Chapter 48

Chris rode south and west for several days. He soon found himself on the ridge over looking the ranch of the Morgan’s. He pulled his stud to a halt on the very top of the high ground. This was the very spot where the seven had fought off the twenty-five gunmen more than three years ago. In the early hours of the morning he could see the ranch compound. There was smoke rising from the chimney in the main house and the bunk house. He sat and watched as two cowboys left the bunkhouse. They went to the barn to get their mounts and ride out to the range west of the compound. He shivered in the cold gust of wind that blew past him, but he sat and waited. For the next hour he waited on the ridge. His attention was heightened when he saw a woman leave the house and hurry to the chicken pen. She quickly disappeared inside the hen house. He could tell she wasn’t the one he was trying to see again. He was filled with a burning desire to see Cathy just one more time, even if it was only from a distance. However he was remembering how she had yelled at him to leave her alone. He wanted to ride down and tell her how he felt about her, but she had insisted that he not trouble them anymore. His heart burned all the more as he waited, for just one more look at Cathy.

As the sun was hidden behind the heavily overcast sky it was not getting any warmer. Then too, Midnight wanted to move on. He gently touched his spurs to the horse’s ribs and they rode slowly down the gentle sloping ground toward the road leading into Willow Bend. He rode at a slow trot as he went. Chris wanted to turn into the gate and ride toward the house, but fought off the temptation to do so.

Jane had gone out to the chicken pen that morning to feed them and collect the eggs. She was returning to the house when she spotted the lone horseman setting on the high ground just east of the house. She went to the bunk house door on her way to the main house and opened the door to the kitchen area. Cookie was cleaning up the morning dishes.

“There’s some one on the high ground,” she said to Cookie.

“Is that so,” said Cookie coming to the open door. She pointed toward the figure who was now riding down toward the rode way to town. “I wonder who . . . by golly it’s him.”

“Who?” She asked.

“It’s Chris,” he shouted as he removed his apron and ran out into the yard waving it over his head. Chris was now out of sight beyond the ranch house.

“Miss Cathy,” Jane screamed as she ran for the house. In the excitement she dropped the basket of eggs. “Miss Cathy,” she kept repeatedly screaming as she ran forward.

Betty appeared at the door to the house to see what all the commotion was about.

“It’s him,” shouted Cookie as he ran past the house.

“Miss Cathy,” shouted Jane as she reached the steps all out of breath “get Miss Cathy.” She pointed up the road as Cookie ran in that direction.

Betty looked toward the road to see the lone figure riding toward Willow Bend. He was not looking back as he rode along at a slow pace. “It can’t be . . . . by thunder it is . . . Cathy,” she screamed as she entered the house “Cathy,” she yelled in the front room. “Cathy,” she repeated as she climbed the stairs. At the top of the stairs Cathy came to investigate all the hollering.

“Mama what is it?” she yelled back. She was filled with dread that something was terribly wrong.

“It’s Chris,” her mother said.

“Chris . . . where?”

“Out on the road,” Cathy pushed past her mother and ran for the door “Cathy it cold out there . . . put your coat on.” It was no use to yell any more for her daughter, only dressed in her pajamas and bare feet, was now racing toward the road way. Betty grabbed the girls coat and began to race after her. The girl was running up the drive toward the main road so fast, there was no way anyone could possibly catch her.

The wind was blowing and howling about the country side, so their cries could not reach Chris’s ears. He rode slowly and all the wile he wanted to turn around and go back. He ached terribly inside as he fought his emotions to go back.

Betty caught up to the aged Cookie who was leaning against a fence post trying to get his breath back. “Take a horse and go catch him.”

“There’re . . . all out . . . on the . . . range,” he said as he huffed and puffed.

“Then ring the bell,” she shouted.

“The . . . (huff) rope is . . . (puff) broke.”

“He’s getting away,” said Betty “where are those two hands?”

“Out . . . (whew) on the . . . (puff) range.”

“Maybe he’ll stop in town,” said Betty as she watched her daughter running past the gate and turning onto the main road.

There came the sound of a shotgun blast from the front of the house. They turned to see Jane laying on the ground with the weapon pointed straight up into the air. She had fired not one, but both barrels at the same time. The blast sent the woman backwards to fall over something witch tripped her. They watched as she tried to rise once more. Then they looked back toward Chris.

He faintly heard the shot in the moaning wind. At first he thought it was his imagination, but he looked back for a second to see a figure, scantly dressed running up the road over a quarter of a mile back. “What kind of nut is this?” he asked himself out loud. He pulled Midnight around to get a better look.

Through the howls of wind he thought he heard his name being called. He didn’t know if it was real or not. Then as the figure drew nearer he heard his name once more. This time he knew who the ‘Nut’ was. He kicked the horse in the ribs hard and rode back at full speed, to meet the figure racing to catch up to him. He stepped out of the saddle twenty feet before he reach her. The horse ran past her and then came to a halt and turn back toward his master. The pair flew into each others arms to kiss deeply and emotionally.

“I’m sorry Chris,” she blubbered when their lips parted. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he said and they kissed again and again.

“Don’t ever leave me again,” she cried into his chest as he held her close.

“Never again,” he said. He pushed her back to arms length. “You make a habit of chasing after men in those things?”

“Only my man,” she said and they embraced once more. She began to shiver from the cold as the extra warmth of her lengthy sprint began to leave her body. He took the blanket he had been using to keep the wind off his legs and warped her with it. He then placed her upon his horse, Midnight, and then mounted behind her. Together they rode back to the house as everyone went to greet them.

~The End~