RAILCAR GOLD Chapter 2 . . Orphan . . Part 3
RAILCAR GOLD is a historically accurate multi-generational fictional tale of hidden treasure, primarily set in York County, Pennsylvania during the latter half of the Nineteenth Century. This is Part 3 of Chapter 2 . . . Orphan. A new part will be posted every Thursday. New readers may want to start at the beginning.
CHAPTER 2 . . . ORPHAN . . . Part 3
Dan lay awake late into the night. One part of him was excited at the opportunity of seeing new places. However another part of him was sad to be leaving Blackwood. It was so sudden. He would be leaving all his friends.
He had grown to accept a different type of life than the one he had known in Spring Mills. His existence amounted to either school or working for his uncle; with not much time to do anything else. Dan would scarcely have one more day in the only school he ever attended.
Early next morning he said his good-byes to his Blackwood schoolmates and almost immediately left to help his uncle prepare to leave at sunrise the following morning. Uncle Rufus had given no explanation as to why they were moving. Dan did not dare ask such a question of his uncle; he had learned it was best not to question anything.
The wagon was already half loaded by Dan when his uncle returned later in the morning. Uncle Rufus at long last explained to Dan, “On my buying route into Pennsylvania last week, I went through Lancaster County. An old horse dealer near Bainbridge had his place for sale; he wanted to scale back his horse-trading and gradually retire. When he discovered I was from Blackwood, where he had grown up; we talked about a place swap.”
Uncle Rufus continued, “The man that you saw me talking with is Harry; the guy that is swapping places with me. Harry agreed to the deal after looking at this place last night. We drew up the papers for our agreement this morning; it took longer than I expected.”
By mid-afternoon, everything was packed and the horses were all attended to. Rufus told Dan, “If you want to say some more good-byes, go ahead; just be back by sundown. We’ll eat at the tavern tonight.”
Dan knew exactly where he wanted to go first. He had mixed feelings as he took his last walk to Spring Mills where he had spent such a wonderful childhood. Everyone wished him well. Eventually the memories of all those places and hearing all the stories that included his parents and siblings got to Dan.
Dan ran the whole way back to Blackwood. Dan ran into the cemetery where his parents and brother were buried. He sat down in front of their gravestone and cried.
Immediately after their death, Dan had visited often. Lately Dan only visited whenever something troubled him. He found comfort in thinking things out while sitting next to their gravestone. It suddenly struck Dan; he would no longer have this site as his security blanket.
For the second night in a row, Dan had trouble falling asleep. Alternating feelings of adventure and anxiety swirled through his young mind. Eventually he falls asleep with dreams of the journey that lay ahead.
Go to Part 4
