A MATTER OF TIME

by Donna McIntosh

Our two favorite cowboys, a ripple in time, family, new born babies, friends, enemies, love, hate, hard work, adoption, a sprinkling of science fiction, fun, fear, courtrooms, Alma (the bitch!), tragedy, triumph, travel, losers, winners, more courtrooms, and finally happily ever after. (MY APOLOGIES - A WORKING VERSION OF THIS STORY WAS POSTED BY MISTAKE. THIS ONE IS CORRECT.)

Title: A MATTER OF TIME (Part 1)

Author: Donna McIntosh

Fandom: Brokeback Mountain

Pairing: Jack and Ennis

Genre: Slash

Summary: Our two favorite cowboys, a ripple in time, family, new born babies, friends, enemies, love, hate, hard work, adoption, a sprinkling of science fiction, fun, fear, courtrooms, Alma (the bitch), tragedy, triumph, travel, losers, winners, more courtrooms, and happily ever after.

Note: I want to say a special thanks to Mike for his fine beta work. Without his tireless efforts, this would have been a real mess. You're my hero, Mike. I bow down to your expert eyes!

(August 1983)

With one last long hug, Jack and Ennis each headed for their trucks. The good-byes were always the worst. There was very little conversation; there was little use for that after twenty years of their sad routine. It was always the same. They'd drink the last of their coffee, pack up their gear in silence. Ennis mute as a statue, Jack commenting on the weather, saying it looked like a nice day for the drive.

Nothing would be said of the pain and loneliness they'd both have to endure for the next several months before they could see each other again. It had all been said before, time and time again. Ennis couldn't do what Jack wanted, and Jack couldn't give up on his dream. And so it went on, year after year.

"What the..." Jack mumbled angrily, already in a bad mood. His truck wouldn't start. He tried several times but it was of no use. The truck just wouldn't start. He climbed out of his truck and saw that Ennis, in his truck ahead, was doing the same thing. "Truck won't start." He called to Ennis.

"No kiddin?" Ennis gave him a puzzled frown. "Mine won't neither."

"Yours too?" Jack asked as he walked over to have a look while Ennis lifted his hood and peered inside.

"Everythin looks all right." Ennis mumbled as he checked the battery and cables. "Battery shouldn't a died. It ain't a year old yet."

"Well, what the hell!" Jack said as he lit a cigarette. "What're we gonna do now? How we gonna get home if neither of our trucks are runnin?"

"Guess we'd better saddle up and head on down to Ten Sleep. See if we can't pick up a couple a batteries." Ennis said as he lit up a cigarette as well. "Sure seems funny though... both of them batteries dyin at the same time."

"Yeah." Jack agreed. "Mine's a couple years old, but it sure enough shouldn't a died on me. You think somebody's messed with 'em?" Jack asked as he checked under his hood as well.

"Who?" Ennis asked. "Who would do somethin like that? And why?"

"I don't know." Jack had to admit as he pulled his saddle from the back of his pickup. "It just don't seem right is all."

"I agree." Ennis said as he backed the horses down from the trailer, saddling one while Jack saddled the other. "Whether they did or didn't, we still got us a nice long ride ahead a us this mornin."

"Maybe one a them campgrounds down at Powder River Pass might have a phone we could use." Jack suggested.

"Don't think you can get no mechanic to come all the way up here, Jack. Or was you thinkin about orderin a pizza?" Ennis grinned, in a better mood now that their parting had been delayed for several hours at least.

Jack gave a chuckle as he mounted. "As a matter of fact, a pizza would taste mighty fine for lunch. How far you think it is to Ten Sleep?"

"From here, about twenty miles; from the pass, about ten." Ennis answered as they headed out.

"We ain't had nothin but coffee for breakfast. Don't some of them campgrounds have places to eat?" Jack asked.

"Jack Twist," Ennis grinned a bit, "You don't never lose that appetite a yours; do you?"

"Nope. Sure don't." Jack agreed as they trotted along. "Only two things I need to get along in this old world, and that's food and you. And not necessarily in that order."

"Oh I see where I stand. I'm second to a plate a bacon and eggs." Ennis fake pouted.

"Nah, now that just isn't true." Jack assured him. "I need food to give me energy. Without that energy, we wouldn't be able to spend half the night like we did last night."

Jack gave him a lecherous grin, but Ennis pretended to ignore it as they hurried along down the mountain towards the various campgrounds scattered at the base of the Bighorns, halfway between Buffalo and Worland.

"Hello? ?" Jack called out at the top of his lungs as they rode through the deserted campgrounds.

"This don't make no sense, Jack. Where the hell is everyone?" Ennis asked as they came out of the little office.

"I don't know, but this is getting creepy; and I don't like creepy!" Jack answered as the two of them walked out among the deserted camp sites.

" O?" Jack continued to call out.

"Look there." Ennis pointed towards a picnic table. "A purse. No woman goes off and leaves her purse sitting there right out in the open like that." The two of them stood and stared at the purse for a moment.

"A baby bottle!" Jack said as he picked it up just behind the purse. "It's gone bad. The bottle feels dirty; like it's been sitting out here for days."

"Jesus, Jack! What the hell happened? Where'd everyone go?"

"I don't know, Ennis. Let's get back into the office. There must be a phone in there."

"Who you gonna call? What are you gonna tell 'em?" Ennis asked as he followed Jack on a trot back to the campgrounds office.

"Hell, I don't know. The sheriff, I guess." Jack said as the two of them hurried back inside.

Jack grabbed the phone up off the desk. "Shit! It's dead! See if it come unplugged."

Ennis followed the cord down alongside the desk, and saw that it was still plugged in. He gave it a good shove to make sure it was in tight enough and said, "Try again."

"Still dead." Jack said a moment later as he dropped the phone in disgust.

"Let's try the other campgrounds." Ennis offered and the two of them headed off on horseback on a dead run.

The second campground was the same as the first; deserted. There were vehicles, campers, tents; all the gear that goes along with camping; just no people. They tried a few of the trucks that were unlocked, but the engines were dead. Nothing worked.

"What the hell's goin on, Jack?" Ennis asked as he eyed the empty campgrounds. "This ain't right."

"I know it ain't right, Ennis, and it's gone way past creepy now. What do you think we should do?"

"Well if we'd known there was gonna be trouble, we could a headed for Buffalo; it was closest to where we camped. I guess we'd better head on in to Ten Sleep and tell 'em what's goin on out here. Let them notify whoever they need to."

"Okay, you're right." Jack said as he looked around the small office in the back of the store. "I'm gonna grab me somethin to eat. You want somethin?"

"Nah, I ain't hungry." Ennis answered and waited until Jack had pulled a handful of sandwiches out of the small dark refrigerated compartment. "Are they still cold? No tellin how long the electricity has been off."

"Yeah, they're still good and cold." Jack said as he took out his wallet and placed a twenty on the counter. "Grab a couple bottles a water and some chips." He added as he pulled two plastic bags loose from the rack. He put sandwiches, water and chips in each bag, handed one to Ennis, and they left.

They looped the plastic bag over their saddle horns, mounted and headed out. They rode the rest of the way into Ten Sleep in silence. Each lost in his own thoughts, wondering what could have happened, where all the people had gone, and why the electricity was out, along with everything else electronic.

Fear didn't enter the picture until they rode down the deserted main street of Ten Sleep. It was the same as the campgrounds had been. Not a person in sight. Vehicles were scattered around, but they were empty and non-running.

"Holy fuckin shit, Ennis!" Jack declared as they dismounted in front of the small office that had 'Sheriff's Office' painted on the door.

"Maybe there's a radio inside." Ennis offered as he glanced around the area.

"You know how to use a radio, Cowboy?"

"Can't be that difficult. We find one, we'll figure it out." Ennis said, a lot more confidently than he felt.

"Don't they run on electricity? Even if we find one, it probably won't work." Jack said as he followed Ennis inside.

"Well there it is for all the fuckin good it's gonna do us." Ennis said as he kicked the side of the desk.

"It's dead too." Jack sighed. "Hey, the Sheriff's truck was out in the parkin lot. Maybe it's got a radio in it."

"Probably does. One that works off a battery – the dead battery under the hood!" Ennis swore under his breath.

Jack paced the floor silently as Ennis slouched back against the desk; both deep in thought. "We gotta do somethin?"

"What, Jack? What the fuck can we do? No electricity, no phones – only way we can get around is by horseback, and Worland is a good thirty miles on down the road!" Ennis was beginning to tremble; a mixture of fear and anger taking over.

"I don't know, Ennis." Jack answered as honestly as he could. "But we gotta do somethin." He walked back outside, and stood looking around. "I need to eat and so do you." He said to Ennis who had followed him out. "I can't think on an empty stomach." he added as he took the plastic bags down from their saddles and handed one to Ennis. They took a seat on the porch steps and ate their lunch, neither one speaking until their sandwiches were gone.

They each lit up a cigarette. "So we head on for Worland then?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. Hyattville is a little closer but it ain't no bigger than Ten Sleep. I think we need to head to the nearest bigger city, and that'd be Worland." Ennis answered, not at all looking forward to a thirty mile trek on horseback.

"And what do we do if Worland is the same as Ten Sleep?" Jack asked, not at all sure he wanted an answer. He worked hard to keep the tinge of panic he was feeling at bay.

Ennis gave him a scowl and didn't answer. He refused to even consider that whatever had happened up in this mountainous area could possibly have occurred as far west as Worland. After all, Worland was a good sized city – for Wyoming. It didn't compare to Casper or Cheyenne of course, but it was big enough. They'd find someone there to report this mess to, and they could get on their way south to Riverton. Maybe Jack could rent a truck and trailer there. He could drop Ennis off in Riverton, maybe stay over until the next weekend, and they'd head on back up to the Big Horns, and pick up their trucks. Those were the only thoughts Ennis allowed himself as they trotted alongside the highway. Jack could stay with him in his trailer. He let his mind wander to what it would be like having Jack there waiting for him when he got home from work each day. It would only be for a week. That shouldn't rouse anyone's suspicions.

Four hours later...

They walked their horses down Main Street, and neither of them said a word. The entire place was as deserted as Ten Sleep and the campgrounds had been. Not a person in sight, not an electric light showing from any window. They were both dumbstruck. Neither could speak. When they got to the town square, Ennis reined over towards the small park-like area, and dismounted by the pond, letting his horse drink. Jack pulled up beside him dismounting as well. They sat side by side on the bank watching as their horses drank their fill.

"This is like a nightmare or somethin." Ennis said after a long spell of silence.

"I know." Jack agreed. "I been pinchin myself all the way here hopin I'd wake up back in the tent."

"It's another thirty miles or so down to Thermopolis. It'd be after nine before we got there." Ennis said before adding, "And another fifty-five miles after that to Riverton."

Jack stared in to the pond and said nothing.

"I'm supposed to be at work in the mornin." Ennis worried, then after thinking about it for a moment, gave a little shrug. "I s'pose it don't matter none now."

"How could everyone just be... gone?" Jack finally spoke. He stood up and began to pace. "It just don't make no sense. Where could they be?" He asked, and then went on without waiting for an answer. "You think they've all been... evacuated or somethin?"

"Evacuated?" Ennis asked, and rolled that idea around in his head for a minute or two. "What for? It ain't like we're a military target that someone might want to bomb. We got no military bases around here. I always watch the weather report before we go on one of our trips, and there weren't any storms expected. Our elevation is too high for any floodin. There ain't no chemical plants around here that might have had some kind a toxic spill."

"I don't know." Jack admitted. "You think the whole state is like this? Maybe the whole country?" His blue eyes widened in fear, something he could no longer control.

"Don't panic, now Jack. We'll figure this out." Ennis stood, and walked over to him placing a hand on Jack's shoulder to steady him. "What we got to think about right now is where do you want to spend the night? There ain't no campgrounds around here that I know of. They got a nice state park just west of Thermopolis, but it'd be dark before we got there, and I don't like ridin after dark. I say we find us a place here, maybe a motel or somethin, and in the mornin we'll head south."

"There's got to be somebody somewhere." Jack said as they mounted their horses. "We're here, so whatever it was... missed us. There's got to be others out there that were missed too."

Jack wasn't making much sense, but Ennis soothed him with, "It'll be all right, Jack. We'll figure this out."

"I wish we were back at our campsite right now." Jack said as they rode along. "At least we'd have our campin gear."

"Yeah, I been thinkin about that." Ennis answered. "Maybe we can find someplace that sells campin gear, and pick up a coffee pot, and maybe one a those little camp stoves."

"That'd be good." Jack nodded in agreement. "Maybe we can get us a tent, and a lantern too?"

"Keep in mind, Jack, that we're on horseback. We can't carry too much." Ennis answered.

"We need a wagon." Jack said as he perked up a little. "We find us a wagon, we can carry all the gear and groceries we need."

"Sure enough." Ennis agreed, and couldn't help but grin. All he had to do was get Jack thinking about food, and he'd be all right. "You see a wagon, you holler."

"There's Sears. They've got campin stuff." Jack called out.

"It's weird walkin around in here with nobody else around." Ennis said as they entered the darkened store.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Jack agreed. "There's a directory. Let's see where the camping gear is."

"Probably in the basement." Ennis said, and sure enough, there it was on the little in-store map.

They walked down the escalator steps, making their way through the dark aisles holding up their cigarette lighters to see where they were going until they came to the camping goods department. First thing they picked out was a lantern, inserted the battery and, continued their search of the other items they needed.

"Here we go." Jack said as he pulled down a Coleman camp stove. "This is the same model as mine. Now we need some propane cannisters."

"Here's a coffee pot and some cook-pots." Ennis said as he gathered them up.

"There's a set plates, cups, and tableware." Jack said. They left the store a few minutes later after a quick stop in Housewares to pick up a couple large laundry sacks to hold their gear. Securing the bags behind their saddles, they mounted and headed out in search of a grocery store.

"We can't get much, Jack. We're pretty loaded up as it is." Ennis warned.

"We need all this stuff, Ennis; and if we're heading out in the morning, we'll need even more." Jack argued. "I wish we could find a wagon."

"Don't know about that, Jack. These horses never been harnessed. Don't know if they'd take to it or not."

"Well we need one. They'll just have to take to it and make do; just like we're doin." Jack countered.

"True enough." Ennis admitted. A moment later an idea hit him. "Wasn't there a museum back there on one a those streets just before Main?"

"A museum?" Jack asked, puzzled. "I didn't see no museum; but then I wasn't lookin for one. What do you want with a museum?"

"It caught my eye 'cause it was a Cowboy Museum. Maybe they'd have a wagon in there?" Ennis brightened at the thought. Jack was right that they'd need more gear. And with a long trip ahead of them on horseback, he wasn't sure how much more they could carry. It was true that neither of his horses had ever pulled a wagon, but they were both very good natured, and he thought they could handle it as long as they took it slow.

"There's a grocery store." Jack pointed to a small corner store once they were back near the square.

"Okay, good." Ennis replied. "Let's hit that museum first, and see if we can come up with a wagon. That way we could get all the food we need. It should be right around the corner there past the courthouse."

"It looks pretty small." Jack said as they dismounted, secured their horses, and went inside. "At least it's unlocked."

"Look at all this stuff." Jack said as they walked around. "Branding irons, different kinds a barbed wire, kerosene lamps. Hey, we got a couple of those out in the barn..." Jack stopped mid-sentence and didn't take another step.

"What is it?" Ennis asked when he sensed that Jack had stopped and was no longer following along behind him. "Did you spot something?"

"My folks..." Jack mumbled.

"Huh? Your folks what?" Ennis took a few steps back to see what Jack was going on about.

"I was just wonderin... if... whatever happened... if they're all right, or if they're... gone too."

Ennis squeezed Jack's arm, and was silent for a moment. "C'mon. Let's see if we can find us a wagon so we can hit that grocery store."

Jack looked up at him with sad eyes; thinking for sure that the worst had happened.

"We'll check on your folks first chance we get. That's a promise." Ennis assured him.

"How we gonna do that? Phones are out." Jack said but he followed Ennis as he started off again.

"Same as we're doin everythin else. On horseback." Ennis said as he made his way from one little viewing room to the next.

"Really?" Jack brightened somewhat.

"Looks like that's all we got for transportation for now. I still want to head on down to Riverton though, and check out the ranch. Dependin on what we find there, I think we should head to Casper to see if we can find out what's goin on. If we... don't find nothin there, we can head on up to Lightning Flat."

"Good, good. Couple a more days then, and we'll be able to check up on them." Jack seemed pleased.

"Here we go." Ennis said as they entered the back room of the museum. "All kinds of transportation back here.

"These are mostly town carriages." Jack said. "They won't carry much."

"Over there." Ennis pointed to a back corner where what little light remaining in the late afternoon showed what appeared to be a hay wagon.

"You think the horses can pull it?" Jack asked as they neared it. "Doesn't somethin this big need a team to pull it?"

"They're strong enough. We won't be loadin it with so much stuff that we'd need a team." Ennis said as he looked the old wagon over.

"It looks pretty rickety." Jack said as he climbed inside.

"These things weren't made for beauty, Jack. They were made for strength and endurance. It looks like it's been maintained it pretty good; it looks solid enough. We get some grease on those wheels, and it should take us wherever we need to go."

"What's all these curved metal pieces for?" Jack said and lifted one end of a metal strip.

"That's to hold the cover, Jack. This here is a genuine covered wagon, Bud."

"No kiddin?" Jack grinned. "Wow, this thing is even older than I thought."

"We'll have to see if we can find the harnesses and gear we'll need." Ennis started digging around in the piles and stacks of supplies.

"There's no canvas in the wagon." Jack said as he joined Ennis in his search. "If we could find some canvas, it would be just like a tent on wheels."

"That's the whole idea of a covered wagon, Jack. If we find what we need, we can make us a nice little snug camper big enough to carry all the supplies we need."

"We could go back to Sears and get some sleepin bags." Jack offered. "And I wouldn't mind pickin up a change or two of clothes, some shavin gear, and a toothbrush. I can go without a lot of things, but I do like to keep clean."

Ennis grinned. "Keep lookin. What's that over there hangin on the wall?" He asked as he walked over to inspect his find. "Here we go. This should do it."

"You know how to work all that stuff?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. My grandparents had an old hay wagon about that size. That's what I thought it was when I first saw it. We used to help them around their place during the summer, and one of my jobs was hitchin up the wagon."

"Jeez, you know all kinds a things I never even dreamed about, Ennis." Jack smiled his admiration making Ennis blush.

"It's no big deal, Jack." Ennis took the harnesses down from the wall, and headed back to the wagon. "I just hope the horses will take to it."

"What do we do if they don't?" Jack asked.

"We'll have to take one a those smaller town carriages. This one would suit our purposes a lot better though if we can get 'em to cooperate."

They opened up the double back doors, and pushed the wagon out into the late afternoon sunshine before bringing the horses around back, unsaddling them, and harnessing them to the wagon. The horses, unfamiliar with the strange rigging, side-stepped nervously; but Ennis talked soothingly to them, and they soon stood comfortably side by side awaiting their next order.

"How do these things work?" Jack asked as he fiddled with the metal pieces.

"Easy. You just stand 'em up, and press the end down into this gizmo on each side of the wagon." Ennis explained, and in moments they had all six half-hoops in place.

"You said the wheels need grease? Where we gonna get that?" Jack asked.

"Well from what my granddaddy told me, they used to use bear grease when they could find it." Ennis said. "He said it worked best. But I'm thinking if we just get us some heavy duty motor oil, it would work just as good."

"I didn't see any place that might carry motor oil." Jack said. "We can get some back at Sears probably."

"See if you can find a bucket inside." Ennis suggested. "We can drain it from one of these trucks in the parking lot."

"Oh that's a good idea." Jack agreed, and hurried inside; coming out a few minutes later carrying a small plastic trash can. "Didn't see any buckets but I did find this." He offered the trash can to Ennis who was going through the tool box on the back of a pickup looking for a wrench to undo the plug in the oil pan.

"That's good. That'll work." Ennis said as he crawled underneath the pickup, worked the nut off the oil pan, and shoved the plastic can underneath to catch the cascade of oil flowing out. He used every bit of it oiling up the wheels as he moved them back and forth generously coating everything. "That should do it." He said as he wiped his hands.

"Too bad we couldn't find any canvas for the top." Jack said as he looked their rig over.

"We can probably find somethin to use back at Sears." Ennis said, relieved that now they had a somewhat better mode of transportation.

They piled their saddles and gear in the back, got in, and Ennis carefully shook the reins. The horses started forward slowly, neighing a bit, glancing around nervously to see what was behind them. Seeing Ennis was enough to settle them, and onward they went.

"Shall we stop at the grocery store first?" Jack asked as they neared it's location.

"Nah." Ennis answered, "Let's get back over to Sears and see if we can find any canvas. We'll be losing the light soon. If we can cover this thing, we can carry a lot more. If we can't, then it wouldn't be wise to gather up a bunch of food that would be ruined if we got any rain."

"Good point." Jack agreed. "Do you think that Sears might have canvas?"

"Probably not, but I know for sure they got nylon tarps. That would probably be better anyway." Ennis answered as he gently eased the horses on down the street.

"We should pick up some of those big plastic containers to store our food in. That way the bugs won't get into it." Jack offered.

"Good idea." Ennis agreed.

At Sears they searched out the tarps first and found a large variety of them. They dug around until they found a huge blue nylon tarp that would do the trick. They were able to run a line of rope through the grommet holes, cover the entire wagon, and made a draw-string closure at both front and back openings. It was dusk, nearly nine PM, when they finished loading up the other supplies they gathered, and headed back to the grocery store. The wagon moved with ease on the pavement now that the horses were used to pulling it.

Jack put batteries in their flash-lights and lanterns so they would have enough light to do their shopping. They each took a shopping cart, placed their lanterns in the baby seats, and began their shopping. They stuck mainly to canned and packaged goods, but did pick up a Styrofoam ice chest once they found the ice in the machine still had a bunch of ice frozen in the middle. The refrigerated compartments were still somewhat cool so they stocked up what meat they felt was still safe to eat.

"So have you decided where you want to spend the night?" Ennis asked as they loaded their food into the wagon.

"There was a place there on Main Street just before the town square. How about that?" Jack asked.

"Sounds good to me." Ennis agreed, and headed in that direction. "Traveling with the wagon will take a lot longer than horseback, but it'll be good to have the supplies, and a place to keep dry if the weather turns."

"I'd rather go slower and have the supplies, than faster with next to nothing, and no idea where our next meal will come from." Jack agreed.

In front of the motel Ennis stopped the wagon, unharnessed the horses, and tied them out near the water fountain where they were in reach of green grass and fresh water. Jack dug around in back of the wagon, and came out with supplies for the night, and they headed inside to find a room.

Jack dumped the stuff he was carrying on the counter, hopped up and over, and searched for keys. In no time he found one, and they headed out for room 108.

Later, as they lay side by side in the dark, Jack asked, "Do you think our stuff will be safe out there?"

"Yeah." Ennis answered as he snuggled in closer behind Jack. "We were back and forth across town for hours and nobody showed. I don't think there's anybody out there to worry about."

The next morning they found out there was no water from the faucets in their room.

"Oh crap!" Jack moaned. "I need a shower."

"How about a bath instead?" Ennis suggested.

"A bath?" Jack asked. "How can we take a bath if there's no water?"

"I was thinkin of the fountain out front." Ennis grinned.

"You kidding me?" Jack asked with a devilish grin on his face. "You wanna get naked, and bathe out front in the fountain?"

"We won't be in that water very long, Jack. It's probably good and cold, but I'd like to clean up too.

What do you say we ditch these smelly clothes, and get into our new duds?"

Jack followed him out front to the fountain. "No kiddin? You're gonna strip off out here in the open?"

"Yep." Ennis answered as he pulled off his boots, and undid his shirt. "If there's anybody around we'll know for sure then. Just listen for the laughin." Ennis dropped his jeans and shorts, and hopped into the two-foot deep fountain with a "Brrrrrrrr". He laughed, and splashed Jack with a double hand full of water before sitting down, and soaping up.

"Sheee-it!" Jack exclaimed, before stripping naked, and jumping in with a squeal. "Oh man it's cold! Toss me the soap. I wanna get out a here quick."

Ennis laughed, and splashed him again until they both forgot about washing, and thought only about the pleasure of being together.

"That was incredible." Jack sighed, wrapped in Ennis' arms. "Did you think to bring the cigarettes out? I sure could use one right about now."

"No, I didn't." Ennis answered as he handed Jack the soap once again. "Here. Finish your bath. I'm done. I'll grab a couple a towels, the cigarettes, and be right back. He hopped out of the fountain, and hurried to their room, coming back with a towel wrapped around his waist. Jack was just climbing out, happy for the towel as well as the cigarette that Ennis offered.

Back in their room Ennis cooked up some bacon and eggs on their camp-stove while Jack made coffee.

Breakfast over, Jack loaded up while Ennis harnessed the horses. The sign at the town's edge said thirty-three miles to Thermopolis.

Ennis kept the horses at a slow trot. It was five hours later before they arrived. "Damn!" Ennis cursed as they rode into town. Cars and trucks all over the place, but all deadly silent and still. Not a person in sight.

"Well, fuck!" Jack agreed. "Just how far out you think this thing – whatever it was – happened?"

"I got no way a knowin that, Jack." Ennis answered with a sad shake of his head. "I wanna stop over at the feed store, and pick up some oats and a waterin pan for the horses. Then we can have us some lunch. You hungry?"

Jack gave a sad little sigh. "Yeah. You know me; I'm always hungry."

"We'll get the stuff for the horses, and find us a nice place to stop and rest a bit before we take off. I wanna hit the grocery store too, and see about gettin some more bottled water now that we know we can't get none from the faucets around."

"Good idea. We still got plenty a room in the back." Jack agreed. "Maybe we can find more of those sandwiches."

"Maybe, but you gotta make sure they're still good and cold. Otherwise, you'll regret eatin 'em." Ennis warned.

"Okay. We can always eat some a that canned stuff if the sandwiches are bad." Jack agreed.

They ate their lunch in a shady area while the horses munched on the green grass, and drank their fill. It was nearly two o'clock when they started out again, and a little after seven when they pulled into Shoshoni.

"Aren't we almost to Riverton?" Jack asked. "You want to go the rest of the way in?"

"No." Ennis shook his head. "It's twenty-two miles, another three or four hours. I don't know of any motels around here. Let's find us a place to camp, and stay in the wagon tonight."

"Suits me." Jack agreed.

They found a nice place on the west side of town that looked down on the river, and set up camp.

The next morning they ate a hurried breakfast of coffee and Pop Tarts before taking off for Riverton. The empty streets told the sad tale as they drove on out to the trailer park where Ennis had been living. Inside, Ennis sat on the edge of his bed, while Jack took the one chair at the little table. They lit up cigarettes, neither speaking a word until after the last puff was taken, and the butts were mashed out in the ash tray.

"You okay, Cowboy?" Jack asked.

"No!" Ennis snapped his reply. "How can I be okay when everythin's... wacky."

"I know. And you're right. Everythin is wacky right now, for sure." Jack sympathized. "You wanna stay here a while, or you wanna head on out to Casper?"

"I was thinkin a goin out to Stoutamire's and check it out, but it's probably like everythin else—deserted. No sense wastin the time, I guess." Ennis stood and stretched; tired and wooden from all the tension and frustration. Somehow he had, in the back of his mind, the thought that once he got home everything would be all right. It wasn't; and it was painful for him to accept. "Let's go. Unless you wanna have lunch first or somethin."

"Yeah, I am gettin kind a hungry." Jack stood and tucked the back of his shirt tail in. "You should probably get what ever stuff you have that you wanna take with us."

Ennis gave him a blank stare before giving himself a little shake and coming back to the reality of their situation. "Um... Yeah, I should probably take some stuff." He glanced around his trailer as if seeing it for the first time.

"You got stuff in here for lunch, or you want me to get something out a the wagon?" Jack asked. "I could fix it while you get your stuff together."

"There's some cans in the cupboard there. Fix whatever you want, and I guess we should take whatever's left with us. There's some paper grocery sacks there beside the toaster." Ennis said as he pulled the pillow cases off his pillows, headed to his closet first, and then to his small chest of drawers. Into the bathroom next, he dumped out his little trash can, and filled it with his shaving gear, extra bars of soap, toilet tissue. By the time he was finished, Jack had lunch ready. They ate quickly, eager to get on the road once again.

"So how far is it to Casper?" Jack asked as they pulled the wagon out of the trailer park.

"Hundred and twenty." Ennis answered. "And we ain't travelin but six or seven miles an hour. We're lookin at about a twenty hour ride at that rate. We won't make it in one day."

"Well, we can get a pretty good start on it." Jack said with a good-natured smile. "We can go as long as you want, and stop whenever you feel like it. We got everythin we need right here with us."

"Yeah. It sure was a break findin this wagon. We can carry what we need, and keep dry if it rains." Ennis agreed as he eyed the clear blue sky. "Don't think we'll have to be worryin about no rain for a spell."

"That's good." Jack agreed; waited a few minutes and then asked. "What do you think we'll find when we get to Casper?"

"Truth?" Ennis asked and Jack nodded yes. "I think it's going to be the same thing we found in Riverton, and every place else. I don't know what could a happened, but I think it happened all over—everywhere."

"You think so?" Jack gulped. "Everywhere?"

"Uh huh." Ennis answered with a helpless shrug. "Whatever it was, it was big, Jack. If it was just our area, I think there would be planes flyin all over the place checkin for survivors, and we ain't seen or heard no planes."

Jack gave a grunt and turned silent for a good long time.

Entering Casper late the next afternoon added to their sense of dread. It was the same as every other place they had been. Empty. Not a sound, not a person.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" Jack mumbled as they rode down the middle of the street, dodging around vehicles that stood like statues in all the wrong places.

Ennis gritted his teeth and scowled. "Let's get out a here." He said before turning the wagon around in the middle of an intersection and heading for the highway.

"North. I wanna go north to Lightening Flat." Jack managed to choke out.

"Yeah." Ennis agreed as he headed in that direction. "You know it's going to be the same thing there too; don't you?"

"You don't know that! Lightening Flat's out in the middle a nowhere. It could a been missed. Missed like we were up in the mountains." Jack snapped, but his argument was weak, and they both knew it.

They were just about to make the Route 25 turn off when Ennis reined the horses in, and stopped the wagon. He sat there a few minutes before speaking as thoughts raced through his mind.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"Somethin... somethin..." Ennis stuttered as he tried to organize his thoughts. "Back there a ways, did you see all them antique cars sittin there?"

"Yeah, I saw 'em. Must a been a car show goin on. What about it?" Jack asked.

"All them old cars... all fixed up... restored like new." Ennis tried to form his thoughts into logical sentences as he turned the wagon around and headed back.

"What are you goin back for? What good would an antique car do us? It wouldn't run. Nothing runs." Jack questioned.

"Nothing electronic runs." Ennis corrected him. "When them cars were built – they didn't have no fancy electronics in 'em. They didn't start puttin electronics in cars until the late '60s or '70s."

"You think we could find one that runs?" Jack asked, excited now that he understood what Ennis was thinking.

"The folks that own antique cars are mighty proud of 'em, and usually keep them in tip-top shape. I'm bettin every single one of 'em runs." Ennis snapped the reins across the horses rumps, and they stepped up their pace.

"But... even if we find one that runs... what'll we do about the horses? You think one of them antique cars could pull a trailer?"

"Nah, not any a those we saw sittin out front. I'm bettin that buildin is full a old cars, and maybe even a pickup or two." Ennis said with the first ray of hope he'd felt since this whole nightmare began.

"There it is!" Jack pointed to the lot that was trimmed with flags and banners announcing the annual car show.

Ennis pulled the wagon up into the parking lot and stopped in front of the huge warehouse-like building.

"I don't see any pickups out here." Jack said as he scanned the vehicles on display outside.

"Lets see if we can get inside." Ennis said as he secured the break and climbed down.

Jack beat him to the front door, and it came open with a push. The place was huge at nearly half a block wide, and twice as deep. They walked down the aisles in between beautifully restored vintage cars one after another. At one point, Jack stopped beside a 1955 Rambler Metropolitan convertible, reached in, and turned the key. The engine purred to life. "You're right!" Jack announced with the biggest grin Ennis had seen since this whole nightmare began.

"Course I'm right, Bud." Ennis teased as they continued on their way. "I'm always right. You should know that by now."

"I don't see any pickups though." Jack said.

"Hold on a minute." Ennis stopped him, and hopped up on a table someone had set up to hand out advertising. He scanned the area and pointed off towards the back of the place. "Back there!" He announced, and the two of them took off on a trot. "Over here!" he called out, and Jack followed him over to a beautiful turquoise blue and white 1970 Ford 200 pickup with a matching camper mounted on the back.

"Oh wow! This thing is beautiful!" Jack enthused.

"Now let's see if our luck holds out and it runs." Ennis said as he climbed in behind the wheel and turned the key. It sprang to life; smooth as silk.

"Yaahoo!" Jack hollered and Ennis joined in the celebration by honking the horn several times before climbing out, and saying he wanted to see what the camper looked like.

Jack opened the camper door and climbed in, with Ennis right behind him. "Oh man, this is perfect!" Jack grinned.

"I have to agree with you there. It's got a bunk over the cab, a dinette." Ennis said.

"A 3-burner stove and little refrigerator." Jack added.

"And look at this!" Ennis grinned after opening one of the doors.

"A toilet!" Jack whooped in amazement.

"Even a shower head." Ennis added. "This couldn't be more perfect if we'd ordered it from a dealer."

"And all this stuff runs on propane?" Jack asked as he switched on a light switch.

"Well, the stove and refrigerator do for sure. The lights probably run off the truck battery." Ennis answered.

"We'll need to grab a couple extra batteries from some of these other trucks." Jack said as he checked everything out. "You think it's strong enough to pull a horse trailer while it's carrying this camper?"'

"I do." Ennis said happily. "Let's get busy and gather some extra propane tanks and batteries."

"I didn't see any horse trailers." Jack said as he came back carrying three batteries.

"I didn't either." Ennis said as he loaded four propane containers in the back. "But we got us some wheels now so we can drive all over this town until we find one."

"YeeeHaaaw!" Jack let out another yell as they climbed into the the pickup, and drove carefully to the nearest doorway to the outside. Jack jumped out, and opened the double door, and Ennis drove on out and stopped.

"Let's find a grassy place to park the wagon before we head out." Ennis said. "No tellin how long it'll take to find a horse trailer, and I don't wanna leave the them standin on concrete all that time."

"Okay." Jack agreed sliding over into the driver's seat as Ennis got out, and climbed into the wagon.

They found a nice area in front of some business that had a vast green lawn and some shade trees. Ennis parked the wagon there and brought out the watering trough and poured two five gallon jugs of water in it. He made sure the brake was secure on the wagon before he jumped into the passenger seat of the pickup, and told Jack, "Drive and keep driving until you find a horse trailer."

It didn't take long and they found some on a lot just a few blocks over from the Fairgrounds. Jack wanted to get the big fancy one, but Ennis pointed out that it was too heavy plus it was a fifth-wheel mount which they had no room for with the camper. Ennis found a smaller, older one; but still very nice with tack storage in the front, and it was bumper pull. In next to no time, they had it hooked up, lights and all, and headed back to the horses.

"I was dreadin comin to Casper cause I figured it would be like all the other towns we been through; and it was. But now I'm glad we came. We finally got us some real transportation." Ennis gave Jack a quick hug after they loaded the horses and the rest of their supplies. "Do you want to head on up to Lightnin Flat now, or wait until the mornin?"

"Nah. It's nearly dark. Lets just camp here for the night." Jack lit a cigarette staring off into the distance.

Ennis was surprised by Jack's answer. Every since this 'thing', whatever it was, happened, all Jack could think about was getting to Lightning Flat to check on his folks, and now that they were within a couple hours drive, he wanted to wait until morning. He figured Jack was worried about what he'd find when they got there. He was right.

It was a very quiet and strange night. Very little conversation over their dinner with Jack lay stiff and silent beside him as they tried to sleep. Maybe it was the comfort of the camper after the rough few days they'd had; or maybe it was worry about his folks. Ennis figured it was probably the latter, and said nothing, just leaned his head against Jack's shoulder and tried to sleep.

They were up at dawn, both eager to get the night behind them, and set out in the comfort of the pickup. Jack seemed in better spirits, but still more silent that usual.

"You're worried about what we're gonna find when we get there?" Ennis finally asked after they'd been driving an hour.

"More like what we won't find." Jack answered. "I know in my head that they're most likely gone like everyone else, but I can't help but hopin that somehow they made it. I mean, Lightnin Flat is out in the middle a nowhere. Maybe they were missed like we were."

Ennis didn't know what to say to that so he kept silent, watching out the window as Jack drove.

Chapter Two – MRS. TWIST & THE KENT KIDS

Jack stopped the truck at the end of the driveway, and wiped the sweat from his upper lip with the back of his hand.

"You okay, Bud?" Ennis asked, massaging the back of Jack's neck.

"Yeah. I just need a minute." Jack lit a cigarette, took only two puffs on it before tossing it out the window, and starting the truck up again. It was a long slow drive up to the house, and when they got there Ennis was as nervous as Jack.

The place wasn't much different than any other old farm house that he'd ever seen, but it had an eerie sense about it that made Ennis shiver. The house was old beyond guessing its age, the entire place looked barren, out-buildings even worse. This place had seen hard times for most of it's life. It made him sick to his stomach to think of Jack growing up there. It startled him when Jack opened the door, and got out. Ennis followed him, a few paces behind. He let Jack go inside by himself, and waited by the door for a time. He felt like Jack wanted to do this for himself.

"MOMMA!"

The shrill scream startled Ennis, and he nearly took the door off it's hinges getting it open. Inside he found Jack on his knees beside a rocking chair where an old woman sat rocking silently, staring straight ahead as if nothing and no one could ever touch her world again.

"Momma, it's me; it's Jackie!" Jack was frantic, shaking her arm trying to get her attention.

Ennis walked around in front to get a better look at the woman. He reached down and gave her shoulder a shake. "Ma'am. Mrs. Twist?" He called out to her, but got no response.

"What's wrong with her?" Jack pleaded desperately as tears slipped down his cheeks.

"I don't know." Ennis answered. "She's in some kind a shock or somethin." He took off then on a trot; ran out to the truck, got a bottle of water out of the camper, and ran back inside. "Here." He handed the water to Jack. "See if you can get her to drink."

Jack tried several times, and the most he got for his efforts was that she licked her lips a couple of time.

"You think there's anythin stronger around? Whiskey maybe?" Ennis asked.

"Huh?" Jack questioned, between attempts to rouse his mother. "Whiskey? A... yeah. In the kitchen. Cupboard over the sink."

Ennis found it, brought it back, and handed it to Jack.

Jack finally managed to get a sip down her, and she coughed at the bitter taste before stuttering, "Ohhh ohhh"

"Momma, it's me, Jackie!" Jack continued his attempts to get through to her.

"Jackie? Jackie?" She turned her head, and for the first time focused on him. "Jackie!" She cried out as if his name was torn from her very soul.

He grabbed her up in a hug then, and they both cried uncontrollably as they clung together.

Ennis picked up the whiskey bottle, and took a good long swallow. He didn't like emotional scenes, but this one was something he never thought he'd see. It touched something deep inside him, and he knew for sure that he'd never forget it. It reminded him of times long ago when as a boy he'd come home from school, and his mom would greet him with a big hug. His mom was a great hugger. He remembered that most about her. She never passed up a chance to hug someone. His heart ached, for the mom he had lost, and for the mom in front of him that had been found.

"Jackie, you came! You're here!" Mrs. Twist cried out. "I wanted to call you, but the phones are dead. Everythin's dead, even the electricity, and the truck, and I can't find your dad or anyone. Everyone's gone!"

"I know, Momma; I know." Jack hugged her again trying to calm her.

"Even in town, Jackie! That's where we were when it happened." She babbled on.

"You were with Dad?" Jack asked. "Is he okay? Where is he?"

"Well we weren't exactly together. We went to town together. I was in the bank vault, and Dad was waitin for me outside. We was gonna shop for groceries."

"You were in the bank vault?" Jack asked. "What were you doin in the vault?"

"We have a safety deposit box there, and that's where they keep 'em. In the vault. I went in to put somethin in, and when I come out... everyone was gone! Your Dad, along with everyone else in town! They were all just... gone!" She tried to choke back the tears. "How did you know to come? Did you hear about it... whatever it was... on TV?"

"No, Momma." Jack rubbed her shoulders as he spoke. "Me and Ennis here were campin up in the Big Horns. When we got ready to come home, our trucks wouldn't start. We had to ride horseback down to the nearest town; and that's the way we found it. Deserted, with everyone gone."

"Ennis?" Mrs. Twist asked, and then turned to see Ennis standing nearby fiddling with his hat. "Oh my goodness; I didn't even see him standin there."

"Momma, this is Ennis. Ennis del Mar." And to Ennis, "Ennis, this is my Momma."

"Pleased to meet you, Ma'am." Ennis said and gave her hand a soft squeeze.

"Ennis, this is such a pleasure. I been wantin to meet you for so long. And here now, I can't even offer you a cup a coffee." She began to sniffle again. "The stove don't work, and the phone don't neither so I can't call no one to fix things." The tears began to fall again and Jack pulled her back into his arms.

"It's all right, Momma. We got coffee. You want some? We can fix us up a pot right now."

"Oh Jackie, honey; the stove don't work. We couldn't fix any even if we did have some."

"Yes we can." Jack said, and gave her one last hug before turning her towards the door. "We got us a real nice little set up, Momma. Our pickup has a camper on the back. A real nice one with a stove, and refrigerator, and a toilet, and bed, and everything a body could need. Come on out and take a look. We'll fix us up a pot a coffee, and have a nice talk."

"Oh my! I've seen such things on TV, but I never expected to see one up close." Mrs. Twist said as she was helped up inside by Jack.

"You go ahead," Ennis said as he hesitated to join them. "I'm gonna turn the horses out into the corral then I'll join you for a cup."

Jack got his mom situated at the little dinette table, and set about getting the coffee going.

"But I don't understand how it works, Jackie." She asked as she watched him.

"Propane, Momma. It's got a little propane tank in one of the compartments, and it works the stove and the refrigerator." Jack explained.

"Isn't that amazing!" She said. "This camper is so nice. It's just beautiful."

After the coffee was started, Jack took a seat across from his mom and took her hand. "You okay now, Momma?"

"Okay?" She asked. "I don't know. I mean... how can I be okay when everyone I know has just disappeared? Or are they all back now? Do you think your Dad is in town lookin for me? When I couldn't find anyone; I just walked on home. But that way days ago. If he's back; why hasn't he come home?"

"No, Momma. Everyone is still gone. We just come through town a few minutes ago, and there wasn't a soul around."

"But Jackie... where did they all go?" She asked.

"I don't know, Momma. I just don't know." Jack shook his head.

"Well, did you tell someone?" She asked. "We've got to report it to the authorities. They'll know what to do."

"Momma... there's no one out there to report it to. No one." Jack said.

"But there must be someone... the military or somethin?" She asked and Jack could see that she was beginning to tremble again.

"Momma, we been all over the place and we haven't seen anybody."

"But Jackie... you're here; you and Ennis, and I'm here. If we're okay then there must be other people out there somewhere too?"

"That's what we were hopin, but we haven't found anyone." Jack said, and then added. "In fact, I didn't really expect to find you either. I figured, for sure, that I'd lost you."

"Oh Jackie!" She started to weep again. "This horrible, horrible thing... What do you suppose it was that happened?"

Jack got up from his seat and joined her on the other side, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "We don't know, Momma; but whatever it was, it happened all over."

"What do you mean... all over?" She asked. "You mean... more than just in Lightnin Flat?"

"Momma, we been from the Big Horns, west to Worland, down south to Riverton, and over to Casper. It's the same everywhere. Everyone is gone, and nothing electronic works."

"You think the whole state is like this?" She asked, stunned at the thought.

Ennis came in then. "That coffee smells good."

"It should be ready." Jack said, but kept his seat beside his momma.

Ennis got down three cups and filled them to the brim. He brought two over to Jack and Mrs. Twist, then got the third and took a seat at the table across from them. "You need for me to take a walk while the two of you talk?" He asked.

"No, not at all." Mrs. Twist came out of her shock a little bit. "Jackie was just tellin me that everything is out all over the place, and not just in Lightning Flat."

"We been over a good part of the state, and it's like this everywhere we been." Ennis said. "We didn't really expect to find you here or we'd a come a lot sooner."

"And neither a you have any idea what happened?" Mrs. Twist asked.

"No, Ma'am." Ennis said as he sipped his coffee.

"You'd have to be a scientist or somethin to figure this out." Jack said.

They sipped the coffee in silence for a few minutes before anyone spoke.

"How long can you stay, Jackie?" Mrs. Twist asked. "I mean before you have to go back to Texas?"

"I'm not goin back to Texas, Momma. I'm stayin here and lookin after you." Jack assured her, but looked up at Ennis, pleased to see an affirmative nod from him. "This is where I belong now, and this is where I'm stayin."

"Oh Jackie; it's what I always dreamed about. You comin home and workin the place with your Dad."

The tears started to threaten again and she stopped talking.

"It's all right, Momma. Ennis and I are here now, and we'll be lookin after things." Jack squeezed her arm.

"Your Dad; Jackie... we've got to go look for him." Mrs. Twist pleaded.

Jack swallowed the lump in his throat, and couldn't speak for a time.

"Where did you last see him?" Ennis asked.

"At the bank. He was waitin for me out front while I went inside to do my business." She answered.

"We'll go into town and have a look around, Momma. But I expect..." Jack stopped there.

"You think he's gone? Like everyone else?" She finished his thought.

"That's most likely what happened. Otherwise he'd be here by now." Jack said, and braced himself for her reaction.

Mrs. Twist sighed deeply and shook her head. "I'm afraid you're right. I walked all over town, stuck my head in every single building callin for him, but there was just no one around. No one."

"That's the way it is every where we went, Momma. Probably the only reason you're still here is cause you was inside that bank vault."

"But how did it miss you? You and Ennis?" She asked.

Jack just shrugged, and shook his head so Ennis spoke up. "We was high up in the mountains. Higher even than where most campers go. We drive up as far as we can, then go up even further on horseback. We must a just missed it cause it did get our trucks; just not us."

"Well praise the Lord for that!" She reached a frail hand to each of them, and gave them a squeeze.

They spent a little while talking, and decided that the first thing they needed to do was get on in to Gillette and stock up on groceries. The hour long drive gave them a chance to set a plan in motion. First get food, and whatever they needed in the way of supplies to make it in a house without water and electricity.

Mrs. Twist was making a list on a small note pad she took from her purse. "We'll need candles; and maybe kerosene. We've got a couple of grandma's old lamps out in the barn. We'd better get wicks too." She scribbled on her pad.

"We'd better plan on hitting the hardware store too, and see about some tools. We'll need a new ax and a chain saw so we can get started on firewood. Winter's not but a couple months off." Jack suggested.

"Our main problem is gonna be water." Ennis said. "Where's the nearest source a water around your place?"

"There's a creek out back, and the river's about a few miles west." Jack answered.

"But we got the pump and our own water well, Jackie."

"The pump runs on electricity, Momma, and it's all out." Jack reminded her.

"The pump to the house does; for sure, but the old pump – the one out by the barn ain't hooked up to electricity. You still have to pump it by hand. We'll just have to carry it in to the house."

"Oh that's good!" Ennis said with relief. "At least we won't have to worry about bringin any in from the river."

"I'd forgotten about that old pump, Momma. It still works?"

"Sure enough. I needed to wash after I walked home from town so I brought some in, and took a pail full out to the milk-cow. It works just fine as long as your arm don't give out."

"Well, you won't need to worry about pumpin any more now you got me and Ennis here. We'll bring in all the water you need." Jack assured her. "I didn't know you had a milk-cow Momma. When did you get that?" Jack asked.

"Oh, didn't I tell you that?" She massaged her forehead, trying to get her thoughts in order. "I told you I walked home from town; didn't I?"

"Yes, Momma. You told us that, but you didn't say nothin about a milk cow."

"Her name is Daisy and she belongs to Willeen Valens. The Valens own that place right after you turn off the pavement on to the dirt road leadin to our place."

"I know the place." Jack shook his head.

"As I was walkin home from town, it was late afternoon, and I could hear Daisy just a bawlin her head off needin to be milked, so I walked on up to the house and knocked. A 'course no one answered, they were gone too, I guess. I couldn't just walk away and leave the poor thing in pain, so I went around back and milked her. She's a friendly thing, and didn't seem to mind a bit that I wasn't her usual milker."

"You brought her home?" Jack asked.

"Yes." Mrs. Twist said. "I didn't know what else to do for the poor thing. Their place is about four miles from here and there was no way I was gonna be able to walk that far, twice a day to milk her, so I brought her here. You think that was all right?"

"Absolutely." Jack assured her. "It's not like you were stealin her or somethin. And if everyone was to come back tomorrow, I know you'd see to it that she was returned."

"You were just showin a kindness to an animal in distress." Ennis said.

"Oh, I'm so glad the both of you see that." She said, relieved. "I just couldn't bear the thought of leavin her there alone in misery."

"You did the right thing, Momma." Jack said and gave her a hug.

When they got to Gillette they stopped at the hardware store first to load up on tools. "You gonna just take 'em?" Mrs. Twist asked as they carried their stuff out to the truck.

"We got no choice, Momma." Jack explained. "Who we gonna pay?"

She gave him a sad little look, and Jack went on. "If folks was to come back, I'd come back in and pay for everythin. But I don't spect that's gonna happen."

"It just don't seem right." She said as they climbed back into the truck, and headed for the grocery store.

"Momma, what we got a think about now is gettin what we need to survive; and we need these tools and the food we're gonna get. It's not like we're goin in these places and emptyin the cash-registers or somethin."

"I s'pose you're right." She reasoned. "If there's nobody around to pay, then it can't really matter."

"That's right." Jack assured her. "Just think of it as shoppin – free shoppin. Think of it like that."

"I guess it'd be all right. I mean if everyone but us is gone... And we do need to look out for ourselves."

"That's right." Ennis agreed. "And we ain't takin nothin we don't need."

An hour later they left the grocery store with the camper completely full, and headed home.

"We need to find us a trailer so next time we come, we can carry more home." Jack suggested as they drove home. "I want to make sure we have enough groceries to get us through winter."

"Thats a good idea, but we're talkin a ton a groceries here. You got a place to keep it all?" Ennis asked.

"In that big ole house?" Jack asked. "Sure we do. We got tons a room."

"What the..." Jack slammed on the brakes.

Ennis grabbed Mrs. Twist to keep her from hitting the dash. "What is it? What did you see?"

Jack flung his door open, and jumped out; letting out a loud whistle as he did so.

"Jack... What is it?" Ennis asked as he joined him.

"I saw someone! Over there in that little shoppin center." He took off on a trot, and Ennis followed after telling Mrs. Twist that she'd best wait there for them.

"HELLO, HELLO!" Jack called out, and waved as three faces peered out a window at them.

"Oh my God! People!" All three voices called out as they ran out to join Jack and Ennis.

"We thought we were all alone! We're the only ones left! Where did everyone go?" The three of them bombarded Jack and Ennis with questions.

"Whoa, whoa, here." Jack greeted them. "One at a time. Are you three all that's left? Is there any one else?"

"NO!" They all chimed in at once.

"Not... your parents?" Ennis asked.

"NO!" The boy answered first. "Everyone disappeared and we can't find anyone! Do you know where everyone went?"

"No, I'm sorry. We don't know anythin more than you do. We thought the three of us were all alone. My friend here – Ennis del Mar, and me; I'm Jack Twist, and my momma's waitin in the truck."

"Man, are we glad to see you." The youngest girl said.

"We been stayin in that store. Waitin and hopin someone would come and tell us what happened to everyone." The boy explained.

"My name is Jeanie Kent." The oldest girl said and reached out her hand for a shake. "This is my brother Mickey; he's sixteen, and my sister Molly; she's eleven. And I'm seventeen."

They were exchanging greetings with hand-shakes all around when Mrs. Twist walked up.

"Land sakes! Children!" she gasped. "Oh my goodness. You've been alone since... whatever it was that happened?"

"That's right." Mickey said. "We came shoppin with out mom. She was inside this store here, and we were waitin outside. We were looking at this display of storm shelters... see over there?" He pointed to the display set up in the parking lot. "The three of us were checkin them out. We were inside one of 'em when the door closed. At first, it was like we were locked in. We couldn't get the door open. But after a few minutes we got it open, and when we came out – everyone was gone!"

"We were really scared!" Molly said. "We looked everywhere, but we can't find our mom. She's gone!"

"Everyone's gone." Jeanie said with a tremble as she pulled her little sister closer to her. "We don't know what we're supposed to do."

"Oh my goodness." Mrs. Twist put an arm around her shoulders. "Well you can't stay here alone. You've got to come with us." She looked to Jack and Ennis for approval, and was happy to see they agreed immediately.

"We'll have to do some rearrangin in the back." Ennis said as they started walking to the truck.

"Shouldn't we stay here?" Mickey asked. "I mean... what if they come back?"

"I tell you what." Mrs. Twist said. "How about we leave a note for your momma." She handed Jeanie her notepad. "Tell her you'll be stayin at the Twist ranch out a Lightnin Flat. That way she'll be able to find you."

"Oh that's a good idea." Jeanie said as she took the pad and started scribbling her message. "I'll just run this back to the store, and leave it at the cash register." And off she ran.

"Wish we had that trailer!" Ennis said as they stacked supplies up on the bunk, and in every place they could find so that the three could sit at the little dinette for the ride home.

"We need it all right." Jack agreed. "Once we get home, we'll have to sit down and figure out what all needs to be done."

Ennis grunted in agreement as they loaded up and headed back to the ranch.

Their first night at the ranch was a cold and miserable one. They barely made it home before the rain started. They unloaded quickly, and all huddled inside in the front room by the fireplace. Jack helped his mom with their camp-stove explaining that they had to use it by an open window if they were going to use it inside, and they managed a quick meal of canned stew, while Ennis worked up a nice fire.

Jack and Ennis pulled some old mattresses down stairs so everyone got to sleep in the front room in front of the fireplace.

"First thing we need to do is get beds for everyone." Jack said as they got settled on their mattresses.

"First thing we need to do is find us a trailer; a big trailer." Ennis reminded him. "Then we can see about fillin it with stuff we need."

"Yes. Right." Jack agreed. "A trailer first."

"Does Lightning Flat have a furniture store; or are we gonna have to head back to Gillette in the mornin?" Ennis asked.

"Nah; not unless they opened up one just recently. And I don't think that's likely." Jack said. "Gillette is our best bet."

"We'd best get us a list goin then while we're havin breakfast." Ennis suggested before adding. "And we should take a look around the place to see what else we need before we leave. If we're gonna have to drive an hour each time we need somethin, we'd best get smart, and get as much as we can on each trip."

"We can do that with a trailer." Jack agreed.

"How many cows you got? What kind a shape are they in? Do you know? And what about supplies for them for the winter? Your dad put up some hay for them? I haven't seen a field that looks like it's been mowed, but I ain't had a proper look at the place yet."

"I don't know." Jack answered as truthfully as he could. "I'm guessin about fifty head or so. And as to the hay – I don't know that either. I guess we'd better plan on at least an hour or so lookin over the place before we take off for Gillette."

Ennis added the last few pieces of wood to the fire and they went to sleep.

"Momma, we need for you to make a list of everythin you can think of that we need. Beds, mattresses, sheets, pillows, towels; stuff like that. And we'll need warm clothes for the kids and for yourself. We want to make sure we have enough lanterns, so don't forget to add them to your list. I want everyone to have one for their rooms, and extra batteries too." Jack said as they finished their breakfast of oatmeal and coffee.

"And we should stop at the store again, and pick up more groceries." Mrs. Twist said as she jotted down items on her list. "You're going to get a trailer so we'll be able to carry everythin?"

"That's the plan." Jack said. "First Ennis and I are goin to take a look over the place to see what needs doin to get everythin winterized. We got us a couple a months yet before the real cold sets in, and we got a million things we need to do. We need to see to the animals, and make the house as comfortable as we can get it."

"I know one thing that would really help; but I doubt if we could find one." Mrs. Twist said.

"What's that, Momma?" Jack asked.

"A wood cook-stove. That would also help heat up the kitchen and dining room area, and we wouldn't have to cook with a window open."

"That's a good idea." Jack agreed and looked at Ennis.

"Good idea, for sure, but you'd need to think about cuttin a hole in the side a the house for the smoke stack." Ennis said.

"No you wouldn't." Mrs. Twist answered. "There's already one there. It's just covered up. This place used to have a wood stove in it when it was first built. I learned how to cook on a wood stove."

"So hookin it up wouldn't be all that difficult; would it?" Jack asked Ennis.

"No, not really. Not if we could find the proper sized smoke stack; and a course, the stove too." Ennis agreed.

"You'd probably have to go to an antique store to find one." Jeanie added to the conversation.

"Is there an antique store in Gillette?" Ennis asked Jack, and was met with a shrug.

"Yes there is." Mrs. Twist answered. "I've been there several times. I love to go there to look. I don't recall seein a wood stove though; but you never know. There could be one; and I agree, that'd be the place to look first."

"Okay." Jack said. "Write antique store down on your list, and we'll see if we can find us a wood cook-stove. And add anything else that you think we might can use."

"Add sleepin bags to that list." Ennis suggested. "Even though we'll have beds, those sleepin bags will keep you warmer than any blankets can when the cold gets deep."

"Good idea." Jack said, and ushered Ennis out the back door to get on with their own list.

Two hours later they drove into a gas station in Gillette that had U-Haul trailers out back. They picked out the biggest one they could find; a sixteen-footer, hitched it up, and headed for the antique mall.

They walked through aisle after aisle of Yesterday's Treasures, and found exactly what they were looking for. A beautifully restored wood cook-stove.

"Oh my goodness! Look at that price!" Mrs. Twist cried with dismay.

"I told you, Momma, you don't have to worry about that. It's – free shooping." Jack said as he and Ennis began looking the stove over, wondering how they were going to manage to move it out to the truck.

It was much bigger than Ennis had thought it would be at four-foot wide, two-foot deep, and five-foot tall with it's warming shelf on top. He tried to lift one end and gave a grunt. "Jesus, Jack. This thing weighs a ton."

"Maybe we can just push it out to the trailer." Jack said after trying to lift one side.

"That's what you need, right there." Mickey pointed to a wardrobe that was sitting on a small flat platform with wheels.

"Hey, that would work." Jack grinned.

"Yeah, it might. If we could get the stove up on it." Ennis agreed.

"It's not but three or four inches off the ground. If we both lifted one end at the same time we ought to be able to get it up there – don't you think?" Jack asked.

"I can help too." Mickey offered. "I'm pretty strong."

"Well, let's take a look, and see first if it's strong enough to hold the stove." Ennis said, and the three of them lifted the wardrobe down.

"Looks sturdy enough to me." Jack said as he stepped up on it and bounced a few times.

"It does look pretty strong." Ennis agreed. "Let's see if we can lighten the load a bit. Maybe the doors come off, and I'm pretty sure that top part comes off."

The three of them worked with screwdrivers, and before long they had lightened the stove enough for them to be able to maneuver it up on the small trolley.

"Hey Momma," Jack called as they pushed it out to the trailer. "Add stove-pipe to your list for the hardware store."

They were loading the last bits and pieces of the stove when Mrs. Twist and the girls came out wheeling an old wringer washing machine, and two rinse tubs mounted on a stand.

"Now what are you going to do with those?" Jack asked with a grin. "Remember we don't have no electricity."

"This don't take electricity, Jackie." Mrs. Twist said. "The wringer is hand-crank, and you use this thing here; it's called a drub." She said picking up a long stick like thing with a round flat bottom attached to it. "You use it to pound the clothes around in the soapy water. It's what they used before someone invented the agitator."

"And we added garden hose to the list so we can drain the water as far away from the house as possible." Jeanie added.

"Good thinking, girls." Ennis said and reached for the items. "We got plenty a room."

"We won't have once we get the beds." Jack reminded him.

"We'll fit in everythin we can, Jack, and we can always make more trips. We load up the big stuff first, and then fit in whatever else we can."

"All right. I'm sold." Jack said with a good-natured grin. "You'd better add clothes-line to your list then too."

Next it was off to the furniture store. After a quick discussion, it was decided that they would do two things. One, was to get beds for their bedrooms upstairs; the second, was to come up with some way they could all sleep in the front room where the fireplace would be the only warmth they would have in the coming winter months.

Their upstairs beds were the easiest. Ennis and Jack each got a queen-sized mattress, box springs, and frame set. The kids each got a twin set. With that all loaded on the trailer, they tackled their next problem. It was easier solved than they thought it would be when they found a bunk bed set that had a roll-away pull out under the bottom bunk. So it would sleep the three kids comfortably. Another hour of free-shopping, their trailer and camper both filled with supplies, it was time to head home.

The house was built like so many were back then; a rectangle, forty feet by twenty feet; with a full sized basement and attic. All with ten-foot ceilings. The attic and basement mostly unusable as too hot in the summer, and too cold in the winter.

They stacked their supplies in whatever space they could find in every room on the main floor which consisted of kitchen and dining room; hallway, stairs, and bathroom; then living room on the front side and two rooms across the back; one of which had been the Twist's bedroom, and the other, much smaller, was used as a sewing room.

Upstairs there were five rooms plus a bathroom. Four had decades old beds and chests; the fifth, much smaller than the others, had been used for storage, and held several lifetimes of cast-away items. It was there, upstairs, that they started their clean up.

Jack and Ennis took the two largest bed rooms next to each other at north end of the hall. The girls got the other big bedroom on the south end, with Mickey getting the small room next to the girls that had been Jack's childhood bedroom. All the old furniture was taken apart and put into the store room with the exception of the chests. Those were emptied and cleaned up for use until they could be replaced.

Curtains were taken down, cob webs swept from ceilings and corners, and a good scrubbing and airing out left the upstairs sparkling clean.

By the time they got their beds all put together, it was dinner time and Mrs. Twist surprised them with a nice meal she had put together while the others worked.

"You think it's going to be much of a job puttin that stove in?" Jack asked as they were eating.

"The hardest part is gonna be getting it in the house." Ennis answered. "We got a be real careful. I know it's only a step or two up into the house, but that thing has got a weigh three or four hundred pounds even with the back and doors off. We got a make sure nobody gets hurt."

"But once we get it inside – it shouldn't be much work gettin it hooked up?" Jack asked again.

"Nah." Ennis answered after a sip of coffee. "Depends on how hard it is to get that vent opened up. Can't tell just by lookin how it was closed off. It looks like that metal piece was just screwed on over the hole, inside and out. If that's all that was done, there won't be nothin to it. If they filled in that hole, it'll take longer."

"What's the basement like, Momma. I haven't been down there in years. Couldn't we store some a this stuff down there." Jack asked.

"Honey, it's damp and nasty down there. The canned goods would rust out for sure." she answered with a sad shake of her head.

"Damp?" Ennis asked. "Pipes leakin you mean?"

"No, the pipes aren't leakin, but it's damp just the same. Always has been. We never put anything down there that could rust. We did put the stuff that I canned down there, but you never could leave them very long cause the lids to the jars would rust out." Mrs. Twist answered.

"Are the walls and floor earth, or have they been finished off?" Ennis asked as he wiped his mouth on his napkin.

"Didn't Dad have it all cemented?" Jack asked his mom.

"Yeah, he had it all cemented years ago thinkin that would end the dampness, but it never did." She answered.

"Sounds like it ain't never been sealed." Ennis said.

"Sealed?" Jack asked. "What do you mean? How do you 'seal' a place?"

"They got special stuff – like paint. It's a sealer for concrete. Once you paint that stuff all over it, you seal the dampness out." Ennis explained.

"You mean it'd be as simple as paintin down there, and the dampness would be gone?" Mrs. Twist asked.

"Sure enough." Ennis assured her. "We use some of that sealer, and top it off with some insulation, and that basement will be as sound as the rest a the place."

Jack stared at him with his mouth open, awed that Ennis would know how to fix something that his old man had wrestled with for years. And it was such a simple solution to boot!

"I can help." Mickey offered. "I helped Mom paint our apartment. It's not hard at all."

"Well now, it looks like we got all the help we need." Ennis smiled at Mickey, pleased to see how eager the boy was to help. "I need paper and pencil and a tape measure." He added as he stood from the table.

"Another list?" Jack grinned as he dug in a kitchen drawer and came out with a small writing pad.

"I need to measure the place; figure out how much paint we need, and see what else needs doin down there."

"Okay." Jack said and went into the tool drawer pulling out a tape measure. "I'll get a lantern."

"Any windows down there?" Ennis asked.

"Oh yes." Mrs. Twist answered, brightening up now with hope. "There are windows all around. There will be some light down there, but not enough for you to be doin any figurin."

Mickey joined them as they climbed down the old steps.

"Jesus, these steps are rickety, Jack. We'll need to fix that."

The basement was indeed as damp and nasty as Mrs. Twist had said it was. She and the girls had followed the men down, and watched as they checked the place out.

"This place is huge." Ennis said as he made his way around the parameter.

"Uh huh." Jack said. "Same size as the house – twenty by forty. It is nasty though."

"It won't be for long." Ennis sat his lantern down, and began measuring, and making notes.

"You can fix it? Really?" Mrs. Twist asked.

"Just take a little work." Ennis assured her as he continued with his measurements. "We get the place sealed, put in some insulation; you'll have full use down here."

"Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed. "I was wonderin where we were goin to put all the groceries. It would be so perfect if we could store it down here without it goin to waste."

"It'll take a couple a days. That sealer takes a full day to dry, and bad as it is, we best be puttin on two coats. Then we do the insulation after that."

"You mean that pink stuff?" Jack asked.

"Yeah." Ennis said as he scribbled on his pad. "We get this place sealed and insulated, it won't be half bad down here." He walked over and held his lantern up to the furnace. "Does this hunk a junk actually put out any heat?"

"Not much of anythin I'm afraid." Mrs. Twist answered with a shake of her head. "Mr. Lewis, the handy man we called, won't even work on it any more. He said it needed replacin ten years ago. Every winter when Mr. Twist lit it, I was afraid the whole house would blow up."

"Why don't we pull it out a here then?" Ennis asked.

"You kiddin? How would we haul somethin that size up those narrow steps?" Jack asked.

"Same way they got it down here – one piece at a time." Ennis answered. "Look at all the room you'd have down here if that old dinosaur was hauled to the dump."

"It don't give out no heat at all, Momma?" Jack asked.

"Not much, and only if you're standin right on top of the register. It sure don't warm the rooms, and it never did get the upstairs warm." She answered. "I agree with Ennis. If you can take it apart without too much trouble, I'd be glad to have it gone. Even if everyone came back—we'd just have to get a new heater then."

"What kind a fuel did it burn?" Ennis asked.

"Natural gas." She answered. "So now it's nothin but a space hog. And we need the space if we're gonna try and stock up enough groceries to last us through the winter."

"So tomorrow it's back to Gillette?" Mickey asked as they climbed the stairs.

"Yep." Ennis answered. "Tomorrow we pick up everythin we'll need to get the basement in shape.

Tools to take that furnace apart, two-by-fours to steady up those stairs and for framin, sealer, insulation, plywood for the walls and ceilin, and a nice bright white paint to finish it all off."

"We'll need shelving." Jack said. "Do we build 'em or buy 'em?"

"We can do either one." Ennis said. "We'll see what we can find."

"We should a got two pickups when we was in Casper." Jack said as they crammed the last of their supplies into the camper. "Think how much more we could be bringin home each time we come into town if we had another truck."

"Yeah, but we didn't think a that at the time." Ennis agreed with him. "Let's just get on home for now." Ennis gave a bit of a start when he realized just how much he already thought of the ranch as 'home'. He had never felt that way about any of the places he had stayed in since the family ranch was taken over by the bank. Every place else had just seemed like a temporary stop-over. But the ranch – Jack's ranch – was home now. He smiled as the climbed in and headed home.

Chapter Three – JENNY, MRS. BEERS, SIX SOLDIERS, and A BABY

The next several weeks were spent winterizing the ranch; sealing and insulating the basement as well as the attic, bringin in a load of cinder-blocks and putting up a north wall to protect the house from the vicious north wind, and bringin in more and more food for the family, as well as for the live stock. They didn't want to take the time to mow and bale, so they stopped at a place selling hay and loaded up. It was a few days into October when Mrs. Twist asked Ennis, "What about your girls, Ennis? Don't they live in Riverton?"

"One does; the other lives in Anchorage, Alaska." Ennis answered, feeling a little guilty that he hadn't taken the time to look for Jenny while they were in Riverton.

"We were still on horseback when we come through Riverton, Momma." Jack said. "We were still too much in shock to think about doin any real searchin."

"Well, we need to go to Riverton then and do a thorough search." Mrs. Twist insisted.

"I been thinkin – I should go back, have a look around." Ennis said.

"We'll all go." Jack said. "On the way home we can swing over to Casper and get another pickup."

"Oh boy!" Molly said, all excited. "A road trip! I love road trips!"

"That'd be a long trip." Ennis said. "If I was to just run over there myself, I could make it in a day."

"And leave us here afoot to worry all day about you?" Jack asked.

"I agree." Mrs. Twist said. "Things are really – unusual out there. I don't think anyone should be goin off alone."

"Yeah! You might get disappeared!" Molly said, wide-eyed, still a little scared by what had happened.

"All right." Ennis agreed, not really wanting to go off alone anyway. "We do need another truck. I guess we could spend the night in Casper if we had to."

"Can we go tomorrow?" Molly asked.

"Might as well." Ennis said. "Best to get it over with."

"I'll pack food for two days then." Mrs. Twist said.

"I'll help." Jeanie offered.

"Me too!" Molly said, and the three of them left the dinner table.

"You okay?" Jack asked after seeing the worried expression on Ennis' face.

"Yeah." Ennis answered. "I just feel a little foolish. We should a looked for Jenny while we was in Riverton. I just figured everyone was gone but you and me."

"We were both thinkin that. I know I never expected we'd find Momma; let alone three kids in Casper."

"I'm so glad you did!" Mickey said.

"Me too." Ennis said with a gentle little smile. "It must a been real scary there, the three a you all alone."

"It was." Mickey said. "I never been so scared in my whole life, and I had to play like I wasn't so the girls wouldn't get even more scared than they already were."

"You did good, Mickey." Ennis assured him.

They left early the next morning, the two-hundred-thirty mile drive taking them a little over four hours, arriving at the neat little house with the geraniums on the porch railing at about ten-thirty. They fanned out, searching every inch of the house from cellar to attic. The place was empty, just like the rest of town. They stood around in the front yard talking.

"What about her friends?" Mrs. Twist asked. "Do you know where any of them live? She could be stayin with a friend."

"No, Ma'am; I don't know any a her friends. The only one I know she might a gone to is her grandma; Alma's mother, Geraldine Beers." Ennis answered.

"Let's go." Jack waved an arm and everyone loaded up as Ennis gave directions to Mrs. Beers house on the outskirts of town.

They gave the place a thorough search and found nothing. Once again, they were standing in the front yard trying to decide what to do when Mrs. Twist called out, "Shush, everyone. I heard somethin."

Everyone stilled and Jack whispered, "What did you hear, Momma?"

"I heard it!" Ennis said, looking around in all directions. "Someone yellin."

"I swear I heard someone yellin, 'Jenny'!" Mrs. Twist said.

"Back there!" Ennis, now in full panic mode, took off running towards the fields back of the place; the others following along as fast as they could; Jack close behind Ennis, the others straggling along behind.

It didn't take long before Ennis saw a figure standing in a field, a long ways off and called out, "Jenny? Jenny?" The closer he got, he realized it wasn't Jenny, it was Mrs. Beers. He was breathless when he got to her, "Jenny..." he gasped for breath, "Where's Jenny?"

Mrs. Beers, dirty and disheveled from falling down, and in hysterics, could barely speak herself. She kept pointing off the the west and saying, "Jenny... you got a stop her... she's gonna drown herself!"

Ennis grabbed her by the shoulders and asked, "Now why would she be thinkin a doin that?"

"She's... she's pregnant." Mrs. Beers managed to get out, just about the time the rest of the gang arrived.

Ennis took off after her. He knew where she'd be heading. They had crossed the bridge over the river just about half a mile back. Off came his jacket as he was running. Jack, coming along behind him, grabbed it up.

Mrs. Twist tried to comfort Mrs. Beers and Mickey took off back to the truck, jumping in and squealing tires, he whirled it around and headed towards the bridge.

Ennis topped the ridge above the river just in time to see the figure clad in yellow just as she flung herself into the water below. He raced down the hill pulling his boots off, and stumbling along as he went.

Mickey flew out of the truck, to the river's edge and spotted the yellow dress coming down stream directly toward him. He pulled off his shoes and jacket, and dove into the cold, rushing waters.

Ennis hit the bank on a dead run, diving in and swimming frantically.

Mickey reached her first, and Jenny began fighting him. He struggled with her for a few minutes, but finally had to give up and socked her in the jaw, rendering her senseless for the moment.

Ennis reached them at that point, and reached for her, "Jenny! Jenny!" he called out as he struggled to stay afloat.

"Let me take her to shore." Mickey gasped, having already turned her on her back. "I'm a life-guard. I do this all the time."

Ennis was reluctant to let go but saw that Mickey had a good hold of her, and was already making strides through the current towards the shore. He followed along beside, calling to her between breaths. "Jenny! Jenny, girl!"

The current was strong but weakened as they made it closer to shore. Jack was there and helped them pull her up on the bank as Ennis and Mickey crawled out of the water and knelt beside her.

Mickey took over immediately, pulled her out of Ennis' arms, turned her face down, and started artificial respiration. It didn't take but a few minutes, and she began coughing and sputtering.

All fight gone out of her now, she wept bitterly as Ennis swooped her up in his arms holding her tight. "It's all right, Jenny. Daddy's here now. Everythin is gonna be all right."

"But you don't know—you don't know!" She wailed.

"Yes, I do. Your grandma told me. You're gonna have a baby." Ennis said as he cradled her in his arms. "Don't you worry, Darlin. I'm gonna take care a everythin. You and your baby are gonna be just fine."

"Oh daddy, I'm so sorry; I'm so ashamed!" She cried as he carried her up the slope towards the pavement.

"Here." Jack said and offered her Ennis' jacket. Ennis helped put it on.

"Thanks for bringin the truck." Ennis said to Jack as they walked over to it.

"I didn't." Jack said, surprising Ennis.

"I did." Mickey said. "I remembered crossing the bridge just before we got to the house. I figured I could get here quicker if I drove." He pulled his shirt off and rung it out before picking his jacket up off the ground, putting it on, and retrieving his shoes.

Jack held the door open on the passenger side of the pickup so Ennis could put Jenny in easily.

Ennis turned to Mickey then. "I'll never be able to thank you for what you done." He said, close to tears.

"You'd a got to her in a few more minutes." Mickey said.

"I was losin steam, and the current seemed like it was gettin stronger." Ennis said. "You really a life-guard?"

"Yeah, I am. At the community pool on weekends." Mickey said. "And we do practice that all the time, but that's the first time I ever got to use it."

"Thank God!" Ennis embraced him. "Thank God for you, Mickey!" He said before climbing in beside Jenny. With Jack behind the wheel, Mickey jumped in the back, and they headed back to the field to collect the rest of the group.

Ennis left Jenny in the cab while he helped the others load up. "Molly, honey, can you ride up there in the bunk?"

"Sure!" She said, climbing up in place right away. "Mrs. Twist, Mrs, Beers, you can sit right there at the table on one side." He said, pointing to the dinette. "And Jeanie and Mickey on the other." With everyone seated, Ennis hopped back in the cab, and they headed for the house. Ennis kept his arms around Jenny while they rode.

When they pulled up to the house, Jack said, "And now we are eight!"

Ennis gave him a grateful nod and helped Jenny out as everyone headed inside.

"You're coming with us." Mrs. Twist was insisting to Mrs. Beers as they got inside. "There's no reason in the world why you should stay here, all alone. We've got plenty of room if a body don't mind sharin." She looked to her son for approval.

Jack nodded, then looked over to Ennis wondering how he would take to having his ex-mother-in-law living with them. There was surely no choice though. It was unthinkable to leave the woman there alone.

Mickey came inside last, taking the time alone to change into dry clothes out in the camper.

Mrs. Beers turned to Ennis, questioning whether or not he agreed that she should come along.

"Absolutely." Ennis said firmly. "There's no way we'd leave you here in Riverton all alone."

"Let me help you get your things together." Mrs. Twist said, and the two of them went off to her room.

Jenny stood silently at her father's side, head down, too embarrassed to face anyone. In no time, they were loading up again after tossing Mrs. Beers suitcase in the trailer. Back to Jenny's house where they all unloaded again, and Jenny disappeared into her bedroom.

"Jack?" Ennis whispered. "Can you go around back and make sure she don't slip out the window and head for the river again?"

"Sure thing." Jack said. "You'd better get out a those wet clothes."

"I will." Ennis assured him, but went to Jenny's door first and knocked. "Jenny, honey, it's me."

She opened the door a crack and looked up at him, eyes red from crying.

"Honey, you need some help? Jeanie here is about your age. Just one year younger. You want her to come in and help you pack? You can only bring one suitcase now. We don't have a lot a room."

She opened the door a little wider but said nothing.

Ennis motioned for Jeanie, and she joined him at the door. "Jeanie, see if you can give Jenny a hand here. She can only take one bag now, make sure she gets some warm clothes, and whatever else she needs."

Jeanie nodded 'yes' and went in, closing the door behind her.

Ennis went out to the truck then, pulled some dry clothes out of his bag, changing in the back of the camper as Mickey had.

They ate an early lunch, sitting at the dining room table.

"Oh that was so good!" Mrs. Beers said. "We haven't had a hot meal since this whole thing started."

"What have you been eating?" Molly asked.

"Oh just some canned goods, Sweetie. Whatever we could find that didn't need to be cooked." She answered as everyone was finishing up and gathering their lunch debris for the trash.

"We have a good sized stash of food at the ranch, and we bring in more every time we go out." Mrs. Twist said. "And we got a milk-cow, and chickens next door givin us all the fresh eggs we can eat. So we got plenty a the good stuff to go along with the canned and packaged stuff we're gettin from the stores. We also got some fresh fruits and vegetables from my garden and the neighborin ranches, so there will be plenty to eat for everyone."

"What about water? You got plenty a bottled water?" Mrs. Beers asked.

"We got a well; and the water's the best tastin you ever had." Jack said. "The only thing workin is the old hand pump, but between all a us, we can carry in what we'll need."

"It sounds like the ideal place then." Mrs. Beers said and gave her granddaughter a long sad look.

"What do you think, darlin?"

"Doesn't matter to me." Jenny shrugged; head down, making no eye-contact with anyone.

"I'll take that as a yes then." Ennis said, giving his daughter a hug. "Is everyone ready to head for Casper then?"

"Isn't Casper a bit out of the way?" Mrs. Beers asked. "I thought Lightnin Flat was further north?"

"It is." Ennis answered as they headed for the truck. "But we need another truck. Real bad.

Jenny rode the hundred-twenty miles to Casper in the cab, between Ennis and Jack, silent and leaning heavily against Ennis shoulder, clinging to his arm. Every now and then Ennis would place a sweet kiss on top of her blond head that smelled of river water. Mrs. Twist and Mrs. Beers rode in the camper with the kids.

It was early afternoon when they arrived, and swarmed the vintage trucks. Ennis picked out one with a camper, Mrs. Beers decided she needed one, and Mickey begged and pleaded until Ennis and Jack agreed that he should have one too. That gave them four trucks.

Ennis drove one, with Jenny beside him. Mickey drove one, with Jeanie and Molly beside him, Mrs. Beers drove one, with Mrs. Twist beside her; and Jack drove one alone. They headed for the gas station that had the U-haul trailers and got three more trailers. Very pleased with their new vehicles, they headed on over to Walmart to load up with their biggest load ever.

Jack lead the way, Mrs. Beers next, then Mickey, and Ennis was last so he could keep an eye on the group—most especially Mickey as he was the most inexperienced driver.

They pulled up into the back parking lot, got out and were stunned when three soldiers dressed in cammo, came running around the building to greet them.

"Hello! Hello!" The three men shouted and waved at them.

"Oh my God!" Jack greeted them with a firm handshake and a big grin. "We been here several times before and never saw anybody! Where did you come from?"

"Oh man, are we glad to see you!" The first man said, as he shook Ennis' hand vigorously. "We figured we were the only ones left!"

Everyone crowded around and were all talking at once as three more men came on the run around the side of the building, and let out cheers as well, grabbing Jack and Ennis' hands, and shaking them.

One of the men let out a loud whistle, raised both hands and got everyone's attention. "Hold it! Hold it!" He called to the group. "We can't all talk at once. My name is Sgt... ah... Let's start again. My name is Walter Callahan. I'll speak for my group. Who'll speak for yours?"

"Jack!" Everyone said at once.

Jack stepped forward, grinning widely in appreciation. "Jack Twist here; pleased to meet you." He said to the men. "I guess I should introduce my group first." Putting an arm around his mother he said, "This is Roberta Twist, my mother; and this is Ennis del Mar, my partner." They each nodded and said 'Hi'. Jack went on, "Next to Ennis there, is his daughter Jenny del Mar, and next to her is her grandmother, Geraldine Beers." They all nodded and said, 'Hi.' And these are the Kent kids; Jeanie, Mickey and Molly." Jack finished.

"Pleased to meet each and every one of you." Walter said. "And my group; Ben Sutter, Allen Hayes, Chuck Renny, Justin Morris, and Mike Miller. And I can speak for all of us when I say we are sooo glad to meet all of you!"

The group erupted again, with everyone having something to say. Jack, Ennis, Walter and Chuck, managed to find a quieter spot off to the side so they could hear each other.

"How did you manage to find trucks that run?" Chuck asked. "Ever one we tried was dead."

"That was all Ennis' doin." Jack said and let Ennis explain it.

"We was travelin around by horse and wagon, and I kept thinkin what a shame it was that all the electrics were out. Somethin kept nigglin at the back a my head, and it finally come to me – an engine used to be just a machine that runs on gasoline. If the makers hadn't put in all the fancy electronic gear in 'em—they'd still work." Ennis stopped long enough to light a cigarette, offered one to the others. They declined. "About that same time I was thinkin that, we were ridin down the main street here in Casper, and we had just passed that big ole place with all the flags on it sayin they was havin a antique car show goin on. All the sudden, it hit me like a ton a bricks—old cars and trucks don't have electronics."

"Damn!" Chuck said, shaking his head. "I never would a thought of that in a million years!"

"We turned around and headed for the car show; and sure enough, these old cars out of the sixties and early seventies still work like a dream." Ennis said. "Only this trip, they seem to be runnin kind a rough. I ain't got that figured out yet."

"It's the gasoline." Chuck said. "Gasoline degrades after a couple months. It's been nearly three months, it's a wonder the gasoline you're using is any good at all."

"Gasoline degrades?" Jack asked, shocked. "I didn't know that!"

"Me neither." Ennis admitted. "Course, I never kept gas for any length a time."

"So that means... we're gonna have to go back to the horse and wagon again... eventually?" Jack asked.

"Not necessarily." Chuck said. "Not if you can find a truck with a diesel engine."

"Diesel don't degrade?" Ennis and Walter both asked at the same time.

"Nope." Chuck said, "The only problem I can see is that they didn't put diesel engines in passenger vehicles until sometime in the late seventies, I think."

"Well, we're still screwed then." Ennis said.

"Could you take a diesel engine out, and put it into one of these old vehicles?" Walter asked.

"It's possible, I guess; in theory." Chuck mused. "You'd have to change just about everything else out too; transmission, ignition system, brakes, electrics. It'd be a hell of a job, but I guess it could be done."

"But could you do it?" Walter asked. "Those bikes got us this far, but winter's comin on, and I've got no desire to be out on the road riding bikes in bad weather."

"You been ridin bikes?" Ennis asked.

"Yeah." Walter said. "We were stationed at Warren Air Force base back in Cheyenne. The six of us were about to be discharged, when all this mess happened, whatever it was. We were celebrating with a camp-out up in Medicine Bow Mountains before each of us went our separate ways. When we hiked back down to where our vehicles were parked, everything was dead, and there wasn't a soul around. We hiked all the way into Laramie, but found it deserted. We hung around there for a time, thinking surely someone would come to investigate, but no one ever did. We needed to get back to Warren, but that was forty miles. After a while we came up with the idea of bikes. So we picked up some, tied some supplies on, and headed out. And that's how we've been traveling around. We stopped here at Walmart to pick up a spare tire. Justin had a flat a while back and we liked to make sure we have a spare for each bike."

Walter then turned to Chuck and asked, "You mean all this time we could have been driving around in a nice comfortable truck?"

"That's about it." Chuck shrugged. "It just never occurred to me that the older vehicles, not having the electronics in then, would work."

"You're a mechanic?" Ennis asked. "You could do an engine change?"

"Well, like I said; it's theoretically possible, with a hell of a lot of work, I guess it could be done." Chuck answered skeptically.

"We need transportation. We need to be able to get out and get food and supplies." Jack said hoping Chuck would offer to do the job.

"We could help." Ennis offered. "Jack and me, we done some mechanical stuff before."

"Gimme a minute here." Chuck said as he paced around a little bit thinking.

"So, you folks from Casper then?" Walter asked.

"No." Jack answered for them. "Lightning Flat, up north."

"You come all this way down here just for food?" Walter asked.

"No." Jack continued answering the questions as Ennis was busy watching Chuck pace and think.

"At first there was just the three of us; me, Ennis, and my momma. Then we found the kids and we were six. We were still able to get around okay, but then we drove over to Riverton and found Jenny and her grandmother. That's when it started gettin pretty crowded. We figured we'd need another pickup, but when we got here, Mickey and Mrs. B. both decided they wanted one too, so we ended up with four. We figured the more we had the better, in case we were out somewhere and one of 'em broke down."

"They are some beautiful trucks. Fully restored?" Walter asked.

"Uh huh." Jack said.

Chuck rejoined them with a bit of a grin on his face.

"You figured out how you can do the change over?" Ennis asked.

"Nah. That would be more trouble than it's worth." Chuck said, but he was still grinning.

"What, Chuck? What?" Walter pushed him to quit stalling.

"Puttin a diesel engine in an old truck would be extremely difficult and time consuming. I'd say, at least a week; and that's if we could find all the parts we'd need, had the right tools, and a place to do it all." Chuck explained.

"Then we are screwed." Jack said, disgusted.

"I wouldn't say that." Chuck said.

"Chuck!" Walter demanded.

"All right, all right." Chuck gave in, and quit his teasing. "My point was; why go to all the trouble swapping out engines? You'd just end up with an old truck with a good engine."

"We got another choice?" Ennis asked.

"We do." Chuck said. "Why don't we just pull the electronics out of a new diesel truck?"

"Can you do that? Would it still work?" Walter asked, excited now.

"We'd still have to change out a few things, but it'd be at most a half-day job, and you'd end up with a new truck."

The three of them stood and stared open mouthed at Chuck.

"And you know how to do this?" Ennis asked.

"Well, I've never done it before, but it should be possible." Chuck assured them. "Anybody know where the nearest dealership is?"

Everyone piled into the pickups and Jack led the way to a Ford dealership back up on the main street through town. After strolling though row after row of new vehicles, Jack called out, "Over here!"

The guys came running, while the ladies and girls made themselves comfortable in the waiting room.

Jack had found a powder blue and white Ford 200, with a diesel engine. Next to it sat a gold and white version of the same model, also diesel.

"Perfect!" Chuck was saying as he popped the hood. "I'll need an auto supply store."

Jack took off and found one listed in the phone book. "There's one about six blocks from here."

"Good." Chuck said, then headed over to the Ford truck that Jack had been driving and popped the hood. "Anybody got pencil and paper?"

Ennis produced his tablet and pencil and Chuck made some notes before they headed over to the auto supply store. "Could you tell us what you're doin so we can do the same thing in another truck at the same time?"

"Sure; if you don't mind gettin dirty." Chuck agreed.

"We don't mind the work. We just need you to tell us what to do." Ennis assured him.

"No problem." Chuck said. "Walter and I can work on one truck, and Allen can help the two of you work on the one right beside it. That way we'll get two done at the same time."

Thirty minutes spent at the auto parts store pulling parts, and assembling tools, and they were back at the lot with their heads under the hoods while the women and kids waited patiently until nearly dark.

"We gotta quit for now." Chuck announced, wiping his hands on a rag. "Another hour or two and we'll have it; but we need to wait until morning. It's getting too dark to see what we're doing, and we don't wanna make any mistakes."

"Good idea." Ennis agreed. "It's dinner time anyway and I'd like to have us tucked away somewhere by full dark."

"How about back at Walmart?" Jack suggested. "We can set up camp inside the store, and the women can get dinner goin. You'll join us for dinner; won't you?" He addressed the soldiers.

"Why thank you. We'd love to." Walter answered as his buddies all nodded affirmatively.

While the men cleaned up, those who hadn't worked on the trucks set up tents for everyone. The tents they set up for the women and girls were especially nice two-room tents that they had set up port-a potties in the second rooms. Rugs were placed on the tent floors so the cement beneath wasn't so hard on them. With battery powered lanterns in each tent, and sleeping bags, they would be set for the night.

"It's a shame to go to that much trouble for only one night." Mrs. Twist commented when she saw them.

"You might come back through here again." Walter said as he was looking over the accommodations. "And it'll be here all ready and waiting for you."

"That's true, Momma." Jack offered. "And it will be a nice set-up if someone else comes through needing a place to spend the night."

With dinner over, Ennis moved from his seat next to Jenny, to one over by Walter and his friends. "I was wonderin," He asked Walter. "Do any a your men know anythin about electrics?"

"You mean other that vehicle electrics?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah, like for a house." Ennis said.

"Hey Ben, could you come join us?" Walter pulled out a walkie-talkie and called.

"Ben here knows more than any of us about that kind of thing." Walter explained. "His dad's a plumber by trade, and Ben can fix just about any plumbing problem you got. His folks got this thing going. They buy up an old beat up house for next to nothing, live in it a while, and fix it up like new, then sell it for a bundle, buy another one, and do it all over again. They been doing it for years and Ben's been doing the work right along side them."

"Where'd you get that?" Ennis asked pointing to the walkie-talkie.

"Walmart." Walter said. "We needed something to keep in touch with each other while we're wandering around gathering up supplies."

"What's up?" Ben asked as he joined them.

"You know about electrics for a house; generators and such?" Ennis asked.

"Some." Ben said as he took a seat. "What do you need to know?"

"Well, I was thinkin." Ennis started out. "We got this big old farm house, on the ranch Jack and his momma own. That's where we been livin since everythin went wacky. It's got a water well, with an old hand pump that works, so we got plenty a good fresh water. The house has a fireplace and a wood-burnin cook-stove for cookin so we got a little heat. But winter will be here shortly, and my daughter Jenny, she's expectin. We need to figure a way to get the house warmed up some, and I was thinkin of tryin to find a generator and set it up. What I was wonderin—I know they are usually used for short terms – like a work day, or maybe just a day or two in an emergency; but could they be used safely on a permanent basis?"

"Probably; if you got a good enough one, and maintained it properly." Ben said. "Your best bet would be to get one that runs on propane. With that you could hook up directly to the main house supply, and you'd have electricity throughout the place."

"Would you know how to do somethin like that? Could you tell me how to do it?" Ennis asked. "Wouldn't that take one a those huge tanks? Where would we find a tank that big, and how would we get it out to the ranch if we did find one?"

"You'd need a small crane or hoist to lift it, and a trailer big enough to haul one." Ben said. "You'd have to look in a phone book, I guess, to see where you could get one; then go take a look and see if they had one you could handle."

"But we got no crane or hoist, and I got no idea where to find one." Ennis said, dejected that his idea looked like it was going nowhere.

"Oh they're are easy to come by." Chuck piped up. "You wouldn't need one of those huge construction

cranes; just something like they got on the back of tow trucks. One a those would be strong enough to lift a tank."

"A tow truck?" Ennis said; wondering why he hadn't thought of that.

"Sure. You could check out a wrecking yard. They'd have one." Chuck said.

"So if we got us a tow truck and a tank, and got 'em out to the ranch, how would we go about hookin it up to the house?" Jack asked, having joined the group shortly after Ennis, and had been paying attention.

Ben rubbed his jaw as he thought about it. "I could do it for you. It'd probably be easier than trying to explain it all."

"You'd do it for us?" Ennis asked, brightening considerably.

"Sure. Why not." Ben said. "It's not like we got anything lined up that we need to be doing."

"I was fixin to ask you, Walter." Jack said. "Where are you guys headed? Momma, all ready gave me the elbow in the ribs, cause I haven't invited you to come out to the ranch and stay with us."

"We were headed up to Sheridan." Walter answered. "Justin has an uncle and aunt up there, and he wanted to go check on them. We already checked the rest of our folks out down around Cheyenne."

"Okay." Jack said. "What were your plans after Sheridan?"

"We didn't have any." Walter said. "Frankly, we didn't know what to do. We wanted to contact the authorities, but there doesn't seem to be any around to contact."

"Well, you're more than welcome to come stay out at our place." Jack said. "Like Ennis said, it's a big old place, but it's sorely lackin in the heat department. If we could get us some electricity with a propane/generator set up, we could get some a those small space heaters, and have one for each room."

"We wouldn't want to put you out none." Walter said.

"You wouldn't be." Jack assured him. "We got a great big attic that we just finished insulatin. It's no colder than the rest a the place now. We could put some carpet down, and get some beds set up. At least you'd be out a the weather, and it's fixin to turn bad here shortly. And Momma's a real good cook."

"That's real kind of you, Jack. My men and I'll talk it over and give you an answer in the morning, if that's okay?" Walter said.

"Certainly." Jack said. "You take your time. I know it's important to check on relatives. That's what got us checkin out Riverton, and we was lucky enough to find Ennis' girl and her grandmother. Maybe you'll get lucky too and find who you're lookin for. Oh, and if you do find anyone, they'd be more than welcome to join us. We got a 360 acre spread that we're fixin to double with the one right next door vacant. We got cows, chickens, horses; and we'll be addin to that as we find 'em. We can use all the help we can get. Any a you boys done any ranch work before?"

"I have." Allen raised his hand. "I was born and raised on a ranch just east a Laramie."

"Mike and I are both farm boys." Walter said. "I grew up over near Rapid City. And Mike here's from Kansas."

"You check out your families yet?" Ennis asked, thinking there might be another road trip in their near future.

"My folks both passed about five years ago." Walter said, "And Mike here's an adopted boy."

"I enjoyed the farm work, but despised the family I was put with." Mike said. "I couldn't get out a there fast enough. It'd be a real pleasure workin on a place with people I liked and respected."

"Well, maybe you'll all come stay with us then." Jack smiled. "At least through the winter. Then if you wanted to go on, you'd at have had a chance to rest up and plan things out."

"That's a good idea." Walter said. "We do need to think seriously about finding a place to stay for the winter."

"Well you got one, and we'd be happy to have you." Jack said and stood to go. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready to call it a night."

"I got one more thing I need to ask Ben about." Ennis said and Jack sat back down. "Back to generators again. I know they got all kinds and all sizes, and we need a really big one for the house. I was wonderin, if we got us a small generator, mounted it on a trailer, could a line be run from it to the electrics in a gas station so that we could run the pumps?"

"Hmmmm." Ben murmured. "I don't know why not. It'd have to be an open trailer though. Not like those you're pulling now."

"Uh huh." Ennis nodded his head. "I figured that. I'm plannin on findin a stock trailer. You see, we got us a milk cow and Mrs. T. is real anxious about leavin it over night without it bein milked. I figured getting a stock trailer, we could bring it alone with us. It would serve another purpose too. If we was to find some stock while we're out huntin groceries, we'd have somethin to transport 'em back home in."

"That's a great idea, Ennis." Jack said. "Momma'd be real happy about that. I know she's real worried about Daisy." And to the others he said, "That's our milk cow."

"I figured to get us one a those trailers that has the dividers in, so we could set up one part for Daisy, another for a generator, and the others for stock or lumber or whatever supplies we needed." Ennis explained.

"We'll need to stop at a few gas stations, and check out their electrical boxes and see what kind of plug and extension cord it would need." Ben said. "But that shouldn't be difficult."

"You think it would work then?" Ennis asked.

"Sure." Ben said. "I don't see why it wouldn't. You'd probably need a 220 but most every generator has that capability. And you'd have to be sure to get an older generator – one without all the electionic updates, or it won't work. You could probably find one at a used construction equipment dealer."

"You think a town this size might have a place like that?" Ennis asked.

"Probably. Check out the phone book." Ben said and everyone decided it was time to pack it in for the night.

The next morning as the men were preparing to head back to the dealership to complete the work on the truck, Mickey asked. "Is there anything that I can do to help? I'm pretty strong and I can follow directions."

"No, there's not really much left to do. We should finish up in about an hour or so." Chuck said.

"There's somethin you can do for me, Mickey." Ennis said.

"Sure; anything." Mickey said eagerly.

"I'm gonna try and talk the ladies in to waiting for us here at Walmart, and I don't wanna leave 'em alone. What I was thinkin, could you get us set up with some a these walkie-talkies like the guys here got? We could keep in touch that way, and maybe you could keep an eye on things for me."

"Sure thing." Mickey said. "Anything else?"

"The ladies will probably want to do a little shoppin. Maybe you could help 'em get it loaded up." Ennis said.

"I can do that." Mickey agreed, happy to be of help.

"Me too!" Molly offered. "I can help load."

"I'm sure the ladies will appreciate all the help they can get." Ennis said, and patted her on the shoulder.

"Anything you want me to do?" Jeanie asked.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd help keep an eye on Jenny." Ennis walked her aside from the others and spoke quietly to her. "She's still so sad. We need to make sure she doesn't go off by herself again. Do you think maybe you could stay with her till we get back? It'll only be a couple hours."

"Sure, I can. That'd be easy. Maybe I can get her interested in some clothes shopping." Jeanie said.

"And Jeanie, if you lose her and can't find her, have Mickey call me right away on the walkie-talkie."

"I understand. I'll keep a close eye on her." Jeanie promised.

"Thanks, sweetie. I appreciate it."

Mickey showed up then with walkie-talkies in hand and Walter showed them how to set them up so they were both set to 'receive' and either could talk to the other just by pressing the 'talk' button.

"This new rig is really nice lookin." Jack said, hoping he'd be the one to get to drive it.

"It sure is." Ennis said, and looking around carefully to make sure no one was close enough to hear he added, "And I suppose just cause you're so handsome you think you ought to be the one drivin it?"

"Well, we could find us someplace real nice and private and discuss it in detail, if you want." Jack offered with a lecherous grin.

"Jack Twist, I swear, you could turn the head of a preacher!" Ennis said and tossed him the keys to their new truck.

"I'm not interested in no preacher, Cowboy. Just you; and I'll prove it tonight. We'll be back in our own room. Then I'll show you exactly how much I appreciate this." Jack wiggled his eyebrows making Ennis chuckle.

They had one good vehicle, and four not so good as they headed out towards home. The soldiers accompanied them as far as their turn off for Gillette on highway 259 then went on their way north to Sheridan. It was another ninety miles to Gillette, and they had decided ahead of time to stop at the Walmart there for lunch and to stock up on more groceries.

Jack, Ennis, and Mickey were still looking over their new truck when they first heard the screams.

"ENNIS! JACK! HURRY!" It was Molly standing at the back door screaming at the top of her lungs.

"What is it?" Ennis asked as they ran to her.

"A woman... she's bleeding!" Molly could barely get the words out.

By then, Jenny had gotten to the door. "This way, Daddy. Hurry!" And they took off on a run following Jenny half way through the store, stopping at the baby aisle to find Jeanie kneeling next to a dark haired woman, lying on the floor.

When Ennis bent down to check on the woman, he noticed Jeanie had a bundle in her arms. A tiny little face, all scrinched up, and a mop of coal black hair. He had to tear his eyes away from it and see to the women.

"Ma'am? Are you all right?" He asked, but then the large brown stain on the floor where she lay caught his eye. She'd lost a lot of blood. He gave her shoulder a little shake, "Ma'am?"

Her eyes blinked and opened halfway. She tried to reach towards her baby, but could barely raise her arm. "Elisabeth..." she said and passed out.

Everyone was standing around by then. Mrs. B. bent down and checked her pulse. She got nothing and reached for the side of the woman's neck to check again. Nothing. "I'm afraid we're too late to help her."

"Isn't there something we can do?" Mrs. Twist asked.

Mrs. B. gave a sad shake to her head. "She's gone."

"Ohhh" Jeanie gave a little moan, and started to cry. Molly put her arms around her sister, and buried her head against Jeanie's shoulder.

Ennis put an arm around Jeanie and helped her to her feet. "Is the baby okay?" He asked.

"I don't know." Jeanie said. "She just kind of pushed her towards me so I picked her up."

"Let's have a look at it." Mrs. B. said and pulled the blanket back to check the baby out. "She looks okay. I'd say she's about two weeks old. From the look at all that blood, I'd guess the mother hemorrhaged for some reason. It's a good thing we got here when we did. A baby this young couldn't last long on its own."

"She's not on her own any more." Jeanie said and cuddled her close. "We're gonna take good care of you, Elizabeth."

"Oh my goodness." Mrs. Twist said. "A newborn to take care of."

"I'll take care of her!" Jeanie said, holding the baby even closer. "I've been babysitting for three years now, and I know how. I'll take good care of her."

"I'll help!" Molly offered. "She can stay in our room."

"Oh honey; there's a lot of work to takin care of a newborn. You'll have to be gettin up all hours of the night, change all those stinky diapers, fixin bottles." Mrs. Twist warned.

"I can do it! I know I can." Jeanie insisted. "I've changed diapers before and it didn't bother me one but. And I can figure out how to make the formula. I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night. Please, please... let me take care of her."

Mrs. Twist and Mrs. Beers looked at one another, both of them in their sixties now, and neither one eager for the efforts necessary to care for a newborn, along with everything else they had to do.

"All right, Jeanie." Mrs. Twist said. "We'll give it a try. You keep a walkie-talkie in your room, I'll keep one in mine, and if you need me for anythin at all, you give me a call. Promise?"

"I promise." Jeanie said as she rocked the baby back and forth in her arms.

"Even if you just get too tired to get up, you can call me, and I'll come up and take over. Agreed?" Mrs. Twist said.

"I promise I'll call you if I need you. But don't worry. I know I can do this." Jeanie said with the confidence of the untried.

"Jesus, Ennis! What do we do now?" Jack asked.

"We gotta find somethin to put her in and bury her." Ennis said.

"What about a sleepin bag?" Mickey suggested. "That'll close most a the way up. Maybe we can sew it the rest a the way shut?"

"I think a sleepin bag will do just fine, Mickey. We won't need to be worryin about sewin it. She's beyond carin. Jack, if you'll get a couple a shovels, I'll look around outside, and see if I can find a nice spot to bury her."

So they buried Elizabeth's mother right out front in a nice grassy area by some rose bushes. Mrs. Twist and Mrs. Beers sang Amazing Grace with the others chiming in for the verse – the only part they knew. Mickey made a little white cross and wrote, "Elizabeth's Mother" on it and the date.

Afterwards they ate a silent lunch and loaded up the baby items that Jeanie and Molly had gathered, plus some more food. Jeanie, Molly and the baby rode in the back of Mrs. Beers camper, so they would be close to the women if they needed any help. The baby woke up and cried a little bit, so Jeanie fixed her one of the ready-made bottles of formula. The baby took it straight down and went right back to sleep.

They arrived home exhausted and a little bit in shock. So much had happened in the last day or so. The six of them had left home, none of them expecting to find anyone, and in that short space of time, they found: Jenny, Mrs. Beers, six soldiers, and a baby.

Two of the soldiers, Ben and Chuck, had come with them, while the other four went on to Sheridan, and were to join them in a few days by following a detailed map that Jack drew for them. It was hoped that they could help sort out what needed to be done to get electricity to the house as quickly as possible.

"You want all this baby stuff up in your room?" Mickey asked Jeanie.

"Just the big baby bed for now. The play pen, high chair and swing stay down here." She said as she carried the baby upstairs followed by Molly lugging a load of diapers and the diaper bag.

"What do you suppose the rest of her name is?" Molly asked as she took a seat on her sister's bed, watching as Jeanie changed a diaper.

"I don't know. We'll talk about it when everyone's together at dinner, and see what everyone thinks." Jeanie said. "Right over there, Mickey. Can you put the bed together for me?"

"I don't know." Mickey said honestly gazing at the tiny infant in his sister's arms. "I guess I could try."

"There's got to be instructions inside. You're really good at following instructions." She complimented him.

"Hey, kids." Ennis stuck his head in the door. "How's the little one?"

"Oh she's fine." Jeanie said. "Do you know anything about putting a baby bed together?"

"Sure enough." Ennis said, and set to helping Mickey. They had it together in no time and Jeanie fussed with just the right sheet for it, and set up the musical mobile herself while Molly sat, and took the price tags off all the baby clothes they had gotten.

That evening at the dinner table, Jeanie broached the subject of the baby's name, and it was unanimously decided that she should be the one to complete the child's name.

"I was thinkin, what about... Elizabeth Rose Kent." Jeanie said, and awaited their reaction. Her sister's was immediate. Molly jumped up and grabbed her sister in a hug, the tears flowed freely.

The others looked at one another wondering what caused such a reaction.

"Rose is our mother's name." Jeanie explained patting her sister on the back.

"Well I think it's a perfect name then." Mrs. Twist said as everyone else heartily agreed.

After dinner was over, the men sat at the table and talked over coffee.

"This is a great place you got here." Ben said. "Needs a lot of work, but it's got great potential."

"That's what I always thought." Jack said. "I always wanted to fix it up, but dad was so stubborn, he didn't want nothin changed."

"Did you do that cinder-block wall on the north side?" Chuck asked.

"We did." Ennis said. "When that north wind blows, it tries its best to take this house down. We plan to do the whole place, but run out a time. We figured we needed to make that Riverton/Casper run first before it got any colder."

"I'm so glad you did!" Ben said. "Your timing was just perfect. An hour later and we'd a been on our way to Sheridan on those bikes."

"Well, things sometimes work out the way they're supposed to, I guess." Ennis said.

"You got plenty a room for a propane tank back there. It's nice and flat." Ben said. "I saw that small natural gas tank out back. I guess that was used for the furnace you took out?"

"Yeah. That thing was a nightmare waitin to happen." Jack said.

"Well, I'm no expert on this, not even close." Ben said. "But I'm thinking you need a two-thousand gallon propane tank, and the biggest generator we can find to run a place this size."

"And you think we can transport it all with a tow truck with a crane?" Ennis asked.

"I think that's our best shot." Ben said.

"So tomorrow we go out lookin for a tow truck with a crane?" Jack asked.

"We go lookin for all three." Ben said. "We'll need a crane or hoist, a propane tank, and a generator to have a chance at makin this work. One more thing, we'll need some cement to make a foundation for the tank. You don't wanna set them on the ground."

"You think Lightning Flat might have anything we're lookin for?" Chuck asked?

"Lightnin Flat don't have much other than a sign sayin its name." Jack said. "That's why it was next to impossible to get any hired help out here. Nobody wanted to live this far out."

"So how far is it into the closest town of any size?" Ben asked.

"That'd be Gillette." Jack answered. "We figure it to be about fifty-five miles south east a here. Sheridan is just a little further, about sixty miles due west."

"You weren't kidding about this place being remote." Chuck said.

"Okay, so we've got to plan our trips carefully, or we'll be spending all our time on the road." Ben said.

"We also got Buffalo. It's just a tad closer at fifty miles, but a lot smaller." Jack offered.

"I guess it's either Gillette again or Sheridan." Ben said. "I don't suppose you have a phone book for either of them?"

"May I make a suggestion?" Chuck asked.

"Go ahead." Ben said.

"Could we look for a dealership too?" Chuck asked. "The job you guys have to do is going to take lots of planning and figuring. While you're doing that, I could be doing some more conversions."

"You plannin on stayin in town that long?" Ennis asked.

"I was thinking more like doing the conversion here a little bit at a time while you're working out your plans. We could tow a couple new trucks, pick up the stuff I need at an auto supply store, and get to work on them while you guys are busy planning. I'd be right here whenever you needed me for anything; in the mean time I could get these folks a couple more trucks ready for use."

Jack finally found the Gillette phone book in the drawer he'd been looking through, and handed it to Ben.

Ben flipped through to the yellow pages in the back. "Towing. And it's got a Gillette address. We should stop there first." He said before looking further through the pages. "Hmmm they've got a place that says 'new and used' construction equipment. Let's hope they've got what we need."

"That'd be two out of the three main things we need." Jack grinned.

"They might have generators too." Ben said. "Let's hope so anyway. Now, how about a Home Depot. Someplace where we can get some of that redi-mix concrete. We need to get that foundation laid fast. You can't work with that stuff once it gets below freezing. You got something to mix it up in?"

"A wheel barrow. That's what we used to do the cinder block work." Ennis said.

"We'll see if we can find a small mixer. It's so much easier if you don't have to do all that mixing by hand." Ben said.

"You laid concrete before?" Ennis asked.

"Yep." Ben answered. "We've done driveways, patios, foundations for houses that didn't want to bother with cellars. Lots of other stuff. It's messy, but easy enough to work with if you know what you're doing."

"Well, I'm about done in." Ennis said. "I'm ready for bed." He stood to leave. "You sure your sleepin bags will be enough? We can pull mattresses in from the camper bunks. You'll be a lot more comfortable."

"Nah, we'll be fine for tonight." Ben said, "We'll hit a furniture store tomorrow, and pick up some beds."

"We'd best get six of 'em so the others will have some when they get here." Jack said.

"That's what I was thinking." Ben said.

"We should see about gettin rugs tomorrow at Home Depot too." Ennis said. "We put down some rugs on that attic floor and you'll sleep a lot warmer."

"All right. See you in the mornin." Ben said.

"What time is breakfast?" Chuck asked.

"Whatever time the sun comes up." Jack answered. "We don't go as much by the clock around here as we do by the sun. Breakfast is at sun-up, lunch is when sun is straight up, and supper is at sun down. That turns out to be roughly about; six am, noon, and six pm."

"All right. Good night then." Chuck said and followed Ben up to the attic.

"You go ahead and get yourself cleaned up first." Ennis said. "I wanna check on Jenny and see how she and Mrs. B. are doin in the sewin room; and then check in on Jeanie and the baby. I'll be up right after."

Mrs. B. and Mrs. T. were talking quietly just outside the door of the sewing room when Ennis came up.

"How's Jenny doin?" He asked Mrs. B.

"She's sound asleep." Mrs. B. Said and pushed the door open a bit for Ennis to see. "It's been a hard couple of days for her, but that anti-nausea medicine I got her looks like it worked. She seems to be feelin a little bit better."

"You got her the prenatal pills too?" Ennis asked.

"I did, and I'll see to it that she takes them." Mrs. B. said.

"Good." Ennis said, "And what about you? You think you'll be comfortable on that day-bed? We can get you a new bed tomorrow if it isn't."

"It's fine." she said. "I sat on it and it's quite comfortable."

"I didn't know day-beds had pull-out beds under 'em." Ennis said. "Lucky for us this one did."

"They don't all have them." Mrs. Twist said. "And I hadn't intended to buy one that did, but when I saw that bed, I just fell in love with the design. I'm just thankful now that it has that extra bed. It's never been used before, so the mattress is like new, and the day bad itself I only took naps on in the afternoons a couple a times so it's good as new too."

"Good, Good." Ennis said. "If Jenny don't like it, she can let us know in the mornin, and we can pick her up a new one in town."

"We're goin into town again tomorrow?" Mrs. Twist asked.

"Yeah; looks like we're headed back to Gillette. You ladies think about it, and can go with us if you want, or you can stay here. Your choice."

"Oh goodness, I don't know." Mrs. Twist said. "What to you think, Geraldine?"

"I guess we'll have to wait and see what kind of night we have." Mrs. B. said. "If Jenny sleeps through, and isn't sick in the mornin, we'll be good to go. But we've got the baby to think about too."

"Yes, we can't forget about that tiny little miracle. She seems to be a good natured thing. I haven't hardly heard her cry." Mrs. Twist said.

"You think Jeanie can take care a her all right?" Ennis asked.

"She said she's had experience babysitting babies before; we'll see if she makes it through the night without needin any help." Mrs. Twist said.

"All right then." Ennis said. "I'll see you ladies in the morning."

He stopped outside the girls closed door and listened. Not a sound; all three were sleeping peacefully. So he headed to his room to clean up. He stopped to tell Jack that he'd be in in a few minutes only to find Jack sound asleep. He couldn't help but smile. Nothing was dearer to him than watching Jack sleep. He did his clean up, and crawled into bed beside Jack, his most favorite thing in the whole world to do, and dozed off.

Chapter Four – GETTING ORGANIZED

"But why do we have to go back to Gillette? We were just there yesterday." Molly was unhappy the next morning at breakfast when she heard the news.

"Because we need things, Molly." Mickey said. "Lots of things, like a camper for the new pickup. A lot of good that pickup will do us without a camper on the back."

"It's true we're lookin for a camper for the new truck, but we're also tryin to find what we need so we can get electricity to the house, Molly." Ennis explained. " We'd have running water, hot water for showers, toilets that flushed, and we could get some heaters in here for our rooms. It's goin to get really cold here in the next few weeks. That won't be good for the baby."

"Okay." Molly conceded with a sigh. "We don't have to go in to that Walmart again though; do we?"

"Is that what's botherin you?" Jack asked.

"I don't know yet if we're going to stop there or not, but you can stay in the camper if we do, honey." Ennis said.

"And I'll stay in the camper with you." Jeanie said. "Lizzy and I aren't too keen to go back in there either."

"I doubt we'll even stop at Walmart." Jack said. "We have too many other places we need to hit."

"Good." Molly said, satisfied now at last.

"You realize our family is now fifteen?" Jack said as they loaded up for the trip into Gillette.

"Fifteen and a half." Ennis corrected him and nodded towards Jenny.

"That's right." Jack grinned. "I always figured you and me'd end up on a place all by ourselves. I never dreamed we'd be raisin kids."

"We got it ahead a us to do now, Jack." Ennis said. "It ain't likely no one else is gonna step up to do the job."

"I'm lookin forward to it." Jack grinned at him. "I ain't never been an uncle before, and you; you're gonna be a grandpa!"

"Shut your mouth, Jack Twist; or this ole grandpa will have to shut it for you." Ennis hissed, grinning.

"And I know just how I like for you to do that!" Jack said before jumping in the new truck, and closing the door quickly. "See you in Gillette!"

The trip to Gillette was a huge success. They found a tow truck with a hoist that would do the job, and Chuck immediately claimed it for himself. The next stop was a propane place. They didn't find a two-thousand gallon tank like Ben wanted, but they did find two brand new one-thousand gallon tanks already mounted on a truck. Chuck simply hooked the truck up to the tow truck, and they were on to their next quest.

Next they hit the construction equipment lot. They found the small generator they needed, but not the large one; they also found a cement mixer they could use. The generator and mixer were stowed in one of the trailers.

"All right let's not get discouraged." Ben said. "We just have to keep looking."

"Let's head on over to that camper place, and see if we can get a camper for the new truck." Chuck suggested.

"We could always take one a these off the old trucks and use them. They're all in pretty good shape." Jack said.

"True." Ennis said. "But if we can get a newer model, we might as well."

They had a selection of about twenty different configurations to choose from, and picked out the biggest one they could find that fit the truck.

"Wow, that thing's a beauty!" Jack said as he stood back to admire the camper sitting atop their new truck."

"It is for a fact, Bud." Ennis agreed. "I always wondered how they got them on and off the trucks. I had no idea it'd be so easy."

"We got a real nice place now, if Jenny needs to lie down while we're travelin." Jack said.

"Where to next?" Ben asked.

"We need to find a stock trailer." Ennis said.

"So how big a one you lookin for?" Chuck asked.

"Big as we can find." Ennis said.

"You think you'll need one that big?" Ben asked.

"It'd be best to have." Ennis said. "I've seen cows and horses too in pastures out along the road as we been drivin around from town to town. They had green grass, but they won't have it for much longer. It'd be a waste a good beef to just let 'em die out there in a bare field."

"You're right about that." Chuck said.

"Ain't it about lunch time?" Jack asked. "I'm gettin hungry." His question was answered when their walkie-talkies sounded off and Mrs. Twist came on saying lunch would be ready in five minutes.

They ate lunch in the parking lot before heading to a place that sold farm equipment. "Would you look at these." Jack was salivating over the latest John Deere tractors on display in the front window. "We need to come back in the spring and grab a couple of these."

Ennis grunted, "Uh huh" before heading around back to look at the trailers.

"You looking for a bumper pull or goose neck?" Ben asked as they walked out among the stock trailers.

"I'd prefer a bumper pull; that way we could still have a camper on the truck, but they don't make them big enough to carry much stock." Ennis said as he roamed around checking out what was available.

"Here's one that will handle about six." He said. "But once we get Daisy set up in one, and the generator in another one, we'd only have room for four extra."

"And those bigger ones over there are all goose-neck?" Jack asked, joining them on the hunt.

"You ever pull anything that big?" Ben asked Ennis.

"Yep." Ennis said and headed over to take a look at the larger ones.

"So have I." Jack said. "I used to sell all this kind a stuff, and I did a lot of deliverin 'em."

A loud whistle drew their attention to the far side of the lot. Chuck was waving them over. "This what you're lookin for?" He stood next to a brand new silver GMC pickup, with a forty-four foot goose-neck matching trailer already hooked up.

"Oh man!" Ennis said, as he examined the trailer with it's two cross gates inside. "This is perfect."

Jack and Ennis went over the trailer while Ben and Chuck were under the hood of the truck checking it out.

"Can you convert this thing?" Ben was asking Chuck.

"Don't see why not." Chuck answered.

"You can fix this truck up?" Ennis asked as Chuck came out from under the hood.

"Yeah, if we can find the parts." Chuck said. "We got the problem now of where do I do it. I was thinking of towing a truck or two back to the ranch and doing the conversion there. But we can't do that with the trailer."

"Can't we just undo the trailer, tow the truck home to do the work on it, then come back and get the trailer?" Jack asked.

"I think that's what we're gonna have to do." Ennis said, not wanting to part with the rig since it was exactly what he was looking for, but it was the only thing that made sense. "We won't be able to have a camper on it though; but with campers on all the other trucks; I don't think we'll need it."

Chuck and Jack fiddled with the hitch, and in no time were pushing the trailer back out of the way.

In no time they had it hooked up to the tow truck, and were off in search of an auto supply store. While Chuck and Ben were inside picking parts, Ennis and Jack took a smoke break.

"What's the matter?" Jack asked. "You look worried. Don't you think they'll be able to get the new truck runnin?"

"It's time's the problem, Jack." Ennis said. "We got a million things that needs doin, and every day winter gets a little closer."

"You're worried about findin a generator?" Jack asked.

"Jack, I got somethin I need to do. Somethin I should a already done, and it's gonna take me a couple a days to do it." Ennis said.

"What? What is it?" Jack asked.

Ennis dropped his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. "It might be just one big waste a time, and we don't have the time to waste." Ennis was clearly torn about what he should do.

"Whatever it is, I can help." Jack offered.

"I need to run over to Sage and check on K.E. and the kids." Ennis finally blurted out. "Last couple a times I talked with him on the phone he was drunk. And if he is out there, alone with the kids – and the littlest one, she ain't but four years old... I need to see to 'em."

"Oh shoot! I forgot all about K.E." Jack said with disgust at himself.

"I try to most a the time myself, Bud. But with things like they are now – what if he's out there all alone, or what if he's gone and the kids are there all alone? Charlie's only twelve, and Cody's ten. I get sick thinkin of them out there all alone tryin to get by."

"Jesus!" Jack said. "You should a said somethin. I never even give them a thought; I'm sorry. We'll talk with the ladies, and get set to leave for Sage as soon as possible."

"It may just be a wasted trip, Jack. They may all be gone, and we'd be neglectin what we need to be doin at the ranch." Ennis argued. "I think I should just run over there myself and take a look. The rest a you can stay at the ranch. I'll take one a the old trucks. I wouldn't leave you afoot by takin the one new one we got runnin."

"NO!" Jack was sayin, just as Chuck and Ben came out of the store loaded down. "Nobody goes off alone! We already settled that."

"You goin somewhere, Ennis?" Ben asked as they loaded their supplies inside the new GMC.

Ennis turned and walked a few paces away.

"We just realized, that we been so busy we forgot to check on Ennis' brother over in Sage." Jack explained. "Ennis wants to go over by himself, and leave us all behind to worry about him."

"Jack, that ain't it." Ennis protested. "It just makes more sense, is all."

"What if you get there and your brother and the kids are all there, and he don't wanna leave?" Jack asked. "Are you gonna try and take the kids?"

"We're talking kids here?" Ben asked.

"Yes." Jack said. "His brother, K.E., his wife died a few years back, and he's a drunk livin alone with three little kids; boys ten and twelve, and a little four year old girl."

"They might not even be there." Ennis argued.

"That's what we thought about Jenny and we found her." Jack said. "We got a go. We got a see if they need help. Maybe we can bring 'em all back with us."

"K.E. out at the ranch, with your Momma and the girls?" Ennis said. "Are you ready for that? A foul-mouthed drunk? You want that in your home?"

Everyone was silent for a moment or two.

"Ennis, sometimes we have to do things we don't wanna do. This is one a those times." Jack reasoned. "We gotta check on 'em, we gotta see to 'em. And if they're out there all alone, we'll have to bring 'em home with us. We'll find a way to make it work."

"Just like our dad." Ennis was mumbling to himself.

"All the more reason we have to go." Jack said. "We can't leave those kids there alone with him."

"They might not even be there anymore, Jack; and we'd a wasted three or four days we could a been spendin on getting the house fixed up."

"So we don't get the electricity set up before winter. So what?" Jack insisted. "We got the fireplace, we got the wood cook-stove. Nobody's gonna freeze to death."

"He's right, Ennis." Mrs. Twist's sweet voice caused Ennis to spin around as he had not seen the ladies walk up. "Family always comes first. Always."

"Where is it that your brother lives?" Mrs. Beers was asking.

"Sage." Ennis said. "Clear over by the Utah border. Nearly five hundred miles."

"Well, we'd better get on home as soon as possible so we can get ready for the trip then." Mrs. Twist said, and she and Mrs. Beers walked off, back to where the trucks were parked.

Chapter Five - FINDING K.E. AND THE SAUNDERS

After a long discussion, Mrs. Beers decided she would stay behind at the ranch so she could milk the cow, and look after cooking for Ben and Chuck who had opted to stay behind to continue their work, and didn't want to leave anyway, because the others were due to show up at any time from Sheridan. It was also decided that they would make the trip without pulling any trailers. That way they could stop in Casper on the way home, and pull two new diesel trucks home to be made over, after a quick stop at the U-haul place to get a couple tow bars.

"You feelin a little better about things now?" Jack asked as they drove the next morning. "You know we have to go check on your brother and his family; don't you?"

"I guess so." Ennis allowed. "You do realize that this means we need to go down to Texas and check on yours as well?"

"Yeah, I been thinkin about that, but Bobby is supposed to be in Italy on that school trip." Jack said.

"What about Lureen?" Mrs. Twist asked from her seat between them.

"I don't know, Momma." Jack answered as truthfully as he could. "I just don't know."

They stopped for lunch in Rawlins and Mickey made the suggestion that they should be pushing the empty vehicles they been driving around, off the highway so the road would be clear for their return trip and they'd make better time.

Jack and Ennis both wondered why they hadn't thought of that and decided it was probably because they both had too many other things on their minds. So from Rawlins, the rest of the way into Sage they stopped and cleared the roadway. Ennis glad for anything that would delay their arrival.

"You worried about what we're gonna find when we get there?" Jack asked when they passed the sign that said eight miles to Sage.

"More likely what we won't find." Ennis answered.

"Whatever we find... or don't find... we'll deal with it." Mrs. Twist said. Ennis agreed with a nod and a grunt while Jack remained silent.

"Turn left next corner." Ennis said as Jack drove down the empty main street of Sage.

"Three blocks down, turn right on Henry Street. It's a ways yet." Ennis pointed the way but twitched nervously in his seat. "Seventeen eleven's the number."

It was late afternoon when Jack pulled to a stop at the curb, Mickey right behind him. "You sure this is it?" Jack asked. "It don't look like it's been lived in, in a while."

Ennis stared at the dilapidated little house; weeds and tall grass everywhere, door off it's hinges, front

window broken; and wondered what had happened to the pretty little yellow house he remembered from two years ago—the last time he had seen the place when he came to Sage for his sister-in-law's funeral.

Ennis was startled out of his reverie when Jack blared on the horn several times. He climbed down from the truck and headed for the house. A filthy little blond ten-year old dynamo flew around the corner of the house and flung himself at Ennis.

"You came! You came!" The boy cried as he clung to Ennis' side.

Another older, twelve-year old, version followed carrying a small girl of four. "Uncle Ennis!" The boy hurried to him. "I knew you'd come! I knew it." And turning to his brother added, "Didn't I tell you

he'd come, Cody!"

The younger boy was clinging to Ennis' side, tears streaming down his face, too choked up to speak.

Ennis was just as speechless. Not for one moment did he actually think he'd find his brother's family. He hugged them all close to him before asking, "Your dad? He okay?"

"He's inside." Charlie, the older boy, said with a nod of his head towards the house.

"He's sleepin, Uncle Ennis. You best be careful." Cody warned, wide eyed and reluctant to let him go.

Jack, Jenny, Mrs, Twist, and the kids had walked up. "You remember your cousin Jenny? And this here is my buddy, Jack Twist, his Momma, Mrs. Twist, and that's Mickey, Jeanie and Molly." Ennis introduced them before turning, and heading up the steps.

"Uncle Ennis," Charlie called to him. "He don't like anybody wakin him. He gets real mean."

Ennis gave a nod and went on inside.

"Is there anyone else around in this town?" Jack began questioning the boys.

"Nope. Just us. Everyone else in town is gone." Charlie answered. "We figured they must a been evacuated or somethin; but nothin's happened. I mean – nothin 'cept everyone bein gone, and nothin workin any more. No phones, electricity, water, and no cars or trucks. Nothin."

"We been takin stuff from the store." Cody confided. "I sure hope we don't get in no trouble."

"No; you don't have to worry about that." Jack assured him.

"I left what money I had on the counter and a note sayin what I took." Charlie explained. "But I run out a money, and we needed food and water—so we just took it."

"We been doin the same thing." Mrs. Twist said with a comforting smile. "We call it 'free shoppin'."

"Do you know what happened?" Where everyone went? And if they're comin back?" Charlie asked.

"No, son; we don't. But what we do know is that its happened all over Wyomin." Jack answered.

"No kiddin?" Charlie asked. "Then how come your trucks work?"

"Whatever it was that happened, seems like it took out all the electronics. These trucks were built before electronics were put in vehicles." Jack explained.

Everyone froze when they heard a loud voice coming from inside. "Get the hell out a here and leave me be!" K.E.'s drunken voice roared.

Cody stepped over behind his older brother, and little Carrie trembled in fear, hiding her face against her brother's shoulder.

"It's all right sissy." Charlie petted her back. "Uncle Ennis is here, and everything's gonna be all right now."

Ennis came out the front door, shoving a protesting K.E. in front of him.

"Leave me alone – I'm a sick man." K.E. whined as he stumbled down the steps.

"Mickey, bring me one a those lawn chairs." Ennis said, pointing to some old chairs on the porch.

"Jack, Jeanie – We need some a that bottled water. Lots of it." Ennis asked before shoving K.E. down in the chair and adding, "Now lets get a look at you out in the light."

"He is sick Uncle Ennis." Charlie offered.

"He's not sick. He's drunk!" Ennis spat out angrily remembering all the times he and K.E. had wrestled with their drunken father so many years ago.

"He's drunk, sure enough; but he's sick too." Charlie explained. "He cut his arm real bad and it's infected. He's been runnin a temperature, but I can't get him to take no aspirin or nothin."

"I don't need aspirin!" K.E. bellowed. "I need whiskey!"

"You ain't getting no whiskey, K.E." Ennis said and reached for the bottle of water Jack handed him. He unscrewed the lid, and poured the entire bottle over K.E.'s head, holding him down in the chair while he hollered.

"You got aspirin, Charlie?" Ennis asked.

"Uh huh."

"Go get it." Ennis said as he held his hand to K.E.s forehead. "Let's get a look at that arm." He said and started pulling K.E.s jacket down off his shoulders. "Jesus, K.E. How long has it been since you cleaned yourself up? You stink worse than Pa ever did."

"Owwww" K.E. wailed as Ennis pulled the jacket the rest of the way off, and shoved the sleeve of his shirt up.

"He's been throwin up." Cody said. "That's why he stinks so bad."

"Cody – go get my bottle. I need my bottle!" K.E. ordered him.

Ennis shook his head 'no' and Cody didn't move.

"Here's the aspirin." Charlie said as he raced back with the small bottle.

Ennis uncapped another bottle of water, dumped two aspirin out into the palm of his hand, and offered them to K.E.

"I don't need no aspirin!" K.E. bellowed shoving Ennis' hand away.

"You want me to melt 'em down, and pour 'em down your throat; cause I can do that if you want me to?" Ennis asked firmly.

"Aspirin ain't gonna touch the hurt I got." K.E. whined. "I need whiskey!"

"You'll get aspirin and water. That's it." Ennis insisted. "How long since you had a decent meal?"

"Ennis... please... I need help." K.E. begged pitifully.

"Ennis?" Mrs. Twist called to him from a few steps away. "It looks to me like he's got blood poisoning. Look at those streaks down his arm. He needs something stronger than aspirin. He needs penicillin."

Ennis untied the filthy handkerchief wrapped around K.E.s arm and stared at the swollen, jagged cut. "You didn't put nothin on this after you cut it?"

"He didn't even know he was cut." Charlie explained. "I tried to clean it up, but he kept fightin me. I waited until he was asleep, and tied it up with that handkerchief. We didn't have nothin to put on it though."

"Okay, K.E." Ennis said. "This is what we're gonna do. We're gonna get you cleaned up, get you some medicine, and take you and the kids home with us."

"Yay!" Cody jumped up, and down and even little Carrie lifted her head long enough to clap her hands and smile.

"Charlie," Ennis asked. "You got any clean clothes? Does your dad?"

"Nah, not really. We don't have no way to wash 'em." Charlie answered.

"Okay. We'll take care a that." Ennis said and looked to Jack for support.

"Um, okay." Jack was a bit flustered, but snapped into action. "There were some shops back on that main street- how about I go find some clothes and some penicillin if I can find a pharmacy."

"Boys, why don't you go with Jack so he'll know what sizes to get; and Jack, get more water too. Some a those big bottles so we can clean everyone up."

Ennis returned to his arguing with K.E. and finally got him to take some aspirin. "You're right, it probably won't touch the pain you got, but it will help with the temperature, and that'll make you feel some better." K.E. continued to plead for just a small drink of whiskey, but had to make due with the water bottle Ennis handed him.

"Ladies, girls, - you think you can throw somethin together for K.E. and the kids to eat? I doubt they had much a anythin since long before any a this mess happened." Ennis asked before turning back to K.E. "What the hell happened, K.E.? How come you let things get this bad? Those kids are skinny as rails, and you don't look like nothin but skin and bones yourself."

"I don't know, Ennis; I just don't know." K.E. lost his belligerence and began to sob. "Everythin just... stopped when Marion died. Nothin much mattered any more."

"Well, this has got a end right now, K.E. You need to step up and take care a those kids. They need their pa. You can't just give up on things." Ennis argued.

K.E. flashed back and forth between sobbing and yelling; while Ennis squatted beside his chair trying to reason with him.

Before long Jack and the boys were back with arm loads of clothes, water, and a bottle of penicillin pills. The ladies were just bringing out bowls of stew which the boys and little Caroline wolfed down hungrily. K.E. took a couple a bites, but still whined for his bottle.

Ennis took the bowl from K.E., set it aside, and warned the girls. "Girls, Mrs. Twist, I'm gonna strip him down to his birthday suit and wash him, so you best get yourselves over in the camper, pull down the shades and plug your ears."

"I don't need no bath!" K.E. hollered as Ennis started to undress him.

"You ain't gettin in my truck stinkin like a sewer, K.E." Ennis said.

Jack stood by wanting to help, but not sure what to do.

"Jack, why don't you help the boys. Grab one a those big bottles a water and see that they scrub up good. Did you remember to get soap and towels?"

"I sure did. And toothbrushes and combs and shampoo." Jack said as he hefted one large bottle of water on his shoulder and took the boys around the side of the house.

Mrs. Twist took Carrie, and the girls carried a large bottle of water along with the new clothes and headed for the camper to clean her up.

In no time, everyone was clean and in their new clothes. K.E.'s arm freshly bandaged had stopped his complaining, and went willingly when Ennis took him into the camper to lie down.

It was decided that the boys would ride in the cab with Mickey, Carrie would ride in the back of Mickey's camper along with Jeanie, Mollie, Mrs. Twist and Jenny; while K.E. was settled in the bunk in the truck that Jack and Ennis drove.

"Did you get any a that penicillin in him?" Jack asked as he pulled the truck from the curb and headed out.

"Yeah. I got one down him. The bottle says one tablet every six hours so don't let me forget to get him another one later on." Ennis answered with a sigh; relieved now that things seemed to have settled down a bit and they were on their way home.

They drove back as far as Rock Springs where they found a motel and stayed the night. Ennis shared a room with K.E. so he could keep an eye on him.

Next morning, Ennis was bleary eyed from little sleep after arguing with K.E. most of the night, but in pretty good humor as K.E., reaching a somewhat sober state, was actually cooperating with him—even though he still moaned, whined, and begged for whiskey. Ennis kept feeding him aspirin, penicillin, and water; and was pleased that K.E. managed to eat some breakfast.

They'd been on the road for some time when about thirty miles north of Rawlins, Mrs. Twist called out on the walkie-talkie for Jack to stop. He jammed on the brakes, jolting Ennis out of a doze and causing Mickey to swerve to miss hitting them.

"What is it, Momma? What did you see?" Jack asked.

"I know we're in a hurry to get home, but I'm sure I saw something in that car we just passed."

"Somethin?" Ennis asked. "Somethin... like what?"

"Somethin moved. It was a head, I'm sure of it. Someone is in that blue car back there!" Mrs. Twist insisted.

"What is it?" Mickey was at the pickup door knocking at the window.

Jack rolled it down quickly and explained what his momma thought she saw. Jack and Ennis got out and walked the short distance back to the blue Ford sitting in the right hand lane.

Just as they got a few feet from it, someone sat up in the front seat, opened the door and got out. He spotted them, and let out a yell, "Alice! Alice! Wake up! People!" He scrabbled to open the back door then turned back to Jack and Ennis.

"Oh sorry. I'm just so excited to finally see some people!" He explained. "My name is Marty Saunders." He reached out for a quick shake.

Jack took his hand and said, "I'm Jack Twist and this here is Ennis del Mar."

"Alice, get out here, quick!" Marty reached into the car and pulled his wife out. "Look. People!"

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" She clapped her hands to her face. "Are you real?" Then she turned to her husband. "Are they real?"

"We're real enough, Ma'am." Jack said. "How long you been stranded here?"

"Oh we're not stranded here." The man explained. "We just stopped here to rest. We're from Lamont. Actually, about ten miles south of Lamont. There's nothing there. No body. Everyone's gone. Everyone!"

"Yeah, we're findin that all over. Where you headed?" Jack asked.

"We figured to walk down to Rawlins to see if we can find out what's happening. You know what's going on?" Marty asked.

"You got folks in Rawlins?" Ennis asked.

"No." The woman shook her head. "It was just the closest town of any size. We figured surely someone there would know what's happening. Are you from around here?"

"Lightning Flat." Jack said. "Up north close to the Montana border."

"We just come through Rawlins, Ma'am, and it's completely empty too. Not a soul around." Ennis said.

Mrs. Twist, and the kids joined them then; and Jack introduced everyone.

"Everything went out weeks and weeks ago; electricity, water, phone. We were going to drive into town to report it, but our truck wouldn't start." The man explained. "We ran out of food, and had no choice but to walk into town. We figured it wouldn't be too bad as we were only ten miles out of Lamont, but when we got there, it was empty. We stayed there thinking someone would surely come along, but no one ever did."

"Well, Marty, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but its like this all over Wyomin." Jack said.

"You figured to walk all the way to Rawlins?" Mrs. Twist asked. "That's nearly forty miles!"

"It's that far, really?" Marty said. "It didn't seem that far when we drove it. But, in any case, we didn't know what else to do. I mean... we need to report this... to someone."

"There's no one to report it to, Marty." Jack said.

"So how is it that your trucks work, and none of these other vehicles do?" Alice asked with a wave of her hand up and down the highway.

Jack explained about the electronics and Marty shook his head. "Now why didn't we think of that?"

"It wouldn't have done any good." Alice said. "We haven't passed any vehicles this old anyway."

"Well, are you hungry?" Mrs. Twist asked. "We were going to stop in Casper for lunch, but I see no reason why we can't have it right here. What do you think?" She got 'yes's and affirmative nods all around.

"That's sounds great." Ennis and Jack both agreed.

They ate a quick lunch, half of them standing around, as there wasn't enough room for everyone to sit.

"So what are your plans?" Jack asked after lunch was behind them.

"We don't really have any." Marty said. "We have a nice little place, but what good is it if there's no electricity and no water?"

"And it doesn't look like there's going to be any in the near future." Alice added sadly.

"We can take you on into Casper, and get you a truck. At least then you'd have transportation." Jack offered.

"Oh that would be great!" Marty said.

"I don't know how we'll ever be able to thank you." Alice began to tear up. "You've been so kind to us."

"Nonsense." Mrs. Twist scoffed. "It wasn't anything but a bit of lunch. We're happy to share."

When they got to Casper, the Saunders picked out a GMC pickup with a camper on the back, and everyone stood around talking. Jack and Ennis explained about the gasoline going bad, and soon would not be usable at all, and the need for a diesel truck. They told them about Chuck and said they planned on towing back two, and suggested that they find one, and tow it back to Lightning Flat for a make over as well.

"So you have no relatives or friends in the area at all?" Mrs. Twist asked.

"No. We just moved here from New York about six months ago now. We've spent all that time getting our place fixed up. We haven't done any socializing at all." Alice explained.

"Well, why don't you come home with us then?" Mrs. Twist asked. "There's no sense the two of you out here wandering around all alone. It's going to be winter soon and you'll need a place to stay."

She explained to them that though they didn't have electricity, or water to the house, they did have a water well with a hand pump a short distance from the house with all the fresh water they'd need; and they had gathered plenty of lanterns and batteries, plus they had a fireplace. It wouldn't be anything fancy, but they had a good supply of food stashed away, and the house was certainly big enough if people didn't mind sharing space and accommodations. The Saunders didn't have to think about it for very long. In no time they were on the road again, heading north.

It was late afternoon when they arrived home. K.E. was set up on the couch. Ennis moved his bed into Jack's room over the Saunders' protest that they didn't want to take his bedroom. He and Jack both insisted saying that they had been sharing camping tents for twenty years now, and it would be no problem at all for them to share a room.

The small room that they had been using for a store room, was emptied and everything taken down to the cellar, and the bunk bed they had set up in the living room was moved up there for K.E.'s kids.

It was at the dinner table that they got the good news that Ben and Chuck had gone in to Sheridan, met up with the rest of the soldiers, and had scoured the town until they found a generator big enough; and they had already transported it out to the house, along with two other diesel trucks and supplies needed to convert them. All six had returned to the ranch, and had the foundation for the propane tanks already laid, plus a good start on both the conversion of the GMC, as well as the building of a small shed for the generator.

The first night with everyone in Lightning Flat there was a tremendous storm. The rain poured and the wind blew setting the old house to creaking and the windows to rattling. The temperature dropped close to freezing. Everyone was stiff and shivering in the morning and crowded happily into the kitchen/dining room where the wood cook-stove filled the place with warmth as well as the delicious smells of breakfast with hot coffee and cocoa.

After a quick breakfast, Jack and Ennis slipped out, saddled up the horses and took off to check on the stock.

"This ain't exactly the way I had expected our livin together to go." Jack said with a wry grin as they headed out.

"I know. It can't be helped though." Ennis said as they trotted easily along the dirt pathway. "If you want, I can take my brother and his kids, and find us some place else to stay. But I got a stay with him. At least till he's back on his feet again, and able to care for those kids."

"No, no. Absolutely not!" Jack countered. "We waited half our lives to be together. Now we got the chance we ain't lettin it pass by. 'Sides—there's just..." Jack started counting on his fingers. "... twelve, fifteen, nineteen, twenty-one of us now if the soldiers decide to stay. That ain't all that much."

"I guess." Ennis agreed. "When you spread 'em out over a house that size. And speakin a that house—it always creak and rattle like that when it storms?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Jack answered. "Momma's always been scared that some storm was gonna take it down like it did the porch. We used to have a real nice porch on the front there where Momma could sit out evenins and watch the sun set. Pa always said he was gonna build it back on for her, but he never did."

"Well, we'll build it back on for her when we got the time, but right now we got a come up with a plan." Ennis said as they stopped by the fence enclosing the herd. "They all look pretty good to me. Don't like the looks a that pond though."

"What's wrong with it." Jack asked gazing out at the pond and seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"Too muddy all around it. We best check back again tonight to make sure none a them get stuck in it."

"Okay. Good." Jack reached over and caressed Ennis' shoulder. "Give us another chance to get off by ourselves."

Ennis returned the caress with just a little bit of a grin before pulling back, and getting back to business. "We got to get our minds to figurin out what we're gonna do."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"We got a do a better job of securin that house. Old as it is, it's a real possibility that it could actually come down on our heads." Ennis turned his horse back towards the house, with Jack following along beside. Both of them silent now lost in their own thoughts. "I need to see to K.E." Ennis said as they came back inside to find most everyone still in the kitchen drinking coffee.

"I fixed him some breakfast," Mrs. Twist said, "but he said he wasn't hungry. Maybe you can get him to eat something. And he didn't take his pills either."

"He'll eat." Ennis said and dumped the oatmeal back in the pan and heated it up before taking it and a cup of coffee in to K.E. He was sleeping but, Ennis sat on the edge of the couch and jostled him awake.

"What?" K.E. grouched. "Can't you let me sleep? I just need to sleep!"

"You need to eat and you need to take your medicine, then you can sleep all you want." Ennis said and wrestled him up into a sitting position.

"Jesus, you're a bossy son of a bitch." K.E. said angrily. "I told the old lady I didn't want nothin."

"Okay, K.E. It's time we get somethin straight here." Ennis squared his shoulders and faced K.E. head on. "First of all, that lady's name is Mrs. Twist, and this is her house you're in, and this is her food you're eatin. You will not use foul language in this house, and you will show her, and everyone else in this house, some respect or you'll be out on your ass. You got that?"

"I didn't ask to be brought here!" K.E. fired back angrily.

"No you didn't." Ennis agreed. "I could a just left you lyin in your own filth to die; cause that's what would a happened if we hadn't come along when we did."

K.E. scowled but said nothing.

"Here." Ennis held the cup of coffee up for him. "Drink some a this. She makes the best coffee you ever tasted."

K.E. took a few sips. "I ain't eatin none a that shit though. I don't eat nothin for breakfast but bacon and eggs, or maybe pancakes and sausage."

"This ain't no restaurant, K.E. You'll get whatever she serves, or you'll go hungry. Now open up." He spooned a mouthful of oatmeal into K.E.s mouth. "It's got brown sugar and cinnamon in it, and it ain't half bad. It'll warm you up, and help you get your strength back. Here." He got another bite down him.

K.E. ate silently, giving Ennis dirty looks with every bite.

"Now take your pills and I'll help you into the bathroom."

K.E. did as he was told, and kept his mouth shut. Some bit of self-preservation had kicked in, and he knew he'd never make it without his brother's help.

After getting K.E. settled back on the couch, Ennis joined the others in the kitchen for coffee and conversation.

"We been trying to figure out what to do to secure the house." Jack filled him in on the conversation he had missed.

" I think cinder-blocks all around will do the trick if we can find enough of 'em." Ennis said. "I ain't never heard a cinder-block home comin down in no storm."

"That's true enough." Mrs. Twist said.

"You did a good job on that cinder-block wall on the north side." Ben said. "You've worked with cinder-blocks before?

"Yep." Ennis replied. "I helped build a big ole barn with 'em. The ranch owner had already lost two a his barns; one to a storm, the other to a fire. He figured he'd build the next one out a cinder-block. I'll bet you good money that ole barn is still standin."

"Where you going to find that many cinder-blocks? Don't you have to special order to get that many?" Marty asked.

"That's gonna be the biggest problem." Ennis agreed.

"At least we got the north side done. That's gonna be a tremendous help." Mrs. Twist said. "It's that north wind that's so vicious and freezing. Right out a Canada. Last night's storm wasn't so bad. It was out a the east."

"Anybody got any ideas where we might find a place that'd carry cinder-blocks?" Jack asked. "We got those we used at Home Depot in Sheridan, but that was half a what they had. What they got left won't finish the house."

"What we need is another Home Depot." Walter said. "Maybe if we hit two or three of them, we'll find enough."

"We need a phone book." Ennis said.

Mrs. Twist came back with two small phone books. One for Sheridan, and one for Gillette.

"I don't see nothin about cinder-blocks. Our best bet will be another Home Depot." Ennis said.

"Gillette has a Home Depot." Mrs. Twist offered.

"Even if we could come up with the cinder-blocks we need, do you think we could get the walls up before winter hits?" Marty asked.

"It don't usually freeze until end of October – early November." Mrs. Twist said.

"It's mid October now, so most we can hope for is thirty days." Ennis figured out loud. "If we could get at least that east wall up; it'd make a real difference I think."

"Okay." Jack slapped the table and stood, ready to go; glad that the planning was finished. He never was much on planning. He enjoyed the 'doing' of a thing – just not the planning. He liked to leave Ennis in charge of planning. "What do you want to do about K.E.?" Jack asked Ennis as they were preparing to leave.

"Oh yeah." Ennis sighed. "I'll go see if he wants to go along for the ride. I'm bettin he'll want to stay right where he is." Ennis left to check on K.E. and found him fast asleep.

"He's sleepin." Ennis told Jack as the others scurried around and made ready for the trip. "I'll leave him a note and tell him we'll be back in a couple a hours. He'll be fine."

A little over an hour later the three pickups pulling trailers pulled into Home Depot in Gillette. Another hour and they were pulling out loaded with cinder-blocks, redi-mix concrete, rebar, and the rest of the supplies needed to get going. They also stopped at an Auto Supply store and picked up what Chuck would need for the three new vehicles they had brought back from their trip to Sage.

Jack got the tractor out and leveled the area along the east side of the house; taking down saplings, bushes, and everything else along the forty-foot length. They laid the first three rows of cinder-blocks in a fraction of the time it had taken for Jack, Ennis, and Mickey to do the shorter north side. With the soldiers and Marty also helping, the work went amazingly fast. All were delighted at dinner with the news that the GMC was now finished and hooked up once again to the stock trailer.

The next few days they labored away, on the east wall, the conversion, and the generator shed while waiting for the concrete foundation to set firmly. Soon it was time to set up the propane tanks. Jack and Ennis stood by and watched as Chuck expertly manned the tow truck hoist setting the tanks carefully down on the specially rigged stands. "Piece of cake!" Chuck said when he was finished.

"Now all we got to do is get them filled."

"Yeah." Ennis worried. "I've loaded the small containers of propane before, but I never messed with nothin this big."

"It's probably going to turn out to be more labor intensive than getting the tanks into place." Chuck said. "We'll have to make a lot of trips bringing the propane here in smaller containers; but it will be worth it when we get it done."

"And that generator you got – it's gonna be big enough to do the job?" Jack asked.

"It will be." Ben said. "We got it out of a small medical clinic next to the hospital in Sheridan. The place is three or four times the size of your house. It should be able to handle the load with no problem."

"What happens if we plug too many things in to it?" Jack asked. "It's not gonna blow up or anything; is it?"

"Nah." Ben assured him. "It's got circuit brakers. If you over-load it, it'll just shut down."

"And will that kill it?" Jack asked.

"Nah." Ben said. "You'll just have to unplug something and re-set the breaker."

"How will we know if we're pluggin in too much stuff?" Ennis asked.

"It's got a dial on the front that shows the usage. When we first set it up, we'll plug stuff in and see where the dial goes. It has a red zone, and if the indicator goes up into that area, it's time to unplug something."

"And you know how to set this thing up to work with the house wiring?" Ennis asked.

"There's nothing to it." Ben said. "We'll just rig a plug on the house main line, and connect it."

"That's all there is to it?" Ennis asked.

"Yep." Ben said. "Like Chuck said, the biggest hurdle ahead for this project will be bringing in the propane to fill the tanks."

"Okay." Ennis said, thrilled that they were almost there. "I guess we best plan on makin a trip into town every day until we get 'em filled then."

"Good idea." Ben agreed.

"I filled up the small tanks before, so I know how to do that." Ennis said. "Is fillin up the big tanks about the same thing?"

"Mostly." Chuck said. "Being that these tanks were brand new, there was paperwork in the truck with full instructions. I don't think we're going to have any trouble. It's just going to be a lot of trips."

Mickey had been standing by listening to the discussion. "Can I ask a question?"

"Sure, Mickey." Chuck said.

Ennis and Jack both turned to hear what Mickey was asking, and wondered what a sixteen-year old boy would have to ask about filling a propane tank.

"Since we got the tow truck and the trailer those two thousand-gallon tanks were on, why don't we take it into town, load up a couple of those other big tanks, the three or four-hundred gallon tanks, fill them up, bring them back, and fill our tanks from them?" Mickey asked. "Wouldn't that cut down on the number of trips we'd have to make?"

The men stared at Mickey like they were seeing him for the first time.

"Now why the heck didn't I think of that?" Chuck asked as the others shook their heads and wondered the same thing.

"Loadin one a those bigger tanks is the same routine as loadin the smaller ones?" Ennis asked.

"Basically." Chuck said. "A few more precautions maybe, but that's about it."

Mickey's idea worked out beautifully. With the two – four-hundred gallon tanks they found back at the lot, they were able to fill their tanks with just three trips into town. The final connections were made and there was power to the house! They made a test turning on a space heater in each room of the house, and watched the dial. It barely moved.

Next came talk about appliances. Which did they need most?

"A bigger refrigerator." Mrs. Twist said.

"A dish washer." Jeanie said.

"An electric stove." Mrs. Beers said.

"Another washer and dryer." Alice said.

"And I'm thinking a couple, or maybe several, freezers." Ennis said.

"What do you need the freezers for?" Marty asked. "It's not like we have any fresh meat to put in them."

"We'll be butcherin a cow soon as we get the time, Marty." Jack answered. And, it's November; prime huntin season. If we had a couple a freezers, Ennis and me could get us an elk, maybe even some wild turkey."

"There's a good chance a lot a those chickens next door won't make it through the winter." Ennis said. "It'd be better for us if they ended up in our freezer rather than frozen stiff on the ground."

"I've never had elk before." Alice said. "What does it taste like?"

"Oh, it's really good!" Mrs. Twist said. "It's by far the tenderest and tastiest meat there is."

"I'd like to get at least three freezers." Ennis said. "One for an Elk, one for poultry, and one for beef."

"We could use more than that." Mrs. Twist said. "We've taken down and canned all our apples and pears, but we haven't touched the neighbors trees yet."

"Don't we already have enough fruit in the groceries that we brought in?" Walter asked.

"It's true, we have brought in a lot of canned fruit; but the fresh fruits are always better, and they're out there." Mrs. Twist said. "It'd be a shame to just let them go to rot."

"Fresh fruit is always healthier too." Mrs. Beers added.

"All right." Jack said. "You think our old trucks still have a few more trips in them?" He asked Chuck.

"As long as we're talking short trips here." Chuck answered. "I wouldn't set out on any cross-country trips in them."

"Let's make a run into Gillette with all the trucks with trailers." Jack said. "We'll load up on appliances and see just how many of them our little generator can take before it goes red on us."

They came home fully loaded with two refrigerators that they set up in the dining room side by side and had the doors open in opposite directions so when they were both open, it looked like one huge refrigerator. They also got an electric cook stove, two dishwashers, two more washer/dryer sets, and six freezers.

The freezers and washer/dryers went into the basement, and Ben got busy with the plumbing and wiring. Two of the old base cabinets in the kitchen were removed so that the dish washers fit. And Mrs. Twist's old gas stove was removed, and the new electric stove was installed.

"Next spring, we'll redo this entire kitchen, Momma." Jack promised. "You be thinkin how you want it, and we'll see to it it gets done."

Chapter Six – HUNTING TRIP

It took another two weeks to complete the east wall, but once it was up, they could tell the difference immediately. The remainder of the fruit and vegetables was brought in and the three women; Mrs. T., Mrs. B. and Mrs. S., as they were now being called, set to working on preserving them. Half went into the freezers, the other half they canned.

By mid November the weather had turned very cold. There generator worked like a charm and even with all the new appliances, the dial never made it into the red zone. Jack and Ennis prepared for their hunting trip. Eager to be off on their own for a time, they had to disappoint the others who had wanted to go with them. They pleaded that they were just going to make a quick trip up to the Big Horns to see if they could get an elk; and were taking their bird guns along as well in case they ran into any turkey tracks. They promised to be back in three or four days.

They were not taking the horses this time, and promised not to go up any further than their truck could make it. They were packing some supplies when Charlie came out to talk with Ennis.

"Uncle Ennis?"

"Yeah, Charlie?"

"What are we supposed to do about daddy?" Charlie asked. "What if he decides he wants to leave while you're gone? Do we have to go with him?"

Ennis quit what he was doing and spoke with the boy. "I'll have a talk with him before we leave. Make sure he's not thinkin of doin anythin foolish." He promised.

"Oh would you!" Charlie hugged him. "Make him understand that we don't wanna leave. We love it here; Cody, Carrie and me. We all do. We talked about it last night. If daddy takes us away; first chance we get, we're gonna run away and come back here. Would that be all right?"

"Now Charlie, we don't want no talk about runnin away." Ennis spoke gently to him. "I'll talk to him. He's not foolish enough to take off in this weather. We got snow on the ground all ready, and by the looks a that sky, there'll be more soon. I'll see he understands that."

"But if he does—can we come back here?" Charlie asked, his young features twisted in fear.

"Course you can." Ennis said. "It ain't gonna be necessary to be worryin about such things. K.E. knows he's got it pretty good here. He don't need to lift a finger around the place, and he gets three square meals, a bed, and his kids are bein taken care of. I can't see he'd come up with any reason to want to leave."

"He wants to leave so he can get drunk." Charlie said. "He's hurtin for some whiskey."

"Well, there ain't none in the house, so we don't have to worry about him gettin drunk." Ennis assured him. "I'll talk with the guys and make sure they keep an eye on him." Ennis began to doubt the wisdom of taking off on this hunting trip. "We'll only be gone a couple a days. Don't worry."

"We don't wanna leave!" Charlie's words were desperate.

"Okay, I tell you what." Ennis said. "If you see your dad gettin ready to leave, you get Cody and Carrie, and go to Mrs. Twist. She'll look after you till we get back. How about that?"

"Oh yes!" Charlie brightened up considerably. "Will you tell her?"

"Yep." Ennis said. "We're all packed here and ready to go, so I'll have that talk with your dad, and then with Mrs. T. Don't you worry none."

He found K.E. sitting by the fireplace with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

"K.E., I need to talk with you a minute before we take off."

"Go ahead." K.E. said.

"I just had a talk with Charlie." Ennis said. "He thinks you're gonna take off as soon as Jack and I leave. You're not plannin anythin that foolish; are you?"

"Now why would I want to leave here? I got everything a man could need; right? A lumpy old couch to sleep on, a bunch a strangers runnin all over the place, and not a damn thing to drink. Paradise; right?" K.E. sneered.

"We got about three inches a snow on the ground, and there's more comin." Ennis said. "You go out there in that cold, and get stuck somewhere, that'll be the end for you. Or is that what you want?"

"No!" K.E. barked at him. "It ain't what I want! What I want is a drink; is that too much to ask?"

"We got no alcohol in the house, K.E., and it's gonna stay that way." Ennis explained.

"Like I said; this place is a fuckin paradise." K.E. groused.

"All right." Ennis was beginning to steam. "You wanna leave; go ahead. But you ain't takin those kids out in this weather."

"And who's gonna stop me, with you and your boyfriend off in the woods on your little romantic holiday?" K.E. sneered.

"I'm leavin word with the guys. If you wanna leave you can; but the kids stay; you got that?" Ennis said, shaking with tightly controlled anger.

"Loud and clear, little brother. Loud and clear!"

Ennis stepped outside to cool off, and smoke a cigarette.

"You okay?" Jack asked him.

"It's K.E. He's talkin about leavin." Ennis said.

"Leavin? Now? In November? That's crazy talk." Jack said. "Where's he thinkin on goin?"

"All he cares about is gettin hold of some whiskey." Ennis said, puffing hard on his smoke. "I told him he could leave if he wanted to, but he couldn't take the kids."

"Oh my God." Jack said. "He wouldn't take the kids out in this weather; would he?"

"I think he'd take 'em straight into hell with him, if it meant he could get a drink a whiskey." Ennis said.

"Son of a bitch!" Jack swore under his breath. "You wanna forget about the huntin trip? Maybe we should stick around. We can butcher two cows instead of one, and have plenty of fresh meat for the winter."

"Shit, Jack. I don't know what to do." Ennis said. "He suspects about us. Called you my 'boyfriend' and this trip a 'romantic little holiday'."

"Bastard." Jack said and spit.

"He ain't gonna ruin our trip." Ennis said defiantly. "We're goin. I gotta talk with Walter first though, and your momma. I want 'em to keep an eye out for any trouble. I told Charlie if he thought K.E. was gettin ready to leave, that he should get Cody and Carrie and go to your momma, and she'd look after 'em till we got back."

"Good! Good." Jack said, glad to hear that the trip was back on. "I'm sure she'd be able to handle things."

"Why don't you go talk with your momma about it, and I'll talk with Walter. We'll be able to take off that much sooner." Ennis suggested.

"Good idea." Jack agreed and they both went inside.

"Walter, can I speak with you a moment?" Ennis asked as he caught Walter bringing in a load of firewood.

"Sure thing." Walter said.

"Charlie come to me a little while ago, worried that K.E. was gonna take off, and take the kids with him." Ennis explained.

"Oh no!" Walter gave a disgusted shrug. "He can't be that stupid; can he? I'm sorry—I know he's your brother and all, but this is nonsense."

"Only thing he cares about in this world is gettin hold a some whiskey." Ennis said. "Charlie seems to think that the minute Jack and me are gone, K.E.'s gonna bolt."

"He's a bigger fool than I thought he was." Walter said. "What do you want me to do; stop him?"

"Nah." Ennis said. "If he wants to leave; let him. But I don't want him takin the kids. I know they're his and everythin, but he's got no business takin 'em out in this weather. They don't wanna go."

"All right." Walter said. "I'll tell the guys, and we'll keep an eye on him."

"Another thing." Ennis said. "Make sure you gather up all the keys to the converted trucks. If he wants to take off; let him take one a the old trucks. Leave the keys in them like we been doin."

"Good idea." Walter said. "You really think he's gonna try something that crazy?"

"Charlie thinks so; and I just had a talk with K.E. He's surly and mean as ever; and just crazy enough to pull a stunt like that." Ennis said. "I'd really appreciate you keepin an eye on things till we got back. We won't be gone long. If we don't see any tracks where we normally do, we'll come right back – two, three days at the most."

"All right." Walter said. "Well good luck to you. I've had elk before and it's delicious. Hope you get one."

"Thanks, Walter. I'm grateful." Ennis nodded and headed for the truck.

Jack joined him a few minutes later, and they were off.

"You talked to your Momma?" Ennis asked after they were out on the highway.

"Uh huh." Jack said, but didn't seem his normal self.

"Walter said he and the boys would keep an eye on things." Ennis said and looked at Jack, curious by his silence.

"Your Momma say somethin I should know about?" Ennis asked after a few minutes.

"Ennis, this is supposed to be our time together; I don't wanna spend it thinkin about family problems."

"Jack," Ennis took his arm. "What'd she say?"

"She said for me not to tell you; but I think you need to know." Jack said. "She said she hoped K.E. did leave. She don't like him none at all."

"She'd say why?" Ennis asked. "Has he been usin foul language around her?"

"She said she don't like the way he looks at Jeanie. She said Jeanie is scared to death of him, and asked for a key to lock her door at night. She said she'd a given her one if she had one; but those doors haven't been locked in years."

"Stop the truck!" Ennis said. "We're goin back. I'll put that son of a bitch out a the house myself!"

"No, now, Ennis. That won't be necessary." Jack argued. "Look at it this way, maybe he'll leave, and there won't be no need for any incident, no family crisis in front of the kids."

"I had no idea he'd been givin Jeanie trouble; did you?" Ennis said, fury seething with every word.

"No, I didn't." Jack said. "As sick as he was, I didn't figure he had it in him to be botherin anyone."

"What kind a sorry, son of a bitch, is he?" Ennis asked. "Jeanie's not but a few years older than Charlie."

"I think he's sick, Ennis. Sick in the head." Jack said. "And those kids a his – great boys, and Carrie's a little doll. I ain't seen none of them any where near him. They stay as far away from him as possible."

"I noticed that." Ennis said. "That's gotta say somethin about a man. When his own kids don't want nothin to do with him."

"Well maybe we'll get lucky and he'll sneak off in the night, and leave the kids with us." Jack said. "The only loss will be that he'll probably take one of our new truck conversions."

"No he won't." Ennis said. "I told Walter to get the keys and keep 'em out a sight. All accept the keys to the old trucks. If he wants to go bad enough, he can take one a those."

"He'll probably just go into the nearest town, get drunk, and when he sobers up, and gets cold enough, he'll come back." Jack said.

"I hope he don't." Ennis said. "I know he's family and all, but I really hope he gets in a truck and just keeps goin. All the way back to that dump in Sage we pulled him out of."

The first evening at camp, the moon was high, and they walked out lookin for tracks in the moonlight. They'd gone less than a mile from the camper when a buck darted across an opening about twenty feet in front of them. Ennis raised his rifle and made a perfect shot. One bullet; one elk. They butchered for the next three hours, stashing the meat in large plastic containers and securing the lids on tightly. They were both exhausted after cleaning up, and climbing into the bunk; falling asleep as soon as they got settled comfortably in each others arms.

"So, do we start home after breakfast?" Jack asked the next morning as he stood behind Ennis, nuzzling his ear while Ennis made breakfast. "Or we could just stay here in the camper all day. The heater seems to be workin pretty good."

"Where's your plate?" Ennis asked as he scooped out some fried potatoes and eggs.

Jack handed him his plate. "What do you think? Stay or go?"

"I ain't ready to head back just yet." Ennis said. "Sun's out. Let's take a walk after breakfast and see if we can find us some turkeys. It'd be nice to have a couple for Thanksgivin."

"It sure would." Jack said as he wolfed down his food. "I wouldn't mind another night in that bunk with you. This time I promise I'll stay awake."

"What for?" Ennis said with a straight face. "You don't have some hot, steamy, screamin sex in mind; do you?"

Jack dropped his fork. "We don't need any turkeys. Let's just stay in."

Ennis chuckled. "Yes we do need turkeys, Jack. This is a huntin trip; remember?"

"Yeah, well I know what I'd like to be huntin for, and it ain't out in them woods. It's in your jeans!"

"Tell you what, Bud." Ennis said as he finished off the last of his coffee. "We hunt until noon; then we come back here and see who can get who to scream the loudest."

"Oh man! I love the way you think!" Jack agreed.

They walked through the woods with their bird guns at the ready. Ennis was instructing Jack, "Remember now, aim for the head. That way we don't end up pickin shot out a our teeth at the table."

"You really think I could hit somethin as small as a turkey head?" Jack asked. "Maybe if I turned the gun around and used it like a bat. I was pretty good at baseball in school."

Ennis turned on him then, shoving him up against a tree and kissing him hard. Jack pulled him in closer, and they stayed like that for several moments before Ennis finally pulled back. "Jack... we got a keep our minds on business. Turkeys! That's our business for the next few hours."

"Uh huh." Jack said, his tongue running over his lips, relishing the last taste of Ennis. "Turkeys? I'll try and remember that. But you got a stop kissin me like that if you want me to concentrate on turkeys, and not be thinkin about you and me naked in that nice warm bunk."

"Shit." Ennis said as they walked a little further. "Fuck the turkeys. Last one back to the camper has to undress out in the snow!" With that, he took off running; Jack right behind him.

"No fair! You got a head start!" Jack was complaining as he reached the camper a split-second after Ennis.

"Clothes off! Now!" Ennis said as he stood in the camper doorway undressing.

Jack stood out in the snow, grimaced, and turned around. He dropped his jeans, wiggled his bare butt at Ennis and was rewarded by a tackle that took them both, half undressed, rolling in the snow.

They laughed, and played, and loved in the snow until their teeth were chattering from the cold.

"Let's get inside before we melt all the snow off this mountain." Ennis said a little while later.

"Oh hell yes!" Jack said and they made a dash for the warmth of the camper.

They didn't come out again until the next morning after breakfast.

"You think we still got a chance for some turkeys?" Jack asked.

"Don't know." Ennis said. "I figured we should at least give it a good try. I think the family would really like some turkey for the holidays."

"I agree." Jack said placing a sweet kiss behind Ennis' ear.

"What is it with you and ears, Bud?" Ennis asked as they started out.

"Don't know." Jack answered honestly. "I never give 'em a second thought before I met you. But you just got this smooth spot right back there," He kissed Ennis again. "and it's just the sweetest spot ever."

"You're nuts, Jack." Ennis chuckled.

"Yep. Crazy as a loon." Jack agreed. "So are you, or we'd be back in that camper humpin away."

"There's nothin sayin we can't come out here again, Jack." Ennis grinned.

"We won't have to wait until next November?" Jack asked.

"We got all them freezers to fill." Ennis said. "Maybe we'll need to come huntin again in a couple a weeks."

"Yeah, it'd be nice. But what are we gonna do if the others want to come along?" Jack asked.

"I don't know." Ennis said. "I just know we gotta figure out a way for the two of us to get some private time away from every one else. I mean, the sex we have in our room is great and all, but I hate havin to hold the pillow over my face so no one hears me."

"Yeah, I know what you mean... HOLY SHIT!" Jack hollered as they walked right up on a bunch of turkeys huddled together in the bushes.

Feathers were flying, the turkeys were squawking, and flying in all directions, Ennis was firing his gun and hollering, "Shoot, Jack. Shoot!"

Jack managed to get a couple shots off before the furor died down, and the turkeys were gone. Five turkeys lay dead before them. They gathered them up, stuck them in a sack, and set out back for the camper.

They arrived home late afternoon, pleased with their haul, but a little nervous about what they'd find when they got there.

"One, two, three; the red Chevy's gone." Ennis said as he counted trucks.

"At least it was an old one." Jack said.

They unloaded their take into the welcoming arms of the soldiers who had come out to meet them.

"Red Chevy's gone." Ennis said to Walter.

"Yeah." Walter said. "Charlie was right. Seems K.E. helped himself to a bunch of groceries, and took off in the night. None of us saw or heard him leave."

"The kids?" Ennis asked.

"They're fine." Walter said. "He didn't try to take them. He just took food, the truck, and left."

"Well, he's in for it now." Ennis said. "He'll never make it out there on his own. Not this time a year."

"It was his choice." Jack said later when Ennis told him. "The choice of a crazy man."

"Crazy with the need for his whiskey." Ennis said. "Just like our pa was. The only difference was Pa only drank on weekends. He drank all weekend, but at least he was able to stay sober enough to work the ranch. I don't know what K.E. thinks he's gonna do out there all alone."

"Maybe he'll come back once he sees how rough it is out there, and he sobers up." Jack said.

"He ain't comin back in this house if he's drunk." Ennis insisted. "If there's one thing I can't abide, it's a drunk. I already went down that road with Pa. I ain't travelin it again with K.E."

"Well, lets get on inside." Jack said. "Momma's thrilled to death with the elk and the turkeys. She and the ladies are already workin on 'em."

Ennis cast a long look down the driveway and silently said, "Goodbye, K.E. I hope you can find a way to make it somehow, and come to your senses. Your kids need you."

The following weeks were spent mostly indoors as the entire world outside seemed to turn white. It snowed heavily most every day, and outdoor time was cut to a minimum. Jack and Ennis still made their daily trips by horseback out to check on the herd, and Daisy the milk cow was still tended to twice a day, the soldiers still did their calisthenics every morning, but that was the extent of outdoor activity for some time.

Baby Elizabeth blossomed, growing daily it seemed. And Jeanie was right, she was able to care for the child with very little assistance from the ladies. Lizzy, as she was now being called, was a happy healthy baby, full of gurgling little smiles and baby charm.

Jenny grew a little more relaxed as her waist expanded. At first she became horrified when she began showing. And one night came to Ennis for a private talk.

"Daddy?" she said when she found him alone in the living room.

"Hi, Sweetie. How you doin?" Ennis asked her as he added a few more logs to the fire.

"Can I talk with you a minute?" Jenny asked.

"You can talk with me any time, Darlin." He said as he took a seat on the couch, patting the seat beside him for her come sit with him.

"Daddy..." she started out slowly. "I'm... I'm really scared. I... I don't wanna have a baby."

"Well honey, I'm afraid there's nothin can be done about that now." Ennis took her hand and gave it a little squeeze.

"But Daddy... I don't want a baby!" She whined.

"You got nothin to worry about, honey. You'll have all the help you need. You got three ready-made grandmas right here, and you know I'll help out all I can." Ennis tried to sooth her fears.

"Isn't there any way... we can... stop it?" She asked timidly. "I really, really don't want to have a baby."

"Jenny, honey- that ship has already sailed. That baby's comin, and you'll feel different about it when it gets here. I seen you playin with Lizzy. I know you like babies."

"I do like babies, Daddy; I just don't wanna have one. I'm... scared." She pleaded.

"Oh darlin, don't be. I'm sure every woman has those feelins before the first one comes. But once it gets here, it will be worth it." Ennis tried to comfort her.

"But what if I start bleedin, I mean, like Lizzy's momma did? I don't wanna die, Daddy!"

The tears came then and Ennis took her in his arms. "Now honey, what happened to Lizzy's momma was just a fluke – somethin that happens once in a million births. She was all alone, and probably didn't know how to take care a herself right. You got a whole houseful a people here to help you; your grandma, Mrs. B.'s a nurse. Nothin like that's gonna happen to you."

"I wish Momma was here." She cried against his shoulder. "I know we fought all the time; and I know you two didn't like each other, but she was always there for me when I was sick or hurt."

Ennis didn't know what to say to that. The last thing he wanted in this world was to have Alma there, but he couldn't say that to Jenny. "It's only natural for a girl to want her momma at a time like this. I'm sure she'd know all the right things to say to you to make you feel better. Have you talked with your grandma about it? I'm sure she'd know how to help you."

"No; I haven't." Jenny admitted. "I didn't want her to know how scared I am."

"I'll bet she was scared before she had your momma. Why don't you talk to her. I'm just a man, honey. I don't know much about the actual birth process."

She didn't say anything so he went on.

"Now if you was mare gettin ready to foal, I'd know exactly what to do." He squeezed her a little tighter and she gave a little chuckle.

"Oh Daddy!" She sat up and grinned at him.

"I'd find you a nice stall, get plenty a fresh hay in, and see that you had a nice quiet place where none a the other animals would bother you."

"You are absolutely no help at all." She smiled at him. "I love you, Daddy." She gave him a kiss and stood up.

"Talk to your grandma, Darlin." Ennis said as he stood too. "She knows a lot more about this stuff than I do."

"I will, Daddy." She gave him a hug. "You do know that this baby is gonna make you a grandpa?"

"I know. Jack's already teasin me about that." He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "We'll get through this, baby girl. I promise you. Is your room warm enough?"

"Oh, it's fine." She said, as relaxed as he was to be talking about other things. "The heater keeps it nice and warm. We only turn it on when one of us is going to be in there though. No sense runnin it when no one's usin the room."

"Good girl." Ennis said. "Just make sure there's nothin close enough to the heater to catch fire."

"Oh I'm careful, Daddy; and so is grandma." She promised him.

"Good girl." Ennis said.

Thanksgiving came and was celebrated with two of the turkeys being baked, one in the new electric oven and the other Mrs. Twist did in the wood cook-stove oven. The tables were over-flowing with foods of all kinds; baked breads, vegetables from the gardens, pies, and pastries. It was crowded in the small dining room with the two tables they had managed to cram in there, but no one seemed to mind. The food was delicious, the mood jovial; everyone had a great time.

Christmas time came and the men braved the cold and found a tree that fit perfectly in the front room. The kids and women set about making decorations for it. Mrs. Twist had a few boxes of ornaments but they had never had a big tree so she didn't have that many. They decorated the house as best they could. The house was filled with the smells of baked goods, cocoa, and hot coffee.

Three days before Christmas, the weather cleared and the day dawned sunny and bright. Everyone wanted to make a run into town to do a little Christmas present shopping. They loaded up the campers and headed to Gillette and the shopping mall.

Ennis had been skeptical at first, not wanting to risk the drive, but everyone worked at convincing him. Once on their way, he became as excited about the trip as everyone else. It was dark and freezing cold in the mall, but they had a wonderful time; carrying their lanterns and going from shop to shop, filling bag after bag, and hauling it out to their trailers.

Even little Lizzy at three months old seemed to enjoy the outing, her cheeks red and her little nose running from the cold, she smiled and cooed and when she got tired, she napped in the shopping cart they were pushing her around in. Three hours in the mall, and they were all ready to head home to their warm house.

Chapter Seven - CHINESE CHRISTMAS PARTY

"Before we head home, I got an idea I wanna talk to everyone about. It's kind a silly, but kind a fun too. It's called a Chinese Christmas Party." Ennis said. "Any a you ever heard of it?"

"No. I haven't. How is a Chinese Christmas party any different than any other Christmas party?" Jack asked.

"Well, I don't know if it's really Chinese or not; it's just what they called it in this movie I saw on TV."

"Tell us about it?" Jack asked.

"Each person brings a gift and wraps it. You don't put any name on 'em. Everyone sits in a circle and the presents are piled in the middle on the floor. In the movie, they drew straws to see who went first, but we could maybe use playin cards. Whoever gets the highest card would go first and so on." Ennis explained.

"Go first at what?" Jack asked.

"To select a gift from the pile, and open it." Ennis said.

"Okay. What next?" Jack asked.

"The second person selects a gift, opens it, and if he likes it, he gets to keep it. If he'd rather have what the first person got, he can trade it with that person." Ennis said.

"And if the first person doesn't wanna give that gift up?" Mrs. Twist asked.

"He's got no choice. If the second person wants it, he gets to trade for it." Ennis grinned. "Then the third person gets to select a gift, and if he wants either of the other two gifts, he can trade for it. And it goes like that until all the gifts are opened. That's the first part."

"What happens next?" Jenny asked.

"Now each person has a gift. So they take turns again, and trade for the gift they want."

"And the person has to give them the gift, even if they wanted to keep it?" Jeanie asked.

"That's right." Ennis explained. "Each person gets one more chance for the gift they really want."

"So how does this game end?" Jack asked.

"The third and last part is a free trade deal. People can trade gifts, but then it's on a voluntary basis, and you don't have to trade a gift if you don't want to." Ennis explained.

"It sounds confusing." Jack said, a little skeptical.

"It was; but everyone seemed like they were having a real good time." Ennis said. "I told you it was silly."

"Well, what if a guy gets a girl gift, or a girl gets a guy gift?" Mickey asked.

"They can just trade it away when their turn comes around." Ennis explained.

"And during the first two parts, they can trade for anything any of the others have?" Jack asked.

"That's right. But remember if you take somethin that someone else really wants to keep, they can always take it back from you when their turn comes around." Ennis warned.

"Oh I get it." Jack grinned. "It does sound kind of fun. So that's how the Chinese do it?"

"Heck, I don't know about that. They might not ever a heard of it. It was just in this dumb movie I was watchin on the TV. Somebody might a made it all up for the movie; I don't know. I ain't sayin it's really Chinese – I'm just sayin that's what the movie called it. A Chinese Christmas Party."

"It sounds like fun." Jack was getting more enthusiastic about it by the minute. "Let's do it!"

"Oh, can we do it? Can we?" Molly squealed with delight.

"Sure, if everyone wants to." Ennis said, pleased that his idea didn't seem so crazy after all.

"So what kind of gifts do we get?" Mrs. B. Asked. "Do girls get girl gifts and boys get boy gifts?"

"It don't matter." Ennis grinned. "It can be somethin really nice, like a diamond ring, or it can be a roll a toilet paper. Everybody just needs to go out and get one more gift, and keep it separate from the other gifts you got. You got a keep it a secret though. Don't tell each other what you got, or it won't be a surprise."

Everyone fanned out in different directions to find their gifts. Another hour passed before everyone was back with their gifts and they were ready to head home.

The next few days were filled with whispering about gifts, wrapping paper and ribbon. Presents appearing daily under the tree until the room was stacked with brightly colored packages in every nook and cranny.

Ennis and Jack did just as much wrapping as the others, and had a great time wrestling with paper, tape, and bows.

"Jack, can you give me a hand here?" Ennis asked as they fiddled with the boxes on top of their beds.

"Hey Cowboy." Jack laughed at him as Ennis got the tape stuck to is arm while trying to hold the paper in place. "You're supposed to be wrappin the presents; not yourself! Or is that a gift you're givin to yourself?" Jack sat down next to him and untangled the wayward tape.

"Nah, I didn't get nothin for myself." Ennis said as he nuzzled Jack's cheek. "I already got the best present I could ever want. I don't need nothin else."

"That's some mighty sweet talk comin from a grandpa." Jack teased, as he held the paper in place so Ennis could tape it properly.

"I mean it, Jack." Ennis said and leaned into Jack's arms as the present was finished and pushed aside. "I got everythin in this world I could ever want. You and me livin together, this ranch, the kids and everybody else; even bein a grandpa. I'm lovin every minute a this. I hate that the world had to get so messed up for this to happen for us; but I got no complaints."

"Oh Cowboy." Jack sighed and held Ennis close. "This is my dream come true. A course, I never dreamed there'd be so many of us livin together, but somehow, it all seems to work out. Everyone seems happy."

"You think they know about us?" Ennis asked as he leaned back, and reached for a cigarette and handed Jack one.

"I don't know." Jack answered honestly. "They might suspect, but no body's said nothin. At least not to me. Has anyone said anythin to you?"

"Nah." Ennis said and reached his lighter over to light Jack's cigarette. "Not a word."

"I guess they just figure it's none a their business." Jack said. "And they're right. What we do in here ain't none a their business. Just ours." He leaned in and gave Ennis a soft, sweet kiss.

"You told me that once before, a long time ago." Ennis said, remembering that conversation up on the mountain twenty years past. "I didn't believe you then. But I do now."

"Well it's true." Jack said. "Do you sit around and wonder what the guys are doin up in the attic?"

"Hell no!" Ennis said with a frown.

"How about Marty and Alice? Do you wonder what they're doin in bed at night?" Jack asked.

"NO!" Ennis frowned even more.

"That's cause it's none a your business, and you got no interest in whatever it is they're doin."

"That's right." Ennis agreed.

"That's the way it is with most everyone, Ennis. No body really cares what anyone else is doin in their own private time."

"Some people do though." Ennis said.

"True. There are always a few nosy busy-bodies, that feel like they got a right to sit in judgment of others. Fortunately, we got none a that kind livin with us." Jack said.

"Yeah." Ennis agreed. "At least not since K.E. left."

"You worried about him?" Jack asked as this was the first time Ennis had mentioned K.E. since he'd left.

"Sometimes." Ennis answered. "I wonder if that truck is still workin, and if he knows how to put in more propane when the tank is empty so he can keep warm."

"He's probably holed up in a house somewhere, sittin in front of a fireplace. I noticed he didn't leave the front room much while he was here. He was pretty fond a that fireplace." Jack said.

"Where ever he is, he's probably drunk." Ennis said.

"Well, it's his choice to make. You did all you could for him, Cowboy. You can't live his life for him."

"I know." Ennis said. "I was just really hopin..."

"Hopin that he'd sober up and be a real pa to his kids?" Jack asked.

"Uh huh." Ennis admitted. "That's what I was hopin for."

"They don't seem to me like they miss him all that much." Jack said.

"I noticed that too." Ennis said. "They do seem happy here; don't they?"

"They do." Jack agreed. "Those boys follow you around like your the pied-piper or somethin. And Carrie—she's just blossomin like a little flower the way she dances around all the time. I never seen anyone who loves to give hugs like she does."

"She does love to hug." Ennis chuckled. "You were right about me not gettin into it with K.E. about the kids. I'm glad now that I didn't cause a fuss. They had enough a that in their lives."

"I didn't wanna say nothin about it back then, but I never saw K.E. show a single sign that he cared anythin about those kids." Jack said. "The only thing he seemed to care about was that blanket he kept wrapped around him, and sittin in front of the fireplace. Did he even ask about the kids?"

"Nah." Ennis said. "Not one time. The only thing he asked about was whiskey."

"Well, I heard that it can warp your thinkin if you drank too much." Jack said. "I just never seen it happen before. I can't imagine losin feelins for your own kids though."

"I don't wanna think about K.E. no more." Ennis said as he mashed out his cigarette and stood up. "Let's get these presents down stairs, and see what the ladies are fixin for dinner. That smells like roast elk to me."

"It does for a fact." Jack said with a grin. "Let's go see if maybe she needs a couple a tasters for the gravy. I hope they got some more a that corn on the cob goin. I'm really hungry."

"When are you not hungry, Jack?" Ennis teased as they loaded up their packages, and headed down stairs.

"I guess I am always hungry." Jack said, and mid-stairs turned back to Ennis and added, "Hungry for somethin or other."

"You can forget about 'the other' for a spell, Jack Twist. We got a find a place to put all a these."

Charlie and Cody met them at the bottom of the stairs with a million questions about the presents, and dinner, and the Christmas party, and about everything else a young boy could think to ask about.

"You know, Jack." Ennis said later that evening in bed. "We known each other more than twenty years now, and this'll be the first Christmas we ever spent together."

"Yep." Jack said as he snuggled closer. "The first of many, many to come."

"Jack?"

"Hmmm?"

"You still awake?" Ennis asked after he turned the light out and pulled the covers up.

"Um humm." Jack answered.

"I just wanted to say somethin. Somethin kind a... mushy. You okay with that?" Ennis said.

"Cowboy, I'm okay with anything at all you got on your mind, as long as I don't have to get up out a this bed." Jack answered.

"I love you, Jack." Ennis said, and waited for an answer, though it wasn't said as a question.

"I know you do. I've always known that; even durin the bad times." Jack answered after a minute.

"If all a this was turned around tomorrow, if everythin went back to the way it was before—I'd still want us to be together." Ennis said.

"Wantin it ain't never been the problem, Cowboy. It's bein able to do it that counts." Jack said.

"I don't think it's ever gonna go back to the way it was; with all the people back I mean." Ennis said. "Do you?"

"No; I don't." Jack said. "I got no idea what happened to everyone; I can't even guess. But I don't think they're ever gonna come back."

"Me neither." Ennis said and they were both quiet for a few minutes. "Whatever happens, Jack. I want us to be together like this, forever."

Jack leaned up and gave him a kiss. "Me too, Cowboy. I won't never let you walk away from me again."

"I won't, Bud. That's a solid promise. I never wanted to." Ennis said. "It just seemed like it was what I had to do."

"You don't feel that way any more?" Jack asked.

"Nope. You were right. You and me belong together. That's the way it's supposed to be. Won't nothin ever change that. Whether folks come back or not." Ennis said.

"Course, I'd feel a lot better about things, if you'd give me just a little hint about what's in that little package wrapped in red." Jack asked.

Ennis huffed out a laugh, turned over and spooned up behind Jack. "You gotta wait till mornin like everybody else. Now get some sleep. Santa won't come if you're still awake."

"I love it when you talk dirty!" Jack giggled.

"Now that wasn't dirty, Jack! That's what my momma used to tell me. It's just your dirty mind to think about Santa like that." Ennis gave him a bear hug, just a little too tight.

"Uh," Jack grunted. "I'm sorry. That's just the direction my mind goes when I'm in bed with you. I can't think about much else."

"Except little red presents." Ennis teased.

"Couldn't you give me just one little hint?" Jack pleaded.

"Nope. Go to sleep now. You'll see what it is tomorrow."

Christmas in the Twist household could only be described as delightful chaos. Breakfast was a feast of pancakes, ham, eggs, fried potatoes, apple strudel, cinnamon toast, blueberry muffins with orange juice, cocoa, and coffee. Folks could barely move when they finished, and spent another delightful hour sitting around the table talking. Finally, after considerable goading from the children, it was time to open presents.

They decided to do the family gifts first, and leave the Chinese Christmas party for later on.

Everyone crowded into the living room. Gifts were passed out, and paper and ribbon was torn, left in piles or thrown around the room until every gift was opened. Jack saved the little red present for last. Everyone had been speculating what it might be, and anxiously waited as he slowly untied the ribbon and removed the paper. When he opened the small box, Jack roared with laughter. It was a harmonica!

He began immediately blaring away on it, way off tune as usual, until everyone begged him to stop.

They cleaned up the mess, took their gifts to their rooms, and got ready for the Chinese Christmas party. They brought in chairs from the dining room, and sat them in as much of a circle as they could make in the small area. Each person brought out their gift and placed it in the middle on the floor.

"Okay." Jack said. "Everyone come over here and draw a card."

Everyone excitedly did as they were told and called out the number they got. Ennis got an ace, so he got to draw the first present from the pile. He picked one up and sat down in his chair. Holding the package in his lap, he tore the paper away and opened the box. It was a red, nylon nightgown with ribbons and lace. He held it up for all to see, and they roared with laughter as his face turned the color of the gown. "Stupid game!" He grumbled to Jack sitting next to him.

Jeanie had a two so she got to go next and received a book about elephants. Laughing, she traded it to Ennis, and he thanked her profusely though he had no earthly interest in elephants.

Walter came next and got a Swiss army knife that he decided to keep so he passed on his chance to trade. When Mickey's turn came, he immediately took the knife and gave Walter the blue flannel robe in trade.

On and on it went until everyone had their turn, all the presents were opened, and everyone was holding their sides from laughter. The second round was met with protests as some people lost the gifts they wanted to keep, and others hoped to hang on to theirs. Round three, was mostly chatter and bargaining until everyone was either satisfied or too exhausted to go on any further, and headed for their rooms for a nap before Christmas dinner.

Ennis and Jack lay drowsing together in bed. "Your Chinese Christmas party was a lot of fun." Jack said.

"Yeah, it was." Ennis said as he snuggled in closer. "Once I get rid a that red nightgown."

Jack chuckled. "You should a seen your face when you pulled that thing out – it was red as that nightie was."

"No, it was not! I don't blush." Ennis pouted and bit Jack's ear lobe.

"Ooww." Jack said. "All right, all right. It must a been my imagination, I guess."

"Did you like your harmonica?" Ennis asked.

"Cowboy," Jack said. "Knowin how much I love to play, and how much you hate hearin it; I'd say it was about the greatest gift anyone ever gave anyone."

"I love you, Jack. I do hate your music, but I love you. " Ennis said and placed sweet little kisses on the side of Jack's neck. "Let's rest now. It's our turn to bring in firewood. So in a little while we'll have to be goin out in the cold."

"Brrrrr." Jack said and pulled the quilt up over them. "Can I take my quilt with me?"

"Sure you can; but you'd have to leave all your clothes behind if you did that." Ennis teased.

"I just can't never get one over on you; can I." Jack chuckled.

"Jack, you can get over me any time you want; over me or under me. Your choice."

"Oh, you're bad, Mr. del Mar." Jack said.

"That's why you love me; ain't it?" Ennis asked.

"You got that one right, Cowboy. For sure!"

They rang in the New Year, l984, with apple cider that the ladies had made; some hard cider for the adults and some sweet for the younger ones. The winter had been fairly mild with the temperatures hovering around freezing most days, but the house was comfortable enough with the heaters, fireplace, and wood cook-stove going almost constantly. They spent long hours discussing what improvements they were going to make to the house; including an addition that would include a huge dining room and laundry room; what vegetables they were going to plant the coming spring, and how and where to expand their garden; how they were going to double the size of their property by taking in the next ranch over that was the same size as the Twist ranch, and had been vacant for several years. Plus they would make a concentrated effort to get out and collect all the animals they could find. They all expressed guilt for not having done this already.

"We just had too many other things to think about." Ennis said. "We had to see to ourselves and each other first."

They all agreed to that and felt a little better about it.

Jack was a little quieter than usual one evening in February after such a discussion. Later on in their room Ennis asked him what was wrong.

"I keep thinkin about Bobby." Jack said.

"What about him?" Ennis asked. "You think he's still in Italy?"

"No. That trip was only supposed to last ten days; I think it was." Jack said.

"You're wantin to go to Childress to check if he's there?" Ennis asked.

"I know it's crazy; it's been six months." Jack said. "But wouldn't you think we'd a heard somethin from somebody by now? I know if Bobby was in Texas, he'd be tryin to contact me."

"Did he know you'd be up here in Lightnin Flat? Or would he just think you disappeared like everyone else?" Ennis asked.

"Yeah, he knew I was plannin a trip." Jack said. "Lureen was teasin us about both plannin on 'leavin' her at the same time."

"I don't know, Bud." Ennis answered. "How could anyone contact us even if they were tryin?"

"The Army could – if there was any Army left." Jack said. "You think they're all gone? I mean... everybody but us?"

"I don't know." Ennis answered as he sat beside Jack on the side of the bed. "I been thinkin about Junior too. I mean... if she's okay... then she must be frantic wonderin what happened to the rest of the family. She and her sister are really close."

"I guess we need to go check on 'em then." Jack said.

"We can drive down to Texas all right; but there's no way we're gonna drive all the way up to Alaska." Ennis said.

"We need to see about gettin somethin bigger and better for the women to sleep in." Jack said. "Maybe we should look into gettin a couple a those travel trailers. They sleep six or eight, and if we had three of 'em; we could travel comfortable enough."

"A trip to Texas wouldn't take but a couple a nights, Jack. Maybe if we just got a couple more campers for the last a those trucks we got converted. They ain't bad to sleep in."

"Not for the men and boys; but I don't see the women likin 'em too much." Jack said. "And what about Jenny. She's gettin big now. She's gonna need a bed to sleep in. Especially for our Alaska trip. That's gonna take a couple a weeks on the road most likely."

"Now I told you, Jack. There ain't gonna be no Alaska trip." Ennis said. "That's too far. I looked it up on a map and it's thousands and thousands a miles. We just can't be takin this whole group that far away, through a foreign country and everythin. No tellin what we'd run into up there."

"So how come you were lookin the mileage up if you didn't wanna go?" Jack asked.

"Jenny's asked me several times now if we could go check on her sister. I already told her it was way too far to drive." Ennis explained.

"I think we should plan a trip into Gillette and see about some travel trailers." Jack said, ignoring Ennis' protests. "We can tell everyone our plans at breakfast. I think they'll be glad to get out of the house for a while."

"What about the roads? They could be icy. There won't be no county trucks out there clearin them." Ennis warned.

"We may have to wait a bit." Jack said. " A couple weeks for better weather maybe; but no more than that. That'll give us plenty a time to plan this thing out. Jenny's six months along now. She's still got three months left, so she should be okay to make the trip. If we wait much longer, it'll be too late."

Ennis stood up and paced the floor; over to the window and back a few times. "We go to Texas first; see how everyone makes that trip."

"Okay." Jack agreed. "Though I really don't think we need to make that trip. I'm convinced that Bobby is... gone. He'd a found some way to check on me if he was down there."

"We don't go to Texas – we don't go to Alaska." Ennis said.

"All right, all right." Jack threw up his hands in defeat. "We can call it a kind of shake down cruise." He grinned. "Tomorrow we hit Gillette and check out travel trailers."

"Agreed." Ennis said.

"Let's just tell 'em about the Texas trip for now." Ennis said as they headed downstairs the next morning for breakfast. "No sense a talkin about Alaska right now."

"Oh no you don't!" Jack stopped Ennis in the middle of the stairs with a harsh whisper. "I know what you're thinkin. We'll make the Texas trip and you'll back out of the Alaska trip!"

"Jack... I just think such a trip would be foolish, and for nothin." Ennis argued. "We got too many things planned for spring to take that much time out for a wild goose chase."

"You agreed, Ennis. Now I'm puttin it back on you. No trip to Alaska, no trip to Texas!"

"Jack..." Their conversation was interrupted as others were coming down the stairs behind them, and they had to move on.

"So do we tell them; or not?" Jack whispered as they took their seats at the table.

"We might as well see what they think a the idea." Ennis agreed reluctantly.

Everyone sat in stunned silence when Jack brought the subject up. Jenny was the first to react.

"Oh Daddy!" She got up and gave Ennis a hug. "I been so worried about Junior! I know it's goin to be a long trip, but we can make it. I know we can!"

"You sure you want to make such a long trip?" Marty asked. "I mean... with Jenny pregnant and all?"

"I got months yet!" Jenny insisted.

"That's why we wanted to talk with everyone first; get everyone's opinion." Ennis said, already regretting that he had agreed to such a foolish idea. "If more folks think it's a crazy idea than want to go, then we'll scrap the idea. This is all just talk so far."

"There's twenty-one of us now." Mrs. Twist said. "Supplies alone would fill a couple a trailers. And you're talkin of gettin three travel trailers?"

"What about the stock trailer?" Walter asked. "You planning on pulling that too?"

"Well, maybe to Texas." Jack answered. "Between here and Texas we'd have a pretty good chance a findin stock along the way. There'd be no need takin it up to Alaska though."

"Yes there would." Ennis corrected him. "If you plan on takin Daisy; and we'll need that generator to get the gas pumps workin along the way."

"Oh, that's right. I forgot about that." Jack said.

"That could be a problem." Ben said. "We got no way of knowing what the electrics are like in Canada and if our equipment will work up there."

"We'll have to make sure we carry some diesel along with us then; and some of those hand pumps we were using before." Jack said.

"I could rig us up a fuel tank in the stock trailer." Chuck said. "That'd be easy enough."

"How far is Alaska?" Molly asked. "Isn't it really, really far away?"

"It is, Molly." Ennis answered. "Thousands a miles, and we'd have to drive all the way across Canada to get there."

"How long would it take us to drive that far?" Jeanie asked, worrying about Jenny now that they had become fast friends.

"Don't know exactly." Jack said. "Maybe five or six days, maybe a week. The point is, we need to check and see if Junior is up there. It wouldn't be right if we didn't."

"Oh boy!" Charlie grinned when everyone was silent for a moment. "Alaska! I wonder if we'll see any polar bears!"

"Maybe we could see the Northern Lights?" Mike, usually the most quiet of the group, wondered.

"I think we should take a vote." Mickey said. "I vote 'yes' to both trips."

"I think we should wait on a vote, Mickey." Ennis tried to stop things before they went any further. "We got a do a lot more thinkin before we could plan such a trip. I think we need to concentrate on goin to Texas first. Once we get that trip behind us, then would be the time to decide if we wanted to take a trip that would be much, much longer and harder, and through a foreign country."

"When you planning on leaving?" Chuck asked.

"Let's see what we can find in the way of travel trailers first." Jack said. "I'm thinkin they sleep usually about six each. If we found three a them, that would sleep eighteen a us, and me and Ennis could easily sleep in a camper."

"We could sleep in a camper too!" Cody said. "That'd be fun!"

"Oh boy! Two road trips! Yay!" Molly clapped her hands, and little Carrie sitting beside her, did the same thing.

"What about you, Mrs. B.?" Ennis asked. "You been quiet. You think this Alaska thing is all nonsense?" Ennis hoped for an ally in discouraging talk of such a long trip.

"I been worried sick about Junior myself. I just didn't want to say anything." Mrs. B. said.

"But what about Jenny?" Ennis asked, seeing his chances of getting out of this trip fading away. "Do you think it'd be safe for her to make such a trip in her condition?"

"She's strong and healthy. I don't see why she couldn't make the trip." Mrs. B. said. "My main concern would be the weather. Does anyone know what the weather is like up in Canada and Alaska this time a year?"

"I can check and see if there's anything about weather in the encyclopedia." Jeanie offered.

"We were thinkin a waitin maybe two weeks at most." Jack said. "That would put us into March, almost spring. We'd carry enough supplies with us so if the weather turned really bad, we could stop some place and wait it out."

"I can make sure we got snow tires on all the vehicles; and I could drive the tow truck." Chuck offered. "That way if anyone got stuck, we'd have a way to pull 'em out."

"What about fuel?" Ennis persisted. "We got no way a knowin if there are gas stations along the road or not up there in Canada."

"We'd have to stick to the main highway, all the way." Walter said. "No taking any short cuts."

"I would imagine that Canada has gas stations along the highway just like we do here in the U.S." Marty said.

"I've always wanted to see Canada and Alaska." Mrs. S. said. "I've spent years teaching about them in school, but I never dreamed I'd actually get the chance to see them."

"Could we just concentrate on Texas first?" Ennis was worried that talk was getting a little out of hand. The group was much more enthusiastic about Alaska than he thought they would be. Maybe the trip to Texas would discourage any thoughts of such a trip.

"Yes; that's a good idea." Jack said surprising Ennis. "We could make the trip down to Childress in four days. Two days down, two days back. That would use up some of that two week wait before heading north, and give us a much better idea of how much stuff to take, and what we'll need to make the trip as comfortable as possible for everyone."

"What do you think the roads are going to be like between here and Texas?" Walter asked. "And has it been decided yet, who will be pulling the travel trailers? I know I could pull one. I've pulled a travel trailer before."

"So have I." Marty piped up. "I could pull one easily."

"So have I." Allen said.

"I could too." Mike said. "I haven't pulled a travel trailer, but I've hauled farm equipment all over the place. I can't see that it'd be any harder to pull a travel trailer than it is hauling a stock trailer around."

"I could too." Chuck said.

"Okay, good." Jack said. "And I could pull one and I know that Ennis could too. It looks like we got plenty a drivers so we could switch off if anyone got tired."

"Is pulling a travel trailer any different than pulling those U-Hauls we've been pulling? Cause I don't have any problems pulling one of those." Mickey offered.

"Yeah, Mickey; there's quite a lot of difference. The travel trailers are much taller and have a lot more wind resistance. You get into some windy conditions and it'll feel like the trailer is pullin you all over the highway. You gotta know how to handle somethin that big."

"Well, maybe I could just pull a U-Haul then and carry supplies." Mickey said.

"We got a lot a drivers, and not so many trucks, Mickey." Jack said. "You may have to just be a passenger on this trip."

"That's okay. I can be a stand-by driver then, in case anyone gets tried." Mickey agreed easily enough.

"We'll be goin through Cheyenne." Ben said. "Would you mind if we took a swing by the folks place?"

"Sure thing, Ben." Jack said. "That wouldn't be a problem."

"I wanna leave a note at the house. Just in case... I don't know... maybe some a the family might show up. Would it be all right if I left a map of how to get up here; or do you think that might be dangerous? Maybe the wrong sort a person might find it."

"I think a note and a map would be just fine." Jack said. "You could leave it someplace maybe where you know your folks would be sure to find it, and maybe a stranger goin through, might not think to look."

"Sure thing!" Ben said. "I could do that."

"Okay then." Jack said. "How about we get ready to head for Gillette, and see what we can find in the way of travel trailers."

"It does look nice out." Mrs. Twist said. "And it hasn't snowed the last couple a days. Maybe the worst of winter is behind us."

"It's a good sign, Momma." Jack said and gave her a little hug. "A good sign."

Chapter Eight - FINDING JOE AND BOBBY

It was a good sign, indeed. They found travel trailers all right. They picked out a thirty-five footer that slept seven that had two sets of bunks, one on either side in the back, and a queen sized bed on the other end, with a dinette and a couch that both folded down into beds; and two others trailers, both slept six. More than enough room for everyone to sleep comfortably. It took only two more days to get everything ready for their trip to Texas.

"I'm tellin you, this is just goin to be a long ride for nothin." Jack insisted as they loaded up the trailers for the trip. "Bobby's... gone. I just know it."

"He may well be, Jackie; but what if he ain't?" Mrs. Twist continued the argument as they carried supplies out to their camper. "What if he's down there all alone and scared, and just waitin for you to come find him? And what about Lureen?"

"I know how you feel, Jack." Ennis commiserated with him. "That's the same way I felt about goin to Sage, and look how that turned out."

"Yeah, yeah." Jack gave in with a big sigh. "I guess I know in my heart that trip needs to be made. I just think I should run down there myself. I could make the trip in two days, and there'd be no need to drag everyone along."

"No!" Mrs. Twist and Ennis both said at the same time.

"Remember our promise, Jackie." Mrs. Twist scolded him. "No body goes off alone. No body!"

"When we made that vow, Momma; there was only three of us. Now there's twenty." Jack argued.

"And if you ask each and every one of them, they'll all say they don't wanna be left behind." Mrs. T. reasoned.

"She's right, Jack." Ennis added his two cents. "Not a one of us would choose to stay behind and let you make that trip all alone."

"All right, all right." Jack gave in reluctantly. "I said we'd go and we'll go." He climbed in behind the wheel, Mrs. Twist, and Ennis joining him in the cab while Mickey, Charlie and Cody rode in the camper.

Ennis unhooked his walkie-talkie from his belt and spoke into it. "Everyone ready?"

"Yes," came back in several different voices.

"Let's get the roll called so we can get under way then. Marty, you and Alice got your full load?" Ennis asked.

"I do." Marty said. "Alice and Mrs. B, beside me, and Jenny, Jeanie, Molly, Carrie and the baby are in the back."

"Walter, you and Mike set?"

"Yes, sir." Walter answered.

"Ben, you and Justin all set?" Ennis asked.

"All set and ready to roll!" Ben answered.

"Allen, you ready?" Ennis asked.

"All set." Allen answered.

"Chuck?" Ennis called the last name on his list.

"All set." Chuck answered.

"Okay, everyone. Let's roll. Keep your walkie-talkies set to 'receive' everyone." Ennis said, and clicked his Walkie-talkie to 'receive' mode as well.

Jack led the way down the dirt road, and up on the highway with grim determination to get it over with. He now fully understood Ennis' reluctance to go to Sage last fall; but he didn't expect this trip would turn out as well. Bobby was gone; he knew it. He felt it in his bones. And Lureen was as well. This trip would be for nothing. He was sure of that.

"I suppose you know that once we get back from this wild goose chase—it'll be off to Alaska." Jack said. "We'd be on the road for a month at least by then. We could a cut two thousand miles off a that by forgettin about Texas."

Ennis tried to discourage any talk of Alaska. "Travelin for a few days or a week and sleepin in trailers is one thing, Jack. Bein in 'em for a month is somethin else again. The folks might think twice about makin such a trip. Jenny especially."

"At least we know that Junior was in Anchorage when all this happened. We don't even know if Bobby was in Childress." Jack grouched. "Likely as not; he wasn't."

"Well, let's just worry about one road trip at a time." Mrs. Twist reasoned. "We get this trip behind us, and we can talk about Alaska then."

"And what if we find Lureen? You plannin on bringin her back to the ranch with us? She won't wanna come up there. She hated it the one time she did." Jack asked, and the very thought of it made his stomach turn over. Lureen, and Ennis under the same roof? No, no, no.

"We'll do what we have to do, Jack." Ennis said as he too sickened at the thought. "That's all we can do."

They made good time and spent the night in Colorado Springs. An early start the next morning and they were in Childress by four in the afternoon. Jack led the way to their house, through the empty streets. Dead silence everywhere. Not a sound but that of their own trucks. No one spoke a word. It was like walking through a cemetery. Everyone remained silent.

Jack pulled up into his driveway and got out. Everyone else followed; parking wherever they could.

Once through the front door, Jack called out, "Bobby? Lureen?" Nothing but silence. He called out again. Nothing. "See?" He turned to Ennis. "I told you. There's nothin here."

"Oh my goodness, Jackie." Mrs. Twist stood beside him eyes taking in the luxurious marble foyer. "This is your house?"

"No, Momma." Jack answered. "This is Lureen's house. I just lived here."

"Which room is Bobby's?" Mickey asked. "I can go check it out."

"Third floor, Mickey. Thanks." Jack said. He had no desire to go through the house. He just wanted to get back in the truck and head on home.

Everyone walked around commenting on what a beautiful house it was. Jack noticed the dust covering everything and thought about what a fit Lureen would have thrown if she had seen it like this.

"You need to get any a your stuff, Jack?" Ennis asked as Jack seemed kind of lost at the moment.

"Huh?" Jack shook himself back to the present. "Oh, yeah. Um... everyone—make yourself comfortable. Have a look around if you want. We'll be out a here shortly." And to Ennis he said, "In here." He opened the carved mahogany door to his study and went in then stopped in the middle of the room.

"I was gonna get the cash out a my safe; but I guess there's no need in doin that. Not with all the free shoppin we get to do now." He stood in the middle of the room not knowing what to do next.

"Jack... you all right?" Ennis squeezed Jack's shoulder.

"Uh huh." Jack nodded his head. "I guess I was really hopin we'd find Bobby. I wasn't prepared for how disappointed I'd be when we didn't."

"I'm sorry. I was hopin too." Ennis tried to console him.

"Nothin up in Bobby's room, Jack." Mickey reported as he breezed into the room with Charlie and Cody trailing along behind him.

"Boy, this is some house!" Charlie said, and Cody shook his head in agreement as his head swiveled around taking in everything.

"You got anythin in your room you wanna get?" Ennis asked.

"Nah. There's nothin here I want. Let's just go." Jack shoved his hat back on his head and headed for the door.

Ennis followed behind. "Is there somewhere else he might be?" Walter asked. "A friend's house maybe?"

Jack's head snapped up. "I never thought a that! He could be at one a his friend's houses." Out the door they all trooped. Jack led the way, and they drove to six different houses only to find the same thing- nothing. Disappointment threatened to overwhelm him again.

Everyone stood around trying to think of what to do next.

"I'm hungry." Carrie's little voice penetrated the silence. "Can we eat now?"

"Looks like it's gonna rain." Mrs. Twist said as she eyed the late afternoon sky. "Is there someplace around where we could get the travel trailers inside?"

"Um..." Jack struggled to get his thoughts in order.

"You got one of them Walmarts here in town?" Ennis asked. "They're pretty big. I bet we could pull these trucks right up inside for the night."

Jack grinned just a bit. "You mean drive the trucks right inside?"

"Sure. Why not?" Ennis asked, glad that he'd brought a smile to Jack's face even though it was a little weak one. "They got a tire department so we know we can drive in there. Maybe we could all get inside. And everyone could do a little a that free shoppin they all like so much."

"We might as well." Jack agreed, defeated. "We can load up on groceries while we're there. At least the trip won't be a total waste."

"It wasn't a waste, Jack." Ennis insisted quietly. "We had to come to find out if he was here or not. Now we know. He's probably still over there in Italy."

"I suppose so. I guess by now the rest a the world knows that somethin big happened over here in America." Jack said as they climbed back into their trucks. "You'd a thought they'd send people to investigate though. Check for survivors and all."

"Yeah." Ennis agreed.

They drove around into the back of Walmart, saw the tire department and drove on inside. Two cars were in the bay; but Jack pushed them aside, drove on in, turned and headed for the double door that led into the store. He drove slowly through them, and the others followed along behind him. Once all were inside they stopped and got out.

"Now this brings shopping to a whole different level." Marty laughed as everyone gathered.

They went about setting up some folding tables and chairs in a wide main aisle. The ladies got dinner started while the girls went 'shopping', and the kids headed for the toy aisle.

Jack and Ennis were standing back a bit, having a smoke when their walkie-talkies both blared.

"Jack! Ennis! Come over to the beer aisle in groceries. We found someone!"

The man lying on his make-shift bed was roused by their voices and sat up, rubbing his eyes and fingering his beard.

Jack and Ennis arrived in seconds, and everyone stood around not sure what to do next.

"Who are you?" Ennis asked as he appeared on the scene.

"Me?" The man got to his feet. "I'm Joe. Who are you? Is everyone back now?"

"No." Jack said. "It's just us... passin through."

"Passin through?" Joe asked. "You walking or did you come in here for bikes?"

"No. We come in here to get out a the weather. Storm's comin." Ennis said then asked, "You alone?"

"Yeah." Joe answered before asking, "If you're not walking, and you're not looking for bikes, how are you traveling?"

"You been travelin on that bike?" Jack asked as he eyed a bike nearby loaded down with supplies.

"Uh huh." Joe answered. "You didn't say... How are you traveling?"

"Pickups." Ennis answered as he eyed the area carefully making sure this guy really was alone. He gave Walter a look and a nod of the head, and Walter and his men took off to check out the rest of the store. "We figured out if you got an old truck, one made before they put all them fancy electronics in 'em, it would run. And it does."

"No kidding?" Joe gave an appreciative grin. "Now I never would have thought of that. I could have been riding around in a nice warm truck instead of pedaling all over the place on that bike. What about the fuel though? I thought gasoline went bad after a couple months."

"Yeah, we had that problem at first, so we switched to diesel trucks. Diesel doesn't go bad." Jack answered.

"I don't suppose you could tell me where I could find one of those diesel trucks?" Joe asked.

"Most dealerships have 'em." Ennis answered. The walkie-talkie blared out then, and Mrs. T.s voice came on telling everyone that dinner would be served in five minutes.

"There's more of you?" Joe asked.

"Yeah." Ennis said; and not noticing a bit of deceit in the man, he invited him to join them for dinner.

"That's very kind of you." Joe said.

"It won't be nothin fancy. We eat mostly canned stuff on our trips." Jack explained.

"Oh it won't matter what it is. I'm just thankful for the company." Joe said as he walked with them. "I haven't seen hardly anyone in months – since everything went crazy."

"I don't suppose you've seen anyone around here? In Childress I mean." Jack asked.

"I have." Joe gave a disgusted sigh, "But not the kind a people you'd want to spend much time with, if you know what I mean."

"No, I don't know what you mean." Jack stopped him before they got to the table. "Look; we're here lookin for my boy. He's seventeen. You haven't seen any boys around; have you?"

Joe shook his head sadly, and looked away.

"What?" Ennis asked, now as curious as Jack was.

"What did you see and where did you see 'em?" Jack asked.

"You won't like what I got to tell you." Joe said. "You sure you want to hear this?"

"You've seen some boys? Where? Tell me where!" Jack demanded.

They were almost to the tables now, and Joe could see everyone taking a seat. "Not in front of them." He nodded towards the group.

"Over here." Ennis said, and stepped back into the next aisle over. "Now tell us what you saw."

"All right." Joe cleared his throat. "I got into town yesterday, and there were a bunch of guys here getting food."

"How many?" Ennis asked. "And how were they travelin?"

"About ten or twelve." Joe answered. "They were in horse drawn wagons. They said they had a nice fancy ranch out on the east side a town about five miles out.

"That sounds like Newsom's!" Jack said.

"They invited me out for dinner. Said they had fresh meat and were having a big barbecue. I thought that sounded pretty good since I haven't had anything but canned meat for months. I went with them. What I saw when I got there... well it made me sick to my stomach."

"What did you see?" Ennis asked, fear building inside him.

Jack was to afraid to speak.

"They got a bunch a boys out there all right. And they're using them like slaves. The boys do all the work while the men lay around the place drinking. The boys get out a line, or don't do things just right like showing the proper respect—they get smacked around. They keep the boys locked up in the barn."

"Shit, shit, shit!" Jack paced back and forth. "How many boys? What ages were they, could you tell? Did you see any that looked like me?"

"I'd like to be able to tell you that I had, but to tell the truth, I was so appalled by what I saw, that I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I left right after dinner."

"These men you saw – they armed?" Ennis asked.

"Oh yes." Joe said. "To the teeth!"

"What kind? Pistols? Rifles?" Ennis asked, calculating the odds in his head.

"Both. And lots of them." Joe said. "You're not thinking of going out there; are you?"

"This ranch," Jack asked, "You say it was about five miles out of town?"

"That's right." Joe answered.

"Long driveway that curved to the left and made a circle in front of the house with a fountain in the middle?"

"That's the place." Joe confirmed. "You know it? I didn't think you were from around here. You said you were just passing through."

"We don't live here, but Jack's son does. That's what we come here for; to see if we could find him." Ennis explained. "How many boys did you see?"

"I only saw three or four, but Ned, the main guy, said they had a dozen 'helpers'; as he called them."

Joe said.

Just then the six soldiers made their presence known. "We heard." Walter said. "So what do you say we go take a look?"

"Now we can't just go runnin out there." Ennis said, trying to convince himself mostly. "We got a think about this. We only got a couple a huntin rifles, and that won't do nothin against a bunch that size."

"No, no." Jack said as he turned back to them. "We won't need no guns. I know that place like the back a my hand. We can sneak in the back, and get the boys out a that barn without them ever knowin we been there."

"How you plannin on doin that, Jack?" Ennis asked. "What if they got guards posted?"

"That barn only has one door—in front. So if they post a guard, that's where he'll be. They won't be checkin the back." Jack said as the plan unfolded in his mind.

"There's a way in the back?" Ennis asked.

"A window, maybe?" Walter asked.

"No. There's a hay loft that has an opening for hoistin the bales inside. It's got a rope to pull the bales up that they leave hangin. I climbed up that rope many a times myself. You boys ever climbed a rope?" He asked the soldiers.

"Sure." Walter said. "It's part of our training."

"That's our way in then." Jack said. "We take extra rope along with us. Tie some knots in it, and let the boys down one at a time. We take off through the back pasture, and they'll never even know the boys are gone until morning."

"Okay." Ennis swallowed hard. "We best have the family ready to take off on out a here once we get the boys though. I don't want to be anywhere around here when they come lookin for 'em."

"Jack..." Walter stopped them, "You do know that your boy might not be one of them?"

"I ain't gonna think that way, Walter. That's the family's ranch; that's where he'd probably go. I don't know why I didn't think of that. There would be no need for him to go to the house. He'd head for the ranch, saddle up some horses so he and his friends could get around. He's out there all right. And I'm gonna bring him home."

"Listen," Joe said. "I've got experience tending to wounds. I'll be here if you need me."

"You a doctor?" Ennis asked.

"Yeah, more or less." Joe answered.

"What does that mean?" Jack asked.

"I was a doctor over in Vietnam. I got... kind a burned out. I left the Army ten years ago. So I don't know if I'm still considered a doctor or not since I haven't done any doctoring in all that time, and I'm not licensed in any state."

"Hmmm. Kind a in limbo." Jack said.

"That's right." Joe agreed. "I'll hang around in case you might need me. I'm great at taking out bullets and sewing up cuts."

"All right." Jack said, dreading the thought that they might actually need his services. "We best see to gettin you out a town anyway. How'd you like a lift to Amarillo?"

"That'd be just fine." Joe said. "I'd appreciate that. I wouldn't wanna be around when those men come lookin for the boys. In the mean time, I'll get over to the pharmacy and put together a kit; just in case."

"Good idea." Ennis said.

The family was so excited and eager to help when they heard the news, they could barely eat their dinner. After dinner they continued with their planning. It was decided that they would go in about ten pm. Jack would slip in first to see if all the lights were out, and to make sure there was only one guard at the front. They picked out a place where the family would wait for them up on the highway.

Ennis was rigid with fear. The last thing he wanted to do was to break into some place that a dozen armed men, most likely drunk, were staying. They had to do it though. He knew that. He'd do it alone if it was one of his kids. He knew Jack felt the same way. He wondered if he could still climb a rope. He had done so many times as a kid, but at thirty-nine, he wasn't a kid anymore. Jack was not a bit worried, and that worried Ennis even more.

Jack was so filled with optimism he could barely contain himself. He smoked and paced and went over the plan again and again. "We'll need to take two pickups. We'll be able to spread the boys out more once we're all together." Jack mumbled.

At nine-thirty they were all in place. The three pickups pulling campers and the tow truck were all set waiting up on highway 287 pointing northwest towards Amarillo. The other two pickups headed out towards the ranch. They stopped a half mile from it, and parked in the trees behind the back fence.

At nine-forty-five Jack checked his watch and said, "I'm gonna go now. Give me about fifteen minutes, then stayin low in that tall grass, you come on in."

"I'm comin with you." Ennis said.

"There's no need. You can wait, and come in with the others." Jack offered.

"NO! I'm armed, I'm comin with you. This is not up for debate." Ennis insisted.

"Okay. Okay." Jack didn't want to waste time arguing. "Come with me, but you got a keep low just in case someone is still up and lookin around."

"Not a problem." Ennis said. He didn't want to say that the real problem was his knocking knees and chattering teeth. He clamped his jaws shut tight and willed his body to follow Jack's into the tall grass on a crouch.

The storm they had been expecting never did materialize and the moon gave enough light for them to see what they were doing. As they neared the back of the barn, Jack whispered. "Good. The rope is still there. See it?" He nudged Ennis beside him.

"I see it." Ennis whispered back.

"Let's just listen for a minute. I don't see no lights, and I don't hear no body walkin around; do you?"

They listened carefully for a few minutes and Ennis shook his head. "Nope. Not a sound."

"So they might not even have a guard on the kids. Great!" Jack whispered. "Wait here until I get up that rope. I'll check and see if the boys are there. If they are, I'll toss you down this knotted one. It'll be easier to climb."

Ennis grunted his consent, glad Jack had thought of that. A knotted rope, he was sure he could get up."

He had wanted to say something more to Jack, but he was off before Ennis got anything out. He watched as Jack dashed up to the barn, and tested the rope to make sure it was secure before scaling it, hand over hand. He was impressed. He didn't know Jack could do that. In minutes Jack had disappeared through the opening into the barn.

A minute later the knotted rope was tossed out. Ennis took a deep breath and ran for it. He wasn't quite as graceful as Jack had been, but he managed to scale it silently without banging against the barn.

Jack reached out a hand and helped him through the opening.

"They're sleepin." Jack whispered.

"Did you see Bobby?" Ennis asked as they made their way to the ladder.

"Can't see good enough to tell." Jack said as he led the way down.

"It would be best if we could find and wake Bobby first." Ennis whispered. "Seein strangers might scare the other boys, and we don't want 'em makin any noise."

"Good idea." Jack pulled out his flashlight once he reached the bottom step and began checking out the faces of the sleeping boys. "I found him!" Jack hissed out a loud whisper.

"Shhhh." Ennis reminded him.

"Bobby? Bobby, wake up. It's Daddy." Jack shook Bobby's shoulder.

"Huh?" The boy groggily rubbed a fist against his eyes. "Daddy? You here? Really?"

"I'm here boy, and I come to take you home." Jack said.

"Daddy!" Bobby choked on the word, and flung himself into Jack's arms.

"Shhhh; Bobby. You got a be real quiet now. We're gonna get you out a here, but we got a do it real quiet like so no body hears us." Jack warned his son as he hugged him.

"There's a guard out front. How we gonna get out?" Bobby whispered.

"The hay loft. I got a knotted rope. You and the boys can climb down. We got a couple a pickups waitin out behind the back fence."

"I don't know if we can all climb down, Daddy. Some of the guys... aren't really that strong."

"Bobby? Bobby, who you talkin to?" Loud words jarred the quiet.

"Shhhh, Kenny. It's my dad. He's come to get us out a here." Bobby answered.

They heard the noise then of the barn door opening. "What's going on in here?" The loud voice asked.

Ennis and Jack stepped back into the shadows of a stall and crouched down.

"It's just Kenny, Sir. His asthma's botherin him again." Bobby called out, and Kenny started breathing real loud.

"Well keep it down." The shadowy figure ordered before closing the door again, sliding the bar into place.

"Psssst" the noise came from the loft. Ennis and Jack both looked up to see Walter and Ben.

They had made it inside without a sound. Ennis began to think they might be able to pull this off after all. Now if the boys will just cooperate – quietly.

Jack had Bobby wake the boys, and Ennis got them started up the ladder to the loft. They were bleary eyed but eager to be out of there. Some were reluctant to try the climb down so Walter and Ben took turns piggy-backing them down. Allen met them at the edge of the tall grass and got them started towards the back. Bobby was the last boy to go down, followed by Ennis, then Jack and finally Walter.

They dashed through the moon-lit night, across the over-grown fields to the fence before any of them stopped to catch their breath.

"How did you know where to find us? Why didn't you come sooner? What took you so long? Who are all these men?" Bobby bombarded Jack with questions as they all stood gasping for breath.

"I'll answer everything later." Jack said. "Right now we've got a ways to go before we reach the trucks. So let's move." He waited one minute extra after the kids had taken off on a dead run again, and wondered where Ennis was. He decided Ennis must have gotten ahead of them and took off after the kids.

When they got to the trucks, Ennis was no where to be found. "I'm going back." Jack said.

"No, stay here with the boys, we'll go look for him." Walter argued.

"He'll probably come out a those weeds any minute." Ben said. "No need goin chasing off after him."

They stood in silence; waiting and listening. "I don't hear a thing." Jack said. "He's not out in that field. If he is, he's down and not movin."

"When did you last see him?" Walter asked.

"He went down the rope just before me." Jack said. "Then everyone was in the grass and we were all runnin. I thought he was ahead of us."

"Haven't seen him." Everyone said, looking at each other. No one had seen him since the climb down the rope.

"What are you all waitin for?" Ennis' voice hissed out of the darkness. "Let's get movin." He sat atop a paint horse and held a rope leading several others.

"Ennis! You scared me to death!" Jack yelled at him, but he was grinning with relief. Leave it to Ennis to be thinking of the horses. Without horses, the men couldn't follow them!

They loaded the boys up, and headed for the highway, with Ennis leading the way across the fields at a gallop. Once they joined the rest of the group, Ennis loaded the horses in the trailer, and they took off for Amarillo.

Chapter Nine – FINDING JUNIOR AND KURT

"This one here's diesel." Jack called out as they spread out across the lot looking for a truck for Joe the next morning. They had decided that Amarillo, at a hundred-seventeen miles from Childress, was far enough away that the men couldn't possibly find them, and they could take the time they would need to convert a truck for Joe in return for his help in finding Bobby.

"Good deal!" Joe said that afternoon when told the job was done.

"You need to get you one a these siphons." Ennis said showing Joe the one they had been using. That way you can get you some diesel just about any where you go."

"Where'd you get that?" Joe asked.

"Hardware store." Ennis said. "Now let's see if we can find you a camper." Ennis said.

"There's a couple over in the used-truck lot." Jack said, and they followed him over.

They found one the right size, mounted it and Joe was all set.

"I don't know how I'll ever thank you." Joe was telling them at dinner.

"Oh, it's us who owe you, Joe." Jack said as he sat with his arm around Bobby's shoulders. "We were just about ready to head on out a town, and would of missed Bobby all together if it hadn't been for you."

"Well, I'm just glad to have wheels again. Almost as glad as I am to see you got all the boys out of there." Joe said. "I sure would have loved to see those guys faces this morning when they opened that barn door and found all those boys gone."

"They're gonna really be mad, and cussin a blue streak." Bobby said. "I'm sure glad you found us when you did."

Bobby had explained how he and his friends had just gotten off the plane from Italy and were in the bathroom at the airport when all the lights went out. When they came out, everyone was gone. They had walked all over the airport looking for someone, but it was empty. No lights, no power, no phones, no people, no nothing. They began their walk home, and were stunned to find the same thing everywhere they went.

They stayed at the house a few days and decided to walk out to the ranch to see if Jacob, the ranch manager was there; if not, they'd saddle up some horses for transportation. Sadly, they were met by those men who had taken up residence there, Jacob was no where to be seen, and they were put immediately to work around the place. Any resistance at all was punished by a severe beating. Bobby and a few of the other boys found that out the first day.

The men were furious after hearing the boys stories, and were sorely tempted to return to the ranch and teach those men a lesson, but decided against it. It would have meant gun-play, and none of them wanted any part of that. They decided it was enough that the men were left afoot, and forced to fend for themselves.

"So where are you headed, Joe?" Ennis asked, lighting up a smoke after dinner.

"No place." Joe answered vaguely.

"What do you mean 'no place'?" Jack asked. "Where are you from? Where's your family?"

"I'm from Indiana, but I don't have any family there. My parents died in a traffic accident when I was four years old, and I grew up in a series of foster homes." Joe explained.

"So you're just... what... wanderin around?" Ennis asked.

"I got no place to go." Joe said with a shrug.

"Well you most certainly do!" Mrs. Twist said. "You'll come home with us. We'll be your family."

"Oh..." Joe was overwhelmed by the generous offer. "That's so kind of you. But it looks like you've already got a houseful."

"That's right." Mrs. B. said. "We do already have a house full; so what difference would one more make? Do come home with us. We owe you so much for helping us find Bobby and his friends."

"At least come up and stay a while. See if you like it." Jack offered. "We're plannin a trip up to Alaska next to check on Ennis' other daughter. She lives in Anchorage. We could always use an extra driver, in case someone needs to rest a spell."

"And it would be great to have a doctor along, in case Jenny here decides to deliver early." Mrs. B. Added.

"Oh no, please!" Jenny winced. "Don't even think of such a thing. I want my baby to be born on the ranch."

"I've never delivered a baby before." Joe said. "Should you really be taking such a long trip with a pregnant woman?"

"We got a go!" Jenny said. "We just got a. Junior's up there waitin for us. I just know it!"

"We're still debatin the wisdom of such a trip." Ennis said.

"Daddy, we have to go!" Jenny repeated for the thousandth time since the subject first came up.

"What if she's up there all alone, starving and scared?"

Those words echoed in Ennis' mind each night as he tried to sleep. What if Junior was up there all alone struggling to survive, and waiting for him to come find her? He knew what they had to do. He knew he'd been the only one dragging his feet. He'd have to agree, and get on with it. Still—he wished there was some way of talking them out of it. He was truly torn.

"We'll have to make sure we carry enough supplies. We won't be able to count on finding anything along the way." Ennis was saying.

"We'll have to plan our meals very carefully." Mrs. T. said. "And make sure we have more than we'll actually need in case we come across people who need our help."

"We can fill our trailers with food, and extra propane for the campers." Mrs. S. suggested.

"Chuck, can you calculate how much fuel we'll need for the trip?" Ennis asked.

"Sure thing. And I can see to all the vehicles before we leave, make sure they're all ship-shape." Chuck answered.

"This is crazy!" Ennis protested.

"Not if we take the time to plan it out." Mrs. T. argued. "Yes, it's goin to be a long tiresome trip, we're all aware of that; but with enough planning, and enough supplies, we'll get through it."

Ennis scowled and gave a disapproving grunt.

"I ain't lookin forward to the trip either." Jack said. "But you know as well as the rest of them, that it needs doin."

"We got too much work around here that needs doin." Ennis protested. "We got no business takin a month off."

"It won't take no month." Jack gave him a gentle smile. He always tried to be on Ennis' side in any debates, but this time Ennis was dead wrong, and Jack suspected that he knew it. "Probably just take a couple two or three weeks, tops."

"I don't like it, Jack." Ennis argued. "I don't like it at all. What about the stock? Who's gonna look after the place while we're gone?"

"We can leave the gates between pastures open so they can range over a couple a pastures. The ponds are full. We'll give 'em a good feed before we leave. There ain't but an inch or two a snow left on the ground, and it'll be gone before long. There's enough grass underneath to last 'em till we get back. They'll be just fine."

"You got an answer for everything; don't you." Ennis griped.

"We got a do it, Cowboy." Jack gave his arm a squeeze. "Remember how I didn't wanna go to Texas and look for Bobby? I thought it was a waste a time, but we found him, and his friends, and even Joe, so now we got a doctor in the group."

"I remember, but that was different." Ennis couldn't give up just yet. This was an argument he was losing and they both knew it. "That was only a thousand miles. This is three times that distance, AND there's thirty-three of us now, Jack! It will all be unfamiliar country we'll be drivin through; none a us ever been in Canada before."

"It won't make no difference. A road is a road. We got maps, we'll carry everythin we need along with us. We can do this, Ennis."

"Oh Daddy! He's right." Jenny pulled on his other arm. "We just have to go."

"All right!" Ennis threw his hands up in surrender. "I give up. We go. But don't none a you come cryin to me when we're out on the road days and days and days."

"Oh Daddy, you're the best ever!" Jenny hugged him; the group split up then and headed in different directions to make preparations for the trip.

And the preparations were massive. The women worked diligently to come up with menus for two weeks, and packed the food for each meal separately in large plastic containers, labeling them carefully. That, along with the extra food they wanted to take, completely filled one trailer. Another trailer carried folding tables and chairs – enough seating for all, along with bottled water. Another carried nothing but suitcases, and another, extra propane tanks for the campers. Another was set up for vehicle parts; extra tires, oil, batteries, tools of all sorts, and odds and ends of items that Chuck thought an extended trip might call for. All the U-Hauls were filled to the brim with items that they might possibly need. Even Joe came up with a massive first-aid kit, including information he got from the library on how to deliver a baby. Ennis had to admit that they had thought of everything; every possibility any of them could think of was covered.

"All right, everyone ready?" Ennis spoke into the walkie-talkie and got several over-lapping replies.

"I'm gonna call roll now. It's gonna get boring, but I'm gonna do it every single time we stop so we make sure no one gets left behind." He cleared his throat, and started reading off names on the list in front of him. Everyone answered, and he signaled Jack with a nod to take off.

The dawn was just breaking as the eight vehicles pulled out of the driveway, one after another. A ribbon of trucks swaying and bouncing as they made their way down the dirt road towards the highway.

Seven pickups with campers, and one tow-truck; each pulling a trailer behind, one with Daisy their milk cow contentedly munching on hay.

They spent the first night in Shelby, MT. They didn't stop to clear the roads, on this trip, just drove around any cars they came across, leaving them to average sixty miles an hour. They found a campground where they set up camp for the night, and made plans for the next morning – just a bit under five hundred miles of their trip behind them.

The second day they made much better time, and made five-hundred twenty-eight miles to Edmonton.

The third day they made even better time as the number of vehicles in the roadway they had to maneuver around had dwindled considerably, and they made six-hundred sixty-eight miles to Fort St. John.

Day number four they pushed it for seven hundred miles to Watson Lake, where they stood around in awe of the incredible scenery. Everyone remained in good spirits, the trip was going very well, with good roads, great weather, and they always seemed to find a nice scenic place to stop when they were ready. They were able to find gas stations all along the way and fuel was easy enough to come by. Day five took them six-hundred miles into Tok, Alaska. Just three-hundred eighteen miles from Anchorage.

They were all thrilled and excited that they had finally made it to Alaska. Even Ennis was in good spirits. "I never thought we'd make it this far." Ennis said as he lit an after-dinner smoke.

"I had no idea the countryside would be so beautiful." Jack said as they stood gazing around at the far mountains in the distance. "And it's not near as cold as I thought it'd be."

"We should hit Anchorage around noon tomorrow." Ennis said. "I wonder what we'll find."

"No tellin." Jack answered truthfully. "We might find her and we might not. You prepared for that?"

"Yeah, Bud." Ennis said with a sigh. "I sure hope we do; but everythin up here is pretty much the same as it is back home – empty. I'm guessin whatever it was that hit us, wiped out this whole continent."

"It's lookin that way." Jack agreed. "But there's a lot a us that made it – didn't get... disappeared. So, Junior's got as much a chance a makin it as the rest of us did."

"True." Ennis agreed. "It'd be a shame if we came all this way for nothin; but I got a tell you, Jack. This trip ain't been half bad." He gave Jack a little smile. "All this beautiful scenery is like drivin around in a picture post card."

"Yeah, it sure is beautiful." Jack agreed taking another look around before dropping his cigarette to the ground and mashing it out with the toe of his boot. "You ready to turn in?"

"I am. Looks like everyone else is already bedded down." Ennis mashed out his cigarette as well. "Tomorrow we find out if this trip was worth it or not."

"Yep." Jack agreed.

They got an early start, all of them giddy with excitement. There were a lot more vehicles on the road the closer they got to Anchorage, and they had to take their time threading their way thought it all, so they didn't make as good time as they had driving through Canada. They arrived in Anchorage just short of noon.

"You got that street map?" Jack asked as he navigated through the streets with Ennis pointing the way.

"Oh Daddy, I'm so excited, I can't hardly stand it!" Jenny's voice came over the walkie-talkie.

"Just hold your horses there girl. We'll be there shortly." Ennis grinned, nearly as excited as Jenny, but he'd never let anyone see it.

"Right there!" Mrs. Twist called out when they came to Junior's street.

"Okay." Ennis kept his eyes glued to the window. "Look for Sunset Apartments." Should be on this side a the street, odd numbers on this side."

"There it is!" Mrs. Twist and Ennis called out at the same time.

Jack maneuvered around some cars, and pulled to a stop in front of the apartment complex. The other vehicles did the same.

Jenny was by his side by the time Ennis got out of the truck. "Apartment one-twenty-one." She said as she took his arm and hurried him on.

"Now, Jenny, honey." Ennis said as they walked. "You got a prepare yourself. She might not be here. You know we ain't seen nobody since we set out on this trip.

"We're gonna find her, Daddy. I just know we are." Jenny repeated for the hundredth time.

"There it is!" She hurried to the door, and knocking called out, "Junior! Junior, it's me and Daddy."

Ennis got there two steps behind her, and reached for the door knob. The door was locked.

"I can take care of that." Walter said and stepped up to the door. "Any of you ladies have a hair pin?"

Mrs. Twist handed him one, and in less than a minute he had the door open, and handed the pin back to her. The others stood nearby, but only Ennis and Jenny entered the apartment. It was empty.

"But she has to be here!" Jenny started to cry and Ennis held her close.

"I'm sorry, baby girl." He crooned to her. "I was really hopin too." He looked around the neat little apartment, and imagined Junior there. He had to struggle to hold back the tears himself as disappointment overwhelmed him.

"You all right?" Jack asked after giving them some time alone together.

Jenny pulled away from her dad, and flung herself down on the couch, sobbing her heart out. Mrs. B. came in to comfort her.

"I'm sure sorry, Cowboy." Jack said, trying to comfort him. "I was really hopin we'd find her."

"Me too, Bud. Me too." Ennis choked out. "We're gonna need a little time here. Then we'll take off."

"Take all the time you need." Jack said.

Ennis went to join Jenny and Mrs. B. on the couch, finally managing to get Jenny to at least sit up. He was wishing now that they hadn't come. At least before, he could imagine that she and Kurt were up here doin just fine. Now he knew they were gone like everyone else. He held Jenny close and rocked her for a spell.

"Jenny?" Ennis spoke gently to her. "Honey, why don't you take a look around. Maybe you might wanna take a few things."

"Oh Daddy! All this way for nothin. I was so sure she'd be here. I was positive!" Jenny wailed.

"Now, it wasn't for nothin. We had to find out. You were right; we had to come. We didn't have no choice in the matter." Ennis said. "Now we know."

Mrs. B. handed Jenny a tissue and she blew her nose and wiped her eyes. "Come on, Jenny girl. Let's you and me take a look around."

"All right, Grandma." Jenny stood and went with her Grandmother.

Ennis stepped outside for a cigarette and saw everyone standing around, sadness and disappointment written on each face. He wanted to say something, but didn't know what, so he kept his mouth shut and just smoked.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Jenny hurried out to him. "I know where she is!" She shoved a pamphlet into his hands. " Look at this. I found it on her desk. She wasn't at her apartment at all. She was there!"

The pamphlet was from Nancy L. State Recreational Site, and told about an Eskimo village that had been set up there.

"She underlined the date on the pamphlet, and she's got the date circled on her calendar. The same date that everything... happened." Jenny was breathless with her discovery. "She was at that Eskimo Village when it happened! That's where we'll find her."

"Jenny, honey. Don't get your hopes up." Ennis tried to console his daughter, but she was having none of it.

"Oh Daddy, she's there. I know she is!" Jenny's hope was contagious, and everyone seemed to brighten up as the pamphlet got passed around.

"It's the same day all right. And not that much out of our way. It says it's twenty miles northwest a here." Jack said.

"I just hate gettin her hopes up again." Ennis said, but folded the pamphlet and stuck it in his pocket.

"Why don't we have some lunch, then we can decide what to do next." Mrs. Twist suggested.

They set up their tables right in the middle of the street and ate their meal. You sure you don't wanna take nothin?" Ennis asked as they prepared to leave.

"No!" Jenny was adamant. "The only thing I want out of Anchorage is Junior. Junior and Kurt."

"All right." Ennis agreed as everyone loaded up. "We come this far, twenty miles extra can't hurt nothin."

They stopped and gassed up before heading for the Eskimo village. There was an information booth at the park entrance that showed the location of the village. Jack drove on in, followed by all the others. He made his way slowly through the narrow pathways between the small seal-skin huts. Not a soul was around. Not a sound could be heard.

They were startled nearly out of their wits by a scraggly haired, bearded man running out of the trees toward them, waving his arms like mad. Jack slammed on the brakes, and all the others did so as well. The walkie-talkie began to blare out questions, "What happened? Why're we stopping?" "What did you see?"

The man ran up to the truck pounding on the front fender and door. Ennis got out, walked around front, and the man stared at him like he'd seen a ghost.

"E..en..Ennis?" the man finally managed to choke out, and he threw his arms around Ennis, and began to sob.

Ennis dis-entangled himself from the man, and held him back. "You know me? How do you know me? Who are you?"

By then, Jack and everyone else had gotten out of their vehicles, and were crowding around.

"Ennis..." the man gasped, eyes big as saucers, "Junior..." He pointed off towards the huts.

"You know Junior?" Ennis had him by the shoulders now, and gave him a shake. "Who are you?"

"Kurt!" The man nearly shouted. "I'm Kurt!"

Ennis took a closer look beneath the long hair and beard, skinny as a rail; and there before him stood his son-in-law, Kurt Larson. He hugged him then, hard. "Junior! She's here?"

"I knew it, Daddy! I knew it." Jenny was nearly hysterical, and sobbing as her grandmother held her.

Kurt tried to talk, but he was still in a state of shock, and couldn't seem to put more than two words together. He grabbed Ennis by the arm and took off. Everyone followed along until they came to the tiniest hut at the edge of the village. Kurt lifted the flap and pointed inside. Ennis ducked down and went in.

Junior sat up when she heard someone come in. When she saw her father she couldn't speak. She began to breathe too fast, hyperventilating. She gasped for breath.

"Jack!" Ennis called back out through the open flap. "Get Joe in here."

"Junior?" Ennis approached his very pregnant daughter slowly. "Just take it easy now. Shallow breaths. Remember how Jenny has to do it when she has one a those asthma attacks. Easy now."

He got her to put her head down, and she obeyed but grabbed hold of his jacket and wouldn't let go.

Joe came inside, took one look around the little hut, empty except for the car seat Junior was sitting on and a few clay pots. He reached for Junior's wrist and took her pulse. "She needs to calm down."

"Easy honey." Ennis sat beside her. "This here is Joe. He's a doctor. You're gonna be just fine now."

"Daddy?" Junior managed to get the word out, still not believing her eyes as she clung to him.

"Yes, Darlin." He kissed her temple and kept his arms around her. "We're gonna take you home where we can look after you. You're gonna be just fine. Can you try and relax a little for me now?"

"How far along are you?" Joe asked.

"About eight months, I think." She managed to choke out between gasps. She had calmed down some but she was still breathing heavily.

Jenny came inside then, and the little hut was overcrowded. "Junior!" Jenny let out a wail as she hugged her sister close. "You're pregnant too!" They both said at the same time as they clung together and cried. Ennis and Joe stepped outside.

"How is she?" Ennis asked, and everyone crowded around to hear the answer.

"Her blood pressure's too high. She's way under-weight." Joe answered.

"She okay to make the trip home?" Ennis asked.

"I don't know." Joe answered. "Like I said; I never treated a pregnant woman before, but I can't see why not. She'll be able to lie down in one of the bunks while we're on the road. I can't see how that would be any worse for her than living like this. She needs nourishing food, prenatal vitamins, lots of rest, and hopefully we can get a little weight back on her before she delivers."

"We found her!" Mrs. T. had tears in her eyes. "We actually found her!" The others were equally emotional. No one had actually believed that they would. No one but Jenny. She was positive from the beginning.

"Can we move her now? We need to get her up out a that stinkin hut." Ennis said before turning to see Kurt standing nearby, hands covering his face as he quietly wept. "Kurt?" Ennis went to him. "You okay?"

Joe followed him over to Kurt, taking his pulse. "He's okay. Just severely malnourished, and in shock."

"Kurt," Ennis took him by the shoulders. "We're gonna get you and Jenny out a here now. We got food, water, and a nice warm campers. The two a you can get cleaned up, put on some clean clothes, and rest on the bunks while we drive. You okay with that?"

Kurt shook his head, but he was beyond speaking.

"The two a you all alone here? I thought this was supposed to be some Eskimo village. I don't see no Eskimos around." Ennis said as he looked around at the twenty or so small huts.

"Fishing." Kurt shook his head. "They're fishing."

"Do we need to go find 'em and tell 'em you're leavin?" Ennis asked.

Kurt shook his head 'no'. "They're... far... in boat."

"Okay then." Ennis said. "Let's get things organized here. Mrs. B., we need to get Junior cleaned up. Let's get some water in here. She'll need somethin to wear. Somethin warm and comfortable. And big. Some a Jenny's clothes. She's about to have a baby. Looks like she's about eight months along so we need to get her back home as soon as possible."

"Mrs. T., it don't look like they've had much to eat around here in some time. Can you heat up some soup for them?"

"Kurt," He turned to his son-in-law again. "While they're lookin after Junior, why don't you come with me and we'll get you cleaned up."

Thirty minutes later, Kurt and Junior, all cleaned up, were sitting side by side in the travel trailer eating chicken noodle soup.

"Oh Daddy, this is so good!" Junior said as she scraped the bottom of the bowl. "We haven't had anything but fish and seal meat and a few vegetables. I've never been so hungry in all my life!"

"Good. Really, really good." Kurt agreed.

"I'm glad you liked it." Ennis said. "We got a couple trailers full of food so there will be plenty to eat.

We should get on the road now, if the two of you are up to it. You want to lie down? The bunk in the camper is really comfortable."

"No." Junior said. "I've been lyin down too much lately. It feels good to be sittin up."

"All right. Do you need to go back to your apartment for anything?" Ennis asked.

"Oh yes!" Junior said. There are a few things I'd like to pick up. My favorite pillow, and the quilt grandma made for me, and some clothes and stuff."

"We need to find a pharmacy and pick up some prenatal vitamins for you. Do you know where one is in Anchorage?" Ennis asked.

"Yes. There's one not too far from our place." Junior said.

"Good. We'll hit your place, the pharmacy, then we can get started for home. How does that sound?"

"Oh Daddy!" Junior teared up again. "If you only knew! I have so much to tell you."

"We got a lot a talkin we need to do; and we'll get to it." Ennis assured her. "But right now, we need to get movin. Let's get the two of you into the back of a camper."

A little shuffling of positions so that Junior, Kurt, and Mrs. B. and Jenny could ride together in the back of Jack and Ennis' camper where he could keep an eye on them; a quick roll call, and they were on their way back to Anchorage.

With Jenny and Mrs. B.'s help, Junior and Kurt were packed up, and ready to go in less than thirty minutes. A quick stop at the pharmacy, and they were on the road heading for Tok where they spent the night. By morning both Junior and Kurt were more focused, and the questions began non-stop.

"You mean it's like this everywhere?" Kurt asked the next morning at breakfast. "Everyone's... just gone?"

"That's about it." Ennis explained. "Once in a while we run across someone, but most everywhere we go, there's no signs of life at all."

"But what caused it? And where do you think everyone went? Do you think they're all... dead?" Junior asked.

"Honey, we got no way a knowin what happened. All we know is what you see around us here." Ennis went on. "We been all over Wyomin, down to Texas, and up through Montana and Canada, and it's the same where ever we go."

"And Momma? Did you look for Momma?" Junior asked.

"We looked all over Riverton, Darlin. She's... gone like everyone else in town." Mrs. B. answered that one.

"Then how come we're all right; I mean... still here?" Junior asked in tears again.

Ennis just shrugged. "Don't know, Darlin. We got no answers about what happened. None at all."

"You both look much better today." Joe said. "I hope you're feeling better?"

"Oh yes." Both Junior and Kurt said. "It's because we're out a that awful place." Kurt said. "I didn't think either of us would ever leave there alive."

"We have hope now." Junior said. "We thought surely the world had abandoned us. We just couldn't understand why no one came for us. We nearly froze to death. So if we had left when all the other tourists left, instead of stayin behind to take some more pictures, we'd... we'd be gone too?"

No one could answer that.

"Well now you know why no one came for you." Jack said. "No one came because there was no one left to come for you."

"We'd a come sooner but..." Ennis remembered all the arguments he had thrown out there against coming so far. "It was me mostly, darlin. I just didn't figure nobody, but our little bunch in Wyomin, had made it."

"Well, I'll never stop bein grateful to you – all of you – for comin all this way to look for us." Junior said, and had to take a deep breath to work at keeping the tears at bay. "The thought of havin my baby in that awful place..." She shuddered.

"You don't need to be thinkin about that now, Junior." Mrs. B. said. "We'll get you back home where you belong, and we'll look after your little family. Don't you worry no more about such things."

"All these people; do they live in your trailer park, Daddy?" Junior asked.

"No, darlin. We all live out on the Twist ranch in Lightnin Flat." Ennis explained. "We'll get you a room fixed up, and everythin you're gonna be needin for the baby."

"Oh Daddy!" Junior could no longer hold back the tears as both Ennis and Kurt tried to comfort her.

"We best be gettin a move on before we all start cryin and we flood the roads out." Ennis gave her one last hug and left her to Kurt while he saw to it everyone was present and accounted for. He agreed to a quick thirty minute drive around town with horns blaring and everyone yelling to see if anyone else in town had survived. Not a soul stirred. The town was empty. They stopped at a grocery store, loaded up on more groceries, and headed out.

The first day on their trip home they took it easy and only covered the three-hundred eighty-six miles to Whitehorse, stopping frequently to check on Junior and Kurt, and letting them get out and stretch their legs and eat a bite. They stayed at the same campgrounds they had on their way up. Everyone felt a lot more at ease, now that they were on their way home, and were driving in somewhat familiar territory.

The second day Junior and Kurt had perked up considerably so they pushed harder and made the seven hundred mile trek into Watson Lake.

"That's the longest stretch we'll need to make." Ennis was telling them at dinner in the beautiful campgrounds beside the lake. "Each day from now on, the jumps between campgrounds is shorter.

We got six hundred somethin tomorrow, and five hundred somethin the next day will get us into Shelby, Montana. From there it's just four hundred ninety miles to home. How does that sound?"

"Like a dream." Junior said. "This is all like a dream, and the scenery we been passin through looks like pictures on a calendar; it's so beautiful."

"I can do some driving if anyone needs a rest." Kurt offered.

"Nah, that won't be necessary." Jack said. "We got it all set where each of our drivers can be switched if anyone needs to be spelled."

"He's right, Kurt." Ennis said. "You just need to rest up for now. We'll put you to work soon enough once we get a little meat back on your bones. You're so skinny, I never would a recognized you if you hadn't said your name."

"Oh sissy." Jenny held tight to her sister's arm. "You're so skinny!"

"They'll pick up now that their getting some good healthy meals." Mrs. Twist offered.

"They're both looking better already." Joe put his two-cents in.

"You comfortable enough on that sofa bed in the trailer?" Ennis asked.

"Jenny's on the sofa bed. She gave me and Kurt the big bed." Junior said. "And it's wonderful; just wonderful."

"Well good then. I guess we'd better turn in. It's been a long day, and we wanna get an early start in the mornin." Everyone went to their sleeping quarters, and called it a night.

The third night was spent at Fort St. John, and they were all in a jovial mood. The trip was more than two-thirds behind them, and they were all excited about getting home. Kurt and Junior both seemed to be blossoming by the hour; their sour, desperate expressions replaced by one of hopeful bliss. Just a few more days and they'd all be home.

The fourth and fifth days seemed to speed by as the distance between campgrounds was so much shorter than the days before. Finally on their fifth night, they were in Shelby, Montana. They stayed in the Lewis and Clark RV park as they had before. They were giddy with excitement, singing a couple rounds of 'Happy Days are Here Again'. The prospect of reaching home the next day made sleep hard to come by for most of them.

They were up before dawn the next morning, eager to get the last leg of this trip behind them.

"The first thing we need to do is see about addin on the house." Ennis was saying at breakfast. "We need a lot more rooms – fast."

"I've got an idea how we can get quite a few room in a hurry." Marty said.

"How?" Jack and Ennis both asked.

"Some friends of ours, back in New York, had a whole bunch of relatives move in on them unexpectedly. What they did was went out and got a couple mobile homes, house trailers, hauled them out to their home, and connected them to the main house." He explained.

"Could we do that?" Jack was asking anyone who might know.''

"I saw somethin like that done before." Ben said. "I wasn't in on the project, but they showed me how they did it. It would work all right, and with a minimum of carpentry and pluming; it wouldn't take much time at all – compared to the time it would take to actually build on rooms, do the electrics and plumbing necessary."

"I like that idea." Ennis said after thinking about it for a minute. "Heck, we could get three or four of em. And once we cinder-blocked 'em all in; you'd never know the difference."

"Oh Daddy! Could we do that? Would it really work? How long would it take?" Jenny was filled with questions.

"That'd give us a whole lot a rooms in a real short time." Ennis said, his mind racing off in all directions. "And I seen some real nice mobile homes around. We're not talkin like my dumpy little trailer, but some high quality homes that anybody'd be proud to live in." He turned to Ben and asked, "You'd know how to hook 'em all up and everythin?"

"Sure. Not a problem." Ben assured him. "That's the great part of it. The electrics and plumbing will already be in place. All we'd have to do is hook them up. Piece of cake!"

"What about our generator?" Mrs. Twist asked. "Will it be able to handle the extra load?"

"I'm sure it would." Ben said. "That generator was set up to run lots of heavy duty medical equipment. It's got nearly as much power as the bigger one in the hospital. And even with all our heaters and stoves and everything else going, that gauge never got any where near the red zone. And even if it did, we can always go out and get another generator."

"It'll work then?" Junior asked. "It'll really work?"

"Don't see why it wouldn't." Ennis said. "We could set one up as a bunkhouse for the boys, one we could take down all the inner walls and use for a big dining room, and another one we could use for Junior, Kurt, and Jenny and their babies."

Everyone was talking at once then, excited by their new project.

"What's the matter?" Jack asked after giving Ennis a couple of side-long looks while he drove.

"Nothin." Ennis said, but the answer was slow in coming.

"You do look worried." Mrs. Twist, sitting in between them commented.

"It's just... I don't know." Ennis said as he lit a cigarette. "As long and tiresome as the trip has been, it just seems like it's been... too easy. Like somethin's gonna happen any minute."

"Nah." Jack assured him. "We got this made. We're back in the good ole US of A now, and by evenin we'll be home. Nothin's gonna happen. Nothin bad." Jack crossed his fingers and hoped that he was right.

Jack was right. The last stretch of highway passed as easily as the rest of the trip had. The nearer they got to home, the quieter everyone was. They stopped in Sheridan and gassed up.

"Another hour and we'll be home." Ennis told Junior. She gave him a tired smile, but said nothing. Everyone remained silent the last hour of their trip.

At last, they were home! They erupted then – all at once – and the screaming, yelling, and celebrating began.

Next morning at breakfast, everyone was anxious to get started on their next project – expanding the house.

"There's a huge mobile home sales lot in Sheridan." Walter said. "We drove by it a couple a times while we were there."

"Gillette will probably have one too." Mrs. Twist added.

"Okay." Ennis said as he finished his coffee and carried his cup to the sink. "If you're not all sick to death with travelin, we can head to Sheridan and see what we can find."

"Yay!" Molly and Carrie were clapping. "Road trip!" Those girls loved being on the road!

They found the sales lot easily enough, it was going through it that took the time. After an hours search, Ennis called for them all to meet up back in the parking lot.

"We got so many choices here." He started out. "I think we should concentrate on findin just three. One should be a single wide, that will be easy to gut and make into a dinin room. One should have at least four or five bedrooms that we can make into the boys rooms, and the last one, I want to fix up for Jenny, Junior, Kurt, and their babies. I think we should split into small groups, see what we can come up with. Take a pencil and paper with you and write down which ones you think would suit our needs the best. Then we can meet back here for lunch, and discuss each of them."

It was late afternoon by the time they decided on the ones they wanted. They decided on a sixty-four by fourteen single wide for the dining room that they would attach right next to the kitchen in the main house. The other two were double-wides, one was thirty by sixty-four and the other was thirty by seventy-six. The smaller one had five bedrooms, and a living room that could easily be adapted into another bedroom and bath. That one was going to be their 'bunk house' for the boys. The largest one was a four bedroom and would fit easily with the others, and make the perfect set up for Jenny, Junior, Kurt, and their babies.

They were all exhausted by the effort, but happy with their decisions. Now the hard work would begin. They had to haul them all out to the ranch, and the only vehicle they had that was powerful enough to do that was the tow truck. That meant five trips – one for the single wide, and two each for the double wides. As late as it was in the day, they decided to return home, and begin first thing in the morning.

While Chuck, Ben and a couple others were making the five trips; Ennis, Jack, and the others were preparing the area where they planned on placing them. It took another week of dawn to dusk work to get them set up, the plumbing and electricity connected, and just enough carpentry done to secure the connections to the house and each other. Everyone was thrilled with the results.

In the dining room part, they decided to leave the bedroom and bath at the far end. That would still leave them a forty-foot long dining room, and the bedroom was given to Joe, over his many protests that staying in his camper was plenty good enough.

The two double-wides backed up to the side of the dining room, and fit perfectly with doors already there which was a main reason those specific trailers were chosen. It left a five foot space between them, making it possible for the windows on both sections being unblocked.

The twelve boys had been sleeping in the attic on sleeping bags, sharing the area with the six soldiers, and were anxious to move into their new rooms. Jenny was happy to be moving into a room of her own, and using an empty room beside the bedroom she chose, for a nursery; leaving a fourth bedroom empty. Junior and Kurt had the master bedroom that had a small study next to it that they would use for their nursery. They were so overwhelmed at being with the family again, having food, and people around, they were often at a loss for words, and seen weeping from happiness.

Everyone wanted to move into their new rooms immediately, but it was decided that a trip into Gillette for some furniture was needed first, and Jack and Ennis didn't want to do that until they had the inside alterations done first so they would know exactly how much room they'd have.

They started on the dining room section first. Walls needed to be taken down, a small bathroom needed to be removed. It was re-located in the bunk-house section for the make-over of the living room into a sixth bedroom. Next came removing the kitchen and utility room which was located in the center of the dining unit. They did the work as carefully as they could so the items they were removing could be used again if necessary.

It took another two days to complete the dining room, and the sixth bedroom make over, but they were finally ready. It was time for furniture shopping.

The six bed rooms in the bunkhouse were small averaging ten by twelve, so it was decided to get bunk beds, plus a chest for each boy. Jenny and Junior took the longest to decide. They needed both bedroom sets, and baby furniture. Jeanie was along with them, making suggestions and helping to decide what to get. Joe picked out his furniture in less than twenty minutes.

Ennis and Jack concentrated on helping Mrs. T., Mrs. B. and Mrs. S. pick out new carpeting for the dining room as well as tables and chairs. There was a utility room in both the girls section and the bunkhouse section, so new appliances were called for as well as refrigerators for the kitchens.

Their trailers fully loaded, they headed home. After dinner they had rested enough to start the unloading. Everyone helped, and by bed-time, they were finished. Everyone thrilled by their accomplishment that took approximately two weeks, from the time they got home from Alaska, to the finish. Adding another four-thousand plus square feet to their thirty-two hundred square foot house. More than doubling its size, plus having the capabilities to add more bedrooms in the large living room and family room in the girls unit if necessary.

Next they concentrated on the cinder block wall, and got busy finishing that. During the times they had to wait for a section to dry, they got on with the ranch work. A massive garden was planned and started, fields were plowed and planted for the stock, fences were worked on, and Ennis decided it was time for them to get out and try and find any animals they could in the surrounding area.

Mrs. Twist told them of any neighbors that she knew of that kept animals and they went looking.

A few cows were found here and there for a total of about twenty, only a three horses were found. One bull was found standing in a yard full of pigs. Chickens were found running loose in almost every yard, as well as a few goats, and one mule.

"Oh Jesus, a mule!" Ennis said, taking his hat off and wiping his brow. "I hate dumb-ass mules."

"Well, we can leave him if you want." Jack said. "There's no law sayin we have to take him."

"You got a problem with mules?" Walter asked. "I don't mind 'em at all. They're hard workers; they can pull or carry a heavy load without complainin too much, and they don't eat no more than a horse."

"You want him, you go catch him." Ennis said. "We' got room for him."

In no time, Walter had a rope around the mule, and loaded him up in the stock trailer. They decided to let the chickens go until they could come up with a pen for them.

Looking over the Miller ranch, the one next to the Twist ranch that they annexed, they came to the conclusion that the ideal place for the chickens would be there. The house, having been abandoned for years, was in a somewhat dilapidated condition, but it had a really big front yard that had a six-foot chain link fence all around it. A little carpentry work, and screening on the front porch, and it was turned into a roost for the layers. Once that was all set up, a trip into the feed store – one of the few stores that Lightning Flat had – and they were all set. The men worked up a pen in the stock trailer to hold the chickens; and they were off.

Everyone participated in the chicken roundup. They wore work gloves to protect their hands, and began the monumental task. At first, it was utter chaos. Few chickens were caught. Then they got smart and decided to throw some chicken feed in one area, make a huge circle around it after the chickens gathered to eat, then close in a little at a time. That way, when a chicken ran, it would run right into someone elses' hands. They had a lot better luck that way. They did that until they were all too tired and quit. They had caught about two dozen chickens.

"What we need is a net of some kind." Mrs. Twist said later at lunch. "Like one a those fishin nets with a long handle. Then if you walk out there, spread a little seed on the ground, the chickens will come right up to you. You could then drop the net on 'em and you'd have 'em, without havin to chase them all over blazes, wearin yourselves out, and scarin the poor things half to death."

"That might work." Ennis said. "Got any ideas where we could come up with some a those nets?"

"Probably every barn or cellar around here has fishin equipment." Jack said. "We just need to start lookin."

An hour later they came together with eight long-handled fishing nets. They decided to set up into four teams of three. Two guys with nets would walk behind one spreading seed. When the chickens came up, the two guys with the nets would each catch one. They decided to time it so that they all swung the nets at the exact same time so that no chickens got scared, and frightened the other chickens off. It worked like a charm in farm yard after farm yard. By he end of the day they had close to sixty chickens.

Their ranch stock was growing daily now, as were the del Mar sisters. Junior was due at any time now, and Jenny about a month after.

Chapter Ten – GLORIA

April 1984)

"You seem like you're a million miles away." Charlie said as he sat on the couch beside Ennis.

"I was just think about your dad." Ennis answered as he draped an arm around Charlie's shoulders.

"I just hope he's all right."

"He probably went off someplace to get drunk." Charlie said, sad faced. "He don't like to go too long without gettin drunk."

"He didn't have nothin to drink the whole time he was here. I was hopin once he got to feelin better he'd be able to kick the habit." Ennis said.

"I been hopin he'd kick the habit all my life, Uncle Ennis; but that never happened." He put his head down in shame for his father's actions. "You know—there was somethin that happened while he was here. Somethin he threatened me not to tell. I guess it'd be all right to tell you now that he's gone."

"What? What happened?" Ennis, somewhat alarmed, turned sideways so he could look his nephew in the face.

"He asked me – several times – to look around and see if you had a stash of whiskey, and to bring him some." Charlie said, head still down unable to look his Uncle in the eyes.

"We don't keep no whiskey here. Just some beer in the cellar." Ennis said.

"I know. I saw the beer, but I didn't tell him that." He looked up at Ennis then. "He'd a made me bring it to him. I told him I couldn't find nothin but water and fruit juice. He got real mad."

"You should a told me, Charlie. I'd a set him straight." Ennis' heart went out to the boy.

"No!" Charlie insisted. "He'd a got mad at you then, and I didn't want anybody gettin mad at anybody! That's the best thing about livin here. Everyone likes everyone else. There's no hollerin and yellin, and nobody gets mad at anybody."

"We're all just doin our best to get along here." Ennis said as he pulled Charlie in for a hug. "I didn't know he was givin you a hard time, or I'd a put a stop to it."

"Dad loves to give people a hard time. It's his favorite thing to do. That and drinkin." Charlie said.

"Well, he's gone now. He can't be sendin you off on no more foolish errands." Ennis said.

"I didn't go lookin, Uncle Ennis. I never did. Momma always taught us that it was wrong to go through other people's stuff. So... so I lied to him, and said I did and I couldn't find anything for him to drink. I know it's wrong to lie too, but... I didn't know what else to do. He wanted me to sneak into your room, and check in your drawers and under your bed. There's no way I could do somethin like that."

"You did the right thing, Charlie." Ennis assured him. "If he comes back, and gives you any trouble again – any trouble of any kind – you come tell me. He shouldn't a put you in a spot like that. And if it ever comes down to doin what your momma taught you, or what your dad taught you, go with what you think your momma would want you to do. Momma's are usually right."

"Uncle Ennis... Is it wrong that I hope he don't come back?" Charlie asked.

"It's not ever wrong to say what's in your heart, Charlie."

"Well, that's what's in my heart. I hope he don't never come back. Not ever!"

"It's sad for you to think that way about your dad, but I can surely understand it." Ennis said.

"Cody feels the same way too." Charlie added. "And Carrie – she's scared to death of him. He never liked her, not one bit. He called her bad names, and I don't think he even fed her lunch while Cody and me were at school. We'd get home and she'd be hidin somewhere cryin and come run to us as soon as we got in the door. Cody and me would feed her and clean her up. She'd always be a mess even though Cody and me would see to it she was clean and fed before we left for school. If he'd come in while we was takin care a her, she'd start shakin all over, and big ole tears would start rollin down her cheeks. She's only four, and can't say much about how she feels, but I know she's glad he's gone."

"Whiskey can do that to people. Some of it's okay, but too much can rot your brains. Maybe he'll surprise us and stay away from the stuff." Ennis said, but he doubted his words even as he said them.

"Nah." Charlie shook his head. "My guess is once he left here he headed straight for a liquor store."

"Well, he best not come back here drunk." Ennis said.

"If he does; don't let him in! Please, Uncle Ennis. Don't let him in if he's drunk." Charlie pleaded.

The distress in his nephew's words and on his face painted a picture that pained Ennis to the core. He could only imagine what their lives must have been like before he got to them. "He won't step one foot inside this house if he's drunk, Charlie. I promise you that."

"Ennis, c'mere." Jack caught Ennis by the arm as he came out of the restroom and pulled him back into the hall way. "The boys just got back from Lightnin Flat and they said they heard a truck. They checked it out from the church tower and, sure enough, they spied a pickup headin this way."

"Jesus." Ennis said and headed up the stairs, into his room, and pulled his gun out of the nightstand drawer, sticking it in his back waist band.

"They said the truck was smokin, and sounded bad, so it'll take some time for it to get here." Jack added as he took down his rifle from it's rack over his bed. "You really think we're gonna need these?"

"Don't know. Depends on who it is." Ennis said as he took his rifle down as well, and pocketed some shells from the top shelf in the closet. "Could be just some strangers needin help. Or it could be trouble. Best to be prepared either way."

They left the rifles just inside the front door and stepped outside. They could hear the truck now. Rattlin down the dirt road to their place.

"Whoever it is knows about our turn off; so they must know about us." Ennis said, as the six soldiers scattered to find better positions to view whatever was going to happen, and the women and children waited nervously in the front room, watching out the windows.

The beat up, battered truck, smoking and whining up their driveway came to a stop next to the corral.

It was so filthy and beat up that it took some time to recognize it, but Ennis finally whispered to Jack, "That's the truck K.E. took, ain't it?"

The driver's side door opened and a bearded, long haired K.E. got out. "Where the hell is everybody?" he slurred his words.

"Shit!" Ennis said. "He's drunk!" He hoped the women would have the good sense to make sure the kids stayed inside.

"Thought you was gone for good, K.E." Ennis said as he walked over to meet his brother.

"Nah. I got me some mechanical problems. Truck ain't runnin right. It's a piece a shit!" K.E. said and staggered a bit as he attempted to light a cigarette. "I come to get another one."

"That one you got come from Casper. You forget that?" Ennis asked.

"Nope. I drove all over that fuckin town and couldn't find the place you told me about. I finally give up. I figured – you got lots of 'em. You wouldn't mind givin me another one." K.E. said as he scanned the area to see who was around. He saw no one but Jack standing back by the house.

Once the women saw that it was K.E. they stepped outside to greet him, but were held back by Jack.

"And have your women fill it up with a bunch a that food you got stashed." K.E. didn't quite make it sound like an order, but it was definitely more than a request.

When Ennis didn't move or say anything, K.E. went on. "I wanna see my boys. They around?"

"Nope." Ennis said with a shrug, but stood his ground and didn't say anything else.

"I want that truck, Ennis." K.E. said, and this time it more like a warnin.

"We got none to spare. You can get one in Casper. The place is right on the main street. It's got all them flags up, and the sign says Antique Car Show." Ennis said.

"I don't want no fuckin car! I want a truck! A truck with a camper just like the ones you got." His attitude was becoming more and more belligerent.

A noise came from the camper and Ennis stepped back a few paces, his hand slipped back behind him toward his gun. "You tell whoever is in there to come on out." Ennis said.

"There ain't no one in there. No one but my wife." K.E. grinned at Ennis' alarm.

"Your wife died more than two years ago, K.E." Ennis said, but barely spared K.E. a glance as he called out, "Come on out a the camper. Show yourself."

Jack back by the house chewed on his lower lip, and tried to get the women back inside, but they wouldn't budge.

Ennis could hear movement from inside the camper, but was surprised to see a young girl, bare footed, wrapped in a blanket, step outside.

"You the only one in there?" He asked her but she looked down quickly saying nothing.

"Like I tole you; it's just my little wife there. And she don't talk to strangers." K.E. grinned at his brother.

Ennis walked over to the girl, lifted her chin, and was met with terrified red-rimmed eyes staring

out of a bruised face. The girl was shaking like a leaf. "She's young enough to be your daughter, K.E. Where'd you find her?"

"Now that'd be none of your business, little brother." He glanced over at the women gathering by the door and waved an arm. "Hello, ladies! How about you round me up a cup a coffee and some lunch."

"K.E., you're drunk, and you're not welcome here when you're drunk." Ennis said and backed away from the girl, to be replaced by Mrs. Twist who had managed to evade her son, and headed out to stand beside the girl, one arm around her shoulders to steady her. "You wanna go sober up and come back later, we'll have coffee and talk. But you ain't comin inside like this."

"Like what?" K.E. flicked his cigarette at Ennis, and it bounced off his chest.

Jack saw that and started out but Charlie grabbed his arm, and pleaded with him. "Don't go over there! That's what he wants. He wants to fight!"

"I think you'd better leave now." Ennis said as he reached out a foot and mashed the lit cigarette out.

"I ain't leavin until I get me another truck, little brother." K.E. said. "And I want it packed with food." This time is was an order.

Ennis stood his ground silently.

K.E. reached inside his truck, and pulled out a rifle from behind the pickup seat. "I want a truck, and I want it now!" He demanded.

"You'll get nothin here, K.E." Ennis said again, holding his temper. "You best be on your way."

K.E. took another look around and saw the six soldiers stepping into view.

"Now, there's no need for this to get nasty." K.E. decided to try another tactic. "I tell you what. Let's make a deal. You send my boys out, a couple bags a food, and I'll leave the little one, Carrie, with you. What do you say? Can't be any fairer than that." He noticed the boys standing with Jack and waved them over. "C'mon boys. Grab your stuff. Your Uncle Ennis says we're not welcome here no more."

The boys stood where they were, and Mrs. B. had an arm around each of them.

"Git over here!" K.E. said again to the boys, and they walked timidly over as far as Ennis. "Git in the camper." K.E. ordered them, but they didn't move.

"You boys wanna go off with your dad?" Ennis asked the boys who were standing on either side of him.

Charlie shook his head no; Cody just shook and took hold of Ennis' hand.

"They don't wanna go with you, K.E." Ennis said.

"They're my boys! You got no say in what I do with 'em." K.E. snarled. "Get in the camper right now if you know what's good for you!" He yelled at the boys again.

"Why don't you boys go on back to the house." Ennis said when he saw how nervously K.E. was gripping the rifle.

The boys took off to the house standing once again with the rest of the family who were now all standing around watching.

"Suppose I was to put a bullet in your gut!" K.E. said and swung the rifle around and pointed it at Ennis.

"NO!" The girl from the camper called out, speaking for the first time. "Please don't hurt him!"

"What the fuck do you care? And haven't I told you about talkin in front of strangers?" K.E. walked over to her and raised a hand to hit her, but Mrs. Twist stepped in front of her, glaring at K.E. "Old woman, get your ass inside and get me some food! I said I was hungry!" He yelled at her.

"K.E!" Ennis called his name, his voice filled with venom. "I want you to get in your truck and leave. NOW!"

"You think you can tell me what to do?" K.E. asked as he walked over to face his brother. "And me with this in my hand?" He poked Ennis in the gut with the rifle.

In one swift movement, Ennis had his gun out, and the barrel resting against K.E.'s forehead. "Go ahead. Shoot! You think you can kill me before I can pull this trigger?" Ennis spat out at him.

K.E. stumbled back a few paces. Shocked by his brothers actions.

"I ain't a kid no more, K.E." Ennis said. "You can't bully me no more. Now get in your truck and get off this property!"

K.E. sputtered a few profanities before ordering the girl to get back in the camper.

"Do you wanna go with him?" Mrs. Twist asked her.

She shook her head 'no' but was shaking so hard again she couldn't speak.

Mrs. Twist spoke for her. "I think this young lady will be stayin here with us."

"She's my wife!" K.E. yelled. "She goes with me!"

"You wanna go with him, or you wanna stay here with us?" Ennis asked her.

"Stay!" She said in a whisper keeping her head down, hoping that K.E. wouldn't hear.

"She's stayin with us." Mrs. Twist said.

"You heard her." Ennis said, his right arm outstretched with the gun still pointing at K.E. "The girl stays here."

"I could take her from you, you know." K.E. boasted with a slimy grin. "But she ain't worth the trouble." He tossed his rifle back in the truck. "She's all yours little brother; and I hope she gives you as much trouble as she give me." With that, he climbed into his truck, and chugged on down the driveway. Everyone stood their ground until he was out of sight.

"You don't have no clothes?" Mrs. Twist asked the girl who was shivering in the cold.

"He took 'em from me first day and burned 'em. Said I was gonna be his wife now, and I was gonna stay naked."

"Land sakes!" Mrs. Twist said as she escorted the girl back to the house. "What's your name darlin?"

"Gloria. Gloria Riley." The girl said.

"Everyone, this is Gloria Riley." Mrs. Twist introduced her to the family. "You'll have nothin to worry about here, Gloria. We're just one big family here."

"Welcome Gloria," Junior said greeting her with a hug. "C'mon inside. Let's find some clothes and get you cleaned up."

"Daddy, Daddy!" Jenny called to her dad as he was chopping wood.

"What is it, darlin?" Ennis rested the ax and wiped his brow on his shirt-sleeve.

"It's the new girl, Gloria." Jenny was breathless after hurrying out to her father.

"What about her?" Ennis asked. "She okay?"

"Oh Daddy – she's pregnant!" Jenny said.

"But... she ain't but a kid." Ennis' mind refused to believe what he was hearing.

"She's fifteen, Daddy; and she's pregnant! With Uncle K.E.'s baby!" Jenny said, appalled at the very idea.

"Jesus, Joseph, and Mary!" Ennis swore. "Are you sure?"

"She don't know how far along she is, but from the way she's stickin out, Junior and I think she's about seven months along." Jenny said.

Jack came over when he saw the expression on Ennis' face. "Somethin wrong?"

"It's Gloria - she's pregnant!" Jenny said. "And she's only fifteen!"

Jack was shocked into silence.

"Son of a bitch!" Ennis cursed under his breath. "K.E... he done this!" Ennis drove the ax into the stump and paced around. "He done it, Jack. My own brother!"

"It's beginnin to make a little more sense now." Jack said.

"What're you talkin about?" Ennis said. "How can any a this make sense?"

"I mean the part about him leavin the girl here." Jack explained. "I thought he let her go a little too easily. And it didn't make no sense to me that he'd drive all the way across Wyomin for another truck when he could a found an old truck that'd work in about any town he passed through."

"You mean he came all this way just to dump her on us cause she was expectin?" Ennis asked.

"I'd bet good money if she hadn't gotten pregnant, he'd a never given her up." Jack said. "He wanted someone to sleep with; not a family that he'd have to take care of."

"What's goin on?" Walter asked as he and Joe joined them.

"Anything I need to know about?" Joe asked. "The girl all right? You need me to take a look at her?"

"Jenny?" Ennis finally calmed down enough to think rationally. "Is she all right? She ain't... bleedin or nothin?"

"She's got bruises all over, Daddy; but she's not bleedin." Jenny said.

"Okay, darlin; you go on back inside now. Tell her we got a doctor here and ask her if she thinks she needs him to come in and take a look at her. If she does, you just use the walkie-talkie and call me. You don't need to be runnin back and forth in your condition."

"All right, Daddy. Junior and I are gettin some of our clothes together for her, and she said to ask you if it was okay if we set Gloria up in the spare bedroom in our section?"

"Yes; of course. That'd be perfect." Ennis said.

"Do I need to examine her?" Joe asked.

"After while, Joe." Ennis said. "Give her a chance to settle in first. She's been through enough for one day." He hesitated for a few moments before adding. "She's fifteen. She's just fifteen years old, and my brother raped her, and got her pregnant!" Ennis was beyond distraught.

Walter and Joe were both shocked. In very little time, the whole group was buzzing with the news.

There were now three very pregnant girls among them.

Chapter Eleven - AND BABY MAKES 37, 38, & 39

Junior and Jenny welcomed Gloria with open arms, supplying her with clothes and whatever else she needed until they could get into town again a few days later for clothes of her own. The three girls immediately became fast friends. Talking and laughing and wondering about their babies-to-come.

It was a bright sunny morning, third week in April, when the ladies busy fixing breakfast got a frantic call from Kurt. Junior's baby was on it's way. Jack and Ennis finished fixing breakfast for everyone, and took the children for a walk. It was little over two hours later when their walkie-talkies came on with Joe announcing that a precious little girl had been born.

Katherine Ellen Larson weighed in at a hair under six pounds. She was tiny, but perfect in every way Joe pronounced at lunch when everyone came together again.

Exactly four weeks later, Jenny's little one arrived. Melanie Marie del Mar was a chubby eight and a half pound little blond, the exact opposite of her sister's dark-haired little one.

The first week in June Gloria gave birth to Amelia Grace Riley; just over seven pounds.

The four girls, with their four babies, stuck together like glue, and were often seen about the ranch walking their babies together, or for each other. It was a wonderful happy summer for all involved.

Their house now exactly the way they wanted it, Mrs. Twist's kitchen overflowing into what was the old dining room, had been made over completely, with another stove added, making three – one for each of the women who were doing the cooking. Mrs. T., Mrs. B., and Mrs. S.

All the old cabinets had been removed and in their place new golden oak cabinets were put in that matched the antique Hoosier cabinets they found at the different antique stores they found. New

tile and paint, and the women were thrilled with the results. A good deal of their days were spent in the kitchen either fixing meals, or planning them and gathering what they needed from the garden, freezers, or their ever expanding stash of canned goods they kept in the cellar.

The men worked diligently on the ranch. With the annexation of the Miller place next door, they now had seven-hundred and twenty acres and made full use of them. Little by little they worked on the fence lines, as well as working the fields.

Their herd grew to over a hundred that summer, as the men drove around the countryside rounding up whatever animals they could find. Another milk cow had been found with a new calf, so they now had two milk cows and all the milk they could use.

Now and then they would find another horse or two. Mostly, the mares were happy to see human companions again and came willingly when Ennis would give out a whistle. On one hot summer afternoon and the entire group was returning from a trip to Gillette. Ennis driving the lead truck slammed on his brakes; causing all the others behind him to do the same. Walkie-talkies were blaring asking questions. Everyone got out and walked up to the front truck to see what was going on when they got no answers.

There next to the highway in front of them, a stallion had been tangled up in some barbed wire and was down, and trying to get back to his feet. His efforts only managing to tighten the wire, worsening the painful and bloody situation.

Ennis sizing up the situation immediately, grabbed a pair of wire cutters from the truck tool box, and headed over to the struggling animal.

"Careful!" Jack warned, "He's in pretty bad shape. It might be kinder to just put him out of his misery."

"No." Ennis insisted. "He's just scared and hurtin. I can get him loose." And seeing that the family had gathered he added. "Keep everyone back. He might take off in any direction once I get him loose."

He walked up to within about ten feet of the animal and stopped. The stallion spotted him and became even more frantic in his movements. He spoke to the horse softly, "It's all right boy. I'm gonna get you loose. I ain't gonna hurt you."

The horse's ears were back, his nostrils flaring, snorting in fear and pain as he railed against the wire.

Ennis slid the wire cutters across the grass where they came to rest close to the horse. The horse looked at them and back at Ennis as he struggled.

Ennis walked back to the truck that was pulling the stock trailer and got a watering pan, and two apples. He filled the pan with water and brought it slowly over to the horse, pushing it the last few feet close enough for the horse to take a few swallows. Ennis edged a bit closer to the animal, squatting down to the horse's level and talking calmly to him. He pulled out an apple and rolled it over to the stallion. The horse sniffed it and took it down munching it hungrily.

Ennis reached out an open hand to the horses nose, but the animal shied and tried to pull back.
"Easy now. I ain't gonna hurt you. You got yourself in a real fix here, and I'm gonna help you out." He said and picked up the wire cutters. "You see this here?" He held them up for the horse to see. "I'm gonna use them to cut the wire and get it off a you." He started to move in a little closer and the horse again shied.

"You got no call to be afraid a me." Ennis said, and reached a hand over and patted the horses side. "Just hold on here a minute, and I'll have you free." He slowly moved the wire cutters over and snipped the first wire.

The horse struggled, but made no attempt to bite him, so Ennis clipped another wire and was able to pull one section of the barbed wire away from the horse's leg. Again the horse attempted to get up, but couldn't.

Ennis kept talking to the animal in a calm voice, patting him, and continued to snip away at the wire until the last bit of wire was cut away, and the horse was able to stand. It stood gingerly for a few minutes, testing out its injured leg, before turning and running off across the field.

Ennis stood watching it. The animal turned and ran back towards Ennis and stopped about twenty feet in front of him. Ennis spoke a few more words to him and tossed the other apple to him, landing it a few feet in front of him.

The horse snatched it up and ran off. At the end of the field it stopped and looked back at Ennis who was still standing there watching. The stallion reared up on its hind legs, as if to say, 'see, I'm all right now'.

Ennis whistled at him and raised both arms up in the air a couple times, duplicating the stallions movements. The horse gave one last loud whinny and took off.

"I never thought you'd be able to get that horse loose." Jack said as Ennis retrieved the watering pan and headed back to the group.

"Wow!" Walter said. "That was really something."

"You scared me half to death!" Charlie said.

"I thought that horse was gonna stomp you for sure!" Cody said.

"Nah. He was just scared and hurtin." Ennis said. "Once he saw I was tryin to help him, he settled down."

"He sure was a beauty!" Mike said. "It would have been nice to have him part of our herd."

"It would for sure, but he's been free for almost a year now. It's doubtful he'd ever take to bein fenced in again." Ennis said.

"Again?" Mrs. Twist tasked. "You don't think he was just some wild horse?"

"Nah." Ennis answered. "He had a brand on 'em. He belonged to someone. He's free now though. Probably got himself a stash of mares around somewhere close by."

Five miles on down the road they saw them, eight mares and the stallion out in a field grazing as if nothing had ever happened. They drove slowly on by, the horses glancing up at them, and then back to their grazing.

"Shouldn't we try and take 'em?" Jack suggested. "They look calm enough."

"They're all fine and healthy lookin for now. Let's leave 'em be. We see 'em again come fall, it may be a different story." Ennis said. "We had a pretty mild winter last year. I'm thinkin we won't be so lucky this winter. They might welcome a nice sturdy barn to get in out a the weather by then."

"I just hope the flies don't get to that stallion." Jack said.

"That's the chance we take leavin him out there." Ennis said. "I just feel like it's the right thing to do for now."

"Well you're the boss, Cowboy." Jack said as they climbed back into the truck. "Let's head on home."

It always gave Ennis a little thrill when someone called him 'boss'. He had worked for other people all his life, and now it was his turn to be the boss. Of course, he was aware of the fact that in reality, he was working for Jack and Mrs. Twist; but they seemed to delight in calling him that, as much as he enjoyed hearing it.

It was a busy summer for all of them. They worked the ranch, built a porch for Mrs. Twist that wrapped around the west and south side of the house; along with a vast patio in front for cook-outs, and general summer lazy time, with swings and lawn furniture. The children romped about on the grass catching fireflies, the babies cooed and gurgled on their momma's laps. They worked on both barns, (The Twist barn and the one on the Miller spread.), repairing and enlarging them both.

A great deal of time was spent fishing on the Powder, which was less than ten miles from the ranch, to stock one of their freezers. All participated in the catching and preparing of the fish. They were cut into serving sized pieces and packed in plastic containers, enough for one meal. The smallest fish or bits left over from cutting them to size, were collected into a few containers for Ennis' fish stew. Everyone had thought him crazy for suggesting such a concoction, but once he made it, everyone loved it. He included potatoes, carrots, peas, garlic and of course, the small bite-sized pieces of fish.

In August came the one year anniversary of 'the thing that happened'. They spent the day in somber reflection; each of them telling their stories of what had happened to them, where they were when 'it' happened.

September and October passed in a flurry of activity, bringing in all the fruits and vegetables and preserving them for the winter ahead; filling their basement shelves and freezers. Then it was time for the butchering. Some were a bit queasy about it, but not Mrs. T. and Mrs. B. Both had done their share of it in the past, along with Ennis, Jack, Walter, Allen, and Mike who were all from either farming or ranching families and familiar with it. They butchered a cow, two pigs, and all but the sturdiest and hardiest of the chickens that they were convinced could make it through the winter.

November came and it was time for another hunting trip. Jack and Ennis had hoped for a repeat of last years trip for just the two of them alone; but that was not to be. Everyone wanted to go! Everyone! There was no getting around it this time, so they planned to go to an area where the campgrounds could easily be reached by the trucks and trailers.

The snow had been light so far and there was only an inch or two on the ground as they pulled out that gray November morning heading southeast towards Buffalo and the campgrounds they selected. About fifteen miles west of Buffalo, they came upon a truck that had crashed into the bridge railing where the highway crossed the western most part of the Powder.

Jack and Ennis in the lead truck closed in on it, ready to push it out of the way, when Ennis told Jack to stop.

"What is it?" Jack asked, concerned by the way Ennis was staring at the truck.

"Ain't that..." That was all Ennis got out before he opened the door and jumped out.

"What is it?" Jack stared at the truck for several seconds before he realized beneath all the dirt and filth, was a red Chevy pickup with camper. "Oh Jesus!" He swore and got on his walkie-talkie.

"Everyone, stay in your trucks. We just gotta clear the bridge and we'll be on our way."

By the time Jack got to his side, Ennis was bending over vomiting. He took a quick look in the truck and saw the decaying remains of K.E. del Mar. He grabbed Ennis by the arm and pulled him back to the truck and shoved him inside. He started his engine and pushed the red pickup off into the river below. They watched as it floated just a bit before sinking out in the middle.

Not a word was said between them until they reached the campgrounds an hour later. Everyone was in a happy mood as they set up their campsite, placing their vehicles around in a circle and joked about them preparing for an Indian attack.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" Charlie was saying as he threw his arm around Ennis' waist.

"Thank you for lettin us all come! I know we can't shoot, or nothin, but we really wanted to see what it was like up here in the mountains!"

Ennis hugged him close and promised that when he got a little older he'd teach him how to shoot.

The women were exclaiming how beautiful it was and how they could understand why Ennis and Jack loved coming up there so much.

They all crowded into the larger travel trailer for dinner, everyone sitting where ever they could find a place to sit; couches, beds, bunks, and every spare spot on the floor. The snow came down hard by the time they were finished and everyone hurried to their bunks.

Ennis and Jack climbed into their bunk in the pickup camper and lay silently for some time before Jack asked, "You all right, Cowboy?"

"Yeah." Ennis answered but the strain in his voice belied that.

"You gonna tell the boys?" Jack asked.

"Not for a while. They are so happy to be up here. I don't wanna spoil it for 'em."

"That's a good idea." Jack said. "Everyone does seem to be havin a really good time."

"Uh huh." Ennis agreed. "Did you look? Did you see him?"

"I saw him." Jack said. "I also saw all the empty whiskey bottles."

"I didn't see that." Ennis said.

"From the looks of it; I'd say he was drunk as a skunk and never felt a thing." Jack said.

"That's probably right." Ennis said. "I... I didn't want him to come back; but I never... I never figured to see him like that."

There was nothing Jack could say to that so he just turned on his side and took Ennis in his arms holding him close until they both finally fell asleep.

The next morning all thirty-nine of them crammed once again into the travel trailer and ate a hearty breakfast of hot oatmeal, coffee, and cocoa. After breakfast; Ennis, Jack, Walter, Allen and Mike, geared up and headed off into the woods. They walked for an hour and a half and saw nothing. They turned, circling back towards camp when Mike fired. Everyone was shocked as they had seen nothing.

"Right over there!" Mike was so excited. "I hit him! I know I did." He pointed off into the woods and they all took off running. They didn't have far to go before they came upon the carcass.

"Would you look at that!" Walter said as they walked around the animal, a safe distance back. "He's huge!"

"Good shot!" Ennis said.

"I just happened to be looking over in that direction," Mike explained. "I never expected to see him just standing there!"

"You did good, Mike." The others were saying and pounding him on the back. Mike was the youngest of the bunch at twenty-one. He was a fierce and tireless farmer but none of them expected him to be the first to get an elk. And this one was so large, it was decided there was no need to look further for another.

They set about preparing the animal by tying it's back legs together, and hoisting it up into the nearest tree. It took all of them pulling of the rope to get it high enough. Jack, Ennis, and Walter began the skinning while Allen and Mike hiked back to camp to bring in the large plastic containers for the meat and the butchering knives.

By the time Allen and Mike had returned with several of the others, the animal had been gutted, the head and front legs were already off, and tossed into a nearby stream. It was just after noon when they finished, Ennis had removed the rope as the rest of the remains were dumped into the stream. It was a long walk back to camp with everyone taking turns carrying the heavy containers of meat.

"The rest of us went ahead and had lunch." Mrs. Twist was telling them as they arrived back at camp.

They washed up and ate lunch; exhausted. It was just as well as the sky turned dark and the snow began to really come down.

"Do we have to go back home now that we got an elk?" Mickey asked, hoping for a longer camping trip.

"We can stay another day, if everyone wants to." Ennis said, that evening at dinner.

They all agreed that they wanted to.

"We can go out tomorrow and look for turkeys; but I didn't see any tracks while we were out this morning." Ennis said.

"Maybe we should split up and go off in different directions?" Walter suggested. "We went north this morning. How about we cover east and west tomorrow."

"Good idea." Ennis said.

"What if we spot another elk?" Mike asked, still excited and happy with his very first kill.

"We don't need it." Ennis said. "We got plenty meat now to last the winter. No sense in takin another one when we ain't got room for the meat."

"I hope we can find some turkeys!" Allen was saying. "There's just nothing like a big ole turkey for Thanksgiving." Everyone agreed.

"We been pretty lucky so far." Jack said. "Our freezers are almost completely full. So if we don't get us a turkey; we'll just have to make due, with chicken or a roast or somethin."

"Sure we can." Mrs. B. said. "We can still have pumpkin pies, cranberry sauce, and all the other good stuff that we normally have on Thanksgiving."

"That's right." Mrs. Twist agreed. "If we find turkeys, great. If we don't; we can still have a great Thanksgivin dinner with all the trimmins."

That evening alone in their bunk was a lot better than the night before. They had a long, slow make-out session after the lights were all out and everyone settled in for the night. Afterwards they sat quietly smoking.

"That was some big-ass elk Mike got this mornin." Jack said.

"Yeah." Ennis agreed. "He must a come up out a nowhere. I looked over at that clearin when we passed by and didn't see a thing."

"Well, I'm glad that Mike got it." Jack said. "He said it was his first. He sure is happy about it."

"Yeah." Ennis said, stubbing out his cigarette. "You ready for sleep?"

"I am." Jack said, putting out his cigarette as well and climbed into bed after Ennis and spooning up behind him. "This is the best part of every single day." Jack said, nuzzling his face against Ennis' shoulder.

"Uh huh." Ennis said, already drowsy. "The very best part."

Chapter Twelve - STARDUST

They sat outside on the patio after lunch, full and contented after their meal, and talked of the winter to come.

"Look Daddy! Look at the pretty cloud!" Carrie ran to Ennis and climbed up on his lap.

Ennis looked up and there indeed was a bright cloud just above them. Strange looking cloud, he thought. All kind of sparkly.

Everyone was looking up at it now and it seemed to be coming closer. In moments a fine mist descended from the cloud, sprinkling them not with rain, but a dusting of sparkles.

"What is it?" Someone asked.

"It looks like tiny stars." Someone else said.

"It's beautiful!" Someone said.

"Are the stars falling?" Carrie asked as the tiny sparkles floated down covering everything and everyone with a light glistening sheen, and bringing with it a sense of wonder and serene contentment.

There was no fear, no apprehension when one of the tiny flakes seemed to hover amidst them and grow larger and larger until it formed into the shape of a man.

"Good afternoon." The man of stardust spoke to them.

"Hello, good afternoon," came replies from everyone.

"I have come to explain to you what has happened to your planet. You have been the subject of a very unfortunate experiment. I am here to repair the damage done, and to restore everything back to the way it was."

"Experiment?" Ennis asked, with a friendly smile. "What kind of experiment?"

"There was a war going on in a star system, galaxies away from here. One planet developed a weapon that they hoped to use on their enemy, but they needed a planet to try it out on. They chose Earth."

"So, what happened was some sort of military test?" Walter asked.

"That's right." The stardust man said. "It was meant to destroy all life forms on a planet, but it failed miserably."

"You mean the whole planet was nearly wiped out by this weapon; and it was all just some kind of test?" Marty asked.

"That's right." The stardust man said.

"Who are you?" Ennis asked, still totally calm and not the least bit frightened.

"I am of no matter." He said. "The differences between the two warring planets have been settled, and steps have been taken to see that something like this never happens to your developing planet ever again. Your time line will be restored, and everything will be as it should have been."

"You mean everythin's going to be like it was before?" Jack asked.

"That's right." The stardust man said.

"All the people are comin back?" Mrs. Twist asked.

"Yes. Everything will be as it was before this incident occurred." The stardust man explained.

"We won't even know that this ever happened?" Joe asked.

"That's right." The stardust man said.

"But what if we don't want to forget?" Jack asked. "Can you fix it so we remember?"

"Yeah; we don't want to forget this last year!" Jenny said. "Can you just change things back and still let us remember?"

"It is your desire that you remember this time even though it was never meant to be?" The stardust man asked.

"Yes!" Everyone said.

"I don't wanna forget nothin." Ennis said.

"Me neither." Charlie said and moved a little closer to Ennis.

"Can you do that, Sir?" Jack asked. "Can you fix everythin back the way it was and still let us have our memories of all that's happened?"

"Are you sure that's what you want?" The stardust man asked. "It might be more difficult to adjust to the original time line, if you have memories of this one."

"I want to remember everything!" Jack said.

"So do I!"

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

Everyone was in complete agreement. They all wanted to keep the memory of the past year.

"Very well. Perhaps it is because your small group has prospered during this time, while others have deteriorated." The stardust man said.

"So what's gonna happen to us?" Ennis asked.

"That will be up to each of you. When your time line is corrected, it will all go back to what it was before anything happened. You will be free to live your lives as you choose; just as before."

"Where are you from?" Jenny asked. "Will you come visit us again?"

"I am from very far away and I will not return." The stardust man said as he raised his arm and the entire world dissolved into teeny, tiny bits of swirling stardust.

END OF PART ONE

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