Chapter Nine: Day Four

Day 4

Becky awakened to the sound of a truck. The sun was not up yet and as it came closer, she could see its headlights in the distance.

“Finally, someone is coming up the road from the highway!"

She quickly climbed out of her sleeping bag and got out of her car.

The truck stopped within a few feet of her fire and several men jumped out. One of the men began to swear when he spotted her.

"What kind of an idiot are you, starting a fire in the middle of the road?” the older of the two yelled at Becky. Someone could get killed.”   

"This is not a camping spot!" yelled the younger man, waving his arms in the air. "Don't you know there is a forest fire in the vicinity area? You could have caused another one here!"

“Why are some people so dumb?”

"Go easy on her, Ned" He realized that they were yelling at a girl. "She is still a kid!" 

"What are you doing way up here anyhow?" The older man was definitely angry. "Did you know that this road has been closed for a long time because of a rock slide just up ahead?"

The younger man suspected that there were some serious problems, or she never would have stopped here.

"Speak up,” the elderly man ordered. “What is going on here?”

Becky was almost on the verge of tears. She considered heading back inside her car and locking the door, but her fiery temper started to surface. She was not about to tolerate be bullied when she needed help.”

"I am stranded with a dead battery," explained Becky as they approached her. "Can you help me get my car started?"

"Good God, how long have you been sitting here?" The younger man showed serious concern. “Are you by yourself?”

"This is day four," said Becky quietly, nodding her head. "I think that the forest fire was started by lightning. I climbed that rock cliff to check it, but I think the rain has put it out."

"You climbed up there?" The young man spoke in a soft voice, as he could see that she was frightened.    

"Yes, I have been up on the rock cliff twice." 

"My God, you did something so foolish? The elderly man was still angry.  “You could have been killed by climbing up there.

“Let her explain, Ned.”

In the early morning light, could see that the younger man in a ranger suit was clean cut, well dressed and he wore a ranger’s uniform.     

“I stopped here for a moment and then my car would not start. I saw smoke rising to the west and was concerned about the forest fire. I hoped to be able to see it from a distance and I was gong to decide which direction to run, if I was forced to leave.”

“That was probably a wise thing to do.”

Inwardly, the younger ranger was commending her for doing something to help herself.

“I saw a plane flying overhead, but they did not see me,” said Becky. "I climbed up the face of the cliff and made an arrow up there, hoping someone might spot it from the air. When I was building the arrow with rocks, I found a mountain goat pathway and came down that way.

“So you found a better way to get up there.”

No matter what she said, the young ranger seemed to understand. 

“Likely story,” said the older ranger.

The second time that I went up, I wanted to check the forest fire and the direction it was heading. When I woke up, forest fire ashes were scattered everywhere. From the top of the rock cliff, it looked like the forest fire was almost out as there were only a few intermittent patches of smoke, but not enough to be concerned about.”

Both of the rangers were astounded. 

“We should have come up here yesterday when we initially spotted the pillar of smoke in this area, but we did not think there would be anyone here. We probably would have done that too, if there had not been a recent forest fire.”

“I was trying to figure out which way to go home and knew I might have to walk out of here, either back to the highway or towards the gas station. In both directions, it was a really long walk and I was concerned about the wild animals.”

“I think we owe you an apology, young lady. Your concern about the wild animals is well justified,” said the young ranger. “Do you know that you are parked in an area where there is an animal crossing?”

“I figured that out when I saw them heading across it and then returning the same way. I took a number of photographs of the animals and also documented my experience here.”

  

The older ranger decided to go up the white goat mountain path and check out the forest fire from them.

“I should make him climb the face of that rock cliff like I did,” she thought to herself, but pointed out the pathway to him.

Becky was attracted to the younger ranger, but tried not to show it as she showed him the help sign she had made on the gravel road. There was evidence of numerous animals having crossed the gravel road over it. She also showed him the mountain spring.

“Everything that I am saying is true,” she said.

“I believe you,” replied the young ranger, who could not help but feel drawn to her. “You are one spunky young lady,” he said to her. “Let’s see if we can get your car going. You will have to turn around and drive back to the highway because this mountain road is closed. There was a rockslide further ahead, several weeks ago. You would not have been able to get to the garage up ahead. Besides that, there is no one there anyhow, as the last folks left because of the forest fire. That must have been our plane that you spotted.”     

“I did not see a sign that showed the road had been closed,” replied Becky.

“It was not there this morning either, but we did take the time to look for it either.”

Becky spotted the older ranger on the top of the rock cliff, waving at them. 

“The forest fire is out!” he yelled. “Now put that other one out too!”

“She told the truth,” thought the younger ranger. “I am relieved.”

Becky quickly doused her fire and scattered the burning ashes across the gravel road, stomping on them to make certain that they were all out. Then she doused the ones that were still burning with water.

“By the way, my name is Becky.”

She saw the young ranger watching her and reached out to shake his hand. It felt comforting, warm and tender.

“I am sorry,” he replied. “We should have introduced ourselves to you right away. That is Ned up there on that rock cliff and I am Jon. “Toss that rock on the side of the road, so that no one runs into it. Why did you put it in the middle of the fire?”

“I needed some way to make coffee,” she replied. “I used it to warm up a can of beans initially. Then I washed it out and cooked chunks of steak in it yesterday and baked a potato for supper on the rock.”    

“You are really quite ingenious. You must have gone camping before?”

“Many times,” replied Becky, as she picked up the flat rock and tossed it on the side of the road.

“While you gather your things together, I will see if I can do something about getting your car started.”

“In the winter, if your battery is low, plugging it in or leaving it in the sun will often help. I have been hoping that the sun would do the same thing. It almost started yesterday. I would not have been stranded here much longer.”    

“You are right on that account too,” said Jon. “Put your crow bar in the trunk as you won’t need it. We always help people who are I trouble, so you have nothing to fear from either Ned or I. We have a set of booster cables in the truck.”  

Becky opened her car door and pulled the lever to open the car hood for him.

“It looks like you are taking good pretty care of your car,” he said.

“I try,” said Becky. “I always have to look after it because I am on my own.”

“Super,” thought Jon. “I am too,” he said.

Jon went back to his truck, drove it past Becky’s car, turned it around to face her car and opened the hood of his truck. 

“You may need to replace the alternator,” he said, as he cleaned the battery posts on her car. He had seen the help sign on the gravel road and spotted animal tracks crossing the road.

“Try starting your car for me now,” he said. It groaned and almost started.

“Let’s try giving it a boost,” he said to Ned, who had just come down from the mountain cliff.      

Becky decided to let the rangers worry about getting her car started and she went to the mountain stream to wash her hands and face.

Jon watched her from a distance. The sun glowed on her red hair when she brushed it.

“I always loved red heads,” he said to Ned.

"That battery really did die?" asked Ned, who was not about to engage in any conversation about the young woman. "How on earth did she get her own fire to burn when everything was so wet?"

"She is just one smart lady, and beautiful too."

“Thank you, God for rescuing me,” said Becky, as she headed back towards her car. "Since I have to go back down the highway, I think that I will pay another visit to BBB, before I head back home tomorrow.” Becky said.

“You would probably be wise to replace your battery before you head anywhere else, so that you don’t have more trouble on the highway.” Jon replied. With Ned’s assistance, he managed to get the car started.

“I am not made of dollars,” Becky thought to herself. “If I have to, I have to.”

“Ned can drive our truck and I will drive your car to the nearest garage on the highway. That way, we will know that you are safe.” What he really wanted was to spend some more time with her.

“I would appreciate that,” said Becky with a smile. She wanted to spend more time getting to know him too.