when ruth hagan was 78 years old, she visited her daughter judy and *age granddaughter marcy in california. they headed for their ca*n, zigzagging1 forty miles up and down the mountains in their bronco, from pavement to gravel2（砂石，沙砾） to a narrow one-lane road of brittle3（易碎的） shale4 and powdery dirt that wound terrifyingly close to cliffs.
after dinner marcy announced the water tank was low and that she would take the bronco down to the pump and get water. ruth was nervous about her young granddaughter driving down the narrow dirt road by herself, but judy reminded her that marcy had been driving vehicles up there on the ranch5 roads since she was 12.
"just be careful, marcy," her mother warned. "they've had a dry spell up here and the cliff side is pretty shaky. be sure to hug the mountain side."
ruth said a quick prayer as she and judy watched marcy from the *g window where they could see the road winding6 down the mountainside. fif* minutes later judy was still watching when suddenly she screamed, "oh no! god * us! she went over the cliff, momma! the bronco and marcy - they went over! we have to * her! come on!"
the ca*n door slammed and judy took off running. ruth ran behind her, but judy was quickly out of sight after the first turn in the road. ruth raced down the steep hill, breathing hard. she ran on and on, down the hill, up the next, trying to catch up with her daughter. it was getting harder and harder to see anything at dusk. ruth stopped cold and looked around.
she screamed into the darkness "judy, where are you?" off to her immediate7 right and down the cliff she heard, "down here, mother! don't come near the edge! i slipped on loose rocks and fell over. i'm down about twenty feet."
"oh dear god, judy, what can i do?"
"just stay back, momma! the road is giving out all over! i think i can crawl back up. i saw the white roof of the bronco when i was falling, momma, and i heard marcy calling for *. she's alive! but she's way down there in the ravine（沟壑，峡谷）. you have to go back to the ca*n and phone for *. tell them to send a helicopter. we have to get marcy out!"
ruth resisted looking over the edge to make sure judy was really okay. she turned around and started running back up the hill she'd just stumbled down. up one hill, down the next. she had one hill left to climb when she stumbled on loose dirt and rocks and fell on her face. chest pains took her breath away. she started to sob8. "dear god," she prayed, "please * me get back to the ca*n so i can call for *!"
at that moment something went through ruth. it was like a powerful energy and she knew for certain that somebody was there to * her. she heard the words, "i am here." she stood up, completely relaxed and rested. a surge of pain-free energy propelled her forward.
ruth ran on confidently, faster than she had before, and up that last *g hill. she turned into the ca*n driveway, pushed through the front door and dialed 911. she sputtered9 out the details of the disaster but unfortunately, she had no idea where she was. the dispatcher was totally confused. ruth had to get judy up to the phone so she could give directions. ruth stepped out of the ca*n into total darkness. she grabbed a three-foot-long walking stick propped10 against the ca*n door and started running back down the switchback（曲折的） road.
she continued to run with energy and determination through the darkness. up the hill, down the hill, up the second hill. suddenly she stopped, not knowing where she was. "marcy! judy!" she shouted.
a faint voice cried from directly below. "i'm here, grandma."
another voice. "momma!" it was judy.
ruth *ped to her knees, then lay flat on her belly11 as she scooted herself closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. she held the walking stick over the edge and asked judy if she could see it.
"i see it, momma, i'm almost there."
ruth heard gravel rolling around where judy was clim*ng. within minutes, judy grabbed the other end of the stick and ruth pulled her 140-pound daughter up and over that cliff. judy crawled into her mother's lap, shaking and sweating and immediately passed out.
ruth held her close and stroked her wet forehead. "judy, judy, wake up. we have to get * for marcy!" ruth kept talking and rub*ng her daughter's head. finally, judy came to. ruth pulled her to her feet, and the two women started walking. dazed and bleeding, judy fell three times as they worked their way back to the ca*n in the darkness.
when they reached the ca*n they heard the phone ringing. it was the volunteer emergency crew on the other end. judy sputtered out directions to where marcy was. as soon as she hung up, she and her mother started down the mountain again to meet and guide the rescuers. they trudged12 up the hill, down the hill. still full of energy, calm and confident, ruth held on to judy, for judy's sake, not hers.
an hour later, the fire trucks, ambulance, paramedics and, finally, the flight for life helicopter arrived. it took 3.5 hours to cut marcy free from the wreckage13 at the bottom of the cliff. at last the sheriff pulled her out of the back end of the bronco and carried her to the waiting ambulance. she was rushed to the hospital for treatment of a crushed ankle and s*rely14 broken leg, foot and finger.
the next day, when the sheriff came to visit marcy in the hospital, he shook his head and said, "that mountain didn't beat you."
ruth hagan knew the mountain didn't beat them because god was there that night, protecting her, guiding her, breathing strength into her frail15（脆弱的） body. ruth, judy and marcy all have their lives to prove it.
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