Read Online Randall Renegade by Judy Christenberry - Free Book Online Page B

would help to know that someone would be waiting for them.
    “I’m done, Mommy,” Tommy announced.
    She put her son back into the saddle and gave him a package of beef jerky, showing him how to take out one piece at a time.
    “It’s hard to bite,” Tommy complained.
    “That’s why it’s named jerky. You have to jerk on it.” She gave a demonstration and then chewed as if she enjoyed it. Her son successfully followed her example.
    She moved back to Jim’s side. “Jim, how are you?”
    “Thirsty,” he muttered.
    She felt his forehead and realized he was hot with fever. She found painkillers in the first-aid kit and gave him two pills and his canteen. He managed to get that down, which she found encouraging.

    Then she tried to rouse someone with the walkie-talkie. “Hello, Randall Ranch? Can anyone hear me? Hello?”
    She listened intently, but heard nothing. With a sigh, she put it back in the saddlebag. She’d try again later.
    “Hello? Are you there?”
    The disembodied voice scared her to death. Then she realized someone was answering her call. She grabbed the walkie-talkie and pressed the button. “Yes, we’re here. We need help. Jim’s been shot and he’s not doing very well.” She waited. Nothing. What was wrong?
    She gave up again and moved toward Jasper when the voice came again. “Patience, you have to release the button when you finish talking so you can hear us.”
    “Oh, thank you. Did you hear me?” She released the button.
    “Yes. Where is Jim shot?” The voice was feminine.
    “In the right shoulder. I’ve bandaged it as well as I can, but it’s still bleeding a little.”
    “Are you on the switchback trail?”
    “Yes.”
    “We’ll meet you with the ambulance.”

    Patience almost sobbed with relief. “Thank you.”
    She put the walkie-talkie back in the saddlebag and started leading the horses down the trail again. They turned a bend and suddenly the entire valley was spread out before them. She was even able to pick out the Randall ranch. It had so many buildings it was like a small town.
    It comforted her to know that someone down there was coming to help them. She looked back at Jim just in time to catch him as he slid out of the saddle. He was heavy and she staggered under his weight as she tried to get him back into the saddle.
    “Jim! Jim, can you hear me?”
    He moaned.
    She stopped Jasper from moving. Then she managed to push Jim toward the wall of rock on the other side. She was going to have to be quick, she reminded herself. As he leaned on the rock, she slipped her foot in the stirrup and swung up behind him.
    “Mommy, what are you doing?” Tommy asked.
    “Trying to keep Jim in the saddle.”
    “Want him to ride with me? I’ll share.”

    “I think we’d better do it this way. Now all you have to do, sweetie, is hold on.”
    She prayed Jasper could hold up under double weight. Some horses bucked when two people got on them. She gave thanks as she realized Jasper was well behaved. With a sigh, she locked her arms around Jim’s broad chest and tried to hold the reins, too. But she realized she was at Jasper’s mercy. Fortunately the horse seemed inclined to head for home.
    So was she.

Chapter Six
    Several hours of straining to hold up Jim’s weight had numbed Patience’s arms. At one point she heard voices. Thinking she was losing her mind, it was a relief to realize they were coming from the walkie-talkie in the saddlebag. She tried to reach it, but she almost lost Jim, so she gave up that idea.
    His family was going to think she was very uncooperative, but she’d apologize later. After she got Jim down the mountain.
    Tommy, who had held up remarkably well, had begun complaining again about being tired, even wanting a nap, and being hungry again. There was nothing she could do.
    As they got lower, she caught sight of some riders moving toward them, but they were too far away and she couldn’t identify them as friend or foe.

    In fact, she was beginning