Dorothy Garlock - [Wabash River] (44 page)

He looked up. “All right. Take an extra dress for you and for Willa, underthings, and bonnets. Something that looks nice. We don’t want to look like a bunch of ne’er-do-wells.”

“Oh, thank you, Colby. I was afraid you’d argue.”

He continued to throw things on the blanket. “It wouldn’t have done any good,” he muttered.

Amy, with the Luscomb baby in her arms and Daniel and Mercy hanging onto her skirt, came to the doorway of the new room Liberty and Farr had shared for such a short time.

“Are you going, Libby?”

“I’ve got to.” She went to her sister and hugged her. “Please understand.”

“I do, Libby.”

“Thank you, honey. Oh, you’ve grown up so much this summer. Juicy will send word to Mr. Washington and Sugar Tree. They’ll come and stay until we get back. You’re not afraid, are you?”

“No. Don’t worry, Libby. We’ll be all right.”

“I know you will.” Liberty took a dress and a bonnet out of her trunk.

“I like that woman Papa married, but I don’t want to go live with them.”

“I’m glad. I don’t know what Daniel and Mercy and I would do without you.”

“Libby? Are you comin’ back?” Daniel’s eyes were big and round and full of tears.

“Of course I’m coming back.” Liberty dropped to her knees beside him and hugged him and Mercy to her. “You help Amy with Mercy.”

“Yes’m. Why’d they do that to Farr?”

“It’s all a mistake, Daniel. I’m going to Vincennes and help to get it all straightened out.”

“Can . . . can me ’n Mercy call you mama?”

“Of course you can. I’d be proud if you called me mama.” She kissed his cheek and then Mercy’s. “I’ve got to hurry so Colby and I can catch up to the patrol. Be good children, and mind Amy. I’ll be back soon.”

Colby led the horses from the barn and boosted Liberty into the saddle.

“Git right in ’n see Harrison, soon’s ya get thar,” Juicy said. “That little cock is got somethin’ or he’d not a come actin’ like he done. He was too sure a hisself. Ya got bribe money if’n ya need it?”

“I got it. Got Farr’s rifle and mine, plenty of powder and shot. Libby, did you get bread and meat? It’s nearly fifty miles to Vincennes.”

“I got it.” She echoed what he’d said to Juicy without realizing it. “Juicy, do you think Sugar Tree will come?” Libby tried not to look at the anxious little group that stood in the doorway of the cabin.

“’Course she will. I sent word a’ready. Yo’re not to worry none ’bout us. Jist get on up thar ’n do what ya can fer my boy.”

When Liberty saw the tears in the old man’s eyes, hers filled. She leaned over and with her hands on his shoulders to support her, placed her cheek against his.

“Oh, Juicy. I love you. We’ll bring him back.”

“We be waitin’ . . . daughter.”

*  *  *

It took an hour of hard riding before they sighted the patrol up ahead. Then they slowed the horses down to a fast walk.

“There’s a connection between Lenning and Perry,” Colby said suddenly. “There’s some reason why Lenning risked so much to try and get Willa. Willa remembered Lenning saying, ‘we’ve got what we came for’ and the other man saying, ‘the Indian said she’d come out early to milk.’ They were waiting for Willa, not just a woman, as we at first believed.”

“What will they do with Farr when they get to Vincennes?”

“If Perry has proof to substantiate his charge, they’ll put him in the guardhouse at Fort Knox. He’s probably filed something with his superior officer. Perry doesn’t have the authority to do something like this on his own.”

“You mean Captain Heald?”

“Captain Heald was going back to Fort Dearborn. It’s more than likely Captain Sinclair. He would be the senior officer if Major Taylor is away.”

“What’s the captain like?”

“Typical West Pointer—all rules and regulations. Hates Indians. He feels he was demoted when he was sent out here.”

They lapsed into silence that lasted for a long time. Liberty wasn’t used to riding. Soon she was gritting her teeth and concentrating on staying in the saddle. The insides of her thighs were rubbed raw, her back felt as if it would break in two, and her bottom felt as if it were being pricked by a thousand needles.

The patrol didn’t stop until it was almost dark. Colby and Liberty moved in a little closer, and Colby found them a suitable place to stop for the night. He helped Liberty off the horse. She could barely stand.

“Keep moving,” he said. “Don’t stop or you’ll stiffen up. I’ll water the horses. Walk until I get back.”

Liberty counted as she walked. Twenty paces and turn, twenty paces and turn. She was sore, tired and hungry, yet her bodily discomforts were nothing compared to the turmoil in her mind. Would Farr and Willa have blankets? Would they be fed? What awaited them in Vincennes?

Colby returned, unsaddled and staked out the horses. He brought the pouch that hung from Liberty’s saddle and they sat down on a blanket and leaned back against the trunk of a giant oak tree.

“It’ll be cold tonight. God, I hope it doesn’t snow.” Colby handed Liberty the food bag. “I don’t want to risk a fire.”

“They’ll have one, won’t they?”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to take the chance someone will slip up on us.”

Colby took a bite of the bread and meat Liberty handed to him and chewed slowly. They ate in silence, listening to the sound of the horses cropping the grass nearby and the whisper of dry leaves stirred by the wind. Each was thinking of someone not too far away, hoping they were warm, being fed. When they finished eating, Colby moved over closer to her.

“Lean against my shoulder, Libby, and I’ll cover us with both blankets.”

Grateful for the warmth, Liberty snuggled against Colby and wondered if she would be able to get on the horse in the morning. Finally she dozed.

Sometime later she became aware that Colby had tensed, and the rifle across their laps had moved. She lifted her head and listened.

“Psst! It’s me, Sergeant Callaway.” The voice came from behind the tree. A shadowy figure moved around from behind them and squatted down. Colby’s finger eased off the trigger of his rifle.

“I could’ve blown your head off, Sergeant.”

“I know it. Why do you think I was huggin’ that tree? I just want to let you know the little lady is all right. Two of my best men are keepin’ an eye on her. Both of them got girls not yet grown. They’ll do right by your woman.”

“How is Farr? Does he have a blanket?” Liberty asked.

“He’s all right too.”

“My husband isn’t a traitor, Sergeant. I don’t know what Lieutenant Perry thinks he could have done.”

“He thinks he’s done something. He’s got the order from Captain Sinclair to come arrest him.”

“Is Governor Harrison in Vincennes?” Colby asked.

“He left about a week ago for Fort Wayne. He’s all fired up about winning up on the Tippecanoe. Did you hear about that?”

“We haven’t heard any news.”

“We whipped the fire out a them Indians up at Prophets town and scattered ’em to hell and back. Tecumseh’ll have a hell of a time uniting the tribes now.”

“When will Harrison be back?”

“I don’t know, son. I’m just a sergeant.”

“Then Perry’s doing this while Harrison’s away.”

“’Pears like it. But Major Zack Taylor is commander at the fort. He be in Fort Harrison for a while. I don’t know when he’s due back. He’s a fair man ’n his say overrides Sinclair’s. Could be he don’t know ’bout this yet. Tell ya what, Carroll, take Mrs. Quill to Moll Glover’s house when ya get to Vincennes. It’s down a ways from the Council House. It’s got a sign. She’ll have a room. Then what ya’ve got to do is try ’n delay things until Harrison or Zack Taylor gets back.”

“Thanks, Sergeant,” Liberty said.

“Yo’re welcome, Mrs. Quill. Little Bandyass—’scuse me, ma’am, but that’s what the troops call him—will hang hisself one day soon. I’ve gone through a half dozen lieutenants like him. I’ve been tempted to shoot him more than once myself. He’ll push too hard one day ’n somebody’s gun’ll go off, accidental-like. We’ll be pulling out at dawn. Should be in Vincennes by the middle of the morning. I’ll see you at Moll’s.”

The sergeant moved around behind the tree and was gone without a sound.

L
iberty had expected Vincennes to be a raw, wilderness village of several hundred people. Instead it was a town, a real town with churches, taverns, mercantile and the Territory Capitol Building. When she expressed her surprise to Colby, he told her there had been a town there for eighty years. It had been settled as a French outpost in 1732.

A light snow was falling as they rode into town and down a rutted street. The houses were hewn timber set upright in the ground and chinked with stone and mortar. None were more than one story high. The roofs were slightly pitched and all had porches on one or two sides. All the houses, except for a few, Colby told Liberty, were patterned after the French houses in New Orleans.

As they approached the center of town, Colby pointed out the two-storied Legislative Hall, and Grouseland, the home of Governor Harrison. The mansion was the finest home Liberty had ever seen. It was big and square, two-storied, with a high pitched roof. A half dozen tall brick chimneys soared above the roof, and smoke was coming from all of them. The double porch roofs were supported by massive round columns.

“My, it’s grand,” Liberty said. “But I’d not trade my home at the station for it.”

“Jefferson Academy is a few streets down, and this building is the newspaper office. It’s the only newspaper in the terri— By God! That bastard’s taking Willa out to the fort!”

They had been following along behind the patrol, keeping it in sight. Now Colby gigged his mount into a trot.

“Where’s the fort?”

“A couple of miles above town. I’m going out there to see Captain Taylor.”

“I’m going too.”

A grin spread over Colby’s tired face. “I thought you would.”

Fort Knox was a well-established fort. The neat rows of barracks and officers’ quarters had the look of permanency that more than twenty years gave to buildings. The timbers were weathered, the shingles peeling, the porch roofs sagging. Snow was now sticking to the ground and forming white patches. It stung Liberty’s cheeks as she and Colby followed the patrol through the gates. Just inside they were stopped by a sentry.

“The lieutenant said you’re not to come any farther, sir. I’m sorry.” The soldier was young. Not even old enough to shave. His nose was red from the cold. The hand that held the rifle was rough and chapped. He stood with his shoulders hunched against the wind.

“You’ve told me,” Colby said. “We’re going in, are you going to try and stop us?”

“No, sir. I ain’t never heard of no order like that before.”

“Perry is a shithead. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir.” The soldier grinned.

Colby pressed a shilling in his hand. “Get a hot brandy when you go off duty.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The troops had been dismissed except for a small detail that surrounded Farr and Willa. They were dismounting in front of the headquarters building when Colby and Liberty arrived. Farr dismounted by himself, but the sergeant had to lift Willa from the saddle and hold onto her to keep her from falling. By the time Colby and Liberty dismounted and tied their horses to the rail, the group had gone inside.

“Come on.” Colby urged Liberty toward the door. “Be careful what you say, Libby. You’ll get more with sweet words and smiles than you’ll get flying into a temper.”

“I’ve been thinking about that, Colby. Don’t worry. I can act like a lady when I want to.”

To Liberty’s surprise there was only an aide in the room, but she heard voices coming through the thin partition.

“We wish to see Major Zachary Taylor,” Colby said.

“Major Taylor took a detail up to Fort Harrison. We don’t expect him back until next week.”

“Who is the officer in charge?”

“Captain Sinclair.”

“We wish to see him.”

“He’s busy. You’ll have to come back later.”

Liberty let her shawl slip off her head and hang onto her shoulders. Her hand fluttered to her hair and brushed startling blond ringlets back from her forehead.

“We know the captain is busy, Sergeant.” She smiled up into the young soldier’s face.

“Private Simpson, ma’am.”

“Private? Well, for goodness sake. What’s the matter with these officers? I’m going to talk to my Uncle George about this. Have you met my uncle, Private Simpson?”

“No, ma’am.”

“I thought everyone knew George Rogers Clark.”

“I’ve not . . . met General Clark.”

“Never mind. We must see the captain. My indentured girl is in there and she’s terribly ill. Oh, dear me!” Liberty’s hands went to her cheeks and her eyes went from the aide to Colby. “I hope it isn’t something catching.”

“Well, in that case, I’m sure the captain won’t mind being interrupted.”

“Thank you.” Liberty pushed ahead of him and flung open the door to the inner room.

Hammond Perry was standing in front of a desk. Farr and Willa were to one side, and the guard stood beside the door. The man at the desk jumped to his feet.

“Private! I said we were not to be disturbed,” he roared. “Who are these people?”

“Don’t be angry at the young man, Major. I just had to know if Mistress Carrathers was all right. You see, she’s been so terribly ill with fever and . . . spots.” Liberty looked at the officer, then away. She jerked her head back to look at him again with surprise and recognition on her face. “Ohhh . . . Major! Didn’t I meet you a few years ago at a ball at West Point?”

“You may have, ma’am. But I don’t—”

“You don’t remember me? I was Liberty Carroll then.” She smiled, pouted prettily and leaned over the desk to extend her hand. “But why would you remember me? You were surrounded by the prettiest girls in New York State.”

Captain Sinclair held her hand while his eyes devoured her face. She was the most beautiful woman he’d seen since he’d come to this godforsaken place. Her eyes were bright and full of admiration. Her cheeks rosy and her lips red and smiling. Good God! he thought. How long had it been since he’d seen hair like that?