Around the River's Bend (22 page)

When the logs were ready, the next step was the cabin raising. But this was interrupted when Nathanael Carter rode into the clearing one day on a fine gelding. Sion had been working hard along with the Spencers, who had stayed over another day. Sion's first indication of the new arrival was when Hannah cried out, “Fox!” and ran to meet the rider, who pulled the horse up, slipped out of his saddle, and greeted the young woman.

“Hello, Hannah. I'm back.”

Sion watched from a distance as the Spencers surrounded the young man about whom both Sion and Sabrina had heard a great deal. Sabrina came to stand beside Sion and said, “So that's the famous Fox. A fine-looking man, isn't he?”

“Indeed he is.”

Fox Carter was a strong-looking individual. His Indian blood showed in the high cheekbones, but his skin was no darker than many of the settlers, although it did have a slight coppery tinge. He was wearing a pair of deerskin pants with a blue calico shirt. He pulled off a broad-brimmed gray hat and shook hands all around. Sion and Sabrina moved in closer so they could hear the conversation.

“I'm so glad you're back,” said Hannah. “It seems like you've been gone forever.”

“I think I see a little romance in that pair,” Sabrina whispered.

“Her father told me he and Elizabeth thought they might marry someday.”

They had no chance to say more, for Hannah brought Fox over, her face alight. “These are our new friends, Sabrina Fairfax and Sion Kenyon. This is Nathanael Carter.”

“I'm glad to know you. Just call me Fox.”

“We've heard a great deal about you, sir,” Sabrina smiled.

“Good things, I hope.”

“Oh, very good.”

“You're from England, I've heard.”

“Yes, and Sion here is from Wales.”

The two men shook hands, and Hannah said, “Tell us all about your trip.”

“No, that'll be later. I want to pitch in and help all I can here, but I need to go see Sequatchie first.”

Fox Carter spoke to a few of the others before he rode off. Sabrina moved to Hannah's side and said, “You two are old friends.”

“Oh, yes! We've known each other forever, it seems.”

“He certainly is a fine-looking man.”

“Oh, yes, Fox is good-looking. And he's a great hunter. And he knows every tree in the forest, I do think.”

“You're very fond of him.” Sabrina smiled.

Hannah flushed and dropped her eyes. “I suppose so.” Changing the subject abruptly, she said, “Well, the cabin raising will be tomorrow. You'll have a place of your own to live in. I'll miss you. It's been so good to have another young woman around to do things with.”

“We won't be very far apart. I'll be very lonesome out here. I'm not used to this solitude.”

“We'll visit every day.”

****

The work had started soon after sunrise, and both Sabrina and Sion were amazed at how quickly the work went, and also at the fun that accompanied this work. The children were delighted to have a day with no chores, and they chased one another in and out of the woods, alternately screaming and laughing. Nearly everyone enlivened the occasion by bringing food and whiskey. The favorite dish, Sabrina discovered, was burgoo—a stew made from a mixture of vegetables of all kinds and meats such as squirrel, turkey, and venison, all highly seasoned and cooked in a big iron kettle.

Sion watched carefully and followed the instructions of the other men as the building progressed. At the proper time the window was cut, the fireplace constructed, and the roof covered.

Sion went once to get a drink of water from Sabrina, who was dipping it out for the thirsty workers. “I never saw anything like this, miss,” he murmured as she lowered the dipper. “That cabin is going up as if by magic.”

“It's wonderful, isn't it?” She looked at Sion, and a question nudged at her. Finally she said, “I don't know what you'll do, Sion, for a place to sleep. You can't stay in the house with me, of course.”

“That's already settled. We're going to build a lean-to on the back. I don't need much, you know.”

Sabrina did not answer. She was afraid the difference between mistress and servant was disappearing fast. Back in England it had all been a simple matter, but here in America the lines were not at all clear. “Be sure you make it as comfortable as you can.”

“Of course. Well, I'd better get back to work.”

The cabin was up by late afternoon. All that remained to finish was the roof, and that would be done the next day by a special crew. A group of the men had been splitting shakes so that they would be ready, but at about four o'clock Hawk Spencer called the operation to a halt. “It'll be time to eat in an hour or two. Let's see who's the best man.”

“Come along, Sion,” Joshua said. “Time for games.”

———

Sion found himself admiring the men. He was tired, and he knew the others had to be too. But in the hour that followed he found out that these were tough individuals he had come to live with. Josh entered the first race, but Sion declined. “I'm slow as molasses, Josh,” he said. “I'd just embarrass everybody.”

The race was for a distance of half a mile over an agreed-on route. Sion stood beside Hannah as the men lined up. “Do you think Josh will win?” he asked.

“Oh, no, Fox will win. He always does.”

Sion watched as Carter leaped forward. There was never any question about the winner. Fox Carter simply pulled away right at the start and left the others in a group. Josh came in third, but Fox was fifty yards ahead of all the others.

“He was always the fastest,” Hannah said with a smile. She waved and said, “Fox, come and get a drink!”

“Congratulations.” Sion smiled. “I wish I could run that fast.”

“Well, it's not something I had to learn. I guess God just put it in me.” Fox drank thirstily and then looked at Sion's sturdy frame. “You ought to do well at the wrestling or maybe the boxing.”

Sion shook his head. “I think I'll just watch.”

They all stood there watching as the strongest of the young men tried to throw each other in wrestling matches.

“That's Rufus Gaines. He always wins at wrestling and boxing,” Fox noted. “He's strong as a bull.”

Indeed, the young Gaines, who was no more than twenty, had no trouble with the local challengers.

Finally Gaines looked over and smiled. “What about you, Kenyon?”

“I think I'd better just watch.”

Gaines was insistent. “You look stout enough. Let's just try a short bout.”

Sion shook his head. “It wouldn't be fair,” he said.

“Well, I know I'm larger than you, but I'll go easy on you.” Gaines grinned.

“It's not that,” Sion said. He hesitated, then shrugged. “I was a professional boxer in England.”

A murmur went over the crowd, and several began urging Sion on. He stubbornly refused, but finally Sabrina, to her own surprise, said, “Go ahead, Sion. Just don't hurt him.”

Her words insulted Gaines, and he frowned. “Hurt me! I reckon not! Are you comin' or not?”

Reluctantly Sion went forward, and the spectators formed a circle around the two men. Gaines was a big man, about six feet two inches tall and weighed about 220. Sion looked rather frail beside him, for his looks were deceptive. He had a muscular build, but his muscles were smooth and not bulky like those of Rufus Gaines.

The crowd began to call out encouragement to the two—most of them, of course, feeling that Sion was entirely outmatched. Still, since he had proclaimed himself a professional, they were eager to see what he could do.

Sion lifted his hands and moved lightly around and saw that Gaines was watching him cautiously. He knew Gaines's pride had been hurt. He could not believe a smaller man could give him any problems.
He's probably never been beaten by any of the men around here
, Sion thought.
I'd hate to make an enemy of him. That would be a bad way to start a new life
.

Suddenly Gaines lunged forward and threw a long, looping right, which Sion easily avoided. He saw that Gaines was very strong but not particularly fast. For the next few minutes Sion simply circled, dodging most of the blows and catching the others on his forearms. Several times he could have struck hard, for Gaines had little idea of self-defense.

“Come on, limey, let's see a little action! You can't run forever,” the voices began to cry.

Sion dodged blow after blow with ease, and finally Gaines's face was red. He stopped and put his hands down. “What's the matter with you? Are you a coward?”

Sion did not answer. He simply kept his hands up, but he knew he would have to display something other than defense. He let Rufus throw another blow, but as he blocked it with his left, he pivoted and drove a hard right into the pit of Gaines's stomach. He heard the breath whoosh out as the blow drove Gaines backward. The big man did not lose his footing, but he was struggling to regain his breath. Sion said, “That's about enough of this, isn't it?”

In Gaines's humiliation, he threw himself forward, raining blows furiously. A few of them struck Sion despite his attempts to avoid them. Finally seeing that there was no other answer, Sion waited until Gaines had worn himself out, then planted his feet and struck with a hard right. It caught Gaines on the point of the chin and drove his head back, and he fell loosely to the earth.

“He's out!” someone exclaimed in the shocked silence. Several of Gaines's friends rushed forward, and one of them held his head up.

Sabrina came to stand beside Sion. “I wish you hadn't hit him that hard.”

“I know. I didn't mean to either, but he's a strong man.”

Josh was standing on the other side of Sion with his father. The two men looked at each other, and it was Hawk who said, “Well, I don't guess you'll get many challenges after that.”

Sion went over and knelt beside Gaines. He waited until the light came back into the man's eyes and said, “I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to hit you so hard.”

Rufus Gaines was a proud man, but as his senses returned to him, he was more shocked than hurt. He felt his jaw and clambered to his feet with Sion's help. “A professional fighter, you say.”

“It wasn't a thing I liked. I had no other way to make a living.”

Rufus Gaines suddenly laughed with good humor. “Well, you learned it well. Maybe you could teach me how to hit like that.”

****

After the boxing match the people gathered for a meal that included bear meat, salt pork, bacon, and ham. Sabrina and Sion tasted bear meat for their first time, and Sion liked it very much, although Sabrina found it rather rank. There was also sweet potatoes, white potatoes, string beans, and cherry pies.

Hannah found herself seated with Fox, and she was eager to hear about his trip. “What did you do about your place in Virginia?” She spoke of the plantation that Fox had gone to settle. There had been disputes about the title, and some of his distant family had been determined to claim a share of it.

Fox told her a little of the story and then said, “I don't have many good memories of that place, so I decided to sell it.”

“I thought you might go back there and take it over.”

“No, there's nothing for me there, Hannah.” He put down the cup of water he was holding, then turned to her. “I thought about you a lot while I was there.”

Hannah colored and did not know what to say. Her eyes went across the clearing to where she saw a pretty young woman sitting with Sion Kenyon.

Fox followed her eyes and straightened up. “I said I thought about you a lot while I was there, Hannah. Didn't you hear me?”

“Oh, I'm sorry! Well, I thought about you too, Fox, but I was pretty sure you would decide to go back there and stay.”

“You didn't think like that when I left,” Fox said stiffly. He glanced across to where Sion Kenyon sat, then got up and left, which surprised Hannah.

“What's wrong with Fox?” Elizabeth had seen Fox leave and came over to question her daughter.

“I don't know. We were just talking, and he got up and walked away. He sold his plantation in Virginia.”

“I'll bet you were glad to hear that,” Elizabeth said with a smile.

“I suppose so.”

———

Elizabeth was a very astute woman, and she knew this daughter of hers very well. She saw that Hannah could not keep from watching young Sion Kenyon, and a question came to her. She almost asked it but knew it was too soon. The question troubled her, and later on, when she was alone with Hawk, she told him what had happened.

Hawk stared at her. “Why, she couldn't be interested in him! She's only known him a few weeks.”

“You don't know much about women, Hawk.”

“I know
everything
about women,” Hawk declared with a hurt look. “Just ask me.”

Elizabeth laid her hand on his arm. “I know we both thought she was interested in Fox, but it looks like things have changed now.”

“Well, they'll have to work it out for themselves, I suppose. But I don't see how she could work that out. I think she likes him because he's different.”

“He is that, all right. Women are drawn to that sometimes.”

———

Sabrina had enjoyed the meal, and she enjoyed the dancing as well. Most of the men were rather poor dancers, but one young man danced with all the ease in the world. Drake Hammond, the man she had met at church, had simply cut in on her dance with another young man. “I suppose this is pretty rough in your eyes, Miss Fairfax, after the balls you must have attended in England.”

“It's different, but I do appreciate so much all the help I've been given by all of you.”

“That's the way it is here on the frontier. It's a very close-knit community. Do you really intend to stay here?”