Chapter 11
Jem sat beside Theda on the wagon seat as the river rushed ahead of them, louder now than it had seemed the evening before.
The muddy water churned around rocks and fallen branches, the current strong enough that even the oxen seemed uneasy as they shifted impatiently in their harnesses. It had gone down, compared to what it had been a couple of days before, but it was still a force to be reckoned with.
Ahead of them, the Crenshaw wagon had already begun its crossing. They were going two wagons at a time, since it had started to drizzle once more, and Phineas was worried about getting everyone across before it started to pour.
Caleb, the fourteen-year-old Crenshaw boy, sat beside his mother in the front wagon seat. Nora was in the back, one arm braced tightly around little Edmund.
Theda’s breathing sounded shallow beside him. Jem glanced toward her and immediately felt concern tighten in his chest. He was no doctor, so he had no way of knowing if she’d be all right, but from what he could see, shew as terrified.
She was pale as snow, her pink lips showing in stark contrast.
Even with her hands clenched in her lap, he noticed how her hands trembled.
Her shoulders were rigid, her gaze fixed on the rushing water ahead as if she couldn’t look away.
They’d decided for her to steer the horses, since if someone needed to jump out to steady the wagon in front, or their own, that would be him.
There were six men in the water. Phineas and Leland were up in front, and the rest of the scouts were all around the wagons. They tried to keep them level and help cross swiftly. Jem could see the men seemed to know what they were doing, but Theda didn't seem the slightest convinced.
“Theda,” he whispered.
She startled slightly, turning toward him. It was strange to have such a strong connection to someone he barely knew. But perhaps it was because he truly did not know anyone else before her, perhaps that was why his bond to her was so much stronger than anyone else.
“I’m all right,” she said, her lower lip trembling.
She clearly was not.
Jem hesitated.
He had no idea what to say to comfort someone through fear like this. Truthfully, he barely understood why he cared so much in the first place. He only knew that seeing her frightened made something twist painfully inside him.
The wagon jolted forward another few feet as it advanced a bit through the murky water.
Jem held the reins steady. The horses were still calm, despite the scary conditions. He hoped they would stay that way. But feeling Theda's panic would not help them.
Without fully thinking it through, Jem reached over and gently took one of her shaking hands into his own, keeping the reins in his other. Her breath caught softly.
For one brief moment, she simply stared down at their joined hands as though surprised by the contact. He ran his thumb back and forth across the backs of her hands. He just needed her to focus, to calm down.
“You’re going to be all right,” he said quietly. “I’ll stay beside you the whole way across.”
Theda looked up at him.
Her shoulders loosened ever so slightly.
Then movement in the river caught Jem’s attention.
Leland stood chest-deep in the rushing water near the Crenshaw wagon, helping guide the oxen through the strongest part of the current.
Water soaked the bottom half of his clothes as he shouted instructions toward Caleb, who was holding the reins for the Crenshaw wagon.
Mr. Crenshaw was in the water, toward the front.
Leland looked up from his work.
His eyes landed immediately on Jem’s hand wrapped around Theda’s. The expression that crossed his face was sharp enough to cut.
Anger flashed openly in his eyes, fierce and immediate, as though he wanted nothing more than to march straight through the river and drag Jem away from her himself.
Jem stiffened slightly beneath the glare. But he didn’t let go.
Because, despite the danger ahead of them, despite Leland's obvious fury, all Jem could think about was how cold Theda's hand felt trembling inside his own.
The wagon began to tip and sway with the motion of the water.
“Just keep your eye on the far horizon. No matter what happens, that is what you can focus on. We’ll be there soon enough.
We’ll be there before you know it.” Jem tried to think of what would calm Theda.
He certainly didn’t want her looking down and seeing how furious Leland was at him for what he was doing.
He hoped no one else could see him holding Theda’s hand, stroking the back of her palm with his thumb.
There was nothing untoward about it, but even so, people would see it that way. He couldn’t worry about people’s conclusions or base his actions on them. He wasn't going to sit idly by while Theda panicked.
The Crenshaw wagon had almost reached the deepest part of the crossing when the current struck hard. A powerful ripple of water slammed against the wagon's broadside, and the entire wagon pitched violently to the left.
Mrs. Crenshaw screamed.
Theda gasped beside him, her hand tightening instinctively around Jem’s. Her nails dug into his palm, so hard he winced.
Ahead of them, Caleb lost his footing for a moment as the frightened oxen jerked sideways in panic. The men in the river shouted over one another, splashing toward the wagon as it tilted dangerously with the current.
“Hold them steady!” someone yelled.
The wagon rocked again. Jem squeezed Theda’s hand once. They needed help. The boy wasn't going to be able to handle it all alone.
“I have to help him,” he said. “You hold the horses steady. Whatever happens, just focus on that. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He passed the reins to her, wrapping her fingers around them.
"Jem, wait!" Her voice shook, but he couldn't stop. He couldn't overthink what he had to do. He stood and dove straight into the water, icy cold enveloping him. When he surfaced, he looked back at her.
“Theda, just stay focused and go slow!” he shouted over his shoulder.
The freezing current swallowed him instantly.
Thankfully, his instinct kicked in. He couldn't remember swimming a day in his life, and yet, he felt at home in the water.
He should have considered what would happen if he didn't know how to swim before jumping in blindly, but like so many other things, it felt like something he’d know how to do.
Water surged around him as he fought toward the wagon, his ribs screaming in protest every time he pulled himself forward.
Caleb was in the water, near the front of the oxen.
The water came up past his waist, almost to his shoulder.
Even so, Caleb was doing his best, trying desperately to keep them straight as panic spread through the team.
“Easy!” Caleb shouted hoarsely, reaching for the reins and yanking hard on the line. “Easy!”
The oxen bellowed and pulled against the current.
Jem pushed through the water toward them… They weren’t too far from the shore. If they could just get another dozen feet, then they could both walk up the shore.
Then, behind him, another scream split the air.
Theda.
Jem turned sharply.
Their own horses had begun to panic.
Theda gripped the reins tightly, trying to hold them steady as the frightened movement from the Crenshaw team spread through the line. One of her horses reared slightly, tossing its head while the wagon rocked hard near the bank. She wasn’t in the deepest part of the river yet.
“Whoa!” Theda cried, pulling back on the reins. But the movement only made it worse. The frightened horses spooked the Crenshaw team again. They whinnied and clawed at the air, jerking at their harnesses.
The Crenshaw wagon tipped sharply sideways.
And suddenly, Nora slid toward the back opening of the wagon. Jem watched as if the world had stood still to show it to him.
One second, Nora was on the wagon seat, clutching little Edmund against her chest; the next, both children were tumbling into the river. Theda screamed.
Everything inside Jem stopped. Then instinct took over.
He changed direction instantly and threw himself toward the children just as the current dragged them beneath the muddy surface. His fingers brushed against the girl's leg as he reached out for them. He was so close. They were right there. He had to save them, to bring them home.
For one horrible second, they vanished completely. All he could see was brown, swirling water. Full of dirt and gray.
Jem dove under without hesitation.
The river was ice-cold and the current shoved violently against him as he searched through the murky water.
Then…
Fabric.
He grabbed hold of Nora’s dress first. She still clutched Edmund tightly against her as the current dragged both downstream. She was still a child herself, and yet her first instinct had been to save her brother.
Jem wrapped one arm around the children and kicked hard toward the surface. He had to get them out of the water, away from danger. He had to keep going. The pain in his lungs had gone from gradual to burning, and he knew some of it was because of his broken ribs.
They burst upward seconds later in a spray of muddy water.
Nora coughed violently while Edmund sobbed against her shoulder.
Jem tightened his grip around them, hugging them close. In that moment, they were the most precious things in the world, what he couldn’t lose. Everything blurred around him.
People rushed forward. Some were getting the two wagons across. Mr. and Mrs. Crenshaw pulled the children away from him as he reached the bank. Jem didn't care about the pain or the fear. All he could feel was relief that two innocent lives had been saved.