“I found this in your pack. It is most amazing that you could have in your possession this great masterpiece of literature dating back two hundred years. Elam, this is a 1611 King James Bible. How did it come to be in your possession?” she asked.
He thought for a minute, then said, “What I’m about to say, I pray comes out right because the thinkin’ I’m a-doin’ just don’t seem too natural for me. A couple of years ago, I met a quiet, peaceful man who set down and talked with me. He had a captive audience because the bars of my cell kept me still so I could listen. As I think back, my wild and free way of a-livin’ started goin’ bad for me about then. Listenin’ to him wuz the only time I wanted to stay put so I could hear the stories and wisdom this man wuz a-sayin’ to me. He relayed to me the words of eternal life and said God had a purpose for me, and I needed to be about growin’ up and gittin’ busy about livin’ right. From time to time, I remember things he said and tried to dismiss them and, for the most part, wuz successful. Well, I wuz successful at least until I found myself in that same jail cell lookin’ at Sheriff Pete Bailey who I dearly hated to see again. The feller's name was John Morgan and he left that Holy Bible for me with the sheriff. The sheriff said he thought it wuz castin’ pearls to swine, or somethin’ like that, but wuz bound to give the book to me. Morgan wuz a-hopin’ I would learn to read with it and come to realize how precious the Word of God wuz. He felt I wuz the man who could take care of it and git it whar it needed to be. I think I am about the last person John could trust with a book like that. So far, its been over a waterfall, underwater several times, and the Injuns have chased me all over these mountains. That don’t sound to me like God knows much about what He is a-doin’ trusting me and all,” Elam said.
Tillie leaned back against a log and for a moment was astounded. “Elam, we found John Morgen's crushed body under a tree. We found his cabin in a blizzard and lived there until spring. I had his family bible in my wagon when the Indians attacked and burned the wagon train the kids and I were on. That Bible was burned. If you hadn’t had this one in your possession, no doubt it would have been in my wagon and burned also. Never doubt God. He knows what he is doing. With God's help, we will get his treasure to a place where people can know what it is and admire it. We must make sure it falls into the right hands. We will find someone who will know the value of such a wonderful book in this wilderness country,” Tillie said.
“Then we need to git it to such a person as soon as we can,” Elam replied.
A week later, Elam sat against the log for the first time. The wind was blowing and the weather had turned chilly. Tillie came back from down the river carrying a stick with several fish. “You speared them fish all by your lonesome?” Elam inquired with a grin.
“I certainly did! Do you think a big brave has been catching fish for me?” Tillie asked with a smile.
“It’s time to go. I have mended good enough to ride and have eaten enough fish to last me for a while,” he said.
“You better not complain about my cooking, Elam Franklin,” Tillie said. Looking around, she noticed the packhorse was ready and their horses were saddled. “You did that?” she asked.
“I did. Now I will have you with your children in three weeks. How does that sound?” Elam asked.
“That is about the nicest sound I have ever heard,” Tillie said.
The horses became restless and Elam’s eyes searched the forest downwind of them. “Well, I guess we better leave that catch of fish for that bar that be a-comin’ this way and be on our way!” he said.
“What?” she asked. Tillie turned to see a large black bear standing on his hind legs sniffing the air and watching them. Dropping the fish, she mounted her horse and sat looking down at Elam.
“You don’t have to tell me twice! Are you coming?” she asked.
Elam chuckled and led his horse over to a boulder to mount and said, “Let’s go a-fore that bar wants honey instead of fish.” Winking at her, he led the way up a path away from the river. He didn’t have much use of his left arm, but it was on the mend and he was ready to go.
For the next three weeks they rode across mountain passes and valleys. Traveling across the wilderness, they were awestruck with its beauty. Tillie knew she would have never made it alone and thanked God for his kindness toward them. Day after day, Elam grew stronger and used each opportunity to explain the ways of the wilderness to her. Tillie was a quick learner and determined to learn all she could from this gentle mountain man. The weather warmed as they descended from the mountain regions. Tho winter was not far off even for the lowlands. “I have never been this far south a-fore,” he said. “But, according to Nolan, we should be about to civilization again.” At noon they topped a hill above the forest and a mountain with twin peaks stood before them. Below a river wove its way across the forest floor. “Thar be our mountain and the Crazy Woman below. Somewhar ahead we should cross a rail-line and follow it east whar be a town,” Elam said.
That night the weather changed and a cold wind blew hard all night. They had been pushing hard and had ridden late into the evening. “We will make camp under that overhangin’ rock thar and it should give us some cover from the wind,” Elam said.
During the night, Tillie told Elam the story of her life with Phil and the night flight to avoid the wrath and lies of the possessive grandmother.
“I never had no idea that war possible,” he said.
“What do you mean?” she asked
“That someone could treat a woman so badly, especially such an angel as you,” he said.
“Phil did the best he could but his mother had mistreated him. He just couldn’t break away from her,” Tillie tried to explain.
“Tell me about your life,” she added.
“Ain’t much to tell. Don’t hardly remember my folks. They are both dead. The earliest I can recollect war when I lived for a spell with my ma’s sister. My aunt Mazy said my ma wuz an angel and that’s how I figured all women to be,” Elam responded.
Tillie cuddled close to Elam under the buffalo robe as the wind whipped through the darkness looking for unprotected flesh. The wooly hair of the buffalo robe stood up and tickled her nose as a shower of sparks blinked off into the night from the campfire. The closeness sent an old yearning through her body and she knew she would have to be careful this night. Suddenly a distant sound came to them on the wind and Elam stiffened.
Tillie whispered, “Did you hear that? What was that?”
“Be quiet for a moment and I will tell you,” he said, kissing her on the head.
The sound came again but fainter and too distant to make out. “What do you make of that?” Tillie asked.
“Well, I think I know what it wuz, but you just kept on a-jabberin’!” Elam said teasingly.
“Do you think you might let me know what you think it was?” Tillie asked again.
Elam responded, “Miss Tillie, that war the sound of a train whistle!”
C15 Long Way Back
Elam rode into Nichols on a crisp November morning. He was followed by Tillie who was wrapped in his big buffalo robe and the Indian pony he was using as a packhorse. All along the boardwalk, people eyed the two curiously. A man sent his son running down the street ahead of them as people began to chatter. It seemed there were signs of recognition.
“Elam, are you sure you’ve never been here before?” Tillie asked.
Before Elam could answer, a man stepped from the boardwalk. “Mister, might you be Elam Franklin and you Miss, might you be Tillie Bonner?” the man asked.
“Your right on both counts. I be Elam Franklin, and this be Tillie Bonner.” There was a sudden gasp; then, a quiet fell over the street. Suddenly a cheer rose from the crowd. Tillie and Elam stared at each other blankly for a moment. Down the street, a pretty middle-aged woman came running holding the hand of the boy sent to fetch her.
“Tillie Bonner and Elam Franklin, if that don’t beat all,” she said, looking around at the crowd. “I guess all the s
tories my husband Nolan has been spreading is true. Only a great man could have rescued a woman from a tribe of savages and lived to tell about it.” A round of cheers and pats on the back signaled the town considered Elam a man among men for his bravery.
“You two come with me,” Nora Tolivar said. “I have a lot to tell you.” Looking around at the men assembled in the street Nora said, “Billy Townsend, get their horses to the livery and bring their belongings back to my place. Curly, give him a hand.” With that, she hurried them away from the questioning crowd. “You folks can see them tomorrow; right now, they need to get some rest and food.” Nora hurried them down the street as people shook their hands and applauded along the way. Nora guided them to a little framed house at the end of the street.
Tillie finally got a chance to ask her a question. “Where are my children?” she asked.
As if she had not heard the question, Nora shooed the people away from her door and turned to look at Tillie. “About two months ago, my husband rides into town with your children. I suppose Elam has told you how the children had happened upon Nolan’s trapping camp a few days after the Indians attacked your wagon train. Or might I say God guided them to his camp? Well, when they got here, the children became a big hit, especially with the stories that Nolan was telling about the exploits of Elam Franklin.”
“What stories might he be a-tellin’?” Elam asked. Turning to Elam, Nora crossed her arms and considered what she would say.
“Nolan has a way with a story and a real vivid imagination. He started telling the kids stories about you, doing it mainly to reassure them that you were a giant among men that would get their mother free and they could count on you. Before long, every child in town followed him along the street just to hear him make up a story about you. He has made some mighty big footprints for you to fill. Every child in town will be following you when you walk down the street. You will leave an impression for the good or bad on these children depending on what road you take,” Nora said.
“I don’t think I understand what you be a-sayin’,” Elam said.
“Elam, if you visit the bars in town and drink, the children will consider it okay because the great Elam Franklin does it. If you go to church tomorrow and bow your head, the children will see you as a humble man used by God to free Tillie. You might shape a life or two while you’re here. I just wanted to let you know what you could expect from the children tomorrow. They even play games and argue as to who will be the great Elam Franklin. Mr. Franklin, great men cast godly shadows,” Nora said.
Elam considered what Nora had said and shook his head. “I haven’t done nothin’ any other man would have done iffin’ they had been in my shoes. I’m shore glad you told me what you just did. I hadn’t realized until just now what effect a feller can have on a child. For shore, I will be a-goin’ to church tomorrow,” he said.
“Mrs. Tolivar, you haven’t told me where my children are. I want to see them now!” Tillie insisted.
“They’re not here, Miss Tillie,” Nora said. “Three weeks ago, Mira Bonner stepped from the train. I thought the train was a good thing until it brought her to town. She had traveled by stage and train from Hunter to get here. She had hired a group of Pinkerton detectives (that’s what they call themselves) to locate the children if they were still alive. When my husband Nolan Tolivar came riding into town with the children in tow, one of the Pinkerton Detectives was on the street. He saw the children and sent a telegram to their grandmother.”
Tillie drew in a deep breath and sat down hard in a chair. Despondently she asked, “Mira has my children?”
Nora shook her head and said, “We did all we could do. I wanted to take the kids and raise them, but she had blood-kin rights over me. I will tell you they wanted to stay with me. After all this time, I guess we finally gave in to the realization that the savages had killed you. That is, all of us except Nolan. He protested to the bitter end. I began to feel sorry for him. He was so valiant and unwavering, but finally, the local judge allowed the grandmother to take possession of your children.”
Nora continued, “The judge is a good man. He didn’t like the Pinkerton men. He called them paid thugs and insisted the sheriff deputize Nolan with the express purpose of seeing the children home. That didn’t sit well with the grandmother and she threw a fit. You should have seen that judge. He was fit to be tied. He said, ‘You will accept my terms, or I will send you and your paid thugs packing,’ ”
“Mrs. Bonner was furious. In the end, she accepted what the judge was demanding. She said some bad things about you, trying to win the town over, but most had already seen her bad side before she decided to change personalities. Danny cried and told us why you all had run across this land, trying to get away from her. The kids were heartbroken and Danny refused to go. Nolan told the kids he would go with them and promised once they were back in Hunter, he would get their mother himself! Danny swore he would take Mary and run away. Trying to appease Danny, the old woman finally agreed to take his horse Red along if he would just go with her and not give her any trouble,” Nora stated.
“Mary clung to Nolan and wouldn’t go to their grandmother. Mira had pushed her away too long, and whether she will ever know it or not, the kids know her for what she is. They will never forgive her for hurting you. They left on the train headed north two days ago. Nolan is with the children, Mira, and her three Pinkerton men. Before they left, the local sheriff and judge had a big ceremony and swore Nolan in as a Peace Officer with a badge and everything just to spite the detectives. The judge warned the Pinkerton men that he would fetch them and hang them if anything happened to his sheriff and they knew he meant it,” Nora said.
For a long time, the room was silent. Tillie sat on the couch, tension and weariness draining her. With her back to them, she stared out the window. Occasionally she would wipe her eyes. Elam leaned against the door frame watching her; his heart hurt for her. Finally, he said. “You shore have been through a lot, Tillie. I reckon we have another hill to climb, but you won’t have to climb it alone. As soon as we git rested up, we will head for Hunter.”
Tillie wiped her eyes, still looking out the window. “Nora, what is the quickest way I can get ahead of that train?” she asked.
“The only way that would be possible is by horseback, across the mountain. With the snow and cold, the train is slow this time of year,” Nora said.
“Tillie, you need to rest a few days,” Elam said.
Seeming not to hear what Elam said, she continued, “If they left on the train, which way will they be going?”
“The train takes a three-hundred-mile trek through the mountains. The tracks are icy and the going is slow, but it’s not as dangerous as the wagon trails through Indian country,” Nora said.
“Elam, we leave at first light, if you are going with me,” Tillie said.
“Miss Tillie, you might consider taking the train. I know it’s slower, but it’s not fitting for an unmarried lady to be traveling with a man,” Nora said.
“Pardon me, folks.” All heads turned to see the pastoral candidate standing in her doorway. “I don’t mean to be a bother to you, but I was hoping I may be of some service to you,” Bull Curry announced.
Nora’s eyes brightened in recognition, and she said, “Pastor Curry, please come in. You’re always welcome in my home.”
Bull Curry removed his hat and stepped through the doorway. He smiled a cordial smile and turned to Elam and said, “Mr. Franklin, the news is all over town. Freeing the lady from the savages was quite a feat and I admire your courage.”
“Miss Bonner, do not be concerned with what your mother-in-law has said around town. Most of the townsfolk are wise enough to read between the lines with the story she was weaving. I hope I may be of service since my application for the pastor here was denied. I am ready and willing to help you go after your children,” Bull stated.
“Pastor Curry, do you have time to marry us tonight?” Tillie asked as she turned and looked at El
am.
Surprised by what Tillie said, Elam turned red and fumbled with the pastry he was eating. “I believe this lady has just proposed to me,” Elam said.
“I believe she did indeed! So,how do you feel about the prospects of marriage?” Bull asked.
“I be mighty proud to marry her and have had nothing else on my mind for weeks,” Elam said.
“Elam, get the 1611 Bible out of your pack. I think we have found the person God wants us to give it to. I want to be married with our hands on that Bible,” Tillie said.
C16 The Spiders Web
The train swayed back and forth as it made its way along two ribbons of steel. They stretched across the landscape wrapping around and sometimes disappearing into the side of mountains in a cloud of white steam and black smoke. Though it moved slowly along its mountain track, its engine never tired as it puffed and spewed its way along the tracks.
The past three days had been tense for Nolan. It was bad enough to leave a bride of five days alone while he trudged across the country. Now he had to watch the three detectives out of one eye and the Black Widow Spider out of the other. The children had insisted they sit with him and spurned every effort the grandmother made to gain their affection once again. Asleep in his lap, Mary was his constant companion. Danny sat next to the window with his hands on his chin, staring out at the passing countryside.
“Danny, maybe you and I can go hunting while I’m in Hunter,” Nolan said.
Danny’s eyes brightened then the look passed. “I used to hunt with my mother and father. Dad was a lot of fun when he was sober,” he said.
The words did not go unnoticed across the aisle. Mira Bonner smoothed her dress, and with ramrod straightness, she stared straight ahead.
“Mr. Tolivar, you have come between my grandchildren and me. I hope you are proud of yourself for causing this painful situation for me,” Mira Bonner said, looking straight at Nolan with piercing eyes.
Winter Crossing Page 16
