Cedar County Iowa is in the eastern half of the state and it's eastern border is about seven or eight miles west of the Mississippi river at its closest. The Cedar river cuts across the southwest corner of the county on its way to it's juncture with the big river. This piece of prairie is approximately a right triangle in shape with 13 miles along the west side and 10 miles along the south side and the river flowing along the hypotenuse.

There we find the town of West Branch. Quaker families had settled the area around West Branch in the early 1850s and this is the town where our late president Herbert Hoover was born. But our story isn't about him for he would not be born until some five years after the story takes place. This story is about Zachary Sanders and how he nearly missed living a long and happy life together with Rachel Atkins, the daughter of a Methodist storekeeper. We'll get to Zachary in a bit, but first a little background.

In those days, before revivalism came to the Iowa Friends and caused division among the Quakers, the prevailing movement was that of the Quietist philosophy. The evangelism of later days would not yet stir up the Meeting of Friends and their formal gatherings consisted of long spells of quiet with the occasional spontaneous talking out by someone who felt the Inner Light guiding him to speak up.

The silent Meeting of Friends was therefore the sacrament of communion with God during which Friends lay themselves open to the leading of the Spirit. It was tradition that the women sat on one side of the meeting hall and the men on the other. However, there was an egalitarian principle that hailed back to the founding of the Friends in England in the late 1600's and women were given equal rights with men to speak and put forth their ideas.

Another important principal of Quakerism was the Peace Testimony. The Peace Testimony, arose out of the belief in the in-dwelling Light or ``that of God'' in people. If that of God was a reality within oneself it would be denying the inner Spirit to take up arms against another. There are several other important principals, but I do not purport to be an expert on Quakerism and suffice it to say that those principals mentioned are the ones that may bear most directly on this story.

The Sanders were one of the original nine families that took up land along the west branch of Wapsinonoc creek along with David Tatum and Eli Hoover. They along with the Hoovers and others had come from Ohio. These original settlers were familiar with territory outside their own little area in southwest Cedar County. But the second generation for the most part had never been out of their immediate neighborhood.

Zachary Sanders was one of these latter. He was the middle child of a not too prosperous family. He was one of five skinny, freckle-faced children and had not been particularly remarkable in the talents required in farming. He knew well enough about which plants grew in the their valley and when to plant and harvest and how you went about doing this. But he was unremarkable at it and he had plenty of siblings that seemed to have received a bit more of the necessary determination to be successful. However, young Zach did have a bent for animals, especially horses.

Early on he would take extended rides through the lush willow country along the banks of Wapsinonoc Creek that bordered his family's farm. He would ride on whatever horse he could beg or borrow, since he had none of his own. Once in a while his attraction to riding would get him into trouble but never so seriously as the event that started him on his trail of misadventure.

Humphrey Sanders was always looking for tasks to keep his third child industriously employed. Employed in a manner that would keep Zachary interested enough to complete the job. Errands involving a horse seemed to fit that category. So it was that one day in early spring when he was a lanky fourteen years old, Zachary's father sent him to the village of West Branch some four miles from the Sanders farm to get a quantity of oats to supplement the horse feed. It had been a cold dry winter and the pastures were in poor condition and over grazed. The horses were beginning to show signs of weakness just when they were going to be needed for plowing.

Sanders looked straight into his son's eyes, "Keep thee to thy task and come straight away home" he admonished as he sent Zachary on his way.

Zach had been to the village many times but always with others of his family, mostly to go to meeting on Sunday. The West Branch citizens were of various religious backgrounds, but the greater part of them were Quakers. At this time and place, the Quakers did not mix much with others of different persuasions. The only exceptions were business dealings.

Henry Atkins, a fairly staunch Methodist, had the one store in West Branch and it served all the surrounding community for the farm supply needs and staples that were commonly not available otherwise. Henry also had a raven-haired daughter, Rachel, one of three children. Rachel and Zachary had noticed each other from afar years ago but there had never been so much as a wave of the hand between them.

Zachary had been six or seven years old at the time he first became aware of Rachel. She would stand in the shade of the big oak tree in the front of the Atkins store and watch as the Sander's surrey went by on Sunday mornings. The family would sit, each one erect in their board seats, and look forward down the road as they passed the store. Zachary would hug his mother and sneak a peek at Rachel as the dust behind the surrey rose up and then slowly settled.

Once Zachary got to go with his father to the Atkin's store. He saw Rachel close up then, as close as he had ever seen her. He remembered that when they had stepped through the store door, Mr. Atkins had shooed Rachel out of the room. Rachel's black pigtails bounced off her cotton print dress as she ran back along rows of barrels full of horseshoes and nails. She paused to stare at Zachary over the end of the counter before turning and disappearing into the back room.

Now Zachary was driving the buckboard to West Branch by himself. He was aware that this was a small test. His father was sending him out to see if he could complete the errand satisfactorily without any parental or elder sibling intervention. But, wooeeeee! What a feeling of freedom this was. It was probably too much for a young man such as Zachary who had never really been out on his own. Sure, out on the farm he did many things by himself, on his own initiative. But to be sent to town with a grown man's job to do, never before. He was excited. He slapped the reigns a little too hard on the rump of their old spotted mare, Matilda. Not used to the sting, Matilda shook her head and snorted then picked up the pace.

As the fast trotting mare pulled the buckboard into town, Zachary caught view of a tall, slender Rachel brushing a beautiful roan stallion tied up at the hitching post in front of her father's store. Her long shiny black hair was unbraided, hanging loose on her back. She wore a long, full skirted, blue calico dress and small brown high-buttoned shoes that barely showed beneath. She seemed to have grown. She looked like a young lady rather than the little slightly plump girl he had imagined Rachel still to be.

He had never seen the horse before. He pulled the reigns to get Matilda to veer to the left and halted the buckboard near the store's double side loading doors, the trailing wake of dust clouding up all around him. He sat for a moment looking over his shoulder at Rachel. She was watching him, head turned, her lips slightly parted. She was holding the curry brush in one hand down next to her side, and her other hand was resting absent-mindedly on the horse's bare back close to the mane. She looked comfortable and right next to the large stallion.

His father's words echoed in his head: "Keep thee to thy task and come straight away home".

Zachary pulled himself out of his reverie and climbed down from the buckboard and walked slowly to the store's side doors, still looking at Rachel. Mr. Atkins was marking in a ledger up at the front counter as Zachary opened the side door. He looked up and said " Zachary Sanders, what can I do for you? Are you here with your father?" "No sir" Zachary said. "He sent me for some seed oats. He said he wanted a dozen sacks. Our pasturage is running kind of poor this year, we need to give the horses a little help with their feed." He could see Rachel looking at him through the open front door, silhouetted against the afternoon sky. He heard the flies buzzing in the cool, semi darkness of the store.

Mr. Atkins finished writing in the ledger book and said "I'll go with you to the storage, tell your Dad we're square now what with the side of salted pork he gave me last November."

As they were loading the oats on the back of the buckboard, Zachary asked Mr. Atkins "Is that a new horse thy daughter has there?" "Yes, we've had it about three months" Atkins said "It belonged to Jake Aderbees over by Springdale. He owed me some on a piece of land I sold him and he gave me the horse to pay up the debt." "It sure is a beauty" Zach said. "Is it saddle broke?" Mr. Atkins smiled and said looking toward the horse admiringly "Yes it is, I wouldn't have taken it in payment if it wasn't. Would you like to saddle test him?"

Zachary couldn't believe what he'd heard. "Why, yes sir" he said, a little too quickly. His father would never have accepted immediately and his mother would have been shocked by his action.

There had been some animosity between Atkins and many of his Quaker customers dating back to the Civil War. The storekeeper never let that interfere with business but was usually cool toward the Friends. Probably because Zach had been too young to fight during the War, Atkins made an exception with him and was generally genial with the boy.

"Well just go back into my tack room and fetch a saddle. Here, Rachel, go show young Sanders where we keep our riding gear." he called out to his daughter who was standing back just inside the double doors peering out from the gloom of the store. Zachary stammered a response "I . . . , I think I might have been hasty sir, I need to get back home before dark with these oats or my dad will want to know the reason why."

The store keeper, not wanting to miss the chance to show off his new horse said, "Nonsense, it won't take all that long and he needs a good stretching out, we haven't ridden him for days now. You'll be doing us a favor." Zach walked back in the shop, but Rachel was already dragging the heavy saddle out of the tack room near the left rear of the store. Zachary rushed up to help her. He smelled the sweet gentle aroma of her breath as they both lifted the saddle. "Here", she said looking straight into his eyes with the barest hint of mischief in hers, "You take this and I'll go bring Racer around to the side." And she quickly pulled up the front of her dress just slightly with both hands and ran up to the front and out through the door, her momentary presence still hanging, vibrating near Zach. He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep, slow breath through his nostrils, drinking in a strange new and wonderful feeling.

Racer stood a bit restless as Rachel held his bridal. Zachary threw a saddle blanket across the horse's freshly brushed back and then the saddle. He pulled the far strap under the stallion's belly and laced it through the buckled opposite end and cinched the belt snugly.

Mr. Atkins came out to see how the operation was progressing. He knew that Zachary was no stranger to horses but felt that he needed to check for himself how the boy conducted himself with the animal. "Why don't you ride her up yonder to the stable and back?" Zachary adjusted the stirrup height and Rachel handed the reigns to him. He felt the slight brush of her thin, warm fingers as they lingered for just a second in the palm of his hand.

Zach had mounted horses many times, mostly Matilda, but he never had felt self conscious about the act. Now each movement seemed to be measured. He put his left foot in the stirrup and pulled himself up by the pommel, throwing his right leg around the rear of the horse until he sat upright in the saddle. He adjusted his position in the strange new leather and tentatively pulled lightly back on the reigns. As Racer responded by moving backwards a few steps, Zach wheeled him around to the left and took off down the road at a fast gallop. Rachel reflexively put both hands up to her face, covering her mouth.

When he had traveled about 50 yards, Zach slowed the horse and turned back and stopped. He could see Rachel and her father standing in front of the store looking toward him, dwarfed by the large oak tree. The horse was spirited, Zachary thought, what a wonderful animal. He could feel him wanting to be let loose again, to run at will. He spurred Racer slightly to a canter, restraining him as they went back toward the store. As he approached, Mr. Atkins said, "you sure got the feel of that horse right away, seems to fit you pretty well. Take him around the loop a couple more." Rachel was smiling broadly.

Zach, repeated the run several times down the road toward the stable and back to the store. "I sure have enjoyed this ride Mr. Atkins, but I better get on to home before it gets too late" he said as he pulled to a halt in front of the store. The storekeeper said "You'll have to come some time earlier in the day so you can give him a longer try-out." The shadows were looking a little too long and Zach was afraid it would be close to dark before he reached the farm. Zachary looked down at Rachel and the storekeeper noticed his daughter returning the gaze with some pleasure. He suddenly felt a little concerned.

"Rachel, Mr. Sanders has to get back to the farm, you take Racer down to the pasture and set him out for the night." Zachary dismounted and began to unhitch the saddle but the storekeeper said "That's o.k. Zach, we'll take care of that. You have to get on your way." "Thanks again, Mr. Atkins" Zachary climbed up on the loaded buckboard and snapped the reigns. He waved "so long" as the mare pulled him out on the road. He looked back to see Rachel standing, holding the stallion's reigns. She stood there watching him in the dusk of the late afternoon until he disappeared around the bend.

He had been on the rutted road home for nearly 15 minutes when Zach became aware of the faint sound of hoof beats to the rear. He turned around and saw what was unmistakably Rachel riding the Roan toward him at a good clip. He pulled Matilda to a stop and waited.

"What happened?" he called to Rachel as she approached along side the wagon. She was out of breath. "Oh nothing, I thought maybe I'd take a little ride on Racer myself before I put him out for the night." Her full dress covered the horses rump and her bloomers were showing where the dress draped over the saddle in front of her. Her feet didn't quite reach the stirrups. It seemed she had started the ride on an impulse, not taking the time even to adjust the stirrups.

A mixture of feelings washed over Zachary. She just looked so beautiful with her hair all windblown and her chest still heaving slightly from the fast ride. "What will thy father say?" he said as he started up Matilda. "Oh he doesn't know, I told him I was going to ride Racer down around the pasture for a while." The words came out of her mouth slowly as though she were hesitant to say them. "I came around by the creek road, so my father didn't see me pass by the store coming this way."

This deception on Rachel's part was shocking to Zachary and he didn't quite know how to act. They were riding slowly toward the Sander's farm, the two horses clopping along leisurly.

A faint fragment of his father's words barely sounded in his head: ". . . and come straight away home".

At a point where the road came close to Wapsinonoc creek, Zachary pulled the buckboard over. "Would thee like to sit by the creek for a bit?" He asked Rachel. The tops of the trees bordering the creek with their first spring buds shown orange with the last rays of sunlight. This brightness from the trees on the opposite bank reflected in the water as it rippled its way among the rocks. Rachel dropped carefully off the stallion and looped Racers's reigns around Matilda's bridal lines. Matilda sounded a low whinny.

They found a large flatish boulder overlooking the water and sat down. At first they sat separately gazing at the dancing water of the creek. Then Zachary moved his hand gently over Rachel's and she moved closer to him. They sat there like that for what seemed to Zach a very long time for he yearned to hold her. The sun was gone now and the night birds began to twitter in the twilight. After another long period he reached around Rachel with his right arm and brought it around her tentatively. She moved both her arms around his waist and hugged him firmly.

Neither of them spoke a word just sitting there experiencing each others warmth. Then a sudden clatter of hoofs shocked them brutally out of their serene mood and they both stood up in panic. "I think I see a buckboard ahead" they heard an excited voice say from a distance.

"Oh my God!" Rachel said "It's my father, I hope he didn't bring his shotgun." Zachary's face turned white. "But we haven't done anything" he said quickly, feeling the fear spread through his gut. "Go!" she said "Take Racer, they'll catch you if you use the wagon. Go across the creek, I'll talk some sense into them. Then you come back." "Them? Who is them?" Zachary said excitedly. "My big brother James" she answered "he's kind of crazy, Run now, go!".

Zachary's better judgement was to stay and explain the situation but the wild panic was pushing up from his stomach. What if Mr. Atkins didn't wait to hear his story and fired his shotgun? He dashed for the Stallion and grabbed the reigns. He led the horse quickly across a shallow part of the creek and up the opposite bank into the woods. He looked quickly back toward Rachel. She was running back up the road to meet her father.

After pushing far enough into the wood, Zach reached a piece of higher ground covered with brush where he could see through a break in the trees. Across the creek he saw Mr. Atkins and another man gesturing excitedly at Rachel. Then he saw Rachel point down the road toward his father's farm. He sat there in the brush for a moment, his heart pounding wildly, thinking, thinking. Then he took Racer's reigns and headed toward the farm hoping to get there before they did.

There was a lesser-used road on the north side of the creek that roughly paralleled the West Branch road, but eventually curved away toward Cedar Valley. Zachary thought that riding Racer in the dark would be less dangerous if he were on a road rather than in the brush even if that road took him somewhat out of the way. The Bean farm was opposite Wapsinonoc creek from the Sanders farm and had a back entrance off of this road. He could take a fence trail along the southern boundary of the Bean place back to the creek where it bordered his father's property and probably not disturb any of the Bean's dogs or livestock.

When Zachary broke out from the woods out onto the Cedar Valley road leading Racer, a cold breeze began blowing from the west. He mounted the stallion and rode, leaning into the wind. He was still full of fear but the panic in him had lessened and he began thinking of what could happen to him and what he might do. He soon came to the Bean's back gate and he dismounted and led Racer along the farm's fence line. The going was slower here because the trail was little used and had gotten overgrown with rabbit brush in places.

After some time Zachary came to the creek that flowed between the two farms. He could see his house across the way up on a rise. There were visitors there, he could hear talking but he couldn't make out the words. He would have to get closer. He tied Racer to the fence, hoping the horse would not make any noise. Then he crept across the creek making sure he was hidden from the house by the trees and bushes along the bank. He was now at the main road and the Sander's drive was just across the way from where he was hiding. He looked back across the creek to make sure the horse was all right.

The buckboard was up near the house and it looked like Rachel was sitting in it. There was an oil lamp lit on the hook next to the front door. He ran quickly up the drive in the dark and hid by the woodshed opposite the drive from their yard and porch. It was Rachel and she was crying. Zachary yearned to run to her but Mr. Atkins and Rachel's brother James were up at the front door talking loudly with his father. He might be noticed.

He heard the storekeeper say "No telling what he did to her!" and James said "He's a horse thief, that's a hanging deed!"

Zachary's panic was returning. They might hang me, he thought wildly. I have to run. Then he heard his father speaking calmly "Now Mr. Atkins, I'm sure no harm has been done, the lad is just scared out of his wits. He'll return home soon and you'll have your horse back." Upon hearing those reassuring words, Zachary almost ran out from his hiding place to confirm his Dad's statement.

But James spoke up quickly and said "No Sir, he's done bad things to my sister, I'm sure, and I won't tolerate that from no one. He's got to pay for his crimes!"

Zachary saw his two sisters through the front door peeking through the railing on the stairway, watching the scene at the front door, their eyes wide with intense interest. His two brothers Enoch and Thad were down at the end of the porch their faces one above the other barely visible in the lamp light peering around the corner of the house looking on as the Atkins and their father continued the angry discussion.

Zachary's mother pushed through the men looking at all of them including her husband with disapproval and came out to Rachel with a blanket. Rachel was shivering in the dark and her tears were streaming down her face. "Now, now, honey, here wrap this quilt around thee, thee will catch thy death of cold if those men don't stop their hollering for a minute and get thee back home. They won't let me bring thee inside."

Mrs. Sanders climbed up next to the girl and held her like she were her own daughter. Zachary could hardly keep from going to them when he saw his mother consoling Rachel. Tears welled up out of his eyes as he sat there, quietly, hidden by the shed.

Just then, the stallion, still tied to the Bean's fence across the creek, raised a loud neigh. Zachary started at the sound but only Rachel and Zachary's mother looked around in the direction of the sound, the men were still too embroiled in their harangue on the porch. Rachel, probably understanding that the noise was from Racer and that Zachary was near-by, started bawling out a loud complaint toward her father. "Oh, papa, my stomach hurts, I want to go home." She repeated her plea another time and finally her father turned to look toward his daughter.

As he and James began walking toward their horses Atkins looked back at Humphrey Sanders and said "I'm taking my daughter home now, Sanders. If you don't bring the boy and the horse to me tomorrow morning early, I will form a group of regulators and we will scour the area until we find him." He turned and called to Rachel to get down from the buckboard and join him on his horse. Zachary watched as the three Atkins rode off quickly toward West Branch, disappearing in the dark.

"Thad, Enoch!" Zachary's father called, "Take the buckboard over to the granary house and unload the oats, we may need to use it in the morning." The boys ran out from their hidden spot at the end of the porch. They climbed the buckboard calling "Git, Tilde" and urged the mare toward the small building next to the barn.

The girls came out of the house and joined their mother and father on the porch, a short, lively discussion ensued. "What are we going to do papa?" Sarah, the eldest girl cried. "Are they going to kill Zachary?" said Lorrie, the baby of the family. "Now, now" said their mother, "Nothing's going to happen to Zach, thee girls just go back up to bed now and we'll straighten all this up in the morning."

Zachary heard all this and crept along the fence to the barn where he could cross to the granary undetected. His brothers were almost through unloading the oats, the only light that they had came from the porch lantern at the house. Enoch, the eldest, told Thad to finish stacking the last sacks, that he was going to take Matilda down to the far pasture for the night. He unhitched the mare and led her away into the gloom.

Zachary came out from behind the granary and startled his younger brother but kept Thad from crying out by putting his hand gently over his mouth and shushing him.

"Get inside here before they see me Thad, I can't let our father know I'm here." Zach whispered desperately.

"What are thee going to do, Zach. They said they was thinking of hanging thee. Did thee do all those bad things they said thee did?" replied Zach's younger brother.

"I didn't do anything wrong Thad. All that I know is I can't be around when those regulators come to look for me. Father will probably want me to go to West Branch and turn myself in to Mr. Atkins." responded Zachary. "I want thee to do me the biggest favor ever a brother could do" he said quickly. "Thee has to promise not to tell anyone, not even mother that I'm here."

"But what if they ask me if thee's here?" Thad cried.

"Shush, they'll hear you. They won't ask, don't worry" Zachary assured Thad "When everyone's gone to sleep, gather me some food and a blanket, I'll meet thee by the kitchen door. Just give a low whistle." Then Zachary hugged his brother before he could say more and slipped out of the granary and melted into the shadows by the barn. He had to get back to the stallion before it started making more noise.

The three-quarters moon was beginning to rise as Zachary waded across the creek through the icy water. He was carrying a feed bag of oats to pacify Racer, he didn't yet know where he and the horse could hide out of sight until Thad brought him some food. While the horse munched on the oats Zach mulled over his plan. He decided to lead the horse through the trees on the Bean's side of the creek until he got to their bridge, and then cross there with the horse and into the woods across the West Branch road. These woods would allow him to slip up close to the kitchen door under cover.

As he approached the bridge, Zachary looked up toward the Bean house and saw one light still on in their parlor. He led the stallion slowly across the bridge so as not to create too much noise by the clopping of the hooves. Fortunately, there were still an accumulation of leaves on the bridge and their footsteps were muffled. The moon was casting long tree shadows across the road now and Zachary crossed the horse quietly to the woods on the Sander's side of the road.

The leaves were crunchy, but a little trail in the woods that Zach and his brothers had used for years when playing there, made the going easy through the trees. He stopped in a small clearing and tied Racer to a birch tree. There were still some oats left and the horse seemed content to continue his feeding.

Zachary was close enough that he could see the lamp's glow from his parents' upstairs bedroom. He imagined them to be still talking about the affairs of that evening. They probably wouldn't stop for hours. He was beginning to wish he was in his own warm bed, he huddled up next to the horse to absorb some of its body heat.

Finally, the lights went out in the house. Thad would probably wait until he thought his parents were asleep before creeping downstairs to the kitchen.

Hours past, the moon was straight up overhead and Zachary thought he was going to freeze to death. Soon He heard the crash of a pan or pot coming from the kitchen and Thad came running out of the back door toward the woods. The light went on in his parents' bedroom. Now what would he do? Surely his father would come down to see what was going on.

Thad got to the clearing out of breath and barefooted. He spotted Zachary by the horse. He ran over to him and handed him a flour sack full of food items and an old wool blanket that they used when the dog had puppies.. "Hurry, I think father heard me when I kicked that dang old boiling pot mother keeps near the bread bin" Thad cried. "I figured thee'd be waiting here. Where will thee go?"

"I don't know yet," whispered Zach "but maybe I'll head for the county line near the old trading post on the way to Iowaville. Enoch said he'd been there once and he said it was abandoned. If they get the sheriff to join their regulators he won't likely take them looking for me outside his county area." Now a light went on in the kitchen.

Then a voice called out from the back kitchen door. "Thad are thee out there?". It was their father looking out into the darkness toward the woods. He was holding his varmint hunting gun. Their mother wrapped in a shawl, was peering out from behind him.

"I gotta go back." Thad said excitedly, as he started running toward the house. "Wait." Zachary called. "Remember, don't tell anyone a word." He knew that would be a problem for Thad as they were all taught to be forthright and truthful and as far as he could remember no one of his brothers or sisters had ever told a lie.

The West Branch road became the Iowaville road after the Cedar Valley junction some six miles west of the Sanders farm. From there it was only about two miles to the county line. Zachary rode Racer at a fairly good pace in the moonlight. He had left the woods by their house in a hurry to avoid being found by his father. He was sure Thad wouldn't mention about his plan but probably would not lie about having seen him in the woods.

After about two hours riding Zach came to the Cedar Valley junction. He was now entering territory that he had only heard about, but he rode slower and more relaxed since he was now in another county and felt somewhat safer from likely pursuers.

There were actually five roads that met at that point. A narrow lesser-used road went off to the southwest and down into a shallow valley that eventually led out to the Iowa River. A sign post at the junction lacked the arrow that would show where the southwest road led. Zach got off the stallion and stretched his legs. The horse was beginning to tire, so Zach planned to walk for a while. He was wearing the quilt that Thad had given him over his shoulders to keep the late night chill away.

As he began to walk past the signpost, he noticed a piece of wood down in the damp grass by the foot of the post. He picked it up and examined it by the light of the moon. It was the missing arrow. He could make out a letter "B" in the beginning of the first word, the rest of the word was not discernible. The last two words read "Trading Post". Zach had heard stories about the earlier days west of the Missippippi River and how the French fur traders had established networks of trading posts located at strategic places throughout the region.

After about a mile of walking down the southwest road, Zach mounted Racer again and let the horse set the pace. Soon he came to another desolate crossroads, he could hear a river or large stream of water up ahead. On the northwest corner of the junction there was a tumbled down looking log structure completely taken over by two large oak trees that had apparently been planted at one time on each side of the building. The trees had grown so large that they lifted and twisted the now dwarfed shack.

Zach went around to the opposite side and inspected the ruin. There was very little left of the original sod roof but the place looked like it might make a good temporary shelter until the sun came up. The walls were still intact and it was big enough for Racer. Zach let the stallion graze on the grass behind the shack while he prepared a bed of dry leaves for himself in one of the more protected corners of the building.

The first rays of the sun shown through cracks in the old walls and wakened Zachary to a beautiful morning. The broken clouds that played games with the moon last night were now gone.

Zach got up and walked around the building to survey his temporary home. He could see that the junction marked the corner of someone's farm. A weathered old sign on the front of the building hung down at an angle. Barely visible on the weathered gray wood of the sign in pealing black paint were the partial words "Bullock's Trading P." The farmstead, consisting of a stone house and largish barn, was on a small rise about a half-mile up the northerly road overlooking the Iowa river. There was a flock of sheep in the pasture down toward the river from the barn.

"How do, stranger." The words startled Zach. He swung around to see a tall bearded man wearing coveralls and a split hide short coat and wool flap hat standing by what had been the front entrance to the ruin. "My name's John." He said, "John Ball. I own this here farm your looking at. Sorry to catch you by surprise like that but I noticed your horse in the shack when I came out to round up my old Bessie cow."

He didn't know how he had missed it, but there was a cow standing on the road side of the split rail fence that ran along the road up to the farmstead.

"I'm Zachary Sanders." The boy finally said when he had gotten over his surprise. "I was using this old place for shelter last night, just to keep out of the wind. I hope thee don't mind." He was fearful that the old farmer would ask a lot of embarrassing questions.

"I could use a little help shooing Bessie back up to the barn if you're a mind to." The farmer said, looking back up toward the large animal munching at the roadside grass. "Get on your horse, she'll pay you a lot more mind than me walking at her."

Zach mounted Racer and started slowly up the road toward the grazing cow. John Ball walked with him just off the road. As they approached, Bessie raised her head and made a move toward them and mooed a small complaint. Then she turned and loped reluctantly back toward the stone house looking sideways back at her two herders.

At the barn, as they were putting the cow in her milking stall, Farmer Ball motioned Zach to put his horse in an empty stall. "That's a mighty fine horse you've got there." He said. "I always seem to get stuck with some old plug or other for riding. And I still use an ox for plowing. Say, why don't you join the Missus and me at breakfast, you look like you could use a good meal."

Zach felt inclined to say no and get on his way but there was something about this man's manner

that made him want to accept the invitation. Besides he was starved for his mother's pancakes and they were a long way back. "Thank thee." He said, his mouth beginning to water. "It would be hard for me to turn down a good home cooked meal after sleeping in that shack last night."

You go on up to the house and tell the Missus that I invited you to breakfast, you can clean up on the porch there. I have to milk old Bessie, then I'll be up to join you." The farmer said as he pulled up a stool and sat down to his chore.

~ The Healing ~

At breakfast, John Ball told Zach that he had been a circuit riding Methodist minister and had settled down to his farming some five years ago after the war. He was now a minister for the Lone Tree congregation some three miles to the north. "Where are you headed?" the farmer asked Zach.

This was the question that Zach had not answered for himself. "For now, I'm just headed West. I'm looking for a new place to settle but don't know where that will be yet."

"Well, look here, I could use some help with my spring plowing and such. Mother, don't you think we could put Zach up with us for awhile if he feels inclined to help us out?" The little stout lady had been mother to three boys and seemed to relish her present guest. Mrs. Ball replied "Of course Pa. We can always make room for a young, hard working hand. It's been a long time since this kitchen has had another person eating here."

Zach suddenly felt a wave of fatigue come over him. The prior day's events were catching up with him. "That's mighty kind of thee. I sure will do my best."

John noticed the weariness in the boy's face. "Come Zach, I'll show you the bunk house. You look like you could use some rest before you start the real work."

In the next weeks, Zach worked with John Ball and lived and ate and talked with the farmer and his wife as though he were part of their family. He began to trust the older man and see in him much of the wisdom that he now realized his own father exhibited.

One day while he and Ball were forking hay from the barn loft into a wagon Zachary decided to confide in the farmer. "I have to tell thee where I'm from and why I'm here John." "That's not necessary Zach." The farmer replied. "I can tell that you're a God fearing man, but one with some things to work out. I have no doubt that you will place your faith in Him to light the way. That is all that is important to me."

"I want to tell thee." The boy said. And as they continued their work loading the wagon Zach told John of his home near West Branch and described to him about Rachel and her father and the reason's for his leaving.

"I figured it was something like that" the farmer said "Your ma and pa must be worried something fearful. Why don't we talk a little more about this dilemma of yours during lunch. Right now we have to get this hay out to the feed troughs at the west pasture."

At lunch Mrs. Ball fed them a large meal of mutton stew and parsnips. They sat down, bowed their heads and John said the grace. When he had finished giving thanks, the minister prayed for guidance.

"Dear God, we have a young man here with an important decision to make. We beseech thee to help him make this decision in a way that is in keeping with thy will. Instill in him the courage to carry out that which thou hast deigned rightful and give him the strength to do this deed in your name. Amen."

The farmer paused and they all commenced eating. After a moment John spoke again "Zachary, you have been here for some days now and I'm sure you have been pondering on what you will do. I want you to pray tonight before you go to bed, and on the morrow come and tell me what you think is your next move. I will help you, whatever way you decide. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like or you can strike out West as you mentioned when you first arrived. Or, you can go back to West Branch and face your fate."

That night Zachary couldn't sleep. He tossed restlessly on the straw-stuffed mattress in the bunkhouse. When he finally fell asleep he dreamt of Mr. Atkins and heard James say what he had said back at the West Branch home that night. "That's a hanging deed!" Though it had been weeks now, the fear still held him. He could see Mr. Atkins and his son James and other men of West Branch who had fought or whose son's had fought in the War all marching down the road toward him to bring him to justice. Their voices calling loudly in unison "Hang him, hang him, hang him!"

He slept fitfully for another hour. And then, when the rooster began crowing, just before dawn, Zachary arose and went out to the barn. The night sky to the east toward West Branch was beginning to pale.

When John Ball came out to the barn, the boy had finished the milking and was sweeping out the stalls. "You're sure up early today, Zach. What gets you so full of energy this morning?"

"Well I prayed last night as thee suggested. Then I couldn't sleep too well most of the night. So I came out to get the chores started." the boy responded. "I think I've got to face up to whatever happens back in West Branch. I decided to go back. I'm still fearfull of what Mr. Atkin's bunch will do."

The farmer hesitated for a moment and then spoke seriously, looking straight into the boy's eyes, his left arm outstretched and his left hand resting on Zachary's shoulder. "I think you're doing the right thing, Zach. If you think it might help, I'd be willing to go back there with you."

At hearing this kind offer, Zach felt a great relief come over him. He now had someone to share his problem with. "I know that it would be a hardship for thee John, but if thee could do that it would sure make going back a whole lot easier for me."

The next morning after doing the necessary tasks, Zachary and John, mounted their horses and headed towards West Branch. As they rode by the old trading post where Zach had slept that night, John spoke up. "Did you know that old shack dates back to before the turn of the century? My father told me that a Frenchman by the name of Jacques Bouleaux established a fur trading post back before any other white man lived out here. Over the years after Bouleaux died the name was spelled different ways by different owners of the place. Now its just a ruin called Bullocks Corner by the folks around. Most everyone's forgotten why it's called that."

It was late afternoon when Zach and John Ball arrived at the Sander's farm. No one was in sight. Zach called out but no one responded. "What day of the week is this?" he asked Ball.

"Well this is Saturday." The farmer said. "When does your Friend's Meeting take place? If I recall right, they're usually on Sunday aren't they."

"Yes, but sometimes we hold them on Saturday evening if there's something special going on." Zach responded. He noticed that the surrey was gone from the barn.

John thought for a moment and then said "Let's go over to West Branch village. This might be a good time for you to show your face there." Zach's heart jumped up into his throat briefly. "I guess I might as well get this over with." he said.

As they were leaving the Sander's drive and turning toward West Branch, a couple in a black fliver pulled by a slightly aging chestnut horse approached them going in the same direction. Zachary recognized them as Joel and Hannah Bean, the Sander's neighbors across the creek. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Bean" he called out. They were riding next to the small carriage by this time.

"Why Zachary Sanders" Joel replied "Where have thee been, they've been scouting the whole countryside for thee." Then Joel looked over at John. A look of recognition came into his eyes. "Reverend Ball. It's been many years since I've seen thee."

The Beans went on to explain that a group of regulators had ridden around looking for Zachary but had given up after a week or so. But, now Mr. Atkins had gone up to Tipton to get the sheriff and was expecting to arrive today to form an official posse. "Atkins says that his horse has been stolen and means to seek redress." Joel explained. "Is that the horse he's talking about?" he asked Zachary as he pointed at Racer.

"Thee are in a whole bunch of serious trouble, lad." Atkins and others have had it out for us Friends since the War, because we refused to fight along side of them. Many of their sons and fathers died or were badly wounded. They have a hard time forgetting all that." Bean paused for a moment.

Hannah spoke. "We are holding our regular meeting tonight to ask for God's intercession and guidance. Tomorrow may see confrontation between the Friends and the rest of our community."

"I guess I caused all of this." Zachary lamented. "No it isn't all thy doing Zach." Joel replied "But thy escapades have surely brought our problems to a focus."

When they reached West Branch, John Ball told Zachary to put Racer in Atkins lower pasture and come back to the Friend's meetinghouse.

When he entered the crowded place of worship Zach saw his mother and sisters sitting on the women's side and his father and brother along with John Ball sitting on the men's side. His mother stood up as soon as she saw him and exclaimed "Thanks be to God, my boy is safe." Zach ran to her and she held him, tears streaming down across her face. "Now you go over and sit with your father, we have a meeting to conduct." The boy hugged both his sisters and ran across the aisle to join his father and brothers.

When he had finished embracing his father and brothers, Zach sat down and a quiet came over the meeting. For a long time nothing was said. Then Zachary noticed Rachel slip in the side door. She sat down next to his mother. He wanted to call out to her but his deep respect for the process of the meeting kept him from interfering in any way. "She must have seen us coming in." he thought.

The quiet continued for a while, then Mrs Sanders stood and spoke. "I feel that the spirit within my son Zachary has led him home again and I feel that is a sign that our differences with our neighbors will be worked out soon." She sat down. The room was quiet again.

The next one to speak was Mr. Sanders. "I sense that the trials of the past many days that we and my son have been through have strengthened us and that he and all of us have heard the voice of God calling us to move toward a reconciliation with out neighbors." Just then Mr. Atkins burst through the front door.

The storekeeper ignored the meeting and looked at Humphey Sanders and called out angrily, "Sanders, I'm asking you to turn your boy over to the regulators, the sheriff is arriving from Tipton tomorrow and we will have justice in this town." There was the sound of a noisy crowd coming from outside. Zachary felt the panic rise in his bones.

John Ball stood up. The storekeeper had not noticed the old circuit-riding minister in the room and was taken back when he saw him. John Ball spoke calmly, "Brother Atkins, this is a house of the lord and none of us should bring disturbance into these walls. Let's you and I step outside and have some words together." The two men stepped out through the front doors of the hall.

Mrs. Sanders stood up again when the quiet had resumed and spoke aloud. "This is an answer to the prayers we have been saying these last days. God has surely sent us a friend. A friend that has helped our son and that may intercede for us with our neighbors." Again she sat down and the room was quiet.

Rachel stood up next. "I feel that most of the recent happenings here have been my fault and I ask God to set my father and the others straight. And if there is any punishment to be handed out it should be done to me." Zachary felt an overwhelming feeling of love come over him. This girl, this young woman, whom he hardly new affected him so strongly that he began to weep openly.

Then John Ball and Mr. Atkins came back into the large room and sat on the men's side of the aisle. The noise from the crowd outside had died down.

After a period of silence John stood up and spoke to the congregation. "I know this is irregular but I ask you all if you might listen to Mr. Atkins grievances here in the Lord's presence." There was a general murmur of ascent from the group. Mrs. Sanders stood and spoke.

"Mr. Atkins, I think it is rightful that thee should speak thy mind here before us. We welcome the chance to hear from thee how thee has been wronged and to have the grace of the almighty help thee make thy statements clear for all to understand."

Atkins was a little shaken but stood up and began to speak. "The Reverend here . . ." But Rachel interrupted him quickly. "Father, I have prayed that you would listen to me and hear me in your heart. Now this sacred gathering has given me the chance I asked for, to speak to you, for you would not listen before." She was sobbing and her words came out so emotionally that the Storekeeper was visibly moved.

"These good people" she continued "have consoled me in the days since Zachary disappeared and have helped me make communion with my Lord and I hope that you will feel His spirit guiding you as it has me." Zachary wanted desperately to stand and speak now but Rachel had more to say.

"Father, As I tried to tell you earlier, Zachary did no harm to me that evening by the creek. On the contrary, he lifted my soul by his presence." The girl looked down at her clasped hands and tears began to run down her cheeks.

"As for the horse, it wasn't his idea to take Racer. I feared what you and James might do if you caught him, so I urged Zachary to take the horse so that he could momentarily escape your rath." Her chest was heaving rapidly from the crying.

"It was our intent that he would return after I had a chance to calm you with reason." She took a deep breath and continued." But as we know, that didn't happen and yours and James continued rage caused Zachary to run in fear for his life. He has done no wrong."

Rachel seemed to get control of her sobbing and spoke determinedly, looking straight at her father. "If anyone should be punished it is I, for I followed Zachary from West Branch that evening without telling you what I was doing. I knew you wouldn't let me go if I asked and a great yearning to be with Zachary overcame me. I now ask your forgiveness and ask you stop your attempts to make Zachary responsible for what I have done."

All of this should have been no revelation to Atkins, he had heard his daughter say the essence of what she had just sobbed out in the Friends Meeting many times in the last weeks. The storekeeper stood speechless before the congregation. The utterance of Rachels words before this group of neighbors made them sound different and gave him focus on their meaning. Eventually he gathered his senses and spoke, at first slowly with his head bowed down.

"I must confess that since that day until now I have had much anger within me. I came here to punish Zachary." He straightened up and continued. "The anger was so dominating that I haven't thought straight until now. Yes, I was angry about what danger my daughter could have been in and for a perceived grievance for the loss of a horse." Atkin's tone of voice sounded reflective now. "But there must have been more behind this than that which I have mentioned but I can't make sense of my anger any longer."

Atkins looked over at John Ball standing to his right. "Reverend Ball spoke to us outside your doors just a moment ago and drove the arrow of reason into my head." He turned and looked across the aisle toward the women. "My horse is back in his pasture and my daughter is unharmed, I have no apparent reason for this anger. I must apologize to you all and in particular Zachary and his parents. I ask God to mend the hearts of myself and my fellows outside." He stood there awkwardly for a time having no more to say, then sat down slowly.

The meeting was silent for several minutes. Then Zachary, who had wanted to speak but had not yet had the chance, stood up and spoke tearfully "God has watched over me and given me direction to face up to my troubles when I ran away in fear. He found me a true friend in John Ball." He swallowed and looked at Rachel. "Rachel was in no way at fault as she has claimed, if I hadn't given in to my fears we wouldn't be here today, talking about this." He turned toward his father. "Father I want to apologize to thee for I was afraid that thee would make me face the regulators and certain death. Now I know that thee would not have left me alone against them and that God would have helped me through all this as He surely has."

John Ball signaled to the storekeeper and they quietly left the room.

Joel Bean stood and said that God had made his way into the hearts of all concerned and the purpose of the meeting was complete. He said a prayer to close the meeting and one by one each person went over to Zachary and his family to tell them how glad they were that Zach was home.

Zach looked toward the door and saw Rachel standing there by herself, looking toward him. His heart leaped out for joy and he rushed over to her. They just stood there face to face, silently, holding hands, oblivious to the room full of people, and gazed deeply into each other's souls. For them, a new and wondrous life had just begun.

- - - o - - -

It was four years before Zachary and Rachel married. But in that time they grew to understand each other. Their union became a symbol of healing between the Quakers and their neighbors. Zachary worked from time to time for the Beans and eventually, with the help of Mr. Atkins, was able to buy the Bean farm when Joel and Hannah left Iowa and moved to California.

Years later Zachary and Rachel told their children the story of their first experience together and of how sometimes you have to go "On Beyond Bullocks" before you find the answer to your problems and learn to face your fears.