RAILCAR GOLD Chapter 6 . . Independence . . Part 2
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 2 of Chapter 6 . . . Independence. A new part will be posted every Thursday. New readers may want to start at the beginning.
CHAPTER 6 . . . INDEPENDENCE . . . Part 2
The switchman quickly opened the door to the railcar. Dan stood and barely took a step forward before hastily taking two steps to the side, immediately concealed him self behind a tree trunk. This time Dan had a clear view of the person standing in the open doorway of the boxcar; it was not Billy.
The person just stood in the doorway, ignoring demands of the switchman to jump down from the railcar. Whenever the men tried to grab his leg, he would step back, just out of reach. Suddenly he attempts to leap over these men. He is not successful. The man, covered in soot, grabbed a leg and swiftly had the stowaway on the ground.
It did not take long before his hands and feet were tied; then the two men threw him back into the boxcar. Both men got in the railcar and appeared to search the car, while the guy just lay there. One man returned to the engine, while the switchman sat in the doorway of the railcar as the train pulled away, headed for the station. Any thoughts that Dan had about being a stowaway in another boxcar were effectively squashed.
Dan stuck around the group of trees during most of the day. The guy that stole his sack of belongings never showed. Dan was now resigned to the fact that he would never again see those two birthday cards made by his Mom. Dan was also resigned to the odds he would never see Billy again.
Despondent, with deep feelings of loneliness, Dan wished he could sit in front of the gravestone of his parents; as he had done so many times immediately following their death. Dan kept thinking about the card, on which his Mom drew a picture of the Declaration of Independence, since Dan shared his July Fourth birthday with the birth of that document.
As a substitute, Dan decided to seek out the gravestone of the signer of the Declaration of Independence. Remembering the ceremony that he witnessed yesterday, Dan headed down Queen Street to the courtyard of the church at the corner with Main Street. He easily found the gravestone of James Smith; it was still decorated with flags.
Dan sat down in front of the gravestone and started chatting. “Hi James Smith. I’m Dan. You don’t know me, but my Mom speaks highly of all the brave signers of the Declaration of Independence; so I feel that I know you. I wish that I can be brave just like you.”
In the next hour, Dan pretty much poured out his who life story; details from a wonderful childhood in Spring Mills, to the heartbreak from the loss of his parents and siblings in the accident. Dan continued with criticism directed towards Rufus; lamenting about being forced to work pretty much non-stop, while being denied a childhood and being denied schooling.
Dan lamented, “Why did Rufus have to turnout to be such a terrible guardian?” Just as that sentence left Dan’s mouth, from behind, he heard someone clearing his throat.
Go to Part 3
