Morning in Nicodemus by Ellen Gray Massey Read Free Book Online

antagonistic, always asking when Virgil was giving up and going back to Kentucky. 
    Â Â  The brothers had discussed it. Marcus figured that Bruce wanted their river farm, and his hostility was his way of trying to get them to leave so he could claim it. 
    Â Â  That didn’t make sense to Virgil. There were other river claims. Why his? The main road that everyone used missed his place. No one but the Landers ever used their out-of-the-way ford. It was shallow and had easy access on the north side, but a steep, narrow grade to pull up on the opposite side. It wasn’t nearly as good as the main ford. Why was Bruce concerned about the river washing out the ford?
    Â Â  Bruce walked around Virgil, glaring at his rifle and backpack. “Well, your hosses ain’t here,” he said in a threatening tone.
    Â Â  Virgil looked to Martin. “No, they ain’t here,” Martin agreed.
    Virgil pointed to a pile of fresh horse manure. “Unless you’ve ridden yours this morning, they were here.”
    Â Â  “Well, they ain’t now.” Martin raised his voice. “And if you want to find them, you better get going.”
    Â Â  Bruce stepped closer. He raised his hand in what Virgil first thought was a threatening gesture. Then Bruce laid his hand against his shirt collar that was buttoned up concealing his neck. 
    Â Â  Two women stepped out of the soddy, an older one and a young woman in her upper teens. The girl’s face showed relief when she recognized Virgil. Instead of speaking to him, she turned to her father. “What’s going on, Papa?” she asked.
    Â Â  Martin, still staring at Virgil, repeated, “I said you better get going.”
    Â Â  Bruce pushed him toward his horse. Ignoring both men, Virgil greeted the women, “Hi, Mrs. Martin. Hi, Bethel. A twister set down on us last night and two of our horses and our hogs got away.”
    Â Â  “Marcus okay?” Bethel asked, her face showing alarm. When Virgil nodded, she asked, “And Liberty?”
    Â Â  “They were in the soddy. They’re fine.”
    Â Â  “Any damage to your soddy?” Mrs. Martin asked, worry on her face.
    Â Â  “None we can’t fix easily. The cyclone scared the horses and the hogs. They ran away. I’m looking for them.”
    Â Â  “Papa wouldn’t let me go see about you after the storm passed,” Bethel said. She walked up to Virgil, her face all smiles. “The horses were here earlier this morning, but they went off that-a-way.” She pointed southeasterly back toward the Lander farm and the river. “Papa tried to catch them.”
    Â Â  “I thought you said you hadn’t seen them,” Virgil accused Martin.
    Â Â  “I said they ain’t here now. Now, you listen here, young man. You better go look for them.”
    Â Â  “Oh, Papa!” Bethel cried. 
    Â Â  Her mother frowned at her husband for his inhospitality. “Why don’t you help him find them?” Mrs. Martin asked her husband.
    Â Â  “I got planting to do,” Martin mumbled as he turned his back to them and stomped back to a crude shed. “C’mon, Bruce, I’ll show you what I want you to do. It won’t take long. You’ll be back at the store afore Fletcher needs you.”
    Â Â  Bruce scowled at Virgil as the two men walked behind the soddy out of sight.
    Â Â  “I don’t know why he’s this a-way,” Mrs. Martin said when the men were out of earshot. 
    Before she followed her husband, she glanced at Bethel then back to Virgil. She smiled at each of them and nodded her head. 
    Â Â  “I’ll help you look for your horses,” Bethel said. “Papa is all noise but he won’t do nothing. He’s mad at you because of me. It’s not just you. He’s that way with all the fellows. He don’t want me to