Chapter 6: On The Road Again

Monday morning Boyd and Loyd sat at the table in the room and did their Bible study and said their prayer for the day. They wrote out all the instructions for Ms. Lucy and foreman George, including the $100,000 they were going to have sent from their bank to complete the transaction including how to reach them. They also wrote one for Pastor Jones. They then packed all their belongings in their trailer. It was 9:15 when they walked into the office to check out. When the little man handed Boyd his change he was looking at Loyd and his hand was shaking so bad Boyd was afraid he was going to die of fright.

"Loyd, what did you do to that little man? I thought he was going to die!" howled Boyd when they were in the buggy.

"You know, brother, this gold badge really does work," Loyd replied with a straight face.

They stopped, loaded their guns with blanks, and waited until they would knock on the door of the mansion at 9:35.

Conroy met them at the door and led them to the conference room. They walked in with their guns blazing. Every ear in the room ached from the sound. Loyd and Boyd walked to the front of the room.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Boyd and this is my brother, Loyd. We are now the new owners of this mansion and what is now Jackson Lumber Company. George Waters, you are now the foreman of the sawmill..."

"What do you mean making him foreman?" asked Ralph.

"I just did," Boyd answered.

"What about me?" Ralph asked, reality was suddenly sitting in.

"I don't know. George, what do you want to do about Ralph?" Boyd asked.

George had been on his knees a long time last night and this morning. "Ralph and Jerry, I am sorry, neither of you will be needed anymore at the mill. You may both be excused. Conroy, will you please escort them out?"

They both knew it was over and simply got up and left with Conroy leading the way.

"Ms. Lucy, instructions for you and Mr. George are in this letter. We have also written the letters that we want you to give to Pastor Jones. Would you please come up here and take over."

With that, they walked out the door and hopped into the buggy and rode away. They headed for the telegraph office. Boyd handed the telegraph operator this message:

To Jim Day at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-over

Bought Jackson Indiana Sawmill-over

Give Faith Baptist Church free lumber-over

Build church and school-over

Information contact Lucy Watson-over

Good spot to start new wagon factory-over

Boyd Jackson Indiana—over and out

"Where do we go, Boy?"

"That way, Boss" said Boyd, pointing out in front of them.

They traveled about ten miles when they saw two wagons stopped ahead of them. There were at least ten children between the ages of five and thirteen.

"May we be of assistance?" Boyd asked.

"We want you to know we will not accept help from anyone who still treats blacks as slaves!" exclaimed a woman who seemed to think Loyd might be abused because he was driving.

Loyd stepped out of the buggy. He pulled a silver dollar out of his pocket and flipped it into the air with his left hand. He pulled his gun out with his right hand and shot a hole through it. He watched where it landed, walked over and picked it up, and then walked back over.

"Madam, my name is Loyd and this boy with me is my brother. If you see a black person being abused, do me a favor and point me in the right direction," Loyd said as he handed her his business card along with the silver dollar with a bullet hole right through the center.

Not to be outdone by Loyd, Boyd pulled out his business card, handed it to her and said, "What my little brother can't finish, I will."

The woman just looked at the two cards and everyone else clapped. One of the wagons had a spindle broken. Loyd got under the wagon and looked at the spindle. He could tell it had a fracture at a knot that had slipped through inspection at one of their factories.

"Whose wagon is this one?" Loyd asked.

"I am Herman Brim. It is my wagon. I don't know what I will do. We have all our money tied up in this trip to Oregon!" said Herman with a very frustrated voice.

"First of all, the new spindle will not cost you anything. It is one of our factory wagons. It had a flaw in the spindle. Second, we will get the equipment out to remove that spindle. I will help get it off. You go with Boyd to bring back the other one from Jackson," Loyd said.

"Boss, let's drop the trailer. That should help us get back before dark. I will give Herman $5,000.00." Boyd said in Iroquois.

"Sounds like a plan," Loyd answered in Iroquois as they unhooked the trailer.

They continued to talk in Iroquois.

Everyone looked at them like they were crazy as they split up. Boyd headed for Jackson with Herman and Loyd started on the spindle.

While they rode Boyd said, "Herman, Loyd and I own the Harris Wagon Factory. We turned it over to our partner and we have embarked on a good will mission across the country. I don't know where we will end up. We intend to help as many people as we can in more ways than one. One way we wish to help is spiritually. If you were to die today, would you go to heaven?"

"I guess I never gave it much thought," Herman said.