Page 67 of Teton Sunrise

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Alex pulled back on his horse’s reins, bringing the gelding to a skidding halt in front of the cabin. A quick glance in all directions told him that the shaking of the earth hadn’t done any damage at his home site. The trees all stood, and except for the whitecaps and murky water of the usually pristine lake, nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.

“Evelyn,” he called. He swung his leg over his horse’s neck to dismount in a hurry. His gelding trotted off. Alex darted to the door, and pushed down on the wooden latch. The newly fashioned door swung open with a creak, and Alex stepped into the dark interior.

“Evie?” The eerie quiet, and the coals smoldering in the hearth sent an icy chill of foreboding down his back. “Evie,” he called, more loudly. He reached their bedroom in a few hurried strides. Nothing looked out of place. The only thing missing was his wife.

Alex spun around, and headed for the door. He noticed immediately that the rifle was gone, and the wool capote he’d hung on the back of the door was missing, too. Where had she gone off to? His heart pounded in his chest, and he raced around the side of the cabin. Repeatedly, he called her name. Cold sweat beaded his forehead and trickled down his back, even in the chill of the early afternoon.

Cursing under his breath, he found his horse grazing near the water’s edge. He pulled his rifle from the saddle, and scoured the area for tracks. A million thoughts raced through his mind. There were no signs that Blackfeet or any other Indians had been here.

When the earth had started shaking, Alex’s first thought had been of Evie alone at the cabin. He’d heard of earth tremors before, through legends from the Indians. Never had he imagined he would experience one. The usually calm waters in the stream he waded in had sloshed over their banks like bathwater in a wooden tub, and dust swirled in the air. Nearby trees swayed with the movement of the earth, and loud rumbling and crashing of rocks and boulders that loosened from the mountains reached his ears. Yancey shot him a startled look. He grabbed for their horses, whose ears twitched nervously back and forth. Not more than a few minutes passed and the shaking stopped. Alex hadn’t wasted any time, and leapt onto his horse.

As he galloped his mount toward home, visions of Evie, alone and most likely scared, raced through Alex’s mind. Had his cabin withstood the tremors? He shouldn’t have left her today. He should have insisted she go along. Clenching his jaw, he conceded that he had no choice but to head out and set his traps. From now on he would insist that she accompany him.

Alex spotted fresh footprints close to the shore of the lake, and followed them toward the inlet. Debris covered some of the prints, indicating that they had to have been made before the ground started shaking. Where was Evelyn headed this morning? She hadn’t told him she had plans to leave the cabin. The further along the river he walked, following her trail, the greater his sense of dread took hold in him. When the tracks ended abruptly at the edge of the churning water, Alex stared across the river. Why had she headed out into the mountains? He couldn’t think of one good reason that would send her this way alone.

Alex scanned the area across the heavily wooded opposite bank of the river. The well-traveled deer trail on the other side looked disturbed by uprooted trees and boulders that had crashed down the side of the mountain.

“Evie,” he called repeatedly, his voice reverberating through the air. There was no answering call.

Alex pushed the dreadful thought that something had happened to her from his mind. He stepped into the water and, using the butt end of his rifle, steadied himself as he navigated his way through the current. The river wasn’t deep, reaching only to his mid-thigh, but the current was strong and the invisible bottom slick and dangerous. Once safely across, he sprinted up the trail, skirting around boulders and debris.

A massive landslide of huge rocks and large boulders that the earth’s shaking had no doubt broken loose finally blocked his way. His heart hammered in his chest. Facing down a grizzly, or fifty Blackfeet warriors could never produce the kind of fear he experienced at this moment. His eyes scanned the hillside, and he climbed on top of the massive heap. Nothing. Not a sound, not a footprint, nothing.

Ravens circled the air, their harsh caws drawing his attention. Alex’s gaze followed their movement. The presence of ravens was not a good sign. They were often the first at the scene of a dead animal or . . . No! He wouldn’t allow himself to think it. He swallowed back the sudden nausea, and his stomach clenched as if someone had punched him in the gut. Ignoring the sensation, he climbed further up and over large rocks and boulders blocking his way, then stopped abruptly. A sudden movement on the ground drew his attention. His eyes fell to the space where two large rocks had collided. A familiar red piece of wool fluttered in the breeze, stuck between the large boulders.

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