The Mountain Girl chapter (15)

The Mountain Girl Chapter (15)
Written By: Neet,
Dated; 5-2-02
The Long Haul Home

Jay rode over to a big boulder, and dismounted. He decided he would let
his horse
rest a minute. He took out a piece of beef jerky; he remembered he
hadn't eaten
since breakfast. He tied his horse to what was left of a bush. He
stared at all the
debris it was everywhere. Jay, said aloud, "son, I sure hope you made
it to a save
place"!

******

Jess carefully took the horse blanket, and spread it over Will's body.
Jess said to
himself, "I sure hope no animal, carries you away until I can return
with help"! He
crawled out of the hole, and looked around.

"I suppose I should try, and get something to block the opening. What a
mess out
here," Jess, said aloud. He went back to the hole, and dragged Will's
saddle out. He
said, "I could get some of that brush, and lay the saddle on it". That
should stop the
animals from going in there. He peered around the other side of the
boulder.

Jess screamed "Pa"! He said, "O, Pa! I am so glad to see you, as he
threw his arms
around Jay's neck". Jay replied, "I'm glad to see your ok son, as he
held onto him".

Jay asked, "Where is Will, you did find him didn't you Jess?" Jess
mumbled, "He
didn't make it pa"! He was hurt bad on the inside; that's what he told
me.

Jay put his arms around Jess, and said, "well son I'm sure there wasn't
much you
could have done". "Where is he son," Jay, asked? Jess pointed, "on the
other side of
the boulder, pa.

I dragged him in a hole before the tornado hit. Jay said, "show me
where his body
is"! We'll put him on my horse, and take him home.

Jay crawled in the hole, and checked Will out. He started to roll him
up in the
blanket, and noticed his hip was broken also.

Jay yelled out to Jess, "son bring my horse around here, and hand me my
quilt out
of the bedroll". Jess helped Jay get him out of the hole, and they tied
the quilt
around Will's body. Jay carefully laid him across Gabby's back.

Jay said, "We will have to leave everything else behind". It's going to
be a long haul
home!

Jess reached down, and picked up Will's rife. Jay asked, "You ready
Jess"? Jess
nodded his head, "I'm ready pa".

Jay thought to himself, "Jess is growing up fast"! He was very quite
but Jay knew
he had to deal with death in his own way.

Jess said pa, "I forgot to ask if everyone survived the tornado". Jay
replied, "Yes, I
was just getting ready to ride out when it hit". We all got down in the
fruit cellar.

"Beth was terrified" Jay, responded. Jess said, I "know how she, felt
that boulder
was rocking back, and forth.

"The house is a mess but nothing that can't be fixed", Jay
replied.

"Poor Dolly! I feel so sorry for her; she has really been through it
today," Jay said.

Jess muttered, "she is going to be so upset isn't she pa"? Jay said
softly, "Yes, son I
reckon so"!

Jay changed the subject, "that was good thinking on your part, crawling
in that hole
Jess". "I just happen to stumble up on it, pa" Jess, stated!

You know pa, at first I was afraid to go in there because of snakes.
But I didn't let
it get the best of me. Jay said, "I'm proud of you son! Besides, there
comes a time
when we put others first, before we think about ourselves".

Pa! Will, must have been hurt in the head. He was talking all kinds of
nonsense,
except right at the end. He wanted me to tell Dolly, Jess choked back
the tears, "that
he loved her".

Jay said, "Yes, son I'm sure he was in bad shape". Pa! I wanted to go
get help but
he insisted I stay with him" Jess, said.

Jess, no one wants to be alone when they die! Besides him being a
doctor, I'm sure
he knew he didn't have long to live" Jay, responded.

"Pa," that's exactly what "Will" said! "Son, I hate it that you had to
go through
such a tragedy a lone" Jay, stated.

Jess muttered pa, "I dread telling Dolly! "Son if you want I will tell
her" Jay, told
him. Jess said, "Pa, I promised Will, I would do it"! Ok! Son whatever
you think is
best," Jay replied.

Jess got lost in his thoughts, "maybe I should tell pa what Will said
about the metal
container. No! You can't Jess Crabb you got to keep that to yourself!
But, I'm not
sure what he was talking about. Well! One thing for sure I'm going into
that setting
room, and have a look around.

Jay said, "Jess are you ok? Son, if there's something else you want to
talk about,
I'm here for you"! Jess said, "I know that pa! I'm just fine don't
worry about me".

Jay looked over his shoulder at Jess; he could tell he was in deep
thought about
something. But, Jay decided to leave it be, he would talk about it
whenever he was
ready. (To be continued)