A Dream for Tomorrow (4 page)

Chapter Three

W
eather could change abruptly in the mountains. One moment the sky could be clear and blue, and just minutes later a herd of menacing gray clouds could roll in. Elizabeth was accustomed to summer thunderstorms, but in the past she and the children had always sought the shelter of the barn or the house during a bad one. It was altogether different when their only refuge was their canvas-covered wagon.

“Don’t be afraid,” she told JT and Ruth in the back of their wagon, waiting out a storm and peering out the round opening to watch the lightning flash across the sky. Although it wasn’t yet suppertime, the sky was the color of slate and as dark as dusk. Because of the threatening storm, the wagon train had stopped early to make camp for the night. And after seeing an uncomfortably close strike, everyone had retreated to the safety of their wagons, waiting for the danger to pass. Brady and Flax were hunkered down beneath the wagon now. And as Elizabeth witnessed another strike followed immediately by a clap of thunder that shook the wagon, she wondered if they might be safer down there too.

“That was so close I could feel my teeth rattling,” JT said.

“
Oh, my!
” Elizabeth tightened her arm around Ruth, who was trembling in fear.

“Can we sing?” Ruth asked in a tiny voice.

“That’s a very good idea.” Elizabeth turned to JT, noticing that even his usual bravery seemed slightly shaken. “Why don’t you get out your guitar, and I’ll light a lantern.”

The golden glow of lamplight and the soft strumming of JT’s guitar improved the atmosphere immensely, and soon the three of them were singing “Camptown Races.” And it didn’t take long for Brady to join in with his harmonica. The happy lilting tones of the silly song lifted everyone’s spirits, and it wasn’t long until big fat raindrops began to fall. After a good thorough soaking, the storm moved on and the sky began to lighten again.

“That was fun,” Elizabeth said as she climbed down from the wagon, helping Ruth to get down. “But now we have supper to fix.”

“Can we have music again after supper?” Ruth asked hopefully.

“I don’t see why not.” Elizabeth reached for a pair of water pails and the carrying yoke. “JT, you let Brady tend to the team while you gather firewood or buffalo chips. Grandma said we were running frightfully low on fuel.” She turned to Ruth. “And you go help Grandma get supper started while I run over to the creek to fetch us some water.”

Ruth leaped over a rain puddle. “Looks like there’s plenty of water right here.”

“If we’d had time to put up the awning, we might have collected some too.” She called out to JT. “Why don’t you and Brady get our awning up after your other chores are done, son.”

“Sure, Ma.”

As they all set out their various ways, Elizabeth felt surprisingly light and happy. Perhaps it was a result of their unexpected sing-along, or the passing of the bad weather, or simply knowing the arduous day of travel was done and that everyone, to her knowledge, was still alive and well. But she felt a bounce in her step as she headed down toward the creek.

“Good evening.”

She turned to see Will Bramford approaching with his own pair of water buckets in hand. “Oh, hello,” she called to him. “It looks like we’re after the same thing.”

“Yes.” He sheepishly held up a pail. “If anyone had told me a year ago that I’d be out in the wilderness foraging for water like this, I never would have believed him. But alas, here I am.”

“Don’t your girls usually fetch your water?”

“Usually. But they’re trying out a special new recipe for supper…I believe it’s one your mother shared with them. And since Jeremiah is tending the animals…” He swung the buckets playfully. “The important task of carrying water was left to me.”

She smiled. “It is an important task.”

He nodded. “Yes, and from what I’ve heard it becomes more and more important as we journey westward. I’ve read some grim tales about places like Devil’s Backbone…” He made a slight shudder. “I don’t even like to think about it.”

Elizabeth didn’t care to think about it either. “Wasn’t that a glorious storm we just had?” she said as they walked together toward the sound of the nearby creek.

“Some of those last lightning strikes were awfully close to camp,” he said.

“JT said he could feel his teeth rattling in his head.”

Will laughed. “I think I felt the very same thing.”

She knelt down by the creek, getting ready to dip a bucket when to her surprise, Will took it from her and filled it. “Here you go.” Then he stooped to fill the other.

“Well.” She stood, suddenly feeling uneasy. “I’m not used to such chivalry.”

He chuckled. “I wonder when filling a bucket with water became chivalry.”

“Still…it wasn’t necessary.” Now she watched as he filled his own buckets. After his unexpected help, it seemed only polite to wait. Then once he was ready, she arranged her full buckets on the ends of her yoke. “Carrying water always makes me feel like a true pioneer,” she admitted as they made their way more slowly back toward camp. Now several others were walking their way, and as polite greetings and exchanges were made, she could tell that some of them were watching her closely, curious as to why she and Will Bramford were transporting water together.

To her dismay, partly because it was unnecessary and partly because it was drawing even more attention, Will walked her all the way back to her wagon and even helped her to unload the heavy buckets. “Thank you,” she murmured meekly.

“Not at all. My pleasure.” He grinned at her as if her discomfort amused him.

“I should get to—”

“I wondered if I might have a word with you.” He glanced around her camp now as if to see if anyone was near enough to overhear them.

“A word?”

“Actually I’d like to offer you some legal counsel.”

“Legal counsel?” She blinked and then adjusted her bonnet, folding back the wide brim.

“It’s regarding Brady.” He lowered his voice. “I’ve been meaning to say something for some time, but I couldn’t quite think of how to put it.”

Now she glanced around. She was certain that Brady would still be caring for the animals, but just the same, something in Will’s demeanor made her uneasy.

“I overheard Brady talking to your brother about his plans for a small farm in Oregon Country.”

“Yes.” She nodded. “Brady is saving his wages in the hopes of developing his parcel of land.”

Will cleared his throat. “That’s what worries me. I can only assume that you and your family are unaware of the legalities in the Oregon Territory.”

“What legalities?”

“First of all, despite a recent push to legalize slavery in Oregon, it is illegal.”

“What is that to me? As you know, Brady is a free man. We have his papers to prove it.”

“Therein lies the problem.”

“What?” She frowned.

“Slaves are allowed temporary residence—I believe it’s up to three years—all other Negroes are excluded.”

“Excluded?” She blinked. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that Oregon voters voiced their opinion just this year. The majority voted to oppose slavery.”

“Good.” She nodded. “They should.”

“They also voted to restrict residency to Negroes in Oregon Country. By quite a margin, I’m afraid. Eight to one is what I believe I read.”

“I don’t understand.”

He set down a bucket and rubbed his chin. “I must agree…it’s not an easy concept to grasp. Opposing slavery is admirable, but opposing a free man due to his race…well, in my opinion, that is plain old bigotry.”

“But surely there are other free Negroes already living in Oregon. I’m certain that I’ve read of it somewhere. And I’ve heard of Negro explorers too. JT read something about it to us. Back in Kentucky.”

“Certainly, there are Negroes in Oregon. But according to the recently created law, they are not living there legally now.”

Elizabeth felt as if the dark clouds had rolled in again. But glancing up at the sky, she could see it was blue and clear. “I…uh…I don’t even know what to say about this…or how to respond. I’m stunned.”

“And I am terribly sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. I only felt you should know.”

Now JT was returning. “I just took Grandma a bunch of buffalo chips,” he told her. “Shall I put our awning down now?”

Flustered, she looked from JT to Will. “No, I don’t think so. Not now that the weather has passed. You go and help Brady with the livestock first.”

He just nodded but looked curiously at Will as he left.

“I’d better get this water to the ladies at my camp.” Will smiled in a congenial but apologetic way. “I just wanted you to be aware of these things, Elizabeth. I’d been looking for the proper chance to tell you for some time, but it just never seemed to come up.”

“As hard as it is to hear, I do appreciate knowing this.” She shook her head. “But I’d also appreciate it if you kept this news under your hat.”

“Of course. There’s no need to talk about it to others. Certainly we have enough prejudice on this wagon train already.”

“Although there are those who seem to like Brady.”

“Yes, most assuredly. Speaking for myself and my family, we do like Brady. It’s because of my fondness toward him that I’m telling you this.”

“So let me ask you one more thing, just to be clear. Are you saying that if Brady were my slave, he would be legally accepted in Oregon?”

“Apparently. But even then it would only be for a few years.” He held up his hands in a helpless way. “Although, to be honest, I am uncertain of how this law will be actually enforced in a territory like Oregon. Still, I suspect that some of the citizens will make an attempt.”

“Oh, my…” She frowned as she considered the implications.

“And let’s not forget what happened in Kansas a couple years ago.”

“The Kansas Riots?”

“Yes. Not unlike Oregon, the majority in Kansas wanted to be a free state, but their pro-slavery neighbors stirred things up.” He shook his head sadly. “It all turned rather nasty.”

“Is that why Oregon has voted like this?”

“I’m not sure.” His brow was furrowed. “And quite honestly, it seems to be in conflict with the Dred Scott decision.”

“What is that?”

“A case that was tried in early March. I was following it before we left Boston. The question was whether or not slavery should be allowed in the West.”

“And?” She waited eagerly.

“Dred Scott was a slave whose owner had lived in Illinois, a free state, as well as Wisconsin, also a free territory.”

“Wouldn’t it be illegal to own a slave in areas where slavery has been abolished?” Elizabeth felt confused.

“That was the point of this case. Actually, it was only part of the point since there was much political motivation as well. But on the surface, the question was to determine whether or not it was legal to own a slave in a free state. Unfortunately for Dred Scott, with five out of nine justices hailing from Southern states, the Supreme Court was stacked in favor of pro-slavery states.”

“So what did they decide?”

“The court ruled that Scott was
not
free.” Will let out a frustrated sigh. “Not based on his residency in either Illinois or Wisconsin. The opinion of the justices was that according to our constitution, Negroes were not considered citizens and therefore could not be considered free men.”