"More Than An Afternoon Ride"

Sunday morning was a bit warmer than Saturday with bright sunshine. Church was full again this week. The community enjoyed Pastor Canfield's service and Mrs. Canfield's singing accompanied by Angela on the piano. Cooper is in charge of ringing the bell, and he does so with great enthusiasm! This week, Angela and Timmy played a duet when the offering was being collected.

After church, everyone went home for their Sunday dinner. Allie made an apple pie for the first time, and it was baking in the oven the same time as their dinner. Both the dinner and pie were delicious.

"Uncle Nathan, is it OK if I go over to Angela's house after dinner? We're going to practice the piano and finish our homework," said Allie.

"Actually, I was going to ask you if you minded if Laura and I went for a ride this afternoon."

"That's great. I don't mind at all. How was your dinner at the café?"

"As a matter of fact, it couldn't have been better. I think we were the last ones to leave the café. We took the long way back since it was such a nice evening to walk."

Allie smiled, and Nathan gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "What was that for, Uncle Nathan?"

"Just for being you. I love you, Allie."

"I love you too, Uncle Nathan. Now, how about if I clean up, and you can get the horses and go for your ride with Miss Couture?"

Nathan smiled. "I won't be late. I can pick you up at the Canfield's house later."

"That would be fine, Uncle Nathan. Have a nice ride."

Nathan walked to the livery, saddled up Newton and Maisie and rode out to the Weis house. He knocked on the door, and Mr. Weis answered. "Constable Grant, please come in. Can I get you a cup of coffee?"

"Thank you, no. I just had dinner. Laura and I are going for a ride this afternoon."

"It's certainly a beautiful day for it. Pastor Canfield gave a nice sermon this morning. I really enjoy his service. Oh, here's Laura now. I was just going to ask Opal to get her. Enjoy your ride you two."

"Thank you, Mr. Weis. Hello, Nathan," said Laura.

"Hello, Laura. Are you ready? It's much nicer out today than it was yesterday."

"I'm ready."

Nathan and Laura rode out of town in the direction of the old Silverton Mines. They didn't want to ride too far, because it gets dark much earlier now. Laura loved seeing the rugged country and the foothills of the mountains.

"Look, Nathan. The mountains already have snow on them. It's beautiful."

"The snow does come early. We try to stay out of the mountains in winter. We can get to Benson Hills easily, but Albert Falls is much further out and in higher terrain. Lee has logging roads around the old mines. There are plenty of tall trees. As a matter of fact, there are some perfect Christmas trees there too. Why don't we walk with the horses for a while."

"That's a good idea. I haven't ridden in so long, I think walking a bit might be nice. Tell me about the Christmas trees."

"Lee lets people in Hope Valley cut their Christmas trees down on his logging property. It helps to thin out the trees so the others have enough space to grow. This will be your first Christmas in Hope Valley. Are you excited about it?"

"Yes, I am excited. How does Hope Valley usually celebrate?"

"The entire town is decorated with wreaths and boughs. Right in the middle of town there's a large wishing tree. Everyone takes an ornament from the box by the tree, writes their wish on it and then hangs it on the tree. Then someone else will pick the wish off the tree and grant the wish. It's really a nice tradition. Before Allie and I moved here, I was told they had a Christmas parade. There was a band, and all the children dressed up like elves. They built floats. I hear it was quite the production. They haven't had another one though. I think it might be difficult for people. Mrs. Thornton and Constable Thornton were the grand marshals."

"It sounds lovely." Laura hesitated. "Oh, Constable Thornton was Elizabeth's husband, wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was. Another year, a wagon full of orphans spent Christmas in Hope Valley. You may have heard about Grace and Lillian, from the New Hope Orphanage in Brookfield. People in town have stayed in touch with them. That's where Rosemary and Lee adopted Patrick. Two years ago, Lucas Bouchard put on a big festival in town. At the end of the evening, they sent lighted paper lanterns up into the air. There had to have been at least a dozen of them. I think he wanted to impress Mrs. Thornton."

"I guess it worked then," said Laura.

"Yeah. I guess it did. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stir the conversation in that direction. I know I told you I cared about Mrs. Thornton at one time. I need you to know that it's in the past."

"I know that. You told me, and I believe you. I know I've only known you for a very short time, Nathan, but I trust you."

"Thank you, Laura. That means a lot to me. Last year, Christmas was quiet because of the Spanish influenza. No one wanted to take unnecessary risks. Maybe we should start heading back towards town. Do you feel ready to ride again?"

"I do. I'd like to see more of this area. Is there another road we can take back into town?"

"There is. I think you'll like it too. There are some picture-postcard-looking farms on that road. Come on. I'll show you."

Just as Laura and Nathan were getting ready to mount the horses, a man ran out from behind the trees, stood in front of the horses and grabbed their halters. Nathan saw he had a gun.

"Well, it's nice meeting you two out here. This must be my lucky day. Are you out for a Sunday afternoon ride?"

"Do I know you?" asked Nathan.

"No, but I think you just might remember me after today. What have you got in those saddlebags? Do you have any money? I seem to have run out and could sure use some. How about food and drink?"

"We don't have any money. We were just taking a quick ride. I have a little food and a couple of canteens of water, but that's all," answered Nathan.

"I don't believe you. How about if you two stand over there by the trees, and I'll check those saddlebags for myself."

"Whatever you say." Nathan took Laura by the arm and brought her over to the tree line.

"Nathan, is he going to hurt us?" whispered Laura.

"I won't let that happen," whispered Nathan.

"You two, just be quiet. Don't move, or I'll shoot you both."

"Sir, you can take whatever you want. Just leave us. My wife here is expecting our first child. I don't want her to go into shock. So, please take whatever you want and just leave us."

"Well, isn't that nice. Just stay where you are, and I won't have to hurt you then."

The man went through both Nathan's and Laura's saddlebags and didn't find anything of value. Nathan had a compass and some apples and water. There were some first aid supplies, an extra shirt and blanket. Laura's saddlebag contained a blanket, some hard tack and water, but nothing else.

"Well, this is not my lucky day after all. You don't have much. I'll take this compass though. Now you, mister, step forward. Lady, you stay where you are."

The man walked toward Nathan. "You're a tall one, but you look like the intellectual type. Do you have a pocket watch?"

"Yes," replied Nathan.

"Good. I'll take that. Take it out slowly. I'm not going to take my eyes or this gun off you."

Nathan slowly unbuttoned his jacket and reached for his pocket watch. He unclipped the chain and cupped the watch in his hand.

"Good. You got anything else?"

"No," answered Nathan.

"More's the pity. This has not been a very profitable day for me. Now you just put that watch on the ground and step back slowly. You're the intellectual type I'm sure. I know people. What are you, a teacher or maybe a big college professor?"

Nathan put the pocket watch on the ground and as he stood up, he took a swing at the man. The gun went flying out of his hand, and Nathan was able to tackle him and get him to the ground. He turned the man over onto his stomach and got the man's hands behind his back.

"Laura, can you grab the gun and unload it. Get the rope off Newton. You can do it."

Laura didn't hesitate a bit. She swiftly unloaded the gun, threw it back on the ground, and put the ammunition in her coat pocket. She ran to Newton and brought the rope back to Nathan.

"Can you hold his legs while I tie him up?"

"Yes."

Nathan got the man's hands tied behind his back and then tied his ankles. "So, what's your name, and do you have any friends hiding in the woods?" asked Nathan.

"Name's Joshua. I work alone. What are you going to do with me? You can't just leave me out here tied up. I'll die. There's wild animals out here at night."

"No, I'm not going to leave you here. I'm going to throw you over that horse and take you to Hope Valley. By the way, Joshua, you're under arrest for two counts of attempted robbery and two counts of attempted murder."

"You can't arrest me. What are you, a teacher? You can't arrest me."

"As a matter of fact I can. I'm Constable Nathan Grant of the Northwest Mounted Police. So, I would suggest that you not say anything else until we get you into town. You'll be staying in the jail tonight, but at least you'll get a hot meal from Abigail's Café. You'll like it. The food is good."

"Nathan Grant, you say? Huh, I know your brother-in-law. He told me about you before he ended up back in jail. No, I guess today is not my lucky day."

"You're right about that. Laura, could you hold Maisie by the halter while I get Joshua here on her. You'd be smart to keep quiet, or I'll have to gag you too. If you do have any friends in the woods, it wouldn't be in their best interest to come help you."

Nathan got Joshua up onto Maisie and hung him over the saddle for the trip back to Hope Valley. "It's not going to be the most comfortable ride, but at least we don't have far to go," said Nathan. He took hold of the halter from Laura and grabbed Maisie's reins. He tied the reins to Newton so Joshua couldn't kick Maisie to run off. "Are you alright, Laura?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Can you stay here with Newton? I'm just going to pick up the gun and my pocket watch and compass over there," whispered Nathan. I'm not going to take my eyes off you. I promise."

"OK. I'm fine. I have the bullets."

Nathan grabbed the gun and his other things, and he and Laura mounted Newton and escorted Maisie, carrying Joshua, back to town. "I'm sorry we won't be able to take the long way back."

"It's fine. I think under the circumstances, we need to get back to Hope Valley as quickly as we can."

"I'll get you back safely. I promise," whispered Nathan. "Can you keep an eye on the woods on both sides of the road just in case anyone is hiding there?"

"I can do that."

"It would be best if you didn't talk on the ride back unless you see something. I've got Joshua tied to Maisie too, so he can't go anywhere. We'll be fine. I promise."

"I trust you, Nathan."

Nathan and Laura rode back into Hope Valley without incident. When they arrived at the jail, Laura opened the door for Nathan to carry Joshua in over his shoulder. He put him on the bed in the jail cell.

"Laura, can you get the key for the cell from the top drawer of my desk and bring it to me."

Laura looked in the desk. "Is this it?"

"Yes." Laura stood on the outside of the cell while Nathan backed out, shut the door and locked it."

"Could you take Maisie and go get Bill at the café? Have him ride Maisie back. Stay at the café, and I'll meet you there when this is settled. It may take an hour or so."

"That's OK. I'll wait for you."

Laura took Maisie at a full gallop to the café. She ran inside to the back to find Bill. "Clara, where's Bill? It's important."

"He just went out back. I can get him for you."

"No. Thank you. I'll find him." Laura ran to the back of the café and found Bill picking the last of the fresh herbs from the garden.

"Laura, are you alright? What's going on?"

"I don't have time to explain. Maisie is out front. Nathan needs you at the jail. A man tried to rob us. Nathan has him tied up in the cell, but he asked me to get you right away."

"Thank you, Laura. Go back inside. Sit in the back, and Clara will get you some hot tea. Stay there, please."

"I will. Thank you, Bill." Laura went back in the café and explained to Clara what had happened.

"Laura, were you frightened? Did that man try to hurt you?" asked Clara.

"No, he didn't. Nathan was so brave. He hit the gun right out of that man's hand. The man, his name is Joshua, dropped the gun. Nathan tackled him to the ground. I got some rope, and Nathan tied him up. He picked the man up like he was a sack of potatoes and put him over the saddle on Maisie. Oh, the other thing I remember—Before all this happened, Nathan was trying to make conversation with the man. He told him I was his wife, and that I was expecting. I didn't know what to do, so I didn't move or say anything. Nathan told me exactly what to do to help him get the man in custody. Well, I think this is probably the most exciting day I've had in my entire life."

"Are you sure you're alright, Laura? Nathan was lucky you were with him. Other women might have just broken down and cried hysterically. I know I would. I'm going to get you some tea. I think we have some whiskey in the back. Bill hides it just for occasions like this. You'd be surprised how many people come in here and tell him their problems." Clara leaned over and whispered to Laura. "He always brings them tea, but I know he adds whiskey to it. He gets it from Lucas."

"Oh, Clara, just tea would be fine. Maybe it will help warm me up. It wasn't very cold out, but I can't seem to get warm. What do you think Bill and Nathan are doing?"

"They probably have to write up reports and contact Mountie Headquarters to make arrangements to transfer the prisoner. They'll need dinner for the prisoner, so Bill will come back here for that. Where is Allie?"

"She's at the Canfield's house," answered Laura.

"Maybe you could call the Coulters and ask them to let Allie know that Nathan will probably be late."

"That's a good idea. Allie told Nathan she was going to stay at the Canfield's until he picked her up."

"Good, she's not alone then. You can use the telephone here. Florence is on the switchboard until 7."

"Thank you, Clara." Laura got up and rang the telephone. Florence connected her to the Coulters' house."

"Hello."

"Rosemary. It's Laura."

"Laura, is everything alright, dear?"

Laura explained what happened and asked if she or Lee could let Allie know that Nathan may be late.

"Lee will go right now. Are you sure you're alright, Laura?"

"Yes, Rosemary. Thank you for asking. I'm a little shaken up, but I'm fine. Could you ask Lee to be sure that Allie knows that Nathan is fine too."

"I will. I'll check in on you tomorrow. Bye now." Rosemary hung up the telephone. "Lee, Lee, I need you. Please come downstairs, quickly."

"What's wrong, sweetheart?"

Rosemary told Lee about her conversation with Laura and asked him to deliver Laura's message to Allie. "Laura made it a point for you to be sure that Allie knows that Nathan is fine."

"I'll be right back, Rosie. Patrick is sleeping."

Lee walked quickly down the road to the Canfield's house and knocked on the door. Minnie answered. "Lee, what's going on? Are you alright?"

"Can I come in, Minnie? I need to deliver a message to Allie."

"Certainly. Come in."

Allie turned around from where she was sitting at the piano, and saw Lee. The color seemed to drain from Allie's face.

"Mr. Coulter, what's wrong?" Allie got up and walked over to Lee. "What's wrong, Mr. Coulter? Is it Uncle Nathan? Is he OK?"

"Yes, Allie. He's OK. He's fine, really." Lee told Allie and the Canfields about what happened that afternoon and that both Nathan and Laura were fine. Lee told them that Nathan would be by to pick Allie up and bring her home. "Laura called Rosemary. She asked if I would come over and tell you what happened and to be sure that you knew that Nathan was alright. She was worried about you and didn't want you to hear about it from someone else, or have you go home alone not knowing where Nathan was. Minnie, is it alright if Allie stays here until Nathan picks her up? I don't think it will be too much longer. Bill and Nathan probably have to contact Mountie Headquarters to make arrangements for the prisoner to be picked up and then do all the paperwork."

"That's fine, Lee. Allie is welcome to stay here as long as she wants. We'll keep her company until Nathan picks her up. Thank you for letting us know."

"I'll walk you out," said Joseph. "Lee, is everything really OK?"

"Yes, it is. I think we'll hear more about it tomorrow. Thank you, Joseph and good night."

"Good night, Lee, and don't worry about Allie. We'll take good care of her."

"I know you will."

It had been almost two hours since Laura arrived at the café. "Clara, I don't like this waiting and wondering. I hope Nathan and Bill are alright." No sooner had Laura finished her sentence when the door to the café opened. In walked Nathan and Bill. Laura looked up, saw Nathan and ran to him, giving him a huge bear hug. Nathan looked at Clara, looked down at Laura, put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "You're here, Nathan. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine thanks to you."

Laura looked up. She had tears in her eyes. "Me?"

"Yes, you. You were so brave, Laura. You picked up Joshua's gun and took the ammunition out, got the rope so I could tie him up, and you didn't get the least bit rattled by any of it. Most people would have gone to pieces, but you didn't. You kept your composure and helped me get the prisoner into custody and in the jail cell without anyone getting hurt. Thank you, Laura."

Laura smiled at Nathan.

"Are you OK to ride, or do you want to sit a minute?" asked Nathan.

"I'm fine. We can go. Clara, thank you for the tea and especially for your friendship."

Clara smiled, but immediately thought of a similar scene, except in that one, it was Elizabeth, who had run to hug Nathan. Clara and Laura embraced and said goodnight to each other.

"We're going to the Canfield's house to pick up Allie and bring her home. Then I'll take you home. It's been quite a day, hasn't it?" asked Nathan.

"Well, I won't quickly forget my first week in Hope Valley anytime soon. Let's go, Nathan."