body turned slightly once her hand found the rocky cliff wall. As Sam had predicted, Ashes gripped tightly to her mistress. Bit by bit, Josephine’s hand edged higher until her fingers touched the branch. The rope was only inches away.
“Very good,” Sam encouraged. “Now, take hold of the rope and bring it down over your body.”
It was so hard to watch. Minutes crawled by. The rope was now around Josephine’s body, looped under her arms. She had a white-knuckled grip on the root in her right hand and the rope with her left. She wobbled, unbalanced, her face ashen. Sam ran to a tree near the cliff’s edge and tossed his end of the rope over a thick branch a few feet over his head. Striding to Split Ear, he secured the end of the line to his saddle horn.
“You’re going to have to swing across, Joey. Try to take the impact with your legs. They’re strong. Sam turned to Cassie. “Hold tight,” he whispered hoarsely, motioning to the gelding. The apprehension in his eyes gave him away. “If there happens to be a jolt on the rope I don’t know how he’ll react to the pull on the saddle.”
She nodded.
“I’ll pull you up, son. It’s not far between us. It won’t hurt much.”
“What about Ashes?”
Sam shrugged. “She’ll just have to hold onto you. When you go, take hold with both hands.”
Gripping the rope he braced his foot against a large rock. “Back the horse up until the rope is taut,” he called out to Cassie, and then waited as she did what he’d asked.
“Okay, Joey—now!”
Cassie was astounded that her sister had the courage to drop off the ledge. A muted thud prompted Sam to pull hand over hand, until Josephine’s scruffy head appeared over the edge of the ravine. Cassie wanted to run to her but forced herself to hold fast to Split Ear, reins in hand. Once Josephine was lying safely on the ground Sam rushed over, dropping to his knees. Ashes jumped to the side, scampering a few feet before stopping. She sat down, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened, and began licking her paw.
“Are you hurt?” Sam asked, brushing dirt from Josephine’s body and picking sticks from her hair.
Josephine opened her eyes and looked around. She seemed surprised to have made it. “Am I alive?” she asked, her childish voice awash in disbelief.
A cry of anguish tore from Cassie’s throat as she hurried over. She engulfed Josephine in her arms, holding her tightly to her breast and rocking back and forth.
“Sam, you saved her! You saved my little sister.” Her voice was hoarse as tears began to flow. “I can never thank you enough!”
Several moments of complete silence made Cassie look at Sam, who was staring at her wide eyed. He sat back on his heels; a shocked expression marked his face. With his thumb, he tipped his hat up and then pointed an accusing finger at the scraggly little person snuggled next to her chest. Finally, he opened his mouth, “Not you, too?”
Chapter Eleven
“I ’m sorry for not being truthful with you from the beginning,” Cassie said, her voice was still hollow with fear as she clung to Josephine. “It was just too risky. We didn’t know anything about you.”
He was surprised by the magnitude of the relief flooding through him now that Joey—what was her real name, he wondered fleetingly?—was sitting safely on the ground. His own secret prickled his conscience, telling him this was the perfect time to reveal what he in turn was keeping from her. If he’d been waiting for the ideal time to speak up, this was it.
“I didn’t like fooling you,” Josephine said, laying her small hand on his arm. “My real name is Josephine Elizabeth.”
“Well, that’s a real pretty name, Josephine Elizabeth,” he responded, again amazed at his own stupidity. He’d thought the little brother was extremely different, actually a bit strange. He should have put two and two together after learning about Cassie. “Why the pretense?”
“Very good,” Sam encouraged. “Now, take hold of the rope and bring it down over your body.”
It was so hard to watch. Minutes crawled by. The rope was now around Josephine’s body, looped under her arms. She had a white-knuckled grip on the root in her right hand and the rope with her left. She wobbled, unbalanced, her face ashen. Sam ran to a tree near the cliff’s edge and tossed his end of the rope over a thick branch a few feet over his head. Striding to Split Ear, he secured the end of the line to his saddle horn.
“You’re going to have to swing across, Joey. Try to take the impact with your legs. They’re strong. Sam turned to Cassie. “Hold tight,” he whispered hoarsely, motioning to the gelding. The apprehension in his eyes gave him away. “If there happens to be a jolt on the rope I don’t know how he’ll react to the pull on the saddle.”
She nodded.
“I’ll pull you up, son. It’s not far between us. It won’t hurt much.”
“What about Ashes?”
Sam shrugged. “She’ll just have to hold onto you. When you go, take hold with both hands.”
Gripping the rope he braced his foot against a large rock. “Back the horse up until the rope is taut,” he called out to Cassie, and then waited as she did what he’d asked.
“Okay, Joey—now!”
Cassie was astounded that her sister had the courage to drop off the ledge. A muted thud prompted Sam to pull hand over hand, until Josephine’s scruffy head appeared over the edge of the ravine. Cassie wanted to run to her but forced herself to hold fast to Split Ear, reins in hand. Once Josephine was lying safely on the ground Sam rushed over, dropping to his knees. Ashes jumped to the side, scampering a few feet before stopping. She sat down, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened, and began licking her paw.
“Are you hurt?” Sam asked, brushing dirt from Josephine’s body and picking sticks from her hair.
Josephine opened her eyes and looked around. She seemed surprised to have made it. “Am I alive?” she asked, her childish voice awash in disbelief.
A cry of anguish tore from Cassie’s throat as she hurried over. She engulfed Josephine in her arms, holding her tightly to her breast and rocking back and forth.
“Sam, you saved her! You saved my little sister.” Her voice was hoarse as tears began to flow. “I can never thank you enough!”
Several moments of complete silence made Cassie look at Sam, who was staring at her wide eyed. He sat back on his heels; a shocked expression marked his face. With his thumb, he tipped his hat up and then pointed an accusing finger at the scraggly little person snuggled next to her chest. Finally, he opened his mouth, “Not you, too?”
Chapter Eleven
“I ’m sorry for not being truthful with you from the beginning,” Cassie said, her voice was still hollow with fear as she clung to Josephine. “It was just too risky. We didn’t know anything about you.”
He was surprised by the magnitude of the relief flooding through him now that Joey—what was her real name, he wondered fleetingly?—was sitting safely on the ground. His own secret prickled his conscience, telling him this was the perfect time to reveal what he in turn was keeping from her. If he’d been waiting for the ideal time to speak up, this was it.
“I didn’t like fooling you,” Josephine said, laying her small hand on his arm. “My real name is Josephine Elizabeth.”
“Well, that’s a real pretty name, Josephine Elizabeth,” he responded, again amazed at his own stupidity. He’d thought the little brother was extremely different, actually a bit strange. He should have put two and two together after learning about Cassie. “Why the pretense?”
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