I was numbed by the news. Yet something nagged at the back of my mind. “I think I’ll go see my friend,” I said abruptly, needing suddenly to be off alone. “I’ll most likely spend the night and come back for Nathan in the morning first thing.”
“Suit yo’self, but ya know ya welcome t’ spend the night here.”
“I know,” I said, “and I thank you for that. You don’t mind, though, I’ll just take one of the mules and leave the wagon and the others here with you, along with my dog.”
“Nothin’ t’ mind. You jus’ be sure and be here time for breakfast come mornin’. My wife, I know she gonna have a few words for you.”
I left with nothing more to say, and went about unhitching the mules. I put three of the mules out to graze, and mounted the fourth. With directions from Sam Perry on how to reach the lumber camp, I set out to find Mitchell. As I rode, I pondered on the fact that Caroline was now spoken for, and I kept thinking on Mitchell’s words about the pretty girls who’d come to the camp. I hadn’t figured on Mitchell to settle and marry, and Mitchell surely hadn’t either, but Caroline Perry was the kind of girl who could change a man’s mind about a thing like that, even a man as set against settling as Mitchell. I thought on them both all the way to the camp, and before I reached it, I had no more doubts. I knew it within my bones. I suppose I had known as soon as Sam Perry had told me the news; maybe that’s why I hadn’t even asked the name of the fellow who had spoken for Caroline. I didn’t really want to know. But I did. It was Mitchell who was going to marry Caroline Perry.
“’Ey, Paul!” exclaimed Mitchell when he saw me. “Man, whatcha doin’ here?”
“Come to see about you,” I said. “It’s been a while.”
“That’s sure the truth.”
We slapped each other on the shoulders, then Mitchell led me over to a space where we could talk, away from the other loggers.
“Where’d you go off to?” I asked when we were alone.
“How’d ya know I was gone?”
“Came by. Didn’t anybody tell you?”
“Ya know they ain’t, else I’d’ve been up t’ Vicksburg by now! What ya want when ya come by?”
I noted Mitchell hadn’t answered my first question yet about where he’d been, but I answered his. “Same as now,” I said. “I’ve got some news for you.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ve got myself some land.”
Mitchell laughed in congratulations. “Ya don’t say! That land you was talkin’ ’bout?”
“No, I’m still waiting on that.”
“Well, what land you got?”
“Forty acres near to the land I want. I made a deal didn’t call for any money.”
“How’d you pull that off?”
“I clear forty acres of trees sixteen inches across or more in two years for the man who owns the place, and the forty acres are deeded over to me.”
Mitchell looked skeptical. “I s’pose the trees on the place is Mississippi thick?”
I smiled. “You’re right about that.”
“And you figuring you can clear forty acres in two years?”
“I’m figurin’ I can . . .” I met Mitchell’s eyes. “With your help.”
Mitchell smiled. “Now, how my name get into this? I don’t recall sayin’ anythin’ ’bout any land. You the one wanted land.”
“Well, to my figuring, if you came in and helped me on this, we could split the acreage. You take twenty, I take twenty.”
“What I’m gonna do with twenty acres?”
“Farm it.”
Mitchell considered. “You gonna do the same?”
“For a spell. Figure, though, to sell the timber on it for cash money eventually and buy a better piece.”
“You mean that land you been wantin’.”
“Yeah . . . that land.”
“What ’bout supplies? You got everything you need?”
I nodded. “I bought four mules, wagon, axes, saws, rope, food. Yes, I think I’ve got everything we’ll need.”
Mitchell turned his back on me and stepped away, considering. Then he turned again to face me. “’Fore I decide on that, there’s some news I gotta tell you.”
“I think I know,” I said.
“What’s that?”
“You’re getting married.”
Mitchell looked at me in silence, his lips slightly agape.
“So it’s true.”
Mitchell made a hissing sound, expressing his surprise that I already knew. “How’d you find out? Who told you?”