Scout went slowly, reluctantly in to that windy nightmare. He was skittish and the dirt pelted all three of them like stinging nettles but Etta and that baby's life depended on them.

Scout put his head down and turned away from the wind and headed in the direction they needed to go. The kids could barely keep the towels from being blown off and they did little good anyway. It was a mile and a half down dirt roads to town. Betty put her arms around Lloyd's waist putting her head behind his back trying to hide from the dirt. He wore the goggles.

Town was a small collection of buildings set in the middle of the prairie. There was a grocery store run by an old grump that never cleaned out the vegetable bins. The place smelled like rotting vegetables, oil that was spread on the worn, wooden floors to keep it clean and bath and laundry soaps which consisted of Life Bouy and Fels Naptha. Next to the grocer on the corner was a restaurant, Max's Cafe. That's where the town's people met every Saturday night after the movie at the local theatre.

The last movie Betty saw was King Kong with Fay Wray and her secret heart throb Robert Armstrong. It was so frightening. Everyone was screaming right along with Fay Wray all the way through the movie but Betty cried at the end when King Kong got killed. It was very traumatic and Betty thought she might be sick and as it turned out, she had a seizure later that night. It was SO worth it though.

Across the street stood the post Office which smelled like cigar smoke, Old Spice aftershave and newspaper ink. The older men around town met there to discuss the latest news. Then there was one of Betty's favorite places the Five and Dime. She loved to look at all the wonderful things that lay nestled in neat little bins, tiny doll babies she could make clothes for and small trucks and cars. She could not afford any of those things, they cost as much as five cents each and silver money was hard to come by. Sometimes Betty dreamed of finding silver money laying in the gutter and she would grab what she could before it fell down the drain but that was only a dream and she always woke up. Next to the Five and Dime was the best place of all, the drug store.

When she walked through the door a bell tinkled letting old Mr. Wheat the druggist know that there was a customer in his store. The soda fountain, an old massive wooden bar where cherry cokes and chocolate malts were served was in the back of the store which meant Betty had to walk through the store to get there. What a wonderful adventure to wander through the aisles with the magazines and bottles of things that were as mysterious as their names.

Down Main Street, an unpaved, rutted road stood the Gamble's store that had a new rubber tire smell and anything a farmer or handyman might need. Next to that place was a little white house with an old tree that grew way too close to the building standing in the front yard. There was a small white picket fence which was whitewashed yearly. The house was their target, that's where Dr. Hoyt lived and had his practice.

"Oh POOP" yelled Betty over the wind and into Lloyd's back.

"What did you say Betty?" yelled Lloyd who only heard a muffled sound through the towel.

"I said POOP, you know Poopy!"

"You can't swear like that Betty. Girls don't say that stuff."

"Well I can and I do! POOP, POOP, POOP and besides you cuss."

"No I don't Betty, least ways not around women."

"I've heard you say crap, that's swearin' Lloyd."

"Is NOT Betty" he yelled back.

"Is so Lloyd."

"Is NOT Betty."

"Is TOO."

"NOT."

And so it went both yelling at each other until suddenly they realized the wind had quieted a bit. And in the distance an outline of a building, TOWN!!!!

Scout saw it too and picked up his speed. He went from 0 to 2 in a short time. He was also trying to divest himself of his feedbag because it was empty. He was shaking his head from side to side and up and down. They came to Main Street only to find it deserted. Nobody in their right mind was out today. Even the Post Office was closed. Doc. Hoyt HAD to be home. They made their way down the dirt-filled street until they saw the little white house with the tree growing too close to it. The tree was straggly and bare of leaves and might even have been dead but there it was a sure sign they had found their way. Scout proved to be a true thoroughbred, not the old nag Lloyd's Dad said he was.

Both jumped off the horse and ran for the little white picket fence surrounding the yard. Both of them banged on the door at the same time, desperate now to see the Dr.

"Well what in the world? Kids, what are you doing out in this stuff?"

"Doc, Doc, you gotta come quick, Betty's mom is having that baby right now and she's havin' a hard time. Please, hurry." Lloyd's breath came in spurts there was so little oxygen in the air.

"Oh Lord, let me get my bag. I'll crank up the car and you can tie your horse behind. What a time to have a baby, Etta," he mumbled while he ran for his things.

Outside the storm had quieted a bit. The wind was still blowing dirt around but it was not the blizzard it had been, a good sign that things were going to get better. Dr. Hoyt was trying to get his car out of a lean-to next to the house but it wouldn't budge, wouldn't turn over, wouldn't start. After about 10 agonizing minutes he gave up.

"Can't get the blasted thing to start kids. I'm at a loss here."

"We could all go back on Scout Doc. He'll get us there." There was such a sincere look on Lloyd's face and such determination in his eyes, that Dr. Hoyt agreed.

"You know it's been YEARS since I straddled a horse kids. You'll have to lead the way."

"Doc, you wouldn't happen to have a piece of bread or something for Scout would you? He'd do lots better if he had something to chew on."

"Well Lloyd I just do happen to have something he'll really like, an apple. Just got it from the store yesterday, nice and fresh too."

Dr. Hoyt ran in to the house and returned with a shiny, bright red apple. They put it in the feedbag and that made Scout really happy. They all three got on that old horse's back and with the Doctor's bag in hand, headed back to the farm. The kids felt it would be alright then. There was hope in the air.