For a long time she stared at the dim orange glow of the banked campfire, almost wishing she’d canceled this trip and gone rafting with Phil and his family. Then at least if their hearts hadn’t grown fonder, their eyes could only have wandered toward each other. Now there was probably some other wonderful, fabulous girl Phil had fallen for. Oh, well. She sighed as she once again flopped down in her sleeping bag. There was nothing she could do about Phil and his gorgeous new girlfriend that night. That night the only thing she could do was sleep, and that didn’t sound like a half-bad idea.
IT SEEMED AS IF Stevie had just closed her eyes when the clang of the triangle jarred her awake. For a moment she lay in her sleeping bag, watching as Lisa and Carole scurried around getting dressed and brushing their teeth in a small wooden bucket of water.
“Come on, Stevie,” Lisa said. “Get up. You’re going to be late for breakfast.”
Stevie rubbed her eyes. “You two go on over to the chuck wagon and save me a place in the chow line.”
“Are you feeling okay?” asked Carole, knowing that Stevie was seldom late for a meal.
Stevie nodded. “I’ll catch up to you in a minute.”
Lisa and Carole walked over to breakfast while Stevie rose slowly from her sleeping bag. She climbed into the wagon and found her tattered, scratchy dress. Phil’s new girlfriend probably wears really cool rafting outfits, she thought glumly, changing from her T-shirt and shorts into the dress. At least he’s not here to see me in this getup.
After she brushed her hair, she made her way over to the chow line. Lisa and Carole were about to be served. Stevie hurried and slipped in line behind Carole.
“Stevie, why are you such a storm cloud this morning?” Carole asked.
“I didn’t sleep too well last night,” Stevie muttered as she picked up a tin plate and spoon.
“Look what Mr. Assistant Trail Boss is doing this morning,” Lisa whispered with a grin.
Stevie looked up at the steaming iron kettle at the head of the line. Gabriel stood there, helping Shelly spoon cornmeal mush onto everyone’s plate.
Maybe I’ll skip breakfast, Stevie thought as the line inched forward. Just as she was about to excuse herself, Gabriel saw her and grinned.
“Well, here’s the ghost-story queen of Virginia and all her pals,” he said as he slapped a serving of mush onto Lisa’s plate. “I want to remind you ladies that it’s probably not a good day to do any more wagon racing. We’re going to be crossing the river, and that can be dangerous.”
“No kidding,” Stevie said with a smirk.
Gabriel slapped some mush onto her plate. “So you need to be extra careful and pay attention to what the trail bosses tell you to do.”
Stevie had opened her mouth to reply when Carole grabbed her arm. “Come on, Stevie. Let’s have a nice, peaceful breakfast over there by the tree.”
Lisa and Carole hurried Stevie over to a single small pine tree. “You know,” Carole said as she sat down beneath the scraggly tree, “I think he must be the biggest jerk I’ve ever met.”
Stevie sat down. Amazingly, she suddenly felt wonderful. As she listened to Carole it occurred to her that she couldn’t possibly be interested in someone that painfully obnoxious. She might appreciate some things about him, but like him? Forget it! And that meant that Phil couldn’t possibly be interested in the girl he’d just met. Oh, he might like her eyes and her laugh and her cute outfits, but that didn’t mean he was going to do anything drastic, like fall in love with her!
Stevie started beaming. “You know,” she said to her puzzled friends, “this might turn out to be the best day yet!”
After breakfast Jeremy called a brief camp meeting. “I want to explain a little bit about river crossings,” he said, taking off his hat in the bright sunlight. “This river we’re crossing today can be dangerous, but we’re going over at its widest, shallowest point. We haven’t had a lot of rain, so the water should be at a manageable level. For those of you riding horses or tending livestock, the best way to cross is to simply ride or lead your horse or cow into the water. Most animals are natural swimmers and won’t have any problem. Don’t try to pull them along or make them go any faster than they want to. And of course, if your animal gets into trouble, let it go and get to shore yourself. Animals know how to take care of themselves.”
Jeremy looked at Stevie. “For you wagoneers, just drive your team into the river. The horses will swim, and your wagon will float. It also may leak a little, so the trick is to get across as fast as you safely can. That way your supplies won’t get too wet. Again, if your wagon should get into trouble, leave it and get to shore yourself.”
Jeremy looked at the suddenly grim faces of the campers and smiled. “Let me assure you that I’ve led wagon trains across this river for fifteen years, and the worst thing I’ve ever lost was someone’s watch.” He brushed his gray hair back and resettled his hat. “Okay, pioneers, let’s get rolling.”
“Are you guys scared?” Carole asked Lisa and Stevie when they were ready to go.
“A little,” admitted Stevie. “Although I sure wasn’t going to let Jeremy know.”
“I just hope Veronica can swim faster than she walks,” said Lisa, looking at the placid cow. “Otherwise, she and I might float on down to the Gulf of Mexico.”
Suddenly Jeremy’s sharp “Wagons ho!” pierced the bright air.
“Good luck, guys,” said Stevie, clucking to the horses. “Here we go.”
The wagons rolled westward. Slowly the flat land they had been traveling over became hillier, and as they neared the river, gnarled trees climbed up its steep banks. A large flock of yellow-headed blackbirds nested in the trees, cawing in alarm as the wagon train grew near. Stevie maneuvered the wagon as close to the river as she could; then The Saddle Club watched as the wagon ahead of them began to make the crossing.
It crossed the blue water quickly. It floated a little off course in the middle of the stream, but nothing fell off, and the horses pulled it well up on the opposite bank.
“Next!” Jeremy called.
“Our turn,” said Stevie. “Why don’t you two go first? That other wagon didn’t have livestock with it. You guys can get Nikkia and Veronica across, then come back and help me with Yankee and Doodle.”
“Good idea,” said Carole. She looked at Lisa. “Do you want to go first or shall I?”
“Better let me start,” said Lisa. “It’ll probably take Veronica three hours to wander across anyway.”
“Good luck,” Stevie and Carole called as Lisa led Veronica down to the river.
“See you in Acapulco,” Lisa laughed.
Lisa stopped on the riverbank. The water, which had looked like a lazy stream from where they had watched the first wagon cross, now seemed more like a rushing torrent. She wondered how deep it was in the middle, then decided it didn’t matter. She was on this trip and she was a pioneer. Somehow she would have to get this cow across this river. “Ready, Veronica?” she asked. Veronica looked at the river and continued chewing her cud.
“Well, I’ll take that as a big yes,” Lisa said. She grasped the lead rope tightly, took a deep breath, and waded into the cold water. She fully expected to feel a tug on the rope, which would mean that Veronica had planted herself firmly on the shore, but to her surprise, Veronica’s head began bobbing along right beside her. “Way to go, Veronica!” Lisa said, stunned at the cow’s strong, even strokes. “You’re a regular mermaid!” Veronica’s determined expression looked so comical that Lisa laughed, stepped in a hole, and wound up gulping a mouthful of river water. Suddenly she realized that Veronica was doing fine and she was the one who’d better pay more attention. After a few quick swimming strokes of her own, she pulled Veronica triumphantly to the other side of the river, sending Carole and Stevie a thumbs-up sign.
Next it was Carole’s turn. “Come on, Nikkia,” Carole said. “Time to go for a swim.” The big Appaloosa looked at the water dubiously and backed up a step. Carole urged him fo
rward. He took a sideways step toward the river and stopped. “Let’s go, Nikkia,” Carole repeated. The horse snorted and shook his head. “Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Carole said firmly. She shifted her weight forward in the saddle and gave the horse a loud pop on his rump. Surprised, Nikkia bounded into the river. For a moment Carole thought he might rear, but he found his swimming stride quickly and in a little while they were both shaking water off on the other bank.
“Let’s go back and get Stevie now,” Lisa said, holding Nikkia’s bridle while Carole dismounted from the dripping horse. They tethered Nikkia and Veronica to a nearby tree and then swam back across the river to Stevie.
“Yankee and Doodle seem pretty calm,” said Stevie as Lisa and Carole waded out of the river. “I think they’ve done this before.”
“That’s a relief,” said Carole.
Lisa grabbed Yankee’s halter while Carole took hold of Doodle’s, and slowly they led the horses into the river. At first the wagon just creaked along the sandy bottom, but then, as the river deepened, the current lifted and buoyed the wagon. “We’re floating!” Stevie called. “We’re now officially a boat!”
They reached the other side of the river quickly. The horses shook the water from their coats. Lisa and Carole let go of their halters and Stevie drove them close to where Nikkia and Veronica were tied. “Good boys!” She rubbed them both as she tied them to a tree. “I’m going to sneak you two an apple after lunch!” Suddenly she turned. Someone down by the river was screaming.
She ran back down to the bank. Midway across the river, a wagon had turned over. Though the horses and passengers were safe, all the wagon’s supplies were drifting downstream. People on the bank were yelling at Carole and Lisa, who were already swimming out to rescue everything they could grab.
“Wait for me!” cried Stevie, tearing off her boots and hurrying to the shore. She waded into the water and started swimming just as someone else plunged into the river behind her.
Carole and Lisa had spread out in the water. “You grab those bedrolls,” Carole called to Lisa. “I’ll try to get this backpack.”
“What should I get?” asked Stevie, paddling frantically.
“Anything else you can,” called Lisa.
A cell phone floated by Stevie’s ear. She grabbed it and looked around for something else that might be drifting away, but instead of seeing spilled supplies, she saw Gabriel behind her, grappling with a huge, overstuffed suitcase.
“Here,” she said, swimming over to him. “Let me help.”
“Lift one end up and it won’t get so wet,” he said, spitting out a mouthful of water.
Together they maneuvered the suitcase to the riverbank just as Lisa and Carole waded out with all the bedrolls and the backpack. A crowd of people gathered around as they came ashore.
“Oh, girls,” a pretty blond woman said as they stood gasping for breath. “I can’t thank you enough! You’ve saved all our important supplies!”
“And you girls did it just like the real pioneers!” Polly said.
“They didn’t save my teddy bear!” shrieked a small voice behind Stevie. She knew without looking whose voice that was. It was little Eileen’s.
Mr. Cate started to laugh at Eileen. “Why is a big girl like you crying about a teddy bear? Your parents could have lost everything they brought with them!”
“Because it was my teddy bear!” Eileen shrieked even more loudly. “Mommy! They lost Teddy! They lost my Teddy!”
“Shhh, Eileen,” said her mother, suddenly embarrassed. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around the weeping girl. “Let’s sit over here on the bank with Daddy and calm down.”
Suddenly Jeremy rushed up. “Is everyone okay?” he asked.
“Sure,” said Gabriel. “We’re fine.”
“That was quite a rescue you put on. I was busy with their horses, but I saw most of it. The four of you certainly work well together as a team.” Jeremy smiled.
“Actually, we did,” replied Stevie, glaring at Gabriel. “Imagine that. Menfolk and womenfolk, working together.”
Gabriel ignored her and looked at Jeremy, who was squinting at the wagons waiting on the far shore. “After the rest of the wagons cross the river, we’ll be on our way,” Jeremy said. “We won’t go too much farther today, so you folks can take it easy. A river crossing kind of takes the starch out of everybody.”
“You can say that again,” laughed Lisa, wringing a stream of water out of her skirt.
By midafternoon the wagon train had stopped for the night. Stevie, Carole, and Lisa gave a sigh of relief as the wagons made their traditional circle, a formation the pioneers used to enclose their livestock more than to protect against Indians. As the girls pulled into position, their river-soaked clothes struck to their backs, and Lisa’s wet socks squelched with every step she took.
“I vote we dress modern for a little while,” she said as Stevie pushed the wagon’s brake. “And try to get our pioneer clothes dry somehow.”
“Sounds good to me,” said Stevie.
They changed into their jeans and hung their wet clothes on some scrub pine that was growing near their wagon. Their normal clothes felt wonderfully comfortable, and for a long time they just relaxed on the ground, letting the afternoon sun warm their stiff muscles as it dried their dresses.
Suddenly Carole frowned. “Do you guys feel anything weird?”
“Weird like how?” Stevie asked.
“I don’t know,” said Carole. “It’s like the ground is tingling.”
“Tingling?” Stevie leaned over and put her hand flat on the sandy ground. “Good grief!” she cried. “It is tingling! Maybe we’re sitting on some kind of underground volcano that’s about to blow!”
“Hi, girls,” Shelly Bean called, hurrying by. “Are you feeling the cattle yet?”
“The cattle?” Lisa asked.
“Yeah. The herd from the dude ranch. Just put your hand to the ground and you can feel their hooves.” Shelly grinned and pointed over his shoulder. “You can also see the dust they’re raising on the horizon.”
The girls looked where Shelly pointed. Sure enough, a small cloud of brown dust was slowly drawing closer.
“So much for your underground volcano,” Carole laughed as Stevie’s face turned red.
They watched as the dust cloud grew bigger. Finally they could pick out individual riders moving a mass of cows toward the river.
“Let’s go over and say hello,” Carole said, standing on tiptoe as she watched the herd.
The girls joined some others in their group and walked over to the dude ranch camp. An array of people much like their own greeted them—families, a couple of teenagers, and a few retired couples. They all seemed comfortable on their cow ponies and eager to share tales of their trip with the Oregon Trail folks.
“We hear you guys crossed the river today,” a redheaded young wrangler said.
“That’s right,” replied Stevie. “Some of us did it more than once.”
“Was it hard getting your wagons across?” a sunburned woman asked.
“Probably not as hard as two hundred cows,” laughed Carole.
A little boy in a white cowboy hat rode up on a fat black pony. “Have you heard that we’re going to have a big party tonight?”
“Yes,” said Lisa. “And we’re really looking forward to it.”
“Our trail boss, Robbie, is going to play his fiddle and one of the cowboys is going to call a square dance!”
“That sounds like fun,” said Stevie. She turned to Carole and Lisa. “Maybe we’d better go back to our camp and get into our outfits again.”
“Good idea,” Carole agreed. They said good-bye to their new cowboy friends and hurried back to their camp. Just when they had gotten their pioneer clothes back on, they heard the dinner triangle clanging loudly.
“Come and get it!” Shelly Bean had hopped up on a hay bale and was making a speech. “Tonight my buddy Sidewinder Slim and I have cooked y’all the m
ost delicious, mouthwaterin’, lip-smackin’, hair-curlin’ meal west of the Missouri! And anybody who ain’t had two helpings before sundown is gonna hurt my feelings!”
“Whoa!” Carole laughed. “I guess we’d better go eat!”
They joined the others around a huge campfire. Shelly and Sidewinder Slim had truly come up with a feast, filling everybody’s plates with thick steaks, piles of corn on the cob, and rhubarb-and-apple cobbler for dessert. Stevie, Lisa, and Carole ate until they couldn’t eat anymore.
“Arrgggh,” groaned Stevie. “I’m stuffed.”
“You can’t be stuffed now, Stevie,” said Carole. “The dancing is about to begin.”
Just as everybody finished supper, a cowboy from the dude ranch stood up by the campfire.
“Howdy, folks. My name’s Rascal Robbie Robertson and I’m the head drover for this cattle drive. Tonight I’m going to prove that I can outfiddle anybody east of California and west of Nevada.” He struck a chord on his fiddle. “And while I’m sawin’ on this thing, my buddy Willowbark Bob here’s gonna call some dances for you. So grab a partner and let’s have some fun!”
Everybody cleared a large space in front of the fire. Rascal Robbie started to play, and soon six couples were dancing in a square to Willowbark Bob’s calls.
A tall boy from the dude ranch came over and asked Lisa to dance, and then Stevie and Carole got up and danced with each other. As they did a ladies’ chain around the square, Stevie noticed that Gabriel was dancing with one of the girls from the dude ranch. Probably too chicken to dance with any of us, she thought as she and Carole locked arms and swung each other in a wide circle.
Everyone danced until late in the evening. Only Eileen wasn’t having fun. She complained to anyone who would listen that Stevie and Carole and Lisa and Gabriel had lost her teddy bear in the river on purpose. Though everyone was sorry she’d lost her toy, nobody paid much attention to her accusations. Finally she gave up and wandered away by herself.
Wagon Trail Page 7