AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But a knock at the door brought all their heads up at once.
"Let me handle this," Demetrius whispered.
He answered the door to three young soldiers. "We're looking for the survivors of that boat that blew up."
"Ain't no survivor's here." Demetrius told them.
"Who is in there?" One of the soldiers asked.
"That's my son, his wife and my grandbaby and my other grandson. They are here for a visit." Demetrius replied. "Want to meet them all?"
The young soldier glanced inside but shook his head. "No, we don't have the time for that, sir. Tell anyone you might meet from that boat that Captain Shiller wants them to report to him."
"Well now, if I see any, I will. Captain Shiller you say?"
"That's right, he's just outside of Natchez."
"I'll do that son…" Demetrius promised.
He closed the door and smiled. "Nothin' to it. I been lyin' since this confounded war started and ain't stopped since."
Beth chuckled, "Thanks, Demetrius…"
"Did you see the shape those boys were in? Looked like they'd done been through hell and back, beggin' your pardon for the language, ma'am." He apologized.
"None needed." She smiled at him and started feeding the baby some soft eggs. Little Jake loved eggs.
Chapter Thirty
Winter came on them and they were all snow bound. Beth made the best of the place, cleaning it everyday and cooking the meals. It began to feel like a real family again.
The temperature dropped to way below freezing, the snow was unending, and the wind froze everything in sight.
They had got into a routine. Wade and Jacob went out in the woods to catch fresh game and Demetrius helped Beth as much as he could. He watched the baby for her a and they became best friends.
Wade and Jacob were witness to a troop of confederate soldiers during that rough winter. They had marched only a half mile from the cabin.
They saw how most of the soldier's shoes were so worn they weren't really shoes any longer, how their feet bled, how frostbite had gotten the best of many. Their faces gaunt from lack of proper nourishment their eyes dark their bodies lean.
"My God," Wade whispered to Jacob. "When are they gonna end this misery. Look at those boys, some not even eighteen I'd wager. Their freezing and starving and still they march on."
"Makes me wonder how Matthew is?" Jacob studied the soldiers from a distance. They had made camp about a half a mile from the cabin.
Wade glanced at Jacob and put his hand on his shoulder, "About all you can do is pray for him son."
Jacob nodded.
When they told Beth she went into the kitchen and started cooking by late same afternoon, she gave Wade and Jacob the food to take the Confederate camp.
She made potato and onion soup and she had several loaves of home-made bread for them. She sent several jars of pickles for nourishment too.
The soldiers were so glad to get the food they didn't bother asking questions. Now Wade could see them up close. He saw just how bad off they were. Some of the men were dying from disease, consumption, fever, and many frostbitten limbs. Some couldn't march any longer.
One young man had both feet frostbitten and he couldn't walk any longer and had no horse, so Wade picked him up and carried him to the cabin.
After two days of heavy snowing he fetched a doc for the lad and the doc told them the sad news. He'd have to amputate his legs.
Beth couldn't stand it, she ran out crying. Wade followed her.
