The Lost Wagon Train

by Stephen Bly

  He shrugged. “Nah, Ansley had somethin’ she wanted to show me. So I have to walk up the line anyway.”

  Joslyn stood in the soft mud about twenty feet from the wagon train. She stared west at the tall prairie grass. Her arms were folded across her chest, her back toward the wagons.

  Retta tiptoed across the mud. “Joslyn?”

  The girl didn’t turn around. “Don’t you come near me.”

  “It’s me—Retta.”

  “I know who it is. Don’t come any closer.”

  “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t want you to see me.”

  “But why?”

  “Go away.”

  Retta sucked in her breath and puffed out her cheeks. Then she took another step. “But I want to see you.”

  “We’re leavin’ the train, Retta.”

  “When?”

  Joslyn’s voice softened. “Tomorrow mornin’ at daybreak.”

  “But ... I don’t want you to go, Joslyn.” Retta took a couple steps closer.

  “We’re goin’ to press on to California and become very, very rich.”

  “I like you whether you’re rich or not.”

  Joslyn sniffled. “You aren’t making this very easy.”

  “And you aren’t even looking at me.”

  “I’m afraid to.”

  “Why?”

  “’Cause I’ll cry and cry.”

  “That’s okay, Joslyn. Everyone needs to cry sometimes.” Retta found a halfway dry place in the prairie dirt and kept moving forward.

  “Not me. I’ve cried enough.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Never mind. Go on.”

  Retta was a few feet behind the girl. “Are you chasing me off?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I’m not going.”

  Joslyn spun around and took a step toward Retta. “I don’t need any friends.”

  Retta stepped right up next to her. “Well, I do.”

  Joslyn threw her arms around Retta’s shoulders and sobbed. “Go away. I don’t want to cry.”

  Retta hugged her back. “I’m not going away. You know that.”

  “Yeah, I was sort of counting on that. What am I goin’ to do, Retta? What am I goin’ to do? I hurt so bad on the inside I think I’ll die.”

  “You have to go where your mama and papa want you to go.”

  “He’s not my papa.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Retta, how come nobody ever asks me what I want to do?”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “Never to have to say good-bye to my friends.”

  “But when we get settled in Oregon and you in California, we can write and visit, just like we’ve always said.”

  “But we were going to have another month on the trail to be together before we split off.”

  “Maybe your papa will change his mind.”

  “Mr. Landers never changes his mind.”

  “Well ... well...” Retta curled her lower lip. “It’s not until tomorrow. So ... let’s make sure we enjoy today,” she finally said.

  Joslyn hugged her tight. “Today’s almost gone.”

  “We’ve got a few more hours before dark. Let’s do something fun.”

  “What?”

  “You name it. What would you like to do?”

  “You mean, besides steal Ansley’s horse and ride off into the sunset?”

  Retta giggled. “Yes. What else?”

  “I want to go see your Indian friends.”

  “Now?”

  “You said we still have time.”

  “But Papa said it was too muddy to leave the wagon train.”

  “Ask him again. Please, Retta.”

  “I’ll ask him. But if we can’t, let’s see if you can sleep in our wagon tonight.”

  “Do you have room?”

  “Andrew and William like to sleep outside. I’ll find Papa.”

  “Retta, I’m really, really goin’ to miss you.”

  “You haven’t gone yet. Maybe the Lord has a miracle in store.”

  “Not for me.”

  “Well, you can have one of my miracles.”

  “You’d give me one of yours?”

  “Sure.”

  “I like that.” Joslyn smiled for the first time.

  “I’ll come back after I see Papa.”

  * * * * *

  Every wagon in the line had blankets and sheets hanging outside drying from the night’s downpour. The heels of Retta’s shoes mashed down into the mud, which clung to her soles with each heavy step. Two dozen men hunkered at a campfire built under the awning of the second wagon. Retta spied William at the edge of the group, clutching the reins of two horses.

  “Is Mama okay?” he asked.

  “She’s fine, I think. I just wanted to talk to Papa.”

  Her big brother pushed his spectacles up on the bridge of his nose. “He’s busy over there.”

  “What are they talking about?” she asked.

  “The California people want to pull out now.”

  “Do all of them want to leave?”

  “Yep.”

  “But we were supposed to stay together until after Fort Hall.”

  “Yeah, well ... I suppose they’re gettin’ gold fever. Word is the wagon train behind us is out on the trail today. ”

  “Maybe it didn’t rain so hard back there.”

  “Yeah, that’s what Papa is tellin’ them.”

  “I thought it was too muddy for the big wagons.”

  “They are talkin’ about pulling out at daylight, letting their cattle and horses stamp down the trail, and see if the wagons can follow.”

  “Why don’t we all do that?”

  “The colonel says even if it works, it will make the trail so rutted it would be almost unusable for those who follow.”

  “What’s Papa telling them?”

  “If we cut short a stay at Fort Laramie, we can still get to Fort Hall by August first and that’s what we were aimin’ at. He said the women and children would be safer in the bigger train.”

  Retta stood on her tiptoes and tried to peek through the crowd. “I really need to talk to Papa.”

  “Don’t interrupt him now, Retta.”

  “When he’s done, will you tell him I need to talk to him really, really bad?”

  William leaned closer. “Are you in trouble again?”

  “Again? I’m not in trouble. I just want to ask his permission for something.”

  “Oh?”

  “Tell him I need to talk to him.”

  “He might be here a long time, but I’ll tell him. I like your dress, li’l sis.”

  She twirled around. “Isn’t it nice? It will look even better when I get my moccasins.”

  “You’re getting moccasins?”

  “Someday I hope to.”

  * * * * *

  Christen waited for her at the Weaver wagon. “Did you see the new baby?”

  “No. Is he cute?”

  “She. It’s a girl. She has black hair. She was wide awake.”

  “I went up to see Papa.”

  “Did you hear Joslyn’s family is leaving the train?”

  “I know. I just don’t know why everyone is in such a hurry. We were in a hurry to leave everything. Now we’re in a hurry to get to nothing. Isn’t that kind of strange?”

  “It’s like a game, I think. They want to get out there before other people. They’re afraid all the good land or gold will be gone.”

  “Kind of like the line at the church supper,” Retta remarked. “Some always crowd up to the front, afraid something good might be gone before they get their turn.”

  “What’re we goin’ to do about Joslyn? We can’t just let her go,” Christen asked.

  “We don’t have any choice. But I told her we would do something special before she left.”

  Christen clapped her hands. “Oh, yes! But what?” Retta leaned a little closer and whispere
d, “Joslyn wants to go see Two Bears and his family.”

  “Today?”

  “Yes. Do you want to go?”

  “But it’s so muddy. We aren’t supposed to leave camp.”

  “Andrew chased a gelding on the rim of the river this morning. He said it isn’t too bad over there,” Retta reported. “But—but... will they let us?”

  “I think we should at least try—for Joslyn’s sake.”

  “I’ll go with you. Who else is going?”

  “I’ll ask Gilson. You tell Ben. He wanted to go.”

  “Where will we meet?”

  “At my wagon ... in about half an hour.”

  “Do I need to bring a gun?” Christen asked.

  “No, of course not. The Lord will take care of us.”

  * * * * *

  Ben strolled to the wagon with his sister Christen. Joslyn waited with Retta.

  “Is Gilson coming?” Christen asked.

  “She doesn’t feel too well,” Retta replied.

  Joslyn ran her fingers through her black hair. “I wonder how far west we have to go before she begins to feel better.”

  “Did your dad give you permission?” Ben asked. “Papa was too busy. Mother is taking a nap, but I left her a note. How about your daddy?” she asked.

  “We just said we were goin’ to visit Retta,” Ben admitted.

  Retta glanced at her dark-haired friend. “Joslyn?”

  “They didn’t ask me if I wanted to pull out and leave my friends, so I didn’t think I needed to ask them about this.”

  “If they see us head to the river, someone might holler us back,” Christen warned.

  “We have to take a chance.”

  “What are we waitin’ for?” Joslyn pressed. “A sign from the Lord?”

  There were shouts of “Gee!” and “Haw!” from the front of the wagon train. William galloped down the line. Mud flew up from his horse’s hoofs.

  Retta ran up to him. “What happened up there?”

  “The California-bound are goin’ to pull out at daybreak, and so we’re movin’ all those wagons to the front before dark.”

  “What can we do to help?” Retta asked.

  “Our wagon isn’t movin’, so just stay out of everyone’s way. It will be a real mess in this mud.” He rode on down the line, shouting the news at each wagon.

  The others came up to Retta. “What was that all about?”

  “It was a sign from the Lord,” Retta reported. “Come on. They want us out of the way so they can move up the California-bound wagons. We’re going to get out of the way.” She hiked away from the wagon toward the river.

  Ben and Christen hurried to her left, Joslyn to her right. Ben pointed to her hand. “What’s the book for?”

  “I promised I’d bring Two Bears a book.”

  “What’s he goin’ to do with a book?” Joslyn asked. “Read it, and he wants to teach his children to read.”

  “How about the bonnet?” Christen queried.

  “It goes with the pansy-plum dress. I’m going to give it to Shy Bear. There’s no reason to have one without the other. I’ve never worn it, you know. ”

  “Do you really think we’ll find them?” Ben asked. “Sure. You just watch me.” Retta continued to strut across the prairie.

  “It’s really muddy,” Christen complained.

  Joslyn stomped her shoes. “I wonder what Indians do in the mud?”

  “Get muddy, just like us, I suppose. Mud doesn’t play favorites,” Retta replied.

  “And you said your Indians speak English?” Christen asked.

  “They aren’t my Indians, and I think only Two Bears speaks good English. He’s the only one I really talked to.”

  Ben glanced over his shoulder. “No one is hollerin’ at us to come back.”

  “Which means, no one knows where we’ve gone. We could get captured by Indians and hauled off as slaves, and no one would know about it,” Christen muttered.

  “Mama would know. I left her a note,” Retta assured her.

  “You don’t have to come. Go on back,” Ben told his sister.

  “Oh, no. I won’t miss an adventure with Retta Barre.”

  After several minutes they reached the brush by the side of the river. The sandy soil was still wet, but it was not as sticky as the clay soil of the wagon trail. Retta led them to the southeast along the river.

  “Are you sure this is the way?” Ben asked.

  “Of course I’m sure,” Retta replied.

  “If it’s so easy to find, how come the colonel and Mr. Bouchet couldn’t find it yesterday?” Joslyn asked.

  “Because Two Bears didn’t want them to,” Retta explained.

  Ben quit hiking, took off his hat, and scratched his head. “What does Two Bears look like?”

  Retta stopped and turned around. “He has buckskin pants, a cotton shirt, boots, and a red bandanna around his forehead.”

  “Does he have black lines painted on his cheeks and a scar on his right arm?” Ben quizzed.

  Retta studied Ben’s wide eyes. “No, he doesn’t. Why did you ask?”

  He pointed to a man standing in the shadows of the rimrock. “Then I guess that isn’t him.”

  Chapter 9

  That’s not Two Bears!” Retta gulped.

  Christen let out a yelp and pranced from one foot to the other. “He’s coming this way. I think I’m going to wet my pants.”

  Joslyn tugged on Retta’s arm. “We’d better get back to the wagons.”

  Ben backed away from the girls. “I should have brought my gun.”

  “Say something to him, Retta,” Joslyn whispered.

  Christen choked, “I think I’m going to vomit. Really vomit.”

  Ben continued to back away. “Do something, Retta.”

  She held her breath and puffed out her cheeks.

  “If we ran in four different directions, he could only chase one of us,” Ben blurted out.

  “No,” Christen wailed. “It would be me. I’m scared. I want to go back right now.”

  As the tall man with buckskin trousers and bare chest approached, the others crouched behind Retta.

  “Do something,” Ben prodded again.

  Retta clutched her arms against her chest, sucked in a big breath, and blurted out, “My name is Retta Barre and I’m a friend of Two Bears, so you’d better behave yourself.”

  The man stopped and she noticed the big knife sheathed to his trousers. He shouted at them with urgency in his voice.

  “What did he say, Retta?” Joslyn asked.

  “How should I know?”

  Ben pulled the brim of his hat over his ears. “I don’t think he’s very happy.”

  “I really am going to vomit,” Christen sobbed.

  Retta pointed to her chest and waved her arms in the direction of the wagon train. “My friends and family are right over the hill, and they have lots of guns.” She held her hands up as if cradling a rifle.

  The man stopped about ten feet in front of them and stared across the bluff of the river.

  “Good work, Retta. You just told him where there are guns to steal,” Ben murmured.

  “I don’t think he understood anything,” Joslyn said.

  Retta rubbed her nose and curled her lip. “What was I supposed to say?”

  “I’m going to die a horrible death,” Christen moaned. “I just know I am.”

  “I think we should run now,” Ben insisted.

  “No,” Christen screamed. “I’m too scared to run. Please, please, please, don’t leave me!”

  “Maybe I should go get help,” Ben suggested as he backed away from the girls.

  The Indian reached down and jerked out his buckhorn- handled hunting knife.

  “Then again, maybe I shouldn’t.” Ben pulled off his felt hat and chewed on the brim.

  “We have to do something,” Joslyn said and shoved Retta forward.

  “I’m Red Bear,” she announced.

  “What difference does that ma
ke?” Ben scoffed.

  The man paused and pointed to his own chest. “Popa he nau ana nan wan.”

  “Is that his name?” Joslyn asked.

  Retta puffed out her cheeks and bit her lip. “Popa?”

  The man nodded.

  “Popa ... you see I have this friend named Two Bears, and he’s a Shoshone.”

  “Shoshone?” the man repeated.

  “Yes, and...?”

  The man spat in the dirt and growled, “Shoshone.”

  “I don’t think he likes the Shoshone,” Joslyn said. Retta pointed at the man. “Are you Shoshone?”

  An angry shout followed. “He nau ana nan wan.”

  “Nice work, Retta,” Joslyn gasped. “Now he’s really mad at us.”

  Christen dropped to her knees. “Lord, if You are coming back to this earth, please do it right now. Come, Lord Jesus!”

  The man grabbed Retta’s arm.

  Christen wailed.

  “Don’t you grab hold of me,” Retta demanded as she pulled her arm back. “You’re just a bully. You think because I’m a girl I won’t fight you?”

  Joslyn grabbed Retta’s other arm. “What are you doing?” she cried out.

  Ben bolted toward the river.

  Retta yanked her arm away from Joslyn, and when she did, her fist slammed into the startled Indian, and he dropped his knife. He scooped it up with a scream and grabbed Retta by the hair.

  She puffed out her cheeks. So this is what it’s like right before you die? Oh, poor Mama!

  The Indian froze when someone shouted from brush to the southwest.

  “Oh no,” Christen cried. “More Indians.”

  “That’s Two Bears,” Retta shouted. “Two Bears, tell Popa to let me go.”

  Two Bears sat on a small wool blanket on the back of a buckskin horse. He pointed a musket at the Indian and shouted something. Other riders shouted back in the brush behind Two Bears.

  Popa studied the horizon, released Retta’s hair, and shoved his knife back into the sheath. He turned around and jogged back into the brush along the river.

  Joslyn shouted and clapped her hands. “He left.”

  Ben meandered back to the girls. “I reckon I don’t need to go for help now.”

  Christen struggled to her feet. “Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus. I meant it—I’ll be a missionary in India and never get married and wear those ugly dresses and everything.”