The Time Tunnel

By Dale Cahoon

The time tunnel is the story of 2 families, born 150 years apart, who become one because of a freak time warp that separates a young family of 4 children, Joshua I7 Clara 15, Adam 12 and Annie 6 from the old west and transports them into a new world in the year 2010. This young family watched from a cave in the mountains as their parents were at

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rustik Haws LLC
• Release date: Apr 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781952617201

Dale Cahoon

My name is Dale Cahoon and I am from a small town in Cardston, Alberta Canada. This is the 3rd book I have published, the first being THE TIME TUNNEL (Time travel/love story) the second The UNLIKELY INHERITANCE (suspenseful love story). My newest book is FRAMED (an action thriller). My books are rated G and for anyone to read. I have a passion for writing and hope you enjoy my stories and find they make you laugh, cry, and enjoy the relationships of my characters.

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THE TIME TUNNEL

DALE CAHOON

The Time Tunnel by Dale Cahoon

This book is written to provide information and motivation to readers. It’s purpose is not to render any type of psychological, legal, or professional advice of any kind. The content is the sole opinion and expression of the author, and not necessarily that of the publisher.

Copyright © 2020 by Dale Cahoon

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, or distributed in any form by any means, including, but not limited to, recording, photocopying, or taking screenshots of parts of the book, without prior written permission from the author or the publisher. Brief quotations for noncommercial purposes, such as book reviews, permitted by Fair Use of the U.S. Copyright Law, are allowed without written permissions, as long as such quotations do not cause damage to the book’s commercial value. For permissions, write to the publisher, whose address is stated below.

ISBN: 978-1-951147-42-6 (Paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-952617-20-1 (eBook)

Printed in the United States of America.

Rustik Haws LLC

100 S. Ashley Drive, Suite 600

Tampa, FL 33602

https://www.rustikhaws.com/

Contents

CHAPTER 1

THE AMBUSH

CHAPTER 2

LOST IN A NEW WORLD

CHAPTER 3

MEET THE PARENTS

CHAPTER 4

BACK TO THE PAST

CHAPTER 5

A NEW LIFE FOR THE

TRAVERS FAMILY

CHAPTER 6

FORMULATING A PLAN

CHAPTER 7

THE PLAN

CHAPTER 8

THE RESCUE

CHAPTER 1

THE AMBUSH

Jackson Hole Wyoming 1859

The four children watched as the Indian warriors swooped down on the wagon train. The covered wagons, now in a circle, returned fire as the Indians surrounded the small fortress. Early that morning while it was still dark, the children’s father had taken them up the side of the mountain and found a small cave where he told them to wait. When they had arrived in the valley, the entire wagon train and their quartermaster knew they were in for a fight. As they had settled down for the night, they had noticed a tribe of Indians with war paint, watching them.

A battle was imminent, and so the father, John Travers, had taken his children to safety or at least a better place to be during the possible battle. After finding the cave, John brought some kindling as the children gathered some firewood. Their father built a small fire and told them to find cover if a battle was to begin.

He drew them close and told them they were all in grave danger. He held them close and hugged them. I love you all and so does your mother, he said. And never forget that, no matter what happens.

Joshua was the oldest at seventeen, and he wanted to return with his father and mother and join the fight. But John told him that if anything happened to them, it was his responsibility to get the other children to their destination safely.

They had traveled so far and were so close to their destination. The Idaho territory was just over the mountain, and they knew that the family was within only a few days of joining their uncle and aunt and their family.

Joshua’s siblings were Clara, fifteen, Adam, ten, and Annie, six. Everyone was crying as they saw their friends and family start to lose the battle. Joshua tried to be the strong one and held his two sisters close as the battle raged on.

Finally, the shooting stopped, and the pioneers held up a white flag of surrender. The Apaches sat on their horses outside as the settlers from the wagon train moved out from the cover. Joshua tried to keep the other kids from looking. Several bodies lay in plain sight, and he knew that many more of his friends were in the same state inside the circle.

He watched and prayed that his parents weren’t among them and would soon come out of the circle. And just as he was giving up hope, he saw his mother, and then his father, appear. The Apaches were yelling at the settlers and made them get on their knees. The wagon master tried to talk to the leader, and as he did so, he was speared in the heart. Joshua prayed as never before that somehow his parents wouldn’t be killed.

By now, the children were too inquisitive not to watch, and they came up to Joshua, who tried to hold them back. The Indians tied each of the remaining prisoners to each other, while others stole whatever they could from the wagons. They then took torches and lit the wagons on fire.

They then proceeded to move away from the encampment with the prisoners in tow, walking behind their horses. Just as they began moving in the opposite direction, little Annie noticed her mother as Mrs. Travers turned and looked back at their hiding place. Mommy! she cried out and ran out of the cave. Just as Joshua grabbed her, one of the natives turned his head and spotted the child. He yelled at the leader, and in a matter of seconds, about ten of them turned their horses and headed toward the children’s hiding place.

It was decision time for Joshua—whether to raise their hands and surrender or try to make their escape. He remembered what his father had said to him a few hours before. His gut feeling told him to run.

Follow me, he said as he grabbed Annie’s hand. And don’t say anything. The little troop headed back into the cave, and Joshua grabbed a torch from the fire. Their father, John, had made it to give them some light inside the cave. The cave opened up the farther they went. Finally, they came to an open room with three different tunnels. He, once again, had to make a decision which way to go. By now, the Indians had arrived at the mouth of the cave. It was too dark for them to follow until they were able to make torches from the fire. He decided to go right, relying on gut instinct as he went.

Joshua kept telling the children to stay close by and walk as softly as they could. He knew it would only be a matter of minutes before their pursuers would be upon them. The farther up the tunnel they went, the smaller the cave became. Joshua once again thought about his decision and said to Clara, Maybe we should go back to the other tunnel.

I think it’s too late, replied Clara. I can hear them coming.

Sure enough, the children could hear the sound of voices coming from the tunnel behind them. Joshua knew they would have to make the same decision they had picking a tunnel to follow. He also knew that if the Indians saw the light of his torch, it would all be over. He told Clara to get right behind him to shade a little of the glow as they continued down the tunnel’s path.

Finally, the path got very small and looked to be a dead end. There’s an opening, said Adam. Look over here to the right. I can get through there, he continued.

OK, whispered Joshua. Just crawl in there, and see if there is anywhere else to go!

Quickly, he climbed under the stone-covered entrance and said, There is a path. Hand me the torch.

Joshua handed it to him, and he moved up a bit. It goes up here quite a ways, he said as he came back a few seconds later.

OK, let’s go, Joshua said as he scooted Annie and Clara under the rocks. He followed, barely fitting through the opening. Give me back the torch, he said to Adam, who responded by handing it down the line of kids and back into his hands. Move up a bit, Joshua continued, and they started to inch forward in the dark.

All of a sudden, Joshua heard some voices coming toward them and then a flicker of light down the tunnel. At that very moment, he noticed a boulder and grabbed it, pushing it up against the entrance to their path. He whispered to the children to hold still and not make a sound. He moved up and grabbed his two sisters as he extinguished the torch.

The noise became louder and louder, and in a minute, they could see the light coming toward them. They huddled together in the darkness and waited. Within a minute, the natives were upon them, standing directly beside them at the opening to their hiding place. There were at least three of them, and although Joshua could not understand them, he knew exactly what they were saying. One of the Indians worked his way around the walls of the cave until he was within a few feet of the children. Sitting behind the wall, the children held their breaths as they waited for their discovery. Both Annie and Clara had their faces buried in Joshua’s coat, and he could feel the pressure of his brother’s grasp as they sat together in the darkness.

It seemed like forever until one of the natives said Let’s go to the others. At least that’s what Joshua interpreted. Just as they turned to go, Annie started to sneeze. Joshua put his hand over her mouth, and a small squeak came out. The final member of the search party stopped and looked back. Once again, the little troop held their breaths in anticipation. He must have thought it was nothing because he turned then continued back with the others.

The four children sat in stark silence in the darkness for the next few minutes. It was so dark that they couldn’t even see one another’s faces, and now they had no light. Joshua began to think he should call out after their searchers because he thought there was no possible way of getting out of the cave without the torch.

Joshua said a silent prayer on behalf of his little family. They had always been taught to be God-fearing and to trust in the Lord for help. Just as he finished his prayer, there was a flash of light up the path. Oh no, he thought. They are back. It was followed by a loud crack, which made the children wince as it echoed down the