Chapter 41: Across a Barren Land

 

Sunday, July 25th—We buried Mrs. Pershing yesterday in a lonely grave in the mountains. Esther cares for Jonah, while the Captain hides in his wagon.

 

Jenny wrote beside the fire after breakfast. She could write about the Pershing family’s loss, but not about Mac and Bridget. She was still numb after Mac’s revelation, fearing she was only an obligation and atonement to him.

“Captain says we’ll lay by,” Mac told her.

“All right,” she said. “I’ll visit Esther, if there’s no need to pack up.”

Esther paced around the Pershing campsite, holding a screaming Jonah. “How can such a little mite make so much noise?”

Jenny held out her arms. “Let me take him.” She rocked the baby while Esther collapsed on a stone by the fire.

“I’m dead beat,” Esther said. “Up all night. Rachel can’t make him happy either. He needs milk. Mrs. Dempsey don’t have enough for her daughter and Jonah both. I tried broth, but he don’t take it.”

“Where’s your papa?” Jenny asked.

Esther glanced around, then whispered, “He was drinking last night. Ain’t up yet.”

“Mac said we’re laying by.”

“He came to talk to Pa. I heard Pa moaning.”

Doc joined the girls. “Where’s Pershing? Mac said I should see to him.”

“Asleep,” Esther said.

The doctor climbed into the wagon. A minute later Abercrombie stormed over. “What’s this about laying by? Didn’t that damned fool hear anything I said?”

Mac was right behind Abercrombie. “Captain isn’t well this morning. We’re laying by.”

“I ain’t.” Abercrombie spat a long stream of tobacco juice on the ground, then said to Esther. “Girl, git back to camp and help Mrs. Abercrombie pack up. We’re heading out.”

“But, Mr. Abercrombie, I got to see to Jonah,” Esther said, taking her brother back from Jenny.

“You’re my kin now.”

Esther buried her face in Jonah’s blanket.

“Go on, girl.”

“Let her be, Abercrombie,” Mac said. “Pershing isn’t well enough to move today.”

Doc clambered down from the Pershing wagon. “He can travel. Just an upset stomach.” The doctor scowled at Esther. “Go on with Abercrombie. Mrs. Tuller and Jenny will see to the baby.”

Esther handed Jonah to Jenny and scurried off, Abercrombie striding behind her.

“He’s hung over,” Doc said to Mac after Abercrombie left.

Mac grimaced. “I wanted to let him sober up today.”

Doc shook his head. “Better to make him work. We can’t let him crawl into the bottle.”

As Jenny turned to take Jonah back to her wagon, Doc stopped her. “You keep quiet about this, Jenny. No need to upset other folks.”

She nodded, knowing he meant Mr. Abercrombie. As she walked past the Tuller wagon, Mrs. Tuller said, “Why don’t you let me have that sweet baby? I’ll take him today.”

“He’s awfully fussy,” Jenny said. “Hungry, Esther says.”

“I’ll see what Mrs. Dempsey can do,” Mrs. Tuller said. “Or get some thin porridge in him.”

The wagons climbed out of the Ham’s Fork valley and into another rocky range. Because of the late start, they were only halfway up the mountain when dusk came. They camped on a narrow ridge, where the wagons couldn’t circle, with no water except what they carried in barrels. The men posted double guards to keep the animals from wandering.

“I hope those fool scouts know what they’re doing,” Abercrombie said. “Marks they left show us going south again tomorrow.”

After supper Esther came by to see Jonah. Mrs. Tuller had coaxed him to eat a bit, and he slept peacefully for the moment.

“How’s Pa?” Esther asked.

“Better than this morning, I think. Mac talked to him at noon.”

“I need to see him,” Esther said. “And make sure the young’uns are all right. How’s Rachel doing?”

Jenny smiled. “Chasing after the twins and Ruth. Mrs. Tuller fixed them supper.”

Esther shook her head. “I should be there. If only Mr. Abercrombie would let me.”

“Have you asked Mrs. Abercrombie?”

“She’s nice enough, but won’t do anything without him nodding his head first. Says a woman oughta listen to her husband.”

“You need Daniel here,” Jenny said, embracing her friend.

Esther’s eyes watered. “If he would stand up to his pa.”

Jenny was relieved Mac was gone the next morning—she still didn’t know what to say to him. She fixed enough breakfast to take some to the Pershings and left a plate for Mac.

“Pa’s hung over again,” Esther whispered, when Jenny brought the food to the Pershing wagons. “Don’t let the young’uns know.”

Jenny sighed. Mr. Abercrombie wouldn’t let drunkenness pass if he found out. “How’s Jonah?” she asked.

Esther shook her head. “He needs more milk, but Mrs. Tuller thinks he’s all right. She’s spooning what broth she can down him.”

Jenny went back to her own camp, where Mac was finishing his biscuits. “Captain’s been drinking again.”

Mac nodded. “I checked on him before I went to bed last night. Took his bottle away, but he must have had another. I hope we find Zeke and Joel soon. Maybe they can handle him.”

Pershing slumped in his saddle through the morning, while the caravan plodded south skirting hillsides and ravines. The emigrants nooned at a sluggish creek, which the animals drank to a trickle.

Finally, in late afternoon, the trail turned west again, ascending another mountain slope. The scouts met the wagons as they switchbacked up a massive hillside.

“There’s a flat meadow atop this ridge,” Zeke said. “We’ll camp there.”

Jenny wobbled wearily as she slid off Poulette’s back. She looked around. A meadow? This wasn’t a meadow. It was flat, but grassless. No water. Room for the wagons, but the wind whipped down from the peaks and across the desolate plateau.

“There ain’t no other place to camp for miles,” Zeke said. “We’ll have to haul water.”

Jenny started cooking. Esther stopped by to tell her, “”Don’t you worry ’bout us tonight. Mrs. Abercrombie said I could spend the evening with Daniel and my brothers. I’ll fix our supper.” Esther smiled for the first time since her mother had died.

Jenny wasn’t sure she could have helped the Pershings if she’d had to. She was so exhausted she could barely manage meat and cornbread for Mac and herself.

“We’re running low on food,” she told Mac while he ate.

“Can’t stop until we find a place to rest the teams. They need good grazing.”

“Why couldn’t we have laid by yesterday?” she asked. She didn’t want to whine, but she was dead tired.

“Abercrombie refused.”

Jenny sighed. “I suppose he won’t change until we get to Oregon.”

“Doubt he will even then.” Mac stretched and rose. “I’ll go get water so you can wash.”

After Jenny washed the dishes, she pulled out her journal:

 

Monday, July 26th—A terrible climb from one dry camp to another. The scouts are back.