By Joanna Phillips
Note to Reader: Although I'm trying to be accurate with the history here, I have taken one liberty that I know of…and I hope you'll forgive me! Point Lookout prison camp really existed, but was not opened until a few months after the events taking place in this chapter!
"Ouch!" Lou yelped as she dropped the considerable distance from Ben's back to the frozen ground. Sharp, hot pain seared through her ankles at the contact. She knew better than to jump off a horse that fast when it was so cold.
In fact, she seemed to know better than doing a lot of the things she was doing. Taking a week long trip in the dead of winter was generally a bad idea, as was travelling with absolutely nothing to trade or bribe anyone with, or even a gun for that matter. She just didn't care.
As she made camp for the night, dreading another night spent in the freezing weather, she wondered about Kid. It had been nearly a month since she left the charred remains of their home and began her long trek west, a journey that usually would have taken two weeks at the most. She wondered if he'd gotten to where he was going, and if he'd written her yet. Tears touched her eyes and stung them in the cold as she thought about how sick he had been when the soldiers led him away from her.
Ben nickered softly as she strapped on his feedbag. The horse, for the first time in his life was not abused, and that simple fact had caused him to fall in love with his owner. The horse followed her every step she took, whether Lou wanted him to or not, and stood over her protectively while she slept. In spite of her self, and her initial disgust with him, Lou grew fond of her sole companion too, and talked to him constantly, which only served to make the old horse more fond of her.
Lou wearily hunched over her small bonfire, and for the third time that day felt tears well in her eyes and run down her cheeks, the wind biting them hard. She couldn't remember ever feeling so tired or beaten. Lately it didn't seem to take anything to exhaust her. She used to be so strong, she thought as she wiped her eyes, but lately the smallest thought could send her into hysterics. It must be her worry for Kid, she thought quietly, draining the very life out of her.
Suddenly she felt something warm in her ear, and smiled slightly when she looked over her shoulder to kiss Ben's nose as he nuzzled her hair and breathed his sweet, oat breath into her ear. She was terribly lonely, and the horse seemed to sense it.
"If we can just make it to Rock Creek, we'll be okay boy. And what a home that will be for you! If you get me there, I promise never to sell you, and that you'll have all the oats and carrots you could ever want! Just get me there!" Lou finished the last sentence in a whisper as her throat grew tight. If she couldn't have Kid's arms around her then she wanted to step into Rachel or Teaspoon's warm embrace. Part of her wished that Jimmy would be there as well, but the idea of meeting him face to face after months of no contact was frightening. Still, she thought as she laid down to sleep, if anyone could help her, it was Jimmy.
"Goodnight, Kid, where ever you are," Lou said out loud, as she had every night. Ben nickered softly and Lou smiled up at the horse, "Goodnight to you too, Ben."
The next morning a very cold Lou was up before dawn and climbing the considerable distance onto Ben, and heading northwest eagerly. She'd been on the trail for three days, and her journey was almost half way over. Ben was proving a very sturdy animal, even if not a fast one, and his endurance amazed Lou.
It was late afternoon when trouble found her in a heavily wooded area. Lou had slowed Ben to long-striding walk when she heard the dead leaves behind her crunching. Gasping, she flung herself around in the saddle and paled. Horsemen were crashing through the brush behind her. She hadn't been spotted yet, but there was no where for her to go, and it was only a matter of seconds before the leader took notice of her.
Her eyes traveled over the group of five men, and she glanced at herself. She had on a man's clothing, but no hat to hide the long hair that now hung down her back. The men were wearing the tattered gray uniforms of the Confederacy. Lou knew that as far away from the fighting as they were, they had to be deserters. The Union army still patrolled these parts, she knew, but she hadn't seen a soul in days and didn't have high hopes of anyone coming to her rescue.
Knowing there was nothing else for her to do, Lou gave Ben a quick kick in the side that startled him and slapped the reins against his thick neck. Although running from them now might cause them to spot her sooner, she knew that she would need the head start. Ben started off at a lumbering gallop, but his long legs opened the gap quickly from the slower moving horses behind her. Lou twisted in her saddle to see that she had been spotted, and as she feared, the men were giving chase.
"Run Ben!" She yelped, hoping to pull ahead far enough to duck off the trail and hide.
It wasn't to be. The wild cries of the men behind her grew closer, and Lou pushed her tired horse even harder. Ben gave all his heart in the chase, which kept the gap from closing completely, but the old horse just couldn't keep his lead over the faster, lighter cavalry horses behind him.
Then Lou glanced ahead of them, and something flashing through the trees caught her eyes…a flash of navy blue.
The coat of the Union uniform.
"Help!" She screamed into the wind desperately, and headed for the group of eight or so horsemen that had stopped on the trail at her cry and turned their horses. They began riding toward her when they realized what was happening. Lou was vaguely aware of them flagging her horse down and grabbing the reins to pull the frightened horse to a stop.
"Thank God!" Lou cried out, "Those men, they are deserters!"
The large man with the unkempt beard who was holding her reins nodded, "Yes, in fact, we've been looking for them." He smiled at Lou, and she tried not to pull back in disgust from the toothless grin he gave her. They were, after all, her rescuers.
Or so she thought. Lou grew pale as she watched her pursuers continue to ride toward the stopped company of Yankees. She felt as if she might be sick as the leader of the gray coated deserters--a tall, thin man with an eye patch-pulled his horse up to the leader of the blue coated men and extended his hand.
"It's about time, Marcus! But seeing as you brought us this bounty, I guess we can forgive you," the blue-coated man laughed.
Lou saw her opening and sprung to action, sending an elbow flying at the nose of the man holding her reins, and knocking him to the ground. Ben spun with the agility of a gazelle at Lou's skillful guidance, and they started to charge out of the circle and away from the men.
Before Ben could break through the gap though, five horses filled it, and Lou was trapped.
"Hello, Missy," the blue coated man who appeared to be the leader of the entire band said, and rode over to survey the wild eyed Lou.
"You turncoat cowards!" Lou growled, "didn't have the courage to stay and fight, so you run hide in the woods!"
The man surprised her by laughing, "So, you've heard of us?"
"You'd better just let me go! My husband is the Captain of a Union company stationed close by, and he'll bring the entire Western front down on you! You'll be shot!" Lou lied.
The men all laughed at her this time. Not exactly the response Lou was hoping for.
"Come on, darling, you can ride up here with me," the leader said, shaking his head, "I'm a Captain myself! Captain Harry Ludlow, see my bars?"
Lou's eyes grazed over his jacket, and narrowed as she saw the bloody stains on it, "Did you steal this from a dead man?"
"No, he wasn't dead, just almost," Harry laughed, "stole it right after I shot him!"
There was a hearty chorus of laughter and Lou's eyes widened in disbelief at the band of monsters who had her trapped.
"Please," she began, already knowing it would do no good, "my husband has been taken prisoner. I have to get help for him. He's very sick…" Lou had to pause as desperate tears stung her eyes.
"Aw, don't cry darling. Ain't nothing you could do to save your husband. They ain't prisons so much as death camps. Throw men out in the cold with no food, no shelter, and watch them slowly waste away. Don't give them none of their mail, tell them that their family said they don't want nothing to do with them no more…so see, he's probably already dead!"
Lou screamed a terrifying scream and leapt for the man with her hands clenched in fists. She hit him hard twice before with an easy motion he took the back of his hand and cracked it across her face, easily knocking her unconscious. Lou fell under Ben's feet, finding the darkness infinitely preferable to the reality of her situation.
"Thank you, Mr. Tompkins," Rachel smiled softly as she let herself out of the store. She shook her head and smiled even more broadly to herself. The gruff old man was softening with every year that went by. Today he'd thrown in an extra jar of preserves and a pretty ribbon for her. It was hard to believe he'd at one time been the stubborn old fool who refused to let Buck go into his store. He inquired about the "half-breed," Kid, and Lou with poorly concealed concern every time Rachel walked into his store.
Rachel sighed with contentment, pleased that Buck was home. It was as close to having everyone there as she got these days, with Kid and Lou down South, and Cody off scouting for the army still. At least Jimmy and Buck had been there for Christmas. Her brow wrinkled sadly as she momentarily thought of Jesse. They hadn't heard from him, except for roundabout news that he was still with Frank, since he rode away the day they buried Noah.
Rachel let herself into the marshal's office, shivering with pleasure as the warm air surrounded her.
She laughed to find Jimmy, Buck, and Teaspoon all sitting by the window, playing cards. "Well, I feel safer knowing you all are upholding the peace!"
"Aw, Rachel, ain't no one got enough energy to cause a ruckus. Too cold," Teaspoon said sheepishly.
"Hey, there's a letter over there for you, Rachel. Picked it up in Cottonwood," Jimmy told her, absently waving his hand toward the desk.
"Probably from a year ago…mail is so slow…who is it from?" Rachel wondered.
"I don't know, there isn't a return address. There's a letter there for Lou too. Guess someone got confused," Jimmy shrugged, and his eyes returned to his hand.
"Maybe it's from Jesse!" Rachel said excitedly, and rushed to the desk to pick it up with trembling hands.
Teaspoon, Buck, and Jimmy glanced over to see her eyes passing eagerly over it, then turned back to the game, knowing Rachel would enlighten them if need be, and not wanting to get scolded for being nosy.
"Oh, dear God!" soon came the cry from the desk. All three men quickly spun again to see the blonde woman leaning unsteadily against the desk and covering her mouth with her hand as tears began flowing out of her eyes.
"What is it?" Teaspoon demanded, fearing the worse as they all leapt up and went to her.
"It's Kid!" She began, but that was all she got out before Jimmy and Teaspoon interrupted simultaneously.
"Merciful God! He's…?" Teaspoon began, unable to finish the sentence.
"No!" Jimmy cried out, tears instantly coming to his eyes.
Buck simply paled.
"No! He's alive! The letter is from him!" Rachel said quickly.
"Then Lou? What happened? Is she okay?" Jimmy asked, not caring that his voice sounded panicked.
"She's fine! I think…" Rachel tried again, only to have Buck interrupt her.
"What?" Buck asked.
"Be quiet, all three of you, and I'll try to explain!" Rachel finally snapped, wiping at her eyes.
The three men had the grace to look ashamed.
"Good. Kid has been taken to Point Lookout Prison Camp in Maryland. Yankees burned his and Lou's home and took him prisoner at Christmas. He told Lou to come out here, and she promised him she would. This letter is begging me to keep Lou here, and not let her come after him."
"Where's Lou, then? Why haven't we heard from her?" Teaspoon wondered, "When was that letter written?"
"About three weeks ago. But Lou was supposed to have started on December thirty-first. She should have been here weeks ago," Rachel said, her voice trembling.
"Well, let's not panic. Travel is so difficult, and it is sheer luck these letters got here from Kid so fast," Teaspoon said, "Maybe Lou is waiting for us to reply to a letter before she comes out here."
"No," Jimmy said, looking up from the letter he'd snatched from Rachel's hand, "Lou knew Kid would write her here to tell her where he was. I know her. She would have risked everything to get out here as soon as possible."
"Well, she could take the train as far as St. Louis or Chicago, and I'm betting she took the one to St. Louis. She knows the trail from there to Rock Creek. If she's anywhere, it is between here and St. Louis," Buck reasoned.
"Let's go," Jimmy said, starting for the door.
"Now, hold on, Jimmy! You can't go crashing around in the wilderness looking for Lou! She may not even be out there!"
"But she may be, Teaspoon, and she's alone, and that area is filled with deserters. Cody was doing some work down there with his company, looking for them, and they found fifty or sixty in different places, and I'm sure there are more!"
"I'm sure too son, but you ain't got a chance against a band of deserters," Teaspoon sighed.
"Neither does Lou," Buck pointed out, his dark eyes smoldering.
"Listen, I have an idea. Cody's stationed further South than we are, and the telegraph in Benton is still up and running. I've got to go look after some business there anyway, so I'll wire Cody an urgent message that Lou may be out there and have him form a search party, all right?"
"Teaspoon, if she's not here in three days…" Jimmy began.
"I'll be the first one to saddle up," Teaspoon nodded.
"Poor Lou!" Rachel said, tears filling her eyes, "Lost her husband and her home, and the only way she could get home is by travelling alone for a month! And Kid is going to Point Lookout of all places!"
"Not a good place to be from what I hear," Teaspoon said softly.
"Damn fool," Jimmy muttered more to himself than anyone else, "Just had to get in the thick of it, didn't you Kid?" Then silently he thought, take care of your dumb, thick skull!
Lou wished the persistent, prodding pain in her side to go away, to let her slip back into the welcoming darkness. However, it grew stronger the longer she lay there, and finally she realized someone was nudging her in the side with the toe of his boot.
In the four days she'd been with the deserters, she'd learned that getting up was infinitely smarter than protesting, and she had the bruises to prove it. Slowly, and stiffly, she climbed to her feet, her skin like ice. She'd been tied and forced to sleep on the bare ground every night with nothing but a raggedy blanket. She'd had nothing to eat, and only an occasional mouthful of snow stuffed into her mouth by her frostbitten hands when no one was looking. She was sore and heartsick, knowing she was being taken further away from her destination, and quickly losing all hope that anyone would find her.
"Come on there, darling, up you go. We got to get a move on," Harry Ludlow told her. She knew the names of only two of the monsters, Harry Ludlow and Marcus. From listening to them talk as they rode along roughly, she gathered the blue coats had deserted after Bull Run, and the Confederates had stayed until the beginning of this fall. When they spoke of the destruction they wrought on anyone who crossed their path, Lou's blood ran even colder than the freezing wind. They were cut throats, pirates on land, and far more dangerous than any outlaw she'd ever come across while working for the express. They'd seen the horrors of war, and they had no fear. A few of them had been mentally affected from what they witnessed in battle. One man talked to his dead brother regularly. Another had a nervous twitch and stammered, growing furious if Lou didn't understand him.
They'd made threats to her that were unthinkable. Lou had never heard such language as they used to threaten her. Tears stung her eyes as she recalled some of the things that had been said to her. My husband would have your head if he heard you say that to me she longed to tell them, but didn't dare. For whatever reason, they'd not tried to carry out the worst of those threats, although she had been groped and handled roughly. She knew it was only a matter of time, but she thanked God they hadn't raped her, and prayed she'd escape before they tried.
She wondered if they stayed away from her because she was so ill. She'd been wretchedly sick for three days, often having to suddenly lean over her horse several times a day. They jested her and laughed at her even as she vomited, and Lou was utterly humiliated. She couldn't help but let her mind drift back to the year before, when she'd been so full of hope and love. The hate she felt for these horrible men almost eclipsed the love she felt for her husband. At first, she longed to just lay her head down and sob her heart out, but refused so many times that the bitterness and anger were starting to control her. They hadn't seen the first tear escape her eye since that first day. She couldn't let them. They were like dogs, ready to seize the throat of the weak.
Her eyes darted to the back of the pack where Ben trudged along, often whipped by the cruel men, carrying far more weight in gear than any horse should have been made to carry. He struggled on bravely, but grew weaker, and when Lou heard Marcus propose to kill him and eat his flesh, she came close to losing her control.
She urged him on silently, not sure she could bear to watch the gentle creature die.
That night, she laid her head on the frozen ground and waited for the bite of the cold to do its worse and the numbness to set in, praying that none of the men would touch her…or worse. She shivered convulsively, and her teeth chattered so violently that she bit her tongue many times. Blood ran, unnoticed down the side of her mouth.
She had just closed her eyes when she heard something nearby.
Her eyes flew open and she drew air to scream as she saw a figure hovering over her.
Before a sound could leave her, his hand clamped over her mouth, silencing her cry for help.
To be continued…Chapter V
Copyright 1998-This work is not to be reproduced without the permission of the author
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Campfire Tales