Read Online Love's Long Journey (Love Comes Softly Series #3) by Janette Oke - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janette Oke
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restlessness drove him from the wagon and out into the rain, muttering an excuse about checking on the teams and the cows.
With Willie gone, the time dragged even more for Missie. She was just on the verge of venturing forth herself when Willie returned. At his call from the back of the wagon, Missie raised the tent flap. He handed her a bundle; it was the Collins' baby.
"Their wagon is leakin'," he explained. "There ain't a dry place to lay the younguns. I'll be right back with the boy."
Missie busied herself with unbundling the baby. True to his word, Willie was soon back with Joey. Meggie fussed and Missie gladly spent her time hushing her, rocking her back and forth and coaxing her to settle into a comfortable position. Willie entertained Joey, helping him to make a cabin with small sticks. Then he read to him out of Pilgrim's Progress, and even though much of the story the young boy could not possibly understand, he listened intently. Missie finally managed to get the baby to sleep. She joined Willie and Joey now involved in a little-boy game.
62
Sissie Collins dropped by later to check on her children and nurse the baby. Willie again made the rounds of the camp to see if there was anyone else needing a helping hand.
When the long day came to an end, they drank the remains of the now cold tea, and ate some cold meat with their biscuits.
Willie moved into the other wagon with Henry and let Sissie and her two little ones stay with Missie.
As Missie went to sleep again with the sound of the rain on the canvas roof, she wondered if it would never stop. How could they ever endure another day such as this had been?
But they did. Somehow. Day after day. At times the rain slackened to a mere drizzle and at other times it poured. Each time that the rain slowed its pace, Missie pulled her shawl tightly about her and left the confines of the wagon--but actually there was no place to go. The ground looked like a lake with only a few high spots still showing through. At first Missie tried to keep to the high ground; then giving up with a shrug, she sloshed through the water.
Finally even Mrs. Schmidt ran out of firewood, so the men made a combined effort to find something that would burn. Eventually it was decreed that one fire, built under a stretched- out canvas, would be shared by the whole camp. The women came by turns, three or four at a time, to hastily prepare something hot for their families.
The Collinses weren't the only ones having problems with leaking canvas. Other wagons, too, were wet--inside and out; families were doubling up and sharing quarters wherever possible.
The rain heightened the tension between the two antagonists; but the howls of outrage from Mrs. Page and the biting retorts of Mrs. Tuttle were often the very thing that kept the rest of the company sane. It was a nice diversion to be able to laugh--even at one another.
On the fifth day the sky began to clear, and the sun broke through on the dripping and miserable wagon train.
The people, too, came out, stringing lines and hanging clothing and blankets to dry. The ground remained soggy. It could be days before the stands of water disappeared and even a longer
63
time before the ground would be dry enough to allow the wagons to roll.
Missie felt somewhat like Noah as she descended from her wagon. There was water everywhere. How good it would be to see the dry land appear and the horses kick up dust again. Oh, to be on the move again!
Mr. Blake felt impatient, too, but his many years on the trail told him that it would be useless to try to travel on in the mud. No, they'd have to wait. Mr. Blake also knew that with the rains of the past few days the Big River would be impossible to cross very soon. But there was no need to pass this information on to the group. They'd take the problems one day at a time.
64
Chapter 10
The Big River
For six days Mr. Blake kept the wagons in the camp. He would have held them longer, because he knew the
With Willie gone, the time dragged even more for Missie. She was just on the verge of venturing forth herself when Willie returned. At his call from the back of the wagon, Missie raised the tent flap. He handed her a bundle; it was the Collins' baby.
"Their wagon is leakin'," he explained. "There ain't a dry place to lay the younguns. I'll be right back with the boy."
Missie busied herself with unbundling the baby. True to his word, Willie was soon back with Joey. Meggie fussed and Missie gladly spent her time hushing her, rocking her back and forth and coaxing her to settle into a comfortable position. Willie entertained Joey, helping him to make a cabin with small sticks. Then he read to him out of Pilgrim's Progress, and even though much of the story the young boy could not possibly understand, he listened intently. Missie finally managed to get the baby to sleep. She joined Willie and Joey now involved in a little-boy game.
62
Sissie Collins dropped by later to check on her children and nurse the baby. Willie again made the rounds of the camp to see if there was anyone else needing a helping hand.
When the long day came to an end, they drank the remains of the now cold tea, and ate some cold meat with their biscuits.
Willie moved into the other wagon with Henry and let Sissie and her two little ones stay with Missie.
As Missie went to sleep again with the sound of the rain on the canvas roof, she wondered if it would never stop. How could they ever endure another day such as this had been?
But they did. Somehow. Day after day. At times the rain slackened to a mere drizzle and at other times it poured. Each time that the rain slowed its pace, Missie pulled her shawl tightly about her and left the confines of the wagon--but actually there was no place to go. The ground looked like a lake with only a few high spots still showing through. At first Missie tried to keep to the high ground; then giving up with a shrug, she sloshed through the water.
Finally even Mrs. Schmidt ran out of firewood, so the men made a combined effort to find something that would burn. Eventually it was decreed that one fire, built under a stretched- out canvas, would be shared by the whole camp. The women came by turns, three or four at a time, to hastily prepare something hot for their families.
The Collinses weren't the only ones having problems with leaking canvas. Other wagons, too, were wet--inside and out; families were doubling up and sharing quarters wherever possible.
The rain heightened the tension between the two antagonists; but the howls of outrage from Mrs. Page and the biting retorts of Mrs. Tuttle were often the very thing that kept the rest of the company sane. It was a nice diversion to be able to laugh--even at one another.
On the fifth day the sky began to clear, and the sun broke through on the dripping and miserable wagon train.
The people, too, came out, stringing lines and hanging clothing and blankets to dry. The ground remained soggy. It could be days before the stands of water disappeared and even a longer
63
time before the ground would be dry enough to allow the wagons to roll.
Missie felt somewhat like Noah as she descended from her wagon. There was water everywhere. How good it would be to see the dry land appear and the horses kick up dust again. Oh, to be on the move again!
Mr. Blake felt impatient, too, but his many years on the trail told him that it would be useless to try to travel on in the mud. No, they'd have to wait. Mr. Blake also knew that with the rains of the past few days the Big River would be impossible to cross very soon. But there was no need to pass this information on to the group. They'd take the problems one day at a time.
64
Chapter 10
The Big River
For six days Mr. Blake kept the wagons in the camp. He would have held them longer, because he knew the
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