Chapter 5
Slim and Jess didn't need any further encouragement. They had all their gear packed that night and after a few hours sleep they loaded their pack horse with supplies, along with their bedrolls and were ready to travel by daylight. Daisy called them in for a hot breakfast before they rode off to try and find Mort.
"I will get George and his boys to take care of the stages," Slim informed Daisy for probably the tenth time.
Smiling patiently, Daisy replied, "We are very thankful for their help and I will make sure to have hot meals and dessert for them. Do be careful boys, I worry so about both of you."
"We'll be fine Daisy. Just don't let George have all the pie. And tell Mike we said goodbye and to behave." Jess gave Daisy a hug and peck on the cheek, "I promise we will be back, and we'll have Mort with us." Daisy stood on the porch and watched them ride away, praying that all would return safely and not with their best friend draped over his saddle.
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Mary Hartley had been watching her son nervously pacing the floor, finally speaking up, "Johnny, please sit down. You've been pacing for hours and it isn't helping matters any." Carol had also been watching her husband work himself into a frenzy for days and didn't know what she could do to help him.
Johnny stopped long enough to try to explain his feelings to his mother and his wife, "I'm sorry. But I'm worried about Uncle Mort, it isn't like him to tell me something then not follow through. I felt all along that something had happened to him and now this telegram from Laramie reinforces my concern. Even if he had to hole up somewhere while it was snowing, it has been long enough since the storm passed that he should have been here. I just don't know what to do, or where to begin looking." As he stopped speaking he started pacing once again.
Carol stopped him with a touch to his arm, "Jess and Slim are out searching and they are much more experienced than you. If anyone can find Mort, they can. Sweetheart, give them time, I'm sure they will find out what the delay is."
Mary was just as worried about Mort as her son was, but she tried not to show it. She hadn't seen her brother for over a year and she'd been anxiously looking forward to catching up on their lives. "Carol is right, Son. Mort is no greenhorn, he would have taken shelter when the storm moved in. He'll be along soon." I hope, she added to herself.
"I feel so helpless!" He wrapped his arms around his wife, silently praying that Mort would be found soon.
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The weather had remained mild, with the snow melting more everyday, which raised the water levels even more in all the creeks. Jess had the feeling that Mort had gone north before cutting back to the east towards Fort Laramie. In doing so, he would have been on the west side of the Laramie River as well as the multitude of smaller streams that came down from the mountains south of the fort, so that is the direction he and Slim took.
There was an old trapper's cabin about twenty miles northwest of Laramie and they made that the destination for their first stop. Jess kept his eyes open for any kind of sign of Mort's passing and knowing that it hadn't begun snowing until two or three days after Mort left Laramie, he was hoping that they might spot something that would tell them they were on the right track.
There was about an hour's worth of daylight left when they arrived at the cabin. Slim helped Jess unload the pack horse and while he went inside to get a fire started Jess unsaddled all the horses. After rubbing them down good and giving them each a good ration of oats he searched around outside of the cabin, looking for any kind of evidence telling them that Mort had been here. Finding nothing he headed for the warmth of the cabin.
There wasn't much conversation between the friends during the meal, but after they cleaned the dishes and sat in front of the fire Slim asked, "Do you still think we are on the right path? It seems as though we are quite a ways to the west of where Mort was headed."
Jess chewed on the match he'd sharpened for a toothpick for a moment before replying, "You saw how high the water is in all the streams and I'm sure Mort was aware of that also and I think that's why he probably took a path that was closer to the western mountain range than going further east."
"I wonder how far he made it before it started snowing? Unless he stayed close to the mountains he wouldn't have any shelter, other than an occasional cabin. The question is, where would he turn east and head for the fort? Too many questions Jess and none of the answers look good."
Slim retrieved the coffee pot, refilling their cups before Jess answered.
"That's the big question all right. I haven't been in this part of the country, so I don't know very much about the lay of the land. All I have to go on is hearsay from people passing through Laramie. So, your guess is as good as mine."
"That certainly isn't a whole lot to go on. I want to find Mort as much as you do, but this seems to be a wild goose chase just like Daisy said. If we don't find something by tomorrow evening I suggest we head home. This is just too big of a country to try and find one person in, especially with the storm wiping out all the sign." Slim didn't want to admit defeat, he was just trying to be logical.
Hanging his head, Jess responded, "I know you're right, but dadgum it Slim, Mort's our best friend … I'm not giving up." Saying that, he went to his bedroll and turned in for the night.
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Slim had breakfast ready by the time Jess came in from saddling their horses. "It's cold as all get out," Jess exclaimed as he sidled up to the fire, "but it looks like it's going to be a sunny day."
"Let's hope we can find some sign of Mort's route today. I think he'd only been on the trail a couple days before the snow storm hit, so if we don't find any sign of his passing this way soon we'll be traveling blind." Slim set the plates on the table, then grabbing the coffee pot he settled down at the table. "Sit down and eat, the sooner we get finished the sooner we can get on the trail."
After finishing breakfast Jess wandered around the cabin, inspecting every inch. "This would be a logical place for Mort to spend the night but I don't see any sign that someone has used this cabin for months. Where could he have got to? Dang it Slim, he had to of come through here."
"This is big country Jess, all it would take would be for us to be a few yards one direction or the other from his trail and we wouldn't see any sign of his passing. It's going to be pure luck for us to find his trail and you know it."
"So are you saying that we should just give up? Because if that's how you feel, you might as well just go back home, because I'm going to keep searching until I find out what happened to him." Jess grabbed his hat and coat, preparing to storm out.
But Slim stopped him with a hand to his chest. During the night he had made the decision that he couldn't go home without knowing what had happened to Mort any more than Jess could. "No, I'm not saying that, I'm just saying that we are going to have to search harder. Why don't we ride a ways apart from each other? We can search more ground that way."
Smiling, Jess punched his arm, "Why didn't you say so! Let's go Pard."
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Jess and Slim had been searching for five days, zigzagging back and forth to cover more area, but had found no sign of Mort's trail. The land was covered with nearly two feet of snow everywhere, save for where a snow-slide had roared down the mountain. The only tracks they saw in the slide area were elk that had been feeding where the bushes were now bare of snow.
They rode into what was known as Hartville late that afternoon and headed directly to the saloon. Telling the bartender their story, they inquired as to whether he or anyone else, had seen Mort.
Slim explained, "Mort was on his way to Fort Laramie and because of the bridge on the stage road being washed out, we figured he had ridden further west to miss all the high running creeks. But we've found no sign of anyone being in those hills, so we were hoping he had stopped here to rest up or get supplies."
Tom Mason had been in town since its inception and he knew everyone who lived within twenty or thirty miles of town and he always noticed any strangers that came into their town. "I'm sorry boys, I wish I could help you, but I haven't seen anyone matching your friend's description. In fact, I haven't seen any strangers come through these parts all winter until you two showed up."
After they had downed a couple drinks they left the saloon. Slim asked Jess, "Well, that was pretty much our last hope, what do you suggest now?"
"Let's go on to Fort Laramie just to make sure Mort hasn't shown up there and if he hasn't, then we'll head down the east side on the way home." Jess sadly mounted Traveler and slowly headed out of town towards the east.
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Jess and Slim rode into Fort Laramie at sundown after riding out of Hartville that morning. Their first stop was at the sheriff's office, where they both dismounted.
Jess told Slim, "You go in and ask your questions, I'll keep an eye out to see if I might spot Mort or Johnny."
Slim returned within a minute or two and Jess could tell there was no good word on Mort's whereabouts. "The sheriff says that Mort hasn't shown up and that Johnny's home is about a half mile northwest of town. If we hurry, we can probably make it in time for supper."
Slim smiled when Jess jumped on Traveler and said, "What are we waiting for? I'm hungry."
It was a short ride to the Hartley home and Jess and Slim were dismounting at the hitch rail about fifteen minutes after leaving the sheriff's office. They had no sooner gotten off their horses before Johnny was rushing out the door.
"Did you find him? Please tell me he's all right." Carol and Mary had followed him out and holding each other's arms, they were also waiting for the answer.
Slim looked at Jess then turned to Mort's waiting family. "I'm sorry. We found no sign of Mort, or anyone that knew anything about him. But, it's a big country, just because we didn't find him, doesn't mean anything."
Johnny's shoulders dropped and he hung his head, shaking it back and forth. "No! No! He's not dead, I know he isn't. He can't be, he just can't …" Carol broke away from Mary and going to her husband she put her arms around him, crying along with him.
Jess stepped forward, taking Mary in his arms, he held her. "I don't know what to say. Just because we didn't find his bod … find him, doesn't mean anything. He could have taken a different route at the last minute, or his horse might have come up lame. There are any number of reasons he has been delayed. All I know is that he was looking forward to seeing you all again and meeting his new great-nephew and I, for one, am not giving up hope on him."
Mary looked into his face with a sad smile, "Thank you Jess. I will not give up on him either, I would know in my heart if he were dead. Now come on in, you must be starved and we were just getting ready to fix some supper." Taking his arm, she guided him towards the porch.
But he stopped, "If it'd be all right, I would like to take care of the horses first. It's been a long hard trip for them."
"Of course. When you're through, just come on in. We will be waiting for you." He kissed Mary's cheek and turned back to the horses.
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Jess couldn't sleep, he lay in bed with questions racing through his head, questions he couldn't answer. With a big sigh, he threw the covers back and began to dress.
Slim stirred, opening his eyes to see his partner dressing. "Jess, it's still dark out, what do you think you're doing?"
"Sorry I woke you Slim, but I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd go check the horses. Go back to sleep."
"You're still thinking about Mort aren't you? Jess, there isn't a thing any of us can do, I'm as upset as you are, but we just have to go on with our lives. He'd want it that way, you know that, don't ya?"
Jess slipped his boots on then stood and buckled on his gunbelt. "I would know if he was dead … I'd know here." He tapped his chest. "No Slim, he's alive somewhere and he needs my help."
"So, you're just going to ride off and leave me to run everything while you go gallivantin' around the country looking for a needle in a haystack! Jess, I feel bad also, but it's a lost cause and you know it. And what am I going to tell Daisy and Mike? They will be worried sick about you until you come home."
"I'm sorry Slim. I'll go back with you, but just so we can check the east side of the river, but if we don't find him, or some sign of him, then I'm striking out on my own." He grabbed his hat and coat and walked out the door.
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Jess and Slim spent another day with the Hartley's, but they finally had to say their goodbyes. They had been away far too long and needed to get back to the ranch.
The horses were now saddled and they were ready to go. Slim shook hands with Johnny while Jess was saying goodbye to the girls. "We want to thank you for your hospitality, it is appreciated. If we hear anything about Mort you'll be the first to know. Take care."
Jess took Johnny's hand, "I'll never stop looking for him. As soon as I get back to Laramie, I am heading out to search some more. I'll find him, one way or another, I promise."
"Thanks Jess, I hope you're right and when you find out something you be sure to let us know. Be careful and come back again." Johnny stepped back and waved as they rode off.
Carol wrapped her arm around his waist and he put his arm over his mother's shoulders as they watched the men ride out of sight.
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Although Jess didn't think they would find any sign of Mort on the east side of the river, they still kept their eyes peeled. They rode steady every day, arriving at the ranch at the end of the fourth day.
Their last day on the trail was traveled in a light snow driven by a cold wind and they were relieved to get home and into a warm house.
Daisy could tell right away that they had been unsuccessful in their search for Mort, nearly weeping at the realization. But she said nothing until after supper and they had put Mike to bed.
She posed her comment as a question, "I take it you didn't find any sign of Mort? He has been such a mainstay in the town, what will Laramie do without him?"
Jess made no reply, he and Slim were still having arguments about Jess leaving to search for him again. Slim glanced at him before replying, "We found nothing and no one we talked with had seen him. Johnny and Carol are beside themselves with grief and I think Mort's sister is the only thing holding them together, but she's suffering her own grief. It's going to take time for them to come to terms with their loss."
Jess jumped up from his chair so forcefully it fell over, then grabbing his hat and coat he went out, slamming the door behind him. Slim started to follow, but Daisy stopped him, "Let him go Slim. He's hurting and needs time to accept what has happened."
"That's the problem Daisy, he hasn't, nor will he, accept it. He's going to leave and search until he finds Mort, dead or alive. He's already told me we can't stop him."
"Oh dear. Slim, it's been so long now that there's no way he could find him. What does he think he can accomplish?"
"I think he has to prove to himself one way or the other. He won't rest until he does."