N0 Greater Loyalty
Heath awoke to a pounding headache.
It felt as if someone took a sledgehammer to his head.
He placed his left hand on the back of his head and felt something wet
and sticky. He winced at the pain
his touch caused. When he pulled
his hand away he saw it was covered in blood.
Heath then tried to use his right arm to help him sit up, but the
movement caused pain to explode in his arm.
He realized that his right arm was broken.
He lay on the ground fighting the waves of nausea that threatened to make
him lose his lunch. His head
spinning and he was afraid he was going to pass out.
Finally the feeling of nausea passed and
Heath once again tried to sit up. He
tried to roll over to his left side, so that he could use his left arm to help
himself up. This movement
caused him pain in his ribcage, but he ignored the pain and managed to get into
a sitting position. Sweat pour from
his body as he fought pain and nausea. Once
in a sitting position he looked at his legs.
His left leg was bent in an odd angle.
When he tried to move the leg, the movement brought pain.
He realized that his leg was also broken.
His body was shaking with pain and his
head felt as if it would explode. He
felt the nausea return and he threw up. Then
he laid back down to keep himself from passing out. He closed his eyes trying to stop the pounding in his head.
He knew he was in trouble. With
a broken arm, a broken leg, possible cracked ribs, and this splitting headache,
Heath realized that there was no way that he was going to be getting himself out
of this mess. He also realized that
it would be at least three days before anyone at the ranch would grow concerned
and start looking for him. Even
when they started to look for him it could take them days to find him.
"Oh God! Help me."
He cried as he slipped back into darkness.
**********************
"We're about fifteen short."
Nick said as he finished tally up the count of the cows they just rounded
up and brought down from the North pasture.
"I'll go back up there and see if I
can find the strays and while I am up there I will ride the fence line."
Heath offered.
"I could send a couple of the men
with you to help you." Nick
said
"That won't be necessary.
I can handle fifteen cattle by myself.
If there is any fence repair needed I should be able to manage that too,
unless it is really bad then we may have to send a crew up to fix it
latter." Heath said.
"You wouldn't be trying to get out
of attending Audra's party this Friday night would you."
Nick teased.
" I will go get my gear and some
supplies and head back up now. I
should be able to make it to the line shack before it is too dark. That way I can get started first thing in the morning.
That will give me four days to look for the cows and check the fence
line. As long as I head back before
nine Friday morning, I should be able to make it back in plenty of time to get
cleaned up for Audra's party." Heath
said.
"Good because if you didn't show up
for the party Audra would somehow blame me for it.
She would say it was my idea that you go back up to the North
pasture." Nick
complained.
"Don't worry I will be there.
I will see you Friday." Heath
said as he went to gather his stuff and prepare to leave.
"I will see you Friday." Heath
had been living at the ranch now for four months.
He loved his new family, but he was looking forward to the four days of
solitude.
"Okay Heath I'll see you
Friday." Nick said as he
watched his brother leave. "Get
those cows moving!" He ordered
his men.
*********************
The following night after Heath had went
to the North Pasture the rest of the Barkleys sat down to the evening meal.
Audra looked at the empty seat where Heath usually sat.
"I miss Heath."
Audra said. "Nick why
did you have to send him to the North Pasture.
You could have sent one of the hands instead.
"It wasn't my idea that he go.
Yesterday when we discovered that we were short fifteen cows he
volunteered to go. I think he was
trying to get out of your party, but don't worry Sis I set him straight.
I told him he better be back in plenty of time to get ready for your
party." Nick defended himself.
"So he promised to be back for the
party?" Audra asked.
"I believe I just said that."
Nick replied.
After they had finished supper, Jarrod
went to the study to catch up on some work he brought home. Audra roped Nick into a game of cards. Victoria sat by the fireplace reading one of her favorite
books.
It was starting to get late and Victoria
decided that she would go to bed. She
was just about to say good night to her children when there was a loud knocking
on the door. Nick got up from where
he sat playing cards with Audra and went to see who was at the door.
Audra and Victoria followed Nick to the door.
Jarrod had also come out of the study to see who was at the door.
Nick opened the door to find Jack one of the hands at the door.
"What's wrong."
Nick asked his employee
"Heath's horse just came back
without a rider. We tried to catch
her but she won't let us near her." The
hand explained why he was bothering his employer at this time of night.
Nick pushed past the hand and headed to
the corral. Victoria, Jarrod and
Audra were right behind him. Nick
had just reached the bottom step when he spotted Heath's little Modoc pony
standing quietly about three feet from the steps.
Nick walked up to the horse and tried to grab her reins. The mare reared up and struck out at Nick with her front leg.
Nick jumped back to avoid being hit by the flying hooves.
The mare galloped toward the gate.
At the gate she turned and galloped back toward the group of people on
the steps. She came to a dead stop
within a foot of Nick. When Nick tried to grab her reins again the horse pulled away
and bolted for the gate. Once again
the horse turned at the gate and headed back to the house.
"That is what she did when we tried
to catch her." Jack told the
Barkleys
"I think she wants us to follow
her." Audra said
"Don't be ridiculous Audra."
Nick snorted.
"Audra maybe right Nick.
Heath and that horse are very close.
Maybe she is trying get us to help Heath."
Jarrod said
"Fine let's saddle up and follow
that horse." Nick said.
He didn't believe for one minute that a horse was trying to get them to
follow it, but he did feel that they should start looking for Heath.
Nick, Jarrod and Jack saddled up their
horses. Duke, another hand hitched
up the buckboard. Then they headed
out to the North Pasture. The
little Modoc galloped a few feet ahead of them.
They rode though the night and arrived at the North Pasture just as the
sun was beginning to rise.
"I'll start looking at the Line
shack." Nick stated as he
turned Cocoa toward the Line shack. As
soon as Nick turned his horse, the Modoc charged Cocoa and herded him the other
way.
"It looks like she wants us to go
that way." Jarrod said as
turned his horse to follow the little horse.
Heath's horse led them along the rim of a
very steep riverbank. When they had
reached a section of the riverbank that had gave way and slid down the bank the
little mare stopped. Nick and
Jarrod dismounted and walked up to where the mare stood. They looked over the edge of the bank and saw a piece of
Heath's blue shirt blowing in the wind from a willow branch. Both tried to see if they could spot Heath, but could not.
"The horse is gone."
Jack exclaimed in a shaken voice.
Nick stood up and looked at the cowhand.
"Forget the horse. It
looks like Heath has fallen down the bank.
We'll have to go down and try to find him"
"But the horse it just van."
The hand tried to explain, but Nick cut him off.
"I said forget the horse.
You can worry about catching her latter after we find Heath.
Now get some rope from the buckboard and tie it to those trees.
Jarrod and I will use them to help us climb down the bank."
Jack and Duke did as Nick requested.
Using the ropes Nick and Jarrod descended the steep bank both search for
Heath as they went. Nick had just reached the bottom when something caught his
eye. He turned to see what it was.
What he saw caused shivers to run up and down his spine.
"Nick, did you find him."
Jarrod asked as he reached the side of his brother.
Nick did not answer, but kept staring at something.
Jarrod looked in the direction Nick was staring.
The blood drained from Jarrod's face and the hair on the back of his neck
stood on end. Both brothers stood
frozen from shock of what they saw.
"Have you found him."
Jack yelled down to them. This
brought the brothers out of their state of shock.
"Not yet." Nick yelled back as he let go of he rope and walked upstream
of the river. Jarrod went
downstream. Finally Nick spotted
Heath lying on his left side.
"Jarrod!
Nick yelled. "I found
him."
"Heath! We are here."
Nick knelt down beside his younger brother and tried to get a response
from him, but Heath was unconscious. Nick
checked the blond man over for injuries
"How is he?" Jarrod asked as he approached his two brothers.
"Not good Jarrod. He banged his head really hard, his leg is broken as well as
his arm, and I think he has some cracked or broken ribs."
Nick answered. "We will have to immobilize the leg before we move
him."
Together the two brothers worked on
immobilizing Heath's leg and arm. Then
with the help of the ropes they carried Heath to the top.
As soon as they reached the top Nick ordered Jack to ride to Stockton and
have the doctor meet them back at the ranch. Then with the help of Duke they loaded Heath into the
buckboard, and made him as comfortable as possible.
As soon as they had Heath settled in the buckboard they headed home.
*********************
When they finally reached home the doctor
was already there. They carried
Heath to his room and the doctor tended to all the blond Barkley's injuries.
"Has he awoken since you found
him." The doctor asked.
He was concerned that Heath was still unconscious
"He came around a few times on the
ride down, but then he would just pass out again."
Jarrod offered.
"That's good. Just keep an eye on him.
When he wakes up make sure he knows who he is. I have to go check on another patient now but I will drop
back in the morning to check on Heath." The doctor said and then left.
Audra was sitting with Heath when he
awoke. As soon as he opened his
eyes she ran to tell everyone that he was awake.
As soon as Audra told them that Heath was awake, they all went to Heath's
room.
"Well little brother that is one way
to get out of one of Audra's parties."
Nick teased as he entered the room.
"What happened?"
"I was riding along the river bank
looking for strays when the ground shook and gave way from under my horse.
We went tumbling down the bank. Did
you find Gal? Is she okay?" Heath
asked his voice full of concern.
Both Nick and Jarrod exchanged strange
looks.
"Yeah!
We found her." Nick
answered. "But I am afraid she
did not survive the fall. She broke
her neck."
"That's impossible Nick!"
Audra exclaimed. "She was here last night." She came to get help."
"We know." Jarrod said "We
can't explain it, but she was killed when she fell.
"It was a miracle. That is the only explanation for it" Victoria said as
tears streamed down her face. "If
that horse had not come to the ranch last night we would not have known that
anything was wrong until Heath did not show up on Friday, by then it could have
been to late."
Everyone in the room fell into a shocked
silence as they all thought of the loyal little Modoc, who even in death served
her master.
*****THE END