Chapter 17: Leaving Ash Hollow

 

Doc told Jenny to continue making Mac drink, so she forced water down him, spoonful by painful spoonful. By noon she sat slumped beside Mac in the hot canvas tent, unable to hold herself upright. Mrs. Tuller and Hatty Tanner brought her food, but Jenny was so fatigued she could only eat a few bites.

“You need to rest,” Mrs. Tuller said. “I’ll sit with him a spell.”

“No,” Jenny insisted. “I can do it.”

“You won’t be any good to Mr. McDougall or your baby if you get sick. Get in the wagon and sleep.”

Jenny staggered to the wagon. She tried to hoist herself up, but couldn’t. She laid her cheek on the wheel, sobbing.

“Let me help.” She heard Zeke through the fog in her head. He lifted her into the wagon. “Get some sleep.”

Jenny awoke in the dark, startled and afraid. She clambered down and rushed to the tent. “How is he?” she asked Mrs. Tuller.

“Breathing better.”

“Has he been awake?”

Mrs. Tuller shook her head. “Not a sound. But he’s keeping water down.”

Jenny ran a hand over Mac’s forehead. “No fever?”

“No. That’s passed, I think.”

“How are the others?” Jenny asked.

“One man dead, the rest improving. Buried the man this afternoon.” Mrs. Tuller sighed.

“I’m obliged to you,” Jenny said. “I’ll sit with him now.”

“Eat first. Stew’s on the fire.”

After Jenny ate, Mrs. Tuller left, and Hatty Tanner sat with Jenny for a bit. “Seems like he’ll pull through,” Hatty said in a flat voice. “God willing.”

Jenny nodded. Why should Mac live, when Hatty lost her little boy? She knew the question was on Hatty’s mind.

Through the night Jenny gave Mac water and washed his face as he called for Bridget again. Toward dawn she dozed.

When Jenny awoke on Thursday morning, Mac was stirring, moaning softly. “Wake up,” she said, shaking his shoulder.

He opened his eyes. “Where am I?”

“Ash Hollow. You’ve been sick.”

He groaned, trying to sit. “You all right?”

She nodded. “Stay down. You need to rest. I’ll get Doc.”

Jenny found Doc and pulled him back with her. The doctor examined Mac. “No fever. Skin not so gray. How about some broth?”

Mac lifted himself on an elbow. “Might try it.”

“Stay still,” Jenny said. “I’ll fix it.” After Doc left, she put antelope meat in a pot over the fire to boil. When it was ready, she insisted on feeding Mac.

“I’m weak as a baby,” he complained.

“You almost died,” she said. “You’ll feel puny for days.”

“Anyone else sick?”

“Little Homer Tanner died. Then a woman, who left four children behind. And another man. Several others ill, but pulling through. Though I’m not certain—I haven’t talked much with anyone since you’ve been sick.”

“How long was I out?”

“Two days.”

“Two days!” Mac lifted his head. “We were held up for two days?”

Jenny pushed him flat. “Most of the company went on. Tanners and Tullers and Zeke and Joel stayed with the sick folks.”

“Captain Pershing left?”

“Mr. Abercrombie was determined. Most families wanted to go, too. Afraid of the fever, I suppose. Captain went with them. We’ll have to catch up.”

“How’s our team?”

“All right, I think. Zeke’s been taking care of them.”

“Would you get him?”

Jenny sent Zeke to talk to Mac. Walking through camp, she saw Hatty at the Ash Hollow spring.

“Mornin’, Miz McDougall. I heard your husband’s better. I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you.” Again, Jenny couldn’t think what to say to Hatty about her dead son.

“Hear we’re pullin’ out tomorrow.”

“So soon?” Jenny asked. “Mac can’t even stand yet.”

“Can’t fall too far behind. Zeke Pershing’s stayin’ with us. Joel’s ridin’ ahead to find the others.”

Jenny hurried back to her wagon. “Is it true?” she asked Zeke. “Are we leaving?”

Zeke nodded. “Pa said to follow as quick as we could.”

“But Mac can’t—”

“I’ll be fine,” Mac interrupted. “We have to move on.”

“I’ll help you, Miz Jenny,” Zeke said. “Don’t worry. Before we leave, though, you might want to leave a letter in the log cabin by the spring. Next rider going east’ll take whatever letters we leave behind.”

There was nothing she could tell her mother, Jenny thought. But Mac decided to write his parents in Boston.

“You can hardly sit,” Jenny said. “How’re you going to write?” But Mac filled a page, addressed it, and sealed it.

As dusk approached Jenny stood by the spring. Ash Hollow was lovely, but all she would remember was her terror that Mac would die. She picked a wild rose growing under an ash tree and prayed silently for his recovery to continue.

Back at the wagon Jenny picked up her journal.

 

Thursday, May 27th—Mac is awake, but weak. I was so afraid of losing him. If it weren’t for Zeke and the Tullers, I could not have managed. We must go on tomorrow.

In the morning Mac’s legs shook when he stood. “Sit,” Zeke said, gesturing at a barrel. “I’ll hitch up your team.”

Jenny watched Zeke move from wagon to wagon, assisting families with ailing travelers. Joel had left at first light to find the main company.

“Can you drive?” Zeke asked Jenny. “I can if you need me, but I’d rather ride horseback along the wagons.”

“I’ll drive,” she said.

The small group pulled slowly away from Ash Hollow. Mac lay silently in the wagon. Around midmorning he said, “You saved my life.”

“What?” She peered from the bench at Mac.

“Doc says you took care of me, made sure I drank.”

Jenny shrugged. “I did what I had to.”

“You know what the Chinese say?”

“The Chinese?”

“They say if someone saves your life, you’re in their debt forever.”

“Then I’m in your debt, too. For what happened in Arrow Rock.”

“Maybe. But you would have done all right on your own.”

Jenny glanced back again. “Why do you say that?”

“You’re strong, Jenny. Stronger than you know.”

Strong? She didn’t think of herself as strong. “I get so scared.”

“But you cope, even when you’re scared.”

Jenny smiled at his praise. Mac didn’t say nice things very often.