The Mandie Collection (27 page)

Dimar looked puzzled but continued to listen. “She told Mother I had died. Then Grandmother gave me to my father and told him that my mother didn't ever want to see him again. So he took me and moved to Swain County where he married another woman. I always thought
she
was my mother until my father died and I found my Uncle John in Franklin. He's my father's brother. Uncle John knew where my real mother was in Asheville, and he asked her and my grandmother to come to his house so we could see each other. Then my mother and Uncle John got married. See?” She took a deep breath.

Elizabeth smiled at Mandie's long explanation.

“I knew some of that by listening,” Dimar said. “That is interesting, like a storybook. Are we going to visit your grandmother in Asheville?”

Mandie turned to her mother for an answer. She knew her grandmother didn't like the fact that Uncle John had exposed her long-kept secret. And she wasn't very happy that Elizabeth had married John. “Are we, Mother?” Mandie asked.

“My mother is away visiting relatives in Charleston, and I'm not sure what your Uncle John has planned for us,” Elizabeth told her.

Just then Uncle John came up the aisle with Uncle Wirt right behind him. “I've made plans for us to stay at the hotel,” he said, sitting beside his wife.

“A hotel? What is a hotel?” Mandie asked.

The other youngsters were wide-eyed with interest. In 1900 few young people in western North Carolina had traveled very far from home.

Sallie and Dimar waited for an explanation, too. With a knowing grin, Joe crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat.

“A hotel is a place where you pay to spend the night,” Uncle John explained. “It has bedrooms to sleep in that they rent out by the night and a dining room where you can buy your meals. It's for travelers.”

Sallie looked confused. “We are going to buy a bedroom to sleep in?”

Joe laughed. “No, silly, you don't buy a bedroom. You only pay so much money per night to be allowed to sleep in the room.”

“And how do you happen to know so much about it, Mister Doctor's Son?” Mandie asked, sarcastically.

Joe straightened his shoulders. “Because I
am
a doctor's son,” he said, “and a doctor travels a lot. I have often stayed in a hotel with my father when he allowed me to travel with him.”

“You have?” Dimar asked.

“Sure,” Joe said. “But it's not that exciting. It's just a room with a bed in it. You just go in the room and go to sleep like you do at home, only the hotel rooms are real fancy, and there are lots and lots of bedrooms in one big building. And there are all kinds of people sleeping in the same building.” Joe enjoyed being the center of attention. “When you're hungry,” he explained, “you go into this huge room with lots of tables and you tell the lady what you want to eat, and she brings you the food. That's all there is to it, except you have to pay money for it.”

Uncle John smiled. “You sound like a well-seasoned traveler, Joe.”

Mandie frowned. “Well, who sleeps in the same room with you?” she asked.

“No one, silly, unless you want them to.” Joe laughed. “When you pay money for the room, you tell them who is to sleep in the room. That's all,” he explained.

“Then we are all going to sleep in one room?” Sallie asked.

“No, Sallie,” Uncle John told her. “You see, each room has only one big bed, so we will need at least four rooms—one for you and Mandie, one for Uncle Wirt and Uncle Ned, another for Mandie's mother and me, and we'll see if all three of the boys can manage in one room.”

Sallie was shocked. “Oh, but that is so many rooms, and you have to pay money for each room. Could we not all sleep in one room? It would not cost so much money that way,” the Indian girl reasoned.

“That's not the way hotels do business, Sallie,” Uncle John replied. “Usually only two people can sleep in a room. But don't worry about the money. It has all been taken care of.”

“It sounds like fun, Sallie.” Mandie giggled. “You and I get a whole room all by ourselves.”

“You must promise not to talk all night, though,” Elizabeth cautioned them.

“Uncle John”—Mandie changed the subject—“where is Uncle Ned?”

“He stayed with the cargo back in the baggage car,” Uncle John said in a low voice. “After a while Uncle Wirt and I will take our turns looking after it. We thought it would be better if we didn't let it completely out of our sight.”

The train gave a lurch and the couplings between the cars clanged as it began pulling out of the station. The sudden movement caught the young people unaware and they fell against each other, laughing.

“Away we go!” shouted Mandie above the noise.

The whistle blew, and the train picked up speed as it rounded the bend, leaving town and safety behind. None of them knew what danger lurked ahead in the dark night.

CHAPTER TWO

GHOST BANDITS IN THE DARK

After a while the journey became monotonous. In the dark there was nothing to look at through the windows, and the train crept slowly around the mountain.

Bored, Mandie came up with an idea. “Why don't we go back and see Uncle Ned for a little while?” she suggested. “He's all alone back there. Want to?”

“Yes!” cried her equally bored friends.

“Could we, Mother?” Mandie asked.

Elizabeth looked at John. “What do you think?”

“Well, I suppose it'd be all right,” John answered. “Just don't stay too long,” he told them. “And Sallie, tell your grandfather I'll be back in a little while to relieve him.”

“Yes, sir,” Sallie replied, as they stood up and started down the aisle of the train car.

“And please be careful when you go from one car to the other,” Elizabeth called. “It could be dangerous if you don't watch your step.”

“We will,” they promised as they went out the door at the end of the car. When they stepped onto the platform between the cars, the cold mountain wind whipped around them and the noise of the train was deafening. They hurried into the next car.

Joe quickly shut the door behind them and stood there shivering for a moment. “I thought it was supposed to be summertime,” he laughed.

“Yes, but the wind is always cold at night in the mountains,” Dimar told him.

“A breath of cold air is good for us,” Tsa'ni added.

There were a few passengers in the car they had just entered, but when they moved to the next car they found it completely empty.

Sallie looked around the dimly-lit car. “There certainly aren't many people on this train,” she remarked.

Mandie stopped to look out a window. She leaned against the glass. “Look!” she cried, pointing outside. “Horsemen!”

The group crowded in front of the window.

“In the moonlight they look like ghosts,” Mandie joked.

Joe cupped his hand against the window to see better. “What are they wearing over their clothes?” he asked.

“I do not know, but they are keeping pace with the train,” Tsa'ni answered.

“It is too dark to see their faces,” Dimar said.

“Oh, they see us!” Mandie said, waving her hand.

Joe looked away from the window. “I think they're trying to get on the train,” he warned.

Suddenly, the train jerked to a stop. All five young people staggered and grabbed for anything to keep from falling. The train had stopped on a hill, and they found it difficult to stand upright. They all looked at each other questioningly.

“Why are we stopping here?” Sallie asked.

“I don't know,” Joe answered, “but something is wrong.”

Just then, a loud clang came from the direction of the baggage car. Dimar led the way as they rushed to the back door of the car to see what had happened. Dimar tried to open the door. It was stuck. He peered out the window. “The baggage car,” he cried. “It has come apart from the rest of the train! It is rolling back down the track!”

“Oh, no!” Mandie yelled. “Uncle Ned . . .”

“Grandfather!” Sallie screamed.

Joe pushed his way to the window to look. At that moment there was a deafening crash. He turned slowly. Both girls were in tears, and a sick look of realization covered the faces of Dimar and Tsa'ni.

Mandie ran for the front door of the train car and threw it open. Joe hurried after her and the others followed.

Outside, Mandie hopped off the train and blindly started in the direction of the baggage car. Snowball clung to her shoulder in fright. Joe and the others stepped off the train more cautiously.

“Mandie! Wait!” Joe called. “Look! We're right on the edge of a steep ridge.”

Mandie stopped. In the dim moonlight she could see the sharp drop-off just a few feet away. Her heart thumped louder as she realized the danger she was in.

Joe rushed to her side and took her hand. “Come on, all of you,” he commanded. “Let's get back to the others on the train. We can't find that baggage car by ourselves.”

But just as they turned to get back on, there was a loud noise and the train started up again.

They all froze in panic. By the time they could think clearly enough to run, it was too late. The train was going too fast and all five of them could never get on board without someone getting hurt.

Mandie hid her face in her hands and cried.

Sallie began to shake all over. “Grandfather!” she wailed. “Now, how will we get help for my grandfather?”

Tsa'ni put his arm around her shoulders. “Do not cry, Sallie. We will, somehow,” he said.

Sallie pulled away and bumped into Dimar. Dimar grabbed her arm to keep her from falling.

“Do not move. It is steep here,” Dimar told her.

“Doo-oo not moo-oove at a-a-all-ll,” said a spooky voice behind them.

The young people whirled to see one of the horsemen seemingly float toward them. As he drew nearer they could see he was wearing a flowing, ground-length, light-colored cape and a light wide-brimmed hat. A tiger mask covered his face, and he carried a dimly-lit lantern. He looked huge.

The young people stood speechless with fright. They huddled together as he approached.

The ghostly man swung the lantern up to light their faces and spoke in an angry, eerie voice. “Wha-a-at are you-oo do-oo-inng he-e-ere?” he asked.

Dimar, with a protective arm around Sallie, looked him boldly in the face. “We were on the train when the baggage car wrecked,” he answered. “And when we came out to see what happened, the train pulled away. But who are you and what do you want?” Dimar asked.

The creature spat tobacco juice on the ground and held the lantern closer to Dimar's face. “We-ell-ll-ll, what da ya kn-now-w, ah In-n-n-ju-u-un!” he taunted in his spooky voice. He swung the lantern in front of the other faces. “Thr-ree-ee In-n-ju-u-uns! Well-ll now-ow, wha-a-at air you-oo two-oo whi-i-ite young-un-ns do-oo-in-n' with the-e-ese hyar In-n-ju-u-uns?”

Mandie stepped forward, angry about the insinuation. “The three Indians happen to be our friends. Not only that, I am one-fourth Cherokee myself,” she retorted, flipping her blonde hair.

At Mandie's sudden movement, Snowball dug his claws into her shoulder. Mandie winced and took the kitten into her arms.

“Too-oo ba-a-ad you-oo got offuh that trai-ain-n.”

Just then, two other ghostlike figures materialized out of the darkness. They were both dressed exactly like the first.

One of them cleared his throat. “Watcha got hyar?” he asked. “By grannies, we're agonna hafta do sump-umm with these hyar younguns.”

The third creature pulled a rope from under his long, flowing costume. “Better tie their hands behind 'em, and git 'em on the wagon and take 'em so fur away they cain't innerfear.”

He grabbed Dimar's hands and tied them behind him as the first creature tied Tsa'ni's and Joe's. The other one tied the girls' hands behind them. Afraid to fight back or run away, the young people shivered on the edge of the mountain in the semi-darkness. They had no idea whether or not the men were armed.

The first creature spoke again, dropping his spooky voice disguise. “Tiger number two, you and Tiger number three take 'em away. I'll git back to work. Hurry up and git goin'.”

Joe spoke up. “Mister, if you'll just let us go, we'll find our way home and won't bother you.”

“No, we won't bother you,” Mandie agreed. “We only want to find my family and Sallie's grandfather. Whatever your work is, we won't interfere.”

“I say you won't innerfear,” the first creature replied. “Git goin'.”

He disappeared into the darkness. The second creature motioned with his lantern for the young people to follow him. The third creature brought up the rear.

Silently, they walked single file along the railroad track for a few yards. Then Mandie stopped suddenly, turned her face to the sky, and spoke, “What time we are afraid,” she paused and Joe joined her in the last part, “we will put our trust in thee, dear God,” they said.

The creature bringing up the rear overheard them and gave Joe a shove.

“Git a move on!” he muttered. “Ain't no God up thar gonna hyar you.”

“Oh, but God does hear us, and He does answer our prayers,” Mandie insisted.

The creature leading the way walked back to “take care of” Mandie when Joe stepped between them.

“You leave her alone, mister,” Joe demanded.

“Well, then, you'd better tell her to shet up. And keep yourself quiet, too,” the creature replied. “Else all of ya gonna git whut's comin' to ya.”

Mandie whispered in Joe's ear. “Sorry. I'll be quiet, but I'll still pray.”

Joe smiled at her.

“Up this trail! Git!” the creature ordered as he led the way.

The group stumbled silently among the brush and rocks as they climbed the mountainside. They stayed close to one another, having no idea what their fate would be, and worried about what had happened to the others.