Westward Hearts

by Melody Carlson

  “I don’t know whether I’d rather float my wagon across the river or put it on that rickety-looking ferry down there.” Lavinia frowned over at the ferry landing. “That vessel doesn’t look a bit seaworthy to me.”

  “Fortunately, that ferry isn’t crossing the sea,” Clara said wryly.

  “But what if the ferry sinks?” Lavinia demanded. “What would we do then?”

  “Swim?” Ruth queried.

  “It’s not going to sink,” Elizabeth assured her. Of course, even as she said this, she wasn’t completely convinced. The ferry did look a bit worse for wear. Already it had taken dozens of wagons across today—without problems, as far as she knew. It seemed unlikely that it would sink, but what if it broke apart and tipped sideways and the wagons rolled off? Perhaps it would be safer to float their wagons across on the rope tow just as the McIntires were doing right now.

  She prayed a silent prayer of protection for the sweet young Irish couple. Paddy was such a cheerful fellow and a talented musician. And just this week, Fiona had confided to Elizabeth and Clara that she was expecting her first baby. The poor young woman hadn’t even realized she was with child when they’d started out on this strenuous journey, and now, worried that her dear husband would fret too much over her welfare, she’d yet to tell Paddy the news.

  Elizabeth gasped as the McIntire wagon lurched sideways when the strong, swift current swept into it. But four pairs of sturdy oxen were pulling on the other side. Asa had insisted they needed plenty of power, and Brady and Matthew were driving the oversized team. And as Matthew loudly cracked the whip over the animals’ heads, the team began to tow hard. A rope tied to the rear of the wagon was being held tautly by some of the men on this side, so the wagon slowly straightened itself out and continued across.

  All the women watching from the river’s edge let out a collective sigh of relief as the McIntire wagon finally made it to the other side. As it emerged dripping and dark with water, they all let out a happy cheer.

  “Well, there. Now that wasn’t too bad.” However, Clara sounded a bit breathless.

  “Oh, my heavens!” Lavinia put a hand to her forehead. “I feel slightly faint.”

  “Why don’t you go and sit in your wagon?” Elizabeth pointed to where the Prescott wagon was in line to be loaded on the ferry. “You might be more comfortable there.”

  “Yes, Mother, let’s get you into the wagon. And if you want to keep fretting over every little thing, at least not everyone will be forced to listen.” Evelyn sounded exasperated as she led Lavinia down to where Asa, Will, and Hugh had queued the wagons down by the ferry landing. Sharing Asa’s oxen team, they were just starting to load the first of the Bostonians’ wagons, but it was clearly going to be an arduous affair. And it would surely take a bit of time to get them secured on the ferry and across the river. The small craft could only carry three wagons at a time, one in front and two behind, so it would probably take several hours to get all six of them across. However, with Asa taking the lead in this effort, Elizabeth felt confident they would complete their task successfully. Even the captain had expressed confidence at Asa’s ability to get their unit safely across.

  “It’s the Schneiders’ turn to float the river,” Ruth announced.

  They all turned to watch the spectacle. Of all the people in their unit, Elizabeth knew the Schneiders the least. Other than attending Sunday services, the family of four seemed to keep mostly to themselves. Perhaps it was their language barrier—the parents spoke little English.

  “They’ve got a good sturdy wagon,” Clara said. “I doubt they’ll have any problems. Did you know that Mr. Schneider was a wagon maker when they lived in Germany? And that’s what he worked at in Independence too. That’s what the daughter, Anna, told me. They came over from Germany before the children were born, but it was Mr. Schneider’s goal to get the family out West. He’s been saving for years to make this trip.”

  Fortunately the Schneider wagon made it safely across without any trouble. And now it was the Mullers’ turn. They could hear Gertie’s loud, gruff voice yelling directions at everyone around her, insisting that they needed to tighten the slack on the ropes and that the team on the other side needed to pull harder. But eventually the wagon was across, and it was time for the Taylors.

  “Do you think they’ll be too heavy?” Ruth asked with concern. “Because of that piano?”

  “I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Clara told her.

  “Oh, look,” Elizabeth said. “The Bramfords and Prescotts are going across on the ferry now.” They all turned to watch.

  “Do you think Mrs. Prescott fainted?” Ruth asked.

  “It might make the crossing easier on everyone if she did,” Clara said.

  Elizabeth chuckled, but as she watched the ferry going deeper into the water, all humor vanished. The current was strong, and water was flowing over the top of the ferry’s deck. Was that supposed to happen? What if the ferry was going down? What if Lavinia had been right to be worried? Once again, Elizabeth felt she would rather be floating her own wagon than to be trapped on a sinking ferry. She took a deep breath and, as she watched with wide eyes, she prayed for their safe passage.

  “They made it!” Ruth exclaimed as the ferry was tied off on the other side. They all let out another cheer.

  “I suppose we should go down and get on our wagons now,” Elizabeth said. “They’ll be loaded next.”

  As they walked toward the ferry, they saw that the Flanders’ wagon was just starting to get towed across. Ruth waved to where Tillie and Hannah were perched in the back of the wagon, peering out the rounded opening in the canvas covering with excited expressions and waving enthusiastically.

  “Good luck!” Ruth waved happily at her friends. “See you on the other side!”

  They were seated in their own wagon, which was loaded on the ferry, when they saw Ruby’s wagon, the final wagon, getting ready to be rope towed across the river. All three women—Jess, Ruby, and Doris—were sitting in front. Jess waved and smiled, but the others looked a little uneasy. Elizabeth waved to them, and Ruth called out encouragingly. Then their ferry began to move.

  “Here we go,” Elizabeth told Ruth. “Hold on.”

  Ruth laughed but grabbed her mother’s hand just the same. As they began to float, Elizabeth tried not to think of how heavily packed her parents’ and brother’s wagons were. Surely they wouldn’t sink the ferry.

  “Here come Ruby and Doris and Jess,” Ruth sang out.

  Elizabeth turned to watch their friends as their wagon first rolled into the water and then began to float. Ruby and Doris seemed to relax some, but as the ferry was about midway across the river, they heard a loud snapping sound.

  “The rope in back!” Ruth pointed to the back of the wagon floating downriver from them. “It’s broke, Mama.” And now the wagon, no longer secured on both ends, began to be pushed sideways with the current.

  “Get another rope!” Bert Flanders yelled from the east side of the river. “Someone in the wagon get another rope and toss it to me!”

  Jess scrambled from the front seat and eventually popped her head out from the back, holding up a rope with a worried look. “I’ve got the rope!” she yelled to Bert and his oldest son.

  “Tie it to the wagon and then throw it back to us,” he called as he waded out into the water. “Can you do that?”

  She was already tying an end of the rope to a metal loop on the back of the wagon. Then she looped the rope into a coil and attempted to toss it over to Bert, who had his hands stretched out. But it didn’t make it. So she pulled it back, winding the now dripping rope into another coil, and this time, straddling the tailgate of the wagon like a horse, she gave the coiled rope an even more vigorous throw. But just as she was pitching it, the wagon was hit by a strong current, which sent it spinning completely around so that they couldn’t see her. But they heard Jess letting out a loud yelp and then a big splash.

  “She fell in!” Ruth screamed, pointing to the
blue calico skirt that ballooned around Jess as she was swept away by the fast-moving water. “Jess fell in the river!”

  “Oh, dear God!” Elizabeth gasped. “Please, help her!”

  “Uncle Matthew is going to get her!” Ruth pointed to where Matthew was running along the shore on the other side of the river. He was calling out to Jess and stripping off his jacket as he ran. And then he leaped off the riverbank close to where she was struggling in the water, and suddenly they both disappeared around the bend of the river.

  Elizabeth felt sickened as she grabbed Ruth’s hand. “Let’s go to Grandma,” she said, knowing that Clara must have witnessed the whole thing as well. Elizabeth hurried to get down and carefully helped Ruth down. They rushed up to where Clara was sitting in her own wagon with tears filling her faded blue eyes.

  “Oh, my. Oh, my!” Clara shook her head. “That does not look good.”

  “He’s going to be all right,” Elizabeth told her mother. “They both are. Matthew is a good swimmer.”

  “But the water is so cold…and the current…so strong.”

  “Let’s pray for them,” Ruth bravely declared. And in a faithful voice, she began to pray loudly. “Dear God, please help Matthew and Jess. Please help them to swim to shore and to come back to us. We know you can do that, dear God. We kindly thank you for your help today. Amen.”

  “Hurry and get this boat across the river,” Asa commanded the man in charge of the ferry. “That’s my son in the water.”

  Time seemed to stand still as they waited for the ferry to move like a slow turtle to the other side of the river. Meanwhile, they helplessly watched Ruby’s wagon, still struggling against the current as Brady and some other men urged the oxen to tow it to the other shore. Just as the wagon’s wheels finally connected with the edge of the river bank, Elizabeth flew into action. “I’ll get some blankets,” she told Clara. “As soon as we land, I’ll run them down the shore. Jess and Matthew will need them.” She looked at Ruth. “You stay with Grandma. And wait until Grandpa helps you both off the ferry. We don’t want anyone else falling in.”

  Then she dashed back to her own wagon, where she gathered some blankets. Bundling them against her chest, she went up to stand by her father and the man running the ferry, explaining her plan. “And get a fire going as soon as you get landed,” Elizabeth told Asa. “So we can warm them up.” Then, as they neared the shore, she spotted JT standing nearby, looking toward the ferry with a frightened and confused expression.

  “JT!” she yelled. “Get on a horse and ride down the river and look for them.”

  “Yes, ma’am!” he shot back at her.

  “And I’m coming too,” she yelled as he took off toward the livestock area.

  When the ferry was still about a foot from the landing, she took a running leap and just kept on going.

  “Do you need help?” Will called out.

  “Yes!” she yelled back. “Maybe so.”

  So now Will and Belinda were running with her. And JT, riding bareback on Molly, shot out ahead of the three of them, quickly rounding the bend. As Elizabeth ran, she prayed silently with each step. “God help them. God help them. God help them.” She wasn’t sure how far they’d run, but her sides ached. It felt like at least a mile when JT yelled out. “I see ’em!” he shouted triumphantly. And sliding off the horse, he ran over to a raised bank and slid down. “They’re down here, Ma!”

  Elizabeth and the others followed in time to see Matthew carrying a lifeless-looking bundle of dripping blue calico out of the water. He gently laid Jess onto a rocky beach area, pushing a dark strand of hair away from her pale face.

  “Is she dead?” JT asked quietly as they all stood looking.

  “No!” Elizabeth declared as she slid down the riverbank toward them. “She can’t be.” She knelt down, and picking Jess up, she wrapped the blankets snugly around her. Then, shaking her lifeless body firmly, Elizabeth slapped Jess’ cheeks a couple of times and shook her harder. Anything to wake her. She had to wake her!

  “Come on, Jess,” she yelled at her. “You can’t leave us like this. Come on!”

  Suddenly water poured out of Jess’ mouth, and her eyes opened with a startled expression. As she sputtered and coughed, Elizabeth put her arms around her, holding her tightly. “Come on,” she told Will and Belinda. “Help me to get her up and moving. We need to get her blood flowing.”

  As they all helped to support Jess, who was still coughing and wheezing, Elizabeth glanced over to where Matthew was just standing and staring as if he was too shocked to even respond. Then she noticed that he too was shivering and shaking. “Come on, you get over here too.” She tugged him next to Jess, and opening the blanket, she wrapped them together like two sausages and began to vigorously rub their arms and shoulders and backs. “We need to get you two warmed up as quickly as possible.”

  With everyone helping, they got the strange-looking blanket bundle up the riverbank and briskly walking. And then, after Matthew assured Elizabeth that he could stay on the horse as well as keep Jess from falling, they helped them both onto Molly’s back and sent them on ahead.

  “Father should have a warming fire going,” she called out. “But you both need to get into dry clothes first thing.” She let out a sigh of relief as Molly began to canter. “Thanks be to God!”

  “You can say that again,” Will agreed. “I really thought that was the last we’d see of both of them.”

  “My uncle is a good swimmer,” JT told him. “I knew he could rescue her.”

  “That was truly amazing,” Belinda said.

  “How did you know Jess was going to be all right?” Will asked Elizabeth. “I honestly thought she was dead.”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged as they walked. “I just felt it inside of me. I felt certain that she wasn’t dead…that she wasn’t going to die. I couldn’t give up.”

  “You’re a good woman to have around in a crisis.” He turned to Belinda. “If anyone in our family needs urgent help, I want you to run and get Elizabeth.”

  Elizabeth just laughed. “You might be better off to fetch my mother,” she told Belinda. “She knows more about medicine than I do.”

  Now JT told them about the time he fell out of his grandparents’ hay loft and broke his arm. “Grandma knew just what to do to fix it. It hurt a lot when she did it, but it made my arm heal good and straight. Even the doctor said she did it just right.”

  By the time they reached the wagons, Elizabeth felt inexplicably happy. Maybe it was a result of the close call with her brother and Jess, or the fact that they’d all made it safely across the river, or maybe she was simply enjoying the company of her son and Will and Belinda.

  Matthew and Jess had already finished changing into dry clothes and were huddling with family and friends by the fire, retelling their perilous story to anxious listeners, when Asa announced that it was time to go. “The captain wants us to make a few miles before we camp tonight,” he explained. “He expects another wagon train might be coming through here just a day or two behind us, and he wants to keep some space between us.”

  “Got your wagon all hitched ’n’ ready, ma’am,” Brady told Elizabeth. “Mr. Matthew’s too. If’n you don’t mind, I’ll ride with your brother.”

  “I don’t mind a bit. And thank you, Brady,” she told him. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “And Flax is tied at your wagon. So much goings-on, didn’t want him runnin’ off.” He nodded shyly as he walked away.

  Jess joined Elizabeth as they headed for their wagons. “I want to thank you,” she told her. “It seems your family continues to rescue me.” She paused to hug Elizabeth with glistening eyes. “Thank you so much!”

  “I’m just so very glad you’re all right.” Elizabeth touched Jess’ cheek. “You gave us quite a scare, young lady.”

  “I didn’t tell Ruby and Doris everything that happened in the river—what a close call it was.” Jess spoke quietly. “I didn’t want to o
verly worry Aunt Ruby.”

  “You just make sure you don’t let anything like that happen again,” Elizabeth said in a slightly stern tone. “We don’t want to lose you, Jess.”

  When she got to the wagon, JT and Ruth were already in the seat, and her father’s wagon was starting to roll just ahead of them. “Can I drive?” JT asked hopefully.

  “I’d appreciate it if you did, son.” She stepped on the wheel hub and climbed up, pausing to smile at her children as she sat down. “Well, that was an exciting river crossing, wasn’t it?”

  Ruth nodded eagerly. “But God did take care of all of us, didn’t he, Mama?”

  “He did, Ruthie.” Elizabeth pulled on a leather glove and reached down to release the brake, watching as JT sat tall, clucked his tongue, and then snapped the reins. “He surely did.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  The May weather continued mild and warm, and the prairie crossing continued without any serious calamity or mishap. Certainly, it was hard work—walking for miles, carrying water, cooking on an open fire, washing clothes in the river—but so far no one had drowned, no one was sick, the sun was shining, and Elizabeth felt there was relatively little to complain about. But she’d learned by now that a number of her fellow travelers always seemed to find a reason to moan. Perhaps they would be lost if they had nothing to grumble over.

  For that reason, she usually tried to avoid certain individuals, like grumpy Gertie Muller or whiney Lavinia Prescott or the preachy Mrs. Taylor. Oh, Elizabeth would never admit to harboring such strong and disagreeable opinions on these three fellow travelers, and naturally she felt ashamed over her lack of good manners, but if she saw one of those three women coming her way, she usually tried to think of some good excuse to go in a different direction. And today that excuse had come by way of the children. When Ruth invited Elizabeth to walk with her and the Flanders’ girls as they collected wildflowers, Elizabeth was more than happy to join them.

  But now as the three happy girls flitted about in the sunshine, thoroughly enjoying each other’s company, Elizabeth felt guilty to remember how she had avoided Gertie this morning. They’d both been on their way to fetch water, and Elizabeth had purposely slowed her pace, pretending to stop to admire a prairie flower. Really, how hard would it have been to walk with Gertie or to say something pleasant? Of course, Gertie didn’t seem to appreciate anything pleasant. She truly seemed to derive more pleasure from constantly faultfinding and lambasting those who didn’t measure up to her high expectations. Whether her comments were about a member of her own family or Captain Brownlee (if he wasn’t around to hear it), Gertie seemed to enjoy making noise. It was simply her way.