Westering Women Read online

  “What you done with it, Penn?”

  “I ain’t stole nothing that weren’t mine already.”

  Asa reached into his pocket, and Penn shrank back against the wagon, as if thinking Asa would hit her with something, perhaps his sap—a small leather bag filled with sand. He held out a fist to her and opened it. Inside was the ruby ring. “See, I brung you something. I knowed you liked it. This here is a wedding ring.”

  “You keep it. I ain’t going to marry up with you, Asa.”

  “Take it.”

  Penn shook her head. “Go away. I got friends here that’s going to protect me.”

  “All I seen when I was watching you was a bunch of women and a preacher that’s already scared off. Now you take the ring. You said way back that you wanted to get married. You said you didn’t want to be Pennsylvania House no more, just Mrs. Asa Harvey. Well, I guess now you will be. When that preacher comes back, he can say the words.”

  “I want you to go away. Please, Asa.”

  Suddenly Asa reached out and grasped Penn’s hand and shoved the ring onto her finger. “I give two dollars for it. Now you take it. You do not want to rile me. You know that ain’t a good thing.”

  Maggie would have laughed if she had not been so frightened for Penn. She had seen Asa put down only a dollar for it.

  For a moment, Penn stared at the stone, which gleamed like a drop of blood in the sun. Asa put his arm around her. “You and me belong together. I’ll treat you real good this time.”

  Maggie had heard those same words herself. Jesse had said them to her, and for a long time she had wanted to believe him, had indeed believed him. She knew that Penn was thinking maybe this time would be different. No! Maggie thought. Nothing has changed. It is a trick. Do not believe him, Penn.

  As if Maggie had spoken out loud, Penn said, “No, Asa! You take that old ring. I don’t want it. I don’t want you.” She removed the ring and flung it at him.

  “Well, I want you, and I guess that is all that counts.” The smile was gone now.

  Asa leaned down to pick up the ring, and when he looked at Penn again, his face was twisted in anger. Penn attempted to move, but he held her against the wagon. Then he tried to pick her up, but Penn struggled, dropping the shawl in the mud. She stared at it, horrified, then used all of her strength to break away and rescue the garment. “You get away, Asa. I ain’t yours no more.”

  “You are mine till I say you ain’t, you God-damn woman. Now get over to the wagon before I whip you.”

  “No! I will not. You got to kill me before I go with you.”

  “I can do that.”

  Maggie knew she could not stop Asa by herself and yelled, “Mary!”

  Mary, who had been sharpening a hatchet, came out from behind a wagon. She understood in an instant what was happening and called “Ladies!” The other women stopped what they were doing and followed Mary as she came to stand beside Maggie. They looked frightened and unsure of themselves. Maggie searched for Reverend Swain, but he was not there. He must have gone to the concert to escort the women back to the camp.

  “Something wrong, Penn?” Mary asked.

  Maggie answered instead. “That’s Asa. He is trying to steal Penn away from us.” She saw the hatchet in Mary’s hand and wished she had her scissors with her. Sadie held a knife, and Bessie a hatpin. Winny grasped a piece of kindling, and even Caroline had picked up a rock.

  “There ain’t nothing wrong. Ain’t your business,” Asa said.

  “It did not sound like a conversation,” Mary told him.

  “I said mind your business.”

  “This woman is my business—our business. She is one of us. Now you go away and leave her alone,” Mary said.

  “I won’t go back less’n I take her with me. Come on.” Asa twisted Penn’s arm behind her back, and Penn cried out in pain. “Ain’t nobody going to stop me,” Asa said.

  “I will.” Mary’s hand had been at her side, and now she drew it out to show that she was holding a hatchet.

  “Cross-eye bitch.” Asa laughed, then made a sudden lurch toward Mary and, using his free hand, wrenched the hatchet from her. “God-damn woman,” he said.

  The women made a semicircle around Penn. Winny reached out and tried to wrest the hatchet away from Asa, but he shoved her down into the dirt.

  “Any of the rest of you want to try stopping me?” He glared at the women. Then he asked Penn, “You want them to get hurt, do you? You come along with me now, or one of them’s going to get fisted. Or worse.” Asa struck the hatchet so hard against the wagon that it left a deep cut.

  Penn whimpered. Maggie knew Penn would not repay their kindness with the hurt Asa would inflict on them. Perhaps Penn could run away later, but it was unlikely Asa would let her out of his sight. He would beat her, beat her that night, beat her so badly that Penn would never have the courage to leave him. At that moment, Maggie hated Asa as much as she did Jesse. She would kill Asa if she could, just as she had killed her husband.

  “Now you wear this ring,” Asa said, laying the hatchet on the wagon and forcing the ring back onto Penn’s finger. “You tell them women we’re married now. They take you away, they’re breaking the law. It don’t allow nobody to separate a man and his wife. Bible says I got the right to kill anybody that takes you away from me.”

  “No. It does not.”

  Asa looked up, startled and a little wary at the sound of a man’s voice. Maggie turned around and spotted Reverend Swain. “I was doctoring an ox and did not hear the full discussion. Now I ask you to let go of Miss House.”

  Asa grinned at him. “You going to get involved in this, preacher man?”

  “I already am. Miss House is one of my charges. She has asked you to leave her alone. I suggest you do so. You would not want to tangle with the authorities here.”

  Asa laughed at that. “The authorities? You talking about them soldiers? They’re so drunk they can’t pull out a gun without they shoot theirself in the foot.”

  “I am talking about the officers. They will not abide your taking a woman against her will.”

  “She is my wife.”

  “Miss House says differently.”

  “Well, she’s been cooking my supper, living in my tent, sleeping in my blankets.”

  “Such activity does not make a woman a wife. Husband and wife are bound by the words of the Lord spoken over them.”

  “You speak them, then. That all right with you, Penn?”

  Penn looked at Reverend Swain, then at the women around her. She could not answer, so Maggie spoke up for her. “No!”

  “Didn’t ask you.” Asa tightened his hand on Penn’s arm. “She don’t mean that, does she, Penn? You tell him yes.”

  Mary stepped forward and slapped his arm. She was a strong woman, and Asa let go and raised his fist.

  “Go ahead. Hit me,” Mary said. “You like to hit women, do you not?”

  Asa glared at Mary but lowered his arm. “I ain’t talking to you no more.” Then he added, to Joseph, “You neither.” He picked up Penn, who kicked her legs and tried to get away.

  “Let go of her,” the minister demanded.

  Asa paused long enough to say, “You going to stop me, preacher?”

  “If I have to.”

  “How you going to do that? Maybe you’ll cry for the soldiers.” Asa gave an ugly laugh. “Or shout Bible words out at me.”

  “You will not take her!”

  “Yeah, well, just you watch me.” He tightened his hold on Penn, and she cried out.

  “Do not hurt her.” Caroline pushed forward until she was in front of Asa.

  “Get out of my way.” Asa held Penn with one arm, and with the other he shoved Caroline, who lost her balance and fell into the mud. Mary and Winny rushed to help her up.

  “Sir! Your apology!” Joseph thundered.

  “I am tired of you, Bible thumper.” Asa slapped Penn, who was still struggling, then started dragging her toward his wagon.

 
Joseph lunged at him, hitting him on the side of the head.

  “You!” Asa shouted. He let go of Penn and punched Joseph in the shoulder, knocking the wind out of the minister.

  Joseph took a step backward. Then he charged. He hit Asa in the chest with his fists, striking blow after blow, while Asa, stunned at the ferocity, put up his hands in defense. Then Asa took a step backward and collected himself. “You go to hell! No preacher can get the best of me, God damn you!” He swung, but Joseph ducked.

  “Do not take the Lord’s name in vain.” The minister swung again, but Asa caught his arm, then landed a punch of his own. As Joseph paused to catch his breath, Asa tried to knee him in the groin, but Joseph spun away, and Asa fell to the ground.

  “Have you had enough?” Joseph asked, standing over Asa, his fists raised. Maggie looked at him, dumbfounded. She had never taken him for a man who could fight—or would fight.

  Instead of answering, Asa grabbed Joseph and knocked him down, and the two rolled over and over in the mud. Asa rose to his feet and kicked at Joseph’s head, but Joseph grabbed Asa’s foot and pulled himself up. The two circled, each jabbing at the other. At last, Asa reached into his pocket and took out his sap.

  “Look out,” Maggie called.

  Joseph glanced up, but it was too late, and Asa hit Joseph on the side of the head, stunning him. Asa moved in then, striking Joseph over and over again, until the minister fell to his knees. Asa kicked him in the groin, and Joseph toppled into the mud, stunned.

  Not satisfied, Asa began hitting the minister in the head, until Penn grabbed his leg and begged him to stop. “Leave be. I’ll go with you, Asa.”

  Asa backhanded her. “You’ll go when I’m done with him.”

  “You will kill him!” Caroline cried, grabbing Asa’s arm, but he flung her aside, too.

  “He shouldn’t have meddled with me,” Asa said.

  The other women moved forward. Winny was the first to attack. She struck him with the kindling, while Bessie stabbed him with the hatpin, and Caroline flung her rock at him. The blows were like the bites of so many gnats, and Asa shoved them away. Sadie lunged at him with her knife. Asa roared when it sliced his arm. He grabbed the knife and started for Sadie, who lost her footing and fell to the ground beside the minister.

  Maggie looked around frantically for a weapon and spotted the hatchet. She hefted it and started toward Asa, thinking to strike him with the flat side and knock him senseless. Asa saw her. He bellowed, reaching for the weapon.

  At that moment, Maggie felt someone grab the hatchet from her. When she turned, Mary was holding it above her head. She held it only a second before she swung it at Asa, and the blade landed in his forehead. Blood gushed out, and Asa’s eyes clouded. He reached for the weapon but stumbled and dropped to his knees. Then he toppled over, his hands opening and closing for a few seconds until they were still.

  Mary froze, and Maggie had to remove the weapon from her hands and drop it into the mud. Mary started to crumple, but Maggie and Winny grabbed her and led her to a log beside the wagon.

  Joseph shook his head back and forth, then slowly rose to his feet, stumbling a little as he righted himself. He pulled Sadie up, then stared down at Asa, bowing his head. His lips moved, but no words came out. Maggie could only wonder what he said in his silent prayer.

  “I killed him,” Mary said. “I meant only to knock him out with the side of the blade, but I killed him. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, but I did. It is a terrible sin, is it not, Reverend Swain? I am not much concerned with religion, but I believe there is a hell, and it is likely I shall go there.” She began to shake.

  Maggie did, too. Like her, Mary—Mary, the woman who always protected them—was in turmoil. Both of them had taken lives. Mary had done so to protect Reverend Swain and Sadie and Penn. Surely the lives of three good people are worth the death of one crazed man, Maggie thought. She wondered if Mary would believe that, or would carry guilt for her action just as Maggie did.

  “You will not go to hell. You risked your life to save that of Miss House. And Mrs. Cooper,” Joseph said. “It was only by ill luck that your hatchet instead of Mrs. Cooper’s knife ended his life.”

  “Each one of us tried to kill him,” Bessie said. “We are all complicit.”

  “You saved Joseph, too, Mary,” Caroline added. “I believe the lives of three good people are worth that of a wicked man,” she said, giving voice to Maggie’s thought. “I should think the scales of heaven are weighted in your favor.”

  Maggie put her arms around Mary, who sagged against her. “Some men deserve death. He is one.” She alone understood Mary’s grief. The two of them shared that anguish.

  Penn stood over Asa’s body. “You ain’t going to hurt nobody no more, Asa Harvey. You brung it on yourself. I don’t hate you, but I’m glad you are gone for good.”

  “We must find an officer and tell him what has happened,” Joseph said.

  “No!” Maggie burst out. “What if they arrest Mary?”

  “She would not be found guilty.”

  “They will charge me nonetheless. What I have done is sinful,” Mary said.

  “Is it not better to commit a lesser sin to prevent a greater one?” Maggie asked.

  The minister smiled at her. “I believe you could be a preacher,” he told her.

  “Maggie is right,” Caroline said. “Besides, an inquiry will take time. That would delay us, and it will give the Harvey men time to catch up with Penn. Who knows what they will do if they find her. We must think of the welfare of the other women. This accursed man should not have the power to keep us from completing our journey.”

  “Asa’s brothers ain’t far behind. If they catch up with us, it don’t matter who killed Asa. They’ll kill me and maybe some of the others,” Penn said, shivering.

  “Then we cannot let them know Asa is dead,” Maggie said. “We must bury him and leave.”

  “Bury him where? Is there sacred ground here?” Caroline asked.

  Despite herself, Maggie smiled. “Why, right here. The oxen will trample the grave, and no one will ever know a man’s body lies under the dirt.” Before anyone could respond, she went to the wagon to fetch a spade and began to dig. The others took turns, and when the hole was deep enough, they laid Asa in it. Joseph said a few words over the body before the women covered it with dirt. They led several oxen over the grave until there was no sign of it.

  They had barely finished when they saw the other women returning from the musicale. “Will we tell them?” Sadie asked.

  “Not just yet, although I believe they may find out in time. We shall tell them to be ready to leave at first light. We cannot risk another day here,” Joseph replied.

  As the two cleaned the shovel, Winny whispered to Maggie, “Did you hear Asa accuse Penn of taking something from him? It must have been valuable or he would not have demanded it back. I wonder what it was.”

  “Maybe the dollar she stole from him. Whatever it is, he does not need it now.”

  Maggie took Mary’s arm and led her back to the wagon. Mary shivered as if she were sick, and Maggie knew her friend was filled with grief. Would she have struck Asa, too, if Mary had not taken the hatchet from her? Maggie believed she would have. Still, she was glad she was not the one who had delivered the blow. When Mary turned to her, Maggie was surprised to see anger as well as sadness on her face.

  “I misspoke,” Mary said. “I said I was sorry I killed him, but I did not mean it. I am glad he is dead. I am glad Penn is safe. I would do it again. If someone comes for you, Maggie, I will kill him, too.” She paused and said fiercely, “You and the others are more a family to me than any I left behind. I would give my life to protect you and Clara. And if it is a sin, then I shall gladly go to hell.”

  Maggie smiled at her friend and took her hand. “I do not believe you will go to hell for any reason.” Later, she returned to her wagon and took out the china teapot with pink roses that had belonged to Mary’s mother. She found
Mary staring out at the prairie and handed it to her. Her cheeks damp with tears, Mary took the teapot and held it to her breast.

  Eleven

  June 18, 1852

  The Great Platte River Road

  A somber group of women left Fort Kearny the next morning. By then, those who had been at the musicale knew that something bad had happened in the camp, although they did not know what, because the women who had been present at Asa’s death had kept the killing to themselves.

  Although Asa was no longer a threat, Penn was more frightened than ever at the thought of his brothers catching up with her. Asa would have beaten her, but his brothers would kill her.

  “Asa said he came on ahead of them. Surely they must be miles behind,” Maggie told Penn.

  Penn was not reassured. “I wish I knowed if they was by theirself or joined up with a company. They’ll catch up, and when they find Asa ain’t there, they’ll come looking for me. What if dogs dig up the body? It ain’t that deep. His brothers’ll do me in for sure. And even though we turned his mule loose and throwed out his leavings like we done, they might find them.” She looked up at her friend. “If it wasn’t for you and Mary, I’d be dead already.”

  “Mary. It was Mary who saved you.”

  “You’d have struck him if Mary hadn’t taken that hatchet from you.”

  Would she? Maggie wondered again. Would she have had the determination and the strength to kill Asa? A few months before, she would not have dared to strike a man with her hand, but things were different now. She and the other women were fiercely protective of each other. She had seen that when the dragoon attacked her. Instead of condemning her, the women had been solicitous, showing kindness by bringing her wildflowers and offering to watch Clara. Their kindness had helped her put the outrage behind her. Maggie would have sacrificed almost anything for them, and she knew that Mary felt as strongly as she did. The trip had given Mary a mission. Maggie realized that Mary considered the whole band her family. And they thought of Mary as their protector.

  After Joseph’s fight with Asa, Maggie viewed Reverend Swain in a different light. She had thought him dour with only touches of compassion, but now she knew that, like Mary, he would protect them—not just spiritually but physically. He was no longer the stern, distant preacher but their friend. That night, when the company was packing the wagons for the next day’s journey, he said it was time to discard his pulpit.