Sid and the Orphans (eBook)

2 ~ Beginning the Journey

Pa is as angry at the boy’s words as Sid and keeps the animals rushing until he and the Harpers meet with others going west. By the time they stop to make camp, they are in Kansas.

This is the first night with the wagon train, although Pa knows the wagon master and some of the travelers. Pa and Bobby’s dad are longtime friends and have agreed to be scouts for the train. They were Army scouts before they married and are excellent hunters. Sid knows that means Pa will often be away from the train, leaving her to take care of John and Bobby. They stay together, sharing work, but Sid is lonesome when Pa is gone.

The camp is still sleeping when Sid slips from her bed, to sit on a chamber pot Pa placed behind the wagon, draped with a large canvas over and around the rocking chair, and extending to the ground with two ties in the middle for privacy.

After washing her hands and face, she strikes a match to light the wood Pa collected for cooking breakfast. The camp is quiet, but she knows Pa is awake. Soon he will exit the wagon. Sid likes the quiet solitude of early morning, in the last glimmers of moonlight before the camp gets busy. She takes a bowl and the fixings for making biscuits from the food box that sits at the back of the wagon. Pa steps outside nods to her, and sets the iron frame to hold a frying pan and the coffee pot over the stack of wood and kindling before he walks toward the woods.

From the shadows, Sid hears a whimper and squints to see. Two girls, from the train, one near her age the other around six, walk nearby. Sid asks, “Can I help you with something.”

The oldest girl whispers, “Ma told me to take Mary to do her toilet job, but there is no toilet, and she’s afraid of snakes and wolves. She won’t walk into the woods, and she won’t go out here because she’s worried someone will see her.” Shaking her head, she says, “What am I going to do with her.”

“Take her inside our canvas. Later, Pa will empty the pot in the woods. My name’s Sidney, but everyone calls me Sid.”

“Thanks, my name’s Louella—everyone calls me Lou, and this is my sister, Mary.”

Sid holds the canvas open. “I’ll be over by the fire, working on our breakfast. Don’t worry about John. Pa always has to shake him to get him awake in the morning. Anyway, he doesn’t stop here—he’ll go to the woods.”

After greasing the Dutch oven, Sid drops biscuit dough inside, puts the lid on, and sits it over the fire that is now burning low over red coals. Next, she lays strips of bacon in a skillet and makes coffee.

Lou steps from the enclosure to stand near the fire. “Your breakfast smells good. Ma didn’t have money to buy all the fixings we need. Our pa was killed in the war, and the banker took our house when Mama couldn’t make the payment. So we packed what was left and joined to come west. Mama’s hoping we can catch some fish or kill a few rabbits along the way. Otherwise, we’ll have nothing to eat but beans. She’s a pretty good shot, and we used to catch fish from the creek at home.”

Mary stands behind Lou licking her lips as Sid turns the biscuits to brown on the top and lifts bacon from the skillet.

“This morning, I don’t have milk to make good gravy, but it’s better than nothing when made with bacon fat and water.” She giggles and tosses a handful of flour into the grease. “Why don’t you and Mary wait around and eat with us. I made extra biscuits to go with the gravy, and we have some blackberry jam. Pa said butter melts in the heat and makes a mess, so I didn’t bring it.”

“I … I don’t know what Mama will say. Are you sure you have enough?”

Mary looks at Lou with wide eyes and licks her lips again. “Mama won’t care. I want to stay. We don’t have biscuits and jam.”

Sid points to the wash pan. “You can wash your hands over there. Then, I’ll give you a biscuit with gravy.” On a small folding table, she sets two tin plates, divides a biscuit into halves, and covers them with steaming gravy before adding a piece of bacon and a fork to each plate.

“You’ll have to stand at the table to eat. We didn’t have room to bring chairs.”

Lou chops the biscuit and mixes the gravy while Mary eats the bacon. “I never knew a boy that could cook like you. The ones near our wagon are mean and hateful to Mary, but you seem kind.”

Sid leans close. “Can you keep a secret?”

Lou grins. “Sure. I won’t tell anyone.”

“I’m a girl. Pa doesn’t like me to wear boy clothes, but they are more comfortable for riding and climbing in and out of the wagon, and I cut my hair because it’s easy to care for when short. If a hateful boy bothers me, I can fight well enough to black his eyes. Mama and Pa used to work in a Circus. They taught me tricks they did in their acts. You can’t move like that if you’re wearing a dress.”

“I wish I had pants to wear.”

“I packed the blue jeans that I wore last year—they’re too tight on me—but you’re thinner. You can have them if your ma says it’s okay.” Sid puts a biscuit with jam on each of their plates.

Looking toward the woods, Sid sees Pa returning. “I hate to rush you, but we only have six plates, and Mr. Harper and Bobby eat with us and share food. They’re friends, almost like family.” She grins and whispers, “John and Bobby took a blood-brother pact.”

Lou lifts her biscuit. “You can take the plates; we’ll eat these on the way back. Thanks for breakfast, and I’ll ask Ma if I can wear blue jeans. I wish our wagon was next to yours. I like having you for a friend, and I wish we were away from those boys that are near us.”

“I like it too. I’ll ask Pa if he can get you moved if it’s okay with your Ma.”

Sid drops her voice to a whisper. “Lou, if your ma says it’s okay to wear the jeans, you should wear a tight undershirt under a bigger shirt to hide your bubbles. It gets a little warm sometimes, but it’s safer than having hateful boys and google-eyed men knowing what you have under there.” The girls nod, giggle and wave as Lou and Mary walk away.

Sid calls after them, “Pa said he’s going hunting today. Maybe we’ll have fresh meat, and you can eat supper with us.”

Mr. Harper and Bobby come for breakfast at the same time that Pa returns from the woods. They talk about the weather as they wash and get plates. Pa asks the blessing, and they fill their plates while Sid goes to shake John awake. After John and Bobby go to sit on the wagon tongue and eat, Sid asks, “Pa, can you and Mr. Harper move Mrs. Reese’s wagon next to ours?” I met Lou and Mary this morning, and I’d like to have friends close by. Their pa was killed in the war, and they may need help along the way.”

Pa stirs his gravy and frowns. “Sid, a standard rule is that women and children are not allowed to travel with a wagon train without a man, but Mrs. Reese said she and the oldest girl could switch to drive and handle any emergency. I hope she can do that, but she may have to leave when we pass close to a town.”

Sid draws in her breath and stands straighter. “Christians are supposed to help widows and orphans. Aren’t we Christians?”

He nods. “Of course, we are.” He clears his throat. “I’ll talk to the master about it, but I’ve got all I can handle with our animals, wagon, and being a scout and hunter.”

For a few minutes, Pa concentrates on eating. “She doesn’t need to be the last in line, in case she has trouble. Maybe we can put her behind the Harpers.”

“Thanks, Pa. Lou helps her ma as I help you.”

Pa nods and goes to get the horses and mules.

Before noon, Pa rides beside the wagon with an antelope on the back of his horse. A few other men have antelope on their horses. The procession pulls to a stop beside a stream where ample shade trees offer tree limbs to hang and skin the animals.

Children rush to gather wood to build a fire. An old Indian woman stands on a slight incline watching. Pa walks over to her with a leg from one of the animals. Sid cannot hear their conversation, but soon Pa goes back with all the skins on the back of a pack mule. They walk over the hill, but he and the mule return quickly.

Mr. Harper has the antelope cut into pieces and brings a chunk of it for Sid to cook. The rest of the carcass he distributes to other families. Sid covers the meat with salt and saves it for later—she has already prepared the dried beans that she put in a crock to soak the night before and has boiled cabbage with potatoes, and made cornbread in the Dutch oven.

John, Bobby, and Sid eat, and she sets plates of food aside for Pa and Mr. Harper before dragging the hefty cook stand away from the fire to cool while packing everything else away. They will be ready to roll as soon as Pa eats and loads the pack mules. While shoveling dirt over the fire, she looks toward the creek where the boys took the horses and mules for water and to let them graze on the green grass.

With her jobs completed, Sid stands watching men, women, and boys bring the animals back from watering and grazing. Lou is leading a pair of sturdy work mules when two boys start throwing small stones at them. The mules jump, kick and bray. The boys roll in the grass, laughing as Lou tries to calm the mules.

Sid runs across the field, grabs one boy by his shirt, and busts him in the mouth with a fist. The other one starts for her. She twirls as if dancing and kicks him backward. The first one runs toward his mama, while the second one still gasping for breath stumbles after him.

Lou calms the mules...