Red River Rifles (Wilderness Dawning—the Texas Wyllie Brothers Series Book 1)

by Dorothy Wiley

  The sound of riders interrupted his prayer and he quickly glanced up, fearing it might mean Indians returning for more plunder. Thankfully, it wasn’t.

  The sight of his father and Baldy at the front of the militia gladdened his distraught heart. Baldy could now lead them in a burial service fitting for a good man, his wife, and babe.

  Chapter 8

  Since she couldn’t scrub clothes with bandaged hands, Louisa spent the day by Mrs. Grant’s side helping her with everything. The woman never stopped. After a while, though, Mrs. Grant insisted Louisa rest for a bit since she hadn’t slept last night. In the meantime, Melly would tutor Adam. As Louisa left to go rest, Mrs. Grant gave her brother a slate board to practice his letters on.

  She slept for a couple of hours on a bed in Baldy’s apothecary. However, after that, she was too excited to sleep, and she wanted to make a good first impression. She found Mrs. Grant and stayed by her side the rest of the day helping her any way she could.

  After promising not to touch any of the bottles or jars in the apothecary containing herbal concoctions and tinctures, Mrs. Grant assigned Adam his first duties—sweeping, mopping, and dusting the doctor’s surgery and examination rooms attached to the Grant’s house. They gathered up a number of cleaning supplies and stood together looking at the doctor’s clinic.

  Melly glanced down at Adam. “My husband has been so busy with patients, both human and animal, that he hasn’t had time to keep his apothecary and surgery as clean as he likes. He insists that cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness.”

  “Then I’ll try to get close to God,” Adam said.

  Mrs. Grant smiled broadly and showed him how to use a broom, the mop and bucket full of water, and a pile of dry and wet rags for dusting and cleaning. She carefully explained the use of each and showed him the difference between clean and dirty. “Do your best,” she told him. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, just your best.”

  Adam had listened attentively, but Louisa wondered how much he could get done. “Mrs. Grant, I’m not sure Adam is capable of doing all that,” she told the woman as they walked back to the other side of the Grant’s cabin. “He’s never been asked to do anything like that and he’s just eight.”

  “Please, just call me Melly. You’d be surprised what children are capable of doing if asked. Samuel’s brothers have been helping with chores around the house since they were four or five. Stephen insisted they contribute, and it’s been good for them. Adam’s work doesn’t have to be just right. It just has to be his best, whatever that is. He’ll become more skilled with practice and as he grows.”

  Meanwhile, they ground cornmeal, picked berries for pie, changed bed linens, harvested and washed vegetables, collected chicken eggs, and a dozen other tasks. All the while, the two chatted like close friends. Louisa learned that the Grant’s only child, a daughter, had died when she was a young woman. No wonder Mrs. Grant seemed so hungry for Louisa’s companionship.

  Sometime later, when she and Mrs. Grant went to check on Adam’s work, Louisa was shocked that a boy of her brother’s age could accomplish so much. The doctor’s workrooms looked and smelled much cleaner.

  “I mopped it twice,” he said with pride in his voice. “Because I missed a few spots the first time. And I had to use all the rags. There was a lot of dirt on the outside of the windows. I stood on an old barrel to get to the top ones.” He giggled a moment. “I almost fell off.”

  Louisa glanced at the windows, a rarity on the frontier. Most still had streaks but at least they were reasonably clean.

  “I’m glad you didn’t fall,” Mrs. Grant told him, “or you might have become one of our patients. You did a fine job, Adam, thank you. I’m proud of you.”

  Adam’s freckled face beamed.

  Louisa was fairly sure her brother had never heard those words from their father. For certain, she never did.

  “My husband insisted that his apothecary and clinic have windows. He believes sunshine and fresh air are better than any medicine. We had to order the windows from Nacogdoches,” Mrs. Grant explained. “The glass has many waves and bubble pockets, but at least you can see through them and they’re durable.”

  “What if someone shoots through them?” Adam asked.

  “If there’s trouble, we run to the Wyllie’s cabin. Without windows, their cabin is more like a small fort,” Melly said.

  “Is that where we’ll be sleeping?” Louisa asked, pointing to the two beds under the twin windows. She’d slept on one when she napped.

  “Yes, dear. If my husband gets a patient who needs to stay overnight, we’ll just have to put you two on a pallet in front of the hearth.” Melly moved to the beds and began stripping off the linens. “Let’s put clean linens on both beds.” After she retrieved the linen and two softs quilts from a cabinet, she said, “Adam, watch how I make up the beds. After today, you’ll be doing this whenever the linens need changing, usually every other week.”

  Louisa’s eyes widened. So did Adam’s. The beds they had always used were covered in only a rough, dirty blanket with one sheet that rarely saw washing.

  “And you’ll both be expected to make up your beds each morning,” Melly continued. “Louisa, I have a screen we can move in here. You can use it to change behind. It will give you some privacy. And I’ll have Baldy purchase a wash bowl, pitcher, and hairbrush for your use. It will take us a few days, but we’ll make this room nice and cozy for both of you.”

  “We are terribly grateful, but will Dr. Grant be happy we’re here?” Louisa asked. It seemed as though they were invading his workplace. And it surprised Louisa that Melly would hire both of them without getting her husband’s approval first.

  “I believe he will be delighted,” Mrs. Grant said. “He enjoys teaching others about medicine. And he’s been overworked lately. Ever since our arrival, we’ve had a steady stream of people coming here from the settlements. Some of them even bring their animals for him to heal. And he has a few creatures and wildlife that have to stay here while he treats them. I know he could use Adam’s help caring for the animal patients. Adam can feed and water them and be sure they’re all right.”

  “Where are they?” Adam asked.

  “I’d like to help with the animals too,” Louisa said. Her heart had always held a soft spot for anything with four legs.

  “I’ll show them to you shortly. For now, why don’t you both take a break and help me make some shortbread?”

  “Really?” Adam asked.

  “Really!” Mrs. Grant said, tugging him along by the hand. “A day that includes cookies is a day sprinkled with happiness.”

  A large, stone hearth took up most of the left wall in the Grant’s kitchen. In front of the hearth were a half dozen iron pans in various shapes and size, including two large iron pots with fireproof lids. Above the hearth, a mantel held an assortment of spices and herbs stored in jars. On the hearth’s right side wall, various utensils hung from an iron bar along with cloths for picking up hot pans. Opposite the hearth was a window that provided light. Hung with hinges, it was opened to the outside to let out smoke, Louisa guessed. On the far wall, a cupboard held more pots and dishes on open shelves. Based on the mortars and pestles, used to grind spices, the counter below served as a work surface. In the center of the room, sat a large table with a butter churn and chair beside it.

  “Do you have a smokehouse?” Louisa asked.

  “Not yet. Game is so plentiful here there’s been no need. But the men plan to build one this spring before the hog is slaughtered,” Mrs. Grant explained. “Then we’ll have some good smoked bacon. But for right now, we’ll get a fire going and soon we’ll have some splendid shortbread!”

  Louisa had never made shortbread and she watched Melly work with interest.

  Melly turned around to tell them, “The boys’ love of shortbread came from their Scottish mother, Jane. Stephen’s wife made it often and her daughter, Martha, taught me. The ratio you should use is four parts flour, two parts butte
r, and one part sugar.”

  Four, two, one, Louisa repeated to herself. Her first real recipe.

  Mrs. Grant put the butter on to come to a boil and measured out and mixed the flour and sugar. Next, she made a hole in the mixture and poured the boiling butter in it. She worked the flour and butter together, formed it into a tight ball, and rolled it out into an oval. Then she cut the dough into short rectangular pieces and put a layer into the buttered Dutch oven.

  Within minutes a delicious buttery aroma filled the kitchen and they were all devouring the shortbread with delight.

  “That’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted!” Adam declared with a mouthful of cookie.

  After that, Mrs. Grant took them out to show them the animals that Dr. Grant was caring for. Inside a small shed, a row of cages and pens held the sick animals.

  “We give all the animals a temporary name that’s easy to remember. This is Rose the rabbit,” Mrs. Grant said, pointing to a rabbit with a twitching nose. “She has a festering foot. This is Charlotte the chicken. She has a broken wing. A fox almost got ahold of her. And this is David the dog. He was bitten by a venomous snake. Poor thing almost died.”

  David raised his head and then resumed his nap.

  “Will he live?” Adam asked her. “And can I pet him?”

  “Yes, you can pet him. He’s a sweet loving dog. He’ll live, but he’s still recovering. His body needs time to get rid of the poison and that terrible wound where he was bit needs to heal. Pet him as often as you like as long as you’re gentle. Petting could even help him to recover quicker. But don’t fall in love with him. He already belongs to a boy a little older than you. You know, that boy would make a good friend for you. He lives nearby.”

  Louisa couldn’t recall Adam ever having a friend. Their father had moved them around so much. Even when they did land somewhere for a while their father kept Adam constantly busy with chores. Louisa’s only friend had been her mother and later, and too briefly, Adam’s mother. For the last six years, her only companions had been her brother and her now dead mare. She realized that part of the reason for her loneliness must be that her heart ached for friendship.

  As if reading her thoughts, Melly smiled at her and hugged her shoulders. Just that simple contact spread a comforting warmth inside her.

  Adam reached in and gave the dog a few gentle pats. “Get well soon, David.”

  Louisa loved rabbits. “What about Rose? Is her foot healing?”

  “Yes, it’s already much better. You can pet her if you’d like.”

  Louisa put a hand inside the cage and slowly stroked the back of the rabbit. “Don’t be afraid. I’m your friend. I’ll help you get better.”

  They gave the animals fresh water and then Melly showed them where the two milk cows were kept, the chicken coop, and the garden.

  “Adam, one of your jobs will be to chase deer out of the garden and to keep squirrels from devouring the growing crop,” Melly said. “And chase out any rabbits you see too.”

  “I can do that,” Adam said with a grin.

  They spent the rest of the afternoon baking and cooking the evening meal which included a savory stew and fried cornbread. Louisa learned what spices made a stew flavorful and which of the vegetables they’d picked earlier should be used in the stew.

  The remaining vegetables were stored in a small, one-room building, constructed over the nearby spring. The main purpose of the spring house, Louisa learned, was to keep their spring water clean by keeping out fallen leaves, animals, and dust. But it also functioned much like a root cellar, which she had seen before. The chilly water of the spring ran under the room’s floor and kept a constant cool temperature inside the spring house throughout the year. Food that would otherwise spoil, such as meat or fruit could be stored there, safe from the havoc of animals as well.

  By the time they finished preparing dinner, Adam’s stomach was growling, and Louisa saw him sneak a piece of shortbread off the counter. Her eyes widened because she feared Adam would get in trouble.

  Melly noticed the pilfering too and laughed out loud. “Adam, next time, just ask. If it’s okay, I’ll tell you. If it’s not, I’ll tell you why it’s not.” Adam nodded and she kindly gave him another piece of shortbread to tide him over.

  Louisa’s body ached from fatigue, but she couldn’t remember when the two of them had a better day. She’d already learned a lot about cooking and household duties from Mrs. Grant. Simple things, really. But they were things no one had ever taught her or told her about.

  After they carried all the food over to the Wyllie’s cabin, they placed the pot and pans by the hearth to keep it warm, and Louisa added wood to the still glowing coals.

  Then, Louisa even learned how to properly set a table. It was the first time she’d set a table. With Melly’s help, they added wildflowers and some greenery to a pitcher, set it in the center, and put candles on either side of the bouquet. Normally, at home, they just filled a plate, grabbed a fork, and sat wherever they could. Somehow, setting a nice table made a meal more significant. More meaningful. Peaceful even.

  About the time they finished setting the table, she heard the sound of horses riding up. She peered out and saw three large fellows dismounting near the horse shed.

  Melly peered out too. “Those are Samuel’s brothers. After they care for their horses, I’ll introduce you and Adam.”

  “When will Samuel be back?” Adam asked.

  “Soon, I hope,” Melly said. “Along with Mr. Wyllie and my husband.”

  “I hope so too,” Adam said.

  Louisa could see the worry in the woman’s kind eyes. Her husband and Mr. Wyllie had left that morning and had yet to return. The sun would be setting soon, and men didn’t stay out in the darkness of the frontier any longer than they had to.

  A few minutes later, the three young men all stormed in, laughing and jostling one another.

  Louisa stared at them. Like Samuel, they were all enormous and well-armed. Clearly, working regularly in the open and Melly’s cooking had made them healthy and strong. And their rugged appearance made her think they were all capable of defending themselves or their family. And like Samuel, they were all exceptionally handsome.

  When they glanced her way, the three stopped in their tracks and stared.

  “Where are your manners?” Melly asked. “Stop gaping and introduce yourselves properly. These two are Louisa and Adam Pate, neighbors from across the river. They are working for me now.”

  One by one the three stepped toward her, hand outstretched, and told her their names. Then they each shook Adam’s small hand.

  “Pleased to meet all of you,” Louisa told them. “I hope you won’t mind that my brother and I will be joining you for dinner.”

  “Oh no!” Steve blurted and then seemed embarrassed. Steve appeared to be the youngest of the four brothers. A swath of wavy dark hair hung on his high forehead. Like Samuel, his eyes were dark blue, but he seemed more reserved, almost somber. “You’re welcome to join us.”

  “Of course, we welcome you, Miss Pate,” Cornelius said. Cornelius, who seemed full of life, also had dark hair, but his eyes were a mischievous green and his smile playful.

  “You too, Adam,” Thomas said. His rugged features made Thomas appear older than the other two. His hair color, almost black, was the same as his father’s and his eyes were the same light blue.

  “Thanks,” Adam said.

  “Please, all of you, call me Louisa.”

  “We were sorry to hear from Samuel of your misfortune,” Thomas said. “If any of us can help you, please, just ask.”

  Louisa nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Where are Father, Baldy, and Samuel?” Steve asked.

  “Your father and Baldy still haven’t returned from the settlement. Samuel went after them to see if they needed his help and now he hasn’t returned either,” Melly said. “Why don’t we eat while the food is hot and if they aren’t back by the time we finish, you boys can go see what’
s keeping them.”

  “I don’t think that would be wise,” Thomas said. “It’s nearly dark. We could have another Indian raid. We’ll need to stay and guard the horse shed and the bull.” He winked at Adam. “You can help us guard the women, Adam.”

  “You bet I will,” Adam said. “I know how to load weapons for Louisa.”

  Louisa could tell that Thomas possessed the same kindness of spirit that Samuel did. Most young men would ignore a boy, but Thomas took the time to speak to Adam twice.

  The three removed all their weapons and washed their faces, forearms, and hands in a large bowl on a side table by the beds. After exchanging a few playful swats with their towels, they all took seats at the table on one of the two side benches.

  “Why don’t you two sit on the opposite side,” Melly told Louisa and Adam.

  Louisa took a seat on the end and Adam plopped down beside her.

  After Melly took a seat, she said, “Adam, would you like to say the prayer?”

  “It ain’t Sunday,” the boy said.

  “We pray before all our meals,” Melly told him. “To thank God for blessing us with food.”

  He frowned as he turned to glance up at Louisa. “Maybe that’s why we never had much food—we never thanked God.”

  Embarrassed, Louisa frowned, but the Wyllie boys chuckled good-naturedly and Melly smiled.

  “Ma’am, I ain’t ever said a prayer before,” Adam said, glancing back at Melly.

  “We all had to start praying sometime,” Cornelius said. “Tonight’s your night! Just thank God for the food and anything else you might be grateful for.”