Dance on the Wind by Brenda Jernigan

Author:Brenda Jernigan [Jernigan, Brenda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Brenda Jernigan

12

The morning was bright and beautiful with a slight breeze blowing. Just enough to ease the heat so it wasn’t quite as hot as the last few days had been. The milder weather was greatly appreciated since everyone was rushing around trying to prepare for the crossing.

Brandy and the children sat around the fire and ate their breakfast of biscuits and molasses. They had been allowed to sleep later than normal. She figured it was because they had to cross the river and the darkness would only add to the danger.

The lead wagons had already started moving toward the water. She and the children finished their breakfast quickly, then packed everything back into the wagon. Ellen and Mary washed the dishes and placed them in the special box at the back of the wagon. Brandy went to get the oxen.

“Brandy, you must get in line. You have to go across the river, too,” Thunder snapped as he rode past them.

“And good morning to you, too,” she called to his back. Damn man! He was so frustrating!

Billy chuckled as he hitched the oxen instead of the horses. “Mary, get the cow and lead him behind the wagon. Brandy, you ready?”

Brandy raised a brow. Billy was beginning to issue orders like Thunder. Or maybe she was just being oversensitive. “Yes. Let’s go.”

They had to wait since they were the next to last wagon. She would have pointed out that small fact to Thunder, if she’d had the chance. Why hurry when they just had to wait for their turn? Maybe he just didn’t know how to say good morning. She smiled at that.

It was interesting watching the other wagons float across the river on the large boats she’d heard Ward call scows. The extra horses, cows, and oxen swam their way to the other side. So far, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

It was midday when their turn finally came. With a wave of the hand from the boatman, they were motioned to move forward. Billy guided the wagon to the edge of the riverbank, where he unhitched the team. Several men rolled the wagon upon the scow, which was basically a flat barge with no sides. They placed blocks of wood in the front and the back of the wheels so the wagon wouldn’t roll into the water. Brandy paid the fee of a dollar for the wagon, twenty-five cents for the yoke of oxen, and twenty-five cents for each horse.

Once the wagon was secured, Thunder told them what to do. “Everybody get in the wagon. Brandy, Mary, you can stand by the sides, and Billy and I will follow with the rest of the horses.”

The boatman shoved them away from the riverbank, and the scow glided through the water, pulled by a tow rope on the other side. The muddy-colored river spanned out in front of them. Brandy was surprised at how routinely everything seemed to be moving. She glanced at the opposite shore and saw that the other wagons were hitching up their teams and starting to move out.

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