10 Pound Bag Ch. 081-085

She started again without prompting.

"Baby Ruth Ann got sick and wouldn't stop crying. I tried, but I couldn't get her to stop. I wasn't a good mama like mine was.

"He got angry and shook her to make her stop and she died of sickness that night. I tried to cry but he punished me for being a bad mama. I killed my sweet Baby Ruth Ann."

Complete breakdown and mayhem from that point. Mary was keening again and the two girls had her wrapped up in their arms, rocking her back and forth. Brin was whining and trying to comfort her himself. I was fighting off rage nausea.

The girls laid her down on the blanket. They cocooned her between them. The last thing I heard before she collapsed into sleep was her saying weakly, "Baby Ruth Ann didn't get no marker. I don't know where she is..."

Well, fuck me and kill somebody slowly, if that wasn't enough to destroy a person completely. I already basically knew the story that came after. Mary would never be completely whole again, but she could be sheltered into a semi-normal existence. Me, I need to find a certain home town and fix up some Deacons.

I sat, fumed, and brooded until Mouse came and took me to bed with them.

Sleep didn't come until very late that night.

Chapter Eighty-Four -- Morning Sunshine

I was awakened by a sweet singing voice and the smell of fresh coffee. Sweet Mary had a fresh cup of coffee and a smile for me as I emerged from dreamland. She looked nothing like the night before and she was beaming happiness. Another thing to add to the mystery of women.

I was able to easily extract myself from the rest of the sleeping pile and went out to enjoy my coffee and tobacco in the morning sun. It was a pleasure in life that I had pretty much forgotten back in the modern age, but I tried to enjoy it as often as possible now. Mary and Brin joined me.

"Thank you for last night," Mary said, "it feels good to know I'm not alone anymore. Can I really come home with you?"

"Mary, you are part of the family now. Besides," I smiled at her, "you forget that I still own you." With that I put my arm around her and gave her a side hug and then a small tickle.

Mary giggled and said, "Oh, mighty master, what you do wish of your humble servant?" That earned her a kiss on the forehead.

She wasn't done and she really had come out to ask me something.

"Master, will you please still punish me so that I may atone for my sins?"

Fuck, that was a dilemma. No, I didn't want daily beatings on my checklist. If I put the rod to her, Banshee would be right behind her in line. It was easy to ignore Banshee, but if Mary the slave got something she wanted, I had better give it to her, also. I couldn't afford to alienate the Pawnee right now, particularly since I felt I had enough trouble on the horizon. I had to trust that I could work Mary out of this punishment need.

"Mary, I promised to take care of you, and I will do as you ask. And if you are good, I will reward you. We need to make a deal, though. If you can forgive yourself and not need punishment, I will give you a child as a reward."

Confusion, consternation, and happiness warred across her face.

"I should not be punished?"

"No, Mary, you shouldn't be. We shall talk as we travel; I have a bible, so we can discuss things. You did nothing wrong in front of our Lord. For now, I will do as you want, but we will talk a lot and when you understand and can forgive yourself, I will give you a baby." Boy, did I make a promise for the ages that I was definitely going to regret. I needed to get home and I'd sort it out there.

Mary was happy, though, and skipped inside to make breakfast, singing some silly song about babies. Mouse was the next person on the bench next to me. Before she started, I said, "More coffee, please, wife."

Damned if she didn't get me a fresh cup of coffee, so I lit another cigarette and waited.

When she finally spoke, she said, "Last night. Mary. That was bad."

I merely nodded in reply.

"You should not beat her like that."

"I don't want to," was my flat reply, "I don't like it."

"Then why?" she asked.

"You listened last night. She believes it is her fault that her baby died and she believes she must be punished for that. You will help me fix that."

"How will I help?"

" You will talk to her and you will tell her truths. This is how it will be, if you are my wife." I finished.

"Yes, I will obey." She replied and gave me a sweet kiss.

We sat in the sun drinking coffee and lost in our own thoughts. I wondered how the young beauty sitting next to me came to be there. I was a firm believer in the 'seven year rule,' which made her far too young for me. I felt like that creepy old guy in the park watching the girls walk by. I was in a politically arranged marriage and I was expected to give her children. I really had crossed the time rift somehow.

After breakfast was eaten, I pointed out that we would leave tomorrow morning. They needed to say their goodbyes and we needed to prepare. Mouse and Banshee were off to see their respective families, leaving only myself and Mary. I wanted to rest some more, but that wasn't happening yet.

"Please...", Mary pleaded. We were alone, so I nodded my head and she scurried over to get her switch. She knelt in naked in front of me and offered the switch to me.

"Mary, why am I punishing you?" I asked.

She looked confused and answered, "Because I was evil and bad things happened."

Thwack! "You" Thwack! "were" Thwack! "innocent!"

Now she was confused, crying and unsure. I was just guessing, but if she had been brainwashed this way, this could be how I would fix her. Just without the viciousness. I had learned to control her switch and, although her cheeks grew rosy, I didn't leave bruises or welts. That was the best I could do while I worked my way through this mess.

I continued down the same line, and, every time, she answered by blaming herself. I corrected her verbally and with a measured stroke. I had her answer four questions and then finished.

"Mary, do you deserve to be punished?"

"Yes," she cried.

Thwack!

"If you get it wrong again, Mary, no reward."

She looked at me in confusion as I asked again, "Mary, do you deserve to be punished?"

"N...n...no?" she guessed.

I gave her a big hug and then gave her the desired reward. As I lowered her shaking body to the blanket, I looked up and into the eyes of Mouse.

"Now, do you understand?" I asked.

She merely nodded and looked down at the resting Mary.

"We must do the opposite of what he did and reward her when she answers correctly."

"But you didn't..."

"No. And I will not; fingers are enough for her now." 'Thank the heavens,' I added to myself .

We covered the sleeping woman and began to pack for our journey tomorrow.

Chapter Eighty-Five -- On the road with a caravan

The next morning went off without a hitch, which is to say, it was organized mayhem. The Pawnee traveled annually, so they were used to this, but even when things are going well it looks like a mess from a distance. Petalesharo and his family were joining us, along with a handful of warriors who would raid and scout on their way back to the lodge village. The Chief had decided we needed an escort and Pete was assigned the task.

The Chief even showed up to wish us luck, or maybe it was to say goodbye to his daughter. He explained to me, via Pete, that when Pete returned, he was to bring the Chief's new dog with him. There was a bit of consternation when I shook my head "No," and tried to explain that training took time. It turned out it was easier to show him and I simply put Brin through his paces. Brin was pretty advanced and knew almost fifty commands. He still struggled with a few of the trickier ones that required him to go out and do something and retain focus on the task. He was just a dog, after all, and what he lacked in intellect, he more than made up for with higher qualities like loyalty, bravery, and love.

The reality slowly dawned on the Chief and the value of Brin went up a lot in his eyes. A highly trained dog held considerable value and probably more so, back then.

We set off without affair. Pete led the way and the rest of us trailed along behind. I was setting my horse, but I could tell that by the end of the day I was going to be stiff, sore, and exhausted. I still had a way to go in the healing process, but the need to get home pressed upon me. Pete's kids played on the trail as we travelled, until they tired, and then they would climb onto the fur travois and rest. The women mainly walked alongside, watching the children and chattering amongst themselves. I could clearly hear the unmistakable babble of Banshee in the group. The warriors took turns ranging out to scout or simply riding escort. It was a pretty sedate journey overall.

Setting up camp for the night was more well-organized mayhem and it was fun to watch. The tepees went up faster than you would expect and everyone seemed to know what to do. Everyone except me. I figured out that I should care for our horses first and foremost. We had seven in our string now, so it took a little time with my gimpy left side. I was quite sore from a day in the saddle and walking it out wasn't exactly easy.

Supper was a mixture of freshly gathered flatbread, greens, rabbit, and fish from the nearby stream. This time of year, the bounty of the land was plentiful and really quite tasty. The evening was sedating with chatting around the fire and the men all pulling shifts on guard duty. I had to take a moment and give Mary her treatment. I was tempted to skip it, but keeping the message daily and consistent was actually showing some progress, even this early in. We had chatted a bit during the day; I focused on the Ten Commandments as the basis of good or evil. Her reliance on other scripture was far too high in her guilt assessment and I needed to address that.

* * * * *

Morning went even smoother than the previous day and we would camp this afternoon just outside of the fort and its fields. We'd visit the actual fort the next morning. Supper was mostly from our packs that night. The pickings had slimmed as we approached the fort and its camp follower village. Pete had us set up in a spot well clear of the mess that had emerged around the fort.

I knew that Fort Atkinson was the western Headquarters for the Army. It was also the largest of all troop stations in the country in 1822. The US didn't have a standing army at that point, so the 1,250 troops at Fort Atkinson was a lot. To go along with the troops, there were a couple of thousand camp followers and the like. This was the fact anywhere: set up a garrison and a village will appear nearby overnight. That village wouldn't necessarily be the most wholesome of places. In total, there were about five thousand people in and around Fort Atkinson in the early 1820's. That would change quickly as Fort Leavenworth was established down south, but for now this was it.

The routine of the road had set in quickly and the evening passed according to routine. Including Mary's treatment. We still had to bind her at night, which soothed her dreams for some reason, but we only loosely tied her hands with thin strips of brightly colored cloth. That was something to be dealt with later. For now, we just gave her what she needed.

* * * * *

On a bright and clear Monday morning, Pete, myself, and two other warriors set off for the fort. Everyone else stayed at the camp, including enough of Pete's men to guard it. We were loaded down with trade goods and I had a few nuggets of gold and silver in my pocket. The remainder of my hoard remained hidden at the camp. It was time to schmooze some bigwigs and do some shopping.

The gates were open on our arrival and the fort was bustling with activity; there were lots of soldiers doing soldier things with a sense of importance. I knew that feeling and the memory made me smile.

Our first stop was the command post to pay our respects to the commander. We lucked out and caught him outside, sitting on the porch of his office. He was smoking a pipe and chatting with another senior officer. I wasn't the only man in the world who liked a morning sit in the sun with tobacco and coffee.

Petalesharo knew the man and had worked with his commanders as a scout; he was greeted warmly by LtCol. Leavenworth as we walked up. Leavenworth was a so-so troop commander, but an exceedingly good logistician and administrator. The battles he commanded never seemed to have a positive outcome, with most ending in stalemates that accomplished nothing except the creation of a bunch of new graves.

He was a politician and had served as an Indian Agent before he was appointed here. That pretty much guaranteed he was corrupt. He was also famous for his involvement in a lot of treaties being breached, betraying most of the tribes and starting multiple Indian Wars. I suspected he was in the pocket of the Hudson Bay Company, but it was never proven. His betrayal of his current ally, the Pawnee would be the death of him in the end, even if the Pawnee were defeated and swept from their tribal lands. I had a higher opinion of Benedict Arnold than I did of Henry Leavenworth. Nevertheless, I played nice.

I properly introduced myself and accepted the proffered cup of coffee. We made small talk for a half an hour before I made my play.

"Colonel Leavenworth, I'd like to meet with your Quartermaster and Purser, if you would allow it," I asked politely.

"Mr. Narrater, what would my quartermaster and purser have to offer a man such as yourself? The trading posts and mercantile shops outside of the fort can easily meet your needs." That was a very dismissive counter from a rather snobby man.

"I don't believe they can, Colonel," I said carefully, "I desire to do a currency trade which I believe would be better handled by an agent of the US Government itself."

Well now, that got his attention and got it fast. The effete snob was gone and the greedy status climber raised his ugly head. He leaned forward with interest now. "Please go on, sir, and call me Henry."

"Henry, I happen to have in my possession an amount of shiny metal which is considered hard currency throughout the world. I wish to exchange it for American dollar coins, assuming the price is agreeable."

"Mr. Narrater, I do believe we can accommodate you in this matter." Hook, line and sinker. His greed was obvious and I intended to use that to my advantage. A runner was sent off to fetch the Quartermaster.

I happened to know that the US Government was desperate for gold and silver after the disastrous tussle with England in 1812. They were issuing dollar-denominated coins and bearer bonds to drum up enough resources to settle their debts. The dollar was still considered a trash currency at the time and was almost worthless outside of the US. I planned to buy them at a deep discount, with the net effect of doubling my money, because, while people like Leavenworth thought the dollar was pointless, I knew it would only gain in strength from this point forward

Leavenworth simply planned to skim any deal we made and report different amounts back up the channel, while still being congratulated for acquiring the resource.

Time travelling did have its advantages and I knew that the US Dollar would never be devalued.