I heard my own ragged breath. “So, you recognized me from the start?” My attempts at disguise had been foolish. But how could I have known then? He’d never said anything.
“Took me a few minutes because of the name, mind you. But I realized he must have switched things around to protect you.”
I nodded and swallowed hard. “Why did you think he was the one who killed the government man?”
Logan was silent a moment. “Elisa, you must understand. Elliot disappeared just a few days after we found the man’s body – not far from here. Elliot’s neckcloth had been tied around his throat.” Logan paused. “I realize now that it was circumstantial, but at the time – ”
I sighed and felt the shame go through me. “Yes, Logan. I know all about circumstantial evidence.” My voice strained.
We were both silent for a moment more. “What do you say we try to leave this place?”
I wet my lips. “Do you think we can?”
I could feel him shrug as he leaned over and felt for the flint, striking it against the wall, and cursing as the dampness stymied us. Try as he would, the lamp would not light.
“Wait. I have a candle and sulphur matches in my pocket. I brought them as a precaution.”
“Well don’t just sit there, woman, get them out.” I dug in my pocket as he asked. “Elisa.”
Yes?”
“Before I light this, I want you to know one more thing.”
I held my breath a second, afraid of what I might hear.
“What?” My voice was as tiny as the insects I was sure were running around the bottom here.
“I love you. In addition, I fell in love with you from the moment I saw you. I knew I’d be crazy if I couldn’t have you. I guess I went about courtin’ you the wrong way.”
It was my turn to reach out and touch him. “Nothing you did was wrong.” I paused. “Well, almost nothing. But you’re right. I probably wouldn’t have married you, unless you had forced the issue.”
He kissed me gently on the lips. “I’m glad you didn’t scare when Morgan tried to run you out of town.”
My arms went around him. “I’m glad, too.”
I heard his jagged intake of breath and I realized “You’re wounded.”
“Only a little. Maybe we’d better light that candle.”
The light flared immediately and then flickered out. “Do you know what that means my love?”
“What?” I was upset that we’d have to fumble again. “It means there’s air from another source. Now if we can only find it.” Once more he lit the candle, this time shielding it with his hand. “There. Look at that.”
He was right. The light was flickering in the direction of the yawning tunnel.
I stood and helped him up, being careful not to let the flame go out. “I think we should go this way.” I indicated the left of the two possible tunnels that now presented themselves.
Logan nodded and began to lead the way.
Light bounced off the walls causing fragments of the wall to sparkle. I gasped. “Logan! Look!”
He turned and ran the light over the section of the wall I indicated. “Well. I’ll be.”
“Is it gold?”
“If it’s not gold, it’s sure something like it.”
“Oh, Logan.” I linked my arm through his and felt the tears well up once more as I thought of my brother and his dreams. And I thought of us.
The movement of the flame told us we had to get on with finding a way out and we continued to walk. Unexpectedly Logan paused. His arm tightened around me and suddenly his hand covered my eyes. “Logan!”
“Turn around, Lisa, sweetheart. I don’t think you should see this.”
He should have known me better by now. Those were the exact words calculated to make me want to look. I pulled his hand from my eyes... and let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Elliot – or what was left of him – lay propped up against the far wall!
It took several moments for Logan to calm me down. He blew out the candle and for the first time I was grateful for the darkness as he cuddled me to him.
“Oh, Logan. My brother. My poor brother,” I sobbed. He continued to hold me to rock me.
“Now I know where they got his neck scarf from.”
I sniffled. “Please. Light the candle again. I must see for sure.”
“You won’t be upset.”
I took a deep breath. I couldn’t promise that. “I won’t scream, if that’s what you mean.”
He hesitated a moment more and then flicked the match against the wall.
I swallowed hard and approached as close as I dared. Yes, it was Elliot all right. Half of the right forefinger was missing, just as Elliot’s had been after a childhood accident.
I continued to stand there a moment as the tears streamed down my face. Now I knew for sure – and I knew who his killer was.
If the baby I knew I now carried was a boy, he would be called Elliot.
A steely determination that we would survive; that we would see justice done, flooded me.
“You ready to move on?”
“For now.” My voice was tight. I took one last look at Elliot’s remains as we hurried past in search of the elusive air path.
It wasn’t long before we reached it. A hole in the rock. A light in the distance.
“Oh, Logan.”
“Don’t ‘Oh, Logan’ me. There.”
The light from the candle flickered on some dangling ropes. “It looks like a ladder.”
“It is. A rope ladder. Type they used to use before they made the shafts too deep.”
“But Logan, the opening —”
“Is probably covered by rocks. But if we’re lucky we can push them away.”
I shook my head. “That rope’s almost rotten. It will never hold your weight. I don’t think it will even hold mine.”
“Do you want to get out of here?”
I met his eyes, swallowed hard and then nodded. “Then this is our best bet.”
I looked at the rope ladder again, and then at him. “Okay, I’ll try to climb it. But what about you?”
Logan shrugged. “The rope ladder you climbed down. The one Morgan dropped when he trapped you. You’ll carry it up.”
Dubiously I stared at the rotting rungs. But Logan was right. It was our only hope.
I waited there, in the darkness, while he went back for the other rope. The idea of passing Elliot’s body again sickened me.
His return seemed to take forever. I found myself listening to the sounds of the water dripping, listening to the scurrying of little feet, and listening to the wind whistling through the hole.
The crunch of footsteps on gravel startled me. I spun about. “Logan?” My voice caught in my throat.
“Who else?”
“I... I didn’t know.” The fact was I had prayed, for just a moment, that it might be my brother coming back to me. But I knew that was impossible.
“Are you ready?” He hugged me to him.
I nodded and felt the cold in the pit of my stomach. His lips met mine for a long moment and I responded.
“That’s just in case. I’m sorry, my sweet Elisa, if you’ve been upset. I guess I should have talked to you about Edward Elliot before, but I didn’t know what had happened and didn’t know how to approach it with you.”
I touched his unshaven cheek. “I know. I guess my mind was pretty made up about things, too.”
“Such as?”
I could see him looking at me strangely and I realized that I could never tell him how positive I was that he had killed my brother. No, not ever. Maybe one day. But for now I just wanted him to know that I loved him. I kissed him again.
Then I broke away and took as deep a breath as I could in the thin air. With the rope ladder over my shoulder, I put my hand on the first rung. Grimacing, I tried to ignore the slimy feeling as slowly, I moved up the side of the wall.
Several of the rungs were barely there, the hemp having been eaten awa
y by the dampness and mice.
The ladder began to sag and move back and forth with my weight. I grabbed at thin air as I finally managed to snag a hand hold and the ladder steadied. I looked upward, fearful that the rock or whatever holding this wouldn’t stay put. Even with the gloves I wore, I could feel the rocks scraping my knuckles, but I knew my pain was nothing compared to the pain Logan must be feeling.
I paused a moment, trying to calm the rapid beating of my heart. I could no longer see Logan and only a flickering pinpoint glow told me that he still stood there. Could he see me? Would he catch me if I suddenly fell?
I wet my lips and glanced up again. I would not think about that. I would think of only how I had to see Elliot revenged, and of how good it would be to have Logan’s arms around me in our bed again.
As I stepped on the next rung, the rope ladder swayed dangerously, and I could smell the stink of decay as I inched up the rope. For a I moment I feared that my end was near. I closed my eyes and it was true that my life did seem to pass before me. But then it stopped. Was that my heart stopping?
No. I realized that the ladder had come to a halt.
“Go on, darling.” I could hear Logan’s voice floating up from the bottom.
My heart swelled with love for him and grief for my brother.
I couldn’t speak. I merely put another foot up and continued to pull myself along.
It was just a bit more now, just a bit more and I’d be at the hole. I could see there was a ledge for me to rest my feet. But what then? Could I get the rocks away from the entrance?
Breathless, and still somewhat frightened, I managed to pull myself up onto the natural shelf. There was enough room for Logan and me to stand here together. And together we’d push free.
I didn’t dare look down. Nestled into the rock and hanging on there, I called out to Logan. “I’m safe. I’ll drop the rope.”
So, saying I did as we’d planned.
“Did you drop it?” His voice floated up to me.
I flushed. I had but evidently it wasn’t going to reach him. I knew even if I could push this rock free on my own. I didn’t want to be without Logan, without the man I loved.
I waved the rope, hoping that he could see it.
His words cut me closer than the rock. “We have to think of something else, Elisa. It’s too short. And you’ll never have the strength to hang on while I climb unless you find something solid to hook it to.”
Chapter 30
Laying on my stomach did no good either. I refused to cry but I at a loss on how to help Logan raise himself until I recalled the rope still in my pocket
Praying that I’d be able to tie a knot tight enough to hold him, at least over that first rung, I placed the ropes together as I searched frantically for an anchor.
Praying to the Lord, I, once again, lowered it.
“Got it!” Logan called.
His words made me flush with pleasure. “What are you hooking it on to, Elisa?”
I spun about worried that there seemed nothing that I could tie the rope ladder to which I knew could hold Logan’s weight. “I’ll have to hold it myself.”
“Elisa, my dear, I appreciate… my dear wife you’ll never be able to sustain that for long. I am quite a weight.”
“I did before.” I bantered as I attempted some humor.
It didn’t faze him. “I forbid it, Elisa.”
I closed my eyes. What else could I do unless I tied him onto the rock we were trying to budge? If it loosened and fell as he climbed up, he’d fall back and die. And yet, if I couldn’t hold the rope, he would also be killed.
“I have it anchored,” I lied, as I braced my legs against the side of the rock and held on with all my might.
The first great tug as he started to climb up the rope nearly tore the rope from my hands and threw me off balance, but I managed to hang on. I could feel the cord burning my hand as I jerked it back up. The pressure on my shoulder muscles was almost more than I could bear, but I knew that now I’d begun with this, I could not let go.
Tears stung my eyes as he continued to climb. The rope sawed into my hands. I felt wetness from the blood, but what were a few cuts compared to our freedom, compared to the love I now realized I had for my husband.
My husband! Yes, he was my husband and I was proud of it. And I was going to make him proud of me.
Even as I wondered how I could hold on and feared the worse I saw a jutting out in the wall inches from where I lay. “Wait. Wait a moment.”
“What’s wrong?”
I was surprised at how calm he sounded.
“I…I found another ledge. It looks sturdy. I’m tying the rope around it.”
“Then hurry. I don’t know how much longer… ”
Gritting my teeth I reached over. Too short.
Pain shot through my shoulder.
Ignoring the agony, I edged over and reached again.
“Lisa… ”
“I’m working at it Logan. Give me… a moment.”
Another stretch of my arm. More shooting pain. I heard my gown rip. “Please, Lord, help me! Please Elliot ask the Lord for help.”
I took another deep breath and coughed violently with the dust in the air. One more reach… and then my fingers touched the jagged edge.
I could get the rope there. I knew I could. I just didn’t know if it would hold Logan’s weight.
“Ok, start up again… slowly.”
“Whatever you say, Ma’am.”
~
As long as it had taken me to lift myself out of the bottom mine, it seemed to take Logan doubly long. I didn’t know if that was because of his recent stomach wound, or because of my own fear that any moment the rope might split from the weight.
I blinked away the tears that continued to form and gritted my teeth against the pain that now shot through my shoulder. It would be all right. I repeated to myself. We would be fine.
The time seemed almost more than I could bear as I watched the rope jerk and sway on the ledge.
At one point it looked as if it would slip off the edge.
No, please, hold on, I begged the Lord.
I smelled the decay and smelled the stink of the slime as Logan climbed and kicked up the dirt on the wall.
When it seemed the torture would never end, I felt ‒ rather than saw ‒ Logan’s dark curly head as he rose up. The danger remained still until he could firmly plant his feet on the ledge next to me.
His hand curled around the rock on the ledge where I rested and he pulled himself up.
As he lifted himself up onto the rock shelf, I fell into his arms and the rope snapped, dropping back into the abyss below.
“It seems someone was watching over us.”
Logan looked at me in the darkness. “Oh, my darling.” He shook his head. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Kiss me?” I said, tentatively.
He laughed and brushed his lips against mine. “We’re almost free, darling. I know we can push the rock away.”
I looked at the rock and then at him and hoped that he was not being too optimistic.
His arms went around me. “You’re a real rancher’s wife.”
There wasn’t much room to move as I nodded and clung to him.
“Are you all right?”
I nodded again.
“Then let’s move this rock.”
I wet my lips and nodded as we stood on either side.
“One – two – three.”
To my disappointment, the rock refused to budge. I had been so sure. Tears came to my eyes as I realized that we might be stuck here on this ledge for the rest of our lives, however short a time that might be.
“Don’t lose heart, my love. We can do this. Another try?”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “Maybe we need to push it at an angle,” I said, recalling how the rocks at the other entrance had been slanted. “Perhaps if we push from the top, it will roll down.”
Logan leaned over an
d pecked my cheek. “What did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful, intelligent wife?"
I wanted to smile, to laugh, but I couldn’t do that. Not until we were free, not until I had seen justice done.
My suggestion worked and with some effort the rock blocking our escape rolled away.
I stood there outside the entrance for just a moment breathing deeply and taking in the beauty of the sun which was just setting.
Gently, Logan took my hand. “Come on. We’ve got a long trek back to the ranch and then we have to get to town.”
I nodded.
~
Even as we rounded the road to the entrance where I had come in, I knew something was amiss.
Once more, it was Logan who stopped me, holding me back.
“I guess he should have seen it coming.”
“Where?”
Logan pointed to the body of his stepbrother at the entrance. My little gun lay at his feet. His body was riddled with bullets.
“Clay.” I said, wetting my lips.
Logan nodded. “Clay.”
It didn’t take us long to realize that the sheriff had in his hurry to dismiss Morgan forgotten about the two horses.
And so, it was that we were able to ride toward the town. We were only halfway there when the dust from three riders could be seen in the distance. I reached out to touch my husband, fearful of further danger. One of the men I recognized as Clay Washburne.
Logan’s muscles tightened. The only gun we had was my little one and that was empty.
But as we drew closer to the other riders, it was clear that Clay carried no weapon. In fact, his arms were manacled behind his back.
“I take it you’re Logan James,” the man on the left said. He extended his one hand, while the other kept the Winchester poised.
Logan nodded.
“Alexander Charles, Federal Marshall, at your service. Had a report of a gunshot and found this man running away.”
I looked at Clay, questioning, as he looked at Logan.
“Damn nigger! Who’d think a nigger’d get to turn me in?”
A slight smile creased Logan’s face. “Mr. Sparks will get a raise for this.” Saluting to the Marshall, he said, “I have plenty else you can hang him on, if you don’t want to take my man’s word for it. But I think for now, me and my wife’d like to go back home and clean up. Will you join us?”
Logan's Land Page 23
