Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing series which runs each Thursday morning titled the Richland Chronicles Volume 3, by author Paul Lintern. It is set in 1831 and tells the story of Richland County through the eyes of young people. This is the third in a three-book trilogy. Volume 1 was Amelia Changes Her Tune, while Volume II was Isaac and Wolf Paw Find Their Home.
Mrs. Tallman was sitting on a tree stump weaving a basket when the girls sauntered into camp. Mrs. Big Rivers was walking up from the little creek nearby, but no Wolf Paw was in sight. Emily won’t be much fun on the way home, Autumn thought.
“Well, well, more guests. We must be on the new state road,” Mrs. Tallman said.
“Hello, Mrs. Tallman, uh, did you come alone this time,” Emily asked.
“Alone? Oh, I see. No, I didn’t. Mrs. Big Rivers came with me.”
“Oh,” said Emily, dejected. Mrs. Tallman smiled and continued with her basket.
“Wait, didn’t you say, more guests?” Autumn asked.
“Oh, it’s been a busy place today. But it is nicest to see you.”
Suddenly there was a shuffling of bushes nearby; Autumn would have been alarmed except that Chestnut seemed unconcerned. The bushes shuffled a little more and out popped Isaac.
“What were you doing in there?” Emily asked.
Isaac looked surprised.
“Well, hello cousin. Cousins. I was, well, none of your business.”
“Oh, sorry. So are you alone?”
Isaac gave a disgusted look.
“Of course I was. What’s wrong with you?”
“No, I meant, um, I mean…” Emily stammered.
Suddenly, something bounced off the back of Emily’s head.
“Ow, what was that? Isaac David Baughman Zeiters, what did you throw at me?”
“Nothing. I’m over here.”
Another thunk on the back of the head.
“What is that? Ow, quit it.”
Thunk.
“Isaac!”
Autumn figured it out first, then elbowed Ermina, who smiled with understanding. Only Emily remained confused, flailing her arms and screaming at Isaac.
Suddenly, another person appeared from behind. As soon as Emily saw him, her distressed look changed to a smile.
“Oh, hello, Wolf Paw. That was you? Such a tease. I didn’t even know you were here.”
“The squirrels are pretty accurate this morning.”
“That’s all right,” Emily said, hopping off Chestnut. “You’re here and that’s all that matters.”
Did you really say that? Autumn thought.
“I mean, I know you’ll protect us from those mean squirrels.”
Oh, Emily, stop now. You’re embarrasing yourself.
“I mean, they can be vicious with those acorns.”
Emily, give up. This is too painful to watch.
“I was the one throwing the acorns, not the squirrels,” Wolf Paw said.
Everyone but you already knew that, Emily.
“I knew that. Of course, I knew that. I was just, you know, teasing back,” Emily said, as Isaac started chortling.
Emily gave Isaac a mean look, while keeping a smile pointed toward Wolf Paw. That’s a good trick. I’ll have to practice it, Autumn thought.
“Those squirrels. I knew it wasn’t them. Those cute little squirrels,” Emily stammered.
“Tomorrow we’re going squirrel hunting,” Isaac said. “County says there are too many around and wants us to ‘thin out the herd.’ Every man has to turn in 100 squirrel scalps. I figure we can get two cents apiece from those who don’t want to hunt.”
“That would give you enough money to do special things, like, I don’t know, take someone to the dance this Saturday night,” Emily said.
“I don’t want to take anyone to a dance,” Isaac said.
“I don’t mean you!” Emily’s eyes flashed lightning at him.
Autumn smiled. Then, Emily’s eyes brightened up as they turned back to Wolf Paw.
Wolf Paw looked at Emily and quietly said, “I’ll be going back with Grandmother on Saturday.”
Autumn thought Emily was about to melt into the ground. She did feel bad for her, but still smiled to herself. I don’t know why some girls act that way around boys. Some girls. Some boys. The boys soon excused themselves to make squirrel hunting plans and the girls gathered around the campfire to help with basket weaving.
Everyone seemed quieter than usual, perhaps because Emily was quieter than usual. She only occasionally brought up bits of gossip and was half-hearted even when she mentioned Mrs. Holstein the witch.
It hardly brought a response from the women, although Mrs. Tallman did say “Evil spirits and good spirits can walk side by side for awhile, but eventually they part ways.”
After a few baskets, Mrs. Tallman said she needed some twine to tie the baskets together. Ermina said there was some in the storage building and offered to go get it.
“I’ll go with you,” Autumn said, and followed Ermina across the clearing to the long one-story building. It had a slanted roof, higher in the front. There were three doors across the front, one for each of the sections. A waist-high wooden fence separated each section inside.
The girls went into the first door, which had most of the ropes and horse gear in it. Grain was in the middle section, and various crates and tools in the third.
“The twine is over here,” Ermina said, and she reached for a pair of clippers.
As they were unwinding from the large bale something fell in the third section.
“What was that?” Autumn said.
“Nothing, I’m sure,” Ermina said.
“No, something fell over. I’ll get it,” and Autumn walked to the other end.
It was dark, so she threw open the window shade to let light in. As she turned around, she found herself staring at the darkest man she had ever seen. He seemed huge, sitting in the corner, but was trying to be small. His eyes blinked at the bright light. A worn out brown felt hat covered his head and his clothes looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in months. Only his boots looked new.
He looked as scared as Autumn felt. Before Autumn could scream though, a hand clamped over her mouth. It was Ermina.
“Don’t say anything Autumn. Please don’t say anything. This is important.”
What have you gotten us into? Who is this? Is he going to hurt us? Autumn only nodded her head.
Ermina slowly lowered her hand from Autumn’s mouth, raised it toward the man to assure him, slowly closed the window shutter to make it dark and quietly led Autumn back to the part of the building where they had entered.
“I have a couple of things to explain to you,” she whispered.
