Threads of Change (9 page)

T
he hot sun perched boldly, straight overhead. The group had made surprisingly good distance for the time they had been on the trail, which pleased Thomas.

Chet rode over the crest of a small hill and slowed his horse to the speed of Thomas’s wagon, and Thomas motioned toward the region to the right side of them. Chet’s head dodged in the direction after it.

“What’s up? How does it look over there?” Thomas asked.

“Still like Louisiana,” Chet joked.

“Go back and make sure the others are doing fine. If we can find water, I’d like to stop for the horses.”

“I’ll tell them.”

Chet pushed back and rode back a short way to where Liz and Megan’s wagons were driving.

“Hello,” Thomas heard him call out, slowing his horse to their speed.

After Chet had confirmed that each wagon was doing fine, he rode on to relay the news to Thomas.

“Good,” Thomas said. “Did you tell them that we would stop soon?”

“Yes, I did. They supposed the sooner the better.”

“They need to stop?”

“I reckon everyone would like a break soon.”

“Very well. See if you can scout a place for water.”

“We’ve been traveling parallel to a large creek. Almost six feet across I’d say.”

“Really?”

“For about three miles.”

“Can you lead the way?”

Chet dipped his head and nodded. “It’s only a short way. Follow me!”

The wagons tracked off to the right side with Chet leading the way. Up ahead, Thomas spotted a thick group of low trees; just beyond them, a rocky area and a flowing creek—almost six feet across, just as Chet had said.

The wagons came to a halt before reaching the area of thick growth that bordered the creek at a wide perch where the horses could enjoy the shade and drink water. The ladies quickly unloaded and headed upstream a bit to wash and enjoy the fresh water.

Blue, John, and Lucas walked to the creek, downstream from the women, and filled several buckets from which the horses could drink. Chet and Thomas stayed behind with the wagons and horses.

“Everything is going well,” Chet said as Thomas took a long drink from his canteen and then pushed the cork lid over the opening.

“So far,” he said flatly. “It’s not what’s up ahead that concerns me. It’s what is traveling behind us.”

Chet glanced over his shoulder. “Behind us? What do you mean?”

“The women,” Thomas said, wiping his mouth.

Chet looked concerned. “Why? What did Lucas say about the women?”

“To watch out for them.”

“We’ve only just gotten started.”

“Anything could go wrong when half your wagon train is women!” Thomas joked, but a sense of serious concern washed over him and he shook his head. “What I mean is that we’re still close to Pineville and the ladies don’t seem anxious just yet, but they’re women. They could easily change their minds. And really, I have no wish to turn around to Pineville for their sake.”

Chet cut in. “Do you really think they would turn back?”

“We should keep a close eye on that for a few days.” Thomas propped his arm on the wagon. “A man never knows what a woman might do, and they’ve left everything they know behind them.”

Chet reached into his vest pocket and brought out a small bottle of homemade sour mash. He took a short swig and extended the bottle for Thomas.

“Just what I need,” Thomas said, and he took a long gulp. “Thank you.”

Chet put the bottle back inside his vest.

“I’d like to camp close to water tonight,” Thomas said. “See if you can find out how long this stream carries. The place where it breaks off in the other direction is where we’ll camp.”

“You’d like for me to go now?”

Thomas nodded. “Keep your pistol handy,” he warned.

“Very well,” Chet said, loosening the ropes to his horse and immediately climbing onto the saddle.

“See if you can find something for dinner, too.”

Chet tipped his hat to Thomas.

“Yah!” Chet commanded, kicking his spurs at the horse. He disappeared almost instantly through the thick brush.

Thomas waited like a mother hen as the ladies went about their business, not realizing for a minute or so that he’d been holding his breath.

Blue walked up from the creek and must have seen the consternation on his face. Slapping him on the back, he told him, “Relax, cowboy. Everything’s fine!”

“You’re right,” he said, slightly startled as he removed his hat. “Lucas will kill me three times over if I don’t keep his granddaughters in one piece.”

“Everything will be fine. They aren’t children.”

“Yes, they’re women!” Thomas laughed. “Did the horses get water?”

“Yeah,” Blue replied with a chuckle. “I’m going to look over the wagons another time. I think the middle one is rattling too much for our own good. Then we only have to wait for Chet and the women to return.”

Thomas stood up and stretched.

“But you should rest some,” Blue said. “The sun is out strong today.”

Thomas quickly found a place in the shade and sat down with his back leaning against a large tree. Blue busied himself looking over the wagons and inspecting them for cracks around the wheels. He’d helped Lucas build most of them, and Thomas felt confident in his familiarity with their assembly.

Thomas tilted his hat over his eyes and dozed off almost immediately after sitting down. He hadn’t planned to sleep, but the late afternoon sun was enticing; even the strongest of men grew tired from its intensity and vigor.

The ladies chatted relentlessly as they walked their way upstream. Their legs had grown tired and cramped, and Liz felt thankful for the opportunity to stretch. As Megan squatted beside the water and nursed her hands in its coolness, she realized the reins had done their worst on her sister’s uncalloused hands. “Hurry, Megan! You can do that later,” Emma squealed. “I’ve got to go badly!”

“Why wouldn’t Thomas allow us to stop?” Abby chimed in. “‘Just drive on, just drive,’ he says.”

The women laughed at her impersonation of Thomas. She even acted out the hand gestures, just as Thomas did when he gave directions or talked seriously about something.

“Gracious,” Megan added, “we’ve been driving for such a time, my hands have become raw from the reins.”

“Megan’s right, Liz,” Abby suddenly said. “You must talk with Thomas about this.”

Emma nodded in agreement.

“Riding so hard on our first day out,” Megan joined in as she gathered up her skirts, “can’t be good for us. It can’t be healthy!”

“Why am I the one who has to tell Thomas we need a break?” Liz protested.

“Well, you are the oldest, of course,” Megan said, as if it should be understood.

Abby agreed. “If anyone were to talk with him, it should be you.”

“I will speak with him.”

“Lizzie,” Abby said, as she looked at her hands and wiggled her fingers. “Look at my hands! Are yours so swollen?”

“Good heavens, dear lady!” Liz said, holding her cousin’s red and swollen hands. “Megan’s are faintly red, but nothing like yours.”

“You don’t need to hold the reins so stiffly,” Megan said. “Only tug when the horses need to be commanded.”

“I must have held them too tightly without realizing it.”

“Let’s fill our canteens down here,” Liz told them, watching her steps as she made her way down to the water.

The others followed her down to the creek, and they all washed their hands and chatted for a time.

“We should get back to the wagons,” Liz said, looking up at the sun. “We left a while ago.”

The ladies finished washing and made their way up from the creek, following their own trail of trodden weeds and grass that they’d blazed on their way to the water.

The women strolled leisurely back to the wagons to find the men with their hats over their eyes, napping and obviously in no rush at all to start the wagons rolling again. The ladies giggled and, after a brief moment of whispering discussion, decided to wake them.

Thomas looked up, his eyes half squinted from sleep. “Wha-what is it? Has Chet returned already?”

“No,” Liz said, smiling at his sleepiness.

John awoke and leaned forward, listening from underneath one of the wagons, and Blue groaned as he sat upright from against a thick tree trunk.

“What if … he’s been bitten by a snake?” Emma speculated.

“Ladies, please,” John said. “You’re only scaring yourselves. He hasn’t been gone long. There’s nothing to worry about.”

John looked to Thomas, somewhat confused over the situation.

“Well, what are we going to do about this,” Emma demanded. “What if he’s not back by nightfall?”

“What would you like us to do?” Thomas asked calmly.

“Well,” Emma said. “I would only hope that you wouldn’t be so passive if I were the one out there and had been gone for this long.”

“Emma.” Liz looked at Thomas and stepped in. “Let’s not worry about it just yet. We must hope that everything is fine and he will return soon. We can’t worry like this every time Chet leaves to scout out our trail.”

“Can’t we go look for him?” Emma pressed.

Thomas pushed up to his feet and grabbed hold of the horse’s ropes and loosed them from the tree. “I will go and search for him.”

“Where will you go?” Emma questioned.

“I’ll follow the river a short way,” he said, and then he paused. “And I’ll come back a different route.”

Blue and John stepped closer to Thomas’s horse as Luke listened in silence, half asleep.

“Is all this really necessary?” he asked, rubbing his eyes. “Do you want one of us to go with you?”

“No, it’s best that you stay here. I need you to stay with the women and keep them calm,” he said, pulling himself onto the horse. “I will be back soon. Do not come looking for me.”

Thomas left on horseback immediately and rushed through the thick area, disappearing at once.

“I just know something is wrong!” Emma exclaimed. “I knew he had been gone for far too long! What will we do without a scout! We can’t …”

“Emma, please!” Liz said. “It’s not certain that anything is wrong at all. Thomas will find Chet, if he needs to be found at all, and they will return soon.”

“Yes, exactly,” Abby said before turning suddenly to Blue for reassurance.

Liz swallowed her own worry, only pausing to look after Thomas’s trail for a moment. Nightfall would come soon. The sun had already dipped low in the sky and the heat of the day had passed. The silent calm that covered her seemed to wind its way through the rest of the group. No one seemed sure what to do or say.

John looked up from the small log on which he perched. “Well …” he said slightly muffled, “let’s get supper on and make ready for nightfall.”

“We have plenty of food to eat,” Abby said.

“Yes,” Liz jumped in. “It’s only the first day. We’ve plenty to eat. Besides,” she said seriously, “I would suspect that we should have things in order when Chet and Thomas return.”

John stood up quickly and placed his hat over his head. “Blue and I will tend to the horses and wagons. Luke, help the ladies collect wood for a fire.”

Luke nodded his head and immediately set out on the search.

The forest was heavy with underbrush. It seemed like a deep ocean that someone could fall into and easily disappear.

Thomas waded through the brush, looking for signs that Chet might have left behind. He figured Chet should be easy to follow since he hadn’t been gone for long, and he hadn’t been trying to hide his tracks. But something still gnawed at Thomas’s insides.

He peered into a small clearing and blinked hard.

That can’t be …

Chet’s painted pony stood before him, riderless. The calm horse casually munched on a green bush, one bridle rein dragging the rocky water’s edge.

The horse looked up, chewing, and shook his head as if to say hello. He whinnied at Thomas and quickly returned to his supper. Thomas rode up close, swung one leg over his mare and slid down. He patted the pony and checked for signs that would tell him how Chet might have displaced his mount. He found no blood from the horse, or from the rider. The saddlebag and bedroll were intact and showed no signs of a struggle. Everything seemed as safe and normal as a church picnic.

Thomas scouted the area for a trail or clue about Chet’s whereabouts. His eyes skimmed the water and, as he walked to the far edge of the clearing, something caught his ear.