| |
Tam jerked awake. Smoke hung heavy in the bunkhouse. He glanced at Jory's bed and saw it still empty. He slipped into his breeches and boots, grabbed a coat and hat, and kicked the ends of the stable hands' beds on the way out the door. "Fire! Wake up."
The stables and a portion of the trading post burned. He found Big Dog already tossing snow with a shovel over the unburned area to keep the flames from finding more fuel. "Have you notified Hank, Big Dog?"
"No, I thought it more important to get a start on stopping the fire right here."
Tam glanced over his shoulder to see the men he'd awakened grabbing tools. "We've got it covered for now. Get Hank out of his bedroom and clear the lodge."
Big Dog handed him his shovel, and then hurried across the quadrant.
More flames shot up along the fence toward the other side of the trading post. He saw Luc and Josef enter the post. Luc stopped long enough to ring the alarm bell. Tam hoped its call for help would bring some of the residents from outside of the post to help.
"We've got to save the lodge first," Luc yelled over the commotion as he and Josef grabbed buckets. They ran toward the pump in the middle of the quadrant.
Tam hurried into the barn and gathered as many buckets as he could find. He hurried to the pump and started filling them. Luc and Josef ran back and forth tossing water onto the flames closest to the Hughes' main building and home.
He noticed Hank and Big Dog step out onto the porch and observe what kind of situation they faced. Caroline rushed past them and joined Tam at the pump.
"Let me fill the pails."
Tam saw the fear laced with horror radiating from her gaze. "Thanks. Stay safe." He picked up two buckets and hurried toward the burning fence.
Matthias came out of the lodge with even more containers. They worked their routine for hours while stable hands tossed snow on the stable and along the back fence.
Josef led the horses out of the corral and turned them into the large pasture. He wanted to make sure they were far enough away from the fire to be safe.
Pastor Timmons and a few of their neighbors arrived with water containers and shovels. They worked side by side until they finally got the flames under control and the fire out.
Sunlight filtered through the trees. The sun rose over Lake Nokomis. The long night ended. Light gave them a chance to survey the damage.
Caroline sank to the ground. Tam ran toward her. "Are you all right, sweetheart?"
She nodded. "Yes." She sighed. "I don't think I've ever been this tired in my life."
He hunkered down next to her and took one of her hands in his. He turned it over and saw the blisters. He took her other hand and saw it in the same condition. "We've got to get these hands taken care of."
"Everyone must be in the same state as me. I'll be fine."
He searched her beautiful face covered with patches of soot. "Thank you for all your help. You probably saved us hours of work by keeping the buckets and such filled with water." He glanced over to the lodge where Hank leaned against the rail. "Where are your sisters and Genevieve?"
"Big Dog lowered them along with Lottie and Amanda into the cellar my grandfather dug for a situation such as this." She shook her head. "This is the first time Daddy can remember using it."
He glanced around the quadrant. "We did well. Most of the post stands and you, my love, are safe." He tipped her chin up and kissed her sooty lips. "You're an amazing young woman, Miss Caroline Hughes."
"This place is my home and I couldn't stand by and not help you save it. Daddy wanted to help, but Matthias reminded him he would be more of a hindrance than help at this point."
"I can understand his frustration." He stood and held his hand toward her. "You want to go check the damage with me?"
She grabbed his hand, but winced when he pulled her to her feet.
"Stay right here. I'll be back in a moment." Tam ran to the bunkhouse and rummaged through his and Jory's belongs until he found two clean bandanas. He returned to his lady. "Let me see your hands." He took them one at a time, wrapped the cloths around her palms, and tied them on the topside. "This should suffice until someone has time to do a proper job."
He kept hold of her hand as they walked over to Luc and Matthias who searched through the remains of the stable and a portion of the fence.
"What the hell happened?" Tam asked.
"They didn't wait for the snow to thaw before attempting to burn us out," Luc said.
Hank maneuvered into the circle. "I thank God I'm surrounded with such great friends and workers. Thank you all for saving most of the trading post, and Josef for getting all the horses to safety."
He glanced at Big Dog. "I'd appreciate it if you'd help the women out of the cellar."
"Sure, boss." He left to do Hank's bidding.
Hank looked around and frowned. "Tam, where's Jory?"
"I don't know. He was supposed to return from Wausau last night."
Caroline squeezed his hand. "You need to search for him."
Tam nodded. "Yes, I'm going right now."
She stared into his eyes. "Please be careful and come back home safely."
"I will." He gave her a quick kiss and headed for his horse. Tam led Roostie into the barn, saddled him, and then shoved a rope and extra ammunition into his saddlebags. He went through Spike's room and found several bottles of moonshine. He shoved one in with the extra gloves in case Jory needed warming, and mounted his horse. Caroline blew him a kiss as he headed toward the front gate. He waved back.
Tam had no idea where to start his search. He let out a whistle every now and then with hopes his brother would answer back. The wind whipped the snow around, making it damn near impossible to see very far ahead of him. He pulled the collar of his coat up and continued on his journey toward Wausau.
About an hour after he left the post, he saw someone slumped over in the saddle heading his way. Tam's instincts pushed him to jam his heels into Roostie's sides. He rode as fast as he could push his horse in the deepening snow.
"Jory," he yelled over the howling wind. When he finally reached his brother, Tam pulled Jory off the horse and got him walking to get his blood moving again.
Jory's teeth chattered.
"Come on, let's get a fire going and get you warmed up before we head back to the post."
It wasn't easy to get the wet wood to catch on fire. He remembered his wool gloves in one of the saddlebags. He grabbed everything he found in both of them that would burn, including the extra pair of gloves. Once a small blaze burned, he started adding all the small branches they could break off the trees. The fire finally started putting out some heat.
It wasn't enough. Tam added anything he could find and got the flames roaring.
"Get up, Jory. You've got to get your blood moving." Tam picked his brother up and kept walking around the heat.
Once Jory became aware of his surroundings and acted more coherent, Tam pulled the bottle of moonshine from his saddlebag and helped Jory down a little bit at a time. Tam took a spot for himself and nearly spit it out. How can anyone drink this crap?
He kept Jory walking until he could make his way around the circle on his own. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"Let me think." Jory frowned. "My head hurts. I can't focus."
"Keep walking." They worked a pathway around the fire.
Jory stopped. "I remember now. The trading post. They're going to burn it. We've got to hurry and warn Hank."
"Too late, they set it on fire during the night."
Jory perked up at hearing the news. "Oh, no, I'm s-s-sorry. Is it all g-g-gone?"
"No. Keep walking and I'll tell you what happened." They continued circling the heat and sipping from the booze bottle.
Jory glanced around. "Did you see my horse someplace?"
"He's tied by mine. Are you all right?"
"My head hurts." He took his hat off and rubbed behind his right ear. "I have a large knot on the back of my head."
Tam rubbed where Jory had his hand and felt the egg-sized knot. "Who hit you?"
"Let me think." He shook his head. "I don't remember."
"Come on, let's get you back to the post and warmed up properly." Tam helped Jory onto his horse. "Can you ride or should I take the lead rope?"
"I'm fine."
Tam shook his head. "You damned, stubborn Scotsman."
He mounted his horse and made sure his brother followed at an easy pace to keep him from falling.
The horses struggled through the deep snow, but they carried on without pause until they reached the lodge. Tam whistled and waited until the gate swung open. He rode up to the lodge porch. Big Dog reached them first. He helped Jory out of the saddle. Jory's knees buckled the moment his feet hit the snow-covered ground.
Tam and Big Dog wrapped their arms around Jory and walked him onto the porch. "What happened? Where'd you find him?" Big Dog asked as they struggled to get Jory inside.
"There's a large lump behind his right ear and he isn't making much sense. He's had a goodly amount of moonshine and that's not helping his ability to walk."
"I'm surprised he could stay on that horse in his condition."
Tam snickered. "Don't ever tell a Scot they can't do something."
Big Dog nodded. "You should know, Tam."
Caroline saw them come in. She jumped up and moved a chair close to the fire. "I'll grab a blanket."
They pulled his arms out of the stiff coat and got the heavy garment off him. Next, Tam removed Jory's wet shirt.
Matthias entered the room, grabbed a quilt off the back of Hank's sofa, and wrapped it around Jory's shivering body. Caroline handed them another blanket and a bearskin pelt. His shivers finally stopped and his lips went from a tinge of blue to pink.
Tam sighed. "Honey, will you go see if Lottie has hot coffee, please?"
Caroline nodded. "I'm glad you're both back safe, Tam."
When she returned with a pot of coffee and cup, Jory was out of his wet boots and breeches. The wet clothes hung on the back of a chair by the fire.
She filled the cup and handed it to Jory. She set the pot on the hearth. "Where's Tam?"
"He's gone to fetch some of Jory's clothes."
Jory drank two cups of coffee before his brother walked through the door. He dropped dry garments on one of the chairs.
Big Dog shoved more wood into the fireplace. "Where's your father, Caroline?
"He's with my sisters in the classroom. I'll go let him know Tam found Jory."
"Have him join us so, Jory can tell all of us about his accident."
While Caroline went to get her father, Jory pulled on his dry clothes and wrapped himself back in the fur cover.
Hank and Caroline hurried into the room. Once they settled in the main room with the others, Jory began. "My memory's still a bit sketchy, but maybe everything that happened will come back as I talk." He emptied his third cup of coffee.
Caroline got up and refilled it.
"I reached Wausau and sent the telegram off to Michel without any trouble. I stayed until the telegrapher sent it, so we'd be sure it got to him."
"Good, thank you, Jory," Matthias said.
"I know it was taking a chance, but since we knew Gervais wasn't in Canada, I sent Michel a telegram of my own. I tried to be vague, but I let him know the locations of the warehouses."
Matthias frowned. "You shouldn't have."
"Nobody was in the office and after I sent the message, I took the piece of paper I wrote it on and tore it up, so nobody had a copy of what I sent to read."
"Did anyone follow you from the telegraph office?"
"No. I headed to the livery next. The information I found there was what we feared. Mrs. Brown bought a ticket to Green Bay, but at the last moment returned it for a refund. From there they had no idea what happened to her."
Matthias shook his head. "I sure was wrong about that woman."
Jory continued. "I went into a restaurant on Main Street to grab something to eat. I think it was called The Loggers' something."
"The Loggers' Jam Restaurant is the place Big Dog and I visited when we were in Wausau a few days ago," Hank said.
"It was within easy walking distance of the livery. I had a chance to make conversation with the waitress when she took my order. She remembered Mrs. Brown because of the woman's rude attitude."
"You used your Scottish charm I presume," Caroline said.
Jory grinned at her. "It does have its advantages." He drank more hot coffee before he went on. "Mrs. Brown asked to sit in a back corner and said she would wait for her husband to order."
"So, she used the mail order bride ad for her advantage to get inside the post?"
"I believe so, Hank."
"Did the waitress know who her husband was?"
"This is the best part." Jory grinned. "We've got them. She described him as a tall Mountie with a terrible gash on his right cheek."
Luc jumped up. "I knew it. I'm going to kill that bastard."
Jory let the bearskin pelt drop to the floor. "So, now we know where Gervais disappeared to after he met up with Farthington on the way to Escanaba."
Luc shook his fist. "Yup, now we know."
Hank slapped his good leg. "I'll be damned. You don't think she's actually married to Gervais, do you, Luc?"
Luc shrugged. "I can't figure any of them out. Gervais and his three Mountie friends, plus Farthington and his three flunkies makes eight law enforcement members involved. This is going to rock the foundation of the bureau."
"You've left Renald off the list," Matthias said. "We're up to nine that we know of. How deep this corruption goes into the tax collector's office is something we may never learn unless one of them makes a deal and talks to save his own skin."
"Who hit you?" Tam asked.
Jory rubbed his forehead. "I'm trying to put the last part of what happened together. I remember the waitress brought my food. I ordered a steak. It was quite good, but not as tender as MacGregor prime beef." He grinned at Tam.
"Please go on," Hank said.
"A man came over to my table and asked if he could speak with me for a moment." Jory shrugged. "It never occurred to me he could have overheard my discussion with the waitress and might do me harm. He pulled out the chair across from me and sat. He said he heard me asking about Penelope Brown and wanted to know what kind of business I had with her."
"Do you think the waitress was in cahoots with the man?" Hank asked.
"I doubt it. I told him it was none of his concern and asked him to leave. He didn't say another word. He got up and left the table. I never saw him again."
"When did you get hit then?"
"I'm fuzzy on that part, Hank. After I finished my meal and paid the bill, I left the restaurant and walked straight to the livery. The snow was falling heavier and I knew I needed to leave immediately to reach the lodge before dark. The next thing I remember is my brother yelling my name and pulling me off my horse."
Luc got up and walked over to Jory. "Let me see that lump." Jory leaned forward. He winced when Luc ran his fingers through his hair and touched the sore spot.
"It appears someone whacked you with the handle of a pistol. You're lucky he didn't kill you."
"Maybe that's why my head hurts."
"More than likely."
Lottie came into the room. "I'll have something for you two boys to eat in a few moments." Her gaze settled on all of Jory's wet clothes hanging on the backs of chairs in front of the fireplace. She looked Jory over from head to toe. "Are you dressed decent under those blankets, boy?"
"Yes, ma'am, my brother brought me dry clothes, and I'm fully dressed."
"Good. I have a young girl helping me in my kitchen and I don't want you showing her something she shouldn't be seeing."
Tam pursed his lips to keep from laughing. Lottie had already pulled Amanda into her heart. He was glad to see the young woman in a good place now.
"If y'all don't need me, I'm going to help get the stable's burned timber outta the way so we can get going on building." Big Dog left the lodge.
Jory's accounting of his ride to near death tightened Tam's gut. Something must be done before somebody he cared about was killed. He just couldn't figure out what it should be.
Amanda and Lottie brought plates of food to Tam and Jory.
Lottie handed Jory his plate. "You stay put where you can stay warm."
Tam took his plate and dug into the leftover turkey and stuffing.
Jory grinned at him. "This food tastes even better the second day."
Amanda brought them each a glass of warm apple cider to drink with their meal. She handed Jory his first. "I'm very glad to have you home again, Jory. We were all worried about you."
Jory flashed her one of his devilish grins that the girls could never resist back in Paradise Pines. Oh brother, you're going to be just fine, thank God.
Tam hid his grin when Amanda handed him his glass. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I'm glad you found him, Tam."
*****
THE STABLE HAND, JIMMY, opened the door and poked his head inside the main room. "Hank, Big Dog needs to see only you and Matthias right away at the stable's charred mess."
Hank glanced at Matthias. "I wonder what's wrong now."
"Let's go and see."
Matthias helped Hank to his feet. "The rest of you stay here until we find out what the problem is."
Caroline helped her father into his warm coat and hat. When his daughter opened the door, Hank stared at the large flakes falling over the quadrant. "It's chilly out here."
Matthias helped him step off the porch. Maneuvering through the deep snow with the crutches made their trek quite difficult.
Hank frowned at Matthias. "I hope it's something important to drag me from our warmth into this damnable mess."
Hank noticed his ranch hands standing under the eaves outside the barn. "What's going on? Why aren't you working?"
Jimmy shrugged. "We're supposed to wait until you see what's so damned important that Big Dog doesn't want us to know what it is."
Hank frowned. Why on earth was the man being so cautious? He sighed. He and Matthias reached what was left of the stable and entered what used to be the tack room. Big Dog waited for them inside. "Follow me. I've cleared a walkway for you."
Hank glanced around at the devastation as they headed toward a section where the roof had caved in.
"Brace yourself. It's not a pretty sight." Big Dog showed them a charm Spike had worn around his neck for years. "I found this around these remains."
He moved a couple of boards out of the way. Hank stared at Spike's charred body. The corpse held a moonshine bottle in a death grip.
"Oh, dear God." Hank grabbed his midsection. He felt sick to his stomach. "I've known that man since I was a young boy. My father considered him a good friend from the time he began dreaming of building this trading post."
Matthias hunkered down and ripped the booze bottle from his brittle fingers. "Is this where you found him?"
Big Dog shook his head. "Since you were talking about Spike possibly being in cahoots with Mrs. Brown, I moved him here so nobody else would see the body. I didn't think you'd want the ranch hands to connect him to the fire."
"Where'd you find him then?"
He returned the boards in front of the space where the body rested. "You need to see for yourselves."
With Matthias to help him, Hank followed Big Dog over the unstable floor. "As far as I can figure, he staggered into this section and knocked the lantern into the hay as he fell."
Hank couldn't believe his eyes. "Are you sure this is what started the fire?"
"It's the only explanation I can come up with."
"Thank you, Big Dog. You've done well to keep this quiet."
"What do you want me to do with the body, boss?"
Hank was at odds with his answer. If Spike was part of the revenuers who planned to destroy the trading post, he wanted to keep his death quiet for a while. If he wasn't, then Spike should have a proper burial in spite of the near disaster he'd caused.
"Please make him a wooden coffin. We can't bury him until the ground thaws so find a safe place where the predators can't get to his body. I'd prefer nobody else knows about this except the three of us."
Big Dog nodded. "You can count on me, boss."
"Thank you. You've become a trusted friend."
Big Dog escorted them out of the mess. On his way across the quadrant, Hank stopped for a moment and spoke to his workers. "Thanks for your help today. Please take the rest of the day off. I'll send Matthias out with enough ale to keep you warm."
By the time they reached the lodge, Hank was exhausted. Matthias helped him inside and out of his coat. He settled on his sofa and Caroline helped him get his leg comfortable.
Matthias asked Luc for help in carrying a barrel of ale out to the quadrant. They got the job done and returned to the main room. "How would everyone like a round of ale?"
"What's taking you so long, Matthias?"
Matthias grinned. "Be patient, my brother." He went to the bar and started filling glasses. "Tam, are you up to helping me out?"
"Sure thing." He left Caroline's side and passed glasses around. When he returned to his sweetheart, he handed Caroline a half a glass.
She glanced at Hank. "Is it all right, Daddy?"
"Yes, you've proven you're an adult."
"Thank you." She smiled at him. "Please, we all want to know what the big secret Big Dog was impatient to show you."
Hank looked around at the expectant faces. "Sorry, but I have no intention of divulging his secret for a while."