Crossing the Wide Forever

by Missouri Vaun

  Chapter Ten

  Cody visited Shadow in the compartment for livestock aboard the steamship. She’d hung the saddle and bridle on stout hooks along the back of the stall. She checked his water a second time and then walked back toward the main upper deck of the wooden hulled side-wheeler.

  Lots of passengers milled about topside. It had warmed by midday so many of the ladies carried small parasols to ward off the sun. Cody chose a spot along the railing to lean and observe the swirling brown river water below.

  The captain had announced that they would be on their way in a short time. Firemen were feeding the furnace, and a thin black cloud was rolling from the smoke stacks. But the boat had stayed put almost all day. At this rate they wouldn’t leave St. Louis until nearly three.

  A few cheers were raised when the steamer finally eased away from its spot along the levee. Cody watched the water churn below and leaned out over the railing to get a better view of the receding city. Now that she was some distance from it, the gray smoke haze from factories and chimneys that hung over St. Louis was plain to see. When she’d been in the midst of it she’d hardly noticed. St. Louis was the biggest place she’d ever visited, and so she was far too distracted by the bustling newness of it all to notice a bit of smoke in the air.

  Behind her, the bell rang signaling dinner was about to be presented in the main cabin.

  There was already a crowd gathering to claim seats when the word was given. Standing as tall as possible on tiptoes, Cody could see the captain at the far end of the table preparing to carve the evening’s roast. Cody had never seen such a spread at mealtime.

  A troop of twenty black waiters in white jackets as well choreographed as soldiers hurried down the long table bearing heaping dishes of food. And in case someone didn’t care to drink the river water, which had been allowed to settle, something stronger could be found in the ship’s saloon.

  There was only one drawback to travel by steamship that Cody could see so far—not enough room at the table.

  There were probably three hundred passengers on board and only table room for seventy-five at one time. Women were served in the first group so some men had decided to resort to a ruse in order to get a spot at the first table. It seemed that women were in great demand at mealtime; even young girls might find a beau for the trip in trade for securing a seat at the first table.

  Cody was almost too excited to eat, and with no intention of wooing a female companion, she relegated herself to wait for the second dinner course to be served.

  She stepped away from the crowd and resumed her position at the railing. It seemed she would never grow tired of watching the river’s shoreline slip lazily past. The scent of damp earth and wisps of wood smoke filled her nostrils. The churning paddle wheel left a trail of roiled white water behind them. The sun was riding low on the horizon signaling the day was almost gone.

  The flat-bottomed vessel, which was audaciously advertised to draw so little water that it could float on dew, would apparently run aground on sand bars. So as darkness neared, the boat would be tied to the shore for safety, to resume passage in the morning. This would be a slow trip to Independence, but Cody planned to enjoy the ease of this part of her journey west. What lay beyond would certainly be more arduous.

  She wondered if Lillie was somewhere on the river too. Thinking of Lillie quickened Cody’s pulse, and she didn’t fully understand why.

  Lillie was probably traveling with the gentleman who’d walked up when they were talking. He looked like the sort of fellow Lillie would like. Well-dressed and well-mannered. He looked rich.

  What did it matter? It wasn’t as if she had anything to offer Lillie other than friendship. She wasn’t a real man, nor did she want to be one. And surely at this point, Lillie believed she was a man. If she’d seen Lillie again things would just have gotten more confusing and likely more complicated. She let out a long sigh and dropped her chin onto her forearm to watch the sunset give way to twilight.

  *

  Lillie was surprised to find herself seated for the first serving of dinner. But then she discovered why.

  There’d been a bit of a scramble as some of the young women previously unattached found themselves with male companionship for the meal. The entire display was amusing. Women didn’t have the right to vote, but it seemed the captain thought they should have the right to be fed first.

  While she’d waited for the boat to get underway she’d had a marvelous time people watching. The population of this small world aboard the riverboat seemed spirited, diverse, and optimistic.

  Missionaries, gamblers, young married couples seeking their fortunes, unmarried men, husbands who’d left their wives behind to scout things out. All were confined to the steamship for its passage west.

  She’d toured the boat in the afternoon to further entertain herself. At one end of the saloon a game of cards had been in progress. And to her surprise, there were women at the table gambling alongside the men. At the same time, at the other end of the saloon a prayer meeting had been in progress.

  A waiter offered Lillie a second helping of beef, but she declined. She listened to those seated around her as she ate. The conversation was animated and wide-ranging now that most had eaten their fill.

  Griffin Lambert and his wife, Nan, were seated directly across from Lillie. Griffin and Nan had been married for barely a year and were planning to stake a claim in Oregon. Edward was seated beside Lillie. She’d not intended to make a habit of taking her meals with Edward, but she felt obligated to invite him to join her for this first meal en route since he’d helped her purchase the ticket.

  The fact that she already felt any obligation to anyone annoyed her. She was sure that Edward felt some genuine connection to her and had no idea that she found him as boring as the men who’d attempted to court her affections in New York.

  Lillie sipped coffee and tried to temper her annoyance. The meal would be over soon and she could escape to her cabin for the night. She’d purchased a first class ticket, which included a small, very small, private sleeping compartment.

  Servers cleared the dishes, and those who’d been seated moved away from the table to make room for the second seating.

  “Say, Griffin, would you join me for a drink before we retire for the night? I also have some cigars I secured before departing St. Louis.” Lillie was relieved that Edward hadn’t asked her to spend more time with him.

  “If Nan doesn’t mind.” Griffin looked toward his wife.

  “Please go have a drink and a smoke. Miss Ellis and I will take a turn around the deck.” Nan looked in Lillie’s direction. “Would that be agreeable to you?”

  “Thank you. That would be most pleasant.” Lillie looped her arm through Nan’s, and they left the noisy main cabin for the open air.

  The deck space between the main cabin wall and the railing was wide and offered a very pleasant promenade. Other passengers seemed to have the same idea, and so the wraparound deck was scattered with small clusters of folks huddled together talking softly or leaning against the rail to enjoy the cool evening breeze.

  “So I get the feeling you and Edward are newly acquainted.” Nan was close to Lillie’s age, maybe a bit younger. She had an amiable manner. Lillie had already decided that she and Nan would become friends on this voyage. She was delighted to see that Nan had chosen to seek out her company as well.

  Their skirts swished against each other as they walked despite the fact that neither of them was wearing a crinoline under their long dresses. There didn’t seem to be enough room for the extravagance of it in the confined space of the ship. At least that’s what had been at the root of Lillie’s decision to store her crinoline in her trunk for the duration of the voyage. The societal norms for attire seemed to relax the farther west she traveled. Not to mention the fact that as each day’s weather continued to warm, a cotton skirt, with a simple slip underneath, would be much cooler.

  “I met Edward in St. Louis. He’s…nice.”
>
  “Hmm, that does not sound promising.”

  Lillie laughed. “I should be more gracious.”

  “I say it’s better to be honest than gracious where matters of the heart are concerned.”

  “I’m relieved to hear you say that. We are of the same opinion then.”

  “He is just a wee bit full of himself isn’t he?”

  “That’s the understatement of the day.”

  “Well then, we will just have to spend our leisure time in search of someone much more interesting for you to invite to our next meal.”

  As they continued to stroll the long narrow deck, two men passed by and tipped their hats. They both stopped and smiled as Nan and Lillie passed. Lillie averted her eyes so as not to encourage them.

  “I don’t think it will be very hard to find someone. I get the feeling, Lillie Ellis, that you are already quite popular.

  “I’m certain they were looking at you, Nan.”

  Nan squeezed Lillie’s arm playfully. “No, my dear, they were looking at you.”

  *

  At six thirty the next morning, the first bell sounded. Cody rubbed her eyes and sat up. She hadn’t slept well, and her head was foggy. Several other men who’d slept on the deck nearby slowly got to their feet.

  The boat was so crowded that mattresses had been laid on the main cabin floor the previous night. The steerage level tickets had clearly been oversold. There were not enough beds to go around so when the cabin crew brought mattresses out and spread them about on the floor, a general melee ensued as folks scrambled for a bed.

  A few kicks and punches had been thrown between those who were more disagreeable about the accommodations. Cody happened to be standing near the first mattresses put in place and quickly realized what was happening.

  Now that the sun was well up, ship stewards were busy getting things ready for the breakfast meal. As quick as someone got off a mattress it was taken from the floor. Tables were set end-to-end and spread with white cloths and dishes where the beds had previously lain.

  At the sound of the bell, passengers with better class tickets had emerged from their berths and rushed to the washrooms where they made their morning ablutions in river water.

  At seven, the breakfast bell sounded and Cody was almost toppled as men standing nearby rushed for the table, which now ran the entire length of the main cabin. The men needn’t have hurried. As had been the case the evening before, ladies got preferred seating in the first serving, and men without escorts had to wait in the wings.

  Cody sleepily stepped aside to wait. She was in no mood to fight for a chair this early in the morning.

  *

  Lillie emerged from the washroom and angled toward the long table. She scanned the room, hoping to avoid Edward, when she saw a familiar face near the far side of the cabin. Lady luck was working in her favor. By some miracle, she and Cody had ended up on the same boat. She could hardly believe it.

  Cody, dressed in a white shirt with sleeves rolled to the elbow under a brown vest, was casually slouched against the wall. He was looking in the opposite direction and hadn’t seen Lillie. She cut through the crowd, her heart rate increasing as the space between them shrank.

  “Mr. Walsh, how nice to see you.” Lillie watched first an expression of surprise and then a smile spread across Cody’s face.

  “Lillie. I mean, Miss Ellis.” Cody shifted away from the wall and straightened.

  “Call me Lillie.”

  “And please call me Cody.”

  “As you wish.” Lillie felt her cheeks warm. She averted her eyes and tried to temper her body’s response to Cody. She was so excited to see him. She felt giddy inside, like a little girl on Christmas morning who’d just discovered that the one thing she most wished for awaited her under the tree.

  “I can’t believe we’re on the same boat.”

  Cody was refreshingly free of pretense. Lillie found it utterly charming.

  “Nor can I.” Lillie cleared her throat. Why was she so nervous? “I wondered if you’d like to join me for breakfast?”

  Cody didn’t respond immediately, but instead regarded Lillie with a wide-eyed expression on his face, and for a moment Lillie was afraid she’d misread his initial reaction to seeing her.

  “I’m sorry, maybe you are here with someone else?” Lillie realized she’d only ever seen Cody briefly, and for all she knew he already had a wife, or at the very least, a sweetheart.

  “No, I’m not. What I mean to say is, thank you, I’d love to join you for breakfast.”

  Lillie smiled. The knot in her chest unwound a bit. “Excellent.”

  She slipped her hand through Cody’s arm and led him toward the table where only a few seats remained empty.

  She was so distracted that it was only after they were seated that she realized Edward was sitting directly across from them. He’d obviously managed to get a seat on his own, without an escort, and he now regarded her with an expression that was hard to interpret. But she was fairly certain he was not pleased to see Cody sitting across the table. She thought she should speak first and try to put him at ease.

  “Good morning, Edward. You remember Mr. Walsh?” Lillie passed a plate of biscuits to Cody. Then some sliced ham steaks on a platter.

  “Yes, Mr. Walsh. The fellow who saved you from the runaway mule.”

  “Call me Cody.” Cody heaped his plate with food and started to eat while other items were still being circulated. Lillie wondered if he’d been missing meals. He seemed very hungry. He wasn’t shoveling in the food, but he was definitely eating with gusto.

  Griffin and Nan had joined the table. They took the last two open chairs. They were seated on the opposite side near Edward. Lillie made introductions between the shuffle of heaped plates of eggs, gravy, and biscuits. Nan quirked an eyebrow in Lillie’s direction when Cody wasn’t looking, and Lillie couldn’t help but respond to her questioning look with a smile.

  “So, Mr. Walsh…sorry, Cody, where are you headed?” Edward had asked the question, but Lillie was very interested in the answer.

  “California.”

  “We’re bound for Oregon Territory.” Griffin poured more coffee for Nan.

  Ignoring Griffin’s comment, Edward looked at Cody. “California? I don’t know if I’d be willing to make such a grueling overland journey. Braving the shrieking winds that knife across the prairie.” Edward leaned forward and braced on his elbows. “Then there’s all the snow and perilous passes through the Rockies before one must descend and endure the relentless parched vastness of Death Valley. All for the sake of fabled gold.”

  Edward was acting as if he was making pleasant conversation, but he was clearly talking directly to Cody, probably trying to intimidate him. Protectiveness came from nowhere, and Lillie was just about to say something when Cody spoke.

  “I don’t care nothin’ about gold.”

  “A man headed to California who doesn’t care about gold? Well, you are a rare individual, my friend.” Edward served himself more eggs and a few potatoes.

  Cody didn’t respond.

  “Well, if one did find gold that would at least make the journey worth it, after braving Indian raiding parties and bandits who prey on the weak.”

  “You use a lot of words. Are you a writer or something?” Cody leaned back in his chair and sipped his coffee. He’d eaten a heaping plate of food in a matter of minutes as Edward talked.

  “I’m an attorney. And you?”

  “A farmer.”

  Lillie followed the conversation closely. Her mood swung from annoyance with Edward’s condescension to delight at the fact that Cody seemed to rise above it. His remarks remained neutral and affable, despite Edward’s obvious baiting. If Edward had hoped to show Lillie that he was the better man, he’d failed.

  “I detect a Southern accent. What part of the South do you hail from, Cody?”

  “Arkansas.”

  “We’ve no doubt got a high number of abolition emigrants on this steamer.
Does that bother you?”

  Lillie stiffened in her seat, afraid that Edward was about to ruin a very pleasant morning for her. She was furious but held her tongue. Everyone knew that the possible extension of slavery into the territories, especially Kansas, was being hotly debated back East and in the South. There’d even been rumblings of secession from political operatives in Mississippi.

  “Why would it bother me?”

  “So you’re an abolitionist then?”

  “Actually, I’m a Baptist.”

  Lillie had to smother a laugh with her napkin. Cody’s chair scraped the wood floor loudly as he stood up.

  “If y’all will excuse me, I’m going to let someone else have this seat.” Cody turned to Lillie. “If you’re finished I wondered if you’d like to join me for a stroll?”

  Lillie nodded and gave a small wave across the table to Nan hoping to communicate I’ll find you later.

  Chapter Eleven

  Cody couldn’t believe that she’d gotten a chance to be alone with Lillie. The light pressure of Lillie’s hand on her arm set her stomach to fluttering like so many caged hummingbirds.

  She led Lillie down the deck to a long narrow wooden bench near the bow of the boat. They hadn’t spoken since they’d left the breakfast table, and Cody hoped she hadn’t said anything during the meal to embarrass Lillie in front of her friends.

  She’d previously assumed Edward was Lillie’s beau. But watching Lillie’s reaction to Edward during breakfast, she happily surmised that wasn’t the case.

  They settled onto the stiff bench. The sun was behind them so their seat was in the shade. The morning was cool. Lillie pulled her shawl up over her shoulders. Her auburn hair was pulled up into a bun at the back and held in place with a silver comb. Every time they’d stepped into the sunlight during their stroll, the red highlights in Lillie’s hair had flamed.