Soldier Boy's Discovery (15 page)

They traveled slowly for the next three days, making no more than ten or fifteen miles a day. Each afternoon Ezra would find a creek and pull the wagon off the road out of sight. He usually disappeared then and came back bearing a chicken or a turkey. Once he came back with an armload of sausage and pigs' feet.

“Pigs' feet!” Leah turned up her nose. “I wouldn't eat those things!”

“Why, they're the best part of a pig,” Ezra said as his eyes glinted with humor. “Except for the lips, that is. I couldn't get any of those; they were already gone. The good parts always go first.”

Leah stared at him. “Pig
lips!”
She shuddered. “I'd just as soon eat snails!”

“I heard those Frenchmen eat snails and like them real good,” he teased.

Leah sniffed. “Well, you know those foreigners—they'll eat
anything.”
She took the sausage and said, “We'll eat this and the eggs we have left. Maybe that'll do till we get something better.”

That night Mr. Carter seemed to feel better, but Jeff had not improved. He got out of the wagon, though, aided by Ezra, and sat with his back against a wheel. Ezra built up a small fire and made coffee. Jeff drank a cup, saying nothing.

Dan Carter looked across the fire and said, “Feeling a little peaked, are you, son?”

“I'll be all right,” Jeff said. His voice was thin and weak, and his cheeks were sunken in, as were his eyes. He'd never been sick to speak of in his life, and now his physical illness seemed to have dragged him down emotionally as well.

Ezra kept the talk going around the campfire. He was a cheerful young man. From time to time, though, Jeff was able to trace some of the hardships Ezra had endured as a child. He'd never complained about them, but Jeff knew it had been terrible.

“I've been thinking about clearing those ten acres over by Bolton's creek, Mr. Carter,” he said, tipping his coffee cup to his mouth to drain the last drops. “That's good land down there.”

“That land would be hard. Those walnut trees are a hundred years old, I guess, Ezra.”

“I know. We could sell them off and burn the stumps, and when we get them pulled out that would be a good place to grow sorghum. Maybe we could do that like your Uncle Silas.”

“I don't think sorghum grows well in the North,” Dan said. “But we could sure put some winter wheat in there, or maybe feed for the cows.” The two men went on talking about the farm, and Leah sat down beside Jeff.

“I'm sorry you feel so bad,” she said.

Jeff nodded. He tried to think of something to say, but he'd never been able to get over the way he'd treated Leah when he left. He knew that he ought to simply say he was sorry, but somehow he couldn't. Now he made some remark about how he'd be glad to get back home.

Leah got up and began to prepare for bed.

The next day they crossed over into Virginia territory.

“Almost home now,” Ezra said. “Guess you'll be ready, won't you, Jeff?”

“Sure will.” Jeff had insisted on sitting beside Ezra on the wagon seat. He had to hang on, for the road was rutted and he felt lightheaded as well.

Leah was in the back with her father, and Ezra leaned back and said, “In Virginia now, Leah. Mr. Carter, we'll be seeing your uncle pretty soon.”

Ten minutes later, they were surprised to see a troop of Confederate infantry marching toward them.

A major on horseback was at the head, and he threw up his hand, stopping the soldiers.

Ezra pulled the horses up short. “Howdy, Major.”

The major looked them over carefully and said, “You coming from Sharpsburg?”
Jeff immediately spoke up. “I got sick and couldn't get away with the rest of General Lee's men.”

“What's your outfit, boy?”

“Stonewall Brigade. My father is Captain Nelson Majors of Company A.”

At once the officer grew more relaxed. “Any more with you, Private?”

“No, sir, just me. These folks are taking me all the way back to Richmond where I hope to find my father. My brother, Tom—he's in the company too.”

“Well, it was a bad fight. You go on now.” He spoke to his men, and they began marching forward.

Ezra slapped the horses with the lines and soon the sound of marching feet faded.

“Well, I guess we're home sure enough if we can see Confederates marching like that,” Jeff said.

“Looks pretty good to you, I reckon,” Ezra commented.

Jeff hesitated, then said, “Ezra, I have something to tell you.”

“Let's have it, Jeff.”

Jeff hesitated, then blurted out, “Well, the truth is, I've treated you right bad, Ezra. I was suspicious from the time I saw you there hiding in Silas's barn.”

“No reason why you shouldn't be. I was an enemy soldier,” Ezra said in a kindly fashion.

“I know, but that wasn't all of it.” Jeff bit his lip and let the silence run on for a moment. “Well, hang it all, to tell the truth … I guess I've been … I hate to say it, Ezra …”

“Well, what is it?”

“You see, Leah and me, we've been friends for a long time.” Jeff ducked his head, refusing to look at Ezra. “The truth is, it made me a little bit jealous when you and her went hunting birds' eggs. That's always been what me and her have done together.”

“Why, you shouldn't feel that way, Jeff,” Ezra said. “Leah thinks more of you than she does anybody. She's told me so many times.”

“She has?” Jeff brightened and glanced back involuntarily. Some of the tension left his face, and he looked at Ezra. The sun was shining on the boy's curly brown hair. He looked lean and able, his hands big and strong. “Now, that's good of you to say so, Ezra.” Awkwardly he stuck his hand over and said, “I'm asking you to forget the way I acted, all right?”

Ezra at once shifted the line to his left hand and shook Jeff's hand cheerfully in a hard grip. “Why,
sure. There's no reason me and you can't be friends, is there, Jeff, now that I'm not a Yankee soldier no more?”

“No reason at all.”

The wagon trundled down the rutted road, and somehow Jeff felt good—good in the way he'd felt good when he apologized to Lucy. At least, he thought finally,
I'm OK with Ezra. Now I've got to tell Leah what a rat I've been—and how much I think of her.

T
he sun was high in the sky when Ezra turned the horses off the main road. They had traveled hard all morning, hoping to reach their destination before noon, and they were only two hours late.

“Wake up, Leah!” Ezra said. “We're here.”

Leah, who had been sitting in the wagon seat beside him, came awake with a start. She looked ahead, and her eyes widened with pleasure. She turned and said, “Pa, we're here. Jeff, wake up! We're almost to Uncle Silas's farm.”

Ezra directed the team down the dusty road, letting his eyes run over the scene. “Sure never will forget this place, Leah,” he said. “My life ain't been the same since I hid out here.”

Leah looked fondly at him. “It's funny, isn't it, Ezra? If you'd gone on down the road and hidden in the next barn, we might never have met.”

Ezra shook his head. “That would have been bad for me. I'd been caught sooner or later and sent back to Belle Isle Prison.”

Leah reached over and patted his wrist. “The Lord always knows what He's doing. That's why He put you at Uncle Silas's house.”

Ezra looked down at her hand, which looked very white against his bronzed arm, then glanced away quickly. “Well, I guess we've got a surprise for Mr. Silas, ain't we now?”
After drawing up the team in front of the house, Ezra leaped to the ground, walked around, and put out his hand.

Leah was surprised but took it and stepped lightly to the ground. The two of them went to the back of the wagon then, and Leah stuck her head inside. She saw her father sitting on the cot, smiling.

“We're here, Pa. Come on.”

Dan Carter reached over and slapped Jeff on the shoulder. “Come on, boy,” he said. “I'm pretty tired of this wagon. It'll be good to have a real bed again and put our feet under a real table.”

Ezra and Leah helped the two men down, and Leah said with satisfaction, “You're looking better, Pa.”

“I guess a nice travel in a wagon was what I needed. But I give glory to God for His healing.” He looked at Jeff and said, “You're looking better too, Jeff. You didn't have much fever last night.”

Jeff nodded. With his feet on the ground, he leaned back against the wagon and looked around. “Sure looks good to me. Let's see if your uncle's here.”

They went up the steps to the front porch, Jeff hanging onto the pillar as he climbed slowly.

Leah started to take his arm and help but decided not to. Instead she knocked on the door and turned to say, “He's going to be surprised to see you, Pa.”

No sooner had she spoken than the door swung open. Silas Carter, wearing a pair of faded overalls, stared at them for one moment in disbelief. Then his face broke into a wide smile. “Well, I swan!” he cried. “Leah, Jeff, and Ezra! What a family reunion! Come in, come in!”

“And me too, Uncle Silas.” Dan Carter stepped forward and grinned at the surprise and shock that ran across his uncle's face. “Didn't expect to see me, I bet.”

Silas Carter appeared to have been struck dumb. He'd not seen this nephew for years. Dan had always been his favorite among his nephews. He'd written him often and had been able to keep up with some of the things Dan had done, especially when Leah and Sarah visited. But now to see him standing on his own front porch—well, evidently he almost couldn't believe it.

“Dan!” Silas cried. He came bursting out the screen door and grabbed his nephew. “Never would've dreamed it!”

The two men hugged, and the three young people grinned at them. Both older men had beards, and it was a little amusing to see them act like schoolboys.

Silas then stepped back and dabbed at his eyes with his shirt sleeve. “You'll have me blubbering like a baby, Dan. Come on in the house and sit.”

The five of them were soon seated about the round oak table drinking sassafras tea, and Silas was alternately talking at full speed and demanding answers. As Dan told the story of the battle and how Jeff had been picked up by a Quaker farmer, Silas repeatedly exclaimed, “Well, praise God … hallelujah … the Lord is good!” He turned around and pounded Jeff's shoulder, saying, “The Lord must favor you, boy.” He squeezed his shoulder and said, “You're a little peaked, but some good cooking will take care of that.”

“I'll take care of that,” Leah said quickly. “I'm tired of cooking over a campfire. Maybe I'll go to
town and get a real special treat. You didn't expect a horde of relatives to come barreling in on you, did you?”

“I'm tickled to see you all. But it might be good if you went and picked up a special treat for our celebration,” Silas said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “Let's have a real special supper!”

“I'll go with you,” Ezra said. “Help you carry the stuff back.”

“No, you'd better not,” Leah said. “Somebody might remember you leaving town with me.” She didn't mention Lucy's name but saw Jeff give her a quick look.

In the end Leah went by herself to the small store down the road. The shelves were nearly bare, for the South was getting more and more shy of groceries. But there was a luscious dark fruitcake, imported from England.

When Leah paid for the food with a gold coin, the storekeeper's eyes opened wide. “Lawsy, I ain't seen none of these since Hector was a pup! I have to give you your change in Confederate.”

“That's all right,” Leah said quickly. She took the bundle of Confederate money, knowing it was worth very little, smiled, and went back to Silas's house.

That night they had a fine supper: roast beef, baked potatoes, greens, and cornbread, with two apple pies and slivers of the precious fruitcake for dessert.

Afterward, both Dan and Jeff were tired, and Silas had Ezra set up cots and make pallets here and there.

Dan Carter and Uncle Silas looked at each other before Dan went to bed, and Dan said, “I've never
forgotten how you took care of me and my family when we needed it, Silas.”

“Well, now I can do something for you again,” Silas said fondly. “You go to bed now. We've got a lot of talking to do tomorrow.”

And soon the house grew quiet.

When Ezra had gone up to bed in the loft, Jeff lay down wearily on the cot set up for him in the living room.

Suddenly Leah came in. She brought a thin quilt with her and said, “It's pretty warm now, but sometimes it gets cool before morning, Jeff.”

Jeff stood up and took the quilt. He knew the time had come.

“Leah,” he said, “I'm sure sorry about the way I treated you in Kentucky.”

Leah looked at him. “We were both wrong, Jeff. I don't know why we have to fuss. It's no fun, is it?”

“No, it's not.” He managed a shy grin. “Best of friends, aren't we?”

Leah put out her hand. “Always the best of friends, Jeff. That's what we always say, isn't it? I couldn't have borne it if I hadn't found you and been able to make things right between us.”

Jeff wanted to say more, but she turned and left the room. He sat down on the cot and looked out the window. The partially visible moon was sailing by, dragging filmy clouds after it. He watched for a while and then drew in a satisfied breath, lay back, and went into the first good night's rest he'd had since he'd gotten sick.

The next day after breakfast Leah said, “Come on, Jeff. You need to get some sunshine. You look like the underside of a catfish.”

He laughed and got up from the table. “You sure know how to make a fellow feel good, Leah.”

However, he was glad to get outside. The sun shone brightly, and there was a slight breeze that cooled his face. “Sure is good to be out of that wagon,” he said. “And to get over being sick.” He kicked a stone and watched as it skittered across the road. Then he walked over to the rail fence where clematis was still blooming, picked one of the blossoms, and said, “Always was partial to clematis. Real delicate like.”