Chapter 1
Looking in the storefront windows as he passed, Mingo sauntered down the main street of Salem looking for Daniel Boone. The two of them had come into the town that morning to meet several settlers wanting to establish homes in the Boonesborough area. Probably Daniel was making final preparations outfitting them appropriately. It was a long way from Boonesborough to Salem and the Kentucky settlers needed to be as self-sufficient as possible.
Mingo had come with his friend simply to keep him company on the journey. But Daniel also liked to have the Cherokee with him on these trips to show the newcomers that the Indians near Boonesborough were friendly and helpful. Mingo made a great emissary.
As he passed a shadowy alleyway he heard muffled gasps. Pretending that he had not heard, he continued on a few more steps then sidled soundlessly back along the building to investigate. He slipped around the corner of the building and saw several barrels stacked about fifteen feet into the alley. The sound was coming from behind the barrels. Mingo slid his knife into his hand, ready to defend himself if necessary. He peeked around the barrels and stood frozen in surprise.
Crouched down, making herself as small as possible, was a child. Her garments were filthy and torn. Her hair was matted and so dirty that the color wasn't obvious. Mingo couldn't see her face, hidden as it was against her knees. She seemed to be sobbing. Compassion for the child rose in his heart. He smiled gently and reached to touch her hands clenched around the back of her head.
At his touch the child threw herself backwards and hit the wall hard. Temporarily stunned, she sat and glared at the tall Cherokee before her. Her tears traced a watercourse down both sides of her face. As Mingo looked into her eyes he could see that they were unfocused and seemed to be aimlessly wandering. Concerned, he bent over her. He was not prepared for her reaction.
Her head lifted and she seemed to be sniffing the air, much as a dog would do. She turned her head from side to side to take in more of his scent. He stood completely still and allowed her to absorb his smell. She was blind.
His voice velvety soft, Mingo spoke to the child. He used simple words and sentences. "I won't hurt you. What is your name?"
The girl sat staring sightlessly in his direction. He slowly reached out his right hand and touched her clenched left fist. She flung her hand away as though his touch had burned. Frowning, Mingo sat on his heels before her and tried again.
"My name is Mingo. Can you tell me your name?"
"They called me Tempest."
Mingo frowned again at the sound of her voice. She was angry, very angry. What was a child doing alone in an alley in Salem? As he sat trying to puzzle out an answer he slowly realized that he was in a precarious position himself. Alone in a darkening alley with a girl child. There were those that would enjoy making his innocent concern into something sinister. As always, sadness followed his knowledge of human nature's worst. But there was no time to dwell on disappointments. This child needed help.
"Tempest, you are sitting alone in an alley. Aren't you hungry? Would you like to have something to eat?" When the girl nodded, Mingo asked, "What would you like?"
"Buttered bread. With jam."
Mingo saw her swallow. She must be very hungry. It was possible that she had been in this alley all day. Now what should he do? At that opportune moment Mingo heard a person with a long stride coming towards him. Daniel. Just the person he most needed to see.
"I'll be right back, Tempest. Don't move. I will come right back." Mingo continued to make his voice soft and non-threatening.
He stepped out of the alley and beckoned to Daniel. The tall frontiersman began speaking as he approached. "What are you doin' in the alley, Mingo? Hidin' from someone?" His voice was light and full of fun.
"No Daniel. But I found someone. We need your help. This way." Mingo stepped back into the dim alley. Behind him Daniel Boone whistled as he saw the child crouching in the shadows.
"That's quite a find. Where'd she come from?"
"I have no idea. But she's hungry and extremely dirty. And one more thing; she's blind, Daniel."
Daniel turned to Mingo with a surprised look. A blind child alone in a Salem alley? And a girl to boot. Questions flooded his mind but when he opened his mouth to ask them Mingo interrupted.
"Daniel, the questions can wait. We need to feed this child and get her cleaned up. How do we do this?"
Daniel thought for several seconds. Then his face brightened as he thought of Mrs. Denney. A widow of little means, she was however a very compassionate and loving woman. Daniel had known her husband before he died. If she still lived in Salem she would be the perfect woman to help this child.
"Just wait a bit, Mingo. I know of the perfect person to help. I'll be right back."
Mingo grasped Daniel's arm. "I can't remain here alone with this child, Daniel. It's getting dark and you know what people will say if I am found with her." Mingo's dark eyes conveyed his meaning and Daniel frowned. He knew that Mingo was right.
"Alright then, let's both go. Bring her along." Mingo nodded and disappeared into the alley. He emerged seconds later holding the child's left hand. Daniel got a whiff of her odor. Mingo was right about getting her cleaned up. She frankly stank of refuse, animal dung, stale urine and sweat.
Keeping Tempest on his right side so that she could feel the buildings as they passed, Mingo held her left hand tightly. Daniel had known Mingo for years, but he was still amazed at the other man's capacity for compassion. There had been many children protected by the Cherokee, from little run-away slave Onatha to the Spanish boy at Cibola. He glanced at his friend out of the corner of his eyes. Mingo was carefully watching the child's progress, keeping her safe and protected. Daniel sighed. His friend should have a dozen children. What lucky little ones they would be!
They turned down a side street and approached a little house painted white. It had blue trim and seemed that the owner cared about its appearance. Daniel walked onto the porch and knocked. A tall young man answered the knock.
"Is Mrs. Denney here? I'm a friend of her husband. My name's Daniel Boone."
The answer was not what Daniel hoped for. Mrs. Denney had died the previous winter. Slowly he turned from the porch and returned to Mingo's side.
"Now what, Daniel?"
"Let's take her to camp. We'll feed her while we think up somethin' else to try."
Mingo nodded. The two men slowly walked out of town with Tempest holding tightly to Mingo's right hand. The camp was a quarter of a mile outside of the town's limits. Using a natural rock outcropping, the two men had created a cozy camp. Their blankets were spread near the rocks and the fire ring was large and carefully made. A good supply of wood was stacked beside the ring.
Daniel struck the dry tinder with his flint and steel and soon had the coffee pot over the fire. Mingo sat Tempest with her back against the rocks as security. She didn't move but leaned back and sighed, the sound releasing hours of tension. Both men heard and exchanged a look of concern. There was something very wrong here, and they were both feeling cautious.
Mingo reached into his pack and brought out a piece of jerky. He moved slowly toward the girl and extended the meat to the child. "Tempest? Hold out your hand. I have a piece of jerky for you until we can fix a more complete meal." His voice became light and teasing. "And I apologize that we have no buttered bread and jam." The girl reached for the meat and Mingo touched it to her hand. She grabbed it and gnawed hungrily. The two men watched and shook their heads. With her other hand Tempest reached and scratched her head. When she brought her hand down they watched horrified as she crushed a louse between two fingers. They exchanged a look of disgust.
"Now what?" Daniel's voice reflected his disgust. This child would infect everything that they had. The thought that Daniel would take home a colony of lice to Rebecca and the children made his skin crawl. Not to mention what Rebecca's reaction would be. The look on Mingo's face reflected his own disgust. The Cherokee was even more fastidious than Daniel. Suddenly his dark face lit with an idea. He turned to his friend with a smile.
"Daniel, I know what to do. I remember how we Cherokee deal with such infestations. Coat her hair with a thick layer of mud! Let it dry, then when you rinse it out the lice are dead, smothered. Crushed columbine seeds are also very effective. We can look for some tomorrow. But for tonight, we can't let her touch anything without washing her. We must take her to the river and bathe her."
"With what, Mingo? It's dark, and you and I didn't think to bring along soap or other dainties!"
"Go back into Salem and buy some, Daniel. Buy a clean set of clothes too. And a towel. And another blanket."
Daniel rose and sighed. Mingo reached into his wide belt and drew out several coins. He handed them to Daniel. When Daniel shook his head and tried to return them, Mingo smiled. "Get what she needs, Daniel. I have no family to support. Take the money. "
Daniel nodded and strode toward Salem with his long, ground-eating stride. Mingo poured a cup of coffee, added a pinch of sugar, and held the hot cup out to Tempest. He held it steady until she had a good grip on the handle, then released it. She inhaled the aroma, then put the steamy liquid to her lips and sipped. She smiled.
Mingo studied her face in the firelight. She was not a pretty child, but there was strength in her face. Her features indicated stubbornness and strength of will. He hoped that she had both in abundance. She needed them to survive.
Daniel returned in an hour's time with all the needed articles. He brought a blue calico dress, a pair of cotton stockings and plenty of soap. Mingo had already poured water on a portion of the stream bank not far from their camp and a good supply of gooey black mud was prepared. He had also baked several corn cakes and roasted the rabbit that they caught in their snare. Tempest ate the entire rabbit and most of the corn cakes. Mingo saved two for Daniel. He only ate one but chewed two pieces of his jerky to complete his meal. The hot coffee caused the jerky to swell in his stomach and he felt satisfied.
While Daniel ate his meal and drank his coffee Mingo led Tempest to the little river. He carefully explained what he was going to do and why. He dwelled on how wonderful she would feel when the lice were gone and her hair was clean. He explained every step of the process as he proceeded. Daniel watched from a distance, amazed that the child so complacently allowed Mingo to slather mud several inches thick into her matted hair.
Mingo carefully sat Tempest several feet away from the river and came back to the camp to retrieve the soap and towel. He draped the new blue dress over his arm and returned to the child, speaking softly as he approached to let her know he was coming. The warm Kentucky night was alive with sound, and Mingo sat upwind from the child and explained all the various insect and animal voices. While they waited for the mud to dry and kill the lice, the two began to form a bond that would greatly benefit the child as she faced the days ahead.
An hour later, after Mingo had explained how to rinse the mud from her hair, he left her to sit and bathe in the river. Before he walked away he helped her wade into the water and had her feel where he placed the soap on the bank inches away from her chosen bathing hole. He placed the towel and dress in easy reach beside the soap, then turned his back and went to join Daniel around the fire. The men could hear the splashing and knew that the child was safe and proceeding with the cleansing process.
Daniel handed Mingo a cup of coffee and the tall Indian sat gratefully sipping the hot liquid. He continued to mull the child's predicament over in his mind. She must have either been abandoned or had run away. Tempest had not told him how long she had been alone or any particulars about her situation at all. The child was very reticent and did not trust easily. To Mingo's way of thinking, this was an asset. She would be safer if she was careful.
The splashing stopped and the two men waited for the child to return to the camp. When several minutes passed and the girl did not come, the two men exchanged worried looks and rose together. They turned and saw the child near the river, struggling to pull the dress over her head. Relieved, Daniel sat back down and Mingo walked to lead Tempest back to the fire. Though damp and slightly chilled, the girl now smelled of soap and clean skin. She was smiling as Mingo pulled her to sit on the ground before the fire. Daniel smiled at his friend and the two men nodded with satisfaction. Mingo reached into his pack and pulled out his wooden comb. Explaining what he was about to do, he knelt beside the child and painstakingly combed through the snarls in the girl's long hair. It took nearly an hour before he was able to get through all the tangles. Some he had to cut out with his knife. He braided the damp hair into two long braids down her back. While he worked he told stories about his childhood. Daniel inserted his own memories. The girl's eyes closed as she sat and listened. She gently rocked and hummed to herself.
The stars indicated that it was near midnight when Mingo finished grooming Tempest. Daniel had carefully burned Tempest's discarded clothes, then banked the fire and rolled into his blanket. Mingo led the child to the blanket Daniel had bought for her and bade her lie down. When she did, he carefully pulled the blanket around her body. He patted her shoulder and wished her a good night. Then he lay down on his own blanket and pulled it around his tall body. He was nearing sleep when he felt a hand pat his lower leg. He rose to a sitting position and saw Tempest near his feet, curling herself against his leg. He reached down and touched her arm. She started and grabbed his hand. He pulled her toward his upper body, reached down and pulled her blanket around her shoulders, then allowed her to lie against his side. She sighed deeply and snuggled under his arm. Then as the moon continued in its bright orbit the lonely child and the compassionate man fell into a deep, welcome sleep.