No Place for a Lady (13 page)

At some point on the ride back to the ranch, Crystal's head
bobbed. The heat made her eyes heavy, and soon she was dozing. Abruptly she was awakened by the crack of the whip as Kate
forced the horses into an all-out run.

Crystal hung on to the side of the buckboard. "Aunt Kate, what
is it? What's wrong?"

"Baby, you see that dark cloud forming low to the ground?"
Kate nodded to the northwest. "Looks like we may get ourselves
a bad storm. We're not far from the ranch. I hope we can make it
before it hits us, so hang on!"

Crystal had never seen the sky look the way it did now, and
she'd never seen Kate look this anxious before. The horses were
racing, yanking at their harness, ears laid back, eyes wide open with fear. Kate cracked the whip again, and her hair fell down
around her shoulders in a tangle.

There was an uncanny stillness in the air. Large raindrops pelted
them, and lightning flashed a jagged streak across the black sky.

Kate yelled to her niece above the noise of the rattling buggy
to hang on tight. Thunder rumbled and crashed around them.
The blinding lightning was the worse Crystal had ever witnessed. The low, dark cloud began to form a furiously twisting
funnel. She could smell the dust as the cloud touched down
to the earth.

Fear struck Crystal's heart, and she shouted, "Hurry!" The rain
turned into hail, battering down on their unprotected heads and
biting into their flesh with sharp stings. Kate struggled with every
ounce of strength in her large frame to control the frightened
horses from plunging into the ravine beside them. A sudden
wind pulled at Crystal's hair and tore at her clothes. The tarp
that covered their supplies ripped off the back of the wagon and
flew past her.

The late afternoon had become pitch black, and what sounded
like a train turned out to be the swirling wind funnel coming
straight down the dirt road in front of them. Her heart pounded
in her chest, and her legs felt like jelly as she watched entire trees
being sucked into the whirling vortex. She heard the sound of
splintering wood from the force of the wind snapping the trees
and brush in its path.

Kate's screams rose above the din. Crystal tried frantically to
reach her, but it was futile with the wagon bouncing. They were
nearly flying down the trail into the path of the twister that was
barreling down on them with incredible speed.

"Aunt Kate!" Crystal cried, but she couldn't hear what Kate
said above the noise.

She watched in horror as the funnel cloud lifted the wagon
with them in it off the ground, and then her sweet aunt flew
through the air. "Oh, Lord, have mercy on us!" she screamed.
"Help us, please!"

Crystal felt a sharp pain crease her brow, and then she was
carried upward as a deep heaviness encompassed her like a warm
shroud. For a period of time she was dreaming of her new ivory
hat...

Luke pushed his hat off his forehead and wiped his face with his
bandana. He looked in the direction of the town. He didn't usually worry about Kate because she was a strong and determined
woman, but today he felt uneasy. He wasn't sure why, maybe it was
just the eerie stillness that hung over the valley. For certain rain
was on its way and would bring blessed relief from the heat. Maybe
Kate and Crystal would get back from town before it started. He
rode back to the barn, dismounted, then led his horse to a stall
and proceeded to remove the saddle.

"Rusty, it looks like we're in for a storm:"

Rusty's spurs jangled as he entered the barn. "Yep, I'd say so
I had Jube put the cows in the barn. It's starting to get purty
dark northwest of here. I told Kurt and Curly to start tying things
down." Rusty strode over to the barn's open doors and shut them
tight. "Let's just hope all we get is a little wind and rain. That corn
on my little toe is burning like a small fire. My ma always said
that was a shore sign of rain. And we better see to the house. I
thought Kate and Crystal would be back by now." His voice was
a bit agitated.

Carmen was busy yanking the clothes off the clothesline in the
backyard. The wind was beginning to kick up, and she struggled
with the wash in her arms. Luke and Rusty closed the windows
just as the cowhands gathered on the front porch to look at the
sky that was growing blacker by the minute. Wind yanked at
their hats while they scrambled to get the rocking chairs into the
house. The dogs tucked their tails between their legs and retreated
under the house.

After a glance at the ominous black cloud whirling across the
meadow, Luke hollered, "Let's head for the cellar out back, guys.
This here is no regular rainstorm. Looks like a twister is headed
our way!" He grabbed Carmen's arm, spilling the wash from her
basket. With Rusty and the boys right behind them, they raced
to the cellar. Luke pushed Carmen ahead of him and waited until
everyone was in before slamming the door down against the hail
now battering the top of his head.

Carmen's black eyes were wide with fright. She huddled on the
cellar floor. "Do you think Kate and Crystal will be okay?" She
twisted the edge of her apron.

"Where are they?" Kurt asked.

"Drove into town early this morning. Let's hope that's where
they still are;' Rusty answered. But even as he said it, Luke knew
they both thought the women were probably already on their
way back.

"Maybe we'd better go after them;' Curly said.

Luke leaned against the wall of the cellar and slid down into a
sitting position. The wind was so loud he knew that the twister
must have been passing within a few feet of them, if not directly
overhead. "You can't go out yet, Curly. Don't you hear that racket? Soon as it passes us, I'll head in the direction of town. Maybe
they're holed up somewhere nearby, like at the Johnsons. They'll
be safe in their soddy." His firm jaw clenched as he spoke hopeful
words, a painful contrast to the roar of the storm.

Luke observed how Kurt took his time to roll a cigarette between his slender fingers, unconcerned, and blew tiny smoke
rings toward the ceiling. He had a deck of cards with him and
with much savoir faire was trying to impress Carmen with a card
trick. For a moment, the frown in her brow eased, and a reluctant
smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Curly sat with his knees pulled up to his chest on the dirt floor
of the cellar, his head bowed underneath his hat where no one
could see. Luke wondered if he was praying silently for Kate and
Crystal's protection.

Rusty leaned against the wall with deep concern on his ruddy
face as he ran his hand through his now windblown red tangle
of hair.

Strong wind rattled the storm door, and Jube's big eyes rolled
toward its direction as though his staring would make it cease.
He plucked imaginary lint from his ten gallon hat and ran his
hand around its brim.

The hail sounded like marbles hitting the door, and the wind
blew mightily overhead with a roaring, eerie sound. In a matter
of moments it seemed the hail diminished with a random ping
here and there. The raging wind stopped just as quickly as it had
started, but in its wake a torrential downpour slammed against
the cellar door.

"Reckon it's safe enough to go on out now," Luke concluded,
pulling the latch on the door. "I'm going after Kate and Crystal:"

"I'll ride with you:" Rusty was right on his heels.

Five minutes later, they had saddled up and donned their
slickers, leaving the others behind to assess the damage in the
pouring rain.

Less than three miles into their ride, they slowed their horses
where the bend in the road was visible. In the dusk and pouring
rain, all they could see was the upturned wagon with its wheels
still turning eerily, taking on a macabre form. The redhead yelled,
"Dear God, no!"

With disbelief they spurred their horses the last hundred yards
to where the wagon hung over the ravine and quickly dismounted.
Rusty rushed ahead of Luke, unmindful of the rocks sliding under
his boots. At one point he lost his footing and half walked, half slid
to the front end of the wagon. Luke clamored behind, all but falling
against Rusty. The horses had broken their harnesses and were
standing fifty feet away, the reins tangled in the underbrush.

Several feet from the wagon Rusty found Kate's sprawled form,
a grotesque twist to her neck. He fell on his knees, lifted her upper
body to his chest, and clung to her as if trying to breathe his very
life into her. Enormous tears spilled down his cheeks and into his
beard as he rocked her back and forth, smoothing her wet hair
from her face, while the rain continued its onslaught. Luke fought
back his own tears. He didn't even need to ask if she was alive.

Luke had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had
to find Crystal.

After a quick search of the wagon, Luke found her sticking
halfway out under its heavy weight. He placed two fingers to the
side of her slender neck and felt for a pulse. He sighed with relief
and turned to Rusty.

"Rusty," he said, touching his shoulder, "I'm so sorry." He felt
tears stinging his eyes again. His curled hat brim formed a trough
for the rain that splashed down the front of his slicker.

"Did you find Crystal? Is she all right?" Rusty's voice croaked
between sobs. It pained Luke to see his friend hurting this way.

"I did. She's unconscious, and I need your help. She's pinned
under the buckboard;' Luke answered through the knot in the
back of his throat.

Rusty placed Kate's head back on the rain-soaked ground with
tenderness and reverently covered her with his slicker.

With the two of them, it was easy to turn the wagon upright.
By chance the wheels were all still intact. Although one had a few
broken spokes, Luke thought they might be able to make it the
three miles to the ranch.

They worked side by side and said little as they righted the
wagon and lifted Crystal's limp form to place her in the bed of
the wagon. Crystal moaned, but her eyes remained closed. She
was mercifully unaware that her beloved Kate, whom Luke and
Rusty laid next to her, had seen her last Colorado sunset. Luke
removed his slicker and tucked it around Crystal to keep her as
warm as possible. Her face was a chalky white, and her beautiful
hair, wet and matted with dirt, clung to her face and neck. Her
small frame weighed no more than a sack of feed, and he was
struck afresh by her delicateness.

They were soaked to their skin, but nothing mattered except
their own private pain. Luke talked soothingly to the horses and,
with Rusty's help, made a makeshift harness and hitched them
to the buckboard.

After three attempts of slipping and sliding in the downpour to pull the wagon from the ravine, they managed to maneuver around
the boulders and thickets and finally reached the road. Rusty tied his
horse to the back of the wagon and took the reins. Luke mounted
his horse, and with hearts heavy they slowly started home.

Carmen heard horses approaching and grabbed her lantern.
She ran out of the house, holding her lantern high. Her hand flew
to cover her mouth in horror when she saw the wagon approaching, and she tried to calm her thudding heart. The two men were
soaking wet and muddy. Luke had a large scrape on his forearm
that was bleeding, but he seemed to take no notice. Rusty's eyes
were red rimmed.

"Hurry, Carmen, Crystal's hurt. We need to get her inside and
warm;' Luke barked.

"Kate?" Carmen pleaded, but one look at Rusty's face answered
her. He said, "I'll send one of the boys to fetch Doc Gibbons:"

Hot tears stung Carmen's eyes as she raced ahead to open the
door and make way for Luke. Kurt had joined the small group on
the front porch, and he gasped when he saw Crystal.

Luke scooped Crystal up, carried her down the hall to her bedroom, and placed her on the bed. He continued to stand around
looking helpless, shifting his weight from one boot heel to the
other.