Leppard, Lois Gladys - [Mandie 03] (2 page)

Uncle John smiled. “You sound like a well-seasoned traveler, Joe.”

Mandie frowned. “Well, who sleeps in the same room with you?” she asked.

“No one, silly, unless you want them to.” Joe laughed. “When you pay money for the room, you tell them who is to sleep in the room. That’s all.” he explained.

“Then we are all going to sleep in one room?” Sallie asked.

“No, Sallie,” Uncle John told her. “You see, each room has only one big bed, so we will need at least four rooms—one for you and Mandie, one for Uncle Wirt and Uncle Ned, another for Mandie’s mother and me, and we’ll see if all three of the boys can manage in one room.”

Sallie was shocked. “Oh, but that is so many rooms, and you have to pay money for each room. Could we not all sleep in one room? It would not cost so much money that way,” the Indian girl reasoned.

“That’s not the way hotels do business, Sallie,” Uncle John replied. “Usually only two people can sleep in a room. But don’t worry about the money. It has all been taken care of.”

“It sounds like fun, Sallie.” Mandie giggled. “You and I get a whole room all by ourselves.”

“You must promise not to talk all night, though,” Elizabeth cautioned them.

“Uncle John”—Mandie changed the subject—“where is Uncle Ned?”

“He stayed with the cargo back in the baggage car,” Uncle John said in a low voice. “After a while Uncle Wirt and I will take our turns looking after it. We thought it would be better if we didn’t let it completely out of our sight.”

The train gave a lurch and the couplings between the cars clanged as it began pulling out of the station. The sudden movement caught the young people unaware and they fell against each other, laughing.

“Away we go!” shouted Mandie above the noise.

The whistle blew, and the train picked up speed as it rounded the bend, leaving town and safety behind. None of them knew what danger lurked ahead in the dark night.

Chapter 2 - Ghost Bandits in the Dark

After a while the journey became monotonous. In the dark there was nothing to look at through the windows, and the train crept slowly around the mountain.

Bored, Mandie came up with an idea. “Why don’t we go back and see Uncle Ned for a little while?” she suggested. “He’s all alone back there. Want to?”

“Yes!” cried her equally bored friends.

“Could we, Mother?” Mandie asked.

Elizabeth looked at John. “What do you think?”

“Well, I suppose it’d be all right,” John answered. “Just don’t stay too long,” he told them. “And Sallie, tell your grandfather I’ll be back in a little while to relieve him.”

“Yes, sir,” Sallie replied, as they stood up and started down the aisle of the train car.

“And please be careful when you go from one car to the other,” Elizabeth called. “It could be dangerous if you don’t watch your step.”

“We will,” they promised as they went out the door at the end of the car. When they stepped onto the platform between the cars, the cold mountain wind whipped around them and the noise of the train was deafening. They hurried into the next car.

Joe quickly shut the door behind them and stood there shivering for a moment. “I thought it was supposed to be summertime,” he laughed.

“Yes, but the wind is always cold at night in the mountains,” Dimar told him.

“A breath of cold air is good for us,” Tsa’ni added.

There were a few passengers in the car they had just entered, but when they moved to the next car they found it completely empty.

Sallie looked around the dimly-lit car. “There certainly aren’t many people on this train,” she remarked.

Mandie stopped to look out a window. She leaned against the glass. “Look!” she cried, pointing outside. “Horsemen!”

The group crowded in front of the window.

“In the moonlight they look like ghosts,” Mandie joked.

Joe cupped his hand against the window to see better. “What are they wearing over their clothes?” he asked.

“I do not know, but they are keeping pace with the train,” Tsa’ni answered.

“It is too dark to see their faces,” Dimar said.

“Oh, they see us!” Mandie said, waving her hand.

Joe looked away from the window. “I think they’re trying to get on the train,” he warned.

Suddenly, the train jerked to a stop. All five young people staggered and grabbed for anything to keep from falling. The train had stopped on a hill, and they found it difficult to stand upright. They all looked at each other questioningly.

“Why are we stopping here?” Sallie asked.

“I don’t know,” Joe answered, “but something is wrong.”

Just then, a loud clang came from the direction of
the baggage car. Dimar led the way as they rushed to the back door of the car to see what had happened. Dimar tried to open the door. It was stuck. He peered out the window. “The baggage car,” he cried. “It has come apart from the rest of the train! It is rolling back down the track!”

“Oh, no!” Mandie yelled. “Uncle Ned …”

“Grandfather!” Sallie screamed.

Joe pushed his way to the window to look. At that moment there was a deafening crash. He turned slowly. Both girls were in tears, and a sick look of realization covered the faces of Dimar and Tsa’ni.

Mandie ran for the front door of the train car and threw it open. Joe hurried after her and the others followed.

Outside, Mandie hopped off the train and blindly started in the direction of the baggage car. Snowball clung to her shoulder in fright. Joe and the others stepped off the train more cautiously.

“Mandie! Wait!” Joe called. “Look! We’re right on the edge of a steep ridge.”

Mandie stopped. In the dim moonlight she could see the sharp drop-off just a few feet away. Her heart thumped louder as she realized the danger she was in.

Joe rushed to her side and took her hand. “Come on, all of you,” he commanded. “Let’s get back to the others on the train. We can’t find that baggage car by ourselves.”

But just as they turned to get back on, there was a loud noise and the train started up again.

They all froze in panic. By the time they could think clearly enough to run, it was too late. The train was going too fast and all five of them could never get on board without someone getting hurt.

Mandie hid her face in her hands and cried.

Sallie began to shake all over. “Grandfather!” she
wailed. “Now, how will we get help for my grandfather?”

Tsa’ni put his arm around her shoulders. “Do not cry, Sallie. We will, somehow,” he said.

Sallie pulled away and bumped into Dimar. Dimar grabbed her arm to keep her from falling.

“Do not move. It is steep here,” Dimar told her.

“Doo-oo not moo-oove at a-a-all-ll,” said a spooky voice behind them.

The young people whirled to see one of the horsemen seemingly float toward them. As he drew nearer they could see he was wearing a flowing, ground-length, light-colored cape and a light wide-brimmed hat. A tiger mask covered his face, and he carried a dimly-lit lantern. He looked huge.

The young people stood speechless with fright. They huddled together as he approached.

The ghostly man swung the lantern up to light their faces and spoke in an angry, eerie voice. “Wha-a-at are you-oo do-oo-inng he-e-ere?” he asked.

Dimar, with a protective arm around Sallie, looked him boldly in the face. “We were on the train when the baggage car wrecked,” he answered. “And when we came out to see what happened, the train pulled away. But who are you and what do you want?” Dimar asked.

The creature spat tobacco juice on the ground and held the lantern closer to Dimar’s face. “We-ell-ll-ll, what da ya kn-now-w, ah In-n-n-ju-u-un!” he taunted in his spooky voice. He swung the lantern in front of the other faces. “Thr-ree-ee In-n-ju-u-uns! Well-ll now-ow, wha-a-at air you-oo two-oo whi-i-ite youngun-ns do-oo-in-n’ with the-e-ese hyar In-n-ju-u-uns?”

Mandie stepped forward, angry about the insinuation. “The three Indians happen to be our friends. Not only
that, I am one-fourth Cherokee myself,” she retorted, flipping her blonde hair.

At Mandie’s sudden movement, Snowball dug his claws into her shoulder. Mandie winced and took the kitten into her arms.

“Too-oo ba-a-ad you-oo got offuh that trai-ain-n.”

Just then, two other ghostlike figures materialized out of the darkness. They were both dressed exactly like the first.

One of them cleared his throat. “Watcha got hyar?” he asked. “By grannies, we’re agonna hafta do sumpumm with these hyar younguns.”

The third creature pulled a rope from under his long, flowing costume. “Better tie their hands behind ’em, and git ’em on the wagon and take ’em so fur away they cain’t innerfear.”

He grabbed Dimar’s hands and tied them behind him as the first creature tied Tsa’ni’s and Joe’s. The other one tied the girls’ hands behind them. Afraid to fight back or run away, the young people shivered on the edge of the mountain in the semi-darkness. They had no idea whether or not the men were armed.

The first creature spoke again, dropping his spooky voice disguise. “Tiger number two, you and Tiger number three take ’em away. I’ll git back to work. Hurry up and git goin’.”

Joe spoke up. “Mister, if you’ll just let us go, we’ll find our way home and won’t bother you.”

“No, we won’t bother you,” Mandie agreed. “We only want to find my family and Sallie’s grandfather. Whatever your work is, we won’t interfere.”

“I say you won’t innerfear,” the first creature replied. “Git goin’.”

He disappeared into the darkness. The second creature motioned with his lantern for the young people to follow him. The third creature brought up the rear.

Silently, they walked single file along the railroad track for a few yards. Then Mandie stopped suddenly, turned her face to the sky, and spoke, “What time we are afraid,” she paused and Joe joined her in the last part, “we will put our trust in thee, dear God,” they said.

The creature bringing up the rear overheard them and gave Joe a shove.

“Git a move on!” he muttered. “Ain’t no God up thar gonna hyar you.”

“Oh, but God does hear us, and He does answer our prayers,” Mandie insisted.

The creature leading the way walked back to “take care of” Mandie when Joe stepped between them.

“You leave her alone, mister,” Joe demanded.

“Well, then, you’d better tell her to shet up. And keep yourself quiet, too,” the creature replied. “Else all of ya gonna git whut’s comin’ to ya.”

Mandie whispered in Joe’s ear. “Sorry. I’ll be quiet, but I’ll still pray.”

Joe smiled at her.

“Up this trail! Git!” the creature ordered as he led the way.

The group stumbled silently among the brush and rocks as they climbed the mountainside. They stayed close to one another, having no idea what their fate would be, and worried about what had happened to the others.

After a short time they came to what looked like an old wagon trail. There, all alone, stood an old wagon with two horses hitched to it.

“In the wagon!” yelled the creature leading them.

The young people looked at one another silently. With their hands still tied, they managed to climb into the back of the wagon. The two creatures sat on the seat—one sitting backwards to watch them; the other, whipping the horses into a run. The trail was terribly rough. The wagon lurched over rocks and bumps and holes in the darkness, jostling the youngsters from side to side.

Snowball, still clinging to Mandie, protested loudly. Mandie tried her best to hold onto him by turning her head sidewise and raising her shoulder.

The wagon finally came to a halt in front of a deserted hut with a low, steeply-slanted roof. In the woods, Mandie had lost all sense of direction and wondered how they would ever find their way back.

The driver stepped down from the wagon. “Out and inside!” he ordered.

They could do nothing but obey. Inside the dark hut the first creature swung his lantern around, inspecting the interior. The other one stayed outside. The dim light showed no windows and only one door. The hut was just one big room with a huge rock fireplace. The young people looked around in dismay, afraid to speak. A nearby shelf held an old coffeepot, tin plates, and utensils. A pile of dirty, ragged quilts lay in one corner on the floor. That was all they could see.

The creature turned to go. “Now we’re gonna put an iron padlock and chains on the door outside so thar ain’t no way ya kin git out of hyar, and thar ain’t no use yer tryin’,” he sneered. “That’ll teach ya to poke into other people’s business.”

“Please, mister, if you’d just let us go, we’ll go straight home.” Mandie begged.

“Yeh, go home by way of the wrecked train to see
what happened to thet gold, eh? Ain’t no way we gonna let ya go. We gonna git thet gold and be gone ’fore ya ever git out of hyar,
if ever
.” He gave an evil laugh. “Ya may never git out of hyar. This is a deserted part of the mountains. Ain’t no one ever comes this way. So we done got y’all tuck care of.” He laughed again, stepped outside, and closed the heavy log door.

With the sound of a metal padlock and chains fastening on the outside, Mandie and her friends became prisoners with little hope of ever being rescued.

Chapter 3 - The Little Bird

With the lantern gone, the hut became dark as pitch. The group huddled together in the center of the floor and helped one another untie their hands.

“If we only had a light,” Sallie wished out loud.

With that reminder, Tsa’ni thrust his hands into his pockets and triumphantly produced the candle he had found in Uncle Ned’s wagon. “Wish granted,” he said smartly, although no one could see what he had. He stood up and felt his way to the huge fireplace on the back wall.

Sallie heard him moving about. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“Tsa’ni, where are you going?” Joe stood up, trying to find him.

“I am going to make a light for Sallie,” the Indian boy said from near the fireplace. “If I can only find something to strike a flame.”

“Are you going to build a fire in the fireplace?” Dimar asked.

“No. It might smoke and suffocate us because there is no ventilation in here,” Tsa’ni replied.