Crossing the Cherokee Lands Vol. # 2

By Sylvia Corne Mintz

Crossing the Cherokee Lands is the intriguing tale of Gabe
Winters, a wealthy Englishman who decides to give up his
entitled lifestyle in London, to fulfill his burden to aid the
Cherokee Indians and settlers in the Smoky Mountains of the
New World.
Gabe meeting and joining up with Josh and Red Hawk brings
partnership, intrigue and mystery, as well as light hearted
humor and romance. They head south encountering wild
animals, rescue a family in distress, and bring humanitarian
aid to the Cherokees and settlers. Along the way they build a
lifetime of friendships and adventures in the western North
Carolina mountains

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483608457

Sylvia Corne Mintz

A native of Hendersonville, in the Western North Carolina mountains, Sylvia Corne Mintz is a published author having first discovered writing in English class some 60 years ago at Flat Rock High School. She has written volumes of poetry, been featured in Ideals Magazine and received four Golden and three Silver International awards in the field of poetry. She is a playwright, has written children’s books and in 1997 published When the Minister Comes to Dinner, a collection of recipes, poems and short stories from her 50 years as a Pastor’s wife. Crossing the Cherokee Lands is her first novel.

Book preview

Chapter

1

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Welcome to Winterview!

The news traveled quickly over the rest of the settlement, that Suzanne was expecting a baby, and Gabe was delaying the trip to the coast. He wanted to be with her during her pregnancy.

Everyone was elated at the thought of Gabe becoming a dad. They all agreed there were more things that needed to be finished before more people were brought in. The sanatorium especially needed to be built as well as more housing.

God always knows how to change man’s plans for the better, said Gabe.

The morning chores were finished, and Josh entered the kitchen with a full bucket of milk. Lilly was just putting away the breakfast clutter and turned to greet him.

Josh, it looks like the cow isn’t going to go dry anytime soon. She still gives 10 to 12 quarts of milk twice a day. The cream is staying plentiful too, said Lilly. I wonder how old our young heifer needs to be, before she is ready to breed. Do you know?"

If I remember correctly, she needs to be at least 18 months old or more. She should be over 2 years old before she has her first calf. She will carry it 9 months, the same as a human, said Josh.

Oh, my goodness, said Lilly. She won’t be freshened and supplying milk for the family before Daisy goes dry, will she? We may be without milk for the family for a while.

We will need to think about that, said Josh. We are pretty well set now for buying another cow or two. We need fencing to enlarge the present pasture. We were planning to start a small herd anyway. We also need more pasture land for the horses to share. We really need a separate pasture for the horses to run in, because they pick the grass closer to the ground than a cow does. They have both upper and lower teeth. A cow only has lower teeth, so they bite the grass and pull up on it. Sometimes they eat the roots too. Horses don’t usually eat the roots. I’ll talk to papa and Gabe about this. I’m glad you mentioned it. Lilly, said Josh.

As doctor Winters was walking out one of the horse paths toward where Gabe and White Wolf were laying out the floor plans for her office, she suddenly heard a scream from someone in pain. Her eyes quickly searched the surrounding area, but didn’t see anyone.

Gabe and White Wolf had also heard the scream, and they rushed to the scene. They saw a little movement across the creek. Looking closely they could see Trapper John lying there on his back under the limbs of a big tree he and Brown Wolf had just cut down. They began cutting away the big limbs, while Dr. Winters ran to get her medicine bag.

Upon examining him, she found he had a bad head injury and was unconscious. His shoulder was also broken. While the doctor carefully and thoroughly examined Trapper all over, Gabe hurriedly went for Dr. Winters’ ambulance. Fortunately, it was well equipped for a situation such as this in the wild.

They placed him on the stretcher and carried him across Beaver Creek where they placed him in the ambulance.

During all this movement, Trapper regained consciousness and was in much pain. After giving him something for pain and treating him as best she could, Dr. Winters set his shoulder and made him a sling support, bandaging it tightly. Gabe and White Wolf then took him home in the ambulance to his wife, Rosie.

He will need a couple of months to recover, Gabe told Rosie. Doctor Winters will check on him each day, he assured her. Trapper and Rosie were both very grateful.

Chapter

2

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Evening shadows were beginning to close in, and the setting sun was really beautiful as it filtered through the leaves.

Dr. Gloria was feeling like she wanted to cook supper for Joseph, but knowing she didn’t know how to cook, she didn’t dare try.

As Joseph came home, he stopped by his Mama’s and she sent dry beans with onion slices and corn bread. They were delicious, except Joseph didn’t want them to eat onions, saying, "There might be a lot of kissing going on tonight.’ Gloria laughed as she put them in a covered bowl before she snuggled down with him.

Tomorrow was the appointed day for all the men to go hunting. A bear had been seen in the upper pasture chasing the horses yesterday, but it got away before hawk could get a shot at it. Luckily the horses were able to fend it off. Perhaps tomorrow they will be able to find it and kill it. All the men were anxious to get started the next morning. In fact, they were up before day break. When it got daylight, they could see clouds in the sky, but there were no red clouds, so they all trusted the sun to shine brightly after a while.

Just a little way up the trail Archie said, My good men, this is my first hunting excursion, but I am wondering one thing, how are we going to carry the animals we kill back to the settlement? Should we not have brought a wagon?

Gabe quickly realized Archie had not been hunting before. In fact, he probably hadn’t ever walked in the woods. However, he had a valid question. In their excitement they had forgotten a wagon. It would certainly be needed, if they were very successful in their hunting.

Ben, said Josh, would you go back and bring a wagon? Come to think of it, we didn’t bring anything for our dinner either. Would you bring that too?

Yes sir, Josh, said Ben, and I’ll hurry too. Be sure you stay on this same trail.

The sun was beginning to shine and Ben felt like singing. In his mind he could still see Nancy Sanook sitting with him on the river bank. They had promised each other to write, but Mama had said he should write first. He needed to do that when he got back home from hunting. He would need someone to help him though. He wouldn’t know what to do, he thought. "What would he say to a girl?

As he rode up to the creek, he said to Trotter, his horse, Easy, now. Let’s get across the creek. Slow now, boy. Let’s not fall in the water.

He could see the cabin by now. He saw his Mama Lucenda hanging out the clothes in the yard. While his attention was on her, he suddenly found himself sitting in the creek. Cold water quickly soaked through his clothes and chills were running up and down his body. Trotter had gotten on across the creek and was headed for the barn. When Ben reached the house, he told his Mama his story and while he changed his clothes, she fixed him some dinner to take back with him. Papa helped him get the wagon ready and hitched it to Rusty and Hope. They were both accustomed to pulling a wagon through woodsy mountain trails.

Ben hurried up the mountain and was pleased to see the rest of his party up ahead. They had killed two bears and one deer.

He didn’t explain why it took so long for him to get back. It was almost dinner time and the sun was shining brightly overhead. It had warmed the cool mountain breeze.

Since the leaves had fallen from the trees, the woods didn’t seem so dense. Lucenda had sent already prepared food. They were pleased they didn’t have to build a fire. That would have taken more time.

Later, as Gabe was driving the wagon on up the trail, Josh and Hawk saw two bobcats in the trail ahead. Hawk quickly shouldered his big bear gun and fired a shot. He got one of them, because he hardly ever missed anything he aimed for. At the same time, Josh fired a shot with his deer rifle and killed the other one as it was trying to get away.

Archie and Joseph dismounted their horses and walked over to have a look at them. Archie hadn’t seen one before. He was about to pick it up and load it onto the wagon when Josh stopped him saying,

We don’t eat bobcats, Archie. They aren’t edible for mankind. We only kill them, because they will attack humans or cattle. They are beautiful animals, but they are dangerous.

Slowly driving along, they heard what sounded like small animals making a mewing sound or hungry and whining sound. Josh knew right away it must be the bobcat kittens somewhere close by. He and the others began looking for them. They soon found them in their den under a big rock cliff. They were so sweet and innocent looking with their pretty blue eyes. They must not be but a few days old. Their eyes will soon turn green, said Hawk. It’s so hard to shoot them.

Now, my lads, what are we gong to do with them, asked Archie. Shall we take them home and try to feed them? They would make simply lovely pets for Swift Runner."

That sounds very humane and certainly would please Swift Runner, said Hawk, but we would just have to kill them a few months later when they got a little bigger. They would return to the wild and become killers. We must kill them now, no matter how hard it is to do.

Oh, now I understand, said Archie. It is so interesting and informative to be here in the mountains. I’m so glad Gloria insisted I come with her. She is happy to be here too."

After burying the kittens Joseph and Gabe went on deeper into the forest to hunt. Much to their surprise, a moose ambled slowly into their path. It didn’t seem to notice them, even though it looked directly at them. Hawk heard Gabe tell Joseph that he wasn’t sure if they should shoot him or not.

Hawk crept slowly up behind them and whispered, Don’t shoot that big animal. It’s called a moose. It’s not dangerous and it’s too big to handle. If you do shoot it, the meat is too tough to eat and we couldn’t even tan the hide.

I see what you mean, said Gabe. It’s good you came along. We really don’t want to kill any animal except for food or our own protection.

Chapter

3

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Evening had settled in, and the sun was slowly going down. It gets dark earlier in the woods.

Archie seemed a little anxious as to whether or not they could make it home before dark. If not, someone would have to ride up front and swing a lantern to light the way.

Since the leaves had fallen, it was much easier to see through the trees. Josh and Ben saw that they were on the edge of a deep gorge. They looked down the side of the mountain and across the gorge to the other side. Ben thought he saw an old weather beaten tepee. He asked Josh to take a look and he agreed. There was a little smoke coming out the top of it.

Josh called to Gabe and the other men to come see what they thought. They all agreed.

It is an old tepee, said Gabe. Let’s travel as fast as we can back home. We must investigate this. It may be some Indian’s descendants still hiding out, not knowing they are now free.

We need to find the way to that place. Maybe White Wolf can show us the way. He has lived in this area for a long time.

The horses made good time and were back to the settlement before dark. Since the hunters were all excited, the rest of the family became excited also.

Early the next morning, Josh and Gabe went to see White Wolf and told him what they had seen. They asked him if he knew where the tepee was and who was there.

He said, I used to know a few years ago where the tepee was, but I’m not sure about the family. I can show you the way, but it must be five miles. We’ll have to walk or go by horseback the last mile. The old wagon road wore out and stopped being used several years ago. That was all they needed to know.

Gabe thanked White Wolf and planned to see him early the next morning.

After a tiring day, bedtime sounded good. The whole group went to sleep dreaming of what tomorrow might unfold.

The next morning was a beautiful but chilly day. Jasmine accompanied White Wolf to the Barkers’ cabin and remained to see the search party off.

The Barkers had arisen early and finished the outside chores,