Chapter
10

The kiss sent a lightning streak through Adam, and he jumped up as if he’d been burned. He stared down at Mercy, who was trying to right herself on the log. He felt bad for nearly knocking her off of it again, but his actions couldn’t be helped.

“I’m sorry. That should never have happened, and it won’t happen again. I never intended to do that.” He knew he was rambling. “I think we should get back to the house. It’s not safe to be out this far anymore.” He turned to leave, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Mercy was following. She wasn’t.

He stopped and pulled her to her feet. “Did you hear me? We need to get back. That deer wouldn’t just bound out of the woods without a reason. Something must have spooked it, so we should go.”

“I heard you.” Mercy frowned and pulled away from him.

He readied himself for some protest or downright defiance, but instead Mercy gathered her skirts and marched back to the cabin. He followed, and when she stopped to pick up the laundry basket, he reached out to take it from her. Again he expected her to reject his offer, but she let him have the basket.

“Mercy, wait.” He hurried to catch up with her. “I’m truly sorry. I know what I did was wrong. I never meant it to happen.”

“So you keep telling me,” she said angrily. Without another word, she headed through the open front door of the house.

Isaac stood just inside. “I was coming to look for you. Faith said you were gathering clothes, and I found the laundry but no sign of you.”

Mercy looked back at Adam. She grabbed the basket from him and pushed past Isaac. “I went for a walk and met with a skunk.”

“A skunk?”

Adam looked at Isaac. “I’ll explain later.” His voice was barely a whisper.

He watched as Mercy all but threw the basket down near the fireplace. She didn’t say anything, but he could almost hear her muttering. Perhaps it was just the onslaught of regrets echoing in his own mind.

Isaac shook his head. “One of the men spotted Billy and some of his militia downstream. Their camp isn’t but five miles away. I figure I should go down there and try to talk some sense into them.”

Adam frowned. “Do you think that’s wise, since I’m leaving tomorrow?”

“I’d forgotten you were going.” Isaac considered this for a moment. “I think you still need to go. It’s only right that we try to warn the other tribes and help them figure out how to negotiate with the government. I want the killings to stop, and if we don’t both do what we can, I’m afraid it will just continue.”

Mercy had stretched a clothesline from one wall to the other in order to hang the damp laundry in front of the fire. Adam could see she was calming down as her mind focused on the work at hand. He hated that he’d upset her so much.

“It’s most likely going to continue anyway.” Adam turned back to Isaac, who was watching him in a curious fashion. “I’ll leave at first light.” He said it loudly enough that he hoped Mercy heard him.

Isaac stood without a word of reply for several moments. Adam wondered if his brother was trying to figure out the conflict with the Indians, or the obvious issue between Adam and Mercy. With a shake of his head, Isaac grabbed his hat. “I’ll go after I speak with the men. I’m also going to see Tunchi about getting Eletta to Ellensburg.”

Tunchi, whose name translated to the number four, was Red Deer’s brother-in-law. He was not only the fourth son born to his family, but was born in a village where four roads converged. His full name translated to “Four Roads Come Together,” but everyone called him Tunchi. Adam knew Isaac had chosen him because he had a large, long canoe that could manage the ocean if need be.

Adam lowered his voice. “Do you think you can get her to go?”

“She’s not well, and it would give me peace of mind to have her near a doctor or hospital. I’d also like to have our girls where there are soldiers to protect them. From just talking with the other men, I believe the peace is sure to pass from us soon enough.”

“Maybe I should stay here then.”

Isaac shook his head. “No, you must get to the other tribes—the ones away from the river in the higher elevations. They may not realize how quickly things are deteriorating. We need to encourage them to come down peacefully and give themselves up for transportation to the reservation. As much as I hate it, I think it’s now the only way. Perhaps if they show cooperation, the government will organize a reserve down here and allow them to return.”

Three days later, Mercy still felt mixed emotions when thinking about Adam. She couldn’t deny that what she felt for him was stronger than it had been just days before. That kiss had changed everything. The kiss and the way he’d held her in his arms when she’d been frightened.

Perhaps it was foolish to put so much stock in that moment, but she couldn’t help it. Nothing like that had ever happened to her before, yet Adam treated the entire matter as distasteful and something to be forgotten.

“But I can’t forget.” Mercy touched her lips. It was the first time she’d ever kissed a man. Many a fellow had tried, but Mercy had managed to avoid their attempts. With Adam, she had welcomed it.

Faith murmured softly, rolling over in her sleep. Sometime in the night she had grown cold and had climbed in bed with Mercy. It was becoming a habit.

It was nearly dawn, and Mercy figured it was better to get up and get to work than to lie sleepless in bed, wondering about her heart.

She inched her body down the mattress and managed to separate herself from Faith. The child rolled over and curled into a ball. Once out of bed, Mercy hurried to dress in her warm wool skirt and stockings. She topped this with a flannel camisole and long-sleeved cotton blouse before exiting the bedroom. There was no sign of anyone else being awake, so she went about her business as quietly as possible.

After donning her boots, Mercy stoked up the fire in the stove and then added more wood to the fireplace. They were getting low on wood, but it would have to wait. She lit a lamp and again thought of Adam. Where was he now? Had he encountered any danger? Did he think about their kiss?

“Stop it!” she commanded herself.

She pulled on her apron and did her best to focus on breakfast. As she worked, the fire in the hearth caught and began a cheery blaze. It wasn’t long before Isaac appeared. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“Thanks for starting the fire. Feels colder this morning,” he said, reaching for his boots.

“I thought so too. We’re going to need more wood.” Mercy turned with the coffeepot in hand. “I was just making coffee.”

Isaac nodded. “I sure could use a cup. Make it strong, and I’ll fetch the wood.”

He didn’t bother to put on his coat but quickly exited the house, leaving the front door open. Mercy turned back to the water she’d boiled the night before. She poured half the normal amount into the pot, then put it on the stove to heat. Next she took out a portion of coffee beans and put them in the grinder. By the time she’d finished grinding them, Isaac was back with his first load of wood.

Isaac was just bringing in his third armload of split logs when Faith appeared in her nightclothes. She crossed to the table and plopped down without so much as a word. It wasn’t like her, and Mercy feared she was sick.

She went to Faith and put a hand to her head. “Do you feel all right?”

Faith shook her head. “I had a bad dream.”

Mercy knelt beside her. “Sometimes talking about it helps.”

Faith glanced at her father as he stacked wood near the stove. “No. I don’t want to talk about it.”

It was a strange response for the little girl who always seemed keen to share her thoughts. “Well, anytime you want to talk about it, I’m here.” Mercy rose. “Is Eletta awake?” she asked Isaac.

“No. At least not when I got up.”

“Good. She needs her rest. I’m going to whip up some flapjacks, so breakfast will be ready shortly.” She went back to the counter, where she’d left a large mixing bowl. “Faith, why don’t you get dressed, and then you can help me.”

Mercy heard the chair scoot across the floor. She glanced up to see Faith lumber back to the bedroom. The little girl was definitely not herself.

By the time breakfast was ready, Eletta had awakened. Mercy fixed her a cup of raspberry leaf tea and brought it to her with a single flapjack. She’d smeared the top with some berry jam, hoping it would entice Eletta to eat.

“How are you feeling today?”

Eletta smiled. “Stronger, I think.”

Mercy knew she was trying to be positive. Isaac had told them the night before that if Eletta was stable enough, he planned to go downriver and see if he could find Billy and his confederates. He’d planned to go the day Adam left, but Eletta hadn’t been well, so he’d delayed.

“Well, I think eating will prove that to all of us.”

Eletta looked at the plate and nodded. “It looks good, and the tea smells wonderful.”

Mercy smiled. “I’ll be back to check on you in a few minutes.”

“Tell Isaac that I’m doing just fine. Please.”

The two women exchanged a knowing look. Mercy felt conflicted about telling Isaac that all was well, but at the same time, she knew it was urgent that he speak with the volunteer militiamen. Rumors abounded up and down the river, and it seemed that war was coming ever closer to the mission. If someone didn’t make an effort to encourage peace, Mercy feared full-on war.

In the kitchen, Faith was finishing the flapjacks, and Isaac stood at the stove, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He turned to study Mercy for a moment, and she beamed a smile.

“Eletta’s eating and feeling much better.”

A look of relief washed over Isaac’s face. “That’s good.” He took his coffee and sat at the small table. “I’ll plan to leave just after breakfast.”

“Do you want me to pack you something to eat?”

He shook his head. “I’ll just take some dried salmon with me. It’ll see me through.”

Mercy nodded and brought him a stack of flapjacks. Going back to the stove, she smiled down at Faith. “Take your seat, and I’ll bring our plates.”

Faith handed her the spatula and did as she was told. Mercy worried about what was troubling the child. Perhaps after her father left, Faith would feel more like talking.

They ate in silence. It seemed the worries of the situation held them all captive. Isaac was no doubt concerned about convincing the militia to hold off on any more attacks, as well as worried about Eletta. Faith was troubled by her bad dream and perhaps was coming down sick. Mercy, on the other hand, was trying to figure out what in the world she was going to do about Adam.

Isaac made it clear that he wasn’t sure when he’d be back. He hoped it would be by nightfall, but there was a chance it might not be until the following day.

“I can’t be sure where they’re camped. They were just a few miles downstream, and hopefully that’s where they still are,” he told Mercy as they stood at the riverbank. “If they’ve gone closer to Gold Beach, I might go on in to town and speak with the army doctor about Eletta.”

Mercy looked across the gray water and then to the equally gray skies. “It looks like rain.” She knew his mind wasn’t at all on the weather.

He nodded. “Try to keep Eletta calm. Hopefully when I get back, I’ll have a plan for getting all of you out of here. I think it’d be best if you stayed with the Hulls in Port Orford, but I don’t know if Eletta can travel that far. You might have to remain in Gold Beach.”

“Just come back safe, and don’t worry about us. We’ll be ready for whatever you decide.”

He glanced back at the cabin. “I fear for her. I know she’s not as well as she lets on.”

Mercy nodded. “But she’s determined. Try not to worry. I think she’ll be fine.”

She wasn’t certain about that, but it seemed to give him comfort to hear the words. Mercy watched as he climbed down the narrow path to the river and threw his gear into one of the canoes. One of the Tututni men stood by. They exchanged a few words, and then Isaac climbed into the canoe while the Indian pushed him out into the river.

The current caught the canoe just as Isaac began to paddle. Before long, he was around the bend and out of sight, and Mercy was staring down at empty river. She didn’t like knowing that both Adam and Isaac were gone.

As she walked back to the cabin, she heaved a sigh. She was scared, but she didn’t want to let on for Eletta and Faith’s sakes. Still, she couldn’t shake a deep sense of dread.

Isaac returned the following afternoon. Mercy and Eletta had just started to grow concerned when he bounded into his bedroom with a scowl on his face.

“What is it? Did you talk to the militia?” Eletta asked. Mercy began to gather the remains of the tea she’d served Eletta.

“I didn’t have a chance. I couldn’t locate them. Traces of their camp were there just as I figured, but they were nowhere to be found. I saw neither them nor any Indians. It was as if everyone had fallen off the face of the earth. It started pouring rain, and I figured it best to just come home rather than continue searching for them in bad weather.”

Eletta frowned and sat up. “What will you do?”

“I’m going to talk with the men here and encourage them to speak to some of the nearby villages. If I can’t reason with the militia, then I’ll reason with the Tututni. They’ve a more level head on the matter than the whites have shown, anyway. Then, in a day or two, I’m going to go upriver to where the army is camped. I’ll have to be gone for a week or more, but I think it’s important that I speak with whoever is in charge. If it’s the captain who came with us from Port Orford, I think I can reason with him.”

Mercy nodded and clutched the tea tray as though it were a lifeline. “He did seem reasonable.”

Isaac looked at Eletta and shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of leaving you two alone for that long. I just don’t know if you’ll be safe.”

Eletta eased back against the pillows. “The people here would protect us with their lives, and we’d do the same for them. Besides, like you told me long ago, we didn’t come here to be safe.”

She forced a smile that Mercy knew she didn’t feel. The fact was that Eletta was weakening by the day. It didn’t seem to matter what Mercy fed her or what herbal tea she concocted, Eletta was fading fast. She had once heard Grace mention a situation where a woman could actually be poisoned by the baby inside her. If that were the case, there was very little Mercy could do. She could hardly cause the unborn child to be expelled. That would be murder. No, it was all in God’s hands now.

“I’ll be out in the kitchen.” Mercy walked to the door. “Isaac, would you like some coffee?”

“Yes. I’ll come get it in a minute.”

She nodded and reached for the door to close it behind her. No doubt the privacy would do them good. Maybe Eletta could cheer her husband.

Since Faith was playing with Mary, Mercy took the opportunity to bake a pie. She made enough dough for two double-crusted pies, then put it in a lidded tin and set it outside to chill. After that, she collected some jars of preserved berries for the filling. It wasn’t long before Isaac appeared for his coffee.

“Mercy, I want you to know that I wouldn’t go if I didn’t think it was necessary. I didn’t want to say anything in front of Eletta, but I did meet up with a couple soldiers. They were heading downriver for supplies. They said they’re planning to attack the area villages unless the Indians surrender without a fight.”

“We’ll be all right. If anything goes amiss—if Billy and his men show up—they won’t do anything to us. Hopefully they’ll leave the Tututni alone, but the men are keeping watch. If we come under attack, they should have time enough to flee.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” Isaac sighed. “I just wish there were another way. I know Eletta isn’t well.”

“No. She isn’t.” Mercy put her hand on his arm. “I won’t leave her even for a moment. I’ll be here all day, since we’re not having classes, and I’ll keep Faith close.” They’d concluded, with Adam’s departure and the growing danger, that it would be best to suspend school.

He sat down at the table. “I just wish there were another way. I wish Adam hadn’t gone, but it’s just as vital that he speak with the Indians. They’ll listen to him, even if they choose not to heed his advice.”

Mercy could see the turmoil within Isaac. She moved to the table and sat opposite him. “Why don’t we pray?”