“Gold?” Will asked.
“These mines are mostly copper,” Drew replied. “Though the miners in these parts claim there is gold and silver as well.” He asked one miner, “What are you burning to run the mill?”
“Sage.” The man grinned through black teeth. “Lotta sage in these parts.”
“That there is,” Drew said. “What about Indians?”
“A lotta them, too,” the man said. “Savages raid us every so often. So far, all they done is steal horses and a few cattle.”
“Why do you stay when it’s so dangerous?” Will couldn’t help himself from interjecting.
“If’n we strike gold or silver,” the miner said, “we’ll be rich.”
“You do have some means of protecting yourself, don’t you?” Drew asked.
“We all got rifles,” the prospector said, grinning again.
“How many of you are there in this camp?” Drew asked.
The miner shrugged. “Men come and go. Maybe thirty of us now.”
Drew snorted. “And you think you can fend off a band of Paiute warriors?”
After they wandered through the mining camp for an hour, Drew motioned his men to depart. “These men are blind to everything except the possibility of gold and silver,” he commented to Will as they rode away from the mine. “They’re essentially gamblers.”
“What will you do about them?” Will asked.
Drew sighed. “The militia is required to protect them, whether or not they’re reasonable. A few rifles won’t keep the tribes away.” He waved an arm to encompass the mountain and valley beneath it. “We need an Army presence in the area. Part of our mission on this expedition is to find the best location for it.”
Jonah was upset when Will returned. “You got to see the mine, and I didn’t,” he said. “I come south to mine for gold and I ain’t seen nothin’ about minin’ yet. Only the one day pannin’ with Joel in Jacksonville.”
Will shrugged. “There wasn’t much to see. Just a lot of sluices and rock piles.”
Joel chortled. “I guess you ain’t got the prospectin’ bug, Will,” he said. Then he turned to his younger brother. “If it’s mines you want, Jonah, I’ll take you to the mines around Jacksonville when we get back.”
Chapter 44: Letter from Will
Jenny rolled pie dough flat and filled pie pans as she helped Mrs. O’Malley with supper preparations. Maggie stood on a chair beside her mother and patted a bit of the dough into a little lump. “See, Mama,” the toddler said. “I make pie, too.”
“Yes, dear,” Jenny said. “We’ll get you some berries to go with your crust in a minute.”
Maria rushed in. “Esther Abercrombie is here,” she said. “She’s brought a letter from Will.”
Jenny dropped her rolling pin on the table and wiped her hands on her apron. Lifting a flour-covered Maggie onto her hip, she hurried toward the entry.
Esther stood in the front hall waving two letters, one opened and the other still sealed. “I got a letter from Jonah,” she exclaimed. “And brought you a letter, too. Must be from Will. They’re safe. They’re with Joel, working for some militia unit.” She prattled on about what Jonah had said as she handed Jenny the sealed letter.
Jenny set Maggie down, tore open the letter, and read aloud, “Dear Mama—”
“It is from Will,” Maria murmured, clasping her hands as she peered over Jenny’s shoulder.
Jenny beamed at Maria. “Yes,” she said. “It’s William. He’s well.” She led the others into the parlor. “But what are they doing with the militia?” she asked, as she continued to read.
“Joel will keep them safe,” Esther said, smiling.
“But it’s war time,” Jenny said. “Any form of military service must bring some danger.”
“We’ll talk to Pa,” Maria said. “He’ll know.”
“I do wish the boys would come home,” Esther said. “What in tarnation made them leave here anyway?”
“We should send Mac and Daniel after them,” Jenny said. But with the news about Mac’s father, Mac would be torn—he was considering a trip to Boston.
As soon as Esther left, Jenny put on her bonnet and walked downtown to Mac’s office, taking Will’s letter with her. While Mac read, Jenny paced the room. “Now that we know where the boys are,” she said, “we have to go after them. But you also need to see your father. Maybe Daniel can go by himself. Though they have the new baby, and the harvest will start soon.” Jenny couldn’t stay still as she spoke, worried about how to get William home.
“Before either Daniel or I set out, let’s see if we can learn something about the boys from here,” Mac said.
Jenny turned to him. “But a letter will take so long. Even to Fort Klamath, which is where he posted his letter. And that’s the only place we know to write.”
Mac smiled. “But now we have the telegraph.”
“Oh, would you?” Jenny said. She hadn’t thought about the telegraph, even though Mac now used it regularly for business and to communicate with his family back East. “Then we can decide if you should go to Boston or Klamath.”
