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.
A couple of days later, Autumn and Amelia found themselves riding Chestnut into battle, or so it seemed to the girls.
Several local men, including Jacob and John, plus two of the Osbun men, and one of Emily’s great uncles and his sons were meeting Mr. Charles at the base of the Big Hill, to attack a rattlesnake lair on Mr. Charles’ farm.
Isaac and Wolf Paw were along as well.
“When we get started, you keep your distance,” Isaac said to the girls. “You aren’t really dressed for this.”
Autumn noticed all the men had heavy boots and thick pants, and maybe even some padding around the legs inside the pants.
“We’ll be careful,” Autumn said.
Careful, but we’re not missing the show!
Amelia looked a little unsure as the army headed up the Big Hill.
“I’ve never seen a rattlesnake,” she said. “Won’t be able to say that after today; you’ll see a lifetime’s worth,” Autumn said.
The men went right to work. Mr. Charles set fire to a pile of grass and pushed it into several holes. The Osbuns were using picks and shovels to lift rocks and look for openings and hiding places. Isaac and Wolf Paw had an ax and large knife while the other men had guns.
I don’t hear anything, Autumn thought. Maybe the snakes moved away.
Then, she heard a rattle. She knew the sound well, even though she had only ever heard it a couple of times before. It was like bacon sizzling on a griddle, but it came suddenly and in short bursts.
Then she heard another rattle, and another. Just a few yards away, the men were shooting and chopping and poking. She saw her father fire his gun, then load and fire again, right away. Wolf Paw was holding a forked stick against a rock, with a snake’s head trapped there, while Isaac killed it with an ax.
Then snake bodies were being thrown in a pile onto one of the bigger rocks – five, 10, 20 snakes. While she was watching this, Autumn realized that the sounds of the rattlers were everywhere.
I’m right in the middle!
Autumn instinctively backed away from the commotion, then suddenly realized that Amelia had not moved with her. She was on a rock, surrounded by snakes, about 20 feet in front of her.
Amelia get out of there!
Autumn thought it, but couldn’t say it. Still Amelia seemed to hear and was turning to run toward Autumn. With her first step, she fell off the rock, screaming as she reached out to catch herself.
Then everything stood still. It was as though someone had painted a picture for Autumn. Father at the top of the hill, looking over his shoulder just after firing his gun. Uncle John looking up from the rattler he had just beheaded. Isaac looking around but not sure where the sound was. Wolf Paw looking up while holding a snake to a rock with his stick. And Amelia screaming as a huge rattler had clamped itself to her wrist.
Later, that image would be the one that jumped to Autumn’s eyes with any reminder but now, the image broke in a flurry of activity, with everyone running toward Amelia.
Autumn just stood and watched as Wolf Paw leaped across the rocks with three steps and landed at Amelia’s side, while at the same time grabbing the rattler and cutting off its head.
He squeezed the head and forced the fangs off Amelia’s arm, then, as Autumn stared in Amelia’s terrified face, he tore her sleeve, cut her at the wounds, sucked the venom out of her arm and spit the whole bloody mess on the dead snake, which was still writhing in reflex.
Oh Jesus, oh God, oh Holy Spirit, please help her!
Suddenly Amelia just fell back, lifeless.
She’s dead! Dear God, I’ve killed her!
Uncle John picked her up and began running to his horse. Autumn turned as he went by, the first she had moved since Amelia was bit. A moment later she felt herself being whisked into the air, held in her father’s arms as he followed John.
They both arrived at the horses about the same time as Isaac and Wolf Paw. Autumn, who earlier in the day had felt almost too adult to be going along, now felt like a little girl, helpless, riding with her father.
It was the only way she wanted to feel right then.
“I’ll take her to our house; you get the women. Isaac, Wolf Paw, go find Appleseed John,” Uncle John said.
The ride to the Inn was the fastest Autumn had ever traveled and yet it was the longest ride of her life.
She wanted to ask if Amelia was dead. She wanted to know something, anything, but she knew her father needed her to be quiet so he could pay attention to the ride.
I hope I can pray enough. I hope it counts if it’s on a horse. Lord, I hope you can hear me.
“Peggy, ‘Lizbeth, Kate, we need you.”
The three most important women in Autumn’s life were already outside, wondering what was going on. They knew the sound of horses on an emergency run.
Jacob quickly explained what happened. He set Autumn down and helped her mother onto the horse. They galloped to John and Katherine’s house.
The other two rushed inside to gather cloths and buckets, salts and a few other remedies, then began running to the house.
Autumn just sat on the ground, next to the tree and watched them all hurry down the lane and road to the farmhouse, barely still in view to the west. She felt too heavy to lift herself up at that point.
What have I done? What have I done? I treated those snakes like it would be a picnic. Amelia didn’t know any better. How could I have done this? The Lord gave me a sister, and I didn’t take care of her. Now the Lord has taken her away.
