The Mandie Collection (6 page)

“Here is a piece of the cake,” said Dimar, feeling around in the dark basket. “And I think this is the jar of coffee I was drinking out of before.”

“And I'll have the same,” Joe said, reaching inside. He took a big bite of cake. “Mmm, this is good,” he said.

“It will help us stay awake and alert,” the Indian boy said.

“I can—” Joe began to speak and then stopped, motioning Dimar to silence. “Listen,” he whispered.

Someone was walking through the brush. The boys dropped their cake back into the basket and rose to their feet. The footsteps came closer.

“There is more than one person,” Dimar whispered in Joe's ear. Then there was a loud bang as something crashed against the wooden walls of the hospital.

“Quick! You go for the men! You ride faster than I do,” Joe told Dimar in a low whisper. “I'll stay here and watch.”

“Do not let them see you,” Dimar warned as he ran for one of the horses nearby.

Joe stood frozen to the spot. Dimar was so quiet that Joe didn't hear him lead the horse away before mounting. Joe's heartbeat quickened in anger at the thought of someone tearing down the walls. He edged closer to the structure. He could hear talking, but it was too low to be understood. As he moved still closer, he could see three men with axes standing by the hospital. In the darkness he could not tell whether they were Indians or white men. He moved just a little closer. A dry twig cracked loudly under his foot.

The three men turned in his direction and listened. Then they moved forward quietly to investigate.

Joe stood motionless, hoping they wouldn't hear him breathing. Suddenly the three men came at him.

As Joe tried to flee, the men spread out and surrounded him. In the scuffle, they caught him by his shirt and tore it off him. Then they pulled Joe closer for a better look.

“Nobody we know,” one man said. The other two agreed.

Quickly the men pulled out rope and handkerchiefs from their pockets. Even though Joe put up a good fight, they managed to gag and bind him.

After carrying Joe away from the hospital, the three men picked up their axes and completely wrecked the walls. Satisfied with their destruction, they pulled Joe to his feet and pushed him ahead as they tromped off into the woods.

As Dimar arrived back at Uncle Ned's house, he called to the men for help. Within minutes Uncle Ned, Uncle John, Uncle Wirt, and Dr. Woodard had dressed and saddled horses to return with the boy to the hospital. Tsa'ni had already gone home.

When the girls heard the commotion, they hurriedly dressed enough to get downstairs before the men left. Elizabeth and Morning Star were there, too.

“Dimar, is Joe all right?” Mandie asked anxiously. “You left him alone with those crooks.”

“He is all right, Mandie. He is not with the crooks. I left him hidden in the bushes,” the Indian boy told her.

“Please hurry, Dimar,” Sallie urged him. “And be careful.”

“I will,” the boy promised. Hurrying outside, he rode quietly off into the night with the men.

“Amanda, Sallie, if you're staying up, we might as well have some tea,” Elizabeth told the girls. “Morning Star is getting it ready.”

“I couldn't go to bed with all this going on,” Mandie told her mother.

Mandie and Sallie pulled chairs over in front of the huge fireplace. Morning Star poked at the fire and soon had a nice blaze going.

Mandie shivered. “I'm so excited, I'm cold.”

“So am I,” Sallie admitted.

“I know it gets cold in these mountains at night, but it's partly nerves, too,” Elizabeth told them. “The tea will help.”

Sallie looked around the room. “Mandie, where is Snowball?” she asked.

Mandie jumped up to look for him. Then she laughed as she saw the white kitten perched at the top of the attic ladder. He looked down at them, whining. Climbing the ladder, Mandie picked up her kitten and brought him down.

“Snowball, you've got to learn to come down the ladder, you silly cat,” she said.

When she set him down in front of the fire, he curled up and began purring while the women and girls drank hot tea and discussed the chances of catching the crooks.

Before the men got very close to the hospital, they dismounted to avoid being heard.

“Must be quiet,” Uncle Ned told the others as he led the way on foot.

Silently, they crept through the bushes. As they came within sight of the hospital, the clouds uncovered the moon. The men stopped in horror when they saw the destruction. Circling around, they found no one.

“They're gone,” Uncle John said.

Dr. Woodard looked around for his son. “Where is Joe, Dimar?”

“We were in the bushes down this way,” Dimar said, leading them into the woods. “Joe,” he called out, “it is Dimar. Joe, where are you?”

There wasn't a sound except for the restless horse that Joe had left down by the creek.

“Did you remind him not to let anyone see him?” Uncle John asked.

“Yes, sir,” Dimar replied. “He said he would stay out of sight.”

As Uncle Ned scoured the bushes, he found Joe's torn shirt.

“Here, boy shirt,” Uncle Ned said, holding it up for everyone to see. “Torn.”

Dr. Woodard stepped forward and took the shirt. “Looks like he might have been in a fight,” he said.

“I sure hope the boy is all right,” Uncle John said.

“We find. We follow feet marks,” Uncle Wirt assured him, bending to search the ground.

Then the moon went back under the clouds, and it was too dark to find anything.

“It shouldn't be too long till daylight,” Uncle John said. “We'll just have to stay here and wait until we can see.”

Dr. Woodard sat down on the hospital steps. “We're in a bigger mess now than ever,” he said. “The crooks not only got away with their vandalism, but they've evidently kidnapped my boy.”

“I am sorry, sir,” Dimar said.

“I'm not blaming anyone but Joe,” Dr. Woodard replied. “He's headstrong sometimes, and he probably got excited and let them see him.”

“We find doctor boy, and we find crooks,” Uncle Ned told him. “We find,” Uncle Wirt echoed.

“Yes,” said Uncle John. “And this destruction is disgusting. We've got to put a stop to it somehow.”

At the first crack of dawn the search began. The old Indians were able to pick up a trail, but it seemed to circle around and then disappear into the creek. They spread out and combed every inch of the surrounding bushes without success.

When the sun came up, the workmen came to the hospital site and looked around angrily.

“Done it agin, heh? We's expectin' it,” Mr. Green called to Uncle John. “ 'Bout par for the course.”

“That's not all they did this time,” Uncle John told him. “They've evidently kidnapped one of the boys who stood guard last night.”

The other workmen gathered around.

Mr. Green whistled. “You don't say! What are you goin' to do?”

“Since you are here, I think we might as well go home, eat a bite, and break the news to the women. Then we'll come back for an all-day search,” said Uncle John.

The others agreed, and within minutes they had mounted their horses and were heading back to Uncle Ned's house.

When Mandie and Sallie heard them coming, they ran to the door. Mandie looked around quickly. “Where's Joe?” she asked.

Uncle John came into the room, put his arm around her shoulders, and led her over to the warmth of the fireplace. “I'm afraid we don't know where Joe is right now,” he said. “He seems to have disappeared.”

“Disappeared? Oh, Uncle John, where is he?” Mandie demanded, her eyes filling with tears. “Where is he?”

Dr. Woodard walked over to Mandie and took her hand. “We'll find him, Amanda,” he assured her. “You know Joe. He likes to go off and do things on his own. He—”

“Dr. Woodard!” Mandie interrupted, spying Joe's shirt under the doctor's arm. She snatched it from him and sank into a chair in shock. “Oh, please, dear God,” Mandie cried, “don't let anything happen to Joe! Please send him back to us. Please, dear God!”

Tears filled every eye in the room.

CHAPTER SIX

THE SEARCH

Dimar and the men hurriedly ate a good hot meal, but no one said much. They were all worried about Joe. Mandie couldn't speak a word without breaking into tears, and Sallie stayed right by her side. Dimar kept blaming himself. Although Dr. Woodard tried to keep his emotions under control, it was obvious that he, too, was very worried.

Just as the men were about to leave, Tsa'ni appeared in the doorway.

Uncle Wirt frowned at his grandson. “Where you been?” he asked roughly.

“I have been home. I came to help you search for Joe,” Tsa'ni replied, his gaze never wavering from his grandfather's angry, wrinkled face.

“Joe?” Mandie spoke up. “How did you know about Joe?”

Everyone stared at Tsa'ni. No one outside their own group knew about Joe's disappearance.

Uncle Wirt grabbed Tsa'ni by the shoulder. “How you know? How?” the old man demanded.

Tsa'ni dropped his eyes and stuttered, “Why . . . I . . . I . . . I came by the hospital. The men working there told me.”

“I don't believe you, Tsa'ni,” Mandie said. “I don't believe you at all.”

“What you do at hospital?” Uncle Wirt asked, still holding the boy's shoulder.

“I . . . I . . .” Tsa'ni stammered again, looking at the floor.

“Why
did
you come by the hospital?” Mandie interrupted, moving closer. “You wouldn't even volunteer to stand guard with Dimar and Joe last night.”

Uncle John put his arm around Mandie's shoulder. “Amanda, please—” he said, trying to calm her. Mandie didn't want to be calmed. “Tsa'ni, I suppose you already know who the crooks are. That's why you didn't want to help out last night.”

Tsa'ni stared at her. “They are not crooks who tear down the hospital,” he said firmly. “They are the spirits of the Cherokee. They do not believe in the white man's medicine.”

“Spirits of the Cherokee?” Mandie echoed.

“No such thing,” grunted Uncle Wirt, angrily.

Uncle Ned stepped forward. “The spirits of our Cherokee do not do bad things,” he said. “Tsa'ni,
you
bad Cherokee.”

Morning Star stood near the fireplace, obviously confused about what was happening. Uncle Ned turned to her and explained rapidly in Cherokee. The old woman suddenly grabbed the homemade broom from the hearth and ran toward Tsa'ni, screaming in Cherokee.

Uncle Wirt let go of Tsa'ni's shoulder and pushed him toward the angry woman waving the broom.

Tsa'ni jumped backward toward the door. “Just wait. You will see!” he yelled at Mandie as he turned and quickly ran out the doorway.

Mandie walked over to Uncle Ned. “What does Tsa'ni mean?” she asked, looking up into the old man's face. “What is he talking about?”

Uncle Ned took her small white hand in his old, wrinkled one. “Papoose, not worry,” he said. “Tsa'ni bad Cherokee. Speak wash hog.”

Mandie looked at him questioningly. Then a little smile played on her face. “You mean
hogwash
, Uncle Ned.”

Uncle Ned smiled too. “Story hogwash,” he said. “Do not believe.”

“I don't believe him. But where in the world did he get such an idea?” Mandie asked.

The old Indian touched his forehead with his finger. “Here,” he said. “Tsa'ni have crazy thoughts here. Papoose not listen to him. We find Joe. We find crooks.”

Mandie turned to her mother and Uncle. “I'm going with you, Uncle John,” she declared.

“No, Amanda,” Elizabeth told her. “You must stay here with Morning Star and Sallie. The men can do a better job without us. Besides, you didn't get much sleep last night, waiting for them to come back.”

“But, Mother, that's Joe we're looking for. If it was me lost somewhere, Joe would be right along in the search. I have to go, Mother. Please?” Mandie begged.

“I said no, Amanda,” Elizabeth replied firmly.

“Mother, please let me go,” Mandie tried again. Then, turning to Uncle John and looking at him with tear-filled blue eyes, she asked, “Please, Uncle John, may I go?”

“Amanda,” Elizabeth said sharply.

“Well,” Uncle John hesitated. He could never refuse those blue eyes anything. “Elizabeth, I think she'd be all right with us.”

“Please, Mother?” Mandie pleaded. “I couldn't bear to sit here and wait all that time. Please let me go.”

“Well, Elizabeth?” Uncle John waited for a reply.

“Oh, John, you two always win out,” Elizabeth said, giving up. “But, Amanda, you must promise me to be careful and to stay with the men at all times. No wandering off alone.”

“Yes, ma'am. I promise.” Mandie moved to her mother's side and squeezed her hand. “Thank you, Mother.”

Sallie looked at her grandfather. “May I go, too?” she asked.

Uncle Ned grunted and then spoke to Morning Star in Cherokee.

The old squaw smiled at Sallie and rattled off something in their native language.

Sallie's eyes sparkled as she answered in Cherokee, then turned to Mandie, who waited breathlessly for the verdict. “My grandmother says I may go, too. But I also have to stay near the men.”

“I'm glad, Sallie. I was afraid to ask if you could go, too,” Mandie said.

Dr. Woodard stood up from the table. “Well, if y'all are ready, I say let's hit the road.”

Uncle John nodded. “Yes, I think we're all ready now.” He turned to kiss Elizabeth. “Pray for us, dear.”

“I will,” Elizabeth promised. “And Dr. Woodard, my heart goes out to you. I hope you come back with Joe.”

“Thank you, dear,” the doctor replied, patting Elizabeth's shoulder. “I sure hope so too.”