CHAPTER VIII
Among the new-found friends was the Cummins family. Judge Cummins
offered the Cavitt family a new log house which he had only recently had
built in Washington County, very near to the site of the later town of
Independence, and Ann accepted gratefully. That fall the whole family
and all the Negroes, including a new sot of twins born to Bob Ross and
Louisiana, they had named Hosea and Joel, returned to Weed Prairie and
gathered a bumper corn crop. Each of the older boys now had his own gun,
a necessity to protect a man as he worked in the field--for Indians
crept quietly and without warning on unprotected individuals. Whitley,
Volney, and Josephus walked along working on rows of corn, throwing the
dried ears into the wagon driven by the seven year old Sheridan who
couldn't understand his mother's refusal to allow him to carry a loaded
gun with him too.
Volney worked as fast as he could, but couldn't keep up with Whit.
Finally he rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand, "Let's stop a
second and sit under the wagon." The three sat down and looked puzzled
at one another. "What for?" queried Joe.
"I'll tell you what for. I'm not going to plod along and make corn crops
for horses and hands to eat up and see no profit. I'm going out and get
work that will give me my own lands and help Ma more in the long run.
What about you, Whit?"
"I been thinking ever since father died that I would tell you two I'll
take over and let you got out and make money for your own. I'm never
going to marry, and will stay home and care for Mother and the three
little boys. Sherd thinks he's almost big as us, now--so I'll say three
istead of four." As he spoke Whit could see little Andrew's eyes on him
in confidence and love as he walked toward the wagon conference.
Josephus' big hazle eyes under the thatch of copper colored hair looked
from one to the other of his big brothers, amazed that they were
thinking so far ahead of him. "I don't want to leave home but this slow
way of making a living won't get us very far very fast, like Vol says.
Let's ask Mr. Coryell when he comes by next time. He and Father were
such good friends. Maybe Whit better talk with Uncle Bill too."
And so it was that Volney and Joe set their heads to get ahead in the
world, and the oldest son of Ann and Andrew Cavitt determined in his
heart to do the thing he felt his father had entrusted to him in caring
for his widowed mother and the four small brothers.
Indians and more Indians. The raids, burning down log homes, stealing
livestock, all became so unbearable the settlers determined to
concentrate their forces and move into a fort. Judge Cummins advised
Ann to move her family to Dunn's Fort for safety and to seek out Col. E.
L. R. Wheelock who had some good land he would sell her if she wanted to
settle down in this community. Following the advice Ann bought some 300
or more acres and there built her big house in Wheelock.
During the troublesome times with Indians, James Coryell and some
friends of his arrived at the Cavitt home. The boys were delighted to
see their father's old friend and settled down to listening to stories
the surveyor had to tell of narrow escapes, hardships, and thrills.
Seeing how the boys had missed the companionship of their late father,
Coryell devised a plan to help remedy the need for companionship of an
older man and suggested, "Miss Ann, may I have the pleasure of one of
the boy's going out with us each of the four days I am here? We can
hunt and cut down that bee tree we found in the woods north of thc
house. I shall go slow--not over extend the boy--as you know I'm just up
from the knife."
Ann, cautious by nature, never willing to promise anything she could not
fulfill, said, "We shall see, thank you. I am taking it under
advisement, as Andrew always answered.
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The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched.
It must be felt with the heart. Helen Keller
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Last Blue Promise...Poetry and Links to All my Web Sites
http://www.fortunecity.com/bally/meath/45/index.html
OR
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Bistro/6720/index.html
...It is in silence where music lies...
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Listowner CARRINGTON and CAVITT surnames
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