First Dawn (6 page)
At the sound of thunderous laughter from Herman Kemble, they all turned in unison. When his laughter finally ceased, he turned to Mr. Hill. “You’s joshin’ with us, right?”
William Hill’s already pale complexion had turned a pasty white, and he tugged at his scraggly blond mustache. Jarena watched as he focused his unwavering gaze upon some indeterminate object on the horizon, obviously unable to look any of them in the eye. “We’re . . . uh, we’re a little behind schedule on our building projects,” he lamely explained. “But soon we’ll . . . uh, begin, and in the meantime, all of you can erect your own homes. You’ll have the freedom to decide upon what type of shelter you want to build.”
Jarena stared at him in disbelief. He made it sound as though they’d been granted some special privilege for which they should be grateful. Did he truly believe they were so foolish? And why did the other men remain silent? Were they so bewildered that they were rendered speechless, or was it their fear of contradicting Mr. Hill that caused them to suddenly become mute? She looked for Thomas Grayson but couldn’t find him in the crowd. Jarena turned to level a sharp glare at her pappy but stopped short. Was the dampness on his cheeks perspiration or tears? She couldn’t be certain, but she softened her gaze and grasped his large, worn hand in her own.
“We’re going to be all right, Pappy,” she whispered with more confidence than she felt.
He glanced down at her, and another tear escaped his deep brown eyes. “You’s right about that, chil’. The good Lord ain’t gonna let nothin’ bad happen. He delivered us to dis here promised land, and I know He’s gonna be watchin’ over us.”
Jarena couldn’t disagree aloud, for the older man’s vulnerability was obvious. At this moment in his life, he needed encouragement, not harshness. Pushing aside the desire to remind him of her many admonitions, she squeezed his hand reassuringly.
Seemingly freed from his state of shock, Calvin Harris waved a fist in the air. “There ain’t nothin’ here! This is open prairie. There ain’t no town!”
“He’s right!” several others agreed, joining ranks behind Calvin.
Mr. Hill backed away from the angry crowd and quickly ascended a small grassy mound several feet away. “You’re wrong!” he shouted. “There’s opportunity all around you. Land! Freedom! The chance to make this town exactly what you want it to be.”
A voice came from the crowd. “We want what you promised us. You took our money and done nothin’.”
“Delays—merely delays,” Hill replied as he loosened his collar. “You men know that nothing ever progresses as quickly as planned. Besides, we set September as the month we’d have everything completed, and it’s only July.”
Herman Kemble took several large steps toward the mound. “Even if we give you ’til the end of September, ain’t no way you’s gonna have this town built by then. Why, you ain’t even got no supplies here to build with. Ain’t no streets laid out or nothing else as far as I can tell. What’d you do wid our money? You sure didn’ use it here. How you ’spectin’ us to get by with no stores and no supplies, Mr. Hill?”
“Remember I was required to pay the filing fee for your land. And you should recall I encouraged you to purchase supplies before we left Topeka—and even at several of the small towns along the way.”
“But you never told us there wasn’t nothin’ in Nicodemus ceptin’ brush and dirt! You knowed we’da never come if you’da told us the truth, didn’t ya?” Herman Kemble was nearly trembling with anger. “How we s’posed to survive out here? And where’s Ivan Lovejoy?”
“The railhead’s down in Ellis, but you can’t make it there and back in one day, especially with supplies. As for Lovejoy, I’m not certain where he’s camped, but I’m confident he’s somewhere near here.”
“He ain’t gonna have enough supplies for all this group,” Herman Kemble retorted.
Jarena looked at her father. Finally she saw the reaction she would have expected. His demeanor had changed from misery to anger. The vein in his neck throbbed, and his hands were clenched into tight fists. “We ain’t even got horses and wagons,” he accused. “You let us believe we could get everything we needed here in Nicodemus.”
“I never actually said it would be possible,” Hill replied.
“You’s playin’ with words—jest like you been doin’ ever since you took our money back in Kentucky!” Herman Kemble hollered. “What you gonna do to make things right with us?”
Hill’s hands shook as he flapped his arms up and down in an attempt to soothe the crowd. “If you have enough money to purchase these horses and wagons, I’ll sell them to you and make it right with the livery in Topeka—all except my own wagon and team,” he added hastily.
The men—Thomas Grayson among them—clustered together, and Jarena stood near the perimeter of the circle, anxious to hear the discussion. “We gotta figure how much money each of us can pitch in toward a couple teams of horses an’ at least one wagon,” John Beyer suggested. “Without horses, we gonna die out here.”
After they added up their money, the men found they could afford only three horses and one wagon. The meager remaining funds would be needed for supplies.
“We oughta hang him,” Jarena heard Jerome Holt whisper. “He’s a liar and a cheat.”
“Settle yerself, Jerome,” another man said. “Ain’t gonna turn to no violence. Let’s see what he says ’bout our offer on the horses.”
Jerome pulled a cotton kerchief from his trouser pocket and wiped his forehead. “He’d best see it our way, or I’m all fer stringin’ ’im up.”
“Mr. Hill, we got an offer fer ya,” Herman said as the group broke ranks. “We’ll pay ya fifty dollars fer one team and a wagon. You give us one of your horses or pay the owner for one of dese others and make a gift of it to us.”
“Fifty d-dollars? A g-gift?” Hill stammered.
“Call it a way to heal the wrong you done to these folks,” Thomas Grayson put in, stepping toward William Hill.
Mr. Hill’s skin now matched the whites of his watery eyes. He fumbled for words to defuse the growing anger of the crowd as pools of deathly gray settled inside the hollows of his sunken cheeks.
“Let the man speak,” Ezekiel said as he stepped forward.
“Thank you, Mr. Harban. I feel terrible about the situation you’re all facing out here, and you’re right—you do need some horses and wagons. Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll go and fetch the Peterson brothers— they live over near Hill City. They agreed to go with me and take all eight of the wagons to Topeka, but I’ll tell them I’m only taking six wagons back. To prove my concern, I’m going to leave you folks with two wagons and two teams—but you only need to pay me for one.”
Murmurs spread among the new settlers and finally Jerome Holt spoke out. “Don’ be ’spectin’ to hear me thankin’ ya fer leavin’ the wagons. It’s the least ya can do after all the lies ya told us.”
Mr. Hill’s color improved as he inhaled deeply. He straightened his narrow shoulders before giving them a thin-lipped smirk. “I want you folks to take heart. I promised this town would be ready for you, and you’re going to be amazed at what’s been accomplished by the end of September. As soon as I return to Topeka, I’ll be finalizing the arrangements. In no time you’re going to have a fine little town that you’ll be pleased to call home. Before winter sets in, this town will surpass all of your hopes and dreams.”
“Let’s hope it ain’t our
bad
dreams, or we’ll be out lookin’ fer you, Mr. Hill,” Jerome replied. His voice remained edged with anger.
“You have my every assurance that you are going to have a school and churches and many shops bustling with business along the streets of Nicodemus before the first snow falls on the plains. Trust me! I am a man of honor.”
“Don’ appear we got much choice but to trust him,” Calvin muttered.
Jarena glanced up at her father, wondering if he believed Mr. Hill’s promises.
“Think we better be puttin’ our trust in the Lord instead of Mr. Hill,” her father said softly.
If only her father had listened to her back in Georgetown.
T
he day Mr. Hill departed Nicodemus, a shroud of fear and foreboding settled over the encampment. Uneasiness reigned, especially among the women—and Effie Beyer in particular. Though Jarena had always considered Effie a bit flighty, the woman’s behavior had grown more erratic since leaving Georgetown. Her ill-behaved children made life no easier for the woman. But most likely the recent odd behavior was caused by departing her home in Kentucky and then compounded when their small group had been deposited in the middle of the prairie to survive on their own. And who could blame poor Effie? The only things visible to remind them of what they’d been promised back in Georgetown were the Solomon River and one of Mr. Hill’s line drawings depicting the layout of Nicodemus and the surrounding township.
So far as Jarena could understand from that drawing, they should have right now been in a community where the north and south streets were numbered First through Seventh and the intersecting streets patriotically bore the names of the first American presidents. But there were no streets or houses or any of the numerous businesses so artfully depicted on Mr. Hill’s map. Worst of all, there was no place to purchase the supplies they so sorely needed. Surrounded by low-lying hills and a vast expanse of prairie, they could only surmise how Hill planned to build the town he envisioned. Little wonder Effie Beyer’s behavior had become erratic. In fact, Jarena marveled that others had not become frenzied or inconsolable.
A vacant stare filled Effie’s eyes as she approached Jarena. The twins had gathered a number of the children, Effie’s brood included, and were leading them in a game of tag.
“You think Truth and Grace can make them young’uns behave?” Effie asked Jarena in a quivery voice. “If not, I’ll get mine back over here beside me.”
Jarena gazed into Effie’s fearful eyes. “They’ll be just fine, Effie. The twins will watch out for them. Both Truth and Grace are good with the younger children.”
Effie dropped onto the flat-topped trunk Jarena now used as a small table. “I’m scared. I tol’ John I didn’t wanna leave Georgetown,” she whispered, her focus flitting about as she spoke. “Don’ go far!” Her eyes shone with fear as she yelled and waved at her children.
Jarena grasped the older woman’s hand in a reassuring grip. “They’ll be just fine.”
“John’s wantin’ to take the wagon and go find our land. I don’ wanna go off by ourselves. I told him we ain’t got ’nuff supplies to last out there by ourselves, but I don’ think he’s gonna listen. What am I gonna do?” She raked her trembling fingers through a mass of unkempt thick hair.
Jarena pulled the woman into an embrace. “I’ll see what I can do. I’ll ask my pappy what the men are planning. You sit here and rest.”
“Thank you, Jarena. You’s gonna come back and tell me what he says, ain’t you?” Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears as she held fast to Jarena’s sleeve.
“Of course I will. Just rest, Effie.”
Jarena marched off toward the two wagons, where her father sat talking to several of the men. Whatever was wrong with these men? Did they not care what their wives desired? Was a woman’s opinion deemed so useless that it was given no consideration? For they were now stranded in this unforgiving wasteland.
Jarena stooped down beside her father and waited until he turned to her. “Somethin’ wrong, gal?”
She hesitated a moment, her gaze settling on Ivan Lovejoy. “When did Mr. Lovejoy arrive?” she whispered.
“Few minutes ago. He’s been camped out on his acreage, but he’s gonna move in here with the rest of us fer a spell. Like all of us, he says he was s’prised to find nothin’ completed in the town. Is that why you come stompin’ over here?”
“No, I was wondering if any decisions have been made—about where we’ll stay until Mr. Hill returns.”
Jerome Holt didn’t hesitate to answer. “Best we all stay together.”
The others nodded—all except John Beyer. “I was thinkin’ to get on out to my land. Thought maybe ya’d let me take one of the wagons and maybe borrow a few tools. I’m anxious to get started on puttin’ up some shelter for my family.”
Percy Sharp, who had been pretty quiet thus far, shook his head. “You know I ain’t one to speak against any man doin’ as he sees best for hisself and his family, but we gotta think about the whole group— not just ourselves. Every man here is anxious to provide shelter for his family, I know dat, but rushin’ off by ourselves is the worst thing we can do right now. There’s safety in numbers. I think we should stick together right here at the townsite.”
“I agree,” Robert Fowler stated. “If you take off with one of the teams and a wagon
and
the few tools we got amongst us, how’s the rest of us gonna get anything done ’round here?”
John’s jaw tightened. He yanked his hat from his head and threw it to the ground. “Appears you think I’m selfish, Robert. Who was it that loaned you the fi’ dollars to pay the land company so’s you could come out here?”
Robert glanced toward heaven and then shook his head. “I ain’t saying you’s selfish—jest saying we ain’t got much in the way of supplies and we best keep the little we got in one place. And jest in case you forgot, I paid back the money I owed you—plus a quarter for interest.”
“Is all of you agreein’ with Robert?” John asked angrily as he surveyed the group.
His answer was a chorus of
um-hums
and nodding heads.
A puff of powdery dust billowed from John’s side as he picked up his hat and slapped it on his pant leg. “Guess if that’s how all of ya feel, I got no choice but to stay. But I’m telling all of ya that when Mr. Hill gets back here with our supplies, I’m headin’ out to my place.”
Jarena sighed. At least she would be able to carry good news to Effie. Perhaps the woman would settle herself once she knew that her family would be remaining with the group.
She made her way back to where the harried woman was seated and gave her an encouraging smile as she drew near. “You can rest easy, Effie. He’s agreed to stay with the rest of us until Mr. Hill returns.”
Effie’s forehead creased with worry lines, but she thanked Jarena. “I best get back over there. I was watchin’ John. He’s mad as a hornet— won’t be no pleasin’ him tonight.”
