The government moved the people to Grand Ronde Reservation, and I never saw most of them again.”
“Why was that?”
“They died. Some said it was from diseases brought about by living so close together. Others said the white man had poisoned them. But I think it was mostly heartbreak. Their hearts had broken and couldn’t be mended.” The memories made her sad, and Faith had to fight to hold back tears.
“I’m sorry. That must be difficult for you.”
“Yes, but I know those who’ve passed on went to a better place. Many of the Tututni had accepted Jesus as Savior and put their hope in Him for the future. I know I’ll see them again.”
She worked in silence for several minutes, then tied off the final stitch.
“There. You’ll have to be careful for a while.” She pulled a roll of bandages from her bag. “I’ll wrap the arm, but try to keep it dry, and in a couple of weeks, get someone to take out the stitches. If you have to take them out yourself, get a pair of tweezers and pull up on the knot, clip one side, and pull the thread through. But leave them in for at least ten days.” She made short work of wrapping the arm, then tore the bandage strip down the middle and tied it off in a knot. “Oh, and keep it clean.”
“I’ll do just that, but how can I wash it off and keep it dry at the same time?”
She smiled. “Well, you can wipe it down with this.” She handed him the bottle containing the vinegar solution. “Then dry it thoroughly. Even let it air out for a short time before rewrapping it. But only do this if it’s dirty. If you keep it wrapped and dry, you should be just fine. You should probably buy some bandages or make some.”
“We have plenty here on board. I’ll see to it.”
Faith gathered her things and put them back in her bag. “There. You can go back to barking out orders, but you might want to get something to eat and drink first. It will help with the blood loss.” She headed for the door, avoiding the chance to look into his eyes again.
“Miss Kenner.”
She turned back and met his gaze despite herself. “Yes?”
“I guess in time we shall know if you’re truly gifted or just full of yourself.”
Nodding, Faith turned away with a grin. “You’re welcome.”
“I wasn’t expecting to see you and Uncle Adam.” Faith embraced her aunt Mercy Browning. “What a wonderful surprise.”
“We just finished meetings with the state Indian officials yesterday in Portland,” Mercy replied, brushing back loose strands of hair that fell across Faith’s face. “We intended to stop by and see if Nancy had room to put us up at the boardinghouse, but Adam found out a boat was leaving immediately for Oregon City, and we hurried to catch it instead. We figured we could see Nancy on our way home.”
“I’m living at her boardinghouse now. The medical college transferred its classes to Portland.”
“That’s wonderful. You’ll be much closer to home.”
“A fact that we are very pleased with,” Faith’s mother, Hope Kenner, declared.
Mercy nodded. “I can well imagine. How we’ve missed you. It seems like just yesterday we were all together with the Tututni.”
“I know. I was just telling the captain of our boat about the Tututni and my time there.”
“Whatever prompted that?” Faith’s mother asked.
“He was injured defending an old Indian man. I was sewing up his arm and wanted to keep his mind occupied, so I started talking about my life on the Rogue River.”
Aunt Grace entered the front sitting room with a huge tray of refreshments. “I thought you all might need to warm up with a little mint tea. I’ve also made muffins.”
Faith noted the orange tint to the muffins. “Ooh, are these the muffins with orange, pineapple, and carrots and coconut?”
“Along with a few other ingredients,” Grace said.
Faith reached for one as soon as the tray was on the table. “I love these. Oh my, they’re still warm.”
Grace smiled. “You said you had to stitch the captain’s arm. Was he surprised to have a female doctor?”
“I think he was. But even more surprised that I don’t hate Indians.” Faith sampled the frosted muffin and smiled. “This is so good, Aunt Grace. I’d forgotten just how good. I love all the nuts you’ve put in. Does Nancy have this recipe?”
“I’m not sure, since I didn’t start making these until about ten years ago.” Grace poured