Chapter Fifteen

FLAMING

THEY WERE ON THE WAY back to their wagon when Iris’ voice drifted to them. “And, everyone knows Jacob just married her so she’d take care of his baby.”

Jacob froze. He looked as if he couldn’t decide whether to quickly get Faith back to their wagon or to intervene and stop the gossip.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “Let’s just go.”

“Everyone also knows they don’t even sleep together. She stays in the wagon and he pitches his tent. Does Faith actually think that constitutes a marriage? Really.”

The girls snickered, causing Jacob to jerk around and head toward the voices. Faith followed behind him, her footsteps slow and heavy.

Iris stood among a small group of women, most of them not yet twenty. They were huddled together and didn’t notice Jacob at first. He startled them when he started to speak, and the younger girls ran off at once.

“How dare you insult my wife or my marriage.” He didn’t raise his voice, but it held indignation. “It is none of your concern what goes on between my wife and me. That’s entirely our personal affair, and I’m appalled that you are guessing at such matters and gossiping about them. When I married Faith, I fully intended to make her my wife in every sense of the word, and those intentions have not and will not change. Have I made myself perfectly clear? I hope so, for I do not intend to talk to you about our personal affairs again.”

He didn’t give Iris time to answer before he turned back to Faith and put his hand on her back. She had never seen Jacob like this. Even his coldness with her couldn’t compare to his disdain here.

“But, Jacob, you misunderstood,” Iris’ voice sounded honeyed and seductive. “Please don’t be angry. Please don’t turn from me. Remember our dance last night. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.”

Jacob moved his arm around to encompass Faith and pull her closer as he turned to answer Iris. “Have I not made it perfectly clear that I’m not interested in any woman, other than my wife? And, no, I did not enjoy our dance. The whole time I wished I were holding Faith in my arms. You’re not the type of woman who appeals to me. I could use some harsh names if you don’t understand what I think of you, but I’d prefer not to use such words.”

With that he turned and left, taking Faith with him. “I’m sorry you had to hear that,” he told her, his voice now soft and tender. “I know I sounded rather hardhearted, but I got the feeling Iris wouldn’t stop trying to make trouble if I didn’t make it perfectly clear how I felt. I actually held my temper in check. I can’t begin to explain how I felt when I heard her belittling you.”

“She actually said some similar things to me on the way to the service.”

“Why hadn’t you told me?”

“I preferred to do so without so many people around.”

“Would you have told me?”

“I think so. I didn’t believe the things she said, although I’m glad we had our talk first. Otherwise, with the way things have been, I might have thought you didn’t care for me.”

“I want you to share everything with me, Faith. Please don’t keep anything back, and I won’t either. I’ve learned my lesson about not being completely open and honest with you. I know now that we need to share everything to prevent misunderstandings. I hope you know what I told Iris is absolutely true. You are the only woman I want and the only woman I’ve ever deeply loved. I tried to love Lucille, but it never grew beyond the initial stages.”

They went back, and since they’d missed breakfast, Faith fixed pancakes with molasses for the noon meal. The honey and jams were already gone, and the chickens weren’t laying as many eggs.

Their chickens were doing better than most, however. Faith had been tethering them three at a time beside the wagon when they had a lay-by. She tied one end of some twine around a leg and the other end to a stake or wagon wheel. That way the chickens could forage, and they didn’t have to feed them as much. They also seemed to lay better and the eggshells tended to be stronger. Jacob seemed amazed that she’d thought of it, but he didn’t quite understand how she’d lived in the mountains of Kentucky.

Jacob had known to bury the eggs in the flour to cushion them from breaking, however. Faith just hoped they’d continue to have a few to bury.

She put on a buffalo stew for supper. She still had some potatoes, carrots, onions, and dried green beans her family called “leather britches” to add.

“Come into the tent with me,” Jacob said with his eyes twinkling. “I think I’d like a Sunday nap, and I’d like to give my wife a thorough kiss. I’ve been thinking of it since earlier this morning.”

Her heart skipped a beat, as she followed him into the tent, and he tied the flaps together. She understood there would be more than just one kiss, and she smiled.

 

 

Courthouse Rock, a natural sandstone formation, loomed like a gigantic building on the flat landscape. Chimney Rock could be seen in the distance, but distances were deceptive in such flat land, and one couldn’t judge by looking.

The Indian population had changed, too. The Pawnees were no longer the predominant tribe. There were also Lakota Sioux and Arapaho, and the Cheyenne would appear a little more to the west.

Life on the trail stayed too busy to suit Jacob. He would have loved to have a real honeymoon with his wife, but the wagon train moved forward, and with it came the never-ending chores to be done.

By the time the sun went down, they were both often too tired to do more than fall asleep in each other’s arms. At least they usually had Sunday as a lay-by day. Jacob had never envisioned the trip to be this demanding or exhausting.

“I know we’re living under hard conditions right now,” Jacob told Faith. “I wish it were different. I wish I could make things easier for you.”

“Shakespeare said ‘travelers must be content.’ We won’t always be on the trail. Things will get better.”

At least his and Faith’s spirits were not beaten down, as many others were. They had each other and they had God with them all the way. Their love, so newly proclaimed, colored everything brightly with optimism, and they were happy even among dismal conditions.

Many of the emigrants were having trouble with their oxen. The animals’ hooves would crack, and their feet would swell. The men operated on them and poured hot tar on the hooves.

So far, Jacob hadn’t had this problem, but he’d been able to switch out his animals over the first part of the trip. Now that he used all twelve of his oxen every day, he expected the same malady to hit sometime.

Others were running lower on supplies, too. Some had no more flour and little cornmeal. There were families who had little left but beans.

Jacob and Faith were doing all right, so far. Combining their foodstuffs had helped. Jacob had more store-bought goods, and Faith had more that came from her tiny mountain farm. Her dried fruits and vegetables were particularly good, because they would keep indefinitely and cooked up nicely. She’d had things like honey, nuts, apples, and berry preserves to start with, but they’d eaten all those. They still had enough bacon and side meat, but the fresh meat the men killed along the way offered a welcomed change.

 

Jacob noticed the grass looked drier and less plentiful, and they began to climb in elevation. He worried about the livestock. He couldn’t afford to lose an ox now.

Some people were driving only four oxen on their wagon, but Jacob felt sure those animals would wear out soon. He’d heard of people training a cow to the yoke, but that didn’t sound like a good idea to him. A cow didn’t seem strong enough or hardy enough to pull a load all day long.

The sun still scorched hot and the flies remained as pesky as ever. Conditions seemed to worsen the farther west they rolled.

“My word, it’s hot enough to scald the feathers off a chicken,” he heard Lena say.

 

Chimney Rock now protruded on the horizon like a giant finger pointing to the heavens. The landscape appeared more desolate all the time. The grass didn’t grow as high and thick, and it had more gold and brown among the green.

They camped near the rock that night. Some walked to it, which took about an hour. Jacob could think of better things to do than spend over an hour walking to touch a monolith.

He and Faith went downstream and washed in the river. He would’ve preferred to go in together, but he felt it would be better if he stood guard while she went in. Then, he hurriedly washed off while she sat and toweled her hair.

She had fine, silky hair, and he loved to run his fingers through it. He still marveled at how much she seemed to like his touch and how she responded to him—so different from what he’d known before.

Opportunities to be alone together were rare. When they bathed in the streams, the women usually went in as a group, and the men would do the same at another time. Chimney Rock had drawn enough of the emigrants to its base, however, they’d been blessed to be alone this afternoon.

“Are you hoping we’ll have children?” Faith asked him.

He stiffened. How could he answer her honestly?

“I do. Are you trying to tell me something?”

She smiled. “No, since it didn’t happen on our first night together, it’s not been long enough to tell. I just wondered how you felt about it, after what you said about fearing you might lose me in childbirth.”

“I want to have children very much, and I want to have children with you, but, to be honest, I’m going to be very concerned about you, when you’re carrying our first child. I hope it’s after we get off this grueling journey, but I’m leaving all that in God’s hands. It would suit me just fine if Lena and Harlan would settle near us. I’d like for Lena to be there to help with the birthing. That woman has a big heart and a head full of wisdom.”

“She’s a good friend.”

“Did you two know each other in Kentucky?”

“No, I didn’t know anyone in Kentucky, except for my aunt and uncle. I met the Haywoods when we started on this trip. Although my uncle didn’t like it, he decided it would be better if we linked up with the other families coming from Kentucky with their wagons. We didn’t have the money for a train, and we needed to bring supplies from home.”

“Were there any your age in the group?”

“Only one young man two years younger than me. All the girls and the rest of the boys were much younger. All the other men were married.”

“Did the seventeen-year-old pay you any attention?”

“I think he would have liked to, but Uncle Jed wouldn’t let him. I didn’t encourage him too much, either. I would have liked to have a friend, but I didn’t want Dexter to court me, and I suspected that’s what he wanted.”

“I’m sure he did.”

Faith raised her eyebrows. She had no idea how attractive she was.

“I know how seventeen-year-old boys think, and you’re a lovely young lady.”

“I think you’re biased, husband,” she teased.

“I certainly am, but that doesn’t make it untrue.”

 

They’d camped for the night in the vicinity of Scott’s Bluff. The river here ran nice and clear, and the land provided plenty of grass for the livestock.

This part of the country might be brutal to travel through, but it was beautiful. The sunsets set the sky ablaze with an array of brilliant hues, and they went to sleep talking about the sights.

 

“Jacob!” he heard Faith call. He jumped up to see her standing at the tent flap.

“I smelled smoke and got up to check and make sure our campfire hadn’t sent out some sparks. It looks like the prairie is on fire. Look.”

Jacob looked and fear swept over him when he saw how fast the fire consumed the drying grass. It raged in a long line and quickly made for their camp.

“Get dressed, grab two blankets or something we can wet to fight the fire. I’m going to sound the alarm. You take a blanket and lantern and go down to the river. If the fire starts toward you, get into the river and keep a wet blanket over your head.”

“All right.”

He took his rifle and shot into the air. As he expected, men came running to see what had happened. Most saw the fire immediately and dived into action. Marshall barked orders at those who looked confused.

Faith handed him a blanket, and they hurried toward the river. He wet their blankets, as he ducked himself in the water. He waded to the bank and handed Faith a dripping blanket.

“Now you get in the water if the fire comes anywhere near.”

“I will and you be careful. Please be careful, Jacob.” She kissed his cheek.

“I will, but say your prayers, anyway.” He gave her a quick hug and left.

He joined the throng of men headed toward the fire. The men who’d been guarding the livestock herded the animals toward the river. Why hadn’t they raised the alarm?

Some of the men carried torches. That seemed like a good idea, but Jacob hadn’t thought of it. He’d assumed the fire would light up things enough. Others brought shovels and digging tools.

The crackling noise surprised Jacob, as the fire consumed the tall, dry grass. The popping almost sounded like gunshots, and there would definitely be a battle fought here. He could also hear a swooshing sound, almost like the wind. The giant, red blob seemed like a living, breathing monster as it snaked its way toward them, devouring whatever lay in its path.

Wildlife ran ahead of the fire, and Jacob wondered how many had already died. He couldn’t imagine how much prairie the fire had likely already consumed.

“We need to set a controlled fire between here and the fire to take away the fire’s fuel,” John shouted. “We’ll start it in this low area ahead of the wagons, and hope it will be easier to control. As a precaution, you men with tools, dig a wide ditch, too.” He took a torch and showed them what to do. “Go slowly with setting the fire, and keep it beat down, so it doesn’t get out on this side, but be quick about it. Remember this grass will burn fast, so don’t let it get out of hand or you’ll have the wagons burning despite our efforts.”

Jacob’s thoughts ran with the fire as his hands moved to help. Could they control the fire they were setting, or would it get away from them in the dry grass? If it did work, would it be enough to stop the fire before it got to the wagons?

Jacob’s attention turned when he heard someone scream. He looked up to see a woman at the edge of the fire with her dress tail burning. What was a woman doing out here trying to fight the fire? It wasn’t Faith, was it? Other men were wrapping her in blankets and rolling her.

He saw that woman was taller and heavier than Faith. Why did he expect the worst? Thank Thee, Lord. Keep Faith safe. Keep us all safe and help that poor woman.

With the long line of men, they had a strip burned before the wildfire got to them. Would it be wide enough, or would the fire jump it?

“Should we get at the edge of the burn and fight any sparks or blaze that jumps the burned area?” Jacob asked John.

“That’s a good idea, Parker. Let’s do it.”

The fire largely stopped when it got to the bare strip. The few fires around the edges weren’t hard to control. Fires still raged in the distance, but it had turned to burn away from the wagons, and they’d been spared.

As Jacob walked toward the river and Faith, he realized his hands were burned. He’d thought the burning sensation had come from the heat of fighting the fire. He noticed other men also had singed hair and holes in their clothing. Apparently, they hadn’t wet themselves in the river first.

Faith ran to meet him. He put his arms around her, but she noticed him favoring his hands.

“You’re hurt,” she said, looking at his burned hands.

“They’re not bad. You can put some ointment on them when we get back.”

John caught up with them and told Jacob that Marshall had called a council meeting to discuss the fire before they started off the next morning. “He’s upset. He’s discovered all four of the guards had fallen asleep tonight. That’s why the guards didn’t sound an alarm.”

“How do you think the fire started?” Faith asked as she gingerly applied the salve to Jacob’s hands.

He tried not to flinch, and he managed pretty well, for the most part. Her gentle touch didn’t hurt as much as someone else’s would have.

“I’ll wrap these in bandages in the morning. I hope you won’t have to wear your gloves to drive the team.”

“I think I should be all right. They’re easy enough to manage. I think I could turn them loose and they’d plod along behind your wagon.”

“A bandage will also keep the dust from settling into them.”

“I saw a woman out there trying to fight the fire. Her dress caught on fire. I don’t know who she was, but I’m sure her legs were badly burned. I’m glad you stayed by the river.”

“I never thought of doing anything else but what you told me. How do you think the fire started?” she asked again.

“It’s hard to tell. Obadiah believes it’s probably from natural causes. He says the Indians usually care too much for the prairie and wildlife to do such harm, although there’s been rumors of them starting fires to keep settlers from coming in the past.”

 

“In some wagon trains, guards are shot for going to sleep on duty,” Rex said as the council meeting convened the next morning. “We only ask them to stay on guard for four of the eight hours in two shifts, because Obadiah and some of the other men keep a lookout after dinner until the first shift gets there. That’s better than on most trains.”

“The question is what can we do to prevent this from happening again,” Marshall added. “If Jacob hadn’t sounded the alarm, we could have all been burnt to a crisp.”

“You can thank Faith for that. She smelled smoke and woke me up.”

“Well, because of you two, disaster was averted. Did you see the amount of prairie the fire burned? It’s scary. We don’t have to ask a man to stand guard all that often, so there’s no excuse for going to sleep on the job.”

“The problem is the trail tires everyone out,” John said. “The day’s so exhausting, it’s easy to fall asleep.”

“Maybe it would help to shorten the shifts,” Jacob said. “We could have four two-hour shifts instead of two four-hour shifts, but a man’s turn would roll around quicker.”

“It’s worth a try, I guess,” Marshall said. “I haven’t heard a better idea. We’ll give it a try starting tonight. Maybe they can stay awake for two hours better than four.”

“It won’t help,” Rex grumbled. “You’ll see. Now we’ll have to be on guard more often. You should flog those men and make an example of them.”

When Jacob got back to the wagon, he realized Faith stood on the other side talking to someone. He started to go over and join them when he heard a male voice.

“If you needed to marry, why didn’t you come to me? You know I liked you. I would’ve taken good care of you, Faith. I couldn’t believe it when Mama told me you were married. Since we’re in the other division of wagons, I haven’t been able to see you like I’d planned. Pa and I were sickly when your wedding took place, and I didn’t even know about it until yesterday. Your uncle wouldn’t let me near you when he was alive.”

“Jacob needed my help with his baby, Dexter, and Mr. Marshall didn’t want me traveling alone. Our marriage solved both our problems.”

“But it ain’t right, marrying all of a sudden like that. You deserve to be courted, Faith.”

“Because I married quickly, doesn’t mean Jacob hasn’t courted me. He’s brought me flowers and done dozens of things each day to treat me special.”

“He’s good to you then?”

“He’s very good to me.”

“But do you love him?”

“Yes, I do. Jacob and I are happy. You’re such a special man, Dexter, I know God has someone special picked out for you, too. Just be patient, and you’ll meet her.”

When Jacob went around the wagon, Faith had her hand on Dexter’s arm. She quickly pulled it back.

“Here’s my husband now,” she said. “Jacob, you remember me telling you about Dexter coming from Kentucky with my family. Dexter this is Jacob.”

Jacob put his left arm around Faith and reached out to shake Dexter’s hand with his right. “Pleased to meet you, Dexter. I hope things are going well for you.”

“They could be better,” he said and looked at Faith. “I guess I’d best be going. You take care, Faith.”

“You, too Dexter, and tell your family I send my regards.”

“I’ll make sure Faith’s well taken care of, young man.”

“You must have heard most of the conversation,” Faith said after Dexter had left.

“I guess so. It startled me, so when I heard him say he wanted to marry you, I stopped in my tracks.”

“I’m sorry, Jacob. I certainly didn’t expect this.”

“I’m not all that surprised, but I thought you handled it well.”

“I wanted to be kind but let him know I’m taken. You didn’t mind?”

“I don’t like it that he wanted to steal my wife, but you told him I treated you special, and you loved me, so I can’t mind too much.”

He looked down at her and smiled. When she looked up at him with her dark brown eyes glowing, he bent down and covered her lips with his.

 

Saturday afternoon Faith gathered up the laundry and turned to him. “What’s this all over your shirt?” she asked him. “It looks like long, red hair. Jacob?”

He looked up from cleaning his gun. “I don’t know. Let me see it.”

He’d pulled the shirt off yesterday, knowing Faith would want it to wash today. Even he could see the strands of long, red hairs, and only one woman he knew had hair like that.

“I know it looks like Iris’ hair, but I promise you I have no idea how it got there. I haven’t seen her, since I gave her a piece of my mind, and you were there then.”

He met Faith’s gaze and let her search his eyes. He looked into hers too, trying to determine if she believed him.

“If she sneaked into the wagon and planted some of her hair on your dirty shirt, Jacob, that’s scary.”

“Yes, it is, but I think she might be capable of that.”

“You know, I do, too.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. She believed him. He stood and took her in his arms.

“It’s you I love.” He smoothed her hair back away from her eyes. “I don’t need or want anyone but you.”

“I believe you, Jacob, and I love you, too.” She smiled as she picked up the basket of clothes to take to the river. “I’ll be sure to wash your shirt with extra care. I want to make sure I get it clean.”

He laughed. He liked her saucy spirit. He’d never noticed this side of her before.