Part 7
Buck rested heavily against the head board. Blankets rested at his waist and a half eaten breakfast still sat on a tray which rested on a small end table near the bed. Wilmington did his best to focus on Chris and the others but his damn eyes wouldn´t open.
“You remember who did this?” Larabee stood hipshot his arms folded. JD sat on Nathan´s desk. Jackson, irritated and over tired didn´t appreciate the misuse of his furniture nor the close proximity of bodies. He just wanted to get some sleep. Chris had told him Ezra would ride Nathan´s night patrol for him tonight. Jackson smiled at the thought.
“Nah,” Buck poked a finger at the swollen tissue around his left eye.
“Knock it off Buck or I´ll strap that hand to yer chest,” Nathan rubbed his face tiredly.
Chris had started to turn and leave the room but Josiah blocked his path. Something had been bothering him about last night. There was never any protest from Standish. Not even this morning. Normally the guilty hollered the loudest .Standish had great lung capacity. But he had been too silent through this whole thing.
Buck sighed when he heard the question. Dang what did Ezra tell them? Shit where is that fluke of nature anyhow?
“What Ezra tell ya?”
“He ain´t said shit,” It was the disgust in JD´s voice that suddenly had Buck´s stomach rolling in worry.
“What´s going on?” Wilmington tried to sit up straighter but cracked ribs said ‘No´ emphatically.
“You remember what happened?” Josiah tried again. Buck´s reaction caused his gut to sink to his knees.
A lecherous leer would have graced his face if it weren´t so swollen, but it was, so instead he just managed to split already tender lips. “Well I spent some time with Ms. Sherry ” The singsong tone of his voice had the others groaning.
Chris made to swing around Josiah but the preacher grabbed him by the upper arm.
“well ya´ll know how quickly she gets her wind,” Buck didn´t bother waiting for any response, “Anyways, I was runnin´ about ten, fifteen minutes late,” Wilmington redirected his blurry gaze to Larabee, “sorry Chris I know how ya are about the doubling up but Ms. Sherry well she´s something sides Ezra and I were gonna meet at the Saloon so he weren´t waitin´ somewhere´s by himself” Wilmington would admit he loved the ladies even to a fault but certainly not enough of one to let one of his friends fall to harm. Ezra was safe in the saloon
Larabee turned and faced Buck and then switched his gaze to the far wall, “Yeah I know.” Chris didn´t hear the rest of the words. Ten or Fifteen minutes late. Meant Standish might have been waiting for Buck Might have actually been doing what he was suppose too. Chris had said under no circumstances were they to patrol on their own.
“Then next thing I know someone jumps me .and then I hear a dog growling and then nuthin´,” Buck rubbed at his ribs. He tried to see why the room got so quiet. “Why what´s goin´ on? .the dog was Ezra´s weren´t it that ill tempered devil saved my hide didn´t it?” Dang if it don´t pay to have that back sassin´ gambler around
Vin pushed himself off the wall, “Yup.” He slid out of the room and onto the porch. A fresh autumn breeze brushed his face. His gaze played across town searching. He found the gambler, leaning in a chair before the jail, heels resting on the hitch rail. Cards flew from hand to hand. The dog lay quietly beside the chair.
Tanner heard the clinic door open and peered over his shoulder.
Larabee then Josiah and finally JD filed out of the small dark room.
“You see him?” Chris leaned on the railing next to the tracker.
“Yeah he´s over at the jail.”
All eyes traveled down the street to the empty chair in front of the sheriff´s office.
“No he ain´t,” JD sat down with a sigh.
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Standish slid out of town early for the evening patrol. The dog at his heels.
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Four days passed. Day number fourteen hit quietly, subtly. Buck had liberated himself from Nathan´s clutches by the end of the first day. The dark maroon bruises had become yellow. His eyes opened but the sclera´s were bright red. He looked ghoulish.
The women loved it. He blossomed under the attention.
Josiah and Nathan sat at a saloon table nursing beers. For four days they had made repairs on the church roof and for those four days they had watched as Standish and the dog circumvented the others with polite gestures and an easy smile.
Chris sat with a whiskey before him and Vin rolled his harmonica in his hand.
All hoped he did not try and play it. JD whirled through the doors and sidled up to the bar. “Hey Inez .can I have a beer?”
“Sure you may,” She paused before filling the glass and peered at the young man, “do you have any money to pay for this senor?”
JD balked and nodded, “Course I do Inez,” With a flourish Dunne smashed a coin on the bar top.
The doors swung open and shut. Inez gazed at the new comer, the mid morning light silhouetted the features but she recognized the build. A sad smile laced her lips. Senor Standish had become but a ghost amongst the others and only truly appeared at night, engrossed in card games. He bandaged his wounds with an easy smile.
“I hope Mr. Dunne you are not spending my winnings,” Ezra´s southern voice held a tinge of levity but no humor graced his black eye.
JD paused and turned around, “Uh .no Ezra,” Dunne picked up his coins, his eyes fallen to his hands. “Jist I forgot is all.”
“Yes well,” Ezra smacked his hands together and rubbed them, “two weeks has passed and the dog is tame .my money gentlemen.” The dimple smile wrinkled yellowing bruises and pushed on the small cuts of the left cheek. He would not walk away from what he rightfully earned. The money was rightfully his.
Chris, without comment pulled his losses from his pocket and slid it across the table. Josiah added his.
Ezra with a confident step crossed the distance. It was the closet he had been to the others since the attack on Buck. He did not hide from them. He always graced his gaming table at night. The dog a constant presence at his side.
“I can´t pay ya yet,” Vin shrugged his shoulders. He had spent his money on lumber for Ms. Nettie´s place.
“Sorry pard´ drank the last of my money last night,” Buck´s voice held humor but concerned eyes glanced at Standish. Dang in the light his bruises look almost as bad as mine.
“Yes, why aren´t I surprised,” Ezra gathered his winning´s and stared at Nathan, “Mr. Jackson?”
“Ain´t got nuthin´ on me,” Nathan´s angry words held self disgust. He never wanted to owe anyone. Damn. Standish dismissed the hot tone, their opinions mattered little. The feel of cash was a consistent and familiar sensation. Friendship and teamwork did not live up to the folklore one read it books. Its loss stung and the sensation when positive warmed his soul but the loss and lulls in said relations chilled and ached his heart. He would not fall prey again.
“Yes well gentlemen I hope you honor your debts,” Ezra smiled his thanks and turned to leave. He wished his heart did not beat so ferociously when he came in close contact with these men. Wished his palms did not sweat with tension and unease. Somehow he had to control his apprehension and fear. Had to stop being concerned about how they thought of him. He lived close to thirty years without knowing their opinions he should be able to manage another thirty.
“Why don´t cha let us try and win some of our money back?” Vin kicked out a chair before anyone else could.
Ezra contemplated the chair for just a moment. A pause short enough that a stranger would not have detected the hesitation but long enough for the others to notice. With a side tip of his head, Standish consented and sat down pulling out a deck of cards. For the first time in a short week, Standish sat within striking distance of them.
Being angry did not line ones pockets with cash.
He shuffled the deck once and then whistled. Beau trotted in and lay down.
After a few hands, tension trickled from the table. The seven men fell into easy company and enjoyed the rest of game.
Beau lay next to the gambler, but it was the sheriff who kept patting the dog.
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JD gazed up as a shadow fell over him. The young sheriff put down his dime store novel and squinted up at the form above him.
“Oh, hey, Josiah.” Dunne sat up slightly and let all four legs of his chair hit the board walk, “ya done workin´ on the church for today?”
“Yup,” Sanchez took the empty chair beside the boy and propped his feet up on the hitch rail, “ain´t quite cool enough for working that hard.” A silence fell between them.
Dunne nodded and surveyed the rest of main street. He hated the silence. The quiet always felt uncomfortable, even with friends. Ya should be talking to one another and telling jokes but he ain´t heard no jokes recently.
His eyes fell on the gambler. Standish headed for the saloon with Bo right on his heels.
“Bo and Ezra sure do git along real well, don´t they,” JD followed the two, turning his head slightly.
Josiah followed the boy´s gaze. The preacher wondered if the gambler ever realized what he truly won with that bet so many weeks ago? Probably not. For all his education, and knowledge Ezra still measured things against the worth of a dollar.
“Yup they do.”
“Ya ever wonder why?” Dunne had tried and tried to get Bo to play fetch. Dang dog would just stare at him or yawn. Heck JD even fetched the sticks to show him how to do it dang if he didn´t get tired having to go after all the sticks he threw for the dog. Buck and Vin laughed at him the whole time He then took Bo fishin´, with Ezra´s permission of course, Ezra didn´t care. Anyways, he takes Bo fishin´ and the dang dog dove in after the fish, then Bo ate every fish he and Casey caught. So course no one believed they really went fishin´. That was awful hard to explain to Ms. Nettie.
It ain´t like Ezra makes a big point to pat the dog or play with it. Most Ezra does is ruffle its ears or lays his hand on it´s head or something must be enough though Cuz no matter what Bo is doing no matter which kid is playin´ with him the minute Ezra shows up on the board walk that dog is right there at his side. Seems everyone likes Bo too well ‘cept Chaucer Chris don´t seem to give the dog much notice but that might be a good thing.
“I mean Ezra don´t strike me as a dog person,” JD pulled his thoughts back.
Josiah contemplated the question, “Beau doesn´t really care, fact is that dog don´t care what Ezra does for livin´ don´t care if he cheats at cards, or dresses fancy .Only thing that dog cares about is pleasing him.” Somehow Beau brought Standish´s heart closer to the surface just like kids. Ezra needs that dog, just like Buck needs you ..like Chris needs Vin or me and Nathan.
“Gives him balance.”
JD furrowed his brow at Sanchez´s last statement but let it go. Ezra already had great balance and Bo could climb ladders. JD nearly chuckled out loud. Bo had climbed the church ladder and chewed on Josiah´s shakes while Sanchez straightened bent nails. Boy, Josiah had been mad about that dang near Old Testament kind of mad. Vin had laughed and pointed out that Nathan and Josiah kept trying to pull stuff on Ezra it only seem fair that Bo help Ezra out. Two on Two now. Fair play. JD couldn´t see exactly how it was real fair. Bo wouldn´t let anyone near Ezra when the gambler were sleeping. Not that that was a problem.
JD did laughed out loud. Josiah raised his eyebrows in question. “Remember when Buck and me tossed them firecrackers in Ezra´s room when he was late for patrol?”
Sanchez let a hearty barrel laugh out. Standish had flown to the window in his night shirt brandishing his Remington. “Poetic justice my friend poetic justice.”
“Yeah up until he lit that wrapper full of dog poop and left it at my door,” JD found no humor in that at two in the morning.
Sanchez tried to respectfully stifle his chuckle. He failed.
Dunne let his eyes fall back to the gambler and dog.
“Ya ever wonder what would happen if somethin´ happened to Bo?” JD´s quiet voice tapered off as hazel eyes found Josiah. “I mean like if he got killed or somethin´?”
Sanchez didn´t return the gaze. Instead, he watched as the gambler entered the saloon. The dog, however, tested the air and then headed out of town, toward the Potter children and Billy, playing in the field.
“Hope to God son we don´t find out too soon,” Sanchez watched as the black dog loped down the street. Small plumes of dust scattered in its wake. Mr. Fairchild had to jump out of the way or be run down.
Josiah slowly climbed to his feet.
The nature of the run had changed. This was no easy lope.
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Mr. Fairchild noticed it too.
“He´s after the children!” Mr. Fairchild´s panicked voice pulled Chris, Vin and Ezra from their table. Now what?
“My God! he´s after the children!,” The panicked voiced reached a near hysterical frequency.
The tired duty of rising to one´s feet suddenly disappeared from the three law men as they rushed from the saloon.
Mr. Fairchild saw them and latched onto Larabee´s arm in desperation. The man´s terror overriding his commonsense, “You´ve got to do something! shoot it! The children!”
The three, as one, stared down the board walk to the edge of town. In the wild grass field bordering the town played three children. The tall grasses came to shoulder height, only the sandy blonde and dark brown hair give any clue as to where the children frolicked.
Vin hefted his rifle. Chris swore and shot Ezra an accusatory gaze .finding fault in something that should have been avoided.
Josiah and JD started running down the street. Buck was a few yards ahead of them still pulling on his shirt.
What snared the attention of the men what had them sprinting toward the edge of town was the black shadow stretching over the land. The enormous black dog bore down on the children with hackles raised and lips curled back. Its intentions frightfully clear. The dog ran flat out with the intention of attacking.
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Part 8
“Do something!” Mr. Fairchild nearly shrieked. Mary Travis and Gloria Potter with skirts raised in clenched fists, ran down the boardwalk trying desperately to close the distance to their children. They would never make it.
Vin raised his gun to his shoulder. He never once looked to Standish nor Larabee. Tanner hesitated only a moment. He closed both eyes and then opened them clearing his sight. Focusing. Only the dog existed. No one else. The world around him ceased to exist. He never heard Buck or JD trot up behind him.
Vin took a breath and released part of it. He aimed slightly before the dog´s left shoulder. The dog would run into the bullet. It would charge to its own death.
Vin slowly squeezed the trigger.
Suddenly the barrel of gun was knocked upward. The barrel harshly redirected toward the sky. The blast of the rifle rang with ear shattering intensity. The sharpshooter wrestled angrily for control of his gun.
“Hold it Vin,”
Tanner swung his gaze wildly at Wilmington. What the hell was the man doing? There was no choice in the matter.
“Oh my God look,” Mary´s whispered exclamation had everyone watching the field.
The three children played quietly. The oldest Potter child finally saw the charging black dog nearly up on them. In an act of bravery that most kids would never think twice about but would have adults marveling, the oldest girl pulled the two younger children to her side and shielded them from the perceived threat.
With a whimpered cry, she shut her eyes and hunched her body over the two smaller children waiting for the inevitable impact.
It never came.
The dog sailed over the three children. It flew over their huddled forms, its lean body stretched out , defining ribs, sinew and muscle.
“Good Lord,” Ezra muttered in disbelief. He stepped off the board walk and started jogging.
As a force, the adults started running for the field.
The dog clashed midair with a yellow tawny body. The two animals exploded upward in an eruption of teeth and snarls.
The mountain lion recovered first. It tried to by pass the black fury that had hit it head on. The black dog sprang back at the cat keeping itself as a barrier between the children.
A terrifying fight for survival ensued. A terrible, unequal battle. Natural dexterity and strength against domesticated brutality. Both creatures a product of their environment.
Nature protects her children well. The mountain lion fought with its five natural weapons. Claws and teeth slashed the air. With ears pulled down and to the side and teeth bared, the Cat used its superior strength and speed against the domesticated dog. With no humans to protect it having to survive on its ability to hunt and find game the cat used its finely honed skill to strike at the dog.
Though Beau had been graced with speed and strength both, he was not of the wild world. Though he had suffered the brutality of man and had thrived, he lacked the sinewy tensile strength of a wild creature. Domestication had taken that edge from him. In his world, his environment, the dog would prevail time and time again but against a wild predator the fight for life would not be easily won. Domestication had taken the edge from him and his fathers .generations of depending on man had stripped him of the wild strength of his cousins.
The dog fought on using his only weapon. His teeth slashed and tore as viciously as the cat. He swung and arched his body without conscious thought to avoid the arching cut of claws.
The cat had the advantage and used it. With a solid slap to the head, it knocked the dog to the side. Beau hit the ground with a resounding thump. With the wind flushed from his lungs, the dog struggled to its feet. It lunged back at the cat. His muscles weakened and stunned from the lack of oxygen.
The lunge never finished.
With a howl of rage, something slammed into the side of him and rolled him out of the way of the cat.
A rifle report snapped the air.
The cat screamed. A blood curdling sound of a dying animal. Another shot rendered the field silent.
Beau struggled to his feet but something trapped him. The dog flung his body left and right teeth snapping in empty air.
Voices, panicked human voices suddenly surrounded him. Crying and soothing words.
Then his voice penetrated. The soothing tones that distinguished his person from the others. The voice whispered in his ear with urgency and reassurance. The dog quit struggling. The arms trapping it loosened.
Beau quickly gained his feet and stared at the faces around him.
Vin held the smoking rifle over his shoulder. Chris and Mary as well as Mrs. Potter, checked the crying children while Buck and JD stood over the dead cat.
The dog turned his attention and stared at his master. His tail thumped in anticipation of praise.
“Don´t you give me that look,” Standish gained his feet and wiped clinging prairie grass from his clothes.
The dog wagged its tail again sitting on its haunches ignoring the tone.
“Don´t you even try it,” The southern words hissed out in anger.
Buck and JD knelt beside the cat but stared at the gambler.
Ezra continued speaking to the dogs, “What were you thinking? .did it ever occur to you to just bark? Perhaps garner the attention of others? What is this misguided sense of duty of yours?”
Standish stood over the dog in a scolding manner. My God I sound like Mother
JD elbowed Buck, “Ya think Ezra´s finally lost his marbles?”
Buck raised his eyebrows, “I don´t know kid looks that way.” Wilmington straightened up and gave the cat a reassuring kick. The body thumbed and moved bonelessly under the force. They would have to get a wagon to get it back to town Dang Vin´s a hell of a shot.
Mary had scooped Billy up into her arms. The young boy quickly rebounded from the potential confrontation and spoke softly to Chris, “Mr. Standish kind of sounds like Ma when she´s riled.”
Mary widened her eyes while Chris chuckled.
“Hey Ezra,” Vin sidled up next to the gambler and dog. With slow movements, he laid a thankful hand on the dog´s broad head. Though the dog appreciated the gesture it was not from the right person.
“What is it Mr. Tanner?” Ezra wiped dirt from his coat sleeve. His heart hammered in his chest. What if he had not been fast enough? What if Buck had not spotted the mountain lion with in the tall grass? .What if, God forbid, Mr. Tanner had missed the shot?
“Nice tackle,” Vin smiled and turned away he paused looking over his shoulder. His blue eyes twinkled with a mischief, “ Think Mrs. Potter might be able to sew up that big ole tear in yer coat?” The tracker walked away as another foul lecture sprang forth.
Beau tilted his head left and right then laid down in the tall autumn grass. He would wait for his praise.
Josiah stood back and watched. He raised his eyes to the sky and whispered a thank you. Sanchez then followed the crowd back to town leaving the gambler and dog to follow.
On the way back to town Standish dropped a casual hand to Beau´s head and scratched the base of his ear. The dog leaned into it and learned.
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A few nights passed with no more attacks on the citizens of the town. Its citizens felt a slight reprieve and their fear and diligence lessened. The seven lawmen, however, still covered the town in pairs checking every dark corner, watching every unknown person with wary eyes.
No moon graced the sky this night. Stars remained hidden under a heavy cloud cover. The night seemed almost thickened by the heavy darkness.
Mary glanced nervously over her shoulder. The hairs on the back of her neck rose with fright. A sixth sense screamed a silent warning. Blue eyes dilated with fear and the lack of light. The moonless night offered very little light. With a twisted knot in her stomach and rising goose bumps on her flesh, the newspaper woman gathered her skirts and quickened her pace down the board walk. Her heels rang hollowly against the warped boards.
The sixth sense, nearly a wailing cry within her, warned her of danger. With an instinct not easily subdued in those even civilized, the body and spirit knew when it was threatened.
Mary Travis, without seeing any danger, knew her life was in peril.
Her ears roared with terror.
Then a black shape melted out of the shadows beside her. With a gasp and startled yelp, the newspaper editor shut her eyes and swallowed her terror.
Beau. The black dog leaned against her leg. She scratched the base of his ear as her heart slowed its racing. “You scared me half to death,” Her whispered words sounded loudly in the quiet deserted street. Her anger at the dog wavered somewhere lost in her immense relief.
With a sigh and renewed sense of security, Mary continued down the board walk with the dog at her side. As she came to the darkened ally on her right, she paused. The little voice at the back of her mind started whispering again. With a flash of panic, she quickened her pace.
The dog matched her pace. With heightened vision and smell, the dog peered down the ally and snarled a warning. The sound came deep from within his chest. What little light that lit the area, caught his eye and reflected it. With a flash of bone white teeth and a glint of merciless ferocity the dog warned the would be attackers away.
Two men flattened themselves against the wall of the grange hall. The woman was almost theirs for the taking. With hearts in their throats and fear the dog would somehow know to come after them. They inched their way down the alley to their waiting horses. There would be easier targets elsewhere.
Larabee didn´t bother holstering his weapon. He and Vin waited in the shadows and circled around the grange hall with every intention of schooling the two in lessons of law. The two would be attackers would have gotten off easy if left to the dog.
Later that night Chris offered the dog a bite of steak.
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Part 9
“Have they come back yet?” Nathan leaned hipshot against the railing before the saloon glass window. The healer wiped his brow with the back of his hand. New calluses formed and hardened over old ones. The palms of his hands were as course as the wood shakes he nailed to the roof of the church.
Buck gazed down the street with apprehension. He nursed a beer, trying to find humor and levity in a situation that seemed devoid of any such feelings.
Something was wrong.
They all felt it.
They all knew it.
None of them wanted to act first...in fear of over reacting. Heck Vin and Ezra had only gone on patrol albeit an all day patrol but still they should have been back by now.
Even JD contained his raging doubt with barely controlled anxiety. The sheriff shifted from foot to foot. He kicked a heel back and forth scuffing the board walk with just enough gritty friction that it grated on tense nerves.
Larabee simmered. His fingers itched just to react. He needed to do something. He feared no man but something held him back. Deep down in his heart, he knew there was trouble.
Chris kept himself in check. Vin and Ezra were more than capable of looking after themselves.
Knowing he could be wrong, mostly likely making a mistake, Chris waited.
The sun hung low in the afternoon sky. The pale blue beauty of an autumn day was lost on the others. None noticed the cool breeze or the slight nip in the wind. No one paid any heed to the children that ran across main street only to disappear down an ally.
The five sat busying their hands, trying hard to pretend that they were not anxious, doing everything they could think of to keep their eyes wondering to the edge of town.
With anxious anticipation that they knew they should meet head on, the five waited.
They did not have to wait long.
The lone horse trotted into town dragging its reins. With nostrils flared and white lather wringing its neck, Peso spooked into town with stirrups flapping.
“Damn,” Buck pushed off the railing. JD ran to the prancing horse slowing his pace as he calmly reached for the reins. One was shorter than the other. The bridle had come half off. Peso must have stepped on his reins in his haste to flee something.
“Nathan?” JD´s nervous tone tinged the fear that laced his question. Blood adorned the fender of the saddle.
Jackson fingered the drying flakes. The blood had lost its red, maroon hue and had become a dark black. He easily scraped the upper crust from the leather. The deeper layers had soaked into the fender.
Nathan sighed. He did not need to tell the others that the amount of blood that covered the lower half of the saddle looked bad. Who ever lost this, lost a lot of blood.
“JD leave Peso with Yosemite,” Buck nudged the sheriff toward the livery. Chris had already disappeared inside with the others.
Practiced hands had already checked weapons, but out of habit they ran through their weapons again. Saddles where thrown on to the backs of jittery horses. The energy was electric. The animals pranced back and forth. They blew and stomped their feet. The smell of blood, the slight breeze and the cool of the day heightened senses and energized spirits. The horses wanted to run.
Nathan patted his gelding. Ezra was wrong. There was a difference between how he used his horse and how others used the fighting dogs. Dang Gambler…what had he gotten himself into now? What had he and Vin fallen into?
With a worried sigh, the Healer swung himself into the saddle.
Jackson caste a furtive glance at Josiah. The big preacher clenched his jaw and tightened his hold on the reins. His sorrel skittered backward in its eagerness to sprint ahead.
In no time, the five blew from the livery. The citizens of Four Corners raised heads in curiosity as the Peace Keepers erupted from the stables. Chris halted for just a fraction of a second before wheeling his horse to the right. The other four bunched and lurched behind him. Chris bolted out of town with four other determined men hot on his heels.
The lawmen disappeared from sight heading in the direction the tracker and gambler had disappeared.
The quiet citizens watched with apprehension. Some even wondered why Larabee kept Standish around. Dang Conman sometimes caused more trouble than his worth when it came to scuffles between the seven.
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Chris pushed them hard for twenty minutes. His mind reeled with possibilities. Did Tanner´s horse throw him? Not impossible but certainly improbable. Someone after Standish? More probable than impossible or maybe a bounty hunter? Larabee´s stomach lurched at the thought. Bounty after Tanner or Standish? Vin, of course, but even on occasion someone came looking for Ezra. The dang pardon he earned had saved his butt on more than one occasion.
Still the Gambler was more of a hassle than he was worth at times. Weren´t they all? Between his gambling, silver tongue cons, and practical jokes, the southern gentleman had no more manners than the rest of them. He just hid his orneriness under the clothes and mannerisms of a pseudo-gentleman. Maybe that´s what Chris found so accepting in Southerner. Ezra tried to fit in by being an individual.
Chris would wring his southern neck when he got a hold of him. The gunslinger nearly smiled….he wondered what type of story Ezra would spin to explain whatever fiasco he had managed to embroil Vin.
Tanner was his own man, Larabee knew this. Vin made his own decisions but the fool had more loyalty than common sense. Vin would go along with a scam just to ensure Standish came back alive…..and probably just to foil the plans.
Larabee´s slight levity faded when his attention was drawn to a side field.
The horses blew and muscles quivered. JD´s young bay let out a plaintive whinny. Another horse just in the distance answered it.
It was in the clearing that they found their first hint of trouble. Through the shady patches created by over hanging deciduous trees, amongst the slightly wavering summer grasses, they spotted a horse.
Chaucer stood in the field. The horse pranced and bowed its neck at something just a few feet from him. The tall grass hid the object of his attention.
The others quickly closed the distance. Chaucer swiveled his head and saw the approaching herd. The horse whinnied again. A plaintive sound…almost worried if one could make such a claim. JD´s little gelding answered in kind. Dunne´s heart lurched to his throat. Chaucer sounded scared. The young Sheriff urged his horse ahead.
“God help us,” Sanchez whispered quietly to himself. There a few feet from the horse, laying face down in the grass, was the gambler. The dog stood over him. His hackles raised and teeth bared.
“Ezra?” JD called out sliding from his saddle even before his small gelding came to a halt.
The dog lunged at him but returned quickly to his fallen owner.
Meadow grass stuck to the congealing blood that caked the gambler´s exposed face. His arms were flung before him...his gun just within fingers reach.
Chris quickly turned in his saddle, searching the area....Where was Vin? What the hell happened? The growling of the dog drew Larabee´s attention.
The dog acted only as he knew how. He charged those that tried to get close to his territory. It protected its master forfeiting its life if necessary. Larabee ignored it.
“Buck yer with me,” Chris´s tone cut the tension somehow adding to the charged atmosphere, “JD go back and git a wagon.” If the dog needed shot it would be best if JD weren´t around. The kid had too much empathy for animals.
JD raised his head as if to argue but held his tongue...Chris looked ready to shoot someone.
“Nathan see what you can do for him,” Chris indicated the prone gambler. Larabee stood in his stirrups and surveyed the surrounding area. He visored his eyes with a cupped hand. The setting sun cast everything into long lazy shadows. A light trail headed toward the southwest. The gunslinger turned his black gelding and headed for the fresh trail, Buck followed hot on his heels.
JD galloped his little Bay back to town.
Chris abruptly swung around in his saddle and roughly pulled back on the black´s bit, “Joisah, shoot the damn dog if ya have too.”
Sanchez nodded with eyes closed. The dog lunged again.
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