now.”
Chapter 12
The snow had finally stopped falling on the top of the mountain. Fred had already placed the packs on the mule and horse and was leading them through the hip high snow. He knew the trail, but he also knew the danger of avalanche so he traveled carefully.
The stars were beginning to come out when he reached the cabin. The lantern was not burning. Perhaps the kids had already gone to bed. Still, Rufus would have barked a greeting to him.
He quietly entered the cabin and was astonished at what he saw. The whole cabin was trashed. Everything he owned was on the floor in heaps. He heard a low moan over by the fireplace. It was Elmer. Rufus was dead. “Elmer? Nan?”
“Nan, where are you?” Fred shouted. “Elmer, what happened?”
He turned the little body toward him and cradled him in his arms. He rose from the floor and lit the lantern. Elmer had a big lump on his forehead and he was as pale as a sheet. Blood was all over the floor and all over Rufus’ fur.
“Elmer! Wake up!” Fred got a rag and plunged it into the ice-cold bucket of water beside the table and began to mop Elmer’s face. Slowly Elmer’s eyes opened. “Oh , Fred!”
“Where is Nan?”
“Them three bad men hurt her!”
Fred’s blood boil ed . What did those trappers want with a little kid like Nan? “Are you sure?”
“No, but they tore her clothes almost off her and hit me so I couldn’t help her. They hurt our dog when he tried to help us. Where is Nan? Is Rufus alright?”
Fred’s stomach lurched. Those sorry, good-for-nothin’ tramps! “Elmer, Nan isn’t here and Rufus is dead. You don’t look so good. How long ago did this happen?”
Elmer’s voice cracked as he spoke, “We were startin to eat some supper when they came. Fred, my head is bustin.”
Fred looked at the coals in the hearth and realized that the supper that had been interrupted had been last night.
“Poor kid. Get some rest and we will go find Nan at first light.”
Fred fixed Elmer a little watery oatmeal and put him in the big bed. Fred slept little and tried to pray most of the night.
As soon as dawn started appearing, Fred had Elmer bundled up and Sonny ready to go. Elmer looked terrible. His lips were as white as the rest of his face. Fred knew that he couldn’t take Elmer to find Nan. He had thought about this fact half the night. There was one person that he trusted to take care of this child.
His Mother and Dad would have a fit if they every heard tell of it, but it was his only choice. He arrived in Silverton just as the sun was up. He turned the horse up Blair Street to a known house of ill repute.
Knocking on the door with Elmer in his arms was as awkward as anticipating the talk with the woman inside. An extremely sleepy woman opened the door with makeup streaked across her unwashed face. The young woman looked years older than her actual years. “Hey, preacher! What are you doin’ here? Didn’t backslide agin did ya?”
“Betsy, I need your help. Can you watch this little kid for me for a few days? Somebody almost killed him and I need to track him down and take him to the law.”
“I ain’t no babysitter!”
“I know, but you are the only one that I trust here. Really the only person I know here.”
“A few days?’
“Yep”
“Well, maybe…”
“Can you doctor him too? He has a powerful headache too.”
“Okay… but.”
“Thanks!”
With that he handed over the sleeping Elmer and gently woke him up.
“Elmer, I need you to stay here with Betsy. I’m going to get Nan now. Be good . ”
“Nan?” Betsy’s eyebrows rose dramatically.
“It’s his sister. A long story… thanks”
Fred sped through the town and went back to the place where he saw the last tracks the trappers left.
Hour after hour he trekked through the deep snow. It was noon when he saw the bunch camped in a clearing beside a creek. He scanned the campsite to see signs of Nan.
There she was slumped beside a tree,
Chapter 12
The snow had finally stopped falling on the top of the mountain. Fred had already placed the packs on the mule and horse and was leading them through the hip high snow. He knew the trail, but he also knew the danger of avalanche so he traveled carefully.
The stars were beginning to come out when he reached the cabin. The lantern was not burning. Perhaps the kids had already gone to bed. Still, Rufus would have barked a greeting to him.
He quietly entered the cabin and was astonished at what he saw. The whole cabin was trashed. Everything he owned was on the floor in heaps. He heard a low moan over by the fireplace. It was Elmer. Rufus was dead. “Elmer? Nan?”
“Nan, where are you?” Fred shouted. “Elmer, what happened?”
He turned the little body toward him and cradled him in his arms. He rose from the floor and lit the lantern. Elmer had a big lump on his forehead and he was as pale as a sheet. Blood was all over the floor and all over Rufus’ fur.
“Elmer! Wake up!” Fred got a rag and plunged it into the ice-cold bucket of water beside the table and began to mop Elmer’s face. Slowly Elmer’s eyes opened. “Oh , Fred!”
“Where is Nan?”
“Them three bad men hurt her!”
Fred’s blood boil ed . What did those trappers want with a little kid like Nan? “Are you sure?”
“No, but they tore her clothes almost off her and hit me so I couldn’t help her. They hurt our dog when he tried to help us. Where is Nan? Is Rufus alright?”
Fred’s stomach lurched. Those sorry, good-for-nothin’ tramps! “Elmer, Nan isn’t here and Rufus is dead. You don’t look so good. How long ago did this happen?”
Elmer’s voice cracked as he spoke, “We were startin to eat some supper when they came. Fred, my head is bustin.”
Fred looked at the coals in the hearth and realized that the supper that had been interrupted had been last night.
“Poor kid. Get some rest and we will go find Nan at first light.”
Fred fixed Elmer a little watery oatmeal and put him in the big bed. Fred slept little and tried to pray most of the night.
As soon as dawn started appearing, Fred had Elmer bundled up and Sonny ready to go. Elmer looked terrible. His lips were as white as the rest of his face. Fred knew that he couldn’t take Elmer to find Nan. He had thought about this fact half the night. There was one person that he trusted to take care of this child.
His Mother and Dad would have a fit if they every heard tell of it, but it was his only choice. He arrived in Silverton just as the sun was up. He turned the horse up Blair Street to a known house of ill repute.
Knocking on the door with Elmer in his arms was as awkward as anticipating the talk with the woman inside. An extremely sleepy woman opened the door with makeup streaked across her unwashed face. The young woman looked years older than her actual years. “Hey, preacher! What are you doin’ here? Didn’t backslide agin did ya?”
“Betsy, I need your help. Can you watch this little kid for me for a few days? Somebody almost killed him and I need to track him down and take him to the law.”
“I ain’t no babysitter!”
“I know, but you are the only one that I trust here. Really the only person I know here.”
“A few days?’
“Yep”
“Well, maybe…”
“Can you doctor him too? He has a powerful headache too.”
“Okay… but.”
“Thanks!”
With that he handed over the sleeping Elmer and gently woke him up.
“Elmer, I need you to stay here with Betsy. I’m going to get Nan now. Be good . ”
“Nan?” Betsy’s eyebrows rose dramatically.
“It’s his sister. A long story… thanks”
Fred sped through the town and went back to the place where he saw the last tracks the trappers left.
Hour after hour he trekked through the deep snow. It was noon when he saw the bunch camped in a clearing beside a creek. He scanned the campsite to see signs of Nan.
There she was slumped beside a tree,
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