River

Stu

We have reached a swampy area along the Bayou Pierre, but I don’t see anybody. Mason had told me that Little Harpe and his other men would be waiting in the swamps. I can’t ask him where to look, he is barely conscious. I have no idea how he has managed to keep walking, woodenly, leaning on me, for the past few days. He seems half alive.

I lower him to the ground, in a relatively dry spot elevated a bit from the swamp, and he immediately slumps over and passes out. If I can’t find his men, I need to at least find some food. I’m not sure I’m in much better shape than he is. I look blearily around, trying to see if there is anything that looks edible nearby. I wonder if I could manage to catch any fish in the water here.

I start moving away from him, to explore and try to gather some resources. I am dizzy with hunger.

It doesn’t take long before it happens. I hear a twig snap behind me, and I spin around. A man is standing there, pointing a pistol right at my face.

“Hold it right there,” he snarls. I lift my hands to show that I am not a threat. “What are you doing here?”

I have no idea who this is, and can only hope that it is one of Mason’s gang. “I’m looking for Harpe,” I say.

“Why?”

If this isn’t one of Harpe’s men, this could be disastrous. But I don’t have any choice. I just have to be honest and hope that this fellow is on our side.

“I’m with his friend. With Mason. We came here to join up.”

“Is that right?” he asks. “So where is he?”

“He’s back over there. He’s hurt. I’ll take you to him.”

I still don’t know if this is friend or foe. This could end up just leading to our arrest, but honestly I don’t think we will last much longer anyway.

He gestures with his pistol, to tell me to lead on.

We’re only five minutes away from where I left Mason. When we duck behind the last bush, and he sees Mason laying on the ground there, I am relieved to hear him say, “Mason!”

Phew. I know we have made it.

Thomas

It is both sad and sweet. I was surprised to see Stephen, of course, but not surprised to hear that Mrs. Ellis has died. It was obvious what was happening, but Samuel couldn’t predict how long it would take. I believe it took longer than he would have thought.

After Gregor and Rosalind leave Homochitto to return to Natchez, I stay here with Stephen. He has to wait until tomorrow for the coffin, so he is spending the night here, and asked me to stay with him. We linger long into the night, talking with each other like old times.

I tell him all about everything that has happened. I would never keep anything from him. So he knows now about what Abraham did, how Dalila suffered, what Gregor did for her. I also, of course, tell him about the more recent drama in Natchez with Mason and Gregor and Ben and everything. We’ve had a busy couple of weeks.

He brings me up to date on the Ellis family. I’m sorry to hear about Margaret’s parents. But it is sweet to know that Nancy wants me to come to the family funeral. She feels that I am her family now. I feel the same about her.

Stephen is no longer scoffing at my love for Nancy. Ever since we met the Ellis sisters, he has kidded me about being a dirty old man because Nancy is so young, but he has finally realized that our regard for each other is real. He says that Margaret knows it as well.

I always loved the idea of Stephen and I marrying sisters, and now that it is happening it seems like the most obvious and inevitable thing ever.

My immediate plans have changed. I had thought to be in this area for another couple of weeks, until Stephen and Margaret returned. But now, the plan is to go to Ellis Cliffs with Stephen tomorrow, and probably stay there for a few days, to make sure that Nancy is doing all right.

Then I am going to make my move to Louisiana. My future is there. All of my activities in Natchez have been wound up, and are no longer my focus. I will pursue my profession in Feliciana Parish, possibly look into local politics, do what I can to establish myself in the couple of years that I have while I am waiting for Nancy.

I will always be fond of Natchez, and will miss seeing Stephen and Samuel, but this is no longer my home. I don’t know when I will be back.

It could be a long time.