Spirit Pouch (29 page)

Joseph closes his eyes and his face tightens up like he wants to cry out, but he holds it back.  Henry puts his mouth over the cut tissue and sucks hard.  Then spits.

Joseph pulls on his leg, clenching his teeth.  Henry sucks hard on the bite one more time for almost a full minute, and Joseph cries.  Henry spits again, and wipes the blood from his mouth.

"Elizabeth, we need a bandage," Henry says finally.

Elizabeth tears one of her new towels into strips, then washes the incision and places a bandage loosely over the wound.

"Okay, Jared," Henry says turning to me.  "What else do you know?  Maybe you could tell Elizabeth and me."

We walk away from Joseph to the other side of the far wagon.  "First of all, the venom is going to try to spread, not so much through the blood, but through the tissue."  I know that it actually will spread through the lymphatic system.  I had learned that at a Boy Scout meeting from a park ranger.  But I do not have time to give an anatomy lesson right now.

"We know that it will spread," Henry says.

"So, we need to apply a restricting band above and below the bite.  It needs to be snug, but not so tight that it cuts off the blood flow."

"Okay," Henry agrees.

"The next thing is that his leg is going to swell, so we need to take off his boot and maybe his pants."

"Okay, we can do that, too," Elizabeth says.

"It is going to hurt a lot." I look at Elizabeth.  "It will hurt because of the swelling.  And it will cause his heart beat to increase.  He needs to be kept warm, and keep the bite below the level of his heart.  One of the reasons that people die from snake bites is from heart failure."

Elizabeth starts crying and Henry puts his arm around her.  "Maybe we should discuss this later," he says sternly.

"There
is
no later time, Henry," I say boldly.  "He needs to be re-assured that he will be okay.  He needs to stay calm.  That will help to lower his heart rate."

"Is that it?" Henry says.

"He will probably vomit," I say.  "So he needs to sip water.  You can't let him dry out."

"Thank you, Jared," Henry says with tears in his eyes.  "Let's go save our boy."

"Henry," I speak softly.  "Most of all he needs a blessing from his father."

"I … I'm not sure …"

"I will help you," I say.  And I do.  Henry gives Joseph a beautiful blessing.  He lays his hands upon Joseph's head and, as his father, asks God to bless Joseph with courage, and to know that God loves him, and that he will recover and heal quickly from the poison of the snake bite.

Elizabeth tears two long strips of cloth.  I think it is another new towel.  She places one snugly above the bite.

"That hurts, Mother," Joseph cries.

"That's pretty normal, Joseph.  You got bit by a poisonous snake.  But you are going to get well.  And these bandages that I am putting on will help keep the poison from spreading.  That way you will get better much faster."

"Am I going to die, Mother?" Joseph asks.

"Someday … when you are old, I suppose," Elizabeth hugs Joseph and blinks away a tear.  "Your father gave you a blessing and asked God to heal you from that poison.  You're father has great faith, and so do I.  Now, I want you to rest so that you have the strength to get well."  She kisses him and he closes his eyes.

Joseph sleeps for three hours.  Henry and Elizabeth sit nearby and speak quietly with Thomas, glancing at Joseph occasionally when he cries out in his sleep.

"When I'm driving the freight wagon," Thomas says, "mostly I walk and guide the oxen.  In the evening I un-yoke them and put them to pasture for the night.  In the morning I yoke three pair of oxen to my wagon and I have to be ready to move out shortly after sun up."

"The food is okay," Thomas says.  "But nothing like Mother's cooking.  It is the long work hours that is hard."

Joseph rolls over, crying softly.  Elizabeth is at his side immediately.  She carefully lifts his blanket and checks his leg.  I can tell from her eyes that it looks bad, so I quietly join Elizabeth.  Joseph's leg around the bite is now blue and purple and is swollen like a small water balloon.

"We need to loosen the restriction bands a bit," I whisper.

Elizabeth gently pulls on the bands and begins to retie them.

Joseph's eyes open and they are confused and wild for a moment as he awakens.  He cries.  "It hurts.  My leg hurts."

"I know," Elizabeth says, putting her face in his.  "Snakebites hurt for a while, then they get better."

"I need it better now," Joseph cries.

"I'm going to change the bandage, Joseph," Elizabeth says.  "That will help it a little."

"Okay, okay," he whimpers.

Elizabeth starts loosening the second restrictive band and I say, "You have been really brave so far, Joseph.  I've seen several people with snakebites and they all started getting better after one day."

"A whole day?"  A tear runs down Joseph's cheek and I wipe it off.

"Yes," I say.  "So, can you be brave for one day?"

"I think so," he squeaks.  "But it really hurts."

"I know.  Rattle snake poison is pretty strong.  That's why we have to be brave, and stronger than poison," I add with a smile.

"I can be stronger than poison," Joseph squeaks.

Elizabeth brings a cup of water and hands it to Joseph after I stack a blanket and pillow behind him so he can sit up.  "Drink this," she says.  "I am warming up some soup for you.  It will help you fight off the poison."

Joseph drinks the water and then leans back against the blanket and pillow.  His face is tense and his eyes look glazed.

Exhaustion,
I think. 
Maybe some dehydration.
  I reach down and check his pulse on his wrist. 
Ninety.  That's too high for a child at rest.

"Hi, Joseph," Thomas says.  "I've missed you out on the trail."

"You have?" Joseph's eyes light up for a moment.

"You bet," Thomas says.  "I kept thinking that you would be good at this.  And when we were rounding up the oxen to get them yoked I was thinking that you would like poking those big ol' oxen to get them to move."

"I would like that," Joseph says as his eyes light up again with imagination.  "I could train them to go left and right or even to back up."

"You could," Thomas agrees, smiling.

"Did you see any Indians?" Joseph asks.

"Yes."

"Did they try to shoot you?" Joseph asks with excitement.

"No, we just saw them from far away.  And I think they were Ute Indians.  Ute are not hostile, so we were okay."

"It's a good thing they weren't Sioux Indians because they would scalp you!"

Elizabeth brings a bowl of soup and so I leave to make some room at Joseph's bedside.  "Here is some soup to help make you strong," Elizabeth says as I walk away.

Thomas keeps talking to Joseph while Elizabeth feeds him soup.

When I walk behind the wagon William says, "Just how many people have you seen get a snakebite and actually get well?"

"One, actually," I answer.  But what I don't say is that the snakebite I saw was in a video, and that person got to the hospital and received anti-venom.

"Well, I've seen several people with snakebites," William says with anger in his voice.  "They all died."

"I agree, William.  This snakebite is serious."

"So, you just go around creating false hope?  How will that help?"

"I am trying to encourage faith.  Faith that Jesus Christ will heal him from this poison.  Faith is not false hope."

"I wish I could have your faith," William says.  "Joseph is my brother.  I don't want him to die."

"It doesn't have to be that way," I say.  "But he must stay hydrated.  Eat and drink lots of fluids.  He needs to be reassured, so that his heart rate stays down, and he needs to be kept warm.  Tonight and tomorrow will be critical."

"I hope you are right," William says, pushing a tear off his cheek.  "I just hope you are right."  William walks away and a short time later I see him talking to Joseph.  In William's hand is a small figurine carved from wood.

"It's an Indian," William is saying.

"A Sioux Indian?" Joseph asks.

"Yes.  He is a Sioux.  Can you see his tomahawk?  I'm almost through carving it in his hand."

"He looks mean," Joseph imagines.  "Is he going to scalp someone?"

"He might," William says.  "Maybe we can make a peace treaty."

"I don't think he wants a treaty," Joseph says.  "He wants to scalp someone."

"Maybe he wants some clothes?" Annie says.

"Yeah," Joseph agrees.  "And some food."  Joseph winces and almost cries.

"Okay, boys," Elizabeth says.  "Make some room.  Joseph needs food, too."  She sits down next to Joseph with another bowl of soup.  I see her hand feed Joseph and he drinks a big cup of water.

"Thanks for the soup, Mother," Joseph says, lying back exhausted.  "My leg hurts," Joseph cries.

"I'm going to check the bandage, Joseph.  I need you to be brave for me."

"I can't be brave," Joseph cries.  "It hurts a lot."

I watch Elizabeth loosen the restrictive bands where Joseph's leg has swollen tremendously.

"That should be a little better," she says.  "I will come check on you again after I clean these dishes."

"Do you want to hear a story?" Ty asks as Elizabeth gets up with the dishes.

"A story?" Joseph's eyes light up.  "Is it about Indians?"

"Sort of," Ty says.  "It is about Nephites."

"Sure," he almost cries again as he remembers his swollen leg.

"This story is about the stripling warriors."
[88]

"Hey, I've heard that story.  Will you read that one?"

"Sure," Ty says.  He opens Henry's Book of Mormon to the end of the book of Alma and reads about the two thousand courageous young warriors who fight valiantly and are protected by God.  Before Ty finishes the story, Joseph is sleeping.

Of course, being Saturday, George, Ty, William and I haul several buckets of water each from the stream, and everyone except Joseph gets a bath.  Elizabeth supplies warm water, heated over the fire.  After a week of dirt and sweat, I am ready for a bath.  Elizabeth takes my clothes to wash, and I borrow a pair of pants and a shirt from William while my clothes dry over night.  Ty does the same and I snicker at him because he looks different in William's shirt.

Henry offers the family prayer before dinner.  He asks God to bless Joseph that he would recover from his snakebite quickly.  He gives thanks for the gospel, for our family and for our food.  He then asks a blessing on each one of us individually.  He asks that William's faith might be strengthened.  I do not remember what blessing he requests for the other members of his family, but for me he asks that my mother be comforted while I am away.  I think that is a great blessing and in my heart I ask for that, too.  Then he asks that Ty would receive a testimony of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon.  Again, in my heart, I also ask that for Ty.

We eat dinner, and mostly we do not talk.  I think everyone is concerned about Joseph, but do not want to say so out loud.  I keep trying to have faith that he will overcome the venom, and I know he will.

I crawl into my blankets and so does William, George and Ty.  Thomas heads back to the wagon train.  I think I fall asleep as soon as my head rests on the blanket.

Chapter Sixteen

The Letter

Sunday, July 8

"Run!"
the younger boy whispers.  "Sioux!"  We run and the younger boy follows.  We get about three yards and a Sioux warrior lands in our path.  White and black paint streak down his ferocious face.  Racing red paint zigzags up his muscular shoulder as he elevates the coal-black tomahawk.  Tethered feathers float skyward with strings of black hair as the Sioux snatches the younger boy by his long blond hair.

The boy screams, "It hurts.  It hurts."

The tomahawk swings, severing the boy's scalp.  The boy screams.  I bend over and vomit out of fear.

The boy half screams and half cries.  But the scream is farther away.  The scream is from Joseph.

I am awake now and my eyes are open, but the night is dark.  I cannot tell what time it is, but it feels like just after midnight.  I hear William and George roll over and I know they are awake, too.

Joseph cries out.  It is more like a scream.  "It hurts.  My leg hurts."  He cries again and then I hear him vomit.

"I know it does, Joseph," Elizabeth says softly.  I hear her pull Joseph close to her.  "This is the worst part," she soothes.  "Tomorrow will be better."

"I want to be better now," Joseph cries, ending with another scream of agony.

"Here is some water, Joseph.  I want you to drink some of it.  Water helps you to fight the poison.  Water helps your leg to get well."

"Okay," Joseph cries.

I can't help him right now, so I try to sleep, but while Joseph cries I don't sleep.

I see Elizabeth get up, but I hear her more than I see her.  She heats some of last night's supper over the remaining coals.  We had bread and a potato with venison gravy and she brings some for Joseph.

"Mostly I want you to sip some water," Elizabeth says softly.  "Here is a potato from dinner, though, if you are hungry."

Joseph cries, then stops, then cries again. 
He's eating the potato,
I think.

"I'm cold," Joseph whines after a few minutes.

"Here is another blanket," Elizabeth says.  "There.  Is that a little better?"

"Yes, but my leg hurts a whole lot," he cries again.

"Try and be brave, my son," Elizabeth answers.  "It will start to get better tomorrow."

"I'll try, Mother."

"You rest now.  Try to sleep."

I hear some cries, but the warm potato and the blanket bring drowsiness and Joseph sleeps.  So do I.

I wake up when the sky is still twilight.  William is getting up and so is George.  I push the blankets off me and sit up to pull on my shoes.  I check my newly washed clothes.  They are still fairly wet. 
Probably won't dry all the way until the sun is up,
I think.  Ty is already up and I look around to see if he is in camp.  Through the spokes of the wagon I see him sitting against a rock reading Henry's scriptures.

"Will you and Ty go check the horse and oxen?" William asks.  "George and I will get a small fire going so we can cook breakfast."

"Sure," I say.  I am always happy to cooperate when it involves food.  Food is good.

"If you see any firewood, bring it back.  We may be here longer than we planned."

"We can do that," I say, standing up.

"And watch for snakes."  William looks me in the eye and nods.  He does not need to say any more.  I know what he is thinking.  He is worrying about Joseph and does not want to worry about me, too.

I gather up Ty and together we set off to check the horse and oxen.  They are only a short distance away, so I know it will not take us long.

"Why do you think we have to check on the stock every morning and evening?" Ty asks, obviously annoyed that his reading was interrupted.

"I guess to make sure that the horse and oxen haven't wandered too far off, or that the hobble didn't get caught on a stump."

"There they are," Ty says, pointing.

All the animals seem fine and content to graze and swish flies with their tails.

"I heard Joseph cry in the night," Ty says as we walk back to camp.  "Do you think he will get better … I mean, soon?"

"I hope so, Ty.  I hope last night was the worst.  If it was, he will make it."

We get back to camp and see that Joseph is awake.  "How is Joseph doing?" I say more to Elizabeth than to Joseph.

"He woke up and vomited," Elizabeth says as concern flashes across her eyes for an instant.  "But look," she pulls the blanket up off his leg.  "The swelling around the bite has gone down a little."

"That is great!" I say, this time mostly to Joseph.  "You are getting better."

Joseph manages a fleeting smile, and coughs.  "My leg does not hurt so bad now, but my stomach hurts and it hurts when I breathe."

"That means that you are tougher than poison," I say laughing.

"I am tougher than poison," he agrees, wincing a little.  "But poison is pretty tough, also."

Elizabeth tucks the blanket around him and hands him a cup of water.  "Drink this slowly," she says.

Joseph sips on the water until it is gone, then leans back and closes his eyes.

Elizabeth takes the cup.  "I will bring you some warm soup and a scrambled egg," she says.

"An egg sounds good," he smiles with his eyes closed.

"Where did we find eggs?" I ask William as he walks by.

"We didn't find them, exactly," William says.  He points to Thomas.

Thomas laughs at my surprise.  I did not know he had returned.

"I made a trade at a ranch close to here," he says.  "They have eggs to trade and I know Joseph likes eggs."

"I do like eggs," Joseph says still lying back with his eyes closed.

Elizabeth brings Joseph some scrambled eggs which he devours with enthusiasm.  A few minutes later, after our morning prayer, we all enjoy eggs, bacon and grits.

"We will hold our church meeting in about twenty minutes," Henry announces as George finishes and stands up.  I check my watch out of habit, I guess.  A watch is not of much use in 1866 Colorado.  The only time schedule here is regulated more by the sun than by any timepiece.

In this case, though, church starts when the breakfast dishes are done.  We all gather around Joseph's bed so he can attend, also.

Henry starts our meeting like he always does, testifying how he one day hopes to hold the priesthood and that he is very blessed to be baptized.  He reminds us that we meet each week on Sunday to remember Jesus Christ and to worship God.

I see George roll his eyes and I know it is because he has heard this speech week after week his whole life.

We sing an opening hymn and Grandpa Brettle offers the prayer.  Henry stands and smiles, "I have told you many times how much I love the Book of Mormon."

Annie covers her mouth and whispers, "At least a thousand times."

"I see many of you reading from my scriptures throughout the week, but lately I see Ty with his nose in my book.  As you know, I will share my scriptures with anyone who wants to read.  Today I would like to invite Ty to tell us about something he has read recently in the Book of Mormon.  Would you do that for us, Ty?"

"Actually," Ty says, standing hesitantly and turning to face the Cottle family.  "Henry asked me yesterday, so I have thought about some of the stories that I have read.  Because Joseph, who I have come to really like as a friend and a brother, was recently bitten by a poisonous snake, one story in particular sank into my heart.
[89]
  Both Alma and Nephi comment about it, but the story comes from the book of Numbers in the Bible.  Apparently the Israelites spoke out against the Lord, and so the Lord sent fiery flying serpents among the people and many of the people died.  Moses was told by the Lord to make a fiery serpent and put it upon a pole, and anyone who was bitten just had to look at the serpent on the pole and he would live."

"The strange thing is that some people would not look at the serpent on the pole, because it was too easy, and so they died.  So, you see, the serpent on the pole is symbolic of Jesus Christ, and those who have faith in Jesus Christ and look toward Him, will live.  It is faith …"

Ty swallowed hard and for a moment he could not speak.

"It is by faith … in Christ that we are saved.  That is the story."

Ty sits down and rubs his eyes slowly one at a time.

"Thank you, Ty," Henry says. "I love that story, too.  Anyone else have a favorite story?"  Henry looks around at each member of his family.

"Teancum," Joseph blurts out, then coughs deep in his chest.

"Would you like to tell us the story, Joseph?" his father asks.

"I was hoping that maybe we could read it," Joseph squeaks.  "I don't remember it very well."

"I think it is in Alma near the end," Henry says, picking up his Book of Mormon and flipping it open.  "Yes.  Here it is.  Who can tell us what is going on at this point in the story?"

I raise my hand and Henry nods at me.  "Teancum is a great Nephite warrior and the Nephites are at war with the Lamanites."

"And doesn't Teancum sneak into another guy's tent?" Annie says.

"That's right," Henry says.  "Who would like to read it?"

"I would," William says.

William reads about the Lamanite army ferociously fighting the mighty Nephite army, and at night both armies camp and rest because they are so exhausted.  But Teancum does not sleep.  Instead, he sneaks into the tent of Amalickiah, the Lamanite king, and kills him in the night, then sneaks back to his own camp.  In the morning the Lamanite army is confused and retreats.

"You can be sure that Teancum had faith in Jesus Christ," Henry concludes.

We sing a hymn that I do not know very well, and George offers the closing prayer.

"How's your leg doing?" Annie asks, scooting up close to Joseph.

"It's getting better," he says, pulling up the blanket.  He coughs, wheezing as he gasps more air.  "The swelling has gone way down already."  Joseph pokes his finger at his leg and whines.  "It only hurts a little, now.  My chest hurts way more.  Especially when I cough."

"I know," Annie sympathizes.  She coughs, too.  "Do you think you can play marbles?"

"Sure, if we play next to my bed.  I have to keep the blanket around me.  Mother says."

I look around and see Ty sitting in the sunlight just past the wagon in which we had hidden almost two months ago.  He motions to me with his head to come join him.  He has a small piece of paper that George had given to him and I can tell that he is writing.

"A letter to Sarah?" I ask, a little surprised, pointing to the paper with my finger.

"Yes," Ty laughs.  "I thought I would try it … you know … just in case."

"Just in case, what?"

"Just in case we don't make it back to our time.  Back to Arizona.  It's her birthday next week … I mean,
was
her birthday … I mean it will be in about … a century … never mind."

"What are you going to say?" I half smile.  I want to write to Lyn, but can not think of the words.

"Well … " he hesitates.

"If it is personal, you don't have to read it," I say quickly.  "I just can't think of what I would say to Lyn if I wrote to her."

"Here's what I put."

"Dear Sarah,

I hope I am there in person to wish you a happy birthday.  Currently Jared and I are in Colorado, in route to Utah.  We are traveling with the Cottle family by wagon.  I know.  It sounds incredible, and I hardly believe it myself.  So much has happened that I cannot write it all on this small paper, but it all started when Franky kidnapped Jared and me and set our car on fire in the desert.  Anyway, I look forward to seeing you again.  Happy birthday.

Your friend,

Ty Smith

P.S: I have read almost the entire Book of Mormon.  I feel in my heart that it is true."

"Wow!," I exclaim.  "That's really incredible!"

"I know," Ty says, twisting his smile into a look of doubt.  "She won't believe a word of it.  She'll think I'm nutso.  I'm sure she already thinks that.  Who am I kidding?"

"No!  I mean 'wow' that you feel that way about the Book of Mormon!" I chuckle.  "That means that miracles can still happen!"

"Like the miracle of getting back home?" Ty asks.

"Yes.  I don't know exactly how we will pull that miracle off, but now I know it is possible."

"So you will work on locating the spirit pouch?" Ty asks with renewed hope.