Jordan's War - 1861 Read online

  Chapter 14

  Jordan sprung up wild eyed and confused, tore off his covers, and wrestled free of the dream that had tortured his sleep throughout the night.

  What began as a peaceful vision of him walking on air amongst beautiful winged angels hovering over the clouds of heaven turned to terror as one misstep sent him spiraling downward to earth and into a fiery pit that had open up just as he was about to crash. He careened helpless towards the fires of hell, while tormented screams and fiendish laughter howled in his ears. He managed to wake himself right before flames reached out to claim him.

  Frightened, he looked around the dark room to make sure the evil did not follow him to consciousness. Eamon laid beside him sound asleep.

  Fear rushed through his body and escaped only through the uncontrollable trembling of his limbs. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, put his feet on the floor, and leaned over to look out the window. It was too early to get up. It was pitch black outside and thunder resonated across the mountain from an approaching storm. Bursts of lightening veined the night sky.

  “Did you have a nightmare?” `

  Jordan jumped and pulled the blankets up to his neck. Gunner was sitting on the cot at the foot of Jordan’s bed and his silhouette lit up as another bolt of lightning flashed through the window behind him. Large raindrops pelted the glass.

  “Don’t you sleep?” Jordan asked.

  “Shut up,” Eamon groaned and rolled over.

  Jordan crawled down to the bottom of the bed, taking all the covers with him. Eamon sat up, gave the blankets a good jerk and took them back.

  “Slept already,” Gunner whispered. “I keep waking up about this time every morning. Bess will be up soon. Did you have a bad dream?”

  “Yeah,” Jordan said. There was no use to lie. “Why don’t you just go back to sleep?”

  “I can’t,” Gunner whispered. “So I’ve been praying to God to help Pa get well. Do you think it’ll work?”

  “Pa says you can’t never get enough praying,” Jordan said, but left off the last part about where you shouldn’t ask for too much because God already gives you all you’ll ever need in this life.

  “Shut up!” Eamon hollered and kicked Jordan hard in the leg. He scooted down on the cot with Gunner.

  “Let’s go into the kitchen,” Jordan said. “I’ll start the fire for Ma.”

  “Can you make the coffee?” Gunner asked.

  “Get the hell out of here!” Eamon yelled and threw a pillow at the boys, but missed. Jordan threw it back and then found his trousers draped over the dresser.

  “I’m telling Ma you cussed,” Jordan said and ran out of the room, just before Eamon lunged at him.

  They tiptoed out of the bedroom, through the front room where Jim was still asleep and into the kitchen. Jordan lit two candles while Gunner stuffed a handful of kindling into the ashen grate.

  A look of pure enchantment came over Gunner as the flames from the fireplace washed over his face.

  “Do you hear that?” he said and crept back towards the living room.

  “Hear what?”

  “Pa’s not coughing.”

  Jordan could hear the gurgling in Jim’s chest with each breath he took, but Gunner was right. He wasn’t coughing and Jordan had to agree he slept a little more peaceful than usual.

  “Do you think the prayer worked?” Gunner asked.

  “Maybe, but don’t say nothing to Grandma,” Jordan warned.

  “Why not?” Gunner asked. “Don’t she believe in praying?”

  “She’s funny that way,” Jordan explained. “And I know she gave him something after Reverend Summey left last night. It may be her tonics that are making him better.”

  “Oh, I hope so,” Gunner said, and smiled. “Maybe with God and Grandma, he’ll get back to normal soon.”

  Bess shuffled into the kitchen as she pinned the last strand of her long brown hair into a hairpin and grabbed her apron.

  “What are you boys doing up so early?” she asked.

  “Jordan had a bad dream,” Gunner blurted out. “I’m always awake by now.”

  “Are you all right?” Ma asked Jordan and rubbed her fingers through his hair.

  “Yep,” Jordan said. “Can you make some coffee now?”

  “Yes, run out to the meat house and get a side of bacon,” she said. “We’ve had gravy and biscuits for too long around here. Jim’s not coughing so he may feel good enough to eat some meat. Gunner, go on down to the spring and fill up the water bucket.”

  “I’ll get two buckets. Pa’ll need to wash up a bit.”

  “Thank you dear,” Ma said, and went into the pantry.

  Jordan laced up his boots and headed for the back door. Gunner knelt beside him and pulled on his boots, which were an old pair of Jakes. They fit him just fine and they weren’t worn too badly.

  There was a chill in the air and Jordan had to hold his arm over his face to keep out the rain. He thought about Gunner sliding down the hill on the wet leaves to get to the spring. He certainly got the better of the two chores. He trotted down the path, through the mud and wet grass, and unlatched the door to the meat house.

  He heard the rats scurry away as he entered the building. It was dark but he knew right where the bacons were hung, as he’d helped hang them there last fall. He grabbed one of the larger slabs and struggled with the hook. What the heck, he was starving. It took him a few minutes to get the meat down and head back up the path.

  A shot pierced the morning silence. Jordan froze as the gunfire echoed over the mountain and got a fix on where the shot came from before he sprinted back to the house. Something wasn’t right and as usual, he immediately assumed Luke Vander was involved somehow. He quickened his pace because the last thing he needed was Luke stalking him in the dark. Not after the nightmare.

  “Did you hear that?” Jordan asked as he stumbled into the back door. He hoped no one would notice his blood-drained face in the dim light.

  “Yes,” Ma said. “Take off your boots before you track mud in the house.”

  “Who do you think was shooting?” Gunner asked.

  “Probably someone shooting a bear or something,” Ma said. She didn’t seem too concerned.

  “No one shoots a bear in the spring,” Jordan reasoned. “They’re too skinny now.”

  “A raccoon then,” she said as she sharpened a knife on the wet stone.

  Jordan didn’t believe it. He’d wait until after breakfast and then find a way to go explore.

  “Pa!” Gunner hollered.

  Jim was leaning against the door frame. In his hand was Grandma’s walking stick. Gunner ran to him so fast that he almost knocked him over.

  “Abigail left this for me,” he said in a hoarse voice and twirled the old knobby branch. “I suppose she knew I’d be needing it.”

  “She don’t miss much,” Ma said and pulled out a chair. “Sit down before you fall down.”

  “I’ll stand right now if that’s fine with you Bess,” Jim said and coughed. “Need to get my legs built back up.”

  “Did you hear the gunshot Jim?” Jordan asked.

  “Yep,” Jim said. “Don’t know who’d be out hunting at this hour in this storm.”

  The rain was coming down in sheets now and the wind whipped through the open kitchen window.

  “Some fool,” Ma said and reached over to close the window. “Did you boys open this?”

  “No,” Jordan said.

  Gunner opened the door, struggling to carry two full water buckets. Jordan ran over, took one from him and put it on the table.

  All the morning chores were done and Jordan was ready to go exploring. The rain was over before he’d even finished eating breakfast and the sun sprays made their way through the thinning clouds to the earth, and it looked as though the Almighty had never left the Sinclair farm after the long prayer vigil had ended.

  “Let’s go,” Jordan said to Gunner after the last plate was scraped into the slop bucket. Willow and Sel
ie would finish cleaning up and Jordan wouldn’t have to help in the fields since they were all wet from the rain.

  “Where?”

  “To see where that shot came from,” Jordan said.

  “I don’t think anyone is still there.”

  “I know that,” Jordan said. “I just want to take a look, that’s all.”

  “What if you run into that boy who was shooting at you yesterday?”

  Jordan didn’t want to tell Gunner he’d already thought about that. He wanted so much to investigate, but he didn’t want to go off by himself.

  “Oh, come on,” Jordan said. “We won’t go that far.”

  “No,” Gunner said. “I want to stay here. Finnian gave Pa some strings for my fiddle.”

  Jordan followed Gunner outside to persuade him to go. Jim was sitting next to Grandma fussing at the strings on the old fiddle.

  “Finnian said we’re going to do some singing after supper tonight,” Jim said and strummed the strings.

  It sounded much better than the first time Jordan heard it. Jim’s eyes sparkled just as they did when they first met.

  “Where you off to?” Grandma asked Jordan. She had her head cocked to one side and her narrow, inquisitive eyes unnerved him a bit. It was like she was looking right through him.

  “Nowhere,” Jordan answered. “Where’s Jake?”

  Maybe he’d like to come exploring with him. He saw him coming back from the woodshed with a handful of blocks.

  “I think I have enough,” Jake hollered to Gunner.

  Darn! They’re going to work on their army.

  “Are you going to make the guns?” Jake asked as he dropped the blocks on the porch.

  “I’ll be back in a bit,” Jordan said and gave Gunner a wink. Gunner smiled and pulled his knife out of his pocket.

  Jordan walked down the path towards the barn, fully aware of his grandma’s eyes watching him. He didn’t want to run because this would only add to her suspicions.

  He reached the barn and looked for Gus before he went any farther. Someone hit him from behind and knocked him to his knees.

  “That’s for waking me up this morning,” Eamon yelled, and jumped on top of him and held his face in the dirt.

  Jordan managed to turn his face to the side so he could breathe.

  “Get off of me!” Jordan yelled at Eamon and squirmed until he finally got off. His clothes were now all muddy and wet.

  “Where are you going?” Eamon asked. “Pa needs us to clean the manure out of the barn. You can fill up the wheelbarrow and I’ll wheel it to the manure pile.”

  “Where’s Pa?” Jordan asked.

  “Checking the sheep’s feet for rot,” Eamon answered.

  “Want to go see where that shot was?”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. I just want to see what’s going on.”

  “Ain’t nothing going on but that wild imagination of yours,” Eamon said. “Which direction did it come from?”

  “Up near the rocks. I was outside when I heard it.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yep,” Jordan said.

  “I’ll come with you,” Eamon said and ran down the path ahead of him.

  They crossed the creek at the shallow part, but Jordan managed to slip off a rock and fill his boot with cold water. He was out of breath by the time they climbed the mountainside and had to rest on one of the big rocks that lay all around the area.

  “Come one!” Eamon hollered. He was at least twenty yards up the hill and didn’t seem to be out of breath at all.

  Jordan ran after him, ignoring the pain in his side. He caught up with him just at the base of the bare rocks that protruded from the top of the mountain.

  Eamon was the first to climb the cliffs and kicked Jordan in the head when he got too close. At last they reached the summit and crouched behind one of the large rocks that littered the mountainside.

  “Shhh,” Eamon said then peered around the side.

  Jordan stood up and looked over Eamon’s head. He could hear the voices before he saw three men standing around a tall oak tree looking at the ground. They must have been there for some time as their horses had wandered off to forage for food.

  “What are they doing?” Jordan whispered.

  “Whatever they’re doing,” Eamon said. “It’s trespassing. Let’s go get Pa.”

  Chapter 15

  Jordan and Eamon crept back over the rocks and raced down the mountainside. Jordan stumbled in the ruts made by water runoff during the spring thaw and tumbled more distance than he ran. He lost sight of Eamon. The shortcut he tried didn’t work too well as he ended up tangled in a briar patch and ripped the sleeve of his shirt. Blood oozed from a few of the deeper scratches on his arms and face.

  At last he reached the path to the creek and caught flashing glimpses of Eamon ahead of him.

  Jordan rounded the corner of the barn and saw Eamon leaning against the bull pen talking with Jake and Gunner. He slowed down and walked the rest of the way, holding his side the entire time.

  “What’s wrong?” Jordan shouted when he thought he was close enough for them to hear him.

  Eamon waved for him to come closer and Jordan increased his pace a little. He was too out of breath to run anymore.

  “What happened to you?” Gunner asked. “Why are you all muddy and bleeding?”

  “You went through the briar patch didn’t you?” Eamon laughed “You look like you’ve been fighting with Willow’s old mama cat.”

  “Grandma will whip you if you bothered the blackberries,” Jake warned.

  “I didn’t do nothing,” Jordan said. “What’s going on?”

  “Sergeant Hummel is at the house talking to Pa,” Eamon said.

  “The Home Guard?” Jordan asked.

  “Yeah,” Jake said. “He rode up a little while ago with another soldier.”

  “Was Luke with him?” Jordan asked.

  “No,” Jake said. “I didn’t see him.”

  “Why’s he here?” Eamon asked.

  “I don’t know,” Jake said.

  “I heard him say something about spies,” Gunner said. “But I didn’t mean to listen. I was just cleaning up all my wood shavings.”

  “I didn’t hear him say anything,” Jake shrugged.

  Jordan backed away from the fence when Gus lumbered over to eat the tall grass by the post. Every time the beast would snort Jordan would flinch.

  “Look,” Eamon laughed and pointed. “You’re still afraid of him aren’t you?”

  “You’d be too if he stepped on your back and you had to wear one of Grandma’s smelly old poultices,” Jordan yelled.

  “He does look a little big,” Gunner said.

  “I’m going back to the house,” Jordan said.

  “You can’t,” Gunner said. “Bess ran us all off. Willow and Selie went to spread the runners down at the strawberry patch. We were fetching the hoe to help her weed some when Eamon came running up.”

  “The hoes aren’t down here,” Eamon said then gave Jake a narrow-eyed stare. “You were following us weren’t you?”

  “Was not,” Jake retorted and put his head down so no one could see his eyes.

  Willow! She’s alone in the strawberry patch. Jordan forgot all about heading back to eavesdrop on the grown-ups. If Sergeant Hummel was here that meant Luke Vander wasn’t far off. He was probably lurking about like some rattlesnake, slithering through the grass on his belly waiting to ambush.

  “Let’s go help Willow then,” Jordan said and took off to the strawberry patch which was on the other side of the pasture next to the road.

  “Wait up Jordan!” Gunner hollered.

  Jordan slowed his pace but didn’t stop.

  “Did you get your fiddle fixed?” Jordan asked.

  “Yep,” Gunner said. “Finnian even taught me a few notes before that man came.”

  “Did you hear anything else?”

  “No, but Finnian didn’t seem too concerned about it.
Did you see anything up on the mountain?”

  “There were soldiers at the top, over the rocks,” Jordan said. “They were standing around looking at something.”

  “What was it?”

  “I don’t know,” Jordan said. “We couldn’t see anything.”

  Jordan spotted Willow’s blue dress as she knelt in the dirt. He could see Selie standing next to her doing absolutely nothing.

  “Need some help?” Gunner asked as he unlatched the gate.

  Jordan hopped over the fence.

  “It could use some weeding,” Willow said. “You can start over there and don’t step on any of the plants. Didn’t you bring a hoe?”

  “Jake’s getting it,” Jordan said. “We can use our hands.”

  Jordan followed Gunner to a corner of the patch and started pulling out the weeds. The blooms had long since blown away and plump green berries were everywhere. Jake and Eamon showed up a couple of minutes later with two hoes.

  The mid-morning sun beat down relentlessly and Jordan was dying of thirst.

  “Did you bring any water?” he asked Willow.

  “Over by the fence,” she pointed.

  “I’ll get it for you,” Selie said and raced him to the edge of the patch.

  He took the water from her and gulped down half the jar.

  “Hey!” Eamon called. “Save some for the rest of us.”

  Jordan propped the jar next to the post and went back to work.

  “It looks like we’re going to get a bunch this year,” Jake called out.

  “The birds will probably eat them all,” Selie said. “Just like last year.”

  They had weeded two full rows by the time Ma called them to come and eat. Jordan was filthy, sweaty, and achy from all the stooping and tugging. The patch was full of spiders. He didn’t know why, but it seemed as though there were as many spiders in the patch as there were strawberries. He hated spiders and cringed when he had to wipe away their webs which were intricately laced on the leaves and inevitably stuck to his fingers.

  Jordan was the first one over the fence and back to the house. His curiosity was getting the best of him and he wondered if Sergeant Hummel was still there.