An Honorable Soldier in General Washington's Army: Chapter 14
by Tami B.
Disclaimer: The following work has been written solely for the enjoyment of fans and not for monetary profit. The rights to the characters initially created for the Daniel Boone series belong to 20th Century Fox and Fess Parker. All other characters are of the author's own creation. No copyright violation is intended.
Days later, Daniel and family were at the fort. Israel was playing with Andy Rand as Daniel spoke with Caleb who was busy making a hunting knife for Cincinnatus to sell or trade. The frontiersman's eyes scanned to the doorway of the tavern where Jemima and Adam were occupied themselves. Keeping Adam working was no problem and it seemed to help distract him from his anger.
Jemima watched and conversed with Adam as he unloaded the supply wagon from Salem. The two wagoneers who drove it to Boonesborough were much too involved in their drink to assist him. Adam thought that a blessing. They would more than likely just get in his way.
Coming for the last sack, Adam stood at the back of the wagon. "Boonesborough is now well supplied with rice, flour, oats, corn, and almost everything else," he proclaimed. Following orders, Adam was dressed in his regulation uniform except for his jacket which was draped over the banister to the stairs that lead to Cincinnatus' upper room.
"Cincinnatus thinks of it all," she told him.
"And then some," he said, hoisting the sack onto his shoulder and carrying it to the designated shelf. Jemima followed him and stopped at the counter. She saw Cincinnatus helping Agnes Rand and Rebecca with material as the two wagoneers joked and drank among themselves. Adam rearranged some of the sacks since he decided they were disorderly.
"Having trouble deciding what to get?" Jemima asked her mother as the two women held two bolts of blue cloth. She moved towards them.
"They certainly are," Cincinnatus complained good-naturedly.
Rebecca looked around and found Adam on the opposite side of the room arranging the sacks he carried in. "The choice of material has to be perfect, Cincinnatus," Rebecca said quietly.
"Exactly," Agnes agreed. "There can be no mistake."
"Ask Adam what he likes," Jemima suggested.
"Mima, no," Rebecca said, appalled.
"Excellent idea," Cincinnatus said, taking the two bolts of cloth to Adam.
Rebecca and Agnes stood silently by and acted suspiciously as if Adam would discover what they were up to.
"Adam, which one of these do you like best?" Cincinnatus asked.
Studying the cloth intently, Adam made his decision. "This one," Adam answered and pointed to the one in Cincinnatus' left hand. "It matches Mrs. Boone's eyes."
"Thank you, young man. I'll inform the ladies of your decision. Maybe the two of them can finally come to some agreement," Cincinnatus grumbled.
"Why are they having such a difficult time? What are they planning to do with it?" Adam asked.
Rebecca heard him and wondered how Cincinnatus would get out of telling him their plan for the material.
"They're women," Cincinnatus said.
"Ah, yes," Adam replied knowing all too well what Cincinnatus meant. He immediately went back to his work.
As Cincinnatus, rejoined Rebecca and Agnes, Jemima glided across the room to Adam and grew uncomfortable when one of the wagoneers leered at her.
"Now there's a pretty girl. Come over here, sweetie," one of the wagoneers said, patting his leg. "Have a drink with us."
Instantly angry, Adam charged from behind the counter and scooped the offender out of his chair by the front of his shirt. "You don't talk to her that way, you belly crawling snake. In fact, you don't talk to any lady that way," he said with a rough edge in his voice.
"Didn't mean nothin' by it, boy," the wagoneer explained. "Just funnin'."
"You want some fun? I'll show you some fun," Adam reared his fist back and smashed it into the wagoneer's chin.
"Adam, stop!" Rebecca screamed. "Stop!"
Agnes raced to summon Daniel who was at the forge with her husband.
Adam landed another blow to the wagoneer's cheek and for good measure one to the midsection. "How's that for fun? Adam taunted him. "Want more?" He was about to deliver a final blow, but Daniel stayed his hand.
"Adam, step outside. Now!" Daniel ordered.
"But he..." Adam began to explain.
"Out!" Daniel commanded.
Without further argument, Adam did as Daniel instructed.
Daniel assisted the wagoneer to a chair opposite of his wagoneer friend who sat jeering at his partner. Not once did his companion interfere. He decided he wasn't worth getting beat up.
"What's going on here?" Daniel asked anybody who might know.
"He," Jemima said, pointing to the wagoneer Adam battered, "asked me to join them for a drink. Adam got mad about it and hit him a few times."
"Is that right?" Daniel asked the wagoneer.
The wagoneer nodded his head. "Cincinnatus, give them a meal on me," Daniel said, thinking that would pacify them.
"Thanks, mister. Thanks a lot," the wagoneer said.
Daniel leaned down so his face wasn't more than few inches from the wagoneer's face. "You speak to my daughter like that again and it won't be my young friend who'll finish you off," Daniel warned. "Apologize to her."
The wagoneer nodded his head in complete understanding. He didn't want to get mixed up with an overprotective father. "Sorry, miss," he said to Jemima who was standing with Rebecca, Agnes, and Cincinnatus. "I'll not bother you anymore," the wagoneer added then went back to his drinking.
"Cincinnatus, it doesn't look like Adam damaged anything," Daniel said, looking around the room.
Cincinnatus chuckled. "That's real nice of him not to make a mess of my place." He then returned to help Rebecca and Agnes with some white material.
Israel came on the run with Andy Rand on his heels. He looked disappointed as he entered the tavern. "Ah, gee," Israel said dismayed. "We missed the fight."
"Go back outside and play, Isra'l," Daniel told him.
The two boys scampered away as Daniel went to find Adam.
When he was a few feet from the tavern, Jemima shouted for her father. He turned to face his daughter who was just emerging from the tavern.
"Pa, you're not upset with Adam, are you? He thought he was protecting me and he did overreact, but..." Jemima said, before abruptly ending her thought.
"I'm just going to talk to him, 'Mima," Daniel explained.
She smiled at her father. "Thanks, Pa. I didn't want Adam to get into trouble on my account."
"If he were to get into trouble, it would be on his account not yours," Daniel expounded, squeezing his daughter's arm in affection.
Daniel scanned the interior of the fort and didn't locate Adam. Caleb told him he was outside the walls of the fort. Heading for the gate, Daniel wondered what he was going to say to the high explosive named Adam.
Pacing back and forth, Adam awaited the lecture he knew Daniel would deliver and if he got off that easy, he'd be lucky. Seeing him approach, Adam ceased pacing and prepared himself to be chided fiercely.
"Tell me what happened," Daniel told him when he came to stand beside him.
"That scum suggested that Jemima join him and his friend for a drink. Colonel, he had a sneer on his face that gave me the idea he was hardly a gentleman, if you understand what I mean," Adam explained.
"Then what happened," Daniel said.
"I told him not to speak to her that way and he said he was 'just funnin' and then I punched him," Adam stated accurately.
"You belted him more than once," Daniel said. "Did the wagoneer deserve the beating you gave him?"
Adam nodded his head. "Yes, he insulted Jemima and I couldn't stand by and do nothing."
"No, Adam, he'd only deserved what you delivered, if he continued to harass Jemima. All you had to do was warn him and if he didn't leave her alone then you would be justified to protect her anyway you could," Daniel explained. "Can you understand that?"
"You didn't see the look on his face, Colonel. If you had, you'd know I acted correctly," Adam argued.
"Where did you learn to lay into someone for a certain look?" Daniel asked.
"No where," Adam admitted. "But his intentions towards her were less than honorable. I had to defend her."
"Your view is distorted, Adam. This discussion isn't really about what happened moments ago. This is about your father and his treatment of you. You've been sitting on a powder keg of anger and resentment lately that you've managed to keep it in check until today. The fuse was lit, you exploded, and the wagoneer took it on the chin because of it," Daniel explained.
"Colonel, I've made no secret of my feelings towards my father but to suggest that I substituted the wagoneer for my father is..." Adam paused, thinking, "absolutely right. How did you know?"
"It wasn't hard. Angry young men eventually find someone or someones to vent their wrath. All that was required was the right circumstances," Daniel said.
"I realize that now, Colonel. I was out of line. I should have done as you suggested," Adam admitted.
"Fortunately, you caused no damage except to the wagoneer. There are still amends to make," Daniel said.
"Are you telling me I have to apologize to the sluggard?" Adam asked incredulously.
"Yes, and to everyone in the tavern," Daniel stated.
"Why must I apologize to him? He started it," Adam demanded.
"I thought I had made my point," Daniel said with a sigh. "You hit him first without sufficient reason. You owe him an apology. He apologized to Jemima."
"He did?" Adam asked with unbelief. "Well, I'm a better man than him," Adam said feeling a little indignant that the wagoneer did something that he was reluctant to do.
"Indeed you are," Daniel agreed.
"Did you lean on him to apologize?" Adam asked.
"A little," Daniel confessed.
"I knew it!" Adam said with a note of triumph in his voice. Daniel pressed the wagoneer into apologizing. It wasn't his own idea. That was a victory of sorts. Never mind the fact, Daniel was doing almost the same thing with Adam.
"Although you didn't handle this situation in the right way, I understand you're intention was to protect Jemima. That is to your credit and I thank you," Daniel told him. "I certainly don't have to be concerned with her welfare when you're around."
"I'll try to react better the next time," Adam promised.
"I'm sure you will. You have business in the tavern that needs your attention," Daniel said as he led Adam to the stockade gate.
"Yes, sir," Adam said compliantly.
Daniel and Adam marched back into the tavern with Israel and Andy following close behind. They were expecting another round of fighting but were sorely disappointed when Adam apologized to the wagoneers, the ladies, and finally to Cincinnatus.
As Daniel termed them, the women's secret society held another meeting at the Rand cabin some days later after the incident with the wagoneers. He, Israel, and Adam escorted Rebecca and Jemima directly to the Rand door where they disappeared inside.
"What are they doing in there, Pa?" Israel asked.
"Only they know that, Isra'l. Whatever it is, menfolk aren't allowed anywhere near," Daniel answered.
"We probably don't want to be," Adam added who was dressed in his regulation uniform as he'd been instructed but feeling naked without his rifle.
"I'm going to go play with Andy now, Pa," Israel announced.
"All right, son. Stay out of the Rand cabin. I won't save you from your ma," Daniel warned as he watched Israel join Andy for an afternoon of uninterrupted play and making it more enjoyable was that there were no women around to tell them not to be so rough.
"Adam, let's go have a drink," Daniel suggested.
Daniel and Adam entered the tavern to find Cincinnatus busy but not overly so. The men in the tavern greeted them and they returned it. Then they took the only open table, which was located farthest from the door. Cincinnatus nodded his head at the pair as Daniel signaled him to bring them liquid refreshment.
"Dan'l, see if you can pry Cincinnatus' lips open. He won't tell us what those women are up to," one man said.
"I promised them I wouldn't say a word about their activity," Cincinnatus said for what seemed the thousandth time as he poured drinks for Daniel and Adam.
"Fellas, it 'pears we're just goin' to have to wait until the women tell us. It wouldn't be right to cajole Cincinnatus into breaking a vow," Daniel said.
"Thank you, Dan'l," Cincinnatus said, serving the drinks to the tall woodsman and his soldier.
Adam sipped his cider in silence as Daniel drank his rum.
"I say we send that soldier boy in and he'll force them into a confession at the point of his bayonet," another man said which drew laughter from everyone else including Adam.
"Won't work," the first man who started the conversation said. "The boy would be mobbed by all those women."
"That may not be so bad," another said as laughter roared.
Adam was becoming a little uncomfortable with the attention. He knew he stood out dressed in his Continental uniform, but he allowed the good-natured kidding to continue. These men he had come to know. Most of them he had helped with their farms in some fashion. They were good men and meant him to harm.
"You boys better back off some," Daniel lightly warned. "You're embarrassing him."
"Just joshin' you, Adam," the first man spoke again.
"Understood," Adam said generously raising his mug to them.
"Ah, who cares anyway what them women are doing," another man said.
Caleb Rand entered the tavern and joined Daniel and Adam at their table. Cincinnatus immediately brought him a drink and refilled Daniel's cup. Adam hadn't drained his yet. "The boys are playing right outside the tavern, Dan'l," Caleb informed him.
"They shouldn't get into too much trouble there," Daniel concluded.
"Dan'l, is it true you run them lobsterbacks plum out of the country?" a man asked.
"He did," Adam piped in, "all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. The lobsterbacks jumped in and are swimming all the way to the land of the German tyrant unless a sea monster eats them first or Captain John Paul Jones picks them up and impresses them."
"That's quite a tale," Caleb remarked.
"He's been listening to Isra'l of late," Daniel explained.
"Boys, I suggest we retire to the outdoors for a shooting contest," one man suggested.
There was complete agreement among the group of men and they did just that. Cincinnatus came along who acted as an unbiased judge and coordinator of the contest.
"I say Dan'l Boone has to be excluded from the match," a man said. "No offense, Dan'l, but you'd win hands down. We were wanting a little competition."
"All right, fellas. In a way, I've just been pronounced the champion so we'll see who is my closest competitor," Daniel said.
The shooting contest was to take place not far from the fort. Israel and the other children played nearby but far enough away from the riflemen. Cincinnatus nailed a square sheet of paper onto the tree. Then he drew a small circle on it. He waved his hand to signal that all was ready.
The riflemen were two hundred yards away. The first man took his mark to shoot. His shot didn't land inside the circle, which eliminated him in the first round. The next man's shot did land inside the circle and he danced a little jig because he had qualified to advance to the next round. And so it went from one man to the next. Near the end of the first round only five men remained.
"Adam, take your mark," Caleb said.
"I can't, Mr. Rand," Adam explained. "I'm without my rifle."
"Use mine," Daniel offered, holding the weapon out to him.
Adam thought Daniel was kidding at first, but the seriousness on his face showed otherwise. "An honor, Colonel!" Adam said excitedly, taking Daniel's rifle into his hands. It had perfect balance and Adam judged it to be a fine rifle. He'd have to have one of these when he came to live permanently in Kentucky. "Is it agreed among all you that I participate?" Adam asked the entire group.
All nodded their heads except one man who happened to be advancing to the next round. "Have you ever fired Dan'l's rifle?" he asked.
"No," Adam replied honestly.
"Then shoot away," the one said, thinking Adam's chances were slim to hit the target.
"Good luck," Daniel told him.
Nodding, Adam took his mark. Raising Daniel's rifle, Adam drew a bead on the target. Squeezing the trigger, the lead ball leapt from the barrel and landed inside the circle.
"Nice shot," Daniel said.
"Looks like it's Dan'l's rifle we should exclude from these contests and not Dan'l," Caleb said to the amusement of the group.
"Now, Caleb, you're claiming Adam here wasn't responsible for that great shot," Daniel said, clapping Adam on the shoulder.
Cincinnatus replaced the target as all the men moved five yards away. Waving his hand again, the first man took his mark. He missed. The second hit. The third missed. The fourth missed. The fifth hit.
At last came Adam's turn. Having carefully loaded Daniel's rifle, Adam took his mark. His shot landed inside the circle. Adam smiled.
Everyone moved another five yards away so they were two hundred ten yards away. Cincinnatus signaled once more. The first man's shot hit. The second missed.
If Adam missed, the first man would be the champion. Adam wanted to win not just for himself but for Daniel. It'd give Daniel a reason to be proud of him and Adam needed that. He didn't understand why, but he did. Adam took his mark and time. The shot landed inside the circle. There was excited shouting from the men. Now, only two contestants remained.
The group moved to two hundred fifteen yards away as Cincinnatus reset the target and signaled all was in readiness.
"I suggest Adam go first this time," the first man said.
"All right," Adam agreed as he reloaded Daniel's rifle. Taking his mark, Adam took a couple of deep breaths then leveled the rifle and fired. The lead ball landed barely inside the circle. Adam sighed with a relief.
"You cut that one close," Daniel told Adam.
"Just making it interesting," Adam said, smiling.
The first man shot his rifle and the lead ball hit the target.
"Wow wee, boys!" Caleb shouted. "We got us a contest."
Another five yards out and at a distance of two hundred twenty yards, the men's excitement grew. Bets were placed as Cincinnatus set up for the next round. He wearily signaled again.
Adam once more took his mark. Squeezing off another shot, Adam knew it was miss before it hit the tree. The feel wasn't right. The lead ball hit slightly outside the circle. Disappointed, Adam went to stand beside Daniel, returning the rifle to its proper owner.
Placing a consoling arm across Adam's shoulders, Daniel commended, "Excellent display of marksmanship."
"Not quite excellent enough I'm afraid," Adam said.
"It's not over yet, Adam," Daniel said.
The first man took his mark and shot his rifle. As Adam expected, the ball hit the target.
"It's over now," Adam said to Daniel. Then he congratulated the man.
"Had you had your own rifle, I have no doubt you would've won this contest hands down," Daniel said, convincingly.
"I'm not so certain. He's good, real good," Adam said.
"But not as good as Dan'l," Caleb said. "The others are going back to the tavern. You boys comin'?"
"Sure," Daniel said.
Motioning for Israel to join them, Daniel and Adam waited for the boy.
"Yes, Pa?" Israel asked when he approached his father, walking beside Andy Rand.
"We're going back inside the fort now," Daniel told him.
The two boys ran ahead of Daniel, Caleb, and Adam.
"I was pulling for you all the way, Adam," Caleb said. "Since you came in second, your prize is a mug of cider and rum for you, Dan'l. I'll buy." "Thank you, Mr. Rand, for the support and the cider," Adam said. "I did work up a thirst."
"Very kind of you, Caleb," Daniel put in.
Leaving Israel outside, Adam was the first through the door and went to the counter to get his mug of cider. Glancing upward, he saw a man entering Cincinnatus' upper room and he knew exactly who that man was. Glaring at Cincinnatus who was standing on the other side of the counter, Adam angrily asked, "Why didn't you tell me he was here?" Then he charged towards the stairs, snatched a sizable piece of firewood, and took the steps two at a time. Daniel was immediately following him.
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