Chapter 4
Joe rides up to the school after leaving from town and saw Miss Hunter walking out the door. "Hi Miss Hunter is my sister still here?" asked Joe as he removed his hat. "No Joe she wanted me to tell you that she was gonna go fishing with Josh Smith and he was going to ride home with her" said Miss Hunter.
"Thank you ma'am, have a good day" said Joe he puts his hat back on and rides away. Once he arrived home he was relieved to see Amelia horse thinking that she had come home. He mounts off his horse and walks inside the house.
Adam and Ben were playing a game of checkers when Joe walks in. "Hi Joe" said Ben not looking up at his son. "Hi Pa is Amelia in her room?" asked Joe.
"She's not home yet" informed Adam. "What do you mean she's not home? Her horse is outside" declared Joe.
Ben and Adam immediately got up and look at Joe for an explanation. "I thought she was with you. You did get her from school didn't you?" asked Ben sternly.
Joe looks at them innocently. "Miss Hunter say she went fishing with Josh and he was gonna ride home with her. Maybe she went to his house" said Joe.
"Then how come her horse is here and she's not?" asked Adam. "I don't know" said Joe. "Adam why don't you do to the Smith's and see if your sister is there" said Ben. Adam grabs his gun belt and hat and hurries out the house knowing that his father was gonna explode at Joe and didn't want to stick around to watch.
Once Adam had left Ben turned his attention to Joe with a stern look on his face. "And why may I ask was the reason why you were late picking up your sister?" asked Ben sternly with his hands on his hips waiting for Joe to answer his question.
"I was in town and I lost track of time" replied Joe. "You were playing poker again weren't you?" asked Ben angrily. Joe nods his head. "When your sister comes home I expect you to apologize to her, young man" said Ben. "Yes sir" said Joe.
Adam rode up to the Smith's farm and mounts off his horse. He walks over to the house and knocks on the door. Josh opens the door and was surprise to see Adam standing on the porch. "Hi Adam what can I do for you?" asked Josh as he let Adam into the house then shutting the door behind him.
"Hi Josh is my sister Amelia here?" asked Adam. "Sorry Adam she's not. Didn't she come home?" asked Josh curiously. "I'm afraid not. Little Joe says you rode home with her" said Adam inquisitively.
"Sort of after we went fishing we rode up to the fork in the rode and then we went our separate ways" said Josh. "Thanks Josh" said Adam as he walked out the door.
Adam walks off the porch and mounts onto his horse and rides back to the ranch. He had a bad feeling and it was getting stronger as he started to think about where Amelia could have possibly been.
Amelia was lying on the ground behind some rocks and bushes in the woods unconscious. Her clothes were torn; she had bruises and scratches all over her face and arms.