Culture Clash

We moved as quietly as we could and the pouring rain masked our movement. We were both barefoot so we moved slowly until we were out of the settlement and on the way to the Mohawk village. I talked to Hope the whole time.

"Have faith, my love. I have friends about who will save us. We will not abandon Charity. The price these men pay will be great for what they have done to you."

*****

I didn't get the words out of my mouth before Jason stood before me, wearing his 'war face'. He looked very upset. Hope was terrified.

Without speaking he pulled his tomahawk out and chopped around the lock until we were free. The first thing I did was pull the gag out of Hope's mouth and wrap her in my arms. "Hush now. Things are going to be all right. This is my brother, Jacob, and he is here to help us."

She had just about calmed down when ten Mohawks appeared. Jacob had been at their village visiting and they wanted to come along to observe the settlement and make sure it was no threat to them, using the rain as cover and to obscure their tracks.

Jacob spoke at length and one of them took off his waterproof moose-hide cape and wrapped it around Hope. Another gave me his and I was so much taller it only went just past my knees, but I was suddenly dry and warm. They took a deer hide they had brought along as trade goods, and formed a crude pair of moccasins for Hope and short boots for me.

I was pushing them to go back with me when Jacob stepped in. "Enough! You need to rest and your wounds need to be treated. We must find clothes for both of you."

He looked at Hope. "Hear me, woman of my brother. You will get your child back, and those who abused you will pay and be punished for their deeds. I am Jacob Morgan, brother to Henry Morgan, and I give you this as my solemn vow."

Hope smiled for the first time. "Thank you, Jacob, future brother-in-law. I am Hope Emily Hobson, and I am most pleased to meet you."

We journeyed back to the village and spent six days recovering. My lashes were sore and tender but my rage burned hot enough to dispel any discomfort. Hope was frantic with worry, despite my assurances. "She is a child, and despite how unbalanced the man, he would not harm her. It would undermine his power base and he can't afford that."

Jacob had tarried at the settlement for a bit to observe the reaction to our disappearance. He said the preacher ranted until he lost his voice, ordering the men out to search immediately. When they found the empty stock and brought it back, they betrayed their unease. "He has allies, Reverend. Perhaps we should let them go with good riddance."

"They will not leave. Not as long as I have the child. We must be ever vigilant against an attack."

That night, Jacob and I slipped into the compound and fired the barns, after letting the livestock loose. Besides the shelter for their animals, the barns held a lot of their foodstuffs. It made a bad situation even more grave. We also replaced the stocks, and I wrote the name of the Reverend across them. There was precious little sleep gotten the rest of that night, and when they discovered the stocks the next morning, it was bedlam for a while.

"We must attack!"

"Attack who, Reverend? They seem to be able to slip in and out with ease. We did not even know they were among us until we saw the fires. How can we combat that?"

"We could attack the Indian village! That would flush them out."

For the first time Miles spoke up. "What if we're wrong and the Indians have nothing to do with this? If what he told us is true, their numbers are far greater and they would not be in a forgiving mood. It could sentence us all to death."

There was a muttering of agreement among the people, so he abandoned that idea. Instead he sent three of his men out to patrol the perimeter. They stumbled back late that afternoon, naked and whipped. We'd captured them one by one, knocking them out from behind. They never saw anyone but me when they woke.

I took the leather I had fashioned into a three-foot braid and swung it before them. "I came as your friend, tried to help you survive the winter." I slipped the hunting shirt off, showing them the still healing lashes. "You allowed this to happen to me, so I'm going to return the favor in kind."

The screams would have been pitiful if they hadn't been gagged. When I was done, their backs were a mass of welts. They slumped against their bindings with tears flowing down their faces. I lifted a face.

"Look at me. I am the face of justice. I condemn your settlement to death unless you leave this place. I want the child back and the preacher in the stocks before you go. If you refuse, it will only get worse. If I find the child has been harmed, I will kill all the men, and sell the women and children to tribes far away from here. Theirs will be a life of misery, your children being raised as Indians trained to hate the white man. You have three days."

I led them, tied together, to the edge of the settlement. "Go. Remember I let you live, and that I may not be so kind the next time. Tell them all that I said. I will be listening, so do not lie. If you do, there will be an arrow through your heart before you finish."

They stumbled into the common, hands tied behind them and a leather rope around their necks. The screams of the women were first, then the men gathered around, looking grim, many white-faced with fear. The preacher almost foamed at the mouth.

"I know you can hear me! Surrender to us or the child will suffer!"

I didn't move. Soon Temperance came out, dragging Charity behind her. I frowned when I saw the bruise on her face. She had a stick in her hand.

"Behold the results of your actions! This is just a taste of what is to come unless you do as I say."

Temperance raised the stick, and I shot her through the hand, immediately running sideways so my position would not be betrayed. I was using Jacob's shotgun and I still had one barrel left before I needed to reload.

Everyone scattered at the shot while Temperance screamed and held her ruined hand. Charity took advantage of the situation and ran as fast as she could towards the woods. The Reverend cried for someone to stop her, and the first person who reached for her got a ball through the leg. No one made any further effort as she disappeared into the trees.

I called out from the trees. "We're almost done here. Leave my rifle, my pistols, and other belongings by the spring and withdraw. If I get these things, I will leave. If not, winter is coming, and I will not allow anyone to hunt. How long can you hold out with the foodstuffs you have before starvation becomes your companion."

"Do this, leave the Preacher in the stocks, and I will let you live. Resist, and watch your children starve or freeze to death. You have two days."

When I went looking for Charity, I found her holding Jacob's hand. She rushed to me and leapt into my arms, letting the fear and terror of the last weeks flow out. I took her to the village, leaving Jacob to watch.

The reunion between mother and daughter was heartwarming. When they calmed, Charity told us what happened after we escaped. There was a lot of division in the town. Most all wanted to leave before the snows fell, but the preacher would not allow them to. His men held most of the weapons, so they had no choice but to obey. She told us of how Temperance bragged about what she'd done, sewing me tight and then pulling the latch to the door. It seems Temperance was to rewarded with half of Hope's tract of land and assured a place at the right hand of the Reverend. I passed a look to Hope, and she nodded. Temperance would hold her position until Woolsey didn't need her anymore, then she would be tossed aside like yesterday's chamber-pot contents.

I returned to watch the town. Very few people ventured outside the houses. Jacob grinned and said he may have aided their decision by firing his shotgun every time someone stepped outside. That afternoon, I burned Temperance's house down, shooting fire arrows into the roof. She stood outside and screamed as everything she owned went up in smoke.

Woolsey flung his door open, demanding the people fight the fire, and got an arrow in his doorjamb. He slammed the door shut and it was still possible to hear his screams.

As twilight gathered, a door opened and a man stepped out, hands held high. It was Miles, and as he walked into he woods I spoke. "So, friend, what is your decision?"

"Zeke and I want to join with you, at least long enough to overthrow the Reverend. There are others among us who feel the same way but are too afraid of his men to act. After we are done, all we ask is that you allow us to leave this place in peace."

We talked into the night and made plans. The next day there were two deer hanging from a tree, ready to be butchered. I called from the wood. "I would not have children starve. You may come out and divide the deer. No muskets, just knives. If anyone tries me, they will get a ball for their troubles. And the Reverend or Temperance do not get a share. I'll be watching."

Miles and Zeke came out first, then Zeke's wife, Emily. Soon most of the women were out, the men deciding to stay indoors. Every time the Preacher tried to step out another arrow thudded into the door. That night, Miles came out accompanied by Zeke.

"We have decided to help you. Most are with us. Some are too afraid to help, but will not interfere. There are five men that must be dealt with, all with muskets."

It was decided that the next day I would act. I called their names from the forest. "Lay down your arms and leave freely. If you do not, your death will slow and terribly painful. I've learned a lot in my travels, and the most painful way to die is to be strung up head down over a fire and slowly have your brains baked. The screams are horrible to hear, the pain tremendous and the smell, well, it's something you never forget."

No one moved, so that night Jacob and I slipped in and caught two of the men asleep in their homes. We'd chosen two of the single men, and the next morning they found themselves strung up over a fire, in full view of the settlement. The fire was close enough to be very uncomfortable, but not close enough to do any real damage. The screams started as soon as they woke. One man released his bladder as he begged for mercy.

"Behold the fate of any who resist me! I want this to last a long time, so I'll be swinging them over the fire. It takes twice as long to die if I do it that way." I pulled the cords I'd attached to the arms, and they started swinging."

Door flew open and people streamed out, many begging at the top of their lungs to have mercy.

"Where was my mercy? Where was Hope's? Who stood against the Reverend when it was us being lashed? Think about this. You have a woman with a maimed hand, a man who will walk with a limp the rest of his life, men wo cannot wear shirts because of their lashes, and now you are watching two of your own being roasted to death. Next, I'll fire your homes, leave you defenseless against the weather without provision or weapons. Maybe your leader can pray away your situation. If you want this to end, throw down your arms and bring the preacher out."

I continued to swing the men as they argued. Miles and Zeke looked to the woods, trying to hide their grins. "We surrender. Who among us agrees?"

It seems three quarters of them did, and they quickly subdued the ones who wanted to resist. They had to chop the door of the Reverend's house to get him out, standing to the side as it splintered. There was a boom and a bullet flew through the door, but they were on him before he could fire another shot. Temperance had holed-up with him, and soon they were both in the stocks, her screaming for mercy and him ranting what he was going to do to all of them when he was released.

Miles and Zeke had taken up their muskets and were standing guard when I came out of the woods. The first thing I did was go in and retrieve my clothes and weapons. Being dressed, and with my weapons in hand, made me feel tremendously better.

I wasn't surprised to see Hope standing there, but I was surprised to see Charity. "I think she needs to see this. If it's too much I'll take her away. Regardless, I needed to see this. I need to see them punished so I can sleep better at night."

Yes, I thought, this woman would do, do very well indeed. "All right. We need to make them confess, make them reveal their true nature and plans to the settlement. It may take a while."

She held out her hand, taking the whip I'd gotten when I exited the preachers' house. "Let's start with Temperance."

The woman had been wailing and protesting her innocence, but went quiet when Hope stood before her, showing her the whip. "I was ever your friend, Temperance. I held you in your grief when your husband died and your son never returned. I fed you when food was scarce and we were all suffering. And how do you repay me? By betraying me and a man who never had a bad word for you, a man who gave you food, hides to make warm clothing. I think you must confess to all, Mistress Temperance. Tell us why you thought it was a good idea to turn on people who were honestly trying to help you. You can make it easy or confess now, but I would you prefer you be a little stubborn, at least at first."

The woman was wildly proclaiming she had done nothing wrong, that she was trying to lead her back into the fold and away from my bad influence when the first lash came. Her scream could be heard for miles it was so loud. By the fourth lash she was confessing but Hope continued until there were ten welts on her back, the same number she had received.

The people stood stunned as she told of how Woolsey had approached her, offering her land and prestige if she would help him. She told of his plans to fake an indenture for Hope and Charity, to seize her lands, making him the largest landholder in the area. We left her hanging until she confessed all, then Hope passed the whip to me.

He was raving about the lies she was telling until I hit his jaw with the butt of the whip. "You will confess your sin, preacher. But first you will need a little prompting."

I'd had him stripped naked before he was placed in the stocks, so he could feel the full effect of every lash. The first ten lashes were to his thighs and buttocks. I was not holding back and the lashes went deep until his backside was a bloody mess. He screamed until he lost his voice and sagged. I had a bucket of water thrown on his face to revive him and as soon as he awakened, he got ten more across his lower back. He had almost lost his voice from screaming and he was down to deep grunts when I stopped.

"Bare your soul, Preacher, and the pain will stop."

He refused, but broke after the next five lashes. He told of his plan to get the settlement so weak from cold and starvation they would jump at his offer to sell their lands for a pittance so they could return to the coast. I had Miles and two women search his belongings, and they found the papers and quite a bit of gold. A thought occurred to me.

"Was it your work to attack the supply wagon?"

He denied it, but after another ten lashes the story came out. They were not supposed to kill anyone, but they resisted and he had no choice. He told us where the supplies were hidden and his plan to bring them out once he had control of the land. One of the wives of a man killed in the attack went white with fury, I silently handed her the whip, and when she was done the mother of another took her place, until all the families were satisfied. He was a blubbering hulk now, very little skin left on his back or legs. One woman, who hadn't got to whip him, grabbed a handful of salt and threw it on his back. It seems he had one more scream left in him.

I looked at those assembled. "Leave them both until I say they can be released. Miles, form a company and go retrieve the supplies. The rest of you, when the supplies get here, there should be enough for you to make the winter if you eat sparingly. My suggestion is still that you return to the coast, leaving a few men to guard your holdings, and tell your story to the Governor. I also suggest you distribute the gold found in his house to the families who lost loved ones when he killed the supply guards and driver. It would help start a new life."

Charity had watched with horrified fascination as we whipped Temperance, but allowed Jacob to lead her away to some of the Indians who had returned with us. He came back, wanting to watch as I extracted revenge on our enemy.

I had Hope bundle everything she wanted out of her house, then had her get the gold and distribute it, making sure she got a share herself for the suffering he had caused her. Some didn't want to take it, but the rest accepted it easily. While this was going on, one of the Mohawks appeared at the edge of the woods, motioning to me.

I walked away and listened while he relayed his news. There was a company of Militia thirty strong headed this way, thanks to the letter I had written about the supply train and had one of the Indians pass along until it had been through five hands before it reached the Governor. He had sent them out to investigate. They were less than a day away, and should arrive by midmorning tomorrow.

I told the settlers of the news when I returned. They agreed to hold the Reverend for the authorities, Hope told the ones she liked goodbye, and we were gone, never to return.

*****

We'd been on the trail for four days. Hope and Charity were dressed warmly in buckskins, with fur hats on their head. From a distance, we looked like a band of Indians. The Mohawks had escorted us to the limits of their lands, and we had parted warmly. I warned them the Militia might appear, but there was no evidence they were involved in anything. They would admit that I traded with them, but had left days before I was actually gone. Miles and Zeke both pledged to make sure no one mentioned any Indians in context with what had happened, because it was the truth. All the settlers ever saw was me, though they knew I had help.

On the fifth day Jacob faded back, then returned with a grin on his face. Miles, Zeke, and his wife were right behind us. We let them pass before stepping out of the woods. They were startled, of course, but were soon grinning.

"The Reverend escaped. Three of the men who were in on the killings turned him loose and they slipped away. Temperance went with them, but the Militia found her half a day later. She had been stabbed to death. Apparently, she was slowing them down. They lost the trail but were unworried. They had little in the way of supplies and the Captain told me he would warn the Indians to be on watch for them when he talked to them. We took your advice, and five men volunteered to stay and watch the settlement with the newly found supplies. The Reverend's house is now being used to house the livestock."

For the first time they looked sad. "We talked it over. This experience has saddened us, making us ask if we still wanted to belong to a religion that had become as intolerant as the ones we fled from back in England. We decided we were having a crisis of faith and decided to join you, if you will have us. We would love to see this Cain-tukke you speak of, maybe settle nearby. Will you have us?"

In answer, both Hope and Charity hugged everyone, wishing them welcome. I clasped each in the traders' way, and Emily surprised me by hugging us. For once, I was glad I hadn't actually gotten around to trading and still had a full pack. We used some of the gold to purchase suitable clothing at the next village we stopped at.

Four months later, with the first hints of spring in the air, we arrived home. I introduced Hope and Charity to my family as Hope anxiously rubbed her belly. She was three months pregnant, not at all unusual for the day and the time. Almost half the brides in the country were already pregnant when wed, and no one made note unless the man failed to do the right thing. Then it became incumbent on the relatives of the jilted woman to force amends. Many men were literally dragged to the altar.