I hope you enjoy this chapter. This is where all the adventure truly begins . . .

Chapter 7 – A Morning Visitor

Heath felt the sun tease his eyelids open. He sat up and looked around him. Much to his surprise, he found Rachel curled up right next to him. He smiled. She sure looked cute. She didn't look like she was turning fifteen. She looked more like a twelve year old. Making sure that he didn't disturb her, he crawled out of his bedroll, and wandered off to chop some wood for a fire.

Rachel turned in her sleep. Something kept breaking up her dream. What was it? She finally opened her eyes, trying to register where she was and what that strange sound was. She couldn't quite place it. She eased herself up into a sitting position, pushing the bedroll off her, and looking around.

She suddenly froze with fear. Her mind instantly registered the rattling noise when she saw a snake right next to her left leg. It was a couple of feet long – and there was no mistaking what kind of snake it was.

"A rattlesnake! Oh, my! Heath – I need you! God – help me! Don't let it bite me!" Rachel thought desperately. She flashed her eyes around, looking for a gun. To her relief, she saw that Heath had left a rifle next to his bedroll. If she could only reach across and get it without alarming the snake…

"The smaller they are, the more angry they get!" she reminded herself. "That's a pretty small snake, I guess. Oh, dear – oh, no! Oh, help!"

Rachel slowly reached out her hand and eased herself toward the rifle without moving her leg. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest – she was sure that was enough to startle the snake!

Finally she felt her fingers close around the rifle. Without taking her eyes away from the slimy reptile, she began to lift the gun from where it lay on the ground. All she could do was pray, "Please come, Heath! God – please send Heath to me. Don't let him startle the snake, though, Lord! Don't let it bite me!"

The snake was still rapidly shaking its rattle. Rachel knew that that meant it was warning her to stay away. "I don't want to go near you, you stupid snake!" she thought. "Leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone!"

But it was no good! Just as she thought she had a good grip on the rifle, it suddenly slipped from her fingers. It fell with a thud to the floor. Instantly the rattling noise stopped and a searing, burning sensation seared through Rachel's leg. She jumped as the agony set in. She wanted to scream as fear set in and took over the pain – but she didn't. If anything, she was too terrified even for that. Instead she just stayed there, watching as the serpent slowly slid away. She needed Heath – she knew that! But even when she tried to call him, her voice caught in her throat. She sank back on her bedroll, letting the pain and fear take over her.

It seemed an eternity to Rachel before Heath wandered into camp, whistling a merry tune softly. He looked across at Rachel, not noticing her unusually pale face at first.

"So, you're finally up then? Did you have a good night? I trust the coyotes managed to scare you," he grinned when he remembered the picture of her curled up next to him that morning.

Setting down the wood that he carried in his arms, he looked over at his little sister. To his surprise, he found Rachel trying to support herself on her bedroll whilst tears coursed themselves down her cheeks. He was next to her in a second.

"Rachel – what's the matter?" Heath asked. "Are you hurt?"

"Oh, Heath – help me!" Rachel cried. "I should have called for you – but I felt too weak." Rachel was beginning to pant, which made Heath frown with concern.

"What happened?" he demanded urgently, taking her by the shoulders in a gentle hold.

"It bit me!" Rachel sobbed. "A rattlesnake bit me!"

Heath's heart seemed to miss a beat for a second. "A rattlesnake bit you!" he repeated in alarm.

Rachel tearfully nodded her head, pointing to her leg. Heath immediately saw the red area where the fangs had set in. "I was too scared to call out for you. I was too weak."

"I've got to get the poison out," Heath exclaimed, trying to stay calm for her sake. He hated what he had to do now! "Now, little sister – this is gonna hurt like nothing else. I need you to look away and try not to think about what's happening. Scream and yell all you like if it helps – but I have to do this!"

Rachel's eyes grew wide with fear. What was Heath going to do? She looked away, trying to focus on the Valley Oak that shaded their camp. She could feel Heath hesitating, as if he didn't want to cause her any more pain.

Suddenly, an awful searing pain shot through her leg in the same place where she had been bitten, making her body jolt. Tears stung Rachel's eyes, and she fought against them with all her might. A scream caught in her throat and came out in a husky and muffled cry. When the second pang of pain came, Rachel couldn't bear it any longer. She began to sob! Turning her head quickly to see if Heath was finished, she saw him lay down a bloody knife on the ground, and stoop next to Rachel's leg. He pressed the cut that he had made to his mouth and sucked, quickly spitting it away on the ground. He sucked the wound several times, and then tore the bandana from his neck, using it as a bandage for her leg.

"Oh, Heath! Heath!" Rachel sobbed once he was finished. "Am I gonna die!"

"No, Rachel," Heath said, quickly wrapping her in his arms. "Don't say anything like that! I'm sorry that I had to hurt you – but it was the only way to get the poison out! I'm so sorry, little sister!"

Rachel buried her head in Heath's shoulder. Heath let her cry there for a few minutes whilst the guilt set in. The first time the family leave Rachel completely in his charge, and this happens to her! What would they say? Would Rachel be alright? Why hadn't he watched over her more closely? He knew the dangers of the trail – the creatures that haunted it. He shouldn't have left her by herself!

As he continued to beat himself up about what had happened, he couldn't help but notice that Rachel was snatching at her breaths in between her sobs. Her breathing sounded tight and forced. That wasn't good.

"I don't mean to be baby…" Rachel's voice finally interrupted her cries.

Heath felt a wave of relief when she spoke. He was glad that her tears had died down enough for that. "You're not a baby – you're very brave," he said, holding her close. "A lot of people would have been screaming out much more than you were! Now, we need to get you to some help. Do you think you could ride?"

"I'll try!" Rachel said faintly. Heath stood up and tried to help Rachel to her feet. She crumpled up at once. "I can't walk on it – I feel all weak. And I'm all numb!"

Heath put an arm around his sister to support her, and looked around him wildly. "I'm sure there's a line shack not far away. It's closer than the ranch and the doctor. I'll take you there and make you comfortable whilst I go and get help."

Rachel nodded her head, trying to focus on what Heath was saying. She could only feel the ringing pain vibrate up her body till it seemed to pulsate in her head.

She suddenly felt herself being lifted up. Normally she would have protested to being carried like a baby – but not this time. She felt too weak to argue.

Heath set Rachel down on his horse, and then quickly mounted up behind Rachel.

"Why am I so weak and numb?" Rachel asked feebly.

"Don't you worry about it now! The line shack isn't far, little sister. Try to hang on," was Heath's reply. He kicked Charger on, and the horse set off, with Heath holding onto his sister to keep her from slipping.

"Why didn't we just go onto the line shack last night? I should have pushed the horses and Rachel a little further – even though they were bushed – but at least this wouldn't have happened! Now she's been bitten by a snake – and I don't know if I reacted quick enough! Did I get all the poison out? I ought to ask her how long after the bite I came back and … but I don't want to worry her. If it was a long time, then that's not good, and she'll know it! Worrying is the last thing that's gonna help little sister at the moment. If only she had screamed or called for me! There was a rifle there! She could have shot it! Or didn't she because I told her not to shoot a gun unless I said otherwise? No – she would know that I meant that unless it was an emergency – wouldn't she? Oh, Heath Barkley – you've made a blundering fool mistake. You never should have left that little gal alone. You know how much she means to you – and now she could get awful sick. She could die!"

The journey seemed forever to a sick girl and a guilty conscience. However, just like Heath had predicted, a little line shack came into view about half-an-hour later. Once outside the building, he dismounted, Rachel practically falling off Charger into his arms.

"I'm going to make you comfortable here," Heath said, "and then ride as fast as I can to get help. You're gonna have to be brave, little sister."

Rachel nodded her head weakly, not quite sure what Heath was saying. His voice seemed faint and far away.

Heath, still carrying Rachel in his arms, walked over to the door of the shack, and kicked it open. Hurrying inside and over to a reasonably clean bed, he laid her on it.

The click of a gun hammer behind him made him freeze, alerting him that they were not the first ones to come across that shack.

"What are you doing here, Mister?" a voice asked.

Heath hesitated, his ears telling him that the voice behind him was not friendly. He looked at Rachel, who had a look of weak and hopeless fear on her face, and then quickly glanced at his gun, loose and ready in his holster.

"I said what's your business, Stranger? What ya doin' bustin' into a place – huh?"

Heath let his hand hover over his gun, and then quickly spun around, drawing it from his holster. Instantly he saw a flash of a man's face and the butt end of a gun, at the same time feeling a sharp, thudding, burning sensation in his head. Heath saw a blurred view of the floor, and then complete darkness.

Da da daaa! I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Please, please, please review! Thankyou! :-)