The Pilgrim Song (11 page)

Lewis turned to Hannah. “What do you think, Hannah?”

“I think God may have brought Clint into this household for this very reason. This is the answer to our prayers.”

“We couldn’t all fit into that truck, not with all of our things,” Jenny protested.

“There’s an old trailer and hitch in the garage,” Clint said. “I could put them on the truck, and we could put all the gear you have into the trailer, and we could make beds in the truck to sleep on the way. Wouldn’t have to pay any lodging bills that way.”

This idea intrigued Kat. “We could camp out on the way,” she said excitedly, “and cook outdoors. It would be fun!”

“There wouldn’t be room for much,” Clint put in. “Just maybe a suitcase apiece.”

“Why, I couldn’t get by with that! What would I do with the rest of my clothes?” Jenny wailed.

“Sell ’em to a used clothing store,” Clint said almost harshly. “Take the money with you. You’ll need it when you get there. It was rough enough in the South before this thing broke. It’s going to be even harder now.”

“Why, I couldn’t go sell my clothes at a store!” Jenny said and lifted her chin. “I just couldn’t.”

Clint laughed. “
I
could. You’d go with me, wouldn’t you, Kat?”

“Yes, and we’d make ’em pay good for us too!”

Clint pushed his chair away from the table and said, “I’m going to go outside and let you folks talk about this. This is family business. I don’t think you realize just how difficult it would be to live on a farm in Georgia. You don’t know what shape that house is in, you don’t have much money, and things are going to be tight. But if you want me to, I’ll take you back to Georgia even if it snows ink!” He got up and left, and as soon as he stepped outside, he took a deep breath.
I sure hope I’m not going to get this family into a bigger mess than they’re already in.

****

Clint pulled the truck up the circular driveway to the front door of the Winslow estate. He got out on the driver’s side, and Kat got out on the other side. The girl ran to meet Hannah, waving a bunch of bills. “We sold them all, Hannah! Look at all the money we got.”

Clint walked over and saw Hannah counting the bills. “Didn’t get too much, Miss Hannah, but it’s better than throwing those nice clothes away.”

Hannah hugged Kat and then smiled warmly at Clint. “You did fine, Clint, you and Kat. Do you have any ideas about what we ought to take?”

“You’ll have to have blankets—all you’ve got. We’ll be sleeping outside, and when we get there, there probably won’t be any blankets at the house. We’ll have to have pots and pans and dishes too, both for when we get there and for on the road. I’m going to take all the tools I can lay my hands on around here. You’ll need tools to make that farm work.”

“What would we do without you, Clint?” Hannah said sweetly.

He smiled at her. “You may like it now, but by the time we get to Georgia, you’ll want to shoot me for dragging you into this.”

“You’re not dragging us,” Kat protested. “God sent you.”

Clint laughed and tugged her pigtail. “You just keep on thinking like that, sweetheart. I’ll need all the supporters I can get before we even get to Georgia!”

****

After a final breakfast at the big table in the kitchen, the family had worked together to pack the trailer until it was dangerously overloaded. Clint had included as many tools as he could, and Hannah had seen to it that they brought all the remaining food. Clint said with a grin, “At least we won’t starve to death on the road.”

Now that the moment had actually come, Jenny felt weak and fearful. She stood on the front step for the last time and
looked at the truck suspiciously. It was so old she couldn’t imagine getting very far in it. The trailer hitched to the back was piled high and covered with a tarpaulin. She wanted to run away, but there was no place to run, so she walked over to the truck.

Hannah gave her a motherly hug and said, “You and Kat and I will squeeze in the front seat with Clint.”

“Maybe I could let you drive, Kat.” Clint grinned and winked at her. He saw the look on Jenny’s face and knew better than to prolong the moment. “All right, everybody in. We’ve got a full tank of gas and a long way to go.”

Lewis and Josh crawled up in the back of the truck and tried to get comfortable on the blankets that would serve as bedding. Clint had already informed the women that he had brought a tent for the three of them.

Josh said not a word, but Lewis managed to smile. “Take us to Georgia, Clint.”

“Yes, sir.” He started the engine and then got in behind the wheel and said, “It’s a long way.”

“We’ll make it,” Hannah said with a confident smile. Jenny, however, was in tears.

Kat was squeezed in between Hannah and Clint, almost sitting on his lap. “I think you are our guardian angel, Clint.”

Clint laughed and put the truck in gear. He pulled out of the driveway, saying, “Lots of things I don’t know, but I’m positive about one thing—I’m no angel.”

The truck moved slowly away from the brownstone mansion, mingling with the busy New York City traffic. Lewis Winslow, sitting in the back, caught one final glimpse of the estate and knew that life would never again be the same for his family. He closed his eyes, remembering some of the happier times he and the children had had in the short time they’d lived there. He put his head down as the truck rumbled through the streets of Manhattan. Georgia seemed like another world to him, and in his heart he said good-bye to all he had ever known.

CHAPTER SEVEN

A Long, Tiring Journey

A solid gust of frigid air struck the old Studebaker, nearly wrenching the wheel from Clint’s hands.
We picked a bad time to be on the road,
he thought as he brought the truck back to the right side of the highway.
But then, I guess we didn’t have much choice.

The weather had roughed up the land, and the late-afternoon November sun was nothing but a pale disk, giving meager light and no heat. Glancing to his right, Clint noted the weariness etched on the faces of both Hannah and Jenny. Recent events had been hard on them.

They had just crossed into Maryland, and he kept close watch for a place to camp. Twenty minutes later he crossed a small bridge and, putting on the brakes, eased the truck down onto a dirt road that paralleled the stream. He brought the truck to a halt and turned to say, “We’d better stop for the night while we’ve got light enough to see by.”

Jenny said nothing, but Hannah, who was sitting next to Clint, found a smile, weary though she was. “It’s been a long trip. How far do you think we’ve come?”

“We’re almost to Baltimore. I guess we’ve made close to two hundred miles.” Getting out of the car, Clint stamped his feet to restore circulation, then moved to the back and opened the gate. “Everybody out,” he said cheerfully.

Kat, bundled in the warmest clothes she owned, had transferred to the back an hour earlier and fallen asleep. She came
awake at once and jumped down to the ground. She stamped her feet and said, “Where are we?”

“Almost to Baltimore. You fellas all right?”

Lewis was wedged in, his back against some boxes, a mound of blankets pulled up over him. Slowly he stirred and got out stiffly. His face was pale in the late afternoon light, and he looked around for a moment without speaking. The trip had been hard on him. He was unaccustomed to roughing it, and now the cold wind nipped at his face. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his overcoat and said, “We staying here tonight?”

“It’s not fancy, but it’s free,” Clint said. He glanced at the mound of blankets in the back of the truck and realized that Joshua had not moved. Clint called again but got no response. “See if you can get him out of there, Mr. Winslow. We’re gonna have to work quick before it gets dark.”

“All right.” Lewis crawled back into the truck and began pulling at the still form, calling Josh’s name.

Clint leaped up in the back and grabbed the tent and tossed it on the ground, then jumped down. “We’ll set this up against those trees. They’ll be a breaker for that north wind.”

When they got the tent opened up, Joshua finally descended from the truck, but the odor of alcohol was on him, and his replies were short. Clint showed the two men and Kat how to put up the tent. It was a fine wall tent, large enough for the women to get in out of the cold, and as soon as it was ready, Clint jumped back in the truck. He came out bearing three folding cots under his arms and bent to set them up inside the tent. “Better get all the cover you can, Hannah,” he said.

She smiled faintly. “You’re so good to think of all these things, Clint. We would have been sleeping on the ground, I suppose, if you hadn’t brought these cots.”

Clint said, “This’ll be better for you ladies, and the men can sleep in the truck. Well, we’d better get a fire going. Think you could break out some grub and the cooking gear while I build a fire?”

“Of course,” Hannah replied. She was wearing a wool dress that reached well below her knees. At Clint’s advice she was wearing thick stockings and her heaviest pair of shoes, which were not designed for outdoor weather. “Come on, Jenny, let’s cook up a good meal. I think we all need it.”

Clint had brought a box of kindling and stashed some firewood against the side of the truck bed. He had planned ahead for cooking and knew that most of the burden would fall on his shoulders. Quickly he built a small fire, beginning with the kindling and then adding some sticks. He doused it all with a little kerosene and touched it off with a match. He stood back, feeding it until a fire blazed, making a cheerful crackling that filled the air as the darkness deepened.

The supper was simple. Hannah had brought along some steaks from the remaining food in the kitchen, and now she put the skillets on the grill that Clint had set over the fire. Soon the smell of cooking meat was sharp in the air. Jenny had opened several cans of beans and poured them into a large saucepan, heating them until they bubbled.

“Smells good,” Clint said cheerfully as he drew near. “Kat, get the dishes and some knives and forks.”

Kat willingly found the dishes, and soon all of them were eating. They ate standing up, for the ground was cold. Clint relished the steak and said, “You’re a good cook, Hannah.”

“Anyone can cook steaks.”

“Not me,” Clint said. “And I’ve had some pretty bad ones in restaurants once in a while.”

Lewis ate slowly. He enjoyed the coffee that Hannah and Jenny had made in the large pot, but the day’s travel had been physically hard on him. Even more trying were all the thoughts that troubled his mind; the uncertainty of what lay ahead was wearing him down. As soon as he finished his meal, he murmured, “I think I’ll turn in.”

“Good night, Father,” Hannah said. Seeing his despondency, she hugged him warmly, saying, “We’re on our way. We’ll be in our new home soon.”

Lewis tried to take comfort, but his face was taut as he moved stiffly away from the fire. After Lewis left, Joshua finished his meal slowly, not eating very much. He had been drinking heavily, and finally, without even a good-night, he moved off to join his father in the shelter of the truck.

Clint called after him, “Let that canvas down over the back. It’ll keep some of the heat in, Josh.”

“I’m not ready to go to bed yet,” Kat said. “Why, it’s only eight o’clock.”

“You almost went to sleep while you were eating.” Clint grinned.

“I know, but I want to sit up for a while.”

“You can help us clean up,” Hannah said. They all pitched in until finally Clint threw a blanket on the ground and sat down close to the fire. Kat came over and sat close to him, staring into the fire. “I bet you’ve camped out a lot, haven’t you, Clint?”

“Quite a bit. Used to go out and stay all night chasing foxes. I had me a fine coon hound.”

“What did you do when you caught one? You didn’t eat it, did you?” Kat looked up into his face.

“No, we didn’t even try to catch them. We just liked to hear the dogs chasing them. Every man could tell his own dog’s baying, and we could figure out exactly what they were doing.”

Hannah was tired but was reluctant to go to bed. She got a blanket and sat down by the fire, looking up at Jenny. “Come on and let’s soak up some of this warmth. That tent’s going to be cold.”

Jenny sat down beside her, and for a while a silence played over the small group. Kat shivered, and Clint put his arm around her and pulled her close. “You wrap up good when you go to bed, and keep your socks on. Maybe put on a couple of pairs.” He looked up at the sky and said, “It’s not going to snow, but it’ll be pretty nippy.”

“I’ve never slept outside,” Hannah murmured. She looked
across the fire at Clint, and she was thankful for his presence there. He made a strong shape as he sat on the blanket holding Kat loosely within the circle of his arm. The fire threw flickering shadows over his face, and he seemed preoccupied staring into the blaze.
What would we have done if he hadn’t come along? I can’t imagine it. . . .

For the next hour the four sat there, Clint doing most of the talking. He had traveled a great deal, and Hannah listened intently as he spoke of his adventures. Finally he said, “I guess we’d better get to bed. I want to get an early start tomorrow. We’ll go through Washington in the morning, and then we’ll see how far we can get into Virginia before we make camp.”