Page 9 of Wagon Train Melody
“You’ve angled to the north a bit.”
Could she trust him? Of course not. She’d simply watch the sun and check their direction.
“We gonna camp again?” Kitty asked. “I likes camping.”
“Me too.” Sissy nodded. “Uncle Bo made a fire and Auntie cooked yummy stew over it.”
“An’ we sleeped in the wagon with Auntie. Unca Bo sleeped under the wagon. Isn’t that funny?”
Alice let the girls chatter as she assessed her situation. If Bo would wake up, she wouldn’t need Rudy’s help and would bid him goodbye. Of course, Bo had a broken arm so maybe it was premature to think she wouldn’t need help.
But they traveled on, and Bo did not get better. The sun reached its zenith, and Rudy drove down a hill to a trickling stream. It was shallow but at least the horses could drink.
She climbed from the wagon.
Rudy was already on his feet and lifted the girls down. They followed him as he took the horses to water and followed him back, chattering non-stop. They’d talked the entire morning, and yet they still had things to say.
Kitty was telling him something about a bird—imaginary or real, it was hard to tell—and she giggled behind her hand.
Alice watched them approach. Rudy, to his credit, showed no impatience. In fact, he chuckled at Kitty.
Right side of the law, or wrong side, at least he treated her little nieces kindly.
The four of them sat on the ground. She reached for the little hands on either side of her.
Of course, before she could warn otherwise, the girls in their sweet innocence reached for Rudy’s hands.
She could almost forget all the reasons she had to be cautious around him at the way he looked so pleased with the gesture. “Girls,” she murmured, “let’s say grace. Whose turn is it?”
“Mine.” Sissy sucked in air, bowed her head, and prayed. “Dear Jesus, thank you for the sun. For the sky and grass. For the horses. For Auntie Alice. For Mr. Rudy staying with us to help us. Oh yeah, and for the food. Amen.”
Alice served cold baked beans she’d prepared the night before. She would speak to Sissy later, privately, and inform her that Mr. Rudy wasn’t staying with them. In fact?—
She was about to tell him she was grateful for his help but that it was no longer needed when sounds from the wagon informed her that Bo was restless again. She had to calm him. “Girls, you stay here.” She glanced at Rudy. Was she making a foolish mistake in leaving the girls in his charge?
He must have read her mind for he quirked an eyebrow and gave her a look that she could best describe as resigned. “Go. We’ll be fine.”
Bo was making an awful racket, so she hurried to him.
Rudy had suggested tying his arms down and she wondered if she’d have to do it to protect the broken one, but she touched Bo gently, sang softly and he calmed.
Oh, Lord God, this is so hard to watch. What is going on inside his head? Could You please make it better? And get us safely to the fort. Please.
She waited until she thought Bo was settled for the time being and returned to the others. “Girls, help me clean up.”
They carried the dishes to the water and washed them. Having been warned about the possibility of not finding water on the trail, she topped up the water barrel while Rudy prepared the horses for travel.
She put the girls on the wagon seat. Normally, they would spend much of the day playing in the back, but she hesitated to put them there with Bo. Bad enough they witnessed it from up front.
“Unca Bo acting funny,” Kitty declared.
“He’s sick,” Alice explained.
“In the head,” Sissy spoke with such detachment that it made Alice shudder.
“He getting better.” Kitty was definitely convinced.
Alice couldn’t help but wonder what she based her assurance on. For her part, Alice’s assurance was on God’s faithfulness. With that reminder firmly in her mind, she went to Rudy.
