A Very Present Help

● BREAD UPON THE WATERS
Chapter 3
As Elizabeth sat in front of her fireplace that evening, washing the garden soil from her feet, she began to feel uneasy for some reason. She wondered if she should add another log to the fire before bedtime. Although it was mid-April, the night still held a chill that crept into every corner of their little home.
She looked around at her surroundings. She was grateful for her home. Humble as it was, they were comfortable and secure here....
Making a mental list of their supplies always added to Elizabeth’s sense of security, so… she asked herself again, why am I so disquieted this evening? She remembered the dark clouds she had seen gathering in the west and the sudden cooling of the evening breeze. There must be a storm coming, she thought. She arose and walked to the side window and looked out toward the stock pens to see if she could catch a glimpse of Jimmy.
That boy is so slow, she thought. She wished he would let her help him do the chores but he was twelve and a half now and seemed to want to take on more responsibility. He’s becoming a man, she concluded with pride and some sadness. They had grown very close in these last two years since their mothers’s death...
Jimmy knew that Elizabeth was a smart girl. She had taken over the house quite efficiently and worked hard and he wanted to do the same. Now with Papa gone to doctor the people of Concord, he was the man of the house and he was determined to be the papa until his own returned.
Not seeing Jimmy at the cow pen or chicken coop, Elizabeth walked to the back window and peered into the yard. Her eyes followed the slope to the river. In the gathering darkness she could barely make out a movement at the mill house. At first she thought it might be Jimmy. Then she realized that the wind had kicked up and the mill house door was open and slamming back and forth.
She listened to the muffled banging in the distance and the howl of the wind as it whipped around the corner of the house. “I thought I closed that door this morning!” she said to no one in particular... Jimmy appeared in the chicken coop door just in time to see his sister run down the hill, still yelling over her shoulder. “Hurry up and get done! Dark is coming on and I think there’s a storm brewing! I’m going down to close the mill house door!”
He cupped his hand behind his ear to catch her words but the wind blew them away before they reached him. With a shrug, he resumed his work.
Elizabeth crossed at the log bridge. The spring thaw and rains had swollen the river so that the bridge, trembled from the force as water roared close underneath it. It swished and sprayed and dampened her shoes when she stepped onto it. ...
Once on the other side, she hurried to the door and caught it just as it flew open. She set the lantern on the ground, and reached around in front for the leather strap. Just as she was about to close it, she caught a glimpse of something on the floor of the mill. Prickly little hairs stood up on the back of Elizabeth’s neck and she held her breath. She stared at the object for a moment because it didn’t make sense to her. Her mind scrambled to grasp the meaning of what she was seeing. It was a shoe! She lifted the lantern higher. What she saw then made her knees go weak. She held the door tightly and leaned against it. Fear immobilized her when she realized in that moment, that there was a foot in the shoe and a leg attached to the foot!
She stifled a scream, then turned and raced back toward the river. As she bounded onto the bridge, her thoughts broke through the fear. She stopped halfway across. Wait! Who was that? Maybe it was a dead man! Or maybe he wasn’t dead!
Even so she proceeded to run but as she reached the opposite side of the river she stopped again. Maybe he’s hurt, she said to herself. Oh, what would Papa do?
The thought of her father began to calm her and she answered her own question. Elizabeth knew that her father was the bravest, most compassionate man she knew. He wasn’t afraid of anyone but God. She knew that Papa would investigate the matter before he ran away. She whispered a prayer in the darkness, “Lord, please protect me and help me be brave like Papa!” After a moment’s hesitation she took a deep breath and lifted the lantern searching through the darkness again for Jimmy. All she could make out around the house was a faint light coming through the two back windows that emanated from the fireplace. She turned and headed back to the mill house. The door was still banging as she approached, cautiously this time. “Well I know one thing. He’s not just asleep. That banging door would wake the dead!” a shudder ran through her but she continued. There was an axe handle lying by the side of the building so she picked it up to prop open the door, then she slowly stepped inside. She had to force herself to take a closer look at the man lying face down before her on the dirt floor. He hadn’t moved. As she perused the body she noted the bloody, swollen left leg and the torn, soiled uniform. She smelled the blood and body odors and her stomach went a little queasy.
A redcoat, thought Elizabeth. She’d seen them on the streets of Boston as they strutted about with their guns and swords slung by their sides. They were a proud looking bunch with an air of superiority about them. But this one didn’t look proud. He looked dead!...