PART 3
"It's so beautiful, Lyndon," Bess said. I could paint for days here." The two sat side by side, each painting their own version of the beautiful valley below.
"Yes, it is. I love it here. I'm always inspired to paint or write poetry when I am here."
"Oh Lyndon, would you recite one of your poems for me?"
"Not now, Bess. You were telling me about all of the interesting people at Plumfield. You told me about the kids and Asia, what about the caretaker, Riley? What's he like?"
Bess would have preferred to hear the poem, but she didn't want to protest. So, she answered his question. "He used to be a Merchant Marine. He's been all around the world. I don't really know why he decided to stay after his sentence was up, though."
"His sentence?" Lyndon inquired.
"Yes. He was arrested for assault, for the fourth time. Can you believe that? He's nothing like you and your family. Nick is so uncivilized compared to you. He likes to hit first and ask questions later. Definitely not a pacifist."
"You have to be real careful around him, then?" Lyndon asked.
"Oh, he's really tough but he would never hurt any of the kids," Bess said in his defense. "But if somebody else tried to hurt one of us, Nick would make him rue the day." Lyndon nodded his head, finding it all very interesting.
They finished their paintings and began to clean up. Lyndon spotted Alan and called him aside. They spoke for a few minutes. Lyndon returned to Bess and said, "It's so hot out here. We should go inside and have a lemonade before I walk you back to Plumfield." The offer sounded good to Bess.
Dan and Emil walked quietly behind Nick as he followed the trail left by Bess and Lyndon. The boys weren't quite sure how Nick knew where to go but he seemed to know what he was doing. Nick noticed a change in the woods and stopped them with a finger to his lips for silence.
"There's a cabin up ahead," he said.
The boys couldn't see anything. Nick smiled. "Ya have ta listen. The sounds of the birds and animals will tell ya a lot. And listen to the echoes. Everythin' is different when you come on a clearin'. And you smell that? Someone was cookin' lunch. Smells good. Wish I had eaten. Anyway, there must be a cabin up ahead. You stay here and I'll go see." He started to move and turned around. "I mean it. Stay here!" The boys nodded their heads and Nick left.
He moved to the edge of the clearing and looked at the cabin. It seemed quiet. A noise behind him made him turn quickly. "I told you two to stay put!" he whispered to Emil and Dan. "Get down."
"Is Bess in there Nick?" asked Dan.
"Is she with Lyndon?" asked Emil.
"I dunno. I ain't seen nothin' happenin' yet," was his reply. "Let's sit still a spell and see what happens."
After Nick and the boys left, the folks back at Plumfield went about their daily chores. Nan and Nat came upon Jo and Franz as they were discussing the situation.
"They've been gone a while now. I suspect they caught up with Bess and Lyndon, saw everything was fine and will be back very soon," Jo was saying to Franz.
"You may be right," Franz replied.
"I just hope Nick doesn't do anything to embarrass her," said Jo.
"You have to give Nick more credit than that, Mrs. Jo. He didn't follow her to embarrass her," Nat interjected.
"I'm not quite sure why he insisted on going at all. She's with Lyndon, not a stranger. She's in good hands," Jo said, perplexed.
"He just did not want to take any chances," Franz said, trying to hide his own concern, but failing miserably.
"What did he say to you, Franz?" Jo asked, becoming concerned by Franz's demeanor. Franz did not reply and fidgeted nervously. "What did Nick say?" Jo demanded.
"He just said that I should be ready in case something happens," Franz said, trying to make it sound simple.
"Ready?" Jo asked sharply. She paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that the rifle had not been above the fireplace in the parlor when she left the room just a few minutes ago. "Did he bring a rifle?" she asked Franz pointedly.
Franz hesitated, looking at Nan and Nat, and then replied, "Yes."
"Oh no. Is Bess really in danger, Mrs. Jo?" asked Nan.
"No Nan, she's not. She just went for a walk. Why did I let him go after her?"
"I don't think you could have stopped him, Aunt Jo," replied Franz.
"That's exactly what bothers me. He tries to handle things his own way and now I'm afraid he'll start something. He is so impulsive."
"He has good instincts Mrs. Jo," Nat said calmly. "He won't start anything but he wanted to be ready if something did happen. It's that simple. Don't worry."
But Jo was worried now. As the children and Franz walked away she felt a chill run up her spine. She feared what harm might come to Bess, Lyndon, Dan or Emil because of Nick's meddling. She imagined how Alan would have handled the situation, peacefully, with poise and dignity. Then she pictured Nick with the rifle and shuddered. "What a brute," she thought.
They had been sitting there a while when Nick heard voices in the forest. He was already feeling very uneasy. "It's gettin' late and you boys must be hungry," he said. "There's a road not far from here that will take you back to Plumfield. It'll take longer but you won't get lost. Can you two find your way back?"
"We're fine Nick. We want to stay with you," said Emil.
"I want ya to go back and tell Mrs Jo what we found. I don't want her to worry about you boys, too. But keep low and quiet and be careful," he warned. "And keep goin' no matter what. I'm countin' on ya."
The boys started to move when Dan tripped over a rock and bumped into Emil. They began shouting at each other. "Hush!" Nick shouted in a whisper. He heard another noise in the woods in front of them. He had to get the boys out of there. "Go on. Git!"
The boys disappeared into the woods behind him as Nick saw a movement in the woods ahead of him. It was a man with a rifle, too well dressed to be a hunter. Nick stood and moved out from behind the trees. He raised his rifle to his shoulder and took aim, calling to the man to stop. The man began to aim his rifle at Nick, but Nick stood there sweating and shaking, but frozen.
"At one time this would have been easy, during the war, fighting pirates, but then … ." He shook the memory out of his head again. "This is different," he thought, "you'll bring Bess home safe."
Nick sensed movement behind him and turned to the left just in time to see a rifle butt slam into the side of his head. His rifle clattered to the ground. He staggered, trying to stay conscious. He had to let the boys get away.
And then Nick felt another blow. He fell to the ground hard. His head smashed against a rock. Everything was blurry. He tried to get up and then everything went black.
"Nick!" Bess cried. She couldn't believe what she just saw.
"What is she doing out here?" Alan yelled, blood splattered on his shirt. "Lyndon, get her back inside, now!" Lyndon was already leading her back into the cabin.
Dennis lowered his rifle and came over to where Alan was standing over Nick's motionless body. Alan picked up Nick's rifle that had fallen to the ground. "See if he's breathing," he ordered Dennis.
PART 4
