Chapter 3
Three days later the company stopped beside a small river. The clear bubbling water splashed with a soothing sound. There had been a series of minor calamities each day, from Mingo's vest scattering beads to Daniel's shot pouch bursting a seam. There was one near major calamity as the drag unexplainedly dropped one of the poles of the main frame. But Rocky managed to get his good leg underneath him before the drag dipped him. As evening fell on the third day the six companions each did their part to set up the wilderness camp. Mingo and Yad gathered firewood, Daniel stepped into the woods to hunt for fresh meat, Milly and Ivy dipped water and started the coffee while Rocky built a fire ring. The coffee was boiling over a crackling fire when Daniel returned with a plump yearling deer.
After roasting the venison on sharpened sticks the six hungry people ate their fill. Sighing with contentment Milly and Ivy snuggled down in their blankets and fell instantly asleep. Rocky slowly circled outside the camp to stretch his healing leg. Mingo, Yad and Daniel all sat drinking the last of the coffee and enjoying the mid-summer twilight.
Suddenly Rocky shouted and came limping back to the camp as fast as possible. The unmistakable odor of skunk spray permeated the air. The three men dropped their cups and dashed several yards away from the unfortunate boy. Milly sat up bewildered as her eyes began to water from the smell. Ivy groaned and buried her nose in the blanket.
The three friends looked long into each other's eyes. Then they took deep breaths and went to strip Rocky. With tears running down their faces, taking quick shallow breaths, the three accomplished their task in only seconds. Daniel dragged the gagging boy to the little river and tossed him in. Using their tin plates and knives Yad and Mingo soon dug a ditch several yards downwind from the camp and buried Rocky's clothes. Dan remained sitting on the bank reassuring the miserable boy that they were doing all they could to help. Holding her nose Milly strode to sit beside Daniel and add her comforting words to the boy.
"Why son, I remember when our old hound Rove got hisself sprayed. You was only a mite of a boy. We had to tie that dog in the woods for days before the stink wore off! Your daddy had to hold his nose ever' time he took that dog food or water. Reckon you won't be fit to sit beside ary one for days yourself. But somebody'll see you get food and water, so don't you fret."
Sitting in the cold river, the odor of skunk wafting up from his goosepimpled skin, the suffering boy could only groan. Daniel walked back into camp and threw more sticks on the fading fire. Then he took the boy's blanket to the river and pulled the shivering boy up the bank. Breathing as shallowly as possible Dan helped Rocky sit on the side of the fire downwind of everyone else. He handed the embarrassed youth the last cup of coffee. Yad and Mingo returned from their task also smelling of skunk spray. Wordlessly they walked to the river and plunged in. A quarter of an hour later they reappeared dripping and shivering to sit before the fire. Their wet buckskin clothing steamed and released another distinctive odor.
Yad sat with his eyes closed. Mingo stared into the fire, his lips pursed in an expression of annoyance. Milly and Ivy pulled their blankets several yards upwind and lay back down. Daniel nodded to his two friends and did the same.
"Rocky," Mingo's voice was tinged with aggravation. "Tell us what happened to you on the trail. Tell us everything. All of it."
With a deep heavy sigh the shivering boy began his tale.
Only one day out of Tottenburg Rocky had tumbled into the morning campfire after tripping over a small stone partially buried in the dirt of their campsite. Milly's left arm had been nearly wrenched out of its socket that same afternoon when she slipped down a hillside and grabbed hold of a shrub to break her fall.
On Thursday the spotted ox stepped carelessly and wedged his near front foot between two rocks. When Rocky pulled the animal's foot loose the ox knocked him over and he hit his head on one of the rocks. Coming to help him Milly tripped over a tree root sticking out of the ground and her gun discharged its load of buckshot into the red ox's side. The red ox charged forward, breaking the wagon tongue and sending the wagon down a steep hillside. Trying to stop the wagon Rocky injured his leg. The wagon was badly damaged and most of their supplies were scattered or destroyed in the process.
Friday dawned damply and the three decided to rest until Rocky's leg quit bleeding. Milly fell asleep in a soft bed of lush grass. The sun came out and burned her before she woke up. That evening the three camped at the bottom of the hill next to the broken wagon. A swarm of mosquitoes gave Rocky and Milly several bites apiece. The three Kentuckians found them the following morning.
Rocky's voice was tinged with warning. "You've seen what kinda things happen to us. If you two fellas got any sense left you'll leave us here and run. And I wouldn't call you cowards neither. I'd run if I could." The boy sat slumped despondently before the dying fire. Mingo and Yad exchanged a look of frustration.
Mingo rose, grabbed his blanket and walked silently into the Kentucky darkness. Yad stood a few seconds, then patted the young man's shoulder. "Don't fret, youngster. Me and my friends been through some troubles ourselves, and we don't run away from 'em. We'll get you safe to Boonesborough. Now stretch out there and get some sleep. Good night." Taking his blanket Yad followed Mingo into the darkness. Rocky sat for several more minutes, then scooted down and tried to ignore the smell wafting up from his skunk-scented skin.