The Seeds of Change by Lauraine Snelling

Author:Lauraine Snelling
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Fiction;FIC042030;FIC014000
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2021-04-19T00:00:00+00:00

17

Somewhere they had crossed into Nebraska. Forsythia hupped the oxen, taking her turn at droving. Her sunbonnet flapped against her face in the hot prairie wind. They were making progress toward the land that would be their new home.

Anders had sent the same letter to Topeka that he had to Independence, wanting to make sure they received it. He’d included the address of the attorney he wanted them to meet in Salton, with instructions for Lark to see him when they arrived. But there was no further word of that awful gambler, Ringwald, nor of Deacon Wiesel. Thank you, Lord.

“Guess what.” Lilac came riding up on Starbright, her hair windblown, and slid off the horse. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Little Bear just sighted a small herd of buffalo ahead.”

“Really?” Forsythia craned her neck to try to see around the wagon train, but the billowing clouds of dust blocked her vision. “What will we do?”

“Mr. Hayes says we’ll stop till it passes. Some of the men are trying to get him to let them shoot a couple, but he says no, we’re not prepared for a proper hunt.” Lilac pushed back her sunbonnet. “I just want to catch a glimpse of them up close if I can.”

“That would be something, all right.” As the wagons ahead of her rolled to a stop, Forsythia flicked her whip to halt the oxen. “Whoa.”

“What’s going on?” Del called from driving the Durhams’ ox behind them. They’d decided to switch positions so the Nielsen wagon drove ahead of the other.

“Buffalo.” Lilac led Starbright back to explain to Del.

Lark strode up. “Want to go see the herd?”

“I know Lilac wants to.” As a distant rumble reached their ears, Forsythia’s stomach fluttered with excitement despite herself. “But I should stay with the oxen.”

“You girls go ahead. I’ll stay with the animals.” Lark smiled, her dark eyes full of big-sister generosity. “Never know if you’ll encounter a sight like this again.”

Del didn’t care, so Forsythia and Lilac hurried to the front of the wagon train, hand in hand, lifting their skirts as they ran. The ground shook now with the thunder of the approaching herd.

They pushed their way into the crowd of travelers at the front of the train, everyone jostling for a view.

“Look.” Lilac pressed Forsythia’s fingers. “Aren’t they something?”

Above the din of their hooves, the huge dark heads and shoulders of the beasts rose amid clouds of dust like moving mountains in mist. They tossed their wooly heads and snorted, but thankfully kept their thundering path across the trail, not toward the wagons.

Forsythia squeezed back and nodded. Lord, thy creation never ceases to amaze.

A small herd, Lilac had said, yet it seemed to go on and on—the choking dust, the pounding hooves, the majestic animals—Forsythia even glimpsed a calf or two.

As the last of the buffalo passed, a man suddenly rode out on horseback toward the stragglers near the end. Raising his rifle, he aimed and shot. One buffalo stumbled, then wheeled dazedly. Catching sight of the rider, it paused, then shook its massive head and charged toward him.

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