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“Twila?”
Hearing her father’s voice, knowing that he was alive after all, and oh, so close, Twila began crying and waving the lantern. “Pappy, oh, Pappy, it is me,” she cried. “It’s Twila!”
Wolf Dancer gazed at the child, astonished to see her there, alone, in waters that could be treacherous to adults, let alone children.
Had she escaped the plantation? Was she running away from her master?
The realization that this was Joshua’s daughter made Wolf Dancer smile. With one more stroke of his paddle he brought his canoe up to the side of the one in which Twila was kneeling.
Joshua lifted Twila from it after she placed the lantern at the bottom of her canoe. He hugged her, assuring her that he was very much alive.
Now that the lantern was on the floor of the canoe, Wolf Dancer was stunned at who else he saw. It was the white woman.
She was stretched out on the bottom of the canoe, unconscious, one sleeve of her blouse ripped open, revealing a wound to his searching eyes.
“She was bit by a snake,” Twila cried. “Please save her. Please?”
She clung to her father as he hugged her tightly. It was a miracle that
in her desperation to find someone to help Lavinia, she had found her very own pappy, alive and well!
She gazed bashfully at the two young braves who sat together quietly at the far end of the canoe.
She then looked at her father again.
“I did what I could for Lavinia, Pappy, but was it enough?” Twila asked anxiously. “Is she gonna die? Please don’t allow it.”
Wolf Dancer understood the urgency of the situation now that he’d heard what had happened.
He moved into the canoe with Lavinia.
He nodded at Joshua. “Take the young braves and your daughter back to the village in my canoe. I will follow in this one,” he said quickly.
“Please tell me she’s not gonna die,” Twila cried, looking down at Lavinia, and then up at the Indian. “Just hush, darlin’,” Joshua said. He understood the seriousness of this situation and knew not to disturb Wolf Dancer. “Chief Wolf Dancer knows what to do.”
He put Twila on the seat behind him, then picked up the paddle and set out ahead of Wolf Dancer, paddling back toward the village.
Not missing a stroke with his paddle, Wolf Dancer sent his canoe swiftly through the water, his eyes glancing time and again at Lavinia. As long as he could see her breathing, he knew she was alive.
He looked up at Joshua, glad that he was strong enough to man the paddle as he continued ahead of Wolf Dancer’s canoe. When Wolf Dancer had given him the job, he wasn’t certain.
But he should have known that Joshua could do it. The former slave was very muscular and had regained most of his strength.
Wolf Dancer glared at the two young braves, then looked ahead again, focusing on the business at hand. He would see to the young braves later.
“Chil’, why were you and Lavinia out at night in dese dangerous waters so far from home?” Joshua asked, still rhythmically pulling the paddle through the water.
“It’s Dorey,” Twila said, gulping hard at thethought that she might never see her friend again. “She’s missin’. She went canoein’ and nevah came home again. Lavinia and I were lookin’ for her.”
“Dorey?” Joshua said, glancing quickly over his shoulder at Twila. “Chil’, she’s who we were lookin’ for.”
“You were?” Twila asked, her eyes widening. “How did you know…?”
“It’s quite a long story, and one that I’ll tell you later,” Joshua said.
He looked past her at the two young braves, whose faces were pale with guilt. He thought about Lavinia, wondering if he would ever hear the sweetness of her voice again, or her laughter. If she dies, he thought, those boys the same as killed her.
“Let’s just get Lavinia where she can be seen to,” Joshua said, putting the boys from his mind as best he could. “I just hope we be in time.”
