"Would you help me gather the extra rope and blankets? We don't know what we'll find."
She nodded.
"Of course."
They worked quickly.
Caleb saddled the calmer of his horses while Martha gathered wool blankets, a small medical kit, and a lantern. Then they set out together, leading the animal through the deepest snow rather than riding where the ground was uncertain.
The shouting grew clearer as they approached the creek.
It was a boy's voice.
Caleb recognized him.
Jonah Porter, the twelve-year-old who had visited the cabin several weeks earlier.
They found him near the broken footbridge.
He stood on one side of the creek, waving frantically toward the opposite bank. His father was farther down the slope, partially trapped beneath a fallen branch while trying to reach a frightened mule that had slipped near the icy water.
Caleb hurried forward.
Martha remained beside the boy long enough to understand what had happened.
The family had been bringing supplies home when the mule broke loose. Jonah's father followed it, lost his footing near the creek, and became pinned when a heavy branch shifted against the snow.
The man was conscious.
But he couldn't free himself.
Caleb examined the slope.
The ice was unstable, and stepping directly onto it could send another person into the creek.
Martha studied the surroundings.
Then she looked toward the horse.
"Can we anchor the rope around that pine?"
Caleb glanced over.
She pointed toward a sturdy tree on higher ground.
"If we approach from above, we won't need to stand on the ice."
Caleb examined the route.
It was difficult.
But possible.
He nodded.
"Good thinking."
Together, they secured the rope and approached the trapped man from the safer slope. Caleb moved carefully, checking each foothold while Martha remained above, managing the line and helping Jonah hold the lantern steady.
The branch was heavy.
Caleb couldn't lift it alone without risking another slide.
Martha assessed the angle.
Then she suggested using a length of timber as a lever while the rope stabilized the movement.
Caleb looked toward her.
He knew immediately that she was right.
Working together, they shifted the branch enough for the injured man to pull free.
Caleb helped him reach firmer ground.
Martha wrapped him in a blanket and checked whether he was alert while Caleb secured the mule farther from the creek.
Jonah began crying.
His father held him close.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Then the rancher looked toward Martha.
"You saved my life."
She shook her head.
"We all helped."
He smiled weakly.
"You saw the way through."
Caleb looked at her.
He thought of the afternoon at the stagecoach.
The cruel words he'd spoken.
The men who laughed.
Then he looked at the woman standing beside him, snow clinging to her hair, her face flushed from the effort, her hands steady despite the cold.
He felt a deep shame.