by Darrel Bird
the question out. His tongue felt thick.
“Don’t try to talk Dad. Just rest. You were hit in the chest, and shoulder…you’ve lost a lot of blood.”
“Did we drive them back?”
“Yes…we drove them back; they won’t be coming again.”
“Who did we lose?”
“We lost Gabe, Adolpho, Maria, and six of the other immigrants.”
“Grandpa, please don’t try to talk, you have to rest.” Lisa said, and he could see the tears streaming from her eyes.
“Give me your hand honey.”
“You do have my hand Grandpa. Can’t you feel it?
“I think I’m about done. I love you both so much.”
“You can’t go Grandpa, what will I do without you?”
“Josh will take care of you. I want to be with Martha now, I’m so tired.”
Austin closed his eyes, and in that foggy place he saw a vision of eternity’s embers.
A formal surrender
Two days later he awoke too see an IV bottle beside his bed dropping slow drops of some fluid, and he followed the hose with his eyes. The hose ended with a needle in his arm.
Ann was sitting in a chair beside his bed, and she was sound asleep. Lisa was sitting in a chair on the other side of him.
The phlegm in his throat felt like it was choking him, and he painfully attempted to clear his throat. Ann and Lisa both awoke with a start, “Dad…you’re awake…oh thank God!” She exclaimed. Lisa lunged for the bed, and held onto him.
“Get off me girl, I’m dying here…” He said weakly. “How did you get the IV?”
“The soldiers came, they had medical supplies, and a doctor…he operated on your chest and removed the bullet. The other one went clear through. They had plenty of antibiotics and the doctor’s not too much concerned with infection.”
“The Army was here you say?”
“Yes, they arrested Boyd, and declared the takeover of the farms illegal. The Captain said he wanted to talk to you as soon as you are able. He said he would be back this week.”
“Ann…I saw something after I was shot…I can’t explain it, but I saw something that convinced me that there is more to this life than we ever imagined.”
“What do you mean Dad?”
“Well…I don’t know exactly…I saw eternity stretching out before me, and it was endless. I think God was showing me that there is no end to us when we die, and it gives me a better picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Before…I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around it. He stands between us and endless darkness.”
Josh came in quietly, “I see you are awake…good…we need you Austin.”
“Girls, can you step out a minute while I talk to Josh?”
“Ok, Dad, but not long, you have to rest some more. Man talk can wait.”
Lisa leaned over and kissed him, and then they left, closing the door quietly.
“Gabe’s gone?”
“Yes, and Maria too, he left written instructions for you to take over the farm before the fight.”
“Boyd has killed some good people, what is the Army doing about it?”
“Boyd was executed by a firing squad yesterday. We are under Marshall Law. They want to talk to you, but if they have the same thing in mind for you, they’ll have another fight on their hands.”
“No…there has been enough loss of life Josh, I won’t have it, do to me what they will. You have Lisa to think of. What about the immigrants, are they staying?”
“Yes, we had the funerals yesterday, they say they have blood in this ground, and that means much too them.”
“It grieves me that I was laid up at such a time.”
“I know…”
“We need them now more than ever. No sooner than we get the crops all in, and the canning done, we will have to start getting the fields and orchards ready for spring.” Austin looked closely at him.
“When are you, and Lisa getting married?”
“As soon as you are up and around and if I know you, that won’t be long.” He laughed. “I’ve got to go back to work, and see to some stock; two of the horses have bullet wounds to tend to, so you get some more rest. I’ll be back later.”
“I am a little tired.”
He didn’t hear Ann, and Lisa as they came back into the room, because he was already asleep.
Three days later he walked painfully out the back door and across the field to the family cemetery. He stood and stared at the nine new crosses.
That same evening, as Austin sat on the front porch cleaning his rifle, three Hum-Vee’s pulled into the front yard with armed soldiers. The Hum-Vee’s had fifty caliber machine guns mounted on them. The captain, a man of about forty years old stepped out of the first Hum-Vee.
“I see you are up and around mister Childers. Should I be worrying about that rifle you have there?”
“Not so much Captain, I just believe a man oughta keep his weapons clean…what’s on your mind?”
“I have pretty much pieced together what went on here, and I’m here to tell you there will be no more killing in this county.”
“I wish you had been here before it started Captain, we have nine people buried out back, and their blood cries out for justice.”
“The man who started this ruckus has already been executed before a firing squad. Will I be able to depend on you to see that I don’t have to do that again?”
“You can depend on me Captain, just as long as I don’t have to protect this place and this group with this rifle.”
“My men will see that doesn’t happen.”
“Why didn’t the government step in sooner Captain?”
“I just don’t know sir, I am a military man, and I just follow orders.”
“Been there and done that Captain. Well, if you are hungry, lets eat.”
The Captain proffered his hand, “I have to get back to town, and finish cleaning up this mess, if you need fuel for your tractors, you’ll have to come into town, and put in a requisition. Bonneville will be up and running in a few days.”
“Well…good luck then Captain.”
A week later Josh, and Lisa were married. After the wedding Austin sat on the front porch looking at the snow caped mountains.
“You sure made a beautiful earth Lord. You sure enough did.”
The end