Night passed into morning, and it was the next day. His hunger satisfied, Two Rivers saddled his horse and prepared to leave. But Jacob stirred before he could leave. The younger man stood and gave Two Rivers another of his mysterious and ethereal smiles. He spoke.
“I am afraid that you caught me so lost in thought last night that I neglected to introduce myself. I am the Reverend Jacob Channing.”Jacob extended his hand in friendship, and Two Rivers thought about it for a moment. So he is a preacher; that would explain why he was so free with his possessions. But why did this itinerant shepherd make no attempt to convert him when his red skin marked him as a heathen? Curioser and curioser. Oh well; Two Rivers figured that, having gone this far, he might as well see how far down the rabbit-hole goes. He took the hand that was proffered in the spirit it was given.
“I am called Two Rivers.”“Well I thank you for finding me Brother Two Rivers. Wont you join me for breakfast?”
Brother? Two Rivers knew that he and the funny little man shared no ties of blood, and he had most certainly not agreed to be baptized into whatever strange sect this man belonged to. This he just had to know.
“Why is it that you call me brother? We share no ties of blood or baptism.”26 “All men are brothers my friend. Come, let us build a fire that we might cook and share fellowship together.”
Friend; well, this stranger was certainly a friendly enough sort. Two Rivers figured he at least owed this newcomer enough not to let him get killed on what was obviously his first day in Kansas.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea. There is a plantation not far to the south of here. The master of that house claims this land as his own. If you build another fire then the smoke will alert him to your presence and he will send his men after you. We should break camp and ride further to the north before we eat again.”
Jacob suddenly stood up much straighter, and a look of cool resolution came over his face. “Yes, I saw that plantation as I rode in last night. That is exactly why I decided to settle here, for I have come to bring this war to the very doorstep of those slave drivers.”
Two Rivers could not help but be amused by this youngsters blustering. “So you have come to fight a war have you, general? You and what army?”At this a smile passed across Jacobs lips, and resolution gave way to eagerness. “The army of patriots and righteous men that will surely follow after me, for I have come to prepare the way and we will claim Kansas as free soil.”
Two Rivers grimaced and looked away. He had gotten more than he had bargained for. Oh well; he would still be hungry were it not for the good Reverend’s generosity. Two Rivers had seen enough death for one lifetime, and so he decided to take the brave, if foolish, young man under his wing.
“Well, that’s all well and good, but where is this army of yours going to sleep? Out on the open plain where they can be seen from miles away? What are they going to drink? What will they eat? We should head further north and to the east, towards the trees. There is a stream there; we can cut down trees to build cabins and hunt for deer in the forest.”
Jacob found himself unable to argue with his elder’s logic. “Very well then; let us pack up and then you may lead the way Brother Two Rivers.”They spent the better part of the day picking up and relocating their camp. That afternoon, having a little daylight left, they went into the forest to cut some wood for a more permanent settlement. They found a suitable tree and Jacob hastily raised his axe to cut it down. Horrified at this disrespect, Two Rivers quickly raised a hand to stop him.
“Wait! You can’t cut that tree down yet! You have not even asked it for the gift of it’s life.”Puzzled, but not wanting to give any offense to his new-found friend, Jacob lowered his axe. “Oh, very well then.”
Two Rivers lovingly placed a hand on the trunk of the tree, and spoke to it with a great deal of care and respect in his voice. “Brother Tree, we ask you for shelter. We ask to send you to the spirit realm, that through your death we might live.” His customs observed, Two Rivers nodded and raised his axe. Jacob stood on the other side of the tree and helped as best as he could. As they worked, Two Rivers instructed his young apprentice in the ways of woodcutting and the ways of Spirit. Jacob soon realized that his Harvard education would do him little good out here, but there was a wealth of knowledge that he could learn from his elder.