Read Online Land of My Heart by Tracie Peterson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tracie Peterson
Tags: Ebook
Ads: Link
several minutes before Robbie spoke again.
“Do you think you’ll ever see ’em again?”
Robbie’s question brought Trenton back to the moment. The rain had lessened and the thunder now rumbled off in the distance. “Who?” Trenton asked.
“Your ma and sisters. Morgan and Zane.”
Trenton crossed his legs and toyed with the sole of his boot. “I don’t know. There’s a part of me that wants to join up with them when I get the chance. I feel bad for sending Ma off west without my help. Pa would never have liked that. Still, once Dianne made it clear they needed to move quickly, she wouldn’t listen to reason and wait awhile. It was like Ma suddenly had a job to do.”
“My pa said she was afraid you and your brothers would join up to fight the war.”
“Yeah, I know she was worried about that. With things the way they are, the Yankees were always pestering my pa to put us boys into service.
Pa wouldn’t hear of it, and I guess I’m kind of glad for that. Everyone else was joining up, splitting into sides. Folks are never so mad at one another as when they’re discussing politics and war.”
“I know. My pa made a deal with the Union commander. I don’t know for sure what transpired, but I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about going to war. I think he paid him off.”
Trenton smiled at his less educated friend. Robbie had infuriated his parents by refusing to continue his education after the tenth grade, and he still refused to be educated about the world. “You can pay three hundred dollars and send a substitute. Your pa probably found someone to go in your place. My pa didn’t have to worry yet, ’cause the draft starts at twenty and I’m just nineteen. ’Course if I wanted to fight in the war I’d be wearing a Confederate uniform already. They take boys at seventeen now, you know.”
“Still, it’s right here in our own backyard.”
“There haven’t been any major problems since this time last year,” Trenton threw out. “I doubt there’ll be much interest here in Missouri. So long as the Union can get up and down the Mississippi, I doubt they’ll pay much attention to us.”
“That’s not the way my pa hears it told. He believes there are major battles planned for this area within the year. Lincoln just gave over command of the troops to General Grant and Pa thinks that’s signaling a change. Things have been quiet for a while, but that’s probably just so they can build their forces. After they do, Pa says the Union will just make a clean sweep of things and crush the South. He thinks they’ll come here in even bigger numbers because of all the guerilla activity.”
Trenton didn’t like the sound of that. He didn’t like anything at all associated with the war, but he especially didn’t like thinking the war might come their way in full force. “Then I guess it’s a good thing we’re planning to blow up that supply house tomorrow night instead of next month.”
Robbie got to his feet and walked to the edge of the porch. “It’s always a good time to blow up Yankees. I just hope there’s a whole bunch of ’em that go up with the building. I want them to hear us loud and clear.”
“I’m sure they will,” Trenton murmured. The cold permeated his body to the very core. No doubt his friend’s words didn’t help. Robbie and the other members of the gang were intent on killing, just as if they had joined the ranks of a private army. Taking a life wasn’t really what Trenton had planned when he spoke of avenging his father. He had only meant to make life miserable for the Yankees. Make them as uncomfortable and unhappy as possible, then see them retreat back to the North and leave Missouri for good. Now, listening to Robbie, he felt nave and stupid. This group of cutthroats wouldn’t be happy with merely wreaking havoc on the Union. They wanted blood. And if Trenton wasn’t careful, his own blood would be spilled in the process.
CHAPTER 5
T HE WAGON TRAIN
“Do you think you’ll ever see ’em again?”
Robbie’s question brought Trenton back to the moment. The rain had lessened and the thunder now rumbled off in the distance. “Who?” Trenton asked.
“Your ma and sisters. Morgan and Zane.”
Trenton crossed his legs and toyed with the sole of his boot. “I don’t know. There’s a part of me that wants to join up with them when I get the chance. I feel bad for sending Ma off west without my help. Pa would never have liked that. Still, once Dianne made it clear they needed to move quickly, she wouldn’t listen to reason and wait awhile. It was like Ma suddenly had a job to do.”
“My pa said she was afraid you and your brothers would join up to fight the war.”
“Yeah, I know she was worried about that. With things the way they are, the Yankees were always pestering my pa to put us boys into service.
Pa wouldn’t hear of it, and I guess I’m kind of glad for that. Everyone else was joining up, splitting into sides. Folks are never so mad at one another as when they’re discussing politics and war.”
“I know. My pa made a deal with the Union commander. I don’t know for sure what transpired, but I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about going to war. I think he paid him off.”
Trenton smiled at his less educated friend. Robbie had infuriated his parents by refusing to continue his education after the tenth grade, and he still refused to be educated about the world. “You can pay three hundred dollars and send a substitute. Your pa probably found someone to go in your place. My pa didn’t have to worry yet, ’cause the draft starts at twenty and I’m just nineteen. ’Course if I wanted to fight in the war I’d be wearing a Confederate uniform already. They take boys at seventeen now, you know.”
“Still, it’s right here in our own backyard.”
“There haven’t been any major problems since this time last year,” Trenton threw out. “I doubt there’ll be much interest here in Missouri. So long as the Union can get up and down the Mississippi, I doubt they’ll pay much attention to us.”
“That’s not the way my pa hears it told. He believes there are major battles planned for this area within the year. Lincoln just gave over command of the troops to General Grant and Pa thinks that’s signaling a change. Things have been quiet for a while, but that’s probably just so they can build their forces. After they do, Pa says the Union will just make a clean sweep of things and crush the South. He thinks they’ll come here in even bigger numbers because of all the guerilla activity.”
Trenton didn’t like the sound of that. He didn’t like anything at all associated with the war, but he especially didn’t like thinking the war might come their way in full force. “Then I guess it’s a good thing we’re planning to blow up that supply house tomorrow night instead of next month.”
Robbie got to his feet and walked to the edge of the porch. “It’s always a good time to blow up Yankees. I just hope there’s a whole bunch of ’em that go up with the building. I want them to hear us loud and clear.”
“I’m sure they will,” Trenton murmured. The cold permeated his body to the very core. No doubt his friend’s words didn’t help. Robbie and the other members of the gang were intent on killing, just as if they had joined the ranks of a private army. Taking a life wasn’t really what Trenton had planned when he spoke of avenging his father. He had only meant to make life miserable for the Yankees. Make them as uncomfortable and unhappy as possible, then see them retreat back to the North and leave Missouri for good. Now, listening to Robbie, he felt nave and stupid. This group of cutthroats wouldn’t be happy with merely wreaking havoc on the Union. They wanted blood. And if Trenton wasn’t careful, his own blood would be spilled in the process.
CHAPTER 5
T HE WAGON TRAIN
Similar Books
