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Authors: Marie Caron
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the wagons. Those who are able will swim across, following a rope we’ll set across the river. The rest will go by horse or oxen,” Jed Baker explained.
Everyone knew the animals were better swimmers than most humans, so no one disagreed. It was Captain Baker’s next suggestion that riled a few.
“Or they can go by canoe,” he said.
“Canoe! Where we gonna get one of them?” the fair-skinned Rutledge asked irritably. His color had risen till he was the shade of a ripe tomato.
“I’ve spent the last two days carving one out of a tree. I’ll ferry ’em across in it,” O’Hara announced as he strolled into camp. Everyone turned to look at him. Apparently he’d been standing back in the shadows, waiting for just this moment, which I thought was so like him; he never spoke unless it was necessary. As always I was relieved to see he’d returned from his scouting venture unharmed. And now I knew what he’d been doing for the past two days, making a canoe. My heart swelled with pride to know he’d been thinking about how to help the others, even if they didn’t much approve of him.
“I don’t rightly know if I want my young’uns ridin’ in one of them things,” Mr. Rutledge responded, his face flushing even more as he gave John a distrustful look.
“It’s better than them drowning, Mister Rutledge,” Mrs. Rutledge chastised her prejudiced spouse. His wife’s critical remark quieted the man, and the meeting continued more peaceably.
A discussion ensued as to just how the river crossing would go. It was decided that only the men driving the teams would stay with the wagons. Everyone else would cross first. “Now get some sleep,” Captain Baker instructed, and the meeting broke up.
* * * *
Though I was concerned and let him know it, Papa refused to shirk his duties. As I watched with a trembling heart, he took his place on the wagon seat that morning. I rode John’s horse across with Cassie perched behind me, and now we stood high on the opposite bank of the river watching the progress of the others. Her mother had insisted on driving her own team across the rolling waters, but Mr. Drummond had insisted she not try to make it alone. He had driven his own wagon across before swimming back to join her, reinforcing my notion that he had taken a strong liking to Elizabeth. And I wasn’t the only person who thought so.
“I think Mr. Drummond has a crush on Mama,” Cassie said, leaning toward me in a conspiratorial manner. I nodded.
“I think you may be right,” I agreed, smiling as I clutched my shawl about my shoulders. Even though the nuns had helped Elizabeth for a time after her husband’s death, I was certain that life had not been easy for her. I figured she could use a good man in her life, and Mr. Drummond seemed like the right sort of man for her; he was dependable, well educated, and likeable. He might not be the right man for me—for I felt nothing but friendship for him—but I thought he would make Elizabeth a fine husband and Cassie a good father.
I wondered if, in my future, there was a man who was the right one for me. Had I already found him? I sought out the canoe and the man who sat tall in it as he paddled the women and children to safety. I felt a stab of guilt as I contemplated what Papa would think, how disappointed he would be if he knew I had feelings for a man who was nothing like the man he had chosen for me. The man I wanted was not a successful businessman or a pillar of the community. I never wanted to hurt Papa, but I had come to a conclusion. I didn’t need a fancy house or fashionable dresses and bonnets. All I needed was a man who loved me, and I had a feeling I had found him.
Before noon more than half the wagons were across the deep, fast-moving river. All was going as planned when suddenly I heard shouting and saw people pointing. I looked to see a wagon being swept downstream into the churning water. Frantically I searched the remaining wagons crossing
Everyone knew the animals were better swimmers than most humans, so no one disagreed. It was Captain Baker’s next suggestion that riled a few.
“Or they can go by canoe,” he said.
“Canoe! Where we gonna get one of them?” the fair-skinned Rutledge asked irritably. His color had risen till he was the shade of a ripe tomato.
“I’ve spent the last two days carving one out of a tree. I’ll ferry ’em across in it,” O’Hara announced as he strolled into camp. Everyone turned to look at him. Apparently he’d been standing back in the shadows, waiting for just this moment, which I thought was so like him; he never spoke unless it was necessary. As always I was relieved to see he’d returned from his scouting venture unharmed. And now I knew what he’d been doing for the past two days, making a canoe. My heart swelled with pride to know he’d been thinking about how to help the others, even if they didn’t much approve of him.
“I don’t rightly know if I want my young’uns ridin’ in one of them things,” Mr. Rutledge responded, his face flushing even more as he gave John a distrustful look.
“It’s better than them drowning, Mister Rutledge,” Mrs. Rutledge chastised her prejudiced spouse. His wife’s critical remark quieted the man, and the meeting continued more peaceably.
A discussion ensued as to just how the river crossing would go. It was decided that only the men driving the teams would stay with the wagons. Everyone else would cross first. “Now get some sleep,” Captain Baker instructed, and the meeting broke up.
* * * *
Though I was concerned and let him know it, Papa refused to shirk his duties. As I watched with a trembling heart, he took his place on the wagon seat that morning. I rode John’s horse across with Cassie perched behind me, and now we stood high on the opposite bank of the river watching the progress of the others. Her mother had insisted on driving her own team across the rolling waters, but Mr. Drummond had insisted she not try to make it alone. He had driven his own wagon across before swimming back to join her, reinforcing my notion that he had taken a strong liking to Elizabeth. And I wasn’t the only person who thought so.
“I think Mr. Drummond has a crush on Mama,” Cassie said, leaning toward me in a conspiratorial manner. I nodded.
“I think you may be right,” I agreed, smiling as I clutched my shawl about my shoulders. Even though the nuns had helped Elizabeth for a time after her husband’s death, I was certain that life had not been easy for her. I figured she could use a good man in her life, and Mr. Drummond seemed like the right sort of man for her; he was dependable, well educated, and likeable. He might not be the right man for me—for I felt nothing but friendship for him—but I thought he would make Elizabeth a fine husband and Cassie a good father.
I wondered if, in my future, there was a man who was the right one for me. Had I already found him? I sought out the canoe and the man who sat tall in it as he paddled the women and children to safety. I felt a stab of guilt as I contemplated what Papa would think, how disappointed he would be if he knew I had feelings for a man who was nothing like the man he had chosen for me. The man I wanted was not a successful businessman or a pillar of the community. I never wanted to hurt Papa, but I had come to a conclusion. I didn’t need a fancy house or fashionable dresses and bonnets. All I needed was a man who loved me, and I had a feeling I had found him.
Before noon more than half the wagons were across the deep, fast-moving river. All was going as planned when suddenly I heard shouting and saw people pointing. I looked to see a wagon being swept downstream into the churning water. Frantically I searched the remaining wagons crossing
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