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slight smile on their faces.   They were silently in complete agreement with the Chief.

    ~~~
    The clearing provided an opening to see to the west where an airplane could be seen rising from the airstrip at Pump Station 5.   That was their destination, and now Danielle had to take the lead to get everyone down the mountain to safety.   It was not going to be easy, and there was not going to be another rescue aircraft coming soon.   They needed to start moving to the base of this mountain so that a ground vehicle could get to them.
    “We need to work our way down now.   It should take only the rest of the day to get there if we start now,” She said.
    “Betsy is still in pain…”
    "I don't want to be the holdup, Bill.   We need to go with Danielle,"
    "We'll be careful, but we need to start now.   I want to be at the bottom before dark."
    "Folks, Danielle is excellent and I agree with her," Jake said.
    Everybody was now up; they collected the minimum from the broken copter they thought they would need.   Like water, medic kit, and each took a coil of rope.   Now the group, not three but eight, started the trek to the west following an untested leader but a leader with new resolve.
    It was about a half mile further to the west and the level trail began to change into a more challenging surface.   Stonier and slippery with moss.   The talk of the north-side of the trees was coming into play on this north side of the mountain.   Danielle searched ahead for the most level parts, but she could only see that below her about a hundred feet.
    "I would like to tie one of our ropes to this tree and then we can descend to the easier trail down there,"   She said pointing to the more level path below.
    One of the crew took off the coil of rope and tied it to the tree.
    "Thanks, Bob, Jason will you start down, and when you're at the bottom, Jim will you start down and spot Mrs. Bigelow as she goes down backward.   Go slow.   Betsy, keep looking at me as you work your way down.   Be careful with each step and make sure it is as solid as you can.   Jim is right behind you to steady you."
    "Ok, Danielle, I know I need to do this, but I do not like it."
    “I know Betsy, but we need to do this.”
    All was well until the halfway down point.   Not a good time to cross a moose, indignant of intruders.   But there was the moose, and he charged at Jim and Betsy.   Betsy lost her grip.   The moose hooked Jim as he ran between them sending him rolling down the slope.   Betsy teetered and started to fall.
    “Drop to the ground Betsy,”   Danielle yelled.
    She must have heard Danielle or instinctively fell and rolled down the hill.   Almost to the path, she hit a tree trunk.
    "Aaah!"
      She screamed in pain.   It was her other leg.  
    The EMT grabbed the rope and in a repelling motion got down to where Betsy was.   She was holding her leg; the pain was showing all over her face.
    “Lay back Mrs. Bigelow, let me see what has happened.”
    Bill filled with adrenalin had gotten to Betsy in remarkable order.   But he knew the EMT could help better than he at the moment, so Bill reached for Betsy's hand, which she grabbed with a force he had not known since the birth of their baby.   That memory was not welcome.
    "It's fractured not broken.   But, she can not put any weight on it."
    Danielle had gotten down to them at this point.
    “Ok,” She said.
    She looked around for any sign of the moose.   None.
    "Charlie, Ben, I need for you two to go back to the helicopter and bring back the Stokes litter,"   She called.
    “Got it,” They called back and immediately headed back toward the copter on the trail above.
    Jim was working his way back up to the lower path, a bit shaken.   He had rolled down beyond the lower trail and had come to a stop just short of a much steeper drop off, down another hundred feet.   Danielle looking for him saw him and started to call.
    “I’m good,”   He called.
    “No injuries?”