Twice a Hero

by Martha Hines Templeton

  Twice a Hero

  Twice a Hero

  Martha Hines Templeton

  © 2019 Martha Hines Templeton

  Twice a Hero

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Elm Hill, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Elm Hill and Thomas Nelson are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

  Elm Hill titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

  Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2019910022

  ISBN 978-0-310107606 (Paperback)

  ISBN 978-0-310107613 (eBook)

  Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook

  Please note that footnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to acknowledge the helpful suggestions of my husband, and his expertise in areas where I needed advice. I would also like to thank my granddaughter Cynthia for her assistance where my technical expertise was lacking.

  Contents

  Chapter 1: The Log Cabin

  Chapter 2: Camping in Jam-up Cave

  Chapter 3: Mysterious Happenings

  Chapter 4: Rocks! Rocks! Rocks!

  Chapter 5: Rescue at Rushing Springs

  Chapter 6: The One Room Schoolhouse

  Chapter 7: ‘Meetings’ and Burnt Offerings

  Chapter 8: The Cold Winter

  Chapter 9: Catching the Thief

  Chapter 10: Tornado!

  CHAPTER ONE

  The Log Cabin

  Papa took the money jar down from the cupboard shelf. He carefully poured the coins onto the table and began counting, as Mama cleared away the supper dishes. Ben watched with anticipation. Papa nodded. “Tomorrow we are going to Pine Valley and get some lumber. You boys will finally have a bedroom of your own.”

  Ben jumped up with excitement. “Can we go with you?” he begged.

  “Yes,” said Papa. “I’ll need some help loading the lumber.”

  For as long as Ben Walker could remember, his home had been a two-room log cabin. It sat on a hill overlooking the sparkling clear Jack’s Fork River, in the wild country of the Ozarks Hills. Mama and Papa had moved here in the late 1800’s, and few people lived in this rugged land at that time. Indian tribes who made their homes here were now gone.

  Wild animals roamed the tree-covered hills; black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, wolves, foxes, and deer.

  Ben’s family worked hard, trying to scratch out a living in the rocky dirt. They depended on hunting and fishing for their meat. The deer, turkeys, squirrel, rabbits, and fish were abundant in the wooded hills and rivers surrounding their cabin.

  Papa trapped beaver, raccoon, muskrat, and mink, and sold their pelts for cash income. Ben lived a simple life, yet he and his brother, Ray, found plenty of adventure. They were mountain people, independent and self-reliant.

  Ben was just a baby when Mama and Papa moved from Kentucky to the Ozarks Hills, and his brother Ray was only two. Now, almost ten years later, they were finally going to get their own room.

  Next morning, after breakfast, Papa hitched up the team of horses to the wagon. Before he could finish saying, “Hop in!” Ben and Ray were on the seat beside him.

  The ten-mile trip seemed to take a long time, and Ben thought they would never get there.

  After a while, the sound of the horses’ hooves clip-clopping along the trail through the woods made Ben sleepy. He struck up a conversation to stay awake. “Tell us again about when you first came to Missouri, and how you and Uncle Bill built the cabin.” They had heard it often, but he still liked hearing about their early pioneer days.

  “Well, we lived pretty much outside that first summer, living in a tent while we were building the cabin,” Papa said. “We had to work long hours every day to get finished before cold weather. You were just a baby, and Ray was only two. I reckon you were a handful for your ma, what with cookin’ outside on a campfire, and tryin’ to keep up with two youngins’ and all.”

  Ben pictured in his mind every detail as Papa recounted again the building of the cabin.

  “When the cabin was finished, Uncle Bill helped me make all the furniture. It’s simple, but as good as most pioneer families have, and we got it done before the really cold weather hit.”

  “Mama laid out the arrangement.... the table and chairs near the fireplace, her worktable for preparing food close to it, and the cupboards above the worktable. At first, we cooked in the fireplace. Later, we ordered the cook stove, with money Mama had saved from the pelts I sold.”

  “When you boys got older, I strung rope across the room between the beds, and Mama hung quilts across the rope. After little sister Becky was born, I made her a small bed, and put it at the foot of our bed. I know it’s crowded, and you boys need your own room, which you’ll have in a few weeks.”

  “Why don’t you make our room out of logs, too?” Ben asked.

  “Well, Ben, it takes a lot of time to cut down the trees, trim off the limbs, and peel off the bark. Now that we have had time to save a little, we can buy boards and the room can be built in a couple of weeks.”

  “A couple of weeks?” Ben and Ray asked excitedly.

  “Yep,” Papa replied.

  They finally arrived in Pine Valley, and Ben and Ray lost no time hopping out to help Papa and the man at the lumberyard load the boards onto the wagon.

  “That’s all the horses can pull,” said Papa. “We’ll have to make another trip tomorrow.” The boys climbed onto the seat with Papa, and they headed for home.

  “Can we start on the room today?” asked Ray.

  Papa chuckled. “By the time we get home and unload the lumber, it will be time to eat and go to bed. In the morning we’ll go back for the second load, as soon as the chores are done.”

  Ben and Ray got up extra early the next day to do their chores. When Ben went to the henhouse to gather the eggs, he was startled to find a mysterious footprint by the door. That’s odd, he thought. It doesn’t look right for Ray or Papa’s shoes. And it isn’t mine! He forgot about it, later, in the excitement of their trip to town, and didn’t mention it to Papa.

  The horses were already hitched to the wagon by the time the boys finished their chores. After breakfast they headed to Pine Valley again, for the second load of lumber. As they rode along, Ben’s thoughts went back to the mysterious footprint by the henhouse. How did it get there, and who did it belong to? There just didn’t seem to be any answer that Ben could think of. He decided to wait and tell Ray later and see what he thought.

  Papa and the boys had been preparing for the room for some time. The flat rocks were already laid out for the foundation. Uncle Bill and Papa had a stack of shingles they had split for the roof.

  Home again with the second load of lumber, Ben and Ray helped Papa unload the wagon. Now they were ready to start on their new room.

  Ben awoke nex
t morning to the sound of voices. It was Uncle Bill and Papa.

  “Wake up, Ray! Uncle Bill is here. They’re ready to start on our bedroom.”

  After a quick breakfast, Ben and Ray hurried to finish their chores. Now they could help carry the boards to Papa and Uncle Bill. “I hope we really can be finished in two weeks,” Ben told Ray.

  They sawed and hammered from daylight to dark. Papa let the boys help nail the boards into place. The room was finally finished. It was just bare boards, no paint or wallpaper, but it was theirs.

  “We can move into our own room now!” Ben jumped up and down excitedly. Papa and Mama helped move the boy’s furniture into their new room, while little sister Becky watched.

  “I’ll set up the bed and straw mattress,” Papa said. “You boys bring the feather mattress and put on top of it.”

  By the bed they put a little table for the kerosene lamp, their only light. Papa had made some shelves for their clothes.

  “I can’t wait to sleep in our own room tonight,” Ben told Ray.

  “Yeah, me, too,” Ray said.

  They were good buddies, although they did have their fights, as most brothers do.

  That night, after supper, they hurried to their new room to play a game of marbles. The clay marbles were about all they had for games.

  “It sure is nice to have our own room now, isn’t it?” Ben said.

  “Sure is,” replied Ray, as he crawled into bed.

  Ben blew out the flame of the kerosene lamp and snuggled down in the feather bed. Ah! Life was good. His thoughts turned to outdoor adventure, when he suddenly had an idea so exciting that he bounced right out of bed again.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Camping in Jam-up Cave

  “Ray, why don’t we ask Papa and Mama if we can camp out in Jam Up Cave? Wouldn’t that be fun?”

  “Sure would, but I don’t know if they’d let us. Still, we’ve been there with Papa before, and I’m already twelve. Papa did say when he took us there last year, he’d let us go by ourselves when we were a little older.”

  “And I turned ten last week,” Ben reminded Ray. Ten sounded lots older than nine, and he wanted Ray to know he wasn’t little anymore. He didn’t need Ray telling him what he could and couldn’t do.

  Ray was the cautious one. Tall for his age, with black hair, blue eyes, and broad shoulders, he looked like Papa. But he had Mama’s cautious nature.

  Ben, on the other hand, wasn’t tall. He had red hair, freckles, and green eyes. He was a skinny kid, with an impish dimpled grin, and unlike Ray, was always ready for adventure. Like his Irish ancestors, Mama often remarked.

  “Well, let’s plan a campout, in case they do let us go,” Ben said. They whispered excitedly, making a mental list of everything they’d need. It was hard to go to sleep, just thinking about what fun it would be. Finally, they dozed off into dreamland.

  The next morning Ben awoke at dawn. “Ray, wake up! Let’s get the chores done. I can’t wait to see what Papa and Mama say about us camping.”

  Slipping into their clothes, they quietly tiptoed out the back door.

  It didn’t take long to feed the chickens and gather the eggs. They finished feeding the pigs and horses as Papa came in from milking. “Breakfast is on the table. Everyone get washed up,” Mama said.

  Four-year old Becky climbed into her chair. “I’m hungry. Let’s eat!” she said impatiently.

  “It sure smells good. Hope you have plenty for three hungry men,” Papa said, with a wink at Ben and Ray. “You boys were up mighty early this morning.”

  Ben kept looking at Ray, trying to hide his excitement. They ate in silence a few minutes. Finally, Ben blurted out, “Ray and I thought we might go camp out in Jam-Up Cave tonight. That is, if it’s okay with you and Mama. Please, Papa?”

  “We’re old enough to go by ourselves, now,” Ray added. They could take care of themselves, they were sure. After all, they had grown up in the wild country of these rugged, wooded hills.

  Papa thought awhile. “Yep, I reckon you are old enough now,” he said, as he buttered another biscuit.

  Mama’s concern showed in the frown on her face. What if something happened to them?

  Mama wasn’t quite the outdoor person that Papa and the boys were.

  “Maybe a mountain lion or wolves would attack them! What if a snake bites them?” chimed in little Becky. Ben wished she’d keep her thoughts to herself.

  “Now, Elizabeth,” Papa said, looking at Mama, “I wasn’t much older than Ray when Bill and I explored the Kentucky hills on horseback by ourselves. We camped out in caves, or in the woods. You can’t keep them tied to your apron strings, you know. The pioneer spirit lives in us!”

  Turning to Becky, he said, “Don’t you worry your little self, Becky. They’ll be all right.”

  Ben and Ray were watching Mama, hoping for an okay from her. Finally, Mama shrugged. “Looks like I’m outnumbered. I’ll pack your food. Go get your bedrolls and don’t forget a change of clothes.”

  Ben and Ray scurried around, gathering up their supplies. They rolled their clothes inside their bedrolls; then slung their fishing poles and bedrolls over their shoulders.

  “Here’s your food,” said Mama. “I packed deer jerky, cheese, and a loaf of bread. There are some dried apples and nuts, too. Do be careful, and be sure to be back before dark tomorrow night!” she added, as she gave them each a quick hug.

  Ben and Ray hurried down the hill to the river, where the jonboat was tied to a tree. Once they had everything tied down in the boat, they hopped in, pushing off the gravel bar with their paddles.

  A fog hung over the river, so thick they could only see a few feet away. The air was cool, for a day in early July. Ben listened to the splashing of the waterfalls cascading from the bluffs, and joining the river.

  As the fog began to lift, they could see the outlines of the trees, standing along the bank like soldiers, guarding the river. The solitude had an air of mystery and anticipation. By mid-morning the sun burst through the fog, bathing everything in golden, sparkling light. The sun rose higher in the sky, beating down on the boys.

  “This will cool you off!” Ben shouted, as he splashed water on Ray with his paddle.

  “Got you back,” Ray said, as he splashed Ben. Laughing, the boys kept up their water fight until they came to a bend in the river. The water was swift here, requiring all their skill to keep the boat from capsizing.

  “Look out! There’s a big rock just under the water,” Ben shouted from the front of the boat. It was too late. They were hung up. Ben pushed against the rock with his paddle, while Ray backstroked with his paddle. Finally they were free. Continuing on, they kept their attention on the river ahead.

  Paddling upstream was hard work, but the excitement of their adventure took their minds off how tired their arms and shoulders were getting. They were anxious to reach their destination. Finally, as they rounded a bend in the river, Ben caught sight of it.

  “Here we are, Ray. Pull up to the bank.”

  Ray tied the boat to a hickory tree at the water’s edge.

  Gathering up their gear, they started climbing the hill, up to the entrance of the cave.

  Panting by the time they reached the top, Ben whistled. “Just look at that. It’s big enough you could fit several cabins in it!”

  Huge boulders lay piled up in a heap at the mouth of the cave.

  “Do you think there was an earthquake here a long time ago?” Ben asked.

  “Maybe,” Ray said, as he dropped his camping gear and sat down to rest.

  The cool cave felt good on a hot day. As they listened they could hear water running farther back in the cave. Ben hollered, “Hellooooooo!” His echo came back, “Hellooooooo!”

  “Let’s find out where the water is,” Ray said. Climbing over more big boulders, they came upon a pool of water, with a stream flowing into it. “It’s pretty scary back here. Maybe we’d better head back to the front of the cave, where we’re camping,” he a
dded.

  “Yeah, and we need to gather some wood to make a campfire,” said Ben. “It might get cold in here tonight. But let’s go for a swim first.”

  “Okay,” said Ray. Climbing back up the boulders again to the cave opening, they picked their way carefully down the hillside, to the water’s edge. It would be easy to slip on the loose rocks and dead leaves. They jumped in from several feet above the river.

  After swimming a while, the boys climbed out on the gravel bar and lay in the sun to warm up.

  “We better get our wood now,” Ben told Ray.

  They gathered sticks and pieces of driftwood for their fire. “I think we have enough for one night,” Ray finally said.

  Once again inside the cave, Ray got the campfire started, while Ben laid out their food. The smoke from the campfire smelled good. “This is absolutely the most fun thing we’ve ever done!” Ben said, as he chewed on a piece of deer jerky.

  Sitting by the campfire, they talked as they ate. “Papa says the Delaware Indians used to use this cave for a meeting place. Maybe we can find some arrowheads in here,” Ray said.

  Peering across the campfire at Ray, Ben imagined himself as ‘Black Beaver’ and Ray as ‘Running Deer,’ both young braves, scouting out a new land.

  “I wonder what the Indians did at their meetings?” Ben asked.

  “Beats me,” said Ray. The boys tried to imagine they were Indians living in the cave. “It sure would have been a lot of trouble climbing up and down the hill every day, packing in supplies.”

  “Or maybe they knew a secret passage into the cave,” Ben suggested. “Anyway, there would have been plenty of fish and game, and berries and nuts for them to live on.”

  Tired from all the paddling, and going after wood, Ben and Ray were ready to turn in for the night. They spread out their bedrolls beside the campfire. As they lay there, about to doze off, they heard a noise.

  “What was that, Ray?” whispered Ben.