suddenly coughed up water and dragged a ragged breath. Hallie and Mrs.
Liverman, on their knees beside the child, exclaimed their relief. After a few
more minutes, Cooper stepped aside and left the boy to the attention of his
parents.
Hallie called for Tim to bring towels and then
painfully started toward her wagon. Suddenly, wet arms lifted her and she
squealed.
Cooper said low, "Hallie, I sure hope you
haven't reinjured your ankle."
The rest of the day proceeded with no more
mishaps. Captain Jones instructed the pioneers who had crossed over to continue
on for a mile before breaking for camp and to wait for him and the other
pioneers before continuing the next day.
That night, with half the camp circled, Hallie
sat comfortably in her chair with her leg propped on a bucket and listened to
Cooper and Tim try to outdo each other in ghost stories. She smiled when Tim
related one of the stories he had often begged his father to tell on long
winter nights before a blazing fire. Just when he got to the scary part, Mr.
Liverman stepped into the firelight and startled her.
Cooper said, "Hello, Mr. Liverman. How's
Peter feeling?"
Mr. Liverman cleared his throat. "He's
doing right fine—thanks to you."
No one said anything and the stocky man
continued. "I just came to apologize for my behavior this afternoon. If I'd
followed your lead…" his voice cracked, "my boy wouldn't have gone
through this." He spread his hands wide. "I just want you to know how
sorry I am, and if you need anything, you just let me know."
Cooper rose and extended his hand. "Thank you,
Mr. Liverman. Everyone does things they wish they could change. If I were to
repeat my own list…" he smiled, "it would be a long one."
Mr. Liverman said, "You're being kind when
I deserve a punch in the mouth." He gave a little laugh. "Please call
me Hank."
Cooper said, "And you must call me
Cooper."
After that, Hank related to Cooper some
mechanical problems he was having with his wagon and asked for advice. While
they talked and Tim stoked the fire, Hallie closed her eyes and replayed
Cooper's response to Mr. Liverman's apology. He had been kind and forgiving,
even gentle, when he could have thrown the apology back in the poor man's face
and spoken as harshly as Mr. Liverman had that afternoon. You're a wise man,
Cooper.
Chapter
14: Carvings at Alcove Spring
Ten days and three river crossings later—the lower
Kansas and the Little and Big Vermillions—the wagons circled at Alcove Spring. Captain
Jones had said it was a popular location and Hallie could see by the ruts of
previous wagons over many years that it was so.
With her ankle almost healed, she now walked a good
portion of each day, and her blisters were gone. Cooper was polite and aloof
and she knew he was trying to make her feel comfortable around him.
Gazing over the terrain, she exclaimed to Tim
and Cooper, "It's simply beautiful here. If Oregon is half this pretty, I
shall be forever happy."
After setting up camp, Cooper told Hallie and
Tim, "I've been checking out the spring. Come see the names of pioneers
carved into the rocks."
Happy to have something to do other than the
usual routine, Hallie and Tim followed Cooper to a stream with water cascading
over a ledge that jutted about twelve feet above a basin.
Tim bent to splash the water in the basin and
exclaimed, "It's so cold!"
Hallie tried it for herself. "Oh, it
is!"
Then Cooper pointed to carvings on the ledge.
For the next few minutes, they read the names
and dates of pioneers as far back as the 1840s. Hallie was pensive. "Just
think, all these people have paved the Westward Trails for us." She
touched one of the names. "And now, we're paving the way for those after us."
Cooper asked, "Would you like for me to
carve your names?"
Hallie met his gaze and in that moment felt a spiritual
bond not only with Cooper, but with the thousands who had blazed this trail,
sometimes with laughter, often with tears. Carving their own names into
Liverman, on their knees beside the child, exclaimed their relief. After a few
more minutes, Cooper stepped aside and left the boy to the attention of his
parents.
Hallie called for Tim to bring towels and then
painfully started toward her wagon. Suddenly, wet arms lifted her and she
squealed.
Cooper said low, "Hallie, I sure hope you
haven't reinjured your ankle."
The rest of the day proceeded with no more
mishaps. Captain Jones instructed the pioneers who had crossed over to continue
on for a mile before breaking for camp and to wait for him and the other
pioneers before continuing the next day.
That night, with half the camp circled, Hallie
sat comfortably in her chair with her leg propped on a bucket and listened to
Cooper and Tim try to outdo each other in ghost stories. She smiled when Tim
related one of the stories he had often begged his father to tell on long
winter nights before a blazing fire. Just when he got to the scary part, Mr.
Liverman stepped into the firelight and startled her.
Cooper said, "Hello, Mr. Liverman. How's
Peter feeling?"
Mr. Liverman cleared his throat. "He's
doing right fine—thanks to you."
No one said anything and the stocky man
continued. "I just came to apologize for my behavior this afternoon. If I'd
followed your lead…" his voice cracked, "my boy wouldn't have gone
through this." He spread his hands wide. "I just want you to know how
sorry I am, and if you need anything, you just let me know."
Cooper rose and extended his hand. "Thank you,
Mr. Liverman. Everyone does things they wish they could change. If I were to
repeat my own list…" he smiled, "it would be a long one."
Mr. Liverman said, "You're being kind when
I deserve a punch in the mouth." He gave a little laugh. "Please call
me Hank."
Cooper said, "And you must call me
Cooper."
After that, Hank related to Cooper some
mechanical problems he was having with his wagon and asked for advice. While
they talked and Tim stoked the fire, Hallie closed her eyes and replayed
Cooper's response to Mr. Liverman's apology. He had been kind and forgiving,
even gentle, when he could have thrown the apology back in the poor man's face
and spoken as harshly as Mr. Liverman had that afternoon. You're a wise man,
Cooper.
Chapter
14: Carvings at Alcove Spring
Ten days and three river crossings later—the lower
Kansas and the Little and Big Vermillions—the wagons circled at Alcove Spring. Captain
Jones had said it was a popular location and Hallie could see by the ruts of
previous wagons over many years that it was so.
With her ankle almost healed, she now walked a good
portion of each day, and her blisters were gone. Cooper was polite and aloof
and she knew he was trying to make her feel comfortable around him.
Gazing over the terrain, she exclaimed to Tim
and Cooper, "It's simply beautiful here. If Oregon is half this pretty, I
shall be forever happy."
After setting up camp, Cooper told Hallie and
Tim, "I've been checking out the spring. Come see the names of pioneers
carved into the rocks."
Happy to have something to do other than the
usual routine, Hallie and Tim followed Cooper to a stream with water cascading
over a ledge that jutted about twelve feet above a basin.
Tim bent to splash the water in the basin and
exclaimed, "It's so cold!"
Hallie tried it for herself. "Oh, it
is!"
Then Cooper pointed to carvings on the ledge.
For the next few minutes, they read the names
and dates of pioneers as far back as the 1840s. Hallie was pensive. "Just
think, all these people have paved the Westward Trails for us." She
touched one of the names. "And now, we're paving the way for those after us."
Cooper asked, "Would you like for me to
carve your names?"
Hallie met his gaze and in that moment felt a spiritual
bond not only with Cooper, but with the thousands who had blazed this trail,
sometimes with laughter, often with tears. Carving their own names into
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