Camilla said, “That’s fine. We can just say it is two days travel east of here.”
The enormity of what they were going to try to do, struck Shell. “Maybe we should have stayed on the wagon until we reached an inn. Then we could return each day to speak to farmers. Do you see how many farms are here? It will take a month.”
Camilla said, “You may be right, but how about this? We’ll split up, and you take one side of the road, and I’ll take the other. We make it brief with each farm, but half past noon we walk to the nearest inn and start again tomorrow.”
“That might work, but there are so many to speak with.” Shell estimated it would take most of the afternoon to reach Fleming.
But Camilla was shaking her head. “We don’t have to find them; we just have to find people who know of them. The very first farm where we stop might know the Duggar farm; they often know others, you know.”
They decided Henry could help, and he’d switch sides of the road, working with which one was falling behind. Shell saw no alternative and reluctantly headed to the first farm on the left side of the road while the other two went across the road to the nearest farms. He hadn’t understood how difficult it would be to find Henry’s relatives among the thousands of people in Fleming.
At each farm, the patter of his request became more practiced. “Good day. I’m helping a friend locate his family. They are related to Press and Amy Duggar, farmers who live about two day’s walk east.”
At that point, he’d pause. They would shake their heads, often try to engage him in conversation, or make suggestions of how to locate the family. Shell listened, then quickly moved on to the next farm, his enthusiasm sinking with each farm. He saw Camilla and Henry far ahead, but maintained his steady pace.
At the tenth or eleventh farm, the woman of the house smiled at his question. “I think you’re looking for Edsel Duggar. They live about five farms down the road, closer to Fleming,” she pointed. “It’s the one with two barns.”
Elated, Shell raced out to the road and ran. He passed Camilla, who was speaking to a man in a field, and waved for her to join him. They found Henry waiting on the road, sitting on a stump. He leaped to his feet when he saw them running.
“We may have found them,” Shell shouted. “The farm with two barns.”
The three of them ran down the road to the lane leading to the house passed the barns, laughing, joking, and teasing. But when they reached the lane, none took the first step. Shell understood that if this was Henry’s relatives and things worked out well, Henry would stay here. Camilla seemed to have come to the same conclusion.
Henry simply looked scared. The people in the house might be related to him and his parents. They might not. If they were, he would have to inform them of their deaths. They might already have too many mouths to feed, or they might not like him. A hundred thoughts ran through Shell’s mind. But he didn’t feel right in leading the way up the lane. That should be Henry.
Camilla took a single step closer to Shell and waited as if she felt the same. Henry drew a long breath to calm himself and walked ahead, shoulders square. He had almost reached the house when the door opened, and a man stepped onto the porch, watching them. Dressed in typical farmer’s clothing, he wore a beard that concealed his lips and any smile he might wear.
When they were closer, the man said, “Help you?”
When Henry’s tongue failed to form intelligible words, Camilla said, “Is this the Duggar farm?”
“Nope.” His eyebrows furrowed, but he waited for more.
“My name is Henry Duggar. My family lived about two days from here.”
Pride welled in Shell at the strong voice and words. The farmer nodded for Henry to continue speaking.
“My mother often talked about her relatives near here. Her name was Amy. Amy Duggar.”
The farmer hesitated, then turned and called inside, “Susan, you’d better come out here.”
A woman appeared at his side, wearing a gray dress with little white lace trimmings. She had a dishcloth tossed over her shoulder, and her hair was tied into a tight bun. A smile broke out on her. “Hello, what do you folks want?”
“I’m Henry Duggar from east of here.”
“Amy’s boy? My sister’s son?”
“Yes.”
Before any more words could be exchanged, all of them were hustled into the house among smiles and calls for others to join them. Soon there were six other people crowded into the small room, all laughing and asking questions. As they were answered, two more crowded inside and had to catch up.
Finally, Shell raised his arms to gain their attention. “Let me tell you the short story, and Henry can fill in the details later, or we’ll still be here for breakfast.”
Henry’s mother’s sister shouted, “You will, anyhow. You don’t think we’re going to let you out of here, do you?”
While the laughter still rang in the room, Henry cut it off by telling what he knew in short, simple words, telling of the accident that killed Henry’s parents without details. As a hush fell over the group, punctuated with a few sniffles and tears, Henry told the story, right up to Camilla’s kidnapping and the village where they notified the constable.
Some of the parts were skipped or made light of because of the wolf that roamed the perimeter of the farm searching for a tasty rabbit, but Shell waited until the end before adding. “I can add details later. I’m sorry to have to tell you about his Ma and Pa.”
The farmer recovered first. “Sounds like you took care of them for now, but if I ever get up that way I might want to pay a visit to those people that beat you. You’ll carry a few scars for the rest of your life, but you have nothing to be ashamed of, boy.”
Amy nodded her agreement, looked at her husband who nodded back and said, “This is a big farm, and there is so much work to do around her we were thinking of hiring a hand. Would you please consider staying here with us and helping us out?”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Shell found time to be alone with Susan long enough to thank her for telling the small lie about needing help on the farm, and knowing from the offer that she was a good woman, he slipped her the silver coins from selling Henry’s farm, along with two small gold coins from the bowl at the cabin. Henry had earned the extra. Now he had enough to buy a large farm and have silver left over for animals, tools, and even enough to weather a poor crop or two.
He also told her of the portion of the crops Henry would receive, and that Henry didn’t understand what sharecropping meant. She assured him she would see to it that when he was older, the profits would be waiting. He was family, after all, her nephew.
Just after daylight, Camilla and Shell walked back down the lane they had been so scared to walk on the day before. Camilla said, “Where’s your wolf?”
Shell flicked his index finger ahead and to one side.
“I want to meet her. I mean, she saved my life. I saw her for an instant but thought she would tear me apart next, so that does not count. At the cabin, my mind was lost, so I really didn’t see her there, and I owe her my thanks. Will she come if you call him?”
“If she wants to.”
“Can you make her?”
“Why would I do that?”
Camilla smiled. “Up ahead, when we cross a stream, and we’re hidden from road people by willows, ask her to come to us, please. I want to thank Pudding properly.”
“Pudding is a stupid name for a wolf. I just waited until we found a home for Henry so I could choose a different one.”
“And now that Henry is tucked safely away with his family you think you are going to change Pudding’s name? Think again, Shell. Just when I start to like you, you say something stupid.”