Chapter 3

As soon as they had finished their lunch Neal and Mozzie headed out to the barn to saddle Shiloh. They were carrying the two canvas buckets to pick blueberries in; their mouths watering at the thought of blueberry pies. Neal was also carrying their snack and a filled canteen.

It wasn't long before the two industrious boys had Shiloh saddled and their stuff stored and was only waiting to climb on board to start their adventure.

"Now boys, when you see the sun starting to set I want you to be heading home," warned Peter before watching the two mount, nod and ride away.

It didn't take them long to find the berries or to pick two buckets full before heading to where they really wanted to go…the mines.

"What do you think we can find at the mines, Neal?" asked Mozzie as they rode along.

"Billy said that the place was littered with broken equipment and even bits of ore. He said we wouldn't have any trouble finding something that even Jack would be envious in owning," Neal replied before switching topics.

"I wonder why Papa doesn't want us to visit Miss Callie's."

"I don't know; when I asked Billy and Johnny about it they only said that they were forbidden to visit and not to even mention it within their mother's hearing or there would be hell to pay, whatever that meant," Mozzie replied puzzled.

"Then it's got to be the next place we visit; but let's wait until after Papa is out-of- town again before venturing in that direction," Neal said knowingly.

"Maybe we can get Billy and Johnny to join us in that adventure; surely between the two of us we can come up with a plan," suggested Mozzie.

Neal nodded as he pulled up and pointed, "That should be the place; if Billy's directions are right." Neal was pointing to an old broken down shack next to an opening in a rock face.

They quietly rode closer with Satch walking behind with his tongue hanging out panting. The first thing they saw was a rusted pick axe; or the head of one. The wooden handle was gone. "Hey this will do, won't it?" asked Neal excitedly as he handed it over to Mozzie who grunted at the weight before tying Shiloh's reins loosely around the saddle horn so he could graze while they hunted for stuff. He knew his horse wouldn't wander far.

"Sure…let's put it in the saddle bag for now and see what else we can find," replied Mozzie who did just that before joining his partner in crime to look for other loot.

They looked all over the ground between the shack and mine entrance finding bits and pieces which they carefully stored in the saddlebag. "I'm tired, let's have our snack and then we can head for home," suggested Neal after putting their last find in the saddlebag before grabbing the canteen and the bag that El filled for their snack. He pulled the apple out and held it out to Shiloh before retreating to the cool of the overhang of the shack's roof to enjoy their snacks.

The first thing that Neal did was to pour some water in a metal bowl that his mother had included for Satch to drink before handing him a bone with meat still left on it before diving back into the bag to see what she had packed for him and Mozzie.

He pulled out four individual wrapped packages and peaked inside. "We've got sandwiches and cake," shouted Neal excitedly as he passed two to Mozzie and keeping the other two for himself.

And being normal kids they ate the cake first before finishing off the sandwiches. Mozzie grabbed the canteen just as Neal swallowed his last bite passing it back to Neal when he had his fill. As soon as Neal had finished drinking they gathered their stuff and put it back in the bag the food came in and looked around for Satch. He was gone as was the bone.

"SATCH!" shouted Neal and Mozzie as they waited for the puppy to appear. "I bet he went to bury the bone," cried Neal as he continued to call. After a few more calls they heard faint barking coming from the mine and without even thinking they darted in after the dog.

"Satch…come here boy," called Neal as he ran further inside with Mozzie at this heels. Eventually they came upon the puppy that was barking excitedly at them and dropping to their knees Neal gathered his dog up into his arms.

"Don't ever do that Satch; you worried me," he scolded as he petted his pet. It was as they were turning to go that they brushed against one of the supports and

heard an eerie rumbling sound and ran for the entrance only to see it vanish before their eyes as the ceiling came down, supports, rocks and dirt covering them all.

"Cough…cough...what are we going to do now," coughed Neal as he scrambled from beneath it all.

"I don't know…no one knows where we are," he added as the realization of their actions caught up with him and he became to cry.

Mozzie looked through their dusty surroundings and saw a bit of light. "Look …there is some light," and crawled painfully forward hopeful that they could somehow get through only to see that the spaces were too small for them.

"I'm sorry I got you into this mess, Neal," he apologized.

"That's okay; I didn't have to agree...we have got to get help."

El looked at the clock and then out the window…it was getting late and her two boys weren't home yet. She was getting worried. She knew there was nothing dangerous in the woods behind the house where they were supposed to be exploring so they should have been home by now. With a determined look on her face she grabbed her hat and handbag and left to find her husband.

"Hello Honey, how did our explorers enjoy their outing this afternoon?" greeted Peter before noticing the look on his wife's face. "What's wrong?"

"They aren't back yet…and I'm getting worried. Please go and bring my boys home," pleaded El.

Peter looked outside and saw that it was getting late indeed. "I told them that need to be home before it started to get dark. I estimate it will be dark within the next couple of hours. Don't worry Honey; they probably got so involved in their exploring that they lost the time of day. I'll probably meet hem on their way back," assured Peter as he walked out with her and mounted heading in the direction of the blueberry patch.

"Well, I see that they have been here," Peter said out loud as he viewed the berry patch and the tracks all about, "I'll just head back just in case I missed them." he added as eh turned around and headed back to the house where he meet with a worried Elizabeth who told him that the boys still hadn't arrived.

"Where could they be," wailed El as she looked ready to cry.

Peter looked at her as he tried to remember if they had said anything earlier that might lead them to their whereabouts when he remembered their earlier conversation. "I think I know where they might be and if I'm right their little bottoms are going to be too hot to sit on for days," he replied grimly.

"Where?"

"I think they went to the Preston Mines to explore. I've got to go Honey, before it gets too dark," Peter said abruptly before running out to his horse and riding away. He made one detour to the barn to grab and rope before galloping to the mine.

When he was a quarter of a mile away from the mine he saw Satch running and barking towards him and knew he was right about the boys' whereabouts and seeing the puppy alone caused him a moment of distress knowing that something was wrong for the puppy to be alone. He stopped and pulled the puppy up in the saddle with him before riding on.

"They got into some trouble and sent you for help," Peter said to the squirming dog, as he petted him in an effort to calm him down. Once they arrived he could hear voices calling for help from within the mine.

"HELP….HELP!"

"Neal! Mozzie! I'm here and I'll get you out," shouted Peter as he came to an

immediate halt. He dismounted and put Satch down on the ground before reaching for his rope. He tied one end to his saddle horn and carried the other end the entrance of the mine looking for the best place to tie the other end.

"Papa," screamed both boys crying as he neared.

"Neal, Mozzie…I want you two to move away from the entrance. I'm going to try and pull this support out…it should pull some of the stones free enough for you two to squeeze out," explained Peter before lopping his lasso on the beam sticking out and walking back to his horse. He pulled on the reins causing the horse to pull the beam out and with it some rocks did indeed move enough to form larger gaps in the mass blocking the entrance.

"Boys…careful now...come on through," called Peter after stopping his horse, and was rewarded as Neal and then Mozzie crawl through. He opened his arms and pulled the two dirty boys to him hugging them and comforting them as they fell crying into his arms.

"P-Papa, we were so s-scared," cried Neal as he held his papa close.

"Don't you two ever do that again…you two nearly took ten years off my life when I saw that cave in knowing that you were in there," Peter replied huskily as his tears fell to mingle with those of his sons.

After what seemed like hours but in reality were only a few minutes Pete pulled the boys away from him to look them over. "Are you hurt?"

Neal shook his head but Mozzie nodded as he pointed to his knee. "I scraped it when I fell," he said wincingly.

"Then you ride with me…Neal mount up; we need to get back to your mother before she calls out the troops to rescue us," Peter said with a smile. He waited for Neal to mount before passing Satch up to him. "Hold him until we get mounted and then pass him over to Mozzie to hold; we don't need to lose him in the dark."

After looking out of the window for the hundred time in the past hour El was rewarded when she heard hoof beats and rushed outside to see two horses walk up to the hitching post. "Neal…Mozzie!" she cried happily as she watched her two boys dismount and run to her…or at least Neal ran to her with Mozzie limping behind him. "What happened?" she asked Peter who arrived carrying Satch.

"I found them in the mine…they had a cave-in. They were trapped inside that is where Mozzie got hurt. Why don't you tend their needs while I put up the horses," replied Peter indicating they would discuss this later.

"Come on boys…I think you two are in need of a bath or a shower before I take care of Mozzie's hurts," El said as she escorted the two scamps to the shower in back.

"Strip and leave those dirty clothes out here…I'll tend to them tomorrow. I'll bring your nightshirts and then see to Mozzie's hurts," she promised as she left them to do as she said. They were still showering when she returned a few minutes later, so she sat to wait.

"Mamma, "cried Neal, blushing, as he walked out naked from his shower to find his mother waiting.

She only calmly held out a towel and then his nightshirt as he hurried to dry off before hastily pulling his nightshirt over his head. She gave him a kiss and a light swat to his bottom before telling him to go and find his father who had returned only moments earlier.

"Mozzie, here is your towel," she said as she held the towel out to the boy hiding in the shower. A wet hand grabbed it and soon he entered with the towel wrapped around his waist. "Come here and have a seat next to me, son," ordered El lightly as she gathered her salve and bandages to treat him. "Now where are you hurt, Mozzie?"

"I scrapped my knee, Mrs. Burke." replied Mozzie as he sat next to her.

"Mozzie you can either call me El or Mamma…you decide which one you want to use," El said with a smile as she gently began to smooth the salve on Mozzie's scrapped knee. "How does that feel, son?"

"It feels better…thanks Mamma," replied Mozzie shyly.

"Come on son, put your nightshirt on so we can join your brother and have supper," El said as she held out his nightshirt and waited for him to dress.