A Dream for Tomorrow (17 page)

“Look!” Elizabeth directed the women’s attention toward a herd of antelope grazing in a distant meadow.

“I hope Bert has his rifle handy,” Flo said eagerly. “Fresh meat sounds wonderful.”

“I’m afraid they’re too far away to get a good shot,” Elizabeth told her. “Anyway, it’s too late.” The herd, hearing the wagon train rumbling toward them, had already begun to spring away.

“Isn’t it lovely to have the river so nearby?” Elizabeth said absently. “Having good fresh water to drink every day…”

“Except for those durned crossings,” Flo said. “I don’t see why we have to keep going back and forth across the same river. It feels like we must be going in circles.”

Elizabeth chuckled. “The river goes like this.” She used her finger to draw an S in the air. “But we want to go like this.” Now she drew a straight line.

“Oh.” Flo slowly nodded. “I understand. Now why didn’t Bert explain it to me like that?”

“I was surprised by the crossings too,” Elizabeth admitted. “At least they’re not too challenging…for the most part.”

“I get aggravated at how much precious time each crossing takes,” Lavinia said.

“At least you don’t have as many animals as Elizabeth and her family.” Flo shook her head. “That must get tedious.”

“Brady and JT are becoming quite expert at herding the livestock across,” Elizabeth said proudly.

“I heard Hugh telling the children we would need to cross over again before the day is done.” Lavinia let out a long sigh. “I feel my patience is being sorely tried.”

“My father said there might be up to nine crossings before we’re done with this river,” Elizabeth told her. “So you might as well get used to it.”

“I used to consider myself a fairly adventurous person,” Lavinia told them. “I thought nothing of loading up the carriages with tents and food and household goods, and taking the children to the beach, where we would stay for a whole week, living like gypsies.”

“That sounds like fun.” Flo nodded. “I’d like to do that too…perhaps in Oregon.”

Lavinia continued. “So when Hugh and Will cooked up this plan to go west, I imagined it would be something like our beach visits. I was not intimidated in the least by their outrageous idea. I figured I was a strong and adventurous soul. I believed I would thoroughly enjoy all the challenges of this journey—that I would be a stronger more capable woman by the end of it.”

“I believe that’s true—you have already become stronger and more capable.” Elizabeth was impressed with how much Lavinia had changed over the past weeks—for the better.

“But I am so fed up with all of it. I swear if our next stop was a town with a hotel and a bathhouse and a restaurant, Hugh would not be able to pry me out of it. I would simply stay put. I would open a store right there. Let my husband and children continue on without me.”

Elizabeth couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, Lavinia, you wouldn’t really do that.”

“Oh, yes I would. I do believe I would.”

Flo and Elizabeth were both laughing now.

“Yes, go ahead and laugh at me.” Lavinia gave them a mockingly disdainful look. “But sometimes I feel that I have been the brunt of a cruel joke.”

“Even on a beautiful day like today?” Elizabeth asked.

“Well, I must admit that it’s lifted my spirits some. But there were moments on Devil’s Backbone when I hoped we’d be attacked by Indians—with no survivors.”

“Lavinia!” Flo shook her finger at her. “That’s horrible.”

“I’m sorry, Flo. But a swift death from an arrow through the heart seemed preferable to slowly drying up on a desert that never seemed to end.” She held out her hands. “Just look how withered and dry my skin has become. I swear I will be a wrinkled old prune by the time we reach Oregon.”

Elizabeth just smiled. Lavinia was indeed a character, but the more Elizabeth got to know her, the more she liked this outspoken woman. She enjoyed her dry wit and humor. Although no one had mentioned it lately, Elizabeth found herself hoping that the Bostonians would change their destination plans as Will had suggested. It would be interesting to settle near these colorful friends. However, at the same time, she was determined not to raise this issue. This was a very big decision, one that each family must make for themselves.

The river crossing came late in the afternoon, and being that it was an exceedingly warm day, Elizabeth thought the short trek through the water might be appreciated by all of the travelers—people and livestock alike. However, when she saw the river, she was dismayed that it looked deeper and wider than usual.

“This warm weather has melted the snow on the mountains,” Eli explained to her. Still mounted on his horse, he had ridden over to talk to her as she waited for her turn to cross in her wagon. “That water is making the river run faster than we expected.”

“Is it safe to pass here?” she asked with concern.

“Sure.” He nodded. “But everyone needs to be careful…as usual.”

She glanced over to where JT and Brady were getting ready to drive their livestock across. As usual, Brady was riding her father’s mare, Penny, and JT was on Molly. “Do you think JT will be all right today?”

“I don’t see why not. He’s a good horseman. He and Brady are both doing a great job getting the livestock across.”

With her eyes still locked on JT, she hoped he was right. JT had become much more competent in the saddle this year, and he’d grown in so many other ways. But in her heart he was still a boy…not to mention her only son.

“Don’t worry, Elizabeth.” Eli’s tone was gentle. “JT can handle it.”

She turned and smiled at him. “Thank you.” Now she noticed her old canteen tied to the back of his saddle. She was tempted to point this out and offer to exchange with him. But the last few times she’d suggested swapping back, he’d made excuses as if he was turning this into a game, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to play. One thing seemed clear—he was not eager to get his handsome canteen back from her. And the truth was she had grown attached to it. Because of the cowhide, it seemed to keep water cooler than her old one. Of course, she now felt guilty because it was so hot. He probably missed it. So she reached for his canteen, dangling it before him in a way she hoped was tempting.

“Your canteen sure does a nice job of keeping water cold…” She grinned at him. “I would think you’d be missing it on a hot day like today.”

He grinned right back at her. “Matter of fact, I just filled your canteen up. It’s plum full of ice-cold river water.” He nodded to the canteen in her hand. “How about that one?”

She gave it a shake. “I filled it at the midday break. It’s about half full now.”

“No, thank you.” He chuckled as he tipped his head then kneed his horse directly toward the river, quickly crossing—as if to show her that although the water was a couple feet deep, it was passable.

Now Brady and JT approached the river’s edge, yelling at the herd and whistling loudly, keeping the animals together as they drove them into the water. If it were a more gentle crossing, Flax would have joined them, but these rapids were too deep and swift. Besides, today Ruth was in charge of the dog, and she was riding with her grandparents. Meanwhile Mrs. Taylor, after a vigorous morning of walking with Clara and Doris, was resting in the back of Elizabeth’s wagon. Clara had made a roster for Mrs. Taylor, listing the days of the week along with different wagons. This way they could share the responsibility of caring for the widow among the wagons with the least occupants. But today was Elizabeth’s turn.

Elizabeth felt proud to see Brady and JT working together so well. She knew that Brady’s herding skills had actually earned him some respect from fellow travelers. But unfortunately, not everyone was tolerant to Brady’s status as a freed slave. And it wasn’t unusual to hear bigoted comments tossed his way occasionally. To her relief, Brady never reacted to these unkind remarks, but many a time Elizabeth had been thankful she wasn’t a man, or it might have come to fisticuffs.

Now as Brady and JT were just beginning to cross, Elizabeth was dismayed to see that a youth named Robert Stone was driving several skinny cows right behind them. It wasn’t that she disliked Robert, but seeing him reminded her of a scene she’d witnessed between Robert’s father and Brady. It had happened months ago, back when they were still organizing the wagon train in Missouri, but Mr. Stone’s hateful bigotry was still fresh in her mind. He’d picked a fight with Brady over firewood of all things. In Robert’s defense, he hadn’t sided with his father that day, but Elizabeth knew that when it came to racism, the apple often fell close to the tree.

It was plain to see that Robert was not nearly the horseman JT or Brady were. Not only that, but Robert’s horse was acting quite skittish in the water. Distracted from watching her own son, Elizabeth couldn’t help but keep her eyes fixed on Robert. Why had his unit allowed him to take on such a task when he was clearly not up to the job?

The thought had barely gone through her head when she saw the horse stumble, lurching forward and then falling sideways. Robert plunged headfirst into the water. “Oh, no!” she cried out.

“What is it?” Mrs. Taylor called from the back of the wagon.

“Robert Stone just took a bad fall!”

Mrs. Taylor stuck her head out in time to see. “Oh, my Lord!”

Elizabeth jumped down from the wagon, yelling for help, trying to be heard above the noise of the animals. Meanwhile Robert, facedown in the water, was being swept right through the herd. If he was not trampled to death, he would surely be drowned. “Somebody help him!” she shrieked as she ran to the water’s edge. “
Brady!
”

Brady turned at the sound of her voice and saw the youth facedown and propelled by the rushing water yet somehow escaping all those hooves. Brady tried to maneuver his horse toward him. But now Robert, still unconscious, was being tumbled downstream like a ragdoll. Brady spurred Penny, urging her to go downstream after the boy. However, the water soon turned deep, and now Penny was forced to swim. Brady, clinging to the horse’s mane, stayed with her, floating behind the horse until he suddenly disappeared beneath the water.

With hands over her mouth, Elizabeth watched in horror. As far as she knew, Brady did not know how to swim. Now she noticed a flash across the river and saw Eli riding his horse downriver as well. Would he be able to help them?

Matthew had hopped down from his wagon and run down to the river to assist JT, who was now all alone in getting the herd ashore. Elizabeth knew all she could do was to pray. With eyes wide open, watching as JT and Matthew scrambled to keep the herd of startled animals together, she prayed for both Brady and Robert…and then for Eli.

Several other bystanders, including her father, who hadn’t seen Robert fall, had gathered with her, pummeling her with questions. She gave them a quick account, explaining her fears for Brady.

“Let’s get over to the other side and see what we can do,” Asa told them. Then he hurried back to his wagon, which was leading their unit today, and quickly drove it across the water. Elizabeth ran back to her wagon, which was fourth in the lineup.

“Who was that in the river?” Mrs. Taylor’s face was pale, and her voice sounded shaky. “Not JT?”

“No, JT is fine.” Elizabeth released the brake. “Robert Stone, from a different unit.” She watched as the wagon behind her father’s forded the river. Slowly inching forward, she anxiously awaited her turn.

“One moment, all is well,” she said to Mrs. Taylor, “and the next thing you know everything turns to chaos. That is just how it happened.”

“Oh, dear.” Mrs. Taylor put a hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder. “I am just so glad it wasn’t your boy.”

“Thank you. So am I.” Elizabeth blinked back tears. “But Brady went to rescue the boy. He went under. I’m fearful for his life too.”

Mrs. Taylor let out a gasp. Then as Elizabeth got her wagon lined up to take her turn, Mrs. Taylor began to pray in a loud confident voice. “Dear Lord, we beseech thee to protect our dear friend Brady. Help him to make it to safety. Let him come to no harm. And we beseech thee on behalf of the boy Robert too. Protect him and help him to get safely to shore. We ask these things in thy holy name, dear Lord. Please, grant these requests to thy servants. Amen.”

“Amen,” Elizabeth echoed. It was a much more formal prayer than she normally prayed, but she was grateful all the same. But the time had come for her to cross, and she needed to focus her full attention on her team.