Chapter 10

Uncle Duncan was planning to be married in a week. After all the excitement the Indian tribes and settler's farmers etc.… had settled into a comfortable existence where by everyone worked together. He had just been out with his fiancé Katherine and they both decided that when they married, They would move to Seattle to be with his family. Golden Eagle and his father were planning for the Potlatch. It was customary that the Chief hosting the potlatch would have special presents for each and every guest so the plan was for Golden Eagle and some of the others would go out to hunt a week ahead of time in order for there to be enough food and presents. Katherine's mother and other women of the tribe would make some baskets and other decorations for the guests as well. Duncan was wondering when his nephews were going to arrive when he found out from one of the Indian scouts that Jeremy would be in jail during the potlatch as well as Joshua. When Duncan heard this, he was very upset.

Back in Seattle, Jason was doing his best to try to get both of his brothers out of jail so they could leave for the potlatch. Candy was upset as well and told Aaron what she thought of him. Aaron listened to her and then promptly dismissed her. Candy left and went to stand near Jeremy at the jail and talk to him, holding the baby in her hand. Meanwhile Nancy was not really being watched as everyone was all worried for Jeremy and Joshua. So, she happened to walk out of the jail and down the street. She got on the stage coach that was headed for Tacoma. She knew what she was doing. No one noticed the 5-year-old on the stage coach, in fact she was the only passenger on. The driver and his helper got on the coach and drove off. Nancy sat quietly on the coach, she had taken her doll and a blanket just to be sure she wasn't alone.

"Don't worry, princess, we are going to visit a very important lady who will help with Uncle Joshua and daddy get out of jail in time for the potlatch!" she said to her doll. Then she wrapped the blanket around her doll and lay down on the bench and fell asleep. By night fall the coach had made it to Tacoma. She got out without being seen since the driver and his helper had gone into the saloon. She wandered up one side of the street and then the other. She finally saw the office she was looking for. She went to the door. The knob was too high for her to reach, so she knocked on the door. A lady opened the door and didn't see anyone and was about to shut the door when Nancy said:

"Miss Matilda."

The lady looked down and saw Nancy. She recognized her right away and looked for her mother and father.

"Nancy Bolt, what are you doing here at night? Where are your parents? Come in child?" Matilda said as she ushered the little girl inside the office. She had asked so many questions that Nancy did not have time to answer. When she sat down, she said:

"Oh, Miss Matilda, you should come to Seattle to help get daddy out of jail so we can go see uncle's wedding!" said Nancy as she held tightly to her doll.

Matilda just looked at Nancy and shook her head, This child was way to precocious for her own good.

"Now, why is your father in jail?"

"Well, when uncle dun, dun can, sent a message for daddy and Uncle Jason and Joshua to come to his wedding, there was a fight and Daddy killed a bad man but that mean old Mr. Temple put him jail and said he had to stay there! I want you to get him out. Uncle Joshua is in jail too!" said Nancy who was about to cry partly because she was tired and partly because she was hangry.

Meanwhile back in Seattle, Candy and Jeremy had noticed that Nancy wasn't there, especially when it was dinner time. Biddie brought over the meal and said she hadn't seen Nancy at all that day. Candy was beside herself with worry. Aaron was at home enjoying a nice quiet evening when there was a knock, and someone burst into his home.

"Mr. Stemple, you need to let Jeremy out of jail now. He has to go find his daughter!" Said Candy, Biddie, and Lottie.

Aaron looked up from his table and was surprised and began to say:

"I can't let him out, he is accu….what did you say?"

"My 5-year-old daughter is missing…" Candy said with tears in her eyes.

Aaron was beside himself. He wasn't sure how to react. The ladies all stood surrounding him and more ladies came in along with Jason, Jeremy, and Joshua.

"What are you two doing out of Jail!" said Aaron.

"Well, my niece is somewhere out wandering around, my brothers and I are going to look for her. If you have any problems with that, we can take care of it when we find my niece!" said Jason and they went out of Aarons' house and went around with lanterns looking everywhere. Ben had been in the store cleaning up and getting ready to leave when the telegraph machine went off. When he got the message, he was crossing the street to find Jason when he saw him and his brothers coming out of Aaron's house.

"Jason, Jeremy, Joshua, Candy, I have a message for you from Matilda!" They came running, Candy got to Ben first and Ben gave her the message to read. She showed it to Jeremy and then told Jason, and the others who had followed them:

"Nancy is in Tacoma with Matilda! She is safe!" said Jeremy to the others.

"Oh, Ben, send Matilda a message we will pay her way to get Nancy back tomorrow. And tell her thank you." Said Candy and Jeremy together.

"I think that Candy and Jeremy should go home, and Joshua should come with me!" said Jason looking directly at Aaron. Aaron looked at everyone, and knew he was outnumbered and said:

"Okay, but no one leaves town until the sheriff gets here!" Jason smiled and patted Aaron on the back and said:

"don't worry Aaron, we won't be leaving town soon!"

The next afternoon, Matilda and Nancy got off the coach in Seattle and Candy and Jeremy were very happy to see her. Uncle Duncan had come into town on the stage as well and found out about Nancy's little escapade and he secretly smiled at her ingenuity.

When everything was settled Candy and Jeremy sat with Nancy and had a little talk with her about her escapade.

"You know Nan, that was a very foolish thing to do. You could have gotten lost, or maybe hurt."

"But I didn't!" she said.

"You are right, you didn't, but as your father and your mother, we have the job of protecting you and taking care of you. When you go away like that that worries us very much because there are lots of things out there that can hurt you." Said Jeremy

"Nancy, my little girl, my precious little girl, I was very worried about you. Do you remember the story that Michael told you about when he and Molly ran away? They were with someone who really didn't want them, and he could have hurt them. They were very fortunate that he didn't.' Your father and I and your uncles and even Mr. Stemple went looking for them. Please promise us you won't go away like that?" said Candy who was crying again.

Jeremy just looked at Nancy, he loved his little girl very much and did not want anything to happen to her. He pulled her close to him and held her.

"Daddy, why are you holding me so close?" Nancy said.

He was holding her close enough to put his face in her long brown hair. He was almost crying himself. Nancy felt her dad sobbing just a little and understood then what her parents were worried about. She did not like her daddy crying so she said:

"Daddy, don't cry, I won't every leave like that again! I promise." Said Nancy as she was beginning to cry. Then all three hugged each other. Cand was who was happy again still had tears coming down her face. Nancy then reached out to her mother and wiped her tears and then she wiped her daddy's tears as well and gave them each another hug.

THE POTLATCH

The wedding ceremony took place with a native shaman and a Christian minister who worked together to bring the man and woman into a relationship. The shaman with the sage and other herbs burning began first. Uncle Duncan wore his kilt and carried his bagpipe. The Bolt Brothers all dressed in their kilts of Kilmarron followed their Uncle to his wife's parents' tent. Then calling her out of her parents' tent, he took her hand and they walked to the center of the village. The minister then said the words and asked if they would love, cherish, and obey and both said, 'I do.'

"I do promise to love and protect you my beloved!" Uncle Duncan said in English, Scottish and the native language.

"I do promise, to love and protect you my beloved!" repeated Katherine. Then Duncan put his mother's ring on her finger, and they kissed. The Shaman then danced around them spreading the fragrant herbs around both of them. They turned to the people and waved their hands and then holding hands, they walked towards their wagon, and he helped her up on the wagon, he went to his side of the wagon to get in but waited for a minute. She had been told of the tossing of the bouquet, so she decided to do that. She turned herself around and tossed the bouquet behind her. It landed in a young woman's hands. Katherine looked to see who had caught the bouquet and was surprised it was not one of her friends from the tribe but a woman who she had only just met a few days ago.

She sat down in the wagon, Uncle Duncan clicked his tongue and set the horses trotting away and everyone cheered, and the potlatch went on for another three days. Which gave him and his new bride a chance to get to the original Bolt Cabin and be together before anyone else showed up. The bolt Family was very happy and stayed for another day with the hospitality of their new family and friends.

"Daddy?" said Nancy.

"Yes, Nan." Jeremy answered as they were walking to their horses.

"I want to marry you just like that when I grow up!" she said as she held her daddy's hand tighter than ever. Jeremy smiled, he wouldn't tell her he was already married to mommy, he would just let her have her dream. Inwardly he felt warm all over. When the feelings subsided a little he said to her:

"Okay, that sounds good to me, Nan." And as he walked, he picked his girl up and held her very close.