knocked the lantern out of his hand. He didn't see where it went, but the man who'd collided with him let out a loud shriek. Rausch pushed him away, jumped sideways to get around the corner of the tailgate, and ran for the tree line.
****
Halfway up the seminary's pathway, Hjalmar heard the shouting. Something wasn't going according to plan. There was light enough to move faster, though not enough to gallop safely. He kneed his horse. The rest of the team spread out slightly behind him, then matched his pace.
****
The second man by the tailgate wasn't as quick. He was just starting to run when John Stewart got there and kicked his feet out from under him. Brother Green was on the ground holding his thigh and groaning. The man who'd run was about fifteen feet away; John raised the shotgun and started to aim, when Colm ran in from the side and swung the pick handle at the man's legs. He went down with a scream. Somebody he couldn't see went crashing away through the underbrush.
There were lights coming on and running feet everywhere. Amid the voices there was one he couldn't immediately identify, shouting, "Fire! Fire!"
Fire? Fire at who? Then he saw it, from the corner of his eye. A puddle of flame was spreading on the front porch.
The man he'd knocked down was rolling over, starting to get up. Help was coming, but he needed to buy a little more time. He kicked the man again and pointed the shotgun. " Stay where you are. " The cold fury in his voice probably did as much as the weapon, to hold him until Emil Gertsch and John Button got there from the new barn. John still didn't know what had happened to Brother Green, but there was the fire. Before he had to decide which to deal with first, Claudette Green climbed out of a window and shouted, "I got it." She ran around the corner of the house in pajamas and bare feet, and came back in seconds with a garden hose. She started pushing the burning lamp oil off the porch with a stream of water.
That left John free to turn to the rector and give him his full attention. What he saw was a spurting wound in Green's right thigh. John dropped to his knees and started applying direct pressure. The bleeding slowed, but this wasn't going to be enough. He started to think through what he should do next.
The horses arrived.
****
Hjalmar took in the scene. It looked like the aftermath of a small skirmish. There were tongues of flame from a patch of dirt in front of the house, men down, and people running around. Some of it even looked purposeful. "Whoever is in charge, what happened?"
John Stewart looked up from where he was kneeling and gave a commendably clear and concise report. Well, the man had been a mercenary.
"All right. Phillip, handcuff the prisoners. Karl and Jakob, perimeter watch." He dismounted to look at Albert Green's wound. One fast look was enough. "This man needs a tourniquet. And that means he needs to reach the hospital immediately." He went to his saddlebag for the first aid kit.
Mrs. Green was right there. "Tourniquet?" She looked. "Load him in the station wagon. I'll get the keys." She started running toward the kitchen door.
"Not the ambulance?"
She shouted over her shoulder, "It's three miles away. I can have him in the ER before the ambulance is halfway here. Katerina! Get everybody out of the house in case the fire lights up again. Put somebody on the hose."
Hjalmar nodded. It was as sensible a plan as any. "Mr. Stewart, there may still be danger. We must escort the station wagon. Since we must also escort the truck as planned, we must all leave here together. Your men can hold the prisoners until the police come. The ambulance for the one with the broken leg, yes?"
Mrs. Green was already coming back with shoes on her feet and keys jingling in her hand.
****
Claudette looked around as she ran across the yard. Who can I put with Al? Just about everybody she could rely on had something urgent to do. She spotted their foster daughter, looking under
****
Halfway up the seminary's pathway, Hjalmar heard the shouting. Something wasn't going according to plan. There was light enough to move faster, though not enough to gallop safely. He kneed his horse. The rest of the team spread out slightly behind him, then matched his pace.
****
The second man by the tailgate wasn't as quick. He was just starting to run when John Stewart got there and kicked his feet out from under him. Brother Green was on the ground holding his thigh and groaning. The man who'd run was about fifteen feet away; John raised the shotgun and started to aim, when Colm ran in from the side and swung the pick handle at the man's legs. He went down with a scream. Somebody he couldn't see went crashing away through the underbrush.
There were lights coming on and running feet everywhere. Amid the voices there was one he couldn't immediately identify, shouting, "Fire! Fire!"
Fire? Fire at who? Then he saw it, from the corner of his eye. A puddle of flame was spreading on the front porch.
The man he'd knocked down was rolling over, starting to get up. Help was coming, but he needed to buy a little more time. He kicked the man again and pointed the shotgun. " Stay where you are. " The cold fury in his voice probably did as much as the weapon, to hold him until Emil Gertsch and John Button got there from the new barn. John still didn't know what had happened to Brother Green, but there was the fire. Before he had to decide which to deal with first, Claudette Green climbed out of a window and shouted, "I got it." She ran around the corner of the house in pajamas and bare feet, and came back in seconds with a garden hose. She started pushing the burning lamp oil off the porch with a stream of water.
That left John free to turn to the rector and give him his full attention. What he saw was a spurting wound in Green's right thigh. John dropped to his knees and started applying direct pressure. The bleeding slowed, but this wasn't going to be enough. He started to think through what he should do next.
The horses arrived.
****
Hjalmar took in the scene. It looked like the aftermath of a small skirmish. There were tongues of flame from a patch of dirt in front of the house, men down, and people running around. Some of it even looked purposeful. "Whoever is in charge, what happened?"
John Stewart looked up from where he was kneeling and gave a commendably clear and concise report. Well, the man had been a mercenary.
"All right. Phillip, handcuff the prisoners. Karl and Jakob, perimeter watch." He dismounted to look at Albert Green's wound. One fast look was enough. "This man needs a tourniquet. And that means he needs to reach the hospital immediately." He went to his saddlebag for the first aid kit.
Mrs. Green was right there. "Tourniquet?" She looked. "Load him in the station wagon. I'll get the keys." She started running toward the kitchen door.
"Not the ambulance?"
She shouted over her shoulder, "It's three miles away. I can have him in the ER before the ambulance is halfway here. Katerina! Get everybody out of the house in case the fire lights up again. Put somebody on the hose."
Hjalmar nodded. It was as sensible a plan as any. "Mr. Stewart, there may still be danger. We must escort the station wagon. Since we must also escort the truck as planned, we must all leave here together. Your men can hold the prisoners until the police come. The ambulance for the one with the broken leg, yes?"
Mrs. Green was already coming back with shoes on her feet and keys jingling in her hand.
****
Claudette looked around as she ran across the yard. Who can I put with Al? Just about everybody she could rely on had something urgent to do. She spotted their foster daughter, looking under
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