The driver arrived back in Sleepy Eye around eight-thirty; his first task was to tell the sheriff to gather some men together so they could search for the coach and hopefully survivors. Then someone had to get to the telegraph office to send a wire off to Walnut Grove about the accident.
Butcher jumped off the horse and ran into the sheriff's office, "Sheriff Redden! There's been a terrible accident with the stage to Walnut Grove!" the driver pointed out the door.
Redden stood and looked out to see the team of horses, "A hold up?"
"No. Worse! The team broke free and the coach went down the hill with two passengers!" Butcher panted. "Take a deep breath, Butcher. I'll gather some men and we'll go out to see if we can help," he placed a reassuring hand on the driver's shoulder.
Butcher sighed, "You better take the doctor and the undertaker. The coach went down into Ugly Gulch."
"I see," Redden drew a deep breath, "I best send a telegram to Walnut Grove. Surely one if not both of the passengers have kin there and the coach was to arrive within the next half hour..." the sheriff picked up his hat and walked to the door and turned back to the driver, "Have a drink and calm down," he turned and left the office.
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Reverend Alden did his best not to show that he wasn't cold and continued along the road.
"Oh for the love of God!" Harriet Oleson stopped in the middle of the road. "Just how much further are you planing on walking tonight, Reverend Alden?" she bellowed as she watched the Reverend continue up the road.
The moon was almost full and the roadway was bright enough to see just about everything, Alden stopped and turned toward Harriet, "Mrs. Oleson, I am now just walking to try and keep warm," he shivered. "Unless you have matches on your person somewhere that we can start a fire with, I suggest you do the same," Alden trembled in the cool night air and turned back toward where he was walking to.
Harriet thought for a moment, "Well don't you know how to start a fire without matches?" She blurted out after the Reverend.
Alden stopped again and turned, "No, Mrs. Oleson. I guess I must have missed that class..." he countered back with his teeth chattering as he tried to be equally charming.
Harriet twisted her mouth, "Oh."
Alden himself couldn't go much further and he sighed, "I'll try something a Sioux Chief once told me years ago..."
Harriet looked at the man standing before her, "You knew an Indian?!"
Alden looked at Harriet, "I'd like to refer to them as the First People, if you will . . . "
Harriet huffed, "Who cares!? Just light a fire. I'm cold!" she pulled the blanket tighter around her.
Reverend Alden frowned. He'd hoped that the incident at the cliff would have had a more profound effect on Harriet Oleson, but it looked like the case was not to be. Alden told Harriet to stay put while he walked along the road looking for a piece of chert - it was abundant throughout the area and the First Nations people knew where the cache was and as they made their points they often left small amounts behind.
Alden's keen eye spotted a few chunks and picked up one or two possible pieces before he wandered back toward Harriet Oleson. "The best I can do is give this a try," he tried to smile and continued to shake from the cold night air.
"I gather you aren't going to set a fire on the middle of the road..." Harriet watched the Reverend as he gathered a few twigs and dried leaves, "No, Mrs. Oleson. I am going to try and make the fire near the base of that big rock right over there, so the heat, if I'm lucky, will reflect back at us," his teeth mashed together and he wondered what he had done to be place in such a situation with none other than Harriet Oleson.
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Sheriff Redden waited at the telegraph office, "If this doesn't get there within the half hour, I want you to go over to Doctor Grover's and place a call to Doctor Baker. I believe he has a telephone."
"Certainly, sheriff, this is a tragedy!" Wallace Milton typed the message that he sheriff had given him. "I suspect you and a search party will be heading out directly," Milton added.
"Yes, Wally," he sighed, "I just hope that there is some good news. And if those two passengers parishes, I hope it was swift. That would be one hell of a way to die..."
"It surely would be..." Wally echoed the sheriff's sediment.
"This isn't going to be easy with night fall and all..." Redden admitted.
Milton smiled, Just do what you can for them."
Redden patted the telegraph operator on the shoulder, "Thanks, Wally. I will."
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Reverend Alden had tried for a full half hour to get a spark from the chert with Harriet Oleson looking on with some interest, "Maybe you're not hitting it hard enough, she offered.
Alden looked up and drew a breath, "I'm doing my best, Harriet."
Harriet twisted her mouth in doubt.
Alden held his breath and bit his lip hoping for a small miracle, and wit the next click of the little stone, a large spark landed right in the middle of the dried leaves. Carefully the Reverend leaned over and blew at the tiny amber.
"Be careful!" Harriet said as she moved closer, "Don't blow it out!"
Alden gave the little amber one more puff and it popped to life in the form of a flame. "Oh, Reverend Alden! You did it!" Harriet chortled as she added more sticks to the little pile. Alden sat back and smiled, "Yes, I guess I did. I guess I did..."
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As Redden feared, the Walnut Grover telegraph office was closed for the night. However, Wallace Milton followed the sheriff's orders and placed a call to Doctor Baker.
"When did this happen?" Baker asked as Charles Ingalls sat on the chair next to his desk. Ingalls had a nasty sliver in his hand that the doctor was in the process of removing when the call came in.
"I'll gather some men together and we'll me you there..." he said solemnly before he placed the ear piece over the hook to hang the phone up.
"What's happened, Doc?" Ingalls asked.
"The nine o'clock stage to Walnut Grove has crashed into Ugly Gulch..." the doctor finished wrapping Charles' hand. "The driver saw it go over and didn't see any survivors..."
Charles drew a deep breath, "Harriet Oleson was on that stage..."
The doctors' brown eyes looked deeply into Charles', "They said a preacher was also on board and we both know that Robert Alden keeps his travel plans like clock work, and I haven't' seen him here today..."
Charles' mouth dropped open, "You don't think he was on the stage, do you?"
Baker stood, "I don't know Charles. But what I do know is I have to tell Nels..."
Charles stood, "I'll go with you."