alone.”
She nodded. “What do you think?”
“I think whatever gets me to California the fastest is the way to go, and that’s traveling alone. Those big wagon trains are safer, but their pace is slower than molasses.”
She remembered Luke’s warning. “What about crossing the rivers? Won’t it be more dangerous if we’re alone?”
“Hell, no. Don’t worry about it, Little Mouse. Your pa knows what he’s doing.” Len spurred his horse and took off to chase one of the cattle that had wandered away.
Toward the end of the day, they came to the Big Blue River. The wagons of the Ferguson wagon train were parked along its banks. Not one had crossed yet. Pa, still driving the wagon with Ma beside him, shaded his eyes for a closer look. “What in the Sam Hill are they doing?”
Callie, still astride Duke, reined up beside the wagon. “It looks like they’re unloading everything.”
“Look at those fools.” Pa cast a look of disgust. “They’ll lose at least two days trying to get across.” He flicked his whip over the oxen and they started up again.
As they drew closer, Ma pointed. “Oh, look, there’s that awful woman with the bloomers. Try to avoid her, Caleb.”
Too late. Florida spotted them and waved. “Have you come to join us? Isn’t this terrible?” She spoke in a cheery voice, gesturing toward the growing pile of possessions she and her children were unloading from the wagon. “Luke says we must take everything out of the wagons. Then, what scares me to death, is we’ve got to float them across. You should join us, Mister Whitaker. There’s safety in numbers.”
Pa gave her a thin-lipped smile. “We’ll find our own place to cross farther upstream. Somewhere more shallow than this.”
Luke rode up. “Not a good idea, sir. Those shallow crossings can be tricky. A lot of them are full of quicksand. Believe me, you don’t want to get stuck.”
“I’ll take my chances.” With a look of disdain, Pa flicked the reins. The wagon started to roll again on a trail by the riverbank, headed upstream.
“If you hit quicksand, whatever you do, don’t stop!” Luke called after him.
Pa appeared not to hear and didn’t slow his pace.
Callie, still atop her horse, paused to speak to Luke and Florida. “Wish us luck.”
Florida glanced at the swift-flowing river. Her face filled with worry. “I’ll say a special prayer for you.”
Callie could tell she meant it from the bottom of her heart.
Luke, too, had a look of worry. “Be careful.” He was smiling, yet serious.
She tilted her chin in an attempt to look a lot braver than she felt. “We’ll be fine. Maybe I’ll see you on the other side.” She urged Duke into a trot and rode away. Acutely aware Luke’s gaze must be fastened on her back, she sat straight in the saddle, tall as she could, and took care not to bounce like a beginner, like Lydia would do. At least he’d think she was a good rider, although why his opinion should matter in the least, she didn’t know.
* * * *
Pa drove the first wagon, followed by Andy driving the second, nearly a mile upstream until they came to a stretch of the riverbank lined with a sparse fringe of trees. Len rode his horse partway into the stream. “This here spot is pretty shallow. I don’t think we’ll find one better.”
Callie gazed in consternation at the place they’d chosen. This was the best the boys could find? Maybe the bank wasn’t as steep, but the current still ran high and swift. She wasn’t the only one concerned.
Lydia frowned with unease. “Are you sure, Len? That river looks way too dangerous to me.”
Len laughed with scorn. “I’ll show you how dangerous it is, Miss Lydia.” Still laughing, he rode his chestnut gelding back into the river, only farther this time. “See how easy?” He held tight to the horse’s mane.
Suddenly the horse sank almost from sight. It must have stepped into a hole. In a panic, it bucked, reared and threw its rider into the water. Len came to the surface only to find the panic-stricken animal lashing out in all directions. Everyone gasped when a fatal blow of the horse’s hoof just missed his head. By some miracle, he managed to drag himself from the river and collapse exhausted on the bank. His horse scrambled out beside him. “Still think we can make it,” he panted, struggling for breath.
Callie waited for Pa to disagree, to say they should find another place, but after a careful scanning of the river, he nodded his head. “We’ll cross here, just a few feet farther upstream to avoid that hole. Andy, start driving the cattle across. We’ll follow with the wagons.”
Ma looked doubtful. “Caleb, are you sure? That water looks—”
“When I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it. Go ahead, boys.”
Ma shut her mouth. Callie dismounted and removed Duke’s saddle. The women watched with growing concern as Len and Andy, whooping and waving their hats, drove the horses and cattle into the stream. Although an occasional errant cow balked, or swam in the wrong direction, they all made it across. When the last animal reached the opposite bank, Pa nodded with satisfaction and cast an I-told-you-so glance at his wife. “All that fuss for nothing. Get in the wagons. We’ll cross right now and be way ahead of that idiot, Ferguson.”
Andy made ready to drive the first wagon across with Ma on the seat beside him, Nelly and Lydia in the back.
Len, already on the far bank, called across. “Remember what they said, Andy. Once you get started, don’t stop for nothing.”
Andy drove the wagon down the bank and into the river. Callie caught her breath as she watched Ma gripping the seat, and Andy beside her cracking the whip above the oxen’s heads. He was yelling like she’d never heard before, encouraging the animals into the swift stream. What if the wagon tipped and they were tossed into the icy water? Nobody knew how to swim. It would be a complete disaster.
No need to worry, they made it across. Callie’s confidence soared as the wagon rolled to the top of the opposite bank and her family jumped down, all smiles. Now only she, Pa, and Tommy had yet to cross in the second wagon.
Pa grinned with satisfaction. “See how easy that was? Let’s go.”
Callie took her little brother’s hand and started toward the wagon. He pulled back and started to cry. “No, scared! Don’t want to go.”
She stopped and knelt before him. “Don’t be scared, Tommy. It’s easy.” The boy shook his head and continued to cry. She called to Pa. “We’d better wait. I need to get him calmed down.”
Pa got down off the wagon seat and strode to where they were standing. “Why are you coddling the boy?” He pointed toward the wagon. “Get him on the seat right now or I swear I’ll leave him behind.”
Callie closed her eyes in frustration. This was the worst possible way to handle the frightened child. “Pa, give me a few minutes—”
“Into the wagon now, or I swear to God, I’ll leave you both behind.”
Before she could stop him, Pa jerked Tommy from her arms, carried him screaming to the wagon, and dumped him roughly on the wagon seat. He uttered a curse. “No son of mine is going to be a coward. Come on, Callie, let’s go.”
Callie climbed onto the seat, shifting Tommy so she sat in the middle and he didn’t have to sit next to his father. She felt so powerless. All she could do was wrap an arm around the sobbing boy and hope for the best. “Hold tight, Tommy,” she whispered. “Keep your eyes closed until we get across. Everything’s going to be fine.”
Tommy squeezed his eyes closed tight. With a sharp crack of the whip, Pa urged the oxen into the river. As they rolled ever deeper into the current, Callie wanted to close