“I need all the luck I can get,” said Robert, now freely petting the dog.
Ben fanned himself with his hat a few times and turned to walk toward the cornfield. He gave a quick wave and a smile. “I’ll be back at first light tomorrow.” He disappeared into the rows of corn. Robert heard a quick whistle and Lucky ran into the cornfield, following her master.
Although the man and his dog had already disappeared, Robert waved towards the corn, and then returned to Kyle and Alexis. Robert stepped over to his raft and sat down. “He’ll be back at daybreak. We’ll head for town early.”
Alexis forced a smile at Robert as she put a wet cloth on her husband’s forehead. She knew that Kyle was deathly ill, but was trying to display strength during his adversity.
Chapter Seventeen
The warm breath and cold nose of Lucky, Ben’s German shepherd, woke Robert at the break of dawn. Before Robert could get his hands up to ward off her affectionate advances, she had already licked the side of his face, which cooled from the evaporating saliva. He immediately extended his arm to force her back from the raft. His greatest concern was that her sharp claws would puncture it. She promptly licked his hand and arm instead.
Ben was crouched at the campfire prodding the glowing embers. He quietly laughed to himself as he watched his dog interact playfully with Robert. “I think she likes you now,” said Ben, placing a small log on the remains on the campfire.
Robert eased the grip on his rifle and placed it down in the raft. He extended a finger toward the dog and commanded, “Sit!” The dog partially lowered her hindquarters and whimpered slightly, wanting to play.
“Sit!” commanded Ben. The dog immediately complied. The dog sat with her mouth partially open and her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth, panting.
Ben continued to poke at the red embers with a stick, persuading the log to come ablaze.
“Ready?” asked Ben.
Robert stood and stretched. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” He noticed that Alexis was awake, her eyes wide as she listened to their conversation. Alexis’s hand was on her sleeping husband’s forehead.
Ben started to walk away, and with a quick whistle, called his dog. Robert wondered if Ben had called him with that whistle, too. With little regard to the issue, Robert grabbed his rifle and filled his pockets with cartridges. Ben stood at the edge of the corn with the dog, waiting for Robert.
Alexis impulsively sprinted toward Robert, and as he slung the rifle over his shoulder, she grabbed him by his arm and stared hauntingly into his face. Her dilated eyes were bloodshot and full of fear. “He has a fever. I’m afraid… no… I’m terrified, Robert.” She quickly glanced back at her husband. “He’s burning up.” Her voice began to tremble. “You have to get some medicine. You have to come back with some medicine, or I’m afraid he’s not going to make it.” She dug her fingers deeper into his arms. “You have to promise me. Promise me you’ll come back!”
Robert grabbed her shoulders and spoke confidently. “Relax. I promise I’ll come back. Just stay with Kyle. Just relax, okay?”
Alexis’s tight grip on Robert’s arms began to loosen and she slowly let go. Turning away from Robert, she cast her eyes toward the ground and folded her arms onto her chest. She grabbed the crucifix dangling from her necklace, and went to her husband’s side. She genuflected toward her husband, made the sign of the cross, and began a silent prayer.
Ben whistled again. This time it was obvious that the whistle was for Robert.
“I’ll hurry,” said Robert, as he began to walk away.
Alexis nodded and tried to force a smile as she waved the men on.
Robert walked with Ben through the cornfield, heading toward Ben’s house. Lucky darted in and out of the rows of corn, sniffing the ground as she made circles around them. The corn was wet from the morning dew, and by the end of the rows of corn, Robert’s clothes were also wet, bringing a chill to his body. Emerging from the cornfield, he welcomed the morning sun and the warmth it would bring to him as his clothes dried in the breeze.
Ben pointed toward a small corral by his house. There were two black horses saddled and ready to go, trotting freely in the corral. Near the corral was a well with a hand pump, a metal cup hanging from the handle. Ben pumped the handle several times and water splashed out of the pump. He drank several cups of water and offered the cup to Robert, who did the same. Ben then let Lucky drink from the same metal cup and Robert’s stomach turned. Ben saw the expression on Robert’s face and said, “She’s family.”
“I understand.”
“Have you ridden a horse before?”
“No,” said Robert, as he began to walk toward the horses for closer inspection. As Robert got closer, he noticed that Ben had left a pistol belt hanging from the corral’s gate.
Ben grabbed the pistol belt and placed it around his waist. “This is going to be a baptism by fire for you, then.” Ben laughed. “Don’t worry, your horse is broke.” Ben opened the gate. “Follow me. Just do what I do, and you’ll be fine.”
Robert stood next to his horse and felt the coarse hair of its mane. He rubbed the horse’s jaw and neck. The horse was indifferent, chewing on hay. He touched the saddle leather. It was stained and smooth from years of use. Ben’s horse had saddlebags that appeared full.
“Ready?” asked Ben.
“You first, I’ll watch.”
“Put your foot in the stirrup, grab the saddle horn, then step up and swing your other leg around.” Ben demonstrated as he instructed Robert and was immediately in the saddle. He pulled on the reins and positioned himself to observe Robert’s mount.
“You made that look easy,” said Robert, as he shifted his rifle to his back, with the strap tight across his chest. Robert placed his left foot in the stirrup and grabbed the saddle horn. He hesitated before he started to lift himself up into the saddle. With one of Robert’s feet in the stirrup, the horse began to walk forward. Robert fell to the ground, landing on his side. Only his pride was hurt.
Ben laughed. “Faster next time, cowboy. That horse isn’t going to wait for you.”
Robert stood and brushed the dirt off his clothes. He took a deep breath and shook his head clear. With squinted eyes, he quickly looked around the corral. “Don’t you have a mounting block I could use?”
“Mounting block? There’s no valet parking where we’re going. Let’s get moving, city boy.”
Irritated, Robert looked at the horse and its saddle with heightened determination. In one motion, he put his left foot back in the stirrup, grabbed the saddle horn, and swung his right leg over the horse. He was now on the black beast and holding its reins. Ben led them out of the corral and toward the dirt road, with Lucky at his side. He explained that they would follow the dirt road for several miles south until they reached blacktop. The blacktop road would take them east to a bridge over the river, and that road would take them into town.
As the road into town became wider, the ruins of the town became visible to the riders. Robert spurred his horse forward to be at Ben’s side. Although they saw no people, the evidence of what pillagers had done was everywhere. Stranded cars on the road had been looted, and all the businesses that they passed had succumbed to the same fate. They were in a commercial area. There were no houses. Every building, if it was not burned, had shattered windows, and all the doors were broken open.
“Where is everybody?” asked Robert. He changed the position of his rifle to his front as the horse slowly trotted along beside Ben and his mount.
“Just businesses around here. They looted and left. I didn’t think it would look this bad.” Ben pulled his hat a little lower, held the reins with one hand, and kept his right hand close to his pistol. “Just ahead less than a mile is where we’re headed.” Ben pointed forward and then looked around to survey the damage to the area.