Tori came to an abrupt stop, then stood nervously shuffling her hooves in thick mud. Rivulets of water, like miniature rivers, flowed around them. When the mare refused to move forward, Sally slid from the saddle and moved tentatively forward, slipping and sliding in the muck. There was no doubt her shoes and stockings were ruined.
Reaching the point where Gabe had traveled out of her sight, she was surprised to find herself on the edge of a long slope, peering down into a soggy enclosure at the end of an unexpected ravine. If they had passed by it earlier in the storm, they hadn’t even noticed it. Ten- to twelve-foot-high lava rocks and cliffs formed an almost complete circle at the end of the ravine. A jumble of brush completed the circle, and inside it were a few reddish-brown shapes she assumed were some of the missing cattle. They appeared to be standing in belly-deep water. Gabe, holding his horse’s reins, stood in front of the rock-and-brush corral. He pointed toward the north and motioned for her to go that way.
She didn’t want to leave Gabe. Besides, there was no way she could remount without a boost from him or something to stand on. Still, holding Tori’s reins in one hand, she began hesitantly trekking in the direction Gabe had indicated. Tori followed meekly behind her. Mud and water slowed her steps. She hoped Gabe meant to join her and that she wouldn’t have to walk all the way back to the ranch alone. More than that, she hoped the rustlers weren’t nearby. She startled at every sound, fearful of a gunshot.
As she approached a grove of juniper trees, she was surprised to see a few straggly head of cattle weaving their way through the thick trees. In a moment, Gabe appeared behind them, leading his horse, which walked with a definite limp.
She approached him slowly, not wanting to startle the cattle. “Won’t taking the cows alert the rustlers that you’ve found their hiding spot?”
“It may do, but I can’t leave them to drown. Two of the calves are already dead, and the other three are struggling to keep up with their mothers. With any luck, the rustlers will think they broke out due to the high water filling their makeshift corral. In case the thieves come by to check on them after the storm, I think it best to get them as far away as possible.”
“Are they Uncle John’s cattle? Or yours?” Sally wondered if the cattle belonged to the Double J or Uncle John since Gabe began herding them back the way they had come.
“No. The brands haven’t been changed. These clearly belong to the Gardners, from over next to Myrtle Taft’s place.” Gabe pointed toward the mark on the cow nearest them.
“But isn’t the Gardner ranch that way?” She gave a vague wave in the opposite direction from where they were now headed.
“It is. Both the Taft and Prescot ranches are in that direction as well, but I think John should have a look at these animals. Folks around here tend to think of him as the closest thing we’ve got to a lawman.”
Sally continued to walk beside Gabe, no longer making any attempt to keep the hem of her riding skirt from collecting mud. She pondered all Gabe had said. Finally, she spoke her thoughts. “After what happened at the dance, I understand most folks think the Taft boys are responsible for the cattle thefts. Is that really why we’re headed toward Uncle John’s ranch?”
“No.” He hesitated. “My horse needs attention, and John’s ranch is the closest. Besides, we would be in big trouble if we encountered the rustlers with only one horse and one rifle between us. Best we get to your uncle’s place as soon as possible.”
She conceded he was right. What he’d said in the nicest way was that she’d be useless in a fight. Aloud she said, “You’re limping almost as badly as your horse. Why don’t you ride Tori for awhile.”
He started to protest, then changed his mind. “We could ride double until we reach the creek. It wouldn’t be the first time she has carried two riders.”
Sally was a little skeptical, but she allowed Gabe to boost her onto Tori’s saddle. He quickly mounted behind her, and as they slowly made their way toward the creek, she found she quite liked feeling Gabe’s firm chest at her back and his arms circling her waist. Something in the action went beyond the warmth and security his arms provided.
Cresting a small hill, she found she couldn’t hold back a gasp. Instead of a stream, a huge river lay before them. The earlier torrent of rain, followed by gullies filled with water and rivulets trickling at their feet, should have served as a warning that all that water would make its way to the ravine. Perhaps calling the wide expanse of water a river wasn’t a mistake after all. As they drew closer, an unmistakable roar met her ears, warning of a swift current. The cattle stopped their forward movement and began a restless shuffle and nervous bellowing.
“There’s no way we can cross here,” Gabe shouted over the roar of the water. “We’ll have to follow the river to where it widens and disappears into sinkholes near the lava field. There’s a place I know where it will be safe to cross.”
Sally glared at the water suspiciously. She couldn’t believe there could be any place where it would be safe to cross. She worried, too, about Gabe’s lame horse, Tori carrying an extra load, and the cows and calves who were tired from their already long trek. Besides, it would soon be dark.
They moved slowly, following the fast-moving stream but staying back far enough to avoid slipping into the water. At frequent intervals, they were forced to wade through gullies that had become small streams rushing toward the larger river. There were places, too, where wet sand and limp grass told a story of recent saturation. As Tori seemed to move steadily slower and Gabe’s horse appeared to be limping more, Sally offered to walk.
“Another quarter of a mile, and we’ll both have to walk,” he informed her. “We’re almost to where the river disappears into the ground, and it’ll be tough walking for all of the animals. It’ll take both of us to lead and push them across.”
“How can a stream of water just disappear?” It didn’t make sense to Sally.
“Both the soil and the rocks here are extremely porous. Rain and snow seep through them. Some people believe the Lost River and the creeks and streams around here become part of a huge underground reservoir that releases some of its water into a bigger river many miles south of here called the Snake River. Some of the water collects for a time in some of the caves and basins of the lava field.”
As they both lapsed into silence, Sally thought she heard a strange cry. Immediately, she thought of the bobcat they’d seen earlier. Looking around, she could see nothing alarming. Then the sound came again. This time, she noticed one of the calves shying away from a clump of brush.
“Gabe, there’s something over there.” She pointed toward the brush.
Without a word, Gabe slid from Tori’s back. Sally held her breath as he took cautious steps toward the source of the keening wail. A rustling movement shook the brush, and she found herself praying for his protection. He made a swooping motion, and when he stood, Sally was shocked to see Mary Beth in his arms. She was crying and clinging in desperation to him. Her hair hung in tangles over Gabe’s arm, and she was clearly soaked, covered in mud, and cold.
Sally slid from Tori’s back and stepped toward her small cousin, remembering to hang onto the reins of both horses with one hand.
“Oh, honey, what are you doing out here?” She reached with her free hand to smooth Mary Beth’s hair from her tear-covered face. At Sally’s touch, the child struggled to leap into her arms. Gabe took the horses’ reins as he smoothly transferred Mary Beth to Sally, where she snuggled close and Sally murmured soothing assurances in the little girl’s ear. Moments later, a thick poncho settled around Mary Beth’s shaking form.
“Thank you,” Sally whispered.
“I’d almost forgotten that old thing was in the bottom of my saddlebag.” Gabe paused, then added, “We need to keep moving. It’s getting dark, and that little girl needs her warm bed. It might be best to put her on your horse for as long as possible while we walk.”
He didn’t mention the rustlers, but Sally felt certain they were one of his concerns. Like Gabe, they would know there was only one way to cross the creek.