ago! She looked up into the sky, noticed that it was now overcast, but she didn’t smell rain, nor did she get the impression that the clouds would bring snow. It was just frigid cold!
She returned to the house, quickly made her way into the bedroom, and retrieved her heavy sweater, a pair of white cotton gloves she had brought for church services, and a stiff winter bonnet that would suffice to keep the cold at bay at least for the hour or so that it would take to ride into town.
She headed into the barn and spoke quietly to the horse, who eyed her with curiosity as she looked around for a spare saddle. She didn’t see one. She felt an inkling of disappointment. She really was looking forward to riding into town and surprising Henry.
On the spur of the moment, Winter decided to be daring. Excitement burgeoned inside her at the thought. When was the last time she had been adventurous or daring? It’d been so long that she couldn’t remember. With a giggle of excitement, she moved toward the horse, deciding that she could very well ride bareback. After all, she had done so as a child, and it was something you didn’t tend to forget how to do.
She put a bridle on the horse, then led the mare over toward a stump outside the barn door that Henry used to chop wood. Grasping the red kerchief with Henry’s lunch in one hand, she reached up for the horse’s mane, bundled the reins in her hands, and then stepped up onto the stump. After a brief struggle, she managed to sit astride the horse. The mare wiggled her ears as Winter urged her forward, giving her a light tap against her flanks with her heels.
The horse took off at a trot, causing Winter to gasp, and then laugh, the first laugh she had allowed herself for more months than she cared to remember. Her sweater didn’t do much to stave off the cold wind, but she figured she’d arrived in town soon enough and would be able to warm herself in Henry’s blacksmith shop while he ate the lunch she brought him.
She followed the track that Henry had taken the day before, knowing that it would wind its way back to Dodge within a couple of miles. The problem was that as the miles passed, or so it seemed, Winter saw no sign of Dodge City. The wind grew harsher, and the temperature continued to drop. A few snowflakes began to sift down from the sky, not so many that she couldn’t see, but enough. She brought the mare to a halt while she studied the landscape.
The mass of light gray clouds from the north now dropped closer to the ground, as if seeking landfall. The landscape around her was flat, offering no indication which direction she traveled. The sun was hidden behind the clouds now, so she couldn’t even use that to estimate her direction. If she urged the horse onward, she could very well find herself traveling in circles, or worse, in a direction opposite of Dodge City or Henry’s ranch.
She tried releasing her grip on the reins, giving the horse her head, but the mare stood stubbornly, as if waiting for direction from Winter. So much for the horse making the decision as to direction.
As the minutes passed, Winter’s anxiety increased. Had she taken a wrong turn somewhere back there along the trail? If she had, she didn’t know where. She looked around in all directions. She didn’t know where she was, and her heart thudded in dread.
There was nothing she could see to serve as a landmark, not even an oddly shaped tree or ridge that she might have noticed the day before. In one direction, the clouds looked increasingly heavy and ominous, promising snowfall. By the looks of it, those clouds would be on top of her in about a half an hour. It was not enough time to get back to the ranch, even if she did know where it was, nor did she feel that she should keep going – in any direction – since she had no idea where Dodge City lay.
She tried to tamp down her rising fear. She was not dressed for a snowstorm, and she rued her impulsive desire to surprise Henry. She
She returned to the house, quickly made her way into the bedroom, and retrieved her heavy sweater, a pair of white cotton gloves she had brought for church services, and a stiff winter bonnet that would suffice to keep the cold at bay at least for the hour or so that it would take to ride into town.
She headed into the barn and spoke quietly to the horse, who eyed her with curiosity as she looked around for a spare saddle. She didn’t see one. She felt an inkling of disappointment. She really was looking forward to riding into town and surprising Henry.
On the spur of the moment, Winter decided to be daring. Excitement burgeoned inside her at the thought. When was the last time she had been adventurous or daring? It’d been so long that she couldn’t remember. With a giggle of excitement, she moved toward the horse, deciding that she could very well ride bareback. After all, she had done so as a child, and it was something you didn’t tend to forget how to do.
She put a bridle on the horse, then led the mare over toward a stump outside the barn door that Henry used to chop wood. Grasping the red kerchief with Henry’s lunch in one hand, she reached up for the horse’s mane, bundled the reins in her hands, and then stepped up onto the stump. After a brief struggle, she managed to sit astride the horse. The mare wiggled her ears as Winter urged her forward, giving her a light tap against her flanks with her heels.
The horse took off at a trot, causing Winter to gasp, and then laugh, the first laugh she had allowed herself for more months than she cared to remember. Her sweater didn’t do much to stave off the cold wind, but she figured she’d arrived in town soon enough and would be able to warm herself in Henry’s blacksmith shop while he ate the lunch she brought him.
She followed the track that Henry had taken the day before, knowing that it would wind its way back to Dodge within a couple of miles. The problem was that as the miles passed, or so it seemed, Winter saw no sign of Dodge City. The wind grew harsher, and the temperature continued to drop. A few snowflakes began to sift down from the sky, not so many that she couldn’t see, but enough. She brought the mare to a halt while she studied the landscape.
The mass of light gray clouds from the north now dropped closer to the ground, as if seeking landfall. The landscape around her was flat, offering no indication which direction she traveled. The sun was hidden behind the clouds now, so she couldn’t even use that to estimate her direction. If she urged the horse onward, she could very well find herself traveling in circles, or worse, in a direction opposite of Dodge City or Henry’s ranch.
She tried releasing her grip on the reins, giving the horse her head, but the mare stood stubbornly, as if waiting for direction from Winter. So much for the horse making the decision as to direction.
As the minutes passed, Winter’s anxiety increased. Had she taken a wrong turn somewhere back there along the trail? If she had, she didn’t know where. She looked around in all directions. She didn’t know where she was, and her heart thudded in dread.
There was nothing she could see to serve as a landmark, not even an oddly shaped tree or ridge that she might have noticed the day before. In one direction, the clouds looked increasingly heavy and ominous, promising snowfall. By the looks of it, those clouds would be on top of her in about a half an hour. It was not enough time to get back to the ranch, even if she did know where it was, nor did she feel that she should keep going – in any direction – since she had no idea where Dodge City lay.
She tried to tamp down her rising fear. She was not dressed for a snowstorm, and she rued her impulsive desire to surprise Henry. She
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