AUGUST 14, 1861

"And that's all," Cody stated.

"Aw, tell it again." Melissa coaxed for the third time.

"Naw, I've told you the story of Bart three times already."

"I like it. Boy, I wish I had a bear as a friend. He was lucky that you came along. Those hunters could have killed him. I've never seen a real bear. I wanted to go to a carnival once to see lots of wild animals, but we didn't have enough money to go. I've just seen pictures of them in books. Maybe someday I'll get to see a real one." Melissa's voice got lower as she stared off into space thinking about what it would be like to see a real bear.

Never one to damper one's dreams, Cody replied, "I'm sure you will someday." Though he hoped it was a caged bear in a carnival because he didn't want her to be out in the wilderness and come face to face with one.

"Hey, you could take me to see Bart. Would you? Would you, please?" Melissa's face beamed with a great big smile.

Cody looked down at his legs. "I don't think that's possible." He shook his head as he spoke.

In an instant, Melissa went from happy to sad. If it hadn't been for her, Cody wouldn't be in a wheelchair. The emotional turmoil that she had been battling with ever since she had come back from Jake's grave came gushing back up into her consciousness. She thought she had put it behind her after the talk with Caller Bob and her sister, Jewel, but she realized that she hadn't really forgiven herself for the entire incident especially since Cody was in a wheelchair because of it. She had just put it aside, not thinking about it, especially not of the consequences that her actions had caused. Cody would probably never walk again. And it was all her fault. Cody and Jacy were having problems, and that was her fault, too. She had made a mess of everything.

"It's all my fault! It's all," her voice got louder and angrier as she got to her feet. "It's all my fault that you're in that crummy wheelchair. If it hadn't been for me, you would still be walking." Tears began to slide down her face, and she turned and ran to Braids. Her horse was at the hitching post in front of the house. She had saddled him earlier, so that when Michael arrived to go fishing, she would be ready to go.

"Melissa, wait! Wait! It's not your fault." Trying to get to his feet, Cody fell to the porch. Thinking of only Melissa and not himself, he pulled himself across the porch to the top of the steps and hollered again. "MELISSA, COME BACK HERE!" But Melissa was too far down the lane, and she didn't hear him, but even if she had heard him, she wouldn't have come back. All she wanted to do was get as far away from her quilt as she could.

Ike was on his way to visit Cody when Melissa came flying past him. That was strange, he thought. Melissa always would stop and say hello to him before riding on. She really must be in a hurry. Ike had stopped his horse when he had seen her coming towards him. He was going to at least nod and smile a greeting at her since she didn't know Indian sign language, but since she didn't stop, he just started Shyster onward towards StarShine Haven again.

As Ike got closer to the house, he noticed Cody crawling down the porch, so he kicked Shyster into a gallop. Cody looked up when Ike pulled Shyster up in front of him. "Ike, Melissa has taken off. I don't know where, and I don't know what she might do. She's very upset. We have to find her." He watched as Ike signed. "No, you can't bring her back alone. She can't understand you. I have to go. Go get Prankster in the barn, saddle him up and bring him to me. Go Ike! GO!"

Ike hurried to the barn, jumped off his horse and ran inside. He found Prankster, saddled him and led him and his horse over to Cody. Cody pulled himself up to a somewhat standing position with the help of Prankster's saddle and Ike.

Now came the tricky part, getting into the saddle. "Down. Down Prankster!" Cody commanded. Prankster kneeled down, and that brought the stirrup closer to Cody's foot. Ike lifted Cody's foot up and into the stirrup, and then Cody pulled himself up, and Ike swung Cody's right foot over the saddle. Well, he had at least made it into the saddle. "Lets go, Ike. We have to find her."

Ike didn't like the situation much. Cody riding off when he couldn't even walk, but what could he do? He would just have to stay with Cody and hope for the best. There had been a light rain early this morning, so it was easy to follow Braid’s hoof prints. After a while the trail led off the beaten path. Cody didn’t like it. Melissa wasn’t heading for town any more, nor was she on the path towards the Pony Express station. Lucky for them the path was clean-cut, but obviously she was traveling along at a rapid pace because they hadn’t caught up with her yet.

But Ike and Cody both knew that Melissa would have to slow Braids down soon. She couldn’t keep her horse at such an ungodly pace forever. Then hopefully they would catch up with her.

Ike stopped Shyster and started signing to Cody. Cody followed Ike’s pointing finger to the sky. Dark clouds were coming closer. It looked like it might start raining again any minute. That was no good. It might wash away the trail. Before Cody could speak, a drop hit his hand. It was beginning to rain, lightly for now, but neither one knew how long or how hard it would rain. “Let’s pick up the pace some, Ike.”

They kicked their horses into a run for the sixth time. It had sort of been run and walk, run and walk with them. They didn’t want to tire out their horses to swiftly. About ten minutes later the rain got heavier. They were getting soaked. They slowed their horses down.

“I know Ike we can’t see anything.” Ike spied some trees to the right and pointed. Cody nodded. The trees were tall and clustered together, but with room in between them for the lads and their horses.

Cody and Ike dismounted, and neither one said it, but they both hoped that the rain wouldn’t last long. Standing in certain positions, the rain wasn’t hitting them because of the thickness of the branches and leaves. Cody and Ike sat down to wait out the rain.

Meanwhile the rain was slowing Melissa down, too. She had finally decided to pull over and stop Braids. She had spotted an old burn down house, but it still had part of a section where her and Braids could scoot into and not get wet. She was thankful for that. She leaned up against the still standing wall, and her tummy began to rumble. She hadn’t had any supper and now her tummy was telling her that it was time for some food. Unfortunately, Melissa didn’t have anything to eat. She was a little cold from being soaked, so she took Braids saddle off, and wrapped the horse’s blanket around her. There was nothing more she could do until the rain stopped, so frowning she slid down the wall and curled into a ball. It didn’t take too long for the patter of the rain to lull Melissa into a deep sleep.