Disclaimer: I do not own The Big Valley or its characters and I am not
making any money off of this story.
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Chapter 16
Jarrod pulled back on the reins on his horse, causing the animal to slow down and eventually come to a halt. Jarrod was now on his way half way between the schoolhouse and the steam where Nick was headed.
Jarrod climbed down from his horse, being careful not to drop his torch. Even with the torch he held lit in his left hand, Jarrod it was difficult to make out any trail marks. The boy squatted down closer to the ground, lowering his torch. The flickering light of the torch illuminated some hoof prints which appeared fresh to Jarrod's eyes.
Jarrod followed the trail of hoof prints for several hundred yards before the trail ended. Jarrod bent down again to see if he could see any more prints in the ground. Side by side were two sets of boot prints. One set was large and adult size. The second set was smaller. Jarrod smiled to himself. These had to be Nick's footprints he decided.
Jarrod put out the torch, not wanting to be seen in case Nick was kidnapped and being held hostage. Jarrod crawled on the ground not only to make it easier to follow the footprints, but also to keep from tripping over rocks and branches strewn along the way.
Moments later Jarrod came upon the entrance to an old abandoned mine. Jarrod remembered it well. He and Nick used to play there until their parents told them it was too dangerous. Jarrod climbed through the wood placed at the mine entrance to keep out intruders.
Nick heard the sound of Jarrod at the mine entrance but wasn't sure if it was his kidnapper so kept quiet. Once again Nick fought against his bonds. Once again it was a futile effort. Even rubbing the pieces of rope that tied his wrists together against the rock wall of the mine hadn't helped. Whoever had tied him up made sure Nick wasn't going to get loose on his own.
Jarrod lit his torch again, despite the chance of being seen by Nick's kidnapper. Jarrod didn't want to risk falling down a mineshaft walking in the dark. Jarrod stopped when he came to where the tunnel branched off. Now he had to make a blind choice. Jarrod decided to take a chance and picked up a rock and began tapping out a message in code. He knew Nick would understand the code. Their father had taught them some Morse Code and the two boys had made up their own version. Jarrod began tapping out Nick's name and then his own. He kept repeating the message over and over.
Nick heard the tapping and was barely able to make out the message. A huge feeling of relief swept over the young boy. "Jarrod! I'm over here!"
Jarrod thought he heard a voice and immediately recognized it as his younger brother's. "Nick! Keep yelling so I can find you!"
Nick kept calling out to Jarrod, his voice becoming horse. Just when Nick thought he couldn't speak another word, he saw the flickering light from Jarrod's torch.
"Jarrod, I'm in here." Nick called out in a raspy voice.
Jarrod and the light appeared in front of Nick seconds later. "Boy am I glad to see you Brother Nick."
"Me to Brother Jarrod," Nick replied.
Jarrod quickly pulled off Nick's blindfold and began untying Nick's arms and legs. "You okay Nick?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. Can we go home now?" Nick asked as he stood up and rubbed his wrists.
Jarrod smiled a broad grin at his brother. "Sure, let's go home."
Jarrod and Nick were walking back through the mine tunnel when they were pushed from behind, sending both boys tumbling to the ground. Jarrod was unable to hold onto the torch and it went rolling on the dirt floor which put out the flame.
Jarrod felt something hit his head, causing him to lose consciousness. Nick heard his older brother let out a grunt and tried to go over to Jarrod. As he stood up, Nick bumped into a large man. It was too dark to make out the features, but he was sure the man was his kidnapper. Nick struggled against the man who had grabbed him by the arms. Nick kicked at his kidnapper, which was met with a hard slap to the boy's jaw. Nick felt something hard hit his jaw again, sending him to the darkness of unconsciousness.
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Chapter 16
Jarrod pulled back on the reins on his horse, causing the animal to slow down and eventually come to a halt. Jarrod was now on his way half way between the schoolhouse and the steam where Nick was headed.
Jarrod climbed down from his horse, being careful not to drop his torch. Even with the torch he held lit in his left hand, Jarrod it was difficult to make out any trail marks. The boy squatted down closer to the ground, lowering his torch. The flickering light of the torch illuminated some hoof prints which appeared fresh to Jarrod's eyes.
Jarrod followed the trail of hoof prints for several hundred yards before the trail ended. Jarrod bent down again to see if he could see any more prints in the ground. Side by side were two sets of boot prints. One set was large and adult size. The second set was smaller. Jarrod smiled to himself. These had to be Nick's footprints he decided.
Jarrod put out the torch, not wanting to be seen in case Nick was kidnapped and being held hostage. Jarrod crawled on the ground not only to make it easier to follow the footprints, but also to keep from tripping over rocks and branches strewn along the way.
Moments later Jarrod came upon the entrance to an old abandoned mine. Jarrod remembered it well. He and Nick used to play there until their parents told them it was too dangerous. Jarrod climbed through the wood placed at the mine entrance to keep out intruders.
Nick heard the sound of Jarrod at the mine entrance but wasn't sure if it was his kidnapper so kept quiet. Once again Nick fought against his bonds. Once again it was a futile effort. Even rubbing the pieces of rope that tied his wrists together against the rock wall of the mine hadn't helped. Whoever had tied him up made sure Nick wasn't going to get loose on his own.
Jarrod lit his torch again, despite the chance of being seen by Nick's kidnapper. Jarrod didn't want to risk falling down a mineshaft walking in the dark. Jarrod stopped when he came to where the tunnel branched off. Now he had to make a blind choice. Jarrod decided to take a chance and picked up a rock and began tapping out a message in code. He knew Nick would understand the code. Their father had taught them some Morse Code and the two boys had made up their own version. Jarrod began tapping out Nick's name and then his own. He kept repeating the message over and over.
Nick heard the tapping and was barely able to make out the message. A huge feeling of relief swept over the young boy. "Jarrod! I'm over here!"
Jarrod thought he heard a voice and immediately recognized it as his younger brother's. "Nick! Keep yelling so I can find you!"
Nick kept calling out to Jarrod, his voice becoming horse. Just when Nick thought he couldn't speak another word, he saw the flickering light from Jarrod's torch.
"Jarrod, I'm in here." Nick called out in a raspy voice.
Jarrod and the light appeared in front of Nick seconds later. "Boy am I glad to see you Brother Nick."
"Me to Brother Jarrod," Nick replied.
Jarrod quickly pulled off Nick's blindfold and began untying Nick's arms and legs. "You okay Nick?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. Can we go home now?" Nick asked as he stood up and rubbed his wrists.
Jarrod smiled a broad grin at his brother. "Sure, let's go home."
Jarrod and Nick were walking back through the mine tunnel when they were pushed from behind, sending both boys tumbling to the ground. Jarrod was unable to hold onto the torch and it went rolling on the dirt floor which put out the flame.
Jarrod felt something hit his head, causing him to lose consciousness. Nick heard his older brother let out a grunt and tried to go over to Jarrod. As he stood up, Nick bumped into a large man. It was too dark to make out the features, but he was sure the man was his kidnapper. Nick struggled against the man who had grabbed him by the arms. Nick kicked at his kidnapper, which was met with a hard slap to the boy's jaw. Nick felt something hard hit his jaw again, sending him to the darkness of unconsciousness.
