Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson Page B

in his own bed, I decided.
    "Right. When you were here a few days ago, everything was in order and locked up tight. You thought that Mother had gone to the Ludingtons' farm."
    "And Eliza," he said. "She would have asked Eliza to join her."

"Eliza wouldn't go. She has family here and would have wanted to help. You know Eliza would never run from trouble."
    He nodded his head.
    "Whoever came here didn't go abovestairs," I continued. "Maybe they saw the fever rag and thought there was still an invalid in the house."
    "It didn't stop them from destroying everything they touched," he said. "Was anything else stolen?"
    "Food. They took every scrap of food in the kitchen, even the ..." I froze. "The strongbox!"
    I fumbled with the tread of the hollow stair, then threw it to the side and lifted out the metal box. I opened the lid. It was still there, pence and shillings. Thank heaven for that.
    I returned the box to its hiding place. It could be worse, I thought. The house is still standing. We're alive. Mother and Eliza must be somewhere safe, I had to
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    believe that. The fever would soon be over, and our lives would return to normal. I just had to stay clever and strong and find something to eat.
    A tear surprised me by rolling down my cheek. "None of that, Mattie girl," I whispered to myself as I scrubbed the tear away. "This is not the time to be childish."
    A familiar yowl came from the back door. Silas waited at the threshold, unwilling to risk his paws on the messy floor.
    I carried him in to Grandfather. "Here's a friendly face," I said as I held the cat close. "He seems healthy enough." I scratched between his ears. Silas rubbed his face in my hair. "Why didn't you scare those intruders
    awayr
    "They probably fed the beast a bite of ham, and he showed them the way to Eliza's goodies," said Grandfather.
    He tried to lift his sword and scabbard to its place over the mantle, but his arms shook too badly. I set Silas down and took the sword from him. "Let me help you," I said. I raised the sword to its resting place.
    "Thank you, my sweet," Grandfather said. "Don't know what's come over me."
    "I know," I said firmly. "We've just come through a battle and you need time to recuperate." I wagged my finger at him like a commanding officer. "Captain Cook, you must report to your bedroll immediately for
    126 an extended leave, Sir. Fresh water will be fetched for you."
    He saluted me. "Yes, Ma'am, General Mattie."
    I listened with envy as his boots shuffled up the stairs and clumped into his chamber. I wanted to take a nap. Why couldn't someone else come to clean up the mess and fetch the water? Silas looked at me skeptically.
    "You're right," I sighed. "If I don't do it, no one will. But first, I need something to eat. Even Mother believed in a good meal before chores. Let's get Grandfather's water and see what we can salvage for supper." Silas followed me outside.
    "Oh, my gracious."
    The garden looked dead. Insects had devoured most of the leaves and vegetables, leaving behind skeletons of stems and branches. Weeds had exploded between the neat rows. All those weeks of backbreaking work had been for nothing. Hot tears threatened, but my grumbling stomach was more painful.
    I drew a bucket of water from the well and used the dipper to drink as much as I could hold. I spilled the dipper over the top of my head, shivering as the cold water trickled down my back. I carried the bucket inside and poured a mug for Grandfather. He was already asleep by the time I entered his room. His color was better, and he was snoring like a barn full of plow horses. I set the mug on the floor and tiptoed back downstairs.
    The ground was baked too hard to use the hoe. I
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    decided to pull up what I could and hope to find something edible overlooked by varmints. A cloud of bugs swarmed around my face every time I touched a withered plant. I weeded the bean patch and found a few hidden string beans for my efforts. The cabbage plants were so