The Mandie Collection Read Online Free PDF Page B

could visit it, but she knew it was out of their way. She would have to wait until someday in the future.
    She would come back someday. She knew she would.
    Her tired feet carried her off her father’s land and on toward Franklin.

CHAPTER FOUR
    THE MANSION
    The first streaks of dawn were lighting up the sky when Uncle Ned finally stopped the group to sleep. They had just crossed Wiggins Creek when they finally sat down to rest.
    Mandie flopped down on the grass. “Guess I’m plumb tuckered out.” She laughed wearily.
    Morning Star quickly gathered branches and made a bed for her to lie on, hidden under the trees. The girl used her shawl for a blanket, knowing when the sun came up it would be warm again.
    She was so excited she couldn’t sleep, but the fatigue overcame the excitement and she dropped off to dream.
    The sound of shooting woke her. She sat up quickly and almost smashed Snowball, asleep by her side. For a minute she couldn’t remember where she was. Then the old squaw put an arm around her and she relaxed. She could see Uncle Ned standing near the creek. He came to her. She could tell by his shadow that the sun was fast moving into the west. She must have slept all day.
    â€œBraves go see where gun shoot,” he told her. “They come, we go.”
    At that moment there was the sound of voices in the trees nearby.
    â€œWell, I reckon we done searched fur enough. That girl couldn’t ’a got no futher than this,” a man’s voice came to them.
    Uncle Ned quickly whisked Mandie behind a laurel tree and he and the squaw slipped behind the rhododendron bushes nearby.
    â€œYeh, let’s go see what’s goin’ on up yonder. Must be Jed’s search party,” another male voice replied.
    Two men came into view. They were carrying rifles and stomping the underbrush beneath their feet. One was a tall man with a white beard and the other was a short, fat man who was spitting tobacco juice as he went. Mandie peeped around the tree, but she did not recognize either one. She realized they must be looking for her. They paused while the tall man lit his pipe.
    â€œDon’t much blame that youngun fer not wantin’ to stay at that Bryson house. Hear tell that female is a tiger,” the tall one was saying.
    â€œYep, I hear tell they can’t nobody please her. But I shore would like to find that youngun ’fore the wildcats git her. I wouldn’t want to take her back to the Brysons, but I wouldn’t want her to git lost on this mountain either,” the short one said. “I knew her pa. Good man, he was.” They walked on, out of hearing, and were soon lost from sight in the tall underbrush.
    The squaw went to Mandie and put her arm around her. Uncle Ned followed.
    â€œBe not afraid, Papoose. We go to Franklin. White men not stop Indians,” he reassured the girl.
    â€œI know. I know how smart the Indians are. I know you will get me to my uncle’s house in Franklin,” she replied, grasping the old man’s hand. “I’m not afraid. After all, I’m part Cherokee, too.”
    The two braves came silently up to the old man.
    â€œWhite men carry guns; coming this way,” the taller one said.
    â€œTwo passed here,” Uncle Ned told them. “Looking for Papoose. We go.” He pointed in the direction of Hightower Gap away from the way the two men had gone.
    The group slipped quietly through the woods, resting only when Mandie was tired, and they finally reached the Little Tennessee River. They took long detours for safety’s sake but followed thebanks of the river most of the way. They came on through Burningtown and up the main road that ran through Franklin.
    The sight before her was unbelievable to Mandie. All the houses were so close together and there were so many of them. Then there were all the stores. They passed the livery stable. It was barely dawn, but there was the sound of voices and