Names in the Sand

“I don’t believe anyone came after us,” Curtis panted as he worked to keep up with Mark.
Mark nodded acknowledgment, but did not slow his pace. They hurried on until they reached a point where a fallen tree, covered in vines and surrounded by shrubs, impeded their progress. Both men worked in silence for a moment as they cleared a tunnel big enough to crawl through. The girls looked at each other questioningly, and Rose smiled at them in encouragement. “It won’t hurt us. I would rather crawl through that dirty mess than get caught wouldn’t you?”
Once they were all safely on the other side, Mark hesitated and considered his surroundings. Turning to the anxious group he smiled, “There is a little used road just over the hill where the going will be easier. I don’t think anyone will remember it still exists to look for us there.” They continued on as he spoke. There was no path whatsoever now, so the brambles and vines needed to be held aside as they passed, but no matter how careful they were they were scratched by thorns and sticks anyway. Mark cautioned the young soldier to bring up the rear and cover their tracks. They moved steadily up the side of the hill until they reached a steep stone wall that was just a little higher than Mark’s head.
“Ok,” Mark said after studying it briefly. “You go up first,” he said nodding to Curtis, “then I will pass the ladies up to you one at a time.”
“I can make it up on my own,” Rose intercepted.
“Not in that dress you can’t,” Mark contradicted looking pointedly at the long skirt she had on.
She looked down at the torn, dirt streaked skirt and succumbed with a grimace. Mark’s heart skipped a beat at the familiar expression. Please, help me get her to safety, Lord, he had time to pray before a single shot rang out behind them and whizzed past Mark’s ear.
Quickly he reached for his gun, grateful that he had stopped to reload it at the fallen tree. He turned just as Burt took another shot. “Everyone get down! Get the other ladies behind that big rock over there,” Mark yelled as he shoved Rose to the ground as he tried his best to cover her. At the same time he aimed and fired his gun.
“You won’t get away with this, traitor!” Burt yelled from behind a tree as he reloaded his weapon.
Mark did not respond, but concentrated on filling his own powder horn with just the right amount of powder. Rose handed him the ramrod that had slipped out of its pocket. “Get down in the brush behind that big rock with the others,” Mark ordered brusquely.
Before she could move, Burt leaned out and fired another shot in their direction. At that precise moment a deer, startled by all the commotion in his normally peaceful neighborhood, leaped from the ledge above them. The bullet hit its mark with a new target in place and the deer landed with a thud on the ground just beyond them. Stunned, neither of them moved for an instant.
Mark reached down and grabbed Rose by the hand and, using his own body as cover, ran with her to the rock. Burt only needed a few seconds to reload, but they managed to reach the large rock on the opposite side of the path. Curtis and the other two girls were already huddled against its backside as they crawled in to join them.
“You can’t get away!” Burt hollered, “There will be a whole posse of men up here when they hear all the shooting!”
“He’s right,” Curtis whispered to Mark, “We have to silence him.”
Mark nodded grimly, “I have a plan. Work your way through the brush as quietly as you can towards his location. Try to get behind him. I will wait a few minutes and then jump out into the open again. He is determined to kill me. He hates me. He won’t realize it is a trap and will come out from behind his tree to shoot. Do your best to get him first. Whatever happens keep heading south and get these ladies safely home.”
The boy looked like he would argue for a minute, but then he nodded and started back around the other side of the big rock.
“You can’t do this, Mark,” Rose protested as she understood his plan, “There has to be a better way to get him out in the open.”
Mark glanced at her briefly. He had to do this, he knew. Burt was too smart a fighter. He saw the fear in Rose’s eyes. Fear for him. He gave her a fleeting smile and told her, “Pray, Rose. Just pray.” He was gone before Rose could respond.
There was an eerie silence in the woods around them as the rest waited anxiously. From further down the hill they could still hear an occasional gunshot, and voices hollering commands. It sounded like the whole town had turned to chaos. One of the other girls began to whimper slightly. “Are we going to make it? Oh what if we don’t make it? I’m not ready to die,” she moaned.
Rose turned instinctively to comfort her, “I don’t know what will happen, but we have two fine men and God on our side.”
“But I don’t have God on my side!” She wailed softly.
“It’s not too late. Just ask God to forgive your sins. He can save you right here,” Rose answered earnestly. Please, Lord, protect Mark and all the rest of us. Help us get out of this place unharmed, and take us safely all the way to our homes. Thank you, Lord, for sending the deer into the path of the last bullet. Please protect Mark once more as he is risking his life to save ours. Amen. She begged God silently, even as she hugged the other girl to soothe her.
Suddenly Mark jumped out into the clearing before the ledge, “Burt! Come out you coward!”
Two shots rang out in quick succession with an unexpectedness that made them all jump.
Rose gripped the rock behind her. The color receded from her face. Mark. Oh, Mark. Her heart cried in fear.
Curtis returned to his place running, and peered cautiously around the side of the rock. He gave a start as Mark appeared right in front of him. “Let’s get going,” Mark said tersely.
“I thought that brute got you! Boy, am I glad to see that you are ok,” Curtis gasped.
Rose felt her knees collapse under her in relief, and she leaned back against the rock so Mark would not notice. She couldn’t remember a time she had been so afraid. She found herself shaking violently. She uttered another quick prayer of thanksgiving to her Lord.
Curtis worked his way up the small cliff that had blocked their progress in the first place and Mark handed the other two girls up to him. He turned to help Rose and realized for the first time that she was not with the rest. He went back to the rock to look for her, and found her there with her face in her hands leaning against its hard surface. “Are you hurt?” He asked rushing to her side in concern.
She lifted her sooty eyelashes slowly, her eyes a brighter blue than he had ever noticed before. “I’m fine,” she whispered weakly, still quite shaken by the gunshots. “I thought you were…” She reached out to him, and he took her in his arms instinctively.
“We have to keep going, Rose. Are you able to keep going?” He asked after a moment.
Rose nodded blushing. She felt foolish for showing him her weakness. Taking the hand he held out to her, she allowed him to help her over to the steep ledge.