10 Echo from the Past

Chapter 10 Echo from the Past Jack and Annie looked outside. The sun had slipped behind the trees of the Frog Creek woods. Annie still held the ancient scroll. She put it in the corner, next to the scroll from their ocean trip. “ Just two more to go, ” she whispered. “ Yup, ” said Jack. He unzipped his pack. He pulled out Days of the Wild West. He put it on top of a stack of books.

“ Ready?” he said. Annie was staring at the books. Her mouth dropped open. “ What’s wrong?” asked Jack. Annie just kept staring. “ Have you gone nuts?” said Jack. Annie pointed at the Wild West book. “ Read the cover, ” she said. Jack picked the book up. He read the title aloud: “ Days of the Wild West. ” He looked at Annie. “ So?” “ Keep reading, ” said Annie. The author’s name was below the title. It was in smaller letters. Jack read: “ Slim Cooley. ” Jack gasped. His mouth dropped open. He and Annie stared at the words for a long moment.

“ Oh, man, ” whispered Jack. “ We were using Slim’s book. The book he wrote after he left us! ”

Jack and Annie shook their heads with wonder. Jack opened Slim’s book. He looked at the title page. At the bottom of the page, he read: Texas Press, Dallas, 1895. Jack turned the page. He read the dedication: WITH THANKS TO SMILEY AND SHORTY, TWO STRANGERS WHO CHANGED MY LIFE Jack looked at Annie. “ Slim dedicated his book to us, ” he said. “ Yup, ” said Annie. She smiled. Jack placed Slim’s book back on the stack of books. Then he and Annie left the tree house and climbed down the ladder.

As they started through the woods, the trees were alive with bird sounds. The air felt soft and moist. “ Frog Creek seems so peaceful, ” said Jack. “ No rattlers, no rustlers, no ghosts. ” “ Yeah, but no Slim Cooley, either, ” said Annie sadly. “ I know, ” said Jack. “ But when we read his book, it’s like he’s still talking to us. ” “ Oh, right, ” said Annie. “ You mean it’s like an echo from the past?” “ Yeah, ” said Jack softly. “ Wow. ” Just then, out of the blue, a voice called, “ Jack! Annie! ” “ It’s Dad! ” said Annie. “ Coming! ” she and Jack shouted. Then they ran all the way home, through the long shadows of the setting sun.