know how to read people pretty well.” She turned and left him alone
in the small, clean room.
Flynn went over to the window and looked out. There
was a general store across the street from the boarding house, and vendors with
pushcarts called out their merchandise. The normalcy of it all seemed jarring
after Sumter and Elmira. He turned away from the window and sat on the bed.
The mattress was soft, and the coverlet was clean, if a little frilly for his
taste. He stood up and went down the stairs again. He mounted Scout and rode
toward the corrals near the river.
Sam sat on the top rail of the fence. “No! No!
No! Jamison, you circle left, and Hargrove, you circle right!”
Flynn grinned at the sight of two city slickers
trying to manage their teams. He dismounted and climbed the fence. “Need some
help, Major?”
“Flynn!” Sam grinned back. “It’s good to see you,
son! Did you meet Mrs. Hamilton?”
Flynn nodded. “Major, I can’t take—“
“Charity. Son, I knew you’d say that.” He smiled
at Flynn. “I’ll tell you what. Let’s consider it a loan. Fifty dollars for
the horse, two dollars for the room and two dollars spending money. I’m going
to pay you two hundred dollars at the end of the trail. So I’ll just deduct
the loan from your pay.”
Flynn looked away, embarrassed by Sam’s generosity.
“Thank you.”
Sam squeezed his shoulder. He cleared his throat noisily.
“Now, you’d better start earning that pay. Get your horse settled, and then
come back and teach these idiots how to drive a team.”
“And their left from their right?” Flynn looked
back at Sam and grinned.
Sam grinned back and nodded.
* * *
That night, Flynn climbed the stairs wearily. He
found hot water waiting for him in the pitcher on the washstand. A clean shirt
and a pair of neatly mended Levi's lay on the bed. He shook his head, but he
took off his buckskins and washed up before putting on the clean clothes. He
looked in the mirror over the dresser.
His face was still thin, but he didn’t look like a
walking skeleton anymore.
Frank Lennox and Ben Brewster sat on one side of the
table, and Sam sat opposite them. Mrs. Hamilton came in from the kitchen and
sat next to Sam. “Everything is ready.” She took Sam’s hand.
One by one, the people around the table joined
hands.
“Sam, will you say the blessing?” Mrs. Hamilton’s
voice was very soft.
Sam nodded. He bowed his head and closed his eyes.
“Lord, thank you for bringing us together again. Bless us in our endeavors and
bless this wonderful food. Amen.”
Flynn found himself smiling. The food did indeed
smell wonderful. The rolls were so light, he wondered what kept them on the
table. The meat was good, and there was plenty of it, with pies and cakes for
dessert. When he was finished, he pushed his chair back from the table and
sighed happily. “Mrs. Hamilton, that’s the best food I’ve eaten since I was a
boy.”
Mrs. Hamilton beamed. “Thank you, Flynn.” She
stood up and helped the serving girl clear the table.
Flynn stood up when she did. So did Sam. Ben
punched Frank in the arm, and they stood up too, although a little belatedly.
Mrs. Hamilton had already disappeared into the kitchen.
Flynn started to follow them into the parlor, but
there were too many people. He went upstairs to his room. He undressed and
lay down on the bed. Despite his exhaustion, when he closed his eyes, he saw
the battlefield at Manassas, littered with bodies. He sighed and got up. He
walked to the livery stable. Scout whickered softly when he smelled Flynn.
Flynn smiled. He scratched Scout between the ears. Then, he took Scout’s
brush from his saddlebag. He began to brush the stallion in long, slow strokes.
The motion soothed him a little, and by the time he was finished, he was
yawning. He walked back to the boarding house and
in the small, clean room.
Flynn went over to the window and looked out. There
was a general store across the street from the boarding house, and vendors with
pushcarts called out their merchandise. The normalcy of it all seemed jarring
after Sumter and Elmira. He turned away from the window and sat on the bed.
The mattress was soft, and the coverlet was clean, if a little frilly for his
taste. He stood up and went down the stairs again. He mounted Scout and rode
toward the corrals near the river.
Sam sat on the top rail of the fence. “No! No!
No! Jamison, you circle left, and Hargrove, you circle right!”
Flynn grinned at the sight of two city slickers
trying to manage their teams. He dismounted and climbed the fence. “Need some
help, Major?”
“Flynn!” Sam grinned back. “It’s good to see you,
son! Did you meet Mrs. Hamilton?”
Flynn nodded. “Major, I can’t take—“
“Charity. Son, I knew you’d say that.” He smiled
at Flynn. “I’ll tell you what. Let’s consider it a loan. Fifty dollars for
the horse, two dollars for the room and two dollars spending money. I’m going
to pay you two hundred dollars at the end of the trail. So I’ll just deduct
the loan from your pay.”
Flynn looked away, embarrassed by Sam’s generosity.
“Thank you.”
Sam squeezed his shoulder. He cleared his throat noisily.
“Now, you’d better start earning that pay. Get your horse settled, and then
come back and teach these idiots how to drive a team.”
“And their left from their right?” Flynn looked
back at Sam and grinned.
Sam grinned back and nodded.
* * *
That night, Flynn climbed the stairs wearily. He
found hot water waiting for him in the pitcher on the washstand. A clean shirt
and a pair of neatly mended Levi's lay on the bed. He shook his head, but he
took off his buckskins and washed up before putting on the clean clothes. He
looked in the mirror over the dresser.
His face was still thin, but he didn’t look like a
walking skeleton anymore.
Frank Lennox and Ben Brewster sat on one side of the
table, and Sam sat opposite them. Mrs. Hamilton came in from the kitchen and
sat next to Sam. “Everything is ready.” She took Sam’s hand.
One by one, the people around the table joined
hands.
“Sam, will you say the blessing?” Mrs. Hamilton’s
voice was very soft.
Sam nodded. He bowed his head and closed his eyes.
“Lord, thank you for bringing us together again. Bless us in our endeavors and
bless this wonderful food. Amen.”
Flynn found himself smiling. The food did indeed
smell wonderful. The rolls were so light, he wondered what kept them on the
table. The meat was good, and there was plenty of it, with pies and cakes for
dessert. When he was finished, he pushed his chair back from the table and
sighed happily. “Mrs. Hamilton, that’s the best food I’ve eaten since I was a
boy.”
Mrs. Hamilton beamed. “Thank you, Flynn.” She
stood up and helped the serving girl clear the table.
Flynn stood up when she did. So did Sam. Ben
punched Frank in the arm, and they stood up too, although a little belatedly.
Mrs. Hamilton had already disappeared into the kitchen.
Flynn started to follow them into the parlor, but
there were too many people. He went upstairs to his room. He undressed and
lay down on the bed. Despite his exhaustion, when he closed his eyes, he saw
the battlefield at Manassas, littered with bodies. He sighed and got up. He
walked to the livery stable. Scout whickered softly when he smelled Flynn.
Flynn smiled. He scratched Scout between the ears. Then, he took Scout’s
brush from his saddlebag. He began to brush the stallion in long, slow strokes.
The motion soothed him a little, and by the time he was finished, he was
yawning. He walked back to the boarding house and
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