We Were There at the Oklahoma Land Run

by Jim Kjelgaard

  CHAPTER THREE

  _The Sooners_

  In their own bed in the wagon, Cindy snuggled close against her twinsister. Cindy had never been on a train, but it sounded like a wonderfuladventure, and she whispered, "Tell me about your train ride."

  Mindy told her. She described the locomotive, the engineer leaning outof its window, and the sweating fireman who shoveled coal into itshungry vitals. She described each of the cars, and the people who hadbeen in each. Mindy told of her seat in the day coach, of the people whosat in front of her, the people who sat behind her, and the people whosat across from her. She spoke of the conductor, the conductor's blueuniform, and the big brass buttons on his uniform. She described theway the car's wheels clicked on the rails, and how they seemed to sing asong. Mindy told of the depots, the various areas through which she hadpassed, and ended with a complete description of the box lunch GrandmaSimpson had given her to take along.

  Cindy sighed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Having Mindy tell ofthe ride was _nearly_ as good as taking such a ride herself. There was asilence which Mindy broke:

  "You looked so grand when you were putting on your magic show. And eventhough I know how you did it, I was scared when you 'killed' yourself.Often I wish I dared do the things you do."

  "The things _I_ do!" Cindy exclaimed. "Why, you're the only person inthe world who's ever been able to pet Mr. Brent's Thunder pony!"

  She spoke more loudly than she had intended, and their mother overheard."Children," Mrs. Simpson called, "go to sleep now."

  Mindy dropped into gentle slumber, but Cindy was far too excited tosleep. She thought of the train ride, and of how dearly she would loveto take such a ride herself, but since there seemed to be nopossibility of that, she began thinking of what lay about her andeverything Pete Brent had said. It seemed to her that if she too couldmake the ride into Oklahoma, it would be even more wonderful than ridingon a train. Maybe if she pleaded.... But the answer would be _no_.

  Her father and mother began to talk in low voices, and though Cindy didnot try to listen, she couldn't help hearing.

  "I'm worried, Jed," her mother said. "I can't help thinking thatsomething will go wrong."

  "Now, Ann," Jed Simpson soothed, "you know very well that I can takecare of myself."

  "Yes, but--Oh, Jed! I always hated to see you wear a gun when you weremarshal back in Lowville! But please wear it this time!"

  Cindy became more alert. So her quiet father had been a gun-carrying lawofficer! She'd never known.

  "Now don't you worry," she heard her father say, "I'll take the gun eventhough I don't expect to have any use for it."

  "I'll be terrified if you don't!" Ann Simpson said. "I couldn't bear tothink of you out there with no way to defend yourself! All thosepeople!"

  "They're good people, Ann. There's nothing to fear. You heard what Petesaid."

  "I heard him say that ninety-five per cent of them are good and hewouldn't care to cross the border without his gun! Oh, I do wish we'dstayed in Missouri!"

  "In Missouri I was just a hired man," Mr. Simpson reminded her.

  "But we always had enough, and we were happy. To give it up and takethese awful risks!"

  "Now, Ann," Cindy's father's voice became firm, "this is the Simpsons'chance, perhaps the only one we'll ever have, to rise in the world.There may be some small risk, but nobody ever gained anything withoutrisking something. Think of the children, and of how much more we'll beable to give them if we have our own farm instead of depending on ahired man's wages."

  "But there aren't even any schools out there!"

  "There will be," Jed Simpson said. "Schools will follow on the heels ofthe settlers. So will roads, towns, and even cities! And do you know whoone schoolteacher might be?"

  "Who?"

  "Mrs. Jed Simpson."

  "Jed!"

  "I mean it, Ann. You're a college graduate. And stop thinking ofOklahoma as an empty wilderness. It may be that now, but within a weekit'll be settled. And it will need more than farmers. We'll needdoctors, carpenters, storekeepers, and above all, schoolteachers.Working together, with each contributing to the best of his ability,we'll build a new and mighty state!"

  There was a short silence, and then Ann Simpson spoke again.

  "Forgive me, Jed," she said. "Knowing you, I should have known that youwould have no small plan. Yes, I see it too, and I will be aschoolteacher if we have to hold our first school in the open air. Iwon't promise not to worry, and I won't be happy until I'm with youagain, and please take your gun!"

  "I'll take it," Jed Simpson promised her.

  Cindy dropped off to sleep and almost immediately fell into a happydream. She was mounted on one of Pete's ponies. Free as a bird and swiftas the wind, she skimmed over the enticing grasslands just across theborder to help her father and Pete stake claims.

  Cindy rolled over and cried out in her sleep. The man with cat's eyeshad crept into her dream and made it a troubled one. She awakenedshivering, and did not go back to sleep for nearly an hour. But when shedid, there were no more dreams.

  The next time she awakened, she smelled wood smoke and heard peoplemoving about. Breakfast fires were being kindled at every camp andwagon. Cindy sat up in bed, and Mindy stirred beside her. Very softly,Cindy patted her sister's cheek.

  "It's morning," she said.

  "Oh-h! So it is!" Mindy stretched and sat up drowsily.

  Mindy donned the dress she had worn last night, but Cindy reached intoher own carpetbag for some underwear, blue jeans, and a shirt that Alechad worn when he was ten. The clothing just fitted her if she turned upthe jeans' cuffs and rolled the shirt sleeves to her elbows. It was notquite a lady's garb, but it offered much more freedom than any clingingdress. Eyes wide with astonishment, Mindy stared at her sister.

  "Cindy!" she exclaimed.

  "I want to save my dresses," Cindy said.

  "What will Mother say?"

  "She doesn't care," said Cindy, who was not at all sure just what Motherwould say. "I wore these all the way out here."

  They slipped out the back flaps of the wagon to find their motherbuilding a breakfast fire. She greeted the twins, smiled, and in herheart Cindy gave thanks for an understanding mother who, while wishingher daughters to be ladylike, knew why girls sometimes thought boys hadall the fun. Their father was grooming Sunshine, and Alec was giving themules their hay.

  "Time you were up, sleepyheads!" Alec called cheerfully when he saw thetwins.

  Mindy smiled, Cindy made a face at her brother, and both turned to helptheir mother. Mindy, who had had no camp experience but had alwayshelped in the kitchen, mixed pancake batter. Cindy cut slices from aside of bacon and arranged the tableware. Their mother put the bigcoffee pot over the fire and got out her griddle.

  "I'll do the cooking if you want me to," Cindy offered.

  "No, thank you, dear," her mother declined. "I'll feel better if I keepbusy."

  "Hello, neighbors."

  Granny Brent had come out of her wagon and was about to start abreakfast fire. White-haired and wrinkled, but not stooped or stiff,Granny had spent much time in wagons and knew exactly how to doeverything. She smiled in her wonderfully gentle fashion.

  "Well, well! So the other twin has arrived! Do come here, child, and letme look at you!"

  Mindy went trustingly over to become acquainted with Granny Brent. Cindyand Alec and their father waved gaily to the old lady, and Mrs.Simpson's face became less troubled. Granny and Gramps were living proofthat people could dare to cross a new frontier and live. They'd come toKansas many years ago, and this was to be their third homestead.

  Mrs. Simpson pushed the sizzling bacon slices to one side, poured batteronto the hot griddle. As soon as they were cooked, she scooped thegolden-brown pancakes into a covered dish that was near enough to thefire to stay warm. Finally she called:

  "Breakfast!"

  The family ate hungrily for, as the children's mother remarked, it didseem that life in the open air gave al
l of them the appetites of horsesthat had gone without hay for a week. As soon as everyone had finished,Mr. Simpson went over to plan with Pete Brent. Cindy got out the bigdishpan and Mindy prepared to help her, but again Mrs. Simpson wavedthem aside.

  "Leave the dish washing up to me," she said. "I must have something todo. You children run along, and Cindamine, please stay out of trouble."

  "I will," Cindy promised.

  "Let's take a walk," Alec suggested.

  The three children walked south along the line of camps, marveling atthe people who had gathered here.

  Next to Pete Brent's wagon was a lean and fiercely bearded man who hadno camp except a bed roll thrown on the ground. He had no possessionsexcept the bed roll, a few cooking utensils, and a beautiful race horsethat he was forever either grooming or exercising. He was grooming itwhen the children passed, and they hurried because the bearded man wasan unfriendly person who seldom spoke to anyone.

  Then came three camps, one behind the other. The first belonged to anold man with a sorry-looking mule and a small tent. A little to one sideand about thirty feet away was a tent belonging to two young men whoowned a smart buggy, or light wagon, drawn by two handsome horses. Theyoung men seemed little interested in anything except having a goodtime. Directly behind them was another wagon occupied by a tired-lookingman, an equally tired woman, and four lively children. Scrawled in blackpaint on the wagon's cover was:

  FROZE OUT IN MINNYSOTA. FLOODED OUT IN ILLYNOIS. BURNT OUT IN NEBRASKY.GRASSHOPPERED OUT IN KANSAS. MAKE OUT IN OKLYHOMY.

  For as far as the children could see in either direction were tents,wagons, bed rolls, and even a few caves dug into the earth. These campswere occupied by men, women, and children who, almost without exception,had two things in common. They were very poor people who had never beenable to buy land of their own, and they had never given up the idea thatto have some would be glorious. So these they shared: poverty anddreams. There were very few among them whose camps, rigs, teams, ordress indicated that they had any money to spare.

  Directly across were a dozen tents wherein lived a detachment of thesoldiers who were guarding the border. Formerly their job had been tolook after the Indians, and to see that no Boomers were allowed to stayin Oklahoma. Now they were patrolling the border to see that nobodycrossed before they should, and to evict any who did. Even as Cindy,Mindy, and Alec watched, eight of these soldiers in the command of ajovial-looking sergeant came in sight.

  With them rode eight sullen-faced men. The sergeant called to the peoplewho gathered to watch, "Make way there! These men crossed a littlesooner than they should, and we caught them!"

  The soldiers took their captives between the lines of watching people,most of whom were angry. Women glared at the prisoners. Men clenchedtheir fists. Near Cindy, Mindy, and Alec, a middle-aged man startedtalking to a younger one.

  "Sooner than they should, huh?" he growled. "Bet these 'Sooners' gotmost of the good claims already staked or are waitin' in there to stake'em!"

  "Sooners, huh?" the young man said. "Good name for 'em, pop. I'd soonerdraw a bead on one of 'em than on a rattlesnake. Got no use for anyonewho won't wait for the openin' gun an' take his chances with the rest."

  The name spread among the assembled people, and there were more angrymurmurings about the Sooners.

  "Sergeant!" a man called. "Leave these Sooners with us! We'd like totalk with 'em."

  "Now, now," the sergeant grinned. "I can't do that."

  A little way from the crowd he stopped his prisoners, waved a piece ofpaper, and addressed the Sooners.

  "Got your names here, boys, and I aim to spread 'em," he said. "Go backacross if you think it's healthy. But I guess you know what people herethink of Sooners."

  The soldiers wheeled and rode back across the border. As soon as theywere far enough away, the muttering people closed in. Putting spurs totheir horses, the Sooners galloped away as fast as they could.