Ethan's Wild Rose Bride (Texas Frontier Brides Book 2) Page 2

  The well might be dry, but the stone walls were moist. She breathed in the damp air and closed her eyes for a moment. She opened her mouth, her voice nothing more than a whisper. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” She breathed in. Yes, I know that You are with me, Lord. Please give me the courage I need to do this.

  She opened her eyes and stared at the flurry of shadows. The walls would close in around her like a blanket, smothering the breath from inside of her, sending her reeling into an unknown cavern of blackness, never to return. She closed her mouth and tried to slow her breathing.

  “Miss Bolton?” Ethan Kane called.

  “Yes,” she shouted at once, ashamed of the tremor in her voice.

  “You’re doing fine. Everything is going to be alright. We‘ve got you, you can‘t fall.”

  “Th-thank you.” Taking a gulping breath, she adjusted the lantern lower and stared beneath her feet. It seemed they had been lowering her forever, though it couldn’t have been more than a few moments. But just that one echo of Ethan Kane’s voice against the stone walls had given her a bit of reassurance.

  A sound below caught her ear and a breath caught in her throat. “Roger? Roger, can you hear me?”

  “Who. . .who is it?” A small voice sounded from below. The words echoed against the walls around her.

  Her heart galloped into her throat. Thank you, thank you. “Roger, it’s Miss Bolton. Your teacher from last year. I’m coming to get you. Are you hurt?” It was a stupid question. The child had fallen thirty or more feet into a gaping hole. How could he not be hurt?

  “Yes.” There was a pause and then a sob. “I think my legs are broken,” his voice trembled. “They won’t stop hurting. And they’re all wet.”

  The pain in his voice washed away her fear of the darkness. “I’m coming to help you. Just hang on for a minute. I‘m almost there.”

  “I can hear him. He’s alright, I think,” she shouted to the circle of light far above her head. Had they heard her?

  “Let us know when you can see the bottom.” Ethan Kane answered.

  It was barely a few seconds more when the shadowy figure of Roger caught her eyes. “Almost there!” She swung the lantern in a small circle, trying to see ground of the dirt floor.

  They slowed her descent and it seemed only a moment until her boots hovered above the uneven, but solid ground. She could see Roger plainly, now. He was sitting in an upright position, his back against the dirt wall. She moved the lantern, letting the light cast shadows on the dry floor. No crawling creatures were visible. Relief surged through her and she managed to slow her breath. If only her heart would do the same. “I’m there,” she shouted, as her feet touched the bottom.

  “We’re dropping down the other rope,” someone shouted from the top. She thought it sounded like Wally Stoner’s voice.

  “No! Not yet!” Moving the lantern close to him, she knelt beside Roger. His small, dirt-caked face was streaked with tears, and even in the low light, she could see the puffy redness around his eyes.

  “It’s going to be all right, Roger,” she assured him. “Show me where you’re hurt.”

  He pointed to his legs. Moving the light closer to him, her breath caught as she saw the amount of blood on each trouser leg, a small rivulet of red seemed to be soaking into the ground at a steady pace. The boy needed immediate medical attention.

  “He needs a doctor!” She yelled up.

  “Sikes is already on his way to Fredericksburg!” came the answer. Fredericksburg. So far. If only the new doctor they were expecting had arrived in Chance. The wait would add to the boy’s suffering. Please help them to hurry back, Lord.

  “I’d better take a look. I’ll be gentle,” Hallie said, her fingers gently pulling back the torn knees of his trousers. A gleam of white caught her eyes just below his left knee. Bone. Her heart fell. It was a terrible break. It would have to be bound before he could be pulled to the top. And she would have to do her best to stop the flow of blood before this child died.

  Her mouth felt dry and stiff as she shouted up the well. “I’m going to need some supplies. Something for tourniquets and splints, and something to bind his legs. There’s no way he can come up like this.” She saw that he was beginning to shiver. Another bad sign. “And a blanket. He needs a blanket. Please hurry!” The panic in her voice was plain to her ears as her words soared to the top.

  “I’ll go with Stoner and we’ll get whatever you need,” Kane’s voice rang down to her after a short break. “I take it his leg is broken?”

  “Both of them!” Hallie shouted.

  “All right. And don’t worry, Sikes was in a big hurry. I’m sure he’ll get the doctor back fast as he can.”

  All words meant to reassure her. But she felt more uncertain now than on the way down. It would be a full hour before Joe even made it to the lake and then on to Fredericksburg. And then another long wait for him to bring the doctor back. She stared up at the circle of white above, like a full moon of light that was all standing between herself and the darkness. With both men gone to find supplies, she was more alone than ever.

  Roger eyes blinked heavily, as if he were about drop into a deep sleep. In desperation, she took the pistol from her trouser waist and laid it on the dirt floor, then pulled out her shirt tails. He would only get weaker if she waited for Kane to get back. Losing Roger before they even attempted to get him to the top was not a chance she wanted to take.

  Glad to have a knife on her belt, she jabbed into the cotton and then began to rip two long strips from the cloth. “This is going to hurt, but I’ll be as careful as I can,” she told the boy, as she began to maneuver a strip of the shirt underneath his right leg.

  Roger moaned and jerked, but she forced herself to keep working. Stopping for the pain would not save this child’s life. Pulling the strip up the other side of his leg, she tied the piece of cloth above his knee, checking that she wasn’t getting it too tight, she moved on to the other leg.

  “Stop! Stop!” Roger screamed, now fully alert. His hand grabbed hold of her wrist just as she pulled another piece of shirt under his left leg.

  She barely paused as she pulled her arm from his, alarmed at how weak his grip had become. “I’m almost finished. I know it hurts, Roger, but it will help you get well. We’re going to get you up on the ground in a few minutes. ” Please let that be so, Lord. And where is Mr. Kane with the supplies? I don’t know how much longer he can wait for a doctor. Give him strength, Father.

  Roger quieted, and she watched to make sure he kept his eyes open. She babbled on about how wonderful the new teacher was. “Everyone enjoyed the Christmas program all of you put on in December. It was the best I’ve ever seen. Especially your sister, Pamela. Did you help her learn her lines?”

  Roger gave a slight nod, but didn’t speak.

  She felt of his forehead. A slight fever, and he had a dazed look about him. Probably from losing so much blood.

  After what seemed an hour, she jumped as a voice sounded from above. “Sending down a bundle with another lantern,” Kane’s echoed down the funnel of the well.

  Hallie watched as the circle of light wavered and moved, only visible around the package that he was lowering. She stood and let her hands steady the bottom of the bundle as it reached them. “It’s here!”

  Ropes held a couple of short slats, as well as strips of cloth. She untied the bindings and moved everything to Roger’s side. His eyes were closed again and she dreaded what he was about to feel. “Listen to me Roger. It’s going to hurt again. I need to get these boards under your legs to give them some support while they pull you up.”

  He slowly shook his head, his voice no more than a whisper when he answered. “No. Please, no.”

  Hallie swallowed back a sob. She loathed doing this to him, adding to the pain he already felt. But she had no choice. As a teacher, she knew how many times it had hurt a child’s feelings to be told their
work was wrong. But they had to learn. And it was the same in this situation. She could save him pain for the moment, but he would die if he stayed down in this hole.

  “I’ll be as gentle as I can,” she promised, moving the slat next to his leg.

  ***

  A wail from below pierced Ethan’s heart. His fingers blanched as he gripped the stone wall. Miss Bolton had said both of the boy’s legs were broken. Just the thought of pulling the child up, legs hanging made him ache. But there was no other way. If she splinted and bandaged them well enough, it might help ease the hurt, but not by much. If the well wasn’t so narrow, they might fit a door down there that he could be tied to, but it would never work. And there was no time to wait, from the sound of Miss Bolton’s description.

  Another scream sliced through the air. He shuddered. It was hard to stand so helpless, but he would have to wait. More shouts of “No! No!” reached his ears. If only he could walk away until she was finished. God, please help her. I can’t imagine what she is going through.

  Ethan swallowed away the discomfort that billowed in his throat. He didn’t talk to the Lord much, but right now it seemed a necessity. Hallie Bolton was a small woman and he had seen the terror in her eyes as they lowered her into the well. It had to be taking all of her strength, both inside and out, to deal with the situation. If he weren’t such a big hulk of a man, he could have spared her this ordeal by going down himself.

  “I’m almost ready,” her voice sounded from below.

  He glanced at the watch he kept in his pocket. It had been almost forty minutes since he sent down the packet to her. There was still an occasional moan that floated up the well, but it had been quiet for the most part.

  A sound behind him caused him to turn. It was Joe Sikes, and it looked like half the town was behind him. In the midst of the crowd, he recognized the buggy that belonged to Fredericksburg‘s Dr. Frank. He must have been out at the picnic. A small burden of worry lifted from his heart. God had sent in the cavalry.

  ***

  “Send down the rope!” Hallie wiped away the perspiration from her face. Getting the splints on his legs had been harder than she could have imagined. And the pain she had caused the little boy would forever pull at her heart and haunt her dreams.

  The rope was down as swiftly as she called. She was glad to see that Mr. Kane had already tied the rope so that she could slip it over Roger’s head, then under his arms. No doubt he had not trusted her to know how to do it right. And a good thing. Knots were not her talent.

  She picked up the loop and made eye contact with Roger in the dim light. “Now, this is going to hurt some more, but we have to get you out of here, alright? Now, let’s try to sit up away from the wall and I’ll get this on you.”

  He nodded and grimaced. “Can’t we just stay here for a little while?” He whispered.

  Hallie winced at his pleading and the small amount of hope that showed in his eyes. If only there was some way to make him comfortable, but that wasn’t going to happen until he was up in the open. And even then, it was going to take a good while. There was sure to be a lot of pain when the doctor took care of his legs. “Look at me Roger. Your ma and brother are waiting for you up there. In fact, Marky is the one that came to get me. And Mr. Sikes has gone for a doctor. It’s time we got you up there, so that you can get better.”

  He seemed resigned to the thought, as she gently slipped the rope over his head and adjusted it under his arms, making sure the knots were positioned just as Mr. Kane had shown her. The light was dim, but she could see the fear in his eyes. “It will be all right. There are a couple of very strong men up there and they’ll get you up safely. I know it will hurt, but you’ll be up there soon and the doctor can help you. And I’ll be praying for you, all the way up.”

  He nodded and attempted to smile through his pain. “Ma always says that praying is the best thing to do about anything.”

  Hallie nodded. “Your ma is a good woman. She’s teaching you the right thing.”

  “Are you sure she’s coming? My ma?”

  “Yes. Marky says she is out at the picnic. Mr. Sikes, went out there to get her and then on to Fredericksburg to get the doctor. Now, are you ready?”

  Some of the fear returned to his eyes as he nodded.

  “It‘s time!” Hallie shouted up.

  She could see the rope begin to tug under Roger’s arms. His eyes opened wider, along with his mouth, as a long moan of pain filled the closed space. Hallie pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth to keep her own voice from wailing. The poor child was about to be in more pain than he had imagined. But there was nothing they could do about it. Give him courage, Lord.

  ***

  Hallie sat on the ground, eyes closed, back against the trunk of a China Berry tree. It was nice just to be still. Her shoulders ached. Her armpits and hands burned where the fibers of the rope had managed to bite and chafe her skin.

  She took another sip of water. The tin cup she held had been refilled several times by Joe Sikes. But no amount of liquid would be enough to wash away the panic of the morning. At least the doctor had been confident that Roger would survive and his legs would heal.

  She opened her eyes and stared down at her shirt. The bottom was ragged where she had cut the strips to bind Roger’s legs, and the rest of the garment was torn and filthy. Her hair must be as dirty, too, she thought, smoothing the wayward strands from her face. At least she had worn it bound in a braid, else it would be coated with mud and sticking out everywhere.

  She shook her head. Poor little Roger was lying in the doctor’s office in severe pain and she was worried about how she looked. That’s what she got for those two years of attending Millie Maynard’s School for Young Ladies in St. Louis. Always strive for cleanliness and a finished appearance. Miss Millie would probably choke on her chamomile tea, if she could see Hallie at this moment.

  For the first time in several hours, a small smile appeared on her face. Pa had made her attend that awful school. Well, he had wasted his money. She was a poor rancher, not some rich gentleman’s wife. Someday she would figure out if the joke was on her or Pa.

  Sitting here did no one any good. Thankfully, the crowd had all followed along to the doctor’s office and left her alone. Reba Barkley was taking care of Mrs. Hanes and the children, so no worry there. Now was the time to head home and get cleaned up. It might be the middle of the day, but a bath was in order.

  “Are you all right?”

  She started as a hand appeared in front of her face at the same time a pair of well-worn, black leather boots stood on the ground in front of her. She looked up into dark blue eyes, the color of the midnight sky. Her heart barely skipped a beat and she shook away the tiny emotion that whispered in her heart. Ethan Kane had come back to check on her. He was a good neighbor.

  “Yes. Yes, I’m fine,” she managed to say.

  “Let me help you off the ground, Miss Bolton.”

  She smiled and put her hand in his. “Thank you, sir.”

  On her feet, she attempted to withdraw her fingers, but he held tight for a moment. “I want you to know how much I admire you for what you did this morning, ma’am. You‘re a courageous woman, Miss Bolton.”

  Hallie gave a slight laugh and kept her eyes from his. If only he knew what a coward she really was. “It’s nothing anyone else wouldn’t have done.”

  He shook his head and released her hand. “That’s just not so, miss. There’s plenty of men that would have refused to go down in that hole. You did a brave thing.”

  “But surely anyone would go down to rescue a child,” she argued. “If they hadn’t all been at the picnic, someone else would have volunteered. I could name several men right now.”

  He shrugged and took the tin cup from her. “There would have been someone. But we needed a willing body right there on the spot. And it turned out to be you. Like I said, it took a lot of courage.”

  She smiled. No doubt he had assumed she would panic and sc
ream once they put her in the well. And it pained her to know that he was right, if not for God’s comfort. “You, Wally Stoner, and Mr. Sikes did all the work. Without the two of you letting me down and then bringing Roger back up, it would never have happened. You men are the ones for the boy to thank.”

  Ethan folded his arms across his chest and chuckled. “You’re being mighty stubborn about accepting the credit that you’re due.”

  “I think it took all of us to save the boy’s life. Now it’s in God and the doctor’s hands.”

  “For the moment, my bet’s on the doctor,” Kane said, as he turned and walked away.

  She stared after him, her eyes on his too long blond hair and wide shoulders. So Ethan Kane had a problem with God. Was that what kept him up so late every night? She shook away the wonder. It was a bad habit, putting problems on other people when you knew nothing about them. He wondered the same about her, if he spied her light late at night.

  ***

  The breeze was sweet and warm, but she was too tired to enjoy it or any of the rolling scenery that they passed. Slapping the reins, she encouraged Satin to pick up the pace. Poor horse, she loved their trips to town and now Hallie was making her hurry home. “It won’t be long, girl, and I‘ll have a nice apple to give to you.” Hallie encouraged. “Just around the next curve.” Satin’s ears picked up and she began to move a little faster. Nothing like bribing the animal, Hallie smiled.

  Even in her tired state, the sight of the small, log-fronted ranch house, tucked above, a little higher than the road, always brought a slight thrill to her heart. The long porch across the front was enjoyed almost every evening when the weather was right, and the old timbers reminded her of the history of the ranch.

  The Diamond B. That was what Father had named the property. But to the old locals, it was known as the Mac Forge place. And a sad story it was that accompanied the name. Mr. and Mrs. Forge had started the ranch back in the mid 1830s. Mr. Forge had built the cabin that was now the front room of Hallie’s home. Gun ports still waited, ready in the walls, ready for any trouble that came along.