Dorothy Garlock - [Wabash River] (12 page)

“Then go keep an eye on Amy and Mercy while I talk to Liberty.”

“Poor child. At times he seems so much older than four,” Liberty said when they were alone.

“What do you know about him?”

“Only that his parents were with the group that hired Hull Dexter in Louisville. His mother was young, shy, and completely dominated by her husband. His father was an older man, harsh and very opinionated. Amy gave Daniel a whistle, but his father wouldn’t allow him to have it. He said it was of the devil and told Amy to stay away from his son with her frivolous devil toys. Mr. Phelps didn’t allow his wife to have anything to do with me. He thought I had bewitched my husband because he let me make some of the decisions.”

“Then you wouldn’t know if Daniel had kinfolk out here,” Farr said as if to himself. “I may go back to the massacre site and see what I can find. There could be letters or something. But more than likely the wagons are gone by now. The people who passed would have taken what they needed. That’s as it should be. Nothing should be wasted.”

“Do you think our wagon will be gone?” Her calm tone belied the fact that her stomach was churning at the thought.

“No. I expect it’s still there. That trail is known to only a few, other than the folks hereabout.”

“I hope so. I try not to think about what I’ll do if I lose it. Everything we own, except for the coins, is there.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll have it back here by late tomorrow night.”

He dismissed the subject by going to the kettle and pouring more hot tea in his mug.

When he was seated again, Liberty asked, “What do you plan to do with Daniel and Mercy?”

“Find them a home. It’ll be no trouble at all.” He lifted his shoulders in a careless shrug, but his eyes glinted mischievously as he observed the stiffening of her shoulders and the abrupt way she turned to stare at him. “The Sufferites down the road will take them. In a few years they’ll be big enough to work in the fields. They’ll get plenty to eat and be brought up to mind their manners and work. Any foolishness, like book learning, singing and dancing will be knocked out of their heads at an early age.”

“No!” Liberty drew her breath in quickly, her straight brows coming together with a frown, and she glared at him angrily. “You’ll not give them to that bunch of sanctimonious hypocrites. We camped beside a group of them in Louisville. They wring all the joy out of a child’s life. They’re never permitted to laugh or play! I’ll not have it, Farr,” she said with a proud lift of her head, her furious eyes doing battle with his and failing to see the amusement in their green depths.

“What else can I do? I can’t keep them.”

“You should give them to someone who will make them feel wanted and loved.”

“Who might that be?” he asked softly.

“Me.”

“You?”

The questioning tone in his voice made her wide, generous mouth tighten. Her hands gripped the mug until her knuckles whitened.

“You say that as if you think I’m not capable of raising two children. I’ll have you know, Mr. Quill, I’ve taken care of Amy since the day she was born. I taught her to read and cipher as well as to be kind and generous to those less fortunate than we are. Amy can bake bread, card wool, weave and sew. Don’t you dare tell me I’m not capable of raising Mercy and Daniel.”

“I never said you’re not capable, Liberty. It’s just that I feel responsible for them and want to be around to see how they’re doing. If you should decide you’d rather be in a town and take off for Vincennes, I’d not know how they were faring.”

“Who said I was going to Vincennes? There’s nothing for me in Vincennes.” Her voice rose in anger. “I’m staying here, that is, if we can have that vacant homestead. I’m going to open a place where a traveler can stay the night, have a clean bed to sleep in and a decent meal. I’ve made up my mind. I’ve seen travel inns all along the way from New York State. Tell me one good reason, Farr, why I can’t run one as well as the next person.”

“Well, for one thing you’ll be expected to serve spirits—”

“I’ll not have a grog shop in my home! Any drinking that is done will be done in the barn.”

“These are unsettled times, Liberty. America is impatient. She covets all the Indian land east of the Mississippi, and Governor Harrison has orders to take it. The Shawnee will not give it up without a fight.”

“Then we’ll just have to take our chances along with everyone else.”

“What will your father say to all this?” The grave expression on his face eased away as they looked at each other. His admiration for this slight, blond woman grew. He grinned as the humor of the situation took the upper hand, and Liberty’s eyes began to shine and the corners of her lips lifted, causing a dimple to appear in her cheek. Farr stared at it and scarcely heard what she said.

“You know the answer to that question.”

Before he could answer, Amy darted into the room.

“Someone’s coming in a wagon,” she said breathlessly.

In the distance there was a shout. “Juicy!” The voice carried into the cabin.

“Farr,” Juicy yelled. “Colby ’n Rain acomin’.”

Farr went to the door, glanced over his shoulder at the sisters standing beside the table, then went out.

A flatbed wagon pulled by two mules and loaded with black iron kettles, bags of salt, and the carcass of an elk pulled up and stopped a few yards from the porch. A hatless young man, his blond hair shining in the sun and a broad smile on his face, leaped from the wagon, made two jumps for Farr, and they began to pound on each other. It was the same ritual Farr and Juicy had gone through earlier in the day. The two men strained against each other, their breath whistling through their teeth. Being heavier, Farr looped a foot behind the other man’s leg and threw him against the porch post. The impact shook the entire building. They fell to the ground, rolled, and lay still.

Watching in openmouthed amazement, Liberty was sure the two had lost their minds. It was a disgrace, she thought, for grown men to act so childishly. Daniel stood close to her, holding onto her skirt and occasionally turning his face into it. Mercy, on the other hand, loved the performance, clapped her hands and squealed with glee.

Farr rolled off his friend and got to his feet. He reached down and pulled the man up beside him. They shook hands and grinned at each other.

“You’re ugly as ever, you old son of a gun.” Colby was not as tall as Farr, and slightly heavier.

“You’d take no prizes, you young whelp.”

“It took you long enough to get to Kaintuck and back. Did you get lost?”

“No. I smelled me a polecat and followed the scent on home.”

They laughed and shoved at each other like two youngsters. Then Farr looked around. He spied the tall gangly youth who leaned against the wagon.

“Rain! I swear you’ve grown a foot.” The youth’s thin, dark face broke into a smile as he pumped Farr’s hand vigorously.

“I ain’t gettin’ taller. You’re gettin’ shorter, Farr.”

“I can still lick you, by granny.”

“You still braggin’ ’bout that?”

Rain tossed his hat onto the wagon bed and the two squared off. They circled each other, waiting for a chance to attack. Farr moved suddenly. The youth sprang back, feinted, spun around and kicked Farr on the thigh. It knocked the larger man off balance. The youth laughed. He was incredibly swift, incredibly agile. Farr moved, seemed to slip, and the youth sprang in. Farr turned and hooked him around the neck with a powerful arm. A booted foot struck behind Farr’s knee. The two went down, rolling over and over. They finally separated and lay in the dirt, laughing.

Farr sprang to his feet and ran his fingers through hair that had come loose from the thong that held it. Rain stood and Farr clapped his shoulder. To Liberty watching from the doorway, there was no doubt that there was great affection between Farr and his friends. During the fracas Juicy shouted with laughter and Elija watched with amazement.

“In another year or two, Rain, you’ll whip every bear that growls at you in the bushes.”

Farr introduced Colby and Rain, and Liberty heard her father say once again he was a Virginia Carroll, but he doubted if he were kin to Sloan Carroll of Carrolltown.

Colby Carroll was as friendly as Rain Tallman was shy. The youth’s dark eyes passed briefly over the women, he nodded politely, then disappeared around the corner of the cabin. Colby’s eyes were plainly admiring as he was presented to Liberty. He bowed over her hand.

“Your servant, ma’am. Dang it all, old Farr has all the luck.”

“We were the lucky ones, Mr. Carroll. If Mr. Quill hadn’t found us, heaven only knows where we’d be by now.” Liberty’s eyes flicked to Farr and found him studying her from beneath half-shuttered lids. She pulled Amy up beside her. “This is my sister, Amy.”

Colby made a sweeping bow. When he lifted his head he looked directly into Amy’s eyes and winked. Instantly, the giggling young girl was in love.

“By jinks! I don’t know if my heart can take all this beauty, Farr!”

“Never fear. It’ll stand the strain,” Farr said dryly. “Let’s get the salt in the warehouse. I’ve a few things to tell you before I leave.”

“Leave? You’re leaving again?”

“Come on. I’ll tell you about it while we work.”

Rain had moved the wagon up close to the door of the long room. Each of the men shouldered a sack of salt and carried it inside.

“Do you think Tecumseh sent word for the women to leave?” Farr asked. “I had a deal with him. If he let the women work the salt lick, he could have a third of the salt. I’ve not heard of him going back on his word.”

“They were scared off. There was a party of Sac and Fox on the river not many days ago. I heard, too, that Black Hawk, their chief, is getting ornery. The Sioux don’t like it, and everyone seems to be gathering all their friendly relations around them. An Indian war is brewing, sure as shooting.”

“We’re pretty far south. It’s the Shawnee we’ve got to worry about. Harrison said there was a need for a dozen forts between here and Fort Washington, but there’s no appropriation to pay for them. It’s up to the people, Colby.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“Build a stockade right here. It’s the logical site. The ground around it is cleared. The visibility is good. It’s on a rise and we have the spring. In case of a siege, it’s the only chance many of these folks would have.”

Colby dropped the bag from his shoulder and looked at his friend. The warehouse was gloomy, but he could see the worried look on his face.

“That’s going to be quite an undertaking. How much time do you think we’ve got to build it?”

“It’s got to be done before fall.”

“By jinks damn!” Colby exclaimed.

“My thoughts exactly.”

I
n the middle of the afternoon, Liberty was rolling dough and forming it into loaves of bread. She had sent Amy to fetch a pail of water. At the sound of heavy steps, she turned to see her father with the pail.

“Where’s Amy?”

“I tole her to watch the younguns ’n keep ’em out from under Quill’s feet.”

Liberty stopped working the dough. “Mr. Quill? Hasn’t he left yet?”

“Ain’t agoin’. He sent Colby ’n the boy.”

She turned her back to the grumpy look on her father’s face and braced herself for the argument she knew was coming.

“He must have changed his mind about going himself,” she said over her shoulder.

“I heared what ya was atalkin’ ’bout to ’em. What’s this ’bout openin’ a inn? If’n that ain’t the most harebrained thin’ ya’ve thought up yet. I ain’t never heared the like. It plumb flummoxes me where ya get them foolish notions. Not even yore ma’d thought up that. She warn’t no rattlehead even if’n she was headstrong.”

“We’ve got to do something to make a living.” Liberty pushed a lock of hair back from her brow with the back of her sticky hands.

“I reckon we do, now ya got us in this fix. I’m atellin’ ya now, Libby, it ain’t agoin’ to turn out. We’d best get on up to Vincennes ’n try ’n set things right with Hammond Perry. Now Jubal’s gone he might not claim us as kin.”

Liberty set the bread close to the hearth and covered it with a cloth. She had known her father would be against the idea of a travel inn. As long as she could remember he had been against any new idea she had presented without even discussing it with her. She vowed she wouldn’t let him discourage her. Her mind was made up. It would do no good to argue with him, to try to make him see things her way. It was best to go ahead, and eventually he would become reconciled to it and settle down. Not that he would cease his complaining, she thought wearily. He would never do that.

“I wonder why Farr sent Colby and Rain to fetch our wagon,” she said, hoping to change the subject to something they could talk about without arguing.

“I know what yo’re adoin’. Yo’re thinkin’ ta get my mind off’n the inn. Ya ain’t agoin’ to talk ’bout it. Yo’re jist agoin’ ahead n’ doin’ what ya want. Ya don’t care a whit what me ’n Amy want to do.”

“I talked it over with Amy. She’s old enough to know what she wants to do. Forget it for now, Papa. We’ll talk about it later. I wonder why Farr sent Colby and Rain,” she said again.

“I don’t know the
whys
or
whens
a anythin’ no more. They took clabber milk to that uppity nigger on the way. It beats me all hollow hearin’ a nigger called mister.” Elija sat down on a stool. “Fetch me some tea, Libby. I’ll swear if’n my back ain’t ’bout to kill me.”

Liberty washed her hands, then filled a mug with tea, sweetened it with molasses and set it on the table.

“I hope they find the wagon. Farr thinks it will still be there. He said not many people use that trail.”

“I ain’t acountin’ on ever havin’ more’n what’s on my back right now. Them heathens’ll have found the wagon ’n ruint ever’thin’ in it. They’ve done et Molly ’n Sally by now.” He stared at her accusingly.

“Maybe not. Oh, I hope not!”

“I’ll be dogfetched if I know what’ll become a us. That old Juicy says there’s bound to be a Indian uprisin’ afore long. Did ya know Quill’s gettin’ set to build up a stockade?”

“No, but it sounds to me like it’s something that should be done if they’re expecting Indian trouble. It’ll be comforting to know we have a place to come to. Papa, there’s a good cabin and some cleared land about a half mile from here. Would you like to go see it?”