Black Wind Part 7
Madelaine walked in as Billy lifted Harry onto the kitchen table. Grandmother sat on a kitchen chair near the living room doorway. Mrs. Hanson stood in front of the cookstove, her hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes as she watched Dr. Wiley carefully uncover the shoulder wound. “At least it isn’t bleeding,” the veterinary said as she examined the gash.
Madelaine stepped closer.
“Madelaine, don’t get in the doctor’s way,” her grandmother softly admonished.
Before Madelaine could speak or move, Dr. Wiley waved a hand. “She isn’t in the way, Mrs. Tyler. Matter of fact, I could use your help.” She turned her head to the side and met Madelaine’s eyes. “Why don’t you stand here.” Dr. Wiley pointed next to herself.
Madelaine positioned herself at the vet's right side. “What can I do?”
“I need you to hold Harry’s head and talk to him while I give him some shots to numb the area around the wound.”
It seemed to take a long time but Madelaine was glad Dr. Wiley let her help. She handed instruments to Dr. Wiley and held Harry’s leg still for the veterinary to cut away ragged areas of tissue and then put in layers of stitches to close the wound. After all the stitches were in, Dr. Wiley let Madelaine help bandage the shoulder area and then carry the IV bag as Billy carried Harry to the living room.
Dr. Wiley led the way. As Billy laid Harry on a thick pallet of blankets, Dr. Wiley said, “Hang the IV bag on that floor lamp, Madelaine. He should sleep for another hour. I’ll go out to the truck and get some pain medication for him.” She turned towards Madelaine. "I'd like you to go with me. I want to look at the mare while I'm out there."
By the time Dr. Wiley and Madelaine walked back in the kitchen door, Mrs. Hanson was at the now-clean table, preparing sandwiches. The older woman looked up as they came in then turned and poured a cup of coffee. She held the cup out to Dr. Wiley. “Won’t you go on in the living room and sit for a minute? I'll have these sandwiches slapped together in no time.”
Dr. Wiley gratefully accepted the coffee. “A sandwich sounds wonderful,” she said as she carried her coffee out of the kitchen.
“I’ll help you, Mrs. Hanson,” Madelaine volunteered.
“I would surely appreciate that, child.”
Ten minutes later, Mrs. Hanson carried in a coffee carafe and a pot of tea on a serving tray. Madelaine followed with a tray stacked high with a variety of sandwiches. They set their trays on the coffee table and Madelaine helped serve.
Finally, Madelaine sat on the floor next to Harry to eat her sandwich and drink her cup of peppermint tea.
When the sandwiches were eaten and everyone had a refill of coffee or tea, Dr. Wiley sat back against the soft couch cushions. She looked around the room then asked, “Okay, is someone going to tell me what’s going on up here? I heard about your barn fire, Mrs. Hanson and,” she nodded towards Grandmother, “someone stealing everything out of your house, Mrs. Tyler. Now, Harry’s been stabbed and his ribs either kicked or hit hard enough with a blunt object as to leave the poor dog awful sore for a while. Seems to me, whatever is happening is getting worse.”
Madelaine watched as Mrs. Hanson looked over at Grandmother. When no one said anything, Madelaine blurted out, “Uncle David stole Grandmother’s furniture and set Mrs. Hanson’s barn on fire. He was trying to burn up the horses because I saved Black Wind from the slaughter men and he’s mad.”
Dr. Wily frowned. She looked around the room, from one person to the other. “Why hasn’t the sheriff done anything?”
Billy sighed. “We don’t have proof.”
“What did he do with the furniture? He must have sold it to someone.” Dr. Wiley said.
“We don’t know what he did with the stuff out of my house.” Grandmother’s voice sounded sad to Madelaine. Almost as sad as when Mother died. “And, there’s no way we can prove he set the fire, even though the fire chief can prove it was arson.”
“He has a couple of men who swear he was with them when the fire was set. And, we aren’t sure exactly when the house was burglarized.” Billy added.
“Local men?” Dr. Wiley asked.
Billy shook his head. “Out of towners. We think they may be friends of his from California. They don’t look like men I’d want to meet at night.”
“Well, this has to be stopped. Harry was hurt badly this time, next time it might be one of you.” Dr. Wiley said.
“A trap.” Madelaine said then cleared her throat and spoke a bit louder. “We have to set a trap for Uncle David.” They listened as Madelaine explained her plan.
“We can’t let you do that, child.” Mrs. Hanson spoke first. “It’s too dangerous.”
Madelaine glanced at Billy but he was frowning and she couldn’t tell if he was thinking about her plan or if he thought it was too dangerous, too. She faced her grandmother. “What do you think, Grandmother?”
The old woman stared at Madelaine for what felt like hours before she spoke. “I think it’s darn dangerous, Madelaine,” she began.
“But…” Madelaine started to interrupt until her grandmother held up one hand.
“But, dangerous or not, we have to do something. With a few precautions, I think it might be do-able. And, you have to promise me you’ll be very, very careful.”
Madelaine nodded. “I promise.”
Two weeks later the phone rang. Madelaine’s bedside clock said it was two in the morning. She heard Billy’s voice as he answered, even though she couldn’t make out his words. A couple of minutes later, he called up the stairs, “It’s time, Madelaine. Mom? Mrs. Tyler? It’s time. That was Fred from Dr. Wiley’s clinic. He said Andy called him ten minutes ago and said David’s truck left the motel parking lot with only him in it. Fred saw the truck head past the clinic and out of town a couple of minutes ago.”
They were all dressed when the next phone call came. Billy answered. Madelaine watched as his face got a grim look. After he hung up, Billy turned to face them. “That was Agnes. David’s started up the mountain.”
Ms. Agnes lived in the first house on Shy Bear Mountain Road. Mrs. Hanson’s house was the only other house on the road. Uncle David was coming. Madelaine shivered.
Clouds scudded across the thin sliver of moon. Madelaine heard the faint splash as someone crossed the creek. She knew it was a person because deer and other animals were never so noisy. Impatiently, she shifted her feet but carefully stayed within the shadow of the thicket of blackberry bushes. She dropped her hand to Harry’s collar. Harry shouldn’t be here, she thought, but Mrs. Hanson insisted. Dr. Wiley assured Madelaine that Harry was well enough to play his part.
A dark figure eased from the darkness beneath the trees. Madelaine recognized Uncle David’s silhouette.
Now. He was so busy looking towards the hobbled horses in the center of the pasture that he didn’t see her as she stepped from the concealment of the blackberry bushes. “Uncle David!”
He spun around, his hands raised as if he expected an attack. When he finally saw her, he dropped his hands. She could hear the sneer in his voice, “What’re you doin’ out here, brat?”
Madelaine shrugged. “Watching the horses. I knew you’d come back. Why, Uncle David?”
“I’m not your uncle. Your father was only my stepbrother. No blood kin.”
When Madelaine didn’t say anything, he continued in a voice so cold Madelaine felt goose bumps on her arms. “My father married James’ mother when I was five. I remember my real mother.”
“Did she die?” Madelaine asked.
“No, she didn’t die. My father got rid of her then he married that woman, your grandmother. I hate her.” His voice dropped to a mean hiss.
Madelaine had to swallow twice before she could ask, “Is that why you tried to have Black Wind killed?”
“Yes,” he growled. “And I would’ve if you hadn’t stolen her from Pete’s barn. He was ready to send her to slaughter the next day. I had to pay him back the money I sold the hunk of dog food for, but I got that money back when I sold all the junk from the house.”
“You shouldn’t have stolen Grandmother’s stuff.” Madelaine protested.
“Wasn’t hers. All that antique stuff belonged to my mother. I just took what was mine.”
“If you got what you wanted, why did you try to burn up the horses in Mrs. Hanson’s barn? What did Mrs. Hanson do to you?” Madelaine asked past the pounding of her heart.
“Besides helping you and hiding that worthless horse? Let me tell you what she did. It was her son who got the courts to uphold my father’s Will. That house and everything in it should’ve been mine but your grandmother stole it. I should’ve gotten everything.”
“You stabbed Harry.” Madelaine angrily accused.
“Yes, I stabbed that stupid dog. Kicked him, too. Just like what I’m gonna do to you!” He suddenly lunged towards Madelaine, knocking her to the ground.
Madelaine landed hard, the breath slammed out of her. Uncle David kneeled above her, his fist raised. Out of the darkness, Harry launched himself into the man. Dog and man went rolling.
Madelaine scrambled to her feet. She snatched the whistle on the leather thong around her neck and blew twice. The shrill noise squealed above the grunts of Uncle David and the deep-throated growls from Harry. As Madelaine hurried towards the grappling pair, she saw her uncle grab a rock.
As he raised the rock to smash into Harry’s head, Madelaine whacked his forearm with a piece of tree limb. He screamed and the rock thudded to the ground seconds before Mrs. Hanson called, “Out, Harry, out!”
The dog leaped from the man and backed away, a low rumble coming from his chest.
“Get on your feet, David.” Sheriff Conley said as he jogged into sight.
“I can’t. That dog bit me and the brat broke my arm.” David whined as he rolled on the ground, cradling his arm to his chest.
Sheriff Conley stepped in close, reached a big hand down and grabbing Uncle David by one arm, he hauled him to his feet. “Owww!” Uncle David yelled. “Be careful. I told you I’m hurt.”
“I’ll take you to the hospital on the way to jail,” Sheriff Conley’s rough voice said.
Madelaine startled when from right behind her, Billy asked, “You alright, Madelaine?”
She nodded then fell into step behind Mrs. Hanson as they headed for the house.
Two days later, Sheriff Conley stood in Mrs. Hanson’s living room as he told them, “I’m real sorry, folks, but I just didn’t have enough evidence to hold him for trial. But, he won’t be back around here anytime real soon. California and Oregon both had warrants for his arrest on some burglaries.”
As they watched Sheriff Conley’s car drive around the bend and towards the highway, Madelaine looked up at her grandmother. “Will Uncle David come back after us again?”
The older woman, leaning on her walker, shook her head as she stared across the pasture. “I don’t think so, Madelaine. People like David are bullies. Once they know you’ll stand up for what’s right, they tend to leave you alone.” Grandmother dropped her eyes to Madelaine’s face. “I want you to know, I’m proud of you. And, your mom and dad would be proud if they were here.” Grandmother shuffled her walker around and followed Mrs. Hanson and Billy into the house.
Madelaine stood on the back porch for a while longer, watching the horses race across the pasture. Black Wind kicked her heels high into the air, then bucked and snorted. Grandmother said she could ride Black Wind in the High Meadows Endurance Race in September, if she’d ride partners with Mrs. Hanson and Silver Ghost. She smiled. There was lots to do. Next week the men would deliver their new furniture then Grandmother said they could move back home. Grandmother would begin teaching her how to get Black Wind ready for the race.
END OF STORY
Heart warming story. Thanks for sharing.
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