Spirit Pouch (28 page)

"Probably as long as the freight wagon is in Willow Springs," I say guessing.  "I really don't know."

"Not Willow Springs.  I mean Colorado."

"Until we cross the border, I guess," I frown at Ty.  That is kind of an unusual, maybe crazy, question coming from Ty.  "Why are you asking
me
that question?"

Ty takes a deep breath and starts over more slowly.  "How long are we going to stay in 1866?" he asks, his voice resonating with frustration.

This time I know what he means.  I still want to answer by saying, 'Until New Years Day', but I bite my lip and reply seriously.  "Ty, I don't have a spirit pouch.  It doesn't travel in time with us."

"So … are we stuck here?" he says, raising his eyebrows, not wanting to embrace the idea of being stranded in 1866.  "I … I mean … you found a way to get back from Dog City, or what ever it is called.  I mean … what's the deal?  Don't you want to go back to our own time?"

"I think about it almost every day," I say, running my finger along the friendship bracelet on my wrist.  Ty does not reply, and after a long minute I say, "I'll ask Annie if the spirit pouch we made got packed, and if we can have it."

"Thanks," Ty says quietly and starts to drift back to the oxen.

"Ty," I call to him.  He comes back.  "I think I'm afraid to go back," I confess.

"You will do fine on the geometry test," he says.  "You know this stuff backwards and forwards."

"It's not that," I say.

"Well, I'm sure your mother will miss you, and probably Lyn, too, if you stay here."

"No.  It's just that when I returned home last time, I returned to the exact same time and place that I left from.  No one would have even known that I was gone for five days.  I mean … I didn't even believe it myself for a short while there."

"That sounds like a good thing to me," Ty says smiling.  Then his smile fades.  "Are you implying that …" his voice cuts off as if he is trying to deny the truth by not speaking it.

I know the feeling.  If you say it, it may become a self fulfilling prophecy.  But this has to be said.  "Ty, we left from the trunk of a burning car.  I don't want to go back."

Ty is quiet as we walk side by side.  "Maybe we don't have to go back to the same place," he says, finally breaking the silence.

"Yes," I agree.  "But maybe we do.  I'm not ready to take that risk.  It is better to live here, than burn to death there."

Ty breathes deep and long.  I can tell he is debating that thought in his mind.  "You're probably right," he says after a time and moves off to help George with the oxen.

Chapter
Fifteen

Hide And Seek

Saturday, July 7

I
feel George and William push the blankets and I know I am awake.  "You guys just coming to bed?" I whisper groggily.

"No," George says laughing.  "It's morning.  Come on."

We had traveled ten miles or more yesterday, and everyone was tired.  I know I was.  We stopped our wagons just outside of Willow Springs where there is grass for our stock and water, too.  After dinner William had volunteered to walk into Willow Springs and find Thomas if he was still there.  We had family prayer early and William set off for the settlement.

Ty and George threw out the canvas and I helped with the blankets.  I was glad to get off my feet and fell asleep quickly.

"Hey," I say, feeling the excitement in the air for the second morning in a row.  "Did you find Thomas last night?"

"I sure did," William replies, pulling on his boots.  "I would have told you but you were sleeping solidly when I got back.  Thomas was eating dinner near the freight wagon.  It took me a while to find him, though.  I had to ask several people where he was.  We talked for a while and he said that he had chores to do last night and a few things to do this morning, then he would come visit us.  They plan to get on the trail in two days after they trade and purchase supplies."

"Come for breakfast," Elizabeth calls.

I have no trouble scrambling out of bed, sliding on shoes and getting to breakfast.  I tie my shoes while everyone arrives.

"We are thankful to be in Willow Springs," Henry says when we are all gathered around.  "Thomas will join us soon because we have finally caught up with the freight wagon."

"No time for a speech, Henry," Elizabeth whispers, "or the food will burn in the pan."

"Can we go to Willow Springs today?" George asks.

"Yes.  But not until Thomas has come."

Henry asks a blessing on the food and expresses thankfulness for our safe arrival at Willow Springs and that Thomas has been safe on the freight wagons.  Elizabeth serves cornbread with bacon in it and molasses poured over the top.

"Thank you for a delicious breakfast," I say as Elizabeth takes my plate.

"That was really good," Ty adds.

"Thank you, boys," she says smiling.  She walks back to the cooking area and slides the dishes into a pot of warm soapy water.

I look at Ty and smile.

"I wasn't being sycophantic," he says defensively, "because what I said is true."

"I hate to break up your scientific debate," William interrupts, "but I need Jared to come check on the cattle with me.  We do have chores to do, you know."

I just smile at Ty and smugly walk away.

"I'm right and you know it," Ty calls after us.

We check the horse and the oxen.  They are fine.  Coming back into camp I can hear Joseph first.

"I got him!" Joseph whoops like an Indian on the war path.

William and I both walk over to Joseph.  Joseph, Ty and Annie are all kneeling around a circle drawn in the dirt.  Three marbles sit inside the circle.

"But you didn't bump him out of the circle, so it is my turn," Annie says.  "That's the rule."
[87]

"I know," Joseph replies haughtily.  "But I still hit him hard.  Ty's marble is clear over onto the edge."

"Your marble is on the edge now, too," Annie says.  "And I'm going to hit it out."

"If your marble goes out," Joseph says defensively, "then you lose."

"I know."  Annie frowns and throws her taw.

I know that when you throw a marble, it is called a taw.  The marble you are trying to hit is called a duck.

"Out!" Annie yells.  "Your duck went out of the circle."

"You were trying to get my marble out and you hit Ty's marble," Joseph sings triumphantly.  "I'm still in."

Annie pokes Joseph with an elbow.

"I guess I lose this round," Ty says sadly.

"My turn," Joseph sings.  He lets go of his taw and it collides with Annie's duck driving both marbles out of the ring.

"I hit you out!" Joseph chants.  "I hit you out."

"You went out, too," Annie says.  "So the game is a tie."

"I know.  But I still slammed you right out of the circle," Joseph says dancing a little.

"Thanks for teaching me how to play," Ty says.

"You can play for keepsies," Annie explains.  "Then if you knock a marble out you get to keep it."

"Really?" Ty says.

"Yes, but I don't like to play that way.  You could lose all your marbles."

Ty stands up and walks over to meet us.

"Will you play with us?" Joseph jumps with enthusiasm as he runs in front of William and me, while dragging Ty along.

"What are you playing this time?" Ty asks, smiling.

"There are lots of bushes and rocks," Joseph replies looking around and pointing.  "So we could play Hide and Go Seek."

"Okay," Ty agrees for us, "but Jared has to be 'it'."

"Wait!" I yell.  "If I see you then you must get back to this rock before I do." I put my foot onto a large rock nearby and point to it.  "If I get here first then you are caught."

"Last one caught is 'it'," Joseph laughs.

"That's right," I smile.  "I'm only going to count to thirty, so you have to hide quickly."

I sat down on the rock and buried my face in my hands.  "I'm counting," I yell.  "One, two, three," I yell slowly.  I hear feet scramble away, with a little whispering.  "Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine."  For a moment it is extremely quiet.  I hear a bird call from a distance and a blanket flap.  I guess Henry is folding it.  "Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen."

"Go hide over there," I hear Annie hiss.

Footsteps on some twigs.  "Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen."

"Don't follow me," Annie scolds from somewhere behind me.

"I'm not," Joseph answers defensively.

"Eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one."

"You've gotta hide," Joseph advises.  "You can't just stand there.  Jared is almost to thirty!"

Annie squeals.  It is not an irritated squeal, like I expect, but one mixed with fear, like last year when my mom got a bee in her hair.  I quit counting and turn around.

"Joseph!  Stop!" Annie cries.  "You're pushing me."

From Annie's voice I can tell where they are, but I cannot see them.

"Oh wow, that is a big snake!" Joseph exclaims.  "Move back!"

"No!  It will strike me!  Go tell William to bring his gun!"

"Step behind me," Joseph commands.  "It won't bite me because I'm holding still."

"It will strike one of us," Annie breathes.

I can see them now.  Annie in front of Joseph and not three feet away is a large, brown rattlesnake.  It is coiled, with its triangular head raised slightly toward Annie and Joseph.  I can hear the rattle now, which is shaking a vigorous warning only inches from the snake's deadly, venomous head.

"Slowly step back," I say quietly.

"See.  I told you," Joseph says urgently.

"No!  It will bite me."

"It won't bite me," Joseph says.  "I've got boots on."

"I have boots," Annie hisses.

"But I have long pants.  It can't get me."  Joseph reaches for Annie's hand and pulls her backwards.

As they move the snake strikes.  Annie screams and they both hit the ground kicking and scrambling backwards out of reach of the snake.

William runs up with his rifle, takes aim at the snake and shoots.  The snake lays sprawled out in the dirt.

"You made it strike!" Annie screams at Joseph.  "You made it strike!"  Annie is crying now and I help her up, putting my arm around her.

"It didn't bite you though, did it?" Joseph defends himself.

Annie stops crying and lifts her skirt to check her legs. No bite marks.  Not even a scratch.  "It could have bitten me," she yells angrily.

"We can thank our God that you are all right," Henry says, mostly to Annie.  "How is everyone else?" he asks looking around.

"It was a prairie rattler, Father," William reports.  "Apparently it struck when they started to move away, but it missed."

"That ol' snake isn't going to bite anybody now," Joseph says still sitting in the dirt and rubbing his leg above the boot line.

"Joseph," Henry steps closer.  "Are you all right?"

"Yes, Father.  I just scratched my leg on a rock when Annie fell on me."

"Come here," Henry says.  "I want to see that scratch."

Joseph pulls his pant legs up and I breathe a sigh of relief.  Henry inspects his leg very closely.

"Puncture marks," he says solemnly.  He picks Joseph up in his arms and turns toward camp.

My heart sinks.  "How poisonous are prairie rattlers?" I ask William.

Ty answers, "About the same as diamond backs.  It can vary a lot.  Sometimes they will strike and not inject any venom if it is a defensive strike.  Hunting is another matter."

"So, do you think they have anti-venom in Willow Springs?" I ask William.

"I've never heard of anti-venom," William says.  "What is it?"

"It is a serum, sometimes made from horse blood after a horse has been bitten.  It helps cure snakebites," Ty answers.

"I know you are smart, Ty," William produces a worried smile.  "But if that were true I would have heard about it.  People die from snake bites all the time.  They are never given anti-venom.  That sounds like an old wives tale."

William runs to catch up with his father.

"Anti-venom will not be discovered for another twenty or so years," Ty says.  "And we don't have enough time to make any.  Besides, no one will let a couple of boys test their theory on their horse or on a bite victim.  So forget it."

"Elizabeth," Henry bellows.  "I need a bed."

"What happened?" Elizabeth panics.

"Snake bite on his leg.  Prairie rattler."  Henry takes a deep breath, "Bring me my knife."

"I'm all right, Mother," Joseph says as Henry lays him down in his own bed.  "It doesn't even hurt.  I'll be okay."

"Henry," I say.  "Can I talk with you about Joseph for thirty seconds while Elizabeth fetches your knife … over here?"

We step a few paces away.  "We have a lot of rattle snakes in Arizona," I begin.  "So, I have studied about snake bites a little."

"What can you tell me?" Henry says, agitated.  "Be quick."

"The first thing is that cutting open the bite will do very little to help a snake bite.  It will probably only allow dirt to get in and cause an infection."

"Thank you, Jared," Henry says.  "This is my son, and you expect me to sit back and do nothing.  I cannot do nothing, and this is what has been done for many years.  I'm sorry.  I am going to open the bite and suck the venom."

"Wash his leg with soap," I say.  "and wash your knife, too.  That is, if you must do this."

Henry glares at me, turns and leaves me standing here.  "Elizabeth.  I need soap and water, quickly."  Henry kneels down beside Joseph.  "This is serious, Joseph," Henry says, wiping a tear from his eye, and then regaining his composure.  "We have to treat this snake bite, and it is going to hurt.  I need you to be brave, son."

"What are you going to do?" Joseph asks.

"I am going to cut the bit open a little and suck the poison out.  We need to be quick and I need you to be brave."

"I will, Father."

"Jared, William, Ty, I will need your help."  Henry pulls Joseph's pant leg up.  The bite is red now.  I have no trouble spotting it this time.

Elizabeth brings soap and water and quickly washes Joseph's leg, then washes Henry's knife.  "Hands," she says.

Henry scowls, "Elizabeth!"

"Hands, too," she says.  "I heard what Jared said about infection."

Henry holds out his hands and Elizabeth scrubs them quickly with soap and a wet towel.  "Okay."

"Boys, hold him so he does not move.  I want to be quick and precise."

We each take an arm and leg and then a fourth pair of hands grasp Joseph's leg.

"Thomas!" Joseph says.

"We can talk later," Henry says.  "Help me with his leg."

"I prayed you would be here," Joseph says.  "I'll be all right now, Father."

Henry takes the knife and with quick motion makes a slit through the skin and into his leg, directly through both puncture points.  I am surprised to see that at first there is no blood, but then it begins to ooze from the incision.