"Mister Pike! Mister Pike!" Justus yelled as he approached the boss who was overlooking the herd out in the pasture. He'd been riding for the better part of half an hour, bareback on Annie, using only a halter as a guide...thrown together hastily, adding to the urgency. As he skidded the mare to a stop beside Barnabas, he hastily explained.
"Mrs. Pike's horse came inta th' yard alone! She was saddled, but no Mrs. Pike, an' we couldn't find her nowhere around th' place! We looked all over, but there's no sign!"
Any time a horse came in riderless, it was something to be concerned about, but especially so when the horse belonged to the boss' wife! Some of the men who had been at the ranch had already gone out to hunt for the woman...and her baby...but they really had no idea which direction to look...
"What?" Pike said quickly, "Where, I mean, which way'd it come in from?" He wanted to know as he wheeled the Roan around. "Who's out? And in what directions are they looking?" He was anxious, Em and Wheeler were missing, and no one knew where or in which direction to search. Had she left the ranch? That didn't seem like her, but there were spots she favored on the property, some were remote, not easy to find.
"Is Pythias out there? Or Dallas?" Those two could track a snake over dry rocks! And that just might be what was needed. He was not discounting his own abilities, finding the trail of a man or horse. He was not the best, but plenty good enough, and he felt he would have to be!
Jumping to the ground, Justus called, "Horse!" and in an instant one of the other hands was off his mount, handing Justus the reins. Annie was spent, lathered, her sides heaving...she'd never make the dash back to the ranch!
Swinging back into the saddle, Justus fell into pace as best he could beside Barnabas. "Yes, sir, Pythias and Dallas...all th' men that were at th' ranch, 'cept for Cookie." It was hard to call out the information as he rode beside his boss, but he needed to know. "No one saw her leave, horse come in from th' north." Toward the falls, but no telling what Mrs. Pike was about up there.
"Cookie had a rider go ta town fer th' Doc, just in case..." He hoped that was unnecessary, but...
North is kit, toward the falls, you say? Berry pickin', that's where she went." He said, but not with a great deal of confidence because she could have started off in any direction, and somehow the horse came back that direction. Get Modeen, Dally, and find Lorado an' Ames. Bring 'em back quick like, I'll be scoutin' up'ta the falls for sign of the Missus. Ride hard, Gibbs, change mounts on the way back if ya gotta."
This filled the gunfighter with fear the likes of which he had never known before this very moment. His wife and son were missing, and that could mean just about anything. Were they taken, there were savages about, that was for sure. Or maybe she was injured, and the horse just ambled off toward home. he didn't want to think of what may have happened to Wheeler. He simply did not want to think about it
That Cooklie sent for the doctor was a good call, and hopefully, he'd not be needed. He stopped, shook his head as if to clear it. He needed to be clear of mind for the search; being all twisted up with fear was not going to help them or him.
