willing to trade charcoal for a good shoe。 But water； that's what the smith needed that nobody'd bring him； so of course they put him right down the hill from the spring house where his ching ching ching could wake her up and put the fire back into her in the one place where she had used to be able to let it burn low and go almost to cold wet ash。
A roar of thunder。
She was at the door in a second。 Had to see the lightning。 Caught just the last shadow of the light but she knew that there'd be more。 It wasn't much after noon； surely； or had she slept all day？ What with all these blackbelly clouds she couldn't tell it might as well be the last minutes of dusk。 The air was all a…prickle with lightning just waiting to flash。 She knew that feeling； knew that it meant the lightning'd hit close。
She looked down to see if the blacksmith's stable was still full of horses。 It was。 The shoeing wasn't done； the road would turn to muck； and so the farmer with his two sons from out West Fork way was stuck here。 Not a chance they'd head home in this； with lightning ready to put a fire in the woods； or knock a tree down on them； or maybe just smack them a good one and lay them all out dead in a circle like them five Quakers they still was talking about and here it happened back in '90 when the first white folks came to settle here。 People talked still about the Circle of Five and all that； some people wondering if God up and smashed them flat so as to shut the Quakers up； seeing how nothing else ever could； while other people was wondering if God took them up into heaven like the first Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell who was smote by lightning at the age of ninety…seven and just disappeared。
No； that farmer and his big old boys'd stay another night。 Little Peggy was an innkeeper's daughter； wasn't she？ Papooses learnt to hunt； pickaninnies learnt to tote； farmer children learnt the weather； and an innkeeper's daughter learnt which folks would stay the night； even before they knew it right theirselfs。
Their horses were champing in the stable； snorting and warning each other about the storm。 In every group of horses； little Peggy figgered； there must be one that's remarkable dumb； so all the others have to tell him what all's going on。 Bad storm； they were saying。 We're going to get a soaking； if the lightning don't smack us first。 And the dumb one kept nickering and saying； What's that noise； what's that noise？
Then the sky just opened right up and dumped water on the earth。 Stripped leaves right off the trees； it came down so hard。 Came down so thick； too； that little Peggy couldn't even see the smithy for a minute and she thought maybe it got washed right away into the stream。 Oldpappy told her how that stream led right down to the Hatrack River； and the Hatrack poured right into the Hio； and the Hio shoved itself on through the woods to the Mizzipy； which went on down into the sea； and Oldpappy said how the sea drank so much water that it got indigestion and gave off the biggest old belches you ever heard； and what came up was clouds。 Belches from the sea； and now the smithy would float all that way； get swallered up and belched out； and someday she'd just be minding her own business and some cloud would break up and plop that smithy down as neat as you please； old Makepeace Smith still ching ching chinging away。
Then the rain stacked off a mite and she looked down to see the smithy still there。 But that wasn't what she saw at all。 No； what she saw was sparks of fire way off in the forest； downstream toward the Hatrack； down where the ford was； only there wasn't a chance of taking the ford today； with this rain。 Sparks； lots of sparks； and she knew every one of them was folks。 She didn't hardly think of doing it anymore； she only had to see their heartfires and she was looking close。 Maybe future； maybe past； all the visions lived together in the heartfire。
What she saw right now was the same in all their hearts。 A wagon in the middle of the Hatrack； with the water rising and everything they owned in all the world in that wagon。
Little Peggy didn't talk much； but everybody knew she was a torch； so they listened whenever she spoke up about trouble。 Specially this kind of trouble。 Sure the settlements in these parts were pretty old now； a fair bit older than little Peggy herself； but they hadn't forgotten yet that anybody's wagon caught in a flood is everybody's loss。
She fair to flew down that grassy hill； jumping gopher holes and sliding the steep places； so it wasn't twenty seconds from seeing those far…off heartfires till she was speaking right up in the smithy's shop。 That farmer from West Fork at first wanted to make her wait till he was done with telling stories about worse storms he'd seen。 But Makepeace knew all about little Peggy。 He just listened right up and then told those boys to saddle them horses； shoes or no shoes； there was folks caught in the Hatrack ford and there was no time for foolishness。 Little Peggy didn't even get a chance to see them go Makepeace already sent her off to the big house to fetch her father and all the hands and visitors there。 Wasn't a one of them who hadn't once put all they owned in the world into a wagon and dragged it west across the mountain roads and down into this forest。 Wasn't a one of them who hadn't felt a river sucking at that wagon； wanting to steal it away。 They all got right to it。 That's the way it was then； you see。 Folks noticed other people's trouble every bit as quick as if it was their own。
Chapter Four Hatrack River
Vigor led the boys in trying to push the wagon； while Eleanor hawed the horses。 Alvin Miller spent his time carrying the little girls one by one to safety on the far shore。 The current was a devil clawing at him； whispering； I'll have your babies； I'll have them all； but Alvin said no； with every muscle in his body as he strained shoreward he said no to that whisper； till his girls stood all bedraggled on the bank with rain streaming down their faces like the tears from all the grief in the world。
He would have carried Faith； too； baby in her belly and all； but she wouldn't budge。 Just sat inside that wagon； bracing herself against the trunks and furniture as the wagon tipped and rocked。 Lightning crashed and branches broke； one of them tore the canvas and the water poured into the wagon but Faith held on with white knuckles and her eyes staring out。 Alvin knew from her eyes there wasn't a thing he could say to make her let go。 There was only one way to get Faith and her unborn baby out of that river； and that was to get the wagon out。
〃Horses can't get no purchase； Papa；〃 Vigor shouted。 〃They're just stumbling and bound to break a leg。〃
〃Well we can't pull out without the horses！〃
〃The horses are something； Papa。 We leave 'em in here and we'll lose wagon and horses too！〃
〃Your mama won't leave that wagon。〃
He saw understanding in Vigor's eyes。 The things in the wagon weren't worth a risk of death to save them。 But Mama was。
〃Still；〃 Vigor said。 〃On shore the team could pull strong。 Here in the water they can't do a thing。〃
〃Set the boys to unhitching them。 But first tie a line to a tree to hold that wagon！〃
It wasn't two minutes before the twins Wastenot and Wantnot were on the shore making the rope fast to a stout tree。 David and Measure made another line fast to the rig that held the horses； while Calm cut the strands that held them to the wagon。 Good boys； doing their work just right； Vigor shouting directions while Alvin could only watch； helpless at the back of the wagon； looking now at Faith who was trying not to have the baby； now at the Hatrack River that was trying to push them all down to hell。
Not much of a river； Vigor had said； but then the clouds came up and the rain came down and the Hatrack became something after all。 Even so it looked passable when they got to it。 The horses strode in strong； and Alvin was just saying to Calm； who had the reins； 〃Well； we made it not a minute to spare；〃 when the river went insane。 It doubled in speed and strength all in a moment； and the horses got panicky and lost direction and started pulling against each other。 The boys all hopped into the river and tried to lead them to shore but by then the wagon's momentum had been lost and the wheels were mired up and stuck fast。 Almost as if the river knew they were ing and saved up its worst fury till they were already in it and couldn't get away。
〃Look out！ Look out！〃 screamed Measure from the shore。
Alvin looked upstream to see what devilment the river had in mind； and there was a whole tree floating down the river； endwise like a battering ram； the root end pointed at the center of the wagon； straight at the place where Faith was sitting； her baby on the verge of birth。 Alvin couldn't think of anything to do； couldn't think at all； just screamed his wife's name with all his strength。 Maybe in his heart he thought that by holding her name on his lips he could keep her alive； but there was no hope of that； no hope at all。
Except that Vigor didn't know there was no hope。 Vigor leapt out when the tree was no more than a rod away； his body faili