Chapter 7
'The trail is impassible.' Ben announced, wearily closing the door behind himself as he walked back into the cabin. Adam was seated at the girls bedside, looking up as he approached him. 'How is she doing?'
'Still alive Pa.' Missie croaked softly, her eyes still closed. 'How's the trail?'
'There was a landslide in the mountains, there's no way through till its cleared.' He touched her forehead gently, no longer was she cold to touch but now he could feel a slight fever coming on. He took his soaked hat and coat off, passing them to Adam who took them to dry at the fire. He sat down, taking her soft hand in his. 'How are you feeling?'
She could hear the concern in his tone and tried to reassure him she was alright. 'I'm okay Pa. I'm more worried about you and Adam. You two have hardly slept the last couple days.'
'We're fine sweetheart, you just concern yourself with getting better you hear. I'll be back, I need to speak to Adam. You get some sleep.'
'Alright Pa, I'll try.'
'Good girl. Sleep well.' He kissed her forehead gently then stood and went over to his son. 'How's she been?'
'Coughing quite considerably. I was able to get some tea into her though.' Adam replied quietly. 'How was the trail Pa?'
'Rough. Its still raining buckets out there.'
'It's been raining three days straight.'
'It doesn't appear to be letting up anytime soon either. We're just going to have to wait it out.'
'Doesn't seem we've much of a choice.'
'No, we don't.' He agreed soberly and glanced out the window as rain splattered onto the glass. 'Hoss and Joe should be home by now, if they haven't been caught in the rain.'
'Maybe they might come looking for us.'
'Maybe but we can't rely on that. Missie needs to be gotten out of here and home, soon.'
'What are you thinking then?'
'Riding out as soon as we can. We'll have to go the long way and even then there's a chance we won't be able to get through. We need to give it a try though.'
Adam looked back over at the girl. 'It'll be hard on her.'
'I know. I wish there were some other way-' His voice trailed off, watching flickering fire. 'We don't really have a choice. Have you got any better ideas?'
'I wish I did but the best I can come up with is wait till she's stronger. The tea does seem to be helping Pa, if we were to try and attempt that ride with her in the condition she's in she might end up worse. While we're here she's at least warm and dry.'
'Your right son.' Ben replied after a pause. It was hard knowing what was the right move to make. If they stayed and she got worse there wasn't a way of getting help to her but on the other hand he knew the rough journey would take its toll on her. They could only wait and pray.
'I am sooo glad to be finally home-' Little Joe exclaimed in relief as he and Hoss walked into the ranch house. ' Now I can get out of these wet clothes.'
'You worried 'bout clothes? I'll be happy to have a meal that's not beans.'
Hop Sing came out from the kitchen, hearing the commotion and looked at the boys dripping water all over the floor. 'Boys wet all over floor. Go change into dry clothes.'
'Sure Hop Sing, in a moment-'
'You go now. Just clean floor.'
'Hop Sing-' Hoss interrupted, noticing there were no hat's or gun belts on the rack besides their own. 'Where's Pa 'n Adam and lil Miss?'
'How I know? They go fishing, say they be back four day ago. Not seen them all week.'
Joe frowned. 'They say where they were going?'
'Little Sheep River. Mister Cartlight say he and number one son teach little miss fishing at favorite fishing spot.'
'They must have gotten caught in the rain and probably holed up somewhere to wait for it to pass.' He turned to his older brother. 'Maybe we should ride out and check on them.'
Hoss nodded in agreement. 'We'll ride out first thing in the mornin.'
'Right now you go change.' The Chinese man instructed, pushing the brother's towards the wash room. 'Then clean up floor.'
Though the rain had finally ceased, the sky was still dark with clouds as Ben looked out the window the next morning. It'd been a week since the girl's almost drowning, a week of anxious vigil at her bedside. While the girl was undeniably ill her sickness hadn't progressed any further. Another blessing was that by some miracle Adam hadn't become sick as a result from his ordeal. His son had a slight cough but that was the worst he'd gotten from his swim in the frigid waters.
'Pa?'
He heard Missie's feable voice calling him and quickly returned to her side. 'I'm here honey.' He sat down on the bed beside her, the girl opening her eyes when he took her hand in his. 'What's the matter?'
'Can I have some water please?'
'Sure sweetheart.' He picked up a glass from off the table beside the bed and held it to her lips. She drank steadily then motioned for him to take it away. 'How are you feeling?'
'Better Pa.' She managed a small smile and he smiled back, taking her hand in his. 'Adam? Where's Adam?'
'He's out tending to the horses, I finally convinced him you'd be just fine for five minutes.'
'You've been worried about me, haven't you?'
'That's what father's and brothers are for. Your one very lucky girl, my dear.' He saw the look of confusion on her face. 'Don't you remember what happened?'
'No Pa. What happened?'
'You were out walking along the river, part of the bank collapsed and you fell in. Adam got you out just in time.'
The girls face paled. 'I can't swim. Is that why I've been so sick?'
'I'm afraid so.'
'And Adam? Is he okay?'
'He's just fine.'
'Thank goodness-' She was interrupted by a short coughing spell and had to wait a moment to catch her breath. 'How long have I been sick for?'
'It's been a week exactly today.'
Missie raised her eyebrows in surprise. 'That long? I'm sorry Pa, I know you must have been worried.'
'It's not your fault my dear, there's nothing to apologise for. The main thing now is your feeling better.'
'I ruined out camping trip-'
'No, you didn't. It was an accident, just a very unlucky one so don't go blaming yourself.' He replied gently but firmly. 'And there'll be no more talk about it.'
'Okay Pa.' She took a look around the cabin. 'Where are we?'
'Old trappers hut a couple miles from where we were camped. Its served us well over the years.'
'Defiantly warm enough that's for sure.'
Ben brushed her forehead gently with the back of his hand. 'Your still running a bit of a fever I'm afraid. It's not as high as it has been but I'm not surprised your feeling warm.'
'Have you been giving me the tea?'
He nodded. 'I hope I've been doing it right.'
'You can't really go wrong with it.' She chuckled then coughed a little. 'Water?'
'Here-' He held a glass to her lips. 'Slowly.'
'Thanks.'
'Horses are done Pa.' Adam exclaimed, taking off his jacket after he'd closed the door behind himself. Ben was sitting next to Missie, the girl smiling at him as he walked over. 'Missie, how are you feeling?'
'Better now your here.' She teased, Adam sitting down opposite her father. 'So this is what a girls gotta do to get male attention hey.'
'You must be feeling better, seeing as though your humor is intact.'
'It's all I've got right now I'm afraid, I feel as weak as a kitten. I won't be able to beat you at arm wrestling for sometime it would appear.'
'You couldn't best me even if you were well.'
'I can try.'
'Alright, that's enough for now.' Ben interrupted, seeing how tired the girl was becoming and stood. 'You get some rest Missie, when you wake we'll have something for you to eat.'
'Okay Pa. Do I get a hug Adam?'
He chuckled and obliged, giving the girl a kiss her feverish cheek as he did so. 'Sweet dreams my dear.' The girl nodded, snuggling down into the covers and he tucked the blankets around her shoulders before leaving. His father was kneeling beside the fire adding a couple logs and he came up behind him. 'I went out to see the trail, your right. There's no way she'll be able to ride out that way in her condition.'
'No.' He agreed, standing again with a glance over at her. 'It's going to take a few days at least before she'll be able to sit in a saddle. Right now though, I'm going out to find us some game.'
'Well, there's our answer.' Little Joe looked at the mound of debris strewn over the trail leading to the river. It was clear to see further up the mountain side where the landslide had come from with boulders and uprooted trees been laid to rest down below. There was no way of riding over or around and until it'd been cleared no one would be using that road. 'They must have had to take the long way around.'
Hoss thought for a moment. 'Even if they did Lil Joe, they should have been home by now. They've been gone too long.'
'Maybe your right. Unless something else has happened-' He let the sentence trail off. 'Why don't we split up? You take the long way to the fishing spot while I head back and rally some help to clear this up. I'll catch you up on the trail later.'
'Alright, you be careful little brother.'
Joe chuckled, turning his horse back towards home. 'That goes for you too.'
Hoss extinguished the remainder of his campfire with the rest of his coffee as he stood. The sun was just rising as he finished breaking camp and started on back down the trail towards the river.
Riding for a few hours he finally reached where they were to have made camp. There was remnants of a campfire but it had long been cold. There were no tracks either at all, having been washed away by the rain. He frowned as he looked around. There was no sign of them at all.
The river below was a raging torrent, three quarters up the bank to where it normally ran. A tree floated by as he watched then turned Chubb back to the trail. They weren't around here but where were they?
He rode back along the river, looking around for any clues. They weren't at the camping spot and he'd doubted they would have been with the amount of rain they'd had over the last week. They weren't at home either, the landslide would have forced them to take the long route home but yet he hadn't seen any sign of them from where he'd come from either. The question on his mind was where were they?
Something black on an uprooted tree beside the river caught his eye and he stopped the gelding. He frowned, dismounting and approached it. The felt was muddied and twisted out of shape but he knew from the distinctive band it was Adam's hat. His blood ran cold as he pried it from the roots of the tree. If Adam's hat were here, where was he? The river was roaring loudly as more brush from upstream was carried past. If they'd gotten caught in the river they'd have had no chance at all.
He went back to his horse and placed the hat in his saddlebag then mounted. He tried to remind himself that just because he'd found a hat didn't mean anything had happened to them but he was worried. He thought furiously, trying to figure out where he should be looking. If Adam had been hurt Pa and Missie would have taken him to shelter if they could. The nearest shelter was that old trappers cabin-
A look of resolve passed over his face as he turned Chubb off the trail and spurred him into a canter.
'Adam, I'm fine. Really-' Missie tried to sound convincing as she stood beside her bed. 'I've been resting all week. Doing some cooking won't hurt.'
Adam pinched the bridge of his nose as he took a deep breath then looked back at her. 'Missie, you are not fine. You've just had one hell of a time, your not fully well and I'm not asking you, I'm ordering you back into that bed.'
'Not happening.' She crossed her arms in defiance. 'Your not my father.'
'No but I am your elder brother and with that I have the authority around here. I say you get back into bed.'
The girl stamped her foot. 'And I'm saying I'm not. I feel fine Adam, I'm not an invalid. If Pa were here he'd let me up.'
'Well he's not here now, is he?' God, Missie was just as stubborn if not more so then him. 'If you don't get back into bed and stop arguing with me I will put you over my knee and give you a tanning. I will too, just ask Little Joe.'
With the threat of a tanning her face paled. Adam wasn't fooling when he made threats and there was no way arguing with him was worth getting hit over. She backed down, turning and crawling back into bed. Her throat felt hoarse from speaking loudly and while she pulled the covers back up she started to cough.
'See?' He questioned with amusement, pouring her a glass of water. 'Your not well enough to be up.'
She took the glass he handed her and took a few sips. 'Alright, alright. I'm sorry.'
'Better.' She passed him back the glass and he put it aside. 'I was getting worried for a moment I'd have to make good on that promise.'
'You won't ever have too. I've had enough of that for a life time.'
'Little Joe thinks that too, Pa was constantly making trips to the barn with him.'
'I didn't get sent out to the barn.' She replied softly after a pause. 'I got it where I stood. Wasn't always the belt either, he hit me with his razor sharpening strap on more then one occasion. That left bruises for weeks. Have you been ever hit with one of those?'
'Can't say I have, wouldn't want to either.'
'They leave a mark that burns like hell I'll tell you that.' She was about to add something more to her story when the door opened, Ben walking back in. 'You weren't gone long Pa.'
'Got lucky, found these a stone's throw away.' He replied, holding up two rabbits. 'And I've got a surprise for you too.'
Her face lit up as Hoss walked through the doorway. 'Hoss! I didn't expect to see you! How was the cattle drive?'
'Nothin spectacular to report. However, Pa tells me you've been having some fun without me.' He took the chair beside the bed as Ben and Adam went to take care of the rabbits. 'How you feelin?'
'Better then I have been. Pa and Adam have been taking real good care of me.'
'I'm sure glad to hear that. Wouldnt want nothin happenin to my favorite girl now would I?' She blushed as she chuckled. 'Did I say somethin funny?'
'You probably call all girls you meet your favorite.'
'Oh no ma'am, only the pretty ones.'
Missie laughed at his teasing. 'Your too funny Hoss.'
'Thank ye ma'am.'
'And where's Little Joe? Don't tell me you left him behind in Calaforny.'
'No I didn't but I'd by lyin if I didn't say the thought passed through my mind more then once. Only passed mind you, I couldn't leave him beyond even if I wanted too. He's out gettin that blocked trail there cleared so we can get you home.'
'Home sounds almost too good to be true right now. I hope Hope isn't causing too much trouble for Hop Sing.'
'I hear tell she stole some sausages he was making last week.'
'Oh no. The naughty girl. I'll be hearing all about that when I get back. He wasn't mad, was he?'
'Bout as much as he gets when we go muddin up his clean floor with dirty boots.'
She cringed. 'Then she really is in trouble then. I've heard his lectures before but unfortunately for him cats don't understand Chinese.'
Hoss chuckled. 'Lucky for her I'd say.'
'Alright, I hate to break up the party-' Adam interrupted as he returned. 'But you need to get some sleep Missie.'
She rolled her eyes, turning to Hoss. 'See what I've gotta put up with?'
'Very very funny Missie. Sleep.'
'Okay, okay.' The girl huffed, snuggling back down beneath the covers. 'You'll still be here when I wake up Hoss?'
'I'll be here, you've my word on that Lil Miss. Sweet dreams.' He gave her a kiss on the forehead, the girl giggling as she closed her eyes. Gosh, if anything had happened to her- He and Adam headed out to take care of his horse, silence between them as they went to the barn. 'Pa said she's been right sick.'
'She was lucky.' Adam replied grimly, helping to untack Chubb. 'If I'd have remembered she couldn't swim I'd have suggested we go someplace else. That riverbank wasn't stable, I should have known that after the flood we had last spring and warned her.'
'Pa said you looked nigh drowned too when he found you, you got to her in time. You've no reason to blame yourself.'
'What if I hadn't made it in time-'
'No what-ifs Adam. Missie's gonna be alright and there's no point blamin yourself.' He paused for a moment, shaking his head as an amused smile came across his lips. 'You know, you n Missie are linken to copies of each other. When I got scratched up by that ol cat, that little girl was a arguin it was her fault because she went up there and if she hadn't I wouldn't have been there.'
Adam sighed, placing the saddle over the side of the stall wall. 'I know. Missie and I are as alike as two peas in a pod when it comes to that. After that happened I was telling her she just was adding extra weight to her shoulders she needn't carry. Guess I should take my own advice on occasion.'
'You know-' He clapped him on the shoulder. 'I reckon you should too.'
