“Hey, don’t be so stingy,” shouted a skinny soldier with a long pointy nose. “Gimme more stew! And where’s the bread?”

  Naomi took his bowl and refilled it. She hurried to the breadbasket and then handed over thick chunks of cornbread to every soldier.

  “That’s better,” said Pointy Nose.

  I waited and watched. The steam rose from the stewpot, but I couldn’t smell a thing. Once Naomi tripped and splashed stew on my face. I jumped, out of habit. But I didn’t feel anything, no blistery, burning skin.

  When supper was over, the lead soldier stood up. He had curly black hair and a thick chest. I knew he would be a tough man to beat in a fight. He also had a serious look on his face.

  “All right, we have another long day tomorrow,” he said. “Let’s get to bed.” The others finished off their remaining stew and unrolled their blankets. I saw that some slept in the wagons; others, on the ground by the fire.

  Those must be the guards, I thought.

  “Who’s got first watch?” Leader asked.

  “Not me,” said Pointy Nose.

  “I’ll take it,” said a short, round soldier.

  The other guards took off their boots and slipped under their blankets. Roundman rolled a log by the fire and sat down. His shotgun lay across his lap.

  Moving among the soldiers should be easy, I knew that. But I also knew I had to be careful. If I knocked anything over or made too much noise, they would look for somebody sneaking around their camp.

  I knew these men wouldn’t care if they shot the right man or not. The closest Choctaw to their camp might end up dead because of me. It might be Nani Humma, wandering by the river at night.

  I couldn’t live with myself if that happened.

  Naomi gathered the dirty bowls and stood by the campfire. The logs burned low and embers sparkled in the dark night air. I heard frogs calling from the river. Pointy Nose brought her a bucket of water, and Naomi washed the bowls.

  “Let’s go,” Leader said to Naomi. She followed him to the middle covered wagon, and they climbed aboard.

  He’s tying her up with a rope, I thought.

  I decided not to wait. When everyone was sleeping, any noise would alert the guards. Now was the time.

  I tiptoed to the middle wagon. The wagon bed was high off the ground. Normally, I would have grabbed the rear board and swung my legs onto the wagon bed. But that would make too much noise.

  I slid one arm over the rear board and scooted on my belly like a snake, trying to lift myself on the wagon. I fell through the wagon bed and hit the ground below!

  I jumped to my feet and got ready to run.

  Nobody moved. Nobody had heard me.

  I tried to climb on the wagon again, but I kept falling to the ground.

  “Isaac,” Mister Jonah said, and he was laughing. “You need to remember, you are a ghost. You can’t grab or move anything. You can’t knock anything over; don’t worry about that.”

  “How can I get inside the wagon then?” I asked. Being a ghost was not so easy after all.

  “It’s easier than you think,” he said. “Just imagine where you want to be, and you’re there.”

  “Do I close my eyes, like before?”

  “You can if you want to,” he said, still laughing, “but nobody else does.”

  “Hoke,” I said, “I am inside the wagon.” And I was! Mister Jonah was gone, and I floated above Naomi.

  She lay curled up in a corner; her feet and hands tied to a thick nail. The ropes that bound her were short, forcing her to lie in the same spot. If she grew sore, she couldn’t roll over, like everybody else does when they sleep.

  I hovered above her and watched for a long moment. Her face was buried in her hands and she was crying.

  “Naomi,” I finally whispered.

  “What took you so long?” she said.

  Chapter 20

  Naomi the Strong

  “WHAT TOOK ME so long!” I said, far too loud. I clamped my hands over my mouth and listened. Nobody had heard me. Nobody could hear me.

  “Hoke,” I whispered. “What do you mean, ‘What took me so long?’ Do you know who I am?”

  “No,” Naomi said. “I do not know who you are. But I have been dreaming about you for a week. Every night you climb into my wagon. You are here to help me escape. But I cannot go with you.”

  I let her see me.

  “Oooh,” she said. Her voice was filled with wonder. “You are a ghost. I didn’t know you would be a ghost.”

  “I have only been a ghost since this evening,” I told her. “A wolf killed me, but I’m hoke now. Don’t worry about me. We need to get you home to your family. We’ve been planning your escape for several days.”

  “Is that why the Choctaw councilwomen come by?”

  “Yes. You see everything, don’t you?” I said.

  “I have to be watchful to stay alive,” Naomi said. “But you must understand. I can’t leave or the soldiers will take my little sister.”

  “I know Nita,” I said. “And I know your family. They walk with mine.”

  “How are they?” Naomi asked.

  “They are sad, Naomi. Nita is gone. She died four days ago.”

  Naomi shook her head. “No,” she said. Fat balls of tears rolled down her cheeks. “Not my little sister. How did she die?”

  “She rolled out of her blanket and froze to death,” I said. “Nita is my little sister, too. She adopted me.”

  Naomi shook with sadness, and I waited for her to finish crying. Grieving is hard. Lives are changed forever by grieving.

  “The soldiers can’t hurt her anymore,” she sobbed. “They already killed her.” After a long time, she wiped the tears from her eyes and asked, “Can you talk to her?”

  “Yes,” I said. “It was Nita’s idea that we bring you home. She said you would make your family happy again. That’s why I am here, Naomi.”

  I should have known Nita would follow me. But I was as surprised as Naomi when I heard her voice.

  “Naomi,” Nita giggled. “Give me a big hug.” Nita shone like a pale moon. I could see through her. But there she was, wrapping her ghost arms around her big sister, Naomi.

  “Nita,” Naomi said. “I am so happy to see you!”

  “See,” Nita said. “You can make Mommy and Daddy happy, too.”

  I wanted to talk to Naomi about an escape plan. But that never happened, not on this night.

  “Naomi!” A voice shouted from the rear of the wagon. Leader waved a bright lantern from one corner of the wagon to the other.

  “Who’s in there with you? I heard voices.”

  “No one,” Naomi said, trembling. “I was having a nightmare. I must have been talking in my sleep. I am sorry I woke you.”

  Leader held the lantern close to the ground and circled the wagon.

  He is looking for tracks, I thought. I hope ghosts don’t leave footprints.

  “Who were you talking to?” Leader hollered, louder than before.

  “No one,” Naomi said. “I was asleep.”

  He knew she was lying. He climbed into the wagon and untied her hands and feet. With one strong arm he lifted her and tossed her to the ground.

  I jumped to her side and tried to drag her away. My hands passed through her. I could do nothing to help her.

  This was all my fault.

  I wanted to run to the river for Joseph, but I was afraid to leave Naomi. Leader was so mad. I feared he would hurt her.

  “Don’t move!” Leader shouted. He took a rope from the wagon and tossed it over a strong tree limb. I froze at the horror of what I was watching.

  No, please no. He is going to hang her! I thought.

  Leader grabbed Naomi by the waist. The other soldiers stood watching. They knew better than to say a word, but I could tell what they were thinking. It was written on their faces: When Leader is this mad, he’ll strike anyone or anything in his way. They stared without moving as Leader dragged Naomi to the rope, dangling on the ground beneath the tree.

  “Give me your hands!” he said.

  Naomi lifted her hands, and he tied the rope tight around her wrists. “I need some help!” he yelled.

  Roundman and Pointy Noise ran to his side.

  “Take this rope and pull it till I say stop,” he ordered.

  They tugged on the rope and Naomi rose to her feet, lifted by the rope tied to her wrists. She clenched her jaw tight shut. I saw by the wild look in her eyes that Naomi was afraid for her life.

  They pulled on the rope till Naomi was standing, her arms high over her head.

  “Keep pulling!” Leader shouted. “I didn’t say stop!”

  Pointy Nose and Round man yanked hard on the rope.

  “Ohhhh!” Naomi screamed. Leader slapped her hard across the face.

  “You will never lie to me again,” he said. He moved his face so close to hers, I could not hear what he was saying. It must have been horrible. Naomi closed her eyes and shook her head back and forth.

  When Naomi’s feet were at his waist, Leader turned back to his helpers.

  “Now, you can stop,” he said. “Tie the rope to the tree trunk.” Naomi swung slowly, twisting and swaying. Her face was etched in pain.

  “Now,” Leader said. “It’s getting late. We have a long day tomorrow. Men, let’s get some sleep.”

  As if she were a dog tied to a stake, they left her. They left my new friend Naomi hanging from a tree. I heard a soft cry and knew without looking who it was.

  “We did this to her. Didn’t we?” Nita said.

  “Yes, Nita, I think we did,” I said. There was no reason to lie. “But we will not leave her here.”

  We hurried to the river, where Joseph was waiting.

  “Joseph,” I said, “you have to see this.” I led him to the soldiers’ campsite. By the light of the dying fire, Naomi hung.

  “We can’t wait any longer,” Joseph said. “Naomi comes with us tonight.”

  Chapter 21

  The Panther and the Fire

  “DO YOU STILL HAVE your cutting stone?” I asked Joseph, as we hid behind the tree.

  “Yes, always. I’ll cut her down. I can slip up behind her, but once she’s on her feet, the guards will come after us. And they don’t have to outrun us. They have shotguns.”

  “I can lead her to her family,” I said.

  “We need some way to distract the soldiers,” Joseph said, “some way to slow them down.”

  “I think a strong panther could handle the soldiers,” I said. “You’ve done it before.”

  “What can I do?” Nita asked.

  “You can wake up the Choctaw Council, the men and women, all of them. Let them know what happened. When the soldiers chase us, they can delay them. Every minute is important,” I said.

  “I understand,” Nita said. She disappeared into the night fog, a five-year-old Choctaw girl — a ghost — making her first appearance before the Choctaw Council. Her sister’s life was at stake.

  Joseph and I circled the camp. Pointy Nose and Roundman sat on a log by the fire, their shotguns close-by. We crept behind the tree and waited. The quarter moon cast a bright light through the naked branches of the tree.

  Joseph pointed to the sky. A huge cloud moved across the sky. I understood. We would wait till the cloud covered the moon.

  “You take first watch,” said Pointy Nose. “I’m going to sleep.”

  “That’s not a good idea,” Roundman said. “You saw how mad he was. If something happens, we’ll be hanging from that tree. And not by our wrists.”

  “He wouldn’t hang us!” Pointy Nose said.

  “Want to risk your life?” asked Roundman. “Not me. You stay here and I’ll watch the girl.” He rose and moved by the tree where Naomi hung. Roundman leaned against the trunk, three feet from us!

  We sat so quiet, in fear for our lives. If Roundman stepped around the tree, all three of us would be dead. He held his shotgun ready to fire.

  What happened next could never be planned.

  Something licked me on the ankle. I looked at my feet. There stood Jumper, wagging his tail and ready to play! I froze.

  Please don’t let him bark, I thought. I wanted to ask him how he had found me, but there was no time. We needed a distraction, and Jumper was ready to play.

  As quietly as I could, I ran to the river and Jumper dashed after me. At just the right moment, the cloud covered the moon and the sky turned dark. With a loud splash, Jumper dove in the river!

  “What was that?” Roundman shouted.

  “Something fell in the river,” Pointy Nose said, and the two soldiers followed the noise.

  Boom! Roundman’s shotgun blasted and soon the camp was scrambling with soldiers.

  “What’s going on!” shouted Leader, as he hurried to the riverbank.

  “Someone stay with the girl,” said Leader, and a soldier stayed behind. He touched Naomi’s feet with the barrel of his shotgun. Naomi jerked.

  “Don’t you worry,” he said, with a cruel smile in his voice. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  I hid behind the hanging tree. No one could see me, I was sure of that. Joseph was gone. I heard a clawing sound and looked above me. The panther crouched on the tree limb, gnawing on the rope.

  Suddenly, Naomi fell to the ground. The panther leapt on the soldier and his shotgun went flying.

  “We have to run,” I said. “Can you make it?”

  “Lead the way,” she said. She was shaking, but I knew she was strong. Her wrists were still tied to the rope, but we had no time to stop. She dragged the rope behind her as she ran. The panther ran to the fire and slapped the burning logs, sending fiery embers all about the camp.

  Boom! Boom! Boom! The soldiers fired at Jumper in the river.

  “Let him be,” shouted Leader. “It’s only a dog.”

  “Look!” said Roundman. “The camp is on fire!”

  The soldiers returned to camp, ready for battle. Panther Joseph was ready, too. He gripped a burning log in his teeth and jumped into a wagon. The cloth top of the wagon burst into flames.

  The panther wasn’t finished. He roared his panther cry and jumped under the burning wagon, hiding himself in the flames. When the wagon collapsed, he leapt to a tree, climbed up the trunk, and disappeared in the branches.

  Two soldiers surrounded the tree and fired their shotguns overhead. A blast hit the limb where the panther crouched. Before it hit the ground, the panther jumped on the soldiers, knocking both of them off their feet.

  With all eyes on the panther, Naomi and I were far from the camp before they realized she was gone. When we arrived at the Choctaw Council wagon everyone was wide-awake. They were expecting us.

  Nita did her job, I thought.

  “You are the captured girl?” a councilwoman asked.

  “Yes,” said Naomi.

  “Here,” she said, “let me help you.” She hurried to the wagon and returned with a sharp knife. She sliced the rope and tossed it in the campfire.

  “We don’t want the soldiers to see that,” she said. “Now, you must leave. The soldiers will be here soon. Can you find your way to your family by yourself?”

  “I am not by myself,” Naomi said. I realized the woman couldn’t see me. I floated into sight.

  “Oh,” the councilwoman said, “I see you are protected by our ghost friend. But you must hurry. We’ll do what we can to stop them.”

  We ran without looking behind. I soon realized Naomi was faster than me. This was only my first day, I hadn’t learned to run like a ghost!

  The panther was faster than us both. The soldiers fired their guns at us, but we had a big lead. They returned to their camp and the burning wagon, while we hurried down the line of walkers, nearing my family’s camp.

  Luke saw us first. “You must be Naomi,” he said. “We don’t have time to talk, not now. You know you can’t stay here. Your mother and father are with my family. This is the first place they will look.”

  My parents stood with Gabe and Ruth.

  “Where can I go?” Naomi asked.

  “We have a wagon ready,” said Luke. “Follow me.”

  “Wait,” Naomi said.

  “There is no time,” said Luke. “We have to go!”

  “There is time for this,” Naomi said. She stretched out her arms and her mother and father ran to greet her.

  “We were so afraid for you,” Ruth said.

  “You know that Nita is gone?” asked Gabe.

  “Hey!” Nita’s sweet voice always came when least expected.

  She floated into sight. “I’m not gone. I’m just a ghost, but I am still part of the family.”

  Only Nita could bring smiles on a day like today.

  “Of course,” said Ruth, “family stays together. Always.”

  “You better be going,” Gabe said.

  “Chi pisa lachike,” they whispered. Both of my families waved when we left the camp.

  “Chi pisa lachike,” they said.

  We followed Luke to a Choctaw wagon a half-mile down the road.

  “They are waiting for you,” he said. “We didn’t know you would come so soon. But after Nita spoke to us, we told them everything. They are ready to hide you, Naomi.”

  Luke led us to the rear of the covered wagon.

  Who would risk their lives by hiding Naomi? I asked myself.

  I soon had my answer.

  “We are here!” Luke called to the people in the wagon. An old woman with wrinkled skin and long white hair stuck her head through the curtain. She nodded and flung the curtain open. Three even older women smiled and welcomed Naomi into their wagon, into their world.

  The world of the bonepickers.

  I lifted my arms and passed through the wagon walls.

  Chapter 22

  Buried with the Bones

  “WE HAVE BEEN waiting for you,” said the woman. “Take your shoes off before you climb in the wagon. We keep everything neat and clean.”

  Naomi leaned against a wheel and slipped off her boots.

  “Here,” said the woman, “hand them to me. I’ll hide them for you.” She helped Naomi into the wagon and closed the flap. Once inside, Naomi was struck by the smell of dried rose petals.

 

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