Holding the Fort

by Regina Jennings

  The pulse-raising scent of gunpowder reached Daniel as he strode toward the adjutant’s office. The door to the office burst open, and Captain Chandler raced toward the stables. The enlisted men not running to their horses were hitching wagons and pulling the cannons out of the middle of the green to the edges of the fort. The lookout’s bugle sounded again. It was from the west. Daniel seethed in frustration. By now Jack would have found him some field glasses. Where was Jack?

  Sergeant O’Hare saluted and produced the necessary piece of equipment.

  “What am I supposed to be looking at?” Daniel marched to the western portion of the grounds so he could see around the post office.

  “The riders are headed in, and they’re running hard.”

  “Anyone chasing them?”

  “Not that we can see.”

  “Who is it?”

  “From the size of the unit, we think it’s Jack and Ben. They left yesterday with a small party.”

  Daniel lifted the glasses to look at the approaching horsemen. Yes, it was Jack, taking on the toughest assignments for himself.

  “Distribute arms. Cavalry in the saddle, infantry on the perimeter, with the bulk of them protecting our west. And get me my horse.”

  “Yes, sir.” A quick salute, and O’Hare went to do what he already knew to do.

  The troops hustled, no steps wasted—everyone to their station. But there were so few of them. Officially, Fort Reno covered nearly ten thousand acres. There was no possible way for them to hold all that land, but it was absolutely essential for them to protect the sprawling campus that huddled on a spot as naked and vulnerable as any that existed in the natural world. Essential, because everything Daniel held dear resided in the center house on Officers’ Row.

  “Here they come,” the sentry bellowed.

  As Jack and his men sped past the mule teams pulling the cannon to the perimeter, they spotted Daniel. Foam from the horses’ mouths flecked out with each blow, their sides slick and wet. Jack and Private Willis were abreast of each other, with Ben and two others on their heels.

  “It’s the Cheyenne,” Jack began as soon as he was close enough to be heard. “Six or seven hundred men heading to Darlington. Old Crow is leading them. White Horse and Coyote went to Darlington to warn them.”

  Daniel’s gut clenched. Seven hundred men. They were hopelessly outnumbered. Decisions had to be made immediately. By now the adjutant’s office had emptied. Several officers waited tensely for orders.

  “Send half the troops to evacuate Darlington. Bring the civilians here. The rest of the troops will hold the fort but will be organized to intervene if the rescue squad runs into trouble.”

  “Yes, sir,” sounded around him as the officers scattered.

  “Private Willis,” Daniel said, “tend to these horses. Rub them down, care for them personally.”

  “But, sir, I’m ready to go. All I need is a fresh horse. Those people in Darlington—”

  Daniel raised a hand. “Never question my orders, Private. Especially now.”

  Willis clamped his mouth shut in what looked like genuine shame. “I apologize, sir. I let my desire to fight get the best of me. Excuse me.” He gathered the reins from the other men and pulled the spent horses toward the stable.

  Daniel would never admit it to anyone, but he wasn’t about to send Private Willis on that mission. If something happened to the boy, Daniel would always question whether he’d done like King David and sent his rival to his death. Willis was safe for now. Or as safe as any of them could be.

  He marched to the green-roofed house he called home. What if White Horse never reached Darlington? Daniel had to call Agent Dyer. Seconds could make the difference. Seeing his approach, Louisa opened the door. Her eyes looked stark against her blanched skin.

  “I sent the girls to the cellar,” she said. “Was that the right thing?”

  If there was one thing Daniel couldn’t dwell on, it was what the Cheyenne did to their female captives. Probably this uprising was just a warning, probably they weren’t going to attempt a direct attack on the fort, but the fear was always there in the back of his mind. And if the Dog Soldiers prevailed, a cellar wouldn’t save them.

  “I want to help,” Louisa said. “Let me help you.”

  He took her hand and dragged her behind him to the telephone box on the wall. Calling Dyer came first, but he couldn’t bear to send Louisa away. Not yet. Releasing her hand, he picked up the earpiece and heard Dyer on the other line immediately. He was yelling at someone in the room.

  “Just one bag. That’s all you have time for. Get on a horse and ride.”

  “Agent Dyer!” Daniel called. “Can you hear me?”

  There was a crashing noise. Daniel closed his eyes to block out everything but the sounds. He had to know what he was hearing.

  “I’m here, Major. I know why you’re calling.”

  “We got our news from the same messengers you did. Any chance this is a false report?”

  “No.” Dyer didn’t even pause before answering. “I know Coyote. He’s telling the truth. We’re evacuating the agency and the school staff. The missionaries—everyone is headed your way.”

  “And we have troops running toward you as an escort for safe passage, but that’s all we can do. We can’t hold the Cheyenne out of Darlington. Not until reinforcements arrive.”

  “I understand. Let’s pray it’s enough. And if the rebels think Ida and I are at the fort, that would be helpful. We want them to think the station is deserted.”

  Daniel’s stomach dropped. Dyer couldn’t mean he was staying in Darlington. “We can’t protect you there. Weren’t you listening? I order you and your wife to come to the fort.”

  “I’m not in the military, Major. I don’t answer to you. We’ve spent our time here building trust with the Cheyenne and Arapaho. How would it look if I ran and hid behind the might of the army when they have a grievance? I have a post, and I won’t abandon it.”

  “Don’t be a fool, Dyer. This is more than airing grievances.”

  “We’ll hide from those who want to harm us, but if the Cheyenne decimate the Arapaho village, I need to be ready to open the storehouse for them. Wait—” Raised voices sounded in the room. Dyer called out an answer, then he was back. “I’m needed in the street. Your troopers are on the horizon, and everyone is in a hurry to quit the place. I’ll contact you when it’s safe to do so. Pray for us.”

  Daniel had yet to open his eyes. “God be with you,” he said, then replaced the earpiece on its receiver. They all had their duties to perform. Unfortunately, until reinforcements arrived, he was hampered from completing his. But the people were the most important. They could rebuild Darlington if needed. It was the lives that couldn’t be replaced.

  He opened his eyes to find Louisa watching him.

  “The agency people are coming?” She wrung her hands. “They will be so scared. We need to be ready to receive them so they’ll be out of the troopers’ way. I can clean rooms, move furniture around. We can even get supplies from the fort commissary and stock some of the kitchens so if they don’t feel like eating in the mess hall, they can feed themselves and their families.”

  The urgent activity outside the window demanded his attention, but Louisa was speaking sense. They had civilians headed toward them. The last thing they needed was women and children crying on the parade grounds, getting underfoot if they came under attack.

  “Excellent idea. Get Caroline and Daisy and prepare the officers’ houses that are vacant. They won’t have much when they get here, so whatever you can lay out will be helpful.”

  “Yes, sir.” She drew her skirt to the side to slip past him, but Daniel caught her arm.

  “Louisa, at the first war cry or gunshot, you get yourself and the girls locked into the nearest cellar. I don’t care if everyone else is left standing on the green, you can’t let the Cheyenne get ahold of you.”

  Her smile was weak but true. “I will take care of your girls, D
aniel. They come first. But they don’t want to lose their father. Be careful.”

  He paused, listening for words she didn’t speak—how she wanted him safe for her sake, how she couldn’t stand to lose him. Of course, she didn’t think that, but he was surprised at how badly he wanted to hear it.

  Louisa flipped a mattress, glad for something to do. She’d go mad sitting in the parlor when all the fort buzzed with activity.

  “Caroline, sheets.” Louisa didn’t have breath to spare as she wrestled the mattress into place.

  Caroline unfurled the sheet, and when it had settled onto the mattress, she pointed to the window. “They’re here,” she said, and then she raced out of the room.

  Louisa was right behind her. Together they ran down the stairs, through the nearly empty house, and out onto the porch. A shiny black buggy was turning off the avenue from the agency. A man in his shirtsleeves held the reins, a tight-mouthed woman at his side. Next came a wagon with two men on the bench in front and the back teeming with bonnets, trunks, and skirts.

  Louisa wrapped her arms around her stomach. The teachers. That wagon was full of real teachers from the Arapaho Indian School. Teachers who would know she was a phony. Suddenly all the work she’d done to prepare for their arrival seemed pointless. Maybe she should have saddled a horse, dodged the Cheyenne, and bounced painfully away.

  “C’mon, let’s help them unload.” Caroline walked across the porch in a stately manner, just like the daughter of the commander should. “Daisy, let’s go!” she hollered, ruining the illusion some. Daisy scurried out the front door with a duster still in her hands. Caroline stopped and watched Louisa over her shoulder.

  Louisa’s feet felt anchored to the floor. There’d only been a few women at the fort since Louisa arrived. Ben Clark’s wife was Cheyenne and kept busy with their large family. Besides her, few of the officers at the fort were married, and the washerwomen certainly didn’t visit the post commander’s home. But there’d be no way to avoid these women, and once they finished crying over their banishment, they’d judge her with dry eyes and hard hearts.

  Growing up, there had been a few women who had shown Louisa mercy. A few women who felt sorry for the dirty little girl with the cruel mother, but when Louisa began to mature, even they shunned her. At first only the songs she’d sung had been wrong, but soon her very appearance became unsuitable. And there wasn’t much she could do to change that. By the time she had money to buy herself something besides her mother’s cast-offs, she was performing at the Cat-Eye.

  “Miss Bell? Aren’t you coming?”

  “There’s work to do here,” Louisa said. “You go along.”

  Caroline’s gaze softened, making Louisa feel like a child who had to be humored. “Don’t be afraid, Miss Bell. You are every bit as good of a teacher as they are,” she said. Caroline, like her father, seemed to read Louisa’s fears as easily as reading Daisy’s primer.

  The unexpected kindness made Louisa’s guilt even heavier. She was a horrible teacher and an even more horrible person. Being around church people only made her feel worse.

  “Your father will be looking for you,” Louisa said. “Don’t wait on me.”

  Turning her back, she returned to the house, then watched out the window as Caroline left. The buggy had reached Officers’ Row. Lieutenant Hennessey was the first to greet them. Daniel appeared next, doffed his hat to the ladies, and asked Caroline a question as she approached. Caroline gestured to the house, and Louisa jumped away from the window, her heart pounding. The shame and fear had caught her off guard. Turning from the window, she tiptoed back upstairs and began straightening another room.

  “Louisa?” It was Daniel. He was inside the house. The floor in the empty parlor creaked. “Are you in here?”

  She backed away from the half-made bed. “I’m up here.” Her voice sounded weak even to her own ears. When he stepped around the corner, she frantically grabbed the sheet and began tucking it into place.

  “Everyone is going to the chapel for prayer,” he said. “You’re free to join them.”

  “No, thanks.” Her hands shook. “That’ll give me more time to prepare their lodgings. I haven’t checked the room Daisy was in, but there’s no telling what she’s left undone.”

  The corner of the mattress kept slipping from her hands. Instead of helping, Daniel stood silently and watched her.

  “Stubborn mattress.” Louisa let out a sharp laugh. “Don’t wait on me. You must have a thousand things to do. I’ll take care of this.”

  “I guess I assumed you’d want to go to the chapel with the ladies. They are unfamiliar with the fort. It would be a comfort to them to have you along.”

  Had he forgotten that she’d never been to the chapel, either? Each week she had managed to come up with one excuse or another. Louisa picked up a lightly quilted coverlet. A bead of sweat ran down her neck and past her shoulder blades at what she was about to say. The fort was in danger. He had an uprising on his hands, and she was refusing to cooperate.

  “Caroline and Daisy can guide them. It’ll be good for them to take this role—”

  “Miss Bell, we are in a crisis. I am ordering you to escort our guests and my daughters to the chapel immediately.” She’d disappointed him, but he wasn’t appealing to her friendship. He was giving an order. He stepped out of the doorway, clearing her path, waiting for her to obey.

  It wasn’t fair. Louisa wanted to help. She’d work hard for him, do nearly anything, but he was asking the one thing that might end their association. The one thing that had the power to expose her.

  But he wasn’t giving her a choice. She made her way outside, where the women huddled in the shade of the porch. Tear-streaked faces, red from sorrow and the heat, looked her way. Louisa worried about the taffeta skirt she wore. The color wasn’t the same muted hue of theirs. She adjusted her fichu to cover all the skin it could. Hopefully the ladies would be accepting in their distress.

  Daniel cleared his throat and waited for their desperate whispers to die down. “Everyone who wanted to evacuate Darlington is here safely. Our soldiers are at their stations, and the fort is secure. If the men will organize themselves, we will put you to use.”

  “Excuse me, Major.” A bespectacled man raised his hand. “We Mennonites are peace-loving people. Our consciences won’t allow us to fight, but we can help with any defenses you want built, tending to the horses, or any other task—”

  “I understand,” Daniel said. “Thank you for your offer. In the meanwhile, your women might be best occupied entreating the Lord on our behalf. It’s understandable that they would want to pray for peace so you can return to your homes. Miss Bell is the governess of my daughters.” At this, Daniel motioned to her. Louisa had never felt butterflies like these before on the stage. “Some of you might know her through her connections with your Mennonite Society. She’ll lead you to the chapel.”

  Ignoring the questioning looks shot her way, Louisa took Daisy’s hand. She wasn’t about to let the girl get away from her. Summoning her skills as a performer, Louisa spoke in calm, rounded tones.

  “If you would please follow me, I will show you where the chapel is.” Holding on to Daisy with a death grip, she made their way through the women and started across the lawn. Louisa had seen what direction the Adams family went on Sundays, but once they turned past the barracks, she wasn’t sure. She hurried Daisy along to get her out of earshot.

  “Daisy, you have to show me where we’re going. Can you do that without anyone knowing?”

  “The chapel? Sure. Do you want me to show you the secret way?”

  “No. Don’t do that. And no jumping out and scaring anyone for a while, especially in war paint.”

  Daisy pouted. Louisa wanted to pout with her, but she was too frightened. Why had Daniel mentioned her connections? Did any of these women know Mrs. Townsend?

  It turned out the old schoolhouse doubled as the chapel. It was set on the corner of the main avenue entering the fort. Lou
isa’s steps faltered.

  Caroline put an arm around her waist. The friendly gesture was as unfamiliar as the chapel, but much more welcome. “Don’t be scared,” Caroline said. “I haven’t seen any smoke from Darlington or the tepees. Looks like the Cheyenne just wanted to stir the pot.”

  Louisa leapt at the excuse. “Yes, I’m so concerned I’m beside myself. Do you mind taking the lead? I’m not sure exactly what your father’s orders were for this prayer service.”

  “Orders?” Caroline asked. “He didn’t have to order them to pray. It’s what you do at times like this.”

  Louisa held Daisy’s hand tighter as Caroline pulled away. Why were they eager to talk to a God who demanded the impossible—perfection—from them? But then again, they were perfect. These women hadn’t lived in the gutter like Louisa had. No wonder they didn’t mind gathering to parade their holiness before each other. They had some. Louisa didn’t.

  Louisa waited at the door as the women filed in. Many of them held hands. Some hugged each other as if being reunited after a long journey. For the most part, they were occupied with comforting one another and paid Louisa no mind. Eventually they arranged themselves on the benches in the church. One matronly woman who still wore an apron splashed with her dinner preparations had gathered Caroline beneath her wing, obviously having some relationship with her from the past. Daisy finally pulled away from Louisa to join them. Not wanting to be the only one standing, Louisa perched on an empty pew behind everyone else. A few eyes drifted her way, but most people watched the older woman sitting with Caroline and Daisy.

  “Well, sisters,” the matron said, “we didn’t expect to be here today, fearful for our lives and anxious for our homes, but God is not surprised. He’s known this day was coming, and now He’s watching to see if we’ll fret and stew or if we’ll turn to Him. Frankly, I don’t know what the fretting and stewing will accomplish, so why don’t we just go ahead and tell our Father about our trouble?”

  Louisa nearly jumped out of her seat at the amens. If she wasn’t careful, the terrible day from her childhood would be re-created here. Expecting to be identified and called out at any moment, Louisa trembled on the bench. This time, instead of merely getting expelled from church, she had so much more to lose.