CHAPTER FOUR

_Ready for the Run_

A couple of days later, Alec sat near the Simpsons' wagon, watching his father exercise Sunshine. Controlling the beautiful mare entirely by the way he swayed his body and with a very light touch on the reins, Jed Simpson put Sunshine into a canter. Then he drew her back to a trot, and Alec sighed wistfully.

Tomorrow was April 22, the day of the great Run, and it was impossible not to share the excitement that mounted all along the border. Alec tried hard to calm down. He was not going to make the ride into Oklahoma, and he knew it. His father had asked him to stay with the wagon and take care of his mother and sisters. Duty was plain, and there could be no shirking. All the Simpsons had to work together for the good of all.

He must not, Alec told himself, even _wish_ that he could make the ride. But because he couldn't help wishing, he felt a little guilty. His father brought Sunshine back, staked her on the picket rope, and began to rub her down.

"She's in shape," he called to his son. "She'll make it."

Alec said, "I'm sure she will."

"Come a little closer, will you, Alec?"

Alec went nearer, and his father lowered his voice. "I want to talk to you confidentially, son. You'll take good care of your mother and the twins?"

"Yes, Dad."

Mr. Simpson grinned nervously, and Alec sensed that he too had given way to the general excitement. His father spoke again, "I know I can depend on you."

"Yes, you can."

"Pete and I are going as light as possible, with only a little food," Mr. Simpson said. "The important thing is to get the claims staked. Nor do I want your mother out there until there is a good house ready for her. I want it to seem like home when she comes. But we'll need one wagon and some tools as soon as possible after the land is ours. If we take Pete's, his father and mother can move into ours until we send for that too. Now, after this crowd gets out of here, your mother and the twins will be all right, and I won't be afraid to leave them alone. Think you can bring Pete's wagon up when I send for you?"

"Oh, yes. I can handle the team."

"Good. Of course I'll send someone to show you the way. Now--What in tarnation is that sister of yours up to?"

Hands clasped around and chin resting on her knees, Cindy was looking intently at a big and battle-scarred old cat that had strayed into the camp. With his tail curled around his paws, the cat stared back at the girl. Presently he rose, walked over to her, and began to rub himself against her legs. Cindy stroked him and continued to watch closely. Jed Simpson chuckled.

"What does she find so interesting about that old cat?" he asked.

Alec grinned. "I think she's looking at its eyes," he replied.

"Why look at a cat's eyes?" Mr. Simpson demanded.

"Remember what Granny Bevers said about good luck following us if we would beware a man with cat's eyes? Cindy thought she saw such a man in camp."

Jed Simpson shook his head. "That girl gets the blamedest ideas!"

Suddenly a big hound dog that had crept up behind a near-by wagon roared his challenge and rushed the cat. Without hesitation, the cat jumped on Cindy's shoulders and turned to face his enemy. The dog charged angrily in, bowling Cindy over in the process. The cat snarled. There was a short, sharp fight on top of the prostrate youngster until, leaving the cat in full possession of the field, the dog ran howling away.

Alec and his father, who had started running forward the instant the cat leaped, arrived to find Cindy picking herself up and brushing herself off. Her eyes were shining, and an excited smile trembled on her lips.

"Oh boy!" she exclaimed. "What a fight!"

"Are you hurt?" her father asked anxiously.

"Me?" Cindy looked astonished that anyone should ask such a question. "Oh, no!"

"Doggone!" Alec burst out. "If you fell in a rain barrel you'd come out with your pockets full of cookies!"

"Of course," Cindy said sweetly.

The cat resumed rubbing against her legs, and Cindy looked fondly at it. Sure that she was not hurt, and far too excited to stay in one place for very long, Jed Simpson walked over to discuss with Pete Brent plans that they had already discussed a dozen times. Alec smirked at his sister.

"There's something I _will_ believe," he declared.

"What?" Cindy asked.

"The cat has cat's eyes."

Cindy made a face. "Funny boy! That man's eyes were just like the cat's!"

"You're sure?" Alec asked.

"Very sure," Cindy said firmly. "I wish I could find him again."

"Seems he's 'being ware' of us. Guess your magic must have scared him away. Let's take a walk," Alec suggested.

"Let's get Mindy to go with us," Cindy said eagerly.

"Mindy's sewing," Alec said, and added smugly, "a proper pastime for a girl."

"I can sew too, smartypants," Cindy declared.

"Then why don't you?"

Cindy laughed. "I'd rather do almost anything else. Come on. Let's walk."

They strolled among the camps and wagons, and it seemed that every day brought more people who were determined to claim the free land in Oklahoma. A creaking wagon drawn by six oxen and commanded by a bearded man carrying an ox goad came in and stopped. The man smoothed his beard with his fingers.

"How far to Oklahoma?" he called to a man who was soaping a saddle.

"Hundred yards," the man said without looking up.

The ox driver stared across the border. He said, as though he had reason to doubt it, "So that's Oklahoma?"

"Yup," the other man continued industriously to soap his saddle, "an' you better not cross afore noon tomorra. They're kickin' more Sooners out every day."

Cindy shivered. "It's so exciting!" she exclaimed.

"Sure is!" Alec glowed.

It seemed that everyone had been bitten by an invisible bug which continued to bite and would permit no rest. Hands clasped behind his back, the man who owned the race horse paced restlessly back and forth, almost as though someone had measured off a space and ordered him to walk in it forever. His cheeks were red and his eyes bright, almost feverish. He looked at the two children as they passed without even seeing them.

The family that hoped to "make out in Oklyhomy" were all busy, the man oiling harness, the woman and her oldest daughter piling boxes in the wagon, and the three smaller children getting in the way. The two lively young men were having a wrestling match. The old man was looking earnestly at his sorry-looking mule and saying over and over again, "Now, mule, we got to go. We got to go, mule."

"Where you got to go?" somebody called.

"Oklahoma," the old man said. "Now, mule, we got to go. We got to go, mule."

A reckless rider on a plunging horse rode through the camp. His horse, jumping suddenly sidewise, knocked over one of two water pails that were standing beside a tent. The owner of the pails, a fat man dressed only in red underwear, ran out of the tent and shook his fist.

"Come back and do that again!" he yelled.

"All right! I will!"

The reckless rider turned his horse, came back, knocked over the other water pail, then, laughing, rode off. The fat man raised his arms heavenwards and roared at the top of his voice. Then, shrugging, he picked up his pails and, still wearing only red underwear, went to get more water.

A bevy of youngsters were playing tag near by. "Join the game!" a freckle-faced boy about Alec's age called.

"Let's!" Cindy said eagerly.

"Play tag, when the border's opening tomorrow?" Alec questioned.

"Oh!" the freckle-face bristled. "So you're too good to play tag with us!"

He swaggered up to Alec, raised a threatening hand, and the battle was about to be joined when Cindy brought her shoe sharply down on the freckle-face's bare foot. He cried "Ooh!" and began to hop about on one foot. Seizing Alec's hand, Cindy ran like a deer.

She led him around a wagon, dodged around another, then ducked behind a tent. They stopped running and peered cautiously around the tent. Freckle-face and his friends were hunting determinedly for them. But they were hunting in the wrong direction.

"I could have licked him!" Alec glowered.

"But not him and all his friends," Cindy reminded her brother. "Besides, Mother doesn't want you fighting at all, and even Father would be angry if you fought on Sunday. We'd better get back to our own wagon, or we'll be late for church services."

For the first time, the hubbub quieted as people gathered to worship. The church was an open space among the camps and wagons, the pulpit a wagon box, and the preacher an unlettered farmer named John Taber. But his heart was sincere, and his beliefs were honest. Attempting no great oration, he spoke of brotherly love, of peace, and of helpful activities. He reminded all present that, regardless of how bitter or harsh their future struggles might seem, they would never be alone or deserted, for He who was above all would never forsake them. All along the 200-mile border, similar services were taking place.

For a while after religious services the people were calmer, but few could stay that way.

Jed Simpson started inspecting Sunshine's hoofs. Mindy and her mother resumed sewing. Mrs. Simpson's head was bent as though she wanted to hide the fear that lurked in her face. Cindy helped Pete Brent groom his ponies while Alec groomed the Simpsons' wagon mules. Only Granny and Gramps, sitting quietly side by side and finding in each other something much more interesting than others found in excited thoughts of free land, seemed calm and at ease.

All night long men shouted, now and again guns exploded, and usually somebody had his voice raised in song. Tomorrow was the day of glory. Tomorrow the border opened, and the few who might have slept could not because the rest were making so much noise.

Dawn was breaking when Cindy finally went to sleep. Dimly through the slumber that was enfolding her she heard an anguished "Has anybody seen a strayed mule?"

Somebody else yelled, "Here's your mule, Joe!"