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"Pa ever tell you he fought with General Houston at San Jacinto?"
/> "Once, I was younger then though and didn't pay much attention."
Beth leaned back on a big rock and smiled reflectively.
"He said he learned a lot during that time. Funny, I remember him telling me that if it hadn't been for the fall of the Alamo, he doesn't think they would have whipped Santa Anna. He said because the men at the Alamo stood up to the odds for what they believed it, that made a difference in the battle of San Jacinto. But this war makes little sense to me."
"Well, Pa's smarter than you think. And don't blame him too much for marryin' you off. He just wanted to know you had someone that could protect and support you. He talked to me about it, because I was upset. He's struggled for a lot of years trying to support us all, and get us raised up so we could help him. But he felt the best he could do for all you girls was find decent men for you to marry. Men who could support you and who had at least a home of their own."
"I know his intentions were good," Beth's mind went back to the day they announced she was engaged. "But he has to consider other things too. Not everyone is like Wade Cahill. Although it wasn't John Savage's fault for what happened. He did love Martina. He's tore up about her leaving. I'm not sure we'll ever see her again."
"The sad thing is, you are probably right." Jacob nodded. "Thinking back on it I can remember a few times that Martina seemed to lose it."
"I didn't realize my leaving would affect her like it did. I mean I know she didn't confide in anyone else but, I never dreamed she couldn't cope. I feel somehow responsible for what has happened to her." She murmured her expression serious.
"She just sorta went wild after you left. She flirted with every boy that came close to her."
"I think I really put a scare into her, and now I'm sorry for that."
"What do you mean?" Jacob asked stirring the fire up so it wouldn't go out.
"I warned her she'd be next. That they would find her a husband too. Funny thing is, I was right. I just didn't know how fast." Beth sighed. "We better get some rest…got a lot of traveling to do tomorrow."
Chapter Twenty-One
The next day was more hectic than ever. There was an Indian raid and the settlers were burnt out. Jacob and Beth came upon the settlement just after it happened, the wood from the home was still burning. The people all dead and scalped. Smoke filled the air. It was a terrifying scene of disaster and death.
"Oh Jacob, this is horrible." Beth cried as they walked among the ruins. A woman's body lay sprawled just outside the front doorway. Beth stared, as tears rolled down her cheeks. Jacob took her in his arms.
"Yeah, we better move along, keep away from all the main roads. Come on…" Jacob spotted a child's body and turned Beth away so she wouldn't see. "We'll take the ferry this side of Shreveport across the red and travel by land to the Mississippi."
Leaving the charred remains behind Beth tried to get the picture of the slaughtered families out of her mind, and the real danger they were in.
"If things get too bad, we may have to leave the buggy, we can ferry the buggy for twenty-five cents, do you have that?"
"Yes…" Beth nodded.
"Good. Because money isn't something I have a lot of." Jacob told her.
"We'll be fine." Beth assured him.
As they neared the Red they came upon rebel forces crossing. Jacob told Beth they needed to hang back and let them cross first, losing time wasn't near as important as having them ask why he wasn't volunteering.
Beth agreed.
They watched in the weeds as the troop loaded onto the ferry and unloaded on the other side of the river.
"Wait until they are completely out of sight before we go across. We don't want to be running into them once we get across, either." Jacob reminded her.
Beth left the navigating up to Jacob.
The were able to get the buggy across and Jacob tried to stay north of Shreveport, as the city was congested with Confederates.
Five days later they arrived at the banks of the Mississippi. It was a most welcome sight.
Now all they had to do was lay low until the Lady Belle docked.
"How long do you reckon it will be before she docks?" Jacob asked her.
