Chapter 2

It was eight o'clock p.m. in the town of, Abbeville. In the middle of town, stands a huge white building with twirled pillars, and woodcraft that is pleasant to the eye. The bar was just a few short walks from the town's courthouse. Jean Leon was the owner of the establishment. He arrived in Abbeville just a few short months ago setting up his bar to make money, and found Abbeville very rewarding. He hired a few ladies that lived nearby, most were single. Work was hard for woman to find in Abbeville and Jean kept his bar full and the township would gather, and talk about the prevailing war in Georgia.

Elizabeth Stuart worked for Jean in his bar. She was an elegant beautiful woman with brunette-hair and blue-eyes. She counted the hours as she waited for the Sara to arrive in Abbeville. She'd prance the floors impatiently, anticipating the reunion of her closest friend Rebecca.

She walked across the floor as if she floated in elegance with a long-sleeved dress that made men look twice and look again.

"The night is humid isn't, Jean." she asked.

"The mild summers are getting "hotter," Jean replied.

He held a glass in his hand and wiped it down with a cloth. "I have a feeling that if Yankee's come in from the north it will hurt my business."

"Maybe, it won't be that bad, Elizabeth said, I hear that Georgia is going to fight, and some of them confederate soldiers are young boys."

"Surely to be men when it's over," Jean said.

"God, help us on this one, Elizabeth took her finger and touched it slightly against her red-lips and then gently placed her finger over on Jeans, I'll be here with you, no matter how bad it gets, don't worry so much."

"You look pale tonight! Jean, would you like me to take over for you?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well, that's my Elizabeth," Jean said, and he smiled, turned around and walked to his chair and sat down.

"You are a very pretty lady, do I get the feeling that perhaps your asking me to waltz with you in harmony?" Jean said.

Elizabeth looked at him as she gently walked away "maybe," she said, and batted her eyes at him.

The children huddled close to their mothers on the Sara. Boys could be seen looking across the way dressed in their Flock suits.

"Mr. Duke, are we going to be out here all night?" the boy said.

"No, we have two-hours till we reach Queensland, and then we will proceed to Abbeville."

" I don't much like the river its kind of spooky don't you think?" Mr. Duke, the boy asked.

"Duke kneeled down, and he held the boy by the hand and told him, have you ever heard of the little Cherokee Indian girl that stayed alone in the woods for three nights and four days?" Duke asked.

"No Sir!" the boy said.

"Well, it's like this young man, one day she got separated from her tribe, it was cold and dark, her mother searched and searched for her and their entire tribe set out to find that little girl, and four days later they found her nestled up against a tree."

" She told them that an angel of high spirits looked after her until she was found," Duke said.

"Duke sighed, took a deep breath and told him, she was brave to stay out in the woods all by herself until she was found, but I would like for you to be brave too."

"Yes, I will," the boy said.

"What's your name son?"

"Thomas Hall, Sir."

"Thomas are you going to be brave tonight?"

"Yes," Mr. Duke.

"Good than, we are going to be all right."

Duke rubbed the hair on his head and stood up and he reached in his vest pocket and pulled out an Indian arrowhead.

"Here, I want you to have this."

"Thomas was astonished, is that an Indian arrow head? " he asked.

"Yes, Duke said, keep it for good luck."

Thomas ran over to his mother Martha and showed what Duke had given him. He told her it was for luck.

"How sweet, now you stop bothering the captain."Martha said.

"Yes, ma'am," Thomas replied, he sat down and started shining up his Indian arrowhead.

Duke called Frank, over to the captains cabin.

"Frank, do you hear that up ahead?"

"Yes! he said.

Duke looked on, with a frightened look in his eyes.

"Those are rapids near the West Bank," he said. The water must have dropped some since the last time we made this trip.

"Frank raised his right arm and laid his hand upon Dukes shoulder, we'll make it, I got faith," Frank said.

"We need more than faith." Duke replied.

Duke turned and rubbed his face as he called down below to the engine crew and and ordered full-ahead starboard.

" Frank yelled to Duke, " tallyho," and winked."

Rebecca looked and smiled in Frank's eyes. Have you any mind for children?" she asked.

"Yes," Rebecca. Children are wonderful, I want to have this many, as he sprung up and threw his arms out." Frank smiled.

"Perhaps, Rebecca said. "Let me see what your famous lines will be. Let me think now. You want me to be the mother of your children, right?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm falling in love with you, Rebecca. Frank said.

Rebecca blushed; she leaned over and kissed Frank on the cheek.

"Let's wait and see shall we?"

"Gladly with honor as long as it takes," Frank said.

''She pulled Frank closer to her body. She wasn't sure how to say what she had been contemplating for the last forty-five minutes. "Her hands tightened up in a ball" Frank, look at me darling," she said. "Yes I will marry you."

Frank began to shake and tremble. He wisked off his hat in the air and spread his arms out and yelled to all on the ship, "she said yes, she said yes, were going to get married."

The ship crew raised their fists up in the air.

"Congratulations, Frank." the crew hollered.

Silva rushed over and kissed Rebecca on her cheeks.

"Darling I'm so happy for you two." "When is the wedding date?"

"When we land in Queensland, "right Frank?" Rebecca said. "Yes' Silva hugged Frank. "I'm so happy for the both of you. This is quite a surprise I must say."