Background
Roseanna Carter is relating a story of shenanigans and hijinks on the frontier to her grandchilren.
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Roseanna took another break from her story. She looked around at her grandchildren. She then picked up the jug and took another pull. She felt the whiskey warmth slide down her throat to hit her stomach and spread out from there.
“Granny is you in this story?” Martha Carter asked.
“You’ll have you wait and see darlin’, you can’t hurry a good story.”
“Do they ever get to Pittsburgh?” Zachary wanted to know.
“Goodness gracious, if you young’uns don’t quit askin’ questions I’ll have to stop tellin' the story and fix supper.”
“NO GRANNY DON”T,” they all yelled in unison. Granny raised an eyebrow and gave the young’uns “the look.”
“That’s better, well as we last looked in Janie and Doo had run into Mighty Beaver and Clancy Sinclair……”
Clancy threw back his head and let loose a deep belly laugh so infectious that Janie and Mighty Beaver began to laugh along.
Doo on the other hand didn’t see the humor in the tale he just told.
“And jist what is so funny?”
Clancy wiped tears away before he answered.
“You still haven’t learned to swim but that don’t stop you from jumping in deep water that pretty much describes yer whole life Doo, even if you don’t know whut’s going on you plunge right in any how.”
“You could be right Clancy.”
“So Little One saved your life twice Doolittle?” Mighty Beaver asked.
“I sure did,” Janie said proudly as she sat up straighter.
“It warn’t like that at all,” Doo growled.
“It is too, you’d have drowned twice if I hadn’t helped you,” Janie argued.
The Injuns would have scalped you if it warn’t fer me.”
“There were only two left,” Janie said.
“I thought you only killed one Doolittle,” Mighty Beaver said.
“Well I did kill one with my knife, but Janie here killed the other’un with a rifle.”
Mighty Beaver looked at Janie with a greater new found respect,
“The Little One is fierce, I am lucky she didn’t get me with her stick.”
“I did get you with my stick and you’re darn lucky I held back Mighty Beaver.”
“Whut’s your plans now Doo?” Clancy asked.
“I believe someone said somethin’ about a jug earlier, this storytelling is makin’ my throat dry,”
“Excuse me, where are my manners." Clancy got up from the log he was sitting on and started rummaging through his pack. “Here yuh go Doo.”
Doo pulled the cork and upended the jug, taking a long pull. The whiskey burned going down but soon turned to that familiar warmth in his stomach. He wiped his mouth with his forearm.
“In Pittsburgh I need to go and see my financier about outfitting for another trip into Ohio.”
Clancy looked thoughtful and chose his words carefully, “That could be an expensive proposition; you reckon your financier will go for it?”
“I dunno, it don’t hurt to ask. It ain’t like I’ve never heard the man say no before.” Doo looked troubled as he replied.
Clancy shook his head in agreement, “I guess that’s true but I don’t envy you that task."
“How fur is it to Pittsburgh?” Doo changed the subject.
“Not far, we could be back by late afternoon.”
Mighty Beaver interjected, “Little One’s feet need cared for before we move on. She cut them up walking in her bare feet.”
“Whut do you recommend we do Mighty Beaver?” Doo asked.
“I can make a poultice for tonight, but we should cover her feet when we walk .”
“They don’t hurt that much,” Janie stated quickly her face all scrunched up.
She could just picture the men leaving her behind for being too much trouble. These men were not like Pa. Pa kept her around to work as free help. He had stated many times that she owed him for her life on the river.
They did not need her to make their way through the wilderness. She was not needed as a cook, not as a cleaner, not as a boat worker, not as anything. There were no ties binding her to any of them and the feeling of being alone hit her all at once. She belonged nowhere and with no one.
“They could become infected, Little One.”
“Listen to Mighty Beaver Janie. He’s doctored many a feet.” Clancy said. “Besides how will you continue if you can’t walk with us?”
Mighty Beaver made eye contact with Clancy and gave an imperceptible nod of thank you. He knew the little one was troubled by the way she was acting. Mighty Beaver had a feeling that Janie was special and being guided by a greater force and he vowed that he would be there to see that Janie was taken care of and kept safe. This young lady was meant for great things.
Those that she touched would be graced with good fortune. He looked at Doo and smiled to himself, maybe she was Doo’s angel as the white man was always saying, “But for the grace of God and some mighty tough angels I am still here and kicking!”
Janie watched as Mighty Beaver mixed some herbs together with water on two long pieces of deer hide. Once the mixture was at the consistency Mighty Beaver wanted he tied the poultices onto Janie's feet.
“What is that you’re putting on my feet?”
“A mixture of herbs mostly willow bark for the pain and elderberry to fight off infection.”
The pain in her feet began to subside and Janie’s eyelids became heavy. She was barely awake enough to hear Mighty Beaver’s answer to her question. Mighty Beaver smiled. He stepped over to his pack and retrieved his extra blanket. He covered the girl.
“Sleep well, Little One,” he said and then he whispered for the wind to carry “all will be well we will keep you safe to fulfill your destiny.”
*****
Swooping Eagle and Lonesome Owl scavenged Doo’s camp site where they found treasures galore. Doo’s spare rifle was infinitely better than the one picked up on the boat. Still spurning white man’s weapons Lonesome Owl now owned two rifles. The meat drying rack wasn’t quite full but held a couple pounds of venison jerky.
Going through the furs, Swooping Eagle was surprised to find two mountain buffalo hides. Mountain buffalo were a rare find, this just convinced Swooping Eagle further that Doo was being blessed by Our Grandmother.
He showed the buffalo hides to Lonesome Owl.
“He has to be the luckiest white man that ever lived, the meat from those two animals would have fed 10 families through the winter,” Lonesome Owl said.
“I don’t think he’s lucky, Our Grandmother led him to the girl and she guides her.”
“ Possibly, I wonder what he did with the meat.”
“It doesn’t matter, let us find the horse and load what we want on it and go.
Swooping Eagle and Lonesome Owl separated and went in different directions looking for Doo’s horse. Swooping Eagle found the grey mare picketed in a field behind a copse of trees. The horse seemed contented to crop at the grass until he approached her. She started nickering when he approached. The horse was putting up enough of a fuss, Lonesome Owl arrived to help.
“What are you doing to that poor horse?”
Swooping Eagle grinned. “I’m treating her like the family dog.”
Lonesome Owl shook his head, “I like dog stew but you should have more respect for this animal. She is magnificent and will be a fine addition to your wigwam. Treat her with the respect she deserves for helping you build your life so you can serve your people. Remember wise men build respect and get it, a foolish man respects nothing and no one and does nothing for his people. Strive to love your life and beautify all things so your life can be long and serve your people.”
Swooping Eagle looked at Lonesome Owl, “You are wise and make me feel like I am not yet a brave. Sometimes I wonder if I will I ever learn, and be great like you?”
Lonesome Owl once again shook his head, “I doubt it.”
Swooping Eagle felt his jaw drop. Lonesome Owl started to laugh.
*****
Janie woke to Mighty Beaver taking the poultice off her feet. The pain that had been prevalent yesterday was gone. She couldn’t believe it.
“My feet feel great, thank you Mighty Beaver.”
Mighty Beaver smiled, “It was nothing, Little One.”
Clancy peeked over Mighty Beaver’s shoulder at Janie’s feet.
“Is she going to be able to walk?”
“If we can find something to cover her feet.”
Doo had been listening to the exchange. “I reckon I could carry her.”
“Doo it’s almost 15 miles to the fort,” Clancy said.
“You have any other ideas?”
“You carry my pack and rifle and I’ll take her.”
There were few men Doo had to look up at, Clancy Sinclair was one at four inches over six feet he had a good two inches on Doo.
“Do I get a say in this?” Janie asked.
Ignoring Janie, Doo looked Clancy square in the eyes, “I ain’t totin’ your goods.”
“That’s no way to be Doo, after we saved you from the Injuns and fed you,” Clancy stated.
“SAVED ME! I don’t think so, the Injuns was 15 miles that-a-way,” Doo said as he pointed north.
Growing weary of the childish bickering, Mighty Beaver dropped his pack and rummaged around in it until he retrieved a two-foot section of a cured deer hide. He walked over to Janie and started to measure her feet, marking of the length and width with a cold ember from the previous night’s fire.
“I’m obliged Mighty Beaver, but can you stop those two fools. They will kill each other,” Janie whispered.
“I do not think so Little One, they have been friends too long for that. That does not mean they will not fight and it will be glorious to watch but we will have the moccasins done before they can really get into battle and they will fight another day but not today.”
Janie gazed at the pair with a horrified look on her face. “What do you mean?”
“Have you ever seen two bucks fight over a doe?”
“No.”
“It is a sight to behold, but one or both of them might have been hurt too bad to walk to Pittsburgh for a few days and I am not carrying either of them.”
Janie giggled at that and outright laughed when Mighty Beaver gestured to her feet and said,
“Oh Mighty Bucks the problem has been solved with no one acting as squaw. Save the entertainment for another day.”
Clancy looked at Doo, “Do you know what he is yammering about?”
“Nope, I think he is losing it better hurry to Pittsburgh! Janie where did you get those moccasins?”
An hour later the group hit the trail. Mighty Beaver and Clancy were glad to be coming back into the settlement for rest and resupply. Janie was excited, she’d never been to a city so big, and she had heard that there were nearly 1,500 people all living in one place!
On the other hand, Doo was dreading the trip with every step closer he took towards the fort. He wasn’t looking forward to explaining to his benefactor how he had lost all of his investment when he abandoned the whole winter’s catch of furs, his traps, and a horse. He also didn’t know how he was going to live down losing his fine Lancaster rifle.
As the group neared Pittsburgh they moved off of the trail onto a wagon road. About a mile out, a carriage which contained a man and a woman, came barreling down the road. They had to jump out of the way of the racing carriage.
“Out of the way,” a ferret faced man yelled at them.
A fine layer of dust kicked up by the carriage settled on the party. Doo made a point of memorizing the man’s face, he silently vowed that he and ferret face would have a reckoning.
“Well that was rude,” Janie said as she beat the dust off of her clothes,
“I reckon he has somewhere to be,” Clancy said as he stared at the retreating carriage.
As the group stopped short of the settlement gate, they started clapping the dust of off of their bodies. Janie tried to run her fingers through her straw colored hair to comb it. She was encountering knots and tangles and was ready to give up. She wished she had a real comb and maybe a small mirror to make herself presentable when they entered the settlement.
Clancy noticed the girl’s discomfort, he set his pack down and dug around a bit and produced a comb. “Here ya go Miss Janie.”
Janie squealed with delight when she saw the comb. But Clancy wasn’t through. Some more digging produced a small shaving mirror. “Oh, thank you Mr. Sinclair.” But Clancy still wasn’t done. One more dip into the bag and he came out with a sky blue length of ribbon.
“This should go good with your purty eyes.”
Janie almost melted at that remark. She felt her knees weaken and her face start to flush at Clancy’s remark.
Doo rolled his eyes at that last remark. “You probably were carrying that in case you came across a Seneca village to give to some squaw.”
Clancy shot Doo a dirty look, but it was Janie who spoke up. “You hush up Doo Carter, you jealous old thing.”
This prompted Doo to throw his head back and roar with laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Janie asked angrily. If Doo thought she was not worthy of attention he was going to get a talking to.
“That I’d be jealous of anything Clancy Sinclair has.”
Janie stuck out her lower lip in a pout. “Clancy doesn’t have me.”
“Wanna bet?”
Janie felt her face getting hotter and she decided to break off this line of conversation. Nope not going to give him a talking to where the ending would make her feelings known to Clancy. How did Doo know he made her feel butterflies in her tummy?
“Where will we go?”
“To see my financier, has a mercantile up the road, we’ll start there.”
As they entered the gates and walked past the lower cabins of lower town, Clancy pulled up and stopped.
“I reckon me and Mighty Beaver will break off, we have some business to conduct in lower town.”
“And I know what that might be, do ya think ya could spare two bits so I could wet my whistle before going to see my investor?”
Clancy cracked a grin from ear to ear.
“And how might ya be doin’ that with the young lady in tow, you can’t take a proper lady into a tavern?”
“Hmm…. never thought about that, I’ll take her up to my pa’s.”
“Do I get a say in this? Janie asked.
“Sure as long as you say yore goin’ to my pa’s.”
“And what if I don’t?”
Doo wasn’t listening to her. He had spotted the ferret-faced man a few buildings up on the walk. He was being accompanied by a dark haired woman. He watched as the woman picked up an apple and showed him,
“Oh Free! Doesn’t this look absolutely scrumptious?” asked the dark-haired woman in a refined voice.
The ferret-faced man gripped her wrist hard and twisted it so hard she let out a moan.
“How many times do I have to tell you my name is Godfrey you trollop.”
Doo saw red, you didn’t manhandle a woman on the frontier, especially in front of Doo Carter. Clancy saw the look but wasn’t fast enough to intervene, Doo was already moving. Doo walked towards the ferret-faced man and caught him with a shoulder.
This jostled the man enough he lost his grip on the girl.
“Watch what you’re doing you big… urrrk.”
Ferret-face couldn’t say anything because Doo had his left arm across the man’s throat. His face went from bright red to a deep, dark purple. His eyes were bulging.
Doo spoke in a very calm voice. “You’re not worth hanging over,” Doo gave the woman an appreciative glance and their eyes locked. Her blue eyes looked like as deep of a pool as he had ever almost drowned in. She matched his stare without averting her eyes.
“But your woman is.”
An iron grip grasped his left shoulder. “Release him Doolittle before you kill him.” commanded his benefactor.
Doo knew the voice and the grip well, and he heeded it. He released the man.
“Now git.” He turned to the woman. “Miss, if you’ll wait for a little bit, I’ll escort you home.”
He then turned around to face the voice of his investor, financier and benefactor.
“Howdy pa.”
Author Notes
Here you go, sorry about the waitThis one may seem a little long, but it's worth a look. Be kind.
Those wondering about the references to Our Grandmother, the Shawnees believed in a female deity they called Our Grandmother. Anna found this out while reading the chapter for me.
Cast of Characters
Roseanna Carter- narrator
Doolittle Carter-Extremely blessed and lucky frontiersman
Janie Wolfe-Heroine, wise beyond her years, intuitive, follows her instincts, knows how to swim
Swooping Eagle= Shawnee Warrior, vengeful but listens to the voice of reason, knows how to swim
Wise Owl- Shawnee Warrior, the voice of reason, knows how to swim
Mighty Beaver- Delaware Warrior, funny sense of humor,knows how to swim
Clancy Sinclair-Happy -go-lucky friend of Doolittle, knows how to swim
Godfrey Smythe- Ferret faced cad, probably knows how to swim
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