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“Where we goin’, Pappy?” Twila asked, looking ahead and into the darkness.
“To Mystic Island, tha’s where,” Joshua said. “And we’re almost there. The shaman at Mystic Island will care for Lavinia. He’ll make her well again. He’s de one who saved your pappy from de arrow wound.”
“You do seem well,” Twila said. “I thought you were dead. Massa Hiram said that you were.”
“Yep, I imagine tha’s what dat man thought,” Joshua said sarcastically. “But as you can see, I’se well.”
“How’d you get wounded, Pappy? By who?” Twila asked.
“It’s bes’ that I tells you later, Twila,” Joshua said thickly. “Lavinia is all tha’s important for now. We must get her to de shaman so that he can save her.”
Feeling eyes on her, Twila looked over her shoulder at the two young braves, who suddenly lowered their eyes again.
“Pappy, why did those two boys come with you and Chief Wolf Dancer while you were lookin’ for Dorey?” Twila asked, gazing at her father as he looked over his shoulder at her.
He saw that she would not rest until she knew why the boys were there, so he proceeded to tell her. “De boys stole her away and put her in a tree house.”
Twila gasped, looking over her shoulder again at the young braves, who continued to avoid her eyes by looking down at the floor of the canoe.
“A tree house,” Joshua repeated. “Dey built a house in a tree and took sweet Dorey there. They had planned to keep her there for a while.”
“Why would dey do dat?” Twila asked.
“Because dey were all confused in their heads, dat’s why,” Joshua grumbled. “But somehow she got herself free, and dat’s why we’re looking for her. Now hush, Twila. I must put my mind on this paddling and getting the canoe to de island.”
“I be quiet,” Twila said softly, oh, so glad that her pappy had found her and Lavinia.
But it saddened her that Dorey was still out in the swamp somewhere all alone, in danger.
Twila was afraid that no one would ever see sweet Dorey again.
“Twila,” Joshua said, breaking the silence this time. “I was gonna come for you and your mammy soon, but until now, I didn’t have enough strength to do dat. I’m glad you’s safely away from Hiram Price. You’s never goin dere again. I’ll go soon and rescue yore mammy from the tyrant, too.”
Twila suddenly broke into tears. “Pappy, you cain’t do that,” she sobbed. “You cain’t go for Mammy. She ain’t alive no more.”
Josuha flinched as though he had been shot. He froze. His heart seemed to have suddenly been wrenched from his chest. “Yore mammy…is…dead?” he gasped, then seeing Wolf Dancer coming up quickly behind him in the other canoe, he continued on toward the island.
“Massa Hiram killed Mammy,” Twila cried, then went on and told him how she had died, and why.
Joshua cursed beneath his breath, swearing that he would see to that evil man’s death.
“He’ll pay, Twila,” Joshua swore. “Daughter, he’ll pay for that sin against yore mammy. I’ll see to dat, personally.”
Twila wiped the tears from her eyes just as she saw a glow of orange in the sky. It came from the outdoor fire in the Seminole village, which burned high and bright.
She was a little afraid, for she had heard ghastly tales of what the red men did to people they hated. But she made herself remember that neither she nor her pappy had done anything against these Indians, to make the Seminole want to harm them.
In fact, she had came face-to-face with their chief and she believed him to be a man of kindness.
No. She wasn’t afraid, only anxious. She longed to see Lavinia awake and smiling again!
Oh, how badly she wanted to see Dorey!
Chapter Fourteen
Be mine, as I am yours,
Forever.
