Chapter 1
Daniel was seated at his own table, trying to figure a way out of the dilema that Francis Clover had created once again. The schoolmaster was beside him, glumly trying to speak. His case of laryngitis was no better than it had been Saturday morning, and now on Sunday evening Daniel was facing a choice of either closing the school in Boonesborough until the schoolmaster's voice returned, or finding someone else to teach the rowdy bunch of settlement children until Mr.Clover was once again able.
Rebecca was giving him no help. She sat in her chair before the fire, calmly sipping a last cup of tea. Her pretty face wore a look that indicated she found the situation funny. Her one bit of advice was that Daniel himself should rise to the occasion and teach the children tomorrow. That suggestion was very firmly rejected by the tall frontiersman, whose idea of teaching was to take Israel out fishing for a day.
Just at this opportune moment a knock sounded on the door. It was a flat-handed slap. The only person who knocked like that was Mingo, and Daniel leaped off the table bench and reached the door in one stride. He pulled the Cherokee into the candlelit room with gratitude, as though the tall Indian was a gift from heaven. And indeed it was possible that he was.
"Mingo, have you ever considered teachin'? I mean, a whole school room full of eager learners? All in the same room with you? For several hours?" Daniel's eyebrows were traveling up and down, his eyes sparkling with his effort to make his questions appealing. Mingo stood in the center of the room, his coat still tied and his gun still in his hand. Rebecca had better manners.
"Dan! Let the poor man at least sit down before you bombard him with all those questions! Hello, Mingo. Come in and have a last cup of tea with me."
"Oh,yeah. Hello, Mingo. Come in and sit a spell." Dan echoed his wife's words but remained standing, hovering around Mingo like a bee around a honeysuckle bush. Mingo's eyes were wary and his eyebrows were raised questioningly. He leaned his gun against the wall, hung his coat on a peg beside the door, and accepted the teacup and saucer from Rebecca's hand. When he seated himself on the bench opposite Mr. Clover, he greeted the schoolmaster politely. Mr. Clover waved his hand in a return greeting and continued to sit silently, a troubled look on his face.
"Is something wrong, Daniel? Mr. Clover?" Mingo's voice betrayed a hint of alarm.
"Yes there is, Mingo. Glad you asked," Daniel replied. "Mr. Clover's lost his voice. Can't speak a syllable. And prob' bly won't be able to say a word by tomorrow neither. Cincinnatus has been doctorin' him since yesterd'y, but so far nothing is workin'. If I can't find someone to take his place in the next hour, I'll have to go into the fort and post a notice of 'no school' on the schoolhouse door. You don't know of anyone who'd be willin' to fill in as schoolmaster tomorrow, do you?" Daniel looked pointedly at his friend, whose eyebrows rose so high that they nearly disappeared behind the black fringe of hair on his forehead.
"Me? Daniel, you can't be serious. You know full well that this community wouldn't accept me teaching their children no matter what evidence there was of my ability to do the same. "
"I'm talkin' about one day, Mingo. Just one day. By the time everyone found out it was you teachin', the day would be over and Mr. Clover would be back on Tuesday. "
"And what is to keep the good folk from storming in and shooting me, if I may ask?"
"Oh, Mingo! No one in this settlement would shoot you," Rebecca broke in.
Mingo glanced at her with a look that said he remained unconvinced. She rose and walked behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I think Dan has a truly inspired idea. You know how much Israel and Jemima love learning from you. And as Dan says, it is only for one day. Mr. Clover can give you all the materials you will need, and you and he can work out a schedule for the day. What could possibly go wrong?"
Mingo turned his head to look at Becky. "Rebecca, you have no idea."