Oregon Dreams

by Rachel Wesson

  Chapter 39

  To everyone’s relief they pulled out of camp the following morning. Nobody had enjoyed their visit to Fort Hall. It wasn’t as much a reflection on the occupants of the fort as their warnings regarding the journey ahead. The wagon train turned west following the trail of emigrants before them who had traveled on to Oregon or California. The terrain became increasingly rough and the dangerously narrow bluffs made them all feel a little sick. They only made about ten miles a day. Captain Jones hadn’t entertained any arguments about the pace simply telling them they would see the reason for the slow travel shortly. The stern, almost concerned look on his face prohibited anyone from teasing him over his black eye.

  “Tomorrow, we will come to the American Falls. Keep the children safe as the breathtaking beauty of roaring whitewater waterfalls is bound to fascinate them. If anyone falls in, there is no chance of rescue.”

  Johanna took his words to heart making sure all the children, particularly Stephen and Almanzo who were inclined to be more adventurous than the rest, stayed close.

  When the group set up camp that evening, Captain Jones called them together.

  “The Indians around us are from the Shoshone tribe. They are usually friendly and peace loving people but tensions have been rising due to the number of emigrants crossing what they see as their land. Be pleasant but keep your wits about you. I recommend you trade for some fish. The salmon they catch has to be just about the nicest fish I have ever tasted.”

  Trading with the Indians was fun, but Becky couldn’t help wondering if this was the tribe Scott had lived with. Johanna teased her for dreaming, but she kept looking at the women trying to see what a man like Jones would find attractive. These Indian women were gentle and kind, not in the least bit feisty like her. She traded a dress she particularly loathed for some moccasins and some fish.

  Ma had suggested they all share a big meal rather than try to cook the fish over many different fires. Everyone agreed and there was a slightly festive air about the camp.

  “Jones was right, this fish is incredible.” Rick Hughes held his plate out for more. Becky watched as Johanna refilled his plate and gave his hand a quick squeeze. She looked toward their pa but he hadn’t noticed anything. Her ma had, though, but judging by the smile on her face, she didn’t mind. Her ma approved of Rick Hughes. He seemed like a nice man but Becky couldn’t help feeling a little jealous. Why couldn’t her ma approve of Scott too?

  “Hughes, I’ve doubled the watch tonight.”

  “Why? I thought you said they were peaceful,” Rick asked.

  “They are but they can be mischievous. I would not put it past them to let some of the cattle out. Also, they are hungry, so they may take one or two of the cattle for meat. Either way, I am not taking any risks.”

  “We could spare a couple of the herd if they are that hungry. Especially as they are being so pleasant,” David said. “They gave Eva a remedy for her mosquito bites. Don’t smell too good but she says its working already.”

  Becky smiled. Trust David to always suggest the nice thing to do. He was such a fair-minded man. She thought of the way he had smuggled food out to the slaves. He hated injustice in any form.

  “Let’s give them a couple of the older animals. They aren’t as fussy as we are and the older ones are unlikely to last until Oregon anyway.” Captain Jones suggested.

  “But the meat is tough,” Becky protested without thinking.

  “To us it is. But the Indians have different methods of cooking. Their expectations are somewhat lower too.” Her eyes met his as he was talking. She saw he was teasing her even if his words weren’t that kind.

  “I better get going. I want to put the girls to bed before I take up watch.” Rick stood up, thanking her ma and the other ladies for a fine meal before he took his nieces off to bed. Ma shooed Stephen and Almanzo off too, as Becky got up to help her sisters tidy up. But Captain Jones stopped her. “Make sure you stay close to the wagons too. We aren’t far enough yet from the fort for it to be safe.”

  “You don’t think that man is coming after us, do you?”

  “No, of course not.” But his words lacked conviction.

  “I…” At the look in his eyes, she realized he was feeling the pressure of being responsible for all of them. “I promise to stay close. Don’t worry.”

  “I wish I could but I can’t help it,” he whispered before walking away. Her pa came up behind her thus explaining Scott’s sudden exit.

  “What did Jones want?”

  “He ordered all the women to stay close to the wagons. I am not sure he believes we are capable of looking after ourselves.”

  “It’s the man’s job to protect us, Rebecca. Don’t you be reading more into his concern than that. You hear?”

  “Yes, Pa.” Becky hoped she sounded like a dutiful daughter. Now was not the time to try to convince her pa he was speaking about his future son-in-law.

  Chapter 40

  “How much longer will it take us to reach Oregon, Uncle Rick?”

  “I don’t know, Sarah, it depends on how far we travel every day.” Rick wondered why Sarah was asking. “We are in Utah Territory now. Did you know that?”

  “Yes, Johanna told us. She knows everything.”

  “You like her a lot, don’t you?”

  “Of course. She’s nice. Don’t you like her?”

  “I like her.”

  “A lot?”

  How was he supposed to answer that one? Johanna had crept into his heart but he wasn’t going to admit that to his niece. At least not until he had asked Johanna to marry him. He didn’t want to get the girls’ hopes up in case she said no.

  “Johanna seems sad sometimes,” Sarah added. “I think she gets lonely.”

  “Why? She has her ma and pa, her sister and her brother to talk to.”

  He tried to find a way to distract Sarah. This wasn’t a conversation he intended having with his niece.

  “But it’s not the same as having a prince, is it? When I grow up I am going to fall in love with a prince and live in a castle.”

  “Really? And where are you going to find this prince. We don’t have princes in America.”

  “He’ll find me. What’s the name of that river?”

  “That’s the Snake River.”

  “It looks very fast.”

  “I guess it is but we have crossed rivers like it just fine. You don’t need to worry. I won’t let anything happen to you or your sister.”

  Sarah moved closer to him on the seat. “I know that, Uncle Rick. You are going to keep Carrie and me safe forever.”

  His heart clenched at the trust in her voice. He wished he could keep them safe forever, but what if their pa turned up? He had no legal right to the girls. What about his plans to leave them in an orphanage? He couldn’t do that. Not anymore. They were no longer nieces he knew by name. Now they were real children with their own quirks and foibles. He couldn’t love them more than if they were his own. Maybe he could adopt them. Would a court give him parental rights? He didn’t know where Ellis was. But he had been gone two years so was that enough for abandonment.

  “Uncle Rick, are you going to cross the river now? You are getting mighty close.” Sarah’s panic make him jerk the reins in time. He was too close to the river. The oxen must be thirsty to have come this near. He pulled on the reins, thankfully, they stopped. He hopped out giving the animals a quick drink so they didn’t get any ideas about the river. Despite what he had said to Sarah, this was a dangerous river. Much more dangerous than the Platte as the current was much swifter. They needed to cross by ferry. He got back in the driving seat and edged his wagon back to the trail toward the camp the other wagons were making. He needed to speak to Captain Jones to see what the plan was for the crossing tomorrow.

  Chapter 41

  He settled the girls before going to find Captain Jones. As he approached the man, he got a bad feeling. It wasn’t just the expression on his face but on those of the men su
rrounding him.

  “Are we crossing tomorrow?”

  “That depends,” a man he didn’t know replied. “How good a swimmer are you?”

  “Swimmer? We are taking the ferry. Aren’t we?”

  “The ferry broke loose of its moorings the night of the big wind. It was only retrieved a couple of days ago and the repairs are still ongoing. They said it would take at least two weeks, maybe three before we can cross.”

  “But we can’t wait that long. The snows, the mountains.” Rick knew he was stating the obvious but he couldn’t help it.

  “We can’t cross the river without it. Have you seen that current?” Mr. Bradley said, the fear in his eyes mirroring that on several other faces.

  “We have an alternative but it is not a route I would recommend. We could continue traveling on this side of the river.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Mr. Bradley commented.

  “The route is almost grassless, in fact it reminds me of a desert. The oxen and cattle would really suffer, lose a lot of weight and will thus be rendered less able for the terrain up ahead. The lack of water bothers me. But there is another reason. It’s right through the middle of a number of Indian camps.”

  “But the Indians have been friendly.”

  “They have but it may not stay that way. The young braves are getting annoyed at the number of white people taking over their land, as they see it. The chiefs are finding it harder to keep them in line. I would rather not test their patience.”

  “So the river is the best option? Aside from the current, are there any other hazards we should be aware of?” David asked.

  “There are many hidden holes in the river, which can cause the wagon to tip and roll. We will need to guide the wagons across first before the cattle. Some men will have to stand by to fish possessions out of the river if a wagon over turns or items fall out. Obviously, the oxen are most important so don’t try to save a favored possession in place of an animal. If we don’t have animals to pull the wagons, we will continue the journey on foot. Not an attractive alternative, specially for the women and children among us.” Captain Jones let his words sink in. After a minute or so of silence, he continued, “So we got a choice folks. We cross the river ourselves or we wait for the ferry to be ready.” Jones’s tone suggested there wasn’t much of a choice in his eyes.

  “If it gets fixed. There’s nobody saying they are going to be able to fix it for definite,” David Clarke spoke up, “so my vote is we go via the river. We’ve crossed dangerous ones before. I’d rather take a chance on the river then take a risk in snow covered passes.”

  “It’s easy for you to say, you ain’t got no young’uns.”

  “True, but I plan on having some. Just as soon as my beautiful new wife and I reach Oregon.”

  Chapter 42

  Rick admired David Clarke for making a decision but was it the best one? Should he wait for the ferry to be fixed or brave the water? What if Clarke was right and the ferry wasn’t fixable. Then they would still have to cross the river but would also face the risk of snow covered mountains.

  “I reckon we should take some time to think it over. What will you do, Captain Jones?”

  “If the group splits, I will go with the majority vote. I owe it to you all to get you to Oregon as safely as possible. My vote would be to cross the river now. Waiting for the ferry, whether or not it is fixable, increases the risk too much for me. But it’s not my choice. I can’t tell which way will be safer, so I will stick to my promise to get as many of you to Oregon safely as I can.” Captain Jones surveyed the group. “If we choose to cross the river, I suggest we move on until we come to the Three Island Crossing. It’s a route taken by many a wagon train before us.”

  The men nodded then broke away to chat amongst themselves or go consult their wives.

  “That’s fair enough for me.” Rick turned to walk back to his wagon but found David Clarke falling in step with him. “You really think the ferry isn’t fixable?”

  “I don’t know for a fact,” David said. ”But what I do know is that there are lots of wagon trains in a hurry to cross those mountains before the snows come. The longer it takes to fix that ferry, the longer the queue. I know the river will be difficult but I think it’s doable. I would prefer to test it myself but Eva, my wife, won’t hear of it.”

  Rick had only spoken to Eva a couple of times but having got to know Johanna so well, he guessed a stubborn streak ran in the Thompson women.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t have a wife to worry about but I have two nieces. They lost their ma and brothers just after we joined up with your train. Not sure if they are ready for a big adventure.” They had arrived at Rick’s wagon.

  “Want some coffee? I think Johanna left some cake too. She likes to spoil the girls.”

  At David’s cocked eyebrow, Rick allowed a smile.

  “I would love some. Johanna told me you lent her a book. You wouldn’t happen to have any others, would you? I have a couple we could trade, if you like. I don’t get to read much but I like to get a few pages in when I can. Although these nights, I’m usually so tired I fall asleep standing up.”

  “Yeah I have three. Sit down and I will go fetch them. I want to check on the girls anyway.”

  Rick left David by the fire as he went to check on Sarah and Carrie. Both of them were fast asleep as was Johanna who seemed to have fallen asleep reading to them. Should he wake her and bring her outside? The man sitting at the fire was her brother-in-law. She might be embarrassed. But if she woke and came out while they were talking that would look worse. It would seem as if he was hiding her presence. His dilemma was answered when Johanna opened her eyes. She sat up glancing her head off the storage box he had resting at the side of the wagon.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, but I shouldn’t be here.”

  “You must have fallen asleep reading to the girls. David is waiting for me outside. He wanted to borrow a book.”

  “David is waiting for me?” She was still half asleep.

  “No, he wants a book. Do you want to wait while I get rid of him?”

  “No. David will understand I was minding the girls.”

  He didn’t believe her but he didn’t argue and went to get the books. Taking them outside he handed them to David. “Good job we came back. Johanna had fallen asleep reading to the girls. Have you read any of these?”

  “Evening, Johanna. I took your advice and came to see if Hughes had a book I could borrow. Did you sleep well?”

  Johanna gave David a friendly push like you would to a big brother. They were obviously good friends, something that caused Rick to feel jealous. What was he doing being jealous of her brother-in-law?

  Chapter 43

  “What were the men meeting about?” Johanna asked while pouring herself a cup of coffee.

  “The mountains.” David replied at the same time as Rick said, “The river.”

  Johanna looked from one to another, amusement fighting with impatience on her face. “It’s the river, isn’t it? Something wrong with the crossing?”

  The men exchanged a look.

  “You might as well just tell me or I will go ask Becky to ask Captain Jones.” Johanna’s tone warned them not to try her patience.

  “The ferry is broken. It will take at least three weeks to fix it, that is if it can be fixed,” Rick answered.

  “So I guess we are crossing in the wagons then?” Johanna said quietly, her face paler than a few minute ago.

  Rick longed to be able to reassure her but what could he say? There was a reason the French-Canadian trappers called the Snake River “La maudite riviere enragee” – the accursed mad river. “Captain Jones knows what he is doing. We will be careful.”

  “Jones will talk to the group tomorrow then it will be up for a vote,” David explained before finishing his coffee. “I best get back to my wife. Want me to walk you back to your wagon, Johanna?”

/>   Rick saw Johanna hesitate. Briefly his heart raced faster. Would she tell Clarke to leave them alone? But then she drank back her coffee and said brightly, too brightly, “Yes, please do. Goodnight, Mr. Hughes.”

  “Goodnight, Johanna, thank you again for your help.”

  But she was gone. Only then did he realize David had not taken the books with him. Maybe he had read them all ready. Or had the books simply been a ruse to suss him out. Was he worried about his intentions toward Johanna?

  The vote was cast and everyone opted to cross the river now rather than wait. Far too many of them had heard about the fate of the Donner Party and with the cold chill of the winds from the mountain, they figured there wasn’t time to waste.

  “It’s not so much the current, but the bottom of the river that causes the problems,” Rick explained to Johanna when he asked her to mind the girls during the crossing. “Jones said there could be holes, each six or more feet in width, so some of the oxen may be swimming while their counterpart is walking.”

  “You will be careful, won’t you?” Johanna said, trying to keep her voice steady. She didn’t want him to know how frightened she was, not for herself but for him. He touched her briefly on the hand.

  “I will be fine. You concentrate on yourself and the girls. I think Becky is better prepared to swim. Can you not borrow some of her clothes?”

  “I think Ma would prefer me drown than to see another one of her girls wearing men’s clothes.” Johanna’s dark humor lightened the tension a little as they both laughed.

  “I think you might be right on that point,” David added as he and Eva joined them. Eva’s knuckles were showing, her hand was so tightly clinging to David.

  “Captain Jones has done this before, hasn’t he?” Johanna asked in the hope of reassuring her sister.