A Dangerous Promise by Joan Lowery Nixon

Author:Joan Lowery Nixon [Nixon, Joan Lowery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-82753-1
Publisher: Laurel-Leaf Books
Published: 2013-11-27T05:00:00+00:00

11

AS THE CAPTAIN appeared in the doorway, children of all ages scooted in and around him. Some of the children were almost as tall as the captain, some barely higher than his knees. Mike stared, wide-eyed.

John Wesley pushed to the forefront. “Don’t worry,” he said to the captain. “We don’t think our brother’s contagious.”

“Contagious?” The captain hesitated.

Rolling his eyes, John Wesley lowered his voice to almost a whisper. “And we’re almost sure it isn’t smallpox.”

John Wesley crossed his eyes and began scratching his arms and chest. Two of the smaller children immediately copied him. The captain nervously backed away from the doorway, bumping into Mrs. Ray, who had just joined the group. “Has the company doctor seen your son who’s ill, ma’am?” he asked.

“My son?” Mrs. Ray’s eyes widened, but she quickly recovered. “As you can see, your company doctor has his hands full. Michael is recuperating and will soon be well.”

One of the younger children stepped on the captain’s toes as she shoved her way out the door. Pain lined his face as he dodged her path. “How many children do you have, ma’am?” he asked Mrs. Ray.

“Mr. Ray and I have been blessed with quite a large family,” Mrs. Ray said. She put her hand to the forehead of a little girl who was scratching vigorously. “What’s the matter, Livonia?” she asked. “Are you not feeling well?”

“Mrs. Ray,” the captain told her, “I would like to search the rest of your house.”

“Do whatever you must do,” Mrs. Ray answered. “The children will accompany you.”

“That’s not necessary,” the captain barked, and his footsteps beat a swift tattoo as he strode down the hallway, most of the children on his heels.

John Wesley looked up at his mother. “I wasn’t fibbing—well, not exactly.”

Smiling, Mrs. Ray put a hand on her son’s shoulder, then turned to Mike. “Mr. Ray and I have taught our children that when a law is terribly unjust, then it is wrong to obey it,” she said. “To take you as a prisoner at this time, Mike, would surely mean your death.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Ray,” Mike mumbled.

Yet he wondered: Mrs. Ray was a good, kind woman who taught her children to be just—yet she owned slaves. How could anyone believe that slavery was just?

“Sleep well,” Mrs. Ray said. “Most of the troops have gone north to occupy Springfield. The others will soon leave. You’re a part of our family for the present. You’ll be safe here with us.”

But it wasn’t long before Mike had another visitor. Corey came to Mike’s bedside and smiled down at him. “You look a lot better than you did, Mike Kelly.”

“Thanks to you,” Mike said.

“And to Mrs. Ray. She’ll take good care of you.”

“Do you know what happened to my company? Where they went?” Mike asked.

Corey shrugged. “Last I heard, your Major Sturgis was still leading his army northeast. Someone said the Yanks were headed for Rolla, as far as they could get from us Confederates.” He blustered a bit as he added, “They may have to run all the way to St.

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