Page 11 of Wagon Train Melody
Kitty nodded. “Unca Bo says I have pretty eyes.”
“He’s right.” Rudy wondered how Bo was doing and looked over his shoulder again. Bo rocked his head back and forth and Alice returned to his side to sing.
“Rudy,” she called. “Look behind.”
His shoulders twitched. He kept his reactions calm so as not to alarm the girls as he pulled the horses to a halt. “Stay here.” He jumped down and jogged around the wagon to get the palomino. He would ride as far and fast as he could from these people so as to not bring harm to them.
“Rudy. Stop. Have a look.” Alice repeated her words.
He sucked in air and turned to look back. He stared. “Where did he go?” No dust. Nothing. Had the rider stopped? He squinted hard. Then he saw a tiny swirl of dust at the horizon. “He’s changed direction?” How could that be?
“Appears so. Maybe it isn’t whoever you expected it to be.”
“Maybe.” He returned to the wagon seat and flicked the reins.
“What were you looking at?” Sissy asked. Her eyes were big with concern.
“Thought I saw something. But I guess I didn’t.”
“Was you scared?” Kitty asked.
Alice had calmed Bo and moved forward. “Girls, give the man some peace. Maybe Mr. Rudy would like to hear you sing.”
The girls glanced up at him, smiling.
“I’d love to hear it.”
In unison, they sang, “Jesus loves me, this I know.”
Rudy listened in awe. He had never heard children sing so sweetly.
They finished.
“That was beautiful.”
“Thank you,” they chorused.
“We likes singing,” Kitty said, nodding her head.
“Sometimes we sing with Auntie,” Sissy added. “We like that too.”
“You all sing very nicely.”
“Auntie, sing with us.”
She looked about to refuse and then nodded. “What shall we sing?”
“Oh Susanna,” Sissy shouted.
Alice laughed. “Why am I not surprised? Very well.”
The three of them sang the song. And he’d never heard it sung better.
They finished and he clapped. “Very nice.”
Kitty stood and faced him. “Now you sing.”
“Kitty,” Alice warned but he held up his hand.
