Dorothy Garlock - [Wabash River] (33 page)

“You know where to grab a man where the hair’s short, don’t you, Quill? Well, I can’t say that I blame you. What do you plan to do? Kill Lenning? Or Carroll?”

“It wouldn’t cause me to lose a wink of sleep if it comes to that. I’ll do it if I have to. But I’ve something else in mind. I’m not wanting to kill my wife’s father, even if he is a low-down, lazy bastard.”

“All right. I’ll take the patrol on downriver. We’ll be back tomorrow. Is that time enough?” Heald asked.

“Plenty. But there’s something else you can do—for the good of the territory.”

“What’s that?”

“You can talk to Will Harrison and tell him he’s made a mistake giving Perry so much authority. If he really wants peace with the tribes, he’d better keep Perry in Vincennes.”

“I’ve already thought of that. I’ll throw your name into the argument if it’s all right with you. Will has great respect for your judgment.”

“Tell him just what I said I’d do if Perry comes nosing around here. If he wants this fort built, he’d better keep him away.”

“I’ll do that. Now, about this fort. Harrison plans to send two boatloads of ore to feed the furnace in the shot tower along with two boatloads of supplies.”

“I’ll be ready for them in two months’ time. We’ll build the barracks and shot tower first. It will give us some protection while we’re building the stockade. In two weeks’ time I hope to have a crew of twenty men working full time.”

“It’s more than I thought you could do. Be careful with Lenning. From what I’ve observed of him in this short time I’d say he’s a vindictive man.”

“He may not stay. I’ve seen his kind come and go.”

“I’d bet my last button he’ll stay. He’s all keyed up to open a trading post and build a town around that place he’s got up there. He’s forting it up too. It appears he’s got the money to do it. Be careful of him.”

“I mean to be. You’d better warn him about firing on everything that’s got a red skin or he’ll be burned out and scalped before the summer’s over. What’s more, he’ll cause a lot of innocent people to be killed.”

“I’ll have a talk with him.”

“Have you seen or heard anything about a fellow by the name of Hull Dexter?”

The captain thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No, I’ve not heard the name. Is he wanted for something?”

“I want him. He ran out on a train of four wagons and left the pilgrims to be slaughtered by river pirates. As far as I could tell there wasn’t a shot fired. That young boy there with Mr. Washington is the only one who lived, and that was because his mother threw him into the berry bushes. Four women raped and murdered, four men and two children killed.”

“He might not have run out. He may have escaped to save his own skin.”

“I think he set them up.”

“God in heaven! I’m constantly amazed at the uncivilized behavior of these people. How could he have done that to white people?”

“Any people, Captain Heald,” Farr corrected. “Indians are people too.”

“If I hear anything about him I’ll send word.”

“I mean to kill him.”

Nathan Heald nodded. “Just be sure he did what you think he did.”

He went over to speak with Elija and Stith, and Farr took that opportunity to ask Juicy and Mr. Washington if they would escort Liberty and Amy back to the cabin.

Lenning was angry. Elija was talking excitedly, waving his arms and casting hurried glances at his daughters as they went up through the woods with their escort. Farr and Colby watched until Elija and Stith mounted up and rode away.

“Old Elija is fit to be tied and that other fellow’s real mad. The captain was reading them the book!” Colby grinned happily. “What are you going to do about that other cocky little bastard, Farr? I’ve never liked him. I don’t think the captain likes him much either.”

“Just what I said I’d do.” Farr smiled at his friend. “Only maybe not in that order. He’ll throw his weight around, but he’ll get someone else to do his dirty work. I’m thinking that someone is Lenning.”

“What can he do?”

“He could burn us out, try to kill me, or send his henchman to do the job.”

“Goddamn!”

“I hear he’s forting up his place. I guess he plans to stay there if the war comes this way.”

“Ha! He’d play hell protecting any place with a handful of men once Tecumseh goes on the warpath.”

“He’ll have to find that out for himself—if he lives that long. Come on, let’s cut a few more boards before nooning.”

With the help of Mr. Washington and Juicy, tables were set up in the yard for the men, and at Willa’s insistence she and Amy waited on them so that Liberty could dine with Farr and the captain. As soon as she reached the cabin with the news they would have a guest for dinner, Liberty brought out a white linen cloth and reset the table. When she was satisfied the cabin was as neat and homey as she could make it, she went to the wagon and changed her dress. She brushed her hair and coiled it on top of her head, added a brooch to the neck of her dress, and then went back to the cabin. She wanted to make a good impression for Farr’s sake.

The captain was suitably impressed. Smiling quietly, she served him and Farr and then took her place at the table. She was a gracious hostess but did not enter into the conversation unless asked a question or spoken to directly. When they had finished eating Captain Heald turned to her.

“My wife and I were married just a year at Fort Wayne, Mrs. Quill. We married in May, and our wedding journey was a brisk horseback trip over the spring prairies to Chicago. We traveled by compass over the grasslands and made good time, six days. Rebekah is a sturdy, spirited woman, who, like her uncle, Captain William Wells, took naturally to the wilderness. She likes the wild and lonely post of Fort Dearborn.”

“I would like to meet her. Perhaps when peace comes to the territory you can make another journey, south this time, to visit us.”

The captain laughed. “I don’t know, Quill. With the two of them, there might be more fireworks than we could handle.”

Farr looked into Liberty’s shining eyes, and what she saw in his quickened her pulses and set her heart to singing. There was a proud fondness in the depth of his green eyes. His lids narrowed slightly, yet he continued to look at her. His eyes possessed a mysterious magnetic force, and she couldn’t look away. He smiled, and she felt immersed in a sumptuously delicious joy. She felt as if she were floating several inches above her chair.

The captain laughed again, and the spell was broken. “You two may have married in haste, but I’m certain your union is blessed with love since you have eyes only for each other. Excuse me, ma’am. I wish to speak with Colby Carroll. I know his father, Sloan Carroll, of Carrolltown. It will give your husband time to reassure you about . . . things that, er, trouble you.”

Farr and Liberty stood, and Farr went to the door with the captain. Liberty took the silver candlestick she had set on the table for a decoration to the mantle. Farr came up behind her, wrapped his arms about her waist, and rested his chin on the top of her head. Liberty felt her insides warm with pleasure as she looked at their reflection in the glass door of the clock. She had never before experienced this melting, letting go sensation that invaded her innermost being when she was with him.

“You were beautiful, and I was proud.” He bent his head and pressed his face into the curve of her neck.

She turned in his arms and slipped hers about him. Her warm, moist lips traced the line of his jaw and moved upward to settle very gently on his mouth where they moved with sweet provocation. Love and tenderness welled within her. They stood quietly as if to absorb the feel of each other. When Farr pulled back, he tilted her chin with his finger so that he could see her face.

“I must go, but I’ll be back in a little while. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

“Papa and Stith want to take Amy, and they’re going to get Hammond to help them.”

“Are you a witch, my pretty? How did you know?”

“It’s what they would do. What can we do?” Fear made her eyes cloud and her mouth tremble.

“You’re not to worry. You’ve got me now. That’s my job.”

“Oh, Farr! I’m so glad I didn’t go to Vincennes to find Hammond. He’s horrid. A real mule’s ass!”

Farr chuckled. “I wasn’t going to let you go. I was even glad when Lenning took over the Shellenberger place so you couldn’t go there.”

“Hold me for just a minute. You are the most wonderful man!” Her voice was weakened by the depth of her emotion.

When she looked up into his face again, there was a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

“I hope you’ll always think so. Remember what Colby said on the day we married?”

“What? Oh . . . about your feet?”

“It’s true.”

“Oh, you! Farr? Don’t make me laugh. I don’t feel like laughing, I want to cry. Poor little Amy.”

*  *  *

Amy seemed to be blissfully unaware of what was going to happen. She flirted with the Luscomb boy, thinking to make Rain jealous, but he ignored both of them. Peewee got so flustered he forgot to eat and went back to the sawyer camp still hungry.

“Amy, stay in the house with Libby, or close to the house.” Farr was on his way back to the sawyer camp and passed Amy swinging Mercy on the sack swing. “Those soldiers haven’t seen a girl as pretty as you for a long time.”

“It isn’t the soldiers, is it, Farr? It’s Papa. He’s trying to take me to Stith’s?”

“Yes, he’s trying. But you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t want to ever leave you and Libby. I hate Papa!”

“You should feel sorry for him. He’s lost the love of two beautiful daughters.” Farr put his hand on her head, and Amy leaned her forehead against him.

“I’ll do what you say, Farr.”

“Good girl.”

Farr walked away and Rain ran a short way to catch up with him. “What’s that all about?”

Farr’s surprise at his young friend’s question was not reflected in his face. Rain was troubled. He never asked questions or pried into other people’s affairs.

“I thought you didn’t like Amy.”

“She’d be all right if she didn’t talk so much.”

“She’s just trying to get your attention.”

“Why me?”

“I don’t know. Why any girl would choose you over Peewee is beyond me.”

“Stop joshin’, Farr. Old man Carroll and Lenning are up to something. Is it about Amy?”

“Yes, it’s about Amy. It’s something we’ve all got to talk about.”

T
ime passed slowly after the men went back to work. Amy came in and sat in the rocking chair with Mercy while Willa and Liberty washed the dishes. Soon Mercy was asleep. Amy placed her on the bunk and went back to the chair.

“Papa doesn’t love me,” she said quietly. “Why doesn’t he love me, Libby? I tried to be good. You told me I was a good girl when I was little.”

“Oh, honey, you were good. You are good and sweet and helpful now. I couldn’t ask for a better sister. It isn’t anything you’ve done or not done. And Papa loves you in his own way. He feels that life has cheated him. That’s why he talks big, builds himself up, and takes credit for things he’s had nothing to do with. It’s the way he
wants
to be, but it isn’t in him to do those things.”

“He could if he’d try. He thinks everyone owes him some thing. Farr doesn’t think that, or Uncle Juicy. I just never thought Papa would give away his own little girl so he’d not have to work.”

“I don’t know what to say, Amy. I don’t want you to hate Papa, but there’s no way I can defend him.” Liberty wanted to cry for her little sister. Amy was hurt and scared. Her hands clutched the arms of the rocker as if she were hanging onto a raft in a swirling tide. “Farr will know what to do. We have him and Colby and Uncle Juicy and even Rain to help us.”

“Does Papa know what Stith will do to me? How he’ll hurt me?” Amy’s eyes filled with huge tears

“Yes, he knows. But a lot of men think that’s just some thing a woman has to endure to pay for her keep.” Liberty glanced at Willa and saw that she was keeping her face turned away because she was crying.

“Does Farr think that?”

“No. Farr would never force a woman.” Liberty pulled up a chair and sat down in front of her sister. “Farr didn’t touch me until he asked me if I wanted to . . . be with him that way. I wanted to because I love him. He was gentle with me, and it was wonderful. It was nothing to be ashamed of, as I’ve heard women say. It will be that way for you and the man you love.”

“He didn’t hurt you?”

“No, darling. He didn’t hurt me at all. It was comforting to have him hold me.”

“Farr loves you.”

“He’s never told me so.”

“Libby? I saw Stith do something bad once. I’ve never told because I was afraid. Mary Clary and I were in Stith’s barn hiding from prissy Hope Swenson. Mrs. Swenson’s bond girl, Lucy, came in with a basket looking for eggs. Amy began to talk fast, scarcely taking a breath. “Stith came in right behind her and shut the doors. He threw her down on the hay. She got up and tried to run, but he caught her and . . . pulled her dress up over her head. She cried and begged him to leave her alone, but he laughed. Then . . . he got between her legs and took out his . . . thing. When he rammed it in her she screamed!” Tears were rolling down Amy’s cheeks. “Lucy cried for a long time and tried to wipe away the blood—” Amy came up out of the chair, sat on Liberty’s lap and put her arms around her neck as she had done when she was Mercy’s age, and sobbed uncontrollably.

‘Oh, darling! Don’t cry and don’t think about it. That won’t happen to you. I swear it!”

“I can’t help it. I’m so scared.”

“I know, and so am I. Farr will think of something. He said for us not to worry.”

*  *  *

Liberty and Amy were sitting on the bench beneath the oak tree when Farr, Colby, Rain and Juicy came walking up the lane from the road. Liberty was darning the holes in Farr’s socks; Amy was aimlessly staring off into space. Willa and Daniel had gone to the barn to find the pet crow.

Farr picked up a bench as he passed the house and carried it out to the tree. He and Juicy sat down and Colby and Rain squatted on their heels.