She could appreciate the fact that she was lookin’ out for
her kin. “Sam’s alright. He took me in, and he shore didn’t have
to.”
“ Would he make a good daddy is what I want to know,” Mabel
spelled it out.
Riley felt
something rebel at that, deep inside her, but she slowly nodded.
“Yeah…I guess so.”
“ That’s a relief…‘cause I think Mama wants him.”
“ Wants him?” Riley repeated.
“ As
her man.” Mabel smiled shyly. “You know what that means, don’t
you?”
“‘ Course I do. But she just met up with him. Oh.” Remembering to
spit, Riley spit on the ground hard and nodded. “Kinda sudden,
ain’t it?”
“ No…Mama knows what she wants and goes after it. She said it
don’t do no good to act shy about these things. I expect I’ll be
findin’ me a man soon too.” Mabel’s eyes flashed at Riley. “I’m
almost a woman now…”
“ Yeah, in about six or seven years.”
“ Sooner than that.” Mabel smiled. “You’re kinda cute,
Riley…”
The kid was
just like her mother, Riley scoffed.
Riley wanted
to shrivel up and die. The kid thought she was a boy, a boy for the
taking like her mother thought Sam was for the taking. It bothered
her that she could lose Sam to this she-devil woman. But short of
making a spectacle of herself she didn’t know what to do. Her
father had taught her that anything worth having was worth waiting
for, so if Sam was worth it, she’d wait, hold her tongue, but it
wasn’t easy.
Nodog seemed
to be of the same temperament as he stayed behind the wagon
too.
***
The next day
though Dorothy took sick and they halted the wagons to see to her.
She had a fever and later the same day broke into a rash. Riley
became concerned and wouldn’t leave her side.
Sam looked at
Riley. “This ain’t good. She’s got a real unhealthy looking pallor,
her eyes…their listless. She’s sick. She’s really sick. We best
stay where we are ‘til we see what this is about.”
“ Shore was sudden, wasn’t it?” Riley remarked as she watched
Mavis towel the little girl down.
“ Could be one of those kid things, or could be serious. I just
don’t like the way her eyes look, so unfocussed. It’s a bad
fever.”
“ You go on and drive the wagon, I’ll tend her,” Riley offered
Mavis a break in taking care of the little girl.
“ You don’t mind?” Mavis asked, perplexed.
“ Nope, I shore don’t.”
All evening
Riley tended the kid while Mavis made supper and then she spelled
her once more.
Mavis was
worried, she trembled as she changed the rag on her head, Riley
noticed and for a while Riley felt sorry for her.
“ She’ll be alright,” Riley encouraged her.
“ She’s my baby girl…” Mavis glanced at Riley then Sam. “I
cain’t lose no more youngun’s. I just can’t.”
After the
second day with fever, Sam made a decision. “We got to take her to
the river. To get the fever down.”
“ The river? What river?” Mavis asked.
“ Trinity is the closest I reckon. We got to get that fever
down, as fast as we can,” Sam insisted.
“ Okay, let’s pack up then.” Mavis started moving everything
inside the wagon and instructing the others.
It was at
least five miles to the river and Riley washed Dorothy down all the
way. The rash spread, and Sam was worried they might have some
epidemic on their hands. Even if it was just measles it could be
bad.
As they came
alongside the Trinity, Sam dismounted and went to scoop the child
up in his arms.
Mavis and
Riley followed closely behind him. “What are you gonna do?” Riley
asked.
“ Cool water will bring the fever down, gotta put her on the
banks of the river and keep pouring the cool water over her. Once
the fever is broke we can see how she is. You undress her down to
her drawers and sponge her off.”
Mavis looked
nervous. “You know what you’re doin?”
“ I’ve tended some with fever before,” Sam said.
Riley looked
at Mavis and extended a hand. “Sam’s
her kin. “Sam’s alright. He took me in, and he shore didn’t have
to.”
“ Would he make a good daddy is what I want to know,” Mabel
spelled it out.
Riley felt
something rebel at that, deep inside her, but she slowly nodded.
“Yeah…I guess so.”
“ That’s a relief…‘cause I think Mama wants him.”
“ Wants him?” Riley repeated.
“ As
her man.” Mabel smiled shyly. “You know what that means, don’t
you?”
“‘ Course I do. But she just met up with him. Oh.” Remembering to
spit, Riley spit on the ground hard and nodded. “Kinda sudden,
ain’t it?”
“ No…Mama knows what she wants and goes after it. She said it
don’t do no good to act shy about these things. I expect I’ll be
findin’ me a man soon too.” Mabel’s eyes flashed at Riley. “I’m
almost a woman now…”
“ Yeah, in about six or seven years.”
“ Sooner than that.” Mabel smiled. “You’re kinda cute,
Riley…”
The kid was
just like her mother, Riley scoffed.
Riley wanted
to shrivel up and die. The kid thought she was a boy, a boy for the
taking like her mother thought Sam was for the taking. It bothered
her that she could lose Sam to this she-devil woman. But short of
making a spectacle of herself she didn’t know what to do. Her
father had taught her that anything worth having was worth waiting
for, so if Sam was worth it, she’d wait, hold her tongue, but it
wasn’t easy.
Nodog seemed
to be of the same temperament as he stayed behind the wagon
too.
***
The next day
though Dorothy took sick and they halted the wagons to see to her.
She had a fever and later the same day broke into a rash. Riley
became concerned and wouldn’t leave her side.
Sam looked at
Riley. “This ain’t good. She’s got a real unhealthy looking pallor,
her eyes…their listless. She’s sick. She’s really sick. We best
stay where we are ‘til we see what this is about.”
“ Shore was sudden, wasn’t it?” Riley remarked as she watched
Mavis towel the little girl down.
“ Could be one of those kid things, or could be serious. I just
don’t like the way her eyes look, so unfocussed. It’s a bad
fever.”
“ You go on and drive the wagon, I’ll tend her,” Riley offered
Mavis a break in taking care of the little girl.
“ You don’t mind?” Mavis asked, perplexed.
“ Nope, I shore don’t.”
All evening
Riley tended the kid while Mavis made supper and then she spelled
her once more.
Mavis was
worried, she trembled as she changed the rag on her head, Riley
noticed and for a while Riley felt sorry for her.
“ She’ll be alright,” Riley encouraged her.
“ She’s my baby girl…” Mavis glanced at Riley then Sam. “I
cain’t lose no more youngun’s. I just can’t.”
After the
second day with fever, Sam made a decision. “We got to take her to
the river. To get the fever down.”
“ The river? What river?” Mavis asked.
“ Trinity is the closest I reckon. We got to get that fever
down, as fast as we can,” Sam insisted.
“ Okay, let’s pack up then.” Mavis started moving everything
inside the wagon and instructing the others.
It was at
least five miles to the river and Riley washed Dorothy down all the
way. The rash spread, and Sam was worried they might have some
epidemic on their hands. Even if it was just measles it could be
bad.
As they came
alongside the Trinity, Sam dismounted and went to scoop the child
up in his arms.
Mavis and
Riley followed closely behind him. “What are you gonna do?” Riley
asked.
“ Cool water will bring the fever down, gotta put her on the
banks of the river and keep pouring the cool water over her. Once
the fever is broke we can see how she is. You undress her down to
her drawers and sponge her off.”
Mavis looked
nervous. “You know what you’re doin?”
“ I’ve tended some with fever before,” Sam said.
Riley looked
at Mavis and extended a hand. “Sam’s
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