Drew’s enthusiasm was contagious, and the mood of the entire expedition lightened. Will was glad the reconnaissance endeavor had succeeded. Even Jonah quit his grousing.

Soon we’ll be back in Klamath, Will thought. Then what will I do?

That evening, Drew called Will to his tent. “I have a fair amount to write this evening,” the colonel said, then paused to light a cigar. “Will you take my notes?”

“Yes, sir,” Will said, trying not to show surprise. He sat at the table, picked up a quill, and dipped it into the inkwell. Would Drew berate him again about joining the expedition without his parents’ consent? It seemed not, as Drew immediately launched into a summary of their journey, as if nothing had happened.

“We have accomplished our mission through the country between Fort Klamath and the Owyhee region,” Drew dictated. “Our contributions to the nation are the following: First, we have explored this part of the country, of which little was previously known. Second—Are you keeping up with me?”

“Yes, sir,” Will said, writing furiously.

“Second, we have maintained peaceful relations between the Indians and the white citizens of the land. The hostile chief Paulina was unsuccessful in his plans to attack us.” Drew paused with a frown, then continued, “Third, we have discovered many hiding places of the Snake and Paiute tribes, which will enable us to thwart their advances in the future. Fourth, although not part of our original mission, we provided for the safe conduct of several wagon trains that had been attacked by Indians.” He pointed his cigar at Will. “You still with me?”

“Yes, sir.” He thought Drew had overstated their accomplishments in discovering Indian locations, but he didn’t want to get crosswise with the colonel again.

“Fifth, we have found a new route from Northern California and from Southern and Middle Oregon to the Owhyee and Boise regions. This route shaves fully two hundred miles off the Humboldt trail and affords better grass and water with more regular camps than any path previously used. Sixth, this route opens a line for direct communications between Fort Klamath and Fort Boise and shortens the old Southern Oregon Emigrant Road by several hundred miles.”

Drew had Will read back the transcription. The colonel made a few corrections, then sent Will away without any mention of his transgressions.

The next day, the militia unit continued its descent into Goose Lake Valley. As they traveled, Will thought again about his return home. First, of course, he and Jonah would have to get themselves from Fort Klamath to Oregon City. If Jonah even wanted to go home.

“Jonah,” he asked his friend, “are you staying with Joel when we get back to Klamath, or are you ready to go home?”

“I ain’t done any prospectin’ yet,” Jonah said. “I’d like to stay.”

“What’s Joel say?” Will asked. He didn’t relish the idea of traveling north on the Applegate Trail by himself. After these months with the Army, he knew he could do it, but two weeks alone didn’t sound appealing. If he’d learned anything on this expedition, it was that men needed each other for support in the wilderness.

Joel had overheard Jonah’s answer, and he responded to Will’s question. “You’re goin’ home, boy,” Joel said to Jonah. “Maybe I’ll even go with you. I might have a hankerin’ for Esther’s cookin’.”

Chapter 54: Traveling to Klamath

Jenny helped Mac search the attic for blankets, camp utensils, and other necessities he hadn’t used since camping with William and Caleb a few years earlier. He hadn’t traveled in the wilderness in a long time.

On the morning of October 6, when Daniel arrived at their door ready to depart, she kissed her husband goodbye. “You’ll reach Eugene tonight, won’t you? And stay in a hotel?” She snugged Mac’s coat around his neck as if he were no older than Nate.

“Yes, the real trek doesn’t begin until tomorrow.” He held her close and kissed her.

She breathed in his scent, wishing she could keep him with her, even though she’d urged him to go. After a last hug, she turned Mac toward Daniel, who waited patiently on his mare with a pack mule in tow behind him. “Can Daniel’s mule carry enough food for you both?” Jenny asked, already worrying about Mac as much as William.

Mac leaned over and kissed her again. “I’ll bring Will home safely,” he said, then mounted Valiente to ride to the steamboat dock.

After the men left, Jenny and Maria sat silently in the parlor sewing. Andrew lay in a basket at Jenny’s feet, and Rufus snored and woofed on the floor by Maria. “Penny for your thoughts,” Jenny said to her daughter after a while.

“Just worrying about Pa and Will,” Maria said.

“I am, too.” Jenny sighed. Then she looked at Maria. “Have you ever thought about going back to school? After William returns, of course.”

Maria shook her head. “I didn’t like the girls in town. And they didn’t like me.”

“What if we looked for a school in another town?” Jenny picked up another pair of pants to patch.

“Leave home?” Maria’s voice rose an octave. “Oh, Mama.”

“I don’t want you to go either,” Jenny said. “But we must consider what’s best for your future.”

Andrew let out a muffled cry. “Shh,” Jenny crooned, “you’ll meet your oldest brother soon. Your papa will bring him home. Until then, Maria and I will take care of you.” Then she told Maria, “We won’t decide until Mac and William are back, but I want you to think about it.”

Mac and Daniel rode to the steamboat dock in Oregon City and bought their tickets. They repeated the journey they took earlier in the year after hearing the boys were sighted in Eugene.

The boat trip up the Willamette River was lovely this time of year—the maples and cottonwoods turning bright colors, the autumn air crisp and cool. Mac was glad of his woolen coat and scarf against the chill from the water, but it was a beautiful day to be on the boat.

“How long you reckon it’ll take us to ride to Klamath?” Daniel asked.

Mac shrugged. “A week or ten days. It’s roughly two-hundred and fifty miles from Eugene to Klamath, and we’re both seasoned riders with little baggage.”

Daniel grinned. “Maybe I’m seasoned, but you’re a city man now. Gettin’ soft, I suppose.”

“We’ll see.” Mac clapped Daniel on the back. “I can still ride horseback all day if I have to.”

“And your horse is gettin’ old,” Daniel ribbed Mac further. “Valiente’s over twenty now, ain’t he?”

“I think he’s twenty-three this year.” Mac squinted at his mount. “His muzzle’s turning gray, but his spirit’s strong.”

“How many colts has he sired? The two I bought from you are the best horses I ever had.”

“I haven’t kept count.” Mac chuckled. “It’s hard enough to keep track of the children I’ve fathered.”

Their banter continued as the steamboat headed south.

The boat arrived in Eugene late that afternoon, and after a night in the hotel, Mac and Daniel mounted their horses to head south. They stopped first to talk to the storekeeper who’d spotted Will months earlier. The man had not seen the boys, nor heard anything about them.

“Not surprising,” Mac said, as they remounted after leaving the store. “We know they’re out in the field with Colonel Drew.”

They rode south out of town. Pushing hard that first day, the two men made twenty-five miles before stopping to camp in a glade along the trail. The next day, they rode hard again and reached Roseburg.

“What say I spring for a room in a hotel tonight?” Mac asked.

Daniel chortled. “I said you was goin’ soft. That why you need a bed?”

“You’re almost as old as I am,” Mac said. “Bet you’d appreciate a comfortable bed.”