Page 110 of Master of Paradise
"They have the fever. The hospital was fullof typhoid. I must get them out of here before the contagionspreads to others in the boarding house."
"My God, let's get that horse in those buggyshafts and get the hell away from here, lady," ordered theirhost.
Brandon lay sprawled across the back seat ofthe open carriage, half-unconscious from the pain he'd endured inmoving him. Bernard sat up on the high front seat, but it wasAmanda who picked up the reins and guided the horse from the stableand out into the darkened road in the direction of Virginia.
She drove for about two hours before the dawnpinkened the sky. When it was full daylight, she reined in thehorse by a stream and allowed it to graze on the rich greengrass.
Her father had dozed most of the journey, dueto his fever and she knew she had nothing she could give him torelieve it. She helped him out of the carriage and sat him with hisback against a tree.
Brandon was a different matter. He neededattention fast. She got him out of the carriage and he lay on thegrass. First she took one of her petticoats and with the help ofher brother's Bowie knife, tore it into bandages. She spread outher shawl and carefully poured out the salt and soda. Then shefilled the berry pail with stream water and took up the bar of lyesoap.
She had to soak the dirty bandages from thewound, and the moment she touched it, a sickening smell arose toassail her nostrils. Mandy washed the yellow matter from the woundwith the lye soap, and marveled at Brandon's bravery.
She examined the wound carefully.ThankGod some army surgeon removed the ball.It was angry red withinflammation, but worse than this, the edges showed signs ofgangrene. Her gorge rose in her throat, as she took the sharp Bowieknife and cut the dead, rotting flesh from the edge of the wound.Fresh blood sprang up from the cuts, so she scooped some salt andsoda into fresh water and poured it into the wound.
Brandon, screaming, rose up fast enough thistime. But not until he was freshly bandaged, did she lie down torest her weary body.
Amanda repeated this operation twice beforethey reached Richmond. Bernard seemed a little recovered by thistime and managed to get them railway passes back to Charleston. Hewas also able to procure a small amount of quinine to keep theirfevers subdued, along with a few rations that would just barelykeep them from starvation with the money he got from selling thehorse and carriage.
The trains were filled with soldiers. Thegray-clad were wounded, the blue-clad were prisoners on their wayto Andersonville prison in Georgia.
She saw a Confederate Officer use his riflebutt on a Union prisoner. "Please don't do that," she said withquiet intensity. "A prisoner is at the mercy of his captors. Myhusband may be a prisoner, sergeant, and I pray to Almighty Godthat his captors are merciful."
Amazingly, by the time the trio wound theirweary way home to Paradise, Brandon's leg had begun the process ofhealing. Bernard had good days and bad, but he had aged rapidly inthe last few months. Amanda was suffering from acute exhaustionwhen Mammy Lou tucked her into Nicholas's bed and did not let herup for three days.
Jennifer was the happiest one in the wholehousehold when Amanda finally showed her face downstairs. Jenny hadshared in the burden of nursing Brandon and watching over herfather. When this was added to the difficult business of planningmeals while food was scarce, it all became too much for JenniferJoy to cope with.
As soon as Amanda felt rested, she tookSamuel aside. "We have to go into Charleston to get money from thebank. What was the name of that banker, Samuel?"
"Gabriel DuBose. Ah knows where de bank is.We go tomorrow. You plannin' on using dat lil' boat, Miz Mandy?" heasked nervously.
"I'm sure as hell not getting in anothercarriage for awhile, Sam. Don't worry, I can handle the boat."
When they got to the bank, Amanda found theyhad put restrictions upon the amount you could withdraw. Eventhough Samuel used his best powers of persuasion, Messire DuBosewas adamant-- no more than one hundred dollars in gold, or athousand in Confederate notes. They took the gold. When theyreturned to the bank two days later, the doors were locked andbarred.
The streets were filled with people beggingfor food and Amanda could clearly see the city was a dangerousplace to be. On the way back to Paradise, Amanda spoke openly toSamuel. "I know you cared for Nicholas as if he were your own son,Samuel. I want you to go North. I want you to find out one way orthe other if he is a prisoner; if he's alive or dead."
"Miz Mandy, ah's almost gone a dozen times,but ah know Masta Nick wouldn't wan' me t'leave yo'"
"That's the main reason I wanted moneySamuel. You can't travel without it, I know, I've tried it, and youwill be gone for months."
"Yo' gonna need dat money chile. Dey ain't nomore where dat come from."
"Well split the money. When we get home we'llstitch five ten-dollar gold pieces inside your clothing. Be verycareful Samuel; people would kill you for that kind of money."
"Ha, folks kill me fer bein' black," helaughed.
"I'm afraid the chances of Nicholas being aprisoner are very slim, and I know what I'm asking is a difficulttask through strange Northern States you've never before visited,but there's no one else cares enough, Samuel."
"We care-- dat enough," he said simply
"If you don't locate him, perhaps I'll beable to accept that he's dead," she said softly.
Amanda did not have time to sit and count thedays Samuel had been gone. A Confederate recruiting sergeant rodethrough and swept up Moses and Luke for the Cause. Then Brute cameto her with an air of determination about his set face. "Ah goin'ta kill de hogs for de winter an' when deys in de smokehouse, ahgoin ta take my family North. Dey promises land an' ah know ah' canmake a good life for Cleo an' de boy. Masta Nick already give usfreedom-- dat ain't why we goin'; we goin' fer land."
"I understand, Brute. There won't be enoughfood to see us all through the winter. I wish you well, and I wantyou to have a little gold. You helped Nicholas so much when hefirst started Paradise. He couldn't have done it without you."
A killing frost turned black all thatremained in the kitchen garden, so in a way it was a relief not tohave so many people to feed. Brandon was up and about and lost notime informing the family that he would be leaving in a couple ofdays.
