A mountie to rely upon

by awdeano

This is the story of how Nathan rescued Little Jack and his visit to Fort Clay. He had to move on from Elizabeth and other new characters came into his life. They all avert catastrophe and they are forced to test how they feel now that we venture into season 9 and beyond. It's not going to be easy. I, along with the program's aim, try to arrive at a positive outcome for all of us.

4. Chapter 4

Elizabeth and Simon turned to each other in total amazement. Had they really witnessed what had just happened or were their eyes deceiving them? They had only just arrived at Rosemary's place to welcome a new person to their town and then, in an instant, she becomes a new mother. Little Jack wandered over to see what all the fuss was about, and Rosemary hugged them both. There were no words necessary as they sat together. This was a big moment in her life. She would be forever telling her daughter, through the years, that she fell in love with her as soon as she laid eyes on her.

Lee was as amazed as everyone else but also disarmed by the pretty little girl. All of a sudden, he was now a father. He went over to Rosemary and Emily and the new family was born. There would be time later for explanations, but right now was a moment to savour and one that they would never forget.

"I think we have just had our job done for us," said Elizabeth. "I am so pleased for Rosemary; I have always seen the way she looks at Little Jack ever since he was a baby." Simon showed how he had mixed feelings, "I'm losing my little girl, but seeing the love from Lee and Rosemary, I couldn't' be happier for Emily. It's everything that I could ask for." He added with a little smile, "I bet you never thought this was going to happen when we got off the stage."

He took Elizabeth's hand, "Elizabeth, I want to thank you for caring so much and helping us. I am a man of my word, if they are happy to make a home for Emily, I will help you complete the documents for adoption to make her become their daughter." He took a last look at Emily and then slipped quietly from the house and walked away. Elizabeth could see that this was a difficult moment for him to deal with in his life. She felt sadness for this man and reflected on many of the people that she knew who faced tragedy during their lifetime, yet she found happiness for his daughter who now has a loving family to be part of.

Elizabeth wandered over, "Are you going to introduce me to your new little daughter, I wonder who she could be?" she smiled. Rosemary still had her sitting on her lap with the ever-inquisitive Little Jack standing next to her. "Elizabeth, she's a little treasure who has just stolen my heart. I know we didn't plan this but, one look and I," She paused, "I just don't want this moment to ever end." Elizabeth could see that it was going to take some time for Rosemary to return to the land of the living. "Well, it's going to have to end soon, Emily has just come on a long trip and is probably starving hungry and very tired. My goodness, what kind of a mother are you!" scolded Elizabeth.

Rosemary could finally manage a laugh and looked again at Emily, "Your Aunt Lizzy is absolutely right, and maybe Simon," She looked around for the Mountie, "Where is Simon, has he gone already?" she asked looking puzzled. "If he stays around here in Hope Valley for a while, we may need to give him some space. He has just given up his daughter," Elizabeth said, "and if that Aunt Lizzy tag sticks then you will be in big trouble!"

Mountie Simon had left town quite abruptly to return to Fort Clay. He was convinced that they now had sufficient evidence to enable whatever was happening up on the hill and beyond to be investigated and shut down. He also wanted to be out of the way so that the Coulters could enjoy Emily without him still being in the picture. It hurt to have to see his daughter moving on, but he knew that Sarah would have loved her new family. He hoped that somehow, Emily would be able remember her dad in the years to come.

You could not expect to meet prouder parents than the Coulters. They would be down the street showing off their little girl to everyone. Fiona and Allie were totally captivated and couldn't wait to see her in new dresses as she got older. She was taken to church the following Sunday and officially welcomed by Pastor Canfield. "There is nothing so glorious than our little children to help us focus on the important things in our lives. He made sure that everyone should be respectful of the circumstances that brought her to Hope Valley. "We never know what's around the corner and when we will need to rely on our community spirit for courage and guidance."

Elizabeth had quite a smile over the next few days, "I'll teach her to call me aunt Lizzy," Reality, however, was beginning to set in for Rosemary, "What if she doesn't want her dinner, what if she won't go to bed and sleep? Does she need a jacket, she might be cold?" Rosemary was in a dither and could see the steep learning curve she was facing. "You're enjoying every moment aren't you," she said to Elizabeth who replied with a grin, "You will soon accept that you just have to be there. You can't solve every problem straight away. You haven't been doing this long enough to become a bad mother and, yes I most certainly am enjoying this." She laughed and added, "Just think of the Christmas you are going to have this year and from now on."

They arranged a little get-together and invited Sally Turner and thought it would be fun to have Robbie play with Emily and Little Jack for an afternoon. Rosemary and Elizabeth had gone to the Mercantile to get some things for the little party. They called in to see Nathan who also noticed the fascination that Little Jack had with Emily. "He now has someone his own age to play with." said Nathan. Ned was in fine form as usual. He looked at Rosemary and growled, "I don't want your child running amuck in my store if you don't mind." She was about to bite back when she noticed Florence trying to stifle a grin. Florence said, "He's been waiting for you to bring her in here. She's a little angel." The three mothers sat around the table back at home talking and watching the little ones play with each other. Elizabeth was in awe of Little Jack watching Emily talking to them and sharing the toys nicely. They were most probably going to start school together in a few years.

Sally was pleased to meet the schoolteacher and could not think of anyone better to eventually have a say in her child's upbringing. Elizabeth did not volunteer much information about the past and was sad to have to relate the story of Jack's death again. The Turners were going to be a fine acquisition to the community of Hope Valley.

A couple of uneventful weeks went by and then late one afternoon a squad of about twenty Mounties appeared at the doorstep of Nathan's regional office. There was now a sizable force ready to deal with whatever stands before them on the hill. They needed a place to stay so Bill decided that the saloon would be an ideal venue whether Wyman Walden agreed or not. The arrival of the Mounties may present him with a much greater concern if it turns out that he has some involvement with the men on the hill. He wasn't around at the time to argue so they cut the lock on the front door and just moved in.

Mountie Simon was with them and went immediately to the office to report in while all others moved into the saloon. He, along with Bill and Nathan, felt that this was long overdue for resolution. The plan was to move out early in the morning and head to the location that the Pinkertons had been guarding. This was in a different location than the pond adjacent to the Turner's farm. They expected a confrontation with the Pinkertons and maybe an argument or two, but they would not be deterred. They noted that the Pinkertons had not been seen in the town for weeks.

Fiona told Nathan to take care and come back safe. She was visibly stressed as she hugged him. Elizabeth had come down and told Simon likewise. She felt it was like seeing Jack off all over again. She had faced this situation many times in the past. There would be no rest until they returned. They set off on their hour-long journey to the Pinkerton's guard post. It would be a brave group to want to confront a formidable force of this magnitude when they arrived.

There were four armed Pinkerton men at the guard post with guns ready. Simon ordered them to stand down and allow the Mounties to pass through. Julius Spurlock was at the front and stated, as before that they had orders themselves to guard the entrance to this property. Simon put it to them again to stand aside, "Either stand aside or you will be arrested on suspicion of being complicit in a clandestine operation." Spurlock was surprised, "What are you talking about? We know nothing about the project beyond the hill." Simon was getting quite impatient, "This so-called project has ruined the water quality of the area and very nearly caused serious illness to a local family. We intend to find out what is going on up there. You cannot use the ignorance factor here; you may yet find yourselves under guard." All the Mounties raised their weapons with intent. "Now, for the last time, drop your weapons and stand aside."

They were relieved to be able to continue on, having been able to avoid a dangerous confrontation. Clearly, there would have been casualties on both sides if it had got out of hand. Spurlock had not been able to provide any information on the activities and people movement up and down the hill. It was a surprising comment that he made when he referred to the lack of movement through his checkpoint. If that was the case, then how would everybody be getting in and out of the area. Simon and Nathan considered that there must be a different access trail to and from the facility, whatever it may be.

Wyman Walden had arrived during the morning and was surprised and very annoyed at seeing the front door unlocked and with bags and equipment strewn all around the saloon floor. There was no mess made but he still intended to make his complaint to the Mountie in the police station. This was breaking and entering as far as he was concerned, and he was going to have something done about it. He had the law on his side he thought as he angrily marched across to the police station. A sign displayed on the door showed that it was closed for the day. This will not do as he then decided to see if the judge was in his café. Bill Avery would be legally bound to take action on his behalf.

He hadn't learned from previous experience that you do not approach Bill in an arrogant and aggressive manner. "Judge Avery, my saloon has been broken into. I tried the police station and it's closed for the day. This is preposterous, I want something done about it." Bill immediately thought of all those Mounties possibly riding into danger and here was this rude individual here to lay a complaint about a virtually abandoned saloon. "You weren't around but it wouldn't have made any difference anyway. The Mounted police have commandeered your establishment for an operation that they are conducting. It will be completed within a day or so and I'm sure you will be happy to co-operate with them." Walden wasn't happy but he knew that it was going to be a wasted effort to complain any further. "Can I ask what the Mounties are up to?" he enquired. Bill described the water problem and how it gave them authorisation to investigate. "You had better hope that you have no involvement in all of this, there will be plenty of jail terms coming out of this by the finish."

The Mounties moved on into the forest and the slope. They were wary of the conditions that they were facing. There could be anything up to a dozen people hidden behind trees, rocks and bushes ready to defend their territory. The element of surprise was in their favour though, as the contaminated water problem was not supposed to be common knowledge to anyone else. If everything went with some luck, they could find themselves at their doorstep before being discovered. Today was the day to have their eyes wide open and get the job done.

Simon, being in charge told everyone that they were going to give these people the benefit of the doubt but, if a shot is fired then move in without hesitation. The hill formed a little plateau at the top where you could see many cabins and workshops in some distance. Anybody up there weren't going to expect any law enforcement to come from this direction. They had not been detected so far, so now they had to make full benefit from it. It looked like there were well worn trails that gave access to the facility from the other side of the hill. These Mounties were an efficient group, well versed in confrontations similar to this. The only noise now would be the sound of galloping horses. It was all over inside thirty seconds with Mounties having successfully disarmed all the people guarding the workshops. Most of the guards were at the other side looking after the other entrance. By the time they could be brought to bear it was too late. One shot only had rung out before everything was overrun and secured. Nathan noticed blood coming from Simon's forehead and was horrified. It was to prove to be only a graze with Simon not even being aware that he had been hit.

They had arrested around thirty workers who would be questioned at length over the next few weeks. Nathan conducted an inspection and recorded that this was a weapons plant in its infancy where guns and ammunition were under construction. He thought that, if this manufacturing plant got into full scale production, who knows where these weapons would have finished up. If Faith hadn't conducted her investigation so thoroughly, this operation may never have been found. Leather straps and belts were in progress involving tanning of hides. Someone would have financed the operation and would eventually be caught as further investigation occurred. Documents were found in a crude form of an office which had names of people and companies in Hamilton and other major cities. These would be receiving an unpleasant visit from authorities over the next few weeks.

Back in the jailhouse, after prisoners had been secured and despatched in prison vehicles, Bill and Nathan considered the day's events and outcome. They had insisted that Simon be escorted kicking and screaming if necessary, to the infirmary. They didn't want to get in trouble with Doctor Faith so, despite Simon's insistence that he was okay, the three of them showed up at her doorstep. She sat him down inside and looked very circumspect. Once again, he could see that she was totally dedicated to her vocation. She took one look at the graze on his forehead and said, "You are a very lucky man, this could have turned out a lot worse." Working as a doctor and immersed in the study of medicine and healing, she found it hard to understand how a young man like this sitting before her could dismiss it all just as part of the job.

"You are right Faith; I am a very lucky man. This is the second time I have seen you in action and how dedicated you are to your community." He thanked her and, as he left the infirmary, he thought that he would eventually explain to her how the loss of his wife had affected him so dramatically. He planned to immediately get Bill to set in motion the adoption procedure for his daughter. Today was a big awakening for him. He didn't want some outside authority deciding the placement of Emily if suddenly he was no longer around. He was very appreciative of the people of Hope Valley and the community spirit. He could see that he was going to cop a lecture from each and everybody who had now taken him in and what's more, he didn't seem to mind. He thought now that he could understand a little better how Elizabeth would have recovered over time with the help of this community.

Elizabeth and Rosemary had spent part of the day before and after school together trying to offset the worry that they felt after the Mounties had ridden away in the morning. There was always a concern with Nathan as he regularly found himself in harm's way as part of his job. Now there was a new one to worry over and they could see him every time, as they watched the little girl playing in the room or outside with Little Jack. There would be no respite until all the Mounties returned safely. They could not have found a better playmate for Little Jack than Emily. Rosemary loved being a mother and was beginning to understand all the sounds and noises of her little child and how to react. Lee would also read to her and take her for walks along the road, never in a hurry.

Fiona had walked Allie to school and then returned to her barber shop. There was always much to do, and she could thankfully busy herself while awaiting the return of the Mounties. She knew that this was a much more dangerous escapade than usual. Allie had faced all this previously when her uncle had gone to Fort Clay previously. She was very quiet in class and Elizabeth understood her need for understanding and space. She looked up at Elizabeth, "Uncle Nathan knows how to look after himself." she said.

Hope Valley had been abuzz with the safe return of them all and prisoners being loaded into prison vehicles. Many of those were just nonviolent workers who would have needed a job at the time and probably been unaware of the illegality of the weapons plant. If they were to cooperate, very little prison time would await them. Most of the Mounties would be gone by next morning, however a few would remain to help investigators go over the plant from head to toe.

Bill, Nathan and Simon were having quite a conversation about their findings of the day. Considering comments made by the likes of Wyman Walden, the school inspector, Mr Landis and others about the construction and installation of a factory in this area, the weapons plant didn't seem to fit the bill. "They were talking about new families of workers moving into the Hope Valley area along with about one hundred new school children. It must be two different things." said Nathan. "We have still heard nothing about this so-called factory so far." said Bill. "Anyone can do anything they like providing they have the approval and acceptance of the town. Whoever is promoting this venture seems to be going about it the wrong way. "added Simon. "I'll be on my way early tomorrow morning. Bill, I would appreciate it if you could you let Rosemary and Elizabeth know about the adoption procedure. Can I sign something in advance please?" He preferred not to be at any ceremony when the time came.

Elizabeth and Little Jack were down the street early but had just missed out on the departure of all the Mounties. She would have liked to say goodbye to Simon. She felt a closeness to him after their long conversation about Sarah and Emily. Faith had yelled out to her and Little Jack and spent a few minutes filling in the details of the not so harmless scratch on Simon's forehead. They would all be reminded of Simon every time Emily would appear and Elizabeth could do without him always placing himself in harms way. She planned to let him know in no uncertain terms next time they would meet. Faith had said, "He wasn't flippant about it, but I don't think he realised how close he came."

Bill told Elizabeth about Simon's desire to hurry along the adoption process for the Coulters and Emily. "I think he got a bit of a scare yesterday up on the hill. He knows how lucky he was. Even so, I think he wants to make it right for Emily." He showed her how he had signed papers already in advance. She asked Bill, "Do you know what he gave me when he came and saw me that time. I think Nathan might have had something to do with it. I will have to show you sometime." She headed off to the Mercantile.

Florence said that her heart always skipped a beat when Little Jack would appear in the shop. Elizabeth laughed and told Ned that Little Jack would not be running amuck in their shop. He's already on a wanted poster. "That's right," said Ned. "I want to put one of them up in here, I have to keep out the undesirables." A very obstinate appearing Elizabeth bid them good afternoon. "Oh Elizabeth, just before you go, I have an envelope for you. "sang out Florence. Now Elizabeth's heart nearly skipped a beat. It went into her basket and she hurried home. This time she thought she recognised the handwriting.

She had about twenty minutes before she had to be at school. Would she leave the letter until after school when there would be more time and a chance to prepare herself or hurriedly look at it right now? It would be unbearable to have to wait all day. Now she had to hunt annoyingly for the letter opener because it wasn't in its normal place. She found something else that was sharp and that would have to do. It was now open after all the fumbling around, trying not to rip it and having millions of thoughts running through her head. "Dear Elizabeth," it read, "It has taken me a long time to focus to be able to write to you. As you know, I had to commence the new job here in Union City the very next Monday so there hasn't been much opportunity for me to gather my thoughts in any worthwhile shape so please forgive me if I get things out of order. Firstly, I hope this letter finds you and Little Jack well. It was always and my only intention for you to be happy, nothing else mattered. I am so sorry for the anguish that I caused for you over the weeks prior resulting in your late change of mind on the day. I can remember setting you free to find your true love and it seems like you did in the end. You always said that you came there to be a schoolteacher and to raise your child in Hope Valley. It wasn't fair that I ignored your fondest wish at such a late stage and hoped so dearly that you and Little Jack would be able to move to the city. It was a terrible miscalculation on my part, and I hope you can accept my apology. My love for you has been so overwhelming causing me to put your feelings out of my mind. I'm sure that all the community and not least, the children would have got around you to help you through. I understood straight away the situation and knew there could be no change to your decision. I was, as you would understand, completely shattered and could do little else but just drive away. I didn't even say goodbye to my mother, and I was halfway to Union City by the time I realised that. I have settled into Union City and the new job and it is only now that I could finally bring myself to putting pen to paper. I will always have you in my heart and remember all the wonderful times that we had together. I frequently come and sit at our table here at the hotel and shut my eyes imagining you to be here. I hope you will remember me when you use the library. I meant it when I said that every town needs a library. You may not wish to do so but if you ever come to Union City, you are invited to come and revisit the hotel where we could reminisce for a while. Always remember that I will always love you and I hope that you won't forget me." signed "forever yours, Lucas."

She sat there for a moment trying to gather her thoughts. She was right when she had said how he knew her so well. He had always understood her attachment to Hope Valley. She now realised that she was going to be late for school. The letter was left out for later after the end of the day. Her mind would rest a little easier knowing that he had been able to make a new start eventually. She smiled to herself while thinking that she would always be seeing him each and every day with all their good memories. It would be easier from now on to be in the library.

There was little time for further reflection because Elizabeth had a visit at the end of school again from the school inspector, Mr Landis. His attitude during this visit was much less aggressive having seen the way that all the children reacted so favourably to her teaching methods. He had seen many times at schools all over the country where children, if they had their choice, would opt out of going to school altogether. This time he seemed to be rather sympathetic when he handed papers to her regarding the accreditation process for tutoring any blind students. He of course was well aware of the excellent results that she was having with Angela and how this girl loved attending school here at Hope Valley. In short, thankfully there would be no argument about school closure but there was now a time limit for the successful completion of this accreditation process. A date was allocated for Elizabeth to complete all this or Angela would be curtailed from attending class.

At home after school, she put Lucas's letter aside so that she could have her attention on the documents from Mr Landis. "My goodness, this is going to take years to do all this, I've never seen so much stuff." she thought. It involved everything conceivable to do with people with disabilities, various degrees of blindness, braille and social skills. There were various categories and modules which all had to be addressed and completed in order. "All this for one student," she cried. "They aren't going to stop me." After a while she could see that getting the required certification would be of benefit as there would be other students with different needs that she would have to deal with. She said to herself that she would be ready for them in advance.

Fiona was much more relieved at the safe return of Nathan than she let on. That flying bullet could have easily found Nathan and caused severe injury or even worse. She told Allie that it would be a nice thing to do to make some food for them. "Let's try something different and easier this time. We did really well last time, especially when they all thought that we couldn't do it." They seemed to have truckloads of magazines to look through and they all displayed exotic dishes which asked for ingredients that nobody had ever heard of. "We only want something simple that isn't going to take all day to make, surely there is something here that will do." said a frustrated Fiona while turning pages. "Quick, turn back that page to the one before. Look, there's a potato salad, how hard could that be. What ingredients does it ask for, nothing elaborate I hope?" Allie was quite pleased, "Uncle Nathan loves potatoes."

They set off for the Mercantile. Fiona laughed, "You watch Ned when I ask him if he has any potatoes." He was not impressed as usual, "I'm sorry, I've only got about fifteen bags. I hope that will be enough. What are you making this time?" She said the potato salad in our recipe is going to be just dandy, "There's other stuff we have to get, we need sour cream." Ned replied, "Just get normal cream and leave it outside in the sun for a couple of days." Allie screwed up her nose, "we could mix the cream with the mayonnaise." As they were rushing off Fiona asked, "Have we got everything this time. Let's see, ketchup, mustard, oh and what about the onion?" Allie laughed, "Do we need sugar this time?" Ned looked at Florence, "We're going to have to double the size of the shop to carry all the stuff that these two are going need from now on."

Bill had organised the adoption ceremony with Lee and Rosemary to be held as soon as possible at Simon's request. It was handled with the minimum of fuss with Elizabeth there to serve as a witness. Bill asked Emily in a very formal way if she was in acceptance but all she did was look up to Rosemary with a wondering look of expression. It would be years before she would understand what was about to take place. It was all done in a couple of minutes with Lee and Rosemary's signatures recorded on the document. After that they set off to the café for their own little celebration. Clara was among the first to offer her congratulations. "She's a wonderful little girl for you to have in your family." Little Jack, of course sat next to Emily.

Bill had soon returned to the jailhouse and was talking with Nathan when Allie and Fiona entered unexpectedly. They had their large bowl of potato salad complete with their own concoction of a salad dressing. "There's plenty to go around, said Allie who was quite pleased with herself. Both men got a good-sized share and said how delicious it was even though it was a bit bland. "Have we got any salt and pepper in here, "asked Nathan looking around. "I knew we forgot something," lamented Fiona, "we only had normal cream as well for the dressing, but I hope it's okay." She told them how Ned had said to leave the cream outside for two days. "We know not to listen to him."

Next morning Nathan set off early on his extended round. This usually happened about every seven or eight days depending on the weather. It involved many miles and at some stages he would be quite a long distance from Hope Valley. He would take lunch and enough water for the day seeing that he wouldn't be back in town much before dark. He always knew where the water holes were so that his horse could get a drink on a regular basis. It was always planned as a leisurely affair to look after the welfare of his horse. Nathan never really expected to find anything out of the ordinary on these trips, but the general inspection that took place was always a necessity. The odd horse and cart rumbling along the track would be the only thing to interrupt the serenity of the journey.

They trotted out on the well-worn track and soon left Hope Valley long behind in the distance and well out of sight. There was no hurry and usually the second water hole provided the ideal place for the horse to have a rest and Nathan could get a bite to eat. Soon they were on their way again and, into the afternoon the weather was getting rather warm so Nathan had found a shady spot along the road and decided to remove his red serge and tuck it into his bag. Just as he was ready to move along, a bough from an overhead tree fell and caused him a glancing blow to his head and shoulder. He was knocked off his horse and fell heavily to the ground.

Ten minutes went by while he was unconscious on the ground. His head hurt when he finally stirred and opened his eyes and tried to look around. His vision was blurred, and he was totally disorientated as he eventually tried to get to his feet. That had been more than an effort just to get this far. He stumbled out into the sunshine and tried unsuccessfully to focus on the track just by instinct. He could hardly see anything and had no comprehension what had happened to him a few minutes ago. His horse was still around but Nathan could not see him as he tried to take a few steps. He was incoherent and virtually defenceless and, unfortunately, many miles away from home.

Elizabeth, after school ended for the day decided that now was good a time as any to show Bill and Nathan the gift that Simon had brought for her. She was so proud of what it stood for and how she came to have it presented to her. Little Jack accompanied her down the street and soon they wandered up to the jailhouse. The sign on the door said closed for the day. "Oh, that's odd," she thought as she wandered over to the café where Bill was busy on the job. He reminded her that Nathan was out all day on his round. "I promised you that I would show you this," she said proudly as she put on her new red serge. It fit her perfectly as she did a three sixty. Bill was very impressed and said that he knew that Simon had something up his sleeve, but he didn't know what it was. "They hold you in very high esteem at Fort Clay as we do. You can wear this with pride."

Nathan by now was well out of it. He had managed a few steps here and there and thankfully stayed either on or at least near the track. He hardly knew when he had sunk to his knees and he didn't even know that his horse had started on his way back to Hope Valley. His horse had done this journey many times with his Mountie. Nathan also was unaware when a passer-by caught sight of him and could see that there was a man in distress. This man had a struggle on his hands but was soon able to get Nathan into the cart. He had no idea who Nathan was and where he had come from, but he knew that medical assistance was needed urgently. It was going to be a long bumpy trip to the nearest hospital, and they would have to continue through the night to get him there safely. He accepted water from time to time without muttering a word.

Elizabeth had stayed at the café for quite a while enjoying a coffee and a discussion with Clara who had admired the classy red jacket. Clara had listened closely to Elizabeth's portrayal of how she came to be in possession of such a prized piece of clothing, "Simon is such an amazing man, he didn't have to stand up for me here in the café but he did and didn't even ask any thanks or anything. Wow, him and Nathan did all this for you Elizabeth. He knows, like us, what it's like to lose a loved one."

"Oh good, Nathan's back," she thought as she started to head home before dark. His horse was standing out the front of the jailhouse as he had done so many times in the past. She wanted to show Nathan her gift and how well it fit but he didn't seem to be around. The jailhouse was still closed with the sign still up and his horse wasn't even tethered. She went back to the café to see if he had gone to ask Bill anything. Bill thought it was rather strange and they wandered outside to see if Nathan had showed up by now. It was rather puzzling, but they didn't worry as they took the horse to the stable hoping that Nathan was there for some strange reason.

The long journey in the cart was absolute agony for Nathan but mercifully, he sank into sleep from time to time. His head hurt, he couldn't see properly, and he felt sick lying there in the heat. He was very fortunate that his rescuer had understood the gravity of the situation and altered his own plans to save a stranger. Sometimes there weren't any travellers on that track for days at a time and, as it turned out, this man had been a day late on his journey. There had been no response when he had asked Nathan who he was and nothing when he asked him how he was feeling. It was still a long way to the city, and it was starting to get dark.

It was now starting to become quite strange now that Bill and Elizabeth had got to the stable with no sign of Nathan. It wasn't like him to not tend to his horse at the end of the day. The look of concern came on both faces as there was no logical answer to be found so far. They looked in his bag and saw the red serge folded neatly. It was strange that there was no water bottle to be found. "Maybe he had to see Allie for some reason, and he is still there." said Elizabeth in hope. "What do we do if he's not there." They weren't looking forward to having to deal with that situation.

Nathan was still lying in the cart in a daze. There were no thoughts in his head as they slowly trundled along the track. The man had to be very careful steering the horse in the dark. This had not been part of his plans but, of course it just had to be done. The track eventually turned into a road the closer they got to the city and it wasn't quite so bumpy. The heat of the day had now been replaced by a cooling breeze. The man found a blanket for Nathan and asked him if he could use another pillow. There was no response, however, he was relieved that he could see that Nathan's eyes were open.

Fiona was tidying up and Allie was doing her homework when Bill and Elizabeth arrived. "We're just wondering if Nathan was here, he left his horse by the jailhouse." said Bill. The two ladies looked at each other and Fiona replied, "We haven't seen him yet and we've been here all the time. He might be still at the office." Bill told them to tell Nathan that they had put his horse in the stable for him so that he wouldn't worry. "Let's head back to the jailhouse." said Elizabeth. There was a look of concern on both faces by now. It was starting to get dark.

It was a difficult task to negotiate driving the cart on a track in a moonlit night. It could have been worse if there was no moon at all. As the cart rolled along the man could see a car with headlights approaching from behind. He parked the horse and cart dangerously in the middle of the road and proceeded to furiously wave the car to stop and help. The driver of the car had no choice but to stop, hence, she was not impressed. Her mood improved rapidly when she could see the desperate situation before her. Without question, she helped the man struggle with the injured man and get him out of the cart and into her car. She could see the pain that he was going through while they were trying to move him. Her reassuring voice still went without response. She promised to get the patient to the hospital without delay. Nathan was completely unaware of the good Samaritans who were coming to his aid when he needed it the most.

The jailhouse was still closed as before with no Mountie Nathan anywhere to be seen. They were sure by now that they had a real problem on their hands. If there had been any doubt prior to this, it was now gone. They looked at each other completely mystified and not wanting to face the possibility that their Mountie and friend was somewhere out there in distress. "What can we do now?" was an urgent question from Elizabeth. Bill thought that the only available option was to have a quick ride along the backtrack while there was still about thirty minutes of twilight remaining. Maybe he could get lucky and find Nathan having fallen from his horse for whatever reason. They felt helpless but hurriedly went to saddle horses and try to make use of the remaining light. They didn't really expect to have any success with doing this, but they felt that they had to do something.

The car was now eating up the miles that would have taken the horse and cart at least another two hours to complete. She was very sympathetic and tried her best to avoid the bumps on the road as the went along. She had no idea what had happened to him so there would be scant information to provide to a doctor when they got to the hospital. Again, there was no response when she asked how he was feeling. He seemed to be sleeping more and more the further they travelled.

There was no sign of Nathan as they had expected as they rode along the track. Bill and Elizabeth returned carefully as it was now night-time, and it was hard to see their way home. They had only travelled about two miles and found nothing. A plan would now be needed for a search to commence virtually at first light next morning. Also, there was the task of telling Fiona and Allie some worrying news. There was definitely something wrong and they needed to be told.

The lights of the city thankfully came into view on the horizon as the car sped along the road. She thought it would be merciful to finally see him in a bed under the care of a doctor. She had travelled this road many times and knew where the hospital was located in the city. As she drove along, she glanced a look at this poor young man lying in her car in such pain. Who was he and what could have possibly happened to him? There was no answer to either question so all she could do was to get him to safety as soon as possible.

"All we can do is tell them what we know," said Bill, "for all we know, he might have called in to a homestead to see one of the families along the way and somehow his horse got loose and decided to continue the journey without him." Bill added, "if that's the case, then a Mountie without a horse would be very embarrassing for him." Elizabeth considered, "We must try not to alarm them until we know more. Like you say, there can be any number of things that could have happened out there."

After reaching the normally busy main streets of the city, she had a left turn and soon a right turn and then the hospital came into view. There wasn't much activity now that night had fallen so, she parked right in front of the main entrance. She sped inside the front doors and quickly got the attention of someone who may have been an orderly or something. "Quickly, I have an injured man in my car out the front. He needs medical attention and fast." Within five minutes they had Nathan very carefully out of the vehicle on a stretcher then, into the hospital and into a bed. He was unconscious during all this activity and would have no idea where he was.

Bill and Elizabeth returned to see Fiona and Allie and broke the news. "All we know is that Nathan's horse returned without him, why, we don't know. We will set out at sun-up to see what we can find out." Allie said that her uncle had been away many times, even at short notice but he had always returned safe and sound. Fiona was a little uneasy with this news but tried not to show it in front of Allie. "We'll know better by this time tomorrow." said Bill. "We will need Lee and Jesse to help us."

They went straight to see Jesse before it got too late in the evening. Fiona's job was to look after Allie and make sure that she wouldn't worry. There was still homework to finish which might help take her mind off the situation. Jesse could see that he would have to get away very early in the morning. He was shown on a hastily drawn map where Nathan usually went so his plan was to go with Bill in the same direction. If they could get Lee to use his car then he would be able to travel in the other direction. All were anxiously waiting for morning to arrive so that they could get started. They tried to avoid thinking of the outcome that they feared the most.

"How is our new patient doing Nurse Parker. "asked the doctor as he entered the room. "He has been asleep ever since he arrived. We didn't really get any information from the lady who brought him in. He has no identification on him to enable us to advise anyone of his accident. Someone somewhere must be terribly worried by now. Apparently, the lady got him from a man on a horse and cart about fifteen miles from here. I'm glad he had the sense to wave the car to stop." The doctor gently looked him over and noticed quite a bump on Nathan's head. "I want you to keep a close eye on this one nurse. Let me know the minute he stirs please, regardless of the hour."

The three of them set out immediately early daylight appeared. They didn't know the track as well as Nathan so they weren't going to be aware of the places where he would stop for a break. It was also necessary to call in to homesteads on the way around the circuit to see if he had been seen on his journey and where. Lee's car was going to prove very handy as he would be able to travel the route much quicker than the men on horseback. They all met halfway around the track and unfortunately could report nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing Lee had to do was to stop the car and move a sizable tree branch off the track so that he could continue onwards. They still had quite a few homesteads to call at, so they decided to do it all again tomorrow. The only blessing was that, if Nathan hadn't been found then there was still hope. He had to be somewhere.

Elizabeth was on edge all day at school. It was hard to concentrate, and she frequently lost her train of thought as she navigated her way through the day. Nathan was a good friend and they had been through much together. She would have preferred to be on the search with the others instead of sitting for what seemed an eternity in the classroom. She hoped that the news would be good at the end of the day. If Allie was worried, she didn't show it, her work was completed okay but her cheery smile was not there.

All three men arrived back late in the afternoon at the jailhouse. Fiona had been waiting for them and could see at an instant that they had not had any good news for her. "He can't just have disappeared into thin air, if he was injured, you would have found him out there on the track." There was an urgency in her voice that wasn't there before. "We spent the day checking the track where Nathan normally travels but, if he was injured and wandered off then he could be anywhere." said Jesse, "I think the car has done its job. Now we all have to be on horseback if we expect to look elsewhere." The country out there was very rugged in parts and they could see a major task in front of them. There was no thought of rest until they found him.

They set out again and over the next two days their exhaustive search over some of the more rugged terrain revealed nothing, not even a clue like torn clothing or food scraps. There was going to be so much area to cover but still, they were undeterred. By the end of the next day with still no good fortune, they returned knowing that the had to tell Fiona and Allie that they still had no answer for them. Fiona was sad but very grateful for all their effort in the search and with not even a hint of complaint. Elizabeth and Rosemary planned to join the search with the weekend approaching. Emily and Little Jack could enjoy Opal's company for a day or two.

The next day they returned from their unsuccessful escapade into some of the more inhospitable areas, with the look of resignation. It was like looking for the needle in the haystack and time would be running out. "We are going to need some help." said a very tired Bill. He rang Florence and sat down, "Florence, can you please get a call through to Superintendent Mills at Fort Clay please." A few minutes passed and then the phone rang and the very welcome Superintendent spoke to Bill. He was filled in straightaway and hated the thought that Nathan was out in the bushland in need of help. "We sure could use some help right now sir, I'm afraid we seem to be out of options, and we don't know what to do next. Whatever help you can spare will be greatly appreciated." As the Superintendent hung up the phone, he was dismayed to have heard the anxiety and resignation in Bill's voice.

One very late evening the doctor was called to Nathan's bedside as instructed. There had been some movement and groans. "I called for you as soon as there was any change Doctor, said the nurse, "he seems to be regaining some form of consciousness now after three days." He made some observations and said he would return in about half an hour. "We won't know the extent of any damage for some time yet. Please keep a close eye on him, I won't be far away if you need me."

Very early next morning at Hope Valley there came the sound of many horses in the street. Never had there been a more welcome sight for Bill, Jesse and Lee. The twenty Mounties who had been part of the weapons plant raid had returned with Mountie Simon at the front. They had set off from Fort Clay that afternoon and rode through the night to get to Hope Valley by sun-up. Simon's demeaner was grim with the probability of Nathan being in a desperate situation by now. Those very same Mounties had just completed a morning training activity, then had no hesitation in volunteering for the rescue mission. They knew where the saloon was and stored any gear that they had with them in there.

Bill was almost speechless as he tried to welcome them all. He thought that now there would be much more of a chance to cover the territory in the search. He had felt defeated before but now was rejuvenated with the prompt arrival of the Mounties. A hastily constructed map and a hashed-out plan saw them on their way. Simon called in to see Fiona to try to offer some reassurance. "If he's out there, Miss Miller, we will find him." She was overawed at the arrival of all these men who had come at the drop of a hat to try and find one of their own. Simon could see that Allie was finding all this very difficult to digest and how she was really starting to worry about her uncle.

The early morning brought some welcome signs for the doctor and nurse. Nathan had regained conscious, but they could see that he was struggling with constant pain. He had a massive headache, blurred vision when he had his eyes open from time to time. They considered that it was going to take some time yet for him to settle down before they could conduct any form of examination. The doctor asked Nathan if he could hear him and was heartened when a few fingers were raised. "It seems you have had quite a bump young man. You need to rest here in the hospital and let us take care of you." He spoke to the nurse before he went, "You may try and get him to take some water but very gently please."

The Mounties had accomplished a great deal on their first day but there was still no Nathan. It was nearly dark by the time they returned having made use of every ounce of daylight. They would be ready to do it all again tomorrow and each day after that if necessary, there was a job to do that wouldn't wait. It was considered necessary for their own safety for them to travel in pairs as they divided up the territory for the next day. Bill and Simon went together to see Fiona and Allie who looked downcast as soon as they saw them arrive. Bill's face told the story and he couldn't hide his disappointment at not being able to provide any answer to this dilemma.

Elizabeth came by the jailhouse for any news and welcomed Simon back to Hope Valley. "It's a shame it's not under better circumstances." she said sadly. "I won't wear my red jacket again until Nathan is back safe and sound." Simon told her of the search plan and how long it should take to cover the entire area. "We're not going to let up until we have him back. Every Mountie volunteered for this mission without question." She could see that he was very focussed on the task. He didn't even ask about Emily and the Coulters.

The Mounties back in the saloon also were focussed on the looming challenge facing them and they knew that they would need as much rest as possible. They were settling down in the evening with some of the limited provisions that they had brought with them when a visitor marched through the doorway. "So, you people are back here again", remarked a much more subdued Wyman Walden. "I have to admit that I wasn't happy with your presence here last time but now I can see that this is a very different task in front of you. Please, make yourselves at home here for as long as necessary and I hope you find that Mountie." As he walked out, he reflected on how nobody had ever really put themselves out for him in the past. Now, to his amazement, there were all these people having arrived in Hope Valley to help someone in need without asking anything in return.

Nathan's condition slowly improved over the next few days. His headache gradually subsided but his shoulder was still very sore from the fall from his horse. When he opened his eyes and looked around from time to time, he could make out a nurse who had sat beside him when she was on a break. "Good morning, she said, "It looks like you may be returning to the land of the living." He tried to sit up a little, but the pain was still going to be there for a while. "Just lie still, there will be plenty of time for you as you get better." She was very relieved to see this improvement as all that they could do up till now was wait and observe.

"Good morning young man," came the man's kindly sounding voice, "I'm Doctor Parker, you are looking a lot better than in the past few days. You have had us quite concerned." Nathan could make out, as he strained his eyes, to see this elderly man who was talking to him. "Where am I?" asked a puzzled Nathan. "You have been in our hospital in Union City for nearly a week now. There was quite a bump on your head which has now subsided. Hopefully, after a while, you can tell us what happened to you." He smiled at the nurse and said, "I'll be back later, Nurse Parker." Nathan was still in recovery mode but did think that something was a bit odd. "I heard the doctor's name as Doctor Parker and then I hear a Nurse Parker." She smiled and said, "Yes, that's right, Doctor Parker is my father, we have a very formal arrangement when we are on the job. I am Jane Parker, but you can call me Janie." She thought of the condition that this man was in when he arrived here about a week ago and felt very satisfied.

The Mounties were also on the job, they all knew the magnitude of their task. Each day that went by made them think that it was an extra day that Nathan could be stuck somewhere in danger. There was no consideration for themselves. The townspeople of Hope Valley were so very thankful for all the Mounties and joined together to look after them with food and drink. They wanted their Mountie back safe. Day after day these men would set out to resume the search. Areas that had already been covered would be checked again and over again when needed.

Faith had been asked initially to check Nathan's horse to see if there were any signs to suggest that some sort of an accident had occurred. She had to stand on a large stool in a precarious position to be able to look over his head. She did notice some hair missing in one place but couldn't account for the cause. She said also that she couldn't rule out that something may have fallen on him at some stage. Bill took note of this and said that if Nathan didn't turn up then someone must have taken him somewhere. After two weeks of nothing and running out of ideas, this may be their last hope to cling to.

Doctor Parker had returned later and taken notice of how Nathan was straining to focus on anything as he was talking to him. He was reluctant to pressure any conversation with Nathan, but he did get around to asking him who he was. Nathan's comments so far had revolved around how he was still suffering and how he was thirsty. He had suddenly become quiet and bewildered looking and said, "I don't even know who I am, I can't remember a thing. I don't know where I'm from and what I even do." He now had a worried look on his face, so doctor and nurse decided to give him a rest for a while. "Nurse Parker, this phenomenon is not so surprising. It is a memory loss from the blow to his head, hopefully only temporary. You must watch carefully and report anything you see no matter how trivial you may think. Don't question him or push him on anything as he may get frustrated and then withdrawn. Your role now becomes very important.

Everybody in Hope Valley were finding it difficult to go about their lives with the loss of Nathan hanging over them. Two weeks turned into three weeks with still no news of any sort. School would continue but the fun had been replaced with sadness and limited expectation of any good news coming. Elizabeth had spoken to the children as a group and had explained how there is always hope and they should do their best work possible which is what their Mountie would want. Elizabeth could not even look at the paperwork that Mr Landis had served upon her. He came along after school one sad day and told her to shelve it indefinitely because of the massive search going on. He also was amazed at the effect that one man had caused on the community.

It was only soup for Nathan as his face and jaw was still so sore when he had tried to eat anything. Consequently, he had not even considered a shave or a haircut. He was now able to get around a little with Janie's help because of his poor vision which had slowly been on the improve. He was very thankful of her help and how she had sat with him for hours on end right from the beginning. She was full of encouragement and was very patiently waiting for any unusual signs to report back to her father. She took him outside and they sat in the sunshine for a while. He was asking questions from time to time about how he got to the hospital and things like how she came to become a nurse. Although this was nothing to report to her father it was a positive sign.

Allie had done her best to remain positive throughout the entire period but now there were signs that she was starting to unravel. Fiona had done her best to keep busy and provide the company that Allie needed. She would walk her to school in the morning and collect her in the afternoon. There was no hiding the fact that, by now after four weeks, there should have been some sort of answer one way or another. The hours of not knowing anything were turning into days and then into weeks.

Janie took Nathan for a walk down the street now that his vision had been improving. He was still in a weakened state but was now on the mend as he was able to eat a little and everything didn't hurt quite so much. He was a scruffy affair not having shaved for four weeks but that was the least of their concerns. She enjoyed Nathan's company and would try to help when he made any comment about not knowing who he was. She didn't press him in any way but was always on the lookout for any sign that he may remember something of any significance. They would sit together in the park while the weather was nice and watch people go about their business. Nothing seemed to make any impression on Nathan but on one of the afternoons he stopped and looked up for a moment. Janie made a mental note of this first instance as they continued on their walk back to the hospital. "I know he saw something that mattered but I don't know what it was." she told her dad. It was just a fleeting moment for Nathan as he had taken notice of an elevated water tank.

Fiona brought a very despondent Allie home from school one afternoon after they had a quick word with Elizabeth. It was nearly impossible to remain positive by now, but Fiona was still trying. They got back home and were both attempting to keep busy like day after day but now it was harder than ever. Allie burst into tears and cried, "He's never coming back is he, how could he still be alive after all this. He's gone hasn't he." Fiona grabbed her tightly and said forcefully, "Allie, look at me!" She looked into Allie's eyes and said," He's coming back, I know it in my heart. We have to have faith Allie. I have never been so sure of anything in my life. We will have him back again and when we do, I want you to call him dad." She loved Allie like a daughter and was always going to be there for her.

They sat on Allie's bed and talked for ages remembering the fish getting away and their cooking escapades and even Mrs Thornton fleeing the church at the last minute. Finally, Allie was relaxed enough to go to sleep. Fiona exited her room quietly and went outside. Allie hadn't been asleep for more than a minute and had sat up looking out the window at Fiona who was just staring out into space. She thought how hard it must be for Fiona to cope with all this and how she loved her Uncle Nathan. She wandered outside and hugged her future mother and said, "I'm sorry Fiona, you must be feeling awful yourself with all this waiting and not knowing anything. I promise I won't let you down again." Fiona was unable to talk for a while, "Allie, I promise, you will never have to face anything as bad as this ever again in your life. We are a team, you and me and your dad." Fiona added, "we've got all those Mounties out there everyday looking for him, they might need our help as well. What say we go and help with their dinner tomorrow evening when they get back." Allie provided a subdued nod of approval.

Janie took Nathan a different path down the street the following day which took them past the police station. He didn't take much notice as they wandered by until a couple of Mounties came out of the front door. Nathan didn't stop but Janie could see that there was some fascination that the Mounties had for him. He stared at them for a while then wandered along the path. There was a nice little café where they could sit and have a cup of tea together. Nathan looked at her and said that he didn't know how he could have survived without her help and companionship over the last few weeks. She told her dad later about the Mounties at the police station and how Nathan had reacted. Doctor Parker thought about this momentarily, "You know Janie, so far he has only been able to deal with his physical recovery. It's not going to be very long until he starts asking questions about himself and who he really is. He may find the not knowing quite confronting."

Nathan looked forward to the afternoon walks with Janie. This next time he asked if they could go the same way as yesterday and could they sit for a while on a bench by the police station. She thought that it was a curious request, maybe prompted after his reaction when he had seen the Mounties around with their red jackets. They sat there across the road quietly and Janie could see that he was quite thoughtful while he was just looking at the station. "What if I'm a thief," he asked, "Maybe I'm just a no-account drifter, not standing for anything or anyone. Maybe I've gone through life not achieving a thing." Janie could see the dismay in his face, she took his hand in hers, "I would never believe you could be anything like that. Just the fact that you have thoughts like this makes me think that you are doing some good with your life.

They were soon on their way to the café. Janie had just taken notice of Nathan watching intently a Mountie hugging a young teenage girl as they came out of the station. Also, a little boy got frightened by the bark of a little dog and the mum consoling him. Janie could see that he was becoming more aware of everything around him and he seemed more puzzled than ever. They sat in the café and he casually looked over the menu even though he wasn't hungry. His eyes widened as he noticed the third dish on the first page. Janie noticed how he was really trying to think of why this mattered. She casually looked at her copy of the menu and saw Swedish Meatballs listed. They were having a cup of tea when there was a scream outside. An assailant had snatched a bag from a lady at speed. In a flash Nathan was outside and has wrestled him to the ground and given the bag back to the very thankful lady. Nathan held him at bay until a Mountie came along. The lady said how this nice man stopped a thief from stealing her bag. The Mountie thanked Nathan but said that he should leave law enforcement to the people who are trained for it. Janie reported back to her dad in the evening, "Dad, he was amazing, he didn't just fight this burly man. It was more like, that he apprehended him, like as if he's done it before."

In the twilight, the Mounties returned from yet another day out in the massive search field. It was very quiet in the saloon. Many people had done a lot of work over the past five weeks with no return to show for it. The Hope Valley people had been quietly getting a well-deserved evening meal ready when two forlorn waifs came in through the front door. "We're here to help, can you put us to work?" asked Fiona with Allie standing next to her. They settled in and helped serve food to the hungry Mounties. Fiona thanked each and every one of them for their effort and persistence over such a long time. One young Mountie went over and spoke with Allie for a while. She was amazed to think of someone who didn't look much more than a boy being here as a fully-fledged mounted policeman. "Hi, my name is Jason," he said. She looked at this young man, "I'm so thankful that you are here to help us all. "she added, "You look so young." He replied very sympathetically, "We won't leave until we find him, that's our promise, and I'm nineteen." They talked for a while about all kinds of things like fishing, riding horses and family. "I've got three younger sisters." he said. Elizabeth had been helping as well and told Fiona that this had been good for Allie to take her mind off everything for a while.

Simon was sitting quietly outside, and Elizabeth could see how despondent he looked. She sat next to him and struggled to find the words to help. He said after a while, "Elizabeth, when I lost Sarah my world absolutely caved in, I never thought I would have something else that could make me feel the same way." Elizabeth knew the same feeling from having lost Jack. She told him how she had nearly married again but had changed her mind at the last second. She said," The community helps us all through the despairing times if we let them." His voice got very shaky when he had to say, "Sooner or later I am the one who will have to call off the search, I can't believe that I will be placed in a position like that. How can I look Fiona and Allie in the eye to tell them that we're finished?"

Nathan, lying in bed at night, was visualising all the things that had raised his attention over the past week or more. The water tank, the menu and, above all, the Mounties, everything caused him to be on edge. Why had he raced out on instinct to subdue that bag snatcher without even thinking about it. He was just about ready to be released from the hospital by now and he wondered what he was going to do.

Janie had a busy next morning with some new injured patients arriving at the hospital needing to be attended to. Nathan wandered around outside for a while then decided to go for a walk on his own. He was tired from a restless and sleepless night and set off down the road with hands in pocket and shrugged shoulders. He sat across the road from the police station again and wondered if he had spent time in the prison cells in a past life. A school choir in the park caught his attention so he wandered down and sat on a bench to have a listen. He was nearly asleep on the bench as the music flowed through his head. After a while the choir sang, "Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling, from glen to glen and down the mountainside," "The summer's gone and all the roses falling. It's you, it's you must go, and I must bide." His eyes were shut, and his head was going round and round in circles. He could see the little church; Elizabeth was at the altar and a young girl was sitting next to him and he was holding hands with a lady on the other side. He sat up with a start and looked around and had no idea where he was. He saw the police station across the road. He carefully stood up in amazement and tried to gather his faculties. He couldn't see anyone who he knew so he made his way with his head in disarray over to the police station.

He made his way inside and spoke to the same Mountie who had chastised him the day before. "Can you help me please, I'm Constable Nathan Grant and I don't," Right then and there, he saw himself in a large mirror on the desk and was absolutely horrified at what he saw. His hair was longer, and he had six weeks growth for a beard. "You will have to leave sir, or I'll be forced to arrest you for vagrancy." Two Mounties enticed him to leave the premises but not before Nathan asked them with some anxiety to ring Bill Avery at Hope Valley. He couldn't believe his appearance as he wandered around trying to make some sense of it all.

The Mounties didn't concern themselves greatly with the removal of a vagrant from their office and generally went about their business. "Who did that man want us to ring?" asked one of them. "Can anyone remember?" Someone else said, "Bill someone and I remember he said Hope Valley." Another one remembered, "Bill Avery I reckon." They thought for a while and the man in charge said, I think I'll ring Hope Valley just to satisfy my curiosity."

Bill was sitting motionless in the jailhouse after having left the café to Clara for a while. The Mounties had moved out early in the morning again, but their confidence was waning badly. He was grappling with the inevitable decision that was approaching. The phone rang, something he could have done without, but he answered it anyway. Florence said, "Bill, I have a call for you from the police station at Union City." She put it through, and a voice asked, "Am I speaking to Bill Avery?" Bill replied, "Yes you are, what can I do for you?" The officer introduced himself as Constable Grey, "I'm sorry to bother you sir, but we had a man here asking for help. He said he is Constable Nathan Grant of Hope Valley." Bill stood up out of his chair and could feel the hackles rising on the back of his neck and his heart racing. "Let me get this straight, you have a man there saying he is Constable Nathan Grant. We have had twenty Mounties from Fort Clay scouring the territory for six weeks looking for him and you say that he is there. Put him on the phone please so that I can talk to him." Constable Grey was now very uneasy, "I'm sorry sir, we turfed him out of here because we thought he was a vagrant and we haven't seen him since. That was about an hour ago." Bill was now quite anxious," Please understand, he went missing after setting out on his round six weeks ago and there has been no sign of him since." Constable Grey said that they would move heaven and earth to find him, "We also saw him yesterday and there was a pretty nurse with him." Bill told him that he would be on the road within a few minutes but there would be people to tell first.

Constable Grey hung up the phone and was very annoyed with himself. He had a man removed from his station on his authority without bothering to take the time to listen to him. He found a baton and banged it loudly on the desk and said loudly, "Listen everybody, I want your attention please. We have an emergency now. Don't ask me for any details but that man who we sent on his way earlier is the Mountie from Hope Valley. He's been missing for six weeks and now he turns up here. I want every available man out looking for him. His name is Constable Nathan Grant, now remember, he's one of ours. I want this man found. Let's get to it!"

Bill was ecstatic as this was the first news of any kind since the beginning. He raced to find Fiona, but she wasn't in the barber shop. He went straight to Nathan's house and found her sitting by herself outside. She was just about spent as she looked up and saw him coming as fast as he could muster. "Fiona," he could hardly breathe, "I think he's been found." She hugged him and cried as she sat down in a heap. "Where, how after all this time? I have to go and tell Allie, thanks Bill." They were both very excited, "You go and tell Allie at school and I am going to get Lee to take me to Union City straight away, that's where he is." said Bill urgently.

Fiona barged right in at the school and nearly frightened everyone to death. Elizabeth looked on in amazement as Fiona walked straight to Allie and said, "Mr Avery came and told me that they think they found your uncle." Elizabeth froze in her spot then hugged both of them and tried her best not to cry. She gathered all the children together as they all tried to gather their breath.

"Lee," yelled Bill, racing into his office, "we've got to get to Union City right now, it looks like they found Nathan there." Within two minutes they were on the road. Telling Rosemary would have to wait. They called into the jailhouse on the way" Bill left a large note on the desk for Simon which read, I think he's been found.

The Mounties at Union City had swung into action immediately and moved out to all points within the vicinity of the police station. They would see men with dark beards and call out "Constable Nathan Grant" as they searched frantically. It took a while but eventually saw a very despondent and disillusioned man sitting up against a tree in the park, he hadn't gone far as there was nowhere to go. "Excuse me sir, are you Nathan Grant from Hope Valley?" Nathan looked up at them absolutely bewildered, "Yes I am but I don't know what I'm doing here." The officer helped him up and smiled, "Come with us sir, you look like you could use a friendly face right now." He walked back with them into the police station to a rousing cheer, but he was too mentally exhausted to appreciate it.

Bill and Lee had not spared the horses to get to Union City. They had waited six weeks for this moment when they finally pulled into the station. The officers had got Nathan something light to eat and a drink while he was waiting. He had been unable to provide any information on how he got there and his appearance. Bill and Lee got the shock of their life when they walked in and saw how he looked. Six weeks of pent up anxiety, the not knowing, all took its toll on Bill right then and there. Constable Grey pulled Bill aside after a while and apologised for not taking Nathan seriously earlier in the day. "You certainly made up for later." Bill said. I've watched him for the last hour and he looks very uneasy, something has happened to this man," said Constable Grey, "I think the best thing you could do for him is to get him home to his familiar surroundings and people who love him. He said that he was on his round yesterday and now he has wound up here." Bill then told him, "That yesterday was actually six weeks ago." He added, "Someone, somewhere has had a big bearing on saving his life and also the community of Hope Valley, we may never find out." They could see that Nathan was not alright, so they thanked everyone for all their help and concern and quickly got on the way home to Hope Valley. Constable Grey said that if he found out any further details, he would let them know.

Janie had just completed a very busy shift with the new patients and then had gone to see Nathan who wasn't in his room. Nobody seemed to recall seeing him around for some time, surely, he hadn't gone out on his own. She strode down the street looking for him, in the park and in the café but with no luck. She was on the way back to the hospital, hoping that he may have returned when she passed by the police station. She thought that it wouldn't hurt to call in and ask if they had seen him about the place. She described him as the man who had apprehended the bag snatcher the other day. Constable Grey then related the morning's events and told her that this man turned out to be a mounted policeman and he was from Hope Valley. He had been missing for six weeks with people frantically searching for him. His name is Nathan Grant and he is now on his way home at this minute. He said to her that Nathan was quite shaken up, but he was okay. "He took us completely by surprise, coming in here looking like a vagrant and saying that he was Constable Nathan Grant. We had to search for him after sending him on his way." He thought that she may be the person responsible for Nathan having survived his ordeal. She departed abruptly without giving a name or any other details.

A very deflated bunch of Mounties ambled back into town at the end of the day. They had toiled valiantly for so many weeks on end and their confidence and resilience was running out. Mountie Simon now totally frustrated, strolled into the jailhouse, sat down with head in hands. "We have run out of ideas and any hope of success." he thought. "Now I have to go and tell Fiona that we're done and it's all over." There was only one other time in his life when he has felt so alone. He sat up steeling himself for his duty when he focussed on Bill's desk and the large note. He picked it up and read it again and then again. What could this mean, I think he's been found. He stood up with heart beating rapidly, six weeks had gone by without even a hint of news and now this.

Since Fiona had burst into the classroom with news that everybody had hoped for, Elizabeth had not left their side. Fiona explained how she had been told and that now they had something to cling to. The class had abruptly been dismissed for the day with Elizabeth telling the children that Mountie Nathan should soon be back safe and sound. Fiona, Allie and Elizabeth sat together in the classroom for a long period of time feeling very thankful. They never even noticed the sun starting to set when Elizabeth startled them both, "The Mounties!" she cried, "they will be returning soon and will need to be told." She had forgotten that Rosemary had been entertaining both little children all day and would not have heard any news. They all hurried to the Coulter's residence and straight through the front door as usual. "Rosemary, it looks like Nathan has been found," said Elizabeth frantically, "would you like to come with us to tell the Mounties. I'm sure they're ready for some good news." Rosemary saw Fiona and Allie and immediately burst into tears. This had been a long time coming. Two adults one teenager and two little children hurried off to the saloon but called in quickly to the infirmary to get Faith.

Simon, in the meantime was trying to digest the note left by someone in the jailhouse. How could it not be genuine? What were the circumstances and why was Bill not around the place like usual? These were all questions without any answers but now, the despair was replaced by an air of expectancy. He leaned on a post outside and stared into space. He couldn't bear the thought that he might have actually given up before he saw the note. This was a question that would haunt him for the rest of his life. He walked into the saloon to all the sad and downcast faces. They were expecting the imminent announcement that the search would be called off and they would have to return to Fort Clay. They felt that the job would always be incomplete and considered a failure. Simon entered with note in hand, "Men, you can hold your heads high," he said. "I don't know where this came from but," he was stopped in his tracks as five people burst in through the front door. "Simon," cried Elizabeth, "They've gone to Union City to get Nathan, Bill got a phone call." She was out of breath. A jubilant bunch of Mounties lined up for Fiona. Allie went to Jason who had sat down in a daze with head in hands. She put her arm around this man who had worked tirelessly for her over the duration. Elizabeth looked at Rosemary and said, "Rosemary, I forgot to tell you, that's where Lee is right now, he drove Bill to Union City."

Simon sat down with Rosemary and Emily in a much more positive frame of mind. "How do you like your new mum?" he asked Emily. She just smiled and gave her a hug. Now it was all just a waiting game. The car pulled in gently to a rousing cheer which fell silent when they saw the sad looking man with a beard sitting in the back. Fiona went to him, as he got out of the car, almost in disbelief that he was finally home safe and sound. There would be time for tears later. "Uncle Nathan," came the cry from Allie, "Dad," as she rushed to him, she looked at Fiona and said, "Dad, she never gave up hope that you would be back." Elizabeth and Simon just looked on with their hearts in their mouths, they almost had to remember to take a breath. Bill said to Simon, "He has no idea about the last six weeks." Nobody could find any words to say. A gentle, "Welcome back" fell on deaf ears. Fiona looked at everybody with heartful gratitude and then led Nathan and Allie away for the night. It was finally all over. Faith looked on and thought, "My work will start as from tomorrow." Simon asked "Bill, would you like to report to Superintendent Mills or have me do it?" That night Elizabeth cried herself to sleep and couldn't really work out why.

Shortly after midday, Nathan appeared in uniform out in front of the jailhouse. He was clean shaven and been given a haircut by the local hairdresser. A quick-thinking Fiona had considered that he would recover better if he could feel a sense of normality, so she had set to work early in the morning. She hadn't pressed Nathan for any details, she was just happy to have him back. She cut his hair and helped him have a long overdue shave. She could tell that he was in pain. She looked in his eyes and wondered if he would ever imagine the anguish that she and Allie had gone through these last few weeks. Allie had begged off going to school for the day understandably and was constantly underfoot in the very happy household. Nathan was still very withdrawn at the huge shock he received at seeing his appearance in the mirror yesterday, something he couldn't explain. Inside the jailhouse, by instinct, he went to the hat stand but strangely, there was no hat there. Somewhere in a far-off little town, under some old blanket in a cart, there is a hat used previously by a mounted policeman. They were there just in time to see the Mounties pull out and head for Fort Clay. Fiona had a hug for Mountie Simon who said, "Look after him.". He thought there would be time to talk to Nathan in weeks to come. Jason tipped his hat to Allie as they rode by out of town.

They were at the jailhouse all together when the stage pulled in from the round-trip including Union City. The driver climbed down and helped a pretty young lady out of the cab. She immediately saw Nathan there with Fiona and Allie across the street. Bill had come out of the café and saw this lady just standing there. He asked, "Good afternoon miss, welcome to Hope Valley, can I help you with anything?" She climbed back into the cab, "It doesn't matter now." The stage pulled out and continued on its journey. Nathan stared at her until she was out of sight. Fiona saw Nathan's reaction to her and asked, "Who was that?" Nathan had a puzzled look on his face, "I don't know."