Page 41 of Wagon Train Melody
Until Sam snorted.
Alarmed, she opened her eyes to see the horse fighting the harness and jumping about.
Sue read his fright and the pair galloped wildly.
Alice clung to the seat, hoping she wouldn’t be tossed to the ground and prayed they’d all survive.
CHAPTER 9
“Whoa. Whoa.” Rudy called to the runaway horses. He’d seen the snake at the same time as Sam but didn’t have time to do anything before the frightened horse bolted. He had only a few seconds before the horses were totally out of control. He pulled the reins to his chest and leaned back calling, “Whoa,” again. Then he released. He did that several times, all the while keeping his eyes ahead, hoping to avoid anything that would cause a crash, though he could not avoid the rough ground.
They hit a bump, and the wagon bounced.
“Lord, keep them safe,” he yelled in between calls of whoa.
Ahead, he saw a faint line. And he knew what it was. Some kind of ravine or gully. It was impossible to tell how deep or wide it was. Not that it mattered. If the horses ran into it, the wagon would be smashed and likely the horses would have to be put down.
He shuddered, not wanting to think what would happen to the passengers.
He yelled calmly, knowing his voice would do as much to stop the horses as the reins. At the same time, he steered them to the right. If they turned now, they would possibly miss the drop-off.
The horses veered slightly. Not enough.Lord, help us.
The wagon slowed and then stopped.
Rudy’s heart pounded so hard he was sure everyone heard it. Or perhaps they had their own internal drum that blocked out the sound. He sat back, his insides quivering. That was too close for his peace of mind.
He turned to Alice. “Are you all right?” Her face was pale, her eyes wide.
She swallowed audibly, nodded, and then turned to check on the girls.
Kitty cried and Alice lifted her over the back and held her.
Sissy climbed over on her own and crowded to Alice’s lap.
Rudy jumped down and went to calm the horses. Telling them what good animals they were to obey him. At the same time, he glanced back to check on Bo. The boy raced toward them.
“That was downright scary.” Bo was out of breath.
“Take the girls,” Alice said. Bo held out his good arm to help them down.
She breathed deeply.
Rudy did as well. He spent a few more minutes making sure the horses weren’t going to bolt again then asked Bo to hold them while he went to the ravine. It was narrow. Probably no more than ten feet across and only about five feet deep. And about six feet from where the horses stood. Sweat broke out on his brow as he realized how close they had come to utter disaster.
Alice left the girls with Bo and joined him. She gasped at the gully before her. “I didn’t even see it. But you did.”
He nodded. “God had His hand on us for sure.”
“Amen.” She knelt and reached for his hand. Together, they perched on their knees, and he prayed.
“Father God, thank You for saving us.” He swallowed a huge lump. “You are our protection.” He sat back on his heels. “Alice, I remember a verse that the preacher in Skunk Hollow repeated almost every Sunday when he prayed. ‘The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.’ He has done that for us today.”
“Amen.” She sat back beside him. “My heart overflows with gratitude.”
He got to his feet and helped her up. “Do you feel up to moving on?”
“Indeed. We are in God’s hands. What should we fear?” She grinned widely and swung their joined hands. She practically bounced as they returned to the horse and wagon and the others.
