Midnight Rescue Read Online Free Page A

out.”
    Always Libby felt amazed at how quickly Caleb figured out what to do. “You knew all that in the midst of horses running away?” Then Libby remembered. “That man climbing over the wall. The escaped prisoner must have gotten away.”
    “Afraid so,” Caleb answered.
    “He scares me,” Libby said. “He really scares me.” Forgetting where she was, Libby moved. As the wagon shifted, her stomach bottomed out. Then the wagon settled again.
    After what seemed like ages, Jordan dropped the end of a lead rope over what had been the side of the wagon. “You needs to hang on to this so we can help you out.”
    Caleb gave the rope to Libby. “Tie it around under your arms.”
    With shaking fingers Libby knotted the rope. When she was ready, Jordan spoke again.
    “Take it slow and easy-like,” he said. “Me and Nate is holdin’ the rope, but you gots to crawl out.”
    “You first, Libby,” Caleb said. “Stay on your hands and knees.”
    The moment she moved, Jordan and Nate tightened the rope. As Libby crawled across the boards that had been the sideof the wagon, her full, ankle-length skirt caught on a splinter. When she freed the cloth, she moved into the opening. There she took one look down.
    Only two feet beyond where she knelt, the ground dropped away to nothing. Far below, the houses seemed like tiny toy buildings.
    Libby’s muscles tightened. Forcing herself to move on, she set down her right hand. Just beyond her fingers, the ground crumbled, then gave way. When she heard pebbles land far below, Libby again froze.
    “Keep movin,’” Jordan told her. The rope tightened around her, but Libby could not pick up her hand.
    “Put your right knee forward,” Caleb said from behind. But fear held Libby as if the rope were pulling her back instead of forward.
    His voice calm and steady, Caleb spoke again. “Put your right knee forward.”
    This time Libby could move.
    “Bring up your left knee,” Caleb told her.
    Again Libby obeyed. Movement by movement, Caleb told her what to do.
    “Keep going,” Caleb encouraged her whenever she hesitated. “You’re almost there.”
    At last Libby crawled around the front of the wagon to the solid ground where Jordan and Nate stood.
    The moment Libby untied the rope, Jordan returned it to Caleb. Her knees still weak with fright, Libby sank down on safe ground. Her arms were shaking, and her teeth chattered with nervousness.
    As soon as Caleb said he was ready, Jordan and Nate drewthe rope tight. Bracing their feet, they called to Caleb. “C’mon out!”
    Through the broken pieces of wood at the front of the wagon, Libby saw Caleb’s head. The instant he moved, the wagon shifted. Pulling hard on the rope, Jordan and Nate stepped back.
    Again Caleb edged forward. Again the wagon shifted. Dirt and small stones slid out from beneath the boards and rained down the side of the bluff.
    Libby leaped to her feet. Filled with panic, she cried out, “Caleb!”

CHAPTER 3
Friend Caleb

    J ust a foot of dirt remained between the front of the wagon and the edge of the bluff. Again Jordan and Nate moved back, bracing their feet on solid ground. Standing behind Nate, Libby took up the end of the rope. With all three of them hanging on, Caleb crawled out on the narrow strip of ground. Moments later he reached safety.
    Only then did Libby draw a deep breath of relief. When she looked around, she saw the horses farther down the road. Instead of a lead rope, reins stretched between them and a tree. No longer able to run, Bob tossed his head, his eyes still wild with fear.
    Like a matchstick, the pole at the front of the wagon was broken into pieces. The front boards were also shattered beyond use. Seeing them, Libby remembered Nate. “Did you jump?” she asked him.
    He nodded. “About two seconds before we hit.”
    A moment later Libby saw people coming from all directions to help them. While some of the men rubbed down the sweating horses, others worked together to turn the