So far the man at the top hadn’t noticed anything but he was alert. Suddenly he tilted his head. No, he hadn’t heard Moses or Steve, but the sounds of the remaining posse still tracking Pete’s horse. He looked right and left for additional cover—and that’s when he spied the movement off to the side. As he pivoted toward the closer threat, Ted raised his pistol, sighted, and fired. He saw the bullet strike rock somewhat below the man, but his goal of distraction had been achieved.
Pete aimed at the sound and fired back. Another gun spoke from atop the rise and Pete fell back with a cry.
Hearing the shots, the posse spurred on and arrived on the scene a few minutes later.
~~~
The shooting had stopped, but she could still hear voices calling. If she could hear them, they could probably hear her if she called out. So she tried yelling out her husband's name.
“Ted! Ted!”
She heard a little bit of an echo, but no response. Now, she thought, might be the time for a womanly scream.
Putting all of her day’s frustrations into it, she hollered out, and this echo resounded rather more strongly.
Now she could hear Ted calling out to her: “Megan, Megan, where are you my darling?”
“Ted, I'm in the cave,” she yelled.
“I'm coming!” he responded.
She could soon hear other voices as well.
“We've got him, Mister Ted,” she heard Moses yell, and she could hear the sound of feet coming into the cave and just barely see some dust rising.
Putting her mouth to the hole she yelled again: “I'm behind the rocks.”
“Can you back away from them?” called out a new voice.
“Alright!” she responded and proceeded to head back into the cave where she crouched down under what she hoped was a solid canopy. Megan could hear some grunting as the stone was shoved aside, and she covered her head as a few small rocks loosened by all the activity fell down upon her.
Suddenly Ted was next to her and scooping her into his arms, raining kisses on to her face. She heard some cheers and felt Ted stiffen as he realized they had an audience. Nonetheless, he held her close and aided her out of the mine entrance.
She was holding him tightly as well, but as he pulled her toward the horses, she stopped.
“Wait, I think I may have found Tom. There is a body further in trapped under some rock.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE – Tom McNeel
Several of the men went back in carefully, relighting the lantern, and shortly there was a cry of “Found him!”
Working carefully, they dislodged the largest stone and removed the rubble. It wasn’t long before the tarp-wrapped body was brought out.
Beau walked over toward the Bristols, explaining, “He was wearing this around his neck,” as he handed Megan a pendant hanging from a silver chain. She gasped when she saw it, recognizing the other half of the broken heart that had been among Sonia's jewelry.
“It looked as if he was trying to shore up some damaged timbers when one slipped.” Beau shook his head sadly. “It’s just so dangerous to try to work a mine alone.”
Moses, standing nearby, also shook his head. His new wife, Flora, kept saying that to him, too.
He had brought a few of the stones out and color was clearly visible, if you knew what you were looking at. And Moses certainly knew. After all, his mine was not that far from here—he was probably working the same vein. Maybe later he should talk with Randy about combining forces. He headed toward him to give him the stones he’d brought out.
~~~
Pete, wounded and fairly well hogtied, was secured onto his horse with his hands in front of him so he could grab the saddle horn when needed, as they traversed the rough terrain back to town. Beau led that party so he could report to the sheriff. Steve had explained that Ted’s shot had distracted Pete long enough for Moses to act before Pete got off his own shot at them. Steve had a pretty good idea he would have been the target, as the two men had made eye contact just before Ted’s bullet nearly clipped Pete’s boots, and he was off-balance from climbing.
Steve tied Tom’s carefully wrapped body to the back of his horse while Megan rode double with Ted, accompanied by Moses and Randy, until they got back to where they’d left the horse and buggy.
The four men extricated the buggy from the saplings and hitched up the horse. Carefully lifting Megan onto the seat, Ted got up next to her and, placing his arm around her and tucking her into his shoulder, took up the reins.
Their first stop was the newly built Sacred Heart Catholic Church where Father Rubio greeted them. His joyful visage turned dolorous as they arranged for a funeral mass the next day. At their next stop the undertaker assured them he could provide a sturdy casket and would ensure the body was at the church by morning. He explained to Megan that it was not unusual to work this quickly.
“In this climate,” he said, “we tend to follow the Jewish practice of getting them buried by sundown when possible. Not so important in this case, of course.” He stopped himself abruptly, realizing he was talking to a lady.
“Quite so,” replied Megan graciously. “It makes perfect sense in this climate.”
Her relief at being rescued had only partially assuaged her raging headache, and now the broiling sun and constant need for her attention had brought back the pain in full measure. She was also raging with thirst.
“Ted, would it be possible to get some water?” Chagrined, Ted looked over at Randy, who immediately invited them all to his house, which was nearer than the hotel.
