“We’re pursuing grants from Congress,” Pengra said. “We hope the federal government will deed public lands along the road to our company in compensation for the public good our road will achieve. Then we can sell the land to finance the road construction and compensate our investors.”
“You think the government will award you land?” Mac queried. “Isn’t that premature?”
“Railroads receive grants of this nature. Our road is the first step toward rail development in this portion of Oregon.” Pengra folded his arms across his belly. “If we can obtain alternate sections of public lands along the road’s right of way, same as the railroads are granted, then we will be able to profit from our enterprise.” He leaned toward Mac. “Are you with us?”
Mac considered the matter. Oregon could not grow without better roads. Ultimately, a railroad would be necessary to tie the state to the East. But as Pengra said, a road would have to come before the railroad. He nodded. “I am. What do you need from me?”
“At this point, we want a pledge for one thousand dollars,” Pengra said, as the other men smiled at Mac. “Whether we will need more funds depends on how soon we complete the survey and whether Congress acts expeditiously. Of course, we cannot promise any profit from this enterprise, though we believe future land sales will justify our investments.”
“In other words,” Mac said, raising an eyebrow, “you can’t predict what will happen.”
Pengra shrugged. “We have no control over Congress, though there are several representatives who favor our cause. But there will be no profits until after the road is built and we sell the lands Congress grants us.”
“I’ll invest at this point because I agree Oregon needs better roads,” Mac said. “But I cannot commit to anything more than the thousand dollars you are asking for now. Not until your plans for this enterprise are more certain.”
Pengra nodded. “I understand.”
After the meeting, Mac had a little time before the steamship departed on its downstream trip to Oregon City. The day was warm, and it was a pleasure to wander outside in the commercial area near the dock.
He saw a store he’d patronized before, a general store near the river. He strolled inside to buy candy for the children. He gathered licorice strips and peppermints, as well as the hard lemon candies Jenny liked, and took them to the counter. As he counted out the coins, he told the proprietor the candy was for his family back in Oregon City.
“Saw your son in here a few weeks back, Mr. McDougall,” the proprietor said. “He and another boy.”
“My son?” Mac asked in surprise.
The man nodded. “I recollect you and him comin’ in my store last summer. He didn’t give his name, but his companion called him Will. That’s your boy’s name, ain’t it?”
“Will was here? When?” To his own ears, Mac’s tone sounded strident.
The storekeeper’s eyebrows shot up. “I don’t rightly remember the date,” he said. “Sometime early in May, I suppose. I ain’t as good with dates as with names and faces.” He frowned. “Is there a problem?”
“Will ran away,” Mac said. “We haven’t seen him since late April. This is the first news I’ve had of his whereabouts. Did they say where they were headed?”
“I don’t think they did,” the man said, stroking his beard.
“Did he mention Jacksonville?” Mac asked, thinking of Joel Pershing. Will didn’t know anyone else to the south. “Or a Joel Pershing?”
The proprietor shook his head. “I think I woulda remembered if he’d said a name, but I don’t.”
The blast of the steamboat sounded, signaling its imminent departure. Mac debated whether to stay in Eugene another day and ask others in town whether they’d seen Will. But Jenny expected him tonight. “Let me leave you my address in Oregon City,” he told the storeowner. “Please send word if you remember anything else.”
As he rode the steamboat north, Mac wondered how Jenny would take the meager news. All the storekeeper knew for certain was that a boy had been in his store, a boy whose companion called him Will. The man hadn’t heard Jonah’s name. He hadn’t heard Joel’s name. He hadn’t heard any reference to Jacksonville. It was the flimsiest of information.
Jenny sat in their room lengthening Nate’s trousers as she waited for Mac to get home. She expected him shortly before supper, soon after the steamboat was scheduled to dock.
He arrived when she’d predicted. “How was your business?” she asked when he came upstairs.
“Fine,” he said. “Pengra and his partners have thought through their plans. I think their road is worth my investment, though their goals may be overly optimistic.” He described the meeting.
She listened with half an ear. “So your trip was worthwhile?” she asked when he finished, turning back to her mending.
“For more reasons than that.” Mac hesitated, then blurted, “A storekeeper in Eugene thinks he saw Will a few weeks ago.”
“William!” Feeling her heart jump, Jenny dropped the half-hemmed trousers to the floor. “In Eugene? Why would he go there?”
Mac held up his hands. “All the man said was that two boys came into his store, one called the other Will, and he thought one boy looked like our Will. I’d taken Will into the store last year.”
“When did this happen?” she asked, wanting every bit of information Mac could give her.
“He wasn’t sure. Sometime in early May.”
She stood and grabbed Mac’s lapels. “You have to go back to search for him.”
“Jenny, I questioned the man as best I could. He didn’t know where Will was headed. If it was Will. He wasn’t sure. And I’m not either. As you said, why would Will go to Eugene?”
“But it’s our only clue,” Jenny protested. “We need to tell Esther and Daniel. Maybe Daniel can go after them.” She paced the room. “Esther’s confinement is so soon. Daniel can’t go.” Her skirts whirled as she turned back to Mac. “You have to return to Eugene.”
“Let me talk to Daniel. I’ll go see him tomorrow,” Mac said.
The next morning, June 2, Mac left for Daniel’s farm shortly after breakfast. He spoke to Esther at their house. “There’s been a possible sighting of the boys in Eugene,” he told her, and he described his encounter with the storekeeper.
“Was it Jonah and Will?” she asked, pressing her hands to her chest above her swollen belly. “Have we found them?”
“Not yet,” Mac cautioned. “Possibly they were in Eugene a month or so ago. We aren’t sure. And we don’t know where they went from there.”