“You’re tellin’ me,” Jeter said. “I was born and raised there, but you won’t get me to go back.”
“You can’t say that,” Cade said. “Texas was good to us. You wouldn’t have Magnolia if you hadn’t been in Texas.”
“Which, by the way, you haven’t seen her yet,” Jeter said.
“Well, you two run along,” Jacob said. “I need to clear out my things from the office. You won’t leave before I see you again, Cade.”
“Oh no, it will be a few days before I go.”
When Cade and Jeter walked in the door, Magnolia let out a little squeal of joy and running to him threw her arms around him.
“Now that’s a greeting a man could get used to, pretty lady,” Cade said as he returned her hug. “There was a time there, when I didn’t think I’d get back.”
“Then don’t ever leave again,” Magnolia said as she kissed him on the cheek.
“It’s too late,” Jeter said. “He’s already making plans to go off again.”
“Oh?” Magnolia’s eyebrows lifted. “And where would you be planning to go?”
“Tennessee. I want to go back and see my brother,” Cade said, “and I think I’ll take Stone with me.”
“You’ll take Stone?” Jeter questioned.
“Yes. I think he might enjoy a train ride.”
Magnolia lowered her head. “Cade, there’s more going on here than you know about. Jeter had to kill a man because of Stone.”
“What? What happened?”
“You remember Kirk Jordan—the man who tried to get Spotted Wolf at the apothecary.”
“Of course, I remember him.”
“He organized a bunch of hoodlums and they tried to burn our house down,” Jeter said.
“They wanted to hang a four-year old boy, whose only crime is that he is half Indian,” Magnolia said, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Then for sure, I’m taking Stone back to Tennessee. Neither the girls nor Stone needs to put up with that again,” Cade said.
Chapter 26
Cade and Stone stood on the depot platform at Dodge City waiting for the train, its whistle already announcing its arrival. Jeter, Magnolia and the two little girls were waiting with them.
“You are so lucky, Stone,” Chantal said. “I’ve never ridden on a train.”
“I haven’t either, Bella said.
Chantal laughed. “You didn’t have to say that. If I haven’t ridden on a train that means you haven’t, because we do everything together.”
“Will the train fall over?” Stone asked.
“Fall over? No, I don’t think so,” Cade said. “The train will go very fast, as fast as the fastest horse. I think you’ll like it.”
“Here it is!” Chantal announced.
The train moved swiftly into the station, the big driver wheels pounding by with steam streaming around them. The engineer was leaning out the side window of the cab and when the children waved at him, he flashed a big grin and waved back at them.
The train stopped with a hiss of steam and the squeal of steel on steel as the brake shoes clamped down onto the wheels. They waited as first the conductor, then the arriving passengers stepped down.
The conductor, looking very official in his dark blue uniform and the shiny brass shield, opened the cover to his watch, examined it importantly, then snapped the cover shut. After that, he walked up to the front of the train. The fireman had left the cab and climbed up onto the tender to pull a big spout down from the tank, so he could take on water.
“Bye, Daddy,” Chantal said, holding up her arms. Cade lifted her, and gave her a hug, and because Bella held up her arms, he did the same thing with her.
“Bye, Stone, you be a good boy now,” Magnolia said. She squatted down to kiss him, but Stone turned his head away.
Magnolia laughed. “You’re going to have to learn to let people show you some affection,” she said. “Someday, I’m sure you will.”
Cade and Jeter shook hands. “I’m going to miss you, my brother,” Jeter said. “And the money you gave us, I’m going to set that aside, so Chantal will get an education.”
“It’s for you, but you do with it whatever you want.”
“Don’t forget us,” Magnolia said as she embraced him.
Cade smiled. “That’s not going to happen.”
“I hate it that you’re going so far away.” A tear ran down Magnolia’s cheek.
“Don’t do that,” Cade said as he wiped her tear away with his finger. “It’s hard enough to leave as it is”
“Then don’t do it!”
“Board!” the conductor shouted.
“That’s us, Stone. We have to go.”
Stone held back until Cade reached out to take his hand. Although he was initially hesitant, Cade was glad to see that the boy climbed onto the train.
They took a seat half way down on the side of the car that faced the depot. When they were situated, Cade saw that the two girls had come up to wave at them, and call goodbye.
Stone returned the waves, but he didn’t call back to them.
A few moments after they boarded, the train began to move. There were a few jerks as the slack was taken up between the cars before settling into a smooth acceleration. Cade saw that Stone was holding tightly onto the window, but if he was frightened, he didn’t say anything. But by the end of the day, Stone seemed to be enjoying his ride on the train.
Stone went to sleep quickly, but sleep eluded Cade. He would be seeing Melinda for the first time in nine years, and he was wondering how she would react. But the real question was, how would he react?
He thought of the last time he had seen her as a single woman, when she had been the woman he was going to marry.
The moon, reflecting on the surface of the Cumberland River, sent forth little slivers of silver, to compete with the golden flashes of hundreds of fire flies. Cade and Melinda were sitting on a blanket that had been spread out on the bank of the river.
“Papa said he would help us buy some of Mr. Byrd’s land,” Melinda said.
Cade picked up a rock and tossed it into the river. The concentric circles working out from the rock disturbed the moon silver. He didn’t answer Melinda’s comment.
“I know, I know, you’re too proud to accept anything from papa, but remember, it’ll be my farm too. I mean, if we are husband and wife, won’t it?”
“Melinda, maybe we should wait,” Cade finally said.
“Wait? What do you mean, wait? Wait for what?”
“There’s a war on.”
“I know there’s a war on, but what does that have to do with us?”
“It has everything to do with us, Melinda.” He pointed to the river. “Right now, the Yankees control this river. Why, they could put a gunboat right out there and start shelling Clarksville, and there wouldn’t be anything we could do about it.
“It’s up to us. I can’t just sit by and let the Yankees take over everything I’ve ever known . . . everything I’ve ever loved.”
“I thought you loved me.”
“I do. When I said, everything I’ve ever loved, I’m talking about you.”
“So, what you are saying is, you don’t want to marry me.”
“Yes, I do want to marry you, more than anything in the world. But Melinda, I can’t do it now. I can’t go off to war and leave a wife behind me. Why, there’d only be half of me, and half of you. If you love me, you will wait for me. We’ll get married when the war is over, and I’ve come back home. Cade smiled, then put his finger under her chin. “Why, I’ll even let your papa help us out in buying the farm.”
The train whistle interrupted Cade’s musings about the past, and he began thinking of his future. Did he really want to be back in Tennessee? He guessed he would take up farming, but would Adam want him around either Melinda or the farm?
Late the next afternoon, Stone was sitting next to the window, looking at the countryside as it passed by. For the entire trip his conversation had been
limited only to when communication was required. He asked to go to the toilet, he asked when they were going to eat, and he asked where he was to sleep. But other than that, he said very little.
“We’re almost there,” Cade said when the train left Memphis.
“Cade, am I going to stay here?” Stone asked.
“I think so,” Cade said, pleased to answer his question.
“Will people like me in Tennessee?”
Cade pulled the boy close to him. “Of course, they’re going to like you. Everybody likes good little boys like you are.”
“Then why did they try to burn our house down?”
“Stone, that man was a very mean man. That’s not going to happen in Tennessee.”
“Do the people in Tennessee like Indians?”
“Of course, they do, but you know what? You’re a very special person. You have one foot in the Indian world and one foot in the white man’s world. You can be either one, but it’s better if you’re both, because then you can have all the good things about being an Indian and all the good things about being a white man.”
Stone smiled. “All right. When I am in Tennessee, I will be white, and when I am in Kansas, I will be Indian.”
The train slowed as it approached Clarksville, and Cade gathered up the few things he had brought with them. The telegram he had sent Adam had been vague about the nature of this trip, and he had not mentioned that he was bringing Stone. He hoped that what he had told Stone about Indians being liked in Tennessee would be true.
Any question as to whether his brother had received the telegram was answered when the train pulled into the station in Clarksville, Tennessee. The man standing on the depot platform was a little older and perhaps a little heavier than Cade remembered but it was clearly Adam McCall. There were also three children standing with him—two boys and a girl.
The exchange of letters between the two brothers had been so infrequent over the years that Cade was surprised to see the children. He knew about two of them; he was unaware that there was a third.
When the train came to a full stop, Cade stood up, stepped out into the aisle and invited Stone to come, too. They had changed trains a few times on the trip, and had detrained even more times, so Stone was familiar with the procedure. Cade mentioned nothing to Stone about his brother waiting for them until they were on the platform. Then it was Adam who spoke first.
“Cade! Over here!” Adam called, raising his hand, though the signal wasn’t necessary.
“Come, Stone. I want you to meet my brother,” Cade said.
When they reach the small group, Cade and Adam shook hands, heartily.
“I can’t tell you how happy Mellie and I were to get your telegram saying that you were coming for a visit,” Adam said.
“Mellie?”
Adam chuckled. “That’s what I’ve been calling Melinda for some time now. I don’t think she liked it that much when I first started, but she’s come around to it.”
“Daddy, is this Uncle Cade?” the oldest boy asked pulling on Adam’s shirt.
“It sure is, CG,” Adam replied. “Cade, meet your nephews, this is Cade Gordon, we call him CG. He’s eight.”
“Going on nine,” CG said, quickly, extending his hand. “Daddy says I’m named after you.”
“So you are,” Cade replied. Smiling, he accepted the proffered handshake.
“It’s supposed to be ladies first,” the little girl said.
Adam chuckled. “Oh, and you think you’re a lady, do you?”
“I’m a girl, and girls grow up to be ladies.”
“Well, you’re right about that,” Adam replied. “This is your niece, Margaret Ann. She’s named for Mama, and she’s six.”
Margaret curtsied, and Adam dipped his head.
“And this is James Lee. He’s five.”
“So, you have three, do you? I should’ve known that, I’m sure we’ve communicated at least once or twice in the last five years.”
Adam laughed. “I have four. Susanna Marie is only three years old, so I left her at home with Mellie. Oh, and I might as well tell you now, you’ll find out soon enough, Mellie is pregnant, so we’re soon to have five.”
“That’s, uh, quite a family you’ve got,” Cade said.
“Yes, it is,” Adam said with a happy smile. He looked at Stone, who had been following it all with a face devoid of all expression.
“And who is this little fellow with you?” Adam asked.
“This is Stone Forehead.”
The smile on Adam’s face was replaced by an expression of curious surprise.
“Stone Forehead? Why does he have such a name?” Then Adam’s expression changed. “Oh, he’s . . .” Adam stopped in mid-sentence.
“You can say it. He’s half Indian.”
“Is he your child?”
“Yes, he is, but we can discuss his genealogy later. I’m sure Melinda is at home, wondering about us.”
“Yes, I’m sure she is.”
“You’re Jimmy Lee,” Stone said, extending his hand. “I’m four but I think I’m about to be five.”
Jimmy Lee extended his hand. “Are you really a Indian?”
“I am white, and I am Indian,” Stone said.
“How can you be white and Indian?” CG asked.
“I don’t know,” Stone replied.
“Why don’t you quit your pestering and let’s go climb into the wagon?” Adam said.
The four youngsters rode in the back of the wagon and Cade was glad to hear that, very quickly, they were laughing with each other.
“They seem to be getting along well,” Cade said.
“Yes, the kids are just real good about making new friends.”
Chapter 27
The McCall farm was laid out along the east bank of the Cumberland River, about four miles southwest of Clarksville. As they turned onto the road that let up to the farm, Cade saw a side road that he didn’t remember. There was an arched sign over the side road that read: “Decker Farm”.
“Julius?” Cade asked, referring to the man who used to work for the McCalls.
“Forty acres,” Adam said. “He’s buying it himself.”
“So, the farm is down to, what, 160 acres?”
Adam smiled. “Nope, now it’s 310 acres. I bought 150 acres from Mr. Byrd. It’s the same land you thought about buying, remember?”
“Yes, I remember,” Cade said. “I thought Lloyd Botkins owned that land.”
“Ha! Botkins went bankrupt and went back north. Almost all his land went into foreclosure, so Byrd got his land back. He sold it to me for a real good price.”
When the wagon rolled into the old homestead they were met by a little girl.
“Daddy, did you bring me something?” she asked.
“I brought you a licorice whip,” Adam said pulling the piece of candy out of a paper bag. “Susanna, this is your Uncle Cade.”
“Hello,” the little girl said, speaking around the licorice stick that was in her mouth.
Margaret introduced Stone, then the five children wandered away. Cade looked around the old homestead where he had been raised. He saw that the house had been enlarged, almost to double its original size, and the small house that had once belonged to Julius and Effy Decker was gone. The barn was brand new, and Cade commented on it.
“Yes, the old one burned down a couple of years ago. Fortunately, none of the animals were killed. Come on in, I know Mellie’s anxious to see you.”
“I’ll be in, in a minute,” Cade said. “I want to make a visit over here.”
“Oh, yes, sure. All right, take your time. I’ll take your things in and get you and the boy settled. What did you say his name was?”
“It’s Stone. Stone McCall.” That was the first time he had called him that and Cade liked the sound of it. He was beginning to think he had done the right thing in coming home, for both himself and for Stone.
Cade walked over to a large magnolia tree that stood by the little family bu
rial plot. All four of his grandparents were buried there, as was Hazel, the sister Cade had never known. She was the first born, but she had died when she was two years old, six months before Cade had been born.
He examined the graves of his mother and father. He had been gone when both of them died. Cade ran his finger over the engraving on his mother’s headstone.
Margaret Edith McCall
Born Williamsburg, Virginia, March 28, 1809
Died October 7, 1873
He was shocked to see that it had been less than a year since his mother had died, and that he hadn’t been told when it happened.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get back to see you, Ma,” Cade said quietly.
But had he come, she wouldn’t have recognized him. The war had been hard on her, what with being told her son had died, and then having her husband fall from the loft and break his neck. It was no wonder she lost her senses.
He moved to his father’s grave and bent down to pull some weeds that were covering the inscription.
James McCall
Born Kirkcaldy, Scotland, August 5th, 1805
Died March 10, 1865
“Pa, I reckon that since ma’s with you, you’ll take care of her and she won’t have to be confused anymore. It gives me comfort to know the two of you are together again.”
The last time he had been here there had been another tombstone, and he saw it lying face down smothered in the fallen magnolia leaves. He waded in under the tree and turned it over.
In Memory of
Cade McCall
Sergeant, 33rd Tennessee
Born 22 November 1843
Killed in Battle, 30 November, 1864
This tombstone had been erected even though there had been no body, but everyone was convinced he had died. Cade put the stone back where it had been and got out from under the sprawling branches of the huge tree.
In effect, the headstone wasn’t all that wrong. The Cade McCall who had lived the first 21 years of his life, was gone. The Cade McCall who lived now had started an entire new existence the day he left Clarksville.
The Western Adventures of Cade McCall Box Set Page 80