Dorothy Garlock - [Wabash River] (19 page)

“Are you the landlord?” Daniel asked. He stepped down from his horse with his rifle in his hand. The pistol was tucked in his belt.

“Lyman Sickles, sir.”

“What happened to James Looney?”

“Dead. God rest his soul. Died of snakebite a year ago. Bought the place from his poor grievin’ widow. Are you wantin’ lodgin’?”

“Yes. For me and the lady.”

“Come in. Come right in. The woman is ’bout to dish out supper. Pearl,” he shouted back over his shoulder. “We got two more. One’s a woman.”

Lenny and Bernie had stopped their mules behind the wagon. They sat watching, making no move to get down.

“Are they with you?” the landlord asked.

“Are you?” Daniel directed his question to Lenny.

“We ain’t goin’ in thar.”

“Supper and lodging for two,” Daniel said to the innkeeper. “They’ll fend for themselves.” He helped Mercy down, then lifted her carpetbag out of the wagon. “Come morning, there had better not be anything missing out of that wagon or there’ll be a hell of a ruckus.”

“My man is honest as the day is long, sir.” Sickles said with a wounded look on his face. “But”—he glanced at Lenny and Bernie—“I don’t know ’bout them.”

“Don’t worry about them. They’re as honest as the day is long,” Daniel echoed.

With his rifle in one hand, he took Mercy’s elbow with the other and ushered her into the inn. The inn seemed to consist of three distinct buildings, probably put up at different times. The room they entered was used as a barroom according to the counter that was made of the roughest construction—two tree stumps with boards laid across them. Planks nailed to the wall served as benches.

The landlord led them through a wide doorway and into the kitchen. Talk ceased among the four men seated at a trestle table. They stared curiously at Daniel and with open admiration at Mercy. Three of the men were dressed in the rough clothes of rivermen; the fourth man, who had on a well-worn, dusty black coat, sat a little apart from the others. The man looked Daniel over briefly before his dark eyes honed in on Mercy and stayed there.

A woman of perhaps thirty years was waiting on the table. She held the bail of an iron kettle in one hand and a ladle in the other. In the light from the two candles on the table, Mercy could see that the woman was plain and old-fashioned, almost beyond her memory. Her dress was a thick-striped material, woven to defy time and wear. It was unlike any fabric Mercy had ever seen. The dress fitted the woman closely, was low in the neck, with sleeves coming to below the elbow. She was tall, and the dress was extremely short-waisted, without a particle of fullness in the skirt. She had on no shoes or stockings, and a faded piece of cloth was tied in a loose knot around her neck. Her dark hair was bound straight around her head and fastened with a metal comb on top.

“Stop your lollygaggin’, Pearl.” The landlord’s voice was loud and harsh. He nudged the woman in the back with his elbow. “Make room for the gent and his missus.”

“We want to wash before we eat.”

Daniel released Mercy’s arm, but she stayed close to him, wondering if she would be able to eat in this place. She gave a glance of scrutiny to the dishes on the table and the eating spoons. They were clean, as was the scrubbed tabletop. The woman appeared to be clean, for all her odd appearance.

Sickles waved them toward the other end of the room where a window of four small panes let in a meager light. A wash bench was attached to the wall. Mercy set her bag down against the wall, took the shawl from around her shoulders, and looked for a peg to hang it on. When she found none, she folded it and laid it on the bag.

“I don’t like this place,” she whispered while Daniel dipped water into a washdish from a wooden bucket. The basin was surprisingly clean, as was the towel that hung on the bar beside it.

“I don’t like it either, but it’ll have to do.”

“Where will we sleep?”

“There’s a room up above for the men. There’s another room off the kitchen. I’ll ask about it for you.”

“I’m not staying in there by myself!”

“Don’t panic. I’ll not be far away.”

Mercy washed her hands and splashed the cold water on her face, wishing for the luxury of warm water from the teakettle back home. She tidied her hair while Daniel washed.

The boards, or rather planks, of the floor were hand-hewn and laid down so unequally as to make walking on them perilous. Daniel kept a firm hold on Mercy’s elbow and led her back to the table. The innkeeper was not in sight, but the silent woman placed plates of food at the end of the table and indicated that they were to sit down. Daniel leaned his rifle against the wall within easy reach and sat down beside Mercy.

The meal was meat, cabbage, and turnips. Bread that appeared to have been baked in an open kettle was placed beside each plate. Neither milk nor butter were offered. Mercy’s eyes swept the table, and she saw that the men were breaking up the bread, putting it on their plates, and shoveling such great quantities of food into their mouths that grease was running down their chins.

The meat was in large chunks. It was difficult to eat it with a spoon. While wondering how she was going to manage without a knife, Mercy raised her eyes and met the gleaming black eyes of the man across from her. He had a narrow hawklike face that was in variance with his thick shoulders and the hamlike fist that gripped a long hunting knife. The end of the hilt rested on the table, a piece of speared meat was on the point, the juice running down the blade and onto his clenched fist. He sat as still as a stone with his unblinking eyes on her face.

Daniel’s elbow nudged hers. Then he pulled her plate toward him and cut the meat with his hunting knife. “Eat,” he said.

She ate quickly, wishing to hurry and get out from under the intense gaze of the man across from her before Daniel took offense at his staring. Daniel cleaned his plate and shook his head when the woman offered to refill it. Mercy laid down her spoon although her plate was still half full.

“I’m ready,” she whispered.

Daniel picked up his rifle, Mercy the carpetbag, and they went into the barroom. The flame from a single candle was the only light. The air in the barroom was fouled with the odor of stale ale. It tickled Mercy’s nostrils. Daniel’s hand on her elbow urged her over near the door where he stopped, glanced outside, then down at her anxious face.

“I wish we hadn’t stopped here. We could have camped out in the open,” she whispered.

“It’s too late now.”

“Why can’t we just leave? I don’t like the looks of those men in there . . . or the landlord.”

“The one across from you is the one we have to worry about. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t have a little robbery on his mind. The other three are river drifters.”

“How do you know?”

“I just know. If we leave now, he’ll follow if he has mischief in mind. You’ll be safer here.”

“Don’t leave me alone.”

“I won’t.”

“Can we go outside while they’re eating?”

“Sure. We’ll go out and check on the wagon. Leave your bag here.” Daniel picked up her shawl and put it around her shoulders.

As soon as they stepped out the door, they saw the innkeeper coming from the barn. They moved out away from the house before Daniel called to him.

“What accommodations do you have for us, Sickles?”

“We got a room for you and your lady. The woman’ll get it ready soon as supper is over.”

“We’ll walk down to the barn and see about the horses while we wait.”

“They’ve been taken care of. They got a good measure of grain.”

“Much obliged.”

“What did you say your name was?”

“I didn’t say, but it’s Phelps.”

“Headed for Evansville, are you?”

“We haven’t decided.”

“I don’t see them fellows that rode in with you. They must have gone on.”

“Must have.” Daniel and Mercy moved on down the path toward the barn.

“There’s a lantern inside the door,” the landlord called.

After Daniel looked in on the horses they walked around to where the wagon was parked in an open shed. Daniel checked the lock on the wooden box that held his extra powder and shot. Then he lifted several heavy blankets from the basket containing the food and set the basket out on the ground.

“The rats will be in this by morning. We’d better take it in with us.”

“Where did Lenny and Bernie go? They could have eaten the chicken if they hadn’t been so stubborn.”

“I’m thinking the meat will be spoiled by morning. Why don’t you lay it out there on the end of the wagon and let the rats or the coons have it.”

“I’ll not do—” The pressure of Daniel’s hand on her arm shut off her protest. She looked up and saw that laugh lines crinkled the corners of his eyes. He put his face close to hers and winked. Mercy suddenly felt extremely happy. “That’s a good idea,” she said, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice. “I’m glad you thought of it. We don’t want spoiled meat stinking up the basket.”

Mercy spread a cloth on the folded-down tailgate and placed the chicken, several pieces of buttered bread, and two boiled eggs on it. When she finished, Daniel took the lantern back to the barn, and they went back toward the inn.

“How did you know they were there?” Mercy whispered.

“I smelled them,” Daniel said bluntly. “After I smelled them, I started looking, and one of them was hunkered down in the tall weeds beside the shed. The peaked hat gave him away.”

“They’ve got more pride than brains,” Mercy said fretfully.

“Maybe. But with them out there our horses and the wagon will be all right. The next time we’ll not wait so late to find a place for the night.”

The woman was waiting when they returned to the inn. Without speaking, she picked up a candle and indicated to them to follow her into a room that had been added to the original building. She set the candle on a table and quickly departed.

“She’s strange,” Mercy said. “I wonder if she talks. Oh, well, she brought in my carpetbag.”

Daniel was examining the door. After he closed it, he tried to fit the bar into a slot on the either side, but it was broken. He murmured a few curses, then stood the bar in the corner.

“That’s useless,” he grumbled. “There’s no way in hell to bar this door!”

“You aren’t going to leave me in here by myself?”

“You’ll be all right if we can figure out a way to bar the door. I’ll be right outside.”

“Even if I can bar the door, I don’t want to stay in here by myself. There’s the window. And besides that . . . they could gang up on you. I don’t trust that landlord.”

“I don’t either. I’m trying to think of where I’ve seen that fellow in the black coat.” Daniel took off his hat and placed it on the floor beside his rifle. “I’ll leave you for a while, but I’ll be watching the door.” He took the pistol from his belt, checked the load, and put it back.

“Are you expecting trouble?”

“I’m always expecting trouble, and when it doesn’t happen, I’m pleasantly surprised.” He smiled down at her. “Don’t worry. You’ll be all right.”

“I’m worried about you. You can’t sleep outside that door. I’ll take one of the feather ticks off the bed and make a pallet here on the floor. Stay in here with me. The landlord will think it funny if you don’t. He thinks we’re . . . married.” Mercy’s fingers gripped his wrist. Very softly she said. “Please. Daniel.”

“You’re in enough trouble with Lenny and Bernie.” She caught the devilish glint in the depths of his eyes.

“They already think you’ve ravished me.” She almost choked on the giggle that bubbled up inside her. Her eyes danced and played with his, glowing happily.

“Ravished you? That’s a good idea. I’m glad you thought of it.”

“Daniel! You idiot!”

“I’ll leave you alone for a while. Don’t worry. I’ll watch the door.”

“I wish Lenny and Bernie had come in. They would be some help.”

“Help for what?” Daniel chuckled. “They’d more than likely start something, and I’d have to help them. I’ll be back in a little while.”

The first thing Mercy did when she was alone was to look for the chamber pot. She found it beneath the bed, pulled it out, and removed the lid. She sighed with relief. She had been afraid there wouldn’t be one, and she would have to go outside.

As she was arranging her clothes so she could use the chamber, she glanced at the high, small window above the bed. The shape of a man’s face was there, his nose pressed to the windowpane. For several seconds she was paralyzed with fear. Then she turned and quickly blew out the candle, plunging the room into total darkness. Mercy fought against momentary giddiness and the desire to rush out of the room and find Daniel. She pressed her fingertips to her temples and waited for her galloping heart to slow and her eyes to become accustomed to the darkness.

Her fright at seeing the man’s face in the window eased. The pain of her swollen bladder did not. She had to use the chamber before Daniel returned. Fumbling in the darkness, she managed to perform the chore, cover the chamber, and slide it back under the bed. Moving carefully, trying to remember where the table was located in the room, she found her carpetbag and carried it back to the bed. Then she removed the top feather tick, folded it, and made a pallet on the floor.

A wave of fatigue washed over her. Her shoulders slumped, and a longing for her comfortable room at home brought a mistiness to her eyes. She sat on the edge of the bed, took the pins from her hair, and put them in her pocket. With the tips of her fingers she massaged her scalp and combed through the heavy hair that hung to her hips.

The low murmur of voices coming from the barroom reached her, as well as the sounds made by the woman cleaning up after the evening meal. Mercy loosened the buttons at the neck of her dress and lay back on the bed. Her spine straightened painfully. She flexed her shoulders and rolled her head from side to side to ease her tense muscles. Her body was tired to the point of collapse.

“What will happen next?” she whispered into a silence that gave no answer. She was sure that she and Daniel were in a nest of cutthroats and robbers. But even when they left this place and reached Mud Creek, he would be among people who were hostile to him. The Baxters would not harm her, but what about Daniel? She knew nothing of the people who were her kin. “My God! I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to him!” Her faced twisted in agony.