In the last part Ben and Beth deviated to a timbering operation where Beth taught their cook how to bake biscuits and Ben save men from catastrophe.

^^^^^^^^^^

“I think I’m beginning to understand,” Beth said, gently snapping the reins as Ben had instructed. Not that the snapping was necessary, the team was doing much better. Beth suggested that they feared return to the timber business, so they would straighten themselves up.

Ben didn’t disagree.

“About the calling?”

Beth nodded.

“One day at a time. Being open, continually yielded to the Holy Spirit.”

Beth nodded.

They both looked off to the nearby river.

“Before you go getting your hopes up," Beth said, "my math is telling me that you need another couple days off.”

“What, you don’t want a baby?”

“Not particularly while we’re camping out. But yes. And I’m not afraid.”

Ben looked at her with compassion… and love. “They said the town of Leggett was up here. Shouldn’t be too far, but the horses are getting tired,” Ben said.

“The next creek? Or go back to the last one?” Beth asked, her voice indicating she was good either way.

“Next.”

They were both glad of the choice. Good water access, a nice flat surface for the tent. A rock fire pit from a previous camper. And good grass for the horses.

“Any biscuits left?” Ben asked with a smile in his voice.

Beth smiled. “They are good, aren’t they. Considering the shape of that stove, I think God had a very great deal to do with how they came out.”

“It was all you, my beautiful bride, all you.”

They kissed, passionately.

“We’ll see the next time I bake some,” Beth said doubtfully.

“Now don’t go speaking negative. You prophesy yourself into baking bricks.”

“Ohpsh. I would never serve you bricks for bread! Cut me some sticks and we’ll toast them to go with the salt pork.”

+++

With none of the small-town hotels appealing to either one of them, and God not asking them to linger anywhere, they continued their journey, reaching what signage called The Avenue of the Giants. They’d both seen larger redwoods, but the road through the forest of 2,000-year-old trees was awe-inspiring. They were in a continual state of praise as they meandered through.

Ben stopped the team, holding up his hand, meaning that they should listen.

“Did you see that?” Beth asked, looking off into the woods to their left.

“No, but I felt it.”

Ben set the wagon brake and climbed down, helping Beth, a courtesy, since she could easily climb down herself.

They both began walking into the forest in the direction of their earlier interest.

“If you see a bear cub,” Ben said. “Run as fast as you can back to the back side of the wagon.

Ben drew his knife, wishing he’d brought the rifle that was packed away.

“There!” Beth cried. “Something white. Cloth, I think.”

Ben ran, following her point. Forty or fifty yards away he found a small child of about three years old, wearing a white shirt, or at least what was white at one time. The toddler was hoarse enough to only make a rasping whimper, and tired enough to drop, which he had.

“Get him some water!” Ben said, as they both ran to the wagon, Ben carrying the boy.

At the wagon, they stripped him, washed him and succored him as best they could while attempting to get a nearly unconscious toddler to drink.

“I’ll wet a rag for him to suck on,” Beth said as Ben settled him onto a pallet of sorts on the wagon.

“What do you think. Ben? Take him somewhere?”

“His parents could be searching in any direction. I feel like the best thing would be to sit here. Stay put until someone shows up.”

Beth nodded. “You can take care of the horses. I’ll watch him. You know, Ben. If we’d stopped at any of those hotels … Or even at one of the restaurants… Or if Perkins hadn’t asked me to show Chuck how to use baking powder and to fold… If anything, we would have missed him.”

+++

“Ben, today’s the third day.” Beth hated to say it so obviously, so stupidly, but that was the way it came out.

“Yeah. We better load up.”

“They could be just a mile up the road, sitting, waiting, making circle after circle around and around.”

Ben saw an absurdity in the logic, but kept silent, knowing that some form of the point could be true.

“We can make inquiries in town, stay there a day or so, see if there’s someone to take him,” Ben suggested as he harnessed the horses.

Beth watched the boy play at the fire that she would have to soon douse. The thought had crossed her mind more than just a few times whether God had given him to them. She wondered whether Ben had felt the same, but was determined not to be the one to mess with his calling.

The next town was Garberville. The first business they came to that appeared occupied was the Post Office.

“Welcome to Garberville. I’m the Postmaster, Zachariah Garber. Named the town after myself. Post Office asked me the name. And I told ‘em right then and there it became Garberville. Tried for the whole name: ZachariahGarberville. Had to settle. Oh well, as they say. What can I do ya for? Heh, heh.”

“Anybody missing a little boy? Two, three-year-old? Any posters looking for a little boy?” Ben looked around the lobby.

“Only posters allowed out there are wanted posters. Dead or Alive, sometimes. Like the old west. Shoot ‘em, and drag ‘em to town. Boy that would be something. Put Garberville on the map.”

“Thanks anyway.” Ben left. But not quickly enough to suit him.

He shook his head to Beth and they moved on into town.

No one in town knew anything, had heard anything about a missing boy, and didn’t recognize him as belonging to anyone.

“What now?” Beth asked. “What does this do to your calling. Maybe I’m the problem. Maybe I caused your calling to go astray.” Beth put herself into a funk.

“No Beth. Too much proving otherwise. Maybe the little guy is the calling.”

Beth looked at the toddler. “How long we gonna call him Little Guy?”

They returned to the general store that was closed earlier.

“Found a kid, you say.” The old woman of at least sixty careened her head to look at him. “Same color hair as her. Was a man and woman in here, tornado … what day is this? Friday? Guess it was Tuesday, maybe Monday, anyway, she asked if I had canned food a youngun could eat. Potted meat, or beans, she was after. Her fam’ly stayed out. Never seen them. But had hair like his. Little bit a’ red. Wouldn’t you say he had a little bit a’ red in his hair?”

“Did you sell her any food?” Ben asked.

“Naw. Found some later. But she lit out. Said they could just do without, then. Like it was my fault. I’m calculatin’ he’s hers.”
“Which way did they go? Did you see?”

“Naw, I was still looking for the potted meat. I was on a search by then.”

“Did they have a wagon? Were they horseback?”

“Afoot when they come in here.”

Ben shook his head. “Well, if anyone come looking, would you tell them we went north?”

“Uh-huh. North.”

Beth and Ben were at the door with the little guy when the old woman yelled out. “Road outta town don’t go north. Stops. You gotta go back south to the Redwood Road. Then which way you goin’?”

“North,” Beth said when Ben wouldn’t.

“Redway just a couple miles,” she shouted.

“I’ll … if I had to talk to that woman every day, I’d run off into the woods myself,” Ben declared.

At Redway they were met with shouts and cheers. “Somebody run git Edna!” Beth and Ben heard. They continued on until a man stopped them, holding out his arms for the boy.

“That’s my grandson,” the man said. He didn’t appear much older than Ben.

“Somebody said the robbers of him took out west, cross the Eel. They might’ve made out like they were. You come from Garberville?” the man asked.

“Yes,” Beth answered.

“Edna gonna be mighty pleased. Posse lit out west toward Briceland. You know there’s some mean folk out there. An’ when a woman loses a child to some pox ‘r other. Well …”

“Andy!” The screech could be heard long before they saw the woman running. They did see little Andy snap his head to the sound.

Beth and Ben looked to one another, both sighing in relief.

At Edna’s supper table, her husband still to the west in search of the boy. Beth and Ben shared what they knew, speculating that the child robbers crossed the Eel going south, staying off the road, maybe staying to the river. There was no telling how the boy got loose of them. But somehow he did, and made it to where Ben and Beth could see him.

After the splendid meal, much of it brought in by neighbors, they spent the night in a hotel, courtesy of the town, the hot bath included. Ben and Beth were once again on their way.

+++

“You know…”

Both of them chuckled, both of them saying the same words at the same time.

After making eye contact, Ben started out. “This whole kid thing might’ve been a test.”

“I was thinking the same. Are we ready to start a family?”

“I have to admit, I had some negative thoughts about the idea,” Ben admitted.

Beth nodded. “If I get pregnant, I just do. But in the meanwhile, I’ll try to make sure my counting is as accurate as I can.”

Ben nodded. “That mean…”

“No, darling. Today is safe.” She hugged his arm as he snapped the reins for no apparent reason.