The Princess Club / Family Secrets / Mountain Madness by Catherine Marshall

Author:Catherine Marshall
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Inc.
Published: 2010-09-10T04:00:00+00:00

Nine

When Christy and the doctor reached the Washingtons’ front porch, they found Margaret and Louise tending to John. His right arm was bleeding just above the elbow.

“Ain’t nothin’ but a scratch,” John said. His voice was calm, but Christy could see the terror in his eyes.

“Scratch!” Margaret said furiously. “A few more inches the wrong way and it coulda killed you!”

Doctor MacNeill and Christy climbed off Prince. She retrieved the medical bag while the doctor examined John’s arm.

“What happened, Hannah?” Christy asked.

“Ain’t sure.” Hannah’s lower lip trembled. “Me and John was in the yard. All of a sudden we heard someone in the woods out yonder. They started firin’, and we went runnin’. I fell in the dirt. Violet was in my pocket. Nearly crushed the poor ol’ thing.”

“You’ve just got a flesh wound, John,” Doctor MacNeill said. “You’re a lucky boy.”

“Lucky,” John repeated bitterly. “Yes, sir. I s’pose I’m lucky they didn’t kill me outright.”

“How could anyone do this?” Margaret demanded. “We haven’t bothered anyone. This is our land, right and proper.”

Hannah tugged on Christy’s arm. “Why would somebody go shootin’ at me and John, Teacher? I done tried to make friends at school today.”

“I know you did, Hannah.” Christy knelt beside the little girl. “Did you see who was shooting? Do you have any idea who did this?”

“Thought I seen a gray horse back in the woods,” Hannah said. “But it’s hard to say.”

Christy exchanged a glance with the doctor. Bob Allen owned a dapple gray mare.

“Where’s your father, Hannah?” the doctor asked as he cleaned John’s wound.

“Ran up the path lookin’ for the men.”

“With his gun,” Margaret added anxiously.

“That could mean trouble,” the doctor said. “Christy, would you finish bandaging John’s arm? I’m going to try to catch up with Curtis before there’s any more shooting.”

“I’m going with you,” Christy said firmly.

“There’s no point in you—”

“I’m going,” Christy repeated.

Doctor MacNeill sighed. “Fine. I know better than to argue with you. Margaret, there are bandages in my bag. Apply one to John’s wound with a little pressure. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

“Be careful,” Margaret said.

Christy and Doctor MacNeill climbed onto Prince. The doctor kept his shotgun at the ready, while Christy scanned the dense woods for any movement.

“You’re thinking what I’m thinking, aren’t you?” Christy said as they headed up the shady path.

“That you’re the most incredibly stubborn woman in Tennessee and I shouldn’t have let you ride along with me?”

“That Bob Allen’s behind this.”

Doctor MacNeill nodded. “Not that we’d ever be able to prove it. But yes. I’d bet my last dollar it was Bob. He could have been alone, but my guess is he brought along some help.” They heard a noise in the bushes. Christy stiffened. By now she recognized all too well the metallic click of a shotgun being cocked.

“Hold it right there!” a low voice cried from somewhere in the underbrush.

“Curtis?” the doctor called. He brought Prince to a stop. “Is that you? It’s me, Doctor MacNeill.”

Slowly Curtis emerged from the woods, his gun at the ready.

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