Chapter 3 Back home

Carolyn arrived in Olympia around noon. She quietly walked toward where their house was. With both parents gone, someone had sold the house, but had made sure the funds were in a bank waiting for her brothers and her to come of age. She figured that the someone had been either Jason or Jeremy Bolt. The furnishings and everything that came with the house except for a few things the children had and some things from their mother and father had been sold.

She stopped at the gate to the house. The Victorian house stood in the middle of the lot. There was a new vegetable garden to one side of the house and on the other a flower garden. The windows had been cleaned and the house painted. She looked to see if anyone was around. She had to get inside and up to the attic. She had something very precious to her that she had hidden away. She sat across on a rock watching the house. She thought she saw someone looking out the window. She decided to move to a more secluded place. It was almost 2 in the afternoon. She would have to find a place to sleep and eat if she wanted to stay awhile. Her brother Harry was going to arrive soon. They had made an agreement to meet each other at their tree. It was on the property, so she decided to jump the fence and go to the tree.

Harry had arranged to take the train to Olympia. His friend James had decided to go with Harry just for the adventure. Harry did not want him to come along.

"So, Harry, how do you think you are going to get to Olympia? My da will discover and catch up to you?" James said while they were hanging out at the swimming hole. Harry looked at James and said:

"If I take the train, I will be in Olympia before he finds out that I am gone!" Harry said with confidence.

"But you need money to take a train!"

"I know that, but really I can just hop on the train and hide out until we get to Olympia! It is only about a couple of hours away!" Harry had just caught a fish. He had a secret smile that showed when he was reeling in a catch!

James thought about it and then he said:

"If you take me along, I can get the money for the train tickets, and we can travel comfortably!" Harry looked at his friend and thought about it and asked:

"Won't you dad be suspicious if you ask for money?"

"I have saved up quite a bit, that he doesn't know about, do you remember that time when we were helping Old Lady Margaret?" Harry nodded.

"Well, she paid us in cash!" Harry suddenly remembered he had spent his cash on some candy and some whiskey which he had hidden in the barn so that no one would suspect anything. That whiskey had lasted for at least two weeks, he would somehow manage to get some money to buy his whiskey by helping someone but sometimes there would be no one to help so he would have to stay dry for a period of time.

"James, I am sorry, but I spent that money!"

"I know. I also know what you spend it on as well!" Harry looked at him and smiled. "Good!" he thought, I will get help from James and if he says a word, then I can tell on him!"

"So, James, have you taken a drink from my stash?" Harry asked as he reeled in the fish. James did not say anything, he looked away and said:

"Harry, I don't think I have to answer that because you already know that I haven't taken a drink!" James then pulled out a cigar and lit it. Just then a tall man with a gruff voice said:

"I thought so! You two boys are going to come with me!" Harry and James looked at each other and decided to run. James said as he was running:
"Sorry Da, but I have important matters to attend to!" Just as they seemed to be getting away, someone else stepped out from behind the trees.

"I don't think you will be running away too soon!" Joshua Bolt said grabbing one of the boys while Jason grabbed the other. They took them back to Duncan Bolt and then they went back to the house!

Carolyn waited until it was dark. She knew how to slip into the house without being heard or seen. She worried that Harry had not gotten to their meeting place. She was about to go to the house when Harry showed up, without Percy.

"Where is Percy and why is James here?" she asked.

"I left Percy at home and James wanted to come along and he had the money for the ticket on the train!" Harry said

"Why did you leave Percy, he is our brother? I was counting on him to be able to wiggle through the hole in the wall of the kitchen!"

"I left Percy because he is doing well, and I thought it was better for him and us, if we did not have to worry about him, besides, he likes Mr. Bolt and the family." Harry said. Carolyn was upset about this and said:

"I don't care if he likes him or not! The Bolts are not our friends, they killed our parents!" She yelled at her brother.

"No, only one parent, mom died of a heart attack! The one who killed dad was Jason Bolt, and if I ever get ahold of him, I am going to kill him myself!" Harry said, with as much bravado as he could muster.

"Hey, Carolyn and Harry, don't you think we need to get done?" James said quietly. They looked at him and decided that he was probably right. They went to where they remembered the hole in the wall but it had been patched up. They stood back and thought for a moment.

"Harry, can you climb the tree to the second floor? If so, you can get in and let us in through the back door!" Carolyn said. Harry nodded, as he was about to climb two men stood right beside them. The three children turned and looked surprised!

"Well, I am glad that you three are together, we have some talking to do!" said the man with a deep voice. The other man nodded and one picked up the girl and the other the two boys. They covered their mouths to keep them from screaming, however, Carolyn bit his finger and he dropped her. She got up and ran to the house and pounded on the door to no avail. The man had caught up with her and grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. A door opened and the person inside asked what was happening. The man with the deep voice said:

"No worries, we found three runaways trying to sneak into your home. Please go back inside, it is taken care of!" The person at the door nodded and went inside and locked the door. He walked away to the wagon and tied the boys to each other and the wagon. The girl was placed between them, as one of the men had the reins they took off quickly.

Chapter 4 Loggers and Duncan to the Rescue

Big Swede and Corky had been waiting at the camp for Jason, when he did not return as he had said they started to wonder what was happening. Eleanor and Maureen came up in a wagon and stopped it just in front of them and said:

"Swede, Corky, you have to get the men and save Jason and the Bolts!" Eleanor screamed loudly. Then Maureen stopped the wagon and they both started to talk at the same time.

" The older brothers of Carolyn came into town; they are holding everyone in the saloon. I snuck out of the saloon before anyone noticed and went and got Maureen and we came up here as fast as we could!" Corky and Swede listened to the women. Corky wanted to sound the alarm. There was a shout as some more loggers showed up at the camp, they had finished their particular jobs and usually Jason, Joshua or Jeremy would be there to give more assignments.

"So, where are the bosses?" asked Frank Lyman one of the fallers. Swede and Corky were just about to answer, when Duncan Bolt and a group of his Indian relatives showed up. They spoke with the loggers and made a plan. Duncan and a couple of his relatives went into town, and over to the saloon. While they did this, the rest of the loggers and Indians surrounded the saloon, there were a couple of men outside the saloon who were guarding it. Duncan and his relatives quickly dispatched the men, tying them up and gagging them for a later transfer to the jail. Duncan walked into the saloon and said:

"Well, looks like we are having a wonderful party! Shouldn't you be up on the mountain Jason?" Duncan asked.

"Well, yes, uncle, but we have been tied up in this 'meeting'!" Jason said. Joshua looked at his uncle and smiled. Duncan looked at his surroundings and noticed who was all there. Miss Lottie was behind the bar as was her bartender. Jeremy and Candy were not there.

"You know, I came to visit with you, but it seems we have some cleaning up to do first boys!" Duncan then turned to the first guard and hit him and took his rifle. Once that was done, Jason, Joshua, Aaron and the others jumped up and started a fight, the Indian relatives also joined in, they came in through the back and from the second floor. Soon, the place was a shambles, but they were free, the men had been put into jail.

"We have to rescue Jeremy and Candy!" Joshua said to his Uncle.

"Uncle Duncan, we need to get to their house. Candy has the baby!" Jason said as he headed out. The loggers followed Jason toward Candy and Jeremy's house. They arrived just in time to see; Jeremy being taken into his own house.

"Swede, you go in the back entrance, take Corky and Frank with you. Uncle, you and I are going to walk in the front door. Would your relatives, mind climbing to the second floor and coming down the stairs?"

"Not at all, that is why they came with me!"

"Jason, Candy is not the only woman Biddie is also there as well!" Joshua said as he came back from checking on the house. Jason and Duncan knew the baby was there but had not known that Biddie was there as well.

"Joshua, Are the ladies together? Is the baby with them?"

"Yes, Candy has the baby in her arms. And is standing near the fireplace. Biddie looks to be tied to a chair. Jeremy is being held by one of the brothers by the window." Joshua said. They made their plans, and decide that rushing in would do more harm than good. So, an alternate plan was made and they implemented the plan.

Jason and Uncle Duncan walked up to the door and walked into the house. At the same time Swede and Corky and a few loggers and Indians walked in the back door.

"Oh, my, a whole family!" Said the one brother who was holding onto Jeremy.

"Well, what a nice Family reunion!" said Butch as he looked on at Jason and Duncan. He had also noticed that there were more people arriving.

"Hmmmm… Wouldn't it be great if we could have a family reunion with our niece and nephews? Stan, you got hold of that one brother, we can start with him. We don't threaten women and children unless as a last resort. But it can happen. So, if you want your little brother to die first, that is fine with us!" Stan pointed his gun as Jeremy and was about to shoot when Joshua who had sidled up close without stan noticing grabbed his arm and forced the gun out of his hands. Then while untying Jeremy, Jason and Duncan got the drop on Thomas, Butch then went and grabbed the baby out of Candy's hands and held a knife to the baby's throat. Candy screamed and went for him. He struck her with the knife but not before she was able to get the baby out of his arms. Then Jeremy who was untied ran and knocked Butch down punching him Jason and Aaron went over and stopped Jeremy from killing him. Joshua untied Biddie and helped her to a safe place.

"Why thank you Joshuaaa!" She suddenly collapsed. He held her and let her down gently.

" Joshua, don't lay her on her back, there is something in her back!" Said Duncan, who went over to see what happened, Candy was laying on the floor holding onto her baby, she would not let the baby go.

"Candy, you have to give me the baby" Jeremy said: "I will take care of him. You have a nasty cut and that has to be taken care of right away!" One of the Indian relatives was also a medicine man and would be able to take care of her. She looked at Jeremy and said:

"Please take care of Jasper!" She passed out and they took her up to the bedroom. Biddie meanwhile had been laid on the floor, A large sharp object had embedded itself into her back. They would have to get Dr. Wright so she could not be moved!