Tempest

A Laramie Story Cont'd

Chapter 3

Straightening up with a groan, Slim Sherman rubbed his aching back and looked across at his best friend and partner. “Reckon that should do it?” he asked.  

Jess let the last branch he had dragged across the muddy ground drop into place in the makeshift corral gate the two had constructed across the canyon entrance. “It better be all right, Pard, cause I don’t reckon I can lift one more log.” Jess mimicked Slim as he rubbed his own lower back, trying to ease the dull ache that was building to a crescendo there. “A hot coffee and a meal would go down well right about now.” He spoke with little hope of agreement.  

“I know, but---“ Slim started to reply.  

“Yeah, I know. We could round up several strays if we keep going till evening.” Jess forced a smile. “ Come on then, let’s mount up. I reckon I can wait for that coffee. Besides, your cooking ain’t a patch on Daisy’s, so I don’t feel no urgency to eat your offerings.”  

“Who said I was cooking?” huffed Slim, as he mounted. “I thought it was your turn.”      

Knowing full well Daisy had packed cold chicken and apple pie for their first trail meal Jess laughed. “Okay, partner, I ain’t gonna waste my breath arguing with you. I’ll provide tonight’s meal; you take your turn tomorrow. Anyway’s my cookin’s got yours beat any day, so I’d rather be eating mine first night out.”  

Slim started to rise to the bait, then stopped short, his mouth dropping open.  

“What you gawking at, Slim?” Jess asked, knowing full well what was coming next.  

Slim’s mind was replaying their departure from the ranch that same morning. “Hey, didn’t Daisy pack us some stuff for tonight’s meal? I recall her saying something about being fool enough to work till we dropped and not taking the time to cook a decent meal.”  

“Reckon I do recall something like that. Oh well, guess I just got lucky.” Jess swung up into his saddle with the ease of one born to it, and urged his horse on towards the river, leaving a frowning Slim looking daggers at his back.            

Finally Slim allowed himself a small smile, amused at the antics of his friend. If Jess could be blamed for anything, it was bringing a little light-hearted amusement into the once much too serious life of Slim Sherman. He dug his heels into his horse’s flank and trotted forward to catch up with his younger friend.  

The mud on the road increased as they came closer to the rivers flood plain. Accordingly the two friends slowed their pace, knowing how dangerous such ground could be. Neither wanted to have to deal with a horse with a broken leg, let alone contemplate the consequences of an injury to themselves. The extent of the damage the recent heavy rains had caused was considerable, and Slim verbalised what they both were thinking. “ This is worse than I thought. We may have already lost some stock to the earlier floods.”  

Raising worried blue eyes to the darkening gray sky, Jess Harper nodded. “Whatever you’re planning to get done tonight, Slim, we’d best get to it. It looks like the worst of the storm may be headin’ this way.”  

He had been a few yards ahead of his best friend, allowing his horse to find its own way down the treacherous trail. Reigning in his horse he turned in the saddle awaiting Slims reply. As he turned his face upward, the first spattering of the rain caught him. In response he wrapped his jacket tighter around himself and pulled his hat down low.  

Slim scanned the horizon and noted that the black clouds that had been hovering over the distant mountains where moving in fast, getting closer by the minute, driven by the winds that where even now beginning to whip the trees around them. The thunder was not so distant now either, and the time between the brilliant flashes of sheet lightening and its deafening crashes was shorter, signaling the closeness of the impending storm. Slim made a quick calculation. “There should be time for us to reach the river, and then if we split up we can cover a mile or so in each direction before the storm hits.”  

Jess turned forward again, urging his horse on, with Slim following as close as was sensible. A few minutes later they could just about make out the edge of the river ahead as the coming storm turned the afternoon to twilight. The sound of snapping twigs and a soft lowing encouraged both men to turn off the trail towards the darker moving shadows they could see there. Jess stopped dead and squinted his eyes. A calf was tethered there and close by its mother was fussing around it. He noted that they both looked a little the worse for wear but otherwise they seemed okay.  

Slipping from his saddle Slim went over to examine them. “ They’re in fair condition considering they look like they may have been caught in the flooding, but who the hell got them out and tied them here? Think we may have rustlers, Pard?”  

 A negative shake of his head told Slim that Jess didn’t think that was the case.

“Don’t know any rustlers who’d risk their necks in these conditions to get a couple of near dead animals.” Jess had remained in his saddle, and he now stood up in his stirrups to look around, his keen eyes narrowing in an effort to pierce the gloom around them. He noted the rope trailing from the heifer’s neck and saw it’s frayed end trailing in the grass. Something had clearly caused the rope to break. “Who ever it is, they could be in trouble,” he stated.  

“Lets split up, Jess. You follow the river right for a mile; I’ll go left. Give a single shot if you find anything, and I’ll do the same. Come a running if you hear that shot, otherwise I’ll meet you back here in an hour.” Slim raised his head to scan the sky again. In the closer foothills forks of lightening speared to the ground and the rain could be seen as an impenetrable sheet of gray pouring downwards.  

 Slim knew his friends strength of character and determination and while they were just some of the many traits he admired in the man, he also knew how foolhardy Jess could be at times. “An hour, Jess, that’s all we can risk before it gets too dark to see. If you’re not back here by then, I’ll be looking for you, and I won’t be in too happy a mood.”  

“Stop your fretting, Partner, I’ll be here. Just make sure you get yourself back here too.” Jess once more pulled his hat down against the increasing downpour, and, hunching lower in his saddle, wheeled his mount to follow the swollen, fast flowing river down-stream to the right.  

Behind him, a worried Slim called after his friend, “Be careful Jess, I don’t want to be fishing your ornery hide outta that river.” Then he to turned his horse in the opposite direction and headed upstream.  

The gathering storm was making it almost impossible to see, and the further upstream Slim went, the darker it became. He looked worriedly up at the mountains, well aware of the damage a flash flood could cause. After fifteen minutes of painfully slow progress, he decided to give up and turn back to meet his friend back at the river crossing. The return journey proved even slower, with his mount tiring as it struggled to keep its footing in the slippery mud. He hoped Jess was faring better, and had maybe found the person who had roped the calf.  

He smiled as he thought of Jess. From the onset of their relationship, it had been obvious that Jess attracted trouble. No matter how hard the younger man tried to steer clear of problems, they just seemed to search him out. Of course, Jess’ stubborn nature and quick temper didn’t help. Things had gotten better of late, as Slim seemed to have a steadying influence on the younger man, but still trouble and Jess Harper seemed to have an affinity for each other. As much as the two men now joked about it, Slim worried about Jess at times, much to the amusement of the others, including Jess himself.         

He hadn’t heard anything to signal that Jess had fared any better than him, but he also knew from hard experience that Jess was stubborn and would tackle things alone on many occasions when he shouldn’t. This trait had been one of the few that caused friction between the two men. Once more he looked back at the storm that now seemed to be racing towards them, and hoped Jess was all right.  

Jess had watched his partners retreating back with similar concerns. Slim had thrown him a lifeline at a time in his life when he could so easily have taken the wrong trail. He’d been running from a hard past, and although he had fought in the war and acquitted himself well, young as he was, things had not gone well afterwards. Perhaps because of all he’d seen and experienced in that war, Jess had run wild for a time and had gotten in with the wrong sort of people. A chance meeting with a rancher called Sherman had turned his life around, and he would always be grateful to Slim for believing in him. His friendship had come to mean everything to the young drifter, and finally he had recognized his need for a family. Slim Sherman offered that family willingly.           

When Slim’s form could no longer be seen, Jess tugged on the reigns and turned his horse down stream. The going was hard here, as the river had burst it’s banks in several places, and on retreating had left sodden ground and pools of deceptively still water. Jess skirted these pools whenever he could, knowing that a horse could easily misstep and break a leg, possibly sending it’s rider into an equally harmful fall. Being this cautious frustrated the anxious man, as it slowed him down. The light was disappearing fast, and he could only see a few yards ahead.  

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of movement in the trees to his right and moved away from the river towards it, drawing his gun as he did so. His own horse answered a soft snicker, and he stroked the animal’s neck reassuringly.  

“Easy, boy, easy. Ain’t anything for you to get skittish about.” His voice was deceptively even, showing no trace of the tension he felt.” All right, I don’t mean you any harm. Come on out but keep your hands out where I can see them.”  

No voice answered him, and no one appeared in answer to his challenge. Once again he called out, more sharply this time.  

“Now look, storm’s coming in fast and I ain’t got time to be waiting on you, come out now, cause you ain’t gonna like it if I have to come in and get you.” He moved his horse closer to the tree line, to emphasize his point. 

Wet, cold, tired and hungry, Jess was in no mood for this. He was about to move into the trees when a small stocky shape detached itself from the surrounding shadows and moved forward.  

His breath caught in his throat as the small pony came into view. “No, it couldn’t possibly be Paint,” he thought. The pony recognized Jess’ mount as a fellow stable companion and moved closer. Recognition hit Jess hard. “Oh, dear God, it IS Paint” he looked around anxiously, cursing at the fading light. “Then where the hell is Mike?”  

 Dismounting, Jess hastily checked the small horse over. He found a few scratches and a lot of mud, but nothing serious. He also noted the frayed end of the rope attached to the horse’s saddle horn. “Well, that answered the question of who had roped the calf,” he thought.  

 “Mike?” he shouted, then listened intently for a reply above the cracks of thunder. He tried again. “Mike, you can come out, you ain’t gonna be in bad trouble, boy. I just need to see you’re safe and sound.” Again he stood still, hoping against hope to hear the young boy’s response. He knew he should be angry with the child, but right now all he could feel was a deep gut wrenching fear.  

Finally accepting that there was not going to be a response, he tied the smaller animal to his own horse and remounted, leaning low in the saddle as he strained to follow the tracks it had left. Even as he was consumed with fear for the boy, Jess decided to delay giving the signal to alert Slim, until he had more of an idea of just what had happened. To subject Slim unnecessarily to the gut twisting pain Jess was now experiencing was unthinkable. No, the signal could wait until he had a better idea of the situation. Better yet if he found Mike alive and well, it would save his friend a lot of worry.        

It was hard going in the near darkness, but the pony’s hooves made smaller prints than his own horses hooves, so he managed to trail it back to the river. There the ground was churned up by a lot of prints, including those of the heifer’s. Jess dismounted close to the edge of the dirty pool that had escaped the rivers banks. Dropping to a crouch he peered closely at the ground. His breath was sucked in sharply as his keen eyes picked out the smaller, less deep prints of a child. “Lord, don’t let him have gone near the river.” he thought.  

Straightening up he peered through the descending gloom towards the swollen river. It was difficult to make out anything amid the darker shapes and shadows that lined the riverbank. There was nothing for it; he would have to get closer to the raging water. Leading his horse by the reins, Jess waded forward through the muddied pool, going slowly in case he tripped on any hidden obstacles beneath the murky waters.   Finally, he stopped and looked around again.  

“Mike. Mike, boy. Are you here?” His voice was roughened by concern. Once again he peered through the darkness, narrowing his eyes in the hope of seeing more.  

Only a few yards away, the young boy shifted in response to his name. He had waited for what seemed like hours, and had almost given up on his ‘uncles’ arrival to rescue him. He felt numb all over and his fingers couldn’t feel the branch they were closed around.  

The rain began to fall in earnest now as the first wave of the true storm swept down from the mountains. The accompanying wind began to whip the nearby trees into frenzy.  

“Mike. Answer me, boy, if you can hear me! Mike!” The last effort was practically a scream in an attempt to overcome the sound of the wind and rain.  

This time the young boy recognized the voice and what it represented. He struggled against the heaviness of his body and raised his arm.  

“I’m here. Over here,” he forced out.  

“Mike?” Jess had heard the weak call and turned to peer in the direction it came from.  

 ‘There’ he thought, as he saw the movement. ‘Please be alright.’  

 “I’m coming, Mike,” he shouted, striding towards the shadowy form, heedless of any danger to himself. As he drew close he saw the problem. The boy was trapped in the deeper water, his lower legs out in the main current that tugged mercilessly at him. Mike had been unable to find purchase against that pull. The only thing that had saved him from being swept away in the deluge was his fragile hold on the tree branch that hung low over the water.  

Jess looked around frantically, searching for a safer means to get to the child.  

“Jess, please, I can’t hold on any longer,” came the plaintive plea from Mike, tearing through Jess’ heart.  

“Hold on, Tiger, I’m coming.” Jess forced himself to sound confident as he replied. He could see no other way to get to the boy other than to wade out into the river against the force of the flow. Right now, what he wouldn’t give to have some help. ‘If only Slim where here’ Jess thought. Slim, of course. What an idiot he was. Now that he had found Mike, this would be the time to signal for the much needed help.  

Cursing his own stupidity under his breath, Jess pulled his gun and gave the pre-arranged signal. Re-holstering his weapon, he set out towards the boy, knowing that Slim would come, but not knowing how long it would take him to get there. He didn’t think he could afford to wait any longer. Mike looked exhausted and the river was rising far to quickly, fuelled by the run off from the mountain storms.  

As the worried Jess Harper struggled to reach Mike, he found himself fighting an undertow that threatened to sweep his legs away beneath him. He could feel the icy, fast flowing water drawing away his body warmth and strength, and wondered at the condition of the smaller, more vulnerable child. As he drew within a few feet of Mike, he lunged forward, grabbing him and the branch to which he was clinging.  

 “It’s okay, you’ll be okay now,” he murmured, offering comfort to the boy.

 “Let go now and I’ll carry you into shore.”  

When Mike failed to respond, Jess tried again, forcing himself to remain calm for the child’s sake.  

“I’ve got you, Tiger. You’ve done real well so far. Just a few more minutes and you’ll be safe. Let go of the branch, son, I ain’t gonna let go of you.” Gently Jess pried the boy’s stiff fingers from their grasp on the tree. He could feel his own legs becoming numb, and the water that had been swirling round his mid thighs was rising to his hips. He knew he had to get the boy to safety now, before the river rose anymore.  

Finally Mike released his hold, and Jess pulled him closer and stepped towards the shore. He almost lost his footing as he was dragged sharply backwards.  

“What the hell---” escaped his tight lips before he could stop himself.  

“J--Jess, it--it’s my b--belt,” Mike stammered, his teeth chattering. “ I looped it t---to the t--tree, in c---case I---”  

Realizing what the boy meant, Jess fumbled with his free hand to release the belt buckle. The icy water made his fingers thick and clumsy, and by the time he had freed it the water was waist high.  

“Jess! Hold on! I’ll toss you a rope,” another voice shouted across the now howling wind.  

The rapidly tiring man looked up to see Slim at the edge of the quickly expanding flooded area. He had arrived as Jess was struggling to free Mike, and realized the danger the rising water represented. He dare not enter the torrent, as it was now so fierce he doubted he would reach them. He could see that if Jess let go of the tree, he was likely to be swept away, as he would not be able to fight the raging water with Mike in his arms.  

 Recognizing his own weakening body, Jess thanked his lucky stars when he saw his partner on the bank.  

“Slim, thank the Lord. Hurry up. I’ll tie Mike to the rope. I think he has been in this bath long enough.” What he wanted to say was he knew Mike was close to loosing consciousnesses and needed to get warm and dry now, before he possibly became so cold he risked death. For the child’s sake he tried to make light of the situation.  

Nodding in comprehension of the true gravity of the situation, Slim swung the rope in a wide arc, aiming to get it out next to the struggling pair. It fell short, even though his friend stretched to reach it; the current carried it away from his frantic grasp. Lips tight with concern, Sherman wound the rope back in, knowing it was now wet and would be heavier to throw. He also knew that this next throw must count. The water was now up to Jess’s chest, and he could see his friend was loosing his fight to hold on against the drag of the river. The storm was raging full force around them now, and the pouring rain further swelled the already overflowing river.  

Shutting out everything but the rope and the man and child counting on him, Slim put all his strength of will and physical force behind his next throw. It went true to its mark, falling only inches short of his friend and their ward. Despite his stiff limbs, aching now with the cold, Jess grabbed at the rope, his fingers closing about the lifeline. He pulled it towards him, taking as much slack as he could. As fast as he could he tied the rope around Mike, knotting it firmly under his arms. Then he signaled his partner, raising his voice above the storm.  

“Pull him in,” he commanded.  

“Get hold of the rope yourself Jess, I can get you both in.” Slim shouted back, realising that if he didn’t get them both to shore this first try, he may not be able to get the rope back out there. He himself was now standing in two foot of water.  

“No,” Jess tossed his head, “Currents too strong out here, you’d loose us both. I can hang on. Mikes has been in the water a lot longer, he needs out now.” He too realized that a second attempt might not be possible, but Mike’s life hung in the balance, and he would not put the child’s welfare at more risk.  

A resigned Slim took up the slack on the rope as Jess released his grip on the boy. Straight away the current began to pull the child down stream, but, muscles straining, Slim fought the current. It seemed he was pulling on that rope for an eternity, his entire world focused on pulling Mike to safety. Slowly his dogged determination won through and inch by slow inch he pulled the child to shore.  

 It seemed like forever to both men, but finally Slim was able to grab Mike’s arms and pull him up out of the water. He lifted the small shivering form in his arms, and taking care not to slip, he hurried to his waiting horse where the ground was higher and safe from the rising waters, at least for now. Hastily he freed the rope from around the boy and wrapped him in his saddle blanket. It was not ideal, being somewhat wet itself, but it would have to do until he could get Mike to their small camp. Right now his priority was to go help pull Jess from the river before he lost his fight against the flood and was swept away.           

The smaller man, though strong, was loosing his battle against the rising water. His feet could no longer find purchase and the branch that had been his lifeline was making ominous cracking noises as it, too, lost its battle against the currents. In the brief time Slim had taken to carry the boy to temporary safety, Jess had found himself in the middle of the expanded river, and had already been pulled down several times by the fierce undertow that had developed. He had never been so cold and the roaring in his ears, coupled with his dimming vision told him he was loosing the fight. He struggled against the invading darkness, fighting to stay conscious; instinctively aware that to give in now would mean his death.  

“Jess. Jess, can you hear me?” Slim’s shout roused him and he raised his head and replied weakly, his voice a hoarse croak due to the water he was swallowing.  

“Yeah. I hear ya,” he managed.  

Sherman heard the failing strength in Jess and needed no further urging. He threw the rope straight and true, the end virtually hitting Jess’ arm. His fingers were too numb now to tie a knot, but he managed to wrap the rope around himself and hold the end in front.  

“Reel me in,” he instructed.  

Slim’s muscles tensed, his legs seeking purchase on the muddy ground. Time and again his feet slipped, but still he pulled, finding a reserve of strength when he thought he was spent. Jess was slender but muscular, and his relatively lightweight body was proving heavy now it was soaking wet. The undertow of the river was pulling against the rope, continuously threatening to tear the rope from Slims hands.  

Kicking his legs frantically and trying to swim towards his friend, Jess did his best to help, but found himself repeatedly pulled under by the current, only to resurface seconds later, coughing and spluttering and weaker from the lack of oxygen.  

Slowly, battling the raging waters for every inch, Slim dragged the weakening man towards shore. Dimly he registered a dull roar, and dismissed it as the blood pounding in his ears with the effort he was putting forth. Jess was like a brother to him, and he would put his own life on the line to ensure his safety. The precious seconds ticked past and he was gaining ground, then the roar became a deafening cacophony, like a waterfall in full flood. Crashes and tearing noises joined the all-engulfing assault on his ears, and with a heart-wrenching jolt, Slim realized what was happening.  

Fed by the torrential rain in the high mountains, the river had swollen to the point of bursting through the natural dams that occurred in the foothills. Carrying boulders and whole trees in its swollen flow, it was tearing down towards the struggling men. Slim knew what was about to hit them, and refused to waste the energy to spare a look in the direction of the noise. Frantically he continued to haul on the rope.  

But Jess heard the sound as well, and looked up river towards it. He saw the wall of water and debris bearing down on them, and knew it would be mere seconds till it hit, carrying both men to their death. He looked to the shore and instantly reasoned that the distance to safety was too great. Slim would not be able to pull him to the bank in time. There was no hesitation in deciding what he must do. He was not prepared to let Slim die in a futile attempt to save him, and he knew that Slim would not give up on the rescue as long as he thought there was the slightest chance of saving him.  

Raising his voice above the rapidly advancing roar, Jess shouted with the last of his strength, “Slim. Get Mike to safety.” Then with one last look, he released his hold on the rope, allowing it to slip away. 

“Nooooo----” was the last word he heard from Slim, before the raging wall of death hit him and tore him away from his friend.  

Slim Sherman stumbled forward. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. Even as he understood Jess’ intentions to sacrifice himself, he could not help but plunge through the water to try and grab his friend. The mud sucked at his feet dragging him back, mere seconds seemed like hours as Slim struggled to reach his partner. Lunging forward he felt his finger tips brush the cloth of Jess’ sleeve, and even as he sought to grasp that arm he heard the roar of the waters above him and felt himself being tugged under as he saw Jess get hit by an uprooted tree and disappear.  

With a valiant effort he fought to regain his feet and headed to the shallower water, intending to race down stream, determined to pull his best friend from the raging waters. As he reached the shore he turned to search the water for any sign of Jess. He jerked his head upward as he spotted him, then watched in horror as his friend’s limp form was once again dragged under the water as the tree trunk he was snared on hit the rocks lower down and rolled over. He ran forward, anxiously trying to catch sight of Jess resurfacing, but in the darkness saw nothing but the bulk of the tree as it snared more debris and headed to the rapids he knew to be further along.  

As Slim ran, he searched the banks hoping to see a sign that somehow Jess had made it to shore. Finally he had to stop as he reached the top of a steep incline, where the river tumbled thirty feet or more to the rocks below. He would need his ropes if he where to climb down there. Standing peering into the foaming hell below he tried frantically to see any signs to show that his friend had been carried this far. Finally he had to acknowledge that he had to return to his horse and get help. It was then that the memory of a small boy he’d left huddled in blankets burst through the horror of watching his adopted brother swept to his death. ‘No’, he chastised himself. ‘I mustn’t think like that, Jess isn’t dead. He can’t be. He’s resourceful and strong. He must have gotten out of the river somehow’  

Though his heart kept clinging to this thought, his mind told him otherwise. As he retraced his weary steps, his eyes searching both banks as best he could in the dark, he realised he had no choice but to get Mike to safety and then return with more help to search for Jess. To do anything else would be foolish, and he knew Jess would want it no other way. His partner had been willing to die to save Mike, and Slim must ensure it had not been in vane.  

So it was a tired and soul weary man that returned to the Sherman ranch in the early hours of the next morning. He carried the shivering form of his young ward in front of him, swathed in blankets against the cold and wet. Behind him he trailed an equally miserable pony and his lost friends horse. Throughout the dark hours of the dangerous journey his mind kept replaying the scene and the look on his friends face just before the river had carried him away. He had seen no reprimand there, only warmth for the friendship they had shared, and an unspoken request to forgive him for not being able to stick around. Slim was convinced he would never forget that moment, torturing himself by constantly questioning his own actions. Could he have done more to save his best friend? He doubted he would ever be able to answer that, just as he doubted he would ever find the voice or the words to tell Daisy and Mike that Jess was dead.

Chapter 4

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