From In the Shadow of Death...
BY THE TIME the train had reached the coastal mountains after stopping at the small stations of Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, Maggie thought that the scenery couldn’t possibly get any better. She peered out of the dusty window of the three-coach train, awestruck by the beauty of the mountains, their snow and glacier peaks glinting in the morning sunshine. Then the scene changed to sheer tranquility as the track ran beside Duffy Lake, where the fir forest and mountains were reflected perfectly in the still water. Before reaching Lillooet, the train made a couple of stops to let passengers off. Most of them were met, and she watched as they threw their bags into battered pickup trucks or old cars. Once, the train even stopped to let a passenger off in front of his home. She watched the man throw his bag over the fence before hopping over it himself, then turn and give a cheery wave to the train’s engineer, who gave an answering toot of the whistle before continuing down the track. But the area was so remote, the roads that ran beside the tracks so narrow and dusty, that she wondered how people could possibly live in such isolation.
• • •
MAGGIE AND THE HORSE eyed each other warily. “Ever ridden before?” a voice said behind her. She turned to find a heavy-set man in his mid-fifties. He was dressed in jeans, western boots, red-checked shirt and the biggest Stetson she had ever seen. This must be Hendrix.
Kate made a perfunctory introduction, then hurried off to attend to her own mount.
“Not for quite awhile,” Maggie answered, trying not to stare at his hat. “My sister has a riding stable in Norfolk, but I haven’t been back there in awhile.” She put out a tentative hand to stroke Angel’s nose.
“Then you never used a western saddle?” He pointed to a mounting block. “Here, climb up.”
Maggie was terrified that she would make a complete fool of herself and go flying right over the horse and land on the ground. But to her surprise, she found herself astride the animal. Hendrix adjusted the stirrups. “Okay,” he said, “let’s see what you can do.” Swinging himself onto a huge chestnut mare, he leaned toward Angel and took the leading reins in his hand as they headed out of the enclosure and onto a well-marked trail. After her initial nervousness, Maggie soon found herself adjusting to the horse’s gait, and she even managed to take an occasional glance at the open range as they plodded toward the distant hills.
Hendrix broke the silence. “You a friend of Kate’s?”
“No. I rent a basement suite from her sister in Vancouver.” Her gaze wandered up ahead to where Kate, looking very much at home on her horse, was chatting to the young ranch hand keeping pace beside her on his grey mare. “Kate looks as if she’s doing okay.”
“Yep.”
“She’s worried about her husband.”
“Huh!” he snorted.
“You don’t think she has cause to worry? He’s been away for nearly two weeks now.”
“Used to go away all the time before she come along.” He leaned over and handed the reins to her. “Try riding on your own.”
“If you’re sure she won’t charge off with me clinging to her neck.”
“Just do what I showed you,” he added. “Head for those hills up there.”
“That seems an awfully long way.”
“You’ll make it,” he answered in his terse manner. “You seem like a natural. You’ll be sore when you get back.”
“Kate and Al are coming back,” Maggie said, hoping Hendrix would decide they’d gone far enough.
“Al’s got chores to do.”
“See you back at the house, Maggie,” Kate called as they trotted past.
Maggie waved and then urged her horse to go a little faster to catch up to Hendrix. As they neared the base of the hills, he reined in his horse and looked up at a flock of birds wheeling in the sky. “What’s the matter?”
“They’re over the Black Adder Ravine,” he replied thoughtfully. “Stay here while I take a look-see.”
“No. I’ll come, too,” she answered, not wanting to be left alone.
“Probably a cow fallen into the ravine. We’ll ride aways, then dismount when it gets too steep. You go ahead of me.”
The higher they climbed, the steeper the ravine fell away on their left side, and Maggie was glad that Angel was very sure-footed on the loose gravel of the narrow road. She made an effort not to look down. After awhile, she stopped and let Hendrix catch up. “I think I’d better get down,” she told him.
Hendrix nodded and steadied Angel while Maggie slid down the animal’s flank. “We’ll leave ’em tethered here.” He dismounted, took the reins of the two horses and fastened them to one of the saplings that lined the cliff side of the road, and they began plodding upward. Getting as close to the edge as she dared, Maggie craned her neck to get a better look at the top of the craggy mountain that towered over them.
“This road is literally cut out of the side of the mountain,” she said in wonder. “Where does it lead?”
“An old mine. Hasn’t been worked for at least fifty years, to my knowledge.” For another five minutes, he led the way up the road, then suddenly stopped and pointed down into the ravine. “Christ! There’s a Jeep down there.”
Maggie stopped beside him. The Jeep was upside down, and a man’s body lay on the rocks beside it. She grabbed Hendrix’s arm. “We’ve got to get down there.”
“No. We’ll go back to the ranch for help. Come on.” He turned and ran down the road to where they’d left the horses. “Come on.” Maggie followed and when they reached the horses, he cupped his hand and helped her onto Angel
“You go on ahead,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?” And when Maggie nodded, he jumped onto his own horse and raced back down the track, and was soon a cloud of dust in the distance.