Part 9
Chris and the boys were gathered together on the front steps of the church. While the other boys of the orphan train ran around playing, these five just sat and talked. They had plans to make. So intent were they on their discussion that they were startled when a shadow crossed over the spot on the ground where they had been drawing out a map of the area, they had observed thus far, by means of a stick in the dirt.
They all turned and looked up into the face of a boy about 12 years of age. He had dark brown hair that was curly and wavy in disarray on his head. His eyes were a bit darker than JD’s own chocolate colored brown eyes and his clothing, though not old they were not new garments either but they were clean and well cared for.
“Can we do something for you?” Chris asked in suspicion, a single eyebrow raised.
“Uh, no. My names Joseph, Joseph Carroll, my Uncle Ethan is a deputy in the town here and he wants me and my sister and brothers,” he gestured to the long blond haired girl over by the wagon and the two little boys near her, “to make sure that you all have everything you need. So I guess it should be me asking you if WE can do something for you?” He finished with an almost too bright smile to cover the obvious nervousness and annoyance of having to do such a task.
Chris liked him already.
“Well Joseph, unless you can help us get back to Stinking Springs then I would have to say no.” He really didn’t mean to sound so mean to the boy that was about his age but his worry for Vin and Ezra and his frustration of not being allowed to help made him less than open to any hospitality.
“Oh, uh you all were close to the two that are missing?” He asked with some sympathy in his voice.
“Yeah, yeah we are.” This time it was Josiah that answered as he stood to offer his hand. “I’m Josiah, that is Chris,” he pointed to each as he introduced them to Joseph. “That’s Buck, JD and Nathan.”
Joseph gave a nod to each of the boys as they were introduced. “I’m sorry your friends are missing. I know that my uncle and Sheriff Travis will do everything they can to find them.”
“Yeah well we weren’t just planning on sitting on our backsides and wait.” Buck declared to Joseph as much as to himself.
Before Joseph could ask what Buck meant Claire called him over to help with making a meal for the surely hungry boys. “I, uh…gotta go. I’ll see you around, I guess.” HE turned and without waiting for a response and went over to where his sister and brothers were working.
Ethan arrived in time to see Joseph leave the group of boys by the church steps and join Claire, Ben and George by one of the orphan train wagons. He walked over to the kids and couldn’t help but have some sort of contact with each one, a loving kiss in Claire’s hair, the ruffling of Ben’s and then George’s locks and a hand on Joseph shoulder.
“Hey. Everything going ok here?” He asked the group, in particularly Claire.
Claire beamed the most beautiful smile at her uncle. “Everything seems to be ok. There really isn’t much here for them to eat though but we’ll make due. Is Miss Wells ok?”
Ethan couldn’t help but smile back. She would be worried about people she had just met.
“I think she will be fine. We just have to find out where those two boys went.” Ethan seemed to get a far away look in his eyes as he thought on the situation before bringing his attention back to the matter at hand.
“Well then Joseph, why don’t you go over to the Potter’s. As soon as some of the women saw these wagons pull in they made up some food. Said it should be ready in time for supper.” Joseph started to turn and go do as his uncle asked. “OH! And take Ben and George with you.” Ethan couldn’t help but snicker at the long suffering look that he received in response to that last bit but Joseph didn’t complain. Instead he sighed, rolled his eyes and turned to walk away.
“Come on Ben, George!” He yelled over his shoulder when he noticed that they had yet to appear at his side. The two smaller boys ran up to their older brother and each fell in step on either side of him. Not four steps later and Joseph patted each of them on their back, much in the same affectionate way their uncle had just done to him and ruffled their hair some too before challenging both boys to a race that he would eventually let them win.
Claire and Ethan watched them walk and then run off and it was then that he noticed that his amusement was also shining in Claire’s eyes. Looking around the camp, Ethan noticed the three men standing under the big apple tree that shaded the small creek that flowed off to the left of the church property. He indicated to Claire that he was going to go and talk to the men and giving her one last kiss and whispering a thank you he made his way over to the shade of the tree.
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Part 10
Ezra was still shaky on his feet from the earlier bout of sickness and a limp in his walk appeared as they made their way across the hot flat landscape. After Vin was able to get the boy to calm down they discussed their next move. Both boys were scared but both agreed that they couldn’t return to the area that they fled from. If someone were to come searching for them, that would be the first place they would look and neither boy at the moment wanted to be found. So after some looking around and talking a bit more, it was decided that they would continue to head west. Vin figured they were far enough off the track that the wagons were taking as to not run into them but thought that west must hold lots of places to find a town to hide in since that was the direction they had been heading all this time. Little did they know how barren this territory could be and how sparse the population.
Luckily for both boys Vin, in his panic and rush of attacking Mr. O’Leary, somehow kept a hold of the two canteens that he used as weapons, even during their frenzied flight. Neither realized the importance of conserving water in a place like this and by early evening of the first day of their trek they were already almost finished with the first canteen.
Though there were a few hours of light left that the boys could continue to walk they decided to call a stop to their travels when they found another flat area with an outcropping of rocks in the middle of nowhere. Sitting on the east side of the rocks the boys enjoyed the last bit of the water in the first canteen while they rested in the shade. The water did little for their empty stomachs other than quench their thirst.
Once seated, leaning against the rocks, Vin noticed out of the corner of his eye that Ezra had his right leg crossed over his left knee and was unconsciously rubbing at the ankle. This was the leg he had been favoring all day. Ezra jumped when Vin reached for the injured appendage causing Vin to jump back slightly and raise his hands in a gesture of sorrow.
“Sorry Ezra. I just thought I should check that leg of yours. Maybe I can help.” Vin offered as he once again, this time more slowly, reached for the injured limb.
Tilting his head to the side Ezra studied Vin a bit before he gave a little nod and carefully turned and offered his leg to Vin. Checking it ax carefully as possible, Vin noticed that the boot seemed tighter on this leg than the other leg.
“Do you know how you hurt it?” He asked Ezra with concern.
Ezra looked down and a thoughtful look appeared on his small features. The corner of his mouth quirked up to one side and he again gave a little nod of his head before looking off in the direction they came and raising a trembling little hand to make sure Vin knew where he was indicating. Vin left the leg rest on his and gently took the shaking hand into his own. “Did it happen this morning?”
A small shake of auburn hair was his answer, as Ezra once again would not look at him.
“Did it happen in the clearing?” He asked while gently holding the hand in his own two.
A small nod and an increase in the trembling answered him in the affirmative.
Bending down and slightly forward Vin tried to get a look at the smaller boy’s face. Clutching the hand a little more tightly to try to transfer strength to the traumatized child he asked one more question.
“Did Mr. O’Leary purposely hurt your leg?”
A small hitch in the breathing of his friend was the only response. Vin gently reached out a hand and lifted the now tear stained face to meet his own. “I won’t let him hurt you again. On my word as a Tanner Ezra, I will protect you this time.” He then gently shifted closer to his charge and wrapped an arm around him. They soon fell asleep.
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Part 11
That evening back in town after Ethan finished talking with all of the members of the orphan train both child and adult, he headed to the telegraph office where he had received several confirmations that the word was being spread and that so far nothing had turned up. He sent Claire to the hotel with the boys to get some supper and a room for the night; there would be no returning to the homestead this evening. Walking into the jailhouse he was glad to see that it was just Orrin and Charlie waiting for him.
“Miss Wells went back to the boys to get them settled for the evening.” Orrin informed him as he filled an old gray tin cup with some coffee from the pot that sat upon the small potbelly stove in the office. He was slowly walking around behind his desk.
“Did you get any news, anything that will be helpful?” He asked Ethan as he sat down.
“Just some messages stating that the other towns will keep a lookout but nothing suspicious looking yet.” He said this in a defeated tone as he took his own seat across the desk from Orrin and leaned back with a heavy sigh. They all knew how dangerous this territory could be and two young boys lost out in it did not have much of a chance to survive. Orrin just nodded his head. He expected as much.
“So what are we going to do?” Charlie asked as he looked between the sheriff and his top deputy.
Looking up Orrin ignored the question for a bit and posed one of his own. “What did you get from over at the camp?” As soon as Ethan had walked in the door, Orrin could sense that the other man figured something wasn’t right.
“I don’t know Orrin.” He huffed in exasperation and he roughly took his hat off and began to play with the brim. Looking up and into his eyes he continued. “I think someone isn’t telling us something. It… I don’t know, it isn’t right! How do two small boys disappear in the middle of a camp that large and no one hear anything or see anything? What the hell was this O’Leary guy looking at while he was on watch?” He couldn’t continue because he felt he just couldn’t get the odd feeling he had about all of this expressed into words. He could only look at his hands and shake his head.
“Do you think he could be lying?” Orrin asked in all seriousness, he trusted Ethan’s judgment,
“Hell I don’t know!” He roared as he rose to his feet and started pacing, his arms gesturing around wildly.
“Yeah, I think he is but I don’t know about what. I don’t know if he is lying about seeing anything or if he is lying about what happened and when or if he is lying about finding some tracks leading north. There is just something about him that I don’t trust!” He finished his tirade coming to a halt before Orrin and leaning over the desk.
“Then we leave him here. We have plenty of volunteers from town to ride out with us tomorrow morning. We will just not accept any help from men that are part of that orphan selling sideshow.”
“Do you still want me to stay here?” Charlie asked, torn between wanting to help find the kids and wanting to stay in town.
“Yes Charlie. Stay here, we can’t leave the town without a lawman. You can keep an eye on the camp too and let us know of anything that happens.” Charlie just nodded his head in agreement to Orrin’s orders.
“We riding out at first light?” Ethan asked as he straightened up.
“Yep. Be at the livery before dawn. Oh and bring some extra canteens. With this heat lately we’ll dry up pretty fast and there are few if any watering holes out there this time of year.” Orrin raised his mug to Ethan, “good night. Tuck in those kids for me.” He finished with a smile.
Ethan placed his hat upon his head with the brim hanging a bit further down to cast a shadow over his eyes and nodded before he left, softly closing the door behind him.
“You better get some sleep Charlie. I have a feeling it is going to be a long day tomorrow.” Orrin stated as he leaned back in his chair, propped his feet up on his desk and lowered his hat over his eyes.
Charlie just rose from his seat and nodded his acceptance then headed on over to one of the empty jailhouse bunks to catch a few hours of sleep. “Night Orrin,” he quietly called as he lay down.
“Night Charlie.” A smile flashed across his face before being replaced by a frown. He hoped tomorrow brought good news.
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Ethan crossed the deserted street that was bathed in the soft glow of the street fires that were quickly dying out. He bounded up the hotel steps and into the lobby.
“Ah Mr. Cord.” Michael Dodd, the manager and owner of the local hotel greeted Ethan as he walked in. “The children secured a room for you adjacent to their own. Do you require anything else tonight?” He asked as he handed him his key.
“Nah, that will be all for tonight. Thanks though.”
“Anytime, anytime.” Mr. Dodd’s voice floated up the stairwell after him as he made his way to his room. As he was about to unlock his door he hesitated and instead moved one door to the right. Knocking gently on the wood door he waited patiently for an answer.
The door slowly opened a bit and a dark brown eye peered out through the crack. Seeing who was there the door opened further as Joseph, recognizing his uncle, stepped back to allow the man entrance.
“I just wanted to make sure that you all were ok before I headed to bed?” Ethan made his way further into the room and sat on the bed that contained Ben and George. The two quickly wrapped their arms around their uncle, one hanging around his neck and the other off of his right bicep.
Claire sat in the other bed that occupied the room in a dressing gown and nightshirt that Ms. Lawson lent to her. She put the book down she had been reading to the boys and smiled at her Uncle. Joseph moved to the bedroll he had lay out at the foot of her bed and sat with his legs crossed.
“We’re fine Uncle Ethan.” Claire assured him. “In fact I was just reading a bed time story to Ben and George.”
“Good, good.” Ethan replied distractedly. He looked at each the two oldest and gave reassuring squeezes to the two youngest. “I will be gone by the time you wake in the morning. We’re going to go out and look for any sign of those two missing boys. I want you all to head out to the farm and check on things. Do you understand?” He conveyed in his eyes to Joseph and Claire how important it was that they take care of the two boys behind and beside him.
“We understand uncle Ethan.” Joseph spoke up from the floor.
“We’ll be fine. You need to be careful.” Claire expressed her own worry.
“I will.” He got up and tucked Ben and George into their blankets and gave them a kiss goodnight on their foreheads.
“Goodnight Uncle Ethan. I hope you bring them back.” George wished to his uncle as he planted a small kiss on his cheek.
“G-good n-night.” Ben whispered as his eyes began to droop and he placed his own small kiss on the other cheek.
“Goodnight” Ethan breathed to the two youngest as he again gave them goodnight kisses. He walked over to Claire’s bed and helped her settle. Sitting on the edge he gently brushed her hair behind her ear and quietly spoke to her. “I am counting on you tomorrow.”
“I know.” She again answered with a tender smile.
“Goodnight.” He peacefully said as he kissed her on the cheek.
“Goodnight.” She returned, giving him a huge hug before he stood up.
Getting up and arranging the covers one more time he made his way over to where Joseph bunked on the floor. “You know you could share my room.” Ethan amusedly offered.
Joseph smirked up at his uncle. “I know.”
“Goodnight Joseph.” He said as he ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately.
“Goodnight and be careful.” Joseph answered back as got up to walk Ethan to the door. His answer was a genuine smile from his uncle.
Ethan got up and made his way to the door and took one last look before walking out into the hall. Joseph once again stood in the doorway watching.
“Uncle Ethan?” He called out as Ethan prepared to go into his room. He turned and looked at his oldest nephew questioningly.
“It will work out. You and Sheriff Travis will find them and bring them home.” He avowed. Ethan beamed at the boy and nodded his head. “I hope your right Joseph, I hope your right.” With that he watched as Joseph nodded in return and closed the door. The sound of the lock echoed in the empty hallway. Ethan gave one last long look at their door and went into his own room. Dawn couldn’t come soon enough.
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