“Why did you do that?” Edie asked as all the younger girls ran towards her and the porch.
“Two reasons. First, it’s still early and quiet, and the sound will travel well letting anyone who took our Katie know we are coming for her. Secondly, Katie will hear the shots and know we know she is in danger. Hopefully, it will bring her some comfort knowing we will find her.”
There was a third result Miss Ethel didn’t anticipate. Marshal Sewell and Betsy were eating breakfast when they heard the rifle shots.
Alexzander Sewell was sure the shots came from the edge of town, and he knew that there were only houses in that direction. One house in particular. The Howard House for Orphaned Girls.
Wiping the remains of his breakfast from his face, he stood and looked at Betsy. “I think those shots came from Howard House or close by. That old lady is after someone most likely Peter Bunyan. Maybe he transferred too much sawdust onto Cyndi Lou again. I have to go.”
Betsy hurried after him, “Miss Ethel isn’t old, and if Peter is calling at this time of morning I don’t blame Miss Ethel for scaring him off.”
The marshal glanced at his wife over his shoulder, slapped his hat on his head, and hurried out the door headed for the spinster sisters’ home certain one of them was responsible for the early morning shooting. The fog was lifting slowly, and when he was within a block of the house, he could see both ladies standing in the road pointing at various things in the dirt.
Miss Edie lifted her head and called out, “Thank goodness, Marshal. We were just going to find you. Someone stole Katie. Ivy and Rosie saw him pull her onto a horse and you can see where her shoe prints disappear from the dirt and a horse rode away. Look, you should be good at tracking. Go find our girl.”
Marshall Sewell raised his hands. “Slow down and tell me what happened but first I want to know if you’re responsible for the rifle shots I heard.”
“I certainly am,” Miss Ethel confessed. “They were a warning to whoever took Katie that we know it and for Katie to know we’re going to find her. Now, go find her.”
He squinted his eyes at the two older ladies with identical faces. At this moment he couldn’t tell them apart. Usually, Miss Edie smiled at him, but right now they wore identical scowls.
“Look,” Miss Edie said pointing at the ground. “You can see Katie’s footsteps. It’s a good thing it rained last night. Now, see where her footsteps stop where the horse rode up, and the rider picked her up.”
Marshal Sewell nodded.
“Good,” Miss Edie continued. “If you look closer you’ll see after Katie’s footsteps disappear, the horse’s hoof prints are a bit deeper. That’s how we know the rider picked her up and the horse was carrying more weight.”
Miss Edie was correct in her observations, but the marshal didn’t want the ladies to think they could do his job or they would run off to who knows where looking for Katie. He looked at the ground and then back up at Miss Edie. Hoping to dissuade her, he asked, “Where did you learn to track? Did someone give you a few dime novels to read?”
Miss Edie blushed furiously. “My reading is not the issue here. Saving Katie is. Do something.”
“All right, I’d like to ask Ivy and Rosie what they saw.”
“Absolutely not,” Miss Ethel insisted. “Those girls are frightened. Your questions would only frighten them further. They said they saw a man in dark clothes on a dark horse pick Katie up and ride off with her.”
Miss Edie added, “A few boys at the church picnic tried to scare them about a man in dark clothes and a dark horse that likes to steal girls. They believe something evil stole Katie away. We need to help them get over their fears, and you need to look for Katie. I believe it might be Eli Warren. He didn’t handle Katie’s rejection well. He told her he would get her away from Benjamin. I would suggest you look for him, too.”
Nodding his head, Marshal Sewell said, “I’ll get my horse and follow the trail. Go home and wait. I’ll let you know what I find as soon as I can. And, put that rifle away.” He turned and strode down the street.
“Can you believe the nerve of that man asking me where I learned to track. Anyone knows a horse will leave deeper hoofmarks with more weight on its back,” Miss Edie said.
Miss Ethel raised one eyebrow. “You have been reading those books again haven’t you?”
“What if I did. They are exciting, and I enjoy them. If I didn’t read them, we never would have known about the horse tracks and who knows how long it might have taken the marshal to figure it out. At least now he’s on his way to find Katie.”
Miss Ethel agreed that her sister was probably right. She did help the marshal by pointing out the tracks. Perhaps the man will pay attention to what they shared with him and not be so concerned about her rifle. She could shoot better than most men she knew, and she shot in the air as a warning and a message. Where is the harm in that?
Miss Edie slipped her arm through her sisters and said, “Come along. Let’s see to the girls and say a prayer for Katie’s safety. She’s a strong young woman, I’m confident she will find a way home.”
“I’m sure she could if this was a normal situation. If Eli took her, she’s in terrible trouble. That man is controlling, and I saw signs of his temper. I fear for her safety,” Miss Ethel confided. “But
