nor any of
the other men were arrested. McKie was moved here and then
promoted"
"What? Are you sure?"
"Abe was at Fort Randolph when it happened. He was in
charge of the detail that buried the Shawnee"
Stunned, Morrow stared at the cold hearth. Lizzy swallowed
hard, looking sickened by the retelling. "Only a butcher could
do what was done. You'd be smart to stay clear of the major,
though Abe says he's already so besotted with you he speaks of
you before his men"
The beautiful day had turned black. Morrow hardly heard
Alice enter, her girlish chatter filling the quiet cabin. "Oh, Morrow, let me look at you! The bride's in rose and you're in purplemust be one of your ma's remade gowns. I wish I had your way
with a needle" She leaned into the mirror behind them, her
fair features so like Lizzy's, and pinned a cameo to her bodice.
"Preacher Little says to come anytime you're ready. Abe's already
at the river"
Slowly the three of them walked across the common, holding
their skirts out of the dust. The sloping bank beyond the gates
was matted with dun-colored grass, and the river was shrunken
and shallow from lack of rain. Spring did seem a better season
for a wedding, Morrow mused. There was something about
autumn that spoke of endings, not beginnings.
As the waiting crowd parted to let them pass, Morrow tried
not to look at the man who stood at the front of the throng. But
McKie was looking at her, as eagerly as if he was the bridegroom
and she was the bride, and for a few agonizing moments she
thought she might fulfill Lizzy's words and faint again. The tale
of his misdeeds hovered round her like a dark shadow in the
autumn air, and she felt a bit sick. She tried to concentrate on
Pa's heartfelt words, spoken in the sonorous tone he saved for
such occasions. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together .."
But the beauty seemed washed out of them today, stolen by the
man who stood near her, who wasn't honorable or good or true
as she'd thought an officer and a gentleman should be.
A warm breeze lifted Lizzy's veil, and Abe lifted his hand to
keep it in place. The solemn cadence of Pa's benediction was broken by a horse's staccato hoofbeats, and every eye present
seemed to swivel west. Morrow surmised trouble in one sweep
of the lathered bay horse and its distraught rider before he'd
come within fifty yards of them. As Major McKie broke away
to meet him, a ripple of unrest passed over the crowd. The men
surrounding them began checking their rifles, some reloading
where they stood. Other folks began fleeing into the fort without
waiting to hear the rider's news.
"Hinkley's Station has been burned to the ground," the man
rasped, so winded he could barely speak. "There's more than
a hundred Shawnee and half a hundred Redcoats headed our
way. I have to ride to Asaph's to warn em'
Major McKie took hold of the horse's bridle. "You'll need a
fresh mount or you'll never make it:"
The rider wiped a sleeve across his damp brow. "Most of the
men were out in the fields when they struck. The women and
children were taken captive along with a few old-timers inside
the stockade"
The major's countenance hardened. "That won't be the case
here. We've more than enough guns on account of my men and
the militia. Are you sure of the enemy's numbers?"
"Click and Kenton both agree. Fifty Redcoats and a hundred
Shawnee-maybe more"
Morrow could sense the unraveling of those all around her.
She soon lost sight of Lizzy and Abe in the press of people. Had
Pa even pronounced them man and wife?
Without waiting to hear more, Pa took her arm and they
headed toward the fort. Raindrops started to pelt them, and she
glanced at the sky now thick with thunderclouds and threaded
with lightning. Even the weather seemed to call out a warning.
Major McKie's shout could be heard far and wide as he commanded the sentries to shut and secure both front and postern gates. As Pa readied their horses to go, McKie
the other men were arrested. McKie was moved here and then
promoted"
"What? Are you sure?"
"Abe was at Fort Randolph when it happened. He was in
charge of the detail that buried the Shawnee"
Stunned, Morrow stared at the cold hearth. Lizzy swallowed
hard, looking sickened by the retelling. "Only a butcher could
do what was done. You'd be smart to stay clear of the major,
though Abe says he's already so besotted with you he speaks of
you before his men"
The beautiful day had turned black. Morrow hardly heard
Alice enter, her girlish chatter filling the quiet cabin. "Oh, Morrow, let me look at you! The bride's in rose and you're in purplemust be one of your ma's remade gowns. I wish I had your way
with a needle" She leaned into the mirror behind them, her
fair features so like Lizzy's, and pinned a cameo to her bodice.
"Preacher Little says to come anytime you're ready. Abe's already
at the river"
Slowly the three of them walked across the common, holding
their skirts out of the dust. The sloping bank beyond the gates
was matted with dun-colored grass, and the river was shrunken
and shallow from lack of rain. Spring did seem a better season
for a wedding, Morrow mused. There was something about
autumn that spoke of endings, not beginnings.
As the waiting crowd parted to let them pass, Morrow tried
not to look at the man who stood at the front of the throng. But
McKie was looking at her, as eagerly as if he was the bridegroom
and she was the bride, and for a few agonizing moments she
thought she might fulfill Lizzy's words and faint again. The tale
of his misdeeds hovered round her like a dark shadow in the
autumn air, and she felt a bit sick. She tried to concentrate on
Pa's heartfelt words, spoken in the sonorous tone he saved for
such occasions. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together .."
But the beauty seemed washed out of them today, stolen by the
man who stood near her, who wasn't honorable or good or true
as she'd thought an officer and a gentleman should be.
A warm breeze lifted Lizzy's veil, and Abe lifted his hand to
keep it in place. The solemn cadence of Pa's benediction was broken by a horse's staccato hoofbeats, and every eye present
seemed to swivel west. Morrow surmised trouble in one sweep
of the lathered bay horse and its distraught rider before he'd
come within fifty yards of them. As Major McKie broke away
to meet him, a ripple of unrest passed over the crowd. The men
surrounding them began checking their rifles, some reloading
where they stood. Other folks began fleeing into the fort without
waiting to hear the rider's news.
"Hinkley's Station has been burned to the ground," the man
rasped, so winded he could barely speak. "There's more than
a hundred Shawnee and half a hundred Redcoats headed our
way. I have to ride to Asaph's to warn em'
Major McKie took hold of the horse's bridle. "You'll need a
fresh mount or you'll never make it:"
The rider wiped a sleeve across his damp brow. "Most of the
men were out in the fields when they struck. The women and
children were taken captive along with a few old-timers inside
the stockade"
The major's countenance hardened. "That won't be the case
here. We've more than enough guns on account of my men and
the militia. Are you sure of the enemy's numbers?"
"Click and Kenton both agree. Fifty Redcoats and a hundred
Shawnee-maybe more"
Morrow could sense the unraveling of those all around her.
She soon lost sight of Lizzy and Abe in the press of people. Had
Pa even pronounced them man and wife?
Without waiting to hear more, Pa took her arm and they
headed toward the fort. Raindrops started to pelt them, and she
glanced at the sky now thick with thunderclouds and threaded
with lightning. Even the weather seemed to call out a warning.
Major McKie's shout could be heard far and wide as he commanded the sentries to shut and secure both front and postern gates. As Pa readied their horses to go, McKie
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