Amish Country Arson Read online

  Elton blew on his steaming cup and took a small sip before he set the cup down. “John, I just came from the Stolfus farm. We need to organize a barn raising as soon as possible. Jonah needs a barn set up for milking. It will not be as handy going to Samuel Nisely's to milk by hand with as many cows as he has. Jonah will be over there several times a day with plenty of vet work to do on the burnt stock, too. That all takes time and is unhandy.”

  “You announce that at the worship service this Sunday during the member meeting. We will get organized recht away,” John agreed.

  Jim set his cup down. “Did Mr. Stolfus figure out what caused the fire?”

  “The sheriff arrived to investigate before we left,” Elton said. “Jonah saw someone on horse back leaving his cornfield. The rider headed east. It was too dark to make out more than that when he looked out the bedroom window. The sheriff thinks someone set the fire.”

  “That's awful,” Aunt Tootie said, hanging her dish towel on the line behind the cookstove. “What is this world coming to when someone can be that mean for no reason?”

  “Why would anyone burn that man's nice big barn,” Nora declared on her way out the back door to empty the dish pan.

  Elton picked up his cup and took a drink while he pondered his answer. He set the cup down to respond. “We may never know what makes a man do such an evil act, but this is the only world we have. It is filled with all kinds of people, gute and bad.

  Jonah looked out the window in time to see the fire started on the southeast side of the barn. The sheriff and fire chief looked there first. They found a fragment of a plastic juice bottle and a white lid. Partial label looked like it might be a ten ounce Tropicana Orange Juice. The plastic smelled of kerosene.

  Sheriff Dawson wanted the names of boys in rumspringa. He wondered if they had been joy riding and drinking. One of them might have torched the barn for a prank.”

  “Did you come up with names?” John asked.

  “I gave him a few in strict confidence, but I did not want to accuse anyone. I explained to the sheriff our teenagers are allowed rumspringa, before they commit to our faith. Sometimes, they act more English than Plain. That does not make them guilty of such a horrible crime. Noah and Daniel, you know the boys I am thinking of. Have you heard one of them brag they were about to set a fire?” The bishop asked.

  Noah looked at Daniel, and Daniel shook his head no. “We have not. If we had, we would have told Daed.”

  “Gute,” Elton Bontrager said. “If you ever hear anything let your father know. Such a deed by a young person would be cause for bragging, especially by one that is drinking. Others would know about this. We do not want more fires. If Jonah had not woke up when he did, the house would have caught fire. Some of their family may have perished. We hear of that happening all the time.”

  Daniel said, “There is a party in the timber on Bender Creek road a week from Friday night. That is the place such bragging might happen.”

  The bishop perked up. “Would you boys be willing to go to this party and listen to the talk?” He glanced at John and saw his frown. “Of course, that is if your father is willing to let you.”

  “Noah and Daniel stay away from such parties. They are level headed. I am proud of them for knowing their faith and family are more important than joining in evil English ways. I think getting involved with a group that has one or more arsonists is dangerous,” John stated.

  “What if Daniel and I took Biscuit for a practice run Friday night before we start coon hunting?” We could use that for an excuse. We just happened to walk in on the party and hang out for a while,” Noah said.

  All at the table watched John as he wrestled with his decision. “Sure enough, I think this could be dangerous. Against my better judgment, if you do not stay long and will be very careful to not let on why you are really at the party I will say jah.”

  Elton stared into his cup. His head jerked back, and he narrowed his eyes at Redbird. She grinned at him and clapped her hands.

  “Was ist letz, Elton?” John asked.

  “I am ferhoodled. My coffee cup is empty, and I know I did not drink all of it,” Elton said, grinning at Redbird.

  “Redbird, shame on you,” Daniel scolded.

  Redbird stuck her tongue out at Daniel and leaned back against Elton for protection from her brother. That caused everyone to laugh.

  “What's so funny” Hal asked as she entered the kitchen with Jane right behind her.

  “Elton has a mystery. His cup went dry, and he did not empty the cup himself.” John chuckled as he pointed at Redbird.

  “Well, the rest of you won't find it so funny when you're the one holding that child. She does that to me all the time. Dad, you better check your cup. Beth copies whatever her sister does. She may have drank yours dry,” Hal warned.

  Beth had Jim's cup to her mouth. He took it from her and looked in the cup. “I rescued a swallow or two.” Jim smiled at her as he teased, “You get your own cup, girl.”

  Beth pouted and held her hands out to take the cup. “Mine, mine.”

  “Aunt Tootie, could you please bring us more coffee.” Hal tossed the basket in the mud room, before she sit next to Elton. “Get a cup of milk for Redbird and Beth so they won't bother the coffee cups, and you two join us. You need to take a break, too.”

  Elton mentioned, “Have you heard there is a new family bought the farm next to Moses and Stella Strutt?”

  “What happened to Amos Boxholder?” John asked.

  “He moved into a grossdawdi house William built for him by his house. William cannot handle farming both farms so they had to sell Amos's farm,” Elton explained. “Jane and I visited with the new couple yesterday. I wanted to give them directions to next Sunday's service at Luke Yoder's farm.

  “How many in the family?” Hal asked.

  “Enoch Bruner and his wife, Wanda, and the wife's sister, Gladys Kraybill. The sister lives in the old grossdawdi house next to the house that belonged to Amos's parents years ago. We did not see her. Wanda Bruner said she was not feeling well,” Elton said.

  “I'll introduce myself to them on Sunday so they know where to come if they need medical help,” Hal said. She focused on Noah and Daniel across from her. “Have you seen the mess your dog made of my flowers at the end of the porch? I know it's about time to pull them and clean the bed, but I wanted to enjoy the flowers as long as I could before they froze.”

  Noah looked puzzled. “Was ist letz with the flowers?”

  “Biscuit uprooted some of them. The rest he covered with dirt and mashed the plants over,” Hal said testily. “Go see for yourselves.”

  The boys headed for the door, and they weren't gone long. Noah declared, “Biscuit did not do that digging.”

  “How do you know that?” Jane asked.

  “Whatever dug was clearing a hole so it could go under the porch to hide,” Daniel said.

  “What kind of animal does that?” Aunt Tootie's hand went to her throat. “That end of the porch is close to where I sleep.”

  Noah shrugged. “We do not know yet. We filled in the hole. Maybe the animal is gone.”

  The next morning after kitchen cleanup, Hal said, “I'm going to rake leaves off the yard and garden into the road ditch to burn.”

  “Looks like a nice morning to do yard work.” Nora turned to Aunt Tootie. “You want to watch the girls or help Hal rake leaves.”

  Aunt Tootie said quickly, “I can watch the girls and start lunch if you aren't done by then.”

  Nora winked at Hal. “That's fine, Tootie. Hal, find me a rake.”

  Hal and Nora made the trip to the tool shed. As they walked by the end of the porch, Hal glanced at her flower bed. Her marigolds were buried under another pile of dirt. A gaping hole tunneled under the porch.

  “Oh no, look, Mom. That critter didn't leave. We need to do something to run him off,” Hal declared. “I'll ask Dad and John what they think we should do when they get back from town.”

  Th
e women managed to clean the yard in time to start lunch. As Hal put Nora's rake in the tool shed, she said, “I don't know how long the men will be gone to Wickenburg after supplies. We won't wait lunch on them. They can eat when they get back.”

  They were climbing the porch steps when Nora reached out and took Hal by the arm to stop her. She grinned. “How about we sit for a few minutes to rest? Tootie said she could start lunch. Let's hold her to it once.”

  “Sure enough, I'm for that. I'm bushed,” Hal agreed as they sat on the porch swing.

  When Hal finally felt guilty enough to check on her aunt, Aunt Tootie was bustling around in the kitchen, preparing the meal. She chattered to the girls, seated on the floor. They quietly watched her pace back and forth and listened as if they knew what she was telling them about each recipe.

  By the time, lunch was ready, the men and boys were home. First thing on Hal's mind after the noon prayer was the animal under the porch. “That animal was digging again last night. We've got to figure out a way to stop it from destroying my flower bed. What can we do?”

  “We have a coon trap you could use,” Noah suggested.

  “Gute, rig it up and see if the animal will go in it,” Hal said.

  Daniel grinned at her. “It is probably a skunk. I caught a faint whiff of skunk odor yesterday near the porch.”

  “This isn't funny to me, Daniel. Even more reason to catch the animal if it's a skunk,” Hal said urgently.

  “We figure if the skunk goes in that trap you should be the one to take him out,” Noah told her.

  Hal studied him a long moment. “That's not fair. You're the hunters in this family.”

  “Coon hunters,” Noah clarified.

  Aunt Tootie swallowed a mouth full of food and said, “You might try throwing moth balls under the porch.”

  Nora looked surprised. “Your vast odd and end knowledge constantly amazes me, sister. Where did that idea come from?”

  “Joe Cummings, down the road from me, did that once to get rid of skunks in his corn crib,” Aunt Tootie said quickly.

  “Did it work?” Jim asked.

  Aunt Tootie shrugged. “I never thought to ask him.”

  Hal smiled at her. “Denki, Aunt Tootie. I can try the moth balls, but I still want the trap set.”

  Daniel said, “Just remember if you catch a skunk I will not empty it.”

  “You shouldn't tease your Mama Hal,” scolded Nora.

  Noah sided with his brother. “It should be Mama Hal's job. The skunk is in her flower bed.”

  Nora raised an eyebrow at John for help. He wiggled his fork at her. “Do not look at me that way. I do not like to smell like skunk.”

  “I won't be crazy about it, either, if that skunk stinks up my bedroom,” grumbled Aunt Tootie narrowing her eyes at John.

  He shrugged and concentrated on eating.

  Hal met Noah's look squarely. “Fine, I give up. Just set the old trap for me.”

  “We will need two fresh eggs,” Daniel said.

  “Why?” Hal's voice had an edge to it. Her hens weren't laying so good at the moment.

  “That is what a skunk likes to eat. The eggs lure him into the trap,” Noah explained.

  After the worship service ended, Bishop Bontrager announced there was a member meeting. When the children and Hal's relatives left the house, Elton stated to the members it was time to give of themselves without sparing as the verse in Proverbs told them.

  The members needed to plan and set the date for a barn raising frolic to be held in a week and a half. He informed Emma, as teacher, and the parents that school would be closed for a few days while the children helped.

  Parents should tell their children to show up at the site of the burnt barn early a week from Monday morning. Hopefully, the barn rubble cooled off enough by then to be handled. The students could clear away the rubble, ashes and foundation blocks that weren't useful anymore.

  The men loaded the bench wagon that evening. Instead of taking it to Rudy Briskey's farm for the next worship service in two weeks, the next morning Luke Yoder drove the wagon to the Stolfus farm. The benches would be unloaded to use as tables and seats for the meals during the barn raising.

  The men made plans to order building supplies in the coming week. Levi Yoder was put in charge of renting a crane to come out to lift the rafters and walls.

  The bishop announced Jonah Stolfus was in need of enough hay to last him through the winter since all of his burnt. Anyone with extra hay was to bring bales to the Stolfus farm as soon as the barn was built.

  Rudy Briskey spoke first. “I have plenty of hay bales and will donate a wagon load.”

  Other farmers responded they would share their hay.

  The bishop continued, “The sheriff investigated the barn fire along with the Wickenburg Fire Chief. They have reason to think the fire was arson. The sheriff said it must have been set by someone in our community since the person was riding a horse.”

  Rudy Briskey said in his outspoken way, “Or, the person wanted to point the finger in our direction to throw suspicion away from himself.”

  “This the sheriff has to find out,” the bishop said. “Until he arrests the person, he said we should be watchful at all times. He expects the arsonist to strike again. No telling who might be the next target of such an unbalanced person. This is a dangerous time for Plain people.”

  Jonah Stolfus stood up. “I heard some harsh words about the arsonist at the salebarn and Yoder's Country Store already. I will be honest with all of you before God. As a community, our biggest weakness is we do not come together and pray for the souls of people who cause us trouble. If we could do that, maybe the light would come to the arsonist that he has done wrong. I would be the first one to go to the sheriff and say, “Just give me his hand. I will take him on home. He is one of us. Forgive without punishing it says in Colossian.”

  “We are supposed to practice what we preach,” Bishop Bontrager said. “Jonah Stolfus is right. We should pray God intervenes and helps this man who is so tormented to come forward and atone for his wrongs. If he could see how much harm his actions have caused others, maybe he will repent.”

  Members nodded their heads and many said amen.

  Chapter 3

  At the noon fellowship lunch, Jim said to John, “You know I was thinking we ought to head home this week, but I've changed my mind. I just have to stay long enough to help build the barn. Nora can take pictures to show our friends when we get home.”

  John frowned slightly. “Make sure to tell Nora to stay back far enough that she does not get our faces in her pictures.” His voice was low. Meant only for Jim.

  “I'm sorry, John. I forgot that,” Jim said contritely.

  John waved his hand at Jim. “That is all recht. It is hard to remember sometimes the differences between our beliefs. The Plain community for generations has rebuilt burnt or destroyed barns. Plain farmers cannot do without a barn for their livestock, but we can do without praise or pictures for doing what is recht to help each other.

  You were here a year ago when we repaired barns after the tornado. A barn raising is much the same except it takes longer. Building can take a week at least in good weather of dawn to dusk effort depending on the size of the barn and how much help we have.

  Plain people come from miles around to help. Some have lost their own barns at one time and received help rebuilding. They remember how bad they felt about their loss. Now they are seeking to return the favor.”

  Bishop Bontrager swallowed his last bite and spoke. “The plan is to get the farmer's animals and hay under roof as soon as possible, both for practical and psychological reasons.”

  Samuel Nisely nodded in agreement. “Sure enough, a barn fire is a traumatic experience for any farm family. To see Chicken Plucker's farm animals endangered and his equipment and hay go up in smoke is a sight none of us can forget. Chicken Plucker sure enough will never forget how awful it felt.”

  Eli Mast added, “So far Chick
en Plucker has lost two cows and a horse that were badly burnt. He is not sure how many more will die. As it is, his milk production has cut way down with so many of the cows not feeling well. That means a loss in income.”

  “That's really tough,” Jim agreed. “Winter's coming, too. A barn on his farm would be the handiest for him, and those scorched animals need the shelter.

  Knowing winter is right around the corner is why my wife, sister-in-law and me are leaving for home shortly after the barn is built. I sure don't want to drive all the long miles home in a winter storm.”

  “We do not blame you for we know how hard it is to travel in the winter,” the bishop said. “Know we will miss your company, and hope you can come back soon. We will pray for your safe journey home.”

  “Thank you, Bishop. Tootie, Nora and I sure like visiting with John, Hal and our grandkids. We've made so many friends around here and will miss all of you,” Jim said sincerely.

  At another table, Hal passed out saucers of apple pie. She set a serving in front of Rudy Briskey while he smiled up at her. “How is your sheep doing?”

  It was hard to tell if he was teasing. He knew she'd have trouble when he gave her ewes with mastitis in their bags for services rendered. She didn't know Rudy the time he insisted she go with him. She thought she was going to be a midwife for his wife. He kept talking about Martha in labor, and he sure didn't bother to correct her. Was it a coincidence that Rudy named one of his ewes after his wife? Hal suspected the ewe only carried the name Martha until after she delivered the lambs. Hal pulled the triplet lambs, and they all lived. Rudy's reason for having the nerve to ask for Nurse Hal's help was she was closer than the vet. Saving his lambs was his emergency.

  Payment was two ewes. Was he really interested in how she made out with his worthless ewes? Maybe inside he was smiling at how he'd pulled the sheep's wool over her eyes.

  Hal replied, “Fine, denki. They both had a set of twins. I admit I was glad to see the end of bottle feeding the lambs. That was a job, but I found I love sheep. John bought me ten more ewes and a buck at the salebarn. I'm looking forward to lambs in the spring with mothers that can take care of them this time.”