Lucas opened his eyes wide, “Really?” Realizing how much he sounded like a little kid he wiped the grin from his face and followed with, “That would be great Mr. McGrubber. I’d like that.”
Charlie laughed at the change of expressions on Luca's face, “Son, as of this minute, I am Charlie to you. No more of this mister stuff. I’ve watched you all day bend over backward to help, and I think you should be thanked for everything, including getting down in that muddy water to rescue my wagon.”
Lucas gave Charlie a smile that started in his eyes and worked its way to his mouth, showing off his only dimple. Other than his uncle Sam, no other adult had ever invited him to use their Christian name. He gave Charlie a nod in acknowledgment.
The boy and the man watched as John lifted the bucket along with the front of the wagon clear of the mud and backed up taking the wagon with him. The wheels bumped and rocked going over the temporary ramp, but John safely made it to the top of the grade and set the front wheels down on solid ground.
At the top, Lucas and Charlie turned when they heard the sound of rushing water and watched as a five-foot wall of water cascaded by, pushing their stacked brush and logs in front of it.
“Wow! What caused that? I thought the water was getting deeper when the trembling started, but that is ridiculous.”
Charlie watched the debris from their impromptu ramp buckle and then tumble away downstream, “I guess maybe it might have been dammed up somewhere upstream and that little shaker knocked it loose. Just glad we got up there when we did. Now, if you want to get Walker and bring him up to the top, I’ll take Jack.”
As Charlie started to walk toward one of the draft horses, Lucas asked,“I am just curious, but are they named after whiskey?”
He saw Charlie's shoulders moving and thought the man was laughing. When he turned with the lead line in hand, his grin answered Luca’s question. “My two favorite beverages. Johnny Walker and Jack Daniels.”
Lucas smiled in return, but he didn’t understand how anyone could drink whiskey. It burned going down, made your eyes water and made you cough and choke when you swallowed it, and the next day, it burned just as bad coming back up. He felt the saliva pool in his mouth at the only memory he had of drinking. He vowed right then while kneeling in front of the toilet never to drink anything that would make him feel that bad the next day. The subsequent whipping he’d gotten later that day for stealing the bottle from the liquor cabinet had reaffirmed his oath to himself.
Once Charlie had his horses hooked back up to the wagon, the camp trailer was hooked back to the tractor John stood waiting for Lucas by the wheel of the tractor. “Charlie says he needs help with those horses of his. I don’t understand why, but he wants you to learn to drive them. So get on back there.”
Every thought that crossed his mind as to why his father was standing and waiting for him, and then to be told to go and do something that he was dying to learn, was not one of them.
“Yes sir!” he said and walked quickly back to the wagon. He wanted to get away before his dad changed his mind and had him do something irrelevant like holding the brush back so they could pass through it without getting smacked in the face by the loose branches. That had been one of his earlier chores, and while he didn’t mind riding on the fender, he didn’t understand the necessity of holding the branches away. All a person had to do was to duck their head and pass under them, but he wasn’t going to argue.
Lucas was surprised when he got to the wagon and Charlie was sitting on the passenger side of the wooden seat, “Get on up here Lucas. You may as well let your learning begin right here.”
Lucas was only too happy to oblige. Charlie showed him how to separate and hold the lines. He shook them like he’d seen Charlie do and called, “Gee Haw,” to the team. They didn’t move. He looked at Charlie and saw that he was silently laughing, his face turning red from holding it in.
“Put some muscle into those arms and some thunder in your voice. You ain’t going to move them sounding like a girl,” he told Lucas.
Lucas slapped the reins hard, “Gee Haw!” he yelled as he slapped the reins on their backs again. The big horses started to move one foot at a time.
Lucas grinned at Charlie when he heard, “Now you’ve got it.”
As they rolled along Lucas didn’t have to do anything. The horses were following behind Marks wagon and when Mark slowed, so did they. When Mark stopped for a second so did they. He looked over at Charlie and saw the man’s chin was resting on his chest. Charlie appeared to be asleep. His body rocked with the motion of the wagon, but he didn’t wake up.
As Lucas drove along, he had a chance to study the trees and terrain around them. The hillside on their right rose steeply up, and for the trees, he couldn’t see the top of the hill. On his left, Lucas was careful to leave plenty of space between them and the drop-off. It was only nine or ten feet down, but he didn’t want to take the chance of the ground giving way under the wheels.
He noticed the lack of the wind and the new leaves hung limp and he wondered how confused the trees must be with the change if their weather pattern. Every other year, the limbs would have been bare of foliage and heavy with a thick layer of snow. He had never left the ranch except to go to school and winters were the worst. The stock had to be tended to, no matter how cold it was outside. Pipes had to be thawed out, and ice broke in the water troughs. The previous winter one of his newly added jobs was riding one of the four wheelers to each one of the stock tanks and breaking the ice and making sure the float was working. It was those times that made him wish for summer until he remembered how hot it got and how many bales of hay he had to lift.
Lucas wiggled his shoulders with the memory of the chaff that always found its way down inside his shirt and bucking bales with no shirt on was out of the question. The kids in school used to always tease him about his lack of a suntan at the end of summer and tell him he had a farmers tan, but Lucas knew it was a rancher’s tan because he wasn’t no farmer.
The wagon bumped something bringing his attention back to what was going on in front of him. He saw a rock roll across the road narrowly missing the back of Mark’s wagon. He looked right and saw the trees begin to move. It started as a shaking and quickly turned into the earth moving in a whirl of rocks, dirt and fallen trees sliding down the side of the hill. He heard Mark holler, and Charlie woke up. As soon as Mark began going faster, Lucas slapped the already spooked horses into a jog.
“Hit them again Lucas the whole damn thing is coming down!”
Lucas did and saw a tree sliding down the hillside root ball first and knew if he didn’t move the horses faster, the tree was going to hit them. He began slapping and yelling to urge them forward and watched as the road in front of them began to disintegrate. Cracks in the roadway formed and opened up as they flew over them, the wagon bucking and jumping as they were pelted by boulders and clods of flying dirt.
Wishing he could close his eyes and not see the end coming, Lucas slapped the horses continuously, and he never stopped yelling. Even over his voice he heard the cracking as trees split in two and the rumble and groan as the hill collapsed behind them.
Jack, the horse on the right, swerved when the roots of a large tree slid directly at him frightening the horse. Lucas fought to keep the wagon upright. He didn’t give himself time to worry about going over the edge and reacted to the bolting horse. He pulled hard on the right rein and steered Walker into Jack, forcing him ahead. The wagon bounced and jumped over debris as it landed in front of them and then under their wheels. At one point he thought Charlie wanted to take the reins, but Lucas held on, and Charlie's hands closed on the side rail of the seat.
When the force of dirt, swung the back of the wagon sideways and Lucas felt it begin to sink away, Lucas knew they were going over, and he slapped the horses as hard as he could. A miracle happened right then when the big animals managed to drag the sideways wagon back into a straight line. The two Percheron’s thundered on over the
ground and Lucas was sure he could feel their big hooves as they slammed down, adding to the chaos.
He heard Charlie’s bellow and glanced his way, what had Charlie screaming was a car-sized rock picking up speed as it thundered toward them bouncing and rolling, smashing everything in its path. Lucas felt the blood leave his brain and whipped both horses into a frenzy.
Chapter Two
Lucas’s heart pounded hard enough that he thought it would come right through his chest wall. His hands hung limply in his lap the reins dangled loosely in fingers that had no feeling. His whole body shook, and he wasn’t sure what to do next. He glanced over at Charlie and saw the man sat much like he did but without the reins. Charlie’s face was flushed as if he’d run the mile and not the horses. His eyes were closed, and his chest rose and fell rapidly, but they were both alive, and so were the horses. The wagon sat awkwardly as if something was missing.
Charlie looked over at him and clamped his hand on Lucas’s shoulder, “Son, you just saved our bacon back there. When I looked up and saw that boulder, I knew we were finished.”
His fingers squeezed with enough strength, Lucas almost pulled away, “I thought we were dead.”
“So did I boy, so did I. Now, let's get down and see what we got.” Charlie climbed down, grunts and groans punctuating his movements.
When Lucas went to follow, he realized he sounded just like Charlie, and he wondered if the extra adrenaline had stopped up his muscles somehow. Every muscle in his body hurt and was slow to react to the messages his brain was sending to them. Feeling like an old man or what he thought one would feel like, Lucas climbed down from the wagon and went to the horses rather than follow Charlie to the back of the wagon. Both of the Percheron's stood with their heads lowered, blowing hard through their noses. Sweat ran in rivulets down their muscular necks. Lucas stood between the two of them a hand on each forehead, rubbing and murmuring to them to calm them down. At least that is what he would tell everyone. In reality, Lucas needed a moment to gather his thoughts and shake off the effects of his fright. His hands shook, his breath came in quick bursts, and Lucas felt sick to his stomach. He fought to keep the contents where they belonged. When Walker nudged his chest, Lucas realized that Charlie was speaking to him.
“Come and see the damage,” Charlie told him. “Don’t rightly know if we can fix it.”
Lucas sighed and gave both horses another pat, and walked to the back of the wagon. His heart sank when he saw they had lost a wheel and the back of the wagon sat cattywampus, one corner resting on the ground. Looking back where the road used to be, Lucas saw some of their possessions, strung out behind them. From the emptiness of the bed and the amount that he saw mixed in with the debris and dirt, he figured some had to be buried and probably lost.
His eyes met Charlies in despair, “Can we fix it?”
“Lucas…Charlie!” Both men looked up and then at each other, “Dang, I forgot all about the others,” Charlie said.
Lucas and Charlie hurried back to the front of the wagon and saw John and Mark working their way through the broken trees and rock littering where the road used to be. Lucas saw Matt further behind the two men hobbling along and hoped everyone else was okay.
Lucas felt sure that had there been injuries, his father and Mark would be tending to them rather than coming to find them.
“Before they get here, I want you to know; I wouldn’t have done anything different than you did. You saved our lives, and that’s a fact. Your Dad should be proud of you, and I don’t mind telling him so.”
Lucas felt his chest swell with pride. He had reacted out of fear and not skill, but was grateful Charlie didn’t blame the broken wagon on him. Charlie didn’t get the opportunity to tell John how he had saved their lives or how proud of him he was.
Huffing, John ran up, followed closely by Mark, “Aw shit! Look at our things. How did this happen? Dammit, Charlie, you should have been driving, and this wouldn’t have happened.”
Mark laid his hand on John’s shoulder, “Now John, that’s not right or fair to the boy. I doubt if either one of us had been last in line, we would have faired any better.”
John placed his hands on his hips and faced the mess behind them, “Lucas, start gathering up what we can save. I’ll go back and get the girls. We need this picked up before we lose the rest of it.”
The ground trembled under their feet, and the men looked at the hillside. A pine tree slid a few feet toward them and stopped, some dirt and small rocks from the root ball sifting down the hill.
“I’m going to unhook the team and move them up the road where it’s a little safer. Then we’ll see what has to be done to fix this wagon.”
“I’ll help you,” Lucas said, with a glance at his father. “Then I’ll begin picking up.”
John turned and walked back the way he’d come, and Lucas stared after him. He had no idea what had his dad so bent, but he decided right then not to let it get to him. Lucas knew or thought he knew the pressure he had to be under, but Lucas didn’t think his dad should hold the loss of Carlo’s jenny over his head forever. He looked over and saw Mark and Charlie with their heads together. Lucas figured if they wanted him to know what they were talking about, one of them would tell him. Until then, he would unhitch the horses.
“John was scared to death you guys were somewhere in the middle of that mess. As soon as we could stop safely, he bailed off and headed this way. It sure was good to see those big old horses standing there.”
“You don’t know the half of it. More than once I thought we were done for, and I can tell you that Lucas…Well, I couldn’t have handled those horses any better than he did.”
Both men walked around to inspect the damage to the wheel. Charlie knelt down, one hand hanging onto the box for balance. Mark placed his hands on his knees and leaned forward. “Sure don’t think there’s much you can do for that.”
Charlie shook his head, and his shoulders slumped in defeat, “There’s another wheel secured in the front of the box, but without the hub, and the means to repair it, we’re pretty much stuck here.”
The hub had snapped off taking the end of the axle with it. The slide had carried the wheel down the hillside with it. The way the corner of the box sat, just inches off the ground, there was no way for the horses even to pull it. Charlie looked under the bed at the broken axle, “Lucas, don’t unhitch them just yet,” he called out. “Mark, under the seat, are some tools, can you bring me the sledgehammer, please.”
Mark went to the wagon and returned carrying the heavy hammer, “Sounds to me like you have a plan. What are you thinking?”
Charlie stood and dusted himself off and reached for the hammer. “Under normal conditions, and considering the money I’ve put into this thing, I would never do this.” He walked around to the wheel that remained and began to beat on the axle hub. He hit one of the spokes, and it broke free. He continued to hit on the hub, taking a breather every few minutes. His face turned red with the exertion, and his breathing grew louder with every swing. When the sweat began to soak through his plaid shirt, he took it off.
“Mister McGrubber…Charlie! Why not just break the spokes away? It would be easier than what you’re trying to do.”
Mark, shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows, “The kid has a point there. Of course, the corner would be higher because of the hub, but if you intend to drag the back end, it could work, at least for a little while and if those horses are up to dragging all that dead weight.”
“That’s exactly what I intend. If we can get it off this hillside, maybe once the rest of you get where you’re going you could unload one of the tractors and come back for me.”
Mark looked up the road and pointed, “Once you get around that bend, it levels out some. Might be a good place to wait. I don’t know how far or how long it’ll take us, but I’d, sure enough do that.”
“What about that stuff? Do we put it back on?” Lucas pointed to the half buried potbelly stove from
Carlos’s trailer. The women had stripped the inside of it of everything they could possibly use right down to the small sink unit and counter from the bathroom as well as the composting toilet.
Mark climbed over the rocks and dirt until he stood beside the white plastic commode. The container for gathering liquids was gone, and the housing was split open. Laughing, he pointed at it, “Why is this even here? Those women were crazy for packing it up. I understand the stove, but a toilet? Guess they didn’t want to use an outhouse, but now I guess they’ll have to get used to it.” He shook his head, still chuckling and walked back. “When John told me he had three city girls I was a little dubious at first until I met them. I have to say I found them all industrious and capable, but a toilet…”
Lucas stood in silence as long as he could and finally confronted Mark. He was uncomfortable facing Mark on an equal footing, but he guessed he was old enough to have an opinion too. “Dad told them to pack it. He said Mom would appreciate not having to bend over in the woods or traipsing outside to use the outhouse.” He pointed at the stove and the cabinet that used to hold the sink, “Those too.”
Charlie chuckled, “Sounds about right. I only had any interaction with the one, but she seemed more than capable to me. Jumped right in and helped me with the horses when I first arrived.”
“And they saved Dad’s life. I heard him telling Mom that Gina was dividing Uncle Sam’s loyalty to the family, but I don’t think that’s true at all.”
“Son, your Dad is worried and scared right now just like the rest of us. He’s trying to do what he thinks is best for his family.”
Lucas looked at Mark, and saw how he had aged in the past month.***
“I understand that, but he’s been acting weird to me. It doesn’t seem like anything I do is right and I keep getting all of the junk jobs.” ***
Lucas saw Charlie nod and thought that he must have noticed too. Lucas was sure that was why Charlie had asked his Dad to let him learn to drive the team. Lucas knew he had made an unwise decision, by going with Matt, but he wondered for how long he would have to pay for his mistake. He’d asked Matt about it to see if John had been hard on him too, but Matt had laughingly told Lucas that he was the favorite son. At first, Lucas had been hurt until Matt punched his arm and confided that John hardly spoke to him at all, and when he did, he looked everywhere but at Matt.
Beyond the New Horizon (Book 4): Dark Times Page 2