Chapter 12
March 30th
Burnt Fork
The next day the men set out east, heading up the valley towards the Burnt Fork headwaters. There being a number of ranches and farms in that direction. They rode in what was becoming standard formation, Tom to the front, he and Alex in the middle and Bull in the tail. They picked up one of the many streams in the area and began heading NE towards where the largest group of homes were known to be. They approached the southern branch of the Burnt Fort Creek with no problems and forded the creek. Continuing about a quarter mile they came to three houses. They all looked in good shape and had been closed up. Bull dismounted and did a check of the houses which showed signs of orderly evacuation. Remounting they turned east and followed the road towards the mountains. They passed four farmhouses and a barn, the buildings again showing signs the people had evacuated on their own. The next three they came across a bit over a mile farther on showed signs of having burned. The men dismounted and started to go forward on foot. They approached to within 20 yards when Tair moved to block Sam’s progress. “Hold up”. The men came to a halt and noticed Tair’s position in front of Sam. Sam reached up and stroked the stallion’s neck, never taking his eyes off the buildings he asked, “What’s up boy?” then snorted “like you could answer me.”
The men searched their surrounding the best they could with their eyes, but they could find nothing. “Tair, we have to go search, just follow. Men, move up teams of two covering each other. Tom and myself first.”
Sam and Tom moved forward about 20 feet and took a knee, everyone paused for a minute then Alex and Bull passed through and moved another 20 feet ahead. As they were taking a knee Bull froze, looking ahead at the second building. He held up his fist to signal everyone to hold in place and slowly moved to his right about 15 feet. Where he knelt watching the space between the two buildings. After close to a minute, he signaled Sam and Tom to move up. Having joined the team together Sam asked “What do you see” in a quiet voice. Bull just shook his head and pointed.
Looking between the houses the men all quietly stared it was a cat, but such a cat, almost 4 foot tall at the shoulders, it sat staring back at the men. “What is that?” Alex asked quietly.
“No idea” replied Bull equally quietly.
“I don’t like how it is just staring at us” Tom added. “Normally staring is a sign of challenge from cats.” About then another, equally large cat came around the second house. It stopped and stood staring at the men.
“Safeties off” ordered Sam, and the soft sound of four 30-06 carbines being readied could be heard. The cats looked at each other and then both jumped to the top of the second building then leaped skyward and continued to defy logic and gravity as they ran through the sky heading towards the mountains.
The men stayed still for another minute watching until the beasts disappeared. Then Sam ordered “we will come back to this building; we need to find out what they found so interesting in the second house. Bull, you, and tom advance” the men leap frogged forward reaching the second home. The outside was damaged by the fire but not badly. Sam stepped up and put his back to the wall and pounded once on the door with his open hand.
“Friendlies, anyone need help in there?” A pause, as Sam started to reach, they heard the sound of a lever action racking and all knelt down. A cough came from inside.
“State your name” the voice sounded like a man in pain, and yet had an undertone of steel. Someone ready to sell themselves dearly.
“Sam MacLachlan and friends from Each Ranch” he replied. “Mr. MacLachlan, what about those raiders?” came the voice.
“Just us out here, give us a minute to check the outside” Sam signaled Bull and Alex to head around the building. The two men moved around the side of the building, leap frogging each other to always have someone ready to fire and circled the house. They called out just before the came around the last corner, “Clear coming in.”
Sam replied “Come ahead. Okay all safe out here, mind if we come in?”
“Come ahead, slow” the pain filled voice called back.
Sam opened the door then slowly stepped into the doorway and entered the home. It was a mess; He could see a man leaning his Winchester model 73 across the overturned table. Sam paused looking at the grey eyes over the 44-40 and asked, “anyone in here we can help?”
The man raised the barrel and said “come on in, Not sure there is much you can do.”
Sam came the rest of the way in and called Alex to follow. The man behind the table lowered his weapon to the floor and said,
“Go check my granddaughter, she is in the loft.”
Sam came around the table while Alex headed for the hatch to the loft and called up, “Miss, I’m Alex Chalmers, are you okay up there?”
As he asked he could hear Sam behind him, “Think we may be able to save him if you could get over here.”
Alex started to turn but saw a face and a pistol both appear through the hatch to the loft. Lifting his right hand away from the stock of his carbine Alex called, “We are going to see if we can help your grandfather, don’t shoot.” And started to back over towards Sam keeping an eye on the loft. Once he was by the table he turned and looked, the man was holding his abdomen in pain
“How is my girl?” he gasped.
“Pointing her six-shooter at us”, Alex replied.
“Mary, you are going to have to go with these men,” the man spoke in pain.
From the loft “Help my grandpa.”
Alex knelt and began to check the man, what’s your name sir?” he asked.
“Wilhelm,” a gasp “Lieb, get my Mary to safety, she is all I have left.”
Alex looked up at Sam, “we have to get the bullet out, but I am not sure that he can make it.” Alex turned and began to incant his lend vitality (Restores all hit points for one hour, at the end of the hour all healed points disappear.) while Sam called to Tom, “Get in here and help the girl, Miss Lieb.”
Tom entered the cabin and began talking with Mary who reluctantly lowered the ladder and came down. Alex meanwhile having used a lend vitality to bring Wilhelm’s health high enough to allow the removal of the bullet while Alex rested from the blessing Sam began to dig the bullet out of Wilhelm. With Wilhelm’s health held artificially high the older man should have a chance, especially due to him passing out when the pain hit him. Still shock and the extra damage of removing the bullets could still kill him.
Once they had the bullet removed Alex used his heal, but it is only good for three points.
Tom got Mary outside so she would not need to be there while Sam and Alex worked to save Wilhelm’s life. “Miss Lieb, I am Tom Schultz, this is Harald Fischer, I think from looking you can see why we call him Bull.” Mary gave a slight giggle. “Now Miss. Lieb, would you tell us what happened here?”
“How is my Granpa?’ she asked.
“We are doing all we can, maybe you can help by praying for him? Suggested Tom. Mary dropped to her knees, bowing her head, her hands clasped so hard they turned white, “Lord, please save my Granpa, you took Ma and Pa, the raider killed everyone else, Lord spare me Granpa he is all I got left” she sobbed as she finished.
Tom took a knee next to her touching her hand while Bull stood and kept his eyes outward looking for danger, both men joined her in a heartfelt “Amen”. Tom kept his hand on hers while Bull stood watch and Sam and Alex worked to save the old man’s life. After what passed for an eternity, but their watches insisted was no more than 20 minutes Sam came out of the building.
“Miss Lieb, we done all we can, it’s out of our hands now. He’s alive, passed out. But he is alive. We need to know, how long ago did this happen?”
Looking up at Sam, hope and despair fighting across her face, “It were last night. They hit about one. Granpa made me pull the ladder up and had me take pa’s six-shooter. Told me to stay quiet,” said the teenager. “My brother Greg went out to help at the neighbors, we could hear the gunfire, then Kepler went to help. Grandpa told him to stay, but he, he didn’t listen.”
“Which house did they go to Miss Lieb?’ Sam asked. Quietly, with a sob Mary pointed to the next house east, where the giant cat had come from.
Sam asked “Miss Lieb, would you be so kind as to go get together some items for you and your grandpa, we can’t leave you here if we need to leave.”
As Mary went to get the belongings together, “Bull, you still have watch, Tom, with me.” Tom and Sam went around the house to continue the scouting. While it was several hours after the attack the men stayed alert as the searched the buildings and area, and also watching the sky for flying cats. During the search they found the bodies of the defenders, but no signs of other survivors. Returning to the Lieb house Sam ordered, “Tom, Bull, head back to the last cluster of houses, see if you can find a wagon, we need a way to move Mr. Lieb”
The two men mounted and headed back to the houses they had passed. By the time the two men returned, a buckboard hitched to Bull’s American cream, Alex had recovered from the healing and with Mary’s help they loaded the supplies and Wilhelm in the buckboard. They started back to Each Ranch, they should make it by supper, but it would be close.
As they were following the road towards the ranch, Bull, who was driving the buckboard called Sam over. “What is it?’ asked Sam.
Bull pointed over to the left and slightly forward. Looking over there was a large, almost giant looking Indian. Wearing a feathered cape, with some sort of almost helmet with the face guard lifted to cause a crest over his head. Next to him stood a dog, had to be a dog, but it came up to his hip. The two stood watching the small troop. “Tom, you see them?” Sam pointed with his head.
“Yes, I see.” came the reply.
Sam ordered quietly “take it slow but go check them out.” Tom turned his horse and began to head towards the Indian. When he had gone about 20 yards the group realized that what they were seeing had to be a giant and farther away than they first thought. “Tom close back to 10 yards from us.” Sam called. As Tom turned and began heading back towards the group the two figures vanished. Throughout the remainder of the trip the team became tense as either the dog or the giant would appear and disappear off to one side or the other. The team was only somewhat relieved when they arrived at the ranch with no issues.
