A Man for Temperance (Wagon Wheel) (17 page)

“No, he’s our guide, Mr. Mitchell.”

“Guide to where? I hate to be nosy, but Thad and me were partners once in the mountains, tracking. A fellow gets real close. I didn’t know it was him at first, you know, he looked so bad. What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s drinking all the time.”

“And where is he guiding you to, if I might ask?” Mitchell listened as Temperance explained the situation. Finally he said, “That’s a mighty noble thing for you to do, Miss Peabody. I admire you for it.”

Temperance studied the man carefully. He seemed to be in his midthirties and was tall and lean but strong. His face was tapered, his eyes deep-set, a blue gray, and there was somehow a daring look about him. He was dressed more like a gambler than anything else, or as she imagined a gambler might dress.
She was curious about his relationship with Thaddeus, and she asked, “Did Thaddeus drink a lot?”

“No more than the rest of us. You need a clear head when you’re tracking beavers in Sioux territory. Are you pulling out soon?”

“I expect we’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

“Well, if it’d be all right, I’ll come by and say howdy to Thad. Sure think a lot of that fellow. Good to meet you ladies. You, too, bub,” he grinned at Bent.

As he turned and left, Belle said at once, “Watch out for that one.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Rena said. “He looks all right to me.”

“He’s too good-looking, that’s what’s wrong with him. Women must line up to get at him. He’s rich too. You see that ring on his finger? That wasn’t glass.”

“He looks a lot better than Thad,” Rena said.

Temperance shook her head. She was thinking of how Thad had run off. It occurred to her that he might be gone for good. He had had a look of abject fear on his face, and she knew that the Spirit of God had spoken to him. “I’m afraid for Thaddeus,” she said. “When a man runs from God, he runs hard. He may have gotten on Judas and ridden out.”

“Aw, he wouldn’t go off and leave us,” Bent said.

“I hope not,” Temperance said. “I surely hope not.”

THE SUN HAD STARTED climbing high into the sky, shedding its crimson beams on Fort Laramie, when Rena cried out, “Look, there comes Thad! He looks like he’s been beat with a boat paddle.”

Temperance, who had been feeding Timmy mush mixed with goat’s milk and sugar, looked up and saw at once that Rena was exactly right. She said nothing but kept her eyes fixed on Thad as he came walking somewhat unsteadily toward the wagon. When he stood before her, she shook her head and said reprovingly, “You look terrible.”

Indeed, Thaddeus Brennan did look as if he had been pulled through a knothole. His clothes were filthy, his eyes were inflamed, and his left ear was red. As usual, when he had a hangover, he moved carefully as if to move his head too suddenly would set off a dynamite charge inside. “Let’s get out of here,” he muttered.

Rena came to him and stared up in his face. She smiled maliciously, and her eyes were dancing. “Well, did God catch up with you?”

“Leave him alone, Rena,” Temperance said. “You want some breakfast?”

“No.”

Thad turned and went at once to begin putting the oxbows
on the oxen and hitching them to the wagon. Temperance glanced at Belle, who said merely, “That’s just Thad, I guess. I don’t think he’ll ever change.”

“He could if he wanted to.”

“But he doesn’t want to.” Belle shrugged and something crossed her face; a wave of regret showed in her eyes. “Some of us never will change.”

Temperance finished feeding Timmy and put him in his box in the wagon. She was gathering up the dishes when she looked up to see Quaid Mitchell riding up on a fine, bay horse with another horse looking almost as good and a loaded pack horse. He came out of the saddle with a smooth, easy movement, swept his hat off, and smiled. “Good morning to you, Miss Temperance.”

“Good morning, Mr. Mitchell.”

“Just Quaid will be fine, I think, or Mitch. I get called both.” He turned then and without another word glanced to where Thad stood stock still, staring at him. “Well, my old partner,” Quaid smiled. He punched Thad on the shoulder, reached down, and began to pump his hand. “I haven’t seen you in a coon’s age.”

“Hello, Quaid. Where’d you drift in from?”

“Been out in California, getting rich.”

“Glad to hear it.”

Quaid started to speak but saw the sorry condition of his friend. “I was surprised to see you at that meeting last night.”

“I didn’t see you there.”

“Well, in the old days neither one of us was broke out with church going much, but I got right with the Lord about a year ago. Still, I guess what you’d call a work in progress. God’s not finished with me yet. You don’t look too good.”

“I never did look very good.”

“You looked a lot better than you do now. What’s this I hear about you taking Miss Temperance and these kids back East?”

Thad shifted his feet and shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. “Something I had to do,” he muttered.

“Well, I’ve got good news for you.”

“I can stand some.”

Quaid turned then and faced Temperance and Belle. They were both watching him carefully. Quaid looked fresh. His skin glowed with a recent shave, and his eyes were bright. “I’m headed back East myself. I thought I might join you if you wouldn’t mind the company.”

“Why, I think that would be nice, Quaid,” Temperance said with a smile.

“That’s right,” Belle said. “When the Indians attack, you can help Thad fight them off.”

Thad shifted his feet and put his eyes on Quaid critically. “We’re going to be moving pretty slow, Quaid. You won’t want to dawdle around with us.”

“Oh, I got plenty of time,” Quaid said cheerfully. “I can be of some help to you. Now, ladies, please introduce me to these fine young folks here.”

Temperance said at once, “This is Timmy. This is Bent and Rena Overmeyer. That’s their little sister, Bess. This is Rose Abbott, my right-hand helper, and her brother, Billy.”

Quaid smiled at each of them and winked at Rena. “You better watch out, Miss Rena. A pretty girl like you, there’ll be lots of no-good, worthless, trifling, young fellows lining up to get you to go to the dance with them.”

Rena suddenly smiled. “They haven’t been lined up so far.”

“Why, Miss Rena, you’re standing in the doorway of opportunity. There, right before you, a whole vista of wonderful times. But I’m going to take you in hand and warn you about all the tricks these young scoundrels use. Yes sir, I think the world has appointed me as a guardian for the morals of the young folks.”

“I never noticed you broke out with many morals yourself,” Thad said grumpily.

“Well, like I said, I changed.”

“Did you really get rich in California, Quaid?” Belle asked.

“I’m ashamed to admit it, but I did. Nearly every venture I tried previously went bust.” He winked at Thad, saying, “Me and Thad, though, went broke hunting beavers. We had enough to make us rich, and then the stinking Blackfeet came along and nearly got our scalps. They did get our furs, didn’t they, Thad?”

“Yeah, they did. Look, I can’t stand around here. We got to get on the road.”

“Why sure. Miss Temperance, you just let me know anything that I can do.”

“Could I ride that extra horse of yours?” Belle said boldly.

“You sure can. She’s a real lady. Her name’s Cherry.”

“Named after an old girlfriend of yours?”

“Now, ma’am, it would be unseemly for me to talk about my past. That’s all behind me now. I’m on the straight and narrow.”

Thad gave a snort of disgust and said, “Well, if you got to go, it’ll be all right, I guess.”

“What’s the matter with Thad?” Rena asked Belle. “He doesn’t seem to like Quaid much.”

“Well, in the first place he’s got a bad hangover. Second place, it looks like his old partner has made it. Struck it big out
in California somehow, and Thad’s a little bit jealous, I think.” She smiled and tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Be interesting to have a good-looking man like that in camp, won’t it?”

* * *

THE FIRST DAY OUT was interesting for everyone except Thad. Quaid Mitchell was in high spirits. He and Belle, who rode astraddle the horse, letting her skirt divide as it would with her calves showing, trotted ahead of the others, and he took her on side trips, showing her different sights. When they came back for the noonday break, he sat down and ate the meal that Temperance and Belle had prepared and entertained everyone with stories of his past life. “How’d you get rich in California, Mitchell?” Bent asked.

“Why, it was easy as falling off a log. Easiest thing I ever done.” He winked at Thad, who was eating his first real meal of the day. “Why, you should have been there, Thad. I heard about that gold rush, so I rushed. I got out there just in time to find me a claim, and wouldn’t you know it, after failing at ranching and soldiering and fur trapping and half a dozen other things, I hit pay dirt the second day I was there. I dug out enough to find out for sure the claim was good. I let word get around so I sold out. Made a killing too.”

“Why’d you leave, Quaid?” Thad muttered. “I would have stayed there and dug gold out until there wasn’t no more.”

“Life’s too short, friend, to do a thing like that. No sir, I’m headed back to civilization. Going to buy me a plantation, marry a fine-looking woman, sit out on the front porch, drink mint juleps, watch the hands raise cotton, and get even richer.”

“Sounds like a good kind of life,” Belle grinned.

“Just what I’ve always wanted. Always talked about that, didn’t I, Thad?” He waited, but Thad, without a word, got up and stalked off, muttering something under his breath. “Thad don’t seem happy,” he said.

“He’s not. You saw how he acted at the meeting. He’s running from God,” Temperance explained.

“He was a mighty good friend to me back in our trapping days. We got snowed in one winter. When you do that, you’d better like the fella you’re snowed in with or you’ll wind up cutting his throat, or he’ll cut yours.” Quaid smiled crookedly. There was a brash attractiveness about the man that charmed the rest of them.

“Tell us some more about the gold,” Belle said. “I like to hear about money. I don’t have any myself, but I like to be around people who do.”

“Why, we’ve got all the way back to Independence to talk about anything you want to, Miss Belle,” Quaid grinned. “You just name the subject.”

Temperance noticed that Thad stayed away most of the day. She couldn’t understand it. The two had been good friends, but she finally figured out that Thad was ashamed of his poor condition, and the sight of Quaid Mitchell dressed in his finery with bags full of money was more than he could take.

That night after supper Quaid entertained them with tales about the time he and Thad were partners. He kept them awake until late, telling stories, his eyes bright and his hands constantly in motion as he illustrated with wild gestures.

It was later that night, just before Temperance went to bed, that Thad, who had not spoken one word, approached her and said, “I’ve got to warn you about something, Peabody.”

“What’s that?”

“You better watch out for Quaid.”

“Why would you say a thing like that?”

“Because he’s a ladies’ man. I hate to say it about a friend, but young ladies ain’t safe around him.”

Suddenly the situation amused Temperance. She looked up at Thad and saw his face set with displeasure. “Well, Thaddeus, you’ve already warned me that no man would want me, so I don’t have to be careful around your friend, do I?”

Thad glared at her and tried to find an answer. Finally he nodded shortly and said, “You watch what I tell you now. He’s a dangerous man where women are concerned.”

Belle had been close enough to overhear the conversation. She came over and smiled. “Well, you’ve been warned. Quaid’s a danger to women. Are you afraid?”

“No, he’s a Christian now.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before too,” Belle said cynically. “You know what’s wrong with Thad? He’s just jealous, that’s all.”

“Jealous? Of who?”

“Of Quaid. Why, it might be because of you.”

“Of me! Are you crazy, Belle? We haven’t done anything but fight since we left Walla Walla.”

“I know that, but he’s got a funny way of looking at you when you’re not watching. I think he likes you.”

“He’s already made it plain he doesn’t, Belle. Now don’t talk foolishness.”

* * *

AS THEY MADE THEIR way through the Platte Valley, Quaid gave a running commentary. “All the Pawnee are up to the north
and the Cheyenne to the south, but they won’t be attacking this close to Fort Kearny. At least I don’t think so. Never can tell what an injun will do though.”

They had stopped for noon, and Temperance had fried antelope steaks. They weren’t very good, being tough, but at least they were fresh. She suddenly waved at furniture that had been piled to one side—a cherry chifforobe and a desk. “I’m surprised people leave things on the trail. We’ve passed more things like that. People just throw their things away.”

“Well, they got big ideas when they leave Missouri. They pile everything on the wagons and the animals start playing out, and they have to set it aside.”

“I’d like to ride your extra horse, Quaid.”

“Why sure.”

“But I don’t have a riding skirt.”

“Nobody to see out here except me and Thad, and, of course, we’re both perfect gentlemen.”

Temperance laughed. The man had an easy, light humor, although she also detected an underlying fiery temper. “I couldn’t do that,” she said.

“I’ll tell you what. Just take one of your old skirts, split it up the middle, stitch it. Kind of like make two legs out of it. It’ll look just like a riding skirt.”

“You know, I think I will do that.”

“You go put it together. You and me will take a ride.”

Temperance made quick work of the dress. It was easy as Quaid had said, and in the shelter of the wagon she slipped it on. When she stepped out, she called, “Quaid, I’m ready.”

“That’s right fancy,” Belle said, watching with envy. “If you got another old dress, I’ll make me one.”

“We’ll find you one, Belle.”

Thad had been plodding along beside Babe. He stopped and looked down at Temperance’s costume. “That’s a forked dress you got on,” he accused.

“It’s modest enough. That’s all that counts,” Temperance said. “I’m sorry you don’t like it.”

“I thought you were so persnickety about dresses and things like that.”

“Well, as Quaid pointed out, there’s only you and him, and you’re both perfect gentlemen, so I’m sure it’ll be all right,” she said sweetly.

Quaid brought the mare and helped Temperance into the saddle. He got on the stallion and said, “Come on, let’s let them out a little bit. Hang on now.”

Thad called out, “You don’t wander too far off. It could be dangerous.”

Belle edged closer to him and was smiling slightly. “Looks like the holy woman’s found herself a man.”