The Mandie Collection (34 page)

“You really mean that, don't you, Liza?” Mandie replied. “I'm sorry if I spoiled your breakfast. I won't do it again.”

“That's all right, Missy. Next time I eat in the kitchen where I belongs,” Liza replied.

When they got outside, Uncle John had horses and ponies tethered at the front gate, loaded with blankets, rope, lanterns, and food. The adults stood waiting on the front porch. Elizabeth caught Mandie by the arm.

“Amanda, you haven't put on your riding outfit,” she reprimanded.

“But, Mother. Sallie doesn't have one on, and neither do Polly and Liza,” Mandie protested.

“I told my mother we were riding in a wagon,” Polly explained. “I didn't know we were going to ride ponies. But it's all right. She won't mind.”

Elizabeth frowned at her husband. “John, we need to teach Amanda some proper manners for young ladies,” she said.

John laughed. “Why don't we let it go this time? It'll be quicker and safer in that rough mountain terrain if they all ride astride. Seems like I remember
you
saying the same thing not too long ago.” He kissed Elizabeth on the cheek.

Elizabeth gave in. “It seems like I always come out on the losing end,” she said with a little laugh.

Mandie took her mother by the hand. “Please tell Uncle Ned we'll be back soon,” she said. “I didn't want to wake him this early in the morning to tell him good-bye.”

“Of course, dear,” Elizabeth answered. She gave her daughter a squeeze. “Be a good girl.”

“Everybody ready?” Uncle John asked. “Run and find yourselves a pony.”

Mandie picked up Snowball and rushed out to the road with the others to claim her pony. Mandie knew she had to help Liza feel comfortable with them. “Liza! Here! Get this pony next to mine!” she called.

Liza gratefully did as Mandie said.

Waving good-bye to Elizabeth, Aunt Lou, and Jenny, the group took off down the road.

A long time later, they approached the place in the railroad tracks where they knew the wrecked baggage car would be. As they drew rein and looked down the ravine, they spotted the wrecked baggage car still hanging onto the side of the mountain.

“We walk from here,” Uncle Wirt told them.

Dismounting, they followed him carefully down the slope. “Watch for trail marking,” he said.

“Here is where we went down to the wrecked car,” Dimar said, pointing to the spot. “Then we split up, and Sallie and I went over this way,” he continued. “Tsa'ni took Mandie and Joe over that way and we all met at the river where we found Uncle Ned.”

“When we came in answer to your call, we must have taken almost the same path then, Dimar,” Uncle John replied. “That's a lot of shoes making prints in the dirt.”

Suddenly, Uncle Wirt stooped to examine the ground. “Boot make this mark,” he said, pointing to a firm print in the dirt. “We no wear boot!”

Uncle John bent to look at it. “You're right. That's the print of a hard heel and pointed toe, like riding boots.”

“Him go this way.” Uncle Wirt walked closer to the baggage car. “Then on. All way to train car.”

“Great!” Joe said.

Mandie started looking around, holding Snowball tightly in her arms. “Now if we can find the same prints going
away
from the car . . .”

The group fanned out and soon Dimar called, “Here is the same print going toward the river.”

Uncle Wirt found more. “Horses been here. Go up riverbank,” he said.

“Yes,” Mandie told him. “There were three of them. They came from all different directions.”

“Do you want to look inside the baggage car in case we missed something?” Joe asked.

“It looks like it might roll away,” Uncle John speculated.

“We went inside, and it did not move,” Dimar told him. “It is leaning against big bushes on the other side.”

Uncle Wirt headed for the broken place in the side of the car where the young people had entered before. He tried to shake the car, but it wouldn't move. He climbed up and went inside. Uncle John, Dimar, and Joe followed right behind him, but Tsa'ni stayed outside with the girls.

Liza surveyed the wreck. “Lawsy mercy, Missy. Thank the Lawd youse didn't go down the mountain wid dat car,” she said.

“Yes, we have plenty to be thankful for,” Mandie replied.

“Did you see it fall down the mountain like that?” Polly asked.

“No, but we heard the crash. This is the car my grandfather was in,” Sallie told her.

“Oh, dat pore man!” Liza moaned. “So now we's gonna find the bad men what wrecked the train and hurt your grandfather?”

“We will
try
to find them,” the Indian girl said.

“Won't you be afraid if we do?” Polly asked.

“No, I will not be afraid. We have all these big, strong men with us now,” Sallie replied.

“I'd just like to catch up with them, for all the trouble they've caused,” Mandie said.

Tsa'ni clenched his fists. “But they were white men and we are Indians,” he said to Sallie. “We cannot do anything to them.”

“That's what you think,” Mandie told him. “You just wait and see what happens if we find them. Uncle John will see to that.”

“Well, since he is living as a white man and not like an Indian, he can prosecute them, I suppose,” the Indian boy replied.

“You know he is half Cherokee, but he can live as he chooses. So can you and all the other Cherokees,” Mandie informed him.

“You certainly do not know much about it, do you?” the boy told her. “Someday you will find out what it means to be Indian by white people's standards.”

When the men and the other boys came out of the wrecked car, the girls stared in amazement. Joe ran toward them wearing a tiger face mask like the bandits had worn.

“Joe, stop that!” Mandie gasped. “Was that mask in there?”

He nodded.

“It does not look so scary in the daylight,” Sallie told them.

“Well, I'd sure hate to meet that thing in the dark,” Polly declared.

“I'd be done passed out if that thing come toward me in de dark,” Liza told them, moving away from Joe.

Joe took another step toward her and raised his arms.

“Liza, there were three of them. And it was dark. And they wore long, flowing cloaks and big hats,” he teased.

Liza backed off. “Git 'way from heah!” she squealed.

Dimar came up and took the mask from Joe. “We did not find this mask when we went inside last time, because everything was broken and thrown around. But the railroad must have come since then and taken all the broken baggage out. All that is left is trash,” he told the girls.

Uncle John and Uncle Wirt joined them in their discussion. “That mask proves the bandits were in the baggage car,” Uncle John reasoned.

Uncle Wirt nodded. “We trace hoof prints,” he said.

Uncle John started for the horses. “We're going to see if we can follow their trail,” he told the young people. “Coming?”

No one had to be asked twice. Back at the riverbank, they began the tedious job of tracking the bandits' horses.

The closer they got to the gold, the more danger awaited them.

CHAPTER TEN

A VISIT TO CHARLEY GAP

Uncle Wirt managed to pick up enough tracks in the dirt to follow the bandits' trail. Slowly and carefully, he led the way over the mountain.

The trail ride was fun for the young people. And, as Mandie had expected, Liza turned out to be the life of the search party.

“I ain't never been outside Franklin,” Liza told them. “I thought the whole world was a city with lots of houses and people, but we ain't seen a soul 'cept us since we left the road. I wouldn't wanta live out heah.” Her eyes opened wide. “I'd be askeered them bears and panthers and things would come and git me.”

“When we see one, we'll let you know, Liza,” Joe teased.

The black girl looked startled. “You mean we might come close to some of them things?”

“We might see anything in a forest like this,” Dimar answered. “But I brought my bow and arrows. So did Tsa'ni and his grandfather. You are well protected. We will not let anything harm you.”

Joe patted the rifle slung over his pony. “And Mr. Shaw and I are carrying rifles,” he assured her.

Tsa'ni sat up taller in his saddle. “I also have a rifle, as well as my bow and arrows,” he said.

“So you double smart,” Liza told him. She turned to Mandie. “Missy, don't you think we oughta brought us a gun, too?” Mandie laughed. “No, Liza, we might shoot somebody.”

“But we could shoot the bandits,” Liza said.

“No, no,” Sallie protested. “We only want to capture them and turn them over to the law.”

Polly gradually maneuvered her pony through the group until she was riding ahead next to Joe.

Seeing this, Liza leaned over to Mandie and whispered, “You better watch Miss Sweet Thing. She be after your Mister Joe.”

Mandie laughed and then strained her neck to watch the two ahead. They seemed to be joking and talking as they rode along together. A pang of jealousy cut through her, but she could not let Liza know it.

“Oh, Liza, he's not my Mister Joe,” Mandie told her. “He can talk to anybody he wants to.”

“It ain't him, Missy, that I'm a'talkin' 'bout. It's that Miss Sweet Thing. She shore is tryin' to latch onto him,” Liza warned.

“Polly is my friend, and she's also Joe's friend,” Mandie replied.

“You jest watch what I'm a'sayin',” Liza insisted. “She layin' it on so thick the bees git drownded in it.”

Mandie smiled but did not answer. Adjusting Snowball to a higher position on her shoulder, she petted the kitten thoughtfully. She knew Polly was interested in Joe, but she wasn't worried. She had known Joe all her life. Of course, Mandie was jealous when Polly flirted with Joe, but she tried not to let it bother her. She was sure Polly would eventually find someone else to “latch onto,” as Liza called it.

Up ahead, the men stopped, and the young people hurried to catch up. John and Uncle Wirt dismounted and stood in a grassy spot, by a sparkling spring where the horses could drink.

“Eat now!” Uncle Wirt announced. “Must water ponies.”

Taking their food bags from their ponies, the young people tethered the animals where they could graze near the water. Sitting on the rocks by the spring, they enjoyed the ham and biscuits, boiled eggs, and apples that Jenny had packed for them.

Uncle John came to sit by Mandie. “Uncle Wirt has tracked them this far, but we thought we'd better stop to rest and eat.” He
paused, then looked directly at her. “Do you know where we are?” he asked.

Mandie glanced at him and then around the forest, trying to find a familiar landmark.

“Uncle John!” she cried, grabbing his big hand. A tear trickled down her cheek.

Her uncle took out a big handkerchief. “Don't cry, dear,” he said, wiping her tears. “You do know where we are, don't you?”

“Yes, yes, Uncle John.” Mandie's voice trembled. “My father's grave is right over the hill up there and—and—his—house is not far away.”

“I wanted you to know before we got there. I didn't want it to be a sudden shock,” Uncle John said. “We'll stop when we get there, and I'll help you find some flowers to put on his grave.”

Mandie buried her face on his chest as he hugged her to him.

Joe overheard the conversation, but had already realized where they were. He passed the word to the others, and they all became silent.

Uncle John got up and spoke to Joe. “We're planning to spend the night at your father's house tonight.”

“Great!” Joe exclaimed.

When the others began to talk among themselves, Joe slipped away from the crowd and went to Mandie, who was sitting alone now, except for Snowball. He took her hand in his and squeezed it.

“Mind if I ride beside you?” he asked. “I know you've been trying to stay with Liza to make her feel comfortable. But if you don't mind, I'd like to be with you when we ride up over that hill,” he said gently.

Mandie leaned forward and took his other hand in hers. “Of course, Joe. I want you to,” she said with a smile.

After they mounted again, Joe and Mandie rode directly behind Uncle John. At the top of the hill, when the cemetery came into sight, the others stopped and waited. They knew Mandie wanted to be alone.

Mandie slid down from her pony, handed Snowball to Uncle Wirt, and took Joe and Uncle John by the hand. Together they walked among the graves until they came to the one with a homemade marker reading: “James Alexander Shaw; Born April 3, 1863; Died April 13, 1900.” The mound had flattened some, and it was covered with grass. A handful of wilted flowers stuck out of a clay pot next to the marker.

Mandie let go of their hands and fell on her knees by her father's grave. Tears blurred her vision.

“Daddy, I still love you. I haven't forgotten you. I never will!” she cried softly.

Uncle John knelt by her side and put his arm around her. “Just remember that he's in heaven, darling. And one day you can see him there,” he assured her.

“I know, I know! But I miss him! I loved him so much!” she said between sobs.

“I loved him, too, dear. He was the only brother I had.” Uncle John stood up to pull a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his eyes.

Joe squatted next to Mandie. “I'm sorry those flowers are dead,” he apologized. “I know I promised you I would keep flowers on the grave, but I haven't been home for a long time. Want to look for some now?”

Mandie nodded, wiping her tears on her apron as Joe helped her up. “Yes, let's find some pretty flowers,” she said, taking their hands.

Strolling around the edge of the cemetery, they picked several bunches of Indian Paintbrush and carried them back to replenish the clay pot.