Read Online Jordan's War - 1861 by B.K. Birch - Free Book Online Page B

most of the buttons were missing.
    “Can we get the
bed rolls out of the wagon?” Jordan whispered to Pa.
    “No,” Pa said.
“You’ll make us look uppity.”
    “I’m sleeping with
my clothes on,” Jordan said.
    “That’s probably a
good idea,” Pa said.
    They all laid down
in the darkness.
    “Move your leg,”
Eamon yelled.
    “Hush now,” Pa
whispered. “That poor child has to work tomorrow.”
    Jordan hadn’t been
asleep very long when he felt Eamon thrashing around.
    “Quit moving,”
Jordan whispered.
    “Something’s
biting me,” Eamon said.
    “Get off the
mattress!” Pa said. “It’s got bugs.”
    Jordan was on his
feet even before his eyes were fully opened.

 
    Chapter 7
    Jordan woke up on
the floor, confused and unsure of where he was. He sat up, rubbed his burning
eyes, stretched his throbbing back and looked around for Eamon and Pa. They
weren’t around. He brushed his fingers against his face and could feel the
creases in his cheek from where he used his arm for a pillow.
    It wasn’t daylight
yet, but it was morning enough to get up. An old hound was on the floor next to
him, thumping a steady beat with his tail. Jordan wrinkled his nose when he
caught a whiff of the dog’s butt.
    “That’s Rusty,”
Gunner said. “Why are you sleeping on the floor?”
    Gunner startled
him. Jordan struggled to focus on the pale blur sitting on the tree stump
holding a cup.
    “I don’t
remember,” Jordan lied. “How long you been up?”
    Jordan felt
uncomfortable. How long had Gunner been watching him? Was he talking in his
sleep? Worse, did he fart?
    “Not long,” Gunner
replied. “I got to get going in a minute. I’m glad I got to see you before you
take off for the city. The company whistle blows at six sharp.”
    “How far away is
it?”
    “Less than a mile
if I cut through the woods,” Gunner said. “You stopping back by on your way
home?”
    “I’d say so,”
Jordan said, but part of him wished they’d just drive on past. It would never
happen though, because Pa thought too highly of family.
    “Is Pa and Eamon
up?” Jordan asked.
    “Yep. They went to
round up the horses,” Gunner replied. “They sure are pretty. We had a mule
once, but it wandered off. Most of our fence has fallen down and Pa’s not well
enough to fix it.”
    “Why is his back
all bent over?” Jordan asked, but then felt a bit guilty about being so nosy.
It wasn’t any of his business.
    “It’s the mines,”
Gunner said, and didn’t seem at all bothered by the intrusion. “They got real
low ceilings. Not three feet high in some places. Everybody looks like that
after a while.”
    “Do you like
working there?”
    “I don’t mind.
Most of the folks are real friendly,” Gunner said and stood up. “Well got to
get going. Bye Jordan.”
    “Bye Gunner,”
Jordan said.
    He walked out on
the porch and waved to him. Gunner waded through the weeds and vanished into
the darkness.
    Jordan peed in
some bushes, stretched again and walked back inside to find his boots. He’d
love to have some coffee and sugar, but had little hope of finding any around
here. Last night’s dirty dishes were still stacked in the kitchen and the
clutter alone was frightening. Jim sauntered into the room just as Jordan
finished lacing up.
    “How’d you sleep?”
Jim asked.
    “Fine,” Jordan
said.
    “You hungry?”
    “Nope,” Jordan lied
again. He was going to have to do some real praying when he went to the next
Church Meeting.
    He heard Pa and
Eamon’s voices get louder and a few moments later, they walked through the
door.
    “Bout time you got
up,” Eamon said and messed up his hair. Jordan patted it back down as best he
could, but he could feel pieces of it sticking up. He didn’t bother to get back
at Eamon. His stomach was empty and it was impolite to be a grouch in someone
else’s home.
    “Ya’ll don’t need
to run off,” Jim said. “I’m sure the hen’s got a few eggs we can cook up.”
    Eggs.