The Man from Shenandoah Read Online Free PDF Page B

horses, Pa.”

    “I’m nearly through here.” Rod paused to wipe his mouth. “Albert, you’d best get to shelling the corn. Your ma will need to make it all up into cornmeal before we leave.”

    “Yes, Pa.”

    Chapter 3

    Carl rode with his father down the Valley toward Mount Jackson, feeling a wrenching in his gut at the desolation and ruin in the homesteads they passed. These folks had worked for years, generations even, and now everything was gone, wiped out by the advance of Sheridan’s army. Some of these farmers might listen to Pa’s plan to go west.

    As they rode through the gray mist and green trees, they approached Mount Jackson, which sat near the Shenandoah River. The damage here was not so heavy. Old stone houses still lined the streets of the residential section, where the town folks were scratching out a post-war living. An occasional empty lot in the business district gave testimony of a wooden building gone up in smoke.

    Rod pulled up his horse at an intersection and turned to Carl. “We’ll go to Rulon’s house first, let the girls know to pack up their bundles. Then I’ll go talk to Randolph Hilbrands. He could make a pile of money with a store in Colorado, and he’s always been partial to money.” Rod chuckled. “Let’s see how long it takes me to convince him.”

    Rulon lived on a quiet back street in a brick house owned by his father-in-law, the same Randolph Hilbrands. Rulon and Mary had lived there since he was sent home to die.

    As Rod and Carl rode up to the door of the house, someone pulled aside the curtains of a window on the ground floor and peeked out. The men dismounted and tied their horses to the fence, then the door of the house was flung open, and out boiled two young females.

    “Papa!” Julianna, fair colored and exuberant, with the energy of eleven years, threw herself into Rod’s arms.

    “It’s Pa,” squealed Marie. “And Carl’s here, too!” Forgetting the decorum she had gained in sixteen years, she wrapped her arms around Carl, nearly knocking him off balance.

    “Whoa, hold up there, Sis.” He put out his hand to steady the two of them against the fence. “You’ve growed up,” he said, astonished.

    “Sure have.” Marie giggled, tossing her dark head. “And you’re a man, looks like.” She backed away for along appraisal.

    Carl went hot with embarrassment. His sister was looking at him with woman’s eyes.

    “I’m just real skinny,” he protested. “It makes me look taller.”

    “Wait ‘til the girls get a look at you,” laughed Marie. “You’ll have to drive ‘em off with a hay fork. It’s been a long time since we’ve had any suitors around.”

    “Suitors! You and your friends ain’t never had no suitors. You was just babies when us men went off to fight.” Carl took a deep breath, on home ground now that he was bantering with Marie.

    “That’s all you know,” she replied.

    Julianna dragged Rod toward the house, so Carl grabbed Marie’s hand and followed.

    Mary Owen stood in the doorway, offering her hand to her father-in-law, who gave her a bear hug instead. She looked pale, and a crease appeared on her forehead as she endured the hug.

    “Roddy,” she called to a small, dark-haired child playing by the hearth. “You come over here. Your granddaddy just came. Give him a welcome.”

    The boy looked up, then jumped to his feet.

    “Poppy!” he cried, and ran over to grasp Rod by the knees. Rod bent down and boosted him up onto his shoulders. The boy whooped, and held on to Rod’s ears.

    Julianna plumped a pillow in the best chair in the house, saying, “Papa, come an’ set down.”

    Rod put the youngster on the floor, and Roddy scampered off to play with his blocks.

    “Pa, it’s right nice to see you again,” Marie said, hugging her father. “Carl, come over here and set a while,” she urged her brother, placing a chair for him.

    The men sat, and Julianna tiptoed behind Carl, then ambushed him with