BLACK WIND Part 6
Two weeks after Black Wind’s return, Madelaine lay on the bed in Mrs. Hanson’s guestroom, staring at the ceiling. Maybe she’d been wrong and Uncle David wasn’t going to bother them anymore.
Harry ambled in and flopped his huge head on the edge of the mattress and gave a big doggy sigh. Madelaine scruffled one of his floppy ears. She turned her head to stare into his soft brown eyes. “Mrs. Hanson said you could come visit Grandmother and me once we get settled at home.”
Harry flicked his tongue, catching the side of her hand with a sloppy lick.
“Yeah, me, too. I’d be awful sad if you couldn’t come over sometimes. I’m still going to miss you, though.”
The Rottweiler let out a low whine, as if he was saying he’d miss her too.
“Grandmother said she’d need my bedroom on the first floor and I could take her room upstairs. But just until her leg and arm start working like they did before.” She rolled over onto her side, switching hands to continue petting Harry as she confessed, “I think Grandmother isn’t going to ever get all the way better. She loads better than she was, though. We don’t care if she has a limp, do we, Harry? I’m real good with farm work. Even Mrs. Hanson says so. We’ll do all right, won’t we, Harry?” Madelaine’s hand stilled on top of the big dog’s broad head as she drifted to sleep.
“Boooommm!”
Madelaine jerked awake. She bolted out of bed and stood in the middle of the floor. Eyes wide, she stared around the dark bedroom. What boomed?
“Boooommm!”
A rifle! Oh, no! Uncle David’s after Black Wind! The thought screamed through Madelaine’s mind as she raced out the door. She flew down the stairs, leaping over the last few. Her feet skidded on the wood floor and she almost went down. At the last second, she caught her balance and took off for the kitchen door to the backyard.
“Booommm!”
Harry scrambled past her and bounced off the closed door, barking his serious-I’m-going-to-eat-someone bark. Madelaine heard the slap-slap of house shoes coming up fast from behind her as she wretched open the door. Harry bolted outside, flew off the porch and raced towards the pasture. Madelaine, unheeding of her bare feet, ran after him.
“Madelaine! Wait!” She heard Mrs. Hanson yell from somewhere behind her.
She couldn’t wait.
“Booomm!”
A horse screamed.
“No!” Madelaine cried out as she threw herself between the wood rails of the pasture fence. “No!” She shouted as she ran across the night damp grass.
“Aaaagggghhh!” A human voice yelled then Harry yelped. Once. Twice. Then silence.
Madelaine topped the slight rise. There, outlined by the weak light of a fading moon, several horses galloped across the far end of the open field. They were bunched together, flying over the ground. Madelaine couldn’t tell which horses were in the bunch.
“Harry!” She yelled as she kept running. What had happened to Harry? Please, God, don’t let Harry be dead! There! A lump on the ground just this side of the trees. Did it move? Yes! Harry struggled to his feet, but what was wrong with his front leg? With a quick turn to the left, Madelaine raced towards Harry.
When she got to him, he’d fallen to his side. She dropped to her knees. Carefully, she reached out her hand and stroked his shoulder. A warm wetness. She pulled her hand away. Brought her fingers closer to her eyes. Blood. Springing to her feet, she whirled around. “Mrs. Hanson! Help! Harry’s hurt!” She yelled as loud as she could.
“I see you!” Billy’s voice came from the darkness to her right. A flashlight bobbed and she could tell he was running. Rifle in one hand, flashlight in the other, Billy got to Harry and her a couple of minutes ahead of his mother.
“He’s bleeding on his shoulder.” Madelaine heard the sob in her voice and swallowed hard.
Billy knelt close to the dog. With the flashlight focused on the ugly wound just behind the dog’s shoulder, neither Billy nor Madelaine noticed Mrs. Hanson’s arrival.
“Oh, Harry,” she whispered as she sank to the ground next to her dog.
“Hold this light, Madelaine,” Billy shoved the flashlight into her shaky hands. While she shone the light on Harry, Billy quickly pulled off his white t-shirt, wadded it up and laid it against Harry’s terrible wound. “Mom, hold the shirt tight against him to keep the bleeding down while I get this belt off so I can use it to tie the pad in place.”
Billy cinched the pad in place with his belt. Arms cradling the dog, he stood. “We need to get him back to the house and call the vet.”
Madelaine wiped her eyes. Flashlight clutched in her fist, she said, “You go on and get the vet for Harry. I have to find the horse that got hurt.”
Mrs. Hanson turned towards Madelaine. “You can’t stay out here by yourself, child. It’s too dangerous.”
Stubbornly, Madelaine shook her head. “He’s gone now. He did what he was going to do and he’s gone.”
“We don’t know that.” Mrs. Hanson argued.
“Mom, she’s probably right. He most likely left when we all came out.” Billy gave her a steady look. “You’ll be real careful, right?”
She nodded.
“I’ll be back as soon as I get Harry in the house. Mom can take care of him until the vet gets here.” Billy assured her.
“Okay.” She ignored the pounding of her heart. It felt like she might throw up at any minute. I’m not afraid, she told herself as she watched Billy and Mrs. Hanson rapidly walking to the house. I’m just mad. With that thought, she started across the dark pasture.
The horses had stopped running. They were huddled in a bunch near the west pasture fence. They appeared to be watching the woods near where she’d found Harry. Holding her breath, she counted the horses. They were all together!
As soon as she was within a few feet of the horses, Black Wind trotted over to her. She ran her hands over the filly. No wet spots. No lumps. Black Wind wasn’t limping. Wellington followed Black Wind and stopped close to Madelaine’s right hand. She reached out and stroked her hands all over the muscular gelding. Again, no wet spots of blood, no lumps. Silver Ghost, the last one to sidle close to her, danced up on the far side of Wellington. With slow, careful movements, Madelaine made her way to the nervously prancing mare. On the side she could see, Silver Ghost appeared uninjured. With long soothing motions she stroked the mare as she walked around her.
When she got to the other side of the horse, she saw it. A long, bloody gouge carved along the horse’s barrel. The silvery color of her hide made it easy to see. “You poor baby,” Madelaine crooned as she inspected the wound. “You’re not bleeding right now, so that’s good,” she told the horse. “Will you follow Wellington to the house, girl?” She patted the horse then walked over to Wellington.
Grabbing a handful of mane, she clucked at him. “Come on, boy, let’s go.”
Halfway across the pasture, Madelaine spotted a flashlight bobbing its way from the direction of the house. When Billy got to Madelaine and the horses, he held up a halter and lead rope. “Which one is hurt?”
“It’s Silver Ghost, but it’s not too bad.”
Billy walked slowly towards his mother’s horse. “It’s okay, girl,” he said when she started to prance away from him. The mare settled and let him put the halter on her. Madelaine held the lead rope as Billy inspected the horse’s side. “If I had to say, I’d guess she was grazed by a bullet. Dr. Wiley can look her over after she’s finished with Harry.”
Madelaine walked next to Billy as he led Silver Ghost. “Is Harry going to be okay?”
“I,” Billy hesitated as if wondering how much he should tell her. Finally, he blew out a breath. “I’m not sure, Madelaine. All I can say is the bleeding has stopped and he seems to be breathing all right. The vet should be here pretty soon.”
The headlights of Dr. Wiley’s vetmed truck bounced up the driveway as they tied Silver Ghost to the split rail fence. “I’ll stay here with the horses,” Madelaine volunteered.
Billy shot her a grateful look before jogging off to meet the vet. Medical bag in hand, Dr. Wiley followed Billy as they hurried to the house.
END OF PART 6
END OF PART 6
