by Caryl McAdoo
Walking ashore, he threw her into the sky amidst abundant giggles before sitting her down. She ran to her mother. “Did you see me? Did you see how high I went?”
Her mama smiled, though shaking her head. “Yes, I saw. I hope you didn’t hurt your cousin’s feelings.”
“Well, Mister Henry”—she glanced over at him and winked—“he’d already said that he would carry me. Levi should mind his own business.”
Henry chuckled and grabbed the ax that Sue had obviously gotten out and leaned against the wagon for him. “I’ll be back.”
The woods were cooler and the sounds of the little one and her mother faded. He hadn’t realized how long it’d been since he’d been alone. He truly enjoyed the peace and quiet. Silently passing through, he kept an eye out for the distinctive bark of the bois d’arc. Wouldn’t bother him a bit if it took a while to find one. Blue Dog came running up to his left, doing some scouting of his own.
He hadn’t gone too far before he saw exactly what he hunted. A tall, straight bois d’arc, and it wasn’t too old, perfect for his fulcrum. Blue disappeared; he must have gotten bored. Henry rested his musket on the trunk of a nearby tree, spit on the ax blade, and went to work.
* * *
SUE FANNED THE FIRE and glanced for the hundredth time at the wagon stuck in the creek. It was all that snake’s fault! If it hadn’t been for that moccasin, she could have made it just fine. Dumb snake! And with both the guys hollering at her at the same time, how was she supposed to make sense of what they were saying?
She stopped in her tracks and stared at the ground. She’d seen the first time Henry hollered and waved his arms perfectly well. He’d plainly meant for her to stop. But she was already in the water by then. Still, why did she have to be her stubborn, proud self? Just to prove to Henry that she could do whatever he could?
What was so bad about following his directions? Like she had an aversion just because the order came from him. Order. Maybe that was it. He always ordered everyone around! And they all obeyed. But not her! She couldn’t let him think even for a minute that he was the boss. And look where her pride had gotten her.
Pride goeth before a fall. She glanced up at the sky. “Is that what it is, Lord? You’re punishing me for my pride?”
It was never like that with Andy; she had no trouble submitting to him. From the start, he was her hero, her champion, and her head in every respect of the Word. He also loved her enough to listen. He would sit for hours and discuss her ideas and dreams. She smiled, remembering how he always told her how smart she was. He’d said every other girl he’d ever spent much time around had embarrassed him, but that she never had.
Maybe she should give in and let Henry take the lead for the time they were on the trace. So what if she paid him a salary? Truth was, she’d hired him to get them there, whatever it took, and if it took doing things his way . . .
One thing for certain, her cotton would be a lot closer to Pleasant Mound by now if she hadn’t been so hardheaded. If only she’d let him drive both the wagons across like he’d offered.
It was all her fault.
Becky came running up barefoot in her wet cotton bloomers and slip. Sue saw no reason her daughter couldn’t have a little fun playing in the water while she helped accomplish the chore Henry had put them to. The girl dumped an armload of leaves that she’d dampened at the creek onto the fire. They almost put the flames out.
“Becky, Becky, not so many at one time.”
“Sorry, Mama.”
She skipped off, going deeper each time into the woods to gather twigs and leaves for the grand fire. Sue watched until she disappeared behind the hardwoods and brush, then fanned the flames again, sending roils of smoke into the sky. So Indians would come. He wanted to call the Indians.
She sighed.
Never would she have sent smoke signals to call savages to her location. Never. As far as she was concerned, the safest bet was to assume that more violent tribes roamed the untamed territory than friendly ones. She steered as clear as she could from all of them.
Levi came back after retrieving the cooking pots from the stuck wagon and dropped them on the ground. “Want me to drag up some deadfall?”
“Sure, I suppose we’re ready for some larger logs.” The muscles across her shoulders ached from one side to the other. She tried to stretch her neck some, relieve the pressure. This day—getting stuck and it being her blunder—had almost gotten the best of her. “Guess I might as well get some dinner going.”
She checked the swollen beans and got out her ingredients for corn bread, then got busy making a cook fire and getting the pintos to boiling. Next time she looked over, Levi had the signal fire blazing. “Maybe you should trench around it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He headed toward the shovel she’d used for her cook fire, then got to work digging a ring.
She looked toward the creek, then along the woods. She stood and went to the other side of the wagon. “Levi, have you seen Becky? She’s been gone—” Sue tried to remember exactly when she last saw her daughter. How long had it been? “Uh—a long time.” Just then, as though she’d been reminded of Becky’s absence by the Lord, a terrified shriek came from the woods.
Becky!
Sue dropped the Dutch oven, spilling the corn bread batter, and ran toward her daughter’s screams. Before she reached the edge of the woods, Becky burst into the open. Close behind her, a black bear crashed through the trees.
“Oh, God! Help me!” Sue looked around frantically. Where was her gun? “Becky, run to me!” She ran toward her daughter. Waving her arms hysterically, she screeched at the wild beast. “No! Get out of here.” She slowed only a bit and picked up a chunk of wood, then hurled it at the bear. “Go away!”
From nowhere, Blue Dog appeared and charged the beast. Sue kneeled, and her daughter ran into her arms. “Oh, Becky, Becky, Becky!” Tears streamed down her face as she hugged her little girl. Sobs racked her being. The whole day. Getting stuck. “Oh, Becky, Becky.” What would she have done if that awful bear had gotten her baby? She couldn’t stop crying.
The bear and dog circled each other. Blue Dog barked and barked and bared his fangs. The bear stood on its back legs and growled, showing fangs of its own.
Levi appeared with his long gun, aimed, and fired.
CHAPTER
NINE
HENRY DROPPED THE AX at Rebecca’s first scream, grabbed his musket, and dashed back to the others. Blue’s bark and the bear’s growls spurred him into a dead run. His heart pounded. A shot rang out. Crashing through the woods, he leapt over deadfall and threw up his arms to block limbs. He pushed his legs faster; in his mind everything slowed as he prepared to battle the bear.
He exploded into the open. Sue had Rebecca. Blue Dog lay beside them. Henry scanned the area immediately, but the beast was gone. Levi stood holding his long gun, looking proud of himself. The mules huddled together but appeared to be fine, except the snake-bit one’s head hung low.
Henry bent over and grabbed his knees. He blew hard until he found his breath. His insides quivered, but he willed them still and walked to the boy. “Was it a sow bear?”
“Don’t know; everything happened too fast.”
Henry glanced at the girl, who still hugged her mother, and walked toward them. “She all right?”
“She will be.”
“And you?”
“Fine, but I’m still shaky.” It sounded as though her voice nearly choked her. “I was so scared.” She put a hand on either side of her face and shut her eyes. “I hate this day!”
“I hit the bear, Mister Henry. I know I did. Wasn’t a kill shot, but I know I got a piece of him.” Levi held the long gun.
“That’s ace-high, son. You did great.”
Sue rose, smiling at the boy, and threw her arms around him. “I’ll say you did. I’m so proud of you, Levi.” She left one arm on his waist, clinging to him.
Henry hoped the bear had run the other direction. “You reload
yet?”
“Uh, no, sir. I didn’t think about it.”
“Better see to that.”
The little girl hugged the dog’s neck but left him to join her mother. She hugged her almost-brother’s leg. “Thank you, Levi. Thank you for shooting that bear and saving me and saving Blue Dog, too.” Tears flowed down her cheeks, and her bottom lip quivered. “I’m sorry I was mean to you before. Forgive me?”
Levi kneeled and returned her hug. “That’s all right, Bitty Beck, and of course I forgive you.”
She wiped her face dry. “Good.”
Henry motioned for Blue to stay, then walked out a ways. He soon found the blood trail. For a moment, he debated on whether he should follow it but decided it would be best not to leave the woman and girl alone. When he returned, the boy was still busy reloading the long gun.
Henry joined Sue and Rebecca near the cook fire. “That old bear scare my best girl?”
She looked up and nodded. “I was gathering leaves to get wet, and I didn’t see him. Then he was there, and he growled at me real mean, so I ran.”
“You did good raising a ruckus and getting yourself some help.” He smoothed her hair. He wanted to scoop her up and hold her tight, but her mother might not understand. She didn’t know that her little girl had called him daddy. And that’s what he wanted to be. He could handle her being a spoiled brat, but all of a sudden, he couldn’t imagine a life without the little one in it.
He swallowed hard and blinked the bit of moisture in his eyes away. “I was almost finished chopping that tree I need. You ladies want to come and help me drag it back?”
Becky jumped up and grabbed his hand. “I do. Come on, Mama.”
“Well, if we’re going to have any corn bread with our beans, I better stay.” She looked up. “You don’t really need my help, do you? If you want Levi to lend a hand, take him. He can help watch Becky, too, if she’s set on going. I’ll be fine here.”
“You sure?”
She nodded and scratched the scruff of his hound’s neck. “You’re a good dog, Blue.” She pulled his face next to hers. “You’re a wonderful, powerful good dog.” She sighed and looked up at Henry again. “You were absolutely right about this animal. There’s no way I could pay enough for what he’s done.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He turned to the boy. “We’ll get going then. Leave the long gun for your aunt.”
“He can take it. I’ll get my flintlock and keep it close.”
Becky ran to hold her cousin’s hand, then looked to Henry. “Can Blue Dog come, too?”
He glanced at the dog, then held out his hand to her. “He better stay here with your mama.”
* * *
SUE WATCHED THEM LEAVE. She regretted not going some, but she’d be fine. Alone, she bowed her head, and tears flowed down her cheeks. “Thank You, Lord, for putting it in Henry’s heart to come with us. Oh, God, draw him to Yourself.” Images of the black bear right behind her little girl flashed across her mind’s eye. “Thank You for bringing that man and his dog into our lives.”
She remembered her best sister-friend. “Thank You for Elaine, too, for her insisting that I ask him; and for softening my hardheadedness.” She smiled.
A peace settled over her, and she wiped her wet cheeks. She had corn bread to fix. No matter what, they had to eat.
* * *
HENRY SEARCHED THROUGH THE TREES and brush for any sight of the bear. Then the rhythmic pound of the sharp ax against the tree took his mind off the too-close call. Chips flew through the air and fell all around the forest floor. Levi’s long gun rang out.
Rebecca clapped her hands. “You got him! We’ll have rabbit for supper now, I’ll fetch it.”
In no time, the bois d’arc fell. “Think you can handle the top end?”
“Yes, sir!”
After trimming the tree, Levi helped him lift the bottom of the trunk into the air, and Henry got it on his shoulder. Then Levi got under the opposite end.
“I’ll carry the ax.” Rebecca grabbed the handle.
“Let’s go then.” Henry headed back to camp. The girl ran up beside him.
“Mister Da— Uh.” She giggled. “I mean Mister Henry. You going to use this log to get the wagon unstuck?”
“Hope to.”
“How you gonna do it?”
For the rest of the way back to camp, he explained his plan.
The wagon came into view, and Becky ran ahead. “Mama, look at that big old bois d’arc tree. It’s extremely heavy. Can you believe that they can carry it?” She held the ax up. “I helped, too.”
Henry placed his musket against the wagon’s wheel, then faced the boy. “Let’s ease it on down here for now.”
“Sure.” Levi lowered his end of the trunk to his waist. When Henry rolled the big end off his shoulder, the boy let the smaller end on down to the ground. He held up the rabbit, grinning. Got you something to fry up, too.”
Letting the tree fall the rest of the way, Henry pushed it out. “How ’bout you get to work on that oak over there?” He pointed to a medium-size tree a bit off the trail. “We’re going to need a good-size chunk of it.”
The boy nodded, apparently wise to his plan. Henry liked it that Levi didn’t ask a heap of questions. Later, as he took a turn swinging the ax, it dawned on him that the opposite was true about Rebecca. He considered that for a while as he worked. He always enjoyed having something to ponder while he did a repetitive task; it made the time pass faster. In the end, he reckoned it was because he’d fallen hard for the miniature Sue.
He really had barely tolerated Levi. The kid’s rudeness, his suspicion and resentment, his sarcasm didn’t sit too well either. But then, the young fellow had never had a man in his life, at least not since he was old enough to remember. Henry stepped back and handed the ax to Levi again. “Want to take him on down?”
“I’d like that.”
After fifteen more whacks, the oak fell exactly as planned. Henry walked to the log and pointed to a spot about two feet from the end. “Now we need to cut him off here.”
The boy spit on his hands, rubbed them together, then hefted the ax. “Yes, sir.”
Henry liked all the yes, sirs. Maybe he’d misjudged the boy. When the chips stopped flying quite as fast as before, he took the ax. “Get a blow and a dipper of water if you’re of a mind to.”
“You want one?”
Henry nodded, then went to work. Shame he’d not included a crosscut saw on his list, but he hadn’t, so he continued swinging the ax. Soon enough, the boy returned with the dipper.
“Aunt Sue said dinner would be ready in a few minutes.”
Henry drained the water, then nodded, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. “Want to finish this one before we eat?”
“Might as well. How many more chops you think he’ll take?”
“Hopefully only one more, but the doing will tell.”
After too many swings to count, Henry and the boy had the stump cut off. “What say we sit a spell and eat some beans and fried rabbit? You game?”
“Yes, sir.”
There it was again. Maybe shooting the bear had changed Levi’s attitude somehow. Henry would have to think on it some. Whatever the reason, he appreciated it. Like his mama always said, it never hurt to show some respect.
After too short a dinner break, it took Henry and the boy almost twice as long to get the next chunk of the oak cut and split. Henry wiped his brow, then studied the west sky. Not much daylight left. “I think we’re ready, but best we wait until morning and get a fresh start on it. What do you think?”
Levi, who looked worse than Henry felt, stood a bit taller, then nodded. “I’m with you. Time we got the mules hitched and everything in place, it’d be nigh onto dark-thirty.”
Henry swung the ax one-handed into the end of the log, then released it. “Or later.” He smiled. “I’m plum tuckered.”
That night while he waited for sleep to find him, Henry contemplated the boy’s change in manner and the
lack of protest from Sue when he’d informed her that they were knocking off early. The look in her eyes belied the words that came out of her mouth. He figured she’d swallowed a scalding protest. Apparently, though, he looked even worse than the boy.
He resolved to be nicer to Levi, treat him more like a man than a boy. That thought gave way to the first time he’d seen the kid—only knee high to a grasshopper—with his aunt at the trading post four years back. His favorite image of Sue came next: her standing on the porch watching a storm blow in. A powerful breeze caught her hair and sent it flowing out behind her, but she leaned a bit into the wind. How many times had he fallen asleep studying on that remembrance?
The weather didn’t seem to faze her; there’d been no fear in those beautiful eyes.
That vision of her standing there had frozen in his mind. Nothing he’d heard or seen of her since had changed his first impression of what a beautiful, fine, strong-willed lady she was.
CHAPTER
TEN
AFTER GETTING DINNER READY, Sue had used her time to clean up a little, and had decided to change into her skirt. With all the pondering her being alone allowed, the thought that Henry had been divinely handpicked to accompany her tickled its way through her considerations. Well, she had most definitely been wrong about him being soft and lazy. He worked hard, and no one could say he wasn’t polite. She couldn’t have been more mistaken about the man if she’d tried.
That he’d agreed to come after she insulted him with her honest-work comment proved the provision to be divinely influenced. She had no doubt now that she needed his help, but it would certainly be easier if he could act like less of a king. And she wished there was some way she could lead him to accept the Lord. Surely, that was a part of God’s plan.
As soon as Becky fell asleep, Sue pulled her own pallet out a bit from under the wagon to look at the stars. They always reminded her of what a big God she served. A million brilliant, twinkling lights studded the dark sky and took her breath away; they did every time.
