“If I have a horse and my gear I can go to Wyoming and find some work.”
“Let’s get started and we will cover as much ground as we can before dark.”
chapter 19
Back at Camp
After so many nights on the trail, the tent and fire ring looked very inviting.
Dan said, “Welcome to our camp.”
Alice said, “This is nice.”
Dan added, “We have a clear stream for water just through those trees.”
“I want to thank you again for getting me out.”
“Your welcome and I am sorry our journey back to here was so hard.”
“It was all worth it.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
She asked, “Do you have some soap and my dress from the ranch?”
“Yes, I do.”
“I want to go to the creek and clean up a bit and wash these clothes.”
“The soap is in the tent and the dress is in the pack, I will get them for you.”
With her dress and the soap, Alice followed the trail through the trees down to the creek. She was surprised by how pleasant and peaceful this little corner of the woods appeared. She laid her dress on the bank of the creek and took off her trail clothes. She in turn washed and rinsed her shirt, pants, underwear, and socks. Then she bathed and washed her hair with the bar soap. After she rinsed off in the cold creek, she tried to wring out as much of the water from her clothes as possible. Even though she was still a little wet, she put on her dress and then carried her wet clothes back to the camp. At the camp, she laid her clothes across the tent ropes to dry.
Dan watched her as she hung her clothes to dry, but when she turned away from the tent toward the fire, he saw how her dress clung to her wet skin, he wanted to look away but could not take his eyes off her. Joe was at the fire, and Alice went and stood by it to warm up. Dan went back to what he was doing, but he still had an image of Alice in mind. He carried the pack over to the front of the tent and started taking it apart and carrying the items inside to be combined with the gear stored. After about thirty minutes, Joe called and said dinner was ready.
Dan joined Alice and Joe at the fire.
Joe took up a plate for Alice and said, “That’s the best that I have to offer.”
She looked at the plate of canned beef, beans, and boiled cornmeal and said, “This looks great, thank you.
Joe said, “I am glad Dan could get you out. Your father will be glad to see you.”
“I have really missed him too.”
Dan added, “He should be waiting for you at the Colonel's ranch.”
Alice asked, “How long before we get back there?”
Dan turned to Joe and asked, “What do you think?”
“We’ll break camp in the morning and leave here about noon if Dan is back by then. By going west out of here, we should be back by late the day after tomorrow or early the following day.
Dan said, “I should be back by noon.”
She said, “I am sorry you have to go back.”
“Don’t worry about it, I need to know, so we can tell the Colonel and Judge Parker.”
Joe said. “I will need the time to get the camp broken down and loaded on the pack horses.”
Alice said, “Can I take care of the dishes for you.”
Joe said, “No, I will do that. Besides, we aren’t through yet, I have a can of peaches I was saving for this dinner.”
With a smile, Alice said, “Now that is special out here on the trail.”
Dan said, “Joe, you continue to surprise me.”
Joe smiled and said, “It’s not hard.”
Dan asked, “By the way, where was that Sharp’s on the trip out here?”
Joe said, “I had it lashed to Alice’s horse along with the tent. I was afraid if you knew I had it, you would want to take it with you along with everything else you carried.”
Dan laughed and said, “There is a limit as to how much I can carry.”
Joe opened the can of peaches and spooned them onto the plates. After they finished Dan and Alice gave Joe their plates.
Joe knew they might need to talk, so he said, “You and Alice go check the horses, and I will get this cleaned up.”
Dan and Alice walked out in the meadow toward the horses.
As they neared the horses, he said, “I am sorry that things ended the way they did today. If I hadn’t lost a day with that bear, they would not have gotten that close.”
“The bear wasn’t your fault, and you kept your word, you didn’t let them take me back. The day ended in the best possible way it could for us. With the people who were shooting at us and trying to kill us, being killed before they could kill us. Joe saved our lives. The journey out ended so quickly after so many long hard days on the trail, this evening and our dinner with Joe seems like a different time and place.”
“The last week was a week of many different emotions for both of us, but the sum of all of it, is that I am very glad that you are out of there.”
Alice wanted to hug Dan but was afraid, she said, “Thank you again.”
Not knowing what else to say he turned and looked at the horses as they were feeding on the grass in the meadow. They looked good, they certainly had enjoyed the days in the meadow while he was gone. They would be ready for the trip home.
He said, “Let’s head back to the camp, and we can get our gear ready for tomorrow.”
She said, “Okay,” but was sad to go back.
“Do you want your shoes for riding tomorrow?”
“No, I will wear the moccasins for riding.”
Alice liked Dan and enjoyed being with him, but she wasn’t sure how he felt about her. As she thought about it, she realized that liking him didn’t fully describe how she felt. She struggled with how to understand how she felt. She thought, is what I am feeling, love. She wasn’t sure because she hadn’t felt this way before. If it was, how could she know for sure?
Then she realized Dan was saying something, so she said, “I am sorry, I was lost in thought, what did you say?”
“I asked if you have ridden much.”
“A lot when I was younger, but I have not been on a horse since I was taken.”
“Our trip out will be through mostly open country once we clear the trees west of us, but we will push the horses as much as we can.”
“I will be ready.”
As they neared the camp, Joe was returning from the creek where he had washed the dishes.
Dan said, “What can I do to help?”
Joe said, “I have it.”
“Alice will have the tent tonight, so I thought I would set out our bedrolls on the other side of the fire if that works for you?”
“That is where I like to sleep.”
Alice started to object, but decided it would be best to remain quiet.
Joe asked, “Alice, do you want a cup of tea?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Dan went over to the stand of pines and began gathering needles for Joe and his bedrolls. When he had enough, he spread them out. He went into the tent and got Joe’s bedroll and laid it out, then he went to the pack frame and got Alice’s bedroll. He unrolled hers in the tent, then took his from the pack frame and rolled it out near Joe’s. Meanwhile, Joe had gone over to the string line between two trees at the edge of the tree line. He whistled, and the horses came to him. He placed a halter on each and tied them to the string line. He then returned to the fire.
Alice said, “It’s been a long day, and I think I will turn in now.”
Joe said, “’Night.”
Dan said, “Goodnight.”
Alice went into the tent and sat on her bedroll. She took her moccasins off and got between the blankets of her bedroll. She knew she would have to think about something other than the thoughts in her head now if she wanted to go to sleep.
Dan poured himself a cup of tea and sat near Joe by the fire.
Joe asked, “How was it.”
“It went as planned until three nights ago, I had found an old mine shaft and had gathered firewood and left a food cache for the trip out. When we entered the mine, a bear charged me. While the shot I got off killed the bear, I was knocked out by the charge. I was out for twenty-four hours, and that gave them a chance to close on us.”
“Sounds like you were lucky with the bear, that could have been worse.”
“It was bad enough, but you sure pulled my bacon out of the fire.”
“Do you really need to check those bodies out?”
“If one of them is Jason Reynolds, the Colonel needs to know, and I don’t think Alice will ever really feel safe if he is still alive.”
“What’s the story with Alice and Jason?”
“It was just as the Colonel thought it would be. She was taken by Jason against her will and held at the ranch to try to get control of her father’s ranch. I am sure they would have killed her once she inherited her father’s ranch.”
“What will the Reynolds do now?”
“I don’t know. That probably depends on how much they think Alice knows of their other crimes.”
“How long will it take you in the morning?”
“I will just take a canteen, and without my pack and with a fresh pair of legs I should make it over there and back in about five hours.”
“I will have everything ready to go when you get here.”
“If anything goes wrong here, fire three shots and you and Alice head east and I will meet you in that hidden camp on the divide.”
“The same for you.”
“I think I will hit the hay now myself.”
“See you in the morning.”
“Goodnight.”
chapter 20
Jason
It was still dark when Dan awoke. He dressed and then rolled up his bedroll. Joe rolled over but did not say anything. He put on his shoulder holsters and checked his pistols. He put some jerky in his pocket and picked up his canteen and headed toward the start of the trail. The moon was still up, so he did not have any problem crossing the meadow to the head of the trail. The sun would be up soon, but Dan did not hesitate as he started down the trail. With the moonlight, his familiarity with the trail, the lack of a pack and the downhill grade, he was able to maintain a fast walk. Dan thought that even with daylight he wouldn’t be able to travel this slope any faster. In a little more than an hour he was at the bottom, and the sun was up. He paused for a little water, then started up the trail. He was walking as fast as he could, but it was slower than the downhill section had been. After about forty minutes he stopped to catch his breath and get a drink of water. He continued and moved a little slower up the trail. He came upon the bodies sooner than he expected. They were still fifty feet up the trail when he saw them. He approached them carefully. He did not expect the other pursuers to still be around, but there was no point in being careless now.
The first one he came to was not Jason, but he was one of the men he had seen at the ranch house. He looked at him carefully, so he could describe him to Alice. The bullet had hit him below the collar bone, close to the top of the left lung leaving a large ugly hole in his chest and surely a fist sized exit wound in his back. The shock of that big bullet must have knocked him out, and he died of blood loss in seconds from the damage caused by the bullet. Over to his right was the other body. As he approached, he could see that it was Jason. He lay on his back with his rifle on the ground behind him. He was sure that Jason didn’t even know what happened. The five hundred plus grain bullet had hit in the center of his chest. It had knocked him back about four feet from the rock that he was probably shooting from. He could see behind Jason on the ground a trail of blood and bone created when the bullet exited through his spine and out his back. Dan checked Jason for anything that would identify him, but he wasn’t carrying any papers, but he did have an unusual ring with a wolf’s head on it. He had a hard time getting it off, but he finally got it. Dan pocketed the ring and looked around before he left, but saw nothing else he needed to do. He could not bury him here on the rocky slope, and there weren’t enough loose stones at hand to cover the bodies. He had seen dead men before, and he felt no sorrow over Jason’s death, but he would have buried them if he could. The scavengers would find them later today, and in a few days, bones would be all that was left.
The sun had been up for almost three hours when he started back down the trail. The long switchbacks on the south slope allowed him to travel at a slow run. He paused for water at the bottom and started up the slope. There would not be any running or fast walking up these switchbacks. He would have to be patient and push as hard as he could and accept the pace the slope would give him. He only stopped once for water and was up the slope in a little less than two hours. He was almost out of breath when he topped the slope. As he crossed the meadow, he thought about Alice and wondered what her reaction would be.
As he neared camp, he could see that the tent was down, and Joe was loading the pack horses. Alice saw him coming, but she turned and looked away.
When he was finally just a few feet away, Alice turned and asked, “Was it, Jason?”
“Yes, it was.”
“I wasn’t sure how I would feel, I am relieved that I don’t have to be afraid of him anymore.”
Dan took out the ring and said, “This is all I could think of to identify him. Do you think everyone who knew him will know this ring?”
“Yes, they will.”
Dan put his hand on her shoulder and asked, “Alice, are you okay?”
“Yes, I am, I guess I am still trying to understand everything that has happened. But as far as Jason goes, he tried to kill us, and he would have killed my father, so he got what he deserves.”
“That’s very true.”
“Who was the other man?”
“I saw him at the ranch, but he didn’t have anything to identify him. He was about five feet six, light brown hair, no beard, green shirt, and brown vest.”
“Based on that it could have been John, Frank or Bobby.”
“That’s alright. Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, I think Joe is finishing with the pack horses.”
“I will go a see if he needs some help.”
chapter 21
Homeward Bound
Dan walked over to Joe and asked, “Can I help.”
“No, I just finished. You are back quicker than I expected.”
“No pack to slow me down.”
“Okay, then let’s get the horses saddled.”
Joe had carried the saddles over to the string line, so Dan took his saddle and saddled his horse then Alice’s. Dan led their horses over to Alice and handed her the reins. And Joe followed with the pack horses in tow.
Dan asked, “Alice, are you ready.”
As she mounted, she said, “Yes.”
Dan said, “Joe you lead the way.”
Joe headed west across the meadow and a little south toward the corner of the meadow. He found the game trail he was looking for and headed into the trees. The game trail forced them to ride in single file, with Joe in the lead with the three pack horses, then Alice followed by Dan, they looked like a pack train. They traveled through the trees for several miles, then exited into another smaller meadow. They crossed the meadow, and Joe pulled up, and Alice and Dan caught up with him.
Joe asked, “It’s close to noon do you want to stop here or continue on?”
Dan said, “Let’s continue on. I came this way before and we will be through these trees shortly, and we can stop before we start down a wooded slope west of here.”
Joe said, “Okay then follow me.”
As Dan had predicted they passed through the trees into an open area at the top of a long sloping plain. Joe pulled up and dismounted.
When Alice and Dan came up and dismounted Joe said, “Jerky and hardtack,” and handed it to them.
They said, “Thanks.”
Joe asked, “I came into this are
a from northwest of here, which way did you come?”
Dan said, “I came in from the southwest, this slope is misleading. It is lightly wooded and as it goes west the slope increases so fast that about two miles out it is so steep that horses can’t go across or down it. But we will move to the left as we go and cut behind that small mountain on the left and come out on the southwest side of it into the grasslands.”
Joe said, “Then I know where we are. I have seen this wooded slope from the grasslands west of here. From out there, this looks like a vertical slope, in fact, I know the base of it is almost vertical.”
Alice asked, “Does that mean we are close to getting out of here?”
Joe asked, “Dan how long will it take to get around this mountain?”
“The rest of today if we keep pushing.”
Joe said, “From there we can reach the Colonel’s ranch by late tomorrow.”
Alice said, “Then let’s get started.”
Joe said, “Dan, you take the lead, and I will bring up the rear.”
Dan mounted and then waited for Alice to mount before he moved out. They moved quickly to the left as he headed down the slope. He was looking for a dry creek that came from the east side of the mountain out onto this plane. After about half an hour he found where the creek entered the slope, and they headed south up the dry creek. As they traveled south, the creek bed became narrower and soon ended. Dan didn’t slow but moved into the trees. He continued south until he came to another dry creek running downhill to the south. The creek bed stayed narrow for some time, then it started slowly curving to the west and becoming wider. The sun was getting lower in the west, and the slope of the creek bed was increasing. Dan was looking for a game trail that went left off the dry creek, finding it, he turned off the creek bed onto the game trail, and Alice and Joe followed. The trail descended down the side of the mountain through a series of long switchbacks. Alice could see the sunlight in the trees ahead, and she knew the end of the day was in sight.
High Country Rescue Page 24