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Index:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Hollis as it is today.
Click here to visit
Doan's Crossing,
THE place to be
seen if you were a
pioneer!
Red River Valley to homestead in Indian Territory in 1900.
In this riveting essay, Dr. Giles recounts her mother's story by merging factual history with old family tales.
Dr. Giles thereby transforms her family story into a vivid portrayal Oklahoman pioneering.
The following essays are copyrighted to Martha Giles and cannot be reproduced without permission!
Maude was five years old when her family began the long trek from Texas to Oklahoma. It was late in April of 1900 and
the hot winds of the Great Plains had already begun to blow across the land. But the mornings were sweet with dew,
when the wind was gentle, and bluebonnets filled the earth from horizon to horizon.
Maude was so excited. She and her big brother, Buddy were going to be allowed to walk behind the lumbering old
covered wagon that Papa had bought second-hand that spring. Buddy was only eight, but he was strong; and he was so
proud when Papa rested his hand on Buddy's shoulder and said, "Buddy, I'm countin' on you to look after your baby
sister. Stay close behind the wagon and don't let nothin' happen to her." Being the only other "man" in the family, Buddy
took his job seriously.
The wagon was huge and sat high on its giant wheels, leaving plenty of space beneath for the family to sleep at night.
The family's belongings were tied firmly in place, inside; a few clothes for each member, almost no furniture, but plenty
of flour, a side of preserved bacon, dried beans, coffee, salt and a little sugar. Tools were stored in a toolbox and
strapped to the outside of the wagon along with a large wooden barrel of water. Two milk cows were tied to the back of
the wagon.
Maggie was twelve, the oldest. She was to ride inside the wagon and help look after Lillie, the three-year-old toddler.
Mama would have her hands full with baby Nettie. Mama's bonnet and long-sleeved dress would shield her against the
hot winds and sun, seated on the high seat of the wagon, next to her husband. Papa, the head of this menagerie, held the
reins to the two great oxen that lumbered along, pulling this affair. It was to be a long, hard journey.
Cornelius and Viola Ragsdale, otherwise known as Papa and Mama were in high spirits for the trip. They had planned it
for months, saving what little money Cornelius made in the logging camp to buy the covered wagon and supplies. Their
journey would take them from Palmer, just south of Dallas, northwest into what was known as Indian Territory, in later
years to become the State of Oklahoma. It would be a long, slow journey and perhaps dangerous. There were still
renegade Indians that occasionally threatened travelers and there were several creeks and rivers to cross before they
came to the wide Red River that was the border between Texas and Indian Territory. Crossing that river would be
difficult in a wagon loaded with their precious children and supplies.
That first day out was an easy trip from Palmer into Dallas, some ten miles on a well-traveled road. They started out
early while it was cool and the oxen had plenty of energy. Maude and Buddy didn't let their sleepiness dampen their
excitement for the trip. After a quick breakfast of eggs, bacon, milk from the milk cows, and biscuits sopped in red-eye
gravy, the Ragsdale family was on its way.
Looking at Maude and Buddy, Papa said, "You chaps can ride on the back of the wagon for awhile if you get tired. But if
you do, you should help Maggie watch Lillie. She's a handful right now." Maude and Buddy opted for walking behind the
wagon; they were much too excited to ride. Besides, Maggie would boss them too much if they got in the wagon. Papa
took one last look around the wagon to check for loose gear, then crawled up onto the high seat next to his wife and
baby.
He picked up the reins and deftly curled his fingers around them so that the reins ran under the little finger of each hand,
inside the palm, up over each index finger and between his thumb and index fingers. He gave a piercing, high whistle,
snapped the reins smartly over the oxen's' backs, and yelled, "Hyeah!" The oxen bowed their great horned heads and
started the wagon's movement forward with a jerk. Papa looked sideways at Mama with a glint in his eye. A warm smile
curled up under his mustache as he looked at Mama. "We're goin' to our new home!" She smiled back at him and then
away toward their destination as if she could see it just ahead.
The future looked promising for the Ragsdale family. Cornelius had heard about land allotments in Indian Territory. The
government had offered excess lands to anyone who wished to make a claim, and the land was free! This was the
chance he had been looking for; a chance to acquire land for farming. He and Viola could at last put the long nightmare
of the Civil War behind them and settle their little family on a farm, their very own farm. Greer County (later divided and
renamed Harmon and Jackson Counties), in the southwest corner of Indian Territory was to be their new home.
Cornelius was a tall man of 37 years, and a long way from his southern beginnings in Alabama. His soft-spoken,
southern drawl and gentlemanly manners reflected a time gone by from a place far away. He had hardened from
backbreaking work and determination to find a new life for his family. He always stood ramrod straight, not willing to lose
his pride. The tragedy of the war, the loss of his parents and the struggle to find a new beginning had taken him years,
but today, he could see that bright future just ahead of him. Today was their new beginning.
Viola, his wife sat quietly, next to him, with the same determination and expectations. She was a tiny little thing, but
strong and faithful. Her soft, round face showed the care lines of motherhood and the pain of birthing seven children
before she was thirty years old. Soft spoken and shy, she said little, but her heart was full of love for her children and
husband. She took baby Nettie in her arms and nuzzled close to her, thinking of two babies that lay buried in a far away
place. She still had her five, strong and ready to meet life just as she was. She was ready.
The wagon made a great clattering noise as it slowly rolled along over the bumpy road. The assembly of straps and
buckles on the oxen made a tinging sound with each step of the great animals. The wagon creaked and groaned, loaded
with clanging pots and pans, food, furniture and gear for the trip. The hooves of the heavy oxen clip-clopped on the road
and created a steady, rocking rhythm.
The sun had cleared the horizon and was full in the sky as Maude and Buddy skipped excitedly behind the wagon. As
soon as Maude spotted the beautiful bluebonnets, she ran to the side of the road to gather an armload for Mama. Buddy
quickly followed her and admonished Maude. "Maudie, you've got to stay with me behind the wagon. Papa will get mad
at us if we stray!" Maude had a mind of her own and chose to ignore Buddy. He persisted. Maude was finally satisfied
with her bouquet and returned to Buddy's side. By now, the wagon was several yards ahead of them and they had to run
to catch up.
Sure enough, Maudie stubbed her toe over a rock in the road and splattered herself, face forward onto the hard ground.
The bluebonnets in her hand went flying in all directions. Stunned for a moment, she said nothing. Then, pain found its
mark on her scrubbed knees and she rolled over on her back, her mouth puckering in preparation for a cry. Just as a
shriek was about to rip loose from her lips, Buddy clamped his hand over her mouth. "Maudie! Don't cry. Papa will
make us ride in the wagon for sure!" Maude came to her senses and realized that Buddy was right. She swallowed hard
and suppressed her screams while tears welled up in her eyes.
"Come on! I'll help you up!" By now the wagon was some thirty yards away. Buddy lifted Maude to her feet, dusted her
off and saw that both knees were skinned and beginning to bleed. Her lower lip was bleeding as well. "Hop on my back;
I'll carry you to the wagon," he said bravely. He turned his back to her and pulled her onto his back. "You'll be all right. I'll
take you to the back of the wagon and get Maggie to put something on your knees. I'll ask her to be quiet about it so
Papa won't know." He said all this as he loped along with Maude on his back.
"My flowers!" Maude wailed softly. Buddy grimaced and told Maude he would get them for her as soon as she was safe
on the wagon steps in the back. Maggie was watching the whole drama from the back of the wagon. She had already
found an ointment to clean and apply to Maude's knees. She smiled at the mischief those two were into hardly a mile
from home. She knew how much they wanted to walk behind the wagon so she resolved to go along with their deception.
As Buddy gently lowered Maude onto the wagon steps in back, Maggie put her finger to her lips, silently telling Buddy that
she would keep quiet about their problem. Buddy smiled at his big sister, feeling better that they might not anger their
father. He scampered back to the bluebonnets, now strewn across the road and picked up each one, making a neat
bouquet for Maude. Then, he returned swiftly to the wagon and handed them to now placated Maude. He stayed close by
Maude while she rested from her wounds.
Maggie did a good job of cleaning Maude's knees; then applying an ointment to soothe and heal. She was used to
mending skinned knees, bruises and cuts from her younger brother and sisters. She was the oldest, and Mama's "right
hand." Almost a woman herself, Papa called her "little mother."
They reached the Wheeler farm by ten o'clock and stopped at Wheeler's creek to water the oxen. Cornelius stopped
short of the creek to help Viola and the baby down from the wagon. Maggie hopped out of the back and swung little
three-year-old Lillie down to the ground. Lillie wobbled a few steps before losing her balance completely. She giggled
and picked up a small rock in her chubby hand. Maude and Buddy ran to the creek and began shedding shoes and socks
for a wade in the cool water.
Cornelius drove the wagon down into the creek where the water was deepest so the oxen and milk cows could get a
good long drink. The creek was shallow, but clear sweet water ran over the pebbles of its bed. Cornelius splashed
water on the backs of the cattle to cool them before washing his own face in the cool water.
After cooling themselves in the creek, the entire family secreted away to private bushes to relieve themselves; then
returned to the wagon. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler walked down the path from their house to greet the Ragsdales and ogle
over the children. They had none of their own.
"Well, you finally did it!" Mr. Wheeler smiled at Cornelius. "You're headin' out to Indian Territory. My, Lord, I wish I was
goin' with you!" Mrs. Wheeler had picked up baby Nettie and was chucking her under the chin. She turned a stern eye
toward her husband. "Now, Arthur. You know we'z too old to be goin' off into some strange land. The Ragsdales is
young and got plenty 'a help comin' along to help them farm." She looked back at Nettie's little face and nosed her
cheek. Mrs. Wheeler turned to Viola Ragsdale and said, "I do admire your sweet family. They are going to be a great
help to you out there." She paused, then said, "We will miss you so!" and embraced Viola. Viola blushed and said,
"We'll miss you too. I don't know what we'll find out there but it looks promising."
They chatted for awhile and Mrs. Wheeler invited the family up to the house for tea and cake, but they declined. "We
need to make it to Dallas by nightfall," Cornelius said. "Well, then," Mrs. Wheeler said, "I insist that you take the cake I
baked along with you for the children. I can see the disappointment in their faces; they surely don't want to miss out on
an opportunity for a little cake!" Maude's and Buddy's faces brightened.
"Oh, you are too kind! But we really shouldn't," Viola replied. Maude's and Buddy's faces dropped. "I won't hear of it! I'll
be right back with the cake," and Mrs. Wheeler hurried away.
Cornelius shook hands with Mr. Wheeler, then crawled back onto the wagon seat and drove the wagon onto the near
bank. "You chaps get back into the wagon," he called. He dropped to the ground and helped Viola and the baby back
onto the seat beside him. The children climbed in and Mrs. Wheeler returned with the cake, wrapped in an oilcloth. She
handed it up to Maggie and waved goodbye to the family. They all waved back at her and said thanks for the cake.
Maude and Buddy waved from the back steps of the wagon for as long as they could see the Wheelers. They were on
their way again.
They stopped at noon to rest the cattle, water them, and eat lunch. Cornelius found some shade trees near the road and
stopped there. Since there was no water nearby, they had to draw water from the waterbarrel on the wagon. Cornelius
thought that he would have to replenish the barrel as soon as they found more water.
He looked around. "This will be a good place to eat some lunch, he said." After a brief rest, they were back on the road
again. Maude and Buddy had long since tired of walking. Maude lay on a pallet in the wagon, taking a nap next to Lillie.
Buddy and Maggie sat on the back of the wagon watching their world go by backwards.
By sundown, they rolled into the outskirts of
Dallas and began looking for a campsite.
"Dallas is just huge, isn't it, Cornelius,"
Viola said with wonder in her eyes.
"Yes," he replied. "I expect it has
almost 40,000 people living here now."
Viola thought about that. "What in
tarnation do they do in the city?" she asked.
"Well, they probably do stuff a lot like I did
while I was hauling lumber. There are carpenters,
bankers, businessmen, drygoods stores-
all contributing to the life of the town." Cornelius
replied. "Well, there sure aren't any farmers
here, except on market day," she said.
They rattled on through town and turned up a side
street where there was a corral behind a livery
stable.The livreyman allowed them to park their
wagon in thecorral and unharness the oxen.
Cornelius unhitched the oxen, watered and
fed them and the milk cows
while Viola and the older children secured the wagon
and tied up the cows for the night.
Everyone was hungry, so Cornelius surprised everyone by suggesting
that they eat at the family diner down the road on main street. This was to be their last "treat" on the trip and the last big town
they would see for some time. Viola worried that it would be too expensive but she didn't say anything. The children were
thrilled, of course.
"You children wash up good and put on your good hats before we go down there," Viola commanded. They obediently lined up at
the washbasin to take their turn there. "Maggie, you help Maudie and Lillie get cleaned up," she added. Maggie was already
there expecting to do just that.
Maggie said, "Buddy, comb your hair after you wash up. Maudie, come over here and let me brush your hair." Buddy objected,
"Why do I have to comb my hair? I'll be wearin' my hat over it." Maggie just gave him a stern look.
When everyone was ready, Papa and Mama waved them all to fall in place for the stroll to the diner. Buddy and Maude were in
front, followed by Maggie, holding Lillie's little hand. Cornelius and Viola, carrying baby Nettie brought up the rear. Buddy and
Maude started out walking too fast, but Maggie snapped her finger and they fell back beside her at a more dignified gate. The
children gawked at the sights and sounds of the big town, and Maggie cautioned them not to act like country bumpkins. They
were a proud family; poor, but proud.
Many stores were closed along the boardwalk in that part of town, since it was after business hours. But the Dallas Family Diner,
and the Hotel across from it, were open for business. As they entered the diner, the sign out front read, "Dallas Family Diner,
family style dining." The Ragsdales stepped inside and Papa removed his hat. Buddy watched Papa's gentlemanly style and he
copied his moves.
The family seated itself around a large, round table that was already ladened with beef roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, a large
plate of biscuits, and two green vegetables. A large pitcher of milk sat at one end of the table next to the salt and pepper. Papa
surveyed his family to see that they were all sitting quietly, hands in laps. Each dinner plate was turned upside down in front of
each person.
Maude looked at her precious Papa and brightened, "Papa, would you please hurry and read on the plate. I'm very hungry."
Maggie first smiled and suppressed her laughter, but then frowned at Maude. "Honey, Papa is not reading off the backs of the
plates; he is about to say a prayer!" Viola was hiding a smile as was Papa. "It's all right, Maggie. I guess Maudie thought we
were reading our prayer from the back of the plate!" Then, everyone laughed politely. "Let us pray," he said.
They all bowed their heads as Papa said a simple prayer of thanks for the food they were about to eat, and finished with a
resounding, "amen!" Everyone turned over their plates, then as the meal began with passing the various items of food. They ate
well and chattered as most families do at the table. The owner of the diner brought out a fresh baked apple pie for dessert, a
rare treat for all of them. At the end of dinner, Papa rose slowly which was the signal for everyone else to rise. He sauntered
over to the owner and paid a wholloping $2.00 for the entire meal. It was expensive but it was to be their last meal that wouldn't
be prepared over a campfire for weeks to come.
"I hope you all enjoyed that, children. It will be our last treat for awhile. Tomorrow, we begin the hard part of the trip," Papa said.
Everyone chirped thank yous to Papa for such an elegant treat. They returned to the wagon and bedded down immediately in
expectations of a long, hard ride tomorrow.
The next morning began at sunrise, much like the day before. After a quick breakfast and attention to the animals, they were on
their way. Maude and Buddy wanted to walk behind the wagon again but Viola made them ride in the wagon because of all the
traffic in the big, booming city.
They moved through the busy streets of Dallas and finally came to its outskirts some hour and a half later. At that point, they
changed their directions from due north to northwest. The road was well traveled and in good condition for several miles as they
passed several farms. They hoped to get to Decatur in three days. They stopped at creeks each time they came to one and
allowed the animals to drink and the family to take a short break from the jarring ride of the wagon.
The land was flat with occasional shallow valleys or rolling hills. What few trees that existed were huddled around creek beds
which were dry most of the year, but in April they were still running from spring rains. The wind rose with the morning sun and
blew steadily until sundown. The canvas covering on the Ragsdales' wagon snapped in the wind. Cornelius' hat and Viola's
bonnet were securely tied to their heads, or the wind would rip them off.
The journey went well until the oxen stopped suddenly and began shying from something in the road. "Well, will you look at
that!" exclaimed Cornelius. "Vi, hold the reins steady while I climb down and take a look at that thing," and he handed the reins
to Viola. He jumped down from the wagon seat and walked cautiously toward the biggest tarantula he had ever seen in his life. It
was as big as a man's hand and it had lifted its front hairy legs in defiance of the oxen. The oxen were beginning to panic and
were trying to turn the wagon away from the feisty spider. Cornelius grabbed the harness of the ox nearest him and said,
"Whoa, Frank! Steady, boy. It's just a big bug."
Cornelius walked toward the tarantula and stomped his foot on the ground. "Go on! Git outa' here," he said. The spider must
have decided that Cornelius would win the bluff, and it turned slowly and walked to the side of the road and into the brush.
Cornelius waited until he was sure it was out of sight; then turned to get back into the wagon. When he looked toward the
wagon, there were his two oxen, looking somewhat calmer, Viola looking aghast back at Cornelius, and five little faces peering
out from the canvas of the wagon. Cornelius took off his hat and slapped his leg with it; then burst out laughing. "Can you beat
it? One little spider can spook the whole lot of you!"
They all giggled sheepishly as he climbed back onto the wagon seat and took the reins from Viola. "I thought Frank was going to
break and run," Cornelius laughed. Viola answered, "Well, Ernest was ready to follow him. Neither one of those oxen are too
smart. It's a good thing we named them with a sense of humor."
But the children were still focused on the tarantula. Maggie said," Papa, that was the ugliest thing I ever saw! He was meaner
lookin' than a snake!" "Aw, go on now. They're harmless. They won't bite. They just look tough," he said. Buddy brightened
with enthusiasm, "Can I go catch him?" Viola frowned a resounding, "No, you may not, young man! Do you want to scare us all
to death?"
Papa chuckled at all the commotion the spider had made, but he agreed with Viola that they didn't need any such critter hanging
around in a jar to frighten the girls. "There are lots of other varmints in this world that you can make a pet of, Buddy, and they
aren't near as ugly." He thought a moment. "All of you had better be mindful of where you sit on the ground because there's not
only tarantulas, but scorpions and snakes and them last two kinds really do bite, and bite bad-so be careful before you step or
sit on anything out here on the ground.
A quiet fell over the wagon and there were ominous looks all 'round. After a few moments, Maude said, "I'm not going to walk
behind the wagon anymore." Cornelius returned, "Aw, now Maudie, don't be afraid of such critters. They're all God's handiwork
and they won't bother you if you don't bother them. Just keep a watchful eye out for them and they won't hurt you."
While Maude was thinking about what Papa had just said, he suggested that they break out that cake that Mrs. Wheeler had
baked for them and fix a snack for everyone. "Let's have some cake and some singin'," he said. Enthusiasm returned to all, and
they began singing "Polly Wolly Doodle." The wagon resounded with sweet song and harmony.
The sun began getting low in the sky and they decided to make camp. They needed the sunlight to find wood for a fire, water and
feed the oxen, make dinner on the ground, and accomplish a dozen other duties while there was light to see by. "Buddy, you and
Maude go find some fire wood. It looks like they's some dry kindling and dead tree limbs along that rising over there," Cornelius
said, as he began unhitching the oxen. Viola began collecting items for cooking dinner while Maggie watched after Nettie and
Lillie. Cornelius hobbled the oxen, then removed their heavy yoke, watered and fed them and the milk cows. He gave them an
extra treat by brushing down their coats. "Frank, Ernest! You did a fine job today even if a bad old tarantula tried to chase you
down." Cornelius chuckled again.
Dinner consisted of cornbread and milk, and Viola scrambled the last of the eggs they had brought from home. They would
have to buy some more when they got to Decatur. Maybe they could stop long enough for her to cook up a mess of beans
tomorrow. She missed her laying hen that they ate before they left home, but it had to be. There was no way they could have
brought a hen on the trip! She thought about the new farm they would have and the hope for not one but a dozen laying hens.
"Wouldn't that be fine," she thought.
The family gathered around the fire after dinner. Evenings on the plains could be downright cold, even in April. Papa lit his pipe
from the coals in the fire and said, "I reckon we ought to be goin' to bed pretty quick. We've got to make some more miles
toward Decatur tomorrow."
"Papa, tell us about Decatur and the war," Buddy begged. "Oh, well, the Decatur we'z goin' to is in Texas. The Decatur you are
thinkin' about is in Alabama, where I was borned," he answered. Buddy said, "Yeah, tell us about Decatur, Alabama and the war."
"Well," Cornelius said. "I was born in Decatur, Alabama in the middle of the Civil War. And I can tell you that it was anything but
civil!" he chuckled. The children all smiled, even though they had heard that statement many times before. "My Papa had gone
off to fight, and was killed in Sherman's march to the sea before I was borned. So, I never got to see him. Mama moved to
Corinth, Mississippi, which is just a little ways from Decatur, where she lived with her folks. They was well to do and had slaves
and a very big farm and all. I was nursed by a nigrah mammie," he smiled.
"But the Yankees took everything from Mama's parents. Their house was burned; even their crops. It was the ruination of
Mama's family. They never recovered from their losses. They went from being well-off to just downright poor.
"My mama told me about how the war raged all around Decatur and Corinth for awhile. First, the Yankees would come through
there, pushing back the Rebs' army; then the Rebs would drive them back across the river. It was a bloody mess most of '62 and
'63, and an awful lot of men were killed.
He continued, "After Papa was killed in the war, Mama married a Mr. Montgomery. We moved to Memphis, Tennessee, then. I got
to be a big kid but I didn't care much for Mr. Montgomery. When Mama died, I run away to Arkansas. When I got there, I was
plumb starved to death and a nice family named Kirby took me in. They had a whole passel of children who were orphans of the
war. Your mama was one of them. That's where I met your mama."
Maggie interrupted. "Mama, what happened to your family?" Viola gazed into the fire. "My family was living in Kansas and there
was an awful lot of fightin' going on there, too. We came on to Arkansas so my dad could find work. My dad was a bricklayer.
When my parents died, I found myself alone and that's when I found the Kirby's. They took me in since I was pretty young. Your
Papa come along then and he can tell the rest." She looked at Cornelius.
Cornelius smiled at her and continued with the story. "Well, sir, your Mama and me got awful fond of one another and decided
that we would marry-so we did. That's when I decided I had to be a man and take on some responsibility for my bride. I got me a
job as a teamster in a logging camp and she taught school until our first one come along. Before long, I was drivin' a double-tree
and haulin' logs there in Arkansas and even in Texarkana. We moved back and forth quite a bit between Texas and Arkansas.
We finally ended up in Palmer, Texas, just south of Dallas."
"What's a double-tree?" Buddy asked. Papa answered, "Well, it's simply two sets of wheels with a log acting as the body of the
thing-like a log on wheels. They are the devil to drive on them old logging roads because you don't have real good control of them
and some of them logs was 50 to 75 feet long. We used mules to pull them and you had to build up some skills to get them mules
to behave while you was wranglin' around with that double-tree."
Cornelius' pipe was out now and the coals were burning low. "Welp. I think we better turn in now. You chaps hop in the wagon
and Mama and I will sleep on a pallet under the wagon. I want you to go to sleep right quick because we have a hard day ahead."
Everyone was pretty tired so they didn't fuss about going to bed. They made pallets on the floor of the wagon and undressed in
the dark. When everyone was in bed, Maude looked out through the opening of the wagon at the black sky above. It was filled
with stars. She rolled over and closed her eyes. She wondered where that tarantula was but couldn't think about it very long
before she was fast asleep.
The next morning, they had a quick breakfast and an early start.
They planned to stop for the evening early enough for Viola
to cook a mess of beans for dinner. The sky was clear and the
sun was warm. They made good time over the flat land even
though the road narrowed and wasn't as good as it had been.
They crossed a small creek around noon and Cornelius hoped
that it was a good sign that a larger creek lay ahead. That would
make a good place to stop for the night.
By three o'clock, they found the larger creek and stopped short of
crossing it. Papa said, "This will be a good place to stop for the day.
It's early, but we need time to prepare dinner and give everybody a
good rest. I'll pull over by that stand of trees on this side of the creek."
It was shady there and there was a fair supply of wood further down
stream. Buddy and Maude began collecting right away so Mama could
start the beans.
Viola said, "This might be a good place to wash out some clothes. There
are plenty of bushes along here to dry them. Baby Nettie needs some
clothes washed, and I expect the kids would enjoy a little time to play in
the water if you can find a shallow place for them, Cornelius." He nodded
as he took care of the oxen and cast a watchful eye along the creek.
Soon the beans were cooking over a warm fire and the children were playing in
shallow water along the creek's shoreline. Their squeals of delight and
playfulness filled the afternoon air as they splashed each other with water and
let the cool water flow over their feet and legs. No one was a swimmer since
there was so little natural water in northwest Texas, so Papa kept a close guard.
He even found time to cool off in the water himself. He took baby Nettie from
Viola and held her in his arms while she played in the water, too. Viola stayed by
the fire and kept watch over the beans.
Everyone was starved for dinner when they finished swimming in the creek. Mama had a fine mess of beans laced
with bacon, and some leftover bread they had bought in Dallas. They would need to buy as much in the way of supplies
as they could afford in Decatur, because Wichita Falls was a long way off from Decatur, and it would take several days
of driving to get there. Hopefully, they would make Decatur by tomorrow. Those old oxen were slow, but steady. They
could make about ten miles a day pulling the huge covered wagon.
The next morning, there was trouble. Overnight, the right front wheel of the wagon had frozen up, not from cold but
from a dry hub. Cornelius didn't know it until he had the oxen harnessed and hooked up to the wagon. They had broken
camp, loaded up and started to pull onto the road when he heard the unmistakable squeak of the wheel. "Aw, nah!" he
said in disgust. He jumped down from the wagon, reached in the toolbox for a tool and removed the hubcap on that
wheel. Sure enough, it was dry of grease.
He pushed his hat back on his head and scratched his head. "Welp. There is nothin' to do but unhitch the oxen and
grease this here dry wheel," he said. "It's gonna take awhile, so you chaps get down from the wagon." Everyone
crawled down from the wagon and watched Cornelius work on the wheel for awhile. It was a slow process of jacking
up the wagon and removing the wheel; then slathering on gobs of grease on the inside of the wheel before
reassembling everything.
The children began to tire of watching their father at work and slowly drifted away to the now cold campfire. "You
children stay close to the wagon," Viola cautioned. Maggie suggested that they take a bucket and look for berries that
might be growing along the creekbed. "I'll be careful, Mama," she said, reassuringly. "All right, Maggie. You and Buddy
and Maude can go. I'll watch after Lillie and Nettie," she said. "Buddy, you and Maude mind Maggie, you hear?" Viola
called. "Yes'm," they mused obediently.
Maggie found a bucket and gave one to Buddy as well, and they began following the creekbed, away from the wagon. It
was a sunny day although somewhat windy. Maggie was cautious and kept the younger children in tow while she
scanned the creek for any sign of berries. The land around the creek rolled up and away from the creekbed in a gentle
rise. Tall grass grew in profusion along the hilltop and it waved in the wind like waves on water. Maggie stayed close
to the creek where there were more likely to be bushes of berries but she saw none.
They had gone about a quarter of a mile down the creek, where it widened and curved to the left. The bank on their
side of the creek was high where the creek curved. A tree had died and fallen across and down into the creek, having
been washed from its place in the earth by the creek during a more turbulent time. There, on the sandy shore of the
opposite bank was a stand of blackberries, waiting to be picked.
"Look, kids! There's some blackberries! Let's climb down this treetrunk and pick some!" Maggie chirped. The
children seemed eager enough but climbing down the trunk was a little steep and dangerous. They decided to walk
back upstream a little ways where there were some rocks they could cross on. Before long, they had a couple of
bucketsful of berries. They hurried back to the wagon, full of joy. Maude's face showed evidence that at least some of
her berries went into her mouth instead of the bucket.
When they returned, Viola was relieved to see them, and Cornelius had just about finished reattaching the wheel. They
were delighted to see the berries and Viola promised them a blackberry cobbler that night for dinner. They all settled
into the wagon and were soon on their way.
They didn't quite make it into Decatur that night because of the delay, so they camped once again beside the road.
Maude, Buddy and Maggie had managed to get into a nest of chiggars while picking berries so they had lots of little red
bites that itched and turned red. Viola put some ointment on their bites and told them not to scratch, but it was difficult
not to. "They will stop itching in a few days," Viola told them. That wasn't very comforting to any of the three. They
spent a somewhat uncomfortable night, made bearable by the fact that they had had a nice helping of blackberry
cobbler.
