"Looks like it's gonna be a nice day today," Brian remarked as he scraped the last of his oatmeal from his bowl. "Snows meltin'. Maybe we could even have school outside this mornin'."
"I don't know if your ma's up to teachin' school again already," Sully said, clutching his coffee cup.
"Yeah. Her arm hurts," Byron added with concern. "Mama should take the day off."
"Mama can speak for herself, thank you," Michaela said good-naturedly, standing up and picking up Sully's bowl and spoon with her good hand. "I'm feeling fine. I don't see why we can't have school today. Or go about our normal routines just like before."
Sully took the bowl back from her. "Let me do this. We can clear the table for ya, right, kids?"
"Right, Papa," Byron replied, leaping to his feet and carrying his bowl over to the sink.
Brian grabbed Jack's spoon and dished up some oatmeal, holding it to the little boy's lips. "I can feed the baby for ya."
"I'll dry the dishes," Katie added obligingly.
"Sit, Mama," Byron said.
"But I'm not helpless," Michaela protested, reluctantly sitting back down. "I can still do almost everything. It just may take a little longer, that's all. My arm feels a lot better. Truly."
Sully rested one hand on the table. "Glad to hear that. I gotta head to work. Let the kids help ya today, all right?" He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. "All right?"
"All right," she replied grudgingly.
He grabbed his jacket off the hook and glanced at the children. "Don't let your ma overdo it."
"Bye-bye, Papa," Katie called. "We'll take good care of Mama like she takes care of us."
"Good. I'm countin' on ya." He discretely caught Michaela's eye and smiled, opening the door. "Love ya. See ya tonight."
"See you tonight, Sully," she whispered tenderly.
"There ya go, Jack. All done," Brian said as he fed the baby the last spoonful of oatmeal. "Ya want some more?"
"Mowe!" the baby shouted, throwing his arms in the air.
Brian burst into a grin. "He said 'more,' Ma. He said a new word."
"When's he gonna say my name?" Katie demanded. "Jack, say Katie. Katie. Katie, Jack. Come on. Katie."
"Mowe," Jack replied, reaching his hand out to pull on the bowl.
"Give him some more, Brian," Michaela said with a chuckle. "First he wants to eat and then perhaps he'll say something else."
Brian smiled and refilled Jack's bowl from the pot in the center of the table. Then he scooped up a large bite and held it to the baby's lips. "There ya go, Jack. There's some more."
Byron picked up another glass to clear it, then immediately set it back down as he heard a wagon pull into the clearing. "Somebody's here! I'll get it!"
"Me, too!" Katie shouted, following her brother to the door.
"Who do you suppose is out here at this time in the morning?" Michaela asked curiously, rising to her feet and reaching behind to unlace the apron tied around her waist.
"Let me get that for ya, Ma," Brian quickly said, untying it and draping it over his arm.
"Thank you," Michaela murmured as she walked to the door. Katie and Byron were all smiles as they led Faye and Carrie up to the porch.
"Mornin', Dr. Mike," Faye said cheerfully, Danielle cradled asleep in her arms. "We came to see how ya'll are doin'."
"Mornin', Michaela," Carrie added earnestly, a basket tucked under her arm.
"Oh, that's very kind of you," Michaela said, opening the door wider. "Come in."
Carrie walked to the table and set her basket on it, pulling out a cloth-covered pan from inside.
"Carrie made a casserole for ya," Faye spoke up.
Michaela pulled back the cloth. "It smells wonderful, but you didn't have to do this. I can still cook."
Carrie put her hands on her hips. "No trouble. 'Sides, how exactly do you expect to cook anythin' decent with just one hand?"
"Yeah! You can't even cook with two hands, Mama!" Byron accused candidly.
"Oh, is that so!" Michaela demanded, tickling the little boy affectionately as everyone smiled and laughed.
"Oh, there's some of my preserves in there, too," Faye spoke up. "You'll have to have Sully or Brian open them for ya. The lids are on real tight."
"Thank you both so much. This is a real help," Michaela replied gratefully.
"Oh, I nearly forgot," Carrie spoke up awkwardly, reaching inside the basket and pulling out a few McGuffey readers and other textbooks. "We came to return these. And maybe borrow some more? Sully lent 'em to us."
"Books?" Michaela replied questioningly. "What did you need those for?"
Faye stepped forward shyly. "Mrs. Donovan's been teachin' me to read. She's workin' wonders for me."
"I wasn't workin' any wonders at first," Carrie said, shaking her head as she stacked the books on the end of the table. "But thanks to these, we're really startin' to get somewhere now."
"Show us what you can read, Faye," Katie said encouragingly.
"Oh, I'm just startin'," Faye said blushingly as Brian stood up and took the baby from her. "I ain't so good just yet."
Byron picked up one of the readers and handed it to her. "Come on, Faye. You can read me a story."
Faye reluctantly opened the book. "Well, I am kinda partial to this one. It's about a girl and she's learnin' how to read, too. Has lots of pretty pictures."
"Harlie's Letter. I like that one," Katie said, sitting down at one end of the bench and patting the place beside her. "Read it to me. Please?"
Faye reluctantly sat next to her, pressed her finger to the words and focusing on them intently. "'Once there was a...l-little girl...named Harlie. She lived with her mo-mother in a very...."
Katie grasped Faye's arm and leaned forward, glancing at the sentence. "Lonely," she said helpfully.
Faye smiled. "Lonely. 'In a very lonely country, f-far away among hills and...and moun-tains.'"
"That's really good, Faye," Brian said as he patted Danielle's back.
"You read a lot better than me, Faye," Byron added admiringly, leaning around Faye's shoulder to peek at the book's pictures.
"Thanks," Faye said proudly. "I been workin' hard."
"She's picking that up amazingly fast, Carrie," Michaela remarked quietly as Carrie walked to the shelves and stacked the jars of preserves. "She must have a very good teacher."
"Oh, it weren't all me. She's a clever child, she just don't know it," Carrie replied. "And I don't know how we woulda done it if you didn't have those books we could use." She rested the basket on the counter, slowly smiling. "They did her a lot of good."
"A book of yours did me a lot of good as well," Michaela replied.
Carrie pulled out of plate of covered rolls from the basket. "A book of mine?"
"When I was in Colorado I kept thinking about here, the children, Sully," she explained. "And I was also thinking about my clinic and friends from town. I didn't know what to do, where to turn. Then suddenly, I thought of what you said. That God doesn't turn His back."
Carrie set the plate down and leaned against the counter. "That's right. He surely won't."
"I picked up our Bible and read the first passage I saw," Michaela went on. "I wouldn't say that was the reason I came back...but it certainly was a comfort to me. Whither thou goest, I will go, and where though lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people-"
"Thy people shall be my people," Carrie finished wistfully. "And thy God, my God. From Ruth, ain't it?"
Michaela nodded. "Yes. You know it."
"By heart," Carrie said. "Lord knows I've turned to those very words myself many a time."
"You have?"
"I never wanted to come here either," Carrie began quietly. "Why do ya think I stayed with the boys in Salt Lake City so long? We was there nearly six years before we came out here to join my husband."
"I thought Thaddeus was saving up to bring you here," Michaela replied. "That was the reason you couldn't come right away."
"Oh, well that was part of it, but not the main reason," Carrie said. "He took the job as an Indian Agent without so much as a warnin' and said, 'start packin', we're movin' to the Sierras where I've been sent to work.' When I told him I didn't have no interest in comin' out here...there was a fallin' out. He took off for this place anyway and I stayed back at home with the boys and their grandpappy. My daddy was real sick and the boys were so young. Jim was still practically a baby. I couldn't leave just like that."
"How did you live apart for six years?" Michaela asked, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Oh, Thaddeus came back to visit when he could," Carrie said. "The boys saw enough of their pa to remember what he looked like when he wasn't there. But I...I never saw enough. Still, I took what I could get of him and never spoke a word of complaint. I knew he loved the job, the land, California. I'd never seen him happier."
"You made it work," Michaela said.
"When ya love somebody powerful enough, you can make anythin' work," Carrie replied. "Then one day last year, with my daddy just passed on and when we hadn't seen Thaddeus for a whole fourteen months, I said, Carrie Donovan, enough is enough. Like the Good Book says, where thou goest I go. We can't have a proper family livin' in different states. You gotta move yourself and the youn'uns out there, even if it ain't gonna be the easiest thing in the world. Who says lovin' somebody is easy? Good Book sure don't." She patted Michaela's hand. "I ain't ever looked back. You won't either."
Michaela raised her hand, swiping at a tear that had fallen down her cheek. "Carrie, thank you."
"Way I figure, we must be just about even by now," Carrie replied wryly.
"I think so," Michaela said in agreement.
Carrie crossed her arms. "Enough tears now. Tell me, where's this hospital I hear about gonna be built? Here at the cabin?"
Michaela smiled and grasped her arm. "I'll show you the blueprints Sully drew."
"Can't say as I ever saw the inside of a doctor's office. This'll be a first."
Michaela stopped short. "You'll come by?"
"Reckon I got no choice," Carrie said, averting her eyes. "Nobody's gonna want to ride all the way to Fresno no matter how good their doctor is. Why, you're gonna have so many patients you won't know what to do with all of them!"
Michaela smiled excitedly. "I think you're right. I can't wait."
"Wreckage was piled up higher than two men," Harper went on dramatically, gesturing with his hands. "Thick snow was wedged in every corner, and trees had thrust themselves right through the windows. But my men and I were undaunted. We went straight to work and had everyone rescued promptly."
The young reporter wrote fervently in his notebook, biting his lip in concentration.
Harper smiled and slapped him firmly on the back. "Are you getting all this down?"
The boy straightened his hat. "Every word, sir," he said, voice cracking.
"Good. I want this written up accurately. This is the biggest news we've had here in ages. It's going to put us on the map," Harper said. He gazed out at his team of workers. Some were drawing out plans for future projects, others were on breaks in front of campfires, while others sawed wood or made measurements. He spotted Sully and Kirk in the distance, together as usual, sanding down a piece of lumber straddled across a sawhorse.
Harper grabbed the reporter's arm and began walking briskly. "Over here. I'll introduce you to one of the real heroes."
The reporter eagerly followed, bracing his pencil against his notebook in preparation for more writing.
"Sully," Harper called as he approached him. "Sully, this is Frank...what was your name again, son?"
"Frank Connolly," the young man said, extending his hand and quickly shaking with Sully and Kirk. "The Daily Evening Post."
"Mr. Connolly has taken the stage all the way out here to report to the fine folks of San Francisco about the avalanche we had," Harper explained. "Where's Thaddeus, Sully? He should be a part of this."
"Scoutin' out near El Capitan," Sully replied, eyes focused on his work as he resumed sanding.
"Oh, yes. Of course," Harper said. "Well, Frank, you'll have to do the interview without him. This is Kirk Davis and Byron Sully. They were a central part of the rescue mission."
Frank nodded fervently. "Would you mind if I ask you a few questions, gentlemen?"
Sully slowly paused, glancing up at him. "No, thanks."
Frank cleared his throat. "No? But it's just a few questions, sir!"
Kirk glanced at Sully, then tucked his sandpaper into his back pocket. "Ya can ask me instead."
Frank sighed, then reluctantly looked at Kirk. "Mr. Davis, how did you feel when you first came upon the accident?"
Kirk wiped the sweat from his face with his handkerchief. "Well...I reckon I don't know."
"Frightened perhaps?" the reporter prompted impatiently. "Apprehensive?"
"Appre...hensive?" Kirk repeated slowly. "What's that?"
Harper grabbed Frank's arm again, pointing at the campfires. "Well, Frank. Why don't you interview the men over there? Good lad." He watched as Frank hurried over to a circle of resting workers, then turned his attention back to Sully and Kirk. "Not exactly familiar with the press I take it."
"Do ya think we'll be in a big-city paper like The Post, sir?" Kirk asked, grabbing his piece of sandpaper again.
"Well, you're not going to be," Harper replied, crossing his arms. "You two wouldn't know the value of good relations with a newspaper if it hit you over the head. We could use a paper like The Post praising the good work our team did the other day. Though I suppose you wouldn't understand that."
"All I understand is we gotta get this board sanded down 'fore I can go home," Kirk replied, softly grinning.
Harper slowly brightened, finally releasing a small smile. "All right, Kirk. Back to work."
"Plans are all drawn up, sir," another worker called as he ran over to Harper, several rolls of paper in his hands. "We just finished. Here ya go."
Harper glanced at Sully and Kirk uncomfortably, then quickly took the rolls from him. "Thank you, Aaron."
"What plans?" Sully spoke up. Harper had always kept him abreast of everything happening in the park. In fact, Sully was usually the one drawing up the plans for him, not Aaron. He felt a sudden wave of suspicion he couldn't suppress.
Harper quickly smiled. "Oh, nothing really."
"The new inn. Overlookin' the Merced," Aaron said proudly, nodding southward.
Harper shifted his feet uncomfortably. "We'll have to clear the land there. We start Wednesday. I'll need your help, both of you."
"The eagle nests are along the Merced," Sully said, putting down his sandpaper and stepping forward.
"Well, they'll have to find a new home then, won't they?" Harper replied, discreetly reaching into his vest pocket for his flask and taking a swift swig from it.
"But that's where Faye and me take the baby for picnics," Kirk spoke up, folding his arms. "It's our...our place we always go to. We're gonna cut down all those trees?"
"Oh, don't be sentimental, Kirk," Harper scolded gently. "Think of the inn. The biggest, grandest inn to date. Visitors can sit on the porch and watch the river glide by, take in all the glories of nature. It's going to really turn a profit, this one. And profit is what we need, especially now."
"Eagles have been comin' to that spot for generations," Sully said, his voice growing louder. "Ya can't just cut it all down."
"We spent weeks drawin' up these plans," Aaron protested angrily. "You tryin' to say now we can't build there? Ya gotta be crazy."
"That's exactly what I'm sayin'," Sully retorted. "And why didn't I know about this?"
"Now, Sully. Settle down," Harper said, voice unsteady. "Aaron may be young but he's good with blueprints. I wanted to give him a chance to prove himself."
"Who cares about the God-damned eagles," Aaron added as a few workers began slowly approaching the confrontation. "They'll find someplace else."
"They won't. At least not here. You do this, they'll leave the park," Sully said heatedly. "Does Galen know about this?"
Harper clutched the drawings tightly. "Galen's not in charge of this company, Sully. I am. And thank God for that. His business dealings have hurt us enough."
"Mr. Clark don't know, does he," Kirk said, swallowing.
Sully rolled down his sleeves and brushed past the men. "I'm wirin' him."
Aaron took hold of his arm, stilling him. "Ya can't do that."
"The avalanche knocked down some of the telegraph poles, Sully," another worker spoke up. "Didn't ya hear? Nobody's gonna be able to wire out of here for weeks."
"Then all of this has gotta wait until Mr. Clark gets back from Sacramento," Kirk said.
"No, we're not doing that," Harper said. "Now, we're behind enough as it is. If all of you want to wait for Galen, draw up new plans to build this someplace else, you're going to have to do it on your own time. Without pay!"
"Hells no!" another one of the workers shouted as several began grumbling amongst themselves.
"That's right," Aaron added in agreement. "Nobody's drawin' up new plans here. We start blastin' those trees away come Wednesday, whether Sully here likes it or not. This ain't up to him."
Sully eyed Harper for a long moment, glanced at Aaron, then broke away from the group and began walking to his wagon.
"Sully!" Harper called, chasing after him. "Where ya goin'?"
Sully threw his toolbox into the back of the wagon. "It's five o'clock. Time I head home."
Harper stepped closer to him, removing his hat. "Sully listen to me. I wish there was somethin' I could do. Believe me I do. Times are tough. We keep losin' money like we have all year...we could be out of here come next winter."
"I didn't know we were losin' money," Sully murmured.
"Well, we are," Harper spat. "Ethan Cooper, he's promised to bail on us-"
"Ethan?" Sully blurted. "Ethan's in on this? I shoulda known."
"He's going to bail on us, Sully. He's threatened to pull his investment in this company if we don't start showing a profit. If we're put behind to change Aaron's plans...we'll never recover. Do you understand?"
Sully climbed onto the seat and took the reins. "I just find it real convenient Galen's in Sacramento right now."
Harper folded his arms. "Believe what you like. But understand this. You're to show up Wednesday and help us start clearing that land. I can't afford to lose anyone on this." He slowly held up his hand. "Look, Sully. You know I'm fond of you. This isn't personal, believe me. Come on, Sully."
Sully stared at his hand, then looked forward and gave the horse a firm slap. "G'up."
Harper dropped his hand back to his side and pulled out his flask again, taking a long guzzle as he watched the wagon roll away.
"Sully, wait up," Kirk called as he galloped his horse alongside the wagon. "Wait."
Sully quickly glanced at him. He pulled back slightly on the reins, slowing the pace of the wagon.
"What'd Harper say to ya?" Kirk asked.
Sully leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, loosely holding the reins. "He ain't changin' his mind."
"This is gonna break Faye's heart. She loves that place. We all do."
"Brian wrote about the eagles for the Chronicle," Sully said quietly. "He spent weeks studyin' 'em."
"We cut those down, you really think they won't come back?"
"I know they won't. That's the way they are."
"What're we gonna do, Sully?" Kirk whispered. He squinted his eyes as he spotted a row of three men standing across the road, their horses behind them. "Say, what's that up ahead?"
"Afternoon, Sully," Aaron called as they approached. He pushed back the ends of his vest to reveal a shiny revolver. "Kirk."
Sully glanced at Kirk apprehensively as they slowed their horses to a stop.
"Afternoon, Aaron. Fellas," Kirk spoke up, slowly removing his hat. "Can I help ya with somethin'?"
"Shut up, kid," Aaron said forcefully. "Let's make this quick. Nobody's got all day."
"Aaron, why don't ya move aside," Sully said calmly. "Let us on through."
"Not until we make a few things clear," one of the workers behind Aaron said vehemently.
"Now, listen," Aaron began, brow narrowed. "Nobody here wants to go without pay. I think we can agree nobody deserves that. We all work hard here. We want this company to succeed just like everybody else."
Another worker spit tobacco juice to the dusty road. "Damn straight."
"Ya got that?" Aaron said. He glared at Kirk. "I said ya got that?"
"I heard ya," Kirk muttered.
"Good," Aaron said with a sly smile. He reached up to scratch his chin thoughtfully. "'Cause ya know, Kirk, that girl of yours. Faye, ain't that her name? She's mighty fine, ain't she? Wouldn't want a thing to happen to her, now would we, boys?"
"No, sir," a worker said stealthily.
Kirk drew in his breath forcefully, his cheeks flushing with anger. "You say a word about her ever again I'll break every single bone in your body. One at a time."
Aaron chuckled. "Ya would, would ya? A kid like you? Well, you got a Texas temper, that's for sure, but it would only get ya so far."
"And you best keep an eye on them youn'uns, Sully," one of the workers added. "Your woman, too."
"I'd be glad to keep an eye on her for ya, Sully," the other worker said, folding his arms and grinning.
"You makin' threats, Aaron?" Sully said, jaw set tensely. "'Cause what I'm hearin' sounds like a threat."
"We're just makin' a few things clear is all," Aaron said. "And let me make this nice and clear for ya right now. We're buildin' that inn. On time. With pay. And you two better not get it into your heads to bring Galen Clark out here to foil it all." He removed his bandana from his neck, pulled out his revolver and began polishing the barrel. "Yes, sir. I was just sayin' the other day. I says, Aaron, Sully and Kirk sure got it lucky, don't they? Nice soft woman to come home to each night, cuddle on up to when it gets cold. And I bet those two ladies hold a heap of magic up their sleeves, eh? Especially that Michaela." He raised his revolver into the air and pretended to pull the trigger. "Like a pistol, that one is. Yep, I imagine she's a real pistol, once a fella gets her under the co-"
"Why don't ya quit now, 'fore somebody gets hurt," Sully said, cutting him off briskly.
"Reckon it is gettin' late. And I reckon we made our point. Might as well head back," Aaron replied, slipping his revolver back into his belt and grabbing the reins of his horse. "Come on, boys. Let's go."
Kirk turned his head and watched them disappear back down the path. "I swear if they so much as breathe a mention of Faye once more I'll kill 'em, and make no bones about it."
"Keep your calm," Sully said. "We're gonna need level heads the next few days."
"Sully, didn't ya hear what they were sayin'?" Kirk shouted forcefully. "They don't got any right! Somebody oughta teach 'em a lesson. Somebody oughta teach 'em how a fella talks about a lady proper-like. Especially if that lady is my woman."
"I don't think they'd ever learn," Sully replied, flicking the reins and starting his horse back into a trot.
"What's wrong with you?" Kirk demanded, squeezing his horse with his thighs and catching up to him. "You gonna let them talk about Dr. Mike dirty like that and just sit back like ya don't even care?"
"Don't ya think I want to break every bone of theirs right along side ya?" Sully said passionately. "I'd just as soon drive them out of here, and I could. I know I could."
"Harper likes Aaron. Likes you, too," Kirk said. "No tellin' who he'd believe if somethin' happened."
"Aaron's all talk. He don't got the backbone to follow through with anything," Sully replied with conviction.
"And if he does?" Kirk asked quietly. "What're we gonna do? I can't chop those trees down. We gotta stop this!"
Sully stared ahead, swallowing. "I might have a plan."
Kirk reached out his arm and clasped his shoulder. "We're in this together, all right, Sully? We'll figure this out. As a team."
Sully shook his hand, looking him in the eyes. "A good team."
Byron and Katie held tight to their little brother's hands and led him down the porch step and into the clearing.
"Come on, Jack. Come on," Katie encouraged.
Jack stepped forward unsteadily, beaming up at Byron and Katie.
"Look, Mama. Jack's walkin' again!" Byron called.
Michaela was sitting with Brian on the porch, helping him churn the butter with her good arm. "Be careful. Not too fast," she called back.
"Oh, they're all right, Ma," Brian said.
She sighed. "You're right. I suppose I say that out of habit."
"I know," he replied, returning the smile and then glancing out at the path. "Pa's home."
Michaela waved and walked into the clearing as Sully pulled the wagon up to the shed, his brow fixed.
"I'm glad you're here," she said warmly, caressing his back as he stepped down from the seat.
He nodded half-heartedly, glancing at the children. "Get the kids inside."
She briefly turned around, then spun back to face him. "Why?"
"Get 'em inside," he said, raising his voice ever so slightly.
Michaela slowly turned around again. "Brian? Could you take everyone inside, please?"
Brian abandoned the butter churner and picked up Jack. "Sure, Ma."
Sully waited until Brian shut the door after him, then turned his attention to the horse and began unhitching the wagon. "How's your arm feelin'?"
Michaela shrugged, reaching her hand up to grasp the sling. "A little sore. Brian made me some willow bark tea earlier that helped. Sully, what's wrong?"
"Best keep the kids close to the cabin the next few days," he replied as he unbuckled the leather straps.
"Why? Did something happen?"
"I don't want ya worryin'."
She reached up and took hold of his arm, turning him to face her. "You can tell me, Sully." She grasped his hand and squeezed it. "We can tell each other anything."
He swallowed, gazing at the cabin. "We got some trouble out at the worksite."
"Trouble? What sort of trouble?"
"Ya know the eagle nests, out near the Merced River?"
"Of course. What Brian wrote about in his article."
"Right. Seems Harper agreed to build an inn there, overlookin' the bank. The trees are in the way, so our team is gonna be the ones to get rid of 'em. Chop 'em down and blast away the trunks."
"What?" Michaela breathed, mouth dropping open in shock. "He can't do that. What about the eagles?"
"He says they'll find new nests," Sully said, dropping his arms to his sides with frustration.
"Eagles are very territorial. They'll come back to the same place every year wanting their original nests. And some of them have even started laying their eggs. What about the eggs?"
"I told him that. I tried explainin'. Michaela, I think Harper's in some kind of financial mess. Maybe the company, too. There was talk of foldin'."
"Folding?" she uttered. "Oh, Sully. How did this happen?"
He led her over to the porch, sitting down on the bench with her.
"Ya know I got a lot of respect for Galen Clark," Sully began. "But Harper turned a lot of the company runnings over to him and that was probably a big mistake. Galen said upfront he ain't a businessman. Look at how he let Ethan buy up all those shares. Now it looks like Ethan's blackmailin' 'em into doin' this. Who knows what other deals Galen's made. Probably got swindled more than once at the company's expense."
"Why couldn't the inn be built somewhere else?" she demanded. "Somewhere farther down the river, away from the eagles?"
"Harper's already spent weeks with some of the other workers laying out the plans. Says if we change 'em, it'll set us back. Says he can't afford that. Says even if he were to agree to it, we'd have to do it without pay."
"I imagine that idea wasn't very appealing to your fellow workers."
"It didn't sit well with them, that was for sure," Sully murmured. "A few of the men, they stopped Kirk and me on our way home. Told us...told us to watch our step."
"They threatened you?" she whispered fearfully. "What did they say?"
"Michaela, listen, it's gonna be all right," he said reassuringly, putting his arm around her. "I promise I won't let anythin' happen to you, the kids. Just play it safe for now, all right? Stay close by like I told ya."
"What about yourself?" she replied, caressing his chest. "Sully, be careful."
"It's gonna be all right," he murmured. "We'll figure somethin' out."
"Oh, you could wire Mr. Clark in Sacramento," she said brightly. "Of course. He's official guardian of the park, isn't he? He'll put a stop to this."
"That's the first thing I thought of. But that avalanche knocked down some of the telegraph wires. Word has it they won't be fixed for at least a week." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I don't think it's any accident this is goin' on right when Galen is out of town. I gotta get word to him somehow."
"When are they chopping down the trees?" she asked hesitantly.
"We start Wednesday mornin'."
"Two days," she said, pressing one hand to her mouth fretfully. "Sully, we can't let this happen."
"First I gotta try to get word to Galen. If that don't work...I'm gonna have to delay 'em until Friday, when Galen is supposed to get back. I'm gonna have to buy us some time."
She slowly met his eyes. "That can't be that difficult. It's only a few days."
He glanced around, making certain they were alone. "It might not even work. But it's a chance. We could take the supplies somehow. Take the axes, saws, dynamite. By the time they get a hold of new supplies, Galen would be back. Kirk...Kirk says he's in."
She swallowed hard. "You could be fired, Sully. That's stealing. You could even be arrested, put in jail. Oh, Sully. You could go to jail again."
"That's if we get caught," he whispered. "Michaela, I couldn't raise an ax to those trees, light a fuse. I couldn't do that and then come home and look our children in the eye. Look Brian in the eye."
"I understand," she whispered.
"You know if there was some way to do this without goin' behind Harper's back, I'd find it."
"I know you've exhausted all available options, Sully. It's just so dangerous. The thought of just you and Kirk out there...."
"It won't be just them," Brian said firmly, swinging the door open and stepping onto the porch.
Michaela turned to face him, brow etched with worry.
"I'll go with ya," Brian went on firmly.
"No. No, you're not," Michaela immediately replied. "Sully? Tell him he can't go."
Sully slowly rose to his feet. "Not this time, son. You get on back inside."
"Pa, let me help," Brian pleaded. "I'm strong, fast. I could help ya get those supplies out of there quicker."
"I know that," Sully said, grasping his shoulder. "But we got enough to worry about without enterin' anybody else into this mess."
"You think just you and Kirk can pull this off?" Brian demanded. "It's not enough hands, Pa. Ya stand a lot better chance if ya take my help. If we don't stop this, those trees are gonna be chopped down. The eagles...the eagles are gonna be gone."
"Sully, you can't be considering this," Michaela quickly said. "Not Brian."
"Please, let me go with ya to the camp and help get the supplies," Brian said. "I want to do this. I have to do this."
"What if ya...what if ya drove the wagon for us?" Sully said thoughtfully.
"Drove the wagon?" Michaela asked.
"Harper stores most of the supplies in a shed at the north end of camp," Sully explained. "Kirk and me were gonna bring the wagon 'round to the road that goes by there, then get into the shed and load the supplies into the back. If we had somebody drivin' and helpin' keep watch, it would make things easier."
Brian nodded resolutely. "I can do that. I can keep watch."
"I...I suppose if you promise to stay with the wagon," Michaela reluctantly said.
"I would, Ma," Brian said, taking her hand. "I swear I would. Ya don't have to worry. I'm a man now. I know what I'm doin'."
She nodded. "You're right. But man or not you're always going to be our son."
"Our son's who I want at my side when I go through with this," Sully replied.
Michaela gazed at Brian, then locked eyes with Sully stubbornly. "If he's going then I am, too."
Sully glanced at her sling. "No. You stay here with the kids."
"Pa's right," Brian added. "What about your arm? What could ya do with one arm?"
"Lots of things," Michaela said persistently. "I could ... I could ride ahead of you into camp. I'll distract the workers there while you get the supplies."
"Distract 'em? How?" Sully asked skeptically.
"I don't know. I'll think of something," she replied. "You need me, Sully. You need someone who can keep them from going to the north end of camp."
"I s'pose it's not a bad idea," Brian reluctantly said.
Sully let out a deep sigh. "Fine," he murmured. "I reckon we could use your help, too. In the meantime, I need to try to get Galen back here."
"This can work," Brian said, folding his arm pensively. "If we all do this right, this can work."
Michaela stepped forward and grasped Sully's arm. "We'll make this work. I know we can."
* * *
"Do you think there's time, Sully?" Michaela asked, hugging her shawl around her.
"If I hurry," he replied. "I gotta at least try to get Galen back here."
"You can do it, Pa," Brian said. "The stage'll be in Sacramento by nightfall and then if you and Mr. Clark start ridin' back here right away, you'll make it. It'll be tight, but you'll make it."
Sully nodded, pulling on his gloves and stepping up to the porch. He gave Michaela a warm hug. "He's right. And as soon as we get Galen back here everything'll be all right. I'm gonna fix this."
"Do anything so that we don't have to resort to breaking the law," she whispered. "I don't want to do that unless we absolutely have to."
"I know. I don't either," he said, kissing her cheek.
"Be careful," she replied.
"Tell the kids I said goodbye," he said, stepping down from the porch and grabbing the reins. "Brian? Walk with me to the road?"
Brian immediately left Michaela's side and followed him. Sully waved to Michaela and waited until she had gone back inside before putting his arm around Brian and stopping them in their steps.
"Listen to me, Brian," he began quietly. "If for some reason I get delayed, tomorrow comes and I ain't home yet, I don't want ya tryin' anythin' on your own."
"But, Pa," Brian protested.
Sully squeezed his shoulder tightly. "I need ya here to look after your ma and the children. Do ya understand what I'm tellin' ya? I need ya here."
"Ya sayin'...somebody wants to hurt them?" Brian whispered.
Sully swallowed pensively. "I ain't sure. I just want ya to keep an eye on things, all right?"
Brian nodded dutifully. "Yes, sir. Have a safe trip. Hurry back."
Sully shook his hand and then mounted his horse. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
* * *
"Tomorrow," Michaela told him cheerfully.
"Why's he gotta go there?" Katie asked, holding up one of her damp pinafores against the line as Michaela pinned it secure.
"Just to see Mr. Clark about something," Michaela replied. "Something for his work."
"If ya stop askin' so many questions maybe we'll get this washin' done quicker," Brian spoke up as he carried another basket filled with clothes over to the basin. "B., you're doin' that all wrong. You'll never get anything clean that way."
"Will, too," Byron retorted, twirling his stocking in the water faster. "This is my way of doin' it."
"Well, your way's wrong," Brian scolded, taking the stocking from him and scraping it vigorously against the washboard. "Ya gotta scrub it hard to get it clean. Put some muscle into it."
"Brian, give that back," the little boy shouted, pulling on the stocking and getting their sleeves damp. "I was washin' it! It's my turn!"
Brian swept him off his feet, thrusting him in the direction of the tub. "I oughta wash you!"
Byron laughed and screamed. "Hey! Put me down! Mama, help!"
"Brian, stop teasing him," Michaela spoke up with a grin. "Both of you stop it or we're all going to end up soaked."
Brian chuckled and placed the little boy back on his feet, brushing him off. Suddenly he snapped his head up as he heard a rider galloping down the path. "Somebody's comin'."
Michaela followed his gaze as Aaron rode into view. "Katie, Byron. Go inside and check on your brother please. He should be waking soon."
"But I don't wanna go inside," Katie said.
"Yeah, me neither," Byron added.
"I said go! Now!" Michaela ordered.
Startled, the younger children quickly spun around and ran to the cabin.
"Sully didn't show up to work this mornin', ma'am," Aaron said briskly as he dismounted his horse. "Where is he? We're all dyin' to find out."
Michaela wrung out the stocking and hung it on the line, ignoring him.
Aaron removed his hat, glancing at Brian. "Where's your pa, boy? Answer when somebody's talkin' to ya! Are ya deaf?"
"We don't have to tell you anythin'," Brian said.
He chuckled, forcefully pulling down one of Michaela's handkerchiefs from the line and crumpling it into his hand. "Oh, is that, so? He wouldn't happen to be headin' out toward, say, Sacramento, now would he? 'Cause I thought I already got it across to him that ain't the best idea." He stepped up to Michaela, lightly taking hold of her injured and immobilized arm. "Where is he, Mrs. Sully? Where's your husband?"
"Let go of me," she retorted.
Suddenly he gripped her arm with all his strength, gritting his teeth. "Where the hell is he?!"
Michaela let out a hoarse, startled cry as intense, shooting pain coursed up and down her arm. Dark spots flashed in front of her eyes and she could feel her entire body rapidly losing strength. "...Pl-please," she finally choked out.
"Ma!" Brian cried, desperately trying to shove Aaron away. "Let her go! He went to Sacramento! He rode to Fresno to catch the stage to Sacramento! Please, just let her go!"
"...Thank you, son. That's mighty helpful," Aaron said, thrusting Michaela into his arms and quickly mounting his horse. "Good day, ma'am."
Brian carefully lowered Michaela to her knees as she struggled to catch her breath.
"Ma," he murmured. "Ma, are ya hurt?"
She gasped for air, unable to speak. "I...I thought I was going to faint," she finally said.
"Ya want some water?" Brian asked hoarsely.
She raised her good arm and gave him a comforting hug. "No. I'm all right now. Are you?"
He held on, closing his eyes. "Yeah. Now."
* * *
"The stage on time?" Sully asked, folding the ticket.
"Yes, sir. Should be here in a few minutes," he replied.
"Thanks," Sully murmured, picking up his pack and taking a seat on the waiting bench nearby. Seconds later he got back on his feet, gazing down the road as Aaron raced his horse into town at a dangerous speed. Cautiously, Sully stepped out into the road and met him, grabbing the bridle of his horse.
Aaron got down and smoothed the sweat from his brow.
"What're ya doin' out here?" Sully asked quietly.
"Mornin', Sully. From the looks of things, I would say you're off to Sacramento," Aaron replied. "I thought we already had a little...talk about this."
"Galen has a right to know what's goin' on, Aaron. With the telegraph wires down, somebody's gotta get word to him." He sighed. "Look, I don't want trouble. If it's the wages you're worried about, I'll make it up to you."
"It's more than that," Aaron retorted. "You've been tryin' to upstage our whole team the entire time you've been here. I don't know what your problem is but I'm sick of it. It was about time Harper let somebody like me draw up some plans."
"You can still use your plans, Aaron," Sully replied. "We'll build someplace else."
"I go out and scout somewhere else, you'll find somethin' wrong with that place, too," Aaron said. "They'll be more nests there, or maybe some sweet little fawns, or some ants we might step on. Why are ya workin' with us, anyway? Ya don't talk to nobody except that kid Kirk and that other Injun, Tad or whatever his name is. Ya never wanna come to the saloon with us or do anythin' that ain't work. I don't know why Harper wants ya on the team so bad."
"I'm beginning to think it's not the same team I first joined," Sully said as the stagecoach appeared on the road in a cloud of dust. "Excuse me. I best get goin'."
"Sure, Sully," Aaron said, stepping aside. "Oh, I almost forgot. Your wife sent me with this. Said to give it to you to remember her." He dug into his pocket and pulled out Michaela's handkerchief, tossing it to Sully.
Sully clutched the handkerchief tightly in his hand, glaring at Aaron. "How'd ya get this?"
Aaron mounted his horse. "We gave ya fair warning, Sully. I thought you and me had a nice understanding. Guess not."
"Is she all right?" Sully demanded. "Did ya hurt her? Is Michaela all right?!"
He shrugged. "I didn't look back to see."
His brow narrowing with fury, Sully dropped the handkerchief and lurched forward, grabbing Aaron by the waist and throwing him to the ground. Aaron immediately regained his bearings and they scuffled in the dirt, throwing punches and pushing each other to the ground.
The man behind the ticket counter ran out in a panic. "Sheriff!" he cried. "Sheriff!"
The cowboys driving the stagecoach climbed down from the seat and rushed over, the sheriff close behind them. Together they pulled apart Sully and Aaron.
"What's goin' on here?" the sheriff, a stout older man inexperienced in a town that didn't see much excitement, demanded. "What's the trouble, boys? Speak up!"
"Nothin', Sheriff," Aaron said, swiping a stream of blood from his lip. "Just a little misunderstanding. My friend here was just about to head home. Ain't that right, Sully?"
"Why don't the both of ya clear on out of here," the sheriff ordered. "This happens again I'm gonna have to fine ya."
Sully breathed deeply, disengaging himself from the men holding him back. He grabbed the reins of his horse and mounted him, giving him a swift kick. He couldn't go to Sacramento now. Aaron had left him with no choice. He had to go back and see to his family.
* * *
"Michaela!" he called, thrusting open the door.
"Sully! You're back!" Michaela exclaimed. She was seated at the table with a cup of tea, the children gathered around her.
"Papa's home!" Katie cried excitedly.
He quickly joined them at the table and laid his hand on Michaela's back protectively. "Aaron came by here."
She reluctantly nodded. "He wanted to know where you were."
"What'd he do?" he demanded angrily.
"He hurt Mama's arm," Byron spoke up matter-of-factly. "She cried."
"I'm all right," Michaela quickly said. "The children made me some tea and I hardly feel it anymore."
"Let me see," Sully murmured, reaching behind her neck and untying the sling.
"You came home, Pa," Brian spoke up. "How's there gonna be time to go to Sacramento now?"
"There ain't," Sully replied quietly. "Brian, will ya unsaddle Decker, give him some water and fresh oats? He's real tired."
"Sure thing," Brian replied.
"Take the kids with ya," Sully added.
Brian grabbed his little brother and sister's hands. "Come on. Let's go outside."
Sully carefully unwrapped the tight bandages from Michaela's arm, cringing as he uncovered dark, ugly bruises already forming. "Ya need some ice."
"I know, but we don't have any," she whispered. "It's all right, Sully. It'll just be sore for awhile."
"What happened?" he asked.
"Nothing. He just wanted to know where you were."
"Michaela, what else happened?" he said more forcefully. "What'd he do?"
"Sully, nothing else happened," she said, caressing his cheek. "He rode out here and we had to tell him about Sacramento. That's all. I didn't want to tell him. I'm so sorry."
"Don't apologize," he said, wrapping up her arm again and guiding it back into the sling. "I'm just glad everybody's all right."
"You shouldn't have come home," she said.
"I had no choice," he said unsteadily. "I gotta protect my family. I made a promise to myself. I'm the one that should say sorry."
"You didn't know he was going to come here," she replied, clasping his hand and guiding him to sit down next to her.
"I'm stayin' with ya now," he whispered, drawing her into his arms. "I'm staying here."
* * *
He had let her set the pace, waiting as patiently as he could until finally she sat up and slipped her legs around his waist, wrapped her good arm around his neck for balance and brought them together into her own rhythm.
The steady chorus of crickets filled the cool evening air as Sully slowly caught his breath, resting his back against the headboard of the bed. Michaela was cuddled up against his side, stroking his warm, damp chest tenderly with her fingers and occasionally giving his shoulder a soft kiss.
"How's your arm?" he finally asked hoarsely.
"Hm? What arm?" she replied, raising her head and giving his lips a playful peck.
He smiled and caressed her hair.
"It was good, wasn't it, Sully?" she said.
He chuckled. "Ya have to ask that? Can't ya tell?"
She grinned shyly, snuggling closer and resting her head against his chest.
He shifted her up higher and pressed his lips to her ear. "It was more than good. It was perfect, Michaela," he whispered. "You're perfect."
"Sully...what happens now?" she replied, swallowing hard.
He sighed. The reality of the world outside their cabin was too strong to forget so easily.
"There's no way to get word to Mr. Clark now," she went on. "It's too late."
"I know," he whispered, holding on tighter.
"Then we'll just have to carry on with the plans, go through with it," she said resolutely.
"Ya sure ya want to? After all that happened?"
She looked up at him and gave him another kiss. "Yes. I was thinking about what you said, about the children. About facing them, looking them in the eyes. Well, I agree. We have to do what we know is right, especially for our children's sake."
He smiled, caressing her cheek. "All right. I'll carry on with the plans. I'll...we'll go through with it."
Brian and Sully stood in front of the fire, faces unwavering as they looked each other in the eyes. Sully had blackened his face from his chin to his hairline, sweat from his brow glistening the coloring. He dipped his fingers into a small bowl of the paint and smoothed it down both sides of Brian's face. Then he placed the bowl on the table and grabbed his belt and tomahawk, securing it tightly around his waist.
Sully picked up his beads, raised them to slip over his head, then suddenly paused. He gazed at Brian for a long moment, then placed them over his son's head.
"Pa, your beads," Brian murmured.
Sully pressed the beads to the boy's chest. "You wear 'em tonight."
Michaela was pacing restlessly near the window, glancing out of it every few seconds and occasionally pausing to watch Brian and Sully. "They're not here yet, Sully," she whispered anxiously.
"They'll be here," Sully replied.
"Papa!" Byron called from his bed. He slipped out from the covers as Katie awoke and quickly followed him.
"Byron, Katie. Go back to bed," Michaela called.
"But I can't sleep," Byron protested. "What's goin' on?"
Katie approached her father and older brother, looking up at them. "Your faces is all painted. What're ya doing?"
"Katie, you heard Ma. Go back to bed," Brian scolded.
Sully slowly knelt down to the children's level, grasping the children's arms. "It's all right, Brian. They can stay."
Byron beamed. "Goodie. Tell us a story, Papa."
"About a princess," Katie added.
Sully kept his hold on their arms, gazing into their eyes. "No, not about a princess this time. I'm gonna tell ya about a Cheyenne warrior. A long time ago this warrior climbed a high mountain, and stayed there five days. He didn't have any food, or water, and he was real afraid and cried."
"He cried?" Byron questioned. "Even a warrior?"
"That's right," Sully replied. "He prayed something powerful would come help him, teach him somethin' to teach the Cheyenne. And that was when a voice told him to be brave, no matter what, even if it kills ya. If you remember this, you will be a great help to your people."
Michaela slowly turned from the window and walked across the room, gazing at Sully as he continued to speak.
Sully raised one hand and swooped it to the floor in demonstration. "Then, seven eagles came down, and the warrior thought they might carry him away. But he remembered what the voice said, and he was brave and stood where he was. The eagles surrounded him and one said, 'Look at me. I am greater than every animal and bird on the earth. I have strong feathers. When your people wear my feathers, it will be a great help to them in war and bring victories.'"
Byron stepped forward and slipped his arm around Sully's neck affectionately. "Then what happened, Papa?" he whispered.
Sully picked up the bowl again and slowly painted a line down Byron's brow and cheek. "The eagles spread their wings and shook themselves, and a shower of feathers fell down to the warrior. He picked these feathers up and took them home to his tribe. And he told his people to wear the feathers." Sully turned to Katie and painted a similar line down her cheek. "From that day, the man was a great, wise leader. He was called Chief Eagle Feather, and he led the Cheyenne with great pride and dignity."
"Pa says the eagles carry our prayers up to the sky," Brian said. "They're sacred."
"That's right," Sully replied, drawing the children to him in a warm hug and caressing their hair. "The Cheyenne believe when the Great Spirit created the earth, he smiled at what he had made. Mountains, valleys, woods, plains. Animals and men. He said to the men these animals are your brothers. Share the land with them. They will give you food, clothing. Live with them and watch over them." He pulled back again. "Do you understand what I'm tryin' to teach ya?"
Byron blinked a few times. "I think so, Papa."
"I think so," Katie echoed.
"Good," Sully murmured, giving them each a gentle kiss and lifting them up to sit on the table.
Michaela returned to the window and pulled back the curtain. "They're here," she said, spinning back around to face Sully.
He quickly crossed the room and opened the door as Kirk and Faye climbed down from their wagon, Faye clutching their sleeping baby to her chest protectively.
"Get inside," Sully murmured, grasping their arms and ushering them into the room. He lifted Michaela's jacket from the hook and helped her into it as Kirk rubbed his hands together of the cool night air, staring at the paint on Sully's face.
"I'm ready, Sully," Kirk said staunchly.
"So are we," Michaela whispered, pulling her hair up from beneath her jacket.
"Hey, Faye," Byron called cheerfully. "What ya doin' out here?"
"You two! It's past your bedtime, ain't it?" Faye said nervously, walking over to them and giving them a gentle hug.
"Papa let us stay up to hear a story," Katie explained with a smile.
Kirk followed Faye over and took hold of her hand. "You'll be all right?"
Faye nodded, swallowing hard. "We'll be fine. Just hurry back."
Kirk pulled her a few steps away from the table, kissed the baby, then pressed his lips to her brow. "I love ya, honey."
Faye threw her arm around his neck tearfully. "Oh, Kirk. Please be careful. Promise me."
"It's all right. It's gonna work," he whispered, patting her back soothingly. "I gotta go now. You just stay put."
"We will," she murmured, stepping back to the children.
Byron gazed at Faye distrustfully, then glanced across the room at his mother. "Mama, where ya goin'?"
"Best say goodbye to the kids," Sully said, opening the door. "We'll bring the horses around."
Michaela tentatively approached the table as Kirk and Brian brushed passed her and hurried outside. She gently smoothed back Byron's hair. "I want you to stay here with Faye, all right? Mama and Papa have to go take care of something at the worksite."
"Why do ya gotta go now?" Katie replied. "It's bedtime, Mama."
"Why's Brian get to go?" Byron demanded sulkily, clutching the ends of his nightshift. "I wanna come, too."
"And leave me here in this cabin all alone?" Faye spoke up, glancing at Michaela. "I'd be scared out of my boots! Will you two stay here with me, keep me company?"
"Can we stay up late and make somethin' to eat?" Byron asked, grinning shrewdly.
Michaela sighed, giving his head a kiss. "All right. You may. For a little while at least."
"We'll make some biscuits with jam," Faye said, patting Katie's knee. "Won't that be good?"
"I guess so," Katie reluctantly said.
"Have fun with Faye," Michaela said unsteadily, unable to keep her eyes from welling with tears. "...I love you."
Byron and Katie leaned forward and hugged her fondly.
"Don't worry. We'll save you a biscuit, Mama," Katie said helpfully. "And if Jack wakes up and cries I'll sing to him."
"Love you, Mama," Byron said. "Be careful about your arm. You don't wanna hurt it again or then it's really gonna be sore this time!"
Michaela smiled half-heartedly. "I'll be careful."
"Have a safe trip, Dr. Mike," Faye said quietly. "All right?"
Michaela nodded. "We'll be back soon, Faye. I promise."
Light from the crescent moon spilled down to the camp as Michaela trotted her horse up to the circle of campfires, a carefully staged expression of concern across her face.
The workers were relaxing in front of their fires before bed, several engaged in a game of Whist while others chattered and laughed, drinking from a bottle of whiskey being passed around.
Aaron raised his head from his hand of cards and rose to his feet as Michaela approached. "Mrs. Sully! What in blazes you doin'?"
"Show some manners," said another man, quickly rising to his feet and lifting his hands up. "Let me help ya down from there, Miz Sully. Easy now. Watch that arm of yours."
"Thank you," Michaela murmured, grabbing the saddle horn, swinging her leg around and allowing him to guide her to the ground by the waist.
"What brings ya out here?" Aaron asked skeptically.
"I was looking for Sully," Michaela explained, stepping toward him. "Is he here?"
"Didn't he come home this afternoon?" asked a worker lingering outside his tent.
"No, he didn't. And I was getting worried," Michaela replied. "I thought perhaps he was working late."
"Well, no ma'am," Aaron replied. "As ya can see we're done for the night and about to turn in."
"I wouldn't fret too much," Skip spoke up. "Likely he took off for Fresno to the saloon with some of the rest of them."
"Oh, of course," Michaela replied, discreetly glancing toward the north end of camp and clearing her throat. "That must be it. I suppose I'll head home now."
"Wait a minute here," Aaron said, grinning slyly. "You must be plenty tuckered out, a lady like you ridin' all the way out here in the middle of the night. Why don't ya sit down for a spell?"
"Well, I am a little tired," Michaela said, casting a coy smile up at Aaron. "I suppose I could. For a few minutes."
"Right you are," Aaron murmured, grasping her arm. "Settle down over here next to me."
"Whiskey?" one of the men offered, his thick red beard soiled with dust and dirt. He thrust the sticky dark bottle beneath her chin.
"Oh, thank you. But...no thank you," Michaela stammered, gently nudging the bottle back in his direction.
"How about some coffee?" Aaron asked, grabbing a tin cup and taking the pot off the fire, pouring the steaming liquid into it. He handed her the cup and caressed her shoulder slowly and suggestively. "There we go. That'll warm ya right up."
Michaela raised her cup, the forced, coy grin still on her face. "Cheers."
Kirk cautiously worked his saw against the chain around the door handles to the shed. Sully stood next to him and glanced around vigilantly.
"I almost got her," Kirk whispered as he sawed through what little was left of the iron link.
Sully turned around to face the thick brush, where Brian was sitting in the wagon holding the reins. "Brian? They still around the campfires?" he called.
Brian raised his hand to shield his eyes from the moonlight and peered through the brush to the camp. "Yeah. They're all fussin' over Ma. She's laughin' and talkin' to 'em."
Sully glanced up at him with amusement. "That'll keep 'em busy awhile."
"There!" Kirk exclaimed, setting the saw on the ground and pulling the chain through the door handles. "That's it."
Kirk and Sully quickly opened the doors and began carrying out the supplies, loading the back of the wagon while Brian continued to keep an eye on the campfires and workers.
"Look at all this dynamite," Kirk remarked, heaving a crate labeled explosives into the wagon. "Seems kinda foolish to keep it all in one shed."
"Sure is," Sully said, carrying two long metal saws to the wagon.
"Where we gonna hide all this?" Kirk asked.
Sully stooped down and lifted up another heavy crate. "Once we get it back to the cabin, we can put it in the woods someplace, keep it there for a few days."
"That's all of it," Kirk said, placing the last crate into the wagon.
Sully waved his hand. "Go, Brian. Go!"
"But, Pa-" he began.
"Just get it out of here," Sully said. "Head home. We'll catch up to ya in a few minutes."
Brian nodded, giving the reins a quick flick. "See ya soon."
Sully pressed himself against one side of the shed, hiding in the shadows, and raised his hands to his mouth, emulating the dove call he knew Michaela would recognize.
"What's that you're doin'?" Kirk asked.
"Lettin' Michaela know it's time to leave," Sully murmured. "Get the chain back on the shed."
"But it's broken," Kirk protested, holding up the two severed ends.
"We gotta put it back on so they don't notice until mornin' somebody cut through it," Sully explained.
"We did it, Sully," Kirk said, nervously looping the chain back through the handles.
"It ain't over yet," Sully murmured.
Michaela finished the last of her coffee as she heard Sully's signal that the operation was complete. As casually as possible, she rose to her feet and smiled at the workers.
"Well, thank you for the coffee, gentlemen. I should get back to my children, but it was nice talking with you."
"Mighty nice talkin' to you, ma'am," Skip said with a wink and a tip of his hat.
Another man helped her back onto her horse and gave her back a pat. "Have a safe trip home, ma'am."
"What in the hell was that?" Aaron said suddenly, dropping his hand of cards and leaping to his feet.
"What was what?" Michaela asked quickly.
"I heard somethin'," Aaron said, pulling out his revolver and straining to listen. "Sounded like some chains."
"Injuns!" one of the workers shouted, grabbing his rifle. "Injuns out by the shed! They're breakin' in!"
"We're bein' robbed!" Aaron exclaimed, aiming his revolver toward the shed as Sully and Kirk scrambled to get away. "You there! Who are you? Stop!"
"No! Don't!" Michaela cried desperately. "Don't shoot!"
The men ignored her pleas, grabbing their pistols and rifles and firing them haphazardly toward the north end of camp.
"Stop! No!" Michaela shouted as her horse neighed and skidded backward with surprise. She drew the horse away from the men and scanned the brush near the shed frantically for any sign of the wagon or the three men.
"What in God's name is going on?" Harper cried, storming out of his tent and throwing on his coat over his long johns. "What happened?"
"Thieves broke into the shed!" Aaron said, firing off the last remaining bullets in his revolver into the shadows.
"Thieves! What do they want with what's in there?" Harper demanded.
Unnoticed, Michaela grabbed the reins tightly and turned her horse around, frantically racing back into the trees to meet Sully at the road where they had planned.
"Damn it! They got away!" Aaron said, throwing his hands in the air.
A few of the other men continued to shoot into the darkness as Harper buttoned up his coat and scratched his chin with aggravation.
"Well, let's go look at the damage," Harper said. "Stop wasting your bullets and come on."
"Easy, boy!" Brian said, drawing back forcefully on the reins as a shower of gunfire exploded nearby.
The horse bucked into the air with an unnerved, high-pitched neigh, kicking his front legs, and took off down the dirt road.
"Whoa!" Brian shouted, pulling harder. "Whoa, boy! Easy, Decker. Easy, boy. Whoa!"
"Brian!" Sully called, watching frantically as the runaway wagon weaved down the dark road.
"Come on! We'll catch him, Sully!" Kirk said as the gunfire ceased. He grabbed Sully's arm and they took off in a sprint after the wagon.
Brian got to his feet unsteadily and pulled on the reins with all his strength as the crates, saws and other tools rattled in the back of the wagon. Finally, he took a brave leap onto the galloping horse's back, grabbing him around the neck and pulling back on the bit.
Startled, Decker bucked again, sending Brian crashing to the ground. Before Brian could move out of the way, the horse knocked the back of the boy's head swiftly with his hind legs. Brian let out a low, pained grunt and managed to roll to his side, escaping further harm by mere inches as the horse raced the wagon past him and continued down the road.
"Brian!" Sully called again, running faster.
Kirk reached the boy first and grabbed his shoulders. "Brian! Ya all right?"
"Get the wagon!" Brian said, eyes closed tight against his pain. "Kirk, don't let it get away. Please."
Kirk gave his shoulder a quick pat and then raced back down the road after the horse and wagon full of supplies.
Sully reached Brian seconds later. The boy slowly swayed from side to side, face contorted up and blood trickling from the back of his head.
"Brian?" Sully said, tearing off his shirt and pressing it to the boy's wound. "Talk to me, Brian."
"Pa," he said hoarsely. "I'm sorry, Pa." He gasped for air, raising his hand to grip the side of his torso. "It wasn't Decker's fault. The guns were so loud. He was just scared."
"Can ya sit up?" Sully asked, his eyes darting up and down Brian in search of more injuries.
"I can't move," Brian said. "My chest."
Sully tentatively touched his hand to the boy's side as Brian let out a startled cry. "Looks like ya busted up some ribs. Just lie still, son. We'll get ya home."
Michaela raced her horse through the trees and into view, dismounting as quickly as she could and running to Brian.
"Sully! They were firing at you!" she cried.
"Ma," Brian murmured. "Ma, it hurts so bad."
"What hurts, sweetheart?" Michaela asked as she perused the back of his head with her fingers.
"My chest," he murmured weakly. "I fell hard. Ma."
Michaela gently ran her fingers down his ribcage, narrowing her eyes in concentration.
"Michaela? They broken?" Sully asked, holding his shirt tighter against Brian's head.
"It feels like two or three," she replied. "We need to bring him home immediately where I can bandage his chest and stitch his head."
Sully looked up as Kirk drove the wagon back down the road to them. Decker was skittish, but under control. "Kirk's got the wagon," he said.
"Thank God," Michaela murmured.
"Your horse slowed down a few hundred yards back," Kirk explained, jumping down from the wagon. "That's when I caught up to him."
"Let's get him outta here," Sully replied, hoisting his arms under Brian's. "Come on, son. We got ya."
"Be careful. Take it slow," Michaela said, standing back up as Kirk and Sully got on either side of the boy, slung his arms around their shoulders and lifted him to his feet.
"We gotta get out of here, Ma," Brian said, clutching Sully and Kirk's shirts feebly. "They can't find us here. We gotta hurry."
"He's right," Kirk said as they lifted Brian into the back of the wagon and laid him down. "We shoulda cleared outta here ages ago."
Michaela got into the back beside Brian and lifted his head into her lap. "Now we can leave."
Sully grabbed Michaela's horse and tied her to the back of the wagon, then climbed onto the seat with Kirk, taking the reins.
"We'll be home as quick as we can," Sully said, glancing back at Michaela and Brian and then slapping the horse with the reins. "He-yah!"
Michaela discarded Sully's blood-soaked shirt to the side and gathered her skirts together, pressing them to Brian's head. "Try to lie still," she instructed. "Try not to speak."
He slowly reached his hand up to clasp the edge of a crate next to them. "We did it, Ma. The four of us pulled it off."
"Shh," she replied, holding the material firmly against his head.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, lifting his hand up higher and gently clasping her wrist. "I'm real sorry about this. There's a lot of blood. Ma, my head's bleedin' a lot."
She gave his brow a soft kiss. "Just lie still, Brian. Everything's going to be fine."
"I been sayin' all along, them blood-thirsty Injuns ain't got no place in this park," Skip went on as the group of workers trooped over to the shed, Harper in the lead. "They been nothin' but trouble. If ya ask me we should send 'em back to those Reservations where they came from."
Harper pulled off the severed chain from the shed and opened the doors. "It's all gone. Every last stick of dynamite. Every last saw and shovel."
"We'll hunt down who done this, sir," Aaron said, clutching his rifle tightly and walking briskly over to the road. "We'll get those supplies back."
"I knew it! I knew it was Injuns!" Skip cried, squatting to one knee and picking up a string of beads from the dusty road. "That's it. I'm gonna find that camp."
"Let's find 'em!" another worker chimed in. "Give 'em what's comin'!"
"Wait a minute. Let me see," Aaron demanded, snatching the beads from Skip. "I recognize these. These are Sully's!"
"Say, he's right," spoke up another man.
"It was Sully! That's who done it!" Aaron exclaimed. "I shoulda known!"
Harper strolled over and took the beads, examining them carefully. "You're right, they are his. I recognize them, too."
"Wagon tracks," another worker spoke up, squatting to one knee and touching the road. "Fresh wagon tracks. It weren't no Injuns. It was Sully done took the supplies."
Aaron slung his rifle over his shoulder. "We'll get those supplies back, mark my words. Grab your shootin' irons. Let's get out there."
"Don't be crazy. Ya can't shoot him, Aaron," Harper said, grabbing his shoulder. "Why don't we all just calm down first? Let me go out there and talk to him."
"I had about enough talkin'. He stole them supplies. He's lucky he ain't hangin' from a tree already," Aaron retorted. "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm goin' out there. With or without your blessin'."
"Me, too, sir," added another man.
"Same here," said another as everyone nodded in agreement.
"Well, wait just a minute, can you do that?" Harper said. "Let me get some clothes on and I'll join you."
Aaron sighed. "All right. Hurry up."
"Don't worry, we'll get those supplies back, son," Harper said. "You have my word."
"You two really oughta get in bed now," Faye said gently, stooping to Byron and Katie's level and resting her hands on her knees.
The children struggled to keep their eyes open as they eyed Faye with determination.
"I want to wait up for Mama and Papa and Brian to get home," Katie said. "Please, Faye?"
"Just a little longer," Byron added, reaching his fist up to rub his eyes. "Read us one more story? Please? Please?"
Faye picked up the reader on the table and emitted a soft groan. "Oh, all right. One more. But after that you're gettin' in your beds."
She sat down at the table, opening the reader as Byron and Katie climbed back into her lap and rested their heads against her shoulders.
"This one has a picture," Faye said, pointing at the ink drawing above the words. "I like the ones with pictures."
"Me, too," Byron said, wrapping his hands around her arm with a smile.
"It's called 'The Kind Dog,'" Faye began, putting her arm around him and patting his leg. "'There was a man who had a sm...small, black dog by the n-name of Hund. One day Hund-"
Faye immediately stopped as she heard a wagon outside. Katie and Byron slid down from her lap and ran to the door, all smiles.
"They're back!" Katie exclaimed, throwing open the door.
"Thank the good Lord," Faye murmured, closing the book and joining them at the door. "Kirk!"
"Get inside, Faye!" Kirk called as he and Sully lifted Brian from the back and helped him stumble toward the cabin. Michaela ran ahead of them and inside.
"Dr. Mike! What's wrong with Brian?" Faye exclaimed.
"Mama!" Byron cried, reaching his hands up to her fearfully. "Mama,Brian!"
"He's all right," Michaela said quickly.
"Mama, you hurt yourself!" Katie cried, pointing at Michaela's damp, bloody skirts.
"No, I'm fine," Michaela replied, briefly caressing her head. "It's all right, sweetheart. I want you and Byron to go and sit on your beds."
Faye pressed her hand to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Dr. Mike! What's goin' on?"
Michaela clasped her arm. "It's not my blood. It's Brian's," she whispered. "He fell from the wagon. Please, Faye, stay with the children. Keep them away."
Faye grabbed Katie and Byron's arms and drew them to her skirts. "Did ya get the supplies?"
Michaela opened the door wider as Kirk and Sully led Brian inside. "Yes," she murmured.
"Come on," Faye said, pulling the children away. "Let's go over here."
"No! I want my mama!" Byron cried frantically. "Mama!"
Michaela caressed his face. "I'm all right, sweetheart. I'm fine, Byron. But I need to take care of your brother. He needs me to be a doctor now. Can you be a good boy and wait with Faye?"
Byron reluctantly nodded. "You'll fix him?"
Michaela lovingly kissed his cheek. "I'll fix him. Go wait with Faye."
"All right, but hurry up," Byron replied, brow narrowed with impatience as he grudgingly walked to the cots and sat down beside the young woman.
"Put him on our bed," Michaela instructed as she grabbed her medical bag off the mantel and joined Kirk and Sully.
Sully clasped the boy's hand and watched Michaela anxiously. "What do we do?"
"Start by assessing his injuries," Michaela said, pulling out her stethoscope. "And finding some cloths or towels to press to his head."
"I'll get 'em," Kirk said, rushing over to the fireplace and finding a stack of clean towels on the shelf for drying dishes.
Brian clutched his chest again and scrunched up his face, softly growling through clenched teeth. "It hurts, Ma," he said with a gasp. "Ma!"
"I know it's very painful, sweetheart," Michaela said, taking out her stethoscope and listening to his chest. "But I need you to answer some questions for me to determine what's wrong. Can you breathe deeply?"
"It hurts to breathe."
"I know," she said, smoothing his hair sympathetically. "But we need to determine if any of the broken ribs damaged your lungs. Try to take a deep breath."
"Just take it slow, son," Sully said encouragingly. "Do what your ma tells ya."
Brian gradually inhaled, filling his lungs and then exhaling. "Yeah, Ican."
"That's a good sign," Michaela replied, pushing back his eyelids and studying his pupils, relieved to see they looked normal. "Do you feel disoriented? Do you know where you are, what happened?"
"I...I ain't sure," he whispered, slowly opening his eyes. "Decker kicked me."
"That's right," Michaela replied. "Good."
"I feel sick, Ma," Brian said. "My stomach hurts."
"That's all right," Michaela replied. "Try to stay awake and breathe normally."
"Did we get the supplies, Pa?" Brian asked, gazing up at him. "Did we get 'em?"
Sully squeezed his hand. "Yeah. With your help."
"Good," he replied, closing his eyes again.
Kirk handed Sully the towels. "Here ya go."
Sully pressed them to the gash on Brian's head and continued to squeeze his hand.
"Brian, I'm going to cut off your shirt so I can examine your ribs," Michaela explained, pulling out a pair of shears from her bag and quickly gliding them up one side of his shirt.
Brian raised his hand up to grasp hers. "Don't touch 'em, Ma. They hurt."
"Be brave, son," Sully said encouragingly. "Everything's gonna be fine real soon."
Brian tiredly dropped his hand to his chest, eyes suddenly filling with alarm. He frantically cupped his hand around his neck. "Your beads. Pa, your beads are gone! They musta come off when I fell! What if they find 'em?"
"They won't," Sully said quickly.
Brian looked at Kirk helplessly. "Kirk, ya gotta go back and get 'em. Ya gotta find them before they do! Somebody's gotta go back."
"It's far too dangerous to go back now," Michaela said.
"No...ya gotta," Brian murmured, closing his eyes again and emitting a groan of frustration. "Please, ya...gotta."
"His lips, Dr. Mike. They look a little blue," Kirk spoke up hoarsely. "Why they look like that?"
"He's sweatin', too," Sully added. "But his skin feels real cold."
"He's going into shock," Michaela said, grasping Brian's wrist. "His pulse is rapid, weak. Let's cover him with some blankets."
Kirk scrambled to drape the quilt at the end of the bed over him. "Here ya go, Brian. You'll be all right."
"Brian," Sully said. "Brian, you stay awake!"
Michaela pulled back his eyelids again. "He's fallen unconscious, but the pupils still look normal. Let's turn him on his side. Carefully."
"What for?" Kirk asked as he and Sully carefully maneuvered the young man onto his side.
"We don't want him choking if he vomits," Michaela explained, digging into her bag again. "Hold him there, Kirk."
"Michaela, his head," Sully said, glancing at the crimson-stained sheets and suddenly growing frantic. "His head, it keeps bleedin'."
"Sully, it's all right," she replied, briefly caressing his arm reassuringly and then pulling out her bottle of carbolic acid. "I don't believe his ribs damaged any organs. He seems to have a concussion but there doesn't appear to be any pressure on the brain. Everything's under control. I'll stitch the cut on his head next and we'll continue to watch vigilantly for any signs of pressure."
"Can you do that with one hand?" Sully asked.
She handed him the bottle. "No, but I can if I have your assistance."
"We'll both help," Kirk said. "Just tell us what to do, Dr. Mike."
Michaela gave Sully a cloth. "Clean away the blood from the wound as much as you can and spray it with the carbolic acid. And Kirk, just hold him still and watch his breathing." "They saw us. The workers saw us," Kirk whispered as Sully carefully swiped the blood away from the wound. "I don't know if they knew it was us. What if they follow us here? What if Brian's right and they...they find the beads?"
Sully slowly met his eyes. "It's somethin' we're gonna have to worry about later."
Michaela pressed her stethoscope to Brian's bare chest and listened intently for several seconds. Finally, she placed the stethoscope in her bag and pulled the covers back up to Brian's chin, careful not to tuck them too tightly around his bandaged ribs.
"How's he doin' now?" Sully whispered, seated in a chair beside the bed. "The same," Michaela murmured. She glanced across the room. Jack and Danielle were nestled up together in the cradle in front of the fire, sleeping soundly throughout the entire ordeal. Kirk was dozing hunched over in a chair at the table, and Faye had reclined on Katie's cot, holding the little girl to her chest comfortingly as they slept. Only Byron was awake, as he had been the entire night, sitting up in his bed and silently hugging his stuffed puppy.
Michaela returned her attention to Brian and sat down on the bed beside him, taking his hand and holding it tightly.
"I'll watch him, Michaela," Sully spoke up. "Why don't ya go lie down?"
"No. I want to stay with him," Michaela replied tiredly.
"Mama," Byron called. "Mama, do I have to sit here still? Why do I have to stay with Faye all the time? Please can I get up?"
Michaela glanced across the room. "Byron, it's late, sweetheart. Get under the covers and go to sleep."
"But I can't sleep. I'm scared," he replied.
She glanced at Sully, and then held her hand out to the little boy. "Come here."
Byron immediately slid down from his cot and ran across the room, holding his puppy by the arm.
"What are you scared of?" Michaela asked as he crawled up onto the bed beside her and settled himself in her lap. "Everything's all right."
"That was scary when you came back and Brian got hurt on his head," Byron whispered.
Michaela smoothed his hair. "Yes, that was very frightening for all of us."
"Does he need an operation on his tummy like I got an operation in San Frisco?" he asked.
"Sweetheart, Brian has very serious injuries," Michaela explained. "I don't think he'll need an operation, but it's going to be quite awhile before he starts acting and feeling like himself again. In the meantime we'll all help to take care of him."
Sully reached across the bed and gently caressed Michaela's back. "He's lucky he's got your ma here, Byron. She knows just how to make him better, don't she."
"I don't want you to leave again, Papa," Byron replied. "I don't want you leaving either, Mama! Don't go again and leave us with Faye. Faye is real nice and pretty but I like you better."
Michaela kissed him sympathetically. "Hopefully we won't have to ever leave for something like this again."
Sully raised his head as he heard several horses and wagons quickly approaching outside. He met Michaela's eyes uncertainly.
"It's them," Michaela whispered as Kirk stood up and Faye roused from sleep. "What do we do, Sully?"
"We tell the truth," he replied, rising to his feet.
Kirk crossed the room to the bed. "We both did this. We'll both talk to them."
Michaela stood up and placed Byron on his feet. "I was involved, too. I'm coming with you."
One of the workers banged on the door. "Sully, you in there?" he shouted. "Open up! Open this door!"
"Mama!" Byron cried, throwing his arms around her waist fearfully.
"Stay here," Michaela ordered, pulling him away. "Stay here, Byron."
"No!" he exclaimed. "Don't go!"
"Byron, listen to me!" Michaela cried. "Wait here!"
"Sully, you open this door or we will!" another worker said, banging on it harder.
Byron held on tighter. "No," he whimpered.
Michaela finally took his hand. "All right. Come with me. Stay close."
Byron grabbed her hand firmly and huddled against her side as Sully slowly opened the door.
"I'm here. Ya can stop yellin' and wakin' everybody up," Sully said calmly, opening it wider and stepping out onto the porch with Kirk.
"All right, what'd ya do with them?" Aaron immediately demanded. He stepped forward from the men and darted his eyes behind Sully and into the room. "Where are they?"
Michaela walked up beside Sully. "Aaron. Good evening."
"Damn you, woman!" Aaron exclaimed. "You done had us good and fooled, didn't ya? I shoulda known you were up to somethin'."
"I'd appreciate it if you would watch your language around my son," Michaela said, pressing Byron's head to her side protectively.
Aaron squeezed Sully's beads tightly in his fists and thrust them in his direction. "I believe these belong to you, Sully?"
Sully slowly took the beads, gazing at the group of men.
"Now, I'm askin' ya where are they?" Aaron demanded. "What'd you do with the supplies? Burn 'em? Throw 'em in the lake?"
"Ya'll get 'em back Friday, when Galen comes back from Sacramento," Sully said.
Harper walked up beside Aaron, folding his arms. "Then you did take them. And you, Kirk. You helped?"
"Yes, sir," Kirk said resolutely. "Yes, I did."
"I'm afraid Friday won't do, Sully," Harper said. "Why don't you just tell us where you put them and we'll call it a night."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Harper," Sully said quietly. "I can't do that."
"Kirk?" Harper went on. "Kirk, where are they? Answer me!"
Kirk solemnly stared back, unspeaking.
Harper let out an exasperated sigh and turned around to face the workers. "You all head back to camp now. I have this under control."
"But, sir. The supplies!" Aaron exclaimed.
"I said I have this under control. Go home! You aren't helping anything!"
Grumbling, the men slowly backed away from the porch and returned to their horses and wagons.
"Ya got no loyalty at all, Sully," Aaron accused as he stepped back. "Ya care more about some stupid bird or that pathetic band of Injuns than your own men!"
"You're no man, Aaron," Sully said fervently, folding his arms and narrowing his eyes.
"Go to hell," Aaron retorted, mounting his horse and leading the men back down the road in a gallop.
Harper watched them leave, then turned back to Sully and Kirk, pacing a few steps back and forth. "You two are hard workers, done a lot of good for this team in your day. So I'm gonna ask ya this one more time. Where'd you put the supplies? Just tell me, I'll bring 'em back to the shed, and we'll forget this unfortunate incident."
He paused and eyed Kirk and Sully for a long moment, waiting for them to speak. Finally, he walked up to Michaela, grasping her shoulder.
"Mrs. Sully, talk some sense into your husband," Harper pleaded. "Make him listen to reason!"
"My husband is quite reasonable, Mr. Harper," Michaela whispered, caressing Byron's hair soothingly. "I believe it's you who won't listen."
"Mr. Harper, just wait two days," Kirk added. "Just wait until Mr. Clark gets back, that's all we're asking."
"No!" Harper shouted, slamming his fist on the porch railing as Byron shook with surprise. "No, Kirk! We've already been over this!"
"Yes, we have," Sully replied. "Now if ya don't mind I'd like to get back inside to my son."
Harper glanced at him curiously. "What? Why?"
Kirk eyed Harper angrily. "Brian got hurt out there."
"Good God, we hit him," Harper breathed. "Oh, Sully. I didn't know!"
"No, he's not shot," Michaela explained. "But he took a serious fall from the wagon. He suffered a concussion. He's been unconscious for a few hours."
Harper pressed his hand to his mouth. "Is he going to be all right?"
Michaela slowly nodded. "Everything's very uncertain right now, but a brief period of unconsciousness after such a trauma isn't uncommon."
"Is there anything I can do?" Harper went on. "Send for the doc in Fresno?"
"Thanks, but the doctor's here," Sully said, slipping his arm around Michaela's shoulder and turning toward the door. "Excuse us."
Harper grabbed his arm. "Sully, I never intended anything like this. I never intended for the boy to be hurt. This certainly isn't his fault. If I had known this would escalate into something this serious I never would have...!"
"I reckon it's a little too late to change things," Kirk murmured.
Harper nervously stroked his beard. "Kirk, Sully...I'm sorry but you leave me with no choice. I own this company, I'm your boss. I have to do my job or never hear the end of it. You understand that much."
Sully slowly nodded. "We knew what the consequences could be before we started this."
Harper swallowed hard. "I'll bring by your termination papers tomorrow morning."
Kirk nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Fine," Sully replied, picking up Byron and walking inside.
"Sully," Harper said, slowly stepping back. "Keep me abreast of how the boy's doing. Please. I want to know."
Sully grabbed the edge of the door. "All right....We will."
An early morning fog had settled across the clearing as Sully stepped out onto the porch for some fresh air. Aside from Michaela, everyone was finally asleep. Brian was still lying motionless under the covers, his condition unchanged, and Sully was beginning to fear that he might not recover as well as Michaela had assured him.
Sully looked up at the sky as an eagle screeched in the distance. He spotted a male and female soaring together over the lake, their dark wings gracefully outstretched.
"Papa," Katie called, slowly opening the door.
"Hey, sweet girl," he whispered, holding his hand out to her. "You up?"
"I couldn't sleep anymore," she replied, taking his hand as she gazed out toward the lake. "Look. Birds, Papa."
"Eagles," he replied. "They're real pretty, ain't they?"
She watched them pensively for a long moment. "Papa? Do eagles really carry prayers up to the sky?"
He caressed her hair, drawing her to his side. "That's what the Cheyenne say."
"You think maybe those eagles will take up my prayer?" she asked, pointing at the soaring couple. "For Brian to be better again?"
He stooped down and lifted her into his arms. "I hope so, Kates."
"Sully!" Michaela called, appearing in the doorway and clutching the frame. "He's awake!"
Sully immediately spun around, his face lighting up. "He's all right?"
She beamed. "Yes. He's all right."
Sully placed Katie back on her feet and followed Michaela inside to the bed. Brian was blinking slowly, his brow wrinkled as he glanced around the room. Michaela sat in the chair by the bed and Sully knelt down, each taking one of his hands.
"How do you feel, sweetheart?" Michaela asked.
"Ma?" he replied.
"It's me," she said with a smile, pressing his hand to her cheek.
"What's...what's goin' on?" he replied, swallowing.
"Brief memory loss is quite common," Michaela explained, glancing at Sully.
"Ya took a fall from the wagon, son," Sully said. "Helpin' us get the supplies. Remember?"
He wrinkled his brow further. "Yeah...some. I broke some ribs."
"Yes, two of them," Michaela said. "How do they feel now? Are you in pain?"
He slowly nodded, closing his eyes. "It's bad, Ma. Feels like my chest is on fire."She laid his hand tenderly on the bed and stood up. "I have some willow bark tea brewing. I'll bring some to you. Just try not to move."
Sully shifted closer, his eyes glistening with tears of relief. "You're gonna be all right, Brian. Ya took some spill there, but you're gonna be all right."
Brian eyed him for a long moment. "Pa, what's wrong?"
Sully took a deep breath, unable to prevent a tear from spilling down his cheek. "Nothin'. I'm just glad to see ya doin' better." He reached up and squeezed the boy's shoulder. "I love ya, Brian."
Brian smiled softly. "Love ya, too."
Michaela returned to the bed with a steaming mug and sat down on the other side. "Here you are. This should help."
Sully held Brian's head up as Michaela brought the cup to his lips. Brian took several small sips, then rested his head back on the pillows tiredly.
"Thanks," he murmured.
"We can try some more later," Michaela replied, setting the cup on the night table.
Brian's eyes suddenly filled with alarm as portions of his memory returned. "Pa, your beads. Did ya go back and get 'em? Ya gotta go back!"
"Shh, shh," Michaela said, smoothing his hair. "Don't worry about them."
"But what if they find 'em?" Brian demanded. Sully squeezed his hand. "It's too late, son. They got 'em right away. They woulda found out we did it eventually anyway."
Brian shook his head in disbelief. "What happened? Are we gonna be put in jail?"
"I can't come back to work for Mr. Harper, that's all," Sully replied indifferently. "Kirk, too."
"Ya lost your job?" Brian uttered. "They fired ya? This is all my fault. I never shoulda gotten hurt. I messed everythin' up."
"Hey, it's just a job," Sully replied reassuringly. "It's just a job, Brian. All I care about now is makin' sure you're well."
"But-" Brian began weakly.
"'Sides, I don't really wanna work there no more anyway," Sully added.
"The company got into the wrong hands." He reached up and smoothed Brian's hair. "Ya just get well again. Don't worry about anythin' else. It'll work out, in time."
"We goin' back to Colorado Springs now?" Brian whispered.
Sully glanced at Michaela, then nodded. "Your ma has work there. We'll be fine until I can figure out somethin' else."
Michaela reached across and took Sully's hand, squeezing it in support. "It's going to be fine. Some other work will come up."
He smiled optimistically. "You're right. It always has."
"But what about Kirk?" Brian asked slowly. "What's he gonna do?"
"I don't know," Michaela said, raising her eyebrows. "He hasn't said."
"I'm gonna miss Faye and him," Brian murmured, closing his eyes sleepily.
"They were good neighbors."Michaela nodded. "Yes, they certainly were."
"We're all gonna miss 'em," Sully said, resting his chin on his hand as he fell into silent, deep thought.
Sully carefully supported Brian's side as he slowly sat down on his bed. Michaela helped to lift his legs up and pulled the covers over them as Katie and Byron looked on.
"How do ya feel, son?" Sully asked.
"Tired," he replied, resting his back against the pillows. "But it feels good to sit up, be in my own bed."
"You're looking better already," Michaela said, briefly caressing his face. "Byron, Katie? Why don't you sit with your brother and keep him company. I'm going to bring up some water and cook all of us breakfast." She kissed Brian's head, then grabbed a bucket from the shelves and opened the front door.
"Honey, ya sure?" Kirk asked, seated on the bench next to Faye with the baby cradled in his lap. "I mean, real sure?"
"Yes," Faye whispered. "Sure as can be."
Michaela hung back in the shadows and cleared her throat. Kirk was so focused on his wife he didn't even seem to notice.
"Sure as can be. Well, this is...this is great!" Kirk said, caressing her hair and giving her a kiss. "It's wonderful, honey. I'm so happy. Come on, Faye. Ain't you happy?"
"Oh, Kirk, how can you say that? It's not wonderful! It's just terrible!" she protested. "This couldn't happen at a worse time. What on earth are we gonna do?"
He quieted, lowering his head and gently rocking Danielle.
"Kirk, what're we gonna do?" she went on persistently. "Ya got no job, we got no place to live, no place to go. We got nothin'!"
He wrapped his arm around her back and held her close. "It's gonna be all right, darlin'. I'll take care of us. All of us. Always have, ain't I? It's gonna be all right."
Faye closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest. "I don't see how."
Michaela cleared her throat louder and stepped out to the porch. "Kirk, Faye. I was just going to get some water for breakfast. You'll stay and eat with us, won't you?"
"Much obliged, Dr. Mike. I'm famished," Kirk murmured.
"None for me," Faye replied, eyes still closed.
"Are you all right, Faye?" Michaela asked, stepping closer. "You seem a little pale."
"She ain't feelin' so good," Kirk explained, gently rubbing his wife's back. "Upset stomach."
"Why don't you come inside?" Michaela said. "I can give you some paregoric."
"No, none of that. She's fine," Kirk said, holding her closer. "Don't worry, it'll go away. Always does."
"I'll be feelin' better by noontime," Faye added tiredly. "Thanks, Dr. Mike."
Michaela eyed the young woman perceptively for a long moment before finally stepping down from the porch. "All right. Let me know if there's anything I can get you."
"Yes, ma'am," Kirk replied absently.
Michaela turned and walked down to the bank, stooping to her knees and dipping the bucket into the water. She set the bucket aside and wet her hand, tiredly pressing the cool water to her cheeks and neck.
"Figured ya might need some help," Sully called as he stepped down the bank.
Michaela rose and slowly turned around, stepping forward and drawing him to her in a warm hug.
"Hey," he murmured, cupping her head in his hand. "What's wrong?"
She held him even tighter. "I love you."
He caressed her cheek and gave her a slow, passionate kiss. "I love ya, too."
"I'm sorry about your job. I'm sorry we have to leave here," she whispered. "You invested so much of yourself into this place."
He gently rocked her as he gazed at the mountains. "I know."
"This became your home," she went on. "You're going to miss it so much."
He tentatively shrugged. "I don't know. Colorado's a nice place, too, a good place to raise the kids. And it's like you said. As long as we're together then we're home."
"We'll make do, Sully," she said reassuringly. "If I have to work longer hours at the clinic until you can find work again, then that's what I'll do."
"I was gettin' used to bringin' home some good pay every few weeks," Sully replied quietly. "Takin' care of you and the kids means a lot to me."
"Oh, Sully. You don't have to do that to take care of us," she told him. "You do so much for our family that's more important than bringing home money." She reached her hand up and caressed his shoulder. "You devote so much of your time to our children. You listen to them, talk with them, play with them. You get down to their level. And they adore you, Sully."
He smiled softly. "Ya think so?"
"I know so. I only have to see the way all of them look at you to tell," she replied. "And you take care of me. You support me in everything I do. You're always here for me, even if I only need you to listen. You...you make me feel special."
He brought his hand up to her cheek. "Ya are special."
She wrapped her arm around his waist. "We're lucky. We have someplace to go. Kirk and Faye don't."
Sully glanced back at the porch. "I'm sorry he got involved. They're both just startin' out. Kirk shouldn't of had to lose his job like this."
"I wish there was something we could do to help them," she said. "Some way to help get them back on their feet. And on top of all this Faye says she's not feeling well. They sound so discouraged."
"I s'pose all we can do for now is help them pack," Sully said with a sigh. "With Faye sick they'll need some extra hands."
"Yes," she whispered. "I suppose that's all we can do."
The children somberly packed their carpetbags with clothes while Faye and Michaela packed skillets, pots and pans into several crates laid across the table. The mood of the household was quiet and subdued, and Michaela felt obligated to fill the gloomy silence with chatter.
"You don't have to help us with this, Faye," she said. "I know we helped you but we have a lot more hands here. We're fine."
Faye wrapped a handful of silverware in a towel and placed it at the bottom of a crate. "No trouble. 'Sides, that's what neigh...neighbors do." She brought her hand to her mouth and let out a quiet sob.
"Faye," Michaela murmured, drawing her into a hug. "It's going to be all right. We can write each other. We'll get through this."
Faye slowly pulled back, shaking her head. "It ain't that so much. I mean, I'm powerful sad we all have to leave. It's just, I'm...."
"You're what?" Michaela asked.
Faye bit back tears. "I'm havin' a baby, Dr. Mike."
"You're pregnant? Oh, Faye," Michaela murmured.
"I knew this would happen," Faye said, sinking into the bench. "I found out I was carryin' Danielle not long after we was married. I knew this would happen again just as soon as we..."
"Didn't you talk to Kirk?" Michaela asked. "About what we discussed?"
"I tried," Faye murmured. "He said me and him ain't nobody's business and I best not talk to you or Mrs. Donovan or anybody else about anythin' of the kind again. He says the thought of our friends knowin' these kinds of things makes him all...flushed and embarrassed."
"I didn't mean to intrude," Michaela replied. "I just didn't want to see you forced into something you didn't want to do."
"I know. I told him that," Faye said. "And then he said, well, he sure don't want me feelin' poorly again, and maybe...maybe we could try what ya told me, even though he says this time you sure sound like you're talkin' a bunch of foolishness. But he said just the same he'd think on it. You're a good doc, he says, but he ain't so sure you know what you're talkin' about with this. And now...now it's too late."
Michaela gave her another comforting hug. "Well, we can't change things now. You'll just have to take this one step at a time."
"We got bigger problems than another baby comin'," Faye said, dabbing her hand beneath her nose. "Kirk's got no work and I can't do anythin' useful. We got no place to turn. We barely got enough saved up to get us train tickets out of this place."
"Don't you have family somewhere?" Michaela asked. "What about in Silver Cliff? You lived there quite awhile, didn't you?"
"There's nobody in Silver Cliff, not no more," Faye said. "Not with my pa passed on. Kirk's from Texas but his folks are long gone, too. He's got some older half-brothers and a cousin in El Paso runnin' a ranch, but Kirk never did take to ranching'. That's why he left Texas in the first place. He thinks he has an uncle down there but we don't know where exactly he is or even if he's still kickin'."
"Kirk's a skilled carpenter," Michaela said reassuringly. "I'm sure he'll find work again."
"But where? We don't got nobody," Faye said. "Nobody but each other. And Danielle. I don't know what's gonna happen now. I don't even know if we're even gonna...gonna be able to put food on the table for our youn'uns."
Michaela sat down beside her. "Well, I know you don't like towns, you'd rather live away from them."
"Oh, I can't be picky about things like that right now," Faye said, waving her hand. "I'd be happy with a roof over my head."
Michaela thought for a long moment. "Sully and I were talking. What if...what if you and Kirk and the baby came back with us? Settled in town?"
Faye looked up, a new hope shining in her eyes. "Colorado Springs?"
"Sully and Kirk can look for work together," Michaela said. "And you're wrong, Faye. You can do something useful. You're an amazing cook. You've given us delicious preserves several times. You could sell them to Loren to stock on his shelves. He runs the mercantile. Or Grace might want some for the café."
"I reckon that would help at least a little, until Kirk finds work," Faye said reluctantly.
"I could persuade Loren to stock them," Michaela went on. "I know I would buy them, and I bet others would as well."
"Then we wouldn't have to part," Faye said, taking her hand. "We could still be neighbors." She gently brought her other hand up to grip her belly. "And I wouldn't have to fret about this little one bein' born, what with you right nearby to help."
"You could stop by the clinic, have a proper examination," Michaela said. "I must admit I'm being a bit selfish. I don't want to say goodbye to you, Faye."
"Me neither. I wasn't sure how I was gonna do it," Faye said, voice filled with emotion. "Havin' a baby again don't sound so bad after all, if we at least got someplace to live. I think it's gonna be all right. We wanted a son anyways, and I know for sure this time it's a little boy."
Michaela grinned. "Perhaps this time you'll be right, hm? Speaking of little boys, I'm afraid one of mine is missing." She glanced at Brian and Katie, who were continuing to stuff their bags with shoes, hats and clothes. "Where's Byron? Did he go somewhere?"
"He's outside, Ma," Brian said.
"Why?" Michaela asked. "We have so much packing to do today. We need his help."
"I don't know. He's been awful quiet the whole afternoon," Brian replied. "Even for him." He stepped forward, gently reaching up to clutch his sore chest. "Want me to go get him?"
"No, I don't want you moving around too much," Michaela said.
"Dr. Mike, you go see to him," Faye said, standing up. "I'll keep packing."
"Thank you, Faye," Michaela said, grabbing Byron's jacket and her shawl off the hooks and opening the door.
She immediately spotted Byron, standing on the first rail of the fence and silently looking inside his birdhouse.
"Any birds in there yet?" she called, closing the door and walking up to him.
Byron reached his hand up and swiped hastily at a stream of tears drying down his cheeks. He shook his head.
Michaela draped his jacket snuggly over his shoulders. "Why are you crying?"
"Mama, I'm not cryin'," he said, taking a deep, shaky breath.
"Oh. I see," Michaela replied. "I mean, I see you aren't."
He gradually stepped down from the rail and turned to face her, slipping his arms through the sleeves of his coat. "All right. Maybe I am just a little. Don't tell nobody."
Michaela buttoned him up. "I won't. But it's all right to cry. Don't let anyone ever tell you boys shouldn't cry. You have to feel all of your emotions, and sometimes that includes sadness."
"Jim and Luke don't cry," he protested.
"Oh, I bet they do," she said. "...Will you miss them?"
"Yeah," he whispered.
"Is that why you're upset?" she asked, smoothing back his hair lovingly.
"Sort of," he murmured. "I'm gonna miss lots of things."
"Like what?" she asked patiently.
He stuck out his lower lip in thought. "The deers. Goin' on hikes up the path Papa built, goin' in the boat on the lake, fishin' and swimmin'. Lookin' for birds. Bein' able to breathe good and not gettin' attacks all the time."
"I'll miss all those things, too," she said, drawing him to her in a hug. "But I think you're going to be able to breathe just as well in Colorado. I think if you put your mind to it, you'll feel better there, too."
"All right. I'll try," he whispered.
"Good. I'm glad. Byron, it's never easy to leave something behind. Especially a place we've all grown quite attached to. But we faced the challenges of Yosemite as a family, and we'll face the challenges of going back to Colorado as a family, too." She gave his cheek a kiss. "As you grow older I hope wherever life takes you, you'll always know you have me and Papa and our family, no matter where we are in the world."
He slowly pulled back, looking up at the fence post. "Mama? Maybe I should leave my birdhouse here. Some birds might want it."
She followed his gaze. "Well, I suppose we could. Why don't you go inside and get some of your paints? We'll write your name at the side somewhere, and the year."
Byron nodded agreeably. "I guess we're not gonna live here anymore. But maybe birds still want to live here. They're gonna need a home."
"Yes, they'll need a home," she said, smiling and putting her arm around him warmly. "Everyone does."
Nearly everything in the cabin was packed away in crates, trunks and suitcases as dusk fell in Yosemite. The children were absently playing a game of cards in front of the fire and Sully and Michaela were seated at the table, watching the baby play happily with his stuffed duck in his highchair.
"Everyone's so quiet," Michaela finally said.
Brian laid a card down on the hand and sighed. "I don't much feel like talkin' I guess."
"We're gonna move again tomorrow," Katie added. "We gotta say goodbye all over again."
"But that's tomorrow," Sully said. "Let's get out of here. Go do somethin'. It's our last day here."
"Like what?" Byron asked, standing up.
Sully slowly took Michaela's hand. "Well, maybe we could go for a horseback ride out to the valley. We'll get one last look before we leave. What do ya say?"
"Sounds fun, Pa," Brian said. "I'll start saddlin' 'em up."
Katie and Byron eagerly followed him outside, shutting the door after them.
Michaela stood up, lifted Jack out of his highchair and sat him on the table as Sully brought over the baby's knit cap and jacket. "I thought...I thought you didn't want the children riding horses," she said tentatively.
"I didn't at first," he murmured, guiding Jack's arms into the sleeves and buttoning him.
"Was it because it reminded you of your brother, Sully?" Michaela went on.
He swallowed. "When I saw him get dragged...I couldn't do a thing. I couldn't protect him. I told myself I was never gonna let that happen again." He lifted Jack into his arms and gave him a kiss. "They've taught me so much, Michaela. When I'm with the kids, I look at things like I'm seein' them for the first time. When I'm with them, nothin' matters but what's happenin' right now. I want to take them on a ride to see a sunset in the valley. I want to share this with them tonight."
"We'll see it together," she replied, wrapping her arm around his back lovingly.
"That's called Half Dome," Sully said, pointing at the vast, round gray rock formation in the distance. "Ya see it?"
"I see it!" Katie exclaimed.
Sully lifted her down from the horse and then lifted Byron down. "Let's sit over here and I'll tell ya a story about it."
Brian brought over a blanket and spread it on the ground as Michaela led Jack over. They sat down and gathered around Sully, watching the beautiful red rays of the setting sun warm the valley and rocks.
"There's an old Indian legend about how this valley came to be," Sully said as he lifted Katie into his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist. "One summer a Miwok brave left Yosemite and went to the far East where the Mono Indians lived." He slowly glanced at Michaela, a soft smile on his face. "He fell in love with a beautiful Mono woman, and they married and had a baby girl." He smoothed back Katie's hair. "But after a time, the Miwok brave became homesick. He wanted to go back to the Yosemite valley. He missed the fish there, and the acorns, and the mountains and waterfalls."
"Did they go back, Papa?" Byron asked.
"Well, the woman wasn't sure about goin', but she did because she saw how much he loved his home. She was a good wife to the man and always put him above herself. The man saw this and he thought how lucky he was. But the journey back to the valley was long, and one day they were tired and began to fight. The woman said she wanted to go back to the east. And soon she was cryin' and so was the baby."
"Like Jack cries?" Byron questioned.
Sully chuckled. "Yeah, only a lot louder."
"Louder than Jack!" Byron exclaimed.
"Shh, B. Let Pa tell the story," Brian said, clasping his knees with his hands.
Byron closed his mouth and listened attentively.
"The brave kept tellin' her she would love it once she got there," Sully went on. "And he began walking very fast. 'Slow down,' his wife told him. 'I can't keep up and I don't want to go there.' And suddenly she turned around and began running back to her old home in the east." He glanced out at Half Dome. "The brave became very angry and ran after her, tellin' her to stop. She turned around, and she took her basket of food and threw it at him."
Michaela grinned. "Threw it at him?"
Sully nodded. "Yep. But she missed, and her basket turned to stone and became a great rock formation."
The children gazed out at the rocks reverently.
"The Spirits saw the couple fightin' and were displeased," Sully went on. "They turned the man and woman into stone. The man became North Dome, and the woman Half Dome, what we're lookin' at now."
Michaela slowly took Sully's hand and squeezed it. "It's too bad they couldn't compromise."
He raised her hand to his lips. "Yeah. Then they would see they could work things out."
"But I understand how homesick the brave must have been for this place," Michaela added.
"He shoulda looked at what he had right in front of him," Sully whispered. "His beautiful wife and baby. They're worth workin' things out for."
Michaela smiled and gave him a soft kiss.
"The sun's disappearin', Papa," Katie spoke up, pointing out at the valley.
Sully held her close with one arm and put his other arm around the baby. "There it goes."
"It's so beautiful," Brian murmured as Byron climbed into his lap and watched in awe.
"Yes, it is," Michaela whispered in agreement, resting her head against Sully's shoulder.
They took in the exquisiteness of the valley in revered quiet for several minutes. Soon Jack fell asleep, and not long afterward, Katie and Byron were dozing, curled up together on the blanket.
"Pa?" Brian suddenly spoke up, arms resting across his knees as he gazed out at the scenery. He took a deep breath. "Pa, what's gonna happen to the Indians here?"
Sully took a deep breath. He had known Brian was going to ask him about the Miwoks eventually, yet he still felt ill prepared to answer. There was little good news for the Indians of Yosemite in any honest answer Sully could give the young man.
"I think they'll move around from time to time," Sully began slowly. "Some will join with other tribes. They'll try to hang onto their old ways, like the Cheyenne have."
"Please, Pa. Tell me the truth," Brian whispered.
Michaela clasped Sully's hand tightly in hers in a gesture of silent encouragement.
Sully took a deep breath. "I'm not sure I know what the truth is. The white man's comin' to this place, Brian. I know that. And they're gonna keep comin'. I want people to see this land, but for that to happen the Indians may not be able to stay here."
"Perhaps we could compromise with the Indians," Michaela said hopefully. "Perhaps Galen Clark could set aside a portion of the park just for them."
"I can't see many people willin' to agree to that," Sully replied, sighing softly. "Even if they did...they're dyin' out. Thaddeus says there's twenty, maybe thirty full-blooded Miwoks here."
Brian slowly turned to face his father. "Ya sayin' there might not be any left?"
"Looks that way," Sully replied.
"They been livin' on this land for hundreds of years," Brian said. "Then we come in and drive 'em out in only a few. It don't seem fair."
"No, it don't," Sully whispered.
Michaela closed her eyes as a tear slipped down her cheek. "They saved Katie's life. They found her and took care of her when she was lost, and they asked nothing in return. Now to think they might not even exist anymore...."
"Isn't there somethin' we can do?" Brian asked, voice hoarse. "We gotta help 'em somehow."
"Sometimes things like this get so big, I don't know where to start, Brian," Sully said.
"But we can't give up," Brian said. "The Indians need our help."
"No, you're right," Sully said, clasping his arm. "We won't give up."
"You're already helping the Miwoks, Brian," Michaela said. "You've been helping all year."
"I have? How?" he questioned, raising his eyebrows questioningly.
"Your ma's right," Sully said. "Ya've been writin' about the place, what it's like, the people who live here, the Miwoks. Folks have been readin' your articles, both in Colorado Springs and San Francisco."
"Learning about one another is a good first step in understanding one another," Michaela added. "We're proud of you, Brian."
"Ya have a gift, son," Sully said. "I want ya to promise you'll never stop. Never stop writin' the truth."
Brian nodded, taking his father's words to heart as he gazed back at the valley. "I won't, Pa. I'll never stop."
"Your things are all loaded, Sully," Thaddeus said as he climbed down from the stage. "I made sure they tied 'em down real tight."
"Thanks," Sully murmured, standing on the platform beside Michaela as everyone prepared to say goodbye.
Carrie held Danielle and hugged Faye tightly while Jim and Luke tentatively approached Byron and Katie, hands stuck in their pockets.
"Say, we...we're gonna miss havin' some kids to play with," Jim began shakily. "We sure wrestled up some fun with you two."
Byron bit back tears. "No big kids ever let me play with them before like you did. Except Brian."
"Well, it wasn't so bad havin' ya around," Luke said, folding his arms. "You're gonna make a first-rate big kid someday yourself." He slowly reached up and took off his cowboy hat, studying it for a long moment as he turned it in his hands. Finally, he dropped it onto Byron's head. "Here, take it. You're gonna need a sturdy brim to keep the sun out of your eyes."
Byron took off the hat, gazing at it. "For me, Luke? You mean I can keep it?"
"It's gettin' tight on me anyways," Luke replied, swallowing hard. "You be sure to take good care of it. Don't leave it lyin' around or your baby brother's liable to get into it, chew on it and mess it all up."
Byron placed it back on his head reverently. "I will. I'll take good care of it." He ran forward and gave the older boy a tight hug. "Thanks, Luke."
"Sure," Luke murmured uncomfortably. "Maybe you'll write us or somethin'. When ya get the chance."
Jim stepped forward and quickly hugged Katie. "You write, too, Katie."
"I'll write, Jim," Katie said. "Thanks for being my friend."
"You just stay the same, ya hear?" he replied, tapping her nose. "Don't go start bein' a girl now. Don't start carin' only about dresses and bonnets and all that, and only wantin' to play inside."
Katie giggled. "I won't."
"Come on. Let's get ya in," Brian said, walking over to the children and boosting each of them into the coach.
Carrie gave Faye one final hug and then gave her a hand into the coach, handing her a picnic basket. "Lunch for the road for everybody."
"Thank you, Mrs. Donovan," Faye said tearfully as Kirk climbed into the coach beside her and tucked the picnic basket under the seat. "Thank you for everythin'. I'm gonna write ya all the time, now that you taught me my letters."
"I'll write you, too, child," Carrie replied, clasping her hand through the window. "Now, I want ya to send word the second that new youn'un comes. And don't you worry. I hear tell Colorado Springs has the best doc that side of the Rockies."
"Sure does," Faye said with a soft smile.
Carrie slowly turned around, walking up to Michaela. "Well, I reckon this here would be so long."
"If you're ever passing through Colorado, you know you have a place to stay with us," Michaela replied, rubbing the baby's back.
"Same goes for you, if ya'll ever get back this way," Carrie said. "Take care of those youn'uns, hold 'em close. You're gonna have a real bright young lady and three fine menfolk to be proud of someday."
Michaela glanced at Jim and Luke, smiling. "You're going to have some fine menfolk yourself, Carrie."
Carrie gave her a warm hug. "Good luck, Michaela. I mean that with everythin' I am."
"I know," Michaela whispered, squeezing back tightly. "And thank you."
Thaddeus scratched his beard uncomfortably and shuffled his feet. "You know, Sully, I could try to talk some sense into Harper. Me and Clark together can talk some sense into him."
"Thanks, Thaddeus, but I don't think it would do much good. Kirk and I broke the law, we never tried to deny that."
"Can't say as I woulda done the same thing," Thaddeus replied. "But...I admire the two of ya for holdin' fast to yourselves. Believe me I do."
Sully pulled off his glove and held out his hand. "Ya been here helpin' me and my family since the beginnin'. Helpin' with the repairs, lookin' in on us...seein' to it our little girl got back home safe. We appreciate that. You're a good man, Thaddeus. Not sure how we woulda gotten along without ya."
"Like I said before, we help each other out here," Thaddeus replied, shaking with him. "'Sides, with your wife's mouth-watering cookin' to look forward to when the job's done, who wouldn't want to help ya out?"
Sully glanced at Michaela, sharing a grin with her.
"Ma'am," Thaddeus said, tipping his hat and walking up to Michaela. He nervously worked up some tobacco juice in the side of his cheek, then suddenly glanced at Michaela and swallowed it back, wiping his mouth. "Listen, I know you and me didn't exactly start out on the right foot. Sometimes I plum forget my manners. But I wanted to say I think Sully's mighty lucky to have a woman like yourself lookin' after him." He smiled and put his arm around Carrie. "Why, almost as lucky as me."
Michaela held out her hand to shake. "We were lucky to have such generous neighbors, Thaddeus. Thank you."
Thaddeus glanced at it for a moment, then quickly took it and raised it to his lips, giving it a gentle kiss. "You're welcome ma'am."
Brian helped his mother into the carriage and then climbed in beside her. "A whole year in this place," he murmured, resting his hand on the window. "I can't believe it."
"I'm gonna miss my bed here," Byron said sadly.
Brian held out his arms to him and Byron immediately slid down from his seat and grabbed his hands. "You can sit on my lap, B.," Brian said, lifting him up. "It's gonna be all right. We got a lot waitin' for us back in Colorado Springs. It'll be all right."
"Ya think we'll like Colorado Springs, Brian?" Faye asked, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.
Brian smiled. "Yeah, I think so. It ain't Yosemite, but it's a nice town."
Reassured, Faye glanced at Kirk with a smile. He gave her a soft kiss and stroked Danielle's hair.
Sully climbed in and secured the door, taking a seat next to Michaela and squeezing her hand comfortingly. "Ya all right?"
Michaela nodded tearfully. "Yes, are you?"
He drew in his breath unsteadily. "Yeah." He reached over to close the shade as Thaddeus, Carrie and the boys waved vigorously.
Michaela grasped his hand, stopping him. "Leave it open, Sully. I want to see the park one last time."
He smiled, withdrawing his hand and putting his arm around her comfortingly. "One last time."
* * *
Robert E. took a step down from the ladder he had leaned against the roof of the station and lowered his half of the banner. "How's this look?"
Grace clutched a tray with lemonade glasses and proudly smiled up at him. "Looks fine, Robert E.!"
"Fine? It's all crooked!" Loren retorted grouchily. "Ain't anybody here ever hung a sign straight before?"
Horace stepped out of the office, looking up at the banner. "It looks good to me."
"I say it's good, too," Jake replied, tacking up his end and climbing down from his ladder. "If you're so sure it's crooked why don't you come up here and fix it yourself, Loren?"
"Why, because somebody's gotta look at it from the ground to see if it's straight," Loren said. "Robert E., lower your side a little more. No, no, that's too much!"
"Loren, hurry up!" Dorothy exclaimed, gazing down the tracks as the train whistle blew in the distance. "Here it comes!"
Simon Willard hurried around buggies and riders as he ran across the tracks and onto the platform. He spotted Andrew and Preston standing together and quickly made his way through the crowd to their sides. "Andrew! Mr. Lodge! Did I miss them?"
"They're just arriving now," Preston said as the train whistle blew again. "Right on time."
"Thank goodness," Simon said, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Simon," Andrew said, taking a glass of lemonade off of Grace's tray. "Here, have something to drink."
Simon laughed, sipping the lemonade. "Not see me here? Oh, I wouldn't miss Dr. Quinn's homecoming for the world! I'm more than eager to return the clinic to her capable hands. For awhile there I thought I might actually have to...to live in this town!"
Andrew and Preston chuckled, slapping the young man on the back as the train grew closer.
"Hey, where's the shovel?" Loren suddenly demanded, glancing around frantically. "Dorothy, I thought you had it!"
"Don't look at me," Dorothy said. "I gave it to Grace."
"I gave it to Hank," Grace replied. "I couldn't hold it. I had to carry the lemonade."
"You never gave me anything," Hank said as he slouched on one of the waiting benches, two of his girls cuddled up against his chest. "If I had known how much squawkin' everybody would be doin' I never woulda agreed to come to this thing."
"Nobody asked you to come in the first place, Hank," Grace said sassily.
"Well, who's got the shovel now?" Loren demanded. "How we gonna have a ground-breaking ceremony without a shovel?"
"Here it is," the reverend called, making his way to the front of the crowd and holding up the shovel.
"Give me that," Loren said, snatching it from him as the train pulled to a stop, a cloud of steam rising from beneath it.
"Let me have it," Jake said, grabbing the shovel and clutching it to his chest. "I'm mayor."
"Fine, take it," Loren grumbled.
Everyone watched the door of the train car eagerly as passengers began stepping down. At last Michaela appeared, carrying Jack, followed by Sully, Brian, and finally Katie and Byron.
The townsfolk waved, cheered and broke into thunderous applause.
Michaela gazed up at the banner, bursting into a smile. 'Welcome Back,' it read in colorful blue and red paint.
"Mornin', folks. It's good to be home," Sully said, putting his arm around Michaela as they stepped onto the platform.
"What's all this? What's everyone doing here?" Michaela asked.
Dorothy stepped forward. "We just wanted you to know how much we missed all of ya. We thought we should make your homecoming a real celebration. Michaela, what happened to your arm?!"
"My arm?" she replied, glancing at the sling. "Oh, that. We had a little...adventure. I'll tell you all about it."
"I got a nice hot meal ready for everybody over at the café!" Grace said, handing two glasses of lemonade to Byron and Katie, and gently pinching their cheeks. "I missed you two."
Loren nudged Jake forward. "Go on."
"Oh yeah," Jake said, holding out the shovel. "And this here is also a party for the groundbreakin'."
"Groundbreakin'?" Sully asked.
Jake handed the shovel to Michaela. "Dr. Mike, you been here for this town for ten years. But I don't think we saw how much we counted on ya until you moved to California. So, uh, we thought ya would like some new recovery rooms at the clinic. We start buildin' next week."
"How did you know I needed those?" Michaela replied, gazing at the shovel.
"Oh, we got our ways," Loren replied with a smile.
Michaela looked over the crowd reverently. "Thank you. I appreciate this. And I appreciate what you've done for me, too. What this town has done for all of us."
Sully glanced at Faye and Kirk, hanging back by the train shyly and gathering their belongings. "And we thought this town would be a nice place for some friends of ours." He walked over to the couple, resting his hand on Kirk's shoulder. "I want everybody to meet Kirk and Faye Davis. They're lookin' to settle here."
Dorothy immediately stepped down from the platform and shook their hands. "Welcome to Colorado Springs. We're all so glad you've come!"
Grace followed Dorothy's lead and carried down some glasses to them. "Have some of my lemonade."
Faye slowly smiled, the discomfort vanishing from her face as she took the glass. "Thank you, ma'am."
"Enough standin' around. Let's get to this groundbreakin'," Hank said, rising to his feet and putting his arms around his girls as he lead the way down the street. The townsfolk quickly followed in a large procession.
"Brian!...Brian!"
Startled, Brian spun around, glancing out at the road as Sarah raced her buggy to the station.
He stepped forward, swallowing in disbelief. "Sarah," he whispered.
Sarah pulled back on the reins and jumped down from the buggy, out of breath. "Brian! I got caught up with a loose wheel. I was worried I might of missed you!"
"Sarah, ya came," he replied, walking forward another few steps and then suddenly running. He hurried down the platform and to her side, hugging her securely. "Sarah!"
She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Brian. I've missed you so much."
"Me, too. I've missed ya, too," he replied, caressing her hair and holding on even tighter.
"I love you," she whispered, pulling back and caressing his face with a tearful smile.
Sully glanced at Michaela and took her hand. "Come on. He'll catch up."
"Brian's happy to be back," Michaela said with a soft smile. She glanced up at Sully, squeezing his hand. "Are you happy, Sully?"
He took a deep breath, gazing down the street. "I'm happy we're all together."
"The other day I found Byron in tears about leaving Yosemite," Michaela said. "Coming back here is going to be a challenge. But I told him we faced Yosemite's challenges together. And we'll faces the challenges of Colorado Springs together, too, Sully. We'll make it our home again."
"Home?" he whispered, drawing her to him and giving her head a kiss. "You're here, Michaela. I already am home."
In Westward Bound, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, and many of the people Michaela and Sully met were true to the times. Below I provided a brief historical background of some of the key people and places in the story:
Yosemite National Park
In 1855, the first tourists arrived in what is now Yosemite National Park, a vast tract of scenic wildlands located in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Abraham Lincoln provided the first official protection when he signed the Yosemite Grant in 1864. The grant deeded Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias to the state of California. However, no such protection existed for the vast wilderness surrounding the valley. In Westward Bound, this loophole would have allowed Rudolph Harper and his men to chop down the eagle nesting site.
In 1890, Congress set aside more than 1,500 square miles of "reserved forest lands" soon to be known as Yosemite National Park. It included the area surrounding Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. It took a meeting between President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir, (a naturalist and writer) in 1903, and the effective lobbying of railroad magnate Edward H. Harriman, to have Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove ceded from the state of California's control and included in Yosemite National Park in 1906. (Compiled from The National Park Service and The American Park Network)
Galen Clark
Galen Clark pioneered the homesteading movement in the Sierra and was instrumental in the creation and preservation of Yosemite National Park. A miner from New England, Clark homesteaded 160 acres in Wawona in 1856. He lived another 54 years in Yosemite and died just short of his 96th birthday.
Clark lobbied to get the Yosemite Grant enacted in 1864, thus creating the world's first state park. He was made "Guardian of Yosemite" in 1866 to oversee the Yosemite Grant. Just as he did in Westward Bound, he kept trails, roads, and bridges in good repair, attended to environmental protection, and relocated homesteaders to preserve access to Yosemite's wonders. Clark's first wife Rebecca gave him five children before she died. However, Clark did not take his children with him when he settled in Yosemite. In the early 1880s, his second wife Isabella, who lived with him in Yosemite for a short time, left him, evidently because Clark spent too much time with the park and not enough time with her.
Despite plunging into considerable debt, he was renowned for his hospitality and for his love of the land. Clark is buried in Yosemite Valley Cemetery under sequoias he planted himself. (Compiled from The American Park Network)
John Muir
John Muir, born in 1838 in Scotland, made his home in Yosemite in 1868. In 1874, a series of articles by Muir entitled "Studies in the Sierra" launched his career as a writer. These early articles were what Michaela, Sully and Brian would have read in Westward Bound. Later, Muir turned more seriously to writing, publishing 300 articles and 10 books that recounted his travels, expounded his naturalist philosophy, and beckoned everyone to "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings." In 1890, due in large part to the efforts of Muir, an act of Congress created Yosemite National Park and Muir is often called the "Father of Our National Park System." In 1892, he founded the Sierra Club to protect Yosemite National Park from stockmen and others who would diminish its boundaries, and in Muir's words, "do something for wildness and make the mountains glad." Muir and the Sierra Club fought many battles to protect Yosemite. (Compiled from the Sierra Club)
The Chinese of San Francisco
The first wave of Chinese immigration occurred in the early 1800s when gold was being discovered in California. After America's economy suffered a downturn in the mid-1800s, Chinese immigrants began to be seen as a threat to American workers. This led to a series of acts discriminating against Chinese immigrants.
The California state legislature in 1850 passed the Foreign Miners' License law, a tax of twenty dollars a month on all foreign miners. In 1862, American ships were forbidden to transport Chinese immigrants to the United States. Other laws forbid interracial marriages, prohibited Chinese from testifying in court and required Chinese prisoners to cut their hair.
Most of the Chinese women entering California before 1875 were prostitutes. The Page Law of 1875, drafted by Representative Horace Page of California, was enacted to prohibit the influx of prostitutes. Later, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 specifically prevented women from coming to the U.S. Like Ethan Cooper in Westward Bound, most of America looked upon the Chinese very scornfully. Women were attacked for supposedly having a degraded moral character and for carrying vile diseases. (compiled from the work of Wei Chi Poon--Asian American Studies Librarian of the Ethnic Studies Library, the San Francisco History Index, and the Museum of the City of San Francisco)
Chinese prostitution in San Francisco
Chinese prostitutes faced significant economic hurdles when they arrived in the United States, just like Ming-Zhu in Westward Bound. Many were either kidnapped out of China or sold by their impoverished family. They signed contracts resembling indentured servitude. Most had to work for several years to pay back the cost of shipping them to California. In the process, they often contracted painful or even deadly venereal diseases. Syphilis if often called the AIDS of the 19th century. It could eventually lead to seizures, mental illness, blindness, and death. Many hospitals turned away prostitutes, especially the Chinese. In addition, most Chinese prostitutes did not know English. In the 1870s there were 1,184 prostitutes of the total 1,702 Chinese females in San Francisco. (compiled from the work of Ms. Wei Chi Poon--Asian American Studies Librarian of the Ethnic Studies Library, the San Francisco History Index, the Museum of the City of San Francisco, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Miwok Indians
The Miwok Indians populated Yosemite for nearly 4,000 years. In 1848, the discovery of gold brought scores of outsiders to the Sierra Nevada. By 1851, thousands of miners had appropriated Indian lands, which quickly resulted in the Mariposa Indian War. In an attempt to capture a group of Yosemite Indians, the state-sanctioned Mariposa Battalion entered Yosemite Valley in 1851. The Indians were moved to a reservation near Fresno. Although they had food and quarters, they became very homesick. In 1855, the Indians on the reservation were allowed to return to their original homes. As Thaddeus explained in Westward Bound, the Miwoks were a diminishing people. Bands frequently broke apart or joined with other tribes. The last known full-blooded Miwok Indian died in 1932. (Compiled from Mariposa California schools)