Over the Misty Mountains (46 page)

The three joined hands and prayed fervently that Hawk would realize his error and see his desperate need for God. When they ceased praying, Sequatchie said, “I think God is on the trail of Hawk as a man on the hunt for a deer, and we will pray that God will find him.”

****

For weeks Hawk traveled, almost aimlessly. He had no will or desire to go to the Northwest Territory. He carried nothing but his musket, powder, shot, and salt, but he had no trouble finding food. At night he would build a small fire and sit staring at the dancing flames unable to sleep. By day he wandered through the forest, observing the beauty of the country, trying to forget Elizabeth’s hard words, but they would not go away.

As he traveled, he became more and more filled with a sense of lostness. And somehow he knew that wherever he went, or whatever he did, this would not change. Day after day his mind went back to his past. He thought less now of Faith, although memories of her came at times, but he thought a great deal of Jacob. The boy’s face would come before him, and the angry accusation he had made the last time he had seen him seemed to ring in his ears. Then he thought of Andrew and how close they had become—almost like a father to the boy.

One night he sat up till morning, keeping the fire going by feeding it small pieces of dried wood, listening to the sounds of the night. He heard the lonely cry of a wolf far off in the distance and felt a common kinship with him, except that the wolf traveled in a pack, he knew, and he was all alone. Wearily he extinguished the fire and traveled all morning. By late afternoon he had passed no creeks, for there had been a drought. The trees were dry, the ground itself seemed to crumble, and although Hawk had usually managed to find a spring or water of some kind, he found none as he rode along. His lips grew dry, and his tongue swelled in his mouth. He began to feel somewhat desperate, and just as he had almost given up hope for the day, he ran across a stream. It was no more than two or three feet across, and it was almost hidden by the fallen leaves of autumn, but eagerly he put his musket aside and knelt down to get a drink of water. It was cold, and nothing he remembered had ever tasted so good. But even as he drank, suddenly a sound broke through to him, and he instantly reached for his rifle, but he never touched it.

Across the creek, no more than twenty-five feet away, a deer had stepped out of the underbrush. Hawk watched with amazement as the deer seemed aware of him but did not flee. Gracefully, the deer lowered his head and drank.

As he watched the deer, Hawk was shocked to see that it had the same white mark as had been on the buck he had seen so many years ago.

That deer should be dead
, he thought, almost in a daze.

The deer drank again, then without a waste of motion turned and disappeared into the heavy undergrowth.

Hawk Spencer could not believe his own eyes, but somehow he knew that deer was more than just another animal roaming the woods. He realized it was from God, and although he had never believed in visions, he had to believe that somehow this was a sign to him.

Forgetting everything else, he sat back and his mind was suddenly filled with the same memories that had been haunting him for weeks. Memories of the past, of Faith, of his parents, of his son, Jacob. He thought of Elizabeth, and of Andrew and Sarah, and Patrick. His whole life passed before him, and a great bitterness filled him. Others had attained happiness, and he realized he had thrown it away.

Hawk Spencer was a strong man, but as he sat there, he began to grow heavy and more sorrowful than he had ever felt before. To his astonishment tears of remorse gathered in his eyes. But what astonished him even more was that he had lost the hate he had had for God.

Finally, he lifted his eyes up, and cried out to God, saying, “Oh, God, I’ve been wrong all these years! But I’m hungry for you. Like that deer that was so thirsty for water, I’m thirsty for you. . . .”

Hawk didn’t know how long he prayed, but he knew that it was a long time. Years of regret and anger poured from his broken heart as he wept and cried out for God’s forgiveness. When he finally became conscious of his surroundings, it was dark. Slowly he stood up, and felt strange—clean somehow. All of the bitterness and hatred that had dwelled within him for so many years was gone. Hawk Spencer looked up and said, “Thank you, God, for coming back into my heart. I will obey you the rest of my life, Lord Jesus.”

****

Elizabeth walked out of her cabin and headed toward the creek at the side of her home. She set down the oak bucket after filling it with cold, clear water and looked around at the familiar setting. She had been at this home of hers for over a year now, but she never tired of the magnificent view. She especially loved the scenery during this time of year. The leaves were resplendent with the vibrant colors of autumn—orange, gold, red, and yellow. The air was fragrant with the smell of fruits ready to be picked and the hint of the first cold snap.

Reminders of Hawk’s presence filled all of her surroundings. Most everything at the mountain homestead had been made by his hands and brought wonderful memories of times they spent together. She could picture him working on the cabin or taking Andrew fishing or teasing Sarah. Hawk had been gone now for several weeks, and the thought of never seeing him again saddened her. She had done nothing but think of him since he left, and slowly she had come to know the truth that she did love him. However, she did not regret her decision not to marry him. After having a wonderful Christian husband like Patrick MacNeal, she was not about to settle for anything less. But she did miss Hawk’s companionship.

The children were off with Abby Stevens again, and at these times she felt rather lonely. She sent a silent prayer heavenward that Hawk would find the peace of God wherever he was. No matter where he roamed, she knew he could never run from the One who was everywhere.

“I must snap out of this and get to work,” she admonished herself. “The house won’t clean itself!”

As Elizabeth picked up the bucket and turned to head toward the cabin, she noticed a lone figure come out of the woods and head toward her. Something about the figure looked familiar. With a small cry, Elizabeth dropped the bucket and whispered, “Hawk.”

Hawk Spencer walked toward Elizabeth, leading his horse, with a determined step. He had a serious expression on his face that Elizabeth could not read. Hawk continued in that steady gait until he stood directly in front of her.

“Elizabeth . . .”

“Oh, Hawk, I thought I would never see you again.” Elizabeth recovered from the shock of seeing him, but she could think of nothing to say to this man who had left her weeks before in anger for her refusal to marry him. After a long silence, she looked down and saw the bucket she had dropped. It still contained some water. Not knowing what else to say to this man she had come to care so much for, she muttered, “Would you like a drink of water?”

Hawk finally smiled, which made his dark blue eyes sparkle, and said, “After the drink I have taken from the well of Jesus Christ, I’ll never thirst again.”

Elizabeth suddenly understood Hawk’s meaning, and the tears welled up in her eyes and began to gently spill down her cheeks. “Tell me, Hawk.”

He turned and tenderly put his arm around her as they began walking toward the creek. “Elizabeth, I have been wandering most of my life. Out there”—he pointed toward the wilderness that seemed to stretch forever—“I got to a place in my wanderings when I felt I couldn’t go another step. It was at that point I knew I needed to return to the Lord. I was thirsty for something real after all these years of running. I . . . I don’t understand it all, but I know the anger and hopelessness are gone now.”

Elizabeth stopped and turned toward Hawk. She reached up and pulled his head down and gently kissed him. His arms went around her and he held her tightly. A moment later Elizabeth looked up at Hawk’s peaceful face and knew that she was where she belonged—in the arms of the man who loved her but who now loved God more.

Notes to Our Readers

Gilbert and I want to thank you for taking this journey to America’s first frontier. We have enjoyed working together to tell the story of Hawk Spencer and Elizabeth MacNeal and the characters of
Over the Misty Mountains
as they bravely stepped out—at great personal risk—to forge a new life in the untamed wilderness of the Appalachian Mountains. We hope that you will join us in the future volumes of The Spirit of Appalachia series as we continue their story. Andrew and Sarah, and the other settlers must work through problems with the Cherokee. And Jacob and his family are caught up in the turmoil of the American Revolution, which reaches across the misty mountains.

The history of our nation is replete with courageous men and women who undauntingly braved the obstacles that this wild frontier set before them. Together we will discover how the settlers relied on their faith to see them through all of the struggles they faced as they strived to carve out new homes on the frontier. That is why I love historical fiction. It allows us to catch a glimpse of history as it comes alive through real characters who formed the spiritual and moral fabric of our nation. It is our prayer that you will benefit from the spiritual lessons found in the pages of The Spirit of Appalachia series. As we learn to put God first in our lives, just as Hawk had to learn, we see that a vital dependence on Him is the only way we can find the peace and steadiness to make it through the struggles we will inevitably encounter on life’s journey. He is the only
constant
on whom we can depend.

The history of the vast lands beyond the Appalachian Mountains are so rich and colorful that we thought you would enjoy knowing which characters and events in the novel are true. Little Carpenter was a leader of the Cherokee who worked for peace between the English and his people. It was his skills in diplomacy that kept the Cherokee on the side of the English for much of the French and Indian War, enabling them to concentrate on defeating the French. The Cherokee Indians did fight the English after suffering mistreatment at their hands, and they captured Fort Loudoun in 1760. The fort was retaken in 1761 as depicted in the story. This ended the Cherokee participation in the French and Indian War, which was a major step toward ultimate victory for the English and helped to open the lands over the Appalachians for future settlements.

Daniel Boone was probably the most famous frontiersman who ever lived. The reference to his marking a tree where he “cilled a bar” in 1760 is absolutely true. The tree stood until it was blown down in a storm in 1920. A marker erected by the Tennessee DAR points out the location near present-day Johnson City.

William and Lydia Bean did establish the first permanent settlement in what is now the state of Tennessee in 1769. They settled near the Watauga River with many friends and families, and their son, Russell, was the first white child born in Tennessee. The settlement they established, Watauga, was the first self-governing territory on the North American continent.

James Robertson left North Carolina and settled on the frontier in 1770 with his wife, Charlotte. They eventually moved on to settle in Nashborough. Robertson had a large impact on the future of the area that we know today as the state of Tennessee, earning him the monikers “The Father of Tennessee” and “The Father of Middle Tennessee.”

The Regulators were a group of people in North Carolina who vehemently opposed the taxing practices of the rich eastern landowners who wanted to build the governor’s “palace.” The political strife resulted in the Battle of Alamance, where two thousand Regulators were defeated by the smaller army of Governor Tryon. Six Regulators were hanged, and many others were taken prisoner. After being promised that they would be pardoned, six thousand Regulators surrendered to the authority of the colony. However, many of these families, fleeing the oppression, left their homes and moved to the Watauga settlements so they could find freedom.

John and Valentine Sevier and Evan Shelby are also true characters. John Sevier became the first governor of the state of Tennessee. His story as well as that of all of these people will be continued along with the stories of the Spencers and the MacNeals. Please write us in care of Bethany House Publishers and let us know what you think of The Spirit of Appalachia.

GILBERT MORRIS spent ten years as a pastor before becoming Professor of English at Ouachita Baptist University of Arkansas. During the summers of 1984 and 1985, he did postgraduate work at the University of London. A prolific writer, he has had over twenty-five scholarly articles and two hundred poems published in various periodicals. He and his wife live on the Gulf Coast of Alabama.

AARON McCARVER teaches drama and Christian literature at Wesley College in Florence, Mississippi. His deep interest in Christian fiction and broad knowledge of the CBA market have given him the background for editorial consultation with all the “writing Morrises” as well as other novelists. It was through his editorial relationship with Gilbert that this book series came to life.