“’Cause that was all I could carry when I was a boy. I was sick most of the time and no bigger than a string bean.”
Abraham rubbed the top of the young man’s head. “He’s hardly bigger than that now.”
Oliver chuckled. “Well, you’re both very welcome. I presume you’ve had experience with horses as well, Half-Pack?”
“Yes, sir. I’ve been helping Abe for the better part of seven years. I’ve learned a lot.”
“Well, I’m sure we can find enough work to keep both of you busy. Why don’t you come with me, and I’ll introduce you to the other men?”
Ella turned to Mara, only to find her watching Abraham with open-mouthed wonder. “Are you all right, Mara?”
Her friend didn’t reply, just watched as the men went off with Oliver.
Ella found it very amusing that Mara, who was usually quite staid in her manners, was struck speechless. She leaned close. “Are you already planning the wedding?”
That did the trick. Mara put her hand over her mouth and looked at Ella as if she’d just revealed her darkest secret.
Ella laughed. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist teasing you. I’ve never seen you so besotted. I suppose the big fella is the one you’re taken with. The other hardly looks old enough.”
Mara nodded, then looked at the ground as if to compose herself. “Sorry, Ella.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Ella whispered. “Come on. We’ve got a lot of work to do before the show. But I’m certain we can find some excuse for me to send you to Mr. Green. I might need to talk to him about the horses.”
Mara couldn’t keep from grinning as she raised her head. “I ’spect you might need to talk to him. Maybe more than once.”
Ella laughed and put her arm around Mara as they headed for the tents where they would be dressing. She found Mary in the performers’ tent. She was busy cleaning her rifle and seemed completely oblivious to the world around her.
“Mary, did you hear what happened to Carson?” Ella asked.
The sharpshooter looked up with a frown. “No. Is something wrong?”
“He fell from a ladder while helping hang the banner. He was hurt badly and taken to the hospital. Alice went too, of course, with Lizzy. Lizzy asked me to work with you to get everyone ready for the show. There will be gaps without Alice, so you’ll want to make plans for that.”
“Of course.” Mary finished with the rifle. “He will be all right, won’t he?”
“They don’t know. He has a bad head injury. He was bleeding a lot. And his back might be broken. He landed in an awkward position. He was barely conscious. In fact, I think he was probably in and out and didn’t really know what was going on.”
“This is terrible.” Mary got to her feet. “Poor Alice. She must be beside herself.”
“She was.” Ella remembered the new men. “Oh, we have two new wranglers that will be helping out. They arrived right after the doctor left with Carson.”
“What are they like? Do they have proper experience?”
Ella looked at Mara and then back to Mary. “They do. The older one has over twenty years. The younger one not as much, but they’ve worked together for a long while. Their names are Abraham and Half-Pack.”
“Half-Pack?” Mary asked, putting her cleaning kit away.
“It was the amount he could carry when he was a little boy. Anyway, they both seem capable.” Ella paused. “And they’re both black.”
Mary straightened. “Black? We’ve never had men of color working the show before. Do you suppose the other men will accept them?”
“I sure hope so,” Ella replied. “We’ll be in a real fix if not. If Carson is as bad off as I think, I doubt he or Alice will be returning anytime soon.”
“Oh, goodness. I never thought of that,” Mary said, shaking her head. “I’ve got to talk to the other girls. They aren’t all that proficient in bow shooting. We may have to forgo having that in the act. This really does change things.”
Ella looked at Mara and grinned. “In more ways than one.”
“How’s he doing?” Uncle Oliver asked Lizzy as he entered the hospital waiting room.
“The doctor hasn’t returned from surgery yet.” Lizzy had done her best to keep Alice from storming off to demand answers, but with every passing minute, it was becoming harder and harder not to do exactly that herself.
Alice’s eyes were red from crying, which was startling against the pale white of her face. She was still obviously in shock from what had happened. Oliver sat beside her and took her hand in his. He just held it and said nothing. Lizzy thought it one of the most tender things she’d ever seen him do.
Finally, after another half hour, the doctor emerged from behind a large door. He looked as if he’d just come from the bank or a business venture. His three-piece suit looked immaculate, and his hair was carefully groomed.
“He’s resting and stable in his condition,” the doctor announced.
Alice jumped to her feet, tearing away from Oliver. “Will he live? Is he all right? Can I see him?”
“Whoa now,” the doctor said, motioning for her to slow down. His tone was much less severe than it had been at his initial announcement. “Your husband has a long road ahead of him. The extent of his injuries is completely unknown. We did explore his abdomen for internal bleeding. He had ruptured his spleen, so we had to remove that. He appears to have a great deal of swelling around his spinal cord, but we can’t be sure about the injuries to it at this point. However, it’s his head injury that is most concerning at this immediate juncture. His skull is fractured, and there’s already some swelling. We’ll have to watch him closely and hope he regains consciousness soon. His injuries are grave, Mrs. Hopkins. We are fortunate I was just coming to the hospital when your people approached the ambulance attendant.”
Alice began to cry again, and Lizzy stood to embrace her. “We believe God orchestrated that, Doctor,” Lizzy said, smiling at how faithful God had always been. “We are very grateful that you took the time to come with them.”
“I have a feeling about this case. Mrs. Hopkins, I don’t like to give false hope, nor do I want to motivate despair. The truth is, head injuries are tricky, and we never know for sure how it will go. The brain controls everything in the body, and when it is injured, it can be devastating. However, we will watch him closely and do our best.”
“Is there anything we can do?” Uncle Oliver asked.
The doctor shook his head. “All any of us can do now is wait.”
“I want to go to him,” Alice begged.
“In time, dear woman. I’ll have the nurse come for you as soon as possible. Until then, you must wait. It will be several hours, so I recommend you find something to busy yourself with. There’s a lovely restaurant across the way. Something to eat will give you strength and help with the shock of all you’ve been through.”
With that, he nodded in farewell and then walked back to a large desk, where a nurse waited for him with a clipboard of papers.
Lizzy wondered how she would cope with the same situation had the accident happened to Wes instead of Carson. It could just as easily have been her husband instead of Alice’s. Wes was always helping out wherever he was needed, even when the job wasn’t one assigned to him.
The thought of Wes lying unconscious in a hospital bed made her eyes well with tears. She’d been so cross with him before he left. Now she wished she could take back every harsh word and just wrap him in her arms.
“You two are going to make yourselves ill if you just stand here crying all day. Come along. I’m going to take you to the restaurant the doctor mentioned. We’re going to have something to eat, and then we’ll hire a cab to take us back to the train so we can collect your things and Carson’s. The troupe will move on tomorrow, and you’ll need your clothes and personal items. Maybe we can find a hotel near the hospital for you. By the time we finish, hopefully Carson will be awake, and we’ll know more.”
“I don’
t want to leave,” Alice said, shaking her head. “He might wake up and ask for me.”
“You heard the doctor,” Oliver countered. “It’ll be several hours. Now, come along. Don’t make me carry you out of here like a sack of grain.” He smiled. “You too, Lizzy. Dry your eyes.”
Lizzy sniffed back her tears and nodded. “Uncle Oliver is right, Alice. We should make sure you get something to eat. You might not have another chance for a while, and you need your strength.”
Alice shook her head, refusing to move. “I couldn’t eat. Not until I know what’s going to happen.”
“Carson is going to be fine. He has the very best of care, and there’s nothing more we can do but pray. That’s the very best thing we can do for Carson at this point.” Lizzy looped her arm through Alice’s. “Now, come on. You know Carson would be very upset if he knew you were out here fretting.”
twelve
The performers reluctantly left Alice and Carson behind in Dallas. The prognosis for Carson was better than had been expected, but his recovery would be lengthy. Ella felt sorry for Alice having to stay behind with no one at her side for encouragement.
Ella had worried about the show itself, but fortunately, Oliver and Henry had been able to locate another mounted bow shooter. Angel Adams, a twenty-three-year-old woman of Cherokee heritage, had once worked with Pawnee Bill’s show. She had quit to take care of her sickly mother, but now that her mother was again healthy, Angel was interested in rejoining a wild west troupe. Finding her was one of those situations that left no doubt about God’s hand in the matter. Carson’s doctor had tended her mother and knew all about Angel’s performances. When he overheard Henry and Alice talking about how much she’d be missed in the show, the doctor told them about Angel.
“I know you’ll enjoy being here,” Lizzy told Angel as the performers gathered in the community car for a short meeting. The train was making its way to their next stop, and all the girls had been excited to meet Angel and learn more about her.
“Thank you. I’ve long heard about this show and thought it would be wonderful to work with you,” Angel replied.
“Are you really an Indian?” Debbie, one of the Roman riders, asked, frowning.
“I am.” There was pride in Angel’s voice. “I am one-quarter Cherokee, and as such I like to perform as an Indian maiden.” She smiled. “I go by the name Little Bird. It was my grandmother’s name.”
“Did she teach you to shoot?” Mary asked.
“No. I learned that from my father.”
Mary smiled and nodded. “As did I.”
“Angel has a great reputation for her shooting abilities, and we were very fortunate to find her,” Lizzy declared. “I think it’s wonderful that she is of Indian blood. When I was a girl, my father and uncle performed in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, and he hired on hundreds of natives from various tribes. I learned so much about Indian culture, and they were some of the nicest people I’d ever encountered.”
Debbie seemed to understand she was being put in her place regarding any disapproval she might feel. She gave a slight nod and smiled at Angel.
Henry and Oliver entered the car and greeted everyone, but it was Henry who addressed the group. “I know you’re all very concerned about leaving Carson and Alice behind, but I assure you they are in good hands. Also, we’ve arranged for Alice’s sister to join her. They will stay at a hotel near the hospital for as long as is needed.”
“Thanks to Mr. Adler’s generosity,” Oliver Brookstone interjected.
Henry smiled. “It’s the least we could do. Carson and Alice were a vital part of the show and will always be welcomed back. Alice has promised to send us word on Carson’s condition so that we know how he’s faring.”
There were murmurs of approval, and Ella wished Mr. Adler would hurry up with his announcements. She had asked to meet with Lizzy and Mary privately after this briefing, and she was anxious to be on her way.
“Most of you have met our newest addition, Angel Adams. Angel has a great reputation and quite a following. She’s performed for several years and is extremely proficient in bow shooting.” Everyone looked at the dark-haired beauty in a green serge suit. “Angel, why don’t you tell us something about yourself?”
She folded her hands together. “I was just telling the ladies that I’m one-quarter Cherokee and my father taught me to bow shoot. I worked the Pawnee Bill show for several years but quit to take care of my mother. She’s completely recovered now, and I want to return to work. I love what I do, and feel I can be an asset to this show.”
“I do, as well,” Henry said. “Now, do you have any questions for Angel?”
There were a few other questions, and Angel answered each, not seeming to mind the intrusion into her privacy. After that, Lizzy announced how things would go once they reached their next venue. Henry wanted to change things up a bit and make a special presentation of Angel’s act.
“I think once we get into the routine, everything will go well. As you know, we have two more performances in Texas, and then we’re off to Kansas.” Lizzy turned to Henry and her uncle. “Did you have anything else?”
“No,” Henry said, shaking his head.
“Nothing from me,” Oliver replied.
Lizzy turned back to the troupe. “Well, I want to encourage all of you to get to know Angel better. Our show is successful because we stand together as a family. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to speak with Mary and Ella privately.” She got up from the table. “We’ll go back to my train car, however, so you can continue to get to know Angel.”
Ella breathed a sigh of relief as she followed Mary and Lizzy from the car. Lizzy led them to the family car and motioned for them to take a seat. Then she checked each of the bedrooms. “We’re alone.”
“Why do we need such privacy?” Mary asked.
“I asked for it,” Ella replied. “I have news from my brother. Carson’s accident kept us all so stirred up that there has been little opportunity to tell you what I learned. But I know why August died.”
Mary paled. “Tell me everything.”
Ella leaned back in her wooden chair. “It’s so horrible I can hardly believe it even now. Apparently, my family has long been in the business of selling slaves.”
“Slaves? But that was abolished years ago,” Lizzy said, shaking her head.
“So everyone thought.” Ella was so ashamed of her family’s practices that she could hardly bear to speak of it. She continued, however, giving all the details she knew. She prayed that Mary would not hate her for her association with August’s death.
“And August died because he wandered into one of these slave auctions,” Mary stated sadly. “It’s all so terrible to imagine. He wouldn’t have begun to understand what was happening, and yet they killed him.”
“No doubt so he couldn’t ask questions and bring unwanted attention to their illegal trade,” Lizzy added.
“What’s to be done now?” Mary asked.
Ella shook her head. “I’m not sure. My brother intends to seek justice, but first he plans to confront our father. After that, Robert will get advice from friends in Washington, D.C. He hopes Father will be willing to give up all his wrongdoing and testify against Jefferson. The sad thing is there’s no guarantee anyone will care about what they’ve done.”
“Not care?” Mary said, her voice rising. “Slavery was abolished. Certainly people will care. What they’ve done is illegal and caused my brother’s murder. Who knows what other innocent souls died at the hands of that monster.”
“Yes, I know. But as Robert pointed out to me just before he left, there was a certain legality to it. The men and women involved signed documents committing themselves in return for room and board and necessities. On the other hand, it was also fixed so that those same men and women could never hope to pay off their debt. There are lumber and mining towns that do much the same thing. Robert’s hopeful that someone who has made the plight of the Negro their cause will take up t
he banner and demand justice.”
“But there’s no guarantee that anyone will,” Mary murmured.
“No. Because despite slavery being abolished, you know very well how some white people look down on people of color. There are still laws against blacks voting and eating or drinking at the same establishments as whites.” Ella shook her head. “There are a great many people, in fact, who would just as soon see people of color eliminated. You know it’s true.”
Mary sighed. “I do.”
“This is horrible,” Lizzy declared, “but now that the truth is known, I have to hope that something can be done. Your brother is a good man, Ella. I’m sure he’ll do everything in his power.”
“The sad thing is, this will forever divide our family. I’m certain Mother and Father will never speak to Robert or me again. Robert planned to talk to our sister as well, but there’s no telling what she’ll advise.”
“Well, it certainly forever divided our family,” Mary said, her tone laced with anger. “My brother is separated from us by death.”
Ella’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry, Mary. I didn’t mean to imply my sufferings were equal to yours.”
Lizzy put her hand atop both Mary’s and Ella’s hands and squeezed. “Both things are equally painful. We won’t make it a competition. What’s important is that we stand in support of Robert’s attempts to get justice. We must do whatever we can to be useful should the need arise.”
“I hardly know what we can do.” Ella looked at Lizzy. “I’ve been vocal about what I overheard Jefferson admit doing. I’ll speak to whatever legal authority will listen.”
“I know you will, Ella. You’ve already tried your best to get them to hear reason. But with this added information, I’m hopeful that someone, somewhere will now be willing to hear your story and take action to help all those who were wronged. Only then will Mary feel that justice has been done for August.”
What Comes My Way Page 11