Too Late To Tell?
Michaela dismally stared into her tea cup. It had been such a long evening. Dorothy and
Daniel had come over and Sully and Cloud Dancing had snuck through a window at the
back of the house. There were always at least two soldiers guarding outside the house. It
seemed as though the army thought Sully was stupid enough to just walk right down the
road to the homestead.
Michaela turned her attention back to the argument that was going on before her. "If I
turn myself in they might not kill me!" insisted Sully.
"You're mad!" boomed Daniel, "The army would like nothing more than to hang you from
a tree!"
"Sully," Michaela suddenly spoke up. "Matthew and I are working on getting you a
pardon. Please! We can do it, we just need time."
"I do believe Michaela is right," said Cloud Dancing.
"Well alright," said Sully reluctantly," But I'm not gonna wait forever. Maybe a couple of
months..."
There was a loud knock on the door. "Dr. Quinn! Dr. Quinn, open the door!" yelled a
voice. It was Dr. Cook.
"Hurry! Out the back!" hissed Daniel. Sully and Cloud Dancing ran upstairs to the
window.
When all was settled, Michaela opened the door. Andrew burst into the homestead. "There
was a meeting tonight. Hank and his friends. At the saloon. They got drunk. They somehow
think Sully's alive and are coming over here. I think it would be wise if you left before they
got here," Andrew said in an urgent voice.
Michaela paused for a second, deep in thought. Should they flee the house before the mob
arrived or should they stay. This was so unreal. Like a nightmare. "I think you're right,"
she finally said, "I'll wake Colleen and Brian. Matthew, get our wagon and horses."
Matthew grabbed a coat and ran off to the barn. Daniel helped Dorothy into her coat and
then put on his own.
"Colleen! Brian!" called Michaela. Colleen was up at once but Brian took longer to come
out of sleep. "Hurry children! We must go now. Colleen, would you take Katie to Sully?
You can use Andrew's wagon," Michaela said pulling Katie into her lap.
"Andrew's here?" asked Brian in a sleepy voice.
"Yes, now get dressed." Michaela went back down where Andrew was nervously waiting.
"Michaela, where are Colleen and Brian?" asked Andrew.
"They're coming. Could you hold Katie?" asked Michaela. "Listen Andrew, there's
somewhere I need you to take the children. I can't explain right now but Colleen will.
Okay?" Then, without waiting for an answer, she thrust Katie into his hands and ran out to
the barn as well.
"Hi Katie!" said Andrew as he played with her. Colleen was rushing down the steps but
stopped when she saw him playing with Katie. "Where's that big beautiful sister of yours,
huh?" he asked Katie. She gurgled in response. Colleen blushed on the stairs.
"What are ya doin' here Colleen? Why are you just standin' here?" asked Brian in a loud
voice as he came up from behind. Colleen turned even redder. Andrew stopped playing
with Katie.
"Brian, just get in the wagon, come on," said Colleen, going down the rest of the stairs.
"Here you are," said Andrew holding out Katie. Colleen took her and grabbed her own
shawl as well. She began to put it on, but Katie got in the way. She twisted and turned until
finally Andrew came awkwardly up behind her and helped.
"Thanks," she mumbled. They hurried out the door to the waiting wagons.
"Goodbye Katie!" said Michaela hugging her child. "Colleen, Brian, be careful!" she
warned, including them in her embrace.
"We will ma," said Brian as he climbed into the back of Andrew's wagon. Colleen hopped
up into the front seat and Andrew, after handing her the baby, came up beside her. Then
the tricky part came. Andrew would ride past the guards saying that he was taking Colleen
and Brian to the hotel while the others got away into the woods near the homestead.
Andrew began to ride away when a guard stopped him.
"Where are you takin' them?" he asked Andrew.
"They're coming with me to the hotel," explained Andrew in a calm voice.
The soldier looked in the back of the wagon and, after carefully examining it, waved them
away.
While this was going on, Daniel quietly clucked the horses around the other side of the
house. They were just into the woods when they stopped. "Here's a safe distance to watch
the house from," said Daniel hopping down from the wagon. The foursome settled
themselves in the dead leaves and quietly waited for the unknown.
"Michaela said there was something you would explain to me and somewhere I was to take
you. Do you know anything about that?" asked Andrew.
"Andrew, Ma wants you to take us to Sully," said Colleen nervously. "Sully!? He's dead!"
exclaimed Andrew.
"No he ain't!" said Brian, "Ma found him and he's hiding with Cloud Dancing in a cave
and-"
"Cloud Dancing?" asked Andrew, "Isn't that the Indian that the army is looking for?"
"Well yes, but he didn't do anything wrong. And neither did Sully!" said Colleen.
"Alright! I believe you. Now where is the hide-out?" asked Andrew.
"Well you just keep going on this path and then-" Colleen stopped. Up ahead there were
voices.
"Colleen!" Brian said in a fearful voice," Are those dog soldiers?"
"It's gonna be alright Brian," Colleen reassured him.
Andrew hopped down from the wagon. "Here Brian, come down," he said quietly. Brian
hopped down as well. Andrew reached up for Katie and handed her to Brian. Then he
reached up to help Colleen down. The voices were getting closer.
"My skirt's stuck on a nail!" Colleen hissed, tugging the skirt. The voices got even closer
until finally they came into the clearing. It was Sully and Cloud Dancing.
"Pa! Cloud Dancing!" Brian called, running towards them. Colleen sat on the seat and
unhooked her dress from the nail. She then hopped down from the wagon.
"Colleen, Andrew?!" Sully exclaimed. "It's okay Pa," said Brian, "We told him. Ma said
we could since she had to stay behind to watch the house so no-one would get hurt-"
"Hush Brian!" said Colleen.
"What's this about your Ma gettin' hurt?" asked Sully.
They explained to him about the town meeting and the drunken men. "I gotta get over
there right now. Andrew, can you drive me?" asked Sully. Andrew said that he would.
Cloud Dancing left with Brian and Katie.
"Be careful," said Colleen to Andrew and Sully. "Don't let the army see you!"
"We won't Colleen," said Sully.
She waved to them as they quickly rode off. When she could see them no more she turned
around and began the walk to Sully's hide-out. Suddenly she stopped. Had she heard
something? Was someone following her? She had no more time to think because suddenly
someone grabbed her and put a hand over her mouth. Something banged her head and then
everything turned black.
Michaela was almost sick with worry. Did Sully and Cloud Dancing make it back to the
hide-out? Were the children alright? Her worries were interrupted by shouting from down
the road. It was the men, just as Andrew had said. When they got to the homestead, they
banged on the door. When no-one answered, they prepared to kick it in. Michaela's fear
quickly turned into anger. Just then the army came down the road as well.
"The army!" exclaimed Dorothy," What are they doin' here?" She soon found out.
"I don't know what you men are doin' here but I suggest you leave before I arrest you all!"
said a soldier.
The drunken men hesitated and then broke up and walked their separate ways. Michaela
sighed. Once the soldiers had gone, she walked out of the woods as Matthew got the
horses. It was nearly 7:00. She felt a hand touch her shoulder and she gasped. She spun
around. It was only Sully. She fell into his arms. "Oh Sully!" she said, finally letting her
tears out.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" asked Sully, his voice filled with concern.
Michaela dried her eyes. "I'm fine. Some drunks were going to break into the house. The
army stopped them-Sully! The children! Are they alright? You! You have to go now. What
if the army sees you?"
"Michaela, the children are fine. They're with Cloud Dancing. As for the army, they're
gone for now," Sully said pointing.
"Oh! And the children are safe?" she asked. Before Sully could answer Cloud Dancing
came up behind her. Dorothy was with him as well as Matthew and Daniel.
"Colleen is not here?" he asked.
Icy fear gripped Michaela. "No," she said softly, "She's with you."
"She did not return to the cave with us," explained Cloud Dancing.
"Colleen was sayin' bye to Sully and Andrew when we were leaving. But she never came.
We looked ma, but we couldn't find her!" said Brian trembling. Michaela opened up her
arms and he ran into them. "Where is she ma?" he wailed.
"I don't know Brian, but we're going to find her!" Michaela said. She turned around and
marched into the homestead. The others followed.
Colleen opened her eyes. It was dark. Was she blind? No. There was light coming from
somewhere. If she could just stand up. There. She walked slowly. Her shawl fell off. As she
began to pick it up she yelped in pain. Her arm. She felt it. It seemed to be broken. She
picked up the shawl with her other hand and went to the light again. She was in a cave. The
opening showed a stream down the large hill she was on. She sat down to rest. Even
walking seemed hard. She felt her head. "How did I get this bump?" she mumbled. Then
she remembered the hand and the blow to her head. What if her attacker was still here?
Who was her attacker? She pulled her knees up to her chest in fear. "I have to take care
of my arm," she said softly through her tears. "Ma, Brian, they'll know I'm gone. They'll
come looking for me. Won't they?" She tied up her arm with her shawl and began the
painful journey down the rough hill.
Michaela, Matthew, Daniel, Dorothy, Matthew, and Brian all rode into town. Michaela
had Katie in her lap. They rode up to Grace's Cafe where Michaela and Brian got off.
"Grace!" she exclaimed. "Something has happened to Colleen. We're going out to look for
her. Could you watch Brian and Katie?"
"Sure Dr. Mike. What happened?" asked Grace with concern.
"I don't know," said Dr. Mike as she got back on the horse.
Next they rode to Robert E. "Robert E. can you help us. Colleen is missing, we have to
find her!" said Michaela. Jake, Hank, and Loren walked up. "What's this?" asked Jake.
"Colleen's missing! I have to find her!" said Michaela.
"You know kids Dr. Mike! They's always runnin' off," chuckled Hank.
"Not Colleen," said Michaela.
"So it's your daughter?" said a soldier, coming up to Michaela.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Those injuns said they've got a white girl and they've got a list of demands a mile long in
return for her," chuckled the soldier.
"We've got to go now!" said Dr. Quinn. She ran to the clinic and went in. Andrew was
there.
"Michaela," he said," Where's Colleen?"
"Andrew," said Michaela as she gathered supplies, "Colleen never made it last night."
"Never made it to where?" he asked. "She never made it to the cave after she said
goodbye to you and Sully. We don't know where-well actually, we do know where she is.
The dog soldiers have her and they're holding her till their demands are met. I'm going out
to look for her now," said Michaela heading for the door.
"Wait!" called Andrew, grabbing his coat and bag, "I'm going with you!"
"You can't!" said Michaela impatiently, "What about the hotel?"
"I don't care. Preston will understand," insisted Andrew.
"Well, what if someone gets sick?" asked Michaela.
"The town got along fine with out a doctor before, they can for a little while now," said
Andrew.
"Come on," said Michaela, heading out the door.
Daniel and Matthew had a map of the surrounding area layed out before them. "We'll look
here. Jake, you and Hank look here. Robert E., you and Loren look here. Michaela! There
you are," said Daniel. "Is Andrew coming along?"
"Yes he is," replied Dr. Mike. "Well then you two can search here," said Daniel.
They all agreed to meet back in town the day after next. Then they all got on their horses
and rode off. "I just hope she's safe," said Andrew.
"Well," began Michaela," Once I was kidnapped by the Indians. They dragged me
everywhere and hardly gave me enough food. Finally, Sully rescued me. I just hope things
are different-no, I pray things are different for Colleen." The two rode on in silence, each
thinking about the thoughts neither would say out loud.
Sully turned around after he heard his name. "Cloud Dancing?" he called.
"Yes," said Cloud Dancing, coming into view, "I have news of Colleen."
"Did they find her?" asked Sully. "No. But the Indians do not have her," said Cloud
Dancing.
"But they made demands to the government! They have to have her!" insisted Sully.
"They say they have her, but really, they took her somewhere east of town. They say it
will be long before she can make it back by herself. They think that by then, the
government will give them what they want," explained Cloud Dancing.
"Come on!" said Sully," I've got to find Michaela-and then we'll go find Colleen."
Colleen looked up. She hadn't gotten very far. Maybe a few feet. She was falling asleep
and she didn't know what to do. "I've got to rest," she mumbled. She decided to climb back
up and take shelter in the cave. Once she got up she looked down to where she had been.
She had been so close to the bottom. The hill that at first seemed so big was actually very
small. So why did it seem so hard to climb down it? She had barely gotten back inside the
cave when sleep over took her and she thought no more.
"It's getting late," said Michaela. "Perhaps we should set up camp."
"No," said Andrew. "We've got to keep looking. We have to find her."
Michaela stopped her horse and pulled it in front of Andrew, forcing him to stop. "Andrew,
you can't look in the dark. And besides, how can you even look in the light if you're half
asleep," Michaela's words hung in the air.
"Alright, let's set up camp," Andrew finally said. They got off their horses and began to set
up camp.
"We will find her Andrew," said Michaela. Then, more softly, "I just hope before it's too
late.
"Now you go to sleep and I bet when you wake up tomorrow Colleen will be here!" said
Grace, tucking Brian into bed next to Anthony.
"Grace," called Brian.
"Yes," said Grace, returning to the bedside.
"What if they don't find her? What if she's scared?" asked Brian.
"Brian, do you remember when your Pa came to take you to California?" asked Grace.
"Yes," replied Brian. "Well before you left you told Dr. Mike that if she thought of you
real hard and you thought of her real hard, then it would almost be like talkin'.
Remember?" asked Grace.
"Yes," Brian said softly. "Well you just think of her real hard and pray real hard and she'll
come home," said Grace, tucking Brian in again. She left the room and Anthony went to
sleep. But Brian stayed awake. First thinking of Colleen, then of Dr. Mike, then of Sully
and then he thought of God...
Michaela looked at Andrew. He had been staring into the fire for almost ten minutes now
with out saying a word. He seemed to care for Colleen deeply but Dr. Quinn couldn't be
sure. "What's the good of him searching for her when things will just go back to the way
they have been," she thought. "Andrew," she finally said.
"Yes Michaela," he replied looking up from the fire.
"Have you thought what you're going to do if we...after we find Colleen?" she asked.
"Yes, I sure have," replied Andrew.
Michaela's hope brightened. "Well?" she inquired.
"I'm going to go back to Preston and beg for my job back. He's not going to like it that I've
been gone so long!" chuckled Andrew.
"Well, what about Colleen?" Michaela asked hesitantly.
"What about her?" asked Andrew.
"Nothing, let's go to sleep," replied Michaela.
Andrew layed down on his blanket and quickly fell asleep.
Michaela was just about to lie down when a hand crept up on her shoulder. She turned
around and gasped. "Sully?" she said in a fearful voice. Sully put his finger over his lips
and motioned for her to come away from the camp. They went a little ways and then
stopped. "Sully! What are you doing here?" asked Michaela.
"I have to tell you! The dog soldiers don't have Colleen. I mean they did but they don't
anymore!" said Sully.
"You mean they returned her!" exclaimed Michaela.
"No. They kidnapped her and then took her somewhere in this direction. They thought the
government would grant their demands by the time she got back. We have to find her
tomorrow. I'll help. You should get your rest. Come on," Sully said leading her back to the
fire.
They layed down together and Sully, like Andrew, quickly fell asleep. But Michaela
couldn't. All she could think about was Colleen. Finally, she began to pray. "Dear God,
thank you for my husband and our wonderful children. I'm so lucky to have them. But you
see, now, one of our children is missing. She might even be suffering, pain no-one of her
age should feel. Dear God, please let us find her, no matter what it takes. And until we do,
take care of her." Michaela's eyes filled with tears as she finally tried to sleep.
"Andrew, you head in that direction. Michaela, you go left, and I'll go in the middle. Spread
out and look for anything that even looks like it belongs to Colleen. If anything goes
wrong, just yell out. Okay?" Sully finished. It was morning. They were splitting up to find
Colleen. After they all nodded, each went his separate way.
Michaela hadn't gone far when she noticed a stream. She walked along the bank for clues.
She thought she saw a hair ribbon and reached for it when she slipped in the mud and fell
in. "Sully!" she cried as her head slipped under the water and bobbed back up. But no one
heard her.
"Looks like it'll be a bad storm soon," muttered Sully. "We better find her before it gets
here!" Suddenly he stopped. Michaela was in trouble. He felt it. Something was very
wrong. He listened hard. Was that a scream? He raced off in the direction Michaela had
gone, fear ripping through him.
Andrew walked along the stream looking for clues. Suddenly, something blue caught his
eye. He picked it up. It was a hair ribbon, Colleen's hair ribbon! "Colleen!" he called out,
"Colleen!" he began to search the surrounding area. He looked in trees and bushes. He
looked every where. He was just about to move on when he heard what sounded like
violent coughing. He looked around for the source. Then he saw it. A cave on a small,
rough, hill. "Colleen!!" he yelled. "I'm coming!" He climbed up the hill as fast as he could,
which wasn't very fast. When he arrived at the top he stumbled into the cave. There, sitting
up, violently coughing, was Colleen. "Colleen!" he exclaimed as he rushed towards her.
She opened her eyes in fear and then they welled up with tears when she saw it was
Andrew. "Andrew," she softly sobbed as she clung to him.
"Colleen, your arm! It's hurt-" Andrew stopped. Colleen's head had fallen against him.
And she wasn't breathing. "Colleen!" he said shaking her. There was no response.
"Colleen!" he tried again. Nothing. "No!" he exclaimed.
"Michaela!" called Sully as he waded through the stream. The waters were churning as it
began to rain and thunder. Then he saw her head in the water. "Michaela!" he called.
When he reached her he grabbed her and pulled her to the shore. "Michaela!" he said.
She made no response. She wasn't breathing. "Michaela!" Sully began mouth to mouth.
She still wasn't breathing. Where was Andrew? He would know what to do? "Michaela!
Don't die! Katie needs you and so do Brian and Colleen! I need you! The town needs you!
We all need you!" Sully shouted.
Suddenly, Michaela began to spit up water. Soon she was breathing again. "Michaela!"
cried Sully as he grabbed her. Silent sobs shook his body as Michaela breathed once more.
Andrew was beginning to do mouth to mouth on Colleen when she suddenly woke up.
"Colleen?" asked Andrew. "Well! You must have passed out or something. You weren't
breathing. I was so scared you would die!" Colleen weakly smiled and squeezed his hand.
"We've got to get you down from here," said Andrew rubbing her arms. "You're freezing.
Here, take my coat," Andrew insisted. Colleen put it on and shivered.
Suddenly they heard Sully screaming. "Andrew! Andrew where are you?"
Andrew went out of the cave and saw that it was raining. He also saw Sully carrying a limp
Michaela.
"Is she okay?" asked Andrew as Sully climbed the hill.
"She wasn't breathing there for a while but she's fine now I guess. Is that cave warm?" he
asked.
"Well it's dry," replied Andrew.
"Did you find Colleen?" asked Sully.
"Yes I did!" exclaimed Andrew. Sully walked into the cave and layed Michaela down by
Colleen.
Michaela opened her eyes. "Colleen!" she said hoarsely. They embraced and then both
fell asleep.
Sully and Andrew sat around the small fire they had built inside the cave. "Andrew," Sully
said breaking the silence. "Do you love Colleen?"
"Love Colleen? Well I don't um know well..." Andrew stuttered, clearly surprised by the
question.
"Well when she stopped breathing, did you want to die too?" asked Sully.
"Well yeah," Andrew said softly," I guess I did."
"Look Andrew, if I had never told Michaela I loved her then she would have married some
fancy doctor from Boston. If you love Colleen, you gotta tell her before it's too late. Well,
I'm tired. Let's go to sleep." Sully layed down and so did Andrew. Both fell asleep thinking
just how lucky they were.
The next morning everyone felt better. Sully helped Michaela down the hill while Andrew
and Colleen packed up their things.
"Colleen," Andrew suddenly blurted," I love you."
Colleen froze. "Well," she finally said. "I guess I love you too." There was silence.
Andrew finally smiled and so did Colleen; then they kissed. He helped her down the hill
and onto the waiting horse. Then he came up behind her.
"Let's go home," said Sully as they began to ride in the direction of town. Sully and
Michaela let Andrew and Colleen go up in front and they lagged behind.
"What's going on?" asked Michaela.
"I think Andrew told Colleen he loved her. He's a real good man for her I think," Sully
said.
Michaela was astonished. "Well what made him tell her," she asked.
"I don't know. Remember when I told you?" he teased.
"Yes! Then you left on a train and I was stuck all alone in Boston," she teased in return.
"Not all alone! You had your fancy doctor friend!" Sully said.
"You know I never really loved him! It was always you Sully!" Michaela said kissing him.
Grace ran into the school house. "Sorry to interrupt class but Brian! Your ma and Sully are
back with Andrew...and Colleen!" Grace exclaimed.
"May I be excused from class!?" asked Brian.
"Yes!" said the teacher. He ran outside and looked at the town.
Yes, there, coming down the road were three horses. Ma was on one, Pa on the other, and
Andrew and Colleen on a third. Brian ran toward them and he knew that everything would
turn out alright, just as God had said it would.
