“I see you heeded his advice.” A harsh tonerattled in his voice. He put his fingers to his hat brim, thenpicked up his pace, and rejoined the wagon carrying the general’sbody away.
Tillie’s face warmed. She inhaled and let outa slow, measured breath.
Mrs. Schriver harrumphed.
Tillie ignored her. He was right. Theyshouldn’t be out here. Tillie was out of breath and ready to stopand rest when they came to Widow Leicester’s home, a smallone-and-a-half storey farmhouse on the west side of TaneytownRoad.
“We can stop here.” Mrs. Schriver’s wordscame in breathless gasps. “I know Mrs. Leicester well. She won’tmind if we rest here a moment.” Perspiration beaded her foreheadand upper lip as she took a deep breath and licked her lips.
Tillie didn’t respond, but plodded up thewalk and sank onto the step, grateful for the chance to stop. Acaisson laden with ammunition rumbled past, throwing up mud. Sheraised her arms and cringed from the mud splattering near her feet.She relaxed and sighed, then rubbed her hands over her face.
They’d made it roughly halfway between homeand the Weikerts’. As far as the eye could see, thousands ofwagons, horses, and soldiers headed toward town while the four ofthem struggled south to a safe haven.
A deafening roar engulfed them as the guns onCemetery Ridge opened fire. The vibrations traveled through theearth and thrummed into her feet.
Sadie, Mollie, and Tillie threw their handsover their ears. Tillie cringed as a scream escaped her and wentunheard in the roar of guns. Mollie threw herself to the ground,also screaming.
The roar grew louder and seemed to comecloser. Tillie threw her arms over her head and curled up tight,bringing her knees to her forehead, trying to make herself as smalla target as possible. She jumped from the step and ran to the gate.She grabbed hold of the top and yanked at it, but it wouldn’tbudge. She shook the gate and burst into fresh blinding tears asshe fought with the gate. A frustrated scream escaped her. “I don’twant to die out here. I don’t want to die out here. Don’t let medie out here. I want to go home.”
Mrs. Schriver’s arm reached over the top ofthe gate and, with a flick of her fingers, released the latch.Tillie yanked it open and tore through. She stopped short at theroad. Too much traffic moved toward town. If she stepped out, aconveyance would run her down. She glanced back at Mrs. Schriver,who knelt in the mud and tried to console her children. They criedand clung to her.
Sadie hiccupped and then vomited on hermother.
Tillie blamed Mrs. Schriver for theirpredicament. They should have stayed home and gone into thebasement. Before Mr. Schriver left for the Cavalry, he convertedhis basement into a tavern. Mrs. Schriver and the girls doubtlessmight have hidden there and the Rebs would never have known it. Whydid they come out here? “Mrs. Schriver, what do we do? The girlscan’t go on, and we can’t turn back. What do we do?” Tilliecouldn’t stem the wail of terror in her voice. Her question helpedher push it down. She’d still have to deal with the situation.Better to stay calm, if possible, and deal with her emotionslater.
“You there!” A soldier came out of the houseand stalked toward them. He pointed a gauntleted finger at them.“You can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous.”
“We don’t want to stay here.” Mrs. Schriverrose and shouted at him, red-faced. She waved at her girls inquick, furious gestures. “My girls cannot go any further. The mud’stoo thick to move, there’s too much traffic, and they’re frightenedhalf to death.” Her arm dropped over Sadie’s shoulders in aprotective embrace while Mollie clung to her skirts.
The soldier glanced at Mollie, who kept herface buried deep in the folds of fabric.
“We’re trying to get to my parents’ housejust a mile or so down the road.” Mrs. Schriver gestured in thedirection they wanted to go as he knelt in the mud and reached tostroke the child’s hair.
“Hush, my dear.” His voice lowered kind andreassuring. “You’ll be all right. I won’t let any harm come to you,I promise.”
Mollie turned her tear-streaked face andpeered at him.
His face softened even more, and he smiled ather. He turned from Mollie to Sadie and then Tillie and Mrs.Schriver.
“You can’t stay here,” he repeated, his tonereturning to one of authority. “The Rebels are expected to attackat any time. You’re quite right. The road is a quagmire. Come withme.” He marched toward the house.
The women followed him to the frontporch.
“Wait here.” He spread his hands indicatinghe meant the porch. “I’ll find a ride to carry you the rest of theway.” He stepped inside and closed the door.
Tillie and Mrs. Schriver looked at eachother. “Well now, where did he go?” Mrs. Schriver removed ahandkerchief from inside her left cuff and wiped her face. Shegrimaced at the vomit dripping off the end of her skirt. She liftedthe fabric in her thumb and forefinger and shook it. She avertedher face and held her handkerchief to her mouth.
“I’m sorry, Mama.” Tears and fright cloggedSadie’s voice.
“No worries, child.” Mrs. Schriver strokedSadie’s hair. “No worries.”
Tillie alternated between wanting to run homeand dissolving into tears right where she stood. Instead, she sankonto the porch and put her head in her hands. A sob escaped her,and she let it but refused to allow any more. She wiped her eyesand nose on her sleeve.
The soldier reappeared from around the sideof the building and jogged to the road. He stopped a coveredconveyance as it lurched past. When the wagon stopped, the wheelssank to the hubs. The soldier talked with the driver. The drivershook his head. The soldier pointed toward the back of the wagon,then in the direction of the women.
The driver peered at them again, saidsomething to the soldier, and shook his head again.
The soldier slammed his fist against the sideof the wagon and then grinned at the women, gesturing for them tocome.
The covered wagon was full
