Wagon Train Melody

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

R udy wished he could say something to erase the shock on Alice’s face. But there was no point in offering false assurances.

“Are you a praying woman?”

She nodded.

“Then best you do some praying for your brother.”

“I have been. In fact—” She didn’t finish.

“What?”

She lifted her face to him, allowing him to see the trickle of blood from the cut on her cheek. “I was praying for help when you rode up. Guess that makes you an answer to prayer.”

He grinned. “Ma’am, I’ve been called a lot of things, some not very complimentary, but never an answer to prayer.” He touched the brim of his hat. “I thank you for saying I am.”

She studied him, searching for answers to questions she didn’t voice. Finally, she spoke. “So, you’re a man on the run who has had bad things said to him.” Her gaze darted toward the wagon.

And the rifle?

He wanted to put her mind at rest. “Who says I’m on the run?” It was all he could do to keep his gaze from checking down the trail.

Her only answer was a lifting of her eyebrows.

Fine. He might have revealed more than he knew. “What makes you think I’ve had bad things told me?”

Before she could answer, the girls returned, and Sissy dabbed at the cut on her aunt’s face.

Kitty leaned closer, inspecting the job. As soon as Sissy finished, Kitty kissed the cut.

“All better.”

Alice hugged both girls. “Thank you. It feels good now.”

Rudy grinned at the scene. So much love and tenderness from each. The sort of family he might have dreamed of when he was a kid. Now that Alice was distracted, he looked down the trail. Still no sign of a pursuer. How long before the man caught up to him?

Realizing that Alice watched him, he turned his attention back to Bo. “Think we can get him into the wagon?”

For an answer, she eased the girls back, told them to stay there, then put her arm under Bo’s neck and tried to sit him up. He was more than she could manage.

Rudy didn’t allow her to struggle but eased his arm under the boy’s neck and legs and lifted him.

She jerked back as if his touch had stung her. Guess he couldn’t blame her. Not only was he a stranger, but he was on the run. She did well to be cautious around him.

Seeing he didn’t need her help; Alice led the way to the wagon. There was a narrow mattress where he guessed the girls slept.

Alice jumped inside and helped Rudy ease Bo to the mat.

Bo stirred, moaned something, and thrashed about wildly. Rudy caught both hands and pressed them to the boy’s sides. Bo struggled and cried out.

Alice’s eyes flooded with misery then she blinked and sat at her brother’s head and sang, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.”

Bo’s arms fell still. His mumbling stopped.

Alice sang softly for a few more minutes. “He’s settled down.” She lifted her worried gaze to Rudy. “What’s going on?”

Rudy shook his head. “I don’t know.” He didn’t like not being able to offer any reassurances to this young woman.

“Auntie?” Sissy called from outside the wagon. “Uncle Bo all right?”

“He’s still sleeping but other than that, yes.”

Rudy guessed from the determination in her eyes that she expected everything would be fine.

She scrambled to her feet and edged past her brother.

Rudy dropped to the ground and reached up a hand to assist Alice. He didn’t miss the way she hesitated. Although it was perfectly normal that she should do so, he wanted to protest. Explain he wasn’t a bad man. Just a man in an unfortunate situation.

But she rushed away as soon as her feet touched the dusty grass and herded the girls ahead of her. “Come along, you two. It’s time for us to be on our way.” She lifted each child to the bench then climbed up to sit between them. She took up the reins and flicked them.

He called King and swung to the saddle.

“Whoa. Whoa.” Alice’s frantic call made Rudy rein about to see what was going on.

The horse she’d called Sam, struggled against the harness. The other horse, Sue, refused to budge and snorted her displeasure with her teammate.

Rudy rode toward the horses and caught the harness. “Settle down and do your job.” He spoke firmly. Sam eased back and the pair pulled together.

“Thank you,” Alice called. “For everything. And safe travels.”

“And to you.” But rather than gallop away toward the fort, he rode beside the wagon.

She glanced at him. “Thank you again.”

“So, you said. I’ll just ride along for a spell to make sure things are all right. Like—” He tipped his head to the wagon to indicate Bo. But that wasn’t the only thing that had him lingering. He wondered if she could manage the horses on her own. She’d certainly struggled to harness them.

“You coming with us?” Kitty called. “Goodie.”

Sissy leaned around her aunt to talk to him. “Auntie needs help.”

“I do not.” Alice turned the little girl forward.

“But Auntie, you told us you didn’t know how to make the horses pull.”

“It was a comment made out of frustration.” Alice faced straight ahead.

Rudy chuckled.

Alice shot him a look full of protest and warning which only made him laugh harder.

“Mind telling me what’s so funny?” she demanded.

He sobered, though he couldn’t keep the humor from warming his eyes or rounding his words. “I think those two little sweethearts must keep you on your toes.”

She nodded. “They make life interesting and worthwhile.”

“Auntie loves us,” Kitty informed him. “She says we should love everyone. Auntie, do you love Mr. Rudy?”

Rudy about choked at the child’s innocent words and at Alice’s reaction. She opened her mouth. Snapped it shut and pressed her lips together. “Kitty, you don’t have to tell the man every word I’ve uttered.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not necessary.” Her tone was patient, but her words clipped.

“Sorry to be causing you all this trouble.” Rudy fell back. He could ride away and let them manage. A woman, two little girls, and an injured man on their own—it squeezed his spine to think about it.

He couldn’t live with himself if he did. Nope. He’d ride behind the wagon where the girls wouldn’t be able to talk to him and annoy Alice.

Sissy turned and watched him. She murmured something to Alice and Alice shook her head.

Besides, Rudy told himself, she might need help with Bo. He rode closer and peered in the back. Bo rested quietly. For how long? If he grew combative, how would Alice manage?

As if his thoughts had triggered something in the man’s brain, Bo swung his arms banging them against the crates at the side of the wagon.

Rudy rode forward. “I think his arms should be tied down or he’s going to harm his broken one.”

“Whoa.” She eased the horses to a halt and set the brake.

He was off his horse in time to lift a hand to help her down.

They walked to the back.

Bo reared up and stared at them. He shook his head and reached for the side of the wagon. It looked like he intended to pull himself upright. His right arm didn’t cooperate, and he pulled at the bandaging.

“Bo, stop. You have to leave that. Your arm is broken.” She climbed into the back and grabbed Bo’s arm.

Bo pushed her away. She tumbled backward over the end of the wagon.

Rudy caught her.

She twisted to free herself and stood, breathing hard, her hair mussed.

Meanwhile, Bo continued to struggle.

“Try singing to him again.”

She smoothed her hair and sang. Bo stopped thrashing about. She climbed in beside him and eased him to his back. She sang for a few minutes. As soon as she stopped, Bo grew restless. She resumed singing but glanced toward the front where two little girls watched, and two horses stood motionless.

“You stay here,” Rudy suggested. “I’ll drive. Shout out if he gets too restless.”

“I don’t—you don’t—” But Bo fussed so she resumed singing without voicing the protest he knew she meant to give.

He tied King to the wagon and climbed to the seat. As he took the reins, he glanced down the trail.

A twist of dust appeared in the distance.

Was it a dust devil? Or a rider?

Alice followed the direction of his gaze and thought she saw dust in the distance. Too small to be a bull train. It might only be the wind stirring up sand, but it had caught Rudy’s attention. He was definitely a man on the run. With someone chasing him. She would refuse his help but if she did, she might never reach the fort where she meant to make a home with Clint.

She sang as the wagon rolled onward.

“Where are we going?” Rudy called over his shoulder.

“To Unca Clint,” Kitty answered.

“Uh-huh. And where does Uncle Clint live?”

“Auntie, where he live?” Kitty called.

Alice tried to think how much she should say. But if she didn’t tell the man where they were going, he wouldn’t know what direction to take.

“We’re heading toward Fort Macleod.” That answer wasn’t precise. Toward the town. Not to the town. He didn’t need to know that.

“You’re a little off course, aren’t you?”

Bo rolled his head back and forth and she resumed singing, making it impossible to answer Rudy’s question.

The wagon climbed the hill that had provided a degree of protection from any passerby. She understood she needed to find the Whoop-Up Trail but didn’t look forward to the travelers she might encounter.

Bo had quieted. She was grateful for that but wished it didn’t mean he was again unresponsive. She eased forward. “I was told to head west until I hit the Whoop-Up Trail. Apparently, it’s impossible to miss. Then I need to drop south a bit to where the trail branches into three and take the most westerly one which will take me to Fort Macleod.” The information she’d been given made her think she should arrive at her destination in a week. She hoped Rudy would verify that her information was correct.

“I’d avoid the trail if I was you. Lots of rough men traveling it. Large bull trains.”

She digested this information. She’d already considered that. And her alternatives. “I’ve no desire to wander around lost.” Even with Bo alert and in his right mind, she’d been aware of how vulnerable they were. Yes, she had her rifle and would use it if necessary. Not that she had ever had call to do so. But even so, it was little enough protection if she was confronted with a bunch of rowdies. On the other hand, avoiding the trail meant she traveled through unfamiliar territory with no roads or signposts. All she had was her sense of direction. It would be easy to get lost.

She was almost glad for Rudy’s presence even though she didn’t know what side of the law he was on. She’d be alert for anything he might do.

Bo mumbled and she resumed singing.

He quieted after a bit, and she looked out the front. She tried to get her bearings from the sun. They seemed to be going west still.

“Do you have any idea how far we are from the trail?” she asked.

“We won’t reach it tonight.”

She jerked forward and peered out over Sissy’s head. “I expected to get there this afternoon. According to what I was told.”

“You’ve angled to the north a bit.”

Could she trust him? Of course not. She’d simply watch the sun and check their direction.

“We gonna camp again?” Kitty asked. “I likes camping.”

“Me too.” Sissy nodded. “Uncle Bo made a fire and Auntie cooked yummy stew over it.”

“An’ we sleeped in the wagon with Auntie. Unca Bo sleeped under the wagon. Isn’t that funny?”

Alice let the girls chatter as she assessed her situation. If Bo would wake up, she wouldn’t need Rudy’s help and would bid him goodbye. Of course, Bo had a broken arm so maybe it was premature to think she wouldn’t need help.

But they traveled on, and Bo did not get better. The sun reached its zenith, and Rudy drove down a hill to a trickling stream. It was shallow but at least the horses could drink.

She climbed from the wagon.

Rudy was already on his feet and lifted the girls down. They followed him as he took the horses to water and followed him back, chattering non-stop. They’d talked the entire morning, and yet they still had things to say.

Kitty was telling him something about a bird—imaginary or real, it was hard to tell—and she giggled behind her hand.

Alice watched them approach. Rudy, to his credit, showed no impatience. In fact, he chuckled at Kitty.

Right side of the law, or wrong side, at least he treated her little nieces kindly.

The four of them sat on the ground. She reached for the little hands on either side of her.

Of course, before she could warn otherwise, the girls in their sweet innocence reached for Rudy’s hands.

She could almost forget all the reasons she had to be cautious around him at the way he looked so pleased with the gesture. “Girls,” she murmured, “let’s say grace. Whose turn is it?”

“Mine.” Sissy sucked in air, bowed her head, and prayed. “Dear Jesus, thank you for the sun. For the sky and grass. For the horses. For Auntie Alice. For Mr. Rudy staying with us to help us. Oh yeah, and for the food. Amen.”

Alice served cold baked beans she’d prepared the night before. She would speak to Sissy later, privately, and inform her that Mr. Rudy wasn’t staying with them. In fact?—

She was about to tell him she was grateful for his help but that it was no longer needed when sounds from the wagon informed her that Bo was restless again. She had to calm him. “Girls, you stay here.” She glanced at Rudy. Was she making a foolish mistake in leaving the girls in his charge?

He must have read her mind for he quirked an eyebrow and gave her a look that she could best describe as resigned. “Go. We’ll be fine.”

Bo was making an awful racket, so she hurried to him.

Rudy had suggested tying his arms down and she wondered if she’d have to do it to protect the broken one, but she touched Bo gently, sang softly and he calmed.

Oh, Lord God, this is so hard to watch. What is going on inside his head? Could You please make it better? And get us safely to the fort. Please.

She waited until she thought Bo was settled for the time being and returned to the others. “Girls, help me clean up.”

They carried the dishes to the water and washed them. Having been warned about the possibility of not finding water on the trail, she topped up the water barrel while Rudy prepared the horses for travel.

She put the girls on the wagon seat. Normally, they would spend much of the day playing in the back, but she hesitated to put them there with Bo. Bad enough they witnessed it from up front.

“Unca Bo acting funny,” Kitty declared.

“He’s sick,” Alice explained.

“In the head,” Sissy spoke with such detachment that it made Alice shudder.

“He getting better.” Kitty was definitely convinced.

Alice couldn’t help but wonder what she based her assurance on. For her part, Alice’s assurance was on God’s faithfulness. With that reminder firmly in her mind, she went to Rudy.

“I know you are eager to be on your way.”

“I’m enjoying this.”

“What?”

“The company.”

“Oh.” She assumed he meant the little girls. “They can be very amusing.”

“They’re pure joy.”

Alice wasn’t sure if she liked him saying that. Yes, it was true. But he was a stranger. What did she know about him except that he was running? “Rudy, if I may call you by your given name?—”

He nodded.

“I don’t know who you are or what you’re running from but at the moment, I have no choice but to accept your help and trust you won’t harm us.” She held his gaze in what she hoped was a strong, forbidding look.

He nodded. “You are wise to be cautious. But I promise you I will not hurt you. I want to make sure you get to your destination safely.” He glanced past her, and a jolt shook his shoulders.

“We best be on our way.” He hurried to the back of the wagon and helped her in, then climbed up beside the girls. His horse had been tied to the side of the wagon. Rudy took the time to tie him to the other side and then they were on their way, keeping up a good clip.

Suspecting Rudy had seen something that alarmed him, Alice looked out the back.

Dust billowed up in the distance. She thought she glimpsed a horse. She watched the tell-tale dust until she was convinced it grew closer.

Was it someone looking for Rudy? Was he putting himself at risk helping her?

Were she, her nieces, and brother in danger because of who or what he was and because of someone chasing him?