Some characters in this story are based on people actually living at that time in history. Events in this story come solely from my imagination and any coincidence to actual events is purely unintentional. Belle Meade plantation stands today as a historical museum.
The Journey By Cassie Latshaw
Epilogue
When Israel was in Egypt's Land,
Let my people go,
Oppressed so hard they could not stand,
Let my people go.
Go down Moses,
Way down in Egypt's Land,
Tell ol' Pharaoh,
To let my people go.
Thus saith the Lord, bold Moses said,
Let my people go,
If not, I'll smite your first-born dead,
Let my people go.
Go down Moses,
Way down in Egypt's Land,
Tell ol' Pharaoh,
To let my people go.
No more shall they in bondage toil,
Let my people go,
Let them come out with Egypt's spoil,
Let my people go.
Carrie John Richardson immediately stopped softly singing as she spotted her aunt at the kitchen door. Although the sun would not make it's first appearance for an hour she knew her aunt had already been in the kitchen for some time and could tell from the look on her face that she was not happy with Carrie. Her aunt had asked Mrs. Harding to allow her to work in the house and Mrs. Harding had agreed provided Susanna took charge of her. Carrie had been excited at the prospect of working in the house rather than working in the fields or the stables for which the plantation was becoming very well known, she was also pleased with the two new dresses and new pair of shoes she had been given by Mrs. Harding for wearing in the house. Carrie had not liked the shoes at first, they were hard to get used to. She knew that some of the other children on the plantation were jealous of her, at nine she was rather young to already be getting shoes.
"Carrie, hurry up chile." Susanna McGavock Carter at forty-eight felt she was getting too old to look after her young niece. That child just didn't know when to behave, and singing that song where some of the white folks might hear her! She was going to have a talk with that young lady, but first breakfast had to be served. Mr. William Harding was already up and preparing for his day and he did hate for his breakfast to be late. "Carrie, you git dis tray up to the master and the missus and be quick about it chile!" Susanna hoped the stern tone to her voice would hurry Carrie up, but as she heard the girl going up the back stairs to the master bedroom she could tell she was going slowly. She smiled as she realized she often had paused on those same stairs to look out the window. Belle Meade was a beautiful plantation, the envy of many of its neighbors and Susanna was proud of that fact that she had complete control over the kitchen. Mrs. Harding had received Susanna from her father as a wedding present. She was pleased to be taking such a fine cook to Belle Meade and Susanna's cooking soon became the envy of her neighbor's.
Well, I best check on that bread I'm baking Susanna thought to herself. Mr. and Mrs. Harding were going to be entertaining some horse buyer's tonight at dinner and Susanna had much to do to prepare. She and Carrie were going to be very busy today. Susanna looked at the menu Mrs. Harding had written out for her: French Onion Soup, Roast Pork, Sweet Potatoes, Cabbage and Sausage, Pickles, Brandied Peaches, Rolls and butter, and Apple Dumplings. Susanna began a mental list of what she would have Carrie work on first, a busy day indeed.
Chapter One
Teaspoon's Decision
Teaspoon scratched his graying beard as he pondered his thoughts. Looking out the window of the Marshall's office he realized his decision had been made for him. Call it circumstance, call it fate, call it unfortunate coincidence. Call it anything you like, you couldn't change what was.
Realizing it was getting late and the town of Rock Creek was settling in for the night, Teaspoon resigned himself to what lay ahead. Putting his fears behind him, or at least into the shadows of his thoughts, Teaspoon left his office and headed for the way station, his footsteps were heavy and slow as if his fear had materialized into a weighty thing carried heavily on his shoulders.
Entering the bunkhouse, Teaspoon took a moment to take in the scene before him. Rachel Dunne, housekeeper at the station and treasured friend, was busily putting dinner on the table. A task made easier tonight by the absence of several of the riders. The smaller quantity of food being placed on the table was of course due mostly to Cody's absence, however Kid, Jimmy and Buck were also elsewhere on this fateful evening. Kid and Jimmy were on a special run to Ft. Kearney and were not scheduled to return for three or four days. Cody was on his scheduled run and Buck was visiting his brother's tribe. Teaspoon closed his eyes silently wishing them all Godspeed, then returned his gaze to the scene before him.
Lou and Jesse were already seated at the table, having been going over Jesse's lessons as Rachel was preparing dinner. Ike and Noah, having just come in after completing their chores in the barn, were quickly drying their hands from the wash water Rachel had set out for them. Both were eager to sit down and eat as they had worked up a large appetite tending the horses and completing the extra chores caused by the absence of the other riders. In the blink of an eye they were seated on the bench opposite Lou and Jesse eager for dinner to get started. Teaspoon sighed audibly at the thought of what he was about to do.
"Teaspoon, you look like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulder. What's wrong?"
"Nothing Noah. Nothing that can't wait until after we eat this fine meal that Rachel has fixed for us" Teaspoon replied, having quickly decided his news could wait until after dinner.
The meal had been a quiet affair. With half the riders gone and
Teaspoon's head full of worry, Rachel, with Jesse's help, had done her best
to fill in the silence. Finally after listening to Jesse eagerly tell his
story about the fight at school that day, for the third time in the last
hour, Rachel gave Teaspoon a look which spoke volumes. Speak up now before
Jesse begins his story again!
Teaspoon cleared his throat, effectively cutting off Jesse from
starting his story anew. "Well boys, I got word earlier today that a special
shipment is coming into St. Louis. The company has asked that I send two of
my riders to pick up the package there."
"Don't know, the letter didn't say. It did however say that the
riders had to be in-cog-ni-to." Teaspoon replied, drawing out the last word
in his familiar way of ending a sentence.
"Incog what?" Jesse asked, the word unfamiliar to him.
"Well, now it means in disguise" Teaspoon replied after clearing his
throat. "Now boys, and girl, I've decided that Lou and Noah are going to make
this run."
The occupants of the room sat at the table in stunned silence for a
moment and then, as Teaspoon had feared, all hell broke loose.
"Teaspoon, you can't send Noah" Lou practically shouted, the words
out of her mouth before she realized how they might hurt Noah. She needn't
have feared, as he and Ike were too busy making their own protests to even
hear her.
"You can't send Lou that far. Ike and me should go, especially if you
don't know what this shipment is or how dangerous it might be." Noah was
concerned for the petite rider and hoped Teaspoon would listen to him on this.
Jesse remained seated, and for once, silent. Rachel, realizing
Teaspoon had made his decision and now needed her support, quickly let her
protests die on the tip of her tongue. Looking at Teaspoon she knew this had
not been an easy decision for him to make and she was determined to give him
whatever help and support she could.
"Now Ike, you've got a run scheduled tomorrow when Cody rides in. I
need two riders to leave first thing in the morning. With the others gone,
that leaves Lou and Noah. Sides, with the two of them this incognito thing
might be easier to pull off." Realizing they were all waiting for him to
finish explaining his last statement, Teaspoon paused and then continued
"Lou, Noah, you're going to be traveling as slave and mistress."
"Teaspoon!" gasped a stunned Lou, "I can't do that!"
"Now Lou, let's listen to what Teaspoon's got to say."
Teaspoon shot a grateful look to Noah and continued. "Missouri is a
slave state. Anyone looking for two pony express riders isn't going to look
twice at a woman and her slave passing by. Sides, I think this would be the
safest way for Noah to travel. You two might run into enough trouble without
Noah's having to prove he's free. Noah, I know this is going to be hard on
you, but I think it's the safest way for you two to travel."
"I agree Teaspoon, I think it's probably the best option we've got
with everyone else gone." Lou and Ike looked at Noah at his statement, both
of them surprised by his words. "Teaspoon's right, it'll be easier to travel
as a slave and no one is going to expect the two of us to be with the
express."
"Noah, I don't know if I can do this, even if it is only pretend."
Lou looked at her friend, "How are you going to be able to do it Noah?"
"Because I'm free and I have the choice of doing it Lou. Pretending
to be a slave isn't going to change the fact that I'm a free man. I was born
free and God willing I will die free. Ain't nothing going to change that!" In
truth Noah was scared of what he was about to do, but he'd be damned if he'd
let Lou, or any of the others, know it.
"Well, I think you two and Teaspoon have got a lot of work to do
tonight if you're going to leave at first light. Ike, who don't you go check
on their horses and Jesse you can give me a hand with the dishes."
Teaspoon cast a grateful glance at Rachel as she effectively ended
any further protest. They did indeed have a lot to do if he was going to send
a slave and his mistress to St. Louis rather than two pony express riders.
Time was a wastin.
Chapter Two
A Journey Begins
The sun had not yet crept up over the horizon as Rachel finished
wrapping up the food she had prepared for Lou and Noah's trip. Although the
housekeeper was tired from her late night she wanted to see both of the
rider's off.
It had been a busy evening at the Rock Creek waystation. Rachel had
kept Jesse with her to help get the food prepared for the trip. She had been
somewhat surprised by Jesse's reaction to the evenings events. Jesse had
chattered nonstop about how lucky Lou and Noah were to be going to St. Louis
and how he wished he was going with them.
"Heck, maybe I should ask Teaspoon if I can go with them. I could be
in-cog…whatever it was. I could pretend I'm Lou's brother. After all, it'd be
more fittin for a boy to own Noah than a girl"
Rachel tried hard to stay calm as she remembered Jesse's age and
where he came from. "Jesse, aren't you even a little worried for Noah and for
Lou. It could be really dangerous for them."
"Aw Rachel, they'll be okay so long as Noah remembers to act like a
proper nigger and don't mouth off to no one. Course he'd better leave his
whip here, folks might think it mighty strange for a slave to go round wearin
one of those. Course most folks don't' look twice at a slave. Anyways they're
going to St. Louis, this is gonna be the best trip any of em ever had."
"Jesse, I don't ever want to hear you use the word nigger in my house
again!" Jesse looked hurt and Rachel realized he didn't understand why she
was so upset. Rachel softened her tone a bit, "Some people use that word in a
hateful way. Noah is our friend and if he thought that all we saw when we
look at him is a black man and not a friend, he would be awful hurt."
"Didn't mean nothin by it Rachel." Jesse replied looking at the floor.
"I know you didn't Jesse, but some times you just gotta stop and
think about what you're gonna say before it pops out of your mouth. Now, I
think we're about done here, why don't you go check on the horses with Ike.
Send Lou in here on your way out please."
Chagrined, but only for a moment, Jesse bounded out the door in
search of Lou and Ike.
"Rachel, Jesse said you wanted to see me." Lou poked her head around
the door of the kitchen. Teaspoon had been busy giving the two riders
instructions for the trip, then he had helped them to gather up old clothes
from all of the riders to outfit Noah in "slave" clothes. The task had been
made easier by the fact that most of the boys clothes were strewn about and
only needed to be picked up from the floor or the end of a bunk. Lou however
still felt uncomfortable about the coming ride and was glad to be able to
leave Teaspoon and Noah to go join Rachel.
"Lou, come on in. I thought we might want to figure out which dresses
you're going to take with you." Rachel and Lou made quick work of picking out
two dresses for Lou and the appropriate undergarments. Rachel pulled down a
small carpetbag from the top of her wardrobe and together she and Lou ironed
and then packed the clothing. Lou stayed mostly silent and Rachel allowed her
the quiet time. She knew Lou was worried about the trip and needed the time
to think things out.
"Lou, everything's going to be alright, you'll see. Besides St. Louis
is such an exciting place to see, you two are going to have the time of your
life. Cody's going to be so jealous of you two, that alone should make this
trip worthwhile." Rachel wasn't entirely convinced of the truth of her own
words, but she felt the need to reassure Lou about the coming ride.
Lou giggled at the thought of Cody's reaction when told he missed out
on a trip to St. Louis.
"Now off to bed young lady. You've got to get an early start
tomorrow." Rachel sent Lou on her way with a smile and then began to prepare
for bed.
"Rachel, me and Lou need to pack that food onto the horses if we're
gonna get going."
Rachel started at Noah's words. "Oh Noah, I'm sorry. I guess I was
just doing a little day dreaming." Rachel yawned her response.
"Fallin back asleep is probably more like it." Noah replied with a
laugh.
Together the two made their way to the stable where Teaspoon and Lou
were waiting.
"Now, when you get to St. Louis this is where you'll need to pick up
the package" Teaspoon stated, handing Lou a slip of paper.
Noah made busy with loading the food onto the third horse he and Lou
were taking with them. The horse also carried their extra clothing. Lou had
opted to remain in her boy's disguise for as long as possible. The previous
night Teaspoon had gone over their travel plans until they were all
comfortable with the arrangement. The riders would remain on horseback until
St. Joe. Once they left St. Joe their deception would begin. As mistress and
slave they would travel across the northern portion of Missouri until
Hannibal. At Hannibal they would travel down the Mississippi River to St.
Louis. Teaspoon had decided they would come back the same route.
"Now ride safe." Teaspoon said as the two riders mounted their horses
and prepared to leave.
"We will Teaspoon, and tell Kid I'll look out for her." Noah replied,
softly so that Lou would not overhear his last comment.
With cries of ride safe ringing in the early morning air Lou and Noah
rode out towards St. Louis in the direction of the rising sun. Both the
riders and those left behind took the beautiful morning as a good omen for
the trip and the unknown adventure Lou and Noah might have.
TO BE CONTINUED......
