The Mandie Collection (4 page)

“Mysteries around the school?” Sallie questioned.

Joe looked at Mandie, waiting for her to explain as he dug into the food heaped on his plate.

“We heard a mysterious noise in the attic when I first went there. We got that solved and then we found a terrible secret in an old trunk in the attic,” Mandie explained between bites of food. “It's a terribly long story.”

At that moment Mandie's great uncle, Wirt Pindar, from Bird-town, came through the open doorway, followed by his grandson, Tsa'ni. Uncle Ned motioned for them to sit at the table.

“Sit. Eat,” Uncle Ned told them.

As they sat down, Morning Star got up, gave them plates, and passed the food.

“Hello, Uncle Wirt, Tsa'ni,” Mandie greeted them across the table.

“Glad to see Papoose.” Uncle Wirt beamed. “And doctor boy.” “How are you, sir,” Joe replied.

Tsa'ni nodded his head at Mandie but did not smile or speak.

As the adults began discussing the hospital, the young people listened.

“Walls torn down every day,” Uncle Wirt told them. “Every day work done is torn down.”

“And nobody has seen anyone around there?” Uncle John asked.

“Moongo, she come back after many, many years. Married to Catawba man, Running Fire. Two big sons, live near to hospital. See nothing, hear nothing,” Uncle Wirt replied.

“Moongo? I remember her from when I was a small boy. She must be old by now,” Uncle John said. “So she finally came back. Where do they live, Uncle Wirt? I don't remember any cabin anywhere near the hospital.”

“Live in old horse barn near creek,” Uncle Wirt explained. “We put man to guard hospital tonight.”

“Moongo and her family are that close but don't ever hear anything going on? That's strange,” Uncle John mused.

“I haven't even seen the hospital yet,” Mandie put in. “How much have they got done?”

“Rock on ground for bottom,” Uncle Wirt told her. “Wood for floor. All still there. But when walls made, walls get torn down.”

“Uncle John, when are we going to see it?” Mandie asked.

“We'll go early tomorrow morning,” Uncle John replied. “I think one of us ought to stay with the guard every night after the workmen leave.”

Uncle Ned spoke up. “Dimar say he watch.”

“Dimar?” Mandie and Joe said together.

“Dimar say he wait for us at hospital tomorrow,” Uncle Wirt answered.

“I'm so glad we're going to get to see Dimar,” Mandie remarked.

Joe looked at her with a hint of jealousy in his eyes. “Yes, we will all be glad to see Dimar,” he said.

“Remember how you and Dimar caught those thieves who set fire to my grandfather's barn?” Sallie asked Joe.

“Yeh, and I think Dimar and I can catch whoever is tearing down the hospital,” Joe replied. “Mr. Shaw, may I have your permission to help Dimar guard the hospital tomorrow night?”

“Well, I suppose so, but your father should be here before tomorrow night. You'll have to ask him, of course,” Uncle John said. “You boys will have to promise not to let anyone see you. They could harm you. All we want you to do is watch, and when you see someone doing this malicious work, you hurry and get us men. Is that understood?”

“But I'm almost fourteen,” Joe protested. “And so is Dimar. We could put up a pretty good fight.”

“No, no, that won't ever do. You might get hurt,” Uncle John told him. “The only way I'll let you stay out there is under the conditions I've mentioned.”

“Well, all right, sir. I'll do whatever you say,” Joe gave in.

Mandie turned to Joe. “You and Dimar will see all the excitement. Sallie and I will miss out on that,” she protested.

“You'll find out what's going on when we come back to tell Mr. Shaw that there's someone there,” Joe told her.

“
If
you come back,” Mandie replied. “I know you.”

Tsa'ni sat through the whole conversation without saying a word. He listened and took it all in.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE TORN-DOWN HOSPITAL

The first bright rays of sunshine the next morning peeped through the upstairs window and played around on Mandie's face. Opening her eyes and squinting in the light, Mandie looked around bewildered. Then she saw Sallie sleeping next to her on the cornshuck mattress and she remembered that she was in Uncle Ned's house. Also, her friend Joe was sleeping on the other side of the rough wall dividing the attic into two rooms. And today was the day she was to finally see the hospital being built.

Slipping out of bed, trying not to wake Sallie, she quickly pulled her cotton nightgown over her tousled blonde curls. Snowball jumped down and rubbed around her legs as he meowed. Hastily grabbing the dress hanging on a nail near the bed, she pulled it over her head and buttoned the waist.

Sallie sat up, rubbed her eyes and smiled at her friend. She rolled out of bed.

“You are up early this morning,” Sallie said, exchanging her gown for her red flowered skirt and white waist.

“I don't want to waste a minute. We're going to see the hospital, remember?” Mandie told her, quickly brushing her long hair and braiding it into one long plait down her back.

“Hey, wait for me!” Joe called from the other side of the partition.

“I'll meet you downstairs,” Mandie yelled back at him, tying her apron over her blue gingham dress.

“I smell coffee,” Joe called from the other side.

“My grandmother is already up. She gets up before daylight every morning,” Sallie said loudly to Joe. She hurriedly tied her dark hair back with a red ribbon.

The three of them scrambled for the ladder to go downstairs. Joe managed to get down first and stood there waiting for the girls. Mandie had to carry Snowball down. He refused to go down the ladder.

“Aren't y'all pokey this morning?” Joe teased, standing with his long legs spread apart and his hands on his thin hips.

“You won because your legs are longer than ours. It wasn't a fair race,” Mandie told him, setting Snowball on the floor and straightening the skirt of her dress.

Joe, laughing, told them, “Come on. Let's see who gets to the wash-pan first.” He turned to run across the room, Sallie and Mandie following. The girls lined up behind Joe to wash their faces and hands.

Morning Star, Uncle Ned, Elizabeth and Uncle John, sitting at the table, looked at them in surprise.

“What's the big hurry?” Uncle John asked.

Mandie's blue eyes sparkled. “We want to go to the hospital.”

“But it isn't far from here,” said Uncle John. “We don't have to hurry that much.”

Elizabeth smiled. “She wants to hurry up and get this thing settled so we can go to Charleston,” she explained.

“You are going to Charleston?” Sallie's eyes grew wide.

“Yes, if we can straighten everything out here, we're going to Charleston to see the ocean,” Mandie told her.

“You mean you're going to see some boy you met at that school in Asheville,” Joe retorted, sitting down at the table.

Elizabeth and John looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

“Joe Woodard, hush up,” said Mandie, as she and Sallie sat down next to him. “We're just going to stay at his parents' home.” “Well, that's going to see him, isn't it?” Joe sounded angry.

Elizabeth interrupted. “Yes, Joe, we are going to visit Thomas Patton and his parents. Amanda met Thomas while she was at school. My family
has known the Pattons for years. So we're going to visit them, and also give Amanda an opportunity to see the ocean for the first time.”

Joe meekly bowed his head. “Yes, ma'am, I understand,” he said.

Uncle Ned spoke up, “Thank Big God, John Shaw.”

John gave thanks and when he had finished, the old Indian said loudly, “Eat!”

Morning Star ladled out the hot mush.

As they ate and talked, Uncle Wirt and Tsa'ni came in and joined them at the table. Tsa'ni remained silent but listened to every word of the excited conversation.

Before long, everyone except Morning Star piled into Uncle Ned's big wagon and they were on their way. In a short while they rounded a bend in the dirt road. Through the branches of the trees and bushes, Mandie caught her first glimpse of the structure that would be the hospital for the Cherokees.

She was breathless. “Look!” she cried.

Uncle Ned stopped the wagon a little farther down the road, and Mandie jumped down. As she ran around the building, she saw the splintered planks all around that had evidently been part of the walls. Then something caught her eye. Hastening to look behind the building site, she found a man gagged and blindfolded, tied up and lying on the ground. She screamed to the others.

When Uncle Wirt arrived, he stooped to untie the man. “This Kent, man who watch last night.”

As the man was released from all the ropes, he took a deep breath and managed to sit up.

Uncle John squatted down beside Kent. “What happened?” he asked.

“I don't rightly know,” said the man, trying to wet his parched lips with his tongue. “I was walkin' 'round, lookin,' and all of a sudden somethin' hit me hard on the noggin. That's all I 'member. I wakes up, can't see, can't move.”

Elizabeth brought water from the barrel that Uncle Ned kept in his wagon. She offered a dipperful to the man. He greedily swallowed it and stood up, stretching his cramped limbs.

“Are you all right?” Uncle John asked. “I'm sorry about this. We'll just have to post another guard with you. They won't be able to surprise two at one time.”

“Sorry, mister, but I don't want the job,” Kent said. “You see, I'm one of the carpenters tryin' to build this thing. I just wanted to make a little extry money stayin' at night, but it ain't worth it. I'll keep on workin' in the daytime with the others, but no more night work for me.”

Uncle Ned pointed to the road. “Men come to work,” he said as a group of white men arrived in a wagon loaded with lumber and tools.

The workmen got off the wagon and advanced toward the group. Looking around they shook their heads in disgust when they saw their previous day's work lying in ruins.

“Mornin,' Mr. Shaw,” said the leader. “Sure glad that you come to do somethin' about this. If that ain't the beatin'est thing I ever heerd of. Fast as we'uns builds it, summins else is atearin' it down.”

As the workers stood staring at the mess, Uncle John called to Mandie, and she came to his side. “Amanda, this is Mr. Green,” said Uncle John. “He's in charge of building this hospital. Mr. Green, this is my niece, Amanda Shaw, who discovered the Cherokees' gold and is responsible for this hospital being built in the first place,” he said proudly.

Mandie stepped forward, holding out her small white hand. “How do you do, Mr. Green,” she said, shaking his big rough hand. “I know it's frustrating to you to have your work undone every night, but we are here to do something about it. And I think we can find a way to stop it.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Mr. Green said, in awe of the well-spoken young girl who had such a great responsibility. He had heard the whole story.

Suddenly Mandie saw Dimar emerge from the bushes. His great admiration for her gleamed in his eyes. Mandie immediately dropped her ladylike air as she raced to meet him.

“Dimar!” she cried, catching his brown hand in hers. “I'm so glad to see you. It's been so long.”

“Yes, it has been a long time,” Dimar replied, transfixed by her friendly greeting. He withdrew his hand and stepped toward the others. Mandie walked by his side.

“Good morning,” he said to the waiting group. “Either you are early or I am late.”

“We not here long,” said Uncle Ned as Sallie and Joe greeted the boy.

“Dimar, it's a pleasure to see you again,” Uncle John told him.

“You just missed the excitement,” said Mandie. “Last night someone tied up Kent, over there, and just left him. We found him just a few minutes ago.”

“I promise to stay tonight and watch,” said Dimar. “I will not let them tie me up.”

“I have permission to stay with you, Dimar,” Joe told him. “Between the two of us nothing will happen tonight,” Dimar said. Sallie smiled at Tsa'ni, who was standing nearby. “Tsa'ni, are you staying with Joe and Dimar also?” she asked.

Everyone grew silent, waiting for his reply.

Tsa'ni rubbed the toe of his moccasin in the dirt. “No, I do not wish to stay,” he said.

The others pretended they had heard nothing and went on discussing the forthcoming night.

“All right, Mr. Green, we will be back before you quit work at five o'clock,” said Uncle John. “And we'll do everything possible to catch these vandals tonight.”

“It sho' is disgustin' to do all that hard work and then have somebody tear it all down,” Mr. Green replied. “I sho' hope you catch 'em, and I hope the punishment ain't too mild.”

“I can assure you it will be quite severe,” Uncle John promised.

Uncle Ned examined the splintered boards scattered all around. “No piece of wall good. Must have new boards,” he said, stooping and tossing the wood around.

“We got a load of boards in the wagon, and we got 'nother one comin,' ” Mr. Green said. “Sho' is a waste of money to buy all them boards and have 'em split up that way.”

Mandie was not worried about the money. The supply of gold seemed endless. “It's a waste of time, too,” she said. “This hospital needs to be finished so it can be used.”

“Used?” Joe queried. “Who's sick?”

“Joe,” Mandie said with irritation, “your father will be coming here at least once a month to keep up with everyone's health. Besides, we're going to hire a nurse who will stay here all the time.”

“This is a wonderful thing for the Cherokees,” Sallie told her.