He doesn’t seem to be getting any better, Leah. I’m plumb worried about him.”
Leah stared at Ezra, her troubled face echoing his words. Her father had gotten steadily worse since the battle.
“I think we’d better get him home as quick as we can,” she agreed. “If he can stand the hard trip.” She was worried, and her face showed it. “Maybe we can get some farm family to take us in here until he gets better or rent a room or something like that.”
“Maybe.” Ezra scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Might be a little hard to do. People are pretty standoffish, what with the battle and all.”
“I sent a letter to Ma, but I don’t know how long it’ll take to get there. And I don’t know what good it’ll do, because she can’t come here anyhow and leave Esther alone. We’d better start back right away.”
“All right. The animals are in good shape,” Ezra said. “I’ll grain them extra good tonight. We’ll start home first thing in the morning.”
The two of them went about their chores then. They’d distributed all of their supplies to the soldiers, so the wagon was practically empty. Leah had moved her father back into her cot inside the wagon, and now she used some of the last of their provisions to cook supper.
She had seen enough of the wounded to disturb her dreams for the rest of her life and had wept over the death of Dave Mellon. He had been a friend for so long it was hard to believe that he was gone. She was grateful that Royal had been spared. He had come to her the day after the battle and told her about Dave’s death and the loss of two other boys from Pineville. Now as she fixed supper, she could not help but think about them.
She finished the cooking and called out, “Ezra, why don’t you come and tend this meat while I take Pa something?”
Even as she spoke, a man came walking out of the falling darkness into the camp. He was a big, heavy man with a full beard and a pair of steady blue eyes.
“Yes, sir, can I help you?” Leah asked.
“I’m looking for a sutler named Dan Carter.”
“I’m Leah Carter. Dan Carter’s my father, but he’s ill right now.”
Her words seemed to trouble the visitor. He stood uncertainly, looked down at the ground, and stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Is he bad ill, does thee say?”
“I’m afraid so. We’re taking him home first thing in the morning.”
“My name is Amos Golden.”
“Do you know my father, Mr. Golden?”
“No, lass, I don’t.”
“I’ll see if he’s awake.”
Leah walked to the rear of the wagon, lifted up the canvas and said, “Pa, are you awake?”
“Yes, I am.” His voice was thin and tired but also determined.
Leah turned to the stranger and said, “Mr. Golden, he’s awake if you’d like to talk to him.”
Amos Golden walked to the wagon and looked inside, though it was too dark to see anything. He cleared his throat and asked quietly, “Is thee Daniel Carter?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’m sorry to hear thee is ill,” he said. “Not harmed in the battle, I hope?”
“No.” Dan Carter got up from his cot and came to the edge of the wagon. He awkwardly sat down so that he could see the face of the visitor. “What can I do for you?”
Golden again hesitated. He lowered his voice and said, “I have a message for thee.”
“A message? From who?”
“A young man. He says his name is Jeff Majors.”
Leah had been close enough to hear. She came at once and said, “Jeff Majors? Oh, where is he?”
“At my house. He’s in pretty bad shape.”
“Was he wounded?” Leah demanded instantly.
“No, lass. He’s sick. I think he was sick before the battle started, or so he said anyway. He’s too weak to move.”
“What’s the message?” Dan Carter inquired.
Golden looked suddenly at Ezra, who had come closer. He turned back to Dan, saying, “Is it all right to speak freely?”
“Yes, you can say anything in front of these two.”
“Very well. The young man says he is afraid of being taken prisoner by the Federal Army. He asked if thee will help him get to his home.”
A silence fell for a moment, and then Dan said, “Well, we’ll do all we can, of course. He’s a good friend of ours.”
“I don’t know,” Golden said slowly. “He’s in bad shape …”
“I understand, but God will make a way.”
At that Golden smiled. “Thee is a Christian man. That’s good.” He hesitated, then said, “I fear the Federals will begin searching the houses for escaped Confederates. Already they’ve questioned my neighbors. If they come, I wouldn’t be able to lie to them.”
Leah said, “We’ve got to get him, Father. We can’t let him go to prison. He’d die there!”
“That’s right,” Ezra said quickly. “I don’t reckon our Yankee prisons are any better than the one I was in in Virginia. We’ll have to get him.”
Dan Carter thought for a moment. But he was so weak that it seemed he couldn’t think clearly, and he said, “You two will have to handle it. I can’t help, but I can pray.” Then he turned to the big man, saying, “I thank you, sir, for your kindness. God will bless you for it.”
Golden nodded. “I will pray that God will give thee strength, friend Carter. What does thee wish me to do?”
“Can we drive the wagon right up to your house?” Leah asked.
“Why, yes. That would be no trouble at all. I will show thee the way. It isn’t far.”
Ezra said, “It will take about half an hour to get ready and break camp. I’ll hitch the team, Leah. You just throw everything we’ve got into the wagon. We’ve got to move fast.”
Leah did move fast, and by the time Ezra had the team hitched, she had all their belongings in the wagon. She hurriedly scribbled a good-bye note to Royal and tacked it to the tree their wagon had been hitched under. They had already said their farewells earlier in the day, since Royal’s army duties would have prevented him from seeing them off in the morning.
“I’m ready,” she said. “If you’ll show us the way, Mr. Golden.”
“This way, lass.”
Jeff was asleep, but as soon as he heard a voice he opened his eyes. “Jeff?” the familiar voice said, and when he was able to focus, he whispered, “Leah, it’s you.”
Leah bent over him. “Yes.” She put her hand on his forehead and said, “You’re burning up with fever.”
“I know, but I’ve got to get out of here.” He shifted his head and saw Ezra coming into the room, followed by Amos Golden. “Ezra, help me.”
“Why, sure I will, Jeff. Me and Leah, we’ll get you out of this.” He turned to Golden. “I reckon we’d better take him right now.”
“If the patrol stops thee, thee may have trouble. Maybe all would be held and tried as spies.”
“We’ve been in trouble before, the three of us.” Ezra grinned and winked at Jeff. “Get ready for a little trip,” he said.
“Let me put on my clothes,” Jeff pleaded. “I can’t go in this nightgown!”
“Thy clothes are too ragged to wear,” Golden protested. “And mine are too big for thee.”
“You can wear some of mine, Jeff,” Ezra said. “I’ll go get them.”
Jeff was so weak he hardly knew what was going on. He was aware that Ezra had taken over and had sent Leah from the room with the women. He tried to help with the clothes, but he was so frail he could do little.
But soon Ezra had him fully dressed. “Can you stand up to walk?”
“We can take him,” Golden said. “I carried thee in my arms once—now I will do it again.” Without further ado, he stooped over and in his mighty arms picked the boy up. Jeff’s head bobbed as the big man carried him outside and laid him on the pallet of soft blankets Leah had made in the wagon, next to the cot that held her father.
Dan Carter greeted him warmly. “Jeff,” he said in a sick man’s voice, “looks like the two of us are going to make a hospital. But we’ll make it all right.”
The Goldens came into the yard, and Jeff thanked them all.
Then Amos said, “Thee had better stick to the back roads for a while.”
Leah climbed up on the seat beside Ezra and cried out, “Thank you. Thank you so much, all of you.”
“Thee is welcome, daughter. We will pray for the young man and thy father.”
Soon the wagon was trundling down a rough road.
The air was silent, but Leah and Ezra were tense.
“The cavalry sometimes sends out patrols on roads like this to pick up deserters. Sure would hate to meet any,” Ezra said.
However, they were fortunate, and two or three hours later Ezra drew up the team, and the two of them climbed into the wagon.
“You all right, Jeff?” Ezra asked.
Jeff nodded weakly. “Just get me home.”
Leah said, “Pa, I don’t know what to do. You need to get home to Kentucky. Jeff needs to go to Virginia. We can’t do both.”
Dan Carter was lying still on his bunk. The rough road had shaken him, and he must have felt almost as bad as Jeff. However, he lifted his head and smiled. “I’ve been wanting to see my Uncle Silas for a long time—and it looks like the time has come for me to do it. Take us to Virginia, Ezra.”
Ezra looked at the two sick men and nodded. “Yes, sir. I’ll sure do that. Just lie there and take it easy. With God’s help, we’ll make it fine!”