The Adventure – Chapter 9

Please see warnings in Chapter 1.

Vin and JD arrived in Rock Creek Station the next day around noon. They immediately headed for the train station. JD walked up to the window, "Excuse me. Has the orphan train come in yet?"

The station master didn't even look up, "Nope, coming in around 4:00, assuming there aren't any delays."

JD sighed a big sigh of relief. It was only about noon. That means they hadn't missed the train. He hurried over to Vin, who was waiting at the livery stable. "Vin, Vin, we didn't miss it. It ain't even here yet."

Vin nodded. Before he could say anything, JD started jabbering.

"Gee, what do we do until then? We should go get Sophia a horse. Then we could go get a drink at the saloon. Then we could go eat lunch. They must have a restaurant or something in town. I hope it has ice cream. I could sure use some. Don't you think?"

Vin held up his hand to stop the flood of words from JD's mouth. JD stopped talking. "What?" he asked.

"No sense buying a horse until we know she's on the train. We cain't get a drink, least ways you cain't cuz you ain't old enough. Don't want to draw any attention to ourselves. We're hot, tired and dirty. We should go get cleaned up and rent a room at the hotel and have some lunch. By then, the train should be here." Vin said patiently.

Vin was talking patiently to JD. But JD was bouncing around like a rabbit being chased by a fox. "JD, would you settle down. We need to act normal. I don't want no one asking us any questions. Remember, I still have a price on my head. I don't know if some bounty hunter is gonna be here and recognize me," Vin whispered fiercely.

JD stopped in mid bounce. He had forgotten that Vin still had a price on his head. "Sorry Vin," JD said sheepishly. "It's just that I ain't see Sophia in over a year and I'm excited."

Vin nodded understandingly, "I know, but it's best that we try not to draw attention to ourselves. Ok?"

"Yeah, ok," said JD giving Vin a sheepish smile.

Vin slung his arm around JD's shoulder. "Let's get cleaned up and then head over to the hotel."

JD turned to Vin hopeful, "Can we see if the restaurant or some place has ice cream?"

Vin laughed, sometimes JD acted like he was 10. "Sure we can," Vin agreed.

The boys headed over to the bath house to get cleaned up. Once they washed the trail dust off, they headed to the hotel. There were only 2 beds in the room. Vin figured he could just sleep on the floor, that's no worse than sleeping on the trail. Once they got a room, JD asked the clerk if there was a restaurant in town that served ice cream. Vin rolled his eyes when JD asked. The clerk just laughed.

"My little brother really likes ice cream. I promised him some once we got here." Vin said to the clerk.

"Perfectly understandable," the clerk said nodding his head. "I like ice cream myself. You can go to Sheila's, they have ice cream."

JD just stood there gawking. Vin nudged him and pointed his chin toward the clerk. "Uh, thanks," said JD.

The clerk smiled, "Excitable isn't he?"

Vin laughed, "You have no idea."

Vin and JD took their leave and headed toward the restaurant suggested by the clerk. After a great lunch with strawberry ice cream, the boys headed for the train station. "Heh Vin," asked JD.

"Hmm?"

"Can we take Sophia to that restaurant for ice cream before we leave?"

Vin smiled indulgently at JD, "Sure." Vin was starting to really worry. What if Sophia was not on that train? What if Buck caught up with them? How was JD going to be if Sophia was not on the train? What if the people on the train didn't believe Sophia was his sister, what then? All those questions was making his head hurt. He secretly wished that Buck or Chris or Josiah had come with them. They would know what to do. He sighed.

"Something wrong?" asked JD as he pulled Vin toward the train station.

"Nope. Never you mind, let's see if we find your sister. I mean our sister."

The boys arrived at the train station just as the train chugged into the station. JD looked up at the big clock in the station. It was 3:30. He couldn't believe the train was early. He's lucky that he and Vin came to the train station now. As the train came into the station, Vin noticed that a lot of people had started to arrive. He figured it must be people wanted to adopt the kids on the orphan train.

Sophia was waiting with Aileen to disembark the train. Another day of parading the girls in front of prospective parents. She felt like one of those horses or cows at an auction. She wondered if someone would ask to see her teeth. She saw that once, when someone was buying a horse. The man looked at the horse's teeth. She said a quick prayer that JD was at this station, just like she had done for the dozen stations she had already been to. Aileen leaned down and whispered, "I bet today is your luck day. I bet your brother is here."

Sophia looked at her curiously, "How come? He hasn't been at any of the others. You never said that before."

"I don't know. I just got me a feeling. Besides he couldn't have been at any of the others if he was here at this one, right?"

Sophia shrugged, "Yeah, I guess so."

The girls disembarked the train. They walked in a straight line in pairs. They were supposed to stand on the platform and let people look them over. Sophia scanned the crowd as she walked out on the platform. She was in the front row because she was shorter than Aileen. As she scanned the crowd, she couldn't believe it, she saw JD. She started to shout his name and run toward him. "JD, JD, here I am!"

JD heard her call him name and turned toward her. Before he could get to her, the head of the train, Mr. Simpson hauled her up short. "Just where do you think you are going?" he asked as he grabbed her arm, shaking her.

Sophia got wide-eyed and just stared at the man. Vin grabbed JD's arm to keep him from punching the man for man handling Sophia. "She's running toward her brother, John Daniel. I'm her older brother Vin. We've come to get her off this train."

Sophia looked momentarily confused.

Vin looked at her and winked, "Now honey, I know you don't remember me, because I left before you were born, but we have the same mama. JD'll tell ya. Ain't that right JD?"

JD nodded his head furiously.

Mr. Simpson looked skeptical, "Got any proof?"

"Course he does, it's back at the hotel," blustered JD.

"Fine, you just bring that proof to me tomorrow," sneered the man.

JD quickly reached out to Sophia to hug her. He whispered in her ear, "It's ok, we'll be back tomorrow to get you."

Sophia wistfully watched JD walk away. Aileen squeezed her shoulder. "Told ya," she whispered. A young couple came up to Sophia and was looking her over. Sophia stepped back into Aileen. The man had greasy hair and looked dirty, the woman had a pinched face and looked like she'd been eating lemons. The man reached and out and pulled her out of the line. He looked at Mr. Simpson. "We'll take this one."

"Take me where?" asked Sophia cautiously. She was frightened. What if those icky people got to take her home? What if she didn't get to go with JD? What if she never got see JD again?

"Home with us girl. We could use some help around the farm with the chores," said the lady primly.

"But my brothers are here to get me. I can't go home with you," Sophia pleaded.

Mr. Simpson looked at Sophia disgustedly, "Well that remains to be seen. How do I know that they are really your brothers?"

Sophia shook her head and started to cry. She had no idea how JD and Vin were supposed to prove that they were her brothers.

Mr. Simpson grabbed her arm and jerked her. "Stop that bawling, or I'll give you something to cry about."

Aileen reached forward and grabbed Sophia the minute Mr. Simpson released her. She wrapped her arms around Sophia, "I'll make sure she stays quiet."

"See that you do," he sneered as he turned to the couple. "Come along and we can start filling out the adoption paperwork."

The couple followed in his wake. Sophia's tears had dried up, but she was terrified. "Aileen, what am I going to do?" Sophia said turning to her friend.

"Don't you worry, we'll think of something." Aileen promised. Little did Sophia know, Aileen was going to run away from the orphan train as soon as Sophia was taken care of.

As JD and Vin walked back to the hotel. JD looked at Vin, "How do we prove we're Sophia's brothers. I mean who writes stuff like that down?"

Vin was thinking hard about how to do that very thing. "I got an idea."

"Really?" asked JD.

"Yep. Ain't sure it's gonna work. Let's go find a church."

JD was bewildered, "A church? Why the heck do we need a church? I don't praying is gonna help much. Well Josiah says it always helps, but I dunno…."

"What's at a church JD?"

"A preacher?"

Yep, what else?"

"Um, pews?"

"What else?"

JD shook his head, "I dunno Vin."

"Bibles!"

JD was really confused now, "Bibles? How's that going to help?"

"Ya know where my mama put me being born?"

JD shook his head.

"In the family Bible on the front page."

The light dawned on JD. "Yeah, my mama did the same thing. I've got that Bible, but I don't have it here," JD said sadly, his eyes downcast.

"Well, we can just make a new one. We just need to get a Bible from the church. We can add my pa and me."

JD nodded enthusiastically. It was a great idea. Boy he was glad that he brought Vin. He would have never figured this out on his own. "Vin, how come we just can't by one in town, how come we need to go to the church?"

"Because, if your mama had a Bible and you're 17, it would have to be at least 17 years old. We cain't have a new one. I was thinking we could ask the preacher if he had an old one we could have."

JD looked at Vin, "Why would the preacher give us an old Bible?"

"Because I'm gonna tell him I'm trying to get you to read and our mama always said the Bible was the best book to learn from."

JD wasn't sure about lying to a preacher. He could never lie to Josiah. He wasn't sure if that was, what did Josiah call stuff when it's against the church, oh yeah, sacrilegious. "Ya think Josiah be mad at us for lying?"

"Don't know, don't see as we have much choice. It's the only think I can think of."

JD shook his head.

"Oh for crying out loud JD, when we get back you can practice your reading with the Bible, ok?"

"I guess," agreed JD.

JD and Vin found a church. They walked in to be greeted by the preacher. "Good afternoon boys. How may I help you?"

JD started the puppy dog eyes. Vin rolled his eyes at that. "Sir, I was wondering if you had an old Bible we could have. We cain't really afford a new one."

The preacher looked at Vin appraisingly. He then looked at JD who was trying to look really sad. It surprised him that two young boys would be interested in the Bible. "What makes you boys want a Bible?" the preacher asked doubtfully.

"Well sir, see our mama died and I promised her that I would make sure my brother knows how to read and he needs to practice. Our mama said the best book to practice from was the Bible."

"Oh," smiled the preacher. "That seems like a good idea."

"Yes sir," agreed Vin.

"Didn't she have a Bible?"

"Well, you see, mama died in a fire and everything in our cabin got burned up. That's why I want a Bible instead of a regular book. Reminds us of our mama," said Vin sadly.

JD was having the hardest time keeping a straight face. He wondered if Vin was going to straight to hell for telling such a whopper to a preacher, standing right in the house of God. Maybe God would let him off easy because this was for a good reason. He wondered how that worked. Did God let people off if they had a good reason? He sure hoped so, just like he hoped that Buck wouldn't tan the daylights out of him for taking off. JD had a really good reason. JD had been lost in thought and didn't really hear what the preacher had been saying.

"Well, I have some that are pretty dog-eared. The print might even be faded some," warned the preacher.

"Oh no sir, that would be fine. Anything would be good," Vin hurriedly assured the preacher.

The preacher went to the back of the church and came back with an old leather bound Bible. Vin breathed a sigh of relief. That would be perfect. Vin accepted the Bible gratefully. "Thank you." He nudged JD. "JD, what do you say?"

JD was momentarily speechless. He didn't know what Vin wanted him to say.

"John Daniel, thank the preacher." Vin growled.

"Oh, thank you sir," JD dutifully replied.

The preacher smiled at the two boys. That older one is sure trying to raise the younger one right, he thought.

As JD and Vin left the church, JD wanted to whoop and holler. He couldn't believe that Vin pulled that off so easily. But, he remembered what Vin had said about not drawing attention to themselves. "Now what, Vin?" JD asked excitedly.

"Now we got to put names in there. Like your great-grandparents, your grandparents, your ma, who she married. Maybe your aunts and uncles. Anything you know. Then we can add my pa and me before you and Sophia. We'll have to put dates in to."

"I don't know all that," whined JD.

"We're gonna make it up, what we don't know," Vin said getting exasperated.

"Oh, ok," JD agreed.

Vin and JD made it to the general store right before it closed to buy a quill and ink.

"Can we go get supper?" asked JD, his stomach grumbling.

"Not yet, I want to make sure this ink is dry and looks old." Vin said shaking his head.

"But Vin, I'm hungry," whined JD.

Vin was losing his patience. He didn't even know if this was going to work. But he knew if he didn't feed JD, JD'd be whining up a storm. "Ok," grumbled Vin. "Something quick. Maybe we can ask the restaurant to pack it, so we can take it back to the hotel."

JD agreed happily. After getting their supper to go, they headed back to the hotel. Vin sat on the bed and put the ink on the night stand. It was going to be hard to write all this in a book without putting it on a desk.

"OK, let's start with your great grandparents. Do you know who they are?"

JD shook his head.

"OK, ya'll from Ireland, right?"

JD nodded. "Mama was the first one to come from Ireland."

Vin wrote:

Fergus Dunne – (b. April 1, 1750 d. September 7, 1800)

Married Sarah O'Malley (b. May 2, 1755, d. October 1, 1810) June 1, 1775

"Do ya know your grandparents names. Did they have any brothers or sisters?

JD rattled off the names as Vin wrote them in the Bible.

Children: Patrick Dunne (b. November 5, 1776)

Cecilia Dunne (b. February 6, 1778)

Fiona Dunne (b. January 18, 1779)

John Dunne (b. July 6, 1781)

Daniel Dunne (b. July 6, 1781)

Daniel Dunne (b. July 6, 1781)

Married Abigail Stark (b. August 22, 1792) March 15, 1819

Children: Fiona Dunne (b. April 12, 1820)

Esther Dunne (b. May 5, 1822)

John Dunne (b. June 13, 1824)

William Dunne (b. September 24, 1826)

Darcy Dunne (b. March 25, 1830)

Darcy Dunne (b. March 25, 1830)

Married Michael Tanner (b. May 9, 1826 d. August 27, 1852) February 7, 1846 – Divorced February 1, 1847.

Children: Vincent Tanner (b. January 26, 1847)

Vin stopped, he wasn't sure how to show JD and Sophia. JD didn't know who his father was. "Uh JD?"

"Yeah?"

"I ain't sure who to show who your father is?" Vin asked quietly.

JD got real quite. He had never really worried about who his father was. His mama wouldn't talk about it, just like she wouldn't talk about Sophia's father. "I don't know," JD mumbled.

"I got an idea," Vin said.

Children: John Daniel Dunne (b. April 30, 1854) - father Buck Wilmington

Sophia Dunne (July 10, 1862) – father – Buck Wilmington

JD was looking over Vin's shoulder. "How come you don't show mama married?"

Vin sighed, "Cuz you two ain't got his last name and your mama gave you her last name. Women only do that when they ain't married."

"Oh," thought JD morosely. He didn't want people thinking his mama was a loose woman.

Vin noted the change in JD's demeanor. "JD, it's all made up, no one is gonna know. We can rip these pages up and burn them as soon as we get Sophia."

JD brightened up, then looked at Vin with worry. "Do you gotta go to hell if you rip pages out of the Bible?"

Vin was about to clobber him. "It ain't the real pages with the words on them, it's just the blank pages. NO!"