The girl gave Nate one more look, her posture not nearly so guarded. Then she knelt by the older man’s head and placed a hand on the thick gray strands. “There was a deep gash on his arm there, and he has more on his leg.” She spoke with only a slight hesitation now, her manner and voice completely softened from moments before.
She motioned toward the buffalo robe covering the man’s lower half. “I put a mineral salve on him like my grandmother used, but he was still bleeding a lot. So, we took him to the hot springs back in the cave to wash. When he put his arm in the water, he screamed. When he pulled his arm out, the skin looked strange.” Her voice quavered as she pointed to the raw flesh.
Laura had to fight to keep from resting a hand on the child’s shoulder. If only she could ease the girl’s fears. But touching her would only worry her more, so she kept her focus on the arm. “Was the water too hot?”
“No, I touched it first. It bubbled and smelled funny, but it wasn’t hot enough to burn him.”
Laura didn’t glance at Nate, but hopefully he was listening. The hot springs she’d seen on her journey from Missouri had also smelled foul, but she’d never heard of the water eating through flesh. Perhaps the salve the girl mentioned had been the problem?
They could sort through that later. For now she needed to tend the man’s wounds.
Turning her focus to his face, she reached for the edge of the fur covering. “I need to see the wounds on your leg.”
The girl spoke quietly using sounds Laura couldn’t decipher, and the fellow nodded in answer, keeping his eyes on Laura. Consenting.
She pulled back the hide to reveal the rest of his body. It took a moment to figure out what all she was seeing. He wore a breechclout and buckskin leggings, the latter mangled at both knees. She quickly averted her eyes. This man was no relation, and she was examining him as if she was a true physician.
But she did need to ascertain the extent of his injuries. They had to know what supplies to bring back to dress the wounds.
She forced herself to take in steady breaths, forced her mind to focus on the wounds only, then turned back to the leg. He had several lacerations on both legs, all of which would require cleaning and a healing salve, and should be wrapped to keep them from festering. But none required stitches.
The arm, on the other hand, would need stitches and much more, but there was no skin left at the edges of the wound to bind together. The injury would have to heal with a salve and bandage, as far as she could tell, but the doctor would know better.
At last, she turned back to face the girl fully. “What’s your name?”
The girl’s face turned shy, an adorable look that softened her expression in every way. “Bright Sun.”
Laura placed her hands on her knees. “Well, Bright Sun. I have a friend who has some things that will help your grandfather, but I need to go get him and his medicines. Will you both stay here until we return?”
The girl darted a glance at her grandfather, then back to Laura with a nod. “We will wait.”
Laura looked to the grandfather. “And what’s his name?”
“He is called Eagle Soaring in your tongue.”
Laura gave the man a smile. “I’m honored to meet you, Eagle Soaring. I’ll return as soon as I can with help.”
The man grunted. Whether the sound was greeting, or a sign of pain or displeasure, she couldn’t have said. No matter what, her mission was clear.
He needed help.
Nate’s mind churned as they left the cave. He let Laura lead the way along the ledge around the cliff, and neither of them spoke until they reached the place where the rock met grass.
He was pretty sure he knew what Laura was thinking, but he asked, just to be certain. “We’re going to get Doc Bradley?”
“I have to. That arm is in bad shape. It looks more like a burn than a mountain lion wound, but I’ve never seen a burn like it. There’s so much raw flesh exposed. . . . Great care will need to be taken so it doesn’t fester.”
The hesitation in her voice made him look over. She met his gaze, a haunted look in her eyes. “He could easily lose the arm, but more likely his life, as weak as he seemed.”
Nate’s chest ached for little Bright Sun. She’d been so brave. Did she truly understand he and Miss Hannon weren’t a threat? “I wonder if they have family or other people nearby. Why are they here alone?”
Laura’s brows furrowed. “I don’t know. I’m surprised she speaks such good English.”
At least that he could answer. “Men from the trapping companies often stay with the tribes for months at a time. Most of the Indians have learned English or French from them. The children are often raised speaking multiple languages.”
She nodded, but didn’t speak again, and they soon reached the horses. The ride back was quiet, though likely her thoughts were as active as his own. What could he do to help the pair? He wasn’t a doctor, and he had no doubt Bradley would do everything he could to dress the wounds. He’d seen time and again that the man inspired confidence with his determination to help his patients.
Did Bright Sun and her grandfather have enough food? She was thin, but not gaunt. Yet, if the two of them were separated from the rest of their people, she’d not be able to hunt to keep them both fed. He could bring them roasted venison from a deer he’d taken down two nights before. That would see them for a few days. He’d have to hunt again to have enough meat for himself, but he could manage.
Maybe he’d take some of his hides to them, too. Likely the girl already knew how to scrape and tan them, but if not, he could show her. He’d not managed to find time to work the furs, so giving them to someone who could put them to good use would be helpful. And with the nights so cold, the pair would need more than one buffalo robe to keep them warm enough.
They reached the place where he should split off toward his camp, and he raised his hand to signal a halt. Laura looked at him expectantly.
“I’m going to get some food and furs from my camp to take back to them. I’ll meet you at the clinic?”
Laura looked up in surprise. “Your camp?”
His breath stalled, but he forced himself to inhale again. He’d not told anyone he wasn’t staying in one of the boardinghouses. Not that he was trying to hide anything, but he simply hadn’t wanted to raise questions. “I have a tent where I keep my supplies outside of town. That way I don’t have to waste my earnings to pay for lodging.” He shrugged, doing his best to show the matter was insignificant. The last thing he wanted was to draw any pity.
She tipped her head. “You sleep in a tent? The nights are freezing now.”
That fact he knew well. But he shrugged again. “I’ll take a room when I need to.”
Her mouth pinched, but then she finally seemed to let the matter go as she turned her horse toward town. “Hurry to the clinic when you get what you need.”
Nate eased out a breath as he nudged his gelding into a lope. His secret was out, but maybe that was for the best. He had nothing more to hide. And his focus now needed to be on whatever he could do to help the pair back at the cave.
The fact that Laura seemed determined to do the same thing shouldn’t add to his eagerness, yet it did.
Laura had known the doctor wouldn’t mind coming to tend the old Indian, but she was still grateful for the tenderness he showed as he bandaged Eagle Soaring’s injuries. Doc Micah hadn’t blinked when she’d told him the man needed help, although he’d given her an odd look when she told him the fellow was hidden away in a cave in the mountains.
And his look had narrowed even more when she told him Nate had gone to gather blankets and food, and would ride back with them.
Ingrid hadn’t come with them, as she’d been in bed when Laura returned for the doctor. Worn out from their afternoon activities, no doubt. The baby was certainly taking a toll on her.
An inkling of worry slipped through Laura’s chest as she handed the doctor another bandage to finish wrapping Eagle Soaring’s arm. Was something going w
rong with the pregnancy? She’d assumed Ingrid’s struggles were simply the normal throes of expectant motherhood. Now wasn’t the time to ask the doctor, but she’d find a moment later.
Doc Micah was finishing up his work, so she began packing the supplies into his satchel. He motioned for her to stop. “I can do that. Don’t worry yourself.”
She immediately set the jar of salve back on the cave floor. They’d worked together in the clinic, but she’d never accompanied him on house calls. He probably liked his bag packed a certain way.
With nothing left to do, she pushed to her feet and turned to Bright Sun. The girl had been standing beside them, keeping watch over everything the doctor did.
Laura offered a smile. “Where are your people? Do you have other family who are looking for you?” Surely these two weren’t traveling by themselves.
“Our people will come for us soon.” Bright Sun spoke with certainty, yet her words didn’t offer enough details.
“Do you know how soon?” She snuck a glance at Nate. “Do you have supplies anywhere?”
The girl’s chin rose. “We have what we need.”
She should have known better than to ask so many questions. The girl wouldn’t acknowledge a need, of course, and Laura’s queries would only remind the child she had to be tough.
The doctor straightened after putting the last of the supplies in his bag. Something in his manner made Laura tense as they all turned their focus to him. He shifted his gaze between the older man and the young girl. “The wounds are clean now, but I’m worried they’ll get infected. It’d be best if you both come back to the clinic with me.”
At the uncertainty that crossed Bright Sun’s features, he spoke again. “The clinic is my home in town, where I take care of people who are sick or hurt.” He motioned to Eagle Soaring’s arm. “Like your grandfather.”
The confusion cleared from the girl’s face, replaced by a look that seemed to say she was thinking through all the implications of leaving the cave and going to a white man’s town. But did she really understand?
Laura smiled again. “What he says is right. We can help your grandfather best if you both come with us.”
Bright Sun turned to her grandfather and spoke a string of words. The older man answered, and the slight shake of his head started a twist of disappointment in Laura’s middle.
The girl turned back to Laura and jutted her chin in a look filled with such determination that Laura almost smiled. “We stay here. Safe here. I will help him.”
Doc Micah looked to Laura, too. His raised brows showed he’d realized the girl answered her, not him. But that was no great surprise. Laura would be less of a threat to the child than a man would be, even one as genuinely caring as Dr. Micah Bradley.
After all, he did have a bit of a mountain-man aura about him. At least until you got to know him.
She turned back to Bright Sun and addressed both her and her grandfather. “Are you certain? We want to help you, and we can do that much better if you come with us. Please.”
This time, Eagle Soaring shook his head with firm resolve. He spoke a few words in his own tongue, and Bright Sun translated in a resolute tone. “We stay here.”
Doc Micah sighed. “It’s important you keep this clean, then, and wrapped at all times. You should check the bandage every day and look for signs of redness or festering.”
Bright Sun leaned close to see what he pointed to as he explained more signs to watch for and how to know if the bandage should be changed. The girl nodded each time he looked up at her as he spoke.
At last, he finished, and then glanced around. “That’s it, I suppose.”
Laura leaned forward to catch Bright Sun’s attention. “Could you show me the spring where your grandfather washed? I’d like to see what burned him.” She sent a glance to Nate. If she’d read him correctly earlier, his curiosity was more than piqued, as well.
“I’d like to see it, too.” Doc Micah rose with his lantern. “Is it nearby?”
The girl nodded, then turned and started across the cavern, in the direction that she’d first appeared earlier.
Laura scooped up one of the other lanterns and strode quickly to catch up with the girl. The child wove around the hanging rock spikes as though she’d maneuvered through this cavern all her life. How long had she and her grandfather been here? They hadn’t seen any trace of a fire or other signs of habitation.
Bright Sun reached the cavern wall and didn’t slow, looking like she would walk straight into the rock. She ducked at the last minute, disappearing into a black hole that swallowed her completely.
Laura reached the spot, and her lantern filtered into the darkness. A cave, just as Bright Sun had said. Holding the light as far in front of her as she could, Laura stepped inside. The ceiling wasn’t as tall as she was, so she had to duck.
Her light flickered off a stone wall ahead, blocking the path at an angle. But there was just enough room for her to step around it.
Taking a breath for courage, she stepped toward the narrow opening, the men close behind her. What they’d find on the other side was anyone’s guess.
Eight
Laura rounded the jutting stone—Nate and Doc Micah shuffling just behind her—then raised her lantern high as the low stone ceiling opened into another high cavern.
This one didn’t appear to extend very far ahead, but her light glinted off water running through from right to left. Bright Sun stood at the edge of the little creek.
The girl pointed to the right. “The spring makes a larger pool up here.”
As they trekked that direction, the ground sloped uphill. A strong smell had begun to fill the air, like eggs rotting in a burning summer sun. The air grew wet and warm as steam wafted from the creek. Between the stench and the thick blanket of hot vapor, this larger cave was almost suffocating.
At last, Bright Sun halted at a place where the creek widened into a pool. A solid stone wall behind the spring showed that this must be where the cave ended. Laura held the lantern over the water and could see the bubbling at one end. Between the steam and the bubbling, the liquid sure looked hot enough to burn skin, although maybe not to the extent of Eagle Soaring’s injury.
Doc Micah crouched near the area that was bubbling and eased his hand out to touch the water. After a quick splash, he inserted his hand farther, then looked up at them. “It’s not very hot.”
Laura dropped to her haunches, too, and eased her fingers into the liquid. The perfect warmth for a bath, but certainly not hot enough to burn. At least, not here at the surface. She’d have to remove her coat to feel deeper, but she’d wager none of the water was much hotter.
She studied the steam rising from the surface. “Do you think whatever makes it smell causes the steam?”
“Could be. Maybe that’s what reacted with the ointment they used on his arm.” Doc Micah rose and turned to the girl, who stood back a little, watching them. “Thank you for showing us, Bright Sun. Can you take us back to your grandfather?”
The girl turned without a word and strode back the way they’d come. Laura did her best to take in both sides of the creek as they walked, at least as much as her light showed. A glimmer of daylight appeared on her left to mark the small opening in the stone wall back to the front cavern.
“Have you explored to see how far the creek goes?” Nate’s voice paused them all, and Bright Sun looked downriver where he pointed.
“It flows the same distance as that way”—she pointed back upstream to the spring they’d just visited—“then goes back into the rock.”
Nate nodded his understanding. “Are there other caves than what we’ve walked through so far?”
“No.” Without another word, the girl ducked into the entryway again.
“I guess that means she’s done answering questions.” Nate’s mutter pulled a chuckle from Laura.
She held the lantern higher in front of her and followed Nate into the small opening, the doctor coming behind. As she stepp
ed around the rock wall jutting out, her left foot caught on a stone at the base, throwing her weight onto her right.
A sharp pain shot up her ankle, and the joint bucked beneath her. A cry escaped as she stumbled forward, trying to keep from going down. A hand grabbed her arm, slowing her fall as she landed on her knees.
“Laura.” Nate was in front of her, holding her up so she didn’t fall any farther.
She drew in gasping breaths as her heart surged in her chest. Her ankle throbbed. She clung to her lantern, clenching her jaw through the pain. At least her skirt had eased the damage to her knees.
“Are you hurt? Your ankle again?” Nate’s voice sounded nearly frantic.
She forced measured breaths. “Not bad. I can stand.” She hoped. But this pain felt so much worse than the last time.
He still gripped her arm with one hand, and he placed his other hand in hers, giving her something to hold as she pushed up to her feet. She’d fallen forward into the front cavern, so at least there was more light from the sun shining through the entrance.
If she kept her weight on her good foot, the pain was quite manageable. “There, see?” She infused a bit of cheer in her voice. “Not hurt.”
“Let’s see if you can walk.” Doc Micah spoke with his measured doctor voice as he looked at her with concern.
Keeping her jaw clenched against the pain, she stepped forward. The knives piercing her ankle forced an exaggerated limp, but at least she could move on her own.
She ignored the men’s stares and marched forward. She had to at least reach Bright Sun and her grandfather, and then she could sit and visit for a few minutes while her leg recovered. Thank the Lord they’d brought horses so she wouldn’t have to walk back.
“Laura, if you walk on that ankle, the damage will be much worse. Here, use us for support.” The doctor moved up beside her on the left. “Let me have that lantern.”
He took the handle from her and gripped her hand, placing his arm under hers so he could bear some of her weight. As much as she wanted to protest, her ankle ached more with each step. She could force herself to keep going through the pain, but the joint felt like it might buckle again at any moment.
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