Chapter 2

Hours later he sat bolt upright as Melody's screams shattered his slumber. Dennis was holding her tightly and begging Mingo to stir the fire. Quickly he placed two small branches on the glowing ashes and blew the coals. The dry wood caught and flames began to illuminate the cave's walls. Melody continued to scream, peal after peal echoing in the small space. Mingo crawled to her side and pulled her hands free from Dennis' arms. He held them tightly in his own.e hedH Behind her Dennis was shouting.

"Bring the rock, Mingo! Get the rock!"

Mingo scrambled to the cave entrance, retrieved the rock, wrapped it in the blanket and placed it in Melody's thrashing lap. Instantly she stopped screaming and cuddled the rock, beginning to sing the nonsense phrases again. Mingo's eyes searched her face for any sign of sanity and found none. His heart went cold with fear. Behind the girl Dennis sat holding her close, his face buried in her dark hair. In the increasing light Mingo could see the tears that coursed down his face.

"I'm going to lose her too, Mingo. I'm going to lose her! Oh, God, don't take her too. Don't leave me alone in this wilderness!" The grief in Dennis' voice wrenched Mingo's heart as the youth begged for his wife's life.

Speaking comforting words to the distraught husband, Mingo grabbed the coffeepot and walked quickly out of the cave for more water. He returned in only five minutes and set the pot into the flames. He dumped another measure of coffee into the pot and sliced meat from the turkey bones. Holding the meat in his hand he slid beside Melody and broke off a small piece. He placed the meat against her lips.

"Melody, eat this meat. It's good. Dennis thought it was good." Mingo's voice was calm and smooth. Obediently Melody took the meat and chewed. Behind her Dennis encouraged her.

"Melly, eat some more. It is good, isn't it? Take another bite."

Mingo fed her the entire slice. As the last piece went down her throat he looked into Dennis's eyes and nodded. He poured a cup of coffee into a tin cup, then poured it back and forth with another cup to quickly cool it. Tilting it to Melody's lips Mingo bade her take a sip. He used the same tactic that he'd used with the meat and Melody swallowed the entire cupful.

She was completely quiet after she ate. The rock lay in her lap, wrapped in the blanket. Mingo made the mistake of lifting it. Instantly Melody began to scream again.

"Give her back the rock, Mingo. Give it back!"

Mingo replaced the rock in Melody's lap and the screaming stopped. He rose and went to stand at the cave's mouth, hiding his turbulent thoughts from Dennis' wide eyes. Behind him he could hear Dennis singing to his wife. Over his soft voice rose Melody's song: "Charlie's neat and Charlie's sweet and Charlie he's a dandy…."

Weak winter light woke Mingo hours later as he sat propped before the fire. He had kept vigil with Dennis through the night, replenishing the fire so Melody would not wake again in darkness. What fears preyed on her young soul Mingo could only imagine. Whatever it was the manifestation was fear of darkness. The two men did everything they could to prevent the fear from further weakening Melody's frail body.

He could see her slumped against Dennis' chest, her mouth open as she breathed. Dennis's head was leaned far back against the cave wall, his arms limply around his wife's body. Mingo stood silently and left the cave with the coffeepot. Back inside a half hour with a full pot and an armload of wood, he quietly brewed a fresh pot of coffee. The rich aroma wakened Dennis and he lifted his head from the wall and looked into Mingo's dark eyes. Nodding encouragingly, Mingo rose and brought a steaming cup to the haggard husband.

Dennis sipped the hot liquid, then whispered. "Mingo? She's only sixteen. Don't you think that might make her more likely to live?"

The question, asked so bluntly and with such trust, made Mingo's heart skip a beat. She was only a year older than Jemima. He swallowed and stalled for time. How could he answer the young husband? Should he give the youth false hope? Was that the kindest thing to do? Or should he be honest and help the young man prepare for the spiral into despair that Melody's death would bring? Before he could answer Melody stirred and tried to rise.

Mingo grasped her arms and pulled. Dennis quickly stood behind her and supported her as she staggered toward the cave mouth. Mingo draped her cape about her shoulders. They were gone a quarter of an hour, then Dennis came back into the cave with his weak wife in his arms. Mingo had prepared a bed for the young woman and Dennis gratefully laid her down. Mingo pulled the blankets around her shoulders and tucked the edges beneath her.

"I am going after some more meat. The coffee is ready. See if you can get her to drink some more. I'll be back as soon as I can." Mingo took his rifle from the cave's wall and within only minutes disappeared into the forest.

Returning an hour later with a small deer Mingo heard the screams before he reached the cave. Dropping the carcass from his shoulders he ran swiftly to the young couple. Melody was pulling her hair and screaming, Dennis trying to hold her down. He shouted for Mingo's help as his wife scratched his face with claw-like fingers.

"Find the rock! Mingo, I can't find the rock!"

Mingo saw the blanket shrouded rock lying against the cave wall. He scooped it into his hands and placed it against Melody's writhing body. Dennis shouted at his wife.

"Melody, Melly, it's right here! Sweetheart, here it is." He pushed the rock into his wife's grasping hands. She instantly lay down and pulled the rock to her breast, once again beginning the lines that gave her peace. "Charlie's neat and Charlie's sweet…." She hummed softly and petted the rock as though it was a living child. Dennis sat beside her, the blood oozing from deep scratches in both cheeks. Mingo stood dumbly watching the woman caress the rock her wandering mind believed was her child. He turned and retrieved the deer, spending an hour alone slicing the meat and trying to calm his raging emotions.

He cut several sticks to use as roasting forks. Soon the fragrance of broiling venison filled the small cave. Melody continued to hum and stroke the rock as Dennis sat beside her smoothing her untidy hair. Mingo brought three pieces to Dennis along with a cup of coffee. Dennis patiently fed Melody piece by piece. Mingo watched the pathetic efforts of the grieving young man as his wife slipped gently away from him. When he could no longer contain his own disquiet he left the cave and wandered in the cold winter forest.

As the afternoon approached evening he returned to find Dennis sitting alone near the cave's mouth. Fearing that Melody had died, Mingo gritted his teeth and steeled himself to support the young man and bury the young mother. But as he neared the cave he could hear Melody's senseless humming. Closing his eyes in relief, he sat beside Dennis and waited for the young man's confidence.

"Mingo, I can't live with myself if she dies. If I had followed my parents' wishes she wouldn't be here now, like this. It's my fault. All mine. I didn't know any of what I should have known. I was no more prepared to be a husband than I was prepared to be a governor. She depended on me and I brought her to this. She was such a happy little thing!" Dennis raised his anguished eyes to Mingo's face. "I just wanted to have her close. I'd never known anyone like her. She made me so happy!" The young man dropped his head into his hands and shuddered. Mingo's warm hand gripped his shaking shoulder.

"Dennis, you must regain your composure. You cannot help Melody if you are helpless yourself. You asked me if her youth was to her advantage. It is. You must not give up hope. She is looking to you for strength. You and she have a strong bond. I think that your love can help her find her way back from the dark path she now travels. I will help you. Come, eat something. You must stay strong so she can draw upon your strength."

Mingo stood and reached down to grasp Dennis' hand. Dennis looked up into Mingo's dark eyes and found the support there. He reached out and took the Cherokee's hand. Together the two men walked into the depths of the cave and shared a meal of venison and strong coffee. Melody had stopped humming and gone to sleep. The blanket-wrapped rock lay beside her.

The next morning was raw with the threat of snow. Mingo spent hours gathering armloads of wood. He filled the coffeepot with water just as the first flakes began to fall. The venison served as the sole supply of food, but it was ample. Dennis fed Melody every time she awoke and by afternoon she was obviously stronger. Dennis' smile lit the small cave and Mingo shared in the youth's joy. Though Melody continued to "mother" the rock she had not screamed for hours.

The two men spent the hours in conversation. Though different in every way, from age to education to experience, their common desire to bring Melody back to health forged a strong tie. As evening approached Dennis convinced Melody to let him comb her long dark hair. In the firelight Mingo could see the bright sheen. It reminded him of the walnut table in his father's dining room. As a child Mingo had often run his hands over the smooth dark wood, delighting in the texture.

Melody sat with her eyes closed, humming. The repetitious tune was wearing on Mingo's nerves but he could not bring himself to reprimand her. Her recovery was fragile and Mingo understood that a mind does not heal as a body does. So when the constant hum overcame him, he rose and walked in the snowy forest until his aggravation eased.

They were both asleep when he returned to the cave. Mingo carefully pulled the blankets to their shoulders and tucked them around their limp bodies. Dennis sighed in his sleep. Mingo stood for several minutes watching them, protective feelings warming his heart. Then with a tender smile he rolled into his own blanket and drifted gently to sleep.