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| Page Four |
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"What!? Away from the camp? That's nuts! We're leaving Roy and those two kids behind!" Kelly shouted, trying to slow his chesnut mare's flight after Dot. "Cap'll get em, Chet! He's on the way with the fire crew and a stokes team remember?!" Gage shouted. Kelly let go of his hold on Molly's bit and started kicking her flanks. "Ok, come on, girl. Move!" Johnny clucked urgently, leaning down to encourage Spook into greater speed. "Easy boy, just a little *cough* farther." he said, giving his mask to the child in front of him. The fire became a live animal and writhed above, boiling the air and stripping the pines into black ember impaled skeletons of char in seconds. But the massive fire column twisting in the sky did not descend to consume the rescuers and children into its fierce dance. A wall of heat began to burn the hides of the laboring horses on their rears. Then..... Sploosh! The water's surface offered its layer of breathable air when the five horses splashed into the river's current and began swimming for the shelter of the opposite side. Looking behind him, Johnny could just see the orange dot of Pete's kayak safely moored by the beach in the center of the willow pool. Then smoke obscured it. |
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Blowing hard and coughing, the camp horses bore their riders onwards, gasping in effort and frothing. Then they were staggering up the far side's knotty boulders and into the peaceful forest whose fire hadn't yet the strength to endanger. The firemen and rangers glanced back only once at the raging inferno they had left behind. Two singed deer stood in the river, looking back at them, frightened of the humans but even more frightened of the fire. The mulies didn't even move at all. Julie and Tim took them all to a very high bare rise of rock where Gage dismounted gladly. He took out a cherry flare from a pocket and ignited it for the distant choppers. Its light burst out into a red star from the wax seal and the wind carried away the steam trail into the sky. As they watched, collapsed, and holding the horses, drop planes and water helicopters cut a hole in the fire line with chemicals and liquid suppressants until the way to the ranger tower was clear of flames. Soon, they were overrun with rescuers and vehicles and brush firemen, who rushed to take the children to the command center down the highway where the ambulances and flight helicopters were waiting. |
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------------------------------------------------------ Gage coughed as he sucked in more oxygen from a mask an aid worker had given him in Fire Relief Receiving. Roy sat on a cot next to him, still covered with dirt but he was still far more cleaner than his partner was. DeSoto smiled. "So, how did it feel to be on horseback like that with the rescue gear on and all?" "What do you mean, Roy? I was on horseback yesterday at home when I worked out Eagle." "You know what I mean. I've always wondered about mounted firemen at forest fires... using horses to get around at the fringes of a blaze, then using them to go on rescues..." he hinted. "I- I - I know rangers already have a mounted service. I used to think that was really kinda neat. I was just wondering that maybe I should suggest to someone about the forest fire department maybe starting one up, too...." he said, very reflective. Then he smiled with shy curiosity at Johnny. "So..how did it feel?" "You know Roy, quite frankly, I don't remember much. All I kept thinking about was those children and and..and.. keeping the fire off us long enough to save all our skins." Johnny admitted, cock eye grinned. "But I'll admit that deep down inside, I felt a bit like the Lone Ranger because I had a mask on and everything." he joked. The two paramedic firemen laughed together about that mental image until Julie Beck and Tim Cassidy came into the tent following their medical checkups. Gage smiled. "Hey.. how are the horses? I figured we ran em pretty ragged out there." "They're fine. Dot took a burn on the hock but the vet says it'll heal cleanly." Julie said. "The rest of them just have melted hair damage. No wounds." "That's good." Tim took off his ranger's hat in a gesture of respect that made Johnny and Roy sit up straighter. "Well, we've got to get going. We've piles of reports to fill out about all this back at Devil's Head. Listen.. I appreciate all that you guys tried to do for Pete. It means a whole lot to me and Julie." Cassidy said meaningfully. The hint of sadness about the boy's loss still covered his voice. Both Johnny and Roy got to their feet and accepted the rangers' handshakes of farewell. "It's our job to try, Mr. Cassidy. Next time, we'll beat death. Like we always do ....the majority of the time." Johnny emphasized. "It's been a real pleasure.." Roy said. "Who knows, perhaps we'll work together again in the future." "Count on it." Beck beamed, wiping away her tears with a kleenix through a smile. "Take care.." "You two.." Gage said. "Stay gold." The rangers departed. |
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Sighing, Roy and Johnny vacated the medical tent and stood outside under the stars. Already, the forest fire to the east, was dimming as cool blessed rain fell in abundance to snuff it out as the light of a rising dawn grew brighter. "Hey, would you look at that.." Johnny said in mild surprise. He started smiling ear to ear. "Look at what?" Roy asked, crossing his arms over his dusty uniform shirt. He winced when he bumped his taped up ribs. "Over there, in the camp evacuation block. That's Kevin, one of the little boys we rescued on the mountain. He's in that tent under that pine tree playing with one of the search dogs." "Oh yeah.." Roy smiled in pleasure. "Looks like he's doing fine now. Looks like his parents have found him already." "Yeah..." |
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A clattering of hooves on pavement broke their reverie on the soothing sight of a healing child as Chet Kelly rode by on Molly, the brown camp stable horse. "Hiya fellas!! " he shouted enthusiastically. "What'ya say Johnny.. Think you can hire me out to exercise your barrel horse once in a while? I think I'm really starting to get the hang of all this riding stuff. Yeehhaaaaa!" and he asked Molly to rear in a trick he had discovered that she knew. The mare's stunt startled several passing firefighters on the way to the firelines and caused a water truck to screech to a halt in alarm. "Chester B Kelly. Get down from there!" ordered a booming, couldn't be denied voice. "You're making the whole Los Angeles County Fire Department look like a bunch of cowboys.." growled Captain Stanley from the nearby command tent. "That can be a good thing, Cap..." Johnny murmured secretively, thinking of Roy's earlier views. "Johnny, you just hush.. Kelly, down off her and get that ridiculous ranger hat off your head. I wanna see hooves back to the shelter corral so fast that horseshoe sparks'll still be lit on the asphalt long after you're gone. Or do you like the idea of being assigned drip torch detail on the fire line for the rest of the day before you get breakfast?" Kelly and Molly were ballistic missiles. Cap felt the breeze of their departure ruffle his overcoat as they galloped away. Stanley grinned in satisfaction and entered the chow tent with a happy wave at Johnny and Roy. "That felt wonderful. Always a good thing to let off a little steam after a bad fire.." he quipped. |
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Roy and Johnny moved away from the fire command tent and accepted plates of food from the aid workers as they sat down in front of a bon fire lit by some of the valley camp's staff, for warmth. Roy chewed, after finding a comfortable position, then he asked. "So... are you gonna do it?" Johnny was inhaling his food like a vacuum cleaner. "Do what?" he asked, chipmunk cheeked. He burned his mouth on some coffee that was too hot and Roy had to grab a handful of ice from a water cooler to put out the fire. "Let Chet work out Eagle.." DeSoto continued. "Oh,. Huh. That.." Gage chuckled. "Thanks for the ice. Don't think I scalded myself more than a little bit. Heh. Uh.. I think I'll.....I think I'll let ....Chet handle my horse.." he reflected. "Your prized appaloosa barrel racer?" Roy asked, wide eyed in shock. "No, not him. I think I'll let Chet manage Cochise, the Falabella. He comes about knee high. He's a miniature horse, Roy." Roy burst out laughing to the point of crying out in pain when his splinted ribs shook. "Oww.www.. Ha.! hehe. Ow.. ouch.. I don't think Chet's gonna like that idea very much. I think Chet had in mind that he wanted to ride some more." "Nah uh.. no way. Not on my horses. He can just play amusement pony ride manager for Cochise at the Fireman's Picnic event and be happy." "If you say so. Johnny.. Come on, let's go get cleaned up and hit the hay.. I'm bushed." Roy said standing up and walking away from the campfire to make room for new hungry firefighters. Gage said, scooping up a donut from a box as he hurried after his partner. "Ouch. Roy, I'm speared clear through... That hay pun wasn't very funny at all. " Then.. his voice lifted in an idea. "Sayyyy,, " John's purred in discovery, "If I play my cards right.. maybe I can get Chet to be my new stable boy at the ranch. He'll pitch plenty of hay then for sure if I can convince him that it's worth it." he grinned. "Better be prepared to pay.." "Pay what?" "A wage. I don't think Chet'll do anything with horses for free unless it's strictly riding them." "Who says?" "I do.." DeSoto said frankly, biting into an apple. "Wanna bet?" Roy stopped in his tracks and set both hands as best he could on his hips and regarded Gage through slitted, calculating eyes. "After a full night's sleep I will." he challenged, chewing slowly. Johnny matched his stance, just as scrutinizing, through equally slitted eyes. His finger came up and poked Roy on the chest. "How much?" he asked with a cat that ate the canary smirk. Mike Stoker strode by, in fresh turnout, towelling off his shower fresh, damp hair. "Don't go for it. He'll rob ya." he called out mischieviously. |
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Gage never changed his position. "Don't listen to him. He's just an engineer. How much?" he asked Roy again, without even glancing at the gesture taunting head shaking in the negative Mike rounding the corner away from them. DeSoto studied Mike and then angled his jaw in a final decision. "See you later this evening when our night shift starts." Roy told Johnny and he resumed his slow, rib favoring walk. "Aww Roy, pally. Come on, what's a little bet between friends?" Gage asked, stepping comically as he fluttered around his much larger companion. "A whole lot. Night, Johnny. Go saw some wood." and the tent door flapped shut in Johnny's face as Roy passed through it. "I'd rather burn some...." Gage said, smiling. He turned back around to look towards the civilian tents. "..in a campfire, roasting marshmellows, with a little boy who really really really likes to fish. I'll just bet little Kevin'll love riding Cochise at the Fireman's Picnic Event next month." FIN Episode Ten.. From Loaves To Fishes -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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