Chapter 12: South Fork of the Platte

 

Saturday, May 15th—Even after we lost sight of the Pawnee, I felt them staring at me as I fixed supper.

 

More cold rain fell Sunday morning beneath heavy, dark clouds. “No point in laying by,” Pershing decided. “Women can’t wash. Men can’t hunt with Pawnee nearby. We’ll move on.”

The emigrants bundled into their wagons and headed along the Platte. Jenny sat in the Tullers’ wagon for company, leaving Mac alone. The doctor drove while the women sat under the cover, sharing Jenny’s buffalo robe for warmth.

“Listen to the children,” Mrs. Tuller said. Jenny heard shouting and laughter from other wagons. “They need to run, even in the rain. But Captain won’t let them, not with Pawnee around.”

The women tried to sew, but couldn’t in the jostling wagon and dim light. “Can’t open the cover, because of the rain. And can’t light a lantern for fear of fire,” Jenny complained.

Mrs. Tuller put away her mending. “You’ve plenty of time to sew for your baby. How you feeling these days?”

“I’m past the sickness,” Jenny said. “I feel it moving.”

Mrs. Tuller smiled. “What a blessing.”

“I don’t know the first thing about rearing a baby.” Jenny worried about more than tending her child—could she even love it?

The older woman laughed. “You’ll learn.”

“What was the hardest part for you?” Jenny asked.

Mrs. Tuller’s face stilled. “Seeing ’em sick. Nothing I could do. And the constant fear. Fear they’d get hurt. Fear they’d die.”

“I’m sorry,” Jenny said. “I didn’t mean to make you remember your loss.”

“Memories are all I have, dear. I don’t mind.”

The doctor coughed from the wagon bench.

At noon they stopped for a quick meal. Jenny fried buffalo meat and flapjacks over a smoky fire made of chips dried and stored before the rain hit. The lean meat left hardly any grease for the flapjacks, which stuck to the skillet and burned.

Jenny huddled in her wagon during the miserable afternoon, until Esther ran over to the backboard. “May I join you?” Esther asked.

Jenny smiled and nodded. She called for Mac to halt the oxen so Esther could climb in.

“Tomorrow,” Esther whispered to Jenny. “Will you walk with me and Daniel?”

“If it’s nice,” Jenny replied.

“I’ll bring Rachel or Ruth, so you have someone to stay with you.”

“Where will you be?”

Esther’s eyes sparkled. “Walking ahead with Daniel. How’m I going to get him to declare with other people around?”

“Declare what?”

“That he wants to marry me! How’d you get Mr. McDougall to ask you?”

Jenny looked to see if Mac was near, but he was walking by the lead ox. She didn’t know what to tell Esther. “It just happened.”

“Didn’t you know he would?”

Jenny shook her head. “I was very surprised.” That much was true.

“Well, I won’t be,” Esther said. “Ma says the Lord helps those who help themselves.”

“You’ve only known Daniel a month.” Jenny couldn’t imagine wanting to be married.

“He’s handsome enough, ain’t he?”

“His father’s a tyrant.”

Esther shrugged. “I ain’t marrying his father.”

“What do your parents think?”

The older girl shrugged again. “I haven’t asked ’em. Of course, Daniel will have to ask Pa. But Pa’ll let me do what I want.”

“And your mother?”

“Ma wants me married.”

After supper the rain let up, and a rainbow shone in the distance. Jenny spread out wet blankets and towels, hoping they would dry before sunset.

 

Sunday, May 16th—A wretched rainy day. Tomorrow I will walk with Esther, though I wonder at her foolishness.

The sun shone Monday morning in a sharp blue sky. Jenny packed her dry blankets and towels back in the wagon.

“Want to ride Valiente with me?” Mac asked. “You were cooped up all day yesterday. Zeke’ll mind our wagon.”

Jenny smiled. “I told Esther I’d walk with her, but I could ride a while first. If the Pawnee are gone.”

“No sign of them. I thought we’d look for buffalo. You haven’t seen the herds yet, have you?”

“Not any big herds. Just strays along the river.”

Mac pulled Jenny up behind him, and they rode south over the green hills along the Platte. At the crest, they looked down into the valley beyond and saw thousands of buffalo grazing before them.

“So many!” Jenny exclaimed. Some of the beasts frolicked on the prairie, rolling like clumsy horses. Two young bulls pawed at the ground in mock battle.

As Jenny and Mac sat on the hilltop, hunters rode into the valley, culling several buffalo away from the herd. Shots rang out, and one of the young bulls dropped.

“Are those our hunters?” Jenny asked, ducking her head into Mac’s back.

“Probably Abercrombie,” Mac said. “We’d better move away. Buffalo might stampede.” He turned Valiente down the hill, but not before more buffalo bellowed in pain and fell.

“What do you think of the Abercrombies?” Jenny asked.

“Samuel thinks he knows more than he does. Argues about everything. I haven’t spent much time with Douglass, but Daniel’s a good lad. Why?”

“Esther’s sweet on Daniel.”

Mac snorted. “Esther’s not sweet on anyone but herself.”

“You don’t like her?”

“She’s silly. Don’t know why she can’t be less giggly. Like you.”

“Maybe she has more to giggle about,” Jenny said. She thought Esther was flighty, too, but she defended her friend to Mac. After all, she wished she could act foolish once in a while.

When they returned to the wagons, Jenny told Zeke she’d drive the team. Mac took Valiente off to the hunt. “I’ll bring back some meat,” he told her. “Might as well get it while we can. We’ll be leaving the South Fork of the Platte soon. Fewer buffalo then.”

After the noon meal, Jenny sought out Esther. “Are we walking?”

“Where were you this morning?” Esther asked.

“Riding with Mac.”

“I wanted to walk in the morning. When it’s cool. Don’t know if Ma will let me now.” Esther pulled at her braid. “You ask her. She’s nicer to you.”

Jenny didn’t think Mrs. Pershing was particularly nice to her, but she did as Esther asked. “Could Esther walk with me a spell?” she asked. “Mac’s hunting, and I have to tend our wagon.”

Mrs. Pershing frowned. “I seen you girls whispering,” she said. “Don’t know what you’re cooking up. Esther, take a couple of the young’uns. Give me a rest.”

“We’ll take the twins and Ruth, Ma,” Esther said. “Rachel can help you with Noah.”

Mrs. Pershing stood wearily, rubbing her back. “All right. But stay close. Could be Pawnee around.”

Esther called the ten-year-old twins and eight-year-old Ruth. The boys ran beside the girls, yelling wildly.

Ruth put her hand in Jenny’s and whispered, “Thanks, Miz McDougall. Ma’s been cross all morning.”

They walked beside Jenny’s wagon. Soon Daniel Abercrombie rode over, his face sweating.

“Afternoon.” Daniel tipped his hat, looking at Esther.

“Oh, Daniel, you’re so dirty,” Esther said. “Go wash up. Then come walk with me.”

“Might need to help Pa again.” He rode off.

Esther sighed. “I guess he won’t propose, at least not today.”

“There’ll be other days,” Jenny said. “We have months until we get to Oregon.”