Page 52 of Wagon Train Hope
“Walt! Walt!” Irene’s frantic voice came to him, but he couldn’t answer. A smaller rock bounced past his head.
He had to warn her. Finally, his lungs began to work. “Stay back.” He meant to call loudly, but the words barely made it past his mouth.
“Walt!” Irene’s face appeared to his right, past the boulder holding him down. At least it wasn’t crushing him as long as it didn’t move.
“Are you alive?”
The concern in her voice made him smile. “I think so.”
“Are you hurt?”
“I can’t say.” There was no pain, but he couldn’t move his legs. Whether that was because of the weight on them or because…well, he couldn’t tell.
She crossed from side to side, examining the situation. “I think I can pull this off you. I’ll need to use the horses.” But she didn’t leave to do so. Instead, she stared at him, her eyes wide, revealing how frightened she was.
“You can do this.” At the moment, he needed her willingness to do risky things. Her lack of fear.
“I will do it.” She disappeared from his sight.
Above the pounding of his heart, her voice carried to him, ordering the horses into place. He cringed when the sound of a rolling stone suggested her footing was unsteady.Please, God, keep her safe.
She slipped a rope around the boulder, looped it over something above them, and then stood there without doing anything.
“What’s wrong?” Was there more to the situation?
“I’m afraid if I don’t do this right”—she paused and swallowed visibly—“you’ll be crushed.”
“Irene, I have confidence in you. You’ve spent hours exploring. You must have had to move things. Perhaps a tree in the way. Or a wagon that needed righting.”
“Yes, but never with someone pinned. Not you.” She ended on a whisper.
“I trust you.”
“That might be a mistake.”
“I don’t think so. Besides, haven’t we agreed we should trust God?” It was her suggestion even.
“Could you pray?” Her voice trembled, indicating her fear.
He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but he was stuck. All he could offer was reassurance. Pray, as she’d asked. “Certainly.” Though he’d never prayed aloud. Pa led prayers. But there was no shyness in this moment. “Father God, I know You protected me when I fell. Please, guide Irene as she pulls the rock so I can get free. In You, we trust. Amen.”
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Her startled laugh was his reward.
Then, her calm voice guided the horses. The rope tightened. The boulder moved. It swayed. “God, help,” he muttered as the weight threatened to shift forward. He couldn’t stop staring at it. If it fell on his chest?—
Well, that’s as far as the thought needed to go.
And then he glimpsed the sky between his body and the rock and dragged himself backward and out of the way.
Irene must hear his heart hammering, but just in case, he hollered, “I’m out.”
“Whoa. Back up.” The boulder eased to the ground, and she raced to his side. “Are you all right?” She ran her hands over his arms. “Nothing broken?” Forgetting herself, she fell to her knees and ran her hands over his legs. Such sweet torture.
“I’m fine. Thanks to you.”
