In today’s post, I share a poignant moment from my novel “A Profitable Wife,” highlighting the intense emotions and unyielding determination from the perspective of Easter, the mother of a runaway. This excerpt showcases Easter’s profound relief as she rescues her son from a perilous situation.

Easter’s journey, marked by a fierce resolve, mirrors the rugged terrain she traverses to find her son. The scene unfolds with Easter confronting Captain Pierce Nelson and his troops, fearlessly standing her ground to reclaim her son, Elijah. This act of bravery is not just a mother’s love in action but also a testament to the era’s harsh realities, where survival and kinship were paramount. Her daughter, Mahala’s cocked rifle symbolizing a family’s united front against daunting odds. Mahala’s actions, guided by a mix of youthful audacity and deep-seated loyalty, underscore the narrative’s exploration of courage and the resilience of the human spirit. “A Profitable Wife” delves into these emotional depths, revealing the extraordinary strengths that ordinary people can summon in the face of adversity.

1849 – The Dancing Ground

To the wide, rolling plains of the West let us hie,

Where the clear river’s bosom immirrors the sky,

On whose banks stands the warrior so brave,

Whose bark hath alone left a curl on the wave[i]

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…Captain Nelson observed from atop his horse as his men tied up the Natives. It had been easy to spot them emerging from the thicket, given the sounds that had betrayed their position the evening before. A few gunshots into the air had effortlessly subdued the group. He was somewhat disappointed at the makeup of the prisoners: a few Elders and some young teens. Not much to brag about but better than nothing. He would have his men escort them to the reservation.

“Cap’n,” one of his soldiers called and pointed down the flats. A determined-looking woman was riding hard and fast towards them, carrying a rifle. Certainly it was unusual to see a white woman by herself out this far. That was probably the fire they had seen the night before; perhaps she had been out hunting with her husband. She had likely been drawn by the gunshots.

As the woman pulled up, she took one look at the captain as if to take his measure, then turned her attention to the prisoners.

“Howdy, ma’am,” Pierce offered. “Sorry if we startled ya. Just rounding up some Injuns that strayed off the reservation.”

The woman climbed off of her horse, gave him quite a fierce look, and moved towards the captives. A couple of his men stepped in her way and looked to the captain for guidance.

The woman literally pushed one of them flat on his back and elbowed the other as she stepped in front of the prisoners, inspecting them. Then her eyes settled on one.

“Elijah?” the woman said and reached for one of the young heathens.

His men recovered and grabbed the woman by her arm. That’s when Pierce heard the cock of a gun, and it wasn’t from his men or this woman.

“You take your hands off my Ma.”

Pierce turned around to see a young white girl with a cocked rifle pointing right at him.

“Take your hands off my Ma!”

Pierce motioned to his men to let the woman go and said, “Easy now, girl. Don’t get too excited, you don’t want that gun to go off accidently now.”

The woman was cutting the bonds from one of the young Injun’s hands.

“This is my son,” the woman stated flatly. “He ran off to go fishing with his friends. It was a mistake. I’m taking him home.”

Pierce glanced at the young girl who still had a bead on him. She was as steady as a rock. He looked back at the standing young’un all dressed in Injun leather, looking at the ground sheepish as if in very big trouble and ashamed. Yep; tan but lighter skin than the rest. Hair cropped below the ears; dark, but glints of red could be seen in there.

“All right. Let that one go,” Captain Pierce announced. He noted that his men looked mightily relieved. This mother and her daughter were quite a formidable pair, and none of them wanted to be known for going up against a couple of white women.

“Ma,” the girl said still holding the gun on the captain. “We can’t let them take Mingan Gray Wolf. He’s our friend; and the others—they’re his family.”

Easter studied Elijah, who had tears streaming down his cheeks. She pulled him close, and he wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m sorry, Ma. I’m sorry.”

“I know,” Easter replied as she surveyed the motley, skinny group of prisoners.

“Mahala, put the gun down, now,” Easter ordered.

Mahala lowered and uncocked the gun, still holding it ready, just in case.

“Ya know, young man,” the captain started to lecture, “If it weren’t for your Ma showing up here when she did you’d be on your way to the reservation with these Injuns. Your family would never know what happened to you.”

Easter tilted her head sideways, sizing up the captain.

“My name is Easter Conklin. This here is my son, Elijah Friendly, and of course my daughter Mahala, whom you have already met. We have an eighty-acre homestead up in Otter Creek Township.”

Pierce tipped his hat, “Captain Pierce Nelson, ma’am.”

“Well Captain Pierce, I’ll let the Mayor know up our way that you helped us and ask him to write a letter on our behalf to Governor Briggs. He’ll put a good word for you in with the governor I’m sure.” Easter had never personally spoken with the mayor of Bellevue or any other mayor for that matter, but she wanted this captain to think she had in case he was getting any nefarious ideas. Without giving the captain any more time to think, she ushered Elijah and Mahala onto their horse and gave a quick wave as they turned and rode away. When they breached the hill they stopped for a moment to look back at the troop.

With heavy hearts Elijah and Mahala gazed upon their bound friends below.

Elijah pulled his coon-skin cap out of his bag and placed it back on his head where it belonged. In anguish he pleaded, “Is there nothing we can do, Ma?”

Easter scrutinized her children. It was a hard lesson. They had spent a lot of time bonding with these Natives through fishing and forest play. Inconsolable was the only word to describe Elijah and Mahala.

“The law says this particular folk have to stay on the reservation. When they leave, their lives are in jeopardy and potentially forfeit. It may not be fair. It may not be right, but it is what it is.”

In truth what the captain had said was a fact. It was a miracle they found Elijah. They might never have known what happened to him…

[i]J.F. Chamberlain, “Away to the Prairie,” in Memories of Eighty Years, 81.

Readers are invited to step back into a bygone era, where Easter’s life unfolds from her birth in 1812 to a fateful day in 1856, offering an intimate look at a woman whose existence was marked by the wild frontiers of the American Midwest. Christensen’s narrative promises a journey filled with romance, jealousy, and a murder that echoes through the annals of American history.

Kat Christensen’s novel, ‘A Profitable Wife,’ is now available on Amazon and other online book retailers.