proceeded to show her just how much he loved her.

  Chapter 16

  Sarah woke up feeling groggy. As soon as she lifted her head, she had to hold her hand against her mouth and stumble outside to vomit. Sitting with her head in her hands, she didn’t hear Bear until he was right beside her.

  “Drink this, it will help. How is the pain?”

  Sarah drank eagerly before putting the cup down. She knew she stank to high heaven but he didn’t seem to be offended. “It’s better than it was, thank you.”

  “Do you think you can walk?”

  “Yes,.” Sarah hoped she sounded more confident than she felt.

  “Put these on, they will keep your feet more comfortable.”

  Sarah took the gift he held out to her. The moccasins had not been worn. “For me?” she looked up into his face in wonder.

  “For feet.” He replied obviously thinking she had misunderstood him. She smiled and then put them on her feet. They fit as if they had been made especially for her.

  “You will have breakfast and then we must move on. We are too close to town.”

  “I can eat later. We should go now.”

  “No, you must be careful. You will hurt the baby.”

  Shocked, Sarah got to her feet and stood facing him. “How do you know about the baby?”

  “I heard you.”

  “When?”

  “When you told the man who hit you. Morgan.” The look on Bear’s face was difficult for Sarah to read. He looked angry, but she couldn’t tell if it was about the baby or her being hit. Or both.

  She covered her belly with her hand. Looking back up at Bear, a tear fell from her eye. “He didn’t want his own baby.”

  “He is a stupid man. Now you must eat.”

  Sarah ate the food Bear had prepared. She wasn’t sure what it was and at first her stomach rebelled, but then it settled down. She couldn’t eat the whole amount but he seemed happy with what she did eat.

  “I will find horses soon. For now, we walk. You tell me if the pain is bad.”

  “I will,” Sarah said softly, wondering again why this man was taking such good care
of her. She could only bring him harm, yet he had risked his life to save her from what was certainly a fate worse than death. And he knew about Edwin. Had he been following her? The thought should have unsettled her but, to her surprise, it didn’t. She felt almost comforted, and certainly curious, by the realization.

  * * *

  Bear matched his pace to hers although his body wanted to run. He knew what the townsfolk would do to him if they found him. They would never believe he was innocent. Even if she confessed, they would blame the evil man’s death on him. To them he was a savage. The townsfolk would accept a man who beat women and did all kinds of other things, but they would never accept an Indian who was innocent.

  He listened closely to her breathing, knowing she was in pain. He was tempted to carry her but that would slow their progress even more. They would soon be at his camp where Tala was waiting. Every so often he doubled back to make sure they were not being followed. So far, their luck held.

  “I’m sorry, but I have to rest,” she said after a while, her face ashen as he came back toward her. He cursed himself for not noticing how pale she had become. Gently he picked her up.

  “Bear, you can’t carry me.”

  “It is not far to my camp and then we can rest for a while. You are safe. There is nobody following us. For now.”

  She laid her head against his chest, her sweet smell lingering in his nostrils. Her hair was soft, and it tickled his nose when he bent down to sniff it. He grunted as he shuffled her body closer to his and then walked quickly. He had been honest, there was nobody following them, but yet he couldn’t let his guard down. His instincts told him they weren’t out of danger yet.

  Before too long, they came up to his camp. Tala barked in greeting causing Miss Sassy to open her eyes. She would have screamed if he didn’t clamp a hand over her mouth.

  “He is mine. Do not be afraid. He looked after you the first night you stayed in the cave. Do you not remember?”

  She shook her head. He laid her gently down on the ground before calling Tala to his side. After greeting the dog for a few minutes, he let the animal sniff Miss Sassy, all the time telling him she was a friend.

  “This is Miss Sassy. Miss Sassy, this is Tala. It means wolf.”

  Her eyes opened wider. “Why do you call me that?”

  “It is your name.”

  “My name is Sarah. Only Walking Tall and his friends call me that name.”

  “Walking Tall is my friend too. He is the reason you are here.”

  Chapter 17

  Sarah paled, her hand caressing her stomach. “What do you mean ‘he is the reason’? Did he send you to find me?”

  Bear nodded.

  “But why?”

  “That is for Walking Tall to explain. I have to take you to his camp.”

  “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why.”

  He smiled but it didn’t light up his eyes. “He told me you were stubborn.”

  “I am not stubborn.”

  “Yes, you are. Now, you have no options. No friends, no man. You have nobody but me, yet you still think you can give orders. Make decisions.”

  “I can. It’s up to me where I go and who I go with.”

  “It is this thinking that got you into trouble. You did not do what your parents wanted. Your family didn’t like the man you were with, did they?”

  Sarah gulped. He knew more than she thought he did.

  “It doesn’t matter what my family thought. That is none of your business.”

  “It is my business to take you to Walking Tall. This is something I will do.”

  “Over my dead body.”

  “I think one dead body is enough.”

  Sarah gasped. For a minute she had forgotten about Faulkner. She had killed a man. Despite his actions and his behavior, he was a human being and she was responsible for his death.

  “You need sleep now. Rest while I go hunt. Tala will protect you.”

  “You can’t leave me with that wild animal.”

  “He is better company than you usually keep.”

  With that parting remark, Bear was gone. Tala trotted after him but Bear sent him back to her. Tala whined a couple of times but gradually he did as ordered and lay down beside Sarah. She was glad of his company although she would never admit it. Bear hadn’t lit a fire, she guessed he was afraid it would lead people to them. It wasn’t quite dark yet, but it was rather frightening being alone out here. Having Tala with her was better than nothing.

  * * *

  She slept a little but when Bear didn’t come back, she couldn’t relax. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Faulkner’s face. She should have stayed in town and told the Sheriff what had happened. But would he have believed her? She shuddered when she remembered the lynching the previous month. A man had been accused of stabbing another miner. Before the sheriff could do anything, the man had a rope around his neck, was dragged to the edge of town and hanged. There was no trial. She didn’t know if he was guilty or not, but nobody seemed to care. That was how it was done in mining towns. They didn’t wait for the Judge to arrive. In the case of Indians, they wouldn’t have waited for anyone.

  Tala straightened. His ears pined forward. He nudged her a little, whining softly. She rubbed his fur and then said “go.”

  Amazingly he licked her hand and then ran. Soon he returned, running rings around Bear who was carrying a carcass of some kind in one hand and a bundle in the other.

  “Are you ready to move on?”

  “Yes. But don’t you need to rest?”

  “No time. I do not feel comfortable being this near town. We need to put distance between us and them.”

  She stood up ignoring the pain in her side.

  “Which way?” she asked.

  “We go this way. Have you some water?”

  “Yes, I filled this up by the creek.”

  “I told you to stay where you were.” He scowled at her.

  She wasn’t about to let him think she was afraid of him. “I was thirsty. I was careful. Tala looked out for me.”

  His face cracked into a smile. “You made friends.”

  “You were right. He is better company than anyone else I have been near.”

  Instead of being angry, Bear threw back his head and laughed.

  “Walking Tall said you had spirit. He was not joking.”

  Sarah itched to slap his face for laughing at her, but instead she turned on her heel and marched off. He called her a couple of times, but she ignored him. Then he laughed again.

  “What is so funny?”

  “You might want to walk this way. Otherwise you will be back in town in no time.”

  In frustration, she balled her fists so tight her nails bit into her palms. She could have screamed. But instead, she marched back and moved in the direction he indicated all the time listening to him laugh behind her.

  “Do you mind?” her frosty tone did nothing to wipe the grin from his face. Instead he laughed even more.

  “It is good to laugh. It helps relieve anger. You should try it sometime.”

  He moved ahead of her and she stuck her tongue out at his back. She stumbled slightly, a good reminder she should concentrate on the terrain underfoot. The moccasins were so comfortable that if she wasn’t careful she could trip over one of the many tree roots. The forest became denser as they moved away from the town, something she found comforting. There was less chance of them being followed.

  Chapter 18

  Bear walked slightly ahead of her, thinking she needed some privacy. He didn’t walk fast as he could see she was struggling. He was tempted to carry her, but that would only slow them down further.

  “You must tell me when it becomes too painful to continue.”

  “I’m fine.”

  It was obvious she was lying as she spoke through gritted teeth, but he pretended to believe her. He’d been honest when he said they were far too near town for comfort. Even though he didn’t think anyone had seen them
with Faulkner there was always a chance someone had. It was better for everyone if the town became a distant memory. And Morgan was still around somewhere. Bear hadn’t followed him so he didn’t know which direction that man had taken.

  He heard her hiss of pain. Putting his bundles in one arm, he whisked her into his arms. She protested slightly but obviously lacked the energy to fight him hard.

  “Try to rest a little. We will not go much farther. There are some caves up ahead. They will shelter us for a while.”

  “Will they not trace us to them?”

  “Maybe if they could find my tracks. But the white man tends to be afraid of mountain lions. They like these caves.”

  Her heart beat faster against his chest making him curse his stupidity.

  “You do not have anything to worry about. I will protect you.”

  She didn’t look at him.

  “Miss Sassy?”

  “Please stop calling me that. My name is Sarah.’

  “Sarah, trust me. I am on your side.”

  She looked into his eyes and he saw a flicker of trust or maybe that is just what he wanted to see. His own heart beat faster and he knew that had nothing to do with any dangerous animals. Except maybe for the woman in his arms. She had a hold on his heart already. And the thought terrified him.

  He moved as quickly as he could despite the extra weight. His shoulder ached a little but he ignored it. He kept an eye on Tala, who scampered around their feet, knowing the dog would sense any danger before he did.

  After cresting a mountain of rocks, he found what he’d been looking for. Their shelter.

  “We are here, Sarah. Wake up”

  She opened her eyes, then seemed to realize she was still in his arms. Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. She looked vulnerable and he wanted to protect her.

  “Please, let me down. I’m fine now.”

  He let her down gently. Good thing too because as soon as he put her on her own feet, she swayed and lost consciousness. It was only then that he spotted the blood. She was injured and hadn’t told him.