The Danny Harvey Story

       The Danny Harvey Story

Suzanne Marsh

Her thin veined hand held that of her son Danny; she began to cough as she attempted to shield him from seeing the once white handkerchief; now bright red. Martha Harvey knew she had very little time left before the consumption took her last breath. She wanted Danny to find his father, who could finish raising him to manhood. Once the coughing had subsided Martha reached for the last letter she had received from her husband John in the California gold fields. The older Danny became the more he resembled his father John. His shoulders were broadening, he stood six feet but he was more gentle and loving than his father. Martha held his hand as she began to read:

Dear Martha,

I have been mining a new strip of land, and it looks promising. I know I should be home plowing the lower forty but I chose to come here to California. I am sending a few dollars for you and the boy. I wish there were more but there isn’t. Folks here are either very rich or very poor, I want to be rich Martha, I don’t want to plow a field for the rest of my life.

I don’t plan on comin' home to Fate, I am stayin' in California. Please don’t think I have stopped

loving you or the boy; I want somethin' more out of life than that.

Love,

John

Martha felt the beginnings of tears welling in her blue eyes, she still held Danny’s hand:

“Danny, the doc says I got a few weeks maybe, I want you to go pack your things, find your

daddy, and tell him he needs to finish raising you to be a man. I can’t do it, by the time you reach

California, I will be in the ground. Danny, please do this for me.”

Danny felt the tears drop on his hand, he had no choice but to agree. He stayed with his Ma until she uttered her last words: “I love you, Danny.”

Danny buried Martha in a small cemetery, just outside of Fate. His friend Tommy Shields offered to ride along with Danny, at least until he could get to Las Vegas, New Mexico where he was to meet a wagon train bound for Placerville, California. Danny suspected his father would either be in Sacramento or Placerville. Danny and Tommy crossed over into Tucumcari, New Mexico, then proceeded to Las Vegas, New Mexico where arrangements had been made for Danny to meet up with the Tom Tompson party. Danny had no idea who Tom Tompson was or what his countenance was; it was only a name to him. The mules trudged slowly but surely toward their first destination, Las Vegas, New Mexico. Snow began to fall just outside of Tucumcari, and the mules began sliding on the snow, before Danny left he realized he should have had the mules shod with shoes that had tiny spikes on them, to keep the mules and wagon steady.. Danny and Tommy pulled over into a small group of pine trees, that would afford them little protection from the howling wind and snow.

Danny and Tommy rode out the storm, grateful for the food they had in the wagon. Suddenly they heard rustling in the trees, there stood a huge hulking man with a black beard and a smile:

“Are you Danny Harvey?” The man asked softly.

“Yes sir, I am Danny and this is my good friend Tommy Shields, he is going with me to

California. What is your name sir?” The giant of a man smiled:

“My name is Tom Tompson, I got worried when the snow started, the telegram said you

planned to meet the wagon train in Las Vegas. When you did not show I became

concerned. Glad you both are safe, we brought horses and mules to pull you out of this

small piece of paradise. “ With that statement, he clucked his horse and whistled for the other

men who had come with him. The boys once unencumbered by the waist-deep snow followed

the wagon master back to camp. Tompson informed them they would be pulling out

tomorrow. Danny asked how long it would take to get to California, Tompson grinned:

“Boy, it is gonna take at least four to six months, Are you in a hurry?” Danny’s voice shot up several octaves as he attempted to grasp what Tompson had just said. He had no choice, he made the promise to his mama and he would keep it, that meant traveling to California and finding his daddy.

Once the threat of snow subsided the wagon train moved out, Danny driving the wagon while Tommy rode his horse.

The wagon was full of a lifetime of treasures, that Danny just could not leave behind. A painting of his mama when she was a beauty not the old shrunken woman who could barely hold his hand. Danny had purchased two Springfield Rifles, he was going to be prepared for anything and everything. He could handle himself well or so he thought. He did a great deal of thinking as he and Tommy traveled on the California Trail.

Finally, after almost a month they were out of the mountains and into the Great Plains. Tom Tompson made sure the boys pulled into the wagon circle every night, the Ogalala Sioux were sending war parties to stop the settlers from trespassing on their land. Danny did not care about the way the Indians followed them from a far distance, until that fateful morning raid. The camp had just began to awaken, suddenly a night guard came at a full lope:

“Get under the wagons and stay there!” Danny had no idea what was happening, he noticed a huge cloud of dust. Then out of the dust there rode at least fifty Ogalala Sioux braves, Danny and Tommy grabbed the Springfield Rifles, and began firing as the Sioux braves whooped. Flaming arrows fell up wagons burning canvas. The men continued to fire, Tommy yelped in pain with an arrow protruding from his shoulder. Danny moved closer to Tommy to be sure he was all right, then began to fire the Springfield again and again. The Indians after losing half of their braves turned leaving the wagon train.

Several months after leaving Fate, Texas Danny arrived with Tommy in Placerville, California. He still had no idea where to find his father. There was a saloon down the dirt road, both boys were tired and thirsty; they both ordered a beer. Danny began asking questions about John Harvey, no one had any idea who he was. Danny was not to be deterred, he continued for most of the day asking questions. The last saloon he asked a dark-haired man pointed out a sour looking man, with rheumy eyes, was that the man Danny was looking for? Danny walked over to the table where the man was seated, he knocked the man on the floor:

“Are you my pa? He asked as he saw something of himself in the man. The man stumbled to his feet:

“Who the hell are you kid?” This was not going well, Tommy motioned Danny to get out of there. Danny ignored him, he had come all this way he wanted answers.” He pulled out the locket his mama had given him and handed it to the man. The man grew pale: “Where did you get this boy? Did

you steal it?” Danny promptly put his fist in the man’s jaw:

“That locket was my mama’s, she died just before I left to come to California. Now how about

you answer my question? What is your name?” The man looked at Danny:

“My name is John Harvey, you sure ain’t the little kid I remember. You have grown, what

happened to Martha:” Danny wasn’t sure if he wanted to punch this father of his out:

“She had walk the doc called Consumption, she became ill just after you left us for the gold

fields. You killed her, you broke her heart!”

The barkeep had already sent for the law:

“I don’t know what is going on here but young man you need to stop beatin up on this man

here. You tell him you are sorry or I will put you in jail to cool off.”

Danny had done his mama asked, he had found his father he just could not see this man raising him to manhood, he couldn’t even stand up. In time Danny forgave his father, and he became a lawyer. His father marveled at the son he owed to Martha and her love.