Then the sound of struggling animals moved toward the trees.
Caleb took one breath.
“They're losing control of the horses in the storm.”
Eleanor looked toward the broken window.
The wind was blowing snow across the floor.
She was frightened.
But the men outside were in danger too.
That thought made her uncomfortable.
They'd threatened her.
Tried to force their way inside.
And still she couldn't ignore the possibility that someone might freeze to death beyond the cabin.
Then a different voice shouted.
“HELP!”
Caleb looked toward the door.
Eleanor caught his sleeve.
“Don't go out there alone.”
He hesitated.
“They may be trying to draw me outside.”
She nodded.
“I know.”
The cry came again.
This time weaker.
Caleb looked toward the rifle.
Then toward his wife.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Finally, Eleanor said, “We can offer shelter without surrendering ourselves.”
He studied her.
Then nodded.
They called through the door, demanding that the men move away from the entrance and identify whether someone was injured.
The response was confused.
One rider had been thrown when his horse slipped near the woodpile.
He couldn't get up.
Vane shouted that the man needed help.
Caleb remained cautious.
But he also knew the temperature was falling.
After establishing what he could from inside, he opened the door only when the other men had moved back and their hands were visible.
The storm rushed into the cabin.
Eleanor watched from a safe position beside the hearth.
Caleb stepped onto the porch.
The injured rider was lying in the snow near the fence.
He was a young man.
Perhaps twenty-three.
His face was pale, and he seemed confused.
Vane stood several yards away, gripping his horse's reins while snow whipped around his shoulders.
Caleb looked toward him.
“Your man needs a doctor.”
Vane cursed.
“The trail's closed.”
Caleb stared at the rider.
Then made a decision.
He wasn't going to leave a young man to freeze because the man's employer had sent him to threaten the cabin.
With careful assistance from the other riders, Caleb helped the injured man reach the sheltered porch. He assessed whether the young man could be moved without worsening an obvious injury, then arranged a warm place near the entrance while Eleanor prepared blankets.
The rider remained conscious.
He complained of pain in his leg.
Caleb kept him still and warm while they considered how to obtain medical help when the storm eased.