Christopher appeared slightly dishevelled, and if the tiredness in his eyes was any indication, he’d had very little sleep.
I understood too well. I’d spent most of the night in a rocking chair on the front porch, my eyes fixed on the mountains which rose like ominous shadows in the dark of night. I knew Abigail was out there somewhere and it broke my heart knowing she was alone, maybe injured and desperately in need of my help.
We covered the distance from town to the ranch in no time and when we reached the base of the mountain, Pa peeled off to the left, Edward to the right. I didn’t waste time and urged Phantom forward.
The horse picked his way over the uneven terrain carefully, weaving around trees and medium sized bushes. Small animals skittered out of the way. I was itching to push forward faster but knew it would be dangerous and foolish to both me and Phantom.
The sun was now well above the horizon, it was going to be a warm day. Was Abigail protected by the shade of a tree? Or was she out in the open and at the mercy of the relentless heat. My eyes darted back and forth, desperately searching the surrounds.
Inch by agonizing inch, Phantom pushed his way upward. It felt like we’d been searching for hours. The sound of running water off to my right, had me urging the horse in that direction. A few moments later, we broke through the trees and entered a small clearing. I sighted the stream which flowed from well above.
I dismounted and led Phantom to the edge where he lowered his head and took a long, satisfying drink. I removed a canteen from my saddle bag, emptied the warm water away, refilled it with cool water from the stream and drank thirstily before filling it again. I took a moment to rest, sitting on the soft grass, while Phantom satisfied his never-ending hunger on the green, juicy shoots.
We hadn’t yet covered a lot of ground and I was anxious to continue.
“C’mon, Phantom, times a wastin’.”
I mounted and the horse continued steadily upward. The air became cooler as we ascended. A few hours had passed, the track became rocky and the mountain eventually shot steeply upward. No horse or man without climbing equipment could go on further.
Frustrated at finding nothing, I turned Phantom and readied him for the trek back down. As the horse took a step forward, I noticed a small opening off to my left and dismounted to investigate further. I knew these mountains were dotted with dozens of caves and hoped Abigail had managed to find shelter in one.
I strode to the opening and as I got closer, the trees and bushes obscuring the entrance thinned, revealing a large arched opening.
Stepping inside, I called out Abigail’s name. There was no reply, only my own voice bouncing back on an echo.
Venturing further inside, I continued checking the structure until darkness rendered my vision useless. I was convinced Abigail was not there, returned to where Phantom was again munching on grass and climbed on.
The path we’d followed on the way up was the only one not overgrown with thick brush so if Abigail was somewhere deep in the trees, I feared she would never be found. Not wanting to entertain such morbid thoughts, I satisfied myself with the fact, if I couldn’t get in there, neither could anyone else.
As we descended, the question which had been bothering me all night, came to the forefront of my mind. Why would anyone have taken Abigail? Who could it have been? She was a fine, caring woman who was well liked by everyone in town. Who could have wanted to harm her?
Chapter Ten
MAX
I found Pa and Edward waiting at the rendezvous point we’d agreed on when I descended the mountain. The sun was beginning to slip toward the horizon and the sky was caught between light and dark. I hated the fact Abigail would be forced to spend another night in the wilderness alone.
“Any sign she’s been up on the mountain, son?” Pa asked as I drew closer.
“Nothing. I found one cave and checked inside, but there was no sign anyone had been there.”
“Same for us.” Edward glanced at pa. “Pa and I were just talking about the situation. There are no tracks, nothing to indicate anyone’s been up there.”
Pa’s face was creased in a frown, his eyes were clouded in concern. I’d seen that look on many occasions. “What are you thinking, pa?”
He rubbed a hand across his mouth, a habit all the Long men had before saying something which might not want to be heard. I didn’t miss the look of uncertainty which passed between my father and brother.
“Max, we don’t know whether Abigail is still around these parts. There’s no indication she is and whoever took her could be miles away by now and we could be wasting our time.”
I stiffened at pa’s insinuation. “We’re not wasting time, pa. She’s out there somewhere. I can feel it. I’m not gonna give up on finding her.”
“I hope you can convince the sheriff, because without some kind of sign, I doubt he’ll continue the search for more than one more day.”
“I don’t care what he does. I know she’s out here somewhere and I’m not giving up.”
Pa nodded. He was well aware that once I got something into my mind, there was no way of changing it.
“You and Edward head on home, I have an idea. I’ll check in with the other men and bring ma and Rowan home.”
Pa nodded his agreement. “We’ll finish off what needs doing at the ranch and see you soon.” Pa swung his horse toward the ranch, Edward followed behind.
I urged Phantom into a gallop and headed for town.
Josiah Davis was where I expected he’d be, seated at a table in the saloon. He had one hand wrapped around an empty whiskey glass, the other around a dancer by the name of Esmerelda. She was a pretty little thing and soft spoken. I expected her and my friend would very soon officially become an item. They were besotted with each other. Lester Wells, Josiah’s best friend was at the table with him and they were laughing about something.
Josiah was a Native American who was known as Roars at Moon by the elders. Apparently, he’d been given the name as a baby because he was known to scream the entire night whenever a full moon appeared in the sky. He was one of the most even tempered, genuine men I knew, and I considered him a good friend. He and Lester were both Ute Indians, highly respected for being the best trackers in the state and it was the reason I was there.
I negotiated several tables, nodding hello to men I knew who sat drinking and spinning tales, until I stood before Josiah.
“Max, what brings you here so early and without your usual entourage?” Josiah peered behind me, looking for the men I was usually with.
My three friends and I regularly played cards with Josiah and Lester on Saturday nights. We didn’t usually arrive until after we’d had supper at around 6.30pm.
“Can I join you?”
Josiah whispered something in Esmerelda’s ear. She kissed his cheek, stood and smiled at me before heading toward a doorway which led to backstage. I pulled up a seat.
“Drink?” Lester held up his empty glass.
“No. I need to take ma and Rowan back to the ranch after I speak with the sheriff. I won’t be in tonight. I came to ask a favor.”
Josiah sat back in his chair, his arms folded over his thick chest. Black hair hung over his shoulders and his dark eyes were fixed on my face. “Continue.”
“Have you heard about the search for Abigail Miller?” I hadn’t seen either man in town earlier when we’d started the search.
“The lady from the diner, the young one? What happened? Lester and I were out of town for a few days on tribal business, only got back an hour or so ago.”
I explained the situation and the fact I believed Abigail was being held against her will somewhere on the mountain outside of town. Both men listened closely, deepening frowns on their faces. They exchanged a glance before Josiah spoke.
“We’ll come with you tomorrow and check the road to your ranch. It seems obvious she has been taken somewhere along there. Unless they can fly like an eagle, we should find signs of which direction she w
as taken in.”
“I was hoping you’d say that, we aren’t even sure she’s still alive. I need to find her Josiah. I’m desperate.”
The man studied me closely before nodding. “Tomorrow, at first light, we will start the search for your woman. Tell the sheriff not to send anyone out again, they damage the ground and destroy tracks. Hopefully they have been looking in the wrong area and we’ll find something.”
“Thank you. I’ll speak to the sheriff and meet you at the saloon at dawn to ride with you.” I stood. “I appreciate you wanting to help.”
“We’ll find your woman.” Josiah assured me.
It was the second time he’d referred to Abigail as my woman. How did he know, we hadn’t told anyone outside our families?
“What makes you think Abigail is my woman?”
“Your eyes. They are worry mixed with love when you speak her name. You care deeply for her.”
I didn’t argue, just nodded and left the saloon. My friend was perceptive indeed.
I pushed through the door of the diner and found ma and Rowan waiting tables, plates of steaming food in their hands. I assumed Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Taylor were busy cooking in the kitchen. The diner was filled to capacity.
Ma noticed me enter, placed the plates she’d been carrying in front of two customers and hurried toward me. Once Rowan had dispensed with her plates, she joined us.
“Are you here to take Rowan and I home?” Ma asked.
“Yes. Pa and Edward went home to help with the last of the chores. I had something to take care of in town, so I said I’d bring you both home. I need to speak with Sheriff Wayne before we leave. If you need a few minutes, I can come back.”
“I’ll be coming with you after you’ve spoken with Wayne, but Rowan is staying here with Bess. It’s not appropriate for Christopher to keep staying here, people will gossip, and Bess can do without that.”
“I’m close to Mrs. Miller and I think she’d appreciate my company.”
Abigail’s mother treated my sister like another daughter, so it was good she’d be keeping the grief-stricken woman company.
“I can bring whatever you need when I come back into town in the morning. I won’t be playing cards at the saloon tonight.”
“You’re searching again tomorrow?” Ma sounded surprised and I didn’t like it.
“Why would you think we wouldn’t be continuing the search?”
“Some of the men who were in here earlier said it was a waste of time, no one had seen anything today and they doubt she’s still anywhere near Hopeful.”
“She’s here, ma, I can feel it. I’m not giving up. I just spoke to Josiah and Lester over at the saloon, they’ve been out of town and just got back a couple of hours ago. They’ve agreed to help me tomorrow and you know they’re the best trackers in the state. If anyone can find Abigail, those two can. I need to let the sheriff know not to send anyone out tomorrow, Josiah doesn’t want any tracks or signs destroyed.”
“Do you believe they’ll find my daughter, Max?”
Ma, my sister and I spun at the sound of Mrs. Miller’s distressed voice. Christopher stood with his arm wrapped around her. It was obvious she’d been crying; she would have been told about our failure to find Abigail. Her eyes were red and puffy. Tears welled on the surface and I knew it wouldn’t take much for them to break free.
Ma moved to where the couple stood and wrapped her arm around Mrs. Miller. “Bess, what are you doing down here? You should be resting upstairs.”
“I came down to escort Christopher out.” Abigail’s mother turned to me. “Do you believe my daughter will be found, Max?”
I glanced at ma before answering. “Mrs. Miller, I give you my word, I’ll do everything I can to bring your daughter home.”
She stepped from Christopher’s hold, took me in her arms and kissed my cheek. “Thank you. I know you won’t give up on Abigail. My daughter is out there, I can feel it, but she’s hurt and weak. We’re running out of time.” A tear slid free and I thumbed it away.
“Trust me, I’ll find her before it’s too late.”
I watched as she walked Christopher to the door before letting ma know, I’d be back shortly. I left the diner and strode along the boardwalk toward the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Wayne was in agreement about damage caused by men trampling the area and destroying any possible clues and said he would hold back on the search. He advised he would have a few men spread the word that they wouldn’t be required until further notification.
When I returned to the diner, Ma was having tea with Mrs. Miller and I explained what I had planned for the following day. She agreed, Josiah and Lester, with their exceptional tracking skills, were the best chance we had of finding Abigail.
Over supper, I explained my plan to pa. Edward had wanted to join me and the trackers, but I’d insisted he stay and help pa and the men. My father had agreed and explained to my brother, the less people out there, the better the chance of finding something. My brother reluctantly admitted we were right.
Once supper was done, I headed out to the porch with a hot coffee, I was in for another long night.
Once again, I wondered where Abigail could be and prayed that I hadn’t lied to her mother and we would find her before it was too late.
The following morning, I rode to town as the sun was beginning to poke its head over the horizon. A kaleidoscope of color lit up the sky. For the second night in a row, I’d had next to no sleep even though I was exhausted.
Mrs. Miller answered when I knocked at the door to the diner. Her grief was obvious, and my heart went out to the lady. I handed the small suitcase to her for Rowan and before I left, once again gave her my word that we would bring Abigail home.
I walked Phantom over to the saloon where Josiah and Lester were already waiting.
“Josiah. Lester. I spoke with Sheriff Wayne and he’s assured me no one else will be out today.”
“That’s good, we’ll have a chance to follow any trail we find without having to worry about others trampling all over it.” Josiah propelled himself onto the back of his horse.
Lester and I did the same and we galloped from town side by side. We slowed before turning onto the road which led to the ranch. After glancing my way, Josiah veered onto one side of the road, Lester the other. I rode alongside Josiah willing him to find something. Anything which would lead us to Abigail.
Chapter Eleven
MAX
Twenty agonizingly long moments passed as the men picked their way along the roadside. I anxiously watched first one, then the other.
When Lester leaped from his horse and dropped to the ground, my heart catapulted into my throat.
“Josiah.” Lester was examining a thorny bush with elongated yellowish leaves.
Josiah slid from his mount, I jumped down from Phantom. We both rushed to Lester’s side.
I had no idea what I was supposed to see until Josiah reached out, took a branch between his fingers and twisted it slightly. It was then I saw what the two men had seen – a tiny speck of red on one of the leaves.
“Is that….?”
“Blood, not fresh.” Josiah answered before turning toward me. “Your woman came this way.”
“How do you know? It could be from anyone, maybe an animal is hurt.”
“It’s from your woman. Look.” Lester pointed to the ground where weeds and grass had been flattened. I could see the impression of a hoof print in the dust.”
“Maybe, but it still doesn’t prove the blood is from Abigail.” I partially conceded they could be right. In some way, I hoped it was her blood and we had picked up the trail, on the other hand I didn’t want her to be hurt.
“We’ll walk with the horses from here,” Josiah ordered.
The two men started off side by side, their horses trailing behind them. I followed with Phantom behind me and watched as they studied the ground both in front and to the sides.
“Did you come this way yesterday, Max?”
Josiah asked.
“No, we didn’t head for the mountain until we reached the sign to the ranch.”
“No one else came this way?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Good, the trail will be clear.” Josiah glanced back at me. “She was brought this way.”
I nodded and sent a prayer of thanks to the Lord above. More than an hour passed before we got another sign that we were on the right track. Josiah plucked something from the branch of a tree.
I moved forward and peered over his shoulder. “What is it?”
Josiah turned and handed me a small piece of floral blue and white fabric. I would have known it anywhere; it was from one of Abigail’s dresses. It was my favorite, she looked so pretty, feminine and womanly when she wore it.
“It’s from one of Abigail’s dresses,” I murmured. “We’re on the right track.”
We set off again, heading deeper, higher into the mountain. Every now and then, one of the men would stop and study something on the ground or the leaf of a tree.
The higher we climbed, the cooler the air became. It was blessed relief from the fierceness of the sun which was now high in the sky.
When we came to a small watering hole, the other men insisted we take a break and water the horses who were sweating despite the cooler temperature. I didn’t want to stop. I sensed Abigail was nearby, but it would have been unfair to both the other men and the animals. We’d been tracking steadily upward for hours.
We stopped and allowed the horses to drink their fill, and while they grazed, I shared freshly baked biscuits and pieces of beef with the other men.
Lester swallowed a mouthful of biscuit and spoke to Josiah. “How many caves are up here?”
“Not sure. I haven’t been in these parts for years. Last time I was here there were two I know of.”
Excitement tinged with relief surged through me, we were going to find Abigail. “Do you know where they are?” I asked Josiah.
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