Josie’s face crumpled and her body shook with sobs. “Oh, Mama,” she wailed. “What if something happens to Ted or Jimmy? I don’t think I could live without them.”
Her mother grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “Now let’s have none of that talk. There are a lot of men out there fighting this fire, and they got family worryin’ ’bout them too. We just got to pray that God’s gonna bring all of them back safely.”
Josie’s wild-eyed stare reminded Laurel of an animal that couldn’t escape the trap it was caught in. “But Mama, I’ve heard all these stories about what happens to men when they’re fighting a fire. It’s not just the flames that kill them; it’s the heat in the air. They breathe it in, and it melts their lungs before the fire reaches them.” More tears flowed down her face. “I don’t want that to happen to Ted or Jimmy.”
Mrs. Davis frowned and shook Josie harder. “Get control of yourself, Josie. The guests who’re leavin’ on the train could come out here any minute. We don’t need to go upsettin’ them. And you need to start thinkin’ about trying to save this place if the fire comes this way.” Her features softened, and Mrs. Davis pulled Josie into another hug. “Besides, your pa and I are gonna be right here with you until Ted and Jimmy come home.”
Josie hugged her mother, then pulled free and wiped at her eyes. “Thank you, Mama and Poppa. I’m glad you’re here.” She sniffed and glanced at Laurel. “Now you need to head down to the depot. Do you want me to walk with you?”
Laurel shook her head. “There’s no need for that. It’s just down the road, and I’ll be fine by myself. I’d rather you stay here and get things ready in case the fire shifts this way.” She stepped closer to Josie and hugged her. “Your mother’s right. Ted and Jimmy are going to be fine. We just have to believe that.”
Josie smiled through her tears and kissed her on the cheek. “Tell your mama I love her, and I’ll write to her as soon as this is all over.”
“I will.” Laurel hugged the Davises, picked up her suitcase, and tramped down the steps. As she stepped onto the footbridge, she glanced over her shoulder and waved to the three who stood watching her depart. “Goodbye.”
“Take care,” Josie called as all three waved.
A train whistle echoed through the valley. That had to be the train with the men from the Cades Cove camp on board. She might recognize some of them who had attended Sunday services at their church. Laurel increased her speed so that she might arrive at the train stop before the train did.
As she approached the small building that served as a depot, she saw a large group of men milling about. The ones who would board the train for their trip up to the fire, no doubt. A smaller group of women and children, holding boxes and suitcases, stood to the side of the building. They had to be the ones who would climb aboard with her when the train returned.
She walked to the front of the building that faced the tracks and watched the train slide to a stop a few feet away from her. The first train car appeared to be empty. She walked alongside the next and peered at the windows in an attempt to see a familiar face, but she didn’t recognize any of the men sitting by the windows.
Satisfied she knew nobody from the Cades Cove CCC camp, she turned to walk back to the front of the train. The engineer hung out the window of his locomotive and yelled to Mr. Mercer, who stood next to the train. He hollered something in return and then signaled the loggers from the base camp to board. The group surged forward and jostled each other as they waited in line to climb the steps to the vacant car.
Laurel had almost reached the small depot when she heard a voice calling from the other direction. “Laurel, wait!” She jerked to a halt at the familiar voice. Andrew? It couldn’t be. Then she heard it again. “Laurel!”
She gasped, dropped her suitcase, and whirled to see Andrew running toward her. Her heart pounded like striking an anvil at the sight of him. His eyes sparkled, and his face radiated joy like she’d never seen before. Her mouth dropped open as he skidded to a halt in front of her. “Andrew?” she gasped.
“I couldn’t believe it when I looked through the train window and saw you walking by.” He grabbed her by the shoulders and stared at her as if he was memorizing every detail of her face. “What are you doing still here? You should be in Cades Cove.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out. She swallowed and tried again. “I’ve been with the Fergusons, but I’m leaving on the train back to Townsend.”
His hands on her shoulders relaxed, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “Simon told me you were here, but I hoped you’d already left. You need to get as far away from here as you can. They say this fire is destroying everything in its path.”
She licked her dry lips and frowned. “What are you doing here?”
He nodded toward the train. “I’m with the men from the Cades Cove camp. I saw them at the station in Townsend when my train arrived from Virginia, and I came up here with them.”
“Virginia?” She squinted her eyes and shook her head. “What were you doing there?”
His eyes danced with excitement, and he threw back his head and laughed. Not only did he look happy, but his laughter sounded like that of a man at peace with the world. Something had happened to Andrew since the last time she saw him. “Oh, Laurel. I have so much to tell you. I was so upset after our argument that I went to see your grandfather. While I was there, I turned my life over to God, and I’ve never been happier. The first thing I wanted to do was talk to my father and try to make things right with him. So I went to Virginia, and I was headed back to Cades Cove to tell you how my life’s changed when I ran into these fellows.”
The train whistle blew, and Laurel glanced over her shoulder. The men no longer stood beside the train. “Andrew, the men are on board. They’re ready to go. You need to get back on the train.”
He gripped her shoulders again and shook his head. “Not until I tell you I’m sorry for the way I acted and the things I said to you the last time we were together. I was angry. I was jealous. I was all the things I’ve never wanted to be. And I took it out on you. But that’s all changed. I’m a different person now. God did that for me. I promise you I’ll never act that way again. I love you, Laurel, and I want us to have a life together. One like your parents have.”
Her throat constricted, and her eyes filled with tears. “Andrew…”
He pulled her to him and pressed his lips to hers in a demanding kiss that told her he had missed her as much as she had him. The train engine lurched forward, and the cars hooked to it rattled as they began to move. He pulled her close and nuzzled her ear. “I love you, Laurel, and we belong together. I need you so much. Put me out of my misery. Tell me you’ll marry me.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face down to hers. “I love you, Andrew. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
She pressed her lips to his once more and then pulled away. She caught a glimpse of one of the train cars as it rolled past. “They’re leaving. Get on board.”
He backed away, never taking his eyes off her. “Wait for me at your parents’ house. I’ll come as soon as this fire is under control.” He turned and ran toward the train as it picked up speed. She held her breath and closed her eyes as he leaped for the steps of the last car. When she opened them, he stood on the bottom step, clutching the handrail. “I love you,” he yelled as the train moved up the mountain.
“I love you too,” she cried.
She waved until the train disappeared from view, and then she picked up her suitcase and walked back to the front of the depot. Andrew’s words still echoed in her mind. He had turned his life over to God, he loved her, and he wanted to marry her.
In the span of a few minutes her entire life had changed. The man she’d seen today wasn’t the same person she’d first met. That man had seemed unsure of himself and fearful of what the future held for him. Today Andrew had the appearance of a man who’d suddenly been pardoned from a death sentence. He was happy, excited,
and on his way to confront the inferno blazing up the mountain.
At that moment a sudden gust of wind swept through the town and sent debris flying in its path. Trees swayed as if they might bend to the ground, and Laurel stiffened. The smell of smoke drifted from the direction of the fire. She closed her eyes and said a prayer for the safety of Andrew and the men on their way up the mountain and for those already there.
A sudden thought sent shivers up her spine, and her eyes popped open. The fire. Andrew was on his way to fight fire, the one thing he feared most in the world. Her body began to shake, and she thought of Josie’s words about how the hot air could suck the life out of a firefighter. A bench sat at the edge of the platform next to the small depot. She stumbled toward it and dropped down on it.
She clutched her hands in her lap and beat them against her knees. Now she understood why Josie had refused to leave when she knew Ted and Jimmy were in danger. She wanted to keep watch for the return of those she loved. And so did she.
Andrew faced great danger, and there was no way she would go back to Cades Cove and wait for what might be days until she knew if he was all right. She would be here in Tremont to meet him when he came back down that mountain.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up her suitcase and began to walk back to the hotel.
The day grew darker as the train chugged up the mountain. Smoke swirled through the air swept on by the increasing gusts of wind. Andrew stared out the window and wondered how much further they could go before the engineer would have to stop. Already they could smell the acrid stench of the fire, and several men in the train car had begun to cough.
The train jerked to a halt, but nobody moved for a moment. Since leaving Tremont, they had climbed higher into the mountains, and Andrew stared out the window at the steep incline beside the train that led on toward the summit. He shook his head in sorrow not at what the fire had done, because it hadn’t reached this spot yet, but for what man had done. The total desolation of a mountainside stripped of its forest spread out to the left and right as far as he could see. All that remained of the trees that had once covered the landscape were the dried-out trunks that had been left behind and debris from the ones that had been shipped out long ago.
He gritted his teeth at the giant swath man had cut through the Smokies, and he recalled telling Superintendent Eakin he wanted to help preserve these mountains so they could be enjoyed by people for generations. As he stared at what the lumber company had done and smelled the smoke that threatened to destroy even more, that resolve grew stronger. It was as if God had suddenly opened his eyes to where his future lay. He knew he would never be able to live anywhere but in these hills.
“Shaconage,” he whispered.
The man sitting next to him turned to him and frowned. “What did you say?”
Andrew pointed to the mountain. “The Cherokee called this the place of the blue smoke because of the haze on the mountaintops.”
“Well, it ain’t very blue today, is it?”
Andrew shook his head. “Maybe we can help make it that way again.”
Lieutenant Gray stepped through the door at the front of their car at that moment and everyone sat up straighter in their seats. His mouth was set in a grim line as he let his gaze drift over the men sitting before him. Nobody moved.
He spread his feet in a wide stance and cleared his throat. “Okay, men, listen up. The engineer’s afraid the fire may keep him from getting to the next spur, so he’s going to turn the train around at this one. Before we get out, there are some last-minute instructions. Make sure the canteen you were issued before we left Townsend is securely attached to your belt. Sometimes that metal hook on the back of the cover can be tricky to get on. If you’ve had problems with it, let someone help you. It’s very important that you have water when you face the heat from the fire. When you exit the train, there will be some Little River employees beside the train. They’ve been asked by the Park Service people to head up the digging of a fire line on this mountain. They’ll divide us into squads and take us to the spots where we’ll be working. Listen to what they have to say. There are other firefighters spread out all across this section of the mountain range, but we probably won’t come into contact with them. When you get off the train, you’ll be given either a Pulaski or a shovel.”
“What’s a Pulaski, sir?” The question came from someone toward the front of the car.
“It’s a tool with an axe on one end and a grubbing hook on the other. The Park Service uses it as standard equipment now in fighting fires. Any more questions?”
A man at the front raised his hand. “Sir, do you know how long we’ll be up here?”
Lieutenant Gray shook his head. “I have no idea. They’re bringing in men from three more of the CCC camps in the park area, and I understand volunteers are coming in from surrounding towns. We’re going to be spread out on this mountain, so you probably won’t see me. Again, listen to the men who work up here. They’ll let you know when replacements have arrived. Anything else?” When no one spoke, Lieutenant Gray took a deep breath. “All right. Let’s get to work.”
The men rose silently, formed a single line down the aisle, and filed to the front. Andrew stood and checked the canteen that dangled from his belt before he stepped forward. When he exited the train, he grabbed the Pulaski a man handed to him and glanced up at the sky. The sun was now completely hidden behind the dark clouds of smoke in the air.
A group of men, Little River employees no doubt, stood beside the train and waited for the men to climb down. Andrew glanced over his shoulder and saw that a group waited at each car. He turned his attention back to the men who would lead his squad and the man who appeared to be their leader. If his soot-streaked face and ash-stained clothes were any indication, he’d been on the mountain for quite a while. He unfolded a map he held and laid it on the ground. Andrew inched closer to hear what was being said.
Just as he reached the group, one of the men who had his back to him turned, and Andrew stared in unbelief into the face of Jimmy Ferguson. The surprised look on Jimmy’s face was probably a reflection of his own. Jimmy’s mouth dropped open and his eyes grew wide. “Brady!” he said. “What are you doing up here?”
Andrew glanced up at the smoke-filled sky and then to the Pulaski he held. He suddenly felt ill-equipped to tangle with a wildfire. He shrugged. “I came to help dig a fire line.”
Jimmy stared at him a moment before he smiled and nodded. “Thanks. We need all the help we can get.”
“Laurel didn’t tell me you were up here. I guess I should have known you’d go to work with Little River when you came back home.”
Jimmy’s eyes grew wide. “Laurel? Where did you see her?”
“She was at the depot in Tremont. She’s going back to Townsend when the train gets back.”
Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. Did you see my mother and grandparents?”
Andrew shook his head. “No, she was alone.”
Jimmy closed his eyes and ran his fingers over his face. “Oh, no. Me and Pa were hoping they would go to Townsend. If this fire turns, it’ll go right down to the base camp.”
Andrew’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. He hoped that didn’t happen before Laurel got on the train. “Then we need to make sure that doesn’t happen.” He glanced over at the group of Little River employees who appeared focused on the map their leader had spread on the ground. “Who’s in charge of our detail?”
Jimmy pointed to the man who knelt in the middle of the group. “My pa. He’s the one assigning the locations right now.”
As if on cue, Jimmy’s father stood and studied the group. “We’re going to lead you men up to a spot on the mountain where we’re going to dig a fire line. When we get up there, we’ll spread out to work. I’m in charge of this squad, so I’ll be the lookout. I’ll be monitoring your work as well as trying to keep you safe. If you’re ready, let’s go.”
Mr. Ferguson glanced at his son before
he turned and started up the mountain. Everyone fell into step and followed as they climbed higher. As the path grew steeper, the air thickened with smoke and Andrew tried to stifle the cough that choked his throat. They climbed steadily for what seemed an eternity before Mr. Ferguson veered to the left and led the group toward the back side of the mountain.
For the first time Andrew caught sight of the fire. He swallowed back the fear that rose in his throat but couldn’t take his eyes off the flames that rose from the forest at the far side of the adjacent ridge. The man in front of him glanced over his shoulder. “That’s a right scary sight, ain’t it?”
Andrew nodded. “It is.”
“You think it might get this far?”
“I don’t know.”
A stick crunched under Andrew’s foot, and he glanced down at the dried remnants of the logging operation that littered the ground. The ground around them was a tinderbox just waiting for a spark. He stared up the mountain and a second thought struck him. The logging operation had stopped about halfway up, and giant trees covered the upper half all the way to the peak.
A sinking feeling washed over him, and he stubbed his foot on the exposed root of a tree that had once stood in that spot. He glanced down at the dried ground under his feet and then up the mountain to the tree branches bending in the wind. The truth hit him like a punch in the stomach. If the fire spread this far, it could ignite on either side of them and leave them trapped between two deadly forces.
He hardly had time to process the thought before Mr. Ferguson held up his hand for them to stop. He pointed to a rock outcropping to the right and moved his arm in a straight line to his left. “That rock is our anchor point. We’re gonna start digging there and cut that line all the way across here. For you not used to a Pulaski, don’t raise it over your head to swing down. That just wastes energy, and it’s dangerous. Bend slightly at the waist and use chopping motions. We need a line about twelve inches wide all the way across with the dirt taken all the way down to the mineral soil.” He cast a worried glance at the fire that appeared to have moved closer since Andrew first spotted it. “If we can get this line dug and if the wind don’t get stronger, we may be able to make this fire burn out. Any questions?”
Beyond These Hills Page 26