The Mandie Collection Read Online Free PDF

much.”
    Elizabeth smiled. “She wants to hurry up and get this thing settled so we can go to Charleston,” she explained.
    â€œYou are going to Charleston?” Sallie’s eyes grew wide.
    â€œYes, if we can straighten everything out here, we’re going to Charleston to see the ocean,” Mandie told her.
    â€œYou mean you’re going to see some boy you met at that school in Asheville,” Joe retorted, sitting down at the table.
    Elizabeth and John looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
    â€œJoe Woodard, hush up,” said Mandie, as she and Sallie sat down next to him. “We’re just going to stay at his parents’ home.” “Well, that’s going to see him, isn’t it?” Joe sounded angry.
    Elizabeth interrupted. “Yes, Joe, we are going to visit Thomas Patton and his parents. Amanda met Thomas while she was at school. My familyhas known the Pattons for years. So we’re going to visit them, and also give Amanda an opportunity to see the ocean for the first time.”
    Joe meekly bowed his head. “Yes, ma’am, I understand,” he said.
    Uncle Ned spoke up, “Thank Big God, John Shaw.”
    John gave thanks and when he had finished, the old Indian said loudly, “Eat!”
    Morning Star ladled out the hot mush.
    As they ate and talked, Uncle Wirt and Tsa’ni came in and joined them at the table. Tsa’ni remained silent but listened to every word of the excited conversation.
    Before long, everyone except Morning Star piled into Uncle Ned’s big wagon and they were on their way. In a short while they rounded a bend in the dirt road. Through the branches of the trees and bushes, Mandie caught her first glimpse of the structure that would be the hospital for the Cherokees.
    She was breathless. “Look!” she cried.
    Uncle Ned stopped the wagon a little farther down the road, and Mandie jumped down. As she ran around the building, she saw the splintered planks all around that had evidently been part of the walls. Then something caught her eye. Hastening to look behind the building site, she found a man gagged and blindfolded, tied up and lying on the ground. She screamed to the others.
    When Uncle Wirt arrived, he stooped to untie the man. “This Kent, man who watch last night.”
    As the man was released from all the ropes, he took a deep breath and managed to sit up.
    Uncle John squatted down beside Kent. “What happened?” he asked.
    â€œI don’t rightly know,” said the man, trying to wet his parched lips with his tongue. “I was walkin’ ’round, lookin,’ and all of a sudden somethin’ hit me hard on the noggin. That’s all I ’member. I wakes up, can’t see, can’t move.”
    Elizabeth brought water from the barrel that Uncle Ned kept in his wagon. She offered a dipperful to the man. He greedily swallowed it and stood up, stretching his cramped limbs.
    â€œAre you all right?” Uncle John asked. “I’m sorry about this. We’ll just have to post another guard with you. They won’t be able to surprise two at one time.”
    â€œSorry, mister, but I don’t want the job,” Kent said. “You see, I’m one of the carpenters tryin’ to build this thing. I just wanted to make a little extry money stayin’ at night, but it ain’t worth it. I’ll keep on workin’ in the daytime with the others, but no more night work for me.”
    Uncle Ned pointed to the road. “Men come to work,” he said as a group of white men arrived in a wagon loaded with lumber and tools.
    The workmen got off the wagon and advanced toward the group. Looking around they shook their heads in disgust when they saw their previous day’s work lying in ruins.
    â€œMornin,’ Mr. Shaw,” said the leader. “Sure glad that you come to do somethin’ about this. If that ain’t the beatin’est thing I