The old wagon trail with Butterbeans

The first thing Alex notices is the freshness of the air. They are in an underground area. In fact, he already went the length of the climbing rope a little ways back. Now he is walking along a darkened tunnel. However, the air is fresh. It isn’t stale, or even moldy smelling. As he walks through the darkness, he can hear Butterbeans padding along up ahead.

They have likely gone five hundred feet, or so. And all of it underground. Or, under the town, Alex thinks. He hears Butterbeans quicken her stride up ahead. Furthermore, he is sensing a slight incline in the path. He notices a slight change in the light. It is no longer too dark to see. In fact, he can make out more details of the passage. It is very similar to an old mining tunnel.

With this in mind, he feels certain they have traveled a good distance from the old barn, and the empty saddle room. He would be more concerned with leaving Jared, except he has a hunch about this passage. The level of light continues to increase, as he moves steadily forward. Up ahead he can hear Butterbeans moving fast. The passage continues to incline, then it ends abruptly. It ends in a partially concealed opening. One that opens up into a wideview of a box canyon.

The old wagon trail with Butterbeans

Emily Kate is in a fix. She is at the bottom of a well. Furthermore, she is positive the colt is gone now. Most likely grazing by the stream again. She looks around the small area. The well is dry and lined with old stones. However, they are not suitable for climbing. For one thing they look as though they may cave in at any moment. Therefore, she knows this is serious.

Furthermore, she knows it will do her no good to call for help. Yet her concern and worry over her plight, takes over. And she lets out a loud yell anyway. The sound of her voice, seems to stay in the bottom of the well. She feels grateful that there is daylight enough to illuminate to the bottom of this pit. As she looks around for anything that will help, she yells out again. This time asking for anyone’s help.

They do not bother with cell phones this far out in the country. They used the landlines, but there were no cell towers in these parts. There just weren’t enough people to justify the cost. Furthermore, Emily used two way radios at the Bar-K ranch. One of those might come in handy, at the present time. Or a real life super-hero, she thinks. That would fit the bill nicely, right about now.

Chance encounters

Alex steps out from the opening, at the tunnel’s end. As he steps into the humid and sunny afternoon, he turns to see where the underground passage led him. He stands at the base of a cliff wall. Also he is at the back edge of the box canyon. The tunnel under the old barn is strategically placed. At least that is the impression he has, as he turns to look for Butterbeans.

There are several fresh paw prints on the ground. And they are all leading away from the opening. It seems Butterbeans is on to something more than just a tunnel. Alex looks into the distance. He shields his eyes for a better look at the area they are in. Within a few moments, he spots Butterbeans further away, standing still, in a field close to a running stream. Additionally, Alex sees a small colt grazing by the stream.

Butterbeans

Almost immediately, after seeing the colt, Alex hears what sounds like a cry for help. In the distance, he sees Butterbeans wag her tail energetically. She is in the same spot, and now Alex hears the call again. He takes off like a shot, running for all he’s worth, toward Butterbeans, and the mysterious cry for help.

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