A Light in the Wilderness by Jane Kirkpatrick

Author:Jane Kirkpatrick [Kirkpatrick, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical, FIC042030, FIC014000, Freedmen—Fiction, African American women—Fiction, Oregon Territory—History—Fiction, Christian Fiction
ISBN: 9781441219565
Goodreads: 22945716
Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Company
Published: 2014-08-26T10:00:00+00:00

“We’ll be leaving tomorrow morning, with Captain English,” Davey told Letitia as she moved a firkin so she could put the scrub board away. He hoped she wouldn’t resist his decision. “English has but twenty-six wagons including ours and 300 head of cattle. We’ll still be part of Tetherow’s main group under Meek’s guidance but able to move faster. I’ve picked up flour, sugar, salt, tea, coffee, and tobacco. And lead. It’s good we’re here ahead of others.” He pulled up his neck bandana and coughed. “Dang dust here. They’ll run out of sugar sure thing and the hind companies will have to pay twice my eight cents a pound for flour.”

“You done a good job of tradin’.” She lifted the flour barrel cover. “Good to see a full supply. I tries to trade your shirt for one of those cradleboards the Indians use.”

“You went to the Indian camp? So that’s where you were. Brave of you.” He poured himself fresh coffee, the scent rising in the morning air.

“Jus’ curious. Mrs. Meek go with me. Her husband say it safe. She speaks like she from the provinces, north.”

“I ’spect she’s French.”

“A board leaned against the teepee. I shows ’em your shirt but a woman shakes her head no.”

“Those boards are pretty special. Made for an individual child. Probably didn’t want to part with it.”

Then she pressed the point he’d hoped to avoid. “Can we wait? One more day? For the Hawkinses?”

“Now lookee, Letitia.” She could be as persistent as a mosquito once she got something into her head. “We got to keep going.”

“We makin’ good time. Mr. Meek say so.”

“Letitia. I’ve decided.”

But in the morning Davey awoke with swollen eyes, a sore throat, and a persistent cough. Letitia went with him to the fort hospital.

“Measles?”

“Buried a boy from an earlier party and a company just came in has the disease as well,” the fort doctor told them. “Your master could get pretty sick.” He nodded toward Letitia.

“Maybe we stay. I finds out if Nancy with the group of last evenin’. You have treatment?”

“Very little.” The doctor washed his hands in a basin. “Keep the temperature down with cool baths. Keep your baby clear of him. If you can. Blotches will appear in three or four days. They’ll itch. Try not to scratch them. It’ll prolong the disease. I’d recommend staying here until the fever breaks.”

“Yessuh.”

“Lookee here. We got to get going.” Davey let Letitia help him back to the wagon.

“Doc Hawkins treat you if we wait.”

“We ain’t waiting, Tish.” Speaking tired him. “You’ll have to drive. The drovers are so far behind. It might be three days before they catch up. I want out of here now. And don’t say nothing to nobody about measles.”

“Can’t tend you well if I’s drivin’.”

“It’s the end of June and we’re only 650 miles from home. I’ll push through this. May not even be measles.” His breath came short. “You drive.”

“You too weak today.”

He cursed and Letitia startled.

“Sorry.”

She rarely stood up to him. But maybe she was right.

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